Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Complete Columbia Recordings - Miles Davis & John Coltrane

The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis with John Coltrane is a box set by jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane. It is the first box set in a series of eight from Columbia/Legacy compiling Davis's work for Columbia Records. Originally issued in 2000 in a limited-edition metal slipcase, it was reissued in 2004 in an oversized book format.Davis' and Coltrane's work together for Columbia produced three studio albums, two tracks from a fourth, and two live albums, all of which are contained in this box set:

* 'Round About Midnight (released March 4, 1957)
* Milestones (released September 2, 1958)
* Kind of Blue (released August 17, 1959)
* Someday My Prince Will Come (released December 11, 1961) (2 tracks only)
* Miles & Monk at Newport (released May 11, 1964) (one side only), reissued as Miles Davis At Newport 1958 in 2001
* Jazz at the Plaza (released September 28, 1973)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

VA - Talkin Jazz Vol 2: More Themes From The Black Forest

Tracklisting
01 The Dave Pike Set - Mathar
02 Wolfgang Dauner - Take Off Your Shoes To Feel The Setting Sun
03 Jonny Teupen - Love Me
04 Dee Dee, Barry & The Movements - Get Out of My Life Woman
05 The Dave Pike Set - Big Schlepp
06 Knut Kiesewetter Train - Roll On The Left Side
07 Catch Up - Onkel Joe
08 Dieter Reith Trio - Wives And Lovers
09 Karel Velebny - Nude
10 Francy Boland - Espresso Loco
11 Third Wave - Cantaloupe Island
12 Karin Krog - Maiden Voyage
13 George Duke - Feel

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Miles Davis Quintet - The Complete Columbia Studio Sessions, 1965-68 (1998) 6CD


THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) includes every track from the albums E.S.P., MILES SMILES, SORCERER, NEFERTITI, MILES IN THE SKY as well as portions of WATER BABIES, CIRCLE IN THE ROUND, DIRECTIONS and FILLES DE KILIMANJARO that featured the quintet. This release includes a 116-page booklet enclosed in a scrapbook-like packager with an engraved metal binder.

Recorded between January 20, 1965 and June 21, 1968. Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna, Todd Coolman and Bob Belden.

THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS (1965-1968) won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes and was nominated for Best Boxed Recording Package.

After hiring Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams for the New York sessions of SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN, Miles Davis combed through a series of saxophonists until settling on Wayne Shorter to complete his second great quintet. From their first complete recording as a unit, E.S.P. (1965), to their last session for FILLES DE KILIMANJARO (1968), this group profoundly changed the face of modern jazz. This recorded history has been beautifully preserved and presented in this staggering collection, THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO RECORDINGS 1965-68.

From the beginning it is evident that the music herein is of an unmatched quality and power. The genius of Hancock, the melodic invention of Shorter, the solidity of Carter's foundation and the thundering torrent of Williams all gels into a cohesive symphony of sound under the guiding hand of the Prince of Darkness, himself. The listener is able to trace the development of each member's compositional prowess and its effect on Davis' musical approach throughout the group's tenure. Each successive disc illustrates how the group explored uncharted musical territory with each session. Eventually, Davis would take his art in a new, more electric direction, thus ending this important period of jazz history

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Essential Larry Coryell


Larry Coryell was born 2 April, 1943 in Galveston, Texas. As a child he studied and played piano, switching to guitar (acoustic, and then electric) in his teens. After studying journalism at the University of Washington, he moved to New York City in 1965, where he played behind guitarist Gabor Szabo in drummer Chico Hamilton’s jazz quintet. However, by 1966, he had replaced Szabo and later that same year went on to record his vinyl debut with Hamilton’s band. Also in 1966 he co-founded an early jazz-rock band, the Free Spirits, with whom he recorded one album, 1966’s rare, Free Spirit: Out Of Sight And Sound. Soon after his stint with the Free Spirits he joined vibra-harpist Gary Burton’s band, recording with him three seminal albums, all of which are now long out of print. In 1969 he recorded Memphis Underground with flautist Herbie Mann whose band, at that time, included Roy Ayers and the influential free-jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock. Also in 1969, before recording his first solo LP, he toured Europe and the U.S. with ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce, ex-Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, as well as keyboardist and future Coryell side-man Mike Mandel.

Throughout the seventies he released album after album, often playing alongside the very best jazz had to offer. Some of the heavy-weights include: guitarists John McLaughlin, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Paco De Lucia, Pat Metheny, Al Di Meola, John Abercrombie, Larry Carlton, John Scofield, Kazumi Watanabe, Ralph Towner, and Steve Kahn; drummers Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, Mitch Mitchell and Tony Williams; alto sax player David Sanborn, tenor sax players Pharoah Sanders and Michael Brecker; soprano sax players Sonny Rollins and Steve Lacy, cornet player Don Cherry, trumpet players Maynard Ferguson and Randy Brecker; violinist Stephane Grappelli, keyboardists Chick Corea, Larry Young, David Sancious and Lyle Mays; and bassists Charles Mingus, Miroslav Vitous, Ron Carter, Eddie Gomez, Jack Bruce, Jimmy Garrison, Charlie Haden, Steve Swallow and Tony Levin.

When Larry Coryell recorded the sides gathered on this 70-minute CD, fusion was still a new and radical idea -- and the guitarist was one of the adventurers who did more than his part to get the ball rolling. Coryell's diehard followers will be familiar with most of this material, but for novices, The Essential Larry Coryell can serve as a splendid introduction to his Vanguard output. This diverse compilation ranges from 1968's landmark "Stiffneck" (a duet with drummer Elvin Jones that is among the earliest examples of fusion) to the abrasive, Jimi Hendrix-influenced "The Jam with Albert" to the haunting "Spaces (Infinite)," which unites Coryell with another very influential fusion guitarist: John McLaughlin. It's hard to miss Miles Davis' influence on "Yin," a gem underscoring the initial excellence of Coryell's Eleventh House. But even so, there's no mistaking the fact that Coryell was very much a visionary in his own right.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

larry carlton singing playing


This is Larry Carlton's second record. The trademark 'Carlton' guitar sound is evident throughout, as is his toneless singing. The tracks here have a more earthy feel, as opposed to the over-produced stylings he would later employ; however, the overall results are disappointing. The guitar playing is certainly impressive (especially the distortion-filled "Free Way"), but there is simply not enough of it. Regardless, this is an interesting part of Carlton's beginnings and there are enough moments here that foreshadow his evolvement into one of the most distinctive voices in the history of electric guitar.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Jazz Crusaders The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions


First-Time Ever Set From A One-of-a-Kind Band.

From their first recordings, The Jazz Crusaders proved they sounded like no one else. They took as their foundation what Joe Sample called the three pillars of African American music: jazz, blues and gospel. So many of the songs could only have come from this band, whose unique approach to writing sustained them over their many years of working together. Each member would bring tunes to the session, where they would work over them as a team. The result would be complex phrases, uncommon segment lengths and music tinged with many elements.

It's no surprise that a band as committed to ensemble writing would excel at ensemble playing, and The Jazz Crusaders were masters of the art through this period of their history. Henderson's liquid trombone, Felder's hot Texas tenor, Hooper's driving beat, and Sample's commanding, confident piano style, make the perfect blend.

When they surfaced in Los Angeles in 1961, poised to make their first LP, no one knew quite what to make of these musicians who seemed unlike any other "West Coast" organizations. Not only weren't they part of the west coast sound, whatever that was, but they didn't seem to even care about it or recognize its relevance. The Jazz Crusaders featured their own eclectic line-up; played a signature mix of sounds, all with an appealing, tight groove, that had more to do with the music's roots than a lot of the jazz they were hearing. The music they played was typical of their hometown, Houston, Texas - bluesy, soulful, and spirited.

A great discovery lies ahead for music buyers whose collections were assembled primarily in the CD era. And for others who let intervening years dull their memory of this band's truly original talent. This is the first major retrospective of The Jazz Crusaders and this collection, from the 1960s, presents them at a time when they were largely un-amplified, full of energy, and unbelievably prolific.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Clifford Brown & Max Roach

Clifford Brown & Max Roach, also known as Daahoud, is a 1955 album by influential jazz musicians Clifford Brown and Max Roach as part of the Clifford Brown and Max Roach Quintet, described by The New York Times as "perhaps the definitive bop group until Mr. Brown's fatal automobile accident in 1956". The album was critically well-received and includes several notable tracks, including two that have since become jazz standards. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It is included in Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings at #34, where it is described by New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff as "one of the strongest studio albums up to that time".

Originally released on the EmArcy label, it has been multiply re-issued, including in a 2000 edition by Verve Records that contains additional tracks.

Tracks:

1 Delilah
2 Parisian Thoroughfare
3 The Blues Walk
4 Daahoud
5 Joy Spring
6 Jordu
7 What Am I Here For
plus alternate takes of Tracks 3, 4 and 5.

Personnel:

Clifford Brown (trumpet)
Harold Land (tenor saxophone)
Richie Powell (piano)
George Morrow (bass)
Max Roach (drums)

Monday, September 7, 2009

J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding - Jay & Kai (1947)


Album Reviews:

Down Beat - 4.5 Stars - Very Good/Excellent - "The first, and one of the best, of many collaborations by the two trombonists...notable not only for their sweet harmonies and interplay on the leads, but Johnson's pearly solos, Winding's blattier ones and the needle-fine, single-noters of light-fingered guitarist Billy Bauer..."

Album Notes

Personnel: J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Wally Cirillo, Hank Jones, Lou Stein (piano); Billy Bauer (guitar); Charles Mingus, Al Lucas, Eddie Safranski (bass); Kenny Clarke, Shadow Wilson, Tiny Kahn (drums); Al Young (bongos, timbales).

Recorded between 1947 & 1952.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Lennie Tristano - Descent Into the Maelstrom (1953-1965)


Recorded betweeen 1953 and 1965. Released in 1978.
Label: Inner City Records

Lennie Tristano, piano
Sonny Dallas, bass
Peter Ind, bass
Roy Haynes, drums
Nick Stabulas, drums



Tracks:

1. Descent Into The Maelstrom (3:24)
2. Dream: Paris 1965 (2:58)
3. Image: Paris 1965 (3:25)
4. Take 1 (4:30)
5. Take 2 (3:11)
6. Take 3 (4:03)
7. Stretch (6:08)
8. Pastime (3:39)
9. Ju-Ju (2:15)
10. Con Con (8:47)

This hard-to-find LP starts off with the utterly unique title cut. On this completely atonal track (which predates Cecil Taylor by a few years), Lennie Tristano overdubbed several pianos and created picturesque and extremely intense music. The remainder of this album is mostly comprised of leftovers and rehearsal tracks which, considering Tristano's slim discography, is quite welcome. The pianist is heard solo in 1961 and 1965, in a trio with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Roy Haynes in 1952 and (in what might be his last recordings) performing a pair of originals with bassist Sonny Dallas and drummer Nick Stabulas in 1966. Tristano fans can consider this important release to be essential.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Cecil Taylor – Jazz Advance


This CD is probably the best place to start for those unfamiliar with Cecil Taylor. Not only is it fascinating to hear his unique, dischordant piano technique in the context of a traditional bebop band, but it is easier to follow the logic of his playing at this early stage. Although it is not as radical as his later stuff, this album sounds like nothing else recorded in 1956. Truly ahead of its time.

Original Release Date: September 14, 1956

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Charles Lloyd in the Soviet Union


The Charles Lloyd Quartet was (along with Cannonball Adderley's band) the most popular group in jazz during the latter half of the 1960s. Lloyd somehow managed this feat without watering down his music or adopting a pop repertoire. A measure of the band's popularity is that Lloyd and his sidemen (pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Ron McClure and drummer Jack DeJohnette) were able to have a very successful tour of the Soviet Union during a period when jazz was still being discouraged by the communists. This well-received festival appearance has four lengthy performances including an 18-minute version of "Sweet Georgia Bright" and Lloyd (who has always had a soft-toned Coltrane influenced tenor style and a more distinctive voice on flute) is in top form.
Tracks

1 Days and Nights Waiting
2 Sweet Georgia Bright
3 Love Song to a Baby
4 Tribal Dance