JAZZ BROS.

Concerning Dead Links and Re-ups....

2012-01-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

many of the rapidshare links are going down, because i don't have an account with them anymore. if any of you would like me to re-up anything, just leave me a comment, and i'll try to get to it ASAP!

1964 The Hilversum Session - Albert Ayler

2011-10-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

The Hilversum Session by Albert Ayler is one of those legendary recordings in free jazz. It was recorded in a Netherlands radio studio in front of a small invited audience, at the end of the Ayler Quartet's European tour on November 9, 1964. The band -- Ayler, Don Cherry, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray -- had been playing Ayler's tunes for months and were uncanny in their ability to hear one another and improvise together at that point. It was also the last time the group would record together under Ayler's name as a quartet, and they went out at a peak. The recording itself remained unissued until 1980 when it appeared on an LP on …(amg)

01 Angels
02 C.A.C
03 Ghosts
04 Infant Happiness
05 Spirits
06 No Name

ok, so it's been awhile, whaddya gonna do, sue me? (please don't)

2011-10-09T22:31:00.001-07:00

seriously

gettting back up on the jazzpony soon...

2011-08-06T03:29:00.000-07:00

Ernie Watts - Planet Love (1969)

2011-05-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

Ernie Watts' first record. Sounds alot like Coltrane in places on this one. Good record not yet available on CD. Check It Out!

01 Going Home
02 Knowing When To Leave
03 Black Is Beautiful
04 Wichita Lineman
05 Boo
06 Planet Love
07 Fourth Dynasty

• Ernie Watts - Alto & Tenor
• Clarence McDonald - Piano
• Stanley Gilbert - Bass
• Robert Morin - Drums

Billy Bang - Changing Seasons

2011-05-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

01 Summer nights (with crickets)
02 Playful Spring - I the Brass Bow
03 Aduwa in Autumn
04 Winter Rains

BILLY BANG - AUSTRIA 2002

2011-04-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

01. Yo! Ho Chi Minh Is In The House 12:00
02. Tunnel Rat 9:06
03. Moments For KIA-MIA 11:34 )
04. Fire In The Hole :48
05. Saigon Phunk 9:19
06. Band Introduction 1:32
07. Bien Hoa Blues 9:30

Lineup:
Billy Bang - violin
Frank Lowe - tenor saxophone
James Zollar - trumpet
John Hicks - piano
Curtis Lundy - bass
Michael Carvin - drums

Billy Bang Quartet - Valve No.10 (1993)

2011-04-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Billy Bang (born William Vincent Walker; September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011) was an American free jazz violinist and composer.

1. P.M.
2. Valve No.10
3. September 23rd
4. Improvisation For Four
5. Bien-Hoa Blues
6. Holiday For Flowers
7. Lonnie's Lament

Another great, forgotten jazz session, now nearly impossible to find. In 1988, Billy Bang traveled to Italy on the eve of a new European tour with his current quartet, laying down seven tracks for an album which would serve as a shadow tribute album to John Coltrane. A slow, dirge-like rendition of Coltrane's "Lonnie's Lament" closes out the record, while "September 23rd" (Coltrane's birth date) is a spoken poem weaving the titles of numerous Coltrane songs around a few musical quotes. Truth be known, this is the least compelling track on the album, but it's far from awful. Bang has a fierce attack on violin, so much so in fact that he might be more properly considered a "fiddle" player. He's a gifted musician, and yet there's also a wonderful backwoods quality to his sound. Frank Lowe, recently deceased, offers a compellingly original style on tenor saxophone, unmistakeably "new," yet also deeply connected to the past, especially old pre-bop masters like Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. His smooth, thoughtful tone is a wonderful contrast to Bang's nimble scratch. Bassist Sirone is an unjustly forgotten, musical player, and Dennis Charles' drumming is a casebook study of jazz interaction. Memorable themes, intense yet never overwhelming soloing, spiritually positive and endlessly creative - this is a great album. Track it down. -Jason Gubbels

5.0 out of 5 stars

Billy Bang-- violin, compositions
Frank Lowe-- tenor sax
Sirone-- bass
Denis Charles -- drums

Joachim Kühn - SpringFever (1976)

2011-03-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Tracks:

Lady Amber
Sunshine
Two Whips
Spring Fever
Morning
Mushroom
Equal Evil
California Woman

Musicians :

Joachim Kühn - keyboards
Philip Catherine - guitar
John Lee - bass guitar
Gerald Brown - drums
Guest Artists :

Zbigniew Seifert - violin
Curt Cress - drums (on "Lady Amber")

Recorded : April 1976 at Union Studio, Munich, Germany -
Produced by Joachim Kühn

Atlantic records

SADAO WATANABE QUARTET - SWISS AIR LIVE AT MONTREUX 1975

2011-03-12T02:25:00.000-08:00

Sadao Watanabe - Swiss Air (1975)

01 Masai Steppe
02 Tanzania E
03 Sway
04 Way
05 Pagamoyo

Sadao Watanabe (as,fl,sn)
Takehiro Honda(p)
Osamu Kawakami (b)
Shinji Mori (ds)

Recorded at Montreux
CBS Sony Japan 1975

Absolute Ensemble - Absolute Zawinul

2011-02-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

This set, made in 2007, is the last studio recording Joe Zawinul worked on before his death. It places the great Austrian pianist/composer in front of a mixed-genre chamber orchestra led by young Estonian classical conductor Kristjan Jarvi, and concentrates on the music of Zawinul's later years with his Syndicate, rather than the more famous two-decade reign of Weather Report. The dressing of jazz, improv or fusion ideas in classical music's graceful robes often does few favours to any of the contributing genres, but this is an exception: sustaining the Syndicate's headlong energies while enhancing passing melodic ideas that the erudite Zawinul would sometimes casually toss out. As well as being a composer of enduring themes, Zawinul was one of the great spontaneous creators of the short fill or linking motif, and Jarvi picks those up and burnishes them with everything from flutes and oboes to contrabassoons, while driving drum-patterns and basslines surge along beneath – and Zawinul's talkative vocoder adds his characteristic asides. The folk-dancing energy of Bimoya sets the vibe humming, Syndicate singer Sabine Kabongo supplies spinechilling chants, the Eastern melodies of Sultan are strengthened by the strings, and The Peasant is an ingenious combination of strings, Indian percussion and deep brass. It's a fitting enrichment of Zawinul's magic, by players who clearly appreciate it.

The New York based Absolute Ensemble, conductor Kristjan Järvi, is and 18-piece electro-acoustic ensemble that fuses classical, jazz, rock and funk. Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix have found a place on the bill with Bach, Stravinsky and Schoenberg and the works of new composers whom the band is often the first to promote. They have also performed works by the Beatles, Frank Zappa, John Adams and Michael Daugherty.

Ahmed Abdul-Malik - East Meets West (1959)

2011-01-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

«The late Ahmed Abdul-Malik was one of the first musicians to integrate non-Western musical elements into jazz. Best known to jazz listeners as a bassist with Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, Coleman Hawkins, and many others, he made a few records as a leader, with this one being his most exotic and also the hardest to find. The Brooklyn native was of Sudanese descent; in addition to playing bass on this interesting blend of Middle Eastern instruments with those from the world of jazz, he also plays oud, the forerunner to the lute. The musicians on Malik's eight originals vary from track to track. On the mournful "La Ibky (Don't Cry)," Malik's oud shares the spotlight with a tenor sax (either Benny Golson or Johnny Griffin) plus trumpeter Lee Morgan. "Rooh (The Soul)" features the 72-string kanoon (which is sort of a brittle sounding and much smaller harp) played by Ahmed Yetman, along with Malik's arco bass and the droning violin of Naim Karacand. The Middle Eastern instruments are absent during "Searchin'," which is sort of a hard bop vehicle featuring trombonist Curtis Fuller and Jerome Richardson on flute, along with the tenor sax. "Takseem (Solo)" omits the jazz instruments; the slowness of the variations of the music and rather piercing vocal make it harder for Western ears to comprehend. Not a release of interest to everyone but, for the most part, this fusion of vastly different styles of music is quite enjoyable; it's obvious from the start that the musicians were enjoying themselves as it was recorded. This long out print LP will be difficult to locate.» (AMG)

01 E-Lail (The Night)
02 La Ilbky (Don't Cry)
03 Takseem (Solo)
04 Searchin'
05 Isma'a (Listen)
06 Rooh (The Soul)
07 Mahawara
08 El Ghada [The Jungle]

players:

Ahmed Abdul-Malik Bass, Oud
Bilal Abdurrahman Darabeka
Curtis Fuller Trombone
Benny Golson Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Griffin Sax (Tenor)
Mike Hamway Darabeka
Al Harewood Drums
Naim Karacand Violin
Lee Morgan Trumpet
Jerome Richardson Flute
Ahmed Yetman Kanun

Sun Ra - Heliocentric Worlds

2011-01-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

CD 1
1. Heliocentric 4:19
2. Outer Nothingness 7:39
3. Other Worlds 4:36
4. The Cosmos 7:32
5. Of Heavenly Things 5:46
6. Nebulae 3:21
7. Dancing In The Sun 1:55

CD 2
1. The Sun Myth 18:21
2. A House Of Beauty 4:55
3. Cosmic Chaos 15:12

CD 3
1. Intercosmosis 17:05
2. Mythology Metamorphosis 4:17
3. Heliocentric Worlds 4:18
4. World Worlds 5:09
5. Interplanetary Travelers 5:06

Sun Ra - The Antique Blacks (1974)

2010-12-25T01:29:00.001-08:00

The Antique Blacks is a great live date, recorded in 1974 but not released until 1978. This is a smallish band, and features the first recorded evidence of prominent electric rock guitar in the Arkestra, attributed only to "Sly." "Song No. 1" is a groovy sort of space bossa nova, with Sun Ra on rocksichord supported by great percussion as the other players join in. "There Is a Change in the Air/The Antique Blacks" is a Ra poem recited with musical accompaniment as is "The Ridiculous 'I' and the Cosmos Me." "This Song Is Dedicated to Nature's God" is actually a different tune than "To Nature's God" on Live in Egypt, Vol. 1, but is the same sort of upbeat, swinging singalong. "Would I for All That Were" is a short interlude with Moog craziness over an ominous march, which leads into a rousing version of "Space Is the Place." The Antique Blacks is notable for the recited poetry, as well as for the presence of the extroverted Sly, who adds a totally new dimension to the Arkestra sound. This one will be tough to find, but well worth it. - amg

01 - song n1
02 - there is a change in the air
03 - the antique blacks
04 - this song is decicatated to nature's god
05 - the ridiculous ''i'' & the cosmos me
06 - would i for all that were
07 - space is the place

Sun Ra Arranger, Composer, Mini Moog, Rocksichord, Vocals
Marshall Allen Percussion, Reissue, Sax (Alto), Vocals
Sly Guitar (Electric)
Atakatune Conga
Danny Davis Sax (Alto)
Ahk Tal Ebah Trumpet, Vocals
John Gilmore Percussion, Sax (Tenor), Vocals
James Jackson Bassoon, Percussion, Vocals
Clifford Jarvis Drums, Vocals

John Tchicai - Afrodisiaca

2010-12-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

01. Afrodisiaca
02. Heavenly Love On A Planet
03. Fodringsmontage
04. This Is Heaven
05. Lakshmi

Ex-New York Art Ensemble member Jon Tchicai goes wild with 25 fellow musicians on this Free Jazz masterpiece from the year of the moon landing. Sonic Youth s Thurston Moore comments: beautiful, baby. BEAUTIFUL! Originally released in 1969.

Personnel: John Tchicai: alto and soprano saxophones, leader (2-5); Hugh Steinmetz: trumpet, leader (1); Willem Breuker: tenor saxophone (1, 4), bass clarinet (2); Pierre Doerge: guitar; Max Brúel: baritone saxophone (1); Theo Rahbek: trumpet, iron claves (2); Mauritz Tchicai: trombone, sousaphone, waterpipe (2); Joergen Thorup: clarinet; Michael Schou: alto saxophone, flute; Kim Menzer: trombone (1), flute (1); Willy Jagert: ophicleide; Bent Hesselman: flute (1); Sune Weimar: alto saxophone; Christian Kyhl: alto and soprano saxophones, triangle (2); Mogens Bollerup: tenor saxophone, petrol can (2); Niels Harrit: tenor saxophone (1), flute (1), saw (1); Ole Kühl: tenor and soprano saxophones; Ole Matthissen: organ, cymbal (2); Ole Thilo: organ, tankcap (2); Steffen Andersen: bass (1); Claus Boeje: drums; Jon Finsen: drums, glockenspiel (2); Anthony Barnett: percussion, tabla (4); Giorgio Musoni: balafon (1), africodrums (1), gong (1); Simon Kopel: tympani (1); J.C. Moses: cowbell (1), bongos (1), percussion (1).

John Tchicai

2010-12-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

John Tchicai

John Martin Tchicai (born April 28, 1936) is a Danish jazz saxophonist. He was one of the earliest European free jazz musicians. He is of Danish and Congolese descent.

Tchicai studied violin in his youth, and in his mid-teens began playing clarinet and alto saxophone, focusing on the latter. By the late 1950s he was travelling around northern Europe, playing with many musicians.

After moving to New York City in 1963, Tchicai fell into the free jazz scene, co-forming the New York Contemporary Five and the New York Art Quartet, and playing on John Coltrane's epochal Ascension, and with Albert Ayler and others on New York Eye and Ear Control.

He returned to Denmark in 1966, and shortly thereafter focused most of his time on music education.

On Aug 30, 1975 his appearance at the Willisau Jazz Festival was recorded and released later that year as Willi The Pig. On this record, he plays with Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer.

Tchicai returned to a regular gigging and recording schedule in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s he switched to the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument. In 1990 he was awarded a lifetime grant from the Danish Ministry of Culture[1]. Tchicai and his wife relocated to Davis, CA (near San Francisco) in 1991, where he has led several ensembles. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1997. He is a member of Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith's "Yo Miles" band, a loose aggregation of musicians exploring Miles Davis's post-Bitches Brew electric music.

Since 2001 he has been living near Perpignan in southern France. He is currently (2006) experimenting with electronic components in his music.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photo by Matt Brown

Jack DeJohnette - Cosmic Chicken (1975)

2010-09-25T23:48:00.001-07:00

01 Cosmic Chicken
02 One for Devadip and the Professor
03 Stratocruiser
04 Shades of the Phantom
05 Eiderdown Swallow
06 Sweet and Pungent
07 Las Chance Stomp

John Abercrombie - Guitar
Jack DeJohnette - Synthesizer, Guitar, Piano, Drums, Keyboards
Alex Foster - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Peter Warren - Bass

Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA on April 24–26, 1975

Gato Barbieri - El Gato (1975)

2010-09-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

01 El Gato 12:45
02 El Parana 8:57
03 Merceditas 9:04
04 Vidala Triste 5:30
05 Ninos 7:14

Released: 1975
Genre: Jazz
Style: Free Jazz, Fusion, Latin Jazz

Credits
Bass - Stanley Clarke
Congas - Mtume*
Drums - Pretty Purdie*
Piano - Lonnie Liston Smith
Producer - Bob Thiele
Saxophone [Tenor] - Gato Barbieri

MY JAZZ BRAIN IS ALL MELTY!

2010-09-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

sorry to be so abstract as to make you wonder about my general state of mental health well-being, but it turns out i'm ok and soon i'll be back soon with all new, non heatwave induced ramblings and fresh, cool brained posts!

Joe Zawinul - The Rise and Fall of the Third Stream (1968)

2010-08-29T02:20:00.000-07:00

The Rise and Fall of the Third Stream is an album by Austrian jazz keyboardist and composer Joe Zawinul, released in 1968. The title refers to the Third stream genre of music, melding classical and jazz.

01. "Baptismal" (William Fischer) – 7:37
02. "The Soul of a Village - Part I" (William Fischer) – 2:13
03. "The Soul of a Village - Part II" (William Fischer) – 4:12
04. "The Fifth Canto" (William Fischer) – 6:55
05. "From Vienna, With Love" (Friedrich Gulda) – 4:27
06. "Lord, Lord, Lord" (William Fischer) – 3:55
07. "A Concerto, Retitled" (William Fischer) – 5:30

* Joe Zawinul - Piano and electric piano
* William Fischer - Tenor Saxophone and arrangements
* Jimmy Owens - Trumpet
* Alfred Brown - Viola
* Selwart Clarke - Viola
* Theodore Israel - Viola
* Kermit Moore - Cello
* Richard Davis - Bass
* Roy McCurdy - Drums
* Freddie Waits - Drums
* Warren Smith - Percussion

Mahavishnu Orchestra/John McLaughlin - Inner Worlds (1976)

2010-08-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

The state of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra continued to be volatile in 1975, with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty out, keyboardist Gayle Moran replaced by Stu Goldberg, and all string and horn backings removed, leaving just a steaming quartet and this lone remarkable album. The addition of Goldberg, a more interesting musician than Moran, is significant, but the biggest charge is provided by the leader who, in tandem with the latest electronic equipment, turns in some of his most passionately alive playing of the whole Mahavishnu series. The leadoff track, "All in the Family," has fantastic energy and drive, pushed on by Narada Michael Walden's drums and marimba. "Miles Out" has John McLaughlin doing some inspired jamming with his guitar hooked into a "360 Systems Frequency Shifter" (an electronic device with the wildly fluid sound of a ring-modulator), and he moves over to an early guitar synthesizer on "Morning Calls," "Lotus Feet," and the streaking title track. There is some funk residue from Visions of the Emerald Beyond on "Planetary Citizen," yet oddly enough, the so-so soul vocals from Walden on several tracks, and one by bassist Ralphe Armstrong, do not harm the cause, as the playing of the quartet is so fiery. But this somewhat overlooked album would be the last hurrah for the Mahavishnu concept for nearly a decade -- and when it returned, the sounds it produced would bear little resemblance to this power-packed music...AMG

01 All in the Family
02 Miles Out
03 In My Life
04 Gita
05 Morning Calls
06 The Way of the Pilgrim
07 River of My Heart
08 Planetary Citizen
09 Lotus Feet
10 Inner Worlds Pts. 1 & 2

L.A. Express - Shadow Play (1976)

2010-08-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

L.A.EXPRESS: SHADOW PLAY
CARIBOU RECORDS
RELEASED: 1976, USA

01. Nordic Winds (6:04) [Peter Maunu]
02. Double Your Pleasure (2:50) [Peter Maunu]
03. Shadow Play (5:30) [D.Luell, R.Philipe]
04. Chariot Race (2:47) [Victor Feldman]
05. Dance The Night Away (3:03) [Victor Feldman]
06. Velvet Lady (4:15) [John Guerin]
07. Vortex (3:50) [Peter Maunu]
08. Mad Drums And Englishman (Mavro) (5:26) [John Guerin]
09. Silhouette (1:20) [Victor Feldman]

David Luell: tenor/alto/soprano/baritone saxophone
Peter Maunu: electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Victor Feldman: Fender Rhodes, piano, ARP Odyssey,
Hammond organ, concert spectrum,
congas, assorted percussion
Max Bennett: Fender bass, percussion
John Guerin: drums, organ

- ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS -
Joni Mitchell: voices (on 1)
Paulette McWilliams: voices (on 2,5)

Billy Cobham - Alivemutherforya (1978)

2010-08-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Drummer Billy Cobham is heard on this live set heading an all-star quintet also including Tom Scott on tenor, soprano and lyricon, keyboardist Mark Soskin, guitarist Steve Khan and electric bassist Alphonso Johnson. Although the music is mostly funky and uses plenty of electronics (Scott sounds quite faceless on lyricon), there are some strong solos, particularly from Khan and Scott (when he is on tenor). The six group originals are highlighted by "Bahama Mama," "Some Punk Funk" and "On a Magic Carpet Ride." Due to the amount of variety and spontaneity, Alivemutherforya is superior to most of these musicians' individual projects of the era...AMG

01 "Anteres"-The Star - Billy Cobham
02 Bahama Mama - Alphonso Johnson
03 Shadows - Tom Scott
04 Some Punk Funk - Steve Khan
05 Spindrift - Tom Scott
06 On a Magic Carpet Ride - Billy Cobham

Lee Ritenour - The Captain's Journey [1978]

2010-08-19T01:46:00.000-07:00

01. The Captain's Journey Pt. 2: The Calm/Pt. 2: The Storm 8:02
02. Morning Glory 5:53
03. Sugar Loaf Express 5:05
04. Matchmakers 4:53
05. What Do You Want? 5:27
06. That's Enough for Me 5:24
07. Etude

Yellowjackets - Yellowjackets (1981)

2010-08-19T01:42:00.000-07:00

Yellowjackets

The Yellowjackets made a splash with their first record, an accessible mixture of jazz, rock, and funk bearing the unmistakable mark of the L.A. session scene that spawned them. In fact, the Yellowjackets had their roots in the sessions for Robben Ford's 1979 album The Inside Story. Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip, and Ricky Lawson all appeared on that album and reenlisted Ford's help for their own debut, with the guitarist's fluid soloing often taking the lead role. As fun an album as it is -- and there are times when the melodies rise to a joyful exuberance that recalls Weather Report's "Birdland" -- Yellowjackets isn't a true fusion record. Ricky Lawson provides rock beats to the material, Haslip's bass work is as funky as it is jazzy, and the arrangements tend to stick with the same groove (as ingratiating as they may be) rather than explore the musical themes like an esoteric jazz band might. The opening "Matinee Idol" is as much the Jackson 5 (one of Lawson's previous gigs) as fusion, "Rush Hour" is jazzy in a Steely Dan sense, while "Sittin' in It" actually borrows from the old funk classic "For the Love of Money." There are some nice, chunky grooves that give the album a sense of substance ("The Hornet," "Imperial Strut"), a wistful track in "It's Almost Gone," and a neat melody tucked into "Priscilla," all of which contribute to the album's charm. But compared to their GRP recordings, the Yellowjackets' debut does seem a little one-dimensional. If you enjoy the smooth, guitar-led jazz from this period (e.g., Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour), Yellowjackets is worth checking out, both for the upbeat melodies and Ford's seemingly effortless solos...

01 Matinee Idol
02 Imperial Strut
03 Sittin' in It
04 Rush Hour
05 The Hornet
06 Priscilla
07 It's Almost Gone

Jean-Luc Ponty - Live (1979)

2010-08-19T01:40:00.000-07:00

01.Aurora Part 1
02.Aurora Part 2
03.Imaginary Voyage Part 3
04.Imaginary Voyage Part 4
05.Mirage
06.No Strings Attached
07.Egocentric Molecules

Treat yourself to a piece of JLP history as you are front and center at a live performance recorded in late 1978 during the California leg of the Cosmic Messenger tour. Blistering guitar solos from both Jamie Glaser and Joaquin Lievano, intricate keyboards from Allan Zavod, and powerful "double kick" drumming from Casey Scheuerell. An explosive performance by Ralphe Armstrong on bass, and of course the genius of Jean-Luc Ponty on the electric violin. A great "must have" work of art for all Ponty diehard fans or JLP "newbies".

Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology (2001, Rhino)

2010-08-19T01:39:00.000-07:00

Billy Cobham: Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology (2001, Rhino)

In 1973 Billy Cobham broke from the Mahavishnu ranks and became a bandleader in his own right, crafting some of the most exciting (and occasionally generic) fusion of the 70s and 80s. He started the ball rolling that year with Spectrum , an Atlantic issue which included Mahavishnu keyboardist Jan Hammer, session bassist Lee Sklar, and young guitar wizard Tommy Bolin. Later gatherings under the titanic drummer's leadership featured keyboardist George Duke, bassists John Williams, Alphonso Johnson and Alex Blake, the Brecker Brothers (trumpeter Randy and reedman Michael), guitarists John Scofield and John Abercrombie, and many others. Rudiments collects some of Cobham's best tracks recorded for the Atlantic label, focusing largely upon his amazing drum skills and respectable compositions.

Disc: 1

01. Quadrant 4
02. Stratus
03. Anxiety/Taurian Matador
04. Snoopy's Search/Red Baron
05. All 4 One (outtake)
06. The Pleasant Pheasant
07. Spanish Moss
08. Flash Flood
09. Solarization
10. Lunarputians
11. Moon Germs
12. Total Eclipse

Disc: 2

01. Shabazz
02. Some Skunk Funk
03. A Funky Thide Of Sings
04. Panhandler Listen
05. Neu Rock N' Roll (outtake)
06. Life & Times
07. 29
08. Earthlings
09. Hip Pockets - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band
10. Juicy - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band
11. Do What Cha Wanna - The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band
12. Arroyo

Billy Cobham's Glass Menagerie - Smokin' (1983)

2010-08-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1982.

01 Chiquita Linda 6:28
02 Looks Bad, Feels Good 4:35
03 Some Other Kind 5:41
04 Red Baron 8:43
05 Situation Comedy 10:40

Percussion, Drums, Producer - Billy Cobham
Guitar - Dean Brown
Keyboards - Gil Goldstein
Bass - Tim Landers

Gary Burton Quartet with Eberhard Weber - Passengers [1976]

2010-08-14T03:12:00.000-07:00

Guitarist Pat Metheny was a member of vibraphonist Gary Burton's group from 1974-1976, but although he had recorded with Burton twice previously, both of those dates also included guitarist Mick Goodrick. This particular set puts more of a focus on Metheny in a quintet that also includes drummer Danny Gottlieb and both Steve Swallow and Eberhard Weber on basses. Metheny contributed three of the six selections, which are joined by a song apiece from Swallow, Weber, and Chick Corea ("Sea Journey"). Although none of the individual songs caught on, the attractive sound of the post-bop unit and an opportunity to hear Pat Metheny in his formative period make this a CD reissue worth exploring.

01 Sea Journey Corea 9:18
02 Nacada Metheny 4:15
03 The Whopper Metheny 5:32
04 B & G (Midwestern Nights Dream) Metheny 8:26
05 Yellow Fields Weber 7:02
06 Claude and Betty Swallow 6:15

i personally think "Sea Journey" is fuckin' awesome!

Miles Davis - Paraphernalia - Live In Paris (1969)

2010-08-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

11-03-69 (JMY)

01 - Directions
02 - Bitches Brew
03 - Paraphernalia
04 - Riot
05 - Sanctuary
06 - Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
07 - The Theme

Miles Davis (tpt)
Wayne Shorter (ss, ts)
Chick Corea (el-p)
Dave Holland (b)
Jack DeJohnette (d)

The Giuseppi Logan Quartet

2010-08-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

The Giuseppi Logan Quartet

1. Tabla Suite
2. Dance of Satan
3. Dialogue
4. Taneous
5. Bleecker Partita

Giuseppi Logan - tenor & alto saxophone, bass clarinet, pakistani oboe
Don Pullen - piano
Eddie Gomez - bass
Milford Graves - drums, tabla

Perhaps its the laid-back anarchy of this session or the unusual instrumentation on some tracks (tabla, Pakistani oboe, strummed piano strings) which situate it more in some childlike hippie bohemia instead of the usual high-energy free jazz idiom. Logan comes off as an Ayler/Coltrane with perhaps limited technique and weaker tone. But altogether the players eventually cohere and the considerable charm of this music emerges. This is also pianist Don Pullen's debut in addition to a rare appearance by free jazz shaman Milford Graves.

THANX TO ALL!

2010-08-07T03:49:00.001-07:00

BRB SOON!

Ornette Coleman - Naked Lunch (2005)

2010-07-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Naked Lunch showcases the collaboration between jazz artist Ornette Coleman and Academy Award winning composer Howard Shore(Lord of the Rings trilogy). This jazz soundtrack includes an ensemble collection of Coleman's musicians including J.J. Edwards, Aziz Bin Salem, David Hartley, Barre Phillips, Denardo Coleman and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

01. Naked Lunch
02. Hauser and O'Brien/Bugpowder
03. Mugwumps
04. Centipede
05. The Black Meat
06. Simpatico/Misterioso
07. Fadela's Coven
08. Interzone Suite
09. William Tell
10. Mujahaddin
11. Intersong
12. Dr. Benway
13. Clark Nova Dies
14. Ballad/Joan
15. Cloquet's Parrots/Midnight Sunrise
16. Nothing Is True; Everything Is Permitted
17. Welcome to Annexia
18. Writeman

The Codona Trilogy - ECM

2010-06-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

Don Cherry - Nana Vasconcelos - Collin Walcott - The Codona Trilogy - ECM

Don Cherry trumpet, doussn’gouni, flutes, organ, melodica, voice
Nana Vasconcelos berimbau, cuica, talking drum, percussion, voice
Collin Walcott sitar, tabla, hammered dulcimer, sanza, timpani, voice

Codona

:: Like That Of Sky
:: Codona
:: Colemanwonder: Race Face, Sortie ,Sir Duke
:: Mumakata
:: New Light

Codona 2

:: Que Faser
:: Godumaduma
:: Malinye
:: Drip-Dry
:: Walking on Eggs
:: Again and Again, Again

Codona 3

:: Goshakabuchi
:: Hey Da Ba Doom
:: Travel By Night
:: Lullaby
:: Trayra Boia
:: Clicky Clacky
:: Inner Organs

Codona was a free jazz and world fusion group which released three self-titled albums on the ECM label in 1978, 1980 and 1982. The trio consisted of Don Cherry, Collin Walcott, and Nana Vasconcelos.

The name of the group is derived from the first two letters of each of the member's first names.

Roy Ayers Quartet (1976)

2010-05-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

session produced by Herbie Mann
Originally Issued in Japan as
12 inch direct to disk 45 rpm's

featuring:

Roy Ayers - Vibes
Sonny Sharrock - Guitar
Miroslav Vitous - Bass
Bruno Carr - Drums

1 - Unchain My Heart - Comin' Home Baby
2 - A Man And A Woman - Scarborough Fair
3 - If I Were A Carpenter
4 - All Blues

Marzette Watts - Marzette And Company (1971)

2010-05-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

Marzette And Company

01. Backdrop for Urban Revolution (17:55)
02. Ia (6:03)
03. Geno (13:18)

Bass – Henry Grimes, Juney Booth
Clarinet [Bass], Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], – Marzette Watts
Drums – J.C. Moses
Flute, Saxophone [Alto], Clarinet [Bass] – Byard Lancaster
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Saxophone [Alto] – Byard Lancaster
Trombone, Cornet – Clifford Thornton
Vibraphone – Karl Berger

Marzette Watts (March 9, 1938, Montgomery, Alabama - March 2, 1998, Nashville) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He had a brief career in music but is revered for his 1966 self-titled free jazz release.

Watts played piano early in his life, but did not play music regularly in his teens. He studied at Alabama State College, where he was a founding member of SNCC; this association led to his being forced to leave the state at the behest of the governor of Alabama.

He moved to New York, where lived in a loft building on Cooper Square which also had as a tenant Leroi Jones (later Amiri Baraka), with whom he participated in the Organization of Young Men. Watts returned to college in New York, completing his studies in 1962; he then moved to Paris to study painting at the Sorbonne and began playing saxophone for extra money.

Returning to New York in 1963, he studied under Don Cherry and played in his loft and around the city with Jiunie Booth, Henry Grimes, J.C. Moses, and others. He also developed his painting ability, producing work strongly influenced by that of Willem De Kooning.

Marzette's loft attracted many established and up-and-coming musicians, who would hang out and at times play for parties, including Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, and Pharoah Sanders.

In 1965 he decided to devote himself to music more fully, and moved to Denmark for further study. While in New York in 1966, he recorded an album for ESP-Disk, and recorded for Savoy Records in 1968. He wrote film scores and did production work for his own films, eventually abandoning music to work in film and record production.

Later in his life he moved back and forth between Europe and New York, teaching briefly at Wesleyan University. Late in his life he moved to California. He died of heart failure in 1998.

Don Cherry - Organic Music Society (1972)

2010-05-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

Organic Music Society
Don Cherry
Caprice RIKS LP 44/50(Sw)(2LPs)
June 23, July 4,1971 - July 28,August 14, 1972

Here’s another incredible record by spiritual jazz-man Don Cherry...

Don Cherry (tp, p, vo, perc, harmonium, fl, etc)
Nana Vasconcelos (vo, berimbau), Moki (vo, tambura)
Helen Eggert (vo, tambura)
Christer Bothen (p, guana guitar, etc)
Bent Berger (ds, log drums, mridanga, tablas)
Tommy Koverhult (fl)
Okay Temiz (ds)

1. North Brazilian
2. Elixir
3. Manusha Ragakamboji
4. Relativity Suite Part 1
5. Relativity Suite Part 2
6. Terry's Tune
7. Hope
8. The Creeatorhas A Master Plan
9. Sidhartha
10. Utopia
11. Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro
12. Terry's Tune
13. Resa

Clifford Jordan - Glass Bead Games

2010-04-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

Clifford Jordan was a fine inside/outside player who somehow held his own with Eric Dolphy in the 1964 Charles Mingus Sextet. Jordan had his own sound on tenor almost from the start. He gigged around Chicago with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some R&B groups before moving to New York in 1957. Jordan immediately made a strong impression, leading three albums for Blue Note (including a meeting with fellow tenor John Gilmore) and touring with Horace Silver (1957-1958), J.J. Johnson (1959-1960), Kenny Dorham (1961-1962), and Max Roach (1962-1964). After performing in Europe with Mingus and Dolphy, Jordan worked mostly as a leader but tended to be overlooked since he was not overly influential or a pacesetter in the avant-garde. A reliable player, Clifford Jordan toured Europe several times, was in a quartet headed by Cedar Walton in 1974-1975, and during his last years, led a big band. He recorded as a leader for Blue Note, Riverside, Jazzland, Atlantic (a little-known album of Leadbelly tunes), Vortex, Strata-East, Muse, SteepleChase, Criss Cross, Bee Hive, DIW, Milestone, and Mapleshade.

Glass Bead Games - Clifford Jordan

Powerful Paul Robeson
The Glass Bead Games
Prayer To The People
Cal Massey
John Coltrane
Eddie Harris
Biskit
Shoulders
Bridgework
Maimoun
Alias Buster Henry
One For Amos

Charles Mingus - Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961)

2010-04-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961)

Disc 1 TT 61:38

1 Pithecanthropus Erectus 10:33
2 A Foggy Day 7:47 (George Gershwin)
3 Love Chant 14:56
4 Profile Of Jackie 3:07
5 Laura 4:52 (David Raskin)
6 When Your Lover Has Gone 2:27 (Einar Aaron Swan)
7 Just One Of Those Things 6:06 (Cole Porter)
8 Blue Greens 11:42 (Teddy Charles)

Disc 2 TT 56:21

1 The Clown 12:29
2 Passions Of A Woman Loved 9:43
3 Blue Cee 7:48
4 Tonight At Noon 5:58
5 Reincarnation Of A Lovebird 8:31
6 Haitian Fight Song 11:57

Disc 3 TT 70:20

1 E's Flat Ah's Flat Too 6:37
2 My Jelly Roll Sou 6:47
3 Tensions 6:27
4 Moanin '7:57
5 Cryin 'Blues 4:58
6 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 5:42
7 E's Flat Ah's Flat Too (Alternate Take) 7:16
8 My Jelly Roll Soul (Alternate Take) 11:51
9 Tensions (Alternate Take) 5:30
10 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (Alternate Take) 6:56

Disc 4 TT 71:40

1 Prayer For Passive Resistance 8:06
2 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 11:54
3 Folk Forms I 11:08
4 What Love? 13:34
5 I'll Remember April 13:39 (DePaul, Johnston, Raye)

Disc 5 TT 67:34

1 Devil Woman 9:38
2 Ecclusiastics 6:55
3 "Old" Blues For Walt's Torin 8:59
4 Peggy's Blue Skylight 9:42
5 Hog Callin 'Blues 7:26
6 Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me 5:38
7 Passions Of A Man 4:52
8 Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am 4:41
9 Invisible Lady 4:49
10 Eat That Chicken 4:36

Disc 6 TT app. 75:00

1 Charles Mingus interviewed by Nesuhi Ertegun 75:00

All compositions by Charles Mingus unless otherwise noted

Personnel

Disc 1, 1-5:

Charles Mingus - bass
Jackie McLean - alto sax
J.R. Monterose - tenor sax
Mal Waldron - piano
Willie Jones - drums

Disc 1, 5-8:

Teddy Charles - vibes
Hall Overton - piano
Charles Mingus - bass
Ed Shaughnessy - drums

Disc 2

Charles Mingus - bass
Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) - tenor sax
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Wade Legge - piano
Dannie Richmond - drums
Jean Shepherd - improvised narration on 'The Clown'

Disc 3

Charles Mingus - bass
John Handy - alto sax
Jackie McLean - alto sax
Booker Ervin-tenor sax
Pepper Adams - baritone sax
Willie Dennis - trombone
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Horace Parlan - piano (except 1 and 7)
Mal Waldron - piano (on 1 and 7)

Disc 4

Charles Mingus - bass, piano (on 2,3)
Eric Dolphy - alto sax, bass clarinet (on 5)
Booker Ervin - tenor sax (on 1-5)
Ted Curson - trumpet
Bud Powell - piano (on 6)

Disc 5

Charles Mingus - piano, vocal
Roland Kirk - tenor sax, flute, siren, manzello, strich
Booker Ervin - tenor sax
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Doug Watkins - bass
Dannie Richmond - drums

Date and location

Disc 1, 1-5 January 30, 1956 Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 1, 5-8 November 12, 1956 New York City
Disc 2, 1 February 13, 1957 Audio-Video Studios, New York City
Disc 2: 2-6 March 12, 1957 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 3 February 4, 1959 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 4 July 13, 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France
Disc 5 November 6, 1961 Atlantic Studios, New York City
Disc 6 late 1961/early 1962 Nesuhi Ertegun's office, Atlantic Records, New York City

Total time approx 400 minutes

Eric Dolphy - Last Recordings (1993)

2010-04-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

Live at Le Chat Qui Pêche, Paris, France, June 11, 1964. Released March 1, 1993.

Of the four tracks on this final Dolphy concert, only one, the 19-minute Springtime appears to have never been recorded for release. It starts off promisingly with Dolphy ululating on the clarinet. Visions of free jazz appear but soon the composition begins its middle-eastern tempo. It’s the empty desert at midnight and Dolphy’s clarinet wails uncomfortably but his trumpeter and saxophonist continue to stay with tradition giving Springtime its BeBop style.

Had Dolphy more time, perhaps he could have explained his new ideas. Both Donald Byrd and Nathan Davis actually make this music accessible and easy to listen to. They fill in the melody that Dolphy disregarded. The language of discomfort never connects because the pair are busy making everything sound harmonious. They were not alone in misunderstanding Dolphy.

Wikipedia has this comment from John Coltrane: “Although Coltrane’s quintets with Dolphy (including the Village Vanguard and Africa/Brass sessions) are now legendary, they provoked Down Beat magazine to brand Coltrane and Dolphy’s music as ‘anti-jazz’. Coltrane later said of this criticism: ‘they made it appear that we didn’t even know the first thing about music (…) it hurt me to see [Dolphy] get hurt in this thing’.”

The rest of the show contains Dolphy’s earlier compositions from 1960, all very traditional. These “last sessions” have been released several times before in Europe unofficially. They became widespread when CD bootlegs arrived.

01. Springtime
02. 2.45
03. GW
04. Serene

Personnel:
Eric Dolphy (as, bcl)
Donald Byrd (tr)
Nathan Davis (ts)
Jack Diéval (pno)
Jacques Hess (bass)
Franco Manzecchi (dr)
Jacky Bambou (congas on 2, 3)

Paul Bley Quintet - Live At The Hillcrest Club 1958

2010-04-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Musicians:

Ornette Coleman (alto sax)
Don Cherry (trumpet)
Paul Bley (piano)
Charlie Haden (bass)
Billy Higgins (drums)

Recorded: Los Angeles, CA, October 1958

Recorded during a club gig several months after the sessions for his first commercial recording as a leader (Something Else! on Contemporary Records), this track is a fascinating historical document of Coleman's experiments in stretching the parameters of conventional bebop-based jazz performance. It proves that in the case of Ornette, the origins of so-called free jazz represented more of an evolution than a revolution.

The group is the classic Coleman Quartet plus pianist Paul Bley, and here they explore a Charlie Parker line based on "Perdido" changes. They faithfully include Parker's original intro and tag, and though the horns play a wrong note in the second bar of the A sections, they play it with conviction and repeat it each time. Ornette's solo here should put to rest for good the accusations that he (a) discarded chord changes completely, and (b) couldn't play changes anyway. A striking feature of his solo is how much of Bird's language he used and how well he understood it. It reminds me of the parallel experience of noticing how much verbatim Lester Young was contained in Parker's early work.

Since this was obviously a bootleg recording done on less than ideal equipment, the sound leaves something to be desired, especially as it affects the piano, obviously not a vintage Steinway to begin with. Bley contributes an energetic solo that includes some angular a cappella passages, but it would have been interesting to hear his comping more clearly, as he has always been a player who can exert an enormous amount of harmonic and rhythmic influence over any group he plays in.

1.Klactoveesedstene
2.I Remember Harlem
3.Blessing, The
4.Free

The Griffith Park Collection

2010-03-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

1. L's Bop
2. Why Wait
3. October Ballade
4. Happy Times
5. Remember
6. Guernica

Credits
Joe Henderson (Sax (Tenor)), Lenny White (Drums), Lenny White (Producer), Lenny White (Liner Notes), Stanley Clarke (Bass (Upright)), Chick Corea (Piano), Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet), Freddie Hubbard (Flugelhorn)

Eric Kloss & The Rhythm Section (1993)

2010-02-28T01:34:00.000-08:00

Whatever happened to Eric Kloss? A brilliant player by the time he was 20, Kloss has largely disappeared from the jazz scene since his string of excellent recordings (mostly for Prestige and Muse) stopped in 1981. This particular CD reissue has two complete albums (To Hear Is to See and Consciousness) that feature Kloss with the Miles Davis rhythm section of the period (keyboardist Chick Corea, electric bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette); the second session also has innovative guitarist Pat Martino. It is to Eric Kloss' great credit that he keeps up with his more famous sidemen on the adventurous program, which is comprised of his seven originals and one song apiece by Pat Martino, Joni Mitchell, and Donovan ("Sunshine Superman"). The music blends together aspects of the avant-garde and fusion and rewards repeated listenings...AMG

01 To Hear Is to See
02 The Kingdom Within
03 Stone Groove
04 Children of the Morning
05 Cynara
06 Sunshine Superman
07 Kay
08 Outward Wisdom
09 Song to Aging Children
10 Consciousness

Eric Kloss Bodies' Warmth (1975)

2010-02-28T00:43:00.000-08:00

1 Lady
2 Joni
3 Bodies' Warmth
4 Scarborough Fair
5 Mystique
6 Headin' Out

Eric Kloss - Now (1978)

2010-02-28T00:40:00.000-08:00

Eric Kloss
Now
Muse Records MR 5147

Produced by Frederick Seibert

1. We Are Together
2. Now
3. Morning Song
4. Hey Hey Whatta You Say
5. Autumn Blue
6. Booga Wooga Woman

…..
Eric Kloss - alto & tenor saxophone
Mike Nock - keyboards
Mike Richmond - bass
Jimmy Madison - drums
Efrain Toro - cowbell

…..
Produced by Frederick Seibert
Recorded January 4 & 5, 1978 at
Van Gelder Recording Studios, Englewood Cliffs NJ, on
June 17th, 1979
Recording Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder

Eric Kloss & Barry Miles - Together (1976)

2010-02-28T00:35:00.000-08:00

Eric Kloss & Barry Miles
Together
Muse Records

1. Relay
2. The Wise Woman
3. Together
4. Song for a Mountain
5. The Goddess, the Gypsy, the Light
6. Opus de Mulier

……
Eric Kloss: Alto saxophone+, Tenor saxophone
Barry Miles: Piano*, Electric piano**, Synthesizer

Recorded July 19 & 20, 1976
CI Recording, New York City

Eric Kloss

2010-02-27T02:46:00.000-08:00

Eric Kloss (b. April 3, 1949, Greenville, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Blind since birth, Kloss first played professionally in the Pittsburgh area in the 1960s, and played with Pat Martino in 1965; later that year he made his first recordings at age 16 for Prestige Records. He continued to release on Prestige and Muse through the late 1970s, playing with Don Patterson, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, Jack DeJohnette, Booker Ervin, Chick Corea, Barry Miles, Richie Cole, and Gil Goldstein.

Kloss has recorded sparsely since 1981.

John Coltrane - The Heavyweight ChampionJohn Coltrane - The Heavyweight Champion (1995) (7CD)

2010-02-24T02:02:00.000-08:00

The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings is a 1995 box set by jazz musician John Coltrane. It features all of the recordings Coltrane made for Atlantic Records, spanning January 15, 1959 to May 25, 1961.

During Coltrane’s Atlantic years, he made important recordings such as Giant Steps and My Favorite Things, recorded albums with Milt Jackson, Don Cherry, and Eric Dolphy and made his debut on the soprano saxophone.

CD1
01. Stairway to the Stars
02. The Late Late Blues
03. Bags & Trane
04. Three Little Words
05. The Night We Called It a Day
06. Be-Bop
07. Blues Legacy
08. Centerpiece
09. Giant Steps (alternate version)
10. Naima (alternate version)
11. Like Sonny (alternate version)

CD2
01. Spiral
02. Countdown
03. Countdown (alternate take)
04. Syeeda's Song Flute
05. Syeeda's Song Flute (alternate take)
06. Mr. P.C.
07. Giant Steps
08. Cousin Mary
09. Cousin Mary (alternate take)
10. I'll Wait and Pray
11. I'll Wait and Pray (alternate take)
12. Little Old Lady

CD3
01. Like Sonny
02. Harmonique
03. My Shining Hour
04. Naima
05. Some Other Blues
06. Fifth House
07. Cherryco
08. The Blessing
09. Focus on Sanity
10. The Invisible
11. Bemsha Swing

CD4
01. Village Blues
02. Village Blues (alternate take)
03. My Favorite Things
04. Central Park West
05. Mr. Syms
06. Untitled Original (Exotica)
07. Summertime
08. Body and Soul
09. Body and Soul (alternate take)
10. Mr. Knight

CD5
01. Blues to Elvin (alternate take)
02. Blues to Elvin
03. Mr. Day
04. Blues to You (alternate take)
05. Blues to You
06. Blues to Bechet
07. Satellite
08. Everytime We Say Goodbye
09. 26-2
10. But Not for Me

CD6
01. Liberia
02. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
03. Equinox
04. Ole
05. Dahomey Dance
06. Aisha
07. Original Untitled Ballad (To Her Ladyship)

CD7 (Outtakes)
01. Giant Steps - take 1 [incomplete]
02. Giant Steps - take 2 [false start]
03. Giant Steps - take 3 [incomplete]
04. Giant Steps - take 4 [incomplete]
05. Giant Steps - take 5 [alternate]
06. Giant Steps - take 6 [false start]
07. Giant Steps - take 7 [incomplete]
08. Naima - take 1 [incomplete]
09. Naima - take 2 [incomplete]
10. Naima - take 4 [false start]
11. Naima - take 5 [alternate]
12. Naima - take 6 [alternate]
13. Like Sonny - rehearsal 1 [false start]
14. Like Sonny - rehearsal 2 [incomplete]
15. Like Sonny - take 1 [false start]
16. Like Sonny - take 2 [incomplete]
17. Like Sonny - take 3 [incomplete]
18. Like Sonny - take 4 [false start]
19. Like Sonny - take 5 [alternate]
20. Like Sonny - take 6 [incomplete]
21. Giant Steps - take 3 [incomplete]
22. Giant Steps - take 6 [alternate]
23. Blues to Elvin - take 2 [false start]
24. Blues to Elvin - take 3 [alternate]
25. Blues to You - take 2 [alternate]

John Coltrane - Olé Coltrane (1961)

2010-02-13T02:35:00.000-08:00

Recorded May 25, 1961 at A&R Studios, New York, NY
Eric Dolphy credited as "George Lane"

~ T R A C K L I S T I N G ~

1. Olé [Coltrane] (18:18)
2. Dahomey Dance [Coltrane] (10:52)
3. Aisha [Tyner] (07:45)
4. Original Untitled Ballad (To Her Ladyship) [Frazier] (09:00)

~ P E R S O N N E L ~

John Coltrane Saxophone (Alto), Saxophone (Soprano), Saxphone (Tenor)
McCoy Tyner Piano
Reggie Workman Bass
Elvin Jones Drums
Art Davis Bass
Eric Dolphy Flute, Sax (Alto)
Freddie Hubbard Trumpet
Ralph J. Gleason Liner Notes
Dan Hersch Remastering
Phil Ramone Engineer
Nesuhi Ertegun Producer, Supervisor

The complicated rhythm patterns and diverse sonic textures on Olé are evidence that John Coltrane was once again charting his own course. His sheer ability as a maverick -- over and beyond his appreciable musical skills -- guides works such as this to new levels, ultimately advancing the entire art form. Historically, it's worth noting that recording had already commenced -- two days prior to this session -- on Africa/Brass, Coltrane's debut for the burgeoning Impulse! label. The two discs complement each other, suggesting a shift in the larger scheme of Coltrane's musical motifs. The assembled musicians worked within a basic quartet setting, featuring Coltrane (soprano/tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), and Elvin Jones (drums), with double-bass chores held down by Art Davis and Reggie Workman. Added to that are significant contributions and interactions with Freddie Hubbard (trumpet) and Eric Dolphy (flute and alto sax). Dolphy's contract with another record label prevented him from being properly credited on initial pressings of the album. The title track is striking in its resemblance to the Spanish influence heard on Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. This is taken a bit further as Coltrane's combo stretches out with inspired improvisations from Dolphy, Hubbard, Tyner, and Coltrane, respectively. "Olé" likewise sports some amazing double-bass interaction. The combination of a bowed upright bass played in tandem with the same instrument that is being plucked has a sinister permeation that assuredly excited Coltrane, who was perpetually searching from outside the norms. The haunting beauty of "Aisha" stands as one of the finest collaborative efforts between Tyner -- the song's author -- and Coltrane. The solos from Hubbard, Dolphy, and an uncredited Tyner gleam from within the context of a single facet in a multi-dimensional jewel. The CD reissue also includes an extra track cut during the Olé sessions. "To Her Ladyship" is likewise on the seven-volume Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings box set.

Django Reinhardt And Stephane Grapelli - Les Rois Du Swing Manouche (2009)

2010-02-09T02:56:00.000-08:00

Tracklist
CD 1:
01 Tiger Rag 2:34
02 I Saw Stars 2:30
03 Swing 39 3:19
04 I Wonder Where My Baby Is Toni 3:02
05 Crazy Rhythm 2:33
06 Tea For Two 3:14
07 I've Found A New Baby 3:04
08 Stockholm 2:48
09 Younger Generation 2:24
10 Out Of Nowhere 3:16
11 Shine 2:56
12 Undecided 2:31
13 Rose Room 2:44
14 The Man I Love 3:12
15 Echoes Of France (La Marseilla 2:47
16 Liebestraum n 3 3:20
17 Mystery Pacific 2:21
18 The Sheik Of Araby 3:04
19 I've Found A New Baby 2:02
20 Nuages (Take 1) 3:19
21 Liza 2:52
22 What Is This Thing Called Love 2:08
23 Sweet Georgia Brown 3:01
24 Si Tu Savais 2:43
25 Interpretation Swing Du 1er Mo 2:26
26 Vingt Six 2:54
27 Minor Swing 3:14
28 Mabel 4:03
29 My Serenade 3:01
30 Stephen's Blues 3:15
31 Sugar 3:03
32 Sweet Georgia Brown 3:15
33 Swing 39 3:13
34 My Sweet (Take 1) 2:57
35 J'attendrai (Tornerai) 2:33
36 Swing 42 2:27
37 Nocturne 3:14
38 Troublant Bolero 3:40
39 Swing From Paris 2:32
40 What A Difference A Day Made 3:36

Tracklist
CD 2:
01 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Wa 2:30
02 Hungaria (Take 1) 2:46
03 Confessin' 2:55
04 Avalon 2:52
05 My Melancholy Baby 2:48
06 Some Of These Days 2:23
07 Hungaria 2:46
08 It Don't Mean A Thing 3:03
09 Oriental Shuffle 2:39
10 Limehouse Blues 2:45
11 Baby 2:38
12 Tears 2:37
13 H. C. Q. Strut 2:57
14 Body and Soul 3:25
15 Chicago 3:26
16 Coquette 3:02
17 Django's Tiger 2:38
18 Embraceable You 3:08
19 Belleville 2:58
20 Alabamy Bound 2:50
21 Honeysuckle Rose 2:46
22 Crazy Rythm 3:00
23 Ol' Man River 2:40
24 I've Found A New Baby 2:36
25 Eveline 2:13
26 Bricktop 3:03
27 How High The Moon (Version 1) 3:00
28 I Love You 3:16
29 Manoir De Mes r ves 4:28
30 Over The Rainbow 2:43
31 Minor Blues 2:43
32 Nature Boy 3:33
33 Night and Day 2:43
34 Djangology 2:46
35 (I Love You) For Sentimental R 3:24
36 It Had To Be You 2:54
37 Just A Gigolo 3:30
38 Billets Doux 2:55
39 Brazil 2:53
40 Them There Eyes 3:02

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve (1995)

2010-01-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

This single CD has selections from Rahsaan Roland Kirk's final three albums. His work on his last record Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real was quite heroic and miraculous because he had suffered a major stroke that greatly limited his abilities; in fact Kirk had the use of only one of his hands so his playing was sadly restricted. There is a remarkable amount of variety plus a liberal dose of Kirk's humor on this retrospective, ranging from a "Bagpipe Medley" and "Sweet Georgia Brown" (complete with a whistler and Freddie Moore's washboard) to a warm "I'll Be Seeing You" and a tribute to Johnny Griffin, the main influence on Rahssan's tenor sound. For those listeners who do not already have the three LPs, this is a strong best-of sampler of the saxophonist's final period although his earlier recordings are recommended first. This CD concludes with an emotional and rather touching collage that pays tribute to Kirk's genius and mourns his premature death

01 Lunatic Danza
02 Theme for the Eulipions
03 Sweet Georgia Brown
04 I'll Be Seeing You
05 Los Angeles Negro Chorus
06 Serenade to a Cuckoo
07 Bagpipe Medley
08 J. Griff's Blues
09 Mary McLeod Bethune
10 I Loves You, Porgy
11 Hey Babebips
12 In a Mellow Tone
13Dorthaan's Walk
14Watergate Blues
15 Summertime
16 Thunder and Lighting Goodbye

Kenny Garrett - Beyond the Wall

2010-01-18T01:07:00.000-08:00

Often considered the last great sideman of Miles Davis, Garrett emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a definitive voice of the alto saxophone. His 2006 release, Beyond the Wall, is inspired by Garrett's journey through China and has the feeling of an album that was a lifetime in the making. With East vs. West underpinnings and a pairing of old (Pharoah Sanders) against new (Garrett), the title track explores these contrasts, yet is still bound together by Coltrane-like spirituality and McCoy Tyner-like musicality. Garrett's intensity might overwhelm some, but his playing on this track exhibits his style at its most inspired level.

01. Calling
02. Beyond The Wall
03. Qing Wen
04. Realization (Marching Toward The Light)
05. Tsunami Song
06. Kiss to the Skies
07. NOW
08. Gwoka
09. May Peace Be Upon Them

Musicians:

Kenny Garrett (alto sax)
Pharoah Sanders (tenor sax)
Brian Blade (drums)
Robert Hurst (bass)
Mulgrew Miller (piano)

Recorded: New York, February 19-21, 2006

Art Blakey's Jazz Messenger With Thelonious Monk (1958)

2010-01-14T23:49:00.000-08:00

The best format to get this essential title is the 1999 Rhino Records CD reissue from their Atlantic Jazz Gallery series. Not only have the half-dozen sides from the original 1958 release been thoroughly remastered, but the amended and enhanced running order also contains a trio of otherwise unavailable alternate takes of Monk standards "Evidence," "Blue Monk," and "I Mean You." Otherwise, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk (1958) is a timeless meeting of the masters. Art Blakey (drums) and his Jazz Messengers — which concurrently include Johnny Griffin (tenor sax), Bill Hardman (trumpet), and Spanky Debrest (bass) — face off with Monk during one of the pianist's most creative and fruitful eras. With such a voluminous back catalog of seminal bop compositions, it is fitting that a majority of the album's material stems from Monk. Each of the performances is given extra emphasis, with both co-leaders unleashing their own respective instrumental articulations behind the equally impressive and expressive Jazz Messengers. Right out of the gate, Hardman's solos during "Evidence" provide a powerful introduction into Monk's slightly off-center piano gymnastics. While they never go directly head to head, each musician is clearly inspired by the other's intensity, as they likewise fuel the freewheelin' and hypnotic rhythm of "In Walked Bud." Blakey's firm hold on the combo can be felt as he unleashes a percussive torrent to commence a woozy "Blue Monk." The lackadaisical melody saunters through some adeptly executed changes from Monk with the Jazz Messengers following an effortless and unyielding swing that slices through the heart of the score. One unquestionable highlight is the frisky "Rhythm-A-Ning," sporting the inimitable brass augmentations and co-leads of Griffin and Hardman. The quirky yet catchy chorus bounces from the dual-lead horn section with the entire arrangement tautly bound by the understated Debrest and Blakey. Griffin's "Purple Shades" is a smartly syncopated blues that is more of a musical platform for the Jazz Messengers than for Monk. That said, the pianist provides an opening solo that alternately shimmers and shudders. Again, Debrest as well as Griffin and Hardman demonstrate their own pronounced capabilities over Monk's otherwise occasional counterpoint...

1. "Evidence" (Thelonious Monk) - 6:46
2. "In Walked Bud" (Monk) - 6:39
3. "Blue Monk" (Monk) - 7:54
4. "I Mean You" (Monk & Coleman Hawkins) - 8:02
5. "Rhythm-A-Ning" (Monk) - 7:20
6. "Purple Shades" (Johnny Griffin) - 7:48
7. "Evidence" [alternate take] (Monk) - 5:30 Bonus track on 1999 CD reissue
8. "Blue Monk [alternate take] (Monk) - 6:59 Bonus track on 1999 CD reissue
9. "I Mean You" [alternate take] (Monk, Hawkins) - 7:34 Bonus track on 1999 CD reissue

Personnel

* Art Blakey - drums
* Thelonious Monk - piano
* Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone
* Bill Hardman - trumpet
* Spanky DeBrest - bass

The album was produced by Nesuhi Ertegün and engineered by Earl Brown.

Alice Coltrane - Transfiguration

2010-01-12T02:04:00.000-08:00

Alice Coltrane has lived in the shadow of both her husband and his classic quartet pianist, McCoy Tyner, but she put out some interesting, often religious-based work on Impulse and Warner Bros. in the '60s and '70s. Recorded live in 1978, Transfiguration turned out to be her final album. Here she set aside arrangements of religious chants and returned to the jazz trio format with the formidable combination of drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Reggie Workman. Coltrane's organ and piano work is filled with uniquely turbulent and swirling arpeggios that are the center of attention almost throughout. Originally a double LP, this 83-minute, double-disc effort includes six originals as well as a 36-minute cover of John Coltrane's late-period monster "Leo," which features fine solos from all three players. Issued on CD and remastered for the first time, Transfiguration should help modern audiences revise their opinion on Alice Coltrane's often-overlooked legacy as a jazz player of substance.

Disc: 1
1. Transfiguration
2. Spoken Introduction/One For The Father
3. Prema
4. Affinity

Disc: 2
1. Krishnaya
2. Leo, Part One
3. Leo, Part Two

Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land - San Francisco

2010-01-11T03:29:00.000-08:00

01 - Goin' down south (7:05) (Sample)
02 - Prints Tie (7:24) (Hutcherson)
03 - Jazz (5:18) (Sample)
04 - Ummh (7:42) (Hutcherson)
05 - Procession (5:40) (Hutcherson)
06 - A Night In Barcelona (7:20) (Land)

Bobby Hutcherson - Vibes, Marimba, Percussion
Harold Land - Tenor Sax, Flute, Oboe
Joe Sample - Acoustic & Electric Pianos
John Williams - Acoustic & Electric Basses
Mickey Roker - Drums

Produced by Duke Pearson at UA Studios LA
Recording Date: July 15 1970

Miles Davis - AGHARTA (Live, released in 1975)

2010-01-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

1. Prelude (Part One) - 26:01
2. Prelude (Part Two) - 6:33
3. Maiysha - 11:21

Disc 2:

1. Interlude - 26:35
2. Theme from Jack Johnson - 25:16

total time 95:49

Line-up / Musicians

Miles Davis, trumpet, organ
Sonny Fortune, soprano sax, alto sax, flute
Michael Henderson, bass
Pete Cosey, guitar, synths, percussion
Al Foster, drums; Reggie Lucas, guitar
Mtume, conga, percussion, water drum, rhythm box

Executive Producer: Teo Macero.
Recorded live at Osaka Festival Hall, Japan, February 1, 1975.

Weather Report Live In Tokyo. 1972.

2010-01-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

"Live In Tokyo" captures the Jazz-rock fusion band Weather Report in a stunning performance at Shibuya Hall in January 1972. The band line-up for the concert consisted of Joe Zawinul on pianos, Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Eric Gravatt on drums and Dom Um Romao on percussion.
Segments from this album were released as half of the band's second album "I Sing The Body Electric". On this album however, it is a complete 90-minute performance consisting of five lengthy tracks (four of which are continuous suites containing different pieces).
The band was definitely on a musical high during this particular concert displaying a sound that is raw and full of fierce improvisation. Joe Zawinul's keyboard work is at its most experimental here as he modifies his electric piano with a distortion box, wah-wah pedal and a ring modulator. This sometimes gives the impression that there's a guitarist on-stage during the performance when in fact there is no guitar to be heard. His acoustic piano work is also experimental as he sometimes plays it from the inside striking its strings by hand instead of with the keyboard.
Miroslav Vitous's bass work is also at its best here, alternating between acoustic and electric. There are several moments during this album (especially in the opening medley) where Vitous grabs the spotlight with his unique style. His work with the bowed bass on "Orange Lady" is particularly strking and haunting.
Wayne Shorter's sax playing is at its most free form here. It's not exactly like Ornette Coleman or John Coltrane but it is highly improvisational and momentous. His work on the band's studio albums tends to be more refined and subdued but here, Wayne lets it rip and tear.
Drummer Eric Gravatt is a sadly underrated drummer but nonetheless does an outstanding job here. His extended drum solo is the first thing heard on this album. Throughout this performance, he pushes the rhythm with full force.
Percussionist Dom Um Romao also has some moments in the spotlight here. Besides spicing up Gravatt's rhythms with various percussive toys, Romao also has a solo moment in the album's second suite using whistles, a thumb piano and using his own body as an instrument. There is a similar moment in the intro to "Orange Lady".
Overall, the "Live In Tokyo" performance captures the early Weather Report at its very best. This music is extremely agressive and loud. The other live albums from the band ("8:30" and the recent "Live and Unreleased") are a lot mellower compared to this one. "Live In Tokyo" is definitely an essential title if you're a Weather Report fan. If you're new to the band's music, this may not be the place to start, however it certainly is not unlistenable.
This album has yet to be released in the U.S. even after its intial release in Japan over 30 years ago. Hopefully, that will all change in the near future. This is some great music and a great live performance from a great band. Definitely worth checking out

Record One:
1. Medley - Vertical Invader/Seventh Arrow/T.H./Doctor Honoris Causa
2. Medley - Surucucu/Lost/Early Minor/Direction

Record Two:
1. Orange Lady
2. Medley - Eurydice/The Moors
3. Medley - Tears/Umbrellas

Keith Jarrett - Expectations (1972)

2010-01-05T02:40:00.001-08:00

Keith Jarrett - Expectations (1972)

CD1:
01 - Vision
02 - Common Mama
03 - The Magician in You
04 - Roussillion
05 - Expectations
06 - Take Me Back
07 - The Circular Letter (For J.K.)
CD2:
08 - Nomads
09 - Sundance
10 - Bring Back the Time When (If)
11 - There Is a Road (God's River)

Keith Jarrett: Piano (01 - 06, 08 - 11)
String section (01)
Tambourine (02, 06, 08, 10)
Soprano saxophone (02, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10)
Organ (08)

Dewey Redman: Tenor saxophone (02, 04, 07, 09, 10), cowbell (02, 04)
Charlie Haden: Bass (02 - 11), string section (11)
Paul Motian: Drums (02 - 10), string section (05)
Airto Moreira: Percussion (02, 06 - 10), brass section (02, 08), congas (03)
Sam Brown: Guitar (03, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11)

All compositions by Keith Jarrett

Tracks 03, 06 & 08: Recorded on April 5, 1972 at Columbia Studio E
Tracks 01, 05, 10 & 11: Recorded on April 6, 1972 at Columbia Studio B, NYC
Track 02: Recorded on April 6, 1972 at Columbia Studio E, NYC
Tracks 04, 07 & 09: Recorded on April 27, 1972 at Columbia Studio E

Produced by George Avakian

Happy New Year and all that Jazz!

2010-01-04T09:06:00.001-08:00

“Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.”

Gary Peacock - Voice from the Past Paradigm - ECM - 1981

2009-12-21T01:32:00.001-08:00

Gary Peacock - Voice from the Past Paradigm - ECM - 1981

1 Voice from the Past
2 Legends
3 Moor
4 Allegory
5 Paradigm
6 Ode for Tomten

Gary Peacock bass
Jan Garbarek tenor and soprano saxophones
Tomasz Stanko trumpet
Jack DeJohnette drums

Recorded August 1981

Rudy Van Gelder

2009-12-19T03:27:00.000-08:00

Rudy Van Gelder (born 2 November 1924, Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz.

Frequently regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder is one of the legendary behind-the-scenes figures in jazz, recording several hundred jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics. Bringing an unprecedented clarity to jazz recording, Van Gelder has recorded many of the great names in the genre, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and many others. He worked with many record companies, but he is most closely associated with Blue Note Records, now a division of EMI.

Van Gelder's recording techniques are often admired for the warmth and presence he brings to the end result. Some critics however have also expressed a distaste for the thin and recessed sound in the instruments, mainly the piano. Richard Cook for example noted that the manner in which Van Gelder recorded piano was often as distinctive as the pianists' playing. Blue Note president and producer Alfred Lion often noted that Rudy was sometimes a little heavy on the reverb and would jokingly note that on the tape box as a "Rudy special".

Blue Note Perfect Takes (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition Remastered)

2009-12-19T02:37:00.000-08:00

This is basically a curiosity piece for harder than hardcore jazz fans. These ten tracks were chosen by Rudy Van Gelder, Blue Note's celebrated and indeed legendary engineer, from the label's collection of RVG editions. Some of these cuts, such as Thelonious Monk's "Four in One" and Miles Davis' "Budo" from the Birth of the Cool sessions, were not originally engineered by Van Gelder -- however, he did reengineer them for CD reissue. On these selections he worked from the original lacquer discs, giving him the ability to reproduce sound far more faithfully than any previous CD or LP issue. This means that these versions are supposedly better mastered than even the RVG series. Other cuts he chose were Hank Mobley's "Remember," Freddie Hubbard's "Arietis," Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," Kenny Burrell's "Midnight Blue," Jimmy Smith's "See See Rider," Donald Byrd's "Christo Redentor," Art Blakey's killer read of "Moon River" from 1961, and Joe Henderson's mighty "Mode for Joe." Given the highly idiosyncratic picks of Van Gelder, this collection will have many jazzheads debating and musing over the contents. But it is likely only to be of interest to those who either need everything or have simply got to have the best in audio reproduction. In addition to the music, Blue Note has also included a bonus DVD that contains an interview with Van Gelder by Michael Cuscuna about the many artists he has worked with, personal reminiscences, and his own view of his legacy. ~ Thom Jurek

1 Four In One Thelonious Monk 3:31
2 Budo Miles Davis 2:35
3 Remember Hank Mobley 5:41
4 Arietis Freddie Hubbard 6:40
5 Midnight Blue Kenny Burrell 4:01
6 Mode for Joe Joe Henderson 8:03
7 Cristo Redentor Donald Byrd 5:43
8 Footprints Wayne Shorter 7:31
9 Moon River Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers 5:12
10 See See Rider Jimmy Smith 6:34

Wayne Shorter - Footprints Live! (2002)

2009-12-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

This was Wayne Shorter's return to an acoustic jazz quartet.The saxophonist digs deep into his classic repertoire, unearthing compositions like Masqualero, Footprints and Juju from his great Blue Note discs of the 1960s and the slightly later Atlantis.
For the first time since the late 60s, since before In a Silent Way, before Weather Report - Shorter seemed interested in acoustic jazz again. The personnel was first rate; Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums are young but very experienced, each a leader in his own right.

This is Shorter's first live album, and it captures the intense creativity of a band on tour, that's played-in and enjoying each others company. This is a real quartet album, with each of the four playing at his best, and vital to its success.The music Shorter is making is both a throwback to the sixties years with Miles and that 2nd great quintet and also a futuristic meditation on musical abstractions. The way Wayne plays you never know what he is playing until you catch a glimpse of a familiar theme and then with the merry mischievousness of a two year old, as soon as you’ve got it, Shorter has moved on to something else.

1 Sanctuary
2 Masquelero
3 Valse triste (Jean Sibelius - arr. Wayne Shorter)
4 Go
5 Aung San Suu Kyi
6 Footprints
7 Atlantis
8 Juju

Five Peace Band Live Disc 2

2009-12-16T01:59:00.001-08:00

1 Dr. Jackle 22:53
2 Señor C.S. 20:15
3 In a Silent Way/It's About That Time 20:06
4 Someday My Prince Will Come 07:42

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin

2009-12-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

Five Peace Band

Five Peace Band
Chick Corea and John McLaughlin are back on stage together! Forty years after their historic sessions with Miles Davis, they’ve assembled one of the most impressive jazz quintets in recent memory:

— Chick Corea, keyboards
— John McLaughlin, guitar
— Christian McBride, bass
— Kenny Garrett, alto sax
— Vinnie Colaiuta, drums

The masters behind Return to Forever and the Mahavishnu Orchestra are ready to test the limits of electric music again. The double-album Five Peace Band Live captures the band on its European tour, pushing at the edges of plugged-in jazz. International praise for the live show was universal:

Recorded during their European tour last fall (2008), Five Peace Band Live features Corea and McLaughlin’s inspired duets as well as all five members negotiating the twists and turns of the compositions. The recording includes Vinnie Colaiuta – drums, Kenny Garrett – saxophone, Christian McBride – acoustic & electric basses, and Herbie Hancock special guests on the track “In a Silent Way / It’s About That Time.” The double-disc CD was initially made available early at performance venues as well as via the band’s website (www.fivepeaceband.com)...

1 Raju 12:29
2 The Disguise 13:32
3 New Blues, Old Bruise 14:06
4 Hymn to Andromeda 27:45

The Herbie Hancock Box

2009-12-14T01:24:00.001-08:00

Given that Blue Note Records has issued a definitive 1960s box set of Hancock's earliest -- and some consider his most seminal -- work, and the literally dozens of best-ofs that have been issued, more by Columbia than by anybody else, this set with its spare futuristic design might at first glance seem like overkill, as in, "do we really need another Herbie Hancock collection, especially a damned box set?" In this case, it's very important to take a second and even third look. For starters, this set is housed in a see-though plastic box, all four CDs clearly visible on spare individual trays. On a fifth tray rests the CD booklet. On the bottom of the box is a sticker identifying the contents within. In the booklet are complete liners by Herbie himself (actually, excepts from an interview by Chuck Mitchell), and gorgeous reproductions of the album covers. It's a cool coffee table conversation piece for hep cats and kitties who are into jazz -- or those who just like happening accoutrements in their living spaces. More substantial is that the material covered here encompasses a whopping 23 albums recorded over 13 years! There are 34 tracks spread out over these four discs, and while little here is completely unreleased, a number of cuts have never been made available in the States before. Lastly, given all of the Hancock material on the market, this set is the only one to capture the huge depth and breadth of Hancock's musically restless vision as it has been recorded. The discs are not presented in chronological order, and that, too, is in keeping with Hancock's modus operandi. Disc one starts with the first V.S.O.P. project from 1976, which was the Miles quintet with Freddie Hubbard playing all new tunes, so you hear the introduction to "Maiden Voyage" and the track itself. Next, it shifts to 1979 with Hancock's Live Under the Sky album, with a killer version of "Para Oriente," and then shifts yet again to the Piano album in 1978, where Hancock plays a "Harvest Time" solo before moving to "The Sorcerer" from the Quartet album of 1981. Before the disc has concluded, you've moved through more V.S.O.P., and the theme from the Round Midnight soundtrack. Disc two features more of these same treatments from the same periods generally, but features a killer version of V.S.O.P. going for broke on a completely unreleased version of Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" from 1977. Disc three is nearly worth the price of the box alone. This is where you get to explore the electric side of Hancock, and the various guises he worked under from the time he immediately left Miles and worked with some musicians who were totally outside his frame of reference. For instance, there is the glorious "Rain Dance" from 1972, with a large band that included trombonist Julian Priester, synthesist Patrick Gleeson, and drummer Billy Hart. Also, along with more well-known classics such as "Watermelon Man," from Head Hunters, you get tracks from Flood; Thrust; the killer Death Wish title theme with Wah Wah Watson and Lee Ritenour on guitars; "Sun Touch" from Man-Child, featuring the most beautiful flute solo ever played by Ernie Watts; Secrets; Sunlight; and the outstanding "4 a.m.," from the Mr. Hands album. This track, with a quartet that features the late Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams, and percussionist Bill Summers, reveals the amazing depth of empathy Hancock had for the musicians he employed. His trading of lower runs with Jaco provides a listen to how tender Pastorius could be when presented with a keyboard player who was content to let him sing on the bass, and also how Hancock never has the need to dominate the proceedings, preferring to let the band speak for itself on his tunes. Disc four also features Hancock's more electric ventures. While the material ranges chronologically from "Chameleon" on Head Hunters to a Bill Laswell remake of "Maiden Voyage" in 1988, the sense of continuity that the rest of the box has doesn't seem to flow as easily. The rather jarring juxtapositions of "Stars in Your Eyes," from 1980, to "Rock It," in 1983, to "Calypso" from Mr. Hands in 1980, to "Nobu," in 1974, is too vast an expanse -- mood-wise as well as aesthetically -- to bridge. Perhaps it's the range of musicians that includes everyone from Ray Parker Jr. and Sheila E to Harvey Mason and Tony Williams, just to name a few. While the individual bands add up to pure delight, the track-to-track moves atmospheres, even in the funk-hip-hop worldview from bumpin' street funk to jagged, angular grooves, to near-overdriven bass, and timelines that obliterate continuity. In all, this is a small complaint; doubtless, many will use the random feature on a CD player to remedy this, or the programming feature. The Herbie Hancock Box does stand as a more than representative view of the musician's work with Columbia and reveals how lasting and influential his contributions have been, as well as how diverse, and that's really the point. Hours upon hours of pleasure await the listener who drops the cash for this fine artifact. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 4

2009-12-14T01:18:00.001-08:00

1 Chameleon 15:41
2 Stars in Your Eyes 07:04
3 Rockit 05:25
4 Calypso 06:43
5 Satisfied With Love 06:31
6 Karabali 05:15
7 Spider 07:21
8 Nobu 07:23
9 Maiden Voyager/B. Bop 06:33

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 3

2009-12-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

1 Rain Dance 09:17
2 Watermelon Man 06:29
3 Butterfly 11:18
4 Death Wish (Main Title) 06:11
5 Actual Proof 08:28
6 Sun Touch 05:09
7 4 A.M. 05:23
8 Come Running to Me 08:24
9 People Music 07:07

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 2

2009-12-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

1 Domo 12:24
2 Dolphin Dance 10:17
3 Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) 08:52
4 Eighty-One 13:03
5 Milestones 06:39
6 Stella by Starlight/On Green Dolphin Street 07:05
7 Red Clay [#] 10:55

The Herbie Hancock Box Disc 1

2009-12-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

1 Introduction to Maiden Voyage 04:33
2 Maiden Voyage 13:20
3 Para Oriente 07:16
4 Harvest Time 04:49
5 The Sorcerer 07:18
6 Diana 04:33
7 Finger Painting 06:44
8 'Round Midnight 05:36
9 The Eye of the Hurricane 18:31

Miles Davis - Complete Live Recordings 1949 - 1954 [10cd Set]

2009-11-04T01:09:00.000-08:00

Miles Davis - Complete Live Recordings 1948-1954 Box Set (2006) 10CDs
10 CD Box Set
Covers + Booklet Scans
MP3
128Kbps
RS.com: 589mb Total (average 65mb per file)

Miles Davis - The Complete Live Recordings 1948 - 1955. A great 10 CD box released by United Archives, a French record company. Ten hours and 19 minutes of Miles Davis early performances, with Benny Carter, with Parker and finally Coltrane. Recorded in clubs and concerts.

Here are the contents:

Disc 1

September 11, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Mike Zwerin (tb) Junior Collins (frh) John Barber (tu) Lee Konitz (as) Gerry Mulligan (bars) John Lewis (p) Al McKibbon (b) Max Roach (d) Kenny Pancho Hagood* (vo) Gil Evans (arr, cond), John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, (arr).
1 Birth Of The Cool Theme (Gil Evans) [0’18]
2 Move (Denzil Best) [4’50]
3 Moon Dreams (McGregor-Mercer) [3’03]
4 Budo (Miles Davis-Bud Powell) [4’23]
5 Godchild (George Wallington) [6’06]
6 S'il Vous Plaît (John Lewis) [4’34]
7 Darn That Dream* (De Lange-Van Heusen) [4’32]
8 Why Do I Love You ?* (Kern-Hammerstein) [3’46]

September 18, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Mike Zwerin (tb) Junior Collins (frh) John Barber (tu) Lee Konitz (as) Gerry Mulligan (bars) John Lewis (p) Al McKibbon (b) Max Roach (d) Gil Evans (arr, cond), John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan (arr).
9 Move (Denzil Best) [3’31]
10 Moon Dreams (McGregor-Mercer) [3’34]
11 Budo (Miles Davis-Bud Powell) [3’27]

BONUS : March 31, 1946 - Benny Carter Orchestra, Los Angeles Streets of Paris
Miles Davis (tpt) Al Grey (tb) Britt Woodman(tb) Benny Carter (as) Hubert "Bumps" Myers (ts) Sonny White (p) James Cannady (g) Thomas Moultrie (b) Percy Brice (d)
12 Just You, Just Me (R. Klages-J. Greer) [3’21]

BONUS August 1948 - Chicago Pershing Ballroom
Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dave Burns, Willie Cook, Elmon Wright (tp) Jesse Tarrant, Andy Duryea (tb) John Brown, Ernie Henry (as) Joe Gayles, James Moody (ts) Cecil Paynes (bars) James Foreman Jr (p) Nelson Boyd (b) Teddy Stewart (d) Chano Pozo (cga)
13 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [2’28]
14 Unknown Ballad [0’32]

Disc 2

September 25, 1948 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Lee Konitz (as) John Lewis (p) Curly Russell (b) Max Roach (d) Kenny Pancho Hagood* (vo)
1 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [5’55]
2 Chasin' The Bird (Charlie Parker) [5’55]
3 52nd Street Theme (Thelonious Monk) [4’56]
4 You Go To My Head* (Dizzy Gillespie-Coots) [5’49]

January 17, 1949 - NYC WPIX radio : All Star Jam Session
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Buddy DeFranco (cl) Lucky Thompson, Charlie Ventura* (ts) Al Haig (p) Oscar Pettiford (b) Shelly Manne (d)
5 Anthropology (Charlie Parker) [3’27]
6 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [4’19]
7 How High The Moon* (Lewis-Hamilton) [3’41]

February 19, 1949 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts)
Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Carlos Vidal (cga)
8 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [3’30]
9 Focus(Tadd Dameron) [4’03]
10 April In Paris (Duke-Harburg) [3’03]
11 Sid’s Delight (Webb’s Delight) (Tadd Dameron) [3’47]

February 26, 1949 - NYC Royal Roost
Miles Davis (tp) Kai Winding (tb) Sahib Shihab (as) Benjamin Lundy (ts) Cecil Payne (bars) Tadd Dameron (p) John Collins (g) Curly Russell (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Carlos Vidal (cga)
12 Miles (Tadd Dameron) [3’38]
13 Casbah (Tadd Dameron) [3’36]

Disc 3

May 8 – 15, 1949 - Paris Salle Pleyel
Miles Davis (tp) James Moody (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Barney Spieler (b) Kenny Clarke (d) Maurice Cullaz (speaker)
1 Rifftide (Coleman Hawkins) [4’11]
2 Good Bait (Tadd Dameron-Count Basie) [5’55]
3 Don't Blame Me (Fields-McHugh) [4’17]
4 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [3’45]
5 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [5’04]
6 All The Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [4’20]
7 Wee (Allen’s Alley) (Denzil Best) [4’23]
8 Perdido (Wah Hoo) (Tizol-Lengsfelder-Drake) [5’33]
9 Embraceable You (Gershwin) [4’06]
10 Ornithology (Charlie Parker-B.Harris) [4’00]

May 15, 1949 - Paris Salle Pleyel
Aimé Barelli, Bill Coleman, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Hot Lips Page (tp) « Big Chief » Russel Moore (tb) Hubert Rostaing (cl) Sidney Bechet, Pierre Braslavsky (ss) Charlie Parker (as) Don Byas, James Moody (ts) Bernard Pfeiffer (p) Hazy Osterwald (vib) Toots Thielemans (g) Tommy Potter (b) Max Roach (d)
11 Farewell Blues (Blues Final) (Traditionnel) [4’00]

December 25, 1949 - NYC Carnegie Hall - The Stars of Modern Jazz
Miles Davis (tp) Bennie Green (tb) Sonny Stitt (as) Serge Chaloff (bars) Bud Powell (p) Curly Russell (b) Max Roach (d)
12 Move (Denzil Best) [5’37]
13 Hot House (Tadd Dameron-Bregman) [7’55]
14 Ornithology (Charlie Parker-B.Harris) [3’37]

Disc 4

February 18, 1950 - WNYC Radio Broadcast Jazz Festival
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Stan Getz (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Gene Ramey (b) Art Blakey (d)
1 Conception (George Shearing) [4’20]
2 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Fuller) [6’13]
3 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [4’11]
4 Woody'n You (Dizzy Gillespie) [5’57]

June 30, 1950 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Brew Moore (ts) Tadd Dameron (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey (d)
5 Wee (Allen’s Alley) (Denzil Best) [11’20]
6 Ow ! (Dizzy Gillespie) [11’31]
7 Embraceable You (Gershwin) [4’15]
8 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [6’31]

Disc 5

June 30, 1950 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis, Fats Navarro (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Charlie Parker* (as) Brew Moore (ts) Walter Bishop Jr. (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey, Roy Haynes° (d)
1 Hot House (Tadd Dameron-Bregman) [10’20]
2 Conception / Deception* (George Shearing / Miles Davis) [11’16]
3 Eronel / 52nd Street I (Thelonious Monk) [14’14]
4 52nd Street II°(Thelonious Monk) [5’04]

February 17, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sonny Rollins (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Tommy Potter (b) Art Blakey (d)
5 Move (Denzil Best) [5’57]
6 Out Of The Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [6’07]
7 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [7’58]
8 Tempus Fugit (Bud Powell) [6’34]

Disc 6

June 2, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Sonny Rollins (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Tommy Potter (b) Art Blakey (d)
1 Down (Miles Davis) [7’38]
2 Half Nelson (Miles Davis) [8’00]
3 Move (Denzil Best) [6’34]

September 29, 1951 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Eddie « Lockjaw » Davis, Big Nick Nicholas (ts) Billy Taylor (p) Charles Mingus (b) Art Blakey (d)
4 The Squirrel (Tadd Dameron) [9’14]
5 Move (Denzil Best) [6’46]
6 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [5’57]

April 25, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Beryl Booker (p) Chuck Wayne (g) Clyde Lombardi (b) Connie Kay (d)
7 Rifftide (Coleman Hawkins) [3’37]
8 All the Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [4’37]
9 The Squirrel* (Tadd Dameron) [3’25]

May 2, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Gil Coggins (p) Connie Henry (b) Connie Kay (d)
10 Out of the Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [5’47]
11 Confirmation* (Charlie Parker) [5’53] <

Disc 7

Spring 1952 - St. Louis, MO The Barrelhouse Club
Miles Davis (tp) Jimmy Forrest (ts) Charles Fox (p) John Mixon (b) Oscar Oldham (d) unknown (cga)
1 A Night In Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) [8’24]
2 Wee Dot (Jay Jay Johnson) [10’39]
3 What's New ? (Burke-Haggart) [7’29]
4 Perdido (Tizol-Lengsfelder-Drake) [9’24]
5 All The Things You Are (Kern-Hammerstein) [10’06]
6 Our Delight (Tadd Dameron) [7’24]
7 Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron) [6’43]
8 Ow ! (Dizzy Gillespie) [4’07]
9 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Guller) [8’36]

Disc 8

May 3, 1952 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Don Elliott (vib, mellophone*) Gil Coggins (p) Connie Henry (b) Connie Kay (d)
1 Wee Dot* (Jay Jay Johnson) [6’31]
2 The Chase (Miles Davis) [6’26]
3 It Could Happen To You (Burke-Van Heusen) [4’43]
4 Out Of The Blue (Evance) (Miles Davis) [5’46]

Beginning of 1953 - Boston, MA Hi-Hat Club
Miles Davis (tp) Jay Migliori (ts) Al Walcott, Bob Freeman (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Jimmy Zitano (d)
5 Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (Lester Young) [1’48]
6 Tune Up (Miles Davis) [6’57]
7 Dig (Miles Davis) [8’02]
8 Darn That Dream (De Lange-Van Heusen) [4’28]
9 Ray's Idea (Ray Brown-Gil Fuller) [7’12]
10 Nice Work If You Can Get It (Gershwin) [5’36]
11 Wee Dot (Jay Jay Johnson) [5’57]

Disc 9

Beginning of 1953 - Boston, MA Hi-Hat Club (cont.)
Miles Davis (tp) Jay Migliori (ts) Al Walcott, Bob Freeman* (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Jimmy Zitano (d)
1 Alone Together (Schwartz-Dietz) [5’26]
2 Well, You Needn't (Thelonious Monk) [9’50]
3 A Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) * [7’49]
4 Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (Lester Young) [2’07]

May 16, 1953 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis (tp) Sahib Shihab (bars) Wade Legge (p) Lou Hackney (b) Al Jones (d) Joe Carroll* (vo) Candido Camero° (cga)
5 Move (Denzil Best) [5’37]
6 Tenderly (Lawrence-Gross) [4’44]
7 A Night in Tunisia° (Dizzy Gillespie-Paparelli) [5’56]
8 Dig° (Miles Davis) [3’51]
9 I Got Rythm* (Gershwin) [4’51]

May 23, 1953 - NYC Birdland
Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie (tp) Charlie Parker (as) Sahib Shihab (bars) Wade Legge (p) Lou Hackney (b) Al Jones (d) Joe Carroll (vo)
10 The Bluest Blues (Gary McFarland-Charles Thompson) [6’39]
11 On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Fields-McHugh) [2’52]

Disc 10

September 13, 1953 - Los Angeles, CA
Miles Davis, Rolf Ericson* (tp) Bud Shank (as, bars) Bob Cooper (ts) Lorraine Geller (p) Howard Rumsey (b) Max Roach (d)
1 Round Midnight (Monk-Williams-Hanighen) [5’44]
2 Night In Tunisia* (Gillespie-Paparelli) [11’59]
3 Infinity Promenade* (Shorty Rogers) [12’17]

July 17, 1955 - Newport, RI Newport Jazz Festival
Miles Davis (tp) Zoot Sims (ts) Gerry Mulligan (bars) Thelonious Monk (p)Percy Heath (b) Connie Kay (d)
4 Introduction by Duke Ellington [1’14]
5 Hackensack (Thelonious Monk) [8’09]
6 Round About Midnight (Thelonious Monk) [6’09]
7 Now's the Time (Charlie Parker) [8’46]

November 18, 1955 - NYC Basin Street Club, TV broadcast « The Steve Allen Tonight Show »
Miles Davis (tp) John Coltrane (ts) Red Garland (p) Paul Chambers (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)
8 Max Is Making Wax (Charlie Parker) [3’04]
9 It Never Entered My Mind (Rodgers-Hart) [2’55]

10 CDs - ADD - Mono

Bird and Diz (1950 re-issue 1986)

2009-11-04T00:54:00.000-08:00

Bird & Diz is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, recorded primarily on June 6, 1950 in New York City. Two tracks featured on the original pressing, "Passport" and Visa", were recorded by Parker, without Gillespie and with a different personnel than that of the other tracks, in March and May 1949.The album was originally issued in 1952 in 10" format as a collection of 78 rpm singles on the Verve subsidiary label Clef Records.In a 1952 four-star review of Bird & Diz, a Down Beat magazine columnist wrote of Granz's contribution to the album's sound, stating "Though there is no mention of bop in Norman Granz'[s] notes, we owe him a salvo for reminding us through this LP that this music is still very much alive." It serves as the final collaborative studio recording by Parker and Gillespie, and it is also notable for featuring an early appearance of pianist Thelonious Monk.The album has been reissued several times by Verve and PolyGram Records.

01 Bloomdido (Master Take) (3:24)
02 An Oscar For Treadwell (Alternate Take) (3:20)
03 An Oscar For Treadwell (Master Take) (3:22)
04 Mohawk (Alternate Take) (3:48)
05 Mohawk (Master Take) (3:34)
06 My Melancholy Baby (Alternate Take) (3:16)
07 My Melancholy Baby (Master Take) (3:23)
08 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:33)
09 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:00)
10 Leap Frog (Alternate Take) (2:05)
11 Leap Frog (Master Take) (2:28)
12 Relaxin' With Lee (Alternate Take) (3:53)
13 Relaxin' With Lee (Master Take) (2:44)

Bass - Curly Russell /Drums - Buddy Rich/ Mastered By - Dennis Drake /Piano - Thelonious Monk /Producer - Norman Granz/ Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Parker /Trumpet - Dizzy Gillespie

Charlie Parker Inglewood Jam - Bird & Chet Live At The Trade Winds 1952

2009-11-03T03:21:00.001-08:00

This jazz collector's gem captures a set by two tragic, self-destructive yet historically immortal giants at a club in Inglewood, CA, June 16 1952. As a bonus, the pair are joined by the late Sonny Criss, one of the best and most under-recognized Parker-influenced alto players. Parker was at this time an established musician, and Baker was just out of the Army, on his way up. The concert, which is excellently recorded with sharp, crisp detail, gives everyone a chance to stretch out beyond the confines of a recording studio.

Everyone here sounds inspired, with little wandering and no wasted notes. Baker sounds like he's been listening to a lot of Dizzy & Miles, and while his style hadn't yet fully formed, he more than keeps up with his company. Parker and Criss play with rich-as-fudge, mercurial, blues-drenched tones. If you're a Parker fan, you should own this release. If you're a Baker fan, and you want a look at his early years, dig in. If you love live jazz (bop/mainstream style) albums, this is one of the better ones.

1. Squirrel, The
2. Irresistible You
3. Indiana
4. Liza

Charlie Parker - With Strings, The Master Takes (1949)

2009-10-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes
1949

01 Everything Happens to Me / Charlie Parker 3:15
02 April in Paris / Charlie Parker 3:06
03 Summertime / Charlie Parker 2:46
04 I Didn't Know What Time It Was / Charlie Parker 3:12
05 If I Should Lose You / Charlie Parker 2:46
06 Dancing in the Dark / Charlie Parker 3:10
07 Out of Nowhere / Charlie Parker 3:06
08 Laura / Charlie Parker 2:57
09 East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) / Charlie Parker 3:37
10 They Can't Take That Away from Me / Charlie Parker 3:17
11 Easy to Love / Charlie Parker 3:29
12 I'm in the Mood for Love / Charlie Parker 3:33
13 I'll Remember April / Charlie Parker 3:02
14 What Is This Thing Called Love? / Charlie Parker 2:55
15 April in Paris / Charlie Parker 3:13
16 Repetition / Charlie Parker 2:48
17 Easy to Love / Charlie Parker 2:25
18 Rocker / Charlie Parker 3:00
19 Temptation / Charlie Parker 3:31
20 Lover / Charlie Parker 3:06
21 Autumn in New York / Charlie Parker 3:29
22 Stella by Starlight / Charlie Parker 2:56
23 Repetition / Charlie Parker 2:57

Fuse One - The Complete Recordings

2009-10-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

Track listing

1. Grand Prix - Ronnie Foster
2. Waterside - Bedrich Smetana
3. Sunshine Lady - Stanley Clarke
4. To Whom All Things Concern - John McLaughlin
5. Double Steal - Jeremy Wall
6. Friendship - John McLaughlin
7. Taxi Blues - Stanley Clarke
8. Silk - Ndugu
9. In Celebration of the Human Spirit - Stanley Clarke
10. Hot Fire - Ndugu
11. Sunwalk - Ronnie Foster

The Complete Columbia Recordings - Miles Davis & John Coltrane

2009-09-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

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)

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

2009-09-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

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

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

2009-09-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

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

The Essential Larry Coryell

2009-09-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

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.

larry carlton singing playing

2009-09-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

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.

The Jazz Crusaders The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions

2009-09-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Clifford Brown & Max Roach

2009-09-08T02:15:00.000-07:00

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)

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

2009-09-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2009-09-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Cecil Taylor – Jazz Advance

2009-09-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

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

Charles Lloyd in the Soviet Union

2009-09-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

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

Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages 1991

2009-08-24T01:57:00.000-07:00

Sharrock was semi-retired for much of the 1970s, undergoing a divorce from wife/occasional collaborator Linda in 1978. In the intermittent years until producer/bassist Bill Laswell coaxed him out of retirement, he worked as both a chauffeur and a caretaker for mentally challenged children. At Laswell's urging, Sharrock appeared on Material's (one of Laswell's many projects) 1981 effort, Memory Serves. In addition, Sharrock was a member of the punk/jazz band Last Exit, together with Peter Brötzmann, Laswell and Ronald Shannon Jackson. During the late 1980s, he recorded and performed extensively with the New York-based improvising band Machine Gun, as well as leading his own bands. Sharrock flourished with Laswell's help, noting in a 1991 interview that "the last five years have been pretty strange for me, because I went twelve years without making a record at all, and then in the last five years, I've made seven records under my own name. That's pretty strange." [5] Laswell would often perform with the guitarist on his albums, and produced many of Sharrock's recordings, including the entirely solo Guitar, the metal-influenced Seize the Rainbow, and the well-received Ask the Ages, which featured John Coltrane's bandmates Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. One writer described Ask the Ages as "hands down, Sharrock's finest hour, and the ideal album to play for those who claim to hate jazz guitar

The Freedom Sounds Featuring Wayne Henderson

2009-08-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

People Get Ready was the first of two albums cut for Atlantic Records by Freedom Sounds, a nine-piece group put together by trombonist Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders. It was cut around the same time that Henderson appeared as part of Hugh Masekela's band at the Monterey International Pop Festival, and it comes from a similar multi-cultural, musical, multi-lingual sensibility. Henderson and his band -- including Al Abreus on tenor and soprano sax, James Benson on baritone sax and flute, Pancho Bristol on electric bass, Harold Land at the piano, Moses Obligacion on the conga drum, Ricardo Chimelis on the timbales, Max Garduno on percussion, and Paul Humphrey on drums -- range freely across excellent Henderson originals such as "Cucamunga," and cover "Respect," "People Get Ready," "Things Go Better" (yes, the Coca-Cola jingle, which they do wonderful things with), and "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)." The originals, especially "Orbital Velocity" and "Cathy the Cooker," possess vast kinetic energy and the bracing quality of a concert performance, capturing for posterity the reality behind this group's reputation as a live band. The record has aged well and, as if to prove it, WEA International reissued it in 2004 as part of the Atlantic Masters series, in an audiophile-quality CD reissue re-creating the original LP jacket.

Sonny Sharrock - Black Woman (1969)

2009-08-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Picked by WIRE magazine as one of the 100 records which set the world on fire, 1970s-era Miles Davis guitarist Sonny Shamrock's LP was released in 1969 and produced by Herbie Mann, who loved Sharrock's uncompromising blasts of atonal guitar with Mann's own band. Recorded with N.Y. free jazz musicians Dave Burrell, Norris Jones, Ted Daniel and Milford Graves, the LP features Sonny's with Linda on Yoko Ono-style vocals. There's plenty of soul and gospel influences and a slight pop element counterpoint to Sonny's aggressive guitar and Linda's wails. Originally released on Atlantic Records.

Thelonious Monk - Underground

2009-08-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

Underground is a 1968 album by Thelonious Monk, notable for its diverse and rare time signatures. It features Monk on piano, Larry Gales on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, and Ben Riley on drums.

Although this album is most widely-known for its provocative cover image, which depicts Monk as a fictitious French Resistance fighter in the Second World War, it contains a number of new Monk compositions, some of which only appear in recorded form on this album. This is the last Monk album featuring the Thelonious Monk Quartet, and the last featuring Charlie Rouse (who only appears on half the tracks)

Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser

2009-08-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

Straight, No Chaser is an album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk, released in 1967.
The album was reissued on CD in 1996, including restored versions of previously abridged performances and three additional tracks.

Track Listing (1996 Cd Reissue)

1. "Locomotive" - 6:40
2. "I Didn't Know About You" - 6:52
3. "Straight, No Chaser" - 11:28
4. "Japanese Folk Song" - 16:42
5. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" - 7:36
6. "We See" - 11:37
7. "This Is My Story, This Is My Song" - 1:42
8. "I Didn't Know About You" - 6:49
9. "Green Chimneys" - 6:34

Personnel

* Thelonious Monk - piano
* Charlie Rouse - tenor sax
* Larry Gales - bass
* Ben Riley - drums

Chico Hamilton - The Dealer

2009-08-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

The Dealer is a 1966 release by jazz drummer/bandleader Chico Hamilton. It was first released by Impulse! Records (AS-9130) and has been subsequently reissused on CD with the addition of bonus tracks from 'Chic Chic Chico', 'Definitive Jazz Scene Vol.3' and 'Passin' Thru'. The bonus tracks feature different line-ups to that of the album, including Charles Lloyd and Gabor Szabo. In the 1960s, Chico Hamilton recorded five albums for Impulse! Records, The Dealer and Man from Two Worlds are the only two to be reissued on CD. The bonus track, "El Toro" is also featured on the Impulsive! Unmixed compilation. The packaging takes the form of a digipack-styled case with a 12-page booklet featuring the original liner notes and photographs.

All tracks are originals, composed by Hamilton and some arranged by Jimmy Cheatham. The exception is "For Mods Only"; composed by free jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, who features on the track playing piano.

Illumination!: Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison Sextet

2009-08-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Recorded in 1963 and co-led by John Coltrane's drummer and bassist (Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison), the music is most significant for introducing Sonny Simmons (alto and English horn) and Prince Lasha (flute and clarinet), who are joined in the sextet by underrated baritonist Charles Davis and Trane's pianist McCoy Tyner. Each of the musicians except Jones contributed an original (there are two by Davis); the music ranges from advanced hard bop to freer sounds that still swing. While Garrison's contributions are conventional (this was his only opportunity to lead or co-lead a date), Jones is quite powerful. However, it is the playing of both Simmons, who tears it apart on English horn during 'Nuttin' Out Jones,' and Lasha (when is he going to be rediscovered and recorded again?) that make this early 'New Thing' date of greatest interest.

Eddie Costa & Art Farmer - In Their Own Sweet Way

2009-08-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

Eddie Costa was one of the most sought after studio pianist and vibes players in New York before he died in a car crash in 1962 at the age of 31. This is the one of the few release currently available which features him as leader. Accompanied by Art Farmer...

Recorded in New York in July, 1957.

Personnel: Eddie Costa (piano, vibraphone), Phil Woods (alto saxophone), Art Farmer (trumpet), Teddy Kotick (bass), Paul Motian (drums).

Barry Miles - White Heat (1971)

2009-08-11T02:51:00.000-07:00

Tracklisting:

A1		Little Heart Of Pieces (4:37)
A2		White Heat (8:04)
A3		Woodstock (4:25)
		Written-By - Joni Mitchell
B1		Descent (3:33)
B2		Tangent (4:38)
B3		Foot Mother (6:06)
B4		Sound Song (4:44)

An overlooked gem from keyboardist Barry Miles -- and one of the most compelling early 70s sides on the Mainstream Records label! Barry's got a way of really making his keys sing out nicely -- playing both acoustic and electric piano with plenty of warm tones and gently flowing modes -- but never in a way that's too far out from jazz, or too smooth to be sleepy. The set features twin guitars from Pat Martino and John Abercrombie, both of whom underscore the chromatic nature of Miles' playing -- and other players include Lew Tabackin on tenor and flute, Victor Gaskin on bass, Terry Silverlight on drums, and Warren Smith on congas. Titles are mostly Miles originals -- and include "Descent", "Tangent", "White Heat", and "Little Heart Of Pieces".

Chick Corea - Sundance

2009-08-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Sundance is an album recorded by Chick Corea and released in 1969.

Track listing

"The Brain" (Corea) – 10:04
"Song Of Wind" (Corea) – 7:53
"Converge" (Corea) – 7:56
"Sundance" (Corea) – 9:49

Personnel

Chick Corea – Piano
Hubert Laws – Flute Piccolo
Jack De Johnette – Drum kit, drums
Dave Holland – Bass
Woody Shaw – Trumpet
Horace Arnold – Drum kit, drums

Herbie Hancock - The Collection

2009-08-11T02:40:00.000-07:00

1. Empty Pockets
2. Jack Rabbit
3. Yams
4. Eye Of The Hurricane
5. Cantaloupe Island
6. Sorcerer
7. I Have A Dream

The Free Spirits - Out Of Sight And Sound (1967 - 2006, Sunbeam)

2009-08-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

Way ahead of its time, The Free Spirits' radical 1967 album Out of Sight and Sound has never previously been available on CD. Co-founded by the young and future jazz-rock guitar legend Larry Coryell, who made his recording debut here, the band was only together briefly but dazzled all who heard them (including Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Velvet Underground) with their revolutionary brand of psychedelic jazz-rock. One highlight includes "Blue Water Mother," a song which employs the oft-unheard sound of two separate vocal tracks singing two entirely separate sets of lyrics. One of the first fusions of jazz and rock, this early experiment in sound will appeal to fans of straight-up heavy '60s jams as well.

Gary Burton - A Genuine Tong Funeral

2009-08-07T01:47:00.000-07:00

One of vibraphonist Gary Burton's most intriguing recordings, A Genuine Tong Funeral (Carla Bley's suite which musically depicts attitudes toward death) was called by its composer a "Dark Opera Without Words." Burton's classic Quartet (which also includes guitarist Larry Coryell, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bob Moses) is augmented by six notable all-stars: soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy, trumpeter Mike Mantler, Gato Barbieri on tenor, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, Howard Johnson on tuba and baritone and Bley herself on piano and organ. The music is dramatic, occasionally a little humorous, and a superb showcase for Gary Burton's vibes.

John Coltrane - The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions

2009-08-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

Africa/Brass is a 1961 album by John Coltrane, his first for the new Impulse! label. It features Coltrane's five-piece working band (which at the time included two bassists - Reggie Workman and Art Davis), backed by a fifteen-piece brass band including, among others, trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Booker Little, and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy. The brass arrangements were originally credited to Dolphy, but in the years since the album was released it has emerged that they were, in fact, primarily the work of pianist McCoy Tyner (misspelled "Turner" on the original issue). Tyner wrote out the arrangement for the English traditional song, "Greensleeves"; for the two original pieces, "Africa" and "Blues Minor", Dolphy and Coltrane adapted Tyner's piano voicings for the orchestra.

A second LP, culled from the same sessions, was released in 1974. It was titled Africa/Brass Sessions, Volume 2. It featured a version of the slavery-era spiritual-cum-code-tune, "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" (retitled "Song of the Underground Railroad") as well as alternate takes of "Greensleeves" and "Africa". There also exist outtakes from the sessions - a version of Cal Massey's "The Damned Don't Cry", and additional alternate versions of "Africa" and "Greensleeves".

Both albums have since been combined onto one compact disc. All existent takes (including both albums, and the three outtakes) from the sessions have also been compiled in order of recording on the double-CD collection, The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions....Africa/Brass remains one of the most powerful and compelling examples of the art of John Coltrane.