31 August, 2010

Stan Getz & Chet Baker - Stan Meets Chet (1958) (eac-log-cover)

Stan Getz & Chet Baker - Stan Meets Chet (1958)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 345MB
Verve | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Chet Baker never particularly liked each other and, even though they had musically compatible styles, they only worked together briefly in three periods. Their mutual hostility can be felt in subtle ways on this session which has been reissued on CD. Getz ignores Baker's attempt to state the melody of "I'll Remember April" and he plays it himself several bars after. The two horns do not meet at all on the ballad medley and, since Baker sits out on "Jordu," they only play together on two of the four performances. Getz battles a squeaky reed on "I'll Remember April" and Baker seems a bit subpar in general although he really digs in on "Half-Breed Apache" (a very fast "Cherokee"). So overall this CD (which also includes pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Victor Sproles, and drummer Marshall Thompson), even with some good moments, does not live up to its potential.

Tracks:
-1 - I'll Remember April DePaul, Johnston, Raye 12:24
-2 - Autumn in New York/Embraceable You/What's New? Duke 14:34
-3 - Jordu Jordan 8:31
-4 - Half-Breed Apache 14:49

Personnel:
Stan Getz (tenor saxophone)
Chet Baker (trumpet)
Jodie Christian (piano)
Victor Sproles (bass)
Marshall Thompson (drums)
r c

Barry Harris - At The Jazz Workshop (1960) (OJC) (eac-log-cover)

Barry Harris - At The Jazz Workshop (1960)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 340MB
OJC | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Pianist Barry Harris' second recording as a leader (he led a set for Argo in 1958) finds him at the age of 30 playing in the same boppish style he would have throughout his career. Teamed up with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes, this live CD reissue (which adds three alternate takes to the original LP program) is an excellent example of Harris' playing. Highlights of the enthusiastic straight-ahead set (which includes three obscure but worthy originals by the pianist) include "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," "Moose the Mooche" and "Woody'N You."

Tracks:
01. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? [Take2]
02. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? [Take1]
03. Curtain Call
04. Star Eyes
05. Moose the Mooch
06. Lolita
07. Morning Coffee
08. Don't Blame Me [Take2]
09. Don't Blame Me [Take1]
10. Woody'N You [Take2]
11. Woody'N You [Take1]

Personnel:
Barry Harris, piano
Sam Jones, bass
Louis Hayes, drums
r c

30 August, 2010

Tony Conrad with Faust - Outside the Dream Syndicate (1972) (30th 2cd) (eac-log-cover)

Tony Conrad with Faust - Outside the Dream Syndicate (1972) (30th 2cd)
avantgarde | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 760MB
Table of the Elements | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Recorded over a span of three days in 1973, Outside the Dream Syndicate was Tony Conrad's first official release; though also credited to the celebrated Krautrock band Faust, it's primarily a showcase for Conrad's minimalist drone explorations, an aesthetic fascinatingly at odds with the noisy, fragmented sound of his collaborators. Consisting of three epic tracks, each topping out in excess of 20 minutes, the album is hypnotically contemplative; the music shifts in subtle -- almost subliminal -- fashion, and the deeper one listens, the more rewarding it becomes. [The 30th Anniversary Edition includes two bonus tracks and comes packaged on two CDs.]

Tracks:
cd1
1. - From The Side Of Man And Womankind (00:27:17)
2. - From the Side Of The Machine (00:26:20)
cd2
1. - The Pyre Of Angus Was In Kathmandu (00:03:39)
2. - he Death Of The Composer Was In 1962 (00:03:16)
3. - From The Side Of Woman And Mankind (Complete Version) (00:31:10)
r c

Blue Mitchell - A Sure Thing (1962) (eac-log-cover)

Blue Mitchell  - A Sure Thing (1962)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 240MB
OJC | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Trumpeter Blue Mitchell is well featured on this CD reissue with a nonet arranged by Jimmy Heath. The music is straightahead but, thanks to Heath's arrangements, sometimes unpredictable. Best is Mitchell's solo on "I Can't Get Started," "Hootie's Blues" and a quintet workout (with Heath, pianist Wynton Kelly bassist Sam Jones and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath) on "Gone with the Wind."

Tracks:
1. West Coast Blues (5:40)
2. I Can't Get Started With You (3:48)
3. Blue On Blue (4:48)
4. A Sure Thing (4:34)
5. Hootie Blues (5:24)
6. Hip To It (5:00)
7. Gone With The Wind (5:57)

Personnel:
Blue Mitchell (trumptet)
Clark Terry (flugelhorn, trumptet)
Julius Watkins (french horn)
Jerome Richardson (alto sax, flute) Jimmy Heath (tenor sax)
Pepper Adams (baritone sax)
Wynton Kelly (piano)
Sam Jones (bass)
Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums)
r c

29 August, 2010

Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos - Muy Divertido! (2000) (eac-log-cover)

Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos - Muy Divertido! (Very Entertaining!) (2000)
jazz, latin | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB
Atlantic | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Regrouping his Latin backing band Los Cubanos Postizos, Marc Ribot offers a sequel to his 1998 Arsenio Rodriguez tribute The Prosthetic Cubans in Muy Divertido! ("very entertaining"). While there are once again a few songs penned by Rodriguez, there's also a greater variety of composers represented, including three Ribot originals. Ribot's angular, visceral guitar style adds rock drive and avant-garde edge to these deep Latin grooves, and Anthony Coleman's spacy organ work adds a playfully strange texture to some tracks. Overall, it's a worthy follow-up for anyone who enjoyed the first installment.

Tracks:
01. "Dame un cachito pa' huele" (Arsenio Rodríguez) – 3:15
02. "Las lomas de New Jersey" (Marc Ribot) – 4:37
03. "El gaucho rojo" (Ribot) – 5:55
04. "Obsesión" (Pedro Flores) – 4:20
05. "El divorcio" (Rodriguez) – 3:44
06. "Se formó el bochinche" (Rodriguez) – 4:30
07. "Baile baile baile" (Ribot) – 4:04
08. "No puedo frenar" (Flores) – 4:30
09. "Jaguey" (Rodriguez) – 4:33
10. "Carmela dame la llave" (A.L. Torruellas) – 3:14

Personnel:
* Marc Ribot – guitars, vocals
* Anthony Coleman – keyboards
* Brad Jones – bass
* E.J. Rodriguez – conga, percussion
* Roberto Rodriguez – drums, timbales, timpani, percussion
r c

27 August, 2010

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk - Aces Back To Back (4album box) (eac-log-cover)

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk  - Aces Back To Back (4album box) 
1968-Left & Right_1970-Rahsaan Rahsaan_1973-Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle_1976-Other Folks Music
jazz | 4cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 1170MB
32jazz | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Whether or not the four individual albums packaged with in Aces Back to Back are among Rahsaan Roland Kirk's finest is of no consequence. The fact that they have been assembled in a package that offers the listener a sense of Kirk's development and continuity is the issue here. And in this way, Aces Back to Back is a supreme collection. The four albums included -- Left & Right, Rahsaan Rahsaan, Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle, and Other Folks Music -- date from 1969 to 1976 and chart dimensional growth of Kirk's completely original music. There's the outsider wizardry of Left & Right that melds the innovations of John Coltrane and Scott Joplin across an entire range of highly experimental yet wonderfully human music. Guests included Roy Haynes, Alice Coltrane, Julius Watkins, and many others in a band that ranged from a quartet to a full orchestra. Then there are the nine musicians who appear on Rahsaan Rahsaan, among them avant violinist Leroy Jenkins. Here, from the margins comes Kirk's preaching and poetry and also yielded the classics "The Seeker" and "Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree." The fact that they open and close the album, respectively, reveals not only Kirk's diversity, but also his commitment to a universal black music. Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle is Kirk's meditation on orchestral music juxtaposed against folk and R&B forms. Form the opening "Salvation and Reminiscing," where the string section carries a monadic theme into microtonal territory, Kirk uses the "ugliness" to achieve great beauty which is fully realized when he combines a revved-up version of "Balm in Gilead" with a section of Ralph Vaughn Williams' Pastoral Symphony on "Seasons." Finally, with the issue of Others Folks Music, Kirk contributes only one composition, a beautiful meditation entitled "Water for Robeson and Williams." The rest is made up of the music of Charlie Parker ("Donna Lee"), Kirk's then pianist Hilton Ruiz ("Arrival"), Frank Foster ("Simone"), and others. This is a loose, roughneck record where Kirk uses the harmonics of others to transform his own into something that would make the music itself larger than any of its individual parts. In all for the price tag, this is a solid buy, revealing the most misunderstood innovator in the history of jazz.

cd1: 1968 - Left & Right
01. Black Mystery Has Been Revealed 1:16
02. Expansions 19:55
03. Lady's Blues 3:45
04. I X Love 3:38
05. Hot Cha 3:21
06. Quintessence 4:10
07. I Waited for You 2:51
08. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing 3:55

cd2: 1970 - Rahsaan Rahsaan
01. The Seeker 17:21
02. Satin Doll 2:16
03. Introduction 1:40
04. Medley 4:50
05. Sweet Fire 6:02
06. Introduction 3:17
07. Baby Let Me Shake Your Tree 4:54

cd3: 1973 - Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle
01. Salvation and Reminiscing 5:22
02. Seasons 9:37
03. Celestial Bliss 5:40
04. Saxophone Concerto 21:00

cd4: 1976 - Other Folks Music
01. Water for Robeson and Williams 3:45
02. That's All 7:38
03. Donna Lee 4:10
04. Simone 9:05
05. Anysha 8:12
06. Samba Kwa Mwanamke Mweusi 6:50
07. Arrival 7:10

Personnel:
Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Clarinet, Flute, Harmonica, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Alice Coltrane - Harp
Pepper Adams - Sax (Baritone)
Frank Wess - Woodwind
Leroy Jenkins - Violin
Henry Pearson - Bass
Roy Haynes - Drums
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Vocals
...
rc

25 August, 2010

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request (1996) (eac-log-cover)

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request (1996)
rock, indie | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 490MB
Tangible Music | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Truth in advertising: the Brian Jonestown Massacre's sophomore album does, as promised, spring forth from the Rolling Stones' long-underrated 1967 masterpiece Their Satanic Majesties Request, copping not only Mick and Keith's leering bad-boy attitude but also their their rock-and-roll-circus spirit. Opening with the brilliant "All Around You (Intro)," a tongue-in-cheek guide to the mind-altering journey ahead, the record is a kaleidoscopic, drug-fueled freakout -- like the Stones' namesake album, Second Request is painted by Eastern drones and psychedelic tangents, each track bubbling with dozens of sound effects including sitars, mellotrons, farfisas, didgeridoos, tablas, congas, and glockenspiels. Travelling through the past, darkly, the Massacre arrives on the other side unscathed; their music is too rich to be merely retro, and too knowing to be merely slavish -- the Stones themselves haven't made a record this strong or entertaining in years.

Tracks:
01. "All Around You (Intro)" – 5:35
02. "Cold to the Touch" – 3:20
03. "Donovan Said" – 4:42
04. "In India You" – 3:40
05. "No Come Down" – 5:48
06. "(Around You) Everywhere" – 0:56
07. "Jesus" – 6:30
08. "Before You" – 1:59
09. "Miss June '75" – 7:33
10. "Anemone" – 5:34
11. "Baby (Prepraise)" – 0:30
12. "Feelers" – 5:27
13. "Bad Baby Intro" – 0:24
14. "Bad Baby" – 7:58
15. "Cause, I Lover" – 1:17
16. "(Baby) Love of My Life" – 1:06
17. "Slowdown (Fuck Tomorrow)/Here It Comes" – 6:46
18. "All Around You (Outro)" – 4:48
rc

24 August, 2010

Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny (20-bit K2) (1959) (eac-log-cover)

Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny (1959)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB
Victor | 20-bit K2 limited edition | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
In the liner notes of Quiet Kenny, former Downbeat magazine publisher Jack Maher states that trumpeter Kenny Dorham's music is not necessarily the demure, balladic, rapturous jazz one might associate as romantic or tranquil. Cool and understated might be better watchwords for what the ultra-melodic Dorham achieves on this undeniably well crafted set of standards and originals that is close to containing his best work overall during a far too brief career. Surrounded by an excellent rhythm team of the equally sensitive pianist Tommy Flanagan, emerging bassist Paul Chambers, and the always-beneficial drummer Art Taylor, Dorham and his mates are not prone to missteps or overt exaggerations. One of Dorham's all-time best tunes "Lotus Blossom" kicks off the set with its bop to Latin hummable melody, fluid dynamics, and Dorham's immaculate, unpretentious tone. "Old Folks," a classic ballad, is done mid-tempo, while the true "quiet" factor comes into play on interesting version of "My Ideal" where Dorham gingerly squeezes out the slippery wet notes, and on the sad ballad "Alone Together." The rest of the material is done in easygoing, unforced fashion, especially the originals "Blue Friday" and the simple swinger "Blue Spring Shuffle" which is not really a shuffle. Never known as a boisterous or brash player, but also not a troubadour of romanticism -- until he started singing -- Dorham's music is also far from complacent, and this recording established him as a Top Five performer in jazz on his instrument. It comes recommended to all.

Tracks:
1. Lotus Blossom
2. My Ideal
3. Blue Friday
4. Alone Together
5. Blue Spring Shuffle
6. I Had the Craziest Dream
7. Old Folks
8. Mack the Knife

Personnel:
Kenny Dorham (trumpet)
Tommy Flanagan (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Art Taylor (drums)

rc

23 August, 2010

Hank Mobley - Hank (1957) (RVG) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Hank (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 230MB
Toshiba/EMI | RVG 24bit rem 2000 | rar +5% recovery
Dustygroove:
One of Hank Mobley's greatest sides from the hardbop years of the late 50s – a searing sextet session with a 3-horn frontline! The group features Mobley on tenor, John Jenkins on alto, and Donald Byrd on trumpet – plus a crackling rhythm group with Bobby Timmons, Wilbur Ware, and Philly Joe Jones. It's great to hear Timmons and Ware together, especially as both of them were at the height of their powers at this point in their careers – and Jenkins' soulful alto work is a key part of the set, and makes us wish he'd gotten in the studio more after this time. Great throughout, with 2 long titles that include "Fit For A Hanker" and "Hi Groove, Low Feedback", a nice take of Bud Powell's "Dance Of The Infidels", plus "Time After Time" and "Easy To Love"

Tracks:
1. "Fit for a Hanker" - 7:24
2. "Hi Groove, Low Feedback" - 9:56
3. "You'd Be So Easy to Love" (Porter) - 5:39
4. "Time After Time" (Cahn, Styne) - 6:48
5. "Dance of the Infidels" (Powell) - 7:54

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd: trumpet
* John Jenkins: alto saxophone
* Bobby Timmons: piano
* Wilbur Ware: bass
* Philly Joe Jones: drums
rc

22 August, 2010

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000) (eac-log-cover)

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
alternative, rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 490MB
Matador | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
After years as one of indie rock's standard-bearing groups, Yo La Tengo surpasses itself with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. A culturally literate, emotionally rich album, on songs like "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House," "The Crying of Lot G," and "The Last Days of Disco," it alludes to The Simpsons, enigmatic author Thomas Pynchon and independent films while exploring the comforting, confining, complex aspects of relationships. "Our Way to Fall" sets Ira Kaplan's recollection of falling in love to a dreamy, down-to-earth backdrop of gently brushed drums, luminous organs and vibes; "The Crying of Lot G" transforms the syrupy sweetness of '50s ballads into a monologue about a relationship's shortcomings. "Madeline"'s shimmery indie bossa-nova and the countrified ballad "Tears Are in Your Eyes" showcase Georgia Hubley's buttery, empathetic voice; her singing makes these vignettes universal as well as personal. Like mature indie rock records such as Pavement's Terror Twilight and Jim O'Rourke's Eureka, And Then Nothing... favors mellow songwriting, detailed arrangements, and eclectic influences, such as the Silver Apples-like drum machines and doo wop backing vocals that adorn many of the songs. The wintry, implosive "Everyday" uses both of these elements, along with a plaintive guitar and hushed, hypnotic vocals, to begin the album on a surprisingly somber note. Similarly, the off-kilter beats, odd piano bursts, and harmonies on "Saturday" add to the song's awkward, uneasy beauty. Finally, nine songs into the album, Yo La Tengo breaks out the whammy and feedback action on "Cherry Chapstick," their most incandescent song since "Sugarcube." Easily one of 2000's most accomplished albums, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out isn't as immediate as some of the group's earlier work, but it's just as enduring, proving that Yo La Tengo is the perfect band to grow old with.

Tracks:
-01. "Everyday" – 6:31
-02. "Our Way to Fall" – 4:18
-03. "Saturday" – 4:18
-04. "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" – 4:59
-05. "Last Days of Disco" – 6:28
-06. "The Crying of Lot G" – 4:44
-07. "You Can Have It All" – 4:36
-08. "Tears Are in Your Eyes" – 4:35
-09. "Cherry Chapstick" – 6:11
-10. "From Black to Blue" – 4:47
-11. "Madeline" – 3:36
-12. "Tired Hippo" – 4:45
-13. "Night Falls on Hoboken" – 17:42
rc

19 August, 2010

Willie Bobo - Spanish Grease & Uno Dos Tres (1965&66) (eac-log-cover)

Willie Bobo - Spanish Grease & Uno Dos Tres (1965&66)
jazz, latin | 1cd (2lp on cd) | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 430MB
Verve | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Willie Bobo's 1965 LP, Spanish Grease, has been combined with his Uno Dos Tres 1-2-3 LP from 1966 on one CD reissue. One pass through the title cut of Spanish Grease and you know that Carlos Santana was listening. The easy R&B/Latin jazz shuffle on this Bobo original, with its mix of Spanish and English vocals, is an obvious touchstone to cuts like "Evil Ways" on Santana's first two albums. What a shame, then, that the rest of the record is primarily comprised of covers of pop hits of the day like "It's Not Unusual" (a vocal and an instrumental version!) and "Our Day Will Come." The timbales player and his band lay down respectable grooves, but "Spanish Grease" is the only original on the album, and by far the most rewarding number. Similarly, the toughest and most memorable track on Uno Dos Tres 1-2-3 is the one Bobo original, "Fried Neck Bones and Some Home Fries." Its creeping Latin soul groove was, like "Spanish Grease," an obvious inspiration for Carlos Santana. But on most of the rest of the recording, Bobo coasts through interpretations of period hits like "Michelle," "Goin' Out of My Head," and Jay & the Americans' (!) "Come a Little Bit Closer," with some jazz and pop standards as well.

Tracks:
01-Spanish Grease 2:48
02-Hurt So Bad 2:41
03-It's Not Unusual 2:21
04-Our Day Will Come 2:52
05-Haitian Lady 4:07
06-Blues In The Closet 2:14
07-Nessa 4:08
08-Elation 3:50
09-It's Not Unusual (Instrumental) 2:30
10-Shotgun / Blind Man, Blind Man 5:14
11-Boogaloo In Room 802 2:38
12-Come A Little Bit Closer 2:30
13-Goin' Out Of My Head 3:28
14-I Remember Clifford 2:06
15-Rescue Me 3:10
16-Michelle 3:18
17-No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In) 2:46
18-Fried Neck Bones And Some Home Fries 3:03
19-Ol' Man River 3:14
20-One, Two, Three (1-2-3) [Uno, Dos, Tres] 2:40
21-Night Song 2:45
22-The Breeze And I 3:16
rc

18 August, 2010

Art Blakey - Moanin' (RVG) (1958) (eac-log-cover)

Art Blakey - Moanin' (1958)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB
BN | RVG 24-bit remaster | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Moanin' includes some of the greatest music Blakey produced in the studio with arguably his very best band. There are three tracks that are immortal and will always stand the test of time. The title selection is a pure tuneful melody stewed in a bluesy shuffle penned by pianist Bobby Timmons, while tenor saxophonist Benny Golson's classy, slowed "Along Came Betty" and the static, militaristic "Blues March" will always have a home in the repertoire of every student or professional jazz band. "Are You Real?" has the most subtle of melody lines, and "Drum Thunder Suite" has Blakey's quick blasting tom-tom-based rudiments reigning on high as the horns sigh, leading to hard bop. "Come Rain or Come Shine" is the piece that commands the most attention, a highly modified, lilting arrangement where the accompanying staggered, staccato rhythms contrast the light-hearted refrains. Certainly a complete and wholly satisfying album, Moanin' ranks with the very best of Blakey and what modern jazz offered in the late '50s and beyond.

Tracks:
1. Warm-up and dialogue between Lee Morgan and Rudy van Gelder – 0:35
2. "Moanin'" – 9:30
3. "Are You Real?" – 4:47
4. "Along Came Betty" – 6:08
5. "The Drum Thunder (Miniature) Suite" – 7:30
6. "Blues March" – 6:13
7. "Come Rain or Come Shine" – 5:45
8. "Moanin'" (alternative take) – 9:19

Personnel:
* Lee Morgan — trumpet
* Benny Golson — tenor saxophone
* Bobby Timmons — piano
* Jymie Merritt — bass
* Art Blakey — drums
rc

17 August, 2010

Albert Ayler - In Greenwich Village (1967) (eac-log-cover)

Albert Ayler  - In Greenwich Village (1967)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB
Impulse! | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
During 1967-69 avant-garde innovator Albert Ayler recorded a series of albums for Impulse that started on a high level and gradually declined in quality. This LP, Ayler's first Impulse set, was probably his best for that label. There are two selections apiece from a pair of live appearances with Ayler having a rare outing on alto on the emotional "For John Coltrane" and the more violent "Change Has Come" while backed by cellist Joel Friedman, both Alan Silva and Bill Folwell on basses and drummer Beaver Harris. The other set (with trumpeter Donald Ayler, violinist Michel Sampson, Folwell and Henry Grimes on basses and Harris) has a strong contrast between the simple childlike melodies and the intense solos. However this LP (which was augmented later on by the two-LP set The Village Concerts) will be difficult to find.

Tracks:
1. "For John Coltrane" - 13:38
2. "Change Has Come" - 6:24
3. "Truth Is Marching In" - 12:43
4. "Our Prayer" - 4:43

Personnel:
* Albert Ayler - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
* Donald Ayler - trumpet
* Bill Folwell - bass
* Joel Friedman - cello
* Henry Grimes - bass
* Beaver Harris - drums
* Michel Sampson - violin
* Alan Silva - bass
rc

16 August, 2010

Joe Henderson - At The Lighthouse (1970) (eac-log-cover)

Joe Henderson - At The Lighthouse (1970)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 490 MB
Milestone | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
This live session from the legendary Lighthouse features a particularly strong version of the Joe Henderson Quintet, which at the time included the leader on tenor, trumpeter Woody Shaw, keyboardist George Cables, bassist Ron McClure and drummer Lenny White. There are excellent remakes of "Mode for Joe" and "Blue Bossa" plus two new originals and a fine rendition of "'Round Midnight." As is typical of Henderson's Milestone recordings, this one did not sell all that well but blame cannot be placed on the musical quality.

Tracks:
01 - Caribbean Fire Dance
02 - Recorda-Me
03 - A Shape Of Jade
04 - Isotope
05 - 'Round Midnight
06 - Mode For Joe
07 - Invitation
08 - If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
09 - Blue Bossa
10 - Closing Theme

Personnel:
Lenny White - drums
Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
Woody Shaw - trumpet, flugelhorn
George Cables - electric piano
Ron McClure - electric bass
Tony Waters - congas
rc

15 August, 2010

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Methodrone (1995) (eac-log-cover)

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Methodrone (1995)
rock, indie | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 425MB
Bomp! | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
While Brian Jonestown Massacre have since become known for their wasted Stones take on music (in any number of permutations), when the debut album Methodrone finally surfaced after months of delay (to the point where a side project album by ImaJinary Friends actually came out first), there was an easy, one-word reaction: shoegazers. Redolent with the spirit of such high priests of effects and delay as Loop, Spaceman 3, and My Bloody Valentine, not to mention a fair dollop of the Jesus and Mary Chain (sample song titles: "That Girl Suicide," "Hyperventilation," "She's Gone"), Methodrone clearly is the sum of its influences. Thankfully BJM does a very solid job with them throughout the album's course of over 70 minutes. Anton Newcombe favors breathy, sighing vocals over post-Jagger drawls, understandably ("Crushed" is as perfect an example of American Anglo singing as it gets), while the seven other rotating bandmembers whip up a good amount of machine-like chugging and rave-up bliss as they go. Part of the reason why it all works so well is Newcombe's impressive abilities to actually perform rather than pose. "Wisdom," for instance, isn't very complex, but it successfully creates a psychedelic haze. While assembled from a variety of different sessions and about seven different engineers, Methodrone feels like a unified collection. Newcombe is due further credit for ensuring that his own particular (if second-hand) vision is carried throughout. The album closes on a spectacular high, with the wafting feedback prettiness of "Outback" followed by the majestic drone of "She's Gone," armed with a stunning guitar line, then wrapping up with an untitled bonus track that assuredly builds to a strong end with quirky touches. Though the band never returned to this sound in full, Newcombe and BJM as a whole have nothing to be ashamed of here.

Tracks:
01. "Evergreen" 3:24
02. "Wisdom" 5:20
03. "Crushed" 6:08
04. "That Girl Suicide" 3:41
05. "Wasted" 4:21
06. "Everyone Says" 4:15
07. "Short Wave" 2:47
08. "She Made Me" 4:42
09. "Hyperventilation" 9:53
10. "Records" 1:50
11. "I Love You" 4:11
12. "End of the Day" 5:09
13. "Outback" 4:07
14. "She's Gone" 7:18
15. "Untitled" 4:52
rc

Pat Martino - First Light (Joyous Lake & Starbright) (1976&77)

Pat Martino - First Light (1976&77)
2lp: Joyous Lake & Starbright
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 490MB
32Jazz | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
First Light continues a long line of excellent releases by the 32 Jazz label and Pat Martino. While neither Joyous Lake or Starbright merit the designation of "classic," the combination of both recordings on one budget-priced CD make two-fer an essential fusion recording.

Allaboutjazz:
Guitar and fusion fans will surely welcome this excellent 32 Jazz set featuring all of Joyous Lake and Starbright, guitarist Pat Martino's two 1976 Warner Brothers albums. Martino left Muse Records in 1976 with the promise of mega-giant Warner's clout to reach a wider audience. Usually that spells concession to popular tunes or sellable formulas. And while this music is often more fusion-oriented than anything Martino had recorded up to this point, there's no sell out.
Joyous Lake catches Martino with keyboardist Delmar Brown and Kenwood Dennard, who reunited with the guitarist on last year's similar Stone Blue (also featuring Martino's delightful "Joyous Lake," which prefigures the music of Pat Metheny by nearly a decade). Here, electric bassist Delmar Brown also helps the quartet move around several flavors of funky fusion that recall then-sounds of Magical Shepherd -era Miroslav Vitous and Allan Holdsworth with nods toward Headhunter funk ("M'Wandishi")and Eleventh House rock ("Song Bird").
Starbright features a larger, all together different Martino group featuring three keyboardists (Gil Goldstein, Warren Bernhardt and Mike Maneri), three percussionists, bass, violin, flute and tabla. There are Martino's patented ruminations ("Starbright," reminiscent of Al DiMeola/Return to Forever, and "Prelude"), worthy fusion ("Law," "Deeda," "Blue Macaw) and two of Wayne Shorter's more contemplative ballads from Miles' 1967 opus Nefertiti ("Fall," "Nefertiti").
As always, Martino remains an engaging technical dazzler - as opposed to all those forgotten 70s guitar heroes who thought speed and sound meant good playing. Martino even experiments with guitar synthesizers and other effects (especially during the Joyous Lake tracks). But the strength of the guitarist's melodic personality, particularly during signature solos, is never in question.
This is music that can be enjoyed well beyond 1977. Over two decades later, there is substance and sustenance to Pat Martino's music and First Light is a valuable part of this great guitarist's ever-enduring legacy.

Tracks: Line Games; Pyramidal Vision; Mardi Gras; M'Wandishi; Song Bird; Joyous Lake; Starbright; Eyes; Law; Fall; Deeda; Starbright Epilogue; Masquerada; Nefertiti; Blue Macaw; City Lights; Prelude; Epilogue.

Personnel:
On Joyous Lake: Pat Martino: guitar, EML 101 synthesizer, synthesizer, percussion, flexiglass; Delmar Brown: Fender Rhodes, EML 500 synthesizer, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer; Mark Leonard: electric bass; Kenwood Dennard: drums, percussion.
On Starbright: at Martino: guitar, synthesizer; Gil Goldstein: keyboards; Warren Bernhardt, Michael Maneri: synthesizers; Will Lee: bass; Charles Collins, Michael Carvin: drums; Alyrio Lima Cova: percussion; Marty Quinn: tablas; Al Regni: flute; Joe D'Onofrio: violin.
r c

11 August, 2010

Bill Evans - Turn Out the Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Rec. 6cd (1980) (eac-log-cover)

Bill Evans - Turn Out The Stars: The Final Village Vanguard Recordings 6cd box set (1980)
jazz | 6cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 2050MB
Warner Bros. |   rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Just three months before his death, pianist BIll Evans was extensively recorded at the Village Vanguard. Originally, one or two LPs were to be released featuring his brilliant new trio (with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera), but after the innovative pianist's death, the project was stalled for over 15 years. Finally, when Warner Bros. got around to it, a definitive six-CD box set was released (although unfortunately in limited-edition form). Evans sounded quite energized during his last year, Johnson was developing quickly as both an accompanist and a soloist, and the interplay by the trio members (with subtle support from LaBarbera) sometimes bordered on the telepathic. The playing throughout these consistently inventive performances ranks up there with the Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio of 20 years earlier.

Tracks:

CD1: Bill's Hit Tune; Nardis; If You Could See Me Now; The Two Lonely People: Laurie; My Romance; Tiffany; Like Someone In Love; Letter To Evan.
CD2: Days Of Wine And Roses; Emily; My Foolish Heart; Nardis; Yet Ne'er Broken; Quiet Now; But Not For Me; Spring Is Here; Autumn Leaves.
CD3: Your Story; Re: Person I Knew; Polka Dots And Moonbeams; Two Lonely People, The; Theme From M*A*S*H; Tiffany; Turn Out The Stars; Laurie; My Romance; Knit For Mary F.; Midnight Mood; Time Remembered.
CD4: Days Of Wine And Roses; Up With The Lark; Nardis; Your Story; Yet Ne'er Broken; If You Could See Me Now; Bill's Hit Tune; Tiffany; In Your Own Sweet Way.
CD5: I Do It For Your Love; Five; Polka Dots And Moonbeams; Bill's Hit Tune; Turn Out The Stars; Days Of Wine And Roses; But Not For Me; Knit For Mary F.; Like Someone In Love; Quiet Now.
CD6: Emily; Nardis; Knit For Mary F.; Like Someone In Love; Letter To Evan; Minha; A Sleepin' Bee; My Romance/Five.

Personnel:
Bill Evans: piano; Marc Johnson: bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums.
rc

Lou Donaldson - The Midnight Creeper (1968) (eac-log-cover)

Lou Donaldson - The Midnight Creeper (1968)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB
BN | 24-bit rem | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
As he delved deeper into commercial soul-jazz and jazz-funk, Lou Donaldson became better at it. While lacking the bite of his hard bop improvisations or the hard-swinging funk of Alligator Bogaloo, Midnight Creeper succeeds where its predecessor, Mr. Shing-A-Ling failed: it offers a thoroughly enjoyable set of grooving, funky soul-jazz. The five songs -- including two originals by Donaldson and one each by Lonnie Smith (who also plays organ on the record), Teddy Vann, and Harold Ousley -- aren't particularly distinguished, but the vibe is important, not the material. And the band -- Donaldson, Smith, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Leo Morris -- strikes the right note, turning in a fluid, friendly collection of bluesy funk vamps. Donaldson could frequently sound stilted on his commercial soul-jazz dates, but that's not the case with Midnight Creeper. He rarely was quite as loose on his late-'60s/early-'70s records as he is here, and that's what makes Midnight Creeper a keeper.

Tracks:
-01. Midnight Creeper (06:32)
-02. Love Power (07:46)
-03. Elizabeth (05:37)
-04. Bag of Jawels (09:44)
-05. Dapper Dan (06:30)

Personnel:
Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone)
Blue Mitchell (trumpet)
Lonnie Smith (organ)
George Benson (guitar)
Idris Muhammad (drums)
rc

10 August, 2010

Marianne Faithfull - Kissin' Time (2002) (eac-log-cover)

Marianne Faithfull - Kissin' Time (2002)
rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB
Virgin | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
One of the most endearing things about Marianne Faithfull is how well and often she reinvents herself as an artist, all the while remaining true to her rebellious, defiantly independent nature, enduring whatever changes the industry undergoes with her restless, and often reckless, vision intact. Kissin' Time has been billed as Ms. Faithfull's collaboration album because of the appearances and production talents of numerous artists, including Beck, Billy Corgan, Jarvis Cocker, Pulp, Dave Stewart, Blur, etc. The truth of the matter is that this is just the latest installment in a series of collaborations, but one that includes far bigger names from the world of postmodern pop. Ms. Faithfull's 1990s recordings with producer Hal Willner, and collaborations with composer and producer Angelo Badalamenti, were just that. Ms. Faithfull was involved in every part of the recording process. Her collaboration with Peter Trueblood on 20th Century Blues, an album of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht songs was in the most literal sense a cooperative arrangement. If anything, this project, her first new material in three years, is closely linked to her last album, the beautiful and moving Vagabond Ways, produced by Daniel Lanois. There Ms. Faithfull co-wrote all the material on the record and helped to choose the players. Here, she co-wrote most of the material and commissioned all the artists to work with her. The sound on Kissin' Time is thoroughly contemporary, deconstructive pop. That Ms. Faithfull is able to make this set sound as if it were recorded in one studio with one band is a minor miracle; that she can put such searing soul into sonic constructs that are sometimes only marginally "songs" is a major artistic achievement. Faithfull also deserves kudos for maintaining her various collaborators' identities throughout the album. Thus, Beck Hansen signs the dark, frenetic rhythms on "Sex With Strangers" and "Nobody's Fault," with its bluesed out, country lilt. But neither of these songs would have been convincing without Ms. Faithfull's voice carrying them. On "Being Born," another Beck track, the production and pace are pure Leonard Cohen, but Faithfull turns the lyric into something almost sinister, and it lands just this side of perverse. But it's Billy Corgan who gets the highest marks here for capturing Faithfull's dominant strengths with "I'm On Fire." A large, timberline rhythm, slowed to a crawl, covered in keyboard and synthed strings become a processional for the anthem Faithfull calls forth from the center of her being as her words come hurtling from the depths: "...And love did come but in such disguise/That I could hardly recognize!/So with trust in fate and love of life/Take my chance and roll the dice/And whatever sent me...I'll still be there/Whatever happens, it's true/And I'm standing still/Try to show the way..." Likewise on "Wherever I go," Corgan captures the pace of her delivery, and the dynamic her lyrics demand -- "You can see I've come so far/So kiss me quick/I swear upon the stars they're mine..." -- strings, synths, shimmering drums, warbling guitars, all of them are draped lovingly around Ms. Faithfull's voice. Her collaborations with Dave Stewart in a heartfelt tribute on the "Song for Nico" register as honest and bare of all sentimentality. But in "Love and Money" and "Sliding Through Life on Charm," Ms. Faithfull's sense of irony and Jarvis Cocker's sonic architecture don't match; they overstate one another and cancel each other out of the mix, leaving no room for either lyric or pop sensibility to redeem them. The title track, a collaboration with Blur, is in the pocket, with its droopy, dubby texture that threatens to swallow Faithfull's voice, but doesn't get the chance as Damon Albarn slithers in under the guitars to stretch her lyric in the refrain, creating a hypnotic, sexy drone that envelops both singers. The album closes with another collaboration, with Corgan on a cover of a Goffin & King tune called "Something Good." Its sweetness is initially off-putting, until the listener makes the connection that this is Faithfull singing a song that would have been a natural for her 35 years ago. It sounds so alien, so gauzy, like a ghost from memory past coming to illustrate why things change. It's positively tender, not ironic. Ultimately, Kissin' Time is another achievement, another raise of the bar, another welcome and necessary addition in the strange and beautiful catalog of Marianne Faithfull.

Tracks:
01 "Sex With Strangers" (Marianne Faithfull/Beck) – 4:21 -- featuring Beck
02 "The Pleasure Song" (Marianne Faithfull/Étienne Daho/Edith Fambuena/J L Pierot) – 4:15
03 "Like Being Born" (Marianne Faithfull/Beck) – 3:51 -- featuring Beck and Jon Brion
04 "I"m On Fire" (Marianne Faithfull/Billy Corgan) – 5:11 -- featuring Billy Corgan
05 "Wherever I Go" (Billy Corgan/Marianne Faithfull) – 4:27 -- featuring Billy Corgan
06 "Song For Nico" (Marianne Faithfull/Dave Stewart) – 3:59 -- featuring Dave Stewart
07 "Sliding Through Life on Charm" (Marianne Faithfull/Pulp) – 4:00 -- featuring Pulp
08 "Love and Money" (Marianne Faithfull/David Courts) – 2:17
09 "Nobody"s Fault" (Beck) – 6:28 -- featuring Beck
10 "Kissin" Time" (Marianne Faithfull/Blur) – 5:39 -- featuring Blur
11 "Something Good" (Carole King/Gerry Goffin) – 3:24 -- featuring Billy Corgan
rc

09 August, 2010

Marc Ribot - Yo! I Killed Your God (1999) (eac-log-cover)

Marc Ribot - Yo! I Killed Your God (live) (1999)
avantgarde, jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB
Tzadik | rec.: 1992-94 | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Marc Ribot's second Shrek release showcases a live and onstage version of Ribot usually reserved only for those who live in the lower reaches of the 212 area code. This maddeningly eclectic release from the Wes Montgomery of the Downtown jazz scene is a continuation of his earlier self-titled Shrek release but features only two tracks from the first album: "Human Sacrifice," which receives preferential treatment on the studio release, and the evocative and powerful "Forthworld," the soundtrack for the post-Apocalyptic tribal drum circle feel of the album. In general however, this album is much of an improvement from the original, as the band members, featuring not only Ribot's virtuoso guitar work and New York-inflected vocals but alternately Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin, and Wood fame on guitar and bass, Sebastian Steinberg on bass, and Jim Pugliese and Dougie Bowne on percussion have meshed well together with greater exposure to each other and to the overall sound of the group. The band is still as transgressive and in your face as they want to be, but here Ribot shows his other sides as well, the sides that have earned him his keep as Zorn's right-hand guitar man in "Requiem for What's His Name," the side that has earned him a major-label deal with his remake of songs of the great Cuban bandleader Arsenio Rodriquez with "Jamon Con Yuca," as well as spots as a session player with rock legends Tom Waits and Elvis Costello with "The Wind Cries Mary." Shrek is, at its core, however, an avant-punk outfit, and they have lost none of their grittiness or edge with this release. Another highlight is the soulful "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," a special treat from a someone who considers himself to be a soul musician. All in all, another fine effort from a virtuoso guitarist. Difficult listening, but worth the effort.

Tracks:
-01. "I Fall to Pieces" – 0:47
-02. "Yo! I Killed Your God" – 2:58
-03. "Human Sacrifice" – 10:03
-04. "The Wind Cries Mary" (Jimi Hendrix) – 6:36
-05. "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" (Oscar Hammerstein II, S Romberg) – 5:34
-06. "Fourth World" – 8:18
-07. "Requiem for What’s His Name" – 5:09
-08. "Somebody In My House" – 3:10
-09. "Clever White Youths with Attitude" – 2:31
-10. "Expressionless" – 1:49
-11. "Jamon Con Yucca" – 4:12
-12. "Pulse" – 8:08
-13. "Change Has Come" – 9:07
-14. "Mon Petit Punk" – 4:16

Personnel:
Christine Bard: Drums
Dougie Bowne: Drums
J.D. Foster: Guitars
Roger Kleier: Guitars
François Lardeau: Drum Programming
Jim Pugliese: Drums
Marc Ribot: Guitar, Vocals
Sebastian Steinberg: Bass
Mark Anthony Thompson: Bass, Sequencer
Chris Wood: Bass
rc

08 August, 2010

John Coltrane - Sun Ship (1965) (20-bit SBM) (eac-log-cover)

John Coltrane - Sun Ship (1965)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB
Impulse | 20-bit SBM | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
Other than First Meditations, which was not released at the time, Sun Ship (reissued on CD by Impulse) was the final studio album by John Coltrane's classic quartet (with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones) before Pharoah Sanders joined the band on second tenor. At this point in time, Coltrane was using very short repetitive themes as jumping-off points for explosive improvisations, often centered around one chord and a very specific spiritual mood. Tyner sounds a bit conservative in comparison, but Jones keeps up with Trane's fire (especially on "Amen"). Even in the most intense sections (and much of this music is atonal), there is a logic and thoughtfulness about Coltrane's playing.

Tracks:
-1. "Sun Ship" – 6:12
-2. "Dearly Beloved" – 6:27
-3. "Amen" – 8:16
-4. "Attaining" – 11:26
-5. "Ascent" – 10:10

Personnel:
John Coltrane - Tenor saxophone
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Jimmy Garrison - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums
rc

Hank Mobley - Messages (1956) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley - Messages (1956)
(Mobley's Message and Mobley's Second Message)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 420MB
Prestige | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work.

Tracks:
01-Bouncing With Bud 6:57
02-52nd Street Theme 5:41
03-Minor Disturbance 6:15
04-Au Privave 7:31
05-Little Girl Blue 8:41
06-These Are The Thing I Love 6:37
07-Message From The Border 6:03
08-Xlento 5:36
09-The Latest 5:48
10-I Should Care 10:01
11-Crazeology 6:56

Personnel:
Bass - Doug Watkins
Drums - Art Taylor
Piano - Barry Harris , Walter Bishop
Saxophone - Hank Mobley , Jackie McLean
Trumpet - Donald Byrd , Kenny Dorham
rc

07 August, 2010

Hank Mobley 1956 - The Jazz Message of HM v1-2 (1956) (eac-log-cover)

Hank Mobley 1956 - The Jazz Message of HM v1-2 (1956)
jazz | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB
Savoy | Denon remaster | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
v1__Other than a Blue Note date from the previous year, this CD contains tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's first two sessions as a leader. With trumpeter Donald Byrd, either Hank Jones or Ronnie Ball on piano, Wendell Marshall or Doug Watkins on bass, drummer Kenny Clarke and (on three numbers) the unusual altoist John LaPorta, Mobley performs a mixture of originals and standards. The results (highlighted by "There'll Never Be Another You," "When I Fall in Love" and "Budo") are a swinging hard bop date. Nothing all that unusual occurs and the CD clocks in at an average LP's length but the swinging music is easily recommended to straight-ahead jazz fans and (unlike many of Denon's Savoy reissues), these two sessions are brought back complete.
v2__Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue.
The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long -- 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message.

v1
Tracks:
1. "There Will Never Be Another You" (Gordon, Warren) - 5:50
2. "Cattin'" - 4:38
3. "Madeline" - 4:42
4. "When I Fall in Love" (Heyman, Young) - 3:47
5. "Budo" (Davis, Powell) - 7:32
6. "I Married an Angel" (Hart, Rodgers) - 7:00
7. "The Jazz Message (Freedom for All)" (Cadena) - 8:01

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd: trumpet
* Ronnie Ball: piano (tracks 1-4)
* Horace Silver: piano (tracks 5-7)
* Doug Watkins: bass (tracks 1-4)
* Wendell Marshall: bass (tracks 5-7)
* Kenny Clarke: drums
* John LaPorta: alto saxophone (tracks 5-7)

v2
Tracks:
1. "Thad's Blues" (Jones) - 9:48
2. "Doug's Minor B' Ok" (Watkins) - 6:40
3. "B. for B.B." - 6:31
4. "Blues Number Two" - 5:00
5. "Space Flight" - 4:15

Personnel:
* Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone
* Lee Morgan: trumpet (tracks 1 & 2)
* Donald Byrd: trumpet (tracks 3, 4 & 5)
* Hank Jones: piano (tracks 1 & 2)
* Barry Harris: piano (tracks 3, 4 & 5)
* Doug Watkins: bass
* Art Taylor: drums (tracks 1 & 2)
* Kenny Clarke: drums (tracks 3, 4 & 5)
rc

06 August, 2010

RCA Living Stereo: Saint Saens/Franck/Liszt - Concerto no.2, Symphonic Var., Concerto no.1 (eac-log-cover)

RCA Living Stereo: Saint Saens/Franck/Liszt  - Concerto no.2,  Symphonic Var., Concerto no.1
A Rubinstein, Symphony of the Air - A Wallenstein, RCA V SO
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB
RCA | SACD | rel.: 2007 | rar +5% recovery
Amazon:
Sony/BMG continues their Living Stereo SACD reissue series with three Concerto recordings from the 1950s featuring pianist Arthur Rubinstein.
The Saint-Saëns Second Concerto was a great favorite of Rubinstein's. He made his American debut with this piece back in 1906. This recording was made in 1958 in collaboration with the Symphony of the Air (formerly the NBC Symphony Orchestra) under Alfred Wallenstein. There is slightly more forward motion here than in the 1969 version with Ormandy, and even more stunning virtuosity in the finale. However, the recording with Ormandy has the advantage of better orchestral playing, so the two versions balance each other out as my favorites. There is also an excellent filmed version on a Deutsche Grammophon DVD, with Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, made in 1975.
Rubinstein learned Cesar Frank's Symphonic Variations while traveling by train to a concert in Spain, practicing the passages in his lap. The man had an amazing memory. Here again, he is in top form, giving a performance of brio and élan, with Wallenstein and the orchestra providing a fine accompaniment.
The Liszt is less successful. I don't think Rubinstein ever loved Liszt the way he loved Chopin and Brahms, and as he grew older Liszt's music gradually began dropping out of his repertoire. (Rubinstein made no Liszt recordings after 1965.) Both of Rubinstein's recordings of the Liszt Concerto suffer from a great deal of technical bluffing and general sloppiness. Adding to the problem here is some crude microphone placement, with the infamous triangle passages spotlit beyond all reason. The remastering has not been able to solve this problem and the sound remains excessively dry, although the piano sound is more natural than in previous issues. Wallenstein and the RCA Victor Symphony (mostly made of members of the New York Philharmonic) do a reasonable job of accompaniment.

Tracks:
01 - Saint Saens-Concerto No 2 In G Minor-Op 22-Andante Sostenuto
02 - Saint Saens-Concerto No 2 In G Minor-Op 22-Allegro Scherzando
03 - Saint Saens-Concerto No 2 In G Minor-Op 22-Presto
04 - Franck-Symphonic Variations-Poco Allegro
05 - Franck-Symphonic Variations-Allegro Non Troppo
06 - Liszt-Concerto-No 1 In E-Flat-Allegro Maestoso
07 - Liszt-Concerto-No 1 In E-Flat-Quasi Adagio
08 - Liszt-Concerto-No 1 In E-Flat-Allegretto Vivace
09 - Liszt-Concerto-No 1 In E-Flat-Allegro Marziale Animato

Arthur Rubinstein (piano)
Symphony of the Air
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Alfred Wallenstein (conductor)
rc

McCoy Tyner - Enlightenment (1973) (eac-log-cover)

McCoy Tyner - Enlightenment (1973)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 460MB
Milestone | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
This is one of the great McCoy Tyner recordings. The powerful, percussive, and highly influential pianist sounds quite inspired throughout his appearance at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. Azar Lawrence (on tenor and soprano) is also quite noteworthy and there is plenty of interplay with bassist Juney Booth and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. But Tyner is the main star, whether it be on his three-part "Enlightenment Suite," "Presence," "Nebula," or the 25-minute "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit."

Tracks:
1. "Presenting the McCoy Tyner Quartet" (Introduced by French disc jockey Pierre Lattès) 1:19
2. "Enlightenment Suite, Part 1 - Genesis" 10:02
3. "Enlightenment Suite, Part 2: The Offering" 4:00
4. "Enlightenment Suite, Part 3 - Inner Glimpse" 10:04
5. "Presence" 10:35
6. "Nebula" 9:39
7. "Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit" 24:04
* Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Casino De Montreux, Switzerland, July 7, 1973

Personnel:
* McCoy Tyner: piano, percussion
* Azar Lawrence: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
* Joony Booth: bass
* Alphonse Mouzon: drums
rc

05 August, 2010

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear (1967)

'Rahsaan' Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear (1967)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 295MB
Atlantic | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
The debut recording by Roland Kirk (this was still pre-Rahsaan) on Atlantic Records, the same label that gave us Blacknuss and Volunteered Slavery, is not the blowing fest one might expect upon hearing it for the first time. In fact, producer Joel Dorn and label boss Neshui Ertegun weren't prepared for it either. Kirk had come to Atlantic from Emarcy after recording his swan song for them, the gorgeous Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith, in April. In November Kirk decided to take his quartet of pianist Ron Burton, bassist Steve Novosel, and drummer Jimmy Hopps and lead them through a deeply introspective, slightly melancholy program based in the blues and in the groove traditions of the mid-'60s. Kirk himself used the flutes, the strich, the Manzello, whistle, clarinet, saxophones, and more -- the very instruments that had created his individual sound, especially when some of them were played together, and the very things that jazz critics (some of whom later grew to love him) castigated him for. Well, after hearing the restrained and elegantly layered "Black and Crazy Blues," the stunning rendered "Creole Love Call," the knife-deep soul in "The Inflated Tear," and the twisting in the wind lyricism of "Fly by Night," they were convinced -- and rightfully so. Roland Kirk won over the masses with this one too, selling over 10,000 copies in the first year. This is Roland Kirk at his most poised and visionary; his reading of jazz harmony and fickle sonances are nearly without peer. And only Mingus understood Ellington in the way Kirk did. That evidence is here also. If you are looking for a place to start with Kirk, this is it.

Tracks:
01-The Black and Crazy Blues 5:59
02-A Laugh for Rory 2:47
03-Many Blessings 4:36
04-Fingers in the Wind 5:07
05-The Inflated Tear 4:46
06-The Creole Love Call 3:45
07-A Handful of Fives 2:35
08-Fly by Night 4:09
09-Lovellevelliloqui 3:59
10-I'm Glad There Is You [bonus track] 2:10

Personnel:
* Roland Kirk - tenor sax, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, whistle, English horn or flexafone
* Ron Burton - piano
* Steve Novosel - bass
* Jimmy Hopps - drums
* Dick Griffith - trombone
rc

04 August, 2010

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God for Mental Illness (1996) (eac-log-cover)

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God for Mental Illness (1996)
rock, indie | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 405MB
Bomp! | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
At the risk of further belaboring a rather obvious point, with Thank God for Mental Illness, their third collection of absolutely stunning music in less than a year, the Brian Jonestown Massacre parallels the prolific and effortless brilliance of the Rolling Stones at their fevered late-1960s peak; the sheer scope of their achievements is stunning -- rarely are bands quite so productive, or quite so consistently amazing. Thank God is the BJM's down-and-dirty country-blues outing, all 13-odd tracks supposedly recorded on a single July day at a cost of just $17.36; while it lacks the blistering immediacy of their previous material, the album swaggers and struts with all of the group's usual attitude intact, coming complete with a loose, offhanded feel perfectly accenting the overall atmosphere of debauchery -- "Too Crazy to Care," "Sound of Confusion" and "Talk Minus Action Equals Shit" aren't just song titles, they're words the band lives by.

Tracks:
01. Spanish Bee (3:48)
02. It Girl (2:11)
03. 13 (2:34)
04. Ballad Of Jim Jones (2:14)
05. Those Memories (2:01)
06. Stars (3:15)
07. Free And Easy, Take 2 (2:28)
08. Down (3:52)
09. Cause I Love Her (1:14)
10. Too Crazy To Care (1:21)
11. Talk-Action=Shit (2:06)
12. True Love (3:31)
13. Sound Of Confusion (33:02)
rc

Count Basie - Basie In London (1956) (eac-log-cover)

Count Basie - Basie In London (1956)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB
Verve | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
First off, this album is inaccurately titled. Though the cover photo shows Count Basie with two lavishly dressed Brits, the recording was done in its entirety from a 1956 concert in Gothenburg, Sweden. Why it was titled thusly is anyone's guess. As far as the music, it represents the Basie band in a classic time period, playing many well-known, long-lasting, and beloved tunes that everybody will recognize. It's also a band loaded with legendary Basie sidemen like Freddie Green, Sonny Payne, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Joe Newman, Marshall Royal, Charlie Fowlkes, and on three tracks, Joe Williams. The warm, effusive, happy jazz of Count Basie is well recorded with distinction, presence, good stereo separation, and the restrained yet punchy sound Basie always presented with dignified class. Whether it's the trombones taking over on "Jumpin' at the Woodside," the low-key sonance of "Shiny Stockings," the roaring horns during "A Foggy Day," or the under two-minute, hard-charging "One O'Clock Jump," this music is all immediately identifiable and unmistakably Basie. Buster Harding's "Nails" is a blues jam with Green's strumming more audible amidst the echoes of the repeat traditional instrumental line of "my mama done told me" paraphrased from "Blues in the Night," while the Ernie Wilkins feature for Frank Foster, "Flute Juice," is a nimble excursion based on the changes of "I Got Rhythm." With Williams, the band backs the erudite deep-throated singer on a choogling "Alright, Okay, You Win," the quick "Roll 'Em Pete" (where the singer jives about his "gal way up on the hill"), and "The Comeback" (where Williams declares his return to his baby over a stairstep construct). "Corner Pocket" remains the ultimate signature head-nodding Basie tune, but "Blee Blop Blues" might be seen as a jab or tease at bop, when it is solidly in that genre. Four extra tracks are included on the CD version, including and up-and-down version of "Yesterdays," a cute, medium-tempo untitled jam with Basie's piano firmly stamped on it, the explosively crazy three-minute Wilkins ditty "Sixteen Men Swinging," and Neal Hefti's "Plymouth Rock," which is a more lyrical vehicle, easygoing and trumpet-infused (possibly Thad Jones, although he's unidentified as the soloist). This solid document of Count Basie's "hits" come highly recommended, despite the disingenuous marketing ploy of it being based somewhere else.

Tracks:
01 Jumpin' At The Woodside
02 Shiny Stockings
03 How High The Moon
04 Nails
05 Flute Juice
06 One O'Clock Jump
07 Alright, Okay You Win
08 Roll 'Em Pete
09 The Comeback
10 Blues Backstage
11 Corner Pocket
12 Blee Blop Blues
13 Yesterdays
14 Untitled
15 Sixteen Men Swinging
16 Plymouth Rock

Personnel:
Count Basie (Piano), Freddie Green (Guitar), Thad Jones (Trumpet), Joe Newman (Trumpet), Marshall Royal (Reeds), Joe Williams (Vocals), Matthew Gee (Trombone), Henry Coker (Trombone), Wendell Culley (Trumpet), Frank Foster (Reeds), Charlie Fowlkes (Reeds), Bill Graham (Reeds), Reunald Jones (Trumpet), Sonny Payne (Drums), Benny Powell (Trombone), Frank Wess (Reeds), Eddie Jones (Bass)
r c

03 August, 2010

Coleman Hawkins - Bean Stalkin' (live) (1960) (eac-log-cover)

Coleman Hawkins - Bean Stalkin' (live) (1960)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 275MB
Pablo | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
In contrast to Hawkins's sometimes sleepy studio albums from this era, his live performances were generally quite exciting. This set features the great tenor at two European concerts in 1960, performing three fairly heated numbers with a four-piece rhythm section, matching wits with trumpeter Roy Eldridge on "Crazy Rhythm" and leading two all-star jams with Eldridge, fellow tenor Don Byas and altoist Benny Carter. Some of the music is quite fiery, making this a recommended disc.

Tracks:
01 - Bean Stalkin'
02 - Indian Summer
03 - Stompin' At The Savoy
04 - Crazy Rhythm
05 - Take The 'A' Train
06 - Indiana (Back Home Again In)

Personnel:
Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax
Poy Eldridge - trumpet
Don Byas - tenor sax
Benny Carter - alto sax
Lalo Schifrin - piano
Art Davis - Drums
Jo Jones - drums
r c

02 August, 2010

Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley - Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley (1961) (eac-log-cover)

Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley  - Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley (1961)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB
Capitol | rar +5% recovery
AMG:
An excellent collaboration of the Nancy Wilson voice with the Cannonball Adderley alto sax from the early '60s. While this 1961 recording was the first time Wilson was with Adderley in the studio, it was not the first time they had worked together. After singing with Rusty Bryant's band, Wilson had worked with Adderley in Columbus, OH. (It was there that Adderley encouraged her to go to N.Y.C. to do some recording, eventually leading to this session.) Not entirely a vocal album, five of the 12 cuts are instrumentals. A highlight of the album is the gentle cornet playing of Nat Adderley behind Wilson, especially on "Save Your Love for Me" and on "The Old Country." Cannonball Adderley's swinging, boppish sax is heard to excellent effect throughout. Joe Zawinul's work behind Wilson on "The Masquerade Is Over" demonstrates that he is a talented, sensitive accompanist. On the instrumental side, "Teaneck" and "One Man's Dream" are especially good group blowing sessions. On the other end of the spectrum, Adderley's alto offers a lovely slow-tempo treatment of the Vernon Duke-Ira Gershwin masterpiece, "I Can't Get Started." To keep the listeners on their musical toes, the first couple of bars of "Save Your Love for Me" are quotes from "So What" from the Miles Davis Sextet seminal Kind of Blue session. Given the play list and the outstanding artists performing it, why any serious jazz collection would be without this classic album is difficult to comprehend.

Tracks:
01 Save Your Love for Me (Johnson) 2:38
02 Never Will I Marry (Loesser) 2:16
03 The Old Country (Adderley, Lewis) 2:57
04 Happy Talk (Hammerstein, Rodgers) 2:21
05 The Masquerade Is Over (Magidson, Wrubel) 4:15
06 A Sleepin' Bee (Arlen, Capote) 2:32
07 Little Unhappy Boy (Lewis) 2:14
08 Teaneck (Adderley) 4:30
09 I Can't Get Started (Duke, Gershwin) 4:55
10 One Man's Dream (Wright, Zawinul) 5:09
11 Never Say Yes (Adderley) 3:57
12 Unit 7 (Jones) 6:04

Personnel:
Cannonball Adderley - Sax (Alto)
Nat Adderley - Cornet
Louis Hayes - Drums
Sam Jones - Bass
Nancy Wilson - Vocals
Joe Zawinul - Piano
r c

01 August, 2010

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - At Last (1997) (eac-log-cover)

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - At Last (1997)
blues | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB
Loudsprecher | rar +5% recovery
wikipedia:
Jalacy Hawkins (July 18, 1929, Cleveland, Ohio — February 12, 2000, Paris, France), best known as Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an African-American musician, singer, and actor. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of songs such as "I Put a Spell on You" and "Constipation Blues", Hawkins sometimes used macabre props onstage, making him the one of few original shock rockers.
Amazon:
The late Jalacy J. Hawkins left several legacies in his 70 years. When not busy fathering 52 children (see that documentary sometime), or acting (Mystery Train), his 45 year career as a singer started when his operatic vision was derailed by the drunken
AMG:
At Last is a collection of all-new material from Screamin' Jay Hawkins, featuring 12 of his originals and a suitably deranged cover of "I Shot the Sheriff."

Tracks:
Tracklist:
01. Listen
02. Because of You
03. Coulda’, Woulda’, Shoulda’
04. Potluck
05. You Took Me
06. Deceived
07. I’ll Be There
08. I Played the Fool
09. Shut Your Mouth When You Sneeze
10. Life Goes On
11. You Want Love
12. Make Me Happy
13. I Shot the Sheriff – (bonus track, Bob Marley)
r c

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