Lossless World

John Surman - Free and Equal (2001)

2012-02-10T12:22:00.000+01:00

John Surman - Free and Equal (2001)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 355MB

ECM 2003

Allmusic:
Free and Equal finds its place somewhere between John Surman's past collaborations with Jack DeJohnette and his Brass Project with composer Peter Warren. Less atmospheric than the duos with the drummer and less jazzy than the latter, it still bears the inimitable stamp of the British reed player. It harks back to his pastoral and even medieval leanings and his arranging skills certainly capture the spotlight, his lyrical and often fragile compositions soaring with incredible grace. Compared to his Warren collaboration, Surman chooses a different approach, since his brass section is not comprised of seasoned jazz musicians. London Brass are primarily a classical chamber music ensemble, although some of the group's members clearly show an understanding of the jazz idiom and improvisation. As a result, the leader goes for a more collective and cohesive sound. The brass ensemble often serves the same purpose as a choir, and Surman's beautiful voicings for its various sections surely benefit from that. DeJohnette appears comfortable in this setting. He is allowed on some occasions to turn up the heat, although his main role remains as a colorist. Ultimately, the album does a fine job of documenting another facet of Surman's writing for brass instruments and provides for a beautiful aural experience.

Tracks
-1. "Preamble" - 4:11
-2. "Groundwork" - 9:33
-3. "Sea Change" - 10:14
-4. "Back and Forth" - 11:51
-5. "Fire" - 6:47
-6. "Debased Line" - 5:02
-7. "In the Shadow" - 6:56
-8. "Free and Equal" - 8:47
-9. "Epilogue" - 3:42
All compositions by John Surman
Recorded at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London in June 2001.

Personnel
* John Surman — soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
* Jack DeJohnette — drums, piano
* London Brass — trumpet, flugelhorn, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba

sample & buy: Free and Equal

James Moody - Return From Overbrook (1956 & 58)

2012-02-10T12:10:00.001+01:00

James Moody - Return From Overbrook (1956 & 58)

Last Train from Overbrook (1958) & Flute 'n the Blues (1956)

jazz | 2lp on 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Chess GRD-810

Allmusic:
Two of James Moody's better albums from the 1950's are reissued in full on this single Chess CD: Last Train From Overbrook and Flute 'N The Blues. The former session features Moody (on tenor, alto and flute) backed by ten horns and a four-piece rhythm section on a variety of strong straightahead material (including the title cut, "What's New," "Tico-Tico" and "The Moody One") while the latter is a septet outing that also has solos by trumpeter Johnny Coles, trombonist William Shepherd and baritonist Pee Wee Moore along with three memorable vocals from Eddie Jefferson. Recommended.

Tracks
-01. "Last Train from Overbrook" - Moody - 3:03
-02. "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" - Bloom, Koehler - 2:31
-03. "Why Don't You?" - Pate - 2:23
-04. "I'm Free (A.K.A. What's New?)" - Haggart - 3:28
-05. "Tico-Tico" - Abreu, Drake, Oliveira - 1:41
-06. "There She Goes" - Gilmore, Moody - 2:22
-07. "All the Things You Are" - Hammerstein, Kern - 2:05
-08. "Brother Yusef" - Pate - 3:07
-09. "Yvonne" - Pate - 3:41
-10. "The Moody One" - Pate - 3:26
-11. "Flute 'n the Blues" - Boyd, Moody - 4:06
-12. "Birdland Story" - Jefferson, Moody - 2:31
-13. "It Could Happen to You" - Burke, VanHeusen - 2:41
-14. "I Cover the Waterfront" - Green, Heyman - 2:42
-15. "Body and Soul" - Eyton, Green, Heyman, Sour - 4:22
-16. "Breaking the Blues" - Acea - 3:19
-17. "Parker's Mood" - Jefferson, Parker - 3:21
-18. "Easy Living" - Rainger, Robin - 3:51
-19. "Boo's Tune" - Pleasant - 3:43
-20. "Richard's Blues" - Moody, Newboldt, Torres - 4:38

sample & buy: Return From Overbrook

Hampton Hawes - I'm All Smiles (1966)

2012-02-10T11:47:00.000+01:00

Hampton Hawes - I'm All Smiles (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Pianist Hampton Hawes led a trio during the 1960s and '70s that remained popular without compromising its sound or musical integrity. His phrasing and voicings could entice or amaze, and he displays great range, rhythmic vitality, and harmonic excellence during the five selections featured on this 1966 live date now reissued on CD. Hawes moves from the Afro-Latin feel of "Manha de Carnaval" to the brilliant chordal exposition on "Spring Is Here" and "The Shadow of Your Smile," before concluding with a flourish on "Searchin." Hawes is backed by wonderful bassist Red Mitchell and steady drummer Donald Bailey, who had both been with him for over a decade. They are not just a cohesive unit, but an intuitive team, maintaining a communication with him that is amazing even within a genre that demands it.

Tracks
-1. "I'm All Smiles" - Leonard, Martin - 7:25
-2. "Manha de Carnaval" - Bonfa, Maria - 5:25
-3. "Spring Is Here" - Hart, Rodgers - 5:04
-4. "The Shadow of Your Smile" - Mandel, Webster - 9:55
-5. "Searchin'" - Collins, Hawes, Leiber, Stoller… - 10:22

Personnel
* Hampton Hawes - piano
* Red Mitchell - bass
* Donald Bayley - drums

sample & buy: I'm All Smiles

Cracow Klezmer Band (John Zorn) - Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schulz (2005)

2012-02-07T12:09:00.000+01:00

Cracow Klezmer Band (John Zorn) - Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schulz (2005)

avantgarde, klezmer, jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 395MB

Tzadik

Allaboutjazz:
John Zorn's Masada songbooks have surrendered themselves to many modern genres and styles—free jazz with the original Masada Quartet, contemporary improvised music with the Masada String Trio and the duo of Mark Feldman and Sylvie Courvoisier, 1970s electric fusion meets today's electronica with Electric Masada, power rock with Rashanim, and a dozen others in the various tributes to the first Masada songbook (Masada Guitars; Voices in the Wilderness; and The Unknown Masada, all Tzadik, 2003). But only now, with the release of the Polish Cracow Klezmer Band's fourth disc on Tzadik, are they interpreted in the Old World Eastern European klezmer form. Many Masada interpretations have referenced, abstracted, or suggested new readings of this genre which is so identified with Jewish music.
The four members of the Cracow Klezmer Band—leader, arranger, and bayan (accordion) player Jaroslaw Bester; violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala; bayan player, clarinetist, and percussionist Oleg Dyyak; and violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala—are augmented by singer Grazyna Auguscik, who has collaborated with them before, not only to tackle John Zorn's Masada Songbooks One and Two, but also to use these tunes to paint a heartfelt tribute to the Polish-Jewish writer and artist Bruno Schultz (1892-1942), whose character still inspires contemporary writers like the Israeli author David Grossman (See Under: Love) and Americans Cynthia Ozick (The Messiah of Stockholm) and Phillip Roth (The Prague Orgy). This release is named after Schultz's second collection of short stories, published in 1936, and its official title is The Cracow Klezmer Band plays the music of John Zorn—Sanatorium Under Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schultz.
The Cracow Klezmer Band's beautiful arrangements are faithful to the original versions. In the opening track, "Meshakh," and on "Regalim," these four musicians even manage to capture the same dynamic telepathic coordination that is so identified with the original Masada quartet. But soon as Tyrala begins his magnificent solo on "Galgalim," you realize that their music is more faithful to the klezmer tradition than any other Masada incarnations or interpretations: klezmer music as a high art concert music that must be performed with subtlety, finesse, and great passion.
"Tirzah," with Auguscik's dreamy wordless vocals, and "Hamadah" both succeed in capturing the sensual atmosphere of Schulz's fantastical stories. Tyrala introduces "Adithaim" with a virtuosic, lyrical violin solo, slowly turning the piece into a gentle dance tune. "Pagiel" is the only tune from Zorn's second Masada songbook, Book of Angels, and is performed as a passionate Astor Piazzolla tune. "Meholalot" is interpreted slightly differently than the version the Cracow Klezmer Band did on Voices in the Wilderness, this time stressing its driving rhythms, as its Hebrew title suggests, and highlighting the captivating vocals of Grazyna Auguscik.
A brilliant release that blends Old World with New World, an almost vanished culture with a vital resurrecting one, by one of the world's most extraordinary new klezmer outfits.

Tracks
-01. "Meshakh" - 4:55
-02. "Galgalim" - 5:14
-03. "Tirzah" - 10:40
-04. "Yesod" - 4:45
-05. "Pagiel" - 7:34
-06. "Adithaim" - 6:45
-07. "Hamadah" - 6:17
-08. "Regalim" - 4:45
-09. "Demai" - 9:08
-10. "Meholalot" - 5:39
All compositions by John Zorn.

Personnel
* Jaroslaw Bester – bayan
* Oleg Dyyak – bayan, clarinet, percussion
* Wojciech Front – double bass
* Jaroslaw Tyrala – violin
* Grazyna Auguscik – vocals

sample & buy: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schulz

Boris Vian - Boris Vian (1956)

2012-02-07T11:46:00.000+01:00

Boris Vian - Boris Vian (1956)
aka: Le Déserteur

chanson | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

Mercury 536 164-2

Allmusic:
Named after his controversial anti-war protest song, released during the The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Le Deserteur is a best-of collection from the multi-talented poet, actor, and singer Boris Vian. Released in 2006, this 17-track collection showcases the politically conscious and satirical songs which made him a hugely influential figure on the '40s and '50s French avant-garde scene. Alongside the title track, which has been covered by countless artists including Joan Baez, there are songs influenced by rock & roll (his original version of Magali Noel's "Fais-Moi Mal Johnny") Java ("La Java des Bombes Atomiques"), and French chansons ("Les Joyeux Bouchers").

Tracks
-01. "Les Joyeux Bouchers" - 02:09
-02. "Cinématographe" - 02:38
-03. "Fais-Moi Mal, Johnny !" - 02:23
-04. "Java des Bombes Atomiques" - 02:33
-05. "La Java des Bombes Atomiques" - 02:35
-06. "Je Bois" - 03:32
-07. "Le Temps de Vivre (Juste le Temps de Vivre)" - 01:31
-08. "Le Déserteur" - 03:29
-09. "Le Petit Commerce" - 03:05
-10. "Je Suis Snob" - 02:51
-11. "Java Martienne" - 03:05
-12. "Complainte du Progres" - 02:44
-13. "On N'Est Pas La Pour Se Faire Engueuler" - 03:01
-14. "Bourrée de Complexes" - 02:13

sample & buy: Boris Vian

Tony Williams Lifetime - Turn It Over (1970)

2012-02-07T11:29:00.000+01:00

Tony Williams Lifetime - Turn It Over (1970)

jazz, jazz-rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

Verve/Polygram 1997

Allmusic:
The better of the two albums the Tony Williams Lifetime recorded in 1970, Turn It Over, is a far more focused and powerful album than the loose, experimental Ego, and one of the more intense pieces of early jazz-rock fusion around. In parts, it's like Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys with much better chops. It's more rock-oriented and darker-hued than their debut, 1969's Emergency!, and the temporary addition of ex-Cream member Jack Bruce on bass and vocals alongside stalwart guitarist John McLaughlin makes this something of a milestone of British progressive jazz. The album's primary flaw is that unlike the expansive double album Emergency!, these ten songs are tightly constricted into pop-song forms -- only a swinging cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Once I Loved" breaks the five-minute mark, and then only barely -- which reins in these marvelous soloists too much. This is particularly frustrating since pieces like the two-part "To Whom It May Concern" feature some outstanding solos (especially from McLaughlin and organist Larry Young, the group's secret weapon) that are frustratingly, tantalizingly short. Expanded to a double album, Turn It Over would probably surpass Emergency! as a pioneering jazz-rock fusion release; as it is, it's an exciting but mildly maddening session.

Tracks
-01. "To Whom It May Concern - Them" - 4:20
-02. "To Whom It May Concern - Us" - 2:55
-03. "This Night This Song" - 3:44
-04. "Big Nick" - 2:43
-05. "Right On" - 1:49
-06. "Once I Loved" - 5:08
-07. "Vuelta Abajo" - 4:57
-08. "A Famous Blues" - 4:10
-09. "Allah Be Praised" - 4:36
-10. "One Word" - 3:45
total time 38:35

Personnel
* Tony Williams, drums, vocals
* John McLaughlin, guitars, vocals
* Larry Young, organ
* Jack Bruce, bass, vocals

sample & buy: Turn It Over

Thelonious Monk - Monkism (1954)

2012-02-03T16:13:00.000+01:00

Thelonious Monk - Monkism (1954)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 85MB

LaserLight

CDuniverse:
MONKISM offers a fine array of recordings made by the pianist at a solo session in Paris, 1954. While audiophiles may be disappointed by the sound quality, these tracks will be of interest to Monk neophytes and connoisseurs alike. The material consists of both originals and standards, both rendered without the support of a band and therefore allowing Monk's lovely, oddball compositional style to emerge more prominently alongside his improvisations.
"Off Minor" is stuttering and jagged, abounding with close intervals and informed by a halted sense of phrasing that fills one's mind with all manner of strange visual abstractions. The Kern and Harbach oldie, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," is always fun at Thelonious' fingers. Dreamy chromatic rolls follow the occasional interjection of biting dissonance, expressing both genuine reverie and playful irony. MONKISM makes for a keen looking-glass perspective into Monk's personality. Here we see the blazing futurist and the goofy romantic walking hand in hand.
Allmusic:
The music on this 1999 Laserlight CD has been reissued many times. On June 7, 1954, Thelonious Monk (who was ending his period with Prestige and had not yet signed with Riverside) recorded nine piano solos while in Paris, less than 32 minutes of music, which made for a brief LP. Among the numbers are "'Round Midnight," "Evidence," "Off Minor" and the lone non-Monk standard, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." The Laserlight release only has eight of the performances, which makes for a very skimpy CD! When one considers that the original nine numbers are available on a BMG/Vogue disc, along with 13 unrelated solos from pianist Joe Turner, there really is no reason to buy this half-CD despite the quality of the music.

Tracks
-01. 'Round Midnight [0:05:22.47]
-02. Evidence [0:03:09.53]
-03. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes [0:03:28.20]
-04. Well You Needn't [0:03:28.72]
-05. Reflections [0:05:06.45]
-06. Wee See [0:02:38.42]
-07. Eronel [0:02:35.56]
-08. Off Minor [0:02:34.55]
Recorded in Paris, France on June 7, 1954.

Performer
* Thelonious Monk (piano)

sample & buy: Monkism

Mark Dresser & Ray Andersson - Nine Songs Together (2003)

2012-02-03T15:56:00.000+01:00

Mark Dresser & Ray Andersson - Nine Songs Together (2003)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

CIMP

Allaboutjazz:
Despite a long association, bassist Mark Dresser and trombonist Ray Anderson make an unusual pair. The quintessentially New York Dresser is known for his deep, soul-stirring improvisations (his suite “The Five Outer Planets” here hints at his enormity of scale); Anderson, despite being born in Chicago and an early tenure in Anthony Braxton’s quartet, is more a southern boy with a love for New Orleans jazz. The pair began playing as a duo nearly thirty years ago, however, and Dresser appears on four of Anderson’s previous recordings. Nine Songs Together is their first disc of duets, and it finds them able to share a wide terrain of material and some themes laden enough with emotion that only a long-standing partnership such as theirs could save it from becoming maudlin on the one hand or sloppy on the other.
The disc was recorded on Dresser’s 51st birthday (in September of last year) and marked Anderson’s first session since the death of his wife of 22 years, dancer and poet Jackie Raven, in 2002. Furthering the emotive import, there are tracks dedicated both to Raven and to Anderson’s new fiancée. There was, no doubt, a lot on the players’ minds during the sessions.
As a result, the nine songs truly are together. Four of the pieces are penned by Dresser and three by Anderson (with their arrangements of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” and “I’m Confessin’ That I Love You” rounding out the set). But selective tracking could have convinced you that there were at least twice as many songs on the program. The pair move seamlessly between resonant explorations and swinging jaunts, often within the same piece, and it’s a joy to hear each move into the territory more associated with the other. Anderson sputters, accentuates and holds low tones through the thicker passages, and Dresser’s familiar slapping, strumming and register-hopping provides a sweet, unusual setting for Anderson’s Dixie hops. A slide trombone and a contrabass hold the potential of being as slippery as an oiled-down willow tree, but they play simply and solidly. If there were a canon of trombone/bass duos, they would surely rank among the best. The fact that there isn’t, yet Dresser and Anderson sound so natural doing it, speaks volumes.

Tracks
-01. One Plate (13:24)
-02. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free (7:55)
-03. Ekoneni (3:46)
-04. Taps for Jackie (10:54)
-05. Slipinstyle (6:03)
The Five Outer Planets:
--08. Jupiter (2:02)
--07. Saturn (:57)
--08. Uranus (2:10)
--09. Neptune (2:12)
--10. Pluto (2:26)
-11. The Feast of Love (6:12)
-12. Insistent (4:29)
-13. I'm Confessin' That I Love You (6:19)

Personnel
* Mark Dresser- bass
* Ray Anderson- trombone

sample & buy: Nine Songs Together

Kenny Burrell - Bluesin' Around (1961)

2012-02-01T15:28:00.000+01:00

Kenny Burrell - Bluesin' Around (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 240MB

Columbia

Allmusic:
Released for the first time on this 1983 LP, the music on the set features guitarist Kenny Burrell in quartet/quintets with either tenor great Illinois Jacquet, trombonist Eddie Bert or altoist Leo Wright and either pianist Hank Jones or organist Jack McDuff. It is odd that Columbia did not issue any of the straightahead music at the time, considering McDuff's popularity, for the results, even with a few dated numbers such as "Mambo Twist," are excellent. After a short while, this LP went out of print and it took many years to appear on CD.

Tracks
-1. "Mambo Twist" - Burrell - 5:06
-2. "The Switch" - Burrell - 3:04
-3. "The Squeeze" - Burrell - 4:17
-4. "Bluesin' Around" - Burrell - 3:42
-5. "Bye and Bye" - Traditional - 2:50
-6. "Moten Swing" - Moten" - 6:20
-7. "People Will Say We're in Love" - Hammerstein, Rodgers - 3:41
-8. "One Mint Julep" - Toombs - 3:25
-9. "Mood Indigo" - Bigard, Ellington, Mills - 4:40

Personnel
* Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – George Duvivier, Major Holley
* Drums – Jimmy Crawford, Joe Dukes, Louis Hayes, Osie Johnson
* Electric Guitar – Kenny Burrell
* Organ – Jack McDuff
* Piano [Acoustic] – Hank Jones
* Saxophone [Alto] – Leo Wright
* Saxophone [Tenor] – Illinois Jacquet
* Trombone – Eddie Bert

sample & buy: Bluesin Around

Madredeus - Os Dias da MadreDeus (1987)

2012-02-01T15:14:00.000+01:00

Madredeus - Os Dias da MadreDeus (1987)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

EMI

Allmusic:
Os Dias da Madredeus, Madredeus' debut album on the Portuguese market, offered for the first time the group's appealing and remarkable compositions. The record exposed the sole musical mission of the Portuguese ensemble. Providing sole compositions, Madredeus settled their musical course in between the original Portuguese fado and influences ranging from Brazilian music to classical musical inflections. Leaded by the voice of Teresa Salgueiro and by the delicate and melodious creations of Pedro Ayres Magalhães, Gabriel Gomes, and Rodrigo Leão, the ensemble started gaining their legion of followers precisely after the record originally hit the record stores in 1987. "A Vaca de Fogo," the record's third track, swiftly became the group's most recognizable theme due to its joyful rhythmic features and exclusive arrangements. Still, the whole of the work expressed through the album mostly reveals Madredeus' nostalgic musical endeavors, strengthened by way of their gloomy musical direction and enlightened by the sorrow and hurtful lyrics unveiled by Salgueiro's unique vocalizations. "Fado do Mindelo," "Maldito Dia Aziago," and "Amanhã" are just three of the album's most noted tracks, again sustaining the unique character of Madredeus' conceptions, initiating a musical path that eventually conquered fans all over the world.

Tracks
-01. "As Montanhas" - Gomes - 2:25
-02. "A Sombra" - Magalhaes - 5:31
-03. "A Vaca de Fogo" - Gomes, Magalhaes - 5:01
-04. "Os Passaros Quando Morrem Caem No Ceu - 02:24
-05. "Adeus... E Nem Voltei" - Magalhaes - 5:50
-06. "A Peninsula" - Gomes, Leao, Magalhaes - 4:05
-07. "A Cantiga Do Campo" - Leal, Leao, Magalhaes - 6:28
-08. "Fado Do Mindelo" - Leao, Magalhaes, Pacheco - 5:06
-09. "A Marcha da Oriental - 05:58
-10. "A Cidade" - Leao, Magalhaes, Menezes - 6:00
-11. "Maldito Dia Aziago" - Leao, Magalhaes - 5:09
-12. "A Andorinha" - Magalhaes - 4:43
-13. "O Brasil" - Leao, Magalhaes - 5:34
-14. "O Meu Amor Vai Embora" - Leao, Magalhaes - 3:20
-15. "Amanha" - Gomez, Leao, Magalhaes - 4:52

sample & buy: Os Dias Da Madredeus

Gabor Szabo - 1969 (1969)

2012-01-27T15:13:00.000+01:00

Gabor Szabo - 1969 (1969)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 190MB

DCC

Allmusic:
In the late '60s, many jazz artists were ignoring the rock and soul hits of the day -- when called upon to interpret popular songs, they stuck to their favorite Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Irving Berlin standards and didn't see Beatles or Marvin Gaye hits as vehicles for jazz improvisation. But there were some jazz artists who didn't feel that way; Grant Green, Herbie Mann, and Charles Earland -- just to give three examples -- saw no reason why rock and soul tunes couldn't receive instrumental jazz makeovers. And on 1969, Gazor Szabo puts a jazz spin on popular songs of the 1960s, including "Walk Away Renee" (a major hit for the Left Banke), the Beatles' "In My Life," and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now." Again, there were many jazz artists who wouldn't have touched these songs in 1969 -- they would have insisted on providing yet another version of "Our Love Is Here to Stay" or "My Funny Valentine." But Szabo acknowledges that worthwhile popular music didn't die with George Gershwin. The Hungarian guitarist doesn't always stretch out as much as he could on this album; at times, he ends a solo that probably should have lasted a few more minutes. But Szabo still deserves credit for bringing a jazz perspective to songs that so many other improvisers were ignoring. Produced by Gary McFarland, this 1969 date originally came out on vinyl and was finally reissued on CD in 1998.

Tracks
-01. "Dear Prudence" - Lennon, McCartney - 2:37
-02. "Sealed With a Kiss" - Gela, Geld, Udell - 2:41
-03. "Both Sides Now" - Mitchell - 2:54
-04. "Walk Away Renee" - Brown, Calilli, Sansone - 2:42
-05. "You Won't See Me" - Lennon, McCartney - 3:31
-06. "Michael from Mountains" - Mitchell - 3:56
-07. "Stormy" - Buie, Cobb, Cobb - 3:12
-08. "In My Life" - Lennon, McCartney - 2:25
-09. "I've Just Seen a Face" - Lennon, McCartney - 4:30
-10. "Until It's Time for You to Go" - Sainte-Marie, St. Marie - 2:18
-11. "Somewhere I Belong" - Szabo - 3:33

Personnel
Gabor Szabo - guitar
Frabcois Vaz - guitar
Randy Cierly - bass
Mike Melvoin - organ
Jim Keltner - percussion
George Ricci - cello

sample & buy: 1969

Shelly Manne - Alive in London (1970)

2012-01-27T14:57:00.000+01:00

Shelly Manne - Alive in London (1970)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

OJC

Allmusic:
This CD reissue is taken from drummer Shelly Manne's brief avant-garde period. Actually Manne does not play much different than usual but his sextet (trumpeter Gary Barone, John Gross on tenor, keyboardist Mike Wofford, guitarist John Morell and bassist Roland Haynes) was open to much freer improvising than one would have heard in Manne's more famous groups of the 1950s. John Gross is easily the most impressive soloist but in general the well-intentioned music is not all that memorable.

Tracks
-1. "Three on a Match" - Morell - 10:14
-2. "Once Again" - Bohannon - 9:05
-3. "Big Oak Basin" - Barone - 9:20
-4. "Illusion" - Jones - 6:27
-5. "Don't Know" - Morell - 6:48

Personnel
* Shelly Manne (drums)
* Gary Barone (trumpet, flugelhorn)
* John Gross (tenor saxophone)
* Mike Wofford (electric piano)
* John Morell (guitar)
* Roland Haynes (bass)

sample & buy: Alive in London

Can - Monster Movie (1969)

2012-01-27T14:40:00.000+01:00

Can - Monster Movie (1969)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 240MB

SACD 2004

Allmusic:
Can's debut is the only full-length, proper release to feature original vocalist Malcolm Mooney, whose free-form ranting is matched by a raw, aggressive dynamic unlike anything else in the group's canon; driving, dissonant songs like the extraordinary "Father Cannot Yell" and "Outside My Door" even owe a rather surprising debt to psychedelia and garage rock. More indicative of things to come is the closer, "Yoo Doo Right," a 20-minute epic built on the kinds of hypnotic motifs and minimal rhythms that quickly became Can trademarks.

Tracks
-1. "Father Cannot Yell" 7:06
-2. "Mary, Mary So Contrary" 6:21
-3. "Outside My Door" 4:11
-4. "Yoo Doo Right" 20:27

Personnel
* Irmin Schmidt – keyboards
* Jaki Liebezeit – drums
* Holger Czukay – bass
* Michael Karoli – guitar
* Malcolm Mooney – vocals

sample & buy: Monster Movie

Roy Haynes - Cymbalism (1963)

2012-01-20T15:34:00.000+01:00

Roy Haynes - Cymbalism (1963)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

OJC

Allmusic:
In the '60s, Roy Haynes had no problem keeping busy as a sideman/accompanist, but the drummer didn't record an abundance of albums as a leader. Cymbalism, which was recorded in Rudy Van Gelder's legendary New Jersey studio in 1963, is among the albums that Haynes provided for Prestige's New Jazz subsidiary. This session finds the drummer leading an acoustic quartet that includes Frank Strozier on alto sax and flute, Ronnie Mathews on piano, and Larry Ridley on bass -- and together, the musicians provide a hard bop/post-bop album that is fairly unpredictable. Cymbalism gets off to a modal, somewhat John Coltrane-ish start with Strozier's "Modette," one of the tunes that features Strozier on flute instead of alto sax (his main instrument). But a more Charlie Parker-minded approach prevails on the standard "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," which isn't surprising because Bird was among Strozier's primary influences (as was Jackie McLean). Meanwhile, the exuberant "Go 'n' Git It!" doesn't sound like either "Modette" or "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You"; this Mathews number has a funky soul-jazz/boogaloo outlook and wouldn't have been out of place on an organ combo date -- the tune would have been perfect for Richard "Groove" Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, or "Brother" Jack McDuff. And after "Go 'n' Git It!," Cymbalism changes moods once again with "La Palomeinding," a melancholy Strozier piece that finds him on flute once again. Cymbalism, which Fantasy reissued on CD in 2002 on its Original Jazz Classics imprint, falls short of essential. Nonetheless, it's a pleasing, well-rounded effort that deserves credit for diversity.

Tracks
-1. "Modette" - Haynes, Strozier - 9:47
-2. "I'm Getting Sentimental overYou" - Bassman, Washington - 5:36
-3. "Go 'n' Git It!" - Mathews - 3:52
-4. "La Palomeinding" - Strozier - 6:40
-5. "Medley: Hag/Cymbalism/Oleo" - Haynes, Rollins, Strozier, Wyands - 11:05

Personnel
* Roy Haynes - drums
* Frank Strozier - sax, flute
* Ronnie Mathews - piano
* Larry Ridley - bass

sample & buy: Cymbalism

Madredeus - Existir (1990)

2012-01-20T15:23:00.000+01:00

Madredeus - Existir (1990)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

EMI

wikipedia:
Madredeus is a Portuguese band. Their music combines traditional Portuguese music (many times erroneously associated with the subgenre of Fado) with influences of modern folk music. The lyrics are often melancholic and related to the sea or travelling or absence, continuing a tradition of songs that dates back to Medieval times (with obvious relations to cantigas de amigo among others).
-
Existir (translated from both Spanish and Portuguese; means "To exist"), was the second full-length studio disc from Portuguese band Madredeus. The group gained a better sound and production this time around, as it recorded in an actual studio, rather than below a tram railway (as was their first disc). The music maintains the same sextet format as its predecessor; the classical guitars, the keyboards, the accordion, the cello, and vocalist Teresa Salgueiro; yet it finds them forming a bond between their original music and Portuguese folk, together with the atmosphere created by the use of keyboards & synthesizers. The festive/traditional "O Pastor (The Shepherd)" became a national hit.

Tracks
-01. "Matinal (Vocal Version)" – 3:24
-02. "O Pastor" – 3:42
-03. "O Navio" – 3:36
-04. "Tardes De Bolonha (Instrumental)" – 3:05
-05. "O Ladrão" – 2:50
-06. "Confissão" – 2:48
-07. "O Pomar Das Laranjeiras" – 4:20
-08. "Cuidado" – 4:12
-09. "As Ilhas Dos Açores" – 5:04
-10. "O Menino" – 3:56
-11. "Solstício" – 4:14
-12. "A Vontade De Mudar " – 2:19

sample & buy: Existir

John Surman, Jack DeJohnette - Invisible Nature (2000)

2012-01-20T14:55:00.000+01:00

John Surman, Jack DeJohnette - Invisible Nature (2000)

(Live in Tampere and Berlin)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 480MB

ECM

Allmusic:
John Surman (on baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, and synthesizers) and Jack DeJohnette (playing drums, electronic percussion, and piano) make for a very intriguing duo on these seven originals taken from a pair of live concerts. Other than "Song for World Forgiveness" (a ballad mostly by DeJohnette), the music is primarily freely improvised yet manages to be melodic, diverse, and logical. The performances are atmospheric, with both players utilizing electronics in spots while retaining their own musical personalities. Surman has long been a very flexible and mostly laid-back player, while DeJohnette also has the ability to fit in almost anywhere. Rather than individual melodies or solos, this CD is most notable for its overall feel and the blend between these two unique musicians.

Tracks
-1. "Mysterium" - 15:57
-2. "Rising Tide" - 9:32
-3. "Outback Spirits" - 12:30
-4. "Underground Movement" - 9:45
-5. "Ganges Groove" - 6:36
-6. "Fair Trade" - 11:21
-7. "Song for World Forgiveness" - 9:29
All compositions by John Surman and Jack DeJohnette
Recorded at the Tampere Jazz Happening and JazzFest Berlin in November 1999.

Personnel
* John Surman — soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, synthesizer
* Jack DeJohnette — drums, electronic percussion, piano

sample & buy: Invisible Nature

James Moody - Moody's Mood For Blues (1955)

2012-01-17T15:38:00.000+01:00

James Moody - Moody's Mood For Blues (1955)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

OJC ltd

Allmusic:
In the mid-'50s James Moody led a four-horn septet that played music falling somewhere between bop and rhythm & blues. The danceable rhythms and riffing made its recordings somewhat accessible but the solos of Moody (on tenor and alto) and trumpeter Dave Burns also held listener's interests. Vocalese master Eddie Jefferson has two guest appearances (on "Workshop" and "I Got the Blues") and Iona Wade sings "That Man O' Mine" in a Dinah Washington-influenced style but the emphasis is on Moody's solos and the ensembles; the leader's two versions of "It Might as Well Be Spring" (one on tenor, the other on alto) are highlights of this enjoyable CD reissue.

Tracks
-01. "I'm Gone" - Jones - 3:19
-02. "A Hundred Years from Today" - Washington, Young, Young - 2:45
-03. "Keepin' Up with Jonesy" - Jones - 3:14
-04. "Workshop" - Fuller - 3:08
-05. "That Man O' Mine" - Jones - 2:58
-06. "Over the Rainbow" - Arlen, Harburg - 3:03
-07. "Jack Raggs" - 2:40
-08. "Mambo with Moody" - Jones" - 4:07
-09. "It Might as Well Be Spring [Take 1]" - Hammerstein, Rodgers - 3:51
-10. "It Might as Well Be Spring [Take 2]" - Hammerstein, Rodgers - 3:46
-11. "Blues in the Closet" - Pettiford - 3:53
-12. "Moody's Mood for Blues" - Jones - 5:35
-13. "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" - Traditional - 2:51
-14. "I Got the Blues" - Jefferson - 2:43
-15. "Blues Walk" - Golson - 3:14
-16. "Faster James" - Jones - 3:40

Personnel
James Moody - sax
Dave Burns - trumpet
William Shepherd - trombone
Numa "Pee Wee" Moore - baritone saxophone
Sadik Hakim, Jimmy Boyd - piano
John Lathan - bass
Joe Harris, Clarence Johnson - drums
Eddie Jefferson, Iona Wade - vocals

sample & buy: Moody's Mood for Blues

Fred Frith - Quartets (1994)

2012-01-17T15:23:00.000+01:00

Fred Frith - Quartets (1994)

contemporary, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 230MB

RecRec 44

wikipedia:
Quartets is a 1994 studio album by English guitarist, composer and improvisor Fred Frith. It consists of two compositions by Frith, "Lelekovice, String Quartet #1", performed by the Violet Wires String Quartet, and "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not", performed by an electric guitar quartet. Frith performs with the guitar quartet, but not with the string quartet.
---
"Lelekovice, String Quartet #1" was composed by Frith in 1990 and was dedicated to Iva Bittová, Lelekovice being the name of the village near Brno in the Czech Republic where Bittová lives. It was first performed in July 1991 by the Edison Quartet at the Nieuwe Musiek Festival, in Middelburg, the Netherlands, and was used by the United States choreographer Amanda Miller in her dance piece, My Father's Vertigo in 1991. The recording on this album was made in December 1992 by the Violet Wires String Quartet at Angel Studios, London. "Lelekovice" was recorded again in June 2003 by the Arditti Quartet and appeared on Frith's 2005 album, Eleventh Hour.
"The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" was commissioned by Roulette, New York City and composed by Frith in 1989. It was first performed in February 1989 by Les 4 Guitaristes de l'Apocalypso-Bar at The Kitchen, New York City, and recorded by the same group in February 1989 at Studio Victor, Montreal. An album of this piece and other recordings by the group were released on Fin de Siecle (1989). Only sections A and C of this composition appear on the album.
Frith did not play on "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" with Les 4 Guitaristes de l'Apocalypso-Bar, and when he wanted to perform this piece himself, he assembled an electric guitar quartet in 1992, comprising René Lussier, Nick Didkovsky, Mark Howell and himself. The quartet recorded the complete piece in April 1992 at Sorcerer Sound, New York, releasing it on Quartets. Later Mark Stewart replaced Howell and the new quartet became known as the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, touring internationally and recording two albums, Ayaya Moses (1997) and Upbeat (1999).
Parts of "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" also appear in the documentary film, Step Across the Border (1990), and its soundtrack, Step Across the Border (1990), performed by an electric guitar quartet which Frith conducts.

Tracks
-1. "Lelekovice, String Quartet #1 (for Iva Bittová)" (Frith) – 24:12
-2. "The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" (Frith) – 28:35

Personnel
"Lelekovice, String Quartet #1" performed by Violet Wires String Quartet:
* Ann Morfee – violin
* Abigail Brown – violin
* Phil D'Arcy – viola
* Liz Parker – cello
"The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not" performed by Electric Guitar Quartet:
* Fred Frith – guitar
* René Lussier – guitar
* Nick Didkovsky – guitar
* Mark Howell – guitar

sample & buy: Quartets

George Russell - At The Five Spot (1960)

2012-01-17T15:09:00.000+01:00

George Russell - At The Five Spot (1960)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Verve 2000

Allmusic:
This limited-edition CD reissue covers six tracks recorded in the studio (since they obviously omit any of the background noise, and the usual out-of-tune piano heard on live dates recorded at the long defunct New York City nightclub is missing). The band includes trumpeter Al Kiger, trombonist David Baker, tenor saxophonist Dave Young, bassist Chuck Israels, and drummer Joe Hunt, along with Russell's sparse piano. Things kick off with a driving take of Miles Davis' "Sippin' at Bells," which features great interaction among the horns. Carla Bley's "Dance Class" is choppy, dissonant, and very humorous; she also wrote "Beast Blues," which features Kiger's muted horn, an energetic solo by Young, and a very understated solo by Baker. Baker contributed "121 Bank Street," a roller coaster post-bop vehicle. John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice," which had only been recorded three years earlier by its composer, is re-scored with a very spacious Russell arrangement that provides minimal accompaniment for the soloists. Unlike many of Russell's releases, this one has only one of his originals, "Swingdom Come," with a jagged angular theme that defies predictable paths. Although Russell plays more of a composer/arranger style of piano, his very challenging arrangements are very attractive. Anyone who enjoys his releases for RCA, Riverside, and Decca from around this period in his career should definitely acquire this sure-to-be-collectable CD.

Tracks
-1. "Sippin' at Bells" (Miles Davis) - 7:19
-2. "Dance Class" (Carla Bley) - 6:17
-3. "Swingdom Come" (Russell) - 7:30
-4. "121 Bank Street" (David Baker) - 5:58
-5. "Beast Blues" (Bley) - 8:56
-6. "Moment's Notice" (John Coltrane) - 8:02
Recorded September 20, 1960 in NYC

Personnel
* George Russell: piano, arranger, conductor
* Al Kiger: trumpet
* David Baker: trombone
* Dave Young: tenor saxophone
* Chuck Israels: bass
* Joe Hunt: drums

sample & buy: At the Five Spot

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Bach (2002)

2012-01-10T17:17:00.000+01:00

Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Bach (2002)

jazz, classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 325MB

Kind Of Blue

Allmusic:
The Classical Jazz Quartet -- with pianist Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris (vibes and marimba), bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lewis Nash -- interpret the music of Johann Sebastian Bach as arranged by Bob Belden. One of the strengths of this date is the wealth of solo opportunities for each musician, instead of focusing the spotlight excessively on any one or two musicians. Beginning with the brisk treatment of the normally legato choral prelude "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," it's clear that the quartet is ready to swing. Less familiar to the casual fan of Baroque music is Bach's "Oboe Concerto in A major, 2nd Movement," a piece recast by Belden with a samba-like flavor. The group turns on the afterburners in a boppish romp through the normally laid-back "Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major, 2nd Movement," as Harris literally wails along with his vibes. It's not surprising that these four superb musicians finished their work on this CD during just one session; it's obvious that they enjoyed themselves immensely.

Tracks
-1. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" - Bach - 8:37
-2. "2nd Movement" - Bach - 5:43
-3. "Allegro" - Bach - 8:10
-4. "Two-Part Invention, for keyboard No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775 (BC L45)" - Bach - 8:01
-5. "Allegro assai" - Bach - 5:55
-6. "2. Air" - Bach - 7:55

Personnel
* Kenny Barron - piano
* Ron Carter - bass
* Stefon Harris - vibes & marimba
* Lewis Nash - drums

sample & buy: The Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Bach

Julian Cope - The Unruly Imagination (2009)

2012-01-10T17:04:00.000+01:00

Julian Cope - The Unruly Imagination (2009)

rock, alternative | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

HH24

This commemorative CD contains 50 minutes of music, including two songs from the unreleased E.P. DIGGERS, RANTERS, LEVELLERS, several brand new pieces especially recorded for this project, and songs from Cope’s vinyl-only 7” PREACHING REVOLUTION E.P. The CD features the same sumptuous packaging as Head Heritage’s Urthona album, replete with two poems printed on individual cards. This delightful package is a highly limited edition that will enjoy only this sole pressing.

> more info <

Tracks
-01. Preaching Revolution [7m12s]
-02. Militant Feminist Dream [3m12s]
-03. Mother, Where Is My Father? [2m34s]
-04. I Wanna Know What's In It For Me [2m20s]
-05. Fuck Me U.S.A. [2m13s]
-06. Gang Of Four (At Home He Feels Like A Tourist [4m6s]
-07. Alexei Sayle Driver Improvement Course [2m35s]
-08. Creedist Blues [3m51s]
-09. James Naylor Enters Bristol On A Donkey: 1656 [5m2s]
-10. Chairman Mao [14m4s]
-11. Spitfire Boys (British Refugee [3m19s]

buy CD on HH

Miles Davis / Jimmy Forrest - Our Delight (1952)

2012-01-10T16:39:00.000+01:00

Miles Davis / Jimmy Forrest - Our Delight (1952)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Prestige

allmusic:
In 1992, Prestige/Fantasy combined both of Miles Davis' Live at the Barrel LPs on a 74-minute CD titled Our Delight. For hardcore collectors, the release of Our Delight was very good news. However, there are various reasons why this CD can hardly be called essential. The performances, which find Davis and tenor saxman Jimmy Forrest joining forces in a St. Louis club called the Barrel, are competent and likable but not mind-blowing. And the sound quality, although listenable, is not great (by early-'50s hi-fi standards). So when you add those things up, there is no way that Our Delight should be recommended to anyone who isn't a serious collector. Nonetheless, these performances are not without historic value. Davis and Forrest (who are joined by a St. Louis rhythm section that consists of pianist Charles Fox, bassist John Mixon, drummer Oscar Oldham, and an unknown percussionist) did not play together very much, and Our Delight gives listeners a rare chance to hear them playing side by side on familiar standards like "All the Things You Are," Tadd Dameron's "Our Delight," and Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia." The CD also contains a dusky performance of the ballad "What's New," although ballads are not a high priority. And the type of funky, groove-oriented soul-jazz and honker music that Forrest was famous for is excluded; the musicians don't perform "Night Train" (the saxman's biggest hit), and they stick to a bop/standards program. Our Delight certainly isn't bad, but it doesn't deserve five-star praise either (unlike much of the bop and cool work that Davis offered in the '50s). Even so, collectors will find Our Delight to be interesting -- shortcomings, flaws, and all.

Tracks
-1. "Ray's Idea" - Brown, Fuller, Fuller - 8:39
-2. "A Night in Tunisia" - Gillespie, Paparelli - 8:25
-3. "Wee Dot" - Johnson - 10:52
-4. "What's New?" - Burke, Haggart - 7:30
-5. "Perdido" - Drake, Lengsfelder, Tizol - 9:27
-6. "All the Things You Are" - Hammerstein, Kern - 10:08
-7. "Our Delight" - Dameron - 7:25
-8. "Lady Bird" - Dameron - 6:45
-9. "Oh, Lady Be Good" - Gershwin, Gershwin - 4:17

Personnel
* Miles Davis (trumpet)
* Jimmy Forrest (tenor saxophone
* Charles Fox (piano)
* Johnny Mixon (bass)
* Oscar Oldham (drums)

sample & buy: Our Delight

New Klezmer Trio - Short For Something (2000)

2012-01-06T11:05:00.000+01:00

New Klezmer Trio - Short For Something (2000)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 375MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
From the first track which saunters along like a solitary man on a rain-slicked street, the New Klezmer Trio's Short for Something is an evocative masterpiece of musical alchemy. Clarinetist Ben Goldberg often floats above the more corporeal shimmers and rumblings of his collaborators Dan Seamans and Kenny Wollesen, but never steals the show or breaks away -- this is truly a group effort. Their music is fully embedded in modern creative avant-garde jazz, yet still manages to nod its head to the sounds of old Cracow, creating a cauldron of spiritual yearnings, sadness, chaos, visions, and grace. On "Sequential," the theme crashes and burns through chaotic nests of percussion, followed by "Obsessive" where the bassline carries the theme through a much calmer and more hypnotic percussive structure. But nowhere is the Trio's magic more evident than on the title track, where Wollesen's drumming spins a web around the heartbeat murmurs of Seamans' bass and Goldberg's reed nostalgia, creating a vision that flows in ribbons of images, each beautiful and a little terrible.

Tracks
-01. "The Because Of" - Goldberg - 7:10
-02. "Short for Something" - Goldberg - 3:56
-03. "Fast" - Goldberg - 10:47
-04. "Sequential" - Goldberg - 0:50
-05. "Obsessive" - Goldberg - 2:35
-06. "All Chords Stand for Other Chords" - Goldberg - 5:41
-07. "Fomus Homus" - Goldberg - 5:42
-08. "Seven Phrases" - Goldberg - 4:27
-09. "Complicated" - Goldberg - 3:42
-10. "LBD" - Goldberg - 2:41
-11. "Halves" - Goldberg - 6:02
-12. "Fly in the Ointment - Goldberg - 3:08
-13. "Freylekhas Fun Der Khupe" - Goldberg - 9:00

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: Short for Something

John Surman - Way Back When (1969)

2012-01-06T10:51:00.000+01:00

John Surman - Way Back When (1969)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Cuneiform 2005

Allmusic:
In October 1969, John Surman left his native England to join bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Stu Martin in a new group in Belgium. Right before he left, he appeared at a recorded jam session in England. The tapes were then lost until 2003 and made their first appearance on record on this 2005 CD. The music is particularly interesting for two reasons. Surman, who is best known for his baritone playing, is mostly heard on soprano. And the performances are reminiscent of a slightly more accessible and gentler version of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, although the Davis set was just in the process of being released. These renditions show that some jazz musicians in the United Kingdom were going through a parallel evolution as their American counterparts. Surman is showcased with the rhythm section during the four-part "Way Back When," and the ensemble is joined by altoist Mike Osborne on the final two selections. This is an important set in the history of fusion, showing that not only the biggest names were exploring the new music in 1969.

Tracks
-1. "Way Back When, Pt. 1" - Surman - 7:30
-2. "Way Back When, Pt. 2" - Surman - 5:39
-3. "Way Back When, Pt. 3" - Surman - 4:49
-4. "Way Back When, Pt. 4" - Surman - 3:43
-5. "Owlshead" - Warren - 13:56
-6. "Out and About" - Surman - 8:21

Personnel
* John Surman (soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone)
* Mike Osborne (alto saxophone)
* Brian Odgers (electric bass, bass guitar)
* John Taylor (electric piano)
* John Marshall (drums)

sample & buy: Way Back When

Art Blakey - At The Cafe Bohemia v1-2 (1955) (RVG)

2012-01-06T10:33:00.000+01:00

Art Blakey - At The Cafe Bohemia v1-2 (1955)

jazz | 1+1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330+335MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2001

Allmusic:
v1:
The third edition of Art Blakey's early period Jazz Messengers, after the departure of Donald Byrd and briefly Clifford Brown, welcomed trumpeter Kenny Dorham to the fray, and he was an important component matched with tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, bassist Doug Watkins, and pianist Horace Silver. This first volume of live performance from the Cafe Bohemia in New York City circa late 1955 is a rousing set of hard bop by the masters that signified its sound, and expanded on the language of modern jazz. There are three bonus CD tracks not on the original LP that further emphasize not only the inherent power of Blakey's band and drumming, but demarcate the simplicity of melodic statements that were a springboard for the fantastic soloing by these individuals that would follow those tuneful lines. Dorham is responsible for this edict, as he contributes three of the selections, including the staccato-accented melody of "Minor's Holiday" primed by a thumping intro via Blakey, "Prince Albert" with its by now classic and clever reharmonization of "All the Things You Are," and the perennial closer of every set "The Theme," with its brief repeat melody and powerhouse triple-time bop break. Mobley wrote the scattered melody of "Deciphering the Message," heard here at length for the first time, although it was later available in its original shortened studio form on the reissued Columbia CD Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. The tenor man gets his feature on the quarter-speed slowed ballad version of "Alone Together," which altogether sounds pining and blue to the nth degree. Standards like Fletcher Henderson's "Soft Winds" seemed merely a simple and lengthy warmup tune, but Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird" is an absolute workout, with variations abounding on the intro, first and second run-throughs of the melody, and some harmonic twists. Watkins is featured on the lead line of "What's New?" which again combines melancholy with that slightest spark of hope. If this is indeed in chronological order as a first set from the November 13, 1955 performances, it whets the whistle and leaves the listener wanting more, knowing the best is yet to come.
v2
Volume deux of the 1955 Cafe Bohemia sessions from Art Blakey's second edition Jazz Messengers is better than the first. The music is more energetic, cohesive, and pushes the hard bop farther. Where the first volume featured compositions of newly recruited trumpeter Kenny Dorham, it is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley asserting himself on the bandstand with his set pieces that formed the foundation of the first studio edition of the quintet that included Donald Byrd. Here, Mobley does not defer to Dorham, pushing his sound forward without compromising his vision. "Sportin' Crowd" is definitely an ear opener, a straight-ahead, hard bop gem based on the changes of the Sonny Rollins' classic "Tenor Madness." A live version of "Hank's Symphony" -- recapitulated from the studio version on the original Jazz Messengers' LP for the Columbia label -- has an Asian and calypso flair with many accented notes and a secondary melody. The killer track is Mobley's "Avila & Tequila," drenched in Blakey's churning Afro-Cuban beats, filled with multiple modal devices especially from Horace Silver, and charges ahead as if there was no tomorrow -- a truly memorable and vital performance. The other tracks may seem to pale by comparison, but the easy, bluesy "Like Someone in Love," a short ballad version of "Yesterdays" finally featuring trumpeter Dorham, and Mobley's luscious tenor during the ultimate tearjerker "I Waited for You" offer stark contrast while losing no internal intensity. It is on "Just One of Those Things" where the band really straightens up and convenes in tandem, a solid cohesion where Dorham and Mobley work like an effortless, major league shortstop and second base double-play combination. "Gone with the Wind" finishes this set in soulful, legato, dispassionate refrains. This is a more consistent effort than the first volume, with a much anticipated, late-night set still on the horizon.

Tracks
v1
-1. Announcement by Art Blakey 1:32
-2. "Soft Winds" 12:34
-3. "The Theme" 6:11
-4. "Minor's Holiday" 9:11
-5. "Alone Together" 4:15
-6. "Prince Albert" 8:51
-7. "Lady Bird" (reissue bonus track) 7:30
-8. "What's New?" (reissue bonus track) 4:31
-9. "Deciphering the Message" (reissue bonus track) 10:13
v2
-1. Announcement by Art Blakey 0:37
-2. "Sportin' Crowd" 6:53
-3. "Like Someone in Love" 9:15
-4. "Yesterdays" 4:18
-5. "Avila and Tequila" 12:46
-6. ""I Waited for You" 9:47
-7. "Just One Of Those Things" -9:27
-8. "Hank's Symphony" 4:43
-9. "Gone with the Wind" 7:27

Personnel
* Art Blakey — drums
* Horace Silver — piano
* Kenny Dorham — trumpet
* Hank Mobley — saxophone (tenor)
* Doug Watkins — bass

sample & buy: At The Cafe Bohemia, v1

sample & buy: At The Cafe Bohemia v2

Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance (1967) (RVG)

2012-01-02T15:52:00.000+01:00

Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance (1967)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2006

Allmusic:
Demon's Dance was Jackie McLean's final album for Blue Note, closing out an amazing streak of creativity that's among the more underappreciated in jazz history. The record retreats a bit from McLean's nearly free playing on New and Old Gospel and 'Bout Soul, instead concentrating on angular, modal avant bop with more structured chord progressions. The whole session actually swings pretty hard, thanks to drummer Jack DeJohnette, who manages that feat while maintaining the busy, kinetic style McLean had favored since Tony Williams' appearance on One Step Beyond. Pianist Lamont Johnson and bassist Scott Holt both return from New and Old Gospel, and trumpeter Woody Shaw is in especially fiery, muscular form, rivaling the leader in terms of soloing impact and contributing two of the six compositions. McLean's originals tend to be the most intriguing, though; there's the angular title track, the bright, up-tempo "Floogeh," and the spacious ballad "Toyland," a warm, soft piece anchored by Johnson that runs counter to typical descriptions of the impressions McLean's tone creates. While Demon's Dance didn't quite push McLean's sound the way its two predecessors had, there was no sign that the altoist was beginning to run out of creative steam. Unfortunately, Blue Note's ownership change and resulting commercial direction meant the end of McLean's tenure with the label, and ultimately the prime of his career; he would resume recording five years later, often with rewarding results, but nonetheless, Demon's Dance marks the end of an era.

Tracks
-1. "Demon's Dance" - 7:09
-2. "Toyland" (Cal Massey) - 5:24
-3. "Boo Ann's Grand" (Woody Shaw) - 6:57
-4. "Sweet Love of Mine" (Shaw) - 6:04
-5. "Floogeh" - 5:23
-6. "Message From Trane" (Massey) - 5:29

Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Woody Shaw - trumpet, flugelhorn
* LaMont Johnson - piano
* Scott Holt - bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums

sample & buy: Demon's Dance

Gabor Szabo - High Contrast (1971)

2011-12-16T15:32:00.000+01:00

Gabor Szabo - High Contrast (1971)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

Verve

Allmusic:
An unusually successful pairing of Gabor Szabo with R&B legend Bobby Womack. Szabo digs deep into a soulful groove, inspired by Womack's silky-smooth originals. High Contrast features "Breezin," the Womack tune written especially for Szabo, which George Benson parlayed into a huge hit in 1976, and several tunes Womack popularized in the film Across 110th Street.

Tracks
-1. Breezin' - (Bobby Womack) 3:03
-2. Amazon - (Gábor Szabó) 4:55
-3. Fingers - (Gábor Szabó, Meltz) 7:25
-4. Azure Blue - (Gábor Szabó) 4:12
-5. Just A Little Communication - (Bobby Womack)7:45
-6. If You Don't Want My Love - (Gábor Szabó, Bobby Womack) 5:08
-7. I Remember When - (Bobby Womack) 7:35

Personnel
* Gábor Szabó - Guitar
* Bobby Womack - Rhythm Guitar
* Phil Upchurch, Wolfgang Meltz - Bass
* Mark Levine - Piano
* Felix Falcon - Congas
* Carmelo Garcia - Percussion
* Jim Keltner - Drums
* The Shadow - Tambourine, Percussion

Sample & buy: High Contrast

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)

2011-12-16T15:18:00.000+01:00

New Klezmer Trio - Melt Zonk Rewire (1993)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
The New Klezmer Trio are a group of three high-caliber musicians making klezmer-rooted jazz with some definite rock included. Electric bassist Dan Seamans occasionally uses effects pedals more often found in thrash rock than jazz; versatile percussionist Kenny Wolleson effortlessly moves between jazz techniques and rock; and clarinetist Ben Goldberg, well-versed in the klezmer music tradition, sometimes plays his "Fender reverb clarinet." With a perfect mixture of a sincere love of music, wit, and serious chops, they create a new klezmer that draws from jazz, rock, and improvised traditions. Melt Zonk Rewire is full of creativity, with high energy and grooves tastefully offset by subdued, whispery pieces such as "The Chant" or Wolleson's marimba solo on "The Haunt." Songs like "Feedback Doina" demand that listeners be rock fans too. This great recording for Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series is essential for anyone whose music collection holds many disparate musical styles.

Tracks
-01. "Gas Nine" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 2:24
-02. "Sarcophagous" - (Goldberg) - 5:02
-03. "The Haunt" - (Seamans) - 4:33
-04. "Thermoglyphics" - (Goldberg) - 3:33
-05. "The Chant" - (Goldberg) - 3:23
-06. "We Got" - There" - (Seamans) - 5:27
-07. "Feedback Doina" - (Wollesen) - 5:08
-08. "Freilakh Nakht" - (trad., arr. Wolleson) - 3:04
-09. "Hypothetical" - (Goldberg) - 3:22
-10. "The Shot" - (Goldberg) - 3:59
-11. "Distiller" - (trad., arr. Seamans) - 3:59
-12. "Phrases" - (Goldberg) - 3:29
-13. "Fourth" - Floor" - (Seamans) - 2:59
-14. "Starting Place" - (Goldberg) - 4:11

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: Melt Zonk Rewire

Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (1957) (RVG)

2011-12-13T14:43:00.000+01:00

Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

Prestige | RVG 24-bit remaster 2005

Allmusic:
Red Garland's third session as a leader finds the distinctive pianist investigating eight standards (including "Please Send Me Someone to Love," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "If I Were a Bell," and "Almost Like Being in Love") with his distinctive chord voicings, melodic but creative ideas, and solid sense of swing. Joined by bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Garland plays up to his usual consistent level, making this an easily recommended disc for straight-ahead fans.

Tracks
-1. "Please Send Me Someone to Love" - Mayfield - 9:51
-2. "Stompin' at the Savoy" - Goodman, Razaf, Sampson, Webb - 3:12
-3. "The Very Thought of You" - Noble - 4:12
-4. "Almost Like Being in Love" - Lerner, Loewe - 4:52
-5. "If I Were a Bell" - Loesser - 6:41
-6. "I Know Why (And So Do You)" - Gordon, Warren - 4:50
-7. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" - Fields, McHugh - 5:05
-8. "But Not for Me" - Gershwin, Gershwin - 5:52

Personnel
* Red Garland (piano)
* Paul Chambers (bass)
* Art Taylor (drums)

sample & buy: Red Garland's Piano

Captain Beefheart - London 1974

2011-12-13T14:32:00.000+01:00

Captain Beefheart - London 1974
rock, blues, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

MPG 74025

Allmusic:
This live recording of Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band was taken from a London date during one of the more fierce peaks of the band's existence, the same period that produced the overlooked classic masterpiece Clear Spot. Though the session was intended to produce a live album for Virgin, the release never materialized, though the versions of "Mirror Man" and "Upon the Me Oh My" came out of the 1975 Virgin sampler V. Thanks to the obscure Portuguese imprint Movie Play Gold, highlights from the concert made it onto CD at a concise 40 minutes. The disc features nine tracks of full-tilt Magic Band mayhem on "Full Moon Hot Sun," "Sugar Bowl," "Crazy Little Thing," "This Is the Day," "New Electric Ride," as well as older '60s classics like "Abba Zabba" and "Peaches." The CD has exceptional sound quality, while some other live Captain Beefheart from the same period fares a little rough in recording quality. This comes highly recommended as an opportunity to hear the Magic Band at an all-time high.

Tracks
-1. "Mirror Man" - Van Vliet - 4:48
-2. "Upon the Me Oh My" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 4:07
-3. "Full Moon Hot Sun" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 3:29
-4. "Sugar Bowl" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 2:55
-5. "Crazy Little Thing" - Van Vliet - 3:45
-6. "This is the Day" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 7:48
-7. "New Electric Ride" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 3:20
-8. "Abba Zabba" - Van Vliet - 3:16
-9. "Peaches" - Di Martino, Van Vliet, Van Vliet - 6:03

Personnel
* Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) / harmonica, vocals
* Del Simmons / Tenor saxophone, flute
* Dean Smith / guitar
* Fuzzy Fuscaldo / guitar
* Michael Smotherman / keyboards
* Paul Uhrig / bass
* Ty Grimes / drums

sample & buy: London 1974

Curtis Fuller - The Opener (1957) (RVG)

2011-12-13T14:14:00.000+01:00

Curtis Fuller - The Opener (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 170MB

Blue Note/EMI | RVG 24-bit remaster 2008

Allmusic:
The Opener is trombonist Curtis Fuller's first album for Blue Note and it is a thoroughly impressive affair. Working with a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Fuller runs through a set of three standards -- "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening," "Here's to My Lady," "Soon" -- two originals and an Oscar Pettiford-penned calypso. The six songs give Fuller a chance to display his warm, fluid style in all of its variations. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" illustrates that he can be seductive and lyrical on ballads, while the brassy "Hugore" and hard-swinging "Lizzy's Bounce" shows that he can play hard without getting sloppy. His backing musicians are equally impressive; in particular, Mobley's robust playing steals the show. In all, The Opener, along with his three earlier sessions for Prestige and New Jazz, establishes Fuller as one of the most distinctive and original hard bop trombonists of the late '50s.

Tracks
-1. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" (Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) - 6:52
-2. "Hugore" (Fuller) - 6:43
-3. "Oscalypso" (Oscar Pettiford) - 5:40
-4. "Here's to My Lady" (Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer) - 6:43
-5. "Lizzy's Bounce" (Fuller)- 5:25
-6. "Soon" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 5:33
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on June 16, 1957.

Personnel
* Curtis Fuller - trombone
* Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6)
* Bobby Timmons - piano
* Paul Chambers - bass
* Art Taylor - drums

sample & buy: The Opener

Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)

2011-12-07T14:04:00.000+01:00

Max Roach, Hank Mobley - Max Roach Quartet feat. Hank Mobley (1953)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 170MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Drummer Max Roach's first studio session as a leader falls stylewise between bop and hard bop. The earlier set, which has four group originals played by a septet that also includes trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, trombonist Leon Comegys, altoist Gigi Gryce, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and bassist Franklin Skeete, was the recording debut for both Mobley and Davis. The other session (two standards, two originals by Roach including his solo "Drum Conversation," Mobley's "Kismet" and Charlie Parker's "Chi Chi") features the same rhythm section, with Mobley as the only horn. The music is enjoyable although not as essential as the great drummer's later dates. This CD reissue adds "Drum Conversation Part 2" to the original LP program.

Tracks
-01. "Cou-Manchi-Cou" - Roach - 3:01
-02. "Just One of Those Things" - Porter - 3:08
-03. "The Glow Worm" - Lincke, Mercer, Robinson - 2:27
-04. "Mobleyzation" - Mobley - 2:42
-05. "Chi-Chi" - Parker - 2:58
-06. "Kismet" - Mobley - 2:39
-07. "I'm a Fool to Want You" - Herron, Sinatra, Wolf - 3:13
-08. "Sfax" - Roach - 2:17
-09. "Orientation" - Mobley - 2:50
-10. "Drum Conversation" - Roach - 2:42
-11. "Drum Conversation, Pt. 2" - Roach - 4:38

Personnel
* Alto Saxophone – Gigi Gryce (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Bass – Franklin Skeete*
* Drums – Max Roach
* Piano – Walter Davis II*
* Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
* Trombone – Leon Comegys (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)
* Trumpet – Idrees Sulieman (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9)

sample & buy: Max Roach feat H Mobley

John Coltrane - Coltrane (1957)

2011-12-07T13:46:00.001+01:00

John Coltrane - Coltrane (1957)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB

OJC

Allmusic:
On his first session as a bandleader, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane is joined by Johnny Splawn on trumpet, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, and a rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath with piano duties split between Mal Waldron and Red Garland. Right out of the gate, the propulsive syncopated beat that drives through the heart of Coltrane's fellow Philly denizen Calvin Massey's "Bakai" indicates that Coltrane and company are playing for keeps. Shihab's emphatic and repetitive drone provides a manic urgency that fuels the participants as they weave in and out of the trance-like chorus. Coltrane grabs hold with bright and aggressive lines, turning the minor-chord progressions around into a spirited and soulful outing. While the refined and elegant "Violets for Your Furs" as well as the slinky and surreptitious "While My Lady Sleeps" are undeniably ballads, they aren't redundant. Rather, each complements the other with somewhat alternate approaches. "Violets for Your Furs" develops the role of the more traditional pop standard, whereas the somnolence is disrupted by the tension and release coursing just below the surface of "While My Lady Sleeps." The Coltrane-supplied "Straight Street" is replete with the angular progressions that would become his stock-in-trade. In fact, the short clusters of notes that Coltrane unleashes are unmistakable beacons pointing toward his singular harmonics and impeccably timed phrasing on 1960's Giant Steps and beyond. The closer, "Chronic Blues," demonstrates Coltrane's increasing capacity for writing and arranging for an ensemble. The thick unified sound of Coltrane, Splawn, and Shihab presents a formidable presence as they blow the minor-chord blues chorus together before dissolving into respective solos. The trio's divergent styles prominently rise, pitting Shihab's down-and-dirty growl against Coltrane's comparatively sweet tones and Splawn's vacillating cool and fiery fingering. Regardless of the listener's expertise, Coltrane is as enjoyable as it is thoroughly accessible.

Tracks
-1. "Bakai" - Calvin Massey - 8:41
-2. "Violets for Your Furs" - Tom Adair, Matt Dennis - 6:15
-3. "Time Was" - Gabriel Luna de la Fuente, Paz Miguel Prado, Keith Russell - 7:27
-4. "Straight Street" - John Coltrane - 6:17
-5. "While My Lady Sleeps" - Gus Kahn, Bronislau Kaper - 4:41
-6. "Chronic Blues" - John Coltrane - 8:12

Personnel
* John Coltrane — tenor saxophone
* Johnny Splawn — trumpet on "Bakai," "Straight Street," "While My Lady Sleeps," "Chronic Blues"
* Sahib Shihab — baritone saxophone on "Bakai," "Straight Street," "Chronic Blues"
* Mal Waldron — piano on side one
* Red Garland — piano on side two
* Paul Chambers — bass
* Albert "Tootie" Heath — drums

sample & buy: Coltrane

Cramps - Flamejob (1994)

2011-12-07T13:31:00.000+01:00

Cramps - Flamejob (1994)
psychobilly, rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Creation

Allmusic:
Something of a return to form, Flamejob features the band's most committed, energetic performances in quite some time, with wild, crazed vocals from Lux Interior and sizzling guitar work from Poison Ivy enlivening some of the band's most entertainingly stupid and crude offerings, including "Let's Get Fucked Up" and "Inside Out and Upside Down (With You)." The failed stylistic experiments of some then-recent work are gone, replaced by simple, straight-ahead vintage Cramps psychobilly. Also featured is a cover of "Route 66."

Tracks
-01. "Mean Machine" - 3:57
-02. "Ultra Twist!" - 3:48
-03. "Let's Get Fucked Up" - 3:55
-04. "Nest of the Cuckoo Bird" - 3:26
-05. "I'm Customized" - 3:04
-06. "Sado County Auto Show" - 2:59
-07. "Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs" - 2:44
-08. "How Come You Do Me?" - 2:17
-09. "Inside Out and Upside Down (With You)" - 2:27
-10. "Trapped Love" - 2:00
-11. "Swing the Big Eyed Rabbit" - 3:39
-12. "Strange Love" - 2:49
-13. "Blues, Blues, Blues" - 2:23
-14. "Sinners" - 2:06
-15. "Route 66 (Get Your Kicks On)" - 3:17

Personnel
* Lux Interior - vocals
* Poison Ivy Rorschach - guitars, theremin
* Slim Chance - bass guitar
* Harry Drumdini - drums

sample & buy: Flamejob

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)

2011-12-01T14:30:00.000+01:00

New Klezmer Trio - Masks and Faces (1990)
jazz, klezmer | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 310MB

Tzadik

Allmusic:
This first release from the New Klezmer Trio is rocking, energetic, and young. Not quite as developed as the later Melt Zonk Rewire, it is nevertheless an invigorating and fun listen. After all, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Dan Seamans, and drummer Kenny Wolleson are terrific musicians, and Masks and Faces is a restructuring and resurrection of traditional Jewish music melted into rock, with a good amount of improvisation. But don't let the improv element deter you -- this raucous, bursting, and somewhat disjointed music sustains a groove that's not so hard to hang on to. Almost an hour in length, New Klezmer Trio's first release ebbs and flows, relentlessly packed with high quality tunes.

Tracks
-01. "Cardboard Factory" - Goldberg - 5:06
-02. "Hot and Cold" - Traditional - 3:44
-03. "Rebbe's Meal" - Traditional - 7:36
-04. "Up" - Black Oak Arkansas, Seamas - 4:19
-05. "Washing Machine Song" - Traditional - 2:59
-06. "Galicain" - Beckerman - 5:18
-07. "Masks and Faces" - Goldberg - 6:33
-08. "Haphazard" - Kramtweiss - 4:03
-09. "Bitonal Song" - Kramtweiss - 3:06
-10. "The Gate" - Goldberg - 10:33

Personnel
* Bass – Dan Seamans
* Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Ben Goldberg
* Drums – Kenny Wollesen

sample & buy: New Klezmer Trio: Masks & Faces

Anthony Braxton - Eugene (1989)

2011-12-01T14:11:00.000+01:00

Anthony Braxton - Eugene (1989)
jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Black Saint

Allmusic:
The innovative alto-saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton leads the Northwest Creative Orchestra (a 16-piece big band) through eight of his compositions on this CD. Few of the sidemen have yet gained more than a local reputation (trumpeter Rob Blakeslee is the biggest "name"), but they perform the complex music quite well, although it would have been nice if the liner notes had identified the soloists and listed what reeds the saxophonists play. A stimulating set of avant-garde music.

Tracks
-1. "Composition No. 112" - 10:03
-2. "Composition No. 91" - 9:53
-3. "Composition No. 134" - 10:49
-4. "Composition No. 100" - 8:48
-5. "Composition No. 93" - 8:26
-6. "Composition No. 45" - 12:55
-7. "Composition No. 71" - 10:32
-8. "Composition No. 59" - 8:01
All compositions by Anthony Braxton
Recorded at Beall Hall at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon on January 31, l989

Personnel
* Anthony Braxton - alto saxophone, conductor
The Northwest Creative Orchestra:
* Rob Blakeslee, John Jensen, Ernie Carbajal - trumpet
* Ed Kammerer, Tom Hill, Mike Heffley - trombone
* Thom Bergeron, Jeff Homan, Carl Woideck, Mike Curtis - reeds
* Mike Vannice - reeds, piano
* Todd Barton -synthesizer
* Joe Robinson - guitar
* Forrest Moyer - bass
* Tom Kelly -percussion
* Charles Down - percussion, vibrophone

sample & buy: A Braxton - Eugene

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos (1958)

2011-12-01T13:56:00.000+01:00

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos (1958)
Van Cliburn & Chicago S O
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 355MB

RCA | SACD | rel.: 2004

Classicstoday:
Recorded hot on the heels of his landmark Gold Medal victory in the first Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition, the 23-year-old Van Cliburn's million-selling 1958 Tchaikovsky First remains one of this war-horse's most poetic, intelligently paced versions on disc. If an operatic aesthetic governs Cliburn's golden tone and big technique, the heart of the ballet lies within Kondrashin's enlivening support, especially in the Finale's syncopations. Surround-sound technology allows us to appreciate the spatial perspective of the original three-track stereo master. The results prove less dry and more three-dimensional than the standard two-track mixdowns passed down to consumers over the years.
Similar sonic improvement marks Cliburn's 1962 Rachmaninov Second under Fritz Reiner. However, that doesn't change my long-held mixed response to the performance. Cliburn's easygoing line and tendency toward expansive phrasing come alive in the outer movement's slower episodes and throughout the central movement. Yet friskier, scintillating passages lack fire and vitality, especially when compared to, say, Rubinstein's dashing interpretation with the same conductor and orchestra six years earlier. I'll bet that if you played Cliburn and Rubinstein back to back, you'd swear that Cliburn was the older pianist. But Reiner's dovetailed accompaniments carry Cliburn like a baby, and the Chicago Symphony's principal winds particularly stand out. In sum--a qualified recommendation for the Rachmaninov, while the Tchaikovsky's legendary patina has yet to fade.

Tracks
-1. "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23" - 34:41
(Tchaikovsky)
* RCA Symphony Orchestra
* Van Cliburn piano
* Kiril Kondrashin - conductor

-2. "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18" - 34:08
(Rachmaninov)
* Chicago Symphony Orchestra
* Van Cliburn - piano
* Fritz Reiner - conductor

sample & buy: Piano Concertos

Gabor Szabo - Femme Fatale (1978)

2011-11-28T14:25:00.000+01:00

Gabor Szabo - Femme Fatale (1978)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 215MB

Hungaroton/Mambo 1999

Allmusic:
Released in 1981 on a small Hungarian label, this 1978 session recorded in Hollywood is the guitarist's final record. "Out of the Night" interestingly pairs him with pianist Chick Corea. But the remainder of the record is a standard late-'70s fusion date without Corea, highlighted by the Return to Forever intrigue of "A Thousand Times."

Tracks
-1. "Femme Fatale" - Szabo - 8:13
-2. "Zingaro" - Jobim - 7:08
-3. "Serena" - Harrah - 3:37
-4. "A Thousand Times" - Szabo - 9:17
-5. "Out of the Night" - Corea - 8:07

Personnel
* Gabor Szabo (guitar)
* Chick Corea (keyboards)
* Jim Keltner (drums)
* Paulinho Da Costa (percussion)
* Jerry Hey (trumpet, trombone)
* Kim Hutchcroft (sax)
* Bud Nuanez (guitar)
* Ken Wild (bass)

sample & buy: Femme Fatale

Miles Davis - Live In Copenhagen & Rome (1969) (music video)

2011-11-28T13:58:00.000+01:00

Miles Davis - Live In Copenhagen & Rome (1969)

jazz | DVD5 NTSC | DD 2.0 | iso, cover | 4200MB

JazzShots 2008

ejazzlines:
For the first time on DVD are two concerts from one of Miles' great later quintets, with Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette.
Filmed live at Tivoli Koncertsal in Copenhagen on November 4, 1969, and from teatro Sistine in Rome on October 27, 1969.
Note: The Copenhagen part of this show is of questionable quality, but remains a valuable document of a classic Miles group. The Rome footage is closer to the quality expected today.

Tracks
-01. Bitches Brew (Copenhagen)
-02. Agitation (Copenhagen)
-03. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Copenhagen)
-04. Sanctuary (Copenhagen)
-05. It's About That Time into The Theme (Copenhagen)
--
-06. Bitches Brew (Rome)
-07. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down (Rome)
-08. I Fall In Love Too Easily (Rome)
-09. Sanctuary into The Theme (Rome)
-10. Directions (Rome)
-11. Masquelero (Rome)
81 mins

Personnel
* Miles Davis - Trumpet
* Wayne Shorter - Tenor and Soprano Sax
* Chick Corea - Electric Piano and Keyboards
* Dave Holland - Bass
* Jack DeJohnette - Drums

buy: Miles Davis Live in Copenhagen & Rome

Duke Ellington & Count Basie - First Time! (1961)

2011-11-28T12:51:00.000+01:00

Duke Ellington & Count Basie - First Time! (1961)
(The Count Meets The Duke)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 235MB

Columbia/Legacy 2009

Allmusic:
At first glance this collaboration should not have worked. The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras had already been competitors for 25 years but the leaders' mutual admiration (Ellington was one of Basie's main idols) and some brilliant planning made this a very successful and surprisingly uncrowded encounter. On most selections Ellington and Basie both play piano (their interaction with each other is wonderful) and the arrangements allowed the stars from both bands to take turns soloing. "Segue in C" is the highpoint but versions of "Until I Met You," "Battle Royal" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" are not far behind.

Tracks
-1. "Battle Royal" (Ellington) - 5:33
-2. "To You" (Benny Davis, Tommy Dorsey, Thad Jones, Ted Shapiro) - 3:53
-3. "Take the "A" Train (Billy Strayhorn) - 3:46
-4. "Corner Pocket" [aka "Until I Met You"] (Freddie Green, Donald Wolf) - 4:53
-5. "Wild Man" [aka "Wild Man Moore"] - 6:20
-6. "Segue in C" (Frank Wess) - 8:22
-7. "B D B" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 4:43
-8. "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (Count Basie) - 3:09
Recorded at 30th Street Studio, New York on July 6, 1961

Personnel
* Duke Ellington, Count Basie – piano
* Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Eddie Mullens, Ray Nance, Sonny Cohn, Lennie Johnson, Thad Jones, Snooky Young - trumpet
* Louis Blackburn, Lawrence Brown, Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson, Benny Powell - trombone
* Juan Tizol - valve trombone
* Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, tenor saxophone
* Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone
* Russell Procope, Marshall Royal - alto saxophone, clarinet
* Frank Wess - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
* Paul Gonsalves, Frank Foster, Budd Johnson - tenor saxophone
* Harry Carney, Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone
* Freddie Green - guitar
* Aaron Bell, Eddie Jones - bass
* Sam Woodyard, Sonny Payne - drums

sample & buy: First Time! the Count Meets the Duke

Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer - Recorded Fall (1961)

2011-11-23T15:38:00.000+01:00

Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer - Recorded Fall (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 315MB

Verve Master Edition

Allmusic:
Shortly after returning to the U.S. (following three years in Copenhagen) Stan Getz had a musical reunion with Bob Brookmeyer. As usual the cool-toned tenor blends in very well with the valve trombonist and, backed by a fine rhythm section (pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves and drummer Roy Haynes), they perform three Brookmeyer pieces (including one titled "Minuet Circa '61"), two standards and Buck Clayton's "Love Jumped Out." This little-known session is often quite memorable.

Tracks
-1. "Minuet Circa '61" (Bob Brookmeyer) - 10:38
-2. "Who Could Care?" (Brookmeyer) - 4:46
-3. "Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 5:58
-4. "Thump, Thump, Thump" (Brookmeyer) - 6:52
-5. "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin) - 6:59
-6. "Love Jumped Out" (Buck Clayton) - 7:46

Personnel
* Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone
* Stan Getz - tenor saxophone
* Steve Kuhn - piano
* John Neves - double bass
* Roy Haynes - drums

sample & buy: Recorded Fall 1961

Arvo Part - Te Deum (1993)

2011-11-23T15:27:00.000+01:00

Arvo Part - Te Deum (1993)
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover |255MB

ECM

Allmusic:
A richly realized collection of prayers that brings deep, resounding enlightenment to the ears. Everything about this compact disc feels like Arvo Pärt's master work, right down to the gorgeous photos in the accompanying booklet. "Te Deum" opens patiently and ominously, then proceeds to run the spectrum between overflowing swells and hushed contemplation. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir breathe as one under the magnificent direction of Tönu Kaljuste for this and "Berliner Messe," the closing mass that parts the clouds with its stark beauty and pious rejoicing (the third passage within the mass, "Erster Alleluiavers," is a brief teardrop of reverence that even atheists would ponder). Elsewhere, the a cappella chorus of "Magnificat" shines with vocals that embrace the church walls with chills and crispness, like a beam of moonlight through winter. One of the composer's strengths has always been to find the depth in simplicity. To this end, ever-present ECM producer Manfred Eicher's sparse and beautiful sensibilities fit Arvo Pärt like a glove, especially with "Silouans Song," which blossoms in stoic waves of strings. Such bittersweet longing resides here ("My soul yearns after the Lord") that a little sadness seems to slip out through all the reverence. This is uniformly his finest album, but by no means does it encompass all he has to offer. The compositions in Te Deum may not reveal Pärt's more eclectic and thunderous side, but few other albums carry such a consistent theme.

Tracks
-01. "Te Deum, for 2 choruses, strings, prepared piano & tape" - Part - 28:54
-02. "Silouans Song, for string orchestra" - Part - 5:41
-03. "Magnificat, for chorus" - Part - 6:48
-04. "Kyrie" - Part - 3:09
-05. "Gloria" - Part - 3:42
-06. "First Alleluia Verse" - Part - 0:52
-07. "Second Alleluia Verse" - Part - 1:10
-08. "Veni Sancte Spiritus" - Part - 4:57
-09. "Credo" - Part - 3:56
-10. "Sanctus" - Part - 4:04
-11. "Agnus Dei" - Part - 2:41

sample & buy: Arvo Part: Te Deum

Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano & The New Tristano (1955&62)

2011-11-23T15:11:00.000+01:00

Lennie Tristano - Lennie Tristano & The New Tristano (1955&62)

jazz | 2lp on 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Atlantic

Allmusic:
Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano's Atlantic debut was a controversial album at the time of its release. Though Tristano was regarded as a stellar and innovative bebop pianist, he had been absent from recording for six years and had founded a jazz school where he focused instead on teaching. The first four tunes on this set shocked the jazz world at the time of their release (though not critic Barry Ulanov, who was Tristano's greatest champion and wrote the liner notes for the set). The reason was that on those four original tunes -- "Line Up," "Requiem," "Turkish Mambo," and "East Thirty-Second" -- Tristano actually overdubbed piano lines, and sped the tape up and down for effect. While the effect is quite listenable and only jarring in the most splendid sense of the word -- because of the sharp, angular arpeggios and the knotty, involved method of improvising that came directly by improvising against the rhythm section of drummer Jeff Morton and bassist Peter Ind -- it was literally unheard of at the time. The last five tunes on the disc were recorded live with a rhythm section of bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Art Taylor. Lee Konitz plays alto as well. The tunes are all standards, including "These Foolish Things," "Ghost of a Chance," and "All the Things You Are." The performance is flawless, with beautiful interplay between Lee and Lennie and stellar harmonic ideas coming down from the bandstand in a fluid relaxed manner. This is a gorgeous album with a beautiful juxtaposition between its first and second halves, with the rhythmic and intervallic genius of Tristano as an improviser on full display during the first half and the pianist as a supreme lyrical and swinging harmonist during the back half.
The New Tristano: Tristano's piano solos are challenging and ambitious on these unaccompanied solo works, recorded between 1960 and 1962 (all except "You Don't Know What Love Is" Tristano originals). The variety and sheer amount of ideas, plus the facility of the lines and the overall performances, are impressive. This is a superb presentation of Lennie Tristano's work

Tracks
-01. "Line Up" – 3:34
-02. "Requiem" – 4:53
-03. "Turkish Mambo" – 3:41
-04. "East Thirty-Second" – 4:33
-05. "These Foolish Things" (Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey) – 5:46
-06. "You Go to My Head" (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 5:20
-07. "If I Had You" (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro) – 6:29
-08. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" (B Crosby, N Washington, V Young) – 6:07
-09. "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 6:11
----
-10. "Becoming" - 4:32
-11. "C Minor Complex" - 5:50
-12 . "You Don't Know What Love Is" (DePaul, Raye) - 3:28
-13 . "Deliberation - 4:50
-14 . "Scene and Variations: Carol/Tania/Bud - 11:42
-15 . "Love Lines" - 2:19
-16 . "G Minor Complex - 3:51
All songs composed by Lennie Tristano, unless otherwise noted.

Personnel
* Lennie Tristano – piano
* Peter Ind – bass (1-4)
* Jeff Morton – drums (1-4)
* Lee Konitz – alto saxophone (5-9)
* Gene Ramey – bass (5-9)
* Art Taylor – drums (5-9)

sample & buy: Lennie Tristano / New Tristano

Kronos Quartet - Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995)

2011-11-18T12:30:00.000+01:00

Kronos Quartet - Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass (1995)

contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Nonesuch

String Quartet no.5
1. "I" - 1:11
2.. "II" - 3:00
3. "III" - 5:28
4. "IV" - 4:38
5. "V" - 7:36
String Quartet no.4 "Buczak"
6. "I" - 7:54
7. "II" - 6:18
8. "III" - 8:38
String Quartet no.2 "Company"
9. "I" - 2:09
10. "II" - 1:34
11. "III" - 1:28
12. "IV" - 2:04
String Quartet no.53 "Mishima"
13. "1957-Award Montage" - 3:27
14. "November 25-Ichigaya" - 1:19
15. "1934-Grandmother and Kimitake" - 2:41
16. "1962-Body Building" - 1:40
17. "Blood Oath" - 3:11
18. "Mishima/Closing" - 2:56

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more info:
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sample & buy: Kronos Quartet performs Philip Glass

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Afro-Jaws (1961)

2011-11-18T11:49:00.000+01:00

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Afro-Jaws (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

OJC

Allmusic:
This set was a change of pace for tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Backed by three trumpeters (Clark Terry gets some solos), a rhythm section (pianist Lloyd Mayers, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley) and a percussion section led by Ray Barretto, Lockjaw performs four compositions by Gil Lopez (who arranged all of the selections) plus "Tin Tin Deo," "Star Eyes" and his own "Afro-Jaws." The Afro-Cuban setting is perfect for the tough-toned tenor, who romps through the infectious tunes.

Tracks
-1. "Wild Rice" - Lopez - 4:53
-2. "Guanco Lament" - Lopez - 5:18
-3. "Tin Tin Deo" - Fuller, Pozo - 5:10
-4. "Jazz-A-Samba" - Lopez - 4:14
-5. "Alma Alegre [Happy Soul] - 5:24
-6. "Star Eyes" - DePaul, Raye - 6:20
-7. "Afro-Jaws" - Davis - 7:36

Personnel
* Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone)
* Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Phil Sunkel, John Bello (trumpet)
* Lloyd Mayers (piano)
* Larry Gales (bass);
* Ben Riley (drums)
* Ray Barretto (congas, bongos, quinto, percussion)

sample & buy: Afro-Jaws

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

2011-11-18T11:24:00.000+01:00

Anouar Brahem - Le Voyage de Sahar (2006)

jazz, world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

ECM

Allmusic:
Over the past 15 years, Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has assembled a relatively small but profound body of work. A skilled improviser who refuses to be part of the historical authenticity argument, Brahem works from the same trio setting that performed on Le Pas du Chat Noir in 2002, with pianist François Couturier and accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier. The dialogue between these players is, despite the sparseness of the music and the considerable space employed, intense. The deep listening necessary in the improvised sections allows for a natural flow of ideas to emerge from silence. The compositions themselves are skeletal, with repeating, slowly evolving vamps and lyric lines. They offer, on the surface, a contemplative approach, and indeed can be heard that way. However, when dynamics, timbre, and chromatics are listened for, what takes place is rather astonishing. Each player walks to the middle of a composition, steps back and reenters after ideas by the others are introduced, producing a kind of organic improvisation seldom heard. This is not to say that the most structured works here, such as "Vague/E la Nave Va," aren't full of meditative delight as well. They are, and there are vast spaces into which the listener can enter and disappear for a while -- not so much to drift and dream as to be absorbed in their hypnotic and repetitive beauty. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" begins with Matinier's accordion, which is answered by the oud and Brahem's voice, accompanying them both. It unfolds from the center out. "Le Chambre, Var." begins, for this ensemble, at a trot. Couturier's chord voicing and Brahem's percussive approach create a winding musical narrative that Matinier's accordion underscores rhythmically. The keyboard and air pulse create a terrain where intricate melodic lines come out of modal and chromatic tensions. Ultimately, Brahem has given listeners another of his wondrous offerings, full of deceptively simple compositions that open into a secret world, one where beauty is so present that it is nearly unapproachable, and it is up to the listener to fill in the spaces offered them by this remarkable trio.

Tracks
-01. "Sur le Fleuve" - 6:33
-02. "Le Voyage de Sahar" - 6:55
-03. "L 'Aube" - 5:48
-04. "Vague/E la Nave Va" - 6:19
-05. "Les Jardins de Ziryab" - 4:34
-06. "Nuba" - 3:12
-07. "La Chambre" - 5:01
-08. "Córdoba" - 5:30
-09. "Halfaouine" - 2:06
-10. "La Chambre Var." - 3:47
-11. "Zarabanda" - 4:26
-12. "Été Andalous" - 7:05
-13. "Vague Var." - 2:18
All compositions by Anouar Brahem
Recorded at Auditorio Radio Svizzera in Lugano, Switzerland in February 2005

Personnel
* Anouar Brahem - oud
* François Couturier - piano
* Jean Louis Matinier - accordion

sample & buy: Voyage De Sahar

Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966)

2011-11-15T15:13:00.000+01:00

Gabor Szabo - Spellbinder (1966)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 225MB

Impulse!

Allmusic:
Released just six months after Gypsy '66, Gabor Szabo's second album as a leader (after leaving a sublime Chico Hamilton band that also included Charles Lloyd) remains one of his finest moments in the studio. Szabo utilized the tales of bassist Ron Carter and his old boss Hamilton on drums, as well as a pair of fine Latin percussionists -- Willie Bobo and Victor Pantoja. The groove quotient was very high on Spellbinder, maybe even higher than on later albums such as Jazz Raga or Sorcerer. This set is all Szabo, drifting, wafting, and soaring above all that rhythm; the track selection provides ample space for Szabo's highly individualized Eastern modal style to shine. The set opens with the title track, a snaky guitar masterpiece with plenty of droning strings and pinched chords that are followed by open string flourishes. Carter holds the entire band together as Hamilton plays in counterpoint to the percussionists. This is followed with two nuggets from the pop book of the day, the Coleman/Leigh classic "Witchcraft" and "It Was a Very Good Year." From the performances here, it's apparent that Szabo was deeply influenced by singers, and Frank Sinatra was at his pinnacle during this time. There's the emerging '60s psychedelic sound in Szabo's playing, but it is underlaid with bossa rhythms and swells. These tracks, while flavored with Latin and pop stylings, are gorgeous guitar jazz. Szabo gets back into his own mystic thang with "Gypsy Queen" (the opening droning moments of which the Doors lifted entirely for "The End"). Here the Latin rhythms and guitar go head to head, point to counterpoint. A pronounced yet elusive melody line propels a series of polyrhythms forward into an abyss of melody, mode, and frighteningly intense legato phrasing, leaving the listener breathless. He takes the edge off with Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang (She Shot Me Down)." Szabo sings here in his plaintive Hungarian-inflected English, and the tune becomes something other than a pop song, but a tome on despair and loss. The funky "Cheetah" follows with gorgeous arpeggios, pointedly turning into chords of distinction as Hamilton rides the crash cymbal into territories unknown and double-times the band until it notches up the intensity. This set follows with one more Szabo original ("Yearning") and a trio of standards, with a heartbreakingly beautiful read of "My Foolish Heart" and a medley of "Autumn Leaves" and "Speak to Me of Love." Szabo's read on jazz in the '60s was brilliant. He embodied all of its most popular aspirations with a genuine spirit of innovation and adventure. Spellbinder is a masterpiece.

Tracks
-1. "Spellbinder" - 5:30
-2. "Witchcraft" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) - 4:39
-3. "It Was a Very Good Year" (Ervin Drake) - 2:47
-4. "Gypsy Queen" - 5:13
-5. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (Sonny Bono) - 2:28
-6. "Cheetah" - 4:10
-7. "My Foolish Heart" (Ned Washington, Victor Young) - 5:28
-8. "Yearning" - 2:59
-9. "Autumn Leaves/Speak to Me of Love" (J Kosma, J Prévert, J Mercer/J Lenoir) - 3:35
* All compositions by Gábor Szabó except as indicated
* Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on May 6, 1966

Personnel
* Gábor Szabó - guitar, vocals
* Ron Carter - bass
* Chico Hamilton – drums
* Willie Bobo, Victor Pantoja - percussion

sample & buy: Spellbinder

Odetta - The Tin Angel (1954)

2011-11-15T14:27:00.000+01:00

(

Odetta - The Tin Angel (1954)

(Odetta & Larry)

blues | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

OBC

Allmusic:
Although the 1993 CD version of this album is credited to Odetta and titled The Tin Angel, it's actually a reissue of a Fantasy LP credited to Odetta & Larry, which bore the slightly different title The Tin Angel Presents Odetta & Larry. That original LP had 13 tracks recorded in 1953 and 1954, some of them live at the Tin Angel club in San Francisco, with Larry Mohr contributing some banjo and harmony and lead vocals, though Odetta was the more prominent presence. This source of confusion duly noted, this is pretty much an Odetta album in most respects, as she takes a considerably larger part of the vocal duties on a set of traditional folk material including such standards as "John Henry," "Rock Island Line," and "Old Cotton Fields at Home," as well as some blues and spirituals, plus a good version of Woody Guthrie's "The Car-Car Song." Odetta's stirring vocal style is pretty fully formed on this, the first group of her recordings in wide distribution, as is her ability to emit bluesy grunts, as you can hear on "John Henry." Mohr's vocals (he takes unaccompanied lead on "Old Blue") and banjo are comparatively bland, but they're not much of a distraction from Odetta, who's definitely the main feature. The 1993 CD reissue adds six tracks, including some very popular folk revival tunes in "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Wade in the Water," and "Another Man Done Gone."

Track listing
-01. "John Henry" – 3:09
-02. "Old Cotton Fields at Home" (Leadbetter) – 3:59
-03. "The Frozen Logger" (Haglund, Stevens) – 2:53
-04. "Run, Come See Jerusalem" (Blind Blake) – 2:06
-05. "Old Blue" – 2:36
-06. "Water Boy" – 3:40
-07. "Santy Anno" – 2:18
-08. "I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago"/"The Biggest Thing" – 2:47
-09. "Riding in My Car (Car Song)" – 1:27
-10. "No More Cane on the Brazos" – 2:19
-11. "Payday at Coal Creek" – 3:02
-12. "'Buked and Scorned" – 2:46
-13. "Rock Island Line" (Leadbetter) – 1:47
-14. "Another Man Done Gone" [*] (Hall, Lomax, Lomax, Tartt) – 3:05
-15. "Children Go Where I Send Thee" [*] – 2:35
-16. "I Know Where I'm Going" [*] – 2:10
-17. "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" [*] – 1:55
-18. "Timber" [*] – 3:49
-19. "Wade in the Water" [*] – 1:57
[*]are 1993 CD bonus tracks.
All songs traditional unless stated.

sample & buy: Cape Verdean Blues

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965) (RVG)

2011-11-15T14:04:00.000+01:00

Horace Silver - The Cape Verdean Blues (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2003

Allmusic:
After the success of Song for My Father and its hit title cut, Horace Silver was moved to pay further tribute to his dad, not to mention connect with some of his roots. Silver's father was born in the island nation of Cape Verde (near West Africa) before emigrating to the United States, and that's the inspiration behind The Cape Verdean Blues. Not all of the tracks are directly influenced by the music of Cape Verde (though some do incorporate Silver's taste for light exoticism); however, there's a spirit of adventure that pervades the entire album, a sense of exploration that wouldn't have been quite the same with Silver's quintet of old. On average, the tracks are longer than usual, and the lineup -- featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (a holdover from the Song for My Father sessions) and trumpeter Woody Shaw -- is one of the most modernist-leaning Silver ever recorded with. They push Silver into more advanced territory than he was normally accustomed to working, with mild dissonances and (especially in Henderson's case) a rawer edge to the playing. What's more, bop trombone legend J.J. Johnson appears on half of the six tracks, and Silver sounds excited to finally work with a collaborator he'd been pursuing for some time. Johnson ably handles some of the album's most challenging material, like the moody, swelling "Bonita" and the complex, up-tempo rhythms of "Nutville." Most interesting, though, is the lilting title track, which conjures the flavor of the islands with a blend of Latin-tinged rhythms and calypso melodies that nonetheless don't sound quite Caribbean in origin. Also noteworthy are "The African Queen," with its blend of emotional power and drifting hints of freedom, and "Pretty Eyes," Silver's first original waltz. Yet another worthwhile Silver album.

Tracks
-1. "The Cape Verdean Blues" - Silver - 4:59
-2. "The African Queen" - Silver - 9:36
-3. "Pretty Eyes" - Silver - 7:30
-4. "Nutville" - Silver - 7:15
-5. "Bonita" - Silver - 8:37
-6. "Mo' Joe" - Henderson - 5:45

Personnel
* Horace Silver (piano)
* Woody Shaw (trumpet)
* Joe Henderson (tenor sax)
* J. J. Johnson (trombone)
* Bob Cranshaw (bass)
* Roger Humphries (drums)

sample & buy: Cape Verdean Blues

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965) (Blue Note Connoisseur series)

2011-11-13T22:27:00.000+01:00

Jackie Mclean - Consequence (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note Connoisseur edition | 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
This 1965 session pairs Jackie McLean with Lee Morgan in the front line and features a rhythm section of pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Billy Higgins. Right -- a powerhouse band. Originally recorded in 1965, it wasn't released on LP until 1979, and then on CD as part of the Mosaic box set (The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966). This is its first release as a separate title on CD. The music here is much more straight-ahead than on other McLean dates from the 1960s. The presence of Morgan puts McLean in the position of having to be at his best, as on the stellar opening cut, "Bluesanova," which combines bossa, soul-jazz, and hard bop. Another tight moment on the set is McLean's "Tolypso," a sideways take on calypso that reaches over into hard bop. The interplay between the saxophonist and trumpet player is air-tight and rousing. Other cuts of note are Morgan's fine swinging ballad "Slumber" and the steaming title cut. This is a welcome addition to the McLean catalog on disc.

Tracks
-1. "Bluesanova" (Lee Morgan) - 7:30
-2. "Consequence" - 5:32
-3. "My Old Flame" (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) - 5:19
-4. "Tolypso" - 6:02
-5. "Slumber" (Morgan) - 6:06
-6. "Vernestune" - 5:52
All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on December 3, 1965

Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Lee Morgan - trumpet
* Harold Mabern - piano
* Herbie Lewis - bass
* Billy Higgins - drums

sample & buy: Consequence

Groundhogs - Solid (1974)

2011-11-13T22:15:00.000+01:00

Groundhogs - Solid (1974)

rock, blues | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 315MB

Talking Elephant 2001

Allmusic:
On the surface, the Groundhogs could easily have become one of the dozens of British "blooze and boogie" bands that cropped up in the late '60s and early '70s in the manner of Savoy Brown or Foghat, but Tony (T.S.) McPhee's ideas and ambitions were just eccentric enough to push the band into directions too challenging for most mainstream listeners, and as with much of their catalog it's McPhee's sense of invention that makes 1974's Solid memorable. Recorded in McPhee's home studio with Clive Brooks on drums and Peter Cruickshank on bass, most of Solid's nine numbers are anchored by the sonic overdrive of McPhee's guitar playing, which twists blues figures through psych and progressive frameworks, while the doomy poetics of his lyrics don't so much establish the mood of the songs as reinforce the tone of the music. While Brooks and Cruickshank are a fine rhythm section, giving these songs the muscle and backbone to make the most of their hard rock leanings, this is obviously McPhee's show, and an impressive show it is. Not too many guys would think to lay a Mellotron or a fuzzy synthesizer over a heavy blues jam, or run his recordings through such a remarkable maze of phase shifting and ping-pong panning, but in his own small way McPhee's music is in the grand tradition of the great eccentrics of British rock, and that windmill-tilting spirit is what Solid is all about -- it's not a freak masterpiece like Thank Christ for the Bomb or Who Will Save the World?, but if you dug the twists and turns of those albums you owe it to yourself to give this a listen.

Tracks
-1. "Light My Light" - McPhee - 6:23
-2. "Free from All Alarm" - McPhee - 5:14
-3. "Sins of the Father" - McPhee - 5:29
-4. "Sad Go Round" - McPhee - 2:55
-5. "Corn Cob" - McPhee - 4:46
-6. "Plea Sing, Plea Song" - McPhee - 3:43
-7. "Snow Storm" - McPhee - 3:28
-8. "Joker's Grave" - McPhee - 8:41
-9 "Over Blue" (Bonus Track) - McPhee - 2:48

sample & buy: Solid

Charlie Haden Quartet West - The Art Of The Song (1999)

2011-11-08T14:34:00.000+01:00

Charlie Haden Quartet West - The Art Of The Song (1999)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 405MB

Verve

Allaboutjazz:
In the early-’60s bassist Charlie Haden worked with avant-garde jazz pioneers Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. In 1969 he founded The Liberation Music Orchestra, an aggregation committed to performing complex, politically charged music. When Haden formed Quartet West in 1986, listeners quickly noted that this group represented a 180 degree shift in his focus. Where the Liberation Orchestra was abrasive and confrontational, Quartet West wallowed in the nostalgic, accessible mainstream. The Art Of The Song is an evocative collection of sombre ballads, immaculately performed by Haden, Alan Broadbent (piano), Ernie Watts (tenor), Larance Marable (drums), Shirley Horn (vocals), Bill Henderson (vocals); plus a string orchestra conducted by Murray Adler. Shirley Horn’s subtle, sparse renditions of Lonely Town, In Love In Vain and The Folks Who Live On The Hill stand out on a disc loaded with high points. Instrumentally, Ernie Watts (why doesn’t he sound this good on his own records?) provides a number of sensuous solos. Hypnotically beautiful.

Tracks
-01. "Lonely Town" (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green) – 5:30
-02. "Why Did I Choose You" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 7:23
-03. "Moment Musical Opus 16 No3 in B Minor" (Sergei Rachmaninoff) – 5:36
-04. "In Love in Vain" (Jerome Kern, Leo Rubin) – 5:05
-05. "Ruth's Waltz" (Charlie Haden, Arthur Hamilton) – 4:14
-06. "Scenes from a Silver Screen" (Alan Broadbent) – 6:24
-07. "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life" (Cy Coleman, Joseph A. McCarthy) – 6:15
-08. "You My Love" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Mack Gordon) – 4:24
-09. "Prelude en La Mineur" (Maurice Ravel) – 5:14
-10. "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 6:56
-11. "Easy on the Heart" (Haden, Hamilton) – 4:54
-12. "Theme for Charlie" (Jeri Southern) – 4:07
-13. "Wayfaring Stranger" (Traditional) – 4:23

Personnel
Charlie Haden Quartet West
* Charlie Haden – bass, local vocal on "Wayfaring Stranger"
* Alan Broadbent – piano, arranger, conductor, orchestration
* Larance Marable – drums
* Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone
Guest musicians
* Murray Adler – violin, conductor, concert master, orchestra contractor
* Bill Henderson – vocals on "Why Did I Choose You", "Ruth's Waltz", "You My Love", "Easy on the Heart"
* Shirley Horn – vocals on "Lonely Town", "In Love in Vain", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life", "The Folks Who Live on the Hill"
& Orchestra

sample & buy: The Art of the Song

Fred Frith - Speechless (1981)

2011-11-08T14:20:00.000+01:00

Fred Frith - Speechless (1981)

rock, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 350MB

ESD 80542

Allmusic:
This is one of the most important experimental guitar-based titles from avant guitarist and founding Henry Cow member Fred Frith. Frith's second solo album, Speechless, includes appearances by Etron Fou Leloublan, Massacre, and Bill Laswell. This is a studio Frankenstein of live clips and found sounds. While Frith attests to the occurrence of many "happy accidents," the album comes across confidently and more often more coherent than merely challenging. Six bonus tracks appear on this CD version. This is often cited as Frith's best solo record, and its inspired manipulations hold up under repeated scrutiny. There is a bit of European folk influence here, too, but not as obvious as on Gravity.

Tracks
-01. "Kick the Can (part 1)" – 2:19
-02. "Carnival on Wall Street" – 2:51
-03. "Ahead in the Sand" – 3:16
-04. "Laughing Matter" / "Esperanza" – 7:47
-05. "Women Speak to Men; Men Speak to Women" (Frith, Curran) – 5:39
-06. "A Spit in the Ocean" – 2:17
-07. "Navajo" – 3:05
-08. "Balance" – 5:04
-09. "Saving Grace" – 1:57
-10. "Speechless" – 3:05
-11. "Conversations With White Arc" (Frith, Laswell) – 1:14
-12. "Domaine de Planousset" – 2:59
-13. "Kick the Can (part 2)" – 2:14
---bonus tracks
-14. "The Entire Works of Henry Cow" – 1:00
-15. "So Schnell Ich" (Frith, Laswell, Maher) – 3:25
-16. "I'm Still Here and I Know What Time It Is" (Frith, Curran) – 1:06
-17. "No More War" (Frith, Gore) – 4:46
-18. "Typical American Family" – 1:01
-19. "Dig" – 3:07
All tracks composed by Fred Frith except where noted.

Personnel
tracks 1-5:
* Fred Frith – guitar, violin, mellotron, organ and bass guitar (track 1), voice (track 3)
* Etron Fou Leloublan:
--Guigou Chenevier – drums, tenor saxophone and voice
--Bernard Mathieu[15] – soprano and tenor saxophones, voice
--Ferdinand Richard – bass, guimbarde, voice
--Jo Thirion – organ, harmonium
* Guests
--Tina Curran – recorders, unusual edits
--Roger Kent Parsons – bagpipes)
--Bob Ostertag – field tape recordings
Recorded at Studio Freeson, Pujaut, France and at Sunrise Studios, Kirchberg, Switzerland in July and August 1980.
tracks 6-13:
* Fred Frith – guitar, violin, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, voice
* Massacre:
--Bill Laswell – bass guitar
--Fred Maher – drums
* Guests
--Steve Buchanan – snake saxophone
--George Cartwright – alto saxophone
--Mars Williams – baritone saxophone
--Tina Curran – recorders, bass guitar

sample & buy: Speechless

Art Blakey - Indestructible (1964) (RVG)

2011-11-08T13:49:00.001+01:00

Art Blakey - Indestructible (1964)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2003

Allmusic:
Lee Morgan once again became part of the Jazz Messengers after replacing Freddie Hubbard, who left after replacing Morgan originally. The band is rounded out by pianist Cedar Walton, a steaming Wayne Shorter on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and bassist Reggie Workman with Art Blakey on the skins, of course. Indestructible is a hard-blowing blues 'n' bop date with Shorter taking his own solos to the outside a bit, and with Blakey allowing some of Fuller's longer, suite-like modal compositional work into the mix as well ("The Egyptian" and "Sortie"). There are plenty of hard swinging grooves-- an off-Latin funk à la Morgan's "Calling Miss Kadija," Shorter's killer "Mr. Jin," and Walton's ballad-cum-post-bop sprint "When Love Is New" -- and the Blakey drive is in full effect, making this album comes closest in feel to the Moanin' sessions with Bobby Timmons. Here the balance of soul groove and innovative tough bop are about equal. Morgan lends great intensity to this date by being such a perfect foil for Shorter, and their trading of fours and eights in "Sortie" is one of the disc's many high points. Morgan's bluesed-out modal frame is already in evidence here as he was beginning to stretch beyond the parameters of the 12-bar frame and into music from other spaces and times.

Tracks
-1. "The Egyptian" (Fuller) – 10:25
-2. "Sortie" (Fuller) – 8:13
-3. "Calling Miss Khadija" (Morgan) – 7:21
-4. "When Love is New" (Walton) – 6:02
-5. "Mr. Jin" (Shorter) – 7:04
-6. "It's a Long Way Down" (Shorter) – 5:26 Bonus track on CD

Personnel
* Lee Morgan — trumpet
* Curtis Fuller — trombone
* Wayne Shorter — tenor saxophone
* Cedar Walton — piano
* Reggie Workman — bass
* Art Blakey — drums

sample & buy: Indestructible

Joe Pass - Blues Dues (Live at Long Beach City College) (1984)

2011-10-27T14:21:00.000+02:00

Joe Pass - Blues Dues (Live at Long Beach City College) (1984)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 255MB

OJC

Allmusic:
This CD has yet another set of unaccompanied guitar solos by Joe Pass; however, fans of the great guitarist realize that he was among the most consistent of jazz performers, and virtually all of his Pablo recordings are quite worthwhile. For this live date, Pass explores seven standards and a couple of original blues, but manages to find fresh variations to play during such songs as "Wave," "All the Things You Are," and an exploratory rendition of "Honeysuckle Rose."

Tracks
1. "Wave" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 5:52
2. "Blues in "G"" (Joe Pass) – 7:05
3. "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 5:43
4. "'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams) – 6:26
5. "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 4:48
6. "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady Melange" (Duke Ellington) – 6:37
7. "Blues Dues" (Pass) – 5:31
8. "Bluesette" (Norman Gimbel, Toots Thielemans) – 3:43
9. "Honeysuckle Rose" (Fats Waller, Andy Razaf) – 5:50

Personnel
* Joe Pass – guitar

sample & buy: Blues Dues

McCoy Tyner - Song For My Lady (1973)

2011-10-27T14:07:00.000+02:00

McCoy Tyner - Song For My Lady (1973)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

OJC

Allmusic:
The early '70s were an exciting recording period for this artist, whose initial forays outside the classic quartet of John Coltrane were just a bit too mellow, as if he was thinking, "Whew! Now I can relax." This was one of several for the Milestone label that burned energetically, although in terms of the pianist's overall career this concentrated thrust of stamina was simply a passing phase. He is captured here a few years before he settled into elder statesman status and began barely breaking a sweat on-stage. The emphasis here is often on pure power, the presence of a non-funky Alphonze Mouzon on drums something of a signature in band attitude. The nimble and fleet Calvin Hill is on bass, and Sonny Fortune is present on reeds during a stint of several years with Tyner. What really makes the album special is the enlarged ensemble that creates two of the album's most extended tracks. "Native Song" and "Essence" add flugelhorn, violin, and conga, and the fine-tuning skill of Tyner the arranger becomes present, turning the lineup of three lead instruments into something nearly symphonic. Violinist Michael White is more than a bit overpowered by Tyner, as one would expect, but it is the opposite case in terms of fireworks between brass player Charles Tolliver and the boss. Tolliver fronted a band named Music Inc. during this period who also played hard, heavy, and unrelenting jazz, pianist Stanley Cowell coming on strong with many Tyner-ish-influenced moves. It is a great meeting of the minds, as two players with sympathetic approaches toward the post-Coltrane jazz language engage in high-powered dialogue. The program is quite typical of some of Tyner's best albums for this label and Blue Note before that. All but one of the tracks are originals, featuring lovely melodies that either wash through a ballad mood or become anthems for rocket launchings, Mouzon splattering away on his cymbals like a happy child. The one standard, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," gets a liftoff worthy of Coltrane. This is quite a fine collection of tracks and one of Tyner's six best albums.

Tracks
-1. "Native Song" - 13:00
-2. "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (Bernier, Brainin) - 8:17
-3. "Song for My Lady" - 7:37
-4. "A Silent Tear" - 4:30
-5. "Essence" - 11:20
All compositions by McCoy Tyner except as indicated
Tracks 1 and 5 recorded on September 6, 1972; 2, 3 and 4 on November 27, 1972.

Personnel
* McCoy Tyner - piano, percussion
* Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
* Calvin Hill - bass
* Alphonse Mouzon - drums
* Michael White - violin
* Charles Tolliver - flugelhorn (tracks 1 & 5)
* Mtume - congas, percussion (tracks 1 & 5)

sample & buy: Song for My Lady

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English/Strange Weather (1979&87) (MFSL)

2011-10-27T13:57:00.000+02:00

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English/Strange Weather (1979&87)

rock | 2lp on 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 420MB

MFSL

Allmusic:
Broken English: After a lengthy absence, Faithfull resurfaced on this 1979 album, which took the edgy and brittle sound of punk rock and gave it a shot of studio-smooth dance rock. Faithfull's whiskey-worn vocals perfectly match the bitter and biting "Why'd Ya Do It" and revitalize John Lennon's "Working Class Hero."
-
Strange Weather: Faithfull's 1987 release recast her as a nicotine-stained chanteuse, approaching such standards as "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Penthouse Serenade" with a ravaged, world-weary demeanor that recalls the latter-day recordings of Billie Holiday. She also tackles some blues and jazz material and turns "As Tears Go By" into the gut-wrenching torch ballad neither the Stones nor Faithfull could ever have done in the '60s. A dark, challenging masterpiece.
--------
Mobile Fidelity reissued Marianne Faithfull's two dark milestones, 1979's Broken English and 1987's Strange Weather, on one CD. Although there were nearly ten years separating these two records, they share a moodiness and faux-torch arrangements that make them a perfect match. The remastering is terrific, as is the packaging, which means this is the way for serious fans to own this music on disc.

Tracks
-01. "Broken English" - Faithfull, J. Mavety, Maverty, York… - 4:36
-02. "Witches' Song" - Faithfull, Mavety, Reynolds, Stannard… - 4:45
-03. "Brain Drain" - Brierley - 4:13
-04. "Guilt" - Reynolds, Reynolds - 5:09
-05. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" - Silverstein - 4:11
-06. "What's the Hurry?" - Mavety - 3:05
-07. "Working Class Hero" - Lennon - 4:42
-08. "Why d'Ya Do It?" - Faithfull, J. Mavety, Movety, York - 6:51
---
-09. "Stranger Intro" - 0:32
-10. "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - Dubin, Warren - 3:05
-11. "I Ain't Goin' Down to the Well No More" - Leadbelly, Ledbetter, Lomax, Lomax… - 1:10
-12. "Yesterdays" - Arkeen, Harbach, James, Johnson, Kern… - 5:19
-13. "Sign of Judgement" - Moore - 2:54
-14. "Strange Weather" - Brennan, Waits - 4:15
-15. "Love, Life and Money" - Dixon, Dixon, Glover, Glover - 4:07
-16. "I'll Keep It With Mine" - Dylan - 3:47
-17. "Hello Stranger" - Carter, Pomus, Rebennack - 2:31
-18. "Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)" - Burton, Jason - 2:34
-19. "As Tears Go By" - Jagger, Oldham, Richards - 3:46
-20. "A Stranger on Earth" - Feller, Ward - 4:03

sample & buy: Broken English / Strange Weather

Oscar Peterson - Canadiana Suite (1965)

2011-10-25T15:59:00.000+02:00

Oscar Peterson - Canadiana Suite (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 205MB

LimeLight

Allmusic:
The remarkable pianist Oscar Peterson had never been thought of that much as a composer, making this set of eight of his compositions a bit of a surprise when it was originally released. Now available on CD, Peterson's tribute to his native Canada includes several noteworthy pieces of which "Hogtown Blues" and "Wheatland" are best known. With his 1964 trio (featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen), Peterson swings hard but often with sensitivity throughout the enjoyable set.

Tracks
-1. "Ballad to the East" – 4:08
-2. "Laurentide Waltz" – 5:20
-3. "Place St. Henri" – 3:57
-4. "Hogtown Blues" – 3:40
-5. "Blues of the Prairies" – 4:59
-6. "Wheatland" – 5:30
-7. "March Past" – 3:25
-8. "Land of the Misty Giants" – 4:11
All music composed by Oscar Peterson.

Personnel
* Oscar Peterson – piano
* Ray Brown – double bass
* Ed Thigpen – drums

sample & buy: Canadian Suite

Pat Martino - El Hombre (1967) (OJC)

2011-10-25T15:47:00.000+02:00

Pat Martino - El Hombre (1967)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Guitarist Pat Martino's debut as a leader finds the 22-year-old showing off his roots in soul-jazz organ groups while looking ahead at the same time. Joined by organist Trudy Pitts, flutist Danny Turner, drummer Mitch Fine, and both Abdu Johnson and Vance Anderson on percussion, Martino primarily plays a straight-ahead set (five of his originals, "Just Friends," and "Once I Loved"), but already displays a fairly distinctive sound. This CD reissue brings back Martino's impressive start to what would be a productive solo career.

Tracks
-1. "Waltz for Geri" - Martino - 6:21
-2. "Once I Loved" - DeMoraes, Gilbert, Jobim - 5:42
-3. "El Hombre" - Martino - 5:57
-4. "Cisco" - Martino - 4:29
-5. "One for Rose" - Martino - 4:54
-6. "A Blues for Mickey-O" - Martino - 8:02
-7. "Just Friends" - Klenner, Lewis - 5:47

Personnel
* Pat Martino (guitar)
* Danny Turner (flute)
* Trudy Pitts (organ)
* Mitch Fine (drums)
* Abdu Johnson (conga drum)
* Vance Anderson (bongos)

sample & buy: El Hombre

Kevin Ayers - Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (1974) (2009rem)

2011-10-25T15:30:00.000+02:00

Kevin Ayers - Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (1974)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 555MB

EMI/Harvest | 2009 remaster

Allmusic:
Kevin Ayers' fifth album, The Confessions of Doctor Dream and Other Stories, is typical of his work. He sings in his distinctive deep voice with his cultured English accent (sounding a lot like John Cale) in songs set in a variety of pop styles, from hard rock to a kind of music hall approach. He is frequently playful and engaging, although his songs don't ultimately add up to much. The album's second side contains an 18-minute suite called "The Confessions of Doctor Dream," featuring a cameo by Nico, which exemplifies Ayers' amiable if unfocused appeal.

Tracks
-01. "Day By Day"
-02. "See You Later"
-03. "Didn't Feel Lonely Till I Thought Of You"
-04. "Everybody's Sometime And Some People's All The Time Blues"
-05. "It Begins With A Blessing / Once I Awakened / But It Ends With A Curse"
-06. "Ballbearing Blues"
-07-10. "The Confessions Of Doctor Dream (a) Irreversible Neural Damage (b) Invitation (c) The One Chance Dance (d) Doctor Dream Theme"
11. "Two Goes Into Four"
2009 reissue
-12. Another Whimsical Song (00:24)
-13. The Lady Rachel (03:53)
-14. Stop this Train (06:14)
-15. Didn't Feel Lonely 'til I Thought of You (04:36)
-16. The Up Song (03:18) (non-LP single A side)
-17. After the Show (02:37) (non-LP single A side)
-18. Thank You Very Much (03:01) (B side of the single 'After the Show')
Tracks 12-15 are recorded 7 July 1974 at the BBC's Maida Vale studios
Tracks 16-18 are B-sides of singles

Personnel
Kevin Ayers - Guitar, Vocals
Mark Warner - Guitar
Cal Batchelor - Guitar
Rupert Hine - Keyboards, Producer
Mike Moran - Piano
Steve Nye - Organ
John Perry - Bass
John Gustafson - Bass
Michael Giles - Drums
Mike Oldfield - Guitar
Nico - Vocals on "Irreversible Neural Damage"
Geoff Richardson - Viola
Mike Ratledge - Organ
Ray Cooper - Percussion
Lol Coxhill - Alto Saxophone
Henry Crallan - Piano
Ollie Halsall - Guitar
Rosetta Hightower - Vocals
Hulloo Choir - Vocals
Trevor Jones - Bass
Sean Milligan - Vocals
Sam Mitchell - Guitar
Doris Troy - Vocals
Joanne Williams - Vocals
The G'Deevy Ensemble - Percussion

sample & buy: Confessions of Doctor Dream & Other Stories

Donald Byrd - Byrd In Hand (1959)

2011-10-24T16:13:00.000+02:00

Donald Byrd - Byrd In Hand (1959)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 290MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2002

Allmusic:
For this excellent album, trumpeter Donald Byrd teams up with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Walter Davis, Jr., bassist Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor. Together the sextet performs three Byrd originals, two Davis songs and the standard "Witchcraft." Although none of the new tunes caught on, the group (which includes two distinctive saxophonists and the rapidly maturing trumpet of Donald Byrd) plays consistently creative and spirited solos in the hard bop idiom.

Tracks
-1. "Witchcraft" 8:29
-2. "Here Am I" (Byrd) 8:25
-3. "Devil Whip" (Byrd) 4:42
-4. "Bronze Dance" (Walter Davis, Jr.) 6:42
-5. "Clarion Calls" (Walter Davis, Jr.) 5:41
-6. "The Injuns" (Byrd) 6:13

Personnel
* Donald Byrd - trumpet
* Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
* Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone
* Walter Davis, Jr. - piano
* Sam Jones - bass
* Art Taylor - drums

sample & buy: Byrd in Hand

Astor Piazzolla - Tangazo (2001)

2011-10-24T11:11:00.000+02:00

Astor Piazzolla - Tangazo (2001)

Charles Dutoit, D Binelli, O S Montreal

latin, classical, contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Decca

Musicweb:
The Argentine tango began as the music of the dispossessed marginalised class of the poorer port areas of Buenos Aires yet it found acceptance first in England, France and the United States before it received universal recognition in Argentina - and not just by the underclasses but universally as symbol of national pride, national aspiration, and national sorrow.
The bandoneon is a square-built button accordion invented in Germany in the 1840s but eventually taken up in Buenos Aires as the chief instrument of the tango bands. Piazzolla studied traditional classical music with Alberto Ginastera and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. His distinctive brand of tango - "tango nuevo" – is characterised by chromaticism, dissonance, and elements of jazz so Piazzolla’s compositions for large ensemble, as in this collection, is a fusion of traditional tango, jazz and classical music. Dutoit’s Montreal players and his soloists capture the vivid colour and sensuality of these works perfectly.
The tango melody of Adós Noninio is probably Piazzolla’s best known work and certainly the most frequently performed. It was written, in 1959, in fond memory of his father who died after complications following a street accident. This orchestral arrangement, dating from 1981, begins unsettlingly and somewhat abrasively with rasping percussion before the mood mellows and becomes affectionate and nostalgic. The Milonga del ángel is a soft sensual slow moving tango, very atmospheric suggesting a sultry moonlight night, with gossamer boudoir curtains billowing gently. Oblivion has the oboe murmuring a plaintive song of yearning against luscious mid-range string harmonies with the bandoneon commenting and picking its way through the texture. Danza criolla breaks the spell: it is wild and abandoned, bouncing along joyfully in resplendent colours. Tangazo, without bandoneon, is intense and densely constructed with a slow and ruminative, almost tragic, opening that gives way to high spirited and humorous material dancing away, the rhythms infectious and the orchestration inventive. This joy alternates with slower passionately romantic tango figures.
There are two three-movement works. The Double Concerto for Bandoneon and Guitar adroitly contrasts and blends the two instruments. The Introduction is introspective and slightly melancholy, the Milonga voluptuous and the Tango lively. More impressive and imaginative is the purely orchestral Tres movimentos tanguisticos porteños. It opens on a furtive, almost sinister note then a piano figure announces a seductive challenge with the tango figures passing through a variety of moods: pensive, torrid - even an exotic jungle excursion might be imagined. The Moderato central movement is tenderly nostalgic but moodily seductive too with tempo and rhythm gradually heating. The jungle evocation is recalled, giving way to material that might suggest a sophisticated dinner party with the guests suffering a certain ennui. The Vivace concluding movement is a proud tango employing fugal figures, colourful glissandi, and bouncing rhythms pegged by bold timpani rolls. A work that invites your imagination run riot.
Hedonistic, exotically coloured tango music in vivid orchestral dress played with conviction and enthusiasm. Just the thing to banish dull winter blues.

Tracks
-1. "Adiós Nonino - 8:53
-2. "Milonga del ángel - 7:46
-3. "Double Concerto for bandoneón, guitar - 16:59
-4. "Oblivion - 4:45
-5. "Tres movimientos tanguísticos portenos - 20:43
-6. "Danza criolla - 2:26
-7. "Tangazo - 14:10

Performers
* Daniel Binelli (bandoneon)
* Eduardo Isaac (guitar)
* Louise Pellerin
* Orchestre Symphonique de Montrea,l Conducted by Charles Dutoit
(Recorded Église St-Eustache, Montreal – 18th May 2000)

sample & buy: Piazzolla: Tangazo

Mose Allison - Down Home Piano (1957-59)

2011-10-20T12:52:00.000+02:00

Mose Allison - Down Home Piano (1957-59)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Although Mose Allison is perhaps best known for his enjoyably idiosyncratic vocal style, he is first and foremost a marvelous piano player with a unique style pitched somewhere between a New Orleans bordello and the rhythmic and harmonic experimentation of Thelonious Monk or Sun Ra. This well-chosen 1966 compilation (released after Allison had split for Atlantic Records) pulls together ten of his best instrumentals from four of his six Prestige albums, and it makes a strong case for Allison as one of the most inventive piano players and composers of his generation. The selection runs from the definitive performance of Allison's signature ballad "Crepuscular Air" (which foreshadows nearly the entire career of West Coast cool pianist Vince Guaraldi) to the witty, technically impressive and musically joyous post-bop workouts "Devil in the Cane Field" and "The Minstrels." Throughout, Allison's interplay with his longtime bassist Addison Farmer is fantastic; Allison's left-hand walking bass runs are usually in counterpoint to Farmer's inspired comping, adding greatly to the songs' rhythmic complexity. Mostly, however, Down Home Piano is just enormous fun to listen to.

Tracks
-01. "Dinner on the Ground" - Allison - 3:16
-02. "Crepuscular Air" - Allison - 3:42
-03. "Mule" - Allison - 3:53
-04. "Creek Bank" - Allison - 4:37
-05. "Town" - Allison - 3:20
-06. "Devil in the Cane Field" - Allison - 4:03
-07. "The Minstrels" - Allison - 3:25
-08. "Moon and Cypress" - Allison - 4:03
-09. "Carnival" - Allison - 3:00
-10. "Mojo Woman" - Allison - 4:00

Personnel
* Mose Allison (piano)
* Addison Farmer (bass)
* Ronnie Free, Nick Stabulas (drums)

sample & buy: Down Home Piano

Groundhogs - Blues Obituary (1969)

2011-10-20T12:02:00.000+02:00

Groundhogs - Blues Obituary (1969)

rock, blues | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

Akarma/EMI | 2004 remaster

Allmusic:
Recorded during June of 1969 at Marquee Studios in London with Gary Collins and Colin Caldwell engineering, the trio of Groundhogs put the blues to rest on Blues Obituary in front of a castle on the Hogart-designed cover while six black and whites from photographer Zorin Matic grace the back in morbid Creepy or Eerie Magazine comic book fashion. Composed, written, and arranged by Tony "T.S." McPhee, there are seven tracks hovering from the around four- to seven-minute mark. The traditional "Natchez Burning," arranged by McPhee, fits in nicely with his originals while the longest track, the six-minute-and-50-second "Light Is the Day," features the most innovation -- a Ginger Baker-style tribal rant by drummer Ken Pustelnik allowing McPhee to lay down some muted slide work. As the tempo on the final track elevates along with manic guitar runs by McPhee, the jamming creates a color separate from the rest of the disc while still in the same style. Vocals across the board are kept to a minimum. It is all about the sound, Cream without the flash, bandleader McPhee vocally emulating Alvin Lee (by way of Canned Heat's Alan Wilson) on the four-minute conclusion to side one that is "Mistreated." While Americans like Grand Funk's Mark Farner turned the format up a commercial notch, Funk's "Mean Mistreater" sporting the same sentiment while reaching a wider audience, the Groundhogs on this late-'60s album keep the blues purely in the underground. The pumping beat on "Mistreated" embraces the lead guitarist's vocal, which poses that eternal blues question: "what have I done that's wrong?" Blistering guitar on the opening track, "B.D.D.," sets the pace for this deep excursion into the musical depths further down than Canned Heat ever dared go. While "Daze of the Weak" starts off sludgy enough, it quickly moves like a train out of control, laying back only to explode again. "Times" get things back to more traditional roots on an album that breaks little new ground, and is as consistent as Savoy Brown when they got into their primo groove.

Tracks
-1. "B.D.D." - McPhee - 3:50
-2. "Daze of the Weak" - McPhee - 5:16
-3. "Times" - McPhee - 5:19
-4. "Mistreated" - McPhee - 4:04
-5. "Express Man" - McPhee - 3:59
-6. "Natchez Burning" - McPhee, Traditional - 4:38
-7. "Light Was the Day" - McPhee - 6:53

Personnel
* Tony T.S. McPhee (vocals, guitar)
* Pete Cruickshank (bass)
* Ken Pustelnik (drums)

sample & buy: Blues Obituary

Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up (1964) (RVG)

2011-10-17T15:10:00.000+02:00

Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up (1964)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2003

Allmusic:
When he expatriated to Scandinavia just before this session in Paris was recorded, Dexter Gordon said he was liberated in many ways, as a jazz musician and as a human being. This is reflected in the lengthy track on this album, a testament to that newly found freedom, addressing the restrictions the American music scene placed on artists to do the two- to three-minute hit. With the nearly 18-minute "Tanya" and the 11-minute "Coppin' the Haven," Gordon and his quintet, featuring trumpeter Donald Byrd, were able to jam at length with no thought of being edited, and they fully prolong their instrumental remarks in a way few other musicians -- jazz or otherwise -- would allow themselves. Yes, it would be difficult to hear these tracks on the radio, but the tradeoff was a listening experience for their fans that would also showcase a rare commodity in the lexicon of their style of post-bop mainstream jazz -- consistency. The simple, sweet, and lightly swinging "Tanya" has become a classic song, and it is a staple in most saxophonists' diets, even though the supportive chord structures from pianist Kenny Drew and Byrd's up-front brass are more attractive or noticeable than Gordon's bluesy tenor. Memorable for many reasons, Drew's brilliant composition "Coppin' the Haven" is textbook modern jazz, a modal minor-key delight as Byrd again dominates with a shining, gliding melody tacked on to an easy swing that exemplifies the song form for jazz in its best sense. Gordon steps up apart from the trumpeter on the great ballad "Darn That Dream," and is at his best, wringing every regretful emotion out of his horn as only he can. The CD version contains the bonus track "Kong Neptune" sans Byrd, a good swinger that cops from no other influences, merging the mythical strengths of the two creatures in its title via Gordon's muscular, lithe, and athletic on-land and at-sea horn. At around 47 substantive minutes of music, One Flight Up stands as a testament to Dexter Gordon's viability as a bandleader and teammate, while his individualism is somewhat sublimated. It's a good listen to digest all the way through, especially if you are as patient as the performers, who have a lot to say.

Tracks
1. "Tanya" (Donald Byrd) - 18:18
2. "Coppin' the Haven" (Kenny Drew) - 11:18
3. "Darn That Dream" (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 7:29
4. "Kong Neptune" - 11:00 Bonus track on CD reissue
All compositions by Dexter Gordon except as indicated
Recorded at Barclay Studios, Paris, France on June 2, 1964

Personnel
* Dexter Gordon - tenor saxophone
* Donald Byrd - trumpet (tracks 1 & 2)
* Kenny Drew - piano
* Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen - bass
* Art Taylor - drums

sample & buy: One Flight Up

Huun-Huur-Tu - The Orphan's Lament (1994)

2011-10-17T14:59:00.000+02:00

Huun-Huur-Tu - The Orphan's Lament (1994)

world | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 370MB

Shanachie

Allmusic:
From the first track, their second album, Orphan's Lament grabs your attention with "Prayer" -- the deep, unearthly, sounds of Tibetan Lamaist chant. Next they move to khoomei singing. Known in the West as "throat singing," the performer produces two or more high- and low-pitched tones simultaneously. The resulting sound -- somewhat eerie, somewhat haunting -- is a combination somewhere between the sounds of a long whistle and a Jew's harp.
But Huun Huur Tu also adds new elements to the traditional sounds of Tuvan music. In addition to the igil, a two-stringed horsehead fiddle played with a bow, and the khomuz, a Jew's harp, (both traditional instruments) the group has incorporated percussion -- not a usual device in Tuvan music. Their use of a large goat-skin drum, generally reserved for shamanistic rituals, gives a rhythm to their music, making it very appealing to a Western ear. Similarly, their use of pouch rattle (made from a bull's scrotum filled with sheep knucklebones) adds a beat.
The fact Huun Huur Tu plays together, as a group, is itself unusual. Not content to blindly follow traditional Central Asian folk music, Huun Huur Tu's four, sometimes five, performers create an ensemble that offers a complex, fascinating, and harmonious mixture.

Tracks
-01. "Prayer - 2:32
-02. "Ancestors - 3:55
-03. "AA-Shuu Dekei-Oo - 2:51
-04. "Eerbek-Aksy - 2:05
-05. "The Orphan's Lament - 6:44
-06. "Kaldak-Khamar - 2:36
-07. "Steppe - 4:05
-08. "Borbanngadyr - 3:54
-09. "Chiraa-Khoor (The Yellow Trotter) - 4:52
-10. "Exile's Song - 4:13
-11. "Eki Attar - 2:22
-12. "Irik Chuduk (The Rotting Log) - 6:11
-13. "Sygyt - 2:53
-14. "Agitator - 1:55
-15. "Khomuz Medley - 4:50
-16. "Ödugen Taiga - 6:55

sample & buy: Orphans Lament

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.6 "Pathetique" (1955)

2011-10-14T15:56:00.000+02:00

RCA Living Stereo: Tchaikovsky - Symphony no.6 "Pathetique" (1955)
Pierre Monteux, Boston Symphony Orchestra
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

RCA | SACD | rel.: 2004

Classicstoday:
Pierre Monteux was one of those conductors who could make the most anguished music sound effortless. You might think that this isn't an advantage in the Pathétique Symphony, but it is. His innate musicality keeps the allegro sections of the first movement pressing smartly forward, while the lyrical second subject never turns sticky. Other performances may be noisier, but Monteux's cogency offers its own exciting and perfectly valid argument. Certainly no one would take issue with the idiomatic lilt he brings to the second-movement waltz, or with the rhythmic lift he provides in the ensuing march (this really is Janikovszky as his most French, isn't it?). There have been more intense accounts of the finale, but the beautiful playing of the Boston Symphony and Monteux's refusal to get hysterical remain all of a piece: it's a very satisfying reading by any standard. The 1955 Living Stereo recording still sounds excellent both in stereo and on (two-channel) SACD, without a large enough difference between them to make a significant difference. This is a very welcome reissue.

Symphony no 6 in B minor, Op. 74 "Pathétique" by P I Tchaikovsky

Conductor: Pierre Monteux
Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra

sample & buy: Tchaikovsky: Pathétique Symphony

Illinois Jacquet - Bottoms Up (1968) (OJC)

2011-10-14T15:40:00.000+02:00

Illinois Jacquet - Bottoms Up (1968)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 235MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Even in 1968 when the jazz avant-garde was becoming quite influential, tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet played in his own timeless style, performing in an idiom little changed during the previous 20 years. With the assistance of pianist Barry Harris, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Alan Dawson, Jacquet is heard throughout this CD reissue (which adds a previously unissued "Don't Blame Me" to the original program) swinging hard and generally expressing himself in a typically extroverted fashion. "Bottoms Up" (a relative of "Flying Home"), "Jivin' with Jack the Bellboy," and Jacquet's excellent original ballad "You Left Me All Alone" are most memorable.

Tracks
-1. "Bottoms Up" - Jacquet - 3:21
-2. "Port of Rico" - Jacquet - 4:12
-3. "You Left Me All Alone" - Jacquet - 3:51
-4. "Sassy" - Buckner - 5:41
-5. "Jivin' with Jack the Bellboy" - Doggett, Jacquet - 5:40
-6. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" - Crosby, Washington, Young - 6:12
-7. "Our Delight" - Dameron - 5:28
-8. "Don't Blame Me" - Fields, McHugh - 4:09

Personnel
* Illinois Jacquet (tenor saxophone)
* Barry Harris (piano)
* Ben Tucker (bass instrument)
* Alan Dawson (drums)

sample & buy: Bottoms Up

Erroll Garner - That's My Kick/Gemini (1967&72)

2011-10-11T11:52:00.000+02:00

Erroll Garner - That's My Kick/Gemini (1967&72)

jazz | 2lp on 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 540MB

Telarc 1994

Allmusic:
This CD from Telarchive (a subsidiary of Telarc) reissues the complete content of two later Errol Garner LPs: That's My Kick and Gemini. The great pianist was still in prime form and, although his sidemen are fine in support (Wally Richardson is on guitar on the first date and the congas of Jose Mangual add a Latin flavor to the music to both sessions), Garner totally dominates the music as usual. He contributed eight of the 19 compositions and his wit is only exceeded by his creativity.

Tracks
-01. "That's My Kick" - Garner - 2:46
-02. "The Shadow of Your Smile" - Mandel, Webster - 3:56
-03. "Like It Is" - Garner - 2:43
-04. "It Ain't Necessarily So" - Gershwin, Gershwin - 3:30
-05. "Autumn Leaves" - Kosma, Mercer, Prevert - 3:21
-06. "Blue Moon" - Hart, Rodgers - 2:47
-07. "More" - Ciorciolini, Newell, Oliviero… - 2:54
-08. "Gaslight" - Garner, Pearson - 4:28
-09. "Nervous Waltz" - Garner - 3:24
-10. "Passing Through" - Garner - 2:36
-11. "Afinidad" - Garner - 2:53
-----
-12. "How High the Moon" - Hamilton, Lewis - 5:05
-13. "It Could Happen to You" - Burke, VanHeusen - 3:47
-14. "Gemini" - Garner - 4:03
-15. "When a Gypsy (Makes His Violin Cry)" - Deutsch, Rogan, Smith, Winegar - 6:23
-16. "Tea for Two" - Caesar, Youmans - 5:27
-17. "Something" - Harrison - 1:49
-18. "Eldorado" - Garner - 5:47
-19. "These Foolish Things" - Link, Marvell, Strachey - 7:00

Personnel
* Erroll Garner (piano, harpsichord)
* Wally Richardson, Art Ryerson (guitar)
* Milt Hinton, Ernest McCarty Jr. (bass)
* Jose Mangual, Johnny Pacheco (congas)
* Jimmie Smith, George Jenkins (percussion)

sample & buy: Thats My Kick / Gemini

Jackie Mclean - Jacknife (1965) (BN Connoisseur)

2011-10-05T12:23:00.001+02:00

Jackie Mclean - Jacknife (1965)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

Blue Note Connoisseur series 2002 | 20-bit SBM

Allmusic:
Jackie McLean's Jacknife sessions have had a peculiar and somewhat disjointed history in his discography. Initially issued in 1975 on a vinyl two-fer as part of the Blue Note reissue series, it included separate previously unreleased sessions from 1965 and 1966, the former with trumpeters Lee Morgan and Charles Tolliver, the latter in a quartet with only McLean as the leading horn. In CD form, the five tracks from 1965 were offered on a single CD. Pianist Larry Willis and a young drummer named Jack DeJohnette were on both recordings, with Larry Ridley (1965) or Don Pate (1966) filling the bass chair. As both sessions could not fit on a single CD, it's understandable but a shame that a double CD could not be produced including the fine quartet date. Nonetheless, the 1965 group has many worthwhile and often challenging moments for the then 33-year-old alto saxophonist. Of the five tracks here, "On the Nile" at over 12 and a half minutes should be a favorite, as its modern modal mainstream mystery wafts slowly over time like sands in an hourglass, a steady caravan trip with the deep piano chords of Willis, the evocative trumpet of Tolliver, and McLean richly harmonizing. Tolliver also wrote the title track, a sour-toned hard lemonade bopper on the cutting edge considering this mid-'60s time frame. McLean penned the tuneful, enjoyable "Blue Fable" on the steady swing side, briefly dishing out calypso beats. Morgan's feature is DeJohnette's "Climax" in a chopped-up piano riff with the drummer, as a bop line from the horns takes up the urgent, kinetic charge. The only track with both trumpeters, "Soft Blue" is easy as the title suggests, harmonic and warm, with solid solos showing the stark contrast between the approach of the two brassmen and the ruminating piano of Willis. These recordings do not tell the complete story of this time period -- please explore the Willis composition "High Frequency" and McLean's incredible "Combined Effort" from 1966 for examples of the quartet really cutting loose sans the trumpeters. The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966 Sessions four-CD limited-edition box set on the Mosaic label houses both Jacknife recordings. The single CD is quite worthwhile by itself, but tells only half of the story.

Tracks
-1. "On the Nile" (Charles Tolliver) - 12:31
-2. "Climax" (Jack DeJohnette) - 9:18
-3. "Soft Blue" (Lee Morgan) - 7:28
-4. "Jacknife" (Tolliver) - 6:14
-5. "Blue Fable" - 5:59
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 24, 1965
All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated

Personnel
* Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
* Charles Tolliver (tracks 1, 3 & 4), Lee Morgan - trumpet (tracks 2, 3 & 5)
* Larry Willis - piano
* Larry Ridley - bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums

sample & buy: Jacknife

Captain Beefheart - Ice Cream For Crow (1982)

2011-10-05T11:55:00.000+02:00

Captain Beefheart - Ice Cream For Crow (1982)

rock, blues, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 270MB

EMI 2006 remaster

Allmusic:
With yet one final Magic Band lineup in place, featuring Richard Snyder on bass and Cliff Martinez on drums alongside returning vets Jeff Moris Tepper and Gary Lucas, Beefheart put the final touch on his recording career to date with Ice Cream for Crow. It's a last entertaining blast of wigginess from one of the few truly independent artists in late 20th century pop music, with humor, skill, and style all still intact (as even the song titles like "Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian" and "Cardboard Cutout Sundown" show). With the Magic Band turning out more choppy rhythms, unexpected guitar lines, and outré arrangements, Captain Beefheart lets everything run wild as always, with successful results. Sometimes he sounds less like the blues shouter of lore and more of a spoken word artist with an attitude, thus the stuttering flow of "The Host the Ghost the Most Holy." "Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat" is even more entertainingly outrageous, Beefheart's addictive if near impenetrable ramble about tobacco juice and straw hats and more backed by an insanely great arrangement. Magic Band members each get chances to shine one way or another -- "Evening Bell" in particular demonstrates why Lucas went on to later solo renown, a complex, suddenly shifting solo instrumental that sits somewhere between background music and head-scratching "how did he do that?" intrigue.

Tracks
-01."Ice Cream for Crow" – 4:35
-02. "The Host the Ghost the Most Holy-O" – 2:25
-03. "Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian" – 4:20
-04. "Hey Garland, I Dig Your Tweed Coat" – 3:13
-05. "Evening Bell" – 2:00
-05. "Cardboard Cutout Sundown" – 2:38
-06. "The Past Sure Is Tense" – 3:21
-07. "Ink Mathematics" – 1:40
-08. "The Witch Doctor Life" – 2:38
-09. "'81' Poop Hatch" – 2:39
-10. "The Thousandth and Tenth Day of the Human Totem Pole" – 5:42
-11. "Skeleton Makes Good" – 2:18
-12. "Light Reflected Off The Oceans Of The Moon" - 4:47 [Bonus Track]
All tracks written and composed by Don Van Vliet.

Personnel
* Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) – vocals, harmonica, soprano sax, Chinese gongs, prop horn
* Jeff Moris Tepper – steel appendage guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar
* Gary Lucas – glass–finger guitar, slide guitar, guitar, National steel duolian
* Richard "Midnight Hatsize" Snyder – bass guitar, marimba, viola
* Cliff R. Martinez – drums, shake bouquet, glass washboard, metal drums
* Eric Drew Feldman – Rhodes piano, synthesized bass

sample & buy: Ice Cream for Crow

Joe Henderson - Relaxin' at Camarillo (1979) (OJC)

2011-09-28T13:42:00.000+02:00

Joe Henderson - Relaxin' at Camarillo (1979)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 260MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Originally on Contemporary, this CD reissue teams the great tenor Joe Henderson with pianist Chick Corea, either Tony Dumas or Richard Davis on bass, and Peter Erskine or Tony Williams on drums. The repertoire includes two songs by Corea, Henderson's "Y Todavia la Quiero," the standard ballad "My One and Only Love," and Charlie Parker's "Relaxin' at Camarillo." This informal session has plenty of fine solos from the two principals and is recommended to fans of advanced hard bop.

Tracks
-1. "Y Todavia la Quiero" - Henderson - 11:42
-2. "My One and Only Love" - Gershwin, Gershwin, Mellin, Wood - 9:59
-3. "Crimson Lake" - Corea - 5:26
-4. "Yes, My Dear" - Corea - 8:44
-5. "Relaxin' at Camarillo" - Parker - 9:21

Personnel
* Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone)
* Chick Corea (piano)
* Tony Dumas, Richard Davis (bass)
* Peter Erskine, Tony Williams (drums)

sample & buy: Relaxin at Camarillo

Bobby Timmons - Easy Does It (1961)

2011-09-26T15:48:00.000+02:00

Bobby Timmons - Easy Does It (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Pianist Bobby Timmons, who became famous for his funky originals and soulful playing, mostly sticks to more bop-oriented jazz on this trio set with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb. He provides three originals (none of which really caught on) and is in excellent form on five standards, with highlights including "Old Devil Moon," "I Thought About You," and "Groovin' High." The Riverside CD reissue shows that Timmons was a bit more versatile than his stereotype; in any case, the music is excellent.

Tracks
-1. "Easy Does It" - 4:53
-2. "Old Devil Moon" (E.Y. Harburg, Burton Lane) - 4:38
-3. "A Little Busy" - 5:52
-4. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, V Young) - 4:54
-5. "Pretty Memory" - 3:32
-6. "If You Could See Me Now" (Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman) - 6:31
-7. "I Thought About You" (Johnny Mercer, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 5:01
-8. "Groovin' High" (Dizzy Gillespie) - 3:33
All compositions by Bobby Timmons except as inicated
Recorded in New York City on March 13, 1961.

Personnel
* Bobby Timmons - piano
* Sam Jones - bass
* Jimmy Cobb - drums

sample & buy: Easy Does It

Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez - Montreux III (1975)

2011-09-22T12:49:00.000+02:00

Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez - Montreux III (1975)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 180MB

OJC

Allmusic:
For this duet set from the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival (a Fantasy date that has been reissued on CD under the OJC imprint), Bill Evans alternates between acoustic and electric pianos while Eddie Gómez offers alert support and some near-miraculous bass solos. The audience is attentive and appreciative -- as they should be, for the communication between the two masterful players (on such songs as "Milano," "Django," "I Love You," and their encore, "The Summer Knows") is quite special.

Tracks
-1. "Elsa" (Earl Zindars) - 7:28
-2. "Milano" (John Lewis) - 4:40
-3. "Venutian Rhythm Dance" (Clive Stevens) - 4:27
-4. "Django" (Lewis) - 6:18
-5. "Minha (All Mine)" (Francis Hime) - 4:11
-6. "Driftin'" (Dan Haerle) - 5:12
-7. "I Love You" (Cole Porter) - 6:38
-8. "The Summer Knows" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand) - 3:24
Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland on July 20, 1975.

Personnel
* Bill Evans - piano, electric piano
* Eddie Gomez - bass

sample & buy: Montreux 3

Bill Evans - Montreux II (1970)

2011-09-22T12:39:00.000+02:00

Bill Evans - Montreux II (1970)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 235MB

CTI

Allmusic:
Bill Evans' second recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1970 was a highly anticipated concert, finding the pianist in peak form, accompanied by bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Marty Morell. His originals include the rhapsodic "Very Early," the turbulent "34 Skidoo," and an aggressive rendition of "Peri's Scope." His introspective take of Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" is played at a leisurely tempo, while his take of Earl Zindars' "How My Heart Sings" simmers slowly to a boil. His driving setting of Johnny Carisi's "Israel" has an intense Eddie Gómez solo and a lively exchange with Morell as its centerpiece. While this is a terrific live performance, there are sound problems, including what sounds like bleeding of the stage monitors into the mix, and there are muddy spots in the recording as well, particularly during some of Gómez's solos. Master engineer Rudy Van Gelder tackled the remastering of this CTI LP, but there was only so much he could do with what was preserved on the original tape, so the CBS CD reissue, which strangely contains no bonus tracks, does not sound that much better than the original record.

Tracks
-1. Introduction - 1:11
-2. "Very Early" - 5:27
-3. "Alfie" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 5:30
-4. "34 Skidoo" - 6:37
-5. "How My Heart Sings" (Earl Zindars) - 4:16
-6. "Israel" (John Carisi) - 4:14
-7. "I Hear a Rhapsody" (Jack Baker, George Fragos, Dick Gasparre) - 5:54
-8. "Peri's Scope" - 6:00
All compositions by Bill Evans except as indicated
Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Casino De Montreux, Switzerland on June 19 & 20, 1970.

Personnel
* Bill Evans - piano
* Eddie Gomez - bass
* Marty Morell - drums

sample & buy: Montreux II

Bill Evans - At The Montreux Jazz Festival (1968)

2011-09-22T12:30:00.000+02:00

Bill Evans - At The Montreux Jazz Festival (1968)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 330MB

Verve 827 844-2

Allmusic:
Bill Evans, with bassist Eddie Gomez and his drummer of the period Jack DeJohnette (just prior to him joining Miles Davis), is in excellent form on this well-rounded CD reissue. Evans performs two of his originals (including "One for Helen" which was dedicated to his longtime manager Helen Keane), Denny Zeitlin's "Quiet Now," Earl Zindars' "Mother of Earl" and a few of his favorite standards, tunes that are generally ballads and harmonically rich. The interplay between Evans and Gomez was growing month-by-month (the bassist had been with him for almost two years at this point) and is the main reason to acquire this disc although DeJohnette does offer some stimulating support.

Tracks
-01. "One for Helen" (Bill Evans) – 5:22
-02. "A Sleepin' Bee" (Harold Arlen, Truman Capote) – 6:05
-03. "Mother of Earl" (Earl Zindars) – 5:14
-04. "Nardis" (Miles Davis) – 8:23
-05. "I Loves You, Porgy" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) – 6:00
-06. "The Touch of Your Lips" (Ray Noble) – 4:45
-07. "Embraceable You" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 6:45
-08. "Some Day My Prince Will Come" (Frank Churchill, Larry Morey) – 6:08
-09. "Walkin' Up" (Evans) – 3:45
-10. "Quiet Now" (Denny Zeitlin) – 6:26

Personnel
* Bill Evans - piano
* Eddie Gomez - double bass
* Jack DeJohnette - drums

sample & buy: At The Montreux Jazz Festival

Iva Bittova - Cikori (2001)

2011-09-20T13:20:00.000+02:00

Iva Bittova - Cikori (2001)

avantgarde, contemporary | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 305MB

Indies

Allmusic:
Iva Bittová does not release albums very often, making each one something to treasure. Cikori is her first major project since her critically acclaimed duet with Vladimír Václavek, the 1997 Bilé Inferno, and her first group effort since she left Dunaj. Cikori is actually both the title of the album and the name of this quintet, which is also comprised of Václavek (acoustic guitar), Frantisek Kucera (trumpet), Jaromír Honzák (double bass), and Milos Dvorácek (drums and percussion). The three new players already appeared as guests on selected tracks from Bilé Inferno. Basically, this opus develops more elaborate arrangements around the sound of the previous album. Václavek remains an essential part of the atmosphere, but the added instruments provide a wider palette for the singer. Songs like "Krídla" and "Zapísej" show the same attention to melodies, sparse arrangements, delicate build-ups, and charm. In "Jungle" and "První," the group adopts a quasi-Latin mood, which gives Bittová's very personal scats a new color. And who could resist her mischievous child tone when she meows in "Kocha"? Cikori may not be as gripping as Bilé Inferno, but it still represents a strong effort. It's full of beautiful, light, playful pop with an avant-garde twist. Recommended.

Tracks
-1. "Kocka" - Bittova, David - 6:10
-2. "Mravencí Síla" - Bittova, David - 5:02
-3. "Krídla" - Bittova, David - 9:28
-4. "Jungle" - Bittova - 2:42
-5. "Prání" - Bittova, David - 5:11
-6. "První" - Bittova - 5:36
-7. "Polykacka Nozu" - Bittova, Kalisová - 6:55
-8. "Zapískej" - Bittova, Vaclavek - 8:07
-9. "Kazu" - Bittova - 2:13

Personnel
* Iva Bittová - voice, violin
* Vladimír Václavek - guitar
* František Kučera - trumpet
* Jaromír Honzák - double bass
* Miloš Dvořáček - drums, percussion

sample & buy: Cikori

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella a Nice (1971)

2011-09-19T15:26:00.000+02:00

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella a Nice (1971)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 205MB

OJC

Allmusic:
A 1971 live recording, from when Ella Fitzgerald was still at the peak of her vocal powers, Ella à Nice isn't one of the vocalist's all-time greatest live recordings, but it's a very nice set placing her in the company in which she felt most comfortable, a simple piano/bass/drums trio led by her longtime musical partner, Tommy Flanagan. Most of the set list's time is taken up by themed medleys such as "Aspects of Duke," "The Bossa Scene," and "The Many Faces of Cole Porter" that are perfectly nice but, as medleys tend to be, a little disappointing. One would rather hear Ella work her magic on the entirety of "The Girl From Ipanema" or "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" than be teased with a verse and chorus. On the other hand, the opening "Night and Day" is simply outstanding. Opening slowly with an extended vamp by Flanagan and bassist Frank DeLaRosa, the song settles gracefully into a mellow groove, with Ella's patented scat solo a marvel of melodic improvisation. Though little in the following ten tracks reaches those heights (this was toward the end of that phase when Ella was unwisely covering pop hits of the day, and the set includes her takes on "Something" and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," not to mention the actually entirely appropriate and well-done "Close to You"), Ella à Nice is an entirely pleasant diversion.

Tracks
-01. "Night and Day" (Cole Porter) – 6:43
-02. "The Many Faces of Cole Porter: Get Out of Town, You'd Be So Easy to Love, You Do Something to Me" (Porter) – 5:22
-03. "The Ballad Medley: Body and Soul, The Man I Love, I Loves You Porgy (Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour)/(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)/(G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 4:42
-04. "The Bossa Scene: The Girl from Ipanema, Fly Me to the Moon, O Nosso Amor, Madalena, Agua de Beber" (Jobim, N Gimbel, V de Moraes)/(B Howard)/(Jobim, de Moraes)/(Jobim, R Monteiro de Souza)/(Jobim, de Moraes) – 5:35
-05. "Summertime" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) – 2:36
-06. "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 4:14
-07. "Aspects of Duke: Mood Indigo, Do Nothing till You Hear from Me, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills)/(Ellington, Bob Russell)/(Ellington, Mills) – 7:16
-08. "Something" (George Harrison) – 3:33
-09. "St. Louis Blues" (W.C. Handy) – 2:59
-10. "Close to You" (Al Hoffman, Carl G. Lampl, Jerry Livingston) –2:45
-11. "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myers) – 4:29
Recorded July 21, 1971, in Nice, France

Personnel
* Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
* Tommy Flanagan - Piano
* Frank DeLaRosa - Double Bass
* Ed Thigpen - drums

sample & buy: Ella a Nice

Captain Beefheart - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1978)

2011-09-19T15:22:00.000+02:00

Captain Beefheart - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (1978)

rock, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 320MB

Virgin

Allmusic:
So titled because the original album, simply titled Bat Chain Puller, had to be ditched and rerecorded after a legal tuzzle involving Frank Zappa's manager, Shiny Beast turned out to be manna from heaven for those feeling Beefheart had lost his way on his two Mercury albums. Then again, what else could be assumed with a song titled "Tropical Hot Dog Night" that sounds like what happened when Beefheart encountered Miami disco and decided to make something of it? When it comes to singing, though, he's still the atypical growler, snarler and more of lore, conjuring up more wonderfully odd lyrical stories than can easily be measured, while the album as a whole gets steadily more and more bent. "You Know You're a Man" is at once straightforward and incredibly weird when it comes to love and gender, while other standouts include "Bat Chain Puller," a steady chugger that feels like a goofy death march, and the nervy freak of "Owed T'Alex." As for the Magic Band in general, keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman, guitarists Jeff Tepper and Richard Redus and drummer Robert Williams lay down the business with appropriately gone aplomb, as a listen to "Suction Prints" will demonstrate.

Tracks
-01. "The Floppy Boot Stomp" – 3:51
-02. "Tropical Hot Dog Night" – 4:48
-03. "Ice Rose" – 3:37
-04. "Harry Irene" – 3:42
-05. "You Know You're a Man" – 3:14
-06. "Bat Chain Puller" – 5:27
-07. "When I See Mommy I Feel Like a Mummy" – 5:03
-08. "Owed t'Alex" – 4:06
-09. "Candle Mambo" – 3:24
-10. "Love Lies" – 5:03
-11. "Suction Prints" – 4:25
-12. "Apes-Ma" – 0:40
All lyrics and music by Don Van Vliet.

Personnel
* Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) - vocals, harmonica, soprano sax, whistling
* Jeff Moris Tepper - slide guitar, guitar, spell guitar
* Bruce Lambourne Fowler - trombone, air bass
* Eric Drew Feldman - synthesizer, Rhodes piano, grand piano, bass
* Richard Redus - slide guitar, bottleneck guitar, guitar, accordion, fretless bass
* Robert Arthur Williams - drums, percussion
* Art Tripp III - marimba, additional percussion

sample & buy: Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

Horace Parlan - Us Three (1960) (BN Connoiseur edition)

2011-09-16T14:02:00.000+02:00

Horace Parlan - Us Three (1960)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 250MB

Blue Note Connoisseur Edition | 20-bit SBM

Allmusic:
On this recording made in 1960 during his tenure with Lou Donaldson, pianist Horace Parlan is situated nicely alongside bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. The trio had its own gig on Sundays at Minton's in Harlem, and had established a repertoire and reputation for being able to lay down both hard bop and soul-jazz stylings with equal verve. (And yeah, that jazz/hip-hop group from the 1990s was named after this disc.) The proceedings here are straight-ahead with some cool soul-jazz touches. Parlan's "Wadin'" moves the off-minor key of "Wade in the Water" and funkifies the rhythm, paraphrasing and improvising as the rhythm section struts it out. On the title track, there is a gorgeous lilt in his playing that corresponds to a behind-the-beat walk by Tucker that makes Harewood slip and shimmy constantly on the cymbals with his brushes. There and on "I Want to Be Loved" as well as "Return Engagement" (another Parlan original), something else starts to creep into his playing: the spacy, spare feel of Ahmad Jamal, who Parlan cited as a contemporary influence. The economy of touch, which stands in stark contrast to the hard bop he played with Donaldson and the energetic music he played with Mingus, is in some ways more complex harmonically, and more emotionally satisfying. This is a fine effort from an underappreciated trio.

Tracks
1. "Us Three" - 4:33
2. "I Want to Be Loved" (Savannah Churchill) - 4:50
3. "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 6:26
4. "Wadin'" - 5:52
5. "The Lady Is a Tramp" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 7:09
6. "Walkin'" (Richard Carpenter) - 7:06
7. "Return Engagement" - 4:48
All compositions by Horace Parlan except as indicated
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on April 20, 1960

Personnel
* Horace Parlan - piano
* George Tucker - bass
* Al Harewood - drums

sample & buy: Us Three

Bill Frisell - Live in Montreal (2002) (music video)

2011-09-16T13:43:00.000+02:00

Bill Frisell - Live in Montreal (2002)

jazz | DVD9 NTSC | PCM 2.0; DTS 5.1 | iso, cover | 8000MB

EmArcy | rel: 2009

Amazon:
The music on this concert recording is very laid back and groovy. The playing is highly collective - and the different instruments blend perfectly - yet with distinct and impressing solos, especially from Bill Frisell and Ron Miles. I first heard clips from the concert on You Tube and later on a TV-recording from som japanese station. This DVD is much better both with regard to audio and video quality and without mixing music and interviews. Highly recommended!

Tracks
-01. lmprovisation #1
-02. What Do We Do?
-03. Improvisation #2
-04. Dream On
-05. Outlaws
-06. I'm So Lonesome l Could Cry
-07. Improvisation #3
-08. The Tractor
-09. Blues Dream
-10. Ron Carter
-11. BIues For Los AngeIes
-12. Keep Your Eyes Open
-13. That Was Then
-14. Egg Radio
-15. We're Not From Around Here
~93 mins

Personnel
* Bill Frisell - guitar & loops
* Matt Chamberlain - drums
* Billy Drewes - alto sax
* Curtis Fowlkes - trombone
* Greg Leisz - steel guitars & mandolin
* Ron Miles - trumpet
* David Piltch - bass

sample & buy: Live in Montreal

Marianne Faithfull - A Secret Life (1995)

2011-09-14T16:15:00.000+02:00

Marianne Faithfull - A Secret Life (1995)

rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 210MB

Island

Allmusic:
For her first studio album comprised of mostly original material in over a decade, Faithfull enlisted noted composer Angelo Badalamenti (who collaborated with David Lynch for the Twin Peaks TV soundtrack) to write music for her lyrics and produce. Faithfull is still in rippingly fine voice, and her words still penetrate. But while Badalamenti's densely orchestral arrangements can be effectively noirish, they can also create an inappropriately cold and detached ambience, despite standout tracks like "Flaming September" and "She."

Tracks
-01. "Prologue" (Badalamenti, Dante Alighieri) – 2:03
-02. "Sleep" (Faithfull, Badalamenti, Frank McGuiness) – 3:43
-03. "Love in the Afternoon" (Faithfull, Badalamenti) – 3:30
-04. "Flaming September" (Faithfull, Badalamenti) – 5:01
-05. "She" (Faithfull, Badalamenti) – 3:24
-06. "Bored by Dreams" (Faithfull, Badalamenti) – 3:08
-07. "Losing" (Foreman, Levine, Badalamenti) – 3:52
-08. "Wedding" (Faithfull, Badalamenti, McGuiness) – 3:16
-09. "Stars Line Up" (Badalamenti, Faithfull) – 3:51
-10. "Epilogue" (Badalamenti, William Shakespeare) – 3:12
All music composed by Angelo Badalamenti. All lyrics written or co-written by Marianne Faithfull except "Prologue", taken from Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri, "Losing" qritten by D. Forman and D. Levine, and "Epilogue" taken from The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

Personnel
* Marianne Faithfull – vocals
* Carmine D'Amico – guitar
* Vinnie Bell – guitar, mandolin
* Gene Orloff – violin
* Al Brown, Julien Barber, Lamar Alsop, Ann Barak, Mitsue Takayama, Kenneth Fricker, Juliet Haffner, Harry Zaratzian – viola
* Frederick Zlotkin, Clay Ruede, Beverely Lauridsen, Julie Green – cello
* Al Regni, Pamela Sklar, Lawrence Feldman – flute, alto flute
* Shelley Woodworth, Sherry Sylar – oboe, oboe d'amore
* Andre Badalamenti – clarinet
* Robert Carlisle – French horn
* Kinny Landrum, Angelo Badalamenti – keyboards
* Rufus Reid, Mark Egan - bass
* Sam Merendino, Gordon Gottlieb – drums, percussion

sample & buy: Secret Life

Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train (1961) (RVG)

2011-09-13T15:50:00.000+02:00

Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train (1961)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 400MB

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster 2007

Allmusic:
Gravy Train is a fine, if not quite exceptional record from Lou Donaldson's initial soul-jazz phase of the early '60s. Actually, given the title and the period in which it was recorded, the album isn't quite as greasy and funky overall as one might expect; most of the repertoire is devoted to pop ballads and mid-tempo standards, the latter of which tends to bring out more of the bop elements in Donaldson's playing. That's not true for the entire album, though; the title cut is a laid-back, conga-tinged, bluesy groover in the classic Donaldson mold, even if it's a bit workmanlike. Donaldson's longtime pianist, Herman Foster, is allotted quite a bit of solo space here, and he concentrates more on thick, rippling chords than single-note lines. For his part, Donaldson's playing is pleasant, and the rest of the supporting group maintains a steady groove throughout. All of Donaldson's sessions from this period (Here 'Tis, The Natural Soul, Good Gracious) have enough worthwhile moments for devoted fans, and that's true of Gravy Train as well, though casual fans probably won't find it necessary enough to track down.

Tracks
-1. "Gravy Train" - 8:14
-2. "South of the Border" (Michael Carr, Jimmy Kennedy) - 5:31
-3. "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (Johnny Burke, James Van Heusen) - 4:59
-4. "Avalon" (Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose) - 4:15
-5. "Candy" (Mack David, Alex Kramer, Joan Whitney) - 9:18
-6. "Twist Time" - 6:47
-7. "Glory of Love" (Billy Hill) - 4:04
-8. "Gravy Train" [alternate take] - 7:30 Bonus track on CD
-9. "Glory of Love" [alternate take] (Hill) - 3:49 Bonus track on CD
All compositions by Lou Donaldson except as indicated
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on April 27, 1961.

Personnel
* Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone
* Herman Foster - piano
* Ben Tucker - bass
* Dave Bailey - drums
* Alec Dorsey - congas (tracks 1, 2 & 4-9)

sample & buy: Gravy Train

Red Garland - Groovy (1957) (20bitK2)

2011-09-12T11:15:00.000+02:00

Red Garland - Groovy (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 220MB

Prestige 20bitK2

Allmusic:
Red Garland's third recording as a leader has him playing very well, somewhat energetic and more inclusive in his direction to span the mainstream jazz palate beyond the cool exterior he emanates. The title might be a bit deceptive, for this is not a project where soul-jazz or early boogaloo influences turned jazzmen into groovemeisters -- it's a swinging groove. With bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Garland has all the support he needs to wing it in a variety of directions. Recorded in that most legendary year of jazz, 1957, Garland is coming into his own in a more confident way, buoyed by his association at the time with Miles Davis. Chambers is flawless in his support role, and on this recording deserves a close listen, especially for students of the acoustic upright. They immediately dig in on the opener "C Jam Blues," with Garland at his heartiest during his bridge solo, they agree in the affirmative during the entirety of the hard bop take of "Will You Still Be Mine?," and repeat but modify the melody à la "Cool Blues" in an adept display of artistry for "Hey Now." Of course Garland has to play a ballad or two, as on "Willow Weep for Me," luscious with chord sequences, and really reflects the influence of Erroll Garner in that chiming, two-handed sustenato style for Garner's "Gone Again." It is said that by the third recording, most musicians should have their style down pat and begin attempting to take the music to a higher level. You really hear that in this recording, which was a springboard to making Red Garland one of the most revered and respected jazz pianists of the modern era.

Tracks
-1. "C-Jam Blues" - Bigard, Ellington - 8:21
-2. "Gone Again" - Hamner, Hampton, Lewis, Redding, Rock - 6:46
-3. "Will You Still Be Mine?" - Adair, Dennis - 4:43
-4. "Willow Weep for Me" - Ronell - 9:35
-5. "What Can I Say (After I Say I'm Sorry?)" - Donaldson, Donaldson, Lyman, Lyman - 7:14
-6. "Hey Now" - Garland, Gordon - 3:41

Personnel
* Red Garland - piano
* Paul Chambers - bass
* Arthur Taylor - drums

sample & buy: Groovy

Julian Cope - Black Sheep (2008)

2011-09-07T15:54:00.000+02:00

Julian Cope - Black Sheep (2008)

rock, alternative | 2cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 475MB

Head Heritage 23

Head Heritage:
BLACK SHEEP is Julian Cope’s new album for 2008CE, and is a musical exploration of what it is to be an outsider in modern Western Culture. Across 11 songs and one epic poem, Cope examines the idea of social outcasts and how they — through their sheer obstinacy and strength of personality — carve a path for themselves in the normal world, often changing society’s own concepts of normality in the process. On BLACK SHEEP, Cope attributes his personal descent into outsider-dom to his 9th birthday on which 116 children his own age died in the infamous Aberfan Disaster. Cope also asserts that the West has been rigorously directed towards the outsider concept, first by the rejected ‘Black Sheep’ prophet Jesus Christ, whose own people ignored his revelation, and secondly by St. Paul, another ‘Black Sheep’ whose singular take on Christianity has come down to us through the Roman Empire. Available on two half-hour-long CDs and later on gatefold double-vinyl, the 11 songs of BLACK SHEEP reveal Cope at a pinnacle of songwriting and feature sumptuous lashings of orchestral Mellotron, orchestral percussion and marching bass drums, plus oboe, wah guitar, rumbling synthesizers and gorgeous harmony vocals.

Tracks
Disc 1: Return of the Native
-1. Come The Revolution
-2. It's Too Late To Turn Back Now
-3. These Things I Know
-4. Psychedelic Odin
-5. Blood Sacrifice
-6. The Shipwreck of St. Paul
Disc 2: Return of the Alternative
-1. All The Blowing-Themselves-Up Motherfuckers (Will Realise The Minute They Die That They Were Suckers)
-2. Feed My Rock'n'Roll
-3. Dhimmi is Blue
-4. The Black Sheep's Song
-5. I Can Remember This Life

be shopping directly on the artist's website

Anthony Braxton - For Alto (1969)

2011-09-06T15:48:00.000+02:00

Anthony Braxton - For Alto (1969)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 410MB

Delmark

Allmusic:
After issuing Anthony Braxton's Three Compositions of New Jazz in 1968, Chicago's Delmark Records took an enormous chance by issuing the first lengthy solo saxophone improvisation record in 1969 -- and as a double LP no less! And while it's true that hindsight is 20/20, For Alto is still, over 30 years later, a record that is ahead of its time. There is nothing tame or nostalgic about these blasts of jazz futurism from the young Braxton, who sounds here like he's trying to blow his way out of Chicago. Most of the pieces on this set are over nine minutes, and all are dedicated to various influences and friends in the saxophonist's circle. Perhaps the most frightening -- and enlightening -- improvisation here is "To Composer John Cage." Braxton attempts to literally change the entire tonal terrain on which the saxophone plays solo. His skittering skeins of cascading runs are interspersed with huge shouts and screeches all played at lightning speed with a deftness and angularity of approach that is far superior to most of his peers at the time, Messrs. Mitchell and Jarman included. Braxton was introducing tonal possibilities and deconstructions on this record; a solid listen to "Dedicated to Multi-Instrumentalist Leroy Jenkins," with its deep color palette and textural shifts and shapes, is enough to disorient one still. Also, the use of trills as interval markers in "To Artist Murray De Pillars" is remarkable -- especially now, as no one would follow this logic for such an extended period anymore. The reinvention of blues theory on this piece that becomes a kind of muted expressionism is truly remarkable. Many of the recordings from the magical period of the '60s and early-'70s creative movement sound dated now, quaint and diffuse from their original power. For Alto is not one of those records; it still has the literacy and vision to teach us about concentration, vision, emotional aesthetics, and even spiritual possibilities in the world of sound and how that world, that universe, interacts and dovetails with our lives. For Alto is one of the greatest solo saxophone records ever made, and maybe one of the greatest recordings ever issued, period.

Tracks
-1. "Dedicated to Multi-Instrumentalist Jack Gell" – 0:42
-2. "To Composer John Cage" – 9:30
-3. "To Artist Murray dePillars" – 4:17
-4. "To Pianist Cecil Taylor" – 5:18
-5. "Dedicated to Ann and Peter Allen" – 12:54
-6. "Dedicated to Susan Axelrod" – 10:24
-7. "To My Friend Kenny McKenny" – 10:06
-8. "Dedicated to Multi-Instrumentalist Leroy Jenkins" – 19:47

sample & buy: For Alto

Ornette Coleman - The Music Of Ornette Coleman: Something Else!!!! (1958)

2011-09-05T13:24:00.000+02:00

Ornette Coleman - The Music Of Ornette Coleman: Something Else!!!! (1958)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 265MB

OJC

Allmusic:
This 1958 debut recording by the Ornette Coleman Quintet, which featured Coleman on his trademark white plastic alto, Don Cherry on trumpet, Billy Higgins on drums, Walter Norris on piano, and Don Payne on bass, shook up the jazz world -- particularly those musicians and critics who had entered the hard bop era with such verve and were busy using the blues as a way of creating vast solo spaces inside tight and short melody lines. Something Else!!!! is anathema to that entire idea, and must have sounded like it came from outer space at the time. First, Coleman's interest was in pitch, not "being in tune." His use of pitch could take him all over -- and outside of -- a composition, as it does on "Invisible," which begins in D flat. The intervals are standard, but the melodic component of the tune -- despite its hard bop tempo -- is, for the most part, free. But what is most compelling is evident in abundance here and on the next two tunes, "The Blessing" and "Jayne": a revitalization of the blues as it expressed itself in jazz. Coleman refurbished the blues framework, threaded it through his jazz without getting rid of its folk-like, simplistic milieu. In other words, the groove Coleman was getting here was a people's groove that only confounded intellectuals at the time. Coleman restored blues to their "classic" beginnings in African music and unhooked their harmonies. Whether the key was D flat, A, G, whatever, Coleman revisited the 17- and 25-bar blues. There are normal signatures, however, such as "Chippie" in F and in eight-bar form, and "The Disguise" is in D, but in a strange 13-bar form where the first and the last change places, altering the talking-like voice inherent in the melodic line. But the most important thing about Something Else! was that, in its angular, almost totally oppositional way, it swung and still does; like a finger-poppin' daddy on a Saturday night, this record swings from the rafters of the human heart with the most unusually gifted, emotional, and lyrical line since Bill Evans first hit the scene.

Tracks
-1. "Invisible" – 4:11
-2. "The Blessing" – 4:45
-3. "Jayne" – 7:17
-4. "Chippie" – 5:37
-5. "The Disguise" – 2:46
-6. "Angel Voice" – 4:19
-7. "Alpha" – 4:09
-8. "When Will the Blues Leave?" – 4:58
-9. "The Sphinx" – 4:13
All tracks composed by Ornette Coleman.

Personnel
* Ornette Coleman – alto saxophone
* Don Cherry – cornet
* Walter Norris – piano
* Don Payne – double bass
* Billy Higgins – drums

sample & buy: Something Else!!! the Music of Ornette Coleman

The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Three 1962-69 (music video)

2011-09-02T14:04:00.001+02:00

The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Three 1962-69

blues | DVD5 NTSC | PCM mono | iso, cover | 4000MB

Universal | rel: 2004

Amazon:
Street Date: 31 August 2004. The third video compilation in this series is arguably the weakest, but is nonetheless required viewing for all roots/blues fans. As in the previous two DVDs, the material is culled from professionally shot and recorded European television shows from 1965-1968. Only one tune dates from before that period (1962's closing group performance of Helen Humes' "The Blues Ain't Nothin' But a Woman"), making the titular years a bit misleading. Regardless, there is some powerful music here. Half of the tracks, nine out of 18, are taken from 1967's newly discovered Danish television footage. Unfortunately this material was not played in front of a live audience, and without that immediate feedback, the predominantly country blues tunes, while emotionally moving, lack the bite and tension that the artists were used to delivering for their typically more vocal stateside crowds. Much is made about this being the only known live video of Little Walter, but the detailed notes in the 24-page book recount how unhappy he was on this tour. His non-amplified harp backing on Hound Dog Taylor's "Wild About You" and Koko Taylor's classic "Wang Dang Doodle" is much more sedate than what most would expect for a man known the most riveting electrically enhanced harmonica player in blues. Sonny Terry, who joins partner Brownie McGhee for three 1967 tunes and shows up for the 1962 finale, is much more impressive on harmonica, spitting out machine gun notes with precision. Buddy Guy's funky, James Brown-styled "Out of Sight" isn't really blues, but it does capture the guitarist at his most animated. Three "bonus" closing tracks not from the American Folk Blues taping, but from the same time period, are revelatory. One features the incredible Earl Hooker (playing with his teeth on "Earl's Boogie" in 1969) and two catch 1968 stingers from Muddy Waters.

Tracks
-01. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton
-02. Gulfport Boogie - Roosevelt Sykes
-03. Out of Sight - Buddy Guy
-04. Feel So Good - Dr. Isaiah Ross
-05. Flip, Flop & Fly - Big Joe Turner
-06. All Night Long - Skip James
-07. Crow Jane - Skip James
-08. Got Sick & Tired - Bukka White
-09. Death Letter Blues - Son House
-10. Wild About You - Hound Dog Taylor
-11. Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor
-12. Stranger Blues - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-13. Burnt Child (Afraid Of Fire) - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-14. Gonna Move Across The River - Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
-15. The Blues Ain't Nothin' But a Woman - Helen Humes
bonus tracks:
-16. Earl's Boogie - Earl Hooker
-17. Long Distance Call - Muddy Waters
-18. I Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters
~70 mins

buy: American Folk Blues Festival 1962-69 vol 3

John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp, Bobby Previte - Downtown Lullaby (1998)

2011-09-01T21:05:00.001+02:00

John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Elliott Sharp, Bobby Previte - Downtown Lullaby (1998)

jazz, avantgarde | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 285MB

Depth Of Field

Allmusic:
By the time this was recorded, in 1998, the participants were virtual éminence grises of the downtown New York City scene, but this was the first occasion for the four of them to play together as a quartet (although all but Zorn had been members of Horvitz's band the President). The pieces derive their titles from the addresses of erstwhile performing spaces largely in the East Village and Soho, most of which had their heydays in the loft jazz explosion of the late '70s. All of the cuts are improvised by the group, and the perhaps surprising aspect is how much of the vibe is closer to late Miles Davis than to the free improv aesthetic practiced in the titles' points of reference. Horvitz's keyboard work, with its echoes of '70s ring modulators, sets the mood for many of the tracks, Sharp and Previte acting as the Pete Cosey and Al Foster of the band. Previte, in fact, would shortly begin his own overtly Miles-influenced jamming group. Zorn is in a bit of a square-peg situation here, as his trademark squeals and murmurs don't quite mesh with the tenor of the date, although one could argue that they also keep things from getting too comfortable. However, free improvisation has never been the real forte of any of these musicians; all seem more comfortable in structured surroundings, even if those structures are highly arcane and idiosyncratic. When they get into a groove, as on "Bleeker & Bowery," the listener gladly hops on board for an enjoyable ride, but several of the remaining pieces seem uncertain as to which side of the funk/free improv divide is most desirable and, unfortunately, there's no Miles Davis to show how well they could combine. Downtown Lullaby isn't a bad record but, given the personnel, one would have hoped for more.

Tracks
-1 "484 Broome" - 5:42
-2 "500 West 52nd" - 6:15
-3 "Eighth Between B & C" - 6:11
-4 "77 White" - 3:57
-5 "228 West Broadway" - 9:07
-6 "Bleecker & Bowery" - 7:16
-7 "1 Morton St (Downtown Lullaby)" - 9:00
All compositions by Horovitz/Previte/Sharp/Zorn
Recorded at Avatar Recording Studios, New York on January 15, 1998

Personnel
Elliott Sharp – electric guitars
Wayne Horvitz – keyboards, Hammond organ, piano
Bobby Previte – drums
John Zorn – alto

sample & buy: Downtown Lullaby

The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Two 1962-66 (music video)

2011-08-31T18:43:00.001+02:00

The American Folk-Blues Festival - Volume Two 1962-66

blues | DVD5 PAL | PCM mono | iso, cover | 3900MB

Universal | rel: 2003

Amazon
Three songs by Howlin' Wolf are the highlight of this second set of blues performances recorded in the 1960s, when an extraordinary lineup of musicians (among the 18 tracks here are tunes by Lightnin' Hopkins, Willie Dixon, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Big Mama Thornton) toured Europe, thrilling (among many others) the young Englishmen playing in bands like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds. As with Volume 1, the monaural sound and black-and-white video are superb, making the release of the footage four decades later even more welcome. And Wolf? He was still in his prime in '64, perhaps equaled only by Muddy Waters (who appears on the first volume). "Did you ever been in the groove?" he asks at one point. "Well, I'm gonna put you way down in the woods." That he does, and blues fans will be only too happy to tag along.
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Reelin’ In The Years Productions, in association with Experience Hendrix, bring you the American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966 Volumes One & Two. The AFBF was an annual event that featured the cream of American blues musicians barnstorming their way across western Europe every fall from 1962 through 1966. Recorded live in a small TV studio in Germany, these historic and unseen performances have been lost for nearly 40 years. Filmed with superb camera work and pristine sound, each DVD contains 18 complete performances from the greatest blues musicians of all time. Captured during their heyday in an era of scant video documentation, these DVDs are truly one of the most unique and precious visual documents of the blues.
The American Folk Blues Festivals featured a dazzling array of talent that included such greats as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson playing alongside other legends such as T-Bone Walker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Memphis Slim and Big Mama Thornton to create the most significant group of blues artists ever assembled!

Tracks
-01 Bye Bye Bird (Sonny Boy Williamson),
-02 My Younger Days (Sonny Boy Williamson),
-03 Come On Home Baby (Sunnyland Slim),
-04 Nervous (Willie Dixon),
-05 Mojo Hand (Lightnin' Hopkins),
-06 Black Snake Blues (Victoria Spivey),
-07 Everyday I Have the Blues (Memphis Slim),
-08 Don't Throw Your Love on Me so Strong (T-Bone Walker),
-09 Tall Heavy Mama (Roosevelt Sykes),
-10 Sittin' and Cryin' the Blues (Willie Dixon),
-11 Murphy's Boogie (Matt "Guitar" Murphy),
-12 Stranger Blues (Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee),
-13 Shake for Me (Howlin' Wolf),
-14 I'll Be Back Someday (Howlin' Wolf),
-15 Love Me Darlin (Howlin' Wolf),
-16 Down Home Shakedown (Big Mama Thornton)
Two bonus tracks from Magic Sam in 1969:
-b1 All Your Love
-b2 Magic Sam's Boogie
~70 mins

buy: The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966, vol. 2

Tony Williams Lifetime - Emergency! (1969)

2011-08-29T21:49:00.000+02:00

Tony Williams Lifetime - Emergency! (1969)

jazz, jazz-rock | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 475MB

Verve 1997

Allmusic:
Tony Williams' Emergency was one of the first and most influential albums in late-'60s fusion, a record that shattered the boundaries between jazz and rock. Working with guitarist John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young, Williams pushed into new territory, creating dense, adventurous, unpredictable soundscapes. With Emergency, Tony Williams helped create the foundation of the style and sound of fusion. It's a seminal release, originally released on two albums and now available on one CD.

Tracks
-1. "Emergency" (Williams) – 9:35
-2. "Beyond Games" (Williams) – 8:17
-3. "Where" (McLaughlin) – 12:10
-4. "Vashkar" (Bley) – 4:59
-5. "Via the Spectrum Road" (McLaughlin, Williams) – 7:49
-6. "Spectrum" (McLaughlin) – 8:50
-7. "Sangria for Three" (Williams) – 13:07
-8. "Something Spiritual" (Herman) – 5:37

Personnel
* John McLaughlin – Guitar
* Tony Williams – Drums, vocals
* Larry Young – Organ

sample & buy: Emergency

Duke Ellington - Latin American Suite (1970)

2011-08-25T13:52:00.000+02:00

Duke Ellington - Latin American Suite (1970)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 235MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Duke Ellington always absorbed influences from the music he heard as he toured the world, and The Latin American Suite is no exception. Written during his first tour of Central and South America in 1968, Ellington premiered several of the pieces during concerts in the Southern hemisphere, though he didn't record it until returning to the U.S., with one piece ("Tina") being recorded separately over a year after the other tracks. "Oclupaca" is an exotic opener showcasing Paul Gonsalves' robust tenor, while Ellington gets in an Oriental kick during his driving blues "Chico Cuadradino" (jointly written with his son Mercer). Ellington is in a jaunty mood in his bossa nova "Eque," which spotlights both Johnny Hodges and Gonsalves. The infectious "Latin American Sunshine" is buoyed by Harry Carney's sonorous baritone sax and trombonist Lawrence Brown's solo. It's a shame that Ellington chose not to keep any of these originals in his repertoire once work was completed on this album.

Tracks
-1. "Oclupaca" - 4:20
-2. "Chico Cuadradino" (Ellington, Mercer Ellington) - 5:00
-3. "Eque" - 3:30
-4. "Tina" - 4:34
-5. "The Sleeping Lady and the Giant Who Watches over Her" - 7:25
-6. "Latin American Sunshine" - 6:52
-7. "Brasilliance" - 5:02
All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated
Recorded at National Recording Studio in New York, NY on November 5, 1968 (tracks 1-3 & 5-7) and January 7, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada (track 4).

Personnel
* Duke Ellington – piano
* Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Mercer Ellington, Cootie Williams - trumpet (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper - trombone (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Chuck Connors - bass trombone, tenor saxophone (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Russell Procope - alto saxophone, clarinet (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Paul Gonsalves tenor saxophone (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Harold Ashby - tenor saxophone, clarinet (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Harry Carney - baritone saxophone (tracks 1-3 & 5-7)
* Jeff Castleman (tracks 1-3 & 5-7), Paul Kondziela (track 4) - bass
* Rufus Jones - drums

sample & buy: Latin American Suite