Gabor Szabo - 1969 (1969)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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