Ornette Coleman - Ornette! (1962)

Ornette Coleman - Ornette! (1962)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 380MB

Atlantic

Allmusic:
Recorded a little over a month after his groundbreaking work Free Jazz, this album found Coleman perhaps retrenching from that idea conceptually, but nonetheless plumbing his quartet music to ever greater heights of richness and creativity. Ornette! was the first time bassist Scott LaFaro recorded with Coleman, and the difference in approach between LaFaro and Charlie Haden is apparent from the opening notes of "W.R.U." There is a more direct propulsion and limberness to his playing, and he can be heard driving Coleman and Don Cherry actively and more aggressively than Haden's warm, languid phrasing. The cuts, with titles derived from the works of Sigmund Freud, are all gems and serve as wonderful launching pads for the musicians' improvisations. Coleman, by this time, was very comfortable in extended pieces, and he and his partners have no trouble filling in the time, never coming close to running out of ideas. Special mention should be made of Ed Blackwell, with one of his finest performances. Ornette! is a superb release and a must for all fans of Coleman and creative improvised music in general.

Tracks
-1. "W.R.U." — 16:25 (Coleman)
-2. "T.&T." — 4:35 (Coleman)
-3. "C.&D." — 13:10 (Coleman)
-4. "R.P.D.D." — 9:39 (Coleman)

Personnel
* Ornette Coleman — alto saxophone
* Scott LaFaro — bass
* Don Cherry — trumpet
* Ed Blackwell — drums

sample & buy: Ornette

Fred Frith - Prints (1987–2001)

Fred Frith - Prints: Snapshots, Postcards, Messages and Miniatures (1987–2001)

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

Fred Records 2002

Allmusic:
The short story: Prints is Fred Frith's first album of songs in 20 years. The long story: it is actually a collection of compilation tracks and unreleased studio sessions recorded between 1987 and 2001. No matter if you already own a few of these, a pop album by this man is a rarity -- and that is truly a shame. Of course, as a respected improviser, serious composer, and educator, anything lighter from this pillar of modern music will meet with severe criticism from people who take themselves too seriously. Lighten up! Cheap at Half the Price was the best tongue-in-cheek take at the New Wave. If Prints lacks its thematic focus, it still makes a very fine album, much friendlier to the listener, and truly enjoyable. The known material includes two cover songs for Tzadik tribute CDs to Burt Bacharach and Serge Gainsbourg, "Life of a Detective" recorded with 5uu's in 1990, and "True Love" released in 1987 on a Shimmydisc comp (and later included as a bonus track on RecRec's reissue of Cheap at Half the Price). The new material consists of seven pieces recorded for the WDR (German radio) in 1997. These multi-tracked songs were written and recorded spontaneously. Frith derives his lyrics from the newspapers of the day, uses samples to provide rhythm tracks, and pulls off a couple of excellent songs ("I Want It To Be Over," quoting Bill Clinton in an interview related to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, is a highlight) and instrumental pieces. "Reduce Me" was recorded in 2001 using the same method. The album has been carefully constructed to tone down its "collection" nature and it works well, thanks of course to Frith's humor and pop sensibility. Come on, surely you can live with that! Highly recommended.

Tracks
-01. "Trains & Boats & Planes" (Bacharach, David) – 5:07
---From Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach (1997, Tzadik)
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, 1996
-02. "Stones" (Frith) – 2:02
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997
---Text: International Herald Tribune, 27/01/97, "Palestinian independence celebrations in Hebron"
---Sample: "Ligueyou Ndeye" by Doudou N'Diaye Rose
-03. "Fingerprints" (Frith) – 3:50
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997
-04. "Life of a Detective" (Frith, Brookings) – 3:13
---From Place of General Happiness (1993, Modern Variety Music)
---Recorded at Triple Helix, Denver, Colorado, 1990 (engineer: Bob Drake)
-05. "The Ballad of Melody Nelson" (Gainsbourg) – 2:01
---From Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg (1997, Tzadik)
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, 1997
-06. "Trocosi" (Frith) – 4:36
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997
---Text: International Herald Tribune, 28/01/97, "Enslavement of women in Ghana"
---Sample: "Where Do You Want to Go" by Kahil El'Zabar
-07. "Reduce Me" (Frith) – 5:48
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, 2001
---Text: The Guardian, July 2001, "Afghan woman returns home after ten years of exile"
-08. "Levity" (Frith) – 2:36
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997
---Sample: "Kattajait" from Inuit Games and Songs (UNESCO Collection)
---Sample: applause for Helmut Kohl speech, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
-09. "True Love" (Frith) – 2:56
---From The 20th Anniversary of the Summer of Love (1987, Shimmy Disc)
---Recorded at Noise, New York City, 1987 (engineer: Mark Kramer)
-10. "I Want it to be Over" (Frith) – 3:01
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997
--- Text: International Herald Tribune, 27/01/97, "Bill Clinton interviewed about Monica Lewinsky"
---Samples: Escher-loop, broken glass
-11. "Spot" (Frith) – 4:38
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, July 2001
-12. "In the Winter of '64" (Frith) – 1:48
---Recorded at Jankowski Studio, Esslingen, Germany, January 1997

Personnel
* Fred Frith – all instruments (except those listed below), voice
* Bernd "Lönsch" Lehmann (2,3) – clarinet, tenor saxophone
* Mike Johnson (4) – principal voice
* Dave Kerman (4) – backup voice
* Sebastian Gramms (6) – acoustic bass
* Alexandra Schulz (7) – additional voice
* Sheena Dupuis (9) – backing vocal

sample & buy: Prints

Ahmad Jamal - Live At Bubba's (Autumn In New York) (1980)

Ahmad Jamal - Live At Bubba's (Autumn In New York) (1980)

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

TIM 2001

Allmusic:
Although Ahmad Jamal's recording career was erratic at this period, his live performances were as good as his earlier work. Teamed up with bassist Sabu Adeyola and drummer Payton Crossley, Jamal interprets a diverse program highlighted by "Waltz for Debbie" and "I've Never Been In Love Before," although recording "People" was probably a mistake.

Tracks
-1. "Waltz for Debby" - Evans, Lees - 6:24
-2. "Folks Who Live on the Hill" - Hammerstein, Kern - 5:42
-3. "People" - Merrill, Styne - 5:33
-4. "Baia" - Barroso, Gilbert - 8:39
-5. "The Good Life" - Distel, Distel, Reardon - 4:41
-6. "Autumn in New York" - Duke - 5:18
-7. "I've Never Been in Love Before" - Loesser - 2:50

Personnel
* Ahmad Jamal- piano
* Payton Crossley - drums
* Sabu Adeyola - Bass

sample & buy: Live at Bubba's

Dexter Gordon - Dexter Calling... (1961) (RVG)

Dexter Gordon - Dexter Calling... (1961)

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

Blue Note | RVG 24-bit remaster

Allmusic:
Dexter Gordon's second recording for the Blue Note label is a solidly swinging affair, yet constantly full of surprises. It's not unexpected that Gordon's tenor at this time -- 1961 -- is one of the most enjoyable in mainstream jazz, but his transition from the cool California scene to the hotter music environs of New York City had energized his sound and attitude. A first-time pairing with bassist Paul Chambers has something to do with this, but it also inspires pianist Kenny Drew to a great extent, while drummer Philly Joe Jones is his reliable, energetic self, and always works well with Gordon. This SACD edition features a broad range of jazz that Gordon mastered with wisdom and a bit of mad abandon on his solos. Where Gordon's fluent melodic sense is perfectly demonstrated during the simple-as-pie groove waltz "Soul Sister," the steady, steamy bopper "I Want More," and the familiar Charlie Chaplin evergreen "Smile," his sense of expanding the specific line upon soloing is truly remarkable. He constantly keeps the song form in mind, riffing on and on without violating the basic note structures, constantly reharmonizing, shuffling the chords like a card dealer and updating the song form. "The End of a Love Affair" takes this concept into an area where his deep, subtle voice is translated directly into the low-slung voicings of his horn. The remarkable "Modal Mood" combines hard bop with Drew's three-chord piano repetitions and Gordon's soulful, simplified sax, while the equally impressive "Clear the Dex" steamrolls the competition as the band -- cued by Jones -- skillfully pushes or pull tension and release elements, then busts loose into joyous swinging in a true signature tune that is immediately recognizable as only the long, tall tenor man. The sad ballad "Ernie's Tune" is based on a yin/yang theme via Freddie Redd's stage play The Connection and the crazy character that ran wild or tame. There's a previously unissued track, "Landslide," which sounds slightly like a knock-off of one of his other tunes -- perhaps "Cheesecake" -- but considering the time frame, it could be a prelude to one of his most famous songs of all time. The excellent band, solid musicianship, and memorable music on every track make this one of the more essential recordings of Gordon's career, enhanced by the improved audio quality.

Tracks
-1. "Soul Sister" - 7:45
-2. "Modal Mood" (Kenny Drew) - 5:23
-3. "I Want More" - 5:20
-4. "The End of a Love Affair" (Edward Redding) - 6:53
-5. "Clear the Dex" (Drew) - 4:54
-6. "Ernie's Tune" - 4:16
-7. "Smile" (Charlie Chaplin) - 3:23
-8. "Landslide" - 5:15 Bonus track
All compositions by Dexter Gordon except as indicated

Personnel
* Dexter Gordon - tenor saxophone
* Kenny Drew - piano
* Paul Chambers - bass
* Philly Joe Jones - drums

sample & buy: Dexter Calling

RCA Living Stereo: Beethoven - Symphony Nos. 5 & 6 (1955)

RCA Living Stereo: Beethoven - Symphony Nos. 5 & 6 (1955)
Charles Munch & Boston S O
classical | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 390MB

RCA | SACD | rel.: 2005

Arkivmusic.com:
Charles Munch is not the first conductor one associates with Beethoven’s symphonies, but excellent, privately issued French broadcast recordings from the 1960s show him to have been a strong, vigorous Beethovenian. So, too, do a few commercial recordings for RCA during his Boston Symphony years, although these haven’t circulated very widely in the post-LP era. Indeed, RCA skipped over Munch’s Beethoven Fifth and Sixth during its Living Stereo reissue go-round in the 1990s, but here they are making a welcome addition to the new Living Stereo SACD catalog. The two-channel sound here is vibrant but hardly astonishing; the main point of interest remains the performances.
The Fifth benefits from fleet tempos, tight ensemble, and punchy attacks, with the woodwinds nicely cutting through the string-centered sonority. Munch tends to set a course and push through without offering any of the telling details of phrasing and pacing provided by, say, Carlos Kleiber and the Vienna Philharmonic (on a distant-sounding two-channel SACD reissue from DG, coupled with the Seventh), to say nothing of the splendid recent Vänskä/Minnesota surround version on BIS (coupled with the Fourth). Still, it’s a fine performance comparable to the early 1960s Karajan (also on SACD), but with greater textural variety.
The “Pastoral” Symphony is even better. My favorite recording is the genial Monteux/London Symphony on Decca (not reissued in a DSD version, alas); Munch comes very close to this standard, burbling along with gentle delight in the first two movements, and then pulling out all the stops in the symphony’s second half, with superb wind solos in the third movement, a powerful storm sequence, and a concluding hymn that’s managed so well that for once it doesn’t wear out its welcome. Again, Munch is stingy with repeats, but that’s not really critical in this symphony. A very good Fifth and an outstanding “Pastoral” gain a well-deserved new lease on life.

-1. Symphony no 5 in C minor, Op. 67 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Written: 1807-1808; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 05/02/1955
Venue: Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

-2. Symphony no 6 in F major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Conductor: Charles Munch
Orchestra/Ensemble: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Written: 1808; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 08/16/1955
Venue: Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

sample & buy: Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6

Art Blakey - Kyoto (1964)

Art Blakey - Kyoto (1964)

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

OJC

Allmusic:
Reissued on Fantasy's OJC series, this album finds Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers paying tribute to Japan (where they had toured to great acclaim) on two selections, featuring Art Blakey's cousin as a vocalist on "Wellington's Blues" (a real rarity in The Jazz Messengers' discography) and debuting Curtis Fuller's "The High Priest." With trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenorman Wayne Shorter and trombonist Fuller in fine form, this is one of literally dozens of recommended Jazz Messengers recordings.

Tracks
-1. "The High Priest" - Fuller - 5:55
-2. "Never Never Land" - Comden, Green, Styne - 5:50
-3. "Wellington's Blues" - Blakey - 5:03
-4. "Nihon Bashi" - Watanabe - 8:30
-5. "Kyoto" - Hubbard - 7:03

Personnel
* Bass – Reggie Workman
* Drums – Art Blakey
* Piano – Cedar Walton
* Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
* Trombone – Curtis Fuller
* Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard
* Vocals – Wellington Blakey (tracks: 3)

sample & buy: Kyoto

London, Sklamberg, Caine - Nigunim (1998)

London, Sklamberg, Caine - Nigunim (1998)

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

Savoy

Allmusic:
An excellent album of nigunim -- Hasidic melodies traditionally composed by Jewish spiritual leaders for Sabbath and holidays -- from the Gerer, Lubavitch, and Belzer (all European) traditions. The musicians here are not only klezmer revivalists, but also accomplished jazz and classical musicians. The trio consists of trumpeter Frank London, pianist Uri Caine, and the classic Hasidic stylings of vocalist Lorin Sklamberg, with a guest appearance by organist Brian Mitchell, and all present add keyboard work at some point on harmonium, Fender Rhodes, etc. Nigunim opens with "Eyli Ato," a nostalgic, classically sung rendition of a melody composed by an Alter Lubavitcher Rebbe (a Lubavitch Elder Rabbi) for singing Psalms 118:28. Other tunes from the Lubavitch tradition: the longing-filled, nearly melancholic "Esn Est Zikh," during which Uri Caine's piano at times brings to mind Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"; and "Tsomo Lekho Nafshi," which opens with a warm trumpet solo filled with promise for the song that's about to unfold, after which the piano and accordion come in with a simple looping melody as London uses his mute, the piano solos over the top, then Sklamberg belts out in Middle Eastern-like bending moans. The "Gerer Medley" is a festive and upbeat tune composed for the meal following the Havdalah, or night service marking the end of Sabbath. Nigunim have long drawn from secular, as well as religious, sources, incorporating them into the Jewish tradition by giving them distinctly Jewish musical traits. Thus, the soul gospel stylings of the closing track, "Tayere Brider," during which Mitchell adds the anointed handclaps of his Hammond B-3. Nigunim is an excellent album for those who already know and own nigunim recordings, and for those who don't yet, but are open to enjoying incredible Jewish music from inspired musicians.

Tracks
-01. "Eyli Ato" - 3:59
-02. "Belzer Medley" - 6:14
-03. "Mipney Ma / Peysakh Nign" - 6:24
-04. "Gerer Medley" - 5:19
-05. "Esn Est Zikh" - 3:38
-06. "Nign Leshabes Veyontev" - 9:23
-07. "Tsomo Lekho Nafshi" - 7:09
-08. "Zkhor Dovor" - 3:04
-09. "Avrom Ben Shmuel" - 4:40
-10. "Tayere Brider" - 4:14

Personnel
* Frank London - Trumpet, Harmonium, Organ, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes]
* Uri Caine - Piano, Harmonium, Organ [Hammond B3], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes]
* Lorin Sklamberg - vocals, accordion, harmonium

sample & buy: Nigunim