Classical Jazz Quartet - Play Bach (2002)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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