Jazz Cafee: September 2022

Pharoah Sanders - In The Beginning 1963-1964 [4 CD, 2012] (FLAC+320)

RIP (October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022)

Pharoah Sanders In the Beginning 1963 - 1964 - four CD set documents the first recordings of the iconic tenor saxophonist, Pharoah Sanders, prior to his well-known association with John Coltrane. Beginning with two previously unreleased sessions with Ornette Coleman alumni Don Cherry and Paul Bley, followed by Pharoah's debut date as a leader for ESP-Disk and concluding with the first issue ever of the complete the December 30 and 31, 1964 Sun Ra at Judson Hall concerts, Sanders only known recordings with the Arkestra the set also includes rare recorded interviews with Sanders, Cherry, Bley and Ra by ESP-Disk's music producer Michael D. Anderson. With Coltrane, Sanders would become known for extremely atonal blowing using extended techniques, but on his September 20, 1964 ESP session (as on most of his work as a leader) he does not go to those extremes.

In the summer of 1955, after Miles Davis performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, he was approached by Columbia Records executive George Avakian, who offered him a contract if he could form a regular band. Davis assembled his first regular quintet to meet a commitment at the Café Bohemia in July with Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. By the autumn, Rollins had left to deal with his heroin addiction, and later in the year joined the hard bop quintet led by Clifford Brown and Max Roach.

At the recommendation of drummer Jones, Davis replaced Rollins with John Coltrane, beginning a partnership that would last five years and finalizing the Quintet's first line-up. Expanded to a sextet with the addition of Cannonball Adderley on alto saxophone in 1958, the First Great Quintet was one of the definitive hard bop groups along with the Brown-Roach Quintet and the Jazz Messengers, recording the Columbia albums Round About Midnight, Milestones, and the marathon sessions for Prestige Records resulting in four albums collected on The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions.

Miles Davis Quintet:

Miles Davis, trumpet
John Coltrane, tenor saxophone
Red Garland, piano
Paul Chambers, double bass
Philly Joe Jones, drums

Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Album Collection is a box set by jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 2009. It contains all the official releases on the Columbia Records label.

At the dawn of the 1970s, Billy Cobham built his legend with his bandleader debut, Spectrum . Raw, daring and overflowing with adrenalin, the album topped the Billboard Jazz charts. Having played for Miles Davis, Horace Silver and Mose Allison, Billy Cobham had joined the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1971, before signing to Atlantic as a solo artist in 1973. Worshipped today as a titan of drumming, Billy Cobham's career is now in its fifth decade.

Live Under the Sky was an annual multi-day summer jazz festival held in Tokyo's 10,000-capacity Denen Hall, featuring the cream of local and international talent. The climax of 1981's festival, broadcast by NHK radio was a jointly headlined set by Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana, together with a band including Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. A joyous blend of jazz and Latin-tinged funk, it is presented in full here, together with background notes and images.

Double Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Anthony Williams
Electric Guitar – Carlos Santana
Grand Piano, Keyboards – Herbie Hancock
Percussion – Armando Peraza, Orestes Vilato, Raul Rekow
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis

A1 Watermelon Man > Evil Ways > Watermelon Man 25:33

B1 'Round Midnight 7:24

B2 Parade 9:54

B3 Unknown #1 7:47

C1 A Quick Sketch 17:39

C2 Love Theme From Spartacus 8:37

C3 Unknown #2 (Fade Out) 2:59

D1 Unknown #2 (Cont.) 3:24

D2 Unknown #3 5:55

D3 Europa 9:08

D4 Saturday Night 11:28

Hossam Ramzy discography [1986-2011]

Hossam Ramzy (15 December 1953 – 10 September 2019) was an Egyptian percussionist and composer. He worked with Western artists like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Siouxsie Sioux, as well as with Arabic music artists like Rachid Taha and Khaled.

Ramzy was born into a wealthy Cairo family. He began playing the darbuka and tabla at an early age. He moved to Saudi Arabia for a time and learned traditional Bedouin music styles. In the 1970s he moved to London and began playing with saxophonist Andy Sheppard. His collaborations with jazz musicians earned him the nickname "The Sultan of Swing". In 1989 he worked with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. This brought him to the attention of artists such as Frank Asher and the Gipsy Kings.

Charlie Parker - A Studio Chronicle 1940-1948 [5 CD, 2003] (FLAC + 320)

A Studio Chronicle 1940-1948 is a five-disc box set detailing what producer Ted Kendall considers to be the essential studio recordings of saxophonist Charlie Parker. Included here are not only the innovative bebop sides that made Parker a living legend, but also the early Kansas City swing recordings he appeared on while playing with the Jay McShann Orchestra. The result is a studio history of Parker's development from a struggling farm kid turned musician to the most important figure in jazz history next to Louis Armstrong. Given that these recordings are widely available, the real attraction here is the faithful-to-the-original remastered sound, the historically enlightening liner notes, and the overarching critical aesthetic that these are the Bird cuts to check out. Also, given that the tracks are presented with few repeats on discs in chronological order makes this better listening than Atlantic's Complete Savoy and Dial Studio Recordings 1944-1948. Oddly though, the only place Kendall delineates what labels these tracks were originally released on -- mostly Dial and Savoy -- is in the track listing and there only by label numbers. Despite this confusing omission, Kendall has produced a superb collection that illuminates more than it overlooks.

The great veteran pianist Jay McShann (also known as Hootie) enjoyed a long career and it is unfair to primarily think of him as merely the leader of an orchestra that featured a young Charlie Parker. He was mostly self-taught as a pianist, worked with Don Byas as early as 1931 and played throughout the Midwest before settling in Kansas City in 1936. McShann formed his own sextet the following year and by 1939 had his own big band. In 1940 at a radio station in Wichita, KS, McShann and an octet out of his orchestra recorded eight songs that were not released commercially until the 1970s; those rank among the earliest of all Charlie Parker records (he is brilliant on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Lady Be Good") and also feature the strong rhythm section team McShann had with bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Gus Johnson. The full orchestra recorded for Decca on two occasions during 1941-1942 but they were typecast as a blues band and did not get to record many of their more challenging charts (although very rare broadcasts have since surfaced and been released on CD by Vintage Jazz Classics). In addition to Bird (who had a few short solos), the main stars were trumpeter Bernard Anderson, the rhythm section, and singer Walter Brown. McShann and his band arrived in New York in February 1942 and made a strong impression, but World War II made it difficult for any new orchestras to catch on. There was a final session in December 1943 without Parker, but McShann was soon drafted and the band broke up. After being discharged later in 1944, McShann briefly re-formed his group but soon moved to Los Angeles, where he led combos for the next few years; his main attraction was the young singer Jimmy Witherspoon.

McShann was in obscurity for the next two decades, making few records and mostly playing in Kansas City. In 1969 he was rediscovered and McShann (who had first sung on records in 1966) was soon a popular pianist/vocalist. Sometimes featuring violinist Claude Williams, he toured constantly, recorded frequently, and appeared at many jazz festivals, being active into the mid-'90s. Jay McShann, who recorded through the years for Onyx (the 1940 radio transcriptions), Decca, Capitol, Aladdin, Mercury, Black Lion, EmArcy, Vee Jay, Black & Blue, Master Jazz, Sackville, Sonet, Storyville, Atlantic, Swingtime, and Music Masters among others, was a vital pianist and an effective blues vocalist who keept a classic style alive. A live album, Hootie Blues, recorded in 2001 in Toronto and released in 2006 by Stony Plain, showed that McShann could still bring it at the age of 85. He died at the age of 90 on December 7, 2006.

1957 Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann & His Band - Goin' To Kansas City Blues

1991 Paris All-Star Blues Featuring Jay McShann - A Tribute To Charlie Parker

1992 Ralph Sutton, Jay McShann - Last Of The Whorehouse Piano Players

1997 Jay McShann & Duke Robillard Band - Hootie's Jumpin' Blues

1998 Jay McShann - My Baby With The Black Dress On

1999 Jay McShann - What A Wonderful World

2000 The Jay McShann Trio - Hootie

2003 Jay McShann - Goin' To Kansas City

2006 Jay McShann - Hootie Blues

Al Di Meola with John McLaughlin & Paco de Lucia - discography 1981-1996 (FLAC)

1981 - Friday Night in San Francisco

1983 - Passion Grace and Fire

1996 - The Guitar Trio

Billie Holiday - Songs for Distingue Lovers (1957/2012/FLAC)

Songs for Distingué Lovers is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1957 on Verve Records. It was originally available in both mono, catalogue number MGV 8257, and stereo, catalog number MGVS 6021. It was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles from January 3 to January 9, 1957, and produced by Norman Granz.

Billie Holiday, vocal
Harry Edison, trumpet
Ben Webster, tenor saxophone
Jimmy Rowles, piano
Barney Kessel, guitar
Red Mitchell, double bass
Alvin Stoller, drums
Joe Mondragon, double bass
Larry Bunker, drums

01. Day In Day Out (Mercer-Bloom) - 6:49

02. A Foggy Day (Gershwin-Gershwin) - 4:43

03. Stars Fell on Alabama (Perkins-Parish) - 4:31

04. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) (Arlen-Mercer) - 5:40

05. Just One of Those Things (Porter) - 5:33

06. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Rodgers-Hart) - 5:59

George Benson discography 1964 - 2019 (FLAC)

George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.

A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album Breezin' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1964 - George Benson - The New Boss Guitar of George Benson

1966 - The George Benson Quartet - It's Uptown

1967 - The George Benson Quartet - The George Benson Cookbook

1968 - George Benson - Giblet Gravy

1968 - George Benson - Goodies

1968 - George Benson - Shape Of Things To Come

1969 - George Benson - Tell It Like It Is

1970 - George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road

1971 - George Benson - Beyond The Blue Horizon

1972 - George Benson - White Rabbit

1973 - George Benson - Body Talk

1973 - George Benson Quartet - After Hours - Live at Casa Caribe Club

1974 - George Benson - Bad Benson

1976 - George Benson & Joe Farrell - Benson & Farrell

1976 - George Benson - Benson Burner

1976 - George Benson - Breezin'

1976 - George Benson - Good King Bad

1976 - George Benson - In Concert-Carnegie Hall

1977 - George Benson & Jack McDuff

1977 - George Benson - In Flight

1978 - George Benson - Weekend In L.A

1979 - George Benson - Livin' Inside Your Love

1980 - George Benson - Give Me The Night

1981 - George Benson - The George Benson Collection

1983 - George Benson - In Your Eyes

1983 - George Benson - Pacific Fire

1984 - George Benson - I Got A Woman And Some Blues

1985 - George Benson - 20-20

1986 - George Benson - While The City Sleeps

1987 - George Benson & Earl Klugh - Collaboration

1988 - George Benson - Twice The Love

1989 - George Benson - Tenderly

1990 - George Benson - Big Boss Band

1990 - George Benson - Grand New World - Greatest Love Songs

1993 - George Benson - Love Remembers

1996 - George Benson - That's Right

1998 - George Benson - Standing Together

2000 - George Benson - Absolute Benson

2003 - George Benson - Irreplaceable

2006 - George Benson & Al Jarreau - Givin' It Up

2009 - George Benson - Songs And Stories

2011 - George Benson - Guitar Man

2013 - George Benson - Inspiration. A Tribute To Nat King Cole

2019 - George Benson - Walking To New Orleans

Kenny Clarke - The Complete Albums Collection (4 CD, 2022) [FLAC]

This four-disc set compiles much of Kenny Clarke’s finest work, including as it does all albums on which he performed as leader or co-leader. While only covering the period during which he performed under his own name, the collection serves as a fine starting point to the work of this maverick jazz pioneer and a delightful reminder of the great man’s most accomplished music.

Lady In Satin is Billie Holiday’s penultimate masterpiece. The 1958 gem is one of her finest achievements and a full display of her immortal vocal abilities. Joined by the Ray Ellis Orchestra, Holiday dazzles on tunes including “For Heaven's Sake,” “You Don't Know What Love Is” and “I'm A Fool To Want You.” The album is one of Holiday’s personal favorites and an emotional listen from start to finish. It is one of jazz’s bestselling albums and was inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame.

Mel Davis - trumpet
Ray Ellis - conductor, arranger
Ray Ellis Orchestra
Barry Galbraith - guitar
Urbie Green - trombone
Milt Hinton - bass
J.J. Johnson - trombone
Osie Johnson - drums
Phil Kraus - Percussion
Tommy Mitchell - trombone
George Ockner - violin
Dave Sawyer - cello
Mal Waldron - piano
Miriam Workman - soprano

1 I'm A Fool To Want You 3:25
2 For Heaven's Sake 3:28
3 You Don't Know What Love Is 3:51
4 I Get Along Without You Very Well 3:02
5 For All We Know 2:56
6 Violets For Your Furs 3:26
7 You've Changed 3:19
8 It's Easy To Remember 4:04
9 But Beautiful 4:31
10 Glad To Be Unhappy 4:09
11 I'll Be Around 3:25

Sun Ra - The Early Albums Collection 1957-1963 (4 CD, 2018/FLAC)

A true maverick in every sense of the word, Sun Ra remains one of the most influential, innovative and controversial figures in jazz. An exceptional composer, pianist and bandleader, Ra and his amorphous Arkestra embraced a vast array of styles from the entire jazz spectrum, from swing to bebop, free jazz to fusion and avant-garde to space music, while often adopting extravagant personas and costumes, and giving performances that pioneered the Afrofuturism movement. Never a great commercial success, Sun Ra boasts one of the largest discographies of any recording artist, having released over 100 LPs and numerous compositions. Of notable interest is the early part of Sun Ra s career, when his experimental nature was first developing. Sun Ra s career would remain as eclectic and exciting as ever it was throughout the rest of his life, as he continued to push boundaries and influence countless musicians within the world of jazz and beyond. He passed away on 30th May 1993 at the age of 79, but after death, his legacy lived on, as the Arkestra continued to operate in his honour, playing the great man s compositions to this very day. This collection brings together seven full albums, and many early singles, featuring more than five hours of music from the early part of his career as bandleader. Documenting the development of his music from 1955 to 1963, this set goes some way to unraveling the depths of this master musician and wholly unique individual s music.

Candy Dulfer discography 1990-2017 (FLAC)

Candy Dulfer (born 19 September 1969) is a Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist. She is the daughter of jazz saxophonist Hans Dulfer. She began playing at age six and founded her band Funky Stuff when she was fourteen. Her debut album Saxuality (1990) received a Grammy nomination. She has performed and recorded with Hans Dulfer, Prince, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison, Angie Stone, Maceo Parker and Rick Braun and has performed live with Alan Parsons (1995), Pink Floyd (1990), and Tower of Power (2014).

1990. Candy Dulfer - SAXuality (Ariola 260.696, Germany)

1991. Candy Dulfer - SAXuality (Arista ARCD-8674, USA)

1993. Candy Dulfer - Sax-A-Go-Go (BMG-Ariola 74321 111812, Germany)

1993. Candy Dulfer - Sax-A-Go-Go (RCA-BMG 07863 66248-2, USA)

1995. Candy Dulfer - Big Girl (BMG-Ariola 74321 315132, EU)

1997. Candy Dulfer - For The Love Of You (BMG 74321 468622, EU)

1999. Candy Dulfer - Girls Night Out (BMG-Ariola 74321 686002, EU)

1999. Candy Dulfer - What Does It Take (N-Coded NC-4204-2, USA, Promo)

2001. Candy Dulfer - Live In Amsterdam (BMG 74321 826 082, EU)

2002. Hans & Candy Dulfer - Dulfer Dulfer (Eagle WK24345, USA)

2003. Candy Dulfer - Right In My Soul (Eagles EAGCD208, EU)

2005. Candy Dulfer - Live At Montreux (Eagle ER 20076-2, USA)

2007. Candy Dulfer - Candy Store (Heads Up HUCD3131, EU)

2009. Candy Dulfer - Funked Up & Chilled Out (Heads Up HUCD3152E, EU)

2011. Candy Dulfer - Crazy (Razor & Tie 7930183323-2, USA)

2017. Candy Dulfer - Together (CTM CTM2017333, EU)

Brian Lynch & Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra - Bolero Nights (for Billie Holiday) [2011/FLAC-HD]

As one of the more exuberant trumpeters in Latin jazz via his stint with Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch might surprise his fans with this seductive and sensual album directing his Afro-Cuban-oriented orchestra. With five horns and on occasional the legendary alto saxophonist Phil Woods, Lynch and his band weave some magical and lower-key threads, not so much dedicated to Billie Holiday's music as inspired by her romantic spirit. Split between some well-chosen standards and original compositions, the band struts and sways along on the famous "Delilah," Lynch's easy cha-cha "Afinique," and the beautiful "La Sitiera." Only during the midtempo montuno version of the Charles Mingus evergreen "Celia" or the 6/8 arrangement of Mal Waldron's "Fire Dance" does the band really simmer or even moderately cook. Pianist Zaccai Curtis (of the Curtis Brothers Quartet) and Woods via counterpoint are outstanding in spots, while Lynch himself takes it down a notch throughout, setting the tone, and generously adding a sensitive but regretful feeling to the great take of "I'm a Fool to Want You." From luminous mambos or in serene, pensive underpinnings, this group really hits the mark for subtle yet clearly delineated music that Lady Day surely would have shed a tear or two over, as might we all.

Brian Lynch - trumpet, flugelhorn
Phil Woods (#3,6,7), Ivan Renta - alto saxophone
Alan Hoffman - tenor saxophone
Marshall Gilkes - trombone
Ron Blake - baritone saxophone
Zaccai Curtis - piano
Boris Kozlov - bass
Little Johnny Rivero - conga, bongo, percussion
Marvin Diz - timbales, drums

Recorded at The Clinton Studio "A", New York on November 8-10, 2008.

01. Afinque (Lynch) - 7:51
02. La Sitiera (Lopez) - 6:32
03. Celia (Mingus) - 9:25
04. Fire Waltz (Waldron) - 6:38
05. Delilah (Young) - 9:43
06. I'm a Fool to Want You (Sinatra-Herron-Wolf) - 6:53
07. You've Changed (Fischer) - 7:15

Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Jack DeJohnette – To Be Continued (1981/FLAC)

Essentially a continuation of Rypdal Vitous DeJohnette, this album somewhat lacks the atmospheric keyboards of its predecessor. It is nonetheless quite compelling, particularly in DeJohnette's propulsive drumming on the title track, and his phantasmic piano and voice on "Uncomposed Appendix." This album also features one of Rypdal's best-loved works, the gorgeously stark and stately "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" -- Norwegian for "Hat, gloves, and scarf," an idiomatic phrase implying the onset of their long and cold winter.

Terje Rypdal — electric guitars, flute
Miroslav Vitous — acoustic bass, electric bass, piano
Jack DeJohnette — drums, voice

All compositions by Terje Rypdal except as indicated

"Maya" - 10:18
"Mountain in the Clouds" (Miroslav Vitous) - 4:57
"Morning Lake" (Vitous) - 7:28
"To Be Continued" (Jack DeJohnette) - 9:12
"This Morning" (DeJohnette, Vitous, Rypdal) - 5:24
"Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" - 3:48
"Uncomposed Appendix" - 1:52

Recorded at Talent Studio in Oslo, Norway in January 1981

Miles Davis - Complete Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991 [20 CD, 2002]

The Complete Miles Davis Live at Montreux 1973-1991 compiles 20 CDs documenting every performance by the trumpeter at the famed Swiss jazz festival in its entirety. What's more, 19 of these volumes have never before been issued in any form.

In the '70s, brothers Michael and Randy Brecker co-led a band of New York session big shots that included, at various times, David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Will Lee, and George Duke, among others. When they chose to, the Brecker Brothers Band could be one of the most intelligent and creative fusion outfits. Chief composer/trumpeter Randy's best tunes were structurally unpredictable, melodically intricate, and harmonically complex, inside/out bop heads played in an impossibly precise manner over a bed of funk rhythms. Unlike the bulk of jazz-funk, the Breckers -- on their first record, at least -- kept the pandering to a minimum. Though it had a certain commercial appeal, 1975's Back to Back was an artistic success as well. The Brothers' music was a smart combination of extended pop forms, top-notch jazz improvisation, and sophisticated compositional techniques. On later albums, the temptation to sell records apparently became too great to resist. Still, virtually every record had something of substance to recommend it. In the early '90s, RCA issued a pair of compilation CDs that combined the best of the band's purely instrumental, jazz-based work. By 1982, the brothers had ceased working together, but they did reunite occasionally for touring and the recording of two albums for GRP: Return of the Brecker Brothers in 1992 and Out of the Loop in 1994.

1975 - The Brecker Brothers (2016)

1976 - Back To Back (2016)

1977 - Don't Stop The Music (2016)

1978 - Heavy Metal Be-Bop (2017)

1980 - Detente (2017)

1981 - Straphangin' (2017)

1991 - Score (1991)

1992 - Return Of The Brecker Brothers (2017)

1994 - Out Of The Loop (2017)

2015 - The Bottom Line Archive (2015)

2020 - Live And Unreleased

Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday at Newport (1958/2015) [FLAC-HD]

Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday at Newport presents the naturally intriguing results when Verve paired two sets recorded two days apart (over the 4th of July weekend, 1957) by the two best female singers of the 20th century.

Recorded: July 4-6, 1957, Newport Jazz Festival, Freebody Park, Newport

Personnel:

Tracks 01-07 (July 4, 1957)

Ella Fitzgerald (vocals)
Don Abney (piano)
Wendell Marshall (double bass)
Jo Jones (drums)

Tracks 08-13 (July 6, 1957)

Billie Holiday (vocals)
Mal Waldron (piano)
Joe Benjamin (double bass)
Jo Jones (drums)

01. This Can't Be Love ((1:45)

02. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (4:29)

03. Body And Soul (4:28)

04. April In Paris (4:02)

05. I've Got A Crush On You (2:30)

06. Airmail Special (4:35)

07. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (5:08)

08. Nice Work If You Can Get It (2:38)

09. Willow Weep For Me (3:08)

10. My Man (3:29)

11. Lover, Come Back To Me (2:05)

12. Lady Sings The Blues (2:59)

13. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (3:11)

Art Farmer, Benny Golson, The Jazztet - The Complete Argo/Mercury Art Farmer/Benny Golson/Jazztet Sessions [5 CD, 2004]

The Jazztet was one of the best small groups playing hard bop during the early '60s, jointly led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson. This boxed set not only includes all six albums that they recorded for Argo and Mercury, but also features three sessions apiece led separately by Farmer and Golson. Farmer was in the process of making a switch from trumpet to flügelhorn during this time frame, while Golson's solid tenor sax was overshadowed somewhat by his impressive contributions as a composer and arranger, a primary reason the group is remembered. Their first session alone featured three of Golson's most lasting compositions, "I Remember Clifford" (showcasing Farmer's heartfelt solo), the exciting hard bop anthem "Blues March," and the funky, sauntering "Killer Joe." The Jazztet struggled financially and had quite a turnover among its sidemen during its two years in existence.

The Alex Skolnick Trio is an American jazz music trio comprising the guitarist Alex Skolnick, Matt Zebroski on drums, and Nathan Peck on bass. Previously, John Davis played bass for the group. The Trio is known for its inventive jazz take on hard rock and heavy metal "standards". Alex Skolnick himself is a member of thrash metal band Testament. He is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time as well as one of the fastest guitarists in the world.

The Trio is known for performing songs written by bands of the Classic rock and Heavy metal variety - what they call "modern standards". They have covered portions of, or the entirety of the following songs, in concert or on record: Tom Sawyer, The Trooper, Highway Star, Practica lo que predicas (Testament's Practice What You Preach), Goodbye to Romance, Detroit Rock City, Still Loving You, Don't Talk to Strangers, Dream On, No One Like You (which appears twice on the UK version of their debut album, once as a studio recording, and as a bonus last track from a live show), War Pigs, Electric Eye, Money, Blackout, Fade to Black, and Pinball Wizard.

Since their first album, the Trio has shifted to a direction that includes more original material, as half the songs on their second album are original compositions, and only three are covers on their third album. Their fourth album, Veritas, contains only one cover song.

The Trio has covered 3 Scorpions songs to date, and bandleader Alex has called them "our Rodgers and Hammerstein".

Alex Skolnick Trio.2002-Goodbye To Romance (Standards For A New Generation)

Alex Skolnick Trio.2004-Transformation

Alex Skolnick Trio.2007-Last Day in Paradise

Alex Skolnick Trio.2011-Veritas

Alex Skolnick Trio.2016-Live Unbound

Alex Skolnick Trio.2018-Conundrum

Joe Henderson featuring Alice Coltrane - The Elements [1974/2017/FLAC]

The Elements is a Joe Henderson classic, part of a decade of spirituality and psych-jazz experimentation that saw the eminent saxophone player break free from post-bop instrumentation and repertoire. Playing through Fire, Air, Water and Earth, Henderson leads his all-star ensemble—which included Alice Coltrane, Charlie Haden and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler—in an open-ended setting of heat and mercurial invention.

This is one of the odder Joe Henderson recordings. The four lengthy selections not only feature the great tenor-saxophonist but the piano and harp of Alice Coltrane (during one of her rare appearances as a sideman), violinist Michael White, bassist Charlie Haden, percussionist Kenneth Nash and Baba Duru Oshun on tablas. The somewhat spiritual nature of the music (Henderson's compositions are titled "Fire," "Air," "Water" and "Earth") and the presence of Alice Coltrane makes these Eastern-flavored performances rather unique if not all that essential: an early example of world music in jazz.

Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute, piano
Alice Coltrane - harp, piano, harmonium, tamboura
Michael White - violin
Charlie Haden - bass
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums (1, 4)
Baba Daru Oshun - tabla, percussion
Kenneth Nash - narrator (4), flute (3), congas, sakara drum, bells, gongs, percussion

Rec.: at The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA, October 15-17, 1973.

01. Fire (11:08)

02. Air (9:58)

03. Water (7:33)

04. Earth (13:14)

Billie Holiday - At Jazz At The Philharmonic (1954/2015/FLAC)

Billie Holiday's At Jazz At The Philharmonic was originally recorded live February 12th, 19454 and October 3rd, 1946 at the Shrine Auditorium in LA, California. The performance was part of the touring jazz series At Jazz At The Philharmonic installed by American jazz producer Norman Granz. The album features popular song titles "Body and Soul", "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" and "All of Me".

There is a noticible difference in vocal timbre in the Newport recordings-- thicker, darker and more bluesy. While not as techinically proficient as her earlier work, there is an appeal to this style as well-- since the sweet, sexy embellishments in 'Nice Work If You Can Get It' and the sustained notes in 'My Man' suggest new approaches to time and phrasing. Jazz At The Philharmonic is a memorable collection and, at moments, manages to capture Holiday at her finest."

Billie Holiday - vocals
Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet - tenor saxophone
George Auld - alto saxophone
Buck Clayton, trumpet
Trummy Young - trombone
Ken Kersey - piano
Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel - guitar
Al McKibbon, Charlie Drayton - bass
JC Heard, Jack Mills - drums

Live At The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, 1945

01. Body And Soul (3:27)

02. Strange Fruit (2:55)

03. Trav'lin' Light (3:26)

04. He's Funny That Way (2:52)

Live At Carnegie Hall, 1946

05. The Man I Love (3:04)

06. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You? (2:20)

07. All Of Me (2:02)

08. Billie's Blues (3:33)

Jazz Cafee

Pharoah Sanders - In The Beginning 1963-1964 [4 CD, 2012] (FLAC+320)

Miles Davis - The First Great Quintet [Studio 1955-56] [2021 remaster FLAC-HD]

Miles Davis - The Complete Columbia Album Collection - [52 albums - 70 CD, 2009/FLAC]

Billy Cobham– The Atlantic Years 1973-1978 [8 CD, 2015] (FLAC + 320)

Herbie Hancock & Carlos Santana – Live Under Sky 1981 [2020/FLAC]