Earl 'Fatha' Hines — That's A Plenty (Quadromania 4 CD, 2005/FLAC)

 

This four-disc retrospective covers Hines' career from the early solo recordings from 1928 through the 30's; through the Chicago days with his Grand Terrace orchestra (the Midwest's answer to Ellington and the Eastern establishment); and up into the bands of the `40s. Hines said that he couldn't afford to hire stars--he had to make them--and the personnel of these GT bands show that Hines' band did, indeed, create stars.

 

Al Cohn, Joe Newman & Freddie Green - Mosaic Select 27 (3 CD, 2007/FLAC)

 

This Mosaic compilation draws from material that comprised five separate RCA Victor LPs of the 1950: Al Cohn's The Natural Seven and The Jazz Workshop: Four Brass, One Tenor - Al Cohn, Freddie Green's Mr. Rhythm, plus two Joe Newman records, All I Wanna Do is Swing and I'm Still Swinging. 

Cohn, Green and Newman are the common element to all of the recording sessions, leading bands ranging from septets to nonets.The Natural Seven was inspired by the Kansas City Seven drawn from the Count Basie band of the 1930s and while the arrangements by Cohn and Manny Albam swing lightly in the style of Basie's septet, the focus is more on originals written for the session rather than simply recreating earlier recordings. Joining them are pianist Nat Pierce, trombonist Frank Rehak, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Osie Johnson, highlighted by the upbeat unison horn line in Cohn's "Pick a Dilly" and Albam's swinging "Jump the Blues Away." Johnson even adds a vocal on his fun-filled "Osie's Blues." ohn's other session as a leader includes Thad Jones with either Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow or Phil Sunkel on third trumpet, with Dick Katz doubling on valve trombone and trumpet, pianist Dick Katz and bassist Buddy Jones subbing for the previous personnel. Once more, Cohn and Albam split up the arrangements, with the tenor saxophonist benefiting from the quartet of brass players accompanying him. "Rosetta and the leader's "Cohn Not Cohen" are among the highlights. 

Freddie Green was known for his superb timekeeping in the Basie band, a tenure which lasted a half-century until his passing in 1987, just a few years after the leader. Mr. Rhythm marked the first issued under his own name, plus eight of the dozen songs are Green's compositions, with Green sticking to playing rhythm throughout the date. Cohn, Albam and Ernie Wilkins provide the swinging arrangements of the mostly blues-oriented material, while Cohn doubles on both clarinet and bass clarinet in addition to playing tenor sax. Two dates led by Newman in 1955 also fit in nicely, with either Frank Rhak or Urbie Green on trombone, Wilkins or Gene Quill on alto sax, and Pierce or Dick Katz on piano. Newman, who tended to be overshadowed by many of the other swing and bop trumpeters active at the time, shines on both open and muted horn, while featuring his musicians prominently throughout both dates. Green's "Corner Pocket" and a buoyant treatment of the standard "Exactly Like You" especially stand out. Most of this music was reissued on CD during the 1980s and 1990s, though none of it remained in print for long. 

 

Lou Donaldson discography [1952-2005]

 

Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era.

Lou Donaldson has long been an excellent bop altoist influenced by Charlie Parker, but with a more blues-based style of his own. His distinctive tone has been heard in a variety of small-group settings, and he has recorded dozens of worthy and spirited (if somewhat predictable) sets throughout the years.

Donaldson started playing clarinet when he was 15, soon switching to the alto. He attended college and performed in a Navy band while in the military. Donaldson first gained attention when he moved to New York and in 1952 started recording for Blue Note as a leader. At the age of 25, his style was fully formed, and although it would continue growing in depth through the years, Donaldson had already found his sound. In 1954, he participated in a notable gig with Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, and Tommy Potter that was extensively documented by Blue Note and that directly predated the Jazz Messengers. However, Donaldson was never a member of the Messengers, and although he recorded as a sideman in the '50s and occasionally afterwards with Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, and Jimmy Smith, among others, he has been a bandleader from the mid-'50s up until the present.

Donaldson's early Blue Note recordings were pure bop. In 1958, he began often utilizing a conga player, and starting in 1961, his bands often had an organist rather than a pianist. His bluesy style was easily transferable to soul-jazz, and he sounded most original in that context. His association with Blue Note (1952-1963) was succeeded by some excellent (if now-scarce) sets for Cadet and Argo (1963-1966). The altoist returned to Blue Note in 1967 and soon became caught up in the increasingly commercial leanings of the label. For a time, he utilized an electronic Varitone sax, which completely watered down his sound. The success of "Alligator Boogaloo" in 1967 led to a series of less interesting funk recordings that were instantly dated and not worthy of his talent.

However, after a few years off records, Lou Donaldson's artistic return in 1981 and subsequent soul-jazz and hard bop dates for Muse, Timeless, and Milestone have found the altoist back in prime form, interacting with organists and pianists alike and showing that his style is quite timeless.

1952. Lou Donaldson - Complete 1952 Blue Note Sessions

1954. Lou Donaldson - Quartet Quintet Sextet

1957. Lou Donaldson - Lou Takes Off

1957. Lou Donaldson - Swing And Soul

1957. Lou Donaldson - Wailing With Lou

1958. Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk

1959. Lou Donaldson - The Time Is Right

1959. Lou Donaldson With The Three Sounds - LD+3

1960. Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up

1961. Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train

1961. Lou Donaldson - Here 'Tis

1962. Lou Donaldson - The Natural Soul

1963. Lou Donaldson - Good Gracious!

1967. Lou Donaldson - Alligator Bogaloo

1967. Lou Donaldson - Lush Life

1967. Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling

1968. Lou Donaldson - Midnight Creeper

1968. Lou Donaldson - Say It Loud

1970. Lou Donaldson - Everything I Play Is Funky

1970. Lou Donaldson - The Scorpion- Live At The Cadillac Club

1973. Lou Donaldson - Sassy Soul Strut (LP)

1992. Lou Donaldson - Birdseed

1993. Lou Donaldson - Caracas

1998. Lou Donaldson - Blue Breakbeats

1999. Lou Donaldson - A Man With A Horn

2002. Complete Blue Note Lou Donaldson Sessions 1957-60 (6 CD)

2005. Lou Donaldson - The Artist Selects

Jimmy Raney discography [1954-2006]

 Jimmy Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was the definitive cool jazz guitarist, a fluid bop soloist with a quiet sound who had a great deal of inner fire. He worked with local groups in Chicago before spending nine months with Woody Herman in 1948. From then on he was in the major leagues, having associations with Al Haig, Buddy DeFranco, Artie Shaw, and Terry Gibbs. His work with Stan Getz (1951-1952) was historic, as the pair made for a classic musical partnership. Raney was also very much at home in the Red Norvo Trio (1953-1954) before spending six years primarily working in a supper club with pianist Jimmy Lyon (1954-1960). After playing with Getz during 1962-1963, he returned to Louisville and was outside of music until resurfacing in the early '70s. During the 1970s, Raney recorded often for Xanadu. He worked frequently with his son Doug Raney (who has a very similar sound on guitar) and was less active in the late '80s and '90s, up until his 1995 death. 

1954. Jimmy Raney & Sonny Clark - Together!

1954. Jimmy Raney - Visits Paris, Vol. 1

1954. Jimmy Raney - Visits Paris, Vol. 2

1955. Jimmy Raney - A

1956. Jimmy Raney - In Three Attitudes

1956. Jimmy Raney Featuring Bob Brookmeyer

1964. Jimmy Raney - Two Jims And Zoot

1969. Jimmy Raney - Strings & Swings (LP)

1974. Jimmy Raney - Live At Bradley's 1974 (2 CD)

1974. Jimmy Raney - Momentum (LP)

1975. Al Haig, Jimmy Raney - Strings Attached

1975. Jimmy Raney - The Influence

1976. Jimmy Raney - Solo

1976. The Complete Jimmy Raney In Tokyo

1979. Jimmy Raney, Doug Raney - Duets

1980. Attila Zoller & Jimmy Raney - Jim & I (2 CD)

1980. Jimmy Raney - Here's That Raney Day

1981. Jimmy Raney & Martial Solal - The Date

1981. Jimmy Raney - Raney '81

1983. Jimmy Raney - The Master

1985. Jimmy Raney - Wisteria

1990. Jimmy Raney - But Beautiful

2005. Woody Hermans Cool Guitar Player (1949-1955) {Quadromania, 4 CD}

2006. Jimmy Raney - Complete Recordings 1954-1956

Wayne Shorter - Odyssey of Iska (1971/FLAC-HD)

Odyssey of Iska is the fourteenth album by American jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, released on Blue Note Records in 1971.

Odyssey of Iska was the outcome of the second recording session with Shorter that was produced by Duke Pearson. (The first session, Moto Grosso Feio on April 3, 1970, was not issued until 1974.) With the exception of Ron Carter there was a completely different line-up, although with a similar instrumentation: Shorter's saxophone as the only horn, guitar instead of keyboards, two double bass players, and various percussion instruments including marimba and vibraphone. The same emphasis on percussion is also found on a recording date led by Joe Zawinul only some two weeks before, on August 10, where Wayne Shorter had a guest appearance on "Double Image" (released on Zawinul).

Wayne Shorter had just married Ana Maria Patricio, whom he had met four years earlier. The name "Iska" in the album title refers to their daughter. She was born around the time the record was made.

One of the percussionists on Odyssey of Iska, Frank Cuomo, is the father of rock group Weezer's frontman, Rivers Cuomo. The other drummers are Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon.  

All compositions by Shorter, except "Depois do Amor, o Vazio" written by Bobby Thomas.

1.     "Wind" – 8:00
2.     "Storm" – 8:22
3.     "Calm" – 3:25
4.     "Depois do Amor, o Vazio" (After Love, Emptiness) (Bobby Thomas) – 11:40
5.     "Joy" – 9:00

Personnel

    Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone

    Gene Bertoncini – guitar

    Ron Carter, Cecil McBee – bass

    Billy Hart, Alphonse Mouzon – drums

    Frank Cuomo – drums, percussion

    David Friedman – vibraphone, marimba

Ethel Waters - Chronogical Classics 1921-1947 (7 CD/FLAC)

 Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.

Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Stormy Weather", "Taking a Chance on Love", "Heat Wave", "Supper Time", "Am I Blue?", and "Cabin in the Sky", as well as her version of the spiritual "His Eye Is on the Sparrow". Waters was the second African American, after Hattie McDaniel, to be nominated for an Academy Award.

 

Kenny Drew – Six Classic Albums (3 CD, 2012/FLAC)

 

Piano – Kenny Drew

Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard 

Bass – Curly Russell, Eugene Wright, Leroy Vinnegar, Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, Wilbur Ware
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Larance Marable, Louis Hayes
Saxophone – Hank Mobley, Joe Maini

CD1: 

  New Faces, New Sounds (1953)

1-1 Yesterday's 5:18

1-2 Stella By Starlight 2:26

1-3 Gloria 3:21

1-4 Be My Love 2:41

1-5 Lover, Come Back To Me 3:30

1-6 Everything Happens To Me 4:39

1-7 It Might As Well Be Spring 2:47

1-8 Drew's Blues 2:24 

  Talkin' & Walkin' (1955)

1-9 Talkin' & Walkin' 6:19

1-10 In The Prescribed Manner 5:02

1-11 Prelude To A Kiss 5:30

1-12 Wee-Dot 5:42

1-13 Hidden Channel 4:46

1-14 Deadline 3:17

1-15 I'm Old Fashioned 4:53

1-16 Minor Blues 5:37

1-17 Walkin' & Talkin' 5:36

CD2:

 

        The Ideation Of Kenny Drew (1954)

2-1 Four And Five 3:16

2-2 Polka Dots And Moonbeams 4:21

2-3 Kenny's Blues 5:59

2-4 Lo Flame 3:37

2-5 52nd Street Theme 3:24

2-6 Chartreuse 4:32 

  The Kenny Drew Trio (1956)

2-7 Caravan 4:49

2-8 Come Rain Or Come Shine 6:01

2-9 Ruby, My Dear 5:39

2-10 Weird-O 3:59

2-11 Taking A Chance On Love 4:35

2-12 When You Wish Upon A Star 5:12

2-13 Blues For Nica 5:23

2-14 It's Only A Paper Moon 6:19

CD3: 

  Pal Joey (1959)

3-1 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered 4:10

3-2 Do It The Hard Way 5:47

3-3 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 4:00

3-4 Happy Hunting Horn 4:15

3-5 I Could Write A Book 4:40

3-6 What Is A Man 5:05

3-7 My Funny Valentine 4:05

3-8 The Lady Is A Tramp 5:40 

  Undercurrent (1961)

3-9 Undercurrent 7:17

3-10 Funk-Cosity 8:27

3-11 Lion's Den 4:53

3-12 The Pot's On 6:06

3-13 Groovin' The Blues 6:19

3-14 Ballade 5:29

Credits:

    Bass – Curly Russell (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8), Eugene Wright (tracks: 2-1 to 2-6), Leroy Vinnegar (tracks: 1-9 to 1-17), Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 2-7 to 2-14), Sam Jones (tracks: 3-9 to 3-14), Wilbur Ware (tracks: 3-1 to 3-8)

    Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones (tracks: 2-7 to 2-14, 3-1 to 3-8), Art Blakey (tracks: 1-1 to 1-8), Larance Marable (tracks: 1-9 to 1-17, 2-1 to 2-6), Louis Hayes (tracks: 3-9 to 3-14)

    Piano – Kenny Drew

    Saxophone – Hank Mobley (tracks: 3-9 to 3-14), Joe Maini (tracks: 1-9 to 1-17)

    Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 3-9 to 3-14)

Notes:

Tracks 1-1 to 1-8 Are Recorded In 1953

Tracks 1-9 to 1-17 Are Recorded In 1955

Tracks 2-1 to 2-6 Are Recorded In 1954

Tracks 2-7 to 2-14 Are Recorded In 1956

Tracks 3-1 to 3-8 Are Recorded In 1959

Tracks 3-9 to 3-14 Are Recorded In 1961

Verve Jazzclub - Originals [34 CD]

 

 

Universal/Verve music The JAZZ CLUB series adds an attractive budget line to the Verve catalogue. With its modern design and popular choice of repertoire, the JAZZ CLUB is not only opened for Jazz fans, but for everyone that loves good music.

Art van Damme - So Nice! (2009)

Astrud Gilberto - Astrud Gilberto + James Last (2009)

Charly Antolini - In The Groove (2009)

Chet Baker - Tenderly (2008)

Clark Terry - Clark After Dark - The Ballad Album (2007)

Connie Francis - Connie & Clyde - Hit Songs Of The Thirties (2011)

Count Basie - On The Sunny Side Of The Street (2006)

Dexter Gordon & Slide Hampton - A Day In Copenhagen (2009)

Django Reinhardt - The Art Of Swing (2011)

Don Ellis - Soaring (2008)

Ella Fitzgerald - Lady Be Good! (2006)

Eugen Cicero - Classics In Rhythm (2009)

Eugen Cicero - Marching The Classics & Balkan Rhapsody (2012)

Freddie Hubbard - Rollin' (2009)

Freddie Hubbard - The Hub Of Hubbard (2009)

Friedrich Gulda & Klaus Weiss - It's All One (2009)

George Gruntz - Jazz Goes Baroque & Jazz Goes Baroque 2 (2012)

Grover Washington, Jr. - Soulful Sax (2013)

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Highlights (2008)

John Coltrane - Coltrane For You (2010)

Johnny Griffin - Night Lady (2009)

Kai Warner - Warner Plays Wagner & Swingin' Johann (2012)

Kurt Edelhagen - Plays The Hits Of Jimmy Webb (2007)

Miles Davis - Going Miles (2010)

more.music.on.my.blog.txt

Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (2007)

Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra - Chariots Of The Gods (2009)

Pharoah Sanders - Spiritual Blessings (2013)

Quincy Jones - Songs For Pussycats & Quincy In Rio (2012)

Shirley Horn - The Swingin' Shirley Horn (2009)

Supersax - Chasin' The Bird & Dynamite!! (2012)

Svend Asmussen - Amazing Strings & Rockin' Bach Dimensions (2012)

The Singers Unlimited - Christmas (2012)

The Singers Unlimited - Sentimental Journey (2009)

The Swingle Singers - Christmas With The Swingle Singers (2012)

Gene Harris discography [1974-2013]

 

Gene Harris (September 1, 1933, Benton Harbor, Michigan – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz.

From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. During this time, The Three Sounds recorded regularly for Blue Note and Verve.

He was mostly retired to Boise, Idaho, starting in the late 1970s, although he performed regularly at the Idanha Hotel there. Then, Ray Brown convinced him to go back on tour in the early 1980s. He played with the Ray Brown Trio and then led his own groups, recording mostly on Concord Records, until his death from kidney failure in 2000.

Harris's rendition of "Ode to Billie Joe" is known as a jazz classic.  One of his most popular numbers was his "Battle Hymn of the Republic," a live version of which is on his Live at Otter Crest album, published by Concord.

 

Blue Note Works 4000-4100 series [4071-4085]

 

...The Modern Jazz Series continued into the 1970s with the LPs listed below. Many were issued in both monaural versions (BLP series) and stereo versions (BST 84000 series).  Most of the 4000 series have been reissued by Toshiba-EMI in Japan ("Blue Note Works 4000" series); the catalog numbers are TOCJ-4###


BN.4071- Grant Green- 1961- Green Street {RVG Remaster}
BN.4073- Freddie Hubbard- 1961- Hub Cap {RVG Remaster}
BN.4074- Horace Parlan- 1961- On The Spur Of The Moment {RVG Remaster}
BN.4075- Donald Byrd- 1961- The Cat Walk {RVG Remaster}
BN.4076- Horace Silver- 1961- Doin' The Thing- At the Village Gate {RVG Remaster}
BN.4077- Dexter Gordon- 1961- Doin' Allright {RVG Remaster}
BN.4078- Jimmy Smith- 1960- Midnight Special {RVG Remaster}
BN.4079- Lou Donaldson- 1961- Gravy Train {RVG Remaster}
BN.4080- Hank Mobley- 1961- Workout {RVG Remaster}
BN.4081- Stanley Turrentine- 1961- Dearly Beloved {RVG Remaster}
BN.4082- Horace Parlan- 1961- Up & Down {RVG Remaster}
BN.4083- Dexter Gordon- 1961- Dexter Calling... {RVG Remaster}
BN.4084- Baby Face Willette- 1961- Stop and Listen {RVG Remaster}
BN.4085- Freddie Hubbard- 1961- Ready For Freddie {RVG Remaster}