Woody Shaw - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (6 CD, 2011/FLAC)

The Complete Columbia Albums Collection combines all five of jazz trumpeter Woody Shaw's albums on Columbia, including 1977's Rosewood, 1978's Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard, 1978's Woody III, 1980's For Sure!, and 1981's United. Also featured is a sixth disc of never before released bonus tracks from the live Stepping Stones sessions. These albums represent the height of Shaw's creative output of the late '70s and early '80s, during a time in which he combined modal jazz, post-bop, fusion, and avant-garde improvisation into his own uniquely propulsive, melodic, and harmonically advanced style. Of all the albums, Rosewood is perhaps best known, as it earned Shaw a Grammy nomination and was voted Best Jazz Album of 1978 in the Down Beat Readers Poll. Not only do these albums showcase the technically proficient and improvisationally gifted Shaw in his prime, they also feature such sidemen as saxophonists Joe Henderson, Carter Jefferson, and Gary Bartz; pianists Onaje Allan Gumbs, Larry Willis, and Mulgrew Miller; drummers Victor Lewis and Tony Reedus; bassists Clint Houston and Buster Williams; and -- as on United -- the then young trombonist Steve Turre. These are not only must-hear albums for Shaw fans, but also required listening for any fans of forward-thinking post-bop.

 

CD1 - Rosewood (1977) {40:56}

CD2 - Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard (1978) {70:34}

CD3 - Stepping Stones: Bonus Tracks (1978) {70:07}

CD4 - Woody III (1979) {36:01}

CD5 - For Sure! (1980) {49:12}

CD6 - United (1981) {40:41}

 

John Kirby - Chronogical Classics 1938-1946 (4 CD/FLAC)

 John Kirby (December 31, 1908 – June 14, 1952), was an American jazz double-bassist, who also played trombone and tuba. In addition to sideman work (prominently with Benny Goodman), Kirby is remembered for leading a successful chamber jazz sextet in the late 1930s and early 1940s, which scored several hit songs including "Loch Lomond" and the debut recording of "Undecided", a jazz standard. 

 

Dizzy Reece - Mosaic Select 11 (3 CD, 2004/FLAC)

By the early 1950's, Jamaican-born Dizzy Reece, who is not only an outstanding bop trumpeter, but a fine composer, was playing with top-of-the-line British and European jazzers. Starting in '58, Mr Reece cut a series of four excellent albums for Blue Note. They are all included on the three discs in the "Mosaic Select: Dizzy Reece" box set. 

 

Oscar Peterson - Ballads, Blues & Bossa Nova (3 CD, 2008/FLAC)

One of the great piano masters of all time, Oscar Peterson scores on this wonderful collection of three discs.

Original recordings 1968-1971-Digitally remastered.

 

Cyrus Chestnut discography [1992-2015]

 An adept jazz pianist, Cyrus Chestnut balances his lithe technical skill with a robust, soulful style that speaks to his deep gospel roots and love of swinging hard bop. Having grown up playing in the church, Chestnut learned early on how to infuse his swinging, classically trained style with a warm gospel sound. It was a style he perfected in the late '80s and early '90s as a sideman, backing legendary vocalists Jon Hendricks and Betty Carter, as well as with instrumentalists like Donald Harrison and Wynton Marsalis. As a leader of his own groups, he has collaborated with well-respected rhythm section players including Christian McBride, Carl Allen, Clarence Penn, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, and others. Often working in a trio, as on 2016's Natural Essence with Buster Williams and Lenny White, or with guest artists as on 2001's Soul Food, he displays his virtuosic skill and mastery of the jazz tradition.

VA - The Famous Sound of Three Blind Mice Vol. 1-3 (1987-1989/FLAC)

Three Blind Mice is a Japanese jazz record label founded in June 1970 as a showcase for Japan's emerging jazz performers. It has produced more than 130 albums have been released since. So far they have won the Jazz Disc Award five times in Japan. Produced by Takeshi Fujii (producer) and often recorded by the Yoshihiko Kannari, TBM created jazz records by Japanese players since the 1970s and became known for its audiophile sound quality. TBM's records captured a very important, vibrant era in the development of Japanese jazz. Stars like Isao Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, George Kawaguchi, Terumasa Hino and Mari Nakamoto recorded their very first albums with the label. Artists also include Shuko Mizuno's "Jazz Orchestra '73", Toshiyuko Miyama and Masaru Imada.  

 

Blue Note Works 4000-4100 series [4086-4100]

 

...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.4086- Grant Green- 1961- Grantstand {RVG Remaster}
BN.4087- Leo Parker- 1961- Let Me Tell You 'Bout It
BN.4088- The Three Sounds- 1960- Here We Come
BN.4089- Jackie McLean- 1961- A Fickle Sonance {RVG Remaster}
BN.4090- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers- 1961- Mosaic {RVG Remaster}
BN.4091- Sonny Clark- 1961- Leapin' and Lopin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4092- Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland- 1961- The Golden 8
BN.4093- Ike Quebec- 1961- Heavy Soul {RVG Remaster}
BN.4094- Fred Jackson- 1962- Hootin' 'N Tootin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4095- Leo Parker- 1961- Rollin' with Leo {RVG Remaster}
BN.4096- Stanley Turrentine- 1962- That's Where It's At {RVG Remaster}
BN.4097- Art Blakey- 1962- The African Beat
BN.4098- Ike Quebec- 1961- Blue and Sentimental {RVG Remaster}
BN.4099- Grant Green- 1961- Sunday Morning {RVG Remaster}
BN.4100- Jimmy Smith- 1962- Plays Fats Waller {RVG Remaster}

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