Charlie Parker - Portrait [10 CD, 2007]

One of a handful of musicians who can be said to have permanently changed jazz, Charlie Parker was arguably the greatest saxophonist of all time. He could play remarkably fast lines that, if slowed down to half speed, would reveal that every note made sense. "Bird," along with his contemporaries Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell, is considered a founder of bebop; in reality he was an intuitive player who simply was expressing himself. Rather than basing his improvisations closely on the melody as was done in swing, he was a master of chordal improvising, creating new melodies that were based on the structure of a song. In fact, Bird wrote several future standards (such as "Anthropology," "Ornithology," "Scrapple from the Apple," and "Ko Ko," along with such blues numbers as "Now's the Time" and "Parker's Mood") that "borrowed" and modernized the chord structures of older tunes. Parker's remarkable technique, fairly original sound, and ability to come up with harmonically advanced phrases that could be both logical and whimsical were highly influential. By 1950, it was impossible to play "modern jazz" with credibility without closely studying Charlie Parker.

Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond - The Complete Storyville Broadcasts (3 CD, 2014/FLAC)

 

In the history of jazz, there have been a handful of iconic figures who have transcended popular music styles of their era to create a new generation of jazz devotees. The late Dave Brubeck was one of these. 

Beginning in February of 1951, shortly after the Brubeck Quartet was formed the prior August, George Wein signed Brubeck to perform at his jazz venue called Storyville which was located in the Copley Square Hotel in downtown Boston. This was the beginning of a series of broadcasts by Brubeck from Storyville over the next three years. This release gathers all these broadcasts in a 3 CD set which is an absolute must for Brubeck fans for a variety of reasons not the least of which is the aural evidence of the development of the Quartet's style as personnel changes took place over the three year span of these recordings. The fact that Brubeck and Paul Desmond anchored the groups lent stability and direction which evolved into the golden years of the Quartet before Desmond's departure for a solo career. There is very little to critique here. The playing is wonderful - the improvisations are elegant, unique, and ultimately Brubeckian - in short, essential to any serious jazz collection. The notes are extensive and the sound reproduction is superb. The transfers are clean and immediate. 

Blue Note Works 4000-4100 series [4161-4175]

 

...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.4161- George Braith‎- 1963- Soul Stream
BN.4162- Stanley Turrentine- 1964- Hustlin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4164- Jimmy Smith- 1963- Prayer Meetin' {RVG Remaster}
BN.4165- Jackie McLean- 1963- Destination... Out {RVG Remaster}
BN.4166- Joe Henderson- 1964- In 'n Out {RVG Remaster}
BN.4167- Andrew Hill- 1964- Point of Departure {RVG Remaster}
BN.4168- Freddie Roach- 1964- Brown Sugar
BN.4169- Lee Morgan- 1964- Search For The New Land {RVG Remaster}
BN.4170- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers- 1964- Free For All {RVG Remaster}
BN.4171- George Braith- 1964- Extension
BN.4172- Freddie Hubbard- 1964- Breaking Point {RVG Remaster}
BN.4173- Wayne Shorter- 1964- Night Dreamer {RVG Remaster}
BN.4174- Big John Patton- 1964- The Way I Feel
BN.4175- Herbie Hancock- 1964- Empyrean Isles {RVG Remaster}

Ike Quebec - The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions (2 CD, 2005/FLAC)

 

The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions is a compilation album by American saxophonist Ike Quebec. The album focuses on Quebec's 45 RPMs recorded between 1959 and 1962 and aimed at the juke box market. The songs were successful, marking the start of a comeback for the saxophonist who had fallen into obscurity since his early career in 1940s.

The compilation was first issued on Mosaic MR3/MD2-121 in 1988, then re-released on a now out-of-print Blue Note CD in 2005. Despite the fact this is a compilation, all the pieces couldn't be found anywhere else at the time of the release, and still remain so, not counting From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs which, however, includes only a part of this collection.

The July 1 session marks the last day of recording at the original Van Gelder Studio, based in Hackensack. Van Gelder would move the studio to Englewood Cliffs soon after. 

Edmond Hall - Leader And Sideman - Four Classic Albums Plus (2 CD, 2010/FLAC)

 

AVID Jazz here presents four classic Edmond Hall albums as leader and sideman, plus, including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. 'Petite Fleur', 'Rumpus On Rampart Street', 'Teddy Buckner and the All Stars' and 'Jazz at the Savoy' plus selections from 'Jazz at Storyville' and 'Edmond Hall in Buenos Aires'. 

 Edmond Hall was born into a musical family in Reserve, Louisiana in 1901, his father played the clarinet and all his brothers were fine musicians. Hall paid his dues during the 1920's and '30's playing with among others Billie Holiday, Joe Sullivan, Red Allen, Teddy Wilson, Eddie Condon and finally the great Louis Armstrong from 1950 1955. With a few short spells running his own band along the way, the late 1950's finally saw Hall go freelance and form his own band. He was considered one of the great clarinettist in the New Orleans tradition.

 

Roy Eldridge - Chronogical Classics (1935-1951) (4 CD/FLAC)

 

David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), commonly known as Roy Eldridge, and nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the smooth and lyrical style of earlier jazz trumpet innovator Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.

 

Big John Patton discography (1963-1996)

 John Patton, often known as Big John Patton, was one of Blue Note's busiest soul-jazz organists during the golden age of the Hammond B-3s. Between 1963 and 1970 Patton cooked up 11 albums' worth of material as a leader and sat in with a dizzying procession of skilled improvisers, and his best work has since been compared with that of tragically short-lived innovator Larry Young. Patton also enjoyed a long overdue comeback during the 1990s when he collaborated with saxophonist and composer John Zorn.

Art Tatum - Stormy Weather (Quadromania, 4 CD, 2007/FLAC)

 Art Tatum, (born October 13, 1909, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.—died November 5, 1956, Los Angeles, California), American pianist, considered one of the greatest technical virtuosos in jazz.

Tatum, who was visually impaired from childhood, displayed an early aptitude for music. At age 13, after starting on the violin, Tatum concentrated on the piano and was soon performing on local radio programs. At 21 he moved to New York City, where he made his most impressive recordings during the 1930s and ’40s using a stride-style left hand and highly varied right-hand stylings. In 1943 he organized a trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart, and he played mostly in the trio format for the rest of his life.

John Carter & Bobby Bradford - Mosaic Select 36 (3 CD, 2010/FLAC)

 Saxophonist/clarinetist John Carter was associated with Ornette Coleman in the '40s in their shared hometown of Fort Worth. Coleman moved to Los Angeles in the early '50s as did Dallas trumpeter Bobby Bradford who would work with Ornette sporadically for the next 20 years. Carter moved to LA in 1961 and eventually found in Bobby Bradford an ideal collaborator.

Initially calling their quartet The New Art Jazz Ensemble, they made their debut album Seeking in 1969 for the small Revelation Records. Their music was very much in the same orbit as Ornette's with darting linear compositions and freedom from chordal structures blended into a marvelous fresh sense of swing and blues roots.

Louis Armstrong - Jazz Tribune Vol. 20, 43 & 54 (6 CD/FLAC)

 

Jazz Tribune was french series entity for jazz & swing releases from RCA.

No. 20, 43 and 54 was dedicated to Satchmo,

Jazz Tribune 20 - Young Louis Armstrong (1930-1933)

Jazz Tribune 43 - The Complete Town Hall Concert (1947)

Jazz Tribune 54 - From the Big Band to the All Stars (1946-1956)