Dexter Gordon - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (7 CD, 2011/FLAC)

 

Dexter would be very happy to know that his Columbia recordings have been reissued by Sony Legacy / PopMarket. This box set represents a very important period in Dexter Gordon’s career, and an important stage in jazz history. Dexter’s return from Europe after 14 years residing there helped rekindle a new level of enthusiasm in the jazz world, a wave of excitement that many other musicians benefited from. Dexter also won a number of Downbeat Critics and Readers Poll Awards during this period, and two Grammy nominations for Homecoming and Sophisticated Giant, respectively. These recordings on Columbia, signed off on by then-President Bruce Lundvall, also facilitated a reunion of sorts between many musicians who might not have otherwise ever recorded together or been featured collectively within the same release, the likes of which included: Tony Williams, Slide Hampton, Frank Wess, Stan Getz, Hubert Laws, Jimmy Heath, Eddie Gladden, Billy Brooks, Ronnie Matthews, Stafford James, Louis Hayes, Art Blakey, and others.

The Modern Jazz Quartet – Fontessa (1956/FLAC)

Fontessa is a 1956 album by the Modern Jazz Quartet released on Atlantic Records. It was the first of their albums released on Atlantic  

 

•     John Lewis – piano
•     Milt Jackson – vibraphone
•     Percy Heath – double bass
•     Connie Kay – drums

A1 Versailles (Porte De Versailles)

A2 Angel Eyes

A3 Fontessa

B1 Over The Rainbow

B2 Bluesology

B3 Willow Weep For Me

B4 Woodyn You

Johnny Hodges - The Complete Verve Johnny Hodges Small Group Sessions 1956-1961 [6 CD, 2000/FLAC]

  

Johnny Hodges was Duke Ellington's most important soloist, so when the alto saxophonist returned to his former employer in the fall of 1955 after leading his own band for just over four and a half years, he had Ellington's approval to record under his own name for Verve on a steady basis. This limited-edition box set collects all of Hodges' small-group sessions recorded for Verve between 1956 and 1961 (excepting some selections whose masters were lost), often with a number of sidemen on loan from Ellington. The leader's chops are best exhibited in the ballads and blues features, though his originals merit attention, too. Hodges hardly hogs the spotlight; he obviously takes his share of solos but generously features his guests and associates from the Ellington band. A nonet with Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Woode, and Sam Woodyard is easily the best all-around session within this compilation, with many fine tracks. The humorous "Just Squeeze Me," with Nance's hip vocals complemented by Terry's talkative horn in the background, as well as a surprising extended workout of "Take the 'A' Train," with Terry taking over the famous solo spotlight that Nance first recorded in 1941 (heard on flügelhorn) and followed by Nance on his swinging violin, are among its highlights. Some of the other veterans appearing in this collection include Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson, Ben Webster, and Herb Ellis. The atmosphere of each session is friendly and swinging, with the feeling that each take came together quickly, whether or not that was actually the case. While Johnny Hodges' recordings as a leader from this period never rivaled Duke Ellington's in either sales or critical acclaim, they proved to be consistently enjoyable and able to stand the test of time. The set includes 30 previously unissued tracks. The detailed liner notes and discography, along with the numerous photos, also help to make The Complete Verve Johnny Hodges Small Group Sessions 1956-1961 an essential purchase for swing fans, though it is a limited edition of just 7,500, so it is guaranteed to soar in value.

VA - The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records (4 CD, 2006/FLAC)

 

The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records is a four-disc set, compiled and annotated by author Ashley Kahn who wrote the book of the same name being published concurrently with its release. Impulse's great run was between 1961 and 1976 -- a period of 15 years that ushered in more changes in jazz than at any other point in the music's history. Impulse began recording in the last weeks of 1960, with Ray Charles, Kai Windig /J.J. Johnson, and Gil Evans. While Impulse experimented with 45s 33 1/3 EPs, cassettes, and reel to reel tapes later in its existence, it was--and this set focuses on-- it was the music on its LPs (with distinct orange and black packaging in gatefold sleeves containing copious notes) that helped to set them apart. Impulse was dedicated to ushering in the new and controversial, but also sought to showcase established artists from the tradition (maintaining the jazz lineage) who continued to work and develop. While the label is certainly associated more closely with John Coltrane than any other of its artists (Coltrane also acted as an ad hoc A&R man), it nonetheless established and forwarded the careers of dozens of jazzers. 

VA - Great Vocalists of Jazz & Entertainment [2004] Vol. 16-20 of 20

 

In this collection by the German "History" label, you get nearly 40 hours of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s. The sound quality is truly amazing - the remastering process removes hiss, clicks & pops; optimizes the equalization, and synthesizes stereo. The forty discs in this set are grouped into twenty 2-disc volumes which are dedicated to a vocalist or pair or vocalists.

Volume 16. Peggy Lee — Everything I Love
Volume 17. Anita O’Day / June Christy — Easy Street
Volume 18. Jo Stafford — Fools Rush In
Volume 19. Frank Sinatra / Ivy Anderson — It Don’t Mean A Thing
Volume 20. Billie Holiday / Jimmy Rushing —   Blue Skies

Sarah Vaughan – The Complete Roulette Sarah Vaughan Studio Sessions (8 CD, 2002/FLAC)

Sarah Vaughan recorded frequently during her three years with Roulette, and all 16 albums she completed for them plus five previously unissued tracks are included in this comprehensive eight-CD boxed set from Mosaic. The gifted singer is heard in a variety of settings, from superb small-group sessions to big-band settings and various dates bordering on easy listening; the sessions omitting the often syrupy string sections are the cream of this bumper crop. It's a joy to hear Vaughan sharing the spotlight with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (with its leader sitting out in favor of her regular pianist, Kirk Stuart) in a swinging "Teach Me Tonight" and a playful take of "If I Were a Bell"; it's a shame that they never recorded an entire album together. Benny Carter's big-band charts also bring out the best in Vaughan. With the exception of the forgettable "The Green Leaves of Summer," Billy May's provides the vocalist with very compatible settings. The scaled-down session with guitarist Mundell Lowe and bassist George Duvivier is among her greatest achievements of her career; the singer is relaxed and stimulated by her accompanists. A similar follow-up date with Barney Kessel and Joe Comfort is equally rewarding. The sessions which add strings, led by various musicians (Jimmy Jones, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, Joe Reisman, Don Costa, and Marty Manning) serving as both arranger and conductor, vary greatly in quality. Often first-rate (and sometimes somewhat obscure) material is sabotaged by heavy-handed writing awash in strings. But for the most part, Vaughan's gorgeous voice is able to overcome even bland backgrounds. Mosaic remains the pinnacle of reissue labels with this handsome boxed set, which includes detailed liner notes by James Gavin, lots of session photos, and a thorough discography. 

 

VA - Great Vocalists of Jazz & Entertainment [2004] Vol. 11-15 of 20

 

In this collection by the German "History" label, you get nearly 40 hours of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s. The sound quality is truly amazing - the remastering process removes hiss, clicks & pops; optimizes the equalization, and synthesizes stereo. The forty discs in this set are grouped into twenty 2-disc volumes which are dedicated to a vocalist or pair or vocalists.

Volume 11. Dinah Washington — You Can Depend On Me
Volume 12. Mildred Bailey — It Had To Be You
Volume 13. Judy Garland — I’m Nobody’s Baby
Volume 14. Sarah Vaughan — If You Could See Me Now
Volume 15. Dinah Shore — Who’s Sorry Now

VA - Great Vocalists of Jazz & Entertainment [2004] Vol. 06-10 of 20

 

In this collection by the German "History" label, you get nearly 40 hours of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s. The sound quality is truly amazing - the remastering process removes hiss, clicks & pops; optimizes the equalization, and synthesizes stereo. The forty discs in this set are grouped into twenty 2-disc volumes which are dedicated to a vocalist or pair or vocalists.

Volume 06. Billie Holiday — The Man I Love
Volume 07. Lena Horne — Stormy Weather
Volume 08. Andrews Sisters / Boswell Sisters — Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
Volume 09. The Mills Brothers — Swing Is The Thing
Volume 10. Ella Fitzgerald — My Man

VA- Blues, Boogie & Bop - The 1940s Mercury Sessions [7 CD, 1995]

 

Limited edition of 10'000 and contains the Mercury 1940's output of musicians like Albert Ammons (including a great father & son date with Gene Ammons on tenor), Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Jay McShann, Roy Byrd (Professor Longhair), Helen Humes, Buddy Rich's Big Band, Cootie Williams (including some Willis "Gator" Jackson), and others. There are six discs full of music, plus a seventh with alternates and a very rare, previously unreleased date by Mary Lou Williams (two tunes).

VA - Great Vocalists of Jazz & Entertainment [2004] Vol. 01-05 of 20

 

In this collection by the German "History" label, you get nearly 40 hours of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s. The sound quality is truly amazing - the remastering process removes hiss, clicks & pops; optimizes the equalization, and synthesizes stereo. The forty discs in this set are grouped into twenty 2-disc volumes which are dedicated to a vocalist or pair or vocalists.

Volume 01. Frank Sinatra — I’ll Be Seeing You
Volume 02. Nat King Cole — It’s Only A Paper Moon
Volume 03. Perry Como — With A Song In My Heart
Volume 04. Bing Crosby — My Melancholy Baby
Volume 05. Louis Armstrong / Cab Calloway — Long Long Journey