Wayne Shorter - six Hi-Res albums 1965-1980

Few will dispute Wayne Shorter's importance as one of jazz's leading figures of the late 20th and early 21st centuries as both a composer and saxophonist. Though indebted to John Coltrane, with whom he practiced in the mid-fifties, Shorter developed his own voice and style on the tenor horn, retaining the tough tone quality and intensity and, in later years, adding elements of funk. On soprano, Shorter is almost another player entirely, his lovely tone attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes more spare. As a composer, he writes complex, long-limbed tunes, many of which are now standards.

Wayne Shorter - 1965 - Speak No Evil    

Wayne Shorter - 1965 - The All Seeing Eye    

Wayne Shorter - 1965 - The Soothsayer    

Wayne Shorter - 1969 - Super Nova    

Wayne Shorter - 1970 - Odyssey Of Iska    

Wayne Shorter - 1980 - Etcetera    

Jo Stafford - The Portrait Edition (3 CD, 1994/FLAC)

 For over 30 years, Jo Stafford was one of America's top middle-of-the-road pop singers, admired for her ability to always sing in tune and to uplift every lyric she interpreted while actually singing very straight. This three-CD retrospective, which was released in 1994, has 76 selections covering a 40-year period, with most of the numbers dating from the 1940s and '50s. On the minus side, the music is not programmed in chronological order, and the complete personnel is not given, but since Stafford's style was unchanged through the years and she tended to be the main star of her records (except when sharing vocals with the likes of Frankie Laine, Vic Damone, Gordon McRae, Nelson Eddy, Gene Autry and even Liberace), these are minor faults. It is unfortunate that Stafford's odd hillbilly hit "Tim-tay-shun" was not included, but all of her other big sellers are here. As an extra "bonus" at the end of each CD are one or two selections from the Jo Stafford/Paul Weston alter-egos Darlene and Jonathan Edwards, which features satirical cocktail piano from Weston and remarkable singing by Stafford that is consistently just a little bit out of tune -- pretty painful stuff!

Chick Corea, Miroslav Vitous, Roy Haynes - Trio Music, Live In Europe (1986/FLAC)

 

• Bass - Miroslav Vitous
• Drums - Roy Haynes
• Piano - Chick Corea

Recorded September 1984 in Willisau and Reutlingen

A1 - The Loop 6:29  Written-By - Corea

A2 - I Hear A Rhapsody 6:40 Written-By - Gasparre, Fragos, Baker

A3 - Summer Night / Night And Day 14:23 Written-by  Porter / Dubin, Warren

Side 2

B1 - Prelude No. 2 / Mock Up 12:19 Written-by (Mock Up) - Corea / (Prelude No. 2) - Scriabin

B2 - Hittin' It 5:19 Written-By - Haynes

B3 - Mirovisions 11:30 Written-By - Vitous

Beegie Adair - The Great American Songbook Collection (6 CD, 2009/FLAC)

 Beegie Adair is a prolific, award-winning jazz pianist and arranger known for her interpretations of jazz and popular standards and show tunes. She has sold over two million recordings globally. Her melodic, fleet-fingered style reflects the sounds of her major influences, including George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Erroll Garner. 

Paul Motian — The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note (6 CD, 2010/FLAC)

 

Between 1983 and 1992, drummer and composer Paul Motian recorded six albums as a leader for the Soul Note label. Three of them (The Story of Maryam, Jack of Clubs, and Misterioso) featured a quintet that included saxophonists Joe Lovano and Jim Pepper, guitarist Bill Frisell, and bassist Ed Schuller; two were duo albums with pianists, one (Notes) with Paul Bley and the other (Flux and Change) with Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi (not Bley, as erroneously indicated on the back of this box set). The sixth, One Time Out, was a trio album with Frisell and Lovano. This nicely priced box brings together all six albums, each of them in a cardboard sleeve that duplicates the original LP packaging.

 

John Coltrane - The Atlantic Studio Album Collection (8 CD, 2015) [24-192]

John Coltrane was a “heavyweight champion” of jazz; the saxophonist's inspiring journey from post-war bop to free jazz earned him veneration in the African Orthodox Church and a special Pulitzer Prize in 2007 among other accolades. A critical juncture in that journey was at New York's Atlantic Records, where Trane released his first album devoted entirely to original compositions in 1960. Along with GIANT STEPS, he made COLTRANE JAZZ, MY FAVORITE THINGS and OLE COLTRANE during his two years with the label; after his departure, Atlantic issued three additional sets from session recordings and the Milt Jackson collaboration BAGS & TRANE. All eight of these are included in THE ATLANTIC STUDIO ALBUM COLLECTION, a worthy memorial to John Coltrane, who died from liver cancer on this day in 1967.

Jackie McLean - Destination... Out! (1964) [192-24]

 

• Grachan Moncur III - trombone
• Jackie McLean - alto saxophone
• Bobby Hutcherson - vibes
• Larry Ridley - bass
• Roy Haynes - drums

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on September 20, 1963. 

01. Love and Hate (Moncur III) - 8:28

02. Esoteric (Moncur III) - 9:05

03. Kahlil the Prophet (McLean) - 10:27

04. Riff Raff (Moncur III) - 7:08

Bobby Hackett - The Complete Capitol Bobby Hackett Solo Sessions (5 CD, 2001/FLAC)

 

To jazz aficionados, trumpeter Bobby Hackett might be best known for a long history of projects that include his marvelous longtime relationship with trombonist Vic Dickenson, which led to a number of splendid small-group recordings. Hackett had many sides, not the least of which was his affinity for clear, lovely melodies, which he sang through his horn like a young robin chirping in the early morn. Simply put, the trumpeter had a knack for performing tunes from the American songbook with a deep clarity rarely, if ever, equaled. This gorgeous five-disc set collects all ten LPs made by Hackett for Capitol records between 1953 and 1959. These were the Eisenhower years in America, a time when a certain self-satisfaction endured, when conformity reigned, and everything seemed -- at least on the surface -- just right. Hackett's recordings for Capitol reflected the era perfectly. More in the style of easy listening than jazz, Hackett's luscious tone mesmerizes with its subtlety, its exquisite delicacy, and its fine sense of tonal center. Among the sidemen on these discs are Lou Stein, Dick Carey (who performs splendidly on Eb horn), Milt Hinton, Dave McKenna, Cutty Cutshall, and Bob Wilbur. Considering the talent represented, there is little in the way of first-rate jazz improvisation. In its place, though, are some of the most beautiful sounds you are likely to hear on disc, the wondrous tones of a premier stylist whose plush, rich, creamy voice speaks to the heavens with every note. 

Phil Woods - The Phil Woods Quartet/Quintet 20th Anniversary Set (5 CD, 1995/FLAC)

 Mosaic's limited-edition, five-disc box Phil Woods Quartet/Quintet 20th Anniversary Set is a treasure trove for hardcore fans of the alto saxophonist. All the material on this set is previously unreleased; Woods has been saving this material for 20 years and decided to license the tapes to Mosaic to celebrate his band's 20th anniversary. 

Richie Beirach & Gregor Huebner - Live at Birdland New York [2017/FLAC]

 

Fans of over-the-top piano playing: this album’s for you. Richie Beirach should probably be a far bigger name than he is. A classically trained virtuoso, he has worked with Stan Getz and Chet Baker and also enjoyed fruitful collaborations with guitarist John Abercrombie and saxophonist Dave Liebman, whilst also focusing his own deeply personal solo projects.