JOHNNY HODGES | WILD BILL DAVIS ft. GRANT GREEN - Joe's Blues (1965-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Joe's Blues   
1    Joe's Blues 6'09
Johnny Hodges
2    I'll Walk Alone 4'31
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
3    Harmony In Harlem 3'21
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges / Irving Mills
4    Warm Valley 4'31
Duke Ellington
5    Wild Bill Blues 5'24
Johnny Hodges
6    Somebody Loves Me 4'51
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin / Ballard MacDonald
7    Solitude 5'03
Eddie DeLange / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
8    Clementine 3'13
Billy Strayhorn
Wings & Things   
9    Wings And Things 7'18
Wild Bill Davis / Johnny Hodges
10    Spotted Dog 7'49
Wild Bill Davis / Johnny Hodges
11    Casanova 2'45
Wild Bill Davis  
12    Dow De Dow Dow Dow 3'26
Mercer Ellington / Johnny Hodges
13    Peg O' My Heart 3'28
Alfred Bryan / Fred Fisher
14    The Nearness Of You 3'18
Hoagy Carmichael / Ned Washington
15    Imbo 3'58
Duke Ellington
16    Take The "A" Train 3'58
Billy Strayhorn
Credits :
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – Wild Bill Davis
Alto Saxophone – Johnny Hodges
with
Personnel 1-8 :
Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Drums – Grady Tate
Electric Bass – Bob Bushnell
Personnel 9-16 :
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Ben Dixon
Piano – Hank Jones (pistas: 14 to 16)
Trombone – Lawrence Brown
Notas.
Tracks 1 to 8 recorded on January 6, 1965, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and issued as Johnny Hodges / Wild Bill Davis - Joe's Blues.
Tracks 9 to 16 recorded on July 27, 1965, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and issued as Johnny Hodges / Wild Bill Davis - Wings & Things.

LOU DONALDSON - The Natural Soul (1962-2003) RM | RVG Edition | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Natural Soul finds Lou Donaldson delving deeply into soul-jazz, recording a set of funky, greasy instrumentals with only a few references to hard bop. Donaldson occasionally sounds a little awkward with the relaxed groove of The Natural Soul, as does trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, but the trio of guitarist Grant Green, organist John Patton, and drummer Ben Dixon keep things cooking. Green and Patton's solos often burn and are always invigorating, and Lou frequently matches their heights. The original compositions -- which form the bulk of the album -- aren't much more than blues and soul vamps, but they provide an excellent foundation for the combo to work hot grooves. And, in the end, that's what The Natural Soul is about -- groove. It maintains the high standards Donaldson established with his first soul-jazz foray, Here 'Tis, and remains one of his best records in that genre. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Funky Mama 9'05
Big John Patton
2    Love Walked In 5'10
Composed By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
3    Spaceman Twist 5'35
Composed By – Lou Donaldson
4    Sow Belly Blues 10'11
Composed By – Lou Donaldson
5    That's All 5'33
Composed By – Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes
6    Nice 'N' Greasy 5'24
Composed By – Johnny Acea
7    People Will Say We're In Love 7'53
Composed By – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – John Patton
Recorded By, Remastered By [2002] – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Tommy Turrentine

LOU DONALDSON - "Good Gracious!" (1963-1997) RM | Blue Note Rare Groove Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Good Gracious may be Lou Donaldson's record, but guitarist Grant Green and organist John Patton steal the show. Working with a tight, soulful groove laid down by drummer Ben Dixon, the guitarist and organist trade hot lines that often steal the thunder from Donaldson, who nevertheless turns in a robust, tuneful performance. Donaldson's tone is richer and fuller than it is on many of his early-'60s records, and he really connects with the laid-back R&B grooves and soul-jazz vamps on Good Gracious, turning in melodic, memorable solos. However, Grant and Patton take the songs even further with their intense solos and fills; Patton, in particular, sounds on fire even when the tempo is mellow. Good Gracious still falls prey to some of the lazy tempos that pop up on most Lou Donaldson records, but it remains one of his finest soul-jazz sessions. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Bad John 8:16
Lou Donaldson    
2     The Holy Ghost 8:36
Lou Donaldson    
3     Cherry 5:15
Don Redman    
4     Caracas 7:17
Lou Donaldson    
5     Good Gracious 6:50
Lou Donaldson    
6     Don't Worry 'Bout Me
Rube Bloom / Ted Koehler
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – John Patton
Producer [Blue Note Rare Groove Series] – Michael Cuscuna, Tom Evered

LOU DONALDSON - Signifyin' (1963-2002) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This 1963 date by Lou Donaldson was his first for Argo/Cadet. It followed hot on the heels of two organ jazz dates for Blue Note, Here 'Tis and Natural Soul. Like those previous sessions, Donaldson has a band that can cook whatever meat he gives them -- John Patton, organ; Tommy Turrentine, trumpet; Ben Dixon, drums. Whether swinging on the soulful side of hard bop on Donaldson's own composition "Si Si Safronia" (with a steamy Latin beat played by Patton in chord comps), playing a straight-ahead greasy soul steamer such as the title track that opens the record, or offering up a funkified swinging version of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," the band keeps the beats tight, full of deep backbeat funk and raw soul. The finest moment, however, is on the eight-plus minute "Coppin' a Plea," which is all rough and ready blues with fuzzy overtones and Patton playing one of his finest solos of the period criss-crossing chunky chords and right-hand lines while double-timing Dixon. No matter how you add it up, the only complaint about these six tracks that can justifiably be mustered is that there weren't more.
>|This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa'<|
Tracklist :
1     Signifyin' 7'07
Lou Donaldson    
2     Time After Time 2'35
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne    
3     Si Si Safronia 5'38
Lou Donaldson    
4     Don't Get Around Much Anymore 3'53
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell    
5     I Feel It in My Bones 8'15
Lou Donaldson    
6     Coppin' a Plea 4'09
Lou Donaldson     
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon
Guitar – Roy Montrell
Organ – John Patton
Trumpet – Tommy Turrentine, Jr.

LOU DONALDSON - Possum Head (1964-2005) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Possum Head reunites Lou Donaldson with organ great Big John Patton, a component of virtually all of the altoist's strongest Argo label efforts -- time and time again, Patton's sublimely funky grooves effectively sand away Donaldson's wooden edges to create rolling melodic contours. Guitarist Ray Crawford, trumpeter Bill Hardman, drummer Bill Dixon, and the presumably pseudonymous percussionist Cleopas "Mopedido" Morris round out the session, which boasts a lighter, breezier approach than the earlier Signifyin'. Donaldson circles around the hard-driving soul-jazz sensibilities of his later records but never quite commits, instead favoring lyrical solos well-matched to standards like "Laura," "Bye Bye Blackbird," and "Secret Love." An engaging and underrated record. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1     Possum Head 3:15
Lou Donaldson    
2     Secret Love 5:44
Sammy Fain / Paul Francis Webster    
3     Midnight Soul 4:57
Lou Donaldson    
4     Bye Bye Blackbird 6:28
Mort Dixon / Ray Henderson    
5     Laura 4:42
Johnny Mercer / David Raksin    
6     Persimmon Tree 5:35
Lou Donaldson    
7     Frenesi 6:15
Alberto Dominguez / Leonard Whitcup    
8     Man With a Horn 5:04
Eddie DeLange / Jack Jenney / Bonnie Lake
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Congas – Cleopas "Mopedido" Morris
Drums – Ben Dixon
Guitar – Ray Crawford
Organ – 'Big' John Patton
Trumpet – Bill Hardman

LOU DONALDSON - Musty Rusty + At His Best (1965-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although issued on the Cadet label, Musty Rusty follows in much the same vein as Lou Donaldson's previous LPs for Blue Note. Credit reunions with the brilliant guitarist Grant Green and the underrated drummer Ben Dixon for the seamless transition, and even if organist Billy Gardner can't quite yet fill the shoes of longtime Donaldson foil Big John Patton, the set's soulfulness and creativity still demand attention. Trumpeter Bill Hardman completes the lineup, which comfortably settles into a tight, focused groove with the opening "The Space Walk" and never lets up -- Donaldson originals like "Hippity Hop" and the title tune crackle with energy, and the melodic ingenuity of Green's guitar solos astounds. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    Musty Rusty 6:03
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
2    Midnight Sun 4:45
Written-By – J. Francis Burke, Lionel Hampton
3    Hipty Hop 5:20
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
4    The Space Walk 6:10
Written-By – Ben Dixon
5    Ha' Mercy 5:30
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
6    Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White 5:20
Written-By – Luis Guglielmi, Mack David, Marcel Ageron
7    Greasy Papa 6:26
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
8    Tangerine 3:04
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger
9    Wig Blues 3:56
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
10    Blues #3 5:56
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
11    Win, Lose Or Draw 6:08
Written-By – Ousley
12    Be Anything, But Be Mine 4:54
Written-By – Gordon
13    Day By Day 7:18
Written-By – Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn
Credits :
>| 1-6  Lou Donaldson - Musty Rusty <|
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – Billy Gardner
Trumpet – Bill Hardman
>| 7-13 Lou Donaldson At His Best <|
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Grady Tate
Guitar – Calvin Newborn
Organ – Billy Gardner
Trumpet – Bill Hardman
Drums – Ben Dixon

LOU DONALDSON - Blue Breakbeats (1998) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Back in 1998, Blue Note came out with a series of little 35- to 45-minute "Breakbeats" samplers taken from the thick, rich catalogs of Bobbi Humphrey, Grant Green, Reuben Wilson, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, and Lou Donaldson. What you get on this particular volume are six very enjoyable examples of Lou Donaldson's best jazz-funk grooves harvested from the golden formative years of this well-loved style (1963-1970). The collective personnel is pretty wicked, and includes Blue Mitchell, Melvin Sparks, Grant Green, Charles Earland, and Idris Muhammad. As usual, the background for the music is way bigger and runs much deeper than many folks realize. Anyone who has gone back and assessed Donaldson's entire career knows that he was one of the few alto players who didn't switch to tenor in the shadow of Charlie Parker during the 1950s. Donaldson's chops were always as formidable as Bird's or Earl Bostic's, James Moody's or Cannonball Adderley's. His recorded legacy is a lot more diverse than you would imagine if all you went by were the funky tracks that have since been lucratively "legitimated" by the recording industry in response to the sampling habits of a whole generation of DJ mixologists. Not to complain -- it's very cool that Lou Donaldson's funk-jazz is getting reissued and is being enjoyed by people young enough to be his great-grandchildren. It's just that it would be awfully nice if more people were aware of the considerable stylistic range of his music. The root system of these "Breakbeats" exists in the amazing and to some extent overlooked records that Lou Donaldson made between 1952 and 1963. For maximum enjoyment and fulfillment, get some context for the funk and you'll enjoy it like never before. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1     Turtle Walk 7:54
Lou Donaldson
Drums - Idris Muhammad   
Trumpet – Ed Williams
Organ – Charles Earland
Guitar – Melvin Sparks
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
2     Brother Soul 8:13
Lou Donaldson / Leon Spencer
Drums - Idris Muhammad   
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell
Organ – Charles Earland
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Guitar – Jimmy Ponder
3     Minor Bash 6:08
Lou Donaldson   
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith
Drums - Idris Muhammad
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell
Guitar – Melvin Sparks
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
4     Pot Belly 8:05
Lou Donaldson   
Drums - Idris Muhammad
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell
Organ – Leon Spencer, Jr.
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Guitar – Ted Dunbar
5     One Cylinder 6:45
Freddie McCoy
Drums - Idris Muhammad   
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Guitar – George Benson
Trumpet – Melvin Lastie
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith
6     Caracas 7:19
Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon
Organ – John Patton
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Guitar – Grant Green

LOU DONALDSON - A Man with a Horn (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These sessions were recorded for Blue Note in 1961 and 1963. The first date features five cuts with Jack Mcduff on organ, Grant Green on guitar, and Joe Dukes on drums. The four remaining cuts were recorded two years later with John Patton on organ, Ben Dixon on drums, and the addition of Irvin Stokes on trumpet. This is a mainly mellow affair with six of the nine tracks exchanging the hard bop and soul-jazz of the times for ballads and slow blues. However, the occasional up-tempo funky surprise does pop up on "My Melancholy Baby" and the Donaldson originals "Hipty Hop" and "Soul Meetin'." Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     Misty 8:30
Johnny Burke / Erroll Garner     
2     Hippity Hop 5:44     
Lou Donaldson    
3     Please 6:07
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin    
4     My Melancholy Baby 6:29
Ernie Burnett / George Norton    
5     Man With a Horn 5:47
Eddie DeLange / Jack Jenney / Bonnie Lake
6     Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White 4:22
Mack David    
7     Prisoner of Love 5:10
Russ Columbo / Clarence Gaskill / Leo Robin
8     Soul Meetin' 7:11
Lou Donaldson    
9     Stardust 6:11
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
Notas.
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 25, 1961 (#1,3,5,7,9) and June 7, 1963 (#2,4,6,8)
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8), Joe Dukes (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – Jack McDuff (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), John Patton (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8)
Trumpet – Irvin Stokes (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8)
Trumpet – Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Joe Shepley

GRANT GREEN - Grant's First Stand (1961-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Grant Green's debut album, Grant's First Stand, still ranks as one of his greatest pure soul-jazz outings, a set of killer grooves laid down by a hard-swinging organ trio. For having such a small lineup -- just organist Baby Face Willette and drummer Ben Dixon -- the group cooks up quite a bit of power, really sinking its teeth into the storming up-tempo numbers, and swinging loose and easy on the ballads. The influence of the blues on both Green and Willette is strong and, while that's far and away the dominant flavor of the session, Green also displays his unique bop phrasing (learned by studying horn players' lines, rather than other guitarists) to fine effect on his high-octane opener, "Miss Ann's Tempo," and Willette's "Baby's Minor Lope." Green's original blues "A Wee Bit O'Green" and "Blues for Willarene" are both memorable, particularly the former, and the two standards -- "Lullaby of the Leaves" and "'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do" -- are given smoky treatments soaked in bluesy, late-night atmosphere. Willette and Dixon both supply a tremendous rhythmic drive, and Willette's solos burn with gospel fervor. This same trio performed together on Willette's Stop and Listen album, with equally heated results. None of Green's contemporaries used the single-note style (Green rarely played chords, leaving that to the organ or piano) to quite the same degree, making him a unique voice on his instrument. And his terrific debut pegged him as an up-and-comer to watch closely.  by Steve Huey  

Tracklist :

1 Miss Ann's Tempo 5:37

Written-By – Grant Green

2 Lullaby Of The Leaves 7:39

Written-By – B. Petkere, J. Young

3 Blues For Willarene 7:06

Written-By – Green

4 Baby's Minor Lope 7:13

Written-By – Baby Face Willette

5 'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do 4 :23

Written-By – E. Robbins, P. Grainger

6 A Wee Bit O' Green 7:46

Written-By – Green

Credits :

 Drums – Ben Dixon

Guitar – Grant Green

Organ – Baby Face Willette

GRANT GREEN - Am I Blue ? (1963-2002) RVG Edition / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

AM I BLUE features the classic Green / Patton / Dixon ensemble plus Johnny Cole and Joe Henderson on horns in a delightful yet unusually laid back vain. The gospel influence in John's playing is particularly evident on this recording, as is his minimalist philosophy. (If you don't have to play it, don't) Ironically, in his latter years, due to a strange accident with a car jack which would injure a tendon in his hand he would not have use of his pinky and fourth finger, yet could still create some of the richest and most amazing connections on the organ as well as develop very rich and lucid solo ideas ! The showstopper on the CD is the light and bouncy FOR ALL WE KNOW… Of course, Johnny Coles and a then newcomer and relatively unknown Joe Henderson definitely get their word in, but it is amazing to hear John's passing chords behind them. Grant Green typically lays out, listening, listening, listening, listening (which is what a soloist needs to be doing when his other bandmates are playing… not playing over them, or holding coversations, but listening and taking in the dialogue). Finally, Grant comes in and is as crisp, melodious and swinging and used expect him to be… throwing in a few surprise left hooks as well! - - Last word goes to John… who in turn not only takes a well crafted single note solo, but digs down with a real nifty shout chorus as well (though admittedly I will ever have to admit that Johnny Hammond Smith and Wild Bill will ever have him beat on that.) With Ben Dixon in his corner, however, he does take it home quite masterfully ! of note: That's the one thing that distinguishes a Grant Green session from one of those sessions where people are trying to copy such a session - - you can really tell the players are listening to each other, providing a lot of space and responding to one another's ideas! True Jazz masters are at their best not when they're showing off what they know… but when they're really listening and responding to what's going on around them. Then magic occurs, as was the historical case of John Coltrane's layer of sound discovery. - by Eddie Landsberg
Tracklist
1. Am I Blue? 6:54
Harry Akst / Grant Clarke
2. Take These Chains From My Heart 6:09
Hy Heath / Fred Rose
3. I Wanna Be Loved 7:34
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Billy Rose
4. Sweet Slumber 7:12
Lucky Millinder / Al J. Neiburg / Henri Woode
5. For All We Know 13:57
J. Fred Coots / Sam M. Lewis
Credits :
Grant Green - Guitar
Johnny Coles - Trumpet
Joe Henderson - Tenor Saxophone
"Big" John Patton - Organ
Ben Dixon - Drums

BIG JOHN PATTON - Blue John (1963-2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless