JUNIOR MANCE — Sweet and Lovely (2004) WV (image+.cue), lossless

In the ‘60s, the terms "soul-jazz" and "organ combo" went hand-in-hand -- frequently, but not always. Although organ combos dominated soul-jazz in the ‘60s, there is another valuable part of ‘60s soul-jazz that isn't discussed quite as much: piano trios led by funky, soulful players like Ray Bryant, Bobby Timmons, Ramsey Lewis, and Gene Harris. All of those artists demonstrated that earthy down-home soul-jazz didn't have to have an organ, and Junior Mance was also well aware of the piano's possibilities as a soul-jazz instrument. The Chicago native has often made it clear that piano jazz (to borrow Marian McPartland's term) can also be soul-jazz -- a fact that is quite evident on Sweet and Lovely. This 2004 release unites two of Mance's early-‘60s sessions on a single 77-minute CD: The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance and Big Chief (minus the Big Chief track "The Seasons," which Fantasy omitted due to space limitations). Both albums were produced by Orrin Keepnews for Jazzland/Riverside, and both of them find Mance leading cohesive piano trios. Whether Mance is joined by bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Bobby Thomas on Soulful Piano, or bassist Jimmy Rowser and drummer Paul Gusman on Big Chief, the pianist is in fine form throughout Sweet and Lovely. Mance excels on 12-bar blues themes, and he is equally convincing on standards that range from George Gershwin's "Summertime" and Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" to Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear". Occasionally, Mance ventures into cerebral territory; "Love for Sale" and the original "Swish," for example, underscore the Chicagoan's ability to play tough, complex, demanding bop changes at a fast tempo. But most of these trio performances thrive on groove-oriented accessibility and will easily appeal to those who prefer their jazz on the melodic side. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
# 1-9 originally released as 'The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance' (Jazzland 930)
1    The Uptown    4:02
Written-By – Julian Mance
2    Ralph's New Blues    4:20
Written-By – Milt Jackson
3    Main Stem    4:21
Written-By – Duke Ellington
4    Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup    3:38
Written-By – Anna Socenko
5    Playhouse    4:14
Written-By – Julian Mance
6    Sweet And Lovely    3:35
Written-By – Daniels, Arnheim, Tobias
7    In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee    4:36
Written-By – Mary Lou Williams
8    I Don't Care    4:27
Written-By – Ray Bryant
9    Swingmatism    5:12
Written-By – McShann, Scott
# 10-17 on 'Big Chief!' (Jazzland 953)
10    Big Chief!    4:16
Written-By – Junior Mance
11    Love For Sale    4:55
Written-By – Cole Porter
12    Fillet Of Soul    4:27
Written-By – Larry Gales
13    Swish    3:38
Written-By – Junior Mance
14    Summertime    4:09
Written-By – George And Ira Gershwin
15    Ruby, My Dear    5:55
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
16    Little Miss Gail    4:45
Written-By – Junior Mance
17    Atlanta Blues    5:51
Written-By – W. C. Handy
Credits :
1-9 originally released as 'The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance' (1969, Jazzland 930)
Bass – Ben Tucker
Drums – Bobby Thomas
Piano – Junior Mance
10-17 on 'Big Chief!' (1961, Jazzland 953)
Bass – Jimmy Rowser
Drums – Paul Gusman
Piano – Junior Mance

BUD SHANK | BILL PERKINS — Bud Shank and Bill Perkins (1998) MONO | Serie West Coast Classics | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two of the stars of cool jazz, Bud Shank and Bill Perkins, are featured to various degrees throughout this session. Shank in the 1950s was practically the epitome of West Coast jazz. His cool tones on alto and his fluid flute were utilized on many dates; the main set here also finds him switching in spots to tenor and baritone. Perkins, always a versatile reed soloist, is best known for his tenor playing but during that date he also plays alto, and (on two versions of "Fluted Columns") there are some rare examples of his flute. Shank and Perkins team up quite effectively with pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Mel Lewis for the May 2, 1955 session, which includes a trio feature for Hawes ("I Hear Music"). Four numbers from February 19, 1956 (with Shank on flute and alto, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Carson Smith, drummer Shelly Manne, and, on "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," Perkins on tenor) are actually from a session led by Freeman but never completed, and were only put out previously on samplers. "Angel Eyes" (by a quartet with Perkins and pianist Jimmy Rowles) is a leftover track from a later date, as is "Sonny Speaks," which showcases Rowles in a trio without Perkins. This set concludes with the one surviving number ("Ain't Got a Dime to My Name") surviving from a truncated Perkins quartet set from 1958. Taken as a whole, there are many rewarding solos to be heard by Shank, Perkins, and the piano players on these formerly rare selections, even if the collection falls short of being classic. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits

OLIVER NELSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA — Fantabulous (1964-2008) Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By the time Oliver Nelson and his big band had recorded Fantabulous in March of 1964 for Argo, the great composer, saxophonist, conductor, and arranger was a man about town in New York. He had released some truly classic dates of his own as a leader in smaller group forms -- Blues and the Abstract Truth and Full Nelson among them -- and had done arrangement work for everyone from Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Hodges, Nancy Wilson, Frank Wess, King Curtis, Etta Jones, Jimmy Smith, Jack Teagarden, Betty Carter, Billy Taylor, and Gene Ammons, to name more than a few. For Fantabulous, he took his working big band to Chicago for a gig sponsored by Daddy-O-Daylie, a famous local disc jockey. He had also worked with a number of the players on this date before, even recording an earlier version of the tune "Hobo Flats" that opens this set a year before on an album of the same name. Altoist Phil Woods, baritone roarer Jerome Richardson, trumpeters Snooky Young and Art Hoyle, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Grady Tate are a few of the names on Fantabulous. Nelson holds down the tenor chair, and Patti Bown is on piano with additional brass and reed players. Another Nelson original, "Post No Bills" features killer alto work from Woods, and a brief but smoking hot baritone break form Richardson on the same cut. This program is compelling in that it provides an excellent meld of all of Nelson's strengths-as an advanced, colorful harmonist who insisted on the hard swinging esthetic, as an excellent tenor saxophonist and a killer conductor. Another highlight is "Daylie's Double," (which bears a similarity to Nat Adderley's "Work Song"") named for the aforementioned DJ, with smoking tenor breaks from Nelson, and big fat soulful chord soloing from Bown. Likewise Billy Taylor's "A Bientot," it opens in true big brass Ellingtonian elegance, and unravels itself as a gorgeous bluesy ballad with echoes of "I Only Have Eyes for You" in its melody. The subtle shades of flute and twinned clarinet are a nice touch before the entire band arrives to carry it out on a big yet tenderly expressive lyric cloud. That said, there isn't a weak moment here, there isn't anything that doesn't captivate, delight, and even astonish, as in the smoking, striated harmonic bop head on "Three Plus One." It's almost amazing it took more than 20 years before this appeared on American shores on CD, but at last, here it is in excellent sound at a budget price as part of Verve's Originals series. This is for those who are fans who don't have it yet (and who are unwilling to pay high collector's fees for good vinyl copies or the wages of Japanese import insanity), and those wondering where to begin with Nelson the arranger.

-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist & Credits :

LENNIE TRISTANO and WARNE MARSH - Intuition (1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 This CD brings back a formerly rare set by Warne Marsh, plus seven classic performances that serve as the high point of Lennie Tristano's career. Oddly enough, the Tristano date is programmed second. First is a full-length album which matches Warne Marsh with the cooler but complementary tone of fellow tenor Ted Brown (plus pianist Ronnie Ball, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Jeff Morton). The original eight selections are joined by four alternate takes recorded in mono. Marsh and Brown blend together well, Ball has several creative solos, and most of the "originals" are based closely on familiar standards. However, the main reason to acquire this CD is for the seven remarkable Tristano tracks which feature his finest group (consisting of the pianist/leader, altoist Lee Konitz, Marsh on tenor, guitarist Billy Bauer, bassist Arnold Fishkin, and either Harold Granowsky or Denzil Best on drums). Tristano's music was unique and even more advanced than most bop of the late '40s. While he confined the rhythm section to very quiet timekeeping, the vibrato-less horns and Tristano himself played very long melodic lines, constantly improvising. The stunning unisons performed by Konitz and Marsh (particularly on "Wow") still sound remarkable today, as does the interplay of the two horns on "Sax of a Kind." "Intuition" and "Digression" were the first recorded free improvisations in jazz, but are quite coherent due to the musicians' familiarity with each other. Due to the Lennie Tristano performances, this CD reissue (which has over 75 minutes of music) is essential for all jazz collections. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1    Warne Marsh–    Smog Eyes 3:32
Written-By – Ted Brown
2    Warne Marsh–    Ear Conditioning 5:13
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
3    Warne Marsh–    Lover Man 4:28
Written-By – Davis, Sherman, Ramirez
4    Warne Marsh–    Quintessence 4:14
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
5    Warne Marsh–    Jazz Of Two Cities 4:32
Written-By – Ted Brown
6    Warne Marsh–    Dixie's Dilemma 4:20
Written-By – Warne Marsh
7    Warne Marsh–    Tschaikovsky's Opus #42, Third Movement 3:59
Traditional
8    Warne Marsh–    I Never Knew 5:00
Written-By – G. Khan, T. FioRita
9    Warne Marsh–    Ear Conditioning (Mono Master) 5:14
Written-By – Ronnie Ball
10    Warne Marsh–    Lover Man (Mono Master) 4:29
Written-By – Davis, Sherman, Ramirez
11    Warne Marsh–    Jazz Of Two Cities (Mono Take) 4:39
Written-By – Ted Brown
12    Warne Marsh–    I Never Knew (Mono Take) 5:09
Written-By – Kahn, T. FioRita
13    Lennie Tristano–    Wow 3:19
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
14    Lennie Tristano–    Crosscurrent 2:48
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
15    Lennie Tristano–    Yesterdays 2:45
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
16    Lennie Tristano–    Marionette 3:04
Written-By – Billy Bauer
17    Lennie Tristano–    Sax Of A Kind 2:59
Written-By – L. Tristano, W. Marsh
18    Lennie Tristano–    Intuition 2:27
Written-By – Lennie Tristano
19    Lennie Tristano–    Digression 3:04
Written-By – Lennie Tristano     
Credits :
1-12
Bass – Ben Tucker
Drums – Jeff Morton
Piano – Ronnie Ball
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh
13-19
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Arnold Fishkin
Drums – Denzil Best (tracks: 16 to 19), Harold Granowsky (tracks: 13, 14),
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Piano – Lennie Tristano
Notas.
Tracks 1 to 8 are stereo, all other selections are mono.
The Warne Marsh album that begins this CD was issued in mono as "Jazz Of Two Cities" (Imperial LP 9027) and in stereo as "Winds Of Marsh" (Imperial LP 12013). The mono and stereo takes of "Jazz Of Two Cities" and "I Never Knew" are completely different. The second saxophone solo on "Ear Conditioning" and the piano solo on "Lover Man" differ on the stereo and mono masters. Both versions of these four tunes are therefore included here.
Tracks 1 to 4, 9 & 10 recorded on October 3, 1956 at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles.
Tracks 5 to 8, 11 & 12 recorded on October 11, 1956 at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles.
Tracks 13 & 14 recorded on March 4, 1949 in New York.
Tracks 15 recorded on March 14, 1949 in New York.
Tracks 16 to 19 recorded on May 16, 1949 in New York.

LOU DONALDSON - Midnight Sun (1960-1980) lp | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Recorded in July of 1960, Midnight Sun sat unissued in Blue Note's vaults until the early '80s, when it was issued as part of their LT series. Like many of the previously unreleased albums in the series, it's clear that the only reason this remained in the vaults was because the label was releasing too many records, not because the session itself was second-rate. Granted, there are a couple of awkward moments on the date, but for the most part, Midnight Sun is as strong as any of the hard bop records Donaldson released in the early '60s. Part of the reason the quality is so high is the fact his supporting quartet is so strong. Pianist Horace Parlan has a number of fine moments on the record, and Lou's longtime rhythm section of bassist Ben Tucker, drummer Al Harewood, and conga player Ray Barretto is as reliable as ever. Any dedicated Donaldson fan should search for this record; even if it doesn't reach the heights of Blues Walk and Here 'Tis, it still has plenty of fine music. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
A1    Candy 6:12
Written-By – Alex Kramer, Joan Whitney, Mack David
A2    Midnight Sun 5:46
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
A3    Avalon 5:18
Written-By – Al Jolson, Buddy G. De Sylva, Vincent Rose
B1    The Squirrel 3:33
Written-By – Tadd Dameron
B2    Si Si Safronia 4:31
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
B3    Exactly Like You 5:04
Written-By – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
B4    Dog Walk 4:24
Written-By – Lou Donaldson
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Bass – Ben Tucker
Congas – Ray Barretto
Drums – Al Harewood
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Horace Parlan

LOU DONALDSON - Gravy Train (1962-2007) RM | RVG Edition | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Gravy Train is a fine, if not quite exceptional record from Lou Donaldson's initial soul-jazz phase of the early '60s. Actually, given the title and the period in which it was recorded, the album isn't quite as greasy and funky overall as one might expect; most of the repertoire is devoted to pop ballads and mid-tempo standards, the latter of which tends to bring out more of the bop elements in Donaldson's playing. That's not true for the entire album, though; the title cut is a laid-back, conga-tinged, bluesy groover in the classic Donaldson mold, even if it's a bit workmanlike. Donaldson's longtime pianist, Herman Foster, is allotted quite a bit of solo space here, and he concentrates more on thick, rippling chords than single-note lines. For his part, Donaldson's playing is pleasant, and the rest of the supporting group maintains a steady groove throughout. All of Donaldson's sessions from this period (Here 'Tis, The Natural Soul, Good Gracious) have enough worthwhile moments for devoted fans, and that's true of Gravy Train as well, though casual fans probably won't find it necessary enough to track down. Steve Huey
Tracklist :
1    Gravy Train 8:11
Composed By – Lou Donaldson
2    South Of The Border 5:28
Composed By – J. Kennedy, M. Carr
3    Polka Dots And Moonbeams 4:56
Composed By – J. Burke-J. Van Heusen
4    Avalon 4:11
Composed By – A. Jolson, V. Rose
5    Candy 9:14
Composed By – Kramer, Whitney, David
6    Twist Time 6:43
Composed By – Lou Donaldson
7    Glory Of Love 4:00
Composed By – Billy Hill
8    Gravy Train (Alternate Take) 7:28
Composed By – Lou Donaldson
9    Glory Of Love (Alternate Take) 3:49
Composed By – Billy Hill
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Bass – Ben Tucker
Congas – Alec Dorsey
Drums – Dave Bailey
Piano – Herman Foster
Recorded By, Remastered By [2007] – Rudy Van Gelder

EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS WITH PAUL GONSALVES - Love Calls (1967) lp | 24bits-96hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Paul Gonsalves (ts) matches fours and spirit with Davis. Ron Wynn
Side A
A1    Love Is Here To Stay
A2    When Sunny Gets Blue
A3    If I Ruled The World
A4    Time After Time
A5    Just Friends
A6    Don't Blame Me
Side B
B1    I Should Care
B2    The Man With The Horn
B3    We'll Be Together Again
B4    A Weaver Of Dreams
B5    If I Should Lose You
Credits:
Double Bass – Ben Tucker
Drums – Grady Tate
Guitar – Everett Barksdale
Piano – Roland Hanna
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Paul Gonsalves

THE JEREMY STEIG QUARTET - Flute Fever +1 [1963] FLAC

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. Fantastic early work from flautist Jeremy Steig – a 60s quartet session for Columbia that came several years before the funky style of some of his later work – and a damn great record, with lots of soulful touches! Part of this has to do with the rhythm section of Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums – both of whom put a nice kick in the proceedings, and substantially ground and groove the solo work of Steig's flute and Denny Zeitlin's piano.

On that note, Steig's and Zeitlin's solos are truly outstanding – more than delivering on the feverish promise of the album's title! Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "So What", "Willow Weep For Me", "Well, You Needn't", "Blue Seven", "Oleo", and "Lover Man". This excellent CD version also includes the bonus first take version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?".

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 (1963) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218}

Tracklist:

1 - Oleo

2 - Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)

3 - What Is Things Called Love?

4 - So What

5 - Well, You Needn't

6 - Willow Weep For Me

7 - Blue Seven

8 - What Is Things Called Love? (Take 1) (bonus track)

Personnel:

Jeremy Steig – Flute

Denny Zeitlin – Piano

Ben Tucker – Bass

Ben Riley - Drums

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 [1963] 

[2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218]

© 1963, 2014 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4218

O Púbis da Rosa