COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA — April in Paris (1955) RM | Two Version | Original Master Recording, Ultradisc II Series + Verve Master Edition, Clef Series | WV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the staples in the Count Basie discography, April in Paris is one of those rare albums that makes its mark as an almost instant classic in the jazz pantheon. April in Paris represents the reassembly of the original Count Basie orchestra that define swing in the 1930s and 1940s. The title track has come to define elegance in orchestral jazz. Though only ten tracks in its original release, seven alternate takes have now been incorporated into Verve's re-release of the original session tapes. Other key tracks include "Corner Pocket" and "Magic," both of which are also featured in the alternate takes. Recorded in 1955 and 1956, April in Paris proved Count Basie's ability to grow through modern jazz changes while keeping the traditional jazz orchestra vital and alive. Christopher Fielder
Tracklist :
1.    April In Paris 3:47
Arranged By – Wild Bill Davis
Composed By – E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke
2.    Corner Pocket 5:15
Composed By, Arranged By – Freddie Green
3.    Didn't You? 4:43
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Foster
4.    Sweetie Cakes 3:58
Composed By, Arranged By – Ernie Wilkins
5.    Magic 3:06
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Wess
6.    Shiny Stockings 5:14
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Foster
7.    What Am I Here For? 3:19
Arranged By – Frank Foster
Composed By – Duke Ellington
8.    Midgets 3:13
Composed By, Arranged By – Joe Newman
9.    Mambo Inn 3:23
Arranged By – Frank Foster
Composed By – Bobby Woodlen, Edgar Sampson, Mario Bauzá
10.    Dinner With Friends 3:05
Composed By, Arranged By – Neal Hefti
11.    April In Paris [2nd Take] 3:45
Arranged By – Wild Bill Davis
Composed By – E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke
12.    Corner Pocket [2nd Take] 4:59
Composed By, Arranged By – Freddie Green
13.    Didn't You? [3rd Take] 4:50
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Foster
14.    Magic [1st Take] 3:42
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Wess
15.    Magic [2nd Take] 3:50
Composed By, Arranged By – Frank Wess
16.    What Am I Here For? [1st Take] 4:06
Arranged By – Frank Foster
Composed By – Duke Ellington
17.    Midgets [4th Take] 3:11
Composed By, Arranged By – Joe Newman
Credits :
Bass – Eddie Jones
Clarinet, Saxophone [Alto] – Marshal Royal (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16)
Drums – Sonny Payne
Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone [Alto], Saxophone [Tenor] – Frank Wess
Guitar – Freddie Green
Percussion – Jose Mangual (tracks: 9), Ubaldo Nieto (tracks: 9)
Piano – Count Basie
Saxophone [Alto] – Bill Graham (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16)
Saxophone [Baritone] – Charlie Fowlkes (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16)
Saxophone [Tenor], Clarinet – Frank Foster (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16)
Trombone – Benny Powell (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16), Bill Hughes (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16), Henry Coker (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16)
Trumpet – Joe Newman, Reunald Jones (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16), Thad Jones (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16), Wendell Culley (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 16) 

GERALD WILSON ORCHESTRA – In My Time (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Veteran arranger Gerald Wilson utilized a New York band full of all-stars for this very rewarding and memorable project. Three of the selections ("Dorian," "Ray's Vision at the U," and "Blues for Manhattan") form a suite called "The Diminished Triangle," which is based upon diminished chords and utilizes Wilson's eight-part harmony. Guitarist Russell Malone is showcased on the ballad "Musette," a remake of "Lomelin" pays tribute to a bullfighter in dramatic fashion, and such players as tenor saxophonist Kazumi Washington (an impressive new voice), pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeters Jon Faddis, Jimmy Owens, and Sean Jones, and tenor man Ron Blake are among the many colorful soloists. But it is the enthusiastic arranger/bandleader who takes honors with his consistently inventive writing and (one imagines) enthusiastic conducting. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Sax Chase 10:21
Written-By – Miles Davis
The Diminished Triangle - Three Part Composition
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
2    Dorian 7:27
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
3    Ray's Vision At The U 4:25
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
4    Blues For Manhattan 8:47
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
5    Lomelin 7:41
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
6    A.E.N. 10:26
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
7    Musette 5:47
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
8    So What 11:08
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
9    Love For Sale 5:05
Written-By – Cole Porter
10    Jeri 3:55
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
Credits :
Gerald Wilson Orchestra:
Steve Wilson , Gary Smulyan, Kamasi Washington, Ron Blake , Dustin Cicero, Jerry Dodgian -Woodwinds
Russell Malone - Guitar
Eddie Henderson, Frank Green, Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Owens, Jon Faddis, Sean Jones, Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet
Luis Bonilla, Benny Powell, Douglas Purviance, Dennis Wilson - Trombone
Renee Rosnes - Keyboards
Peter Washington - Double Bass
Lewis Nash - Drums

BASIE | BENNETT — Count Basie And His Orchestra Swings, Tony Bennett Sings (1959-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer's paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers ("Life Is a Song" and "Jeepers Creepers"), while Bennett's perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count's style, whether on frantic rave-ups like "With Plenty of Money and You" and "Strike Up the Band" or relaxed swingers like "Chicago." Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett's voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad "After Supper," but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1    Life Is A Song 2:55
Written By – Fred Ahlert, Joe Young
2    Plenty Of Money 1:35
Written By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
3    Jeepers Creepers 2:09
Written By – Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer
4    Are You Havin' Any Fun 2:48
Written By – Jack Yellen, Sammy Fain
5    Anything Goes 2:21
Written By – Cole Porter
6    Strike Up The Band 1:34
Written By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
7    Chicago 2:08
Written By – Fred Fisher
8    I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 3:04
Written By – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Lowe
9    Poor Little Rich Girl 3:33
Written By – Noel Coward
10    Growing Pains 3:36
Written By – Arthur Schwartz, Dorothy Fields
11    I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans 1:45
Written By – Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
12    After Supper 3:36
Written By – Neil Hefti
Credits :
Arranged By – Ralph Sharon
Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Fowlkes
Bass – Eddie Jones
Drums – Sonny Payne
Guitar – Freddie Green
Piano – Count Basie (tracks: 1, 3), Ralph Sharon (tracks: 2, 4 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Billy Mitchell
Trombone – Al Grey, Benny Powell, Henry Coker
Trumpet – Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Thad Jones, Wendell Culley
Vocals – Tony Bennett

SIR CHARLES THOMPSON AND THE HAWK - For the Ears (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although Vanguard gives Coleman Hawkins co-billing on this 1999 reissue, the tenor titan is actually heard on only five of its12 John Hammond-produced selections (which were recorded in 1954, 1955 and 1956). But with or without the mighty Hawk, the material finds Sir Charles Thompson in good to excellent form. In the 1950s, Thompson fluctuated between swing and bop, and For The Ears reflects his passion for both. The CD also reflects Thompson's love of Count Basie. Although the pianist was quite recognizable himself, Basie was always his primary influence--and the Count's influence comes through on hard-swinging uptempo numbers like "Dynaflow" and "Ready for Freddie" as well as the ballads "Under the Sweetheart Tree" and "It's the Talk of the Town" (both of which remind us how seductive and alluring Hawkins' ballad playing could be). Four of the songs, including "Love for Sale" and "Stompin' at the Savoy, " come from a drumless 1956 trio date with guitarist Skeeter Best and bassist Aaron Bell. Opting for variety, For The Ears paints an appealing picture of Thompson's Vanguard output. Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1    Fore! 6'55
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Benny Morton
Trumpet – Emmett Berry
2    Ready For Freddie 2:57
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Benny Morton
Trumpet – Emmett Berry
3    It's The Talk Of The Town 4:36
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Benny Morton
Trumpet – Emmett Berry
4    Dynaflow 4:51
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan (3)
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Benny Morton
Trumpet – Emmett Berry
5    Oh Joe! 6:21
Alto Saxophone – Pete Brown
Bass – Gene Ramey
Drums – Osie Johnson
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Trombone – Benny Powell
Trumpet – Joe Newman
6    Best By Test 2:50
Bass – Aaron Bell
Guitar – Skeeter Best
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
7    Love For Sale 6:24
Bass – Aaron Bell
Guitar – Skeeter Best
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
8    Stompin' At The Savoy 3:14
Bass – Aaron Bell
Guitar – Skeeter Best
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
9    Hey There 5:13
Bass – Aaron Bell
Guitar – Skeeter Best
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
10    For The Ears 11:17
Alto Saxophone – Pete Brown
Bass – Gene Ramey
Drums – Osie Johnson
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Trombone – Benny Powell
Trumpet – Joe Newman
11    Bop This 3:45
Alto Saxophone – Pete Brown
Bass – Gene Ramey
Drums – Osie Johnson
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Trombone – Benny Powell
Trumpet – Joe Newman
12    Under The Sweetheart Tree 5:23
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Bass – Aaron Bell
Drums – Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan
Piano – Sir Charles Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone – Benny Morton
Trumpet – Emmett Berry

JIMMY HEATH - New Picture (1985) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Ten years after his most recent set as a leader, Jimmy Heath (heard here on tenor and soprano) finally had another opportunity to lead an album of his own. This date, reissued on CD, finds Heath playing in a largely unchanged style from his earlier days, although some of his freer flights hint slightly at the avant-garde. With strong support given by pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Tony Purrone (an alumnus of the Heath Brothers), bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Al Foster, Heath performs four originals, "Lush Life," and Charlie Parker's "Dewey Square," and "Sophisticated Lady." Three numbers add two French horns, a trombone and a tuba to the ensembles for color; Heath provided the arrangements. A tasteful and swinging effort. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     New Picture 5'00
Jimmy Heath
2     Lush Life 8'06
Billy Strayhorn
3     Changes 5'59
Jimmy Heath
4     Keep Love Alive 5'21
Jimmy Heath
5     Dewey Square 4'05
Charlie Parker
6     Sophisticated Lady 6'44
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Mitchell Parish
7     Togetherness 5'10
Jimmy Heath
Credits :
Bass – Rufus Reid
Drums – Al Foster
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Tommy Flanagan (pistas: 3, 4)
French Horn – Bob Routch (pistas: 2, 4, 6), John Clark (pistas: 2, 4, 6)
Guitar – Tony Purrone
Piano [Acoustic] – Tommy Flanagan (pistas: 1, 2, 6, 7 , 8)
Producer – Jimmy Heath, Orrin Keepnews
Recorded By, Engineer [Remix] – Rudy Van Gelder
Soprano Saxophone – Jimmy Heath (pistas: 4 to 7)
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath (pistas: 1 to 3, 5)
Trombone – Benny Powell (pistas: 2, 4, 6)
Tuba – Howard Johnson (pistas: 2, 4, 6)

QUINCY JONES — Gula Matari (1970-1999) RM | A&M Records Jazz Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

With his second and last album under the Creed Taylor aegis, the complexities of Quincy Jones' catholic, evolving tastes start to reveal themselves. We hear signs of his gradual gravitation toward pop right off the bat with the churchy R&B cover of Paul Simon's mega-hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water," dominated by Valerie Simpson's florid soul vocal and a gospel choir. His roots fixation surfaces in the spell-like African groove of the title track, a dramatic tone poem that ebbs and flows masterfully over its 13-minute length. From this point on, it's all jazz; the roaring big band comes back with a vengeance in "Walkin'," where Milt Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, and other jazzers take fine solo turns, and things really get rocking on Nat Adderley's "Hummin'." Major Holley is a riot with his grumble-scat routine on bass. The whole record sounds like they must have had a ball recording it. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water 6:10
Composed By – Simon & Garfunkel
2. Gula Matari 13:05
Composed By – Quincy Jones
3. Walkin' 7:55
Composed By – Richard Carpenter

4. Hummin' 8:05
Composed By – Nat Adderley
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Quincy Jones
Baritone Saxophone – Danny Bank, Pepper Adams
Bass – Ray Brown, Richard Davis (tracks: 2), Ron Carter (tracks: 2)
Bass Saxophone – Danny Bank
Bass, Soloist – Major Holley
Cello – Alan Shulman, Kermit Moore, Lucien Schmit, Seymour Barab
Drums – Grady Tate
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute, Soloist – Hubert Laws
Guitar, Soloist – Eric Gale
Guitar, Whistle, Soloist – Toots Thielemans
Keyboards – Bob James, Bobby Scott, Herbie Hancock
Marimba [Bass] – Don Elliott (tracks: A2)
Percussion – Don Elliott, Jimmy Johnson, Warren Smith
 Producer – Creed Taylor
Soprano Saxophone, Soloist – Jerome Richardson
Trombone – Benny Powell, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre
Trombone, Soloist – Al Grey
Trumpet – Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Gene Young, Freddie Hubbard, Marvin Stamm
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson
Vocals – Barbara Massey, Hilda Harris, Maretha Stewart, Marilyn Jackson
Vocals, Soloist – Valerie Simpson
Voice, Soloist – Major Holley

COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1953-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1446 (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The 15th installment in the complete commercially issued studio recordings of Count Basie was released as a new segment of the Classics Chronological Series in 2007. The time line represented here begins on December 12, 1953, and ends either in June or August 1954, depending upon which discographical session index you opt for. The bright, snappy Basie big-band sound of the mid-'50s was largely the result of compositions and arrangements by Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Freddie Green, Ernie Wilkins, Neal Hefti, and Manny Albam. Four of these men also operated as crucial performers in the band, along with Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Benny Powell, and Marshall Royal. In addition to Green's "Right On" (a title that anticipates that phrase's rhetorical ubiquity among young Afro-Americans by at least ten years), noteworthy numbers include Hefti's "Two for the Blues," Foster's "Blues Backstage" and "Down for the Count," and Wilkins' "Sixteen Men Swinging," "Stereophonic," "The Blues Done Come Back," and "She's Just My Size." The Basie orchestra's rendition of Juan Tizol's "Perdido" comes as a pleasant surprise and registers as a tip of the hat to that other decisively influential bandleader who with Basie essentially defined the idiom during the 1950s, Duke Ellington. arwulf arwulf