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

DIZZY GILLESPIE — At Newport (1957-1992) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This CD features Dizzy Gillespie's second great big band at the peak of its powers. On the rapid "Dizzy's Blues" and a truly blazing "Cool Breeze," the orchestra really roars; the latter performance features extraordinary solos by Gillespie, trombonist Al Grey, and tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell. In addition to fine renditions of "Manteca" and Benny Golson's then-recent composition "I Remember Clifford," the humorous "Doodlin'" is given a definitive treatment, there is a fresh version of "A Night in Tunisia," and pianist Mary Lou Williams sits in for a lengthy medley of selections from her "Zodiac Suite." This brilliant CD captures one of the high points of Dizzy Gillespie's remarkable career and is highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Dizzy's Blues    11:51
2    School Days 5:47
Vocals – Dizzy Gillespie
3    Doodlin'    7:52
4    Manteca Theme    7:11
5    I Remember Clifford    4:47
6    Cool Breeze    10:30
7    Selections From Zodiac Suite (Virgo/Libra/Aries)    10:28
8    Carioca    3:42
9    A Night In Tunisia    10:00
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell
Baritone Saxophone – Pee Wee Moore
Bass – Paul West
Drums – Charlie Persip
Piano – Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 7, 8), Wynton Kelly (tracks: 1 to 6, 9)
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell
Trombone – Al Grey, Chuck Connors, Melba Liston

KENNY CLARKE – 1948-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1214 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bebop thrived on both sides of the Atlantic during the late '40s. While some Americans treated bop as nothing more than affected "hep talk" and a way of dressing up funny, there were profound artistic innovations at the heart of this new music. Kenny Clarke helped to establish bop in Europe, and the recordings he made in Paris document a wonderful flowering of early modern jazz that would have a decisive impact on the next half century of musical evolution worldwide. Trumpeter Howard McGhee was the prime focus of a session that came at the end of a full season of recording activity during the spring of 1948. This was quite an octet in that John Lewis was the pianist, Hubert Fol and Jimmy Heath played alto saxophones, and Jesse Powell -- featured on "I'm in the Mood for Love" -- played tenor sax. Anyone who's fond of bassist Percy Heath should hear him carrying the melodic line on "Out of Nowhere." Six sides waxed for the small-time Century label in New York on January 25, 1949, resound with Milt Jackson's vibraphone -- he also doubled on piano -- and Kenny Dorham's fine trumpeting combined with the unusual tonalities of a French horn played by Julius Watkins. Furthermore, Joe Harris expanded Clarke's percussion section by handling congas and timbale. The results are something like chamber bop, dignified and progressive. "You Go to My Head" features the vibes -- Jackson makes the ballad feel like a blues -- and "Roll 'Em Bags" sounds something like "Billie's Bounce." Back in Paris, Clarke's next recording date involved Hubert Fol and a facile trombonist by the name of Nat Peck. "Iambic Pentameter," a wild feature for the drums, closely resembles "Epistrophy," while famously opinionated jazz critic Hugo Panassie's name is sent up in an adventurous bop study called "Assy Pan Assy." On March 3, 1950, Clarke participated in a remarkable session with the brothers Hubert and Raymond Fol and bassist Pierre Michelot. Their version of "Out of Nowhere" is a gem. The first version of "These Foolish Things" is so bopped up it's hard to recognize. Version number two, a feature for the bassist, is similarly veiled through harmonic reconstruction. "Those Fol-ish Things" at last reveals the melody, played on alto by Hubert Fol. These variations survive as a pleasant example of the quirkiness of the boppers. The CD closes with two excellent tracks from the spring of 1950, with Gerald Wiggins, Nat Peck, and world-class saxophonist James Moody joining the pack. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

AL COHN - Night Flight To Dakar + Xanadu In Africa (1980-2015) RM | 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 This compilation brings together two of saxophonist Al Cohn's live albums featuring his Xanadu ensemble. Both recorded while touring Africa in 1980, here we get Xanadu in Africa and Night Flight to Dakar. Joining Cohn are his associates in Xanadu, tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell, pianist Dolo Coker, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Frank Butler. Featured are such songs as "Blues Up and Down," "Sweet Senegalese Brown," "The King," "All or Nothing at All," "Robbins Nest," "Blues in the Closet," and more. This is aggressive, straight-ahead hard bop played to an enthusiastic audience. Matt Collar
Tracklist 1 :
1    Night Flight To Dakar    8:45
2    Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying    6:44
3    Blues Up And Down    9:10
4    Sweet Senegelese Brown    12:05
5    The King    10:39
Tracklist 2 :
1    All Or Nothing At All    12:41
2    Robbins Nest    10:47
3    I Surrender Dear    8:58
4    Blues In The Closet    4:56
5    Easy Living    9:35
Credits :
Bass – Leroy Vinnegar
Drums – Frank Butler
Piano – Dolo Coker
Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn, Billy Mitchell