STAN GETZ | ZOOT SIMS — The Brothers (1956-1989) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The music on this LP recalls the airy "Four Brothers" sound that tenor saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward, and baritone saxophonist Serge Charloff, plied in Woody Herman's band of 1947. For this outing, Steward and Charloff exit, and four become five with the addition of tenor luminaries Al Cohn, Brew Moore, and Allen Eager. The set appropriately kicks off with Gerry Mulligan's "Five Brothers," a tune reminiscent of Jimmy Giuffre's original "Four Brothers" in its fluid and bouncy arrangement. Three other attractive and similarly disposed originals (one more by Mulligan and two by Cohn) complete the saxophone session from 1949, all featuring swinging statements by each soloist. A 1952 sextet date led by Sims and Cohn is also included, offering up another round of original and buoyantly swinging cuts, bolstered by lively contributions from trombonist Kai Winding and solid rhythmic support by pianist George Wallington, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey. A fine release that nicely showcases the cool, proto-West Coast bop forged by both these soloists and Miles Davis. Stephen Cook  

Tracklist :
1 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Five Brothers 3:10
Gerry Mulligan    
2 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Five Brothers [Alternate Take] 3:34
Gerry Mulligan    
3 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Battle of the Saxes 3:52
Al Cohn    
4 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Battleground 3:46
Al Cohn    
5 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Battleground [Alternate Take] 3:31
Al Cohn    
6 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Four and One Moore 3:22
Gerry Mulligan    
7 Stan Getz And His Four Brothers- Four and One Moore [Alternate Take] 3:15
Gerry Mulligan    
8 Zoot Sims And Al Cohn– The Red Door 4:34
Zoot Sims    
9 Zoot Sims And Al Cohn– Zootcase 4:18
Zoot Sims
10 Zoot Sims And Al Cohn– Tangerine 4:24
Victor Schertzinger    
11 Zoot Sims And Al Cohn– Morning Fun 5:37  
Al Cohn
Credits :
1-7
Bass – Gene Ramey
Drums – Charlie Perry
Piano – Walter Bishop
Tenor Saxophone – Brew Moore, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager
8-11
Bass – Percy Heath
Drums – Art Blakey
Piano – George Wallington
Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn, , Zoot Sims
Trombone – Kai Winding
Notas.
#1-7 recorded April 8, 1949. #8-11 recorded September 8, 1952.
#2, 5 and 7 are bonus tracks.
Remastered By [Digital Remastering] – Joe Tarantino
Artwork – Don Martin

HOWARD McGHEE – 1949-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1294 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is quite a package, different in some ways from anything else in the Howard McGhee discography. With J.J. Johnson and Brew Moore alongside McGhee in front of Kenny Drew, Curly Russell, and Max Roach, the first six tracks, recorded for Blue Note in August of 1949, constitute some of the best jazz being made anywhere at that time. Four tunes were composed by Drew, who sounds exceptionally fine here. Brew Moore blew a smooth tenor, unashamedly emulating Lester Young's tone and phraseology. The next phase of McGhee's career took him and a small ensemble into the Pacific Islands as part of the Korean War effort in 1951 and 1952. Eventually presented by New Jersey's Regent Records as Jazz South Pacific or on the Hi-Lo label as Howard McGhee's Korean All-Stars, the band ran through a roster of relatively old-fashioned jazz standards in order to provide accessible entertainment for armed forces personnel. There were occasional bursts of accelerated bop, but the real charm of these live recordings is the wild combination of progressive young musicians handling what must have seemed to them ancient material. The most outrageous example of this is "12th Street Bop," a send-up of "12th Street Rag" hammered out with almost maniacal humor. "Perdido" and "Oh, Lady Be Good" are extended performances while some of the other tracks are much shorter -- "Mood Indigo" is just over a minute in length. The front line of McGhee, J.J. Johnson, and tenor saxophonist Rudy Williams rides through the Philippines and Guam without missing a beat, thanks especially to drummer Charlie Rice and electric guitarist Clifton Best, who generates "Hawaiian" effects during the out chorus of "One O'Clock Jump." These obscure recordings, punctuated with vigorous applause and occasional whistling from the sailors near the bar -- lending a "Ringside at Condon's" ambience to the proceedings -- have been reissued here and there over the years, most notably by the Savoy label. It is good to have them laid out in orderly fashion as an important segment of the Classics Howard McGhee chronology. arwulf arwulf