EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS - 1953-1955 {CC, 1443} (2007) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is volume three in the complete recordings of tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis as compiled and reissued in 2007 by the producers of the Classics Chronological Series. A bracingly expressive performer who began making records under his own name in 1946, Lockjaw was ripening into a marvelous state of early maturity by the time these sides were cut for the Royal Roost and King labels in 1953, 1954, and 1955. Some may place this compilation among the more highly regarded titles in the Lockjaw Davis discography, mainly because of its friendly and gregarious demeanor. The Roost sessions (tracks one through six) showcase Jaws with a bop rhythm section composed of pianist Eddie Bonnemere, bassist John Simmons, trap drummer Charlie Rice and an unidentified bongo player who added cumin, garlic and cayenne to the mix. During April 1955 Lockjaw Davis and drummer Rice teamed up with organist Doc Bagby (and guitarist Clifford Bush, who can be heard on tracks 22-25) to generate a wicked series of 19 sensuous grooves for the popular King label. While some of this material was released on LP, much of it was clearly designed for the 45 rpm jukebox market. This might explain the relative brevity of some of the cuts; fifteen of them clock in at less than three minutes, and Bagby's "Hay Ride" knocks off at two-minutes-and-fifteen-seconds. This was in some ways the ideal setup for Lockjaw's sensibilities at that point in time. He clearly enjoyed making accessible music for casual enjoyment, and the pleasures of extended soloing could be saved up for other, perhaps live occasions. Along with his two previous volumes in the Classics chronology, the 1953-1955 recordings may serve as a healthy prelude to the creative intensity of his triumphant collaborations with Johnny Griffin and Shirley Scott, and to all of the excellent records he made during the remaining 30 years of his life. What you get here is music that just about anybody could enjoy under any circumstances. Warm, uplifting, reassuring, relaxing, accessible, solid and sweet. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    I Only Have Eyes For You    3:09
2    Chihuahua    2:35
3    This Can't Be Love    2:23
4    Nightingale    2:37
5    Bingo Domingo    2:58
6    Secret Love    2:34
7    There's A Small Hotel    2:45
8    Bean-O    2:43
9    This Is Always    2:52
10    Leaping On Lenox    3:34
11    Tenderly    3:45
12    I'll Remember April    2:57
13    Moonlight In Vermont    3:29
14    Yesterdays    2:21
15    Little White Lies    2:48
16    You Got To My Head    3:14
17    What Is This Thing Called Love    2:34
18    Holler    2:33
19    Tickle Joe    2:22
20    Punch    2:27
21    Fireball    2:38
22    I Want A Little Girl    2:24
23    Hay Ride    2:15
24    Soft One    2:52
25    Grinding    2:26

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