ERROLL GARNER – 1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1138 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Errol Garner's textured, expressive piano playing is featuring on the 2001 compilation 1949. Garner is an interesting player; at times he can be quite powerful and intense as he bangs away on old standards like "All of Me" and "I'm in the Mood for Love." At other times he really adds nothing to the songs, instead just playing the straight melody and letting the original composition speak for itself. These are the moments where he is at his weakest; despite his excellent playing skills, these are songs that are fairly simple and have been performed many times before, and his excellent flourishes would have helped the music out greatly. But then there are the other tracks, which at least balance out the album. The other problem here is the sound quality, something that curses many jazz recordings from this era. Some songs simply sound bad; the album is quite fuzzy and scratchy at times. But, overall, the music on the album manages to impress for a good portion of the album, and fans of Garner can at least get more of his recordings from this era. Bradley Torreano  
Tracklist + Credits :

ERROLL GARNER – 1949, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1182 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of Erroll Garner's very best albums, The Greatest Garner (Atlantic LP 1227), drew heavily upon the pianist's outstanding session of July 20, 1949. This ninth installment in the complete recordings of Erroll Garner on Classics places that session in context by presenting eight titles recorded for Savoy exactly one month earlier, together with four selections gleaned from a Gene Norman Just Jazz concert in Los Angeles. These are enjoyable tidbits, but the previously mentioned Atlantic session is the real treasure. This is chamber jazz of the highest order. While some critics and commentators seem to chafe at Garner's ethereal tendencies during ballads and introspective interludes, it is precisely these graceful moments that contrast so nicely with his familiar rambunctious manner. Maybe that's why this particular compilation feels so wonderfully well balanced. Garner gets his licks in with Rodgers & Hart and Fields & McHugh, floats through a Ravel "Pavanne" and a Debussy "Reverie," answers these mysteries with his own "Impressions" and private visions of "Twilight" and "Turquoise," muses over Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark," and closes with Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight," a beautiful rendering that belongs among his very greatest achievements on record for its theatrical timing, ebullient pacing, and immaculate execution. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

HAMPTON HAWES - Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes, Vol. 3: The Trio [1956] Contemporary / FLAC

The third of three Hampton Hawes trio dates with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Chuck Thompson (all reissued on CD) is on the same high level as his first two. Hawes introduces his "Coolin' the Blues" and "The Sermon," digs into eight standards (including "Somebody Loves Me," "Night In Tunisia" and "Billy Boy") and comes up with consistently creative ideas throughout this swinging bop date.  by Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1 Somebody Loves Me 5:32
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin / Ballard MacDonald
2 The Sermon 3:42
Hampton Hawes
3 Embraceable You 4:58
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
4 I Remember You 4:28
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
5 A Night in Tunisia 3:54
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
6 Lover, Come Back to Me 5:13
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
7 Polka Dots and Moonbeams 4:42
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
8 Billy Boy 3:01
Traditional
9 Body and Soul 4:17
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
10 Coolin' the Blues 4:18
Hampton Hawes
Credits
Bass – Red Mitchell
Drums – Chuck Thompson
Piano – Hampton Hawes

HAMPTON HAWES - Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes, Vol. 3: The Trio

 [1956] Contemporary / FLAC / scans

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