STEVE KUHN — The Early 70's (1971-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the almost more about the other Jazz side of Steve Khun the vocalist, not the Pianist. When he plays piano, it is within the language of avant garde classical, and the presence of a string quartet affirms that soundscape, yet the Jeckyll to the Hyde of that is the singing is mellifluous, accompanied by gentle Electric piano. It is in the spirit of Michael Franks, and a delight in being so. In a long and distinguished career with some of jazz' s greats, this is his oddity. Yet for the most part, the unusual experiment works, I think for the most part that there is a nostalgia for early fusion, and this is the sleeper in that format. The best instrumental tracks on the lp are comparable with the Return to Forever tracks with no guitarist on them. The later Kuhn ECM albums embrace that early hard to post bop language and have him back in the piano seat without the vocal mike. Mark Harrington
Tracklist :
1    The Zoo (a.k.a. Pearlie's Swine)    5:29
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
2    Silver    4:38
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
3    Tomorrow's Son (a.k.a. Time To Go)    3:23
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
4    The Heat Of The Moment    1:56
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
5    Saharan (a.k.a. The Baby)    4:46
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
6    The Drinking Song (a.k.a. Hold Out Your Hand)    3:12
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
7    The Meaning Of Love    2:54
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
8    Remembering Tomorrow (a.k.a. Ulla)    4:22
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
9    A Change Of Face    3:34
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
10    Day Dreaming 2:59
Written-By – Aretha Franklin
11    Something Everywhere    4:47
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
12    Trance    4:41
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
13    Last Tango In Paris 2:37
Written-By – Gato Barbieri
14    Life's Backward Glance    3:06
Written-By – Steve Kuhn
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: 1 to 8)
Arranged By – Gary McFarland (tracks: 1 to 8), Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8)
Conductor – Gary McFarland (tracks: 1 to 8)
Drums – Billy Cobham (tracks: 1 to 8), Bruce Ditmas (tracks: 9 to 14)
Electric Bass – Steve Swallow (tracks: 9 to 14)
Electric Piano – Steve Kuhn
Percussion – Susan Evans (tracks: 9 to 14)
Percussion [Latin] – Airto Moreira (tracks: 1 to 8)
Piano – Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8)
Vocals – Steve Kuhn (tracks: 1 to 8, 14)

THE MILLS BROTHERS — Four Boys And A Guitar : The Essential Mills Brothers (1995) MONO | Serie Art Deco | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Essential Mills Brothers: Four Boys and a Guitar is a 20-track collection of the vocal group's takes on pop standards like "Bugle Call Rag" and "Dinah, " but not many of their biggest hits. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1    Dinah     3:00
 Harry Akst / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young
2    Shine    3:19
 Lew Brown / Ford Dabney / Cecil Mack
3    I Heard     2:27
 Don Redman
4    How'm I Doin', Hey-Hey     2:29
 Lem Fowler / Don Redman
5    Rockin' Chair     3:12
 Hoagy Carmichael
6    Chinatown, My Chinatown     2:37
 William Jerome / Jean Schwartz
7    Sweet Sue, Just You     2:59
 Will J. Harris / Victor Young
8    St. Louis Blues     2:22
 W.C. Handy
9    Bugle Call Rag     2:01
 Billy Meyers / Jack Pettis / Elmer Schoebel
10    Dirt Dishing Daisy     3:16
 Larry Klein
11    Diga, Diga Doo     3:08
 Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
12    Doin' The New Low Down     3:10
 Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
13    Fiddlin' Joe     2:25
 James Cavanaugh / Irving Mills
14    Swing It, Sister     2:34
 Harold Adamson / Burton Lane
15    Jungle Fever     3:10
 Walter Donaldson
16    Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet     2:39
 Stanley Murphy / Percy Wenrich
17    Sleepy Head     3:03
 Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
18    My Little Grass Shack In Kealkekua, Hawaii     2:35
 Bill Cogswell / Tommy Harrison / Johnny Noble
All Credits :

MILES DAVIS QUINTET — Miles Smiles (1966) Three Version (1998, RM | Serie Columbia Jazz) + (2006, RM | Serie The Original Jacket Collection) + (2018, RM | SACD, Hybrid, | Ultradisc UHR, Original Master Recording 24-48.1Hz) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With their second album, Miles Smiles, the second Miles Davis Quintet really began to hit their stride, delving deeper into the more adventurous, exploratory side of their signature sound. This is clear as soon as "Orbits" comes crashing out the gate, but it's not just the fast, manic material that has an edge -- slower, quieter numbers are mercurial, not just in how they shift melodies and chords, but how the voicing and phrasing never settles into a comfortable groove. This is music that demands attention, never taking predictable paths or easy choices. Its greatest triumph is that it masks this adventurousness within music that is warm and accessible -- it just never acts that way. No matter how accessible this is, what's so utterly brilliant about it is that the group never brings it forth to the audience. They're playing for each other, pushing and prodding each other in an effort to discover new territory. As such, this crackles with vitality, sounding fresh decades after its release. And, like its predecessor, ESP, this freshness informs the writing as well, as the originals are memorable, yet open-ended and nervy, setting (and creating) standards for modern bop that were emulated well into the new century. Arguably, this quintet was never better than they are here, when all their strengths are in full bloom. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1    Orbits    4:35
 Wayne Shorter
2    Circle    5:52
 Miles Davis
3    Footprints    9:44
 Wayne Shorter
4    Dolores    6:20
 Wayne Shorter
5    Freedom Jazz Dance    7:11
 Eddie Harris
6    Ginger Bread Boy    7:40
 Jimmy Heath
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Tony Williams
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis

HERBIE HANCOCK | CHICK COREA — An Evening with Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea In Concert (1978-1998) RM | Serie Columbia Jazz | 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Since Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock had by 1978 spent several years mostly playing electric keyboards, their acoustic duet tour surprised many listeners who thought that they would always specialize in fusion. This double album contains many fine performances including lengthy versions of "Maiden Voyage" and "La Fiesta" but it is the striding by Corea and Hancock on "Liza" that is most unique. Scott Yanow
Tracklist 1 :
1    Someday My Prince Will Come    12:39
 Frank Churchill / Larry Morey
2    Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)    9:00
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / Gus Kahn
3    Button Up    17:37
 Chick Corea / Herbie Hancock
Tracklist 2 :
1    Introduction Of Herbie Hancock By Chick Corea    0:41
2    February Moment    15:47
 Herbie Hancock
3    Maiden Voyage    13:31
 Herbie Hancock
4    La Fiesta    22:02
 Chick Corea
Credits :
Grand Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock

HERBIE HANCOCK – Quartet (1982) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

This is an extremely symbolic album, for Herbie Hancock and the V.S.O.P. rhythm section essentially pass the torch of the '80s acoustic jazz revival to the younger generation, as personified by then 19-year-old Wynton Marsalis. Recorded during a break on a tour of Japan, a month before Marsalis made his first Columbia album, the technically fearless teenaged trumpeter mostly plays the eager student, imitating Miles, Freddie Hubbard, and Clifford Brown, obviously relishing the challenge of keeping up with his world-class cohorts. Things start out conventionally enough with a couple of Monk standards, and then they progress into the mid-'60s Miles Davis post-bop zone, with Ron Carter and Tony Williams driving Marsalis and Hancock relentlessly forward. Several staples from the Miles/V.S.O.P. repertoire turn up ("The Eye of the Hurricane," "The Sorcerer," "Pee Wee"), and there is one wistful ballad, "I Fall in Love Too Easily," where Marsalis sounds a bit callow, not yet the master colorist. Hancock remains a complex, stimulating acoustic pianist, the years of disco having taken no toll whatsoever on his musicianship. This looked like it would be a Japan-only release, but since the buzz on Marsalis was so loud, CBS put it out in the U.S. in 1983, fanning the flames even more.  Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1    Well You Needn't 6:26
Written-By – T. Monk
2    'Round Midnight 6:38
Written-By – B. Hanighen, C. Williams, T. Monk
3    Clear Ways 5:01
Written-By – T. Williams
4    A Quick Sketch 16:24
Written-By – R. Carter
5    The Eye Of The Hurricane 8:03
Written-By – H. Hancock
6    Parade 7:56
Written-By – R. Carter
7    The Sorcerer 7:18
Written-By – H. Hancock
8    Pee Wee 4:32
Written-By – T. Williams
9    I Fall In Love Too Easily 5:53
Written-By – J. Styne-S. Cahn
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Tony Williams
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis

ELVIN JONES SPECIAL QUARTET — Tribute To John Coltrane " A Love Supreme" (1994) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at a Tokyo nightclub, the "special" in special quartet is trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Functioning as the lone horn in the ensemble and supported by two of his former sidemen, pianist Marcus Roberts and bassist Reginald Veal, in a group led by one of jazz's greatest drummers, Marsalis' improvisational abilities are displayed prominently on this program of two John Coltrane compositions, one by Marsalis, and a swinging rendition of "Happy Birthday" for a member of the audience. The highlight of this recording is a 47-minute version of the first three movements of Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." Whether ripping off fast runs or blaring held high notes, Marsalis shows himself as a player deserving of his notoriety. Jones is his usual powerful polyrhythmic self, while Roberts and Veal offer solid support. The rest of the program includes Coltrane's ballad "Dear Lord" and Marsalis' tribute to Jones, "Blues for Veen." An essential recording for Jones and Marsalis completists. Greg Turner
Tracklist :
1    A Love Supreme: Pt. 1 Acknowledgement/Pt. 2 Resolution/Pt. 3 Pursuance 47:16
Arranged By – Wynton Marsalis
Composed By – J. Coltrane
2    Dear Lord 6:32
Arranged By – Wynton Marsalis
Composed By – J. Coltrane
3    Happy Birthday For "Yuka" 7:24
Traditional
Arranged By – Elvin Jones
4    Blues To Veen 15:04
Arranged By – Wynton Marsalis
Composed By – W. Marsalis
Credits :
Bass – Reginald Veal
Drums, Music Director – Elvin Jones
Piano – Marcus Roberts
Trumpet, Guest [Special Guest Artist] – Wynton Marsalis

JIMMY GIUFFRE — Free Fall (1962-1998) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

 Jimmy Giuffre's 1962 recording for Columbia with his trio is one of the most revolutionary recordings to come out of the 1960s. While Coltrane and Coleman and Taylor were trying to tear music down from the inside out to discover what it really counted for, Giuffre was quietly creating his own microtonal revolution that was being overlooked by other avant-gardists in jazz. On Free Fall, Giuffre, pianist Paul Bley, and bassist Steve Swallow embarked on a voyage even farther-reaching than their previous two Verve albums, Fusion and Thesis (both recorded in 1961), in their search of pointillistic harmony, open-toned playing, and the power of the nuanced phrase to open new vistas for solo or group improvisation. The original album is comprised of five clarinet solos, two duets for clarinet and bass, and three trio pieces. The CD reissue adds five more clarinet solos to the bank and makes it a stunning view of Giuffre as a master of the idiom of not only jazz free improvisation but also a fine interpreter of the musical languages being discussed by classical composers Darius Milhaud, Stravinsky, Messiaen, and even Morton Feldman and Earle Brown. All of Giuffre's clarinet studies -- particularly "Man Alone," "Yggdrasill," and "Present Motion" -- are studies in tonal coloration, where phraseology opens onto second and third tonal ideas being layered atop one another to de-emphasize one or the other. Of the group interactions, "Threewe" and "Spasmodic" offer the view of intertwining chromatic pointillism as it shapes itself linguistically between one instrument and the next without concern for a dominant harmony, rhythm, or melody. Indeed, Free Fall was such radical music, no one, literally no one, was ready for it and the group disbanded shortly thereafter on a night when they made only 35 cents apiece for a set. Reissued in 1999, Free Fall predates all of the European microtonal studies and is indeed an inspiration to all who have
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1. Propulsion (3:07)
 Jimmy Giuffre
2. Threewe (4:11)
 Jimmy Giuffre
3. Ornothoids (2:43)
 Jimmy Giuffre
4. Dichotomy (3:57)
 Jimmy Giuffre
5. Man Alone (2:18)
 Jimmy Giuffre
6. Spasmodic (3:27)
 Jimmy Giuffre
7. Yggdrasill (2:32)
 Jimmy Giuffre
8. Divided Man (1:53)
 Jimmy Giuffre
9. Primordial Call (2:17)
 Jimmy Giuffre
10. The Five Ways (10:19)
 Jimmy Giuffre
11. Present Notion (3:41)
 Jimmy Giuffre
12. Motion Suspended (3:16)
 Jimmy Giuffre
13. Future Plans (3:56)
 Jimmy Giuffre
14. Past Mistakes (2:05)
 Jimmy Giuffre
15. Time Will Tell (3:49)
 Jimmy Giuffre
16. Let's See (3:26)
 Jimmy Giuffre
Credits :
Paul Bley - Piano (tracks 2, 6, 10, 12)
Jimmy Giuffre - Clarinet
Steve Swallow - Double Bass (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)

AL DI MEOLA — Electric Rendezvous (1982) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Al di Meola's fifth of seven fusion albums as a leader for Columbia is a typically fiery effort, with di Meola joined by keyboardist Jan Hammer, electric bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Steve Gadd, percussionist Mingo Lewis, and guest spots for flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía ("Passion, Grace & Fire") and keyboardist Philippe Saisse. This lesser-known effort is easily recommended to fans of rock-ish jazz guitar. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 God Bird Change 3:57
Composed By – Mingo Lewis
2 Electric Rendezvous 7:55
Composed By – Al Di Meola
3 Passion, Grace & Fire 5:40
Composed By – Al Di Meola
4 Cruisin' 4:19
Composed By – Jan Hammer
5 Black Cat Shuffle 3:06
Composed By – Philippe Saisse
6 Ritmo De La Noche 4:21
Composed By – Al Di Meola
7 Somalia 1:40
Composed By – Al Di Meola
8 Jewel Inside A Dream 4:06
Composed By – Al Di Meola
Credits
Bass – Anthony Jackson (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 8)
Drums – Steve Gadd (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 8)
Guitar – Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia (tracks: 3)
Keyboards – Jan Hammer (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 8), P. Saisse (tracks: 5)
Percussion – Mingo Lewis (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 8)

BILLY COBHAM — Alivemutherforya (1978-2002) RM | Serie Columbia Jazz | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Drummer Billy Cobham is heard on this live set heading an all-star quintet also including Tom Scott on tenor, soprano and lyricon, keyboardist Mark Soskin, guitarist Steve Khan and electric bassist Alphonso Johnson. Although the music is mostly funky and uses plenty of electronics (Scott sounds quite faceless on lyricon), there are some strong solos, particularly from Khan and Scott (when he is on tenor). The six group originals are highlighted by "Bahama Mama," "Some Punk Funk" and "On a Magic Carpet Ride." Due to the amount of variety and spontaneity, Alivemutherforya is superior to most of these musicians' individual projects of the era. Scott Yanow

Tracklist  :
1 "Anteres" - The Star 5:35
Soloist [Lyricon] – Tom Scott
2 Bahama Mama 8:29
Composed By – Alphonso Johnson
Mixed By – Dennis MacKay
Soloist [Electric Fretless Bass] – Alphonso Johnson
Soloist [Guitar] – Steve Khan
3 Shadows 7:51
Soloist [Acoustic Guitar] – Steve Khan
Soloist [Soprano Sax] – Tom Scott
4 Some Punk Funk 4:31
Composed By – Steve Khan
Soloist [Guitar] – Steve Khan
Soloist [Tenor Sax] – Tom Scott
5 Spindrift 7:21
Soloist [Acoustic Piano] – Mark Soskin
Soloist [Soprano Sax] – Tom Scott
6 On A Magic Carpet Ride 7:22
Soloist [Drums] – Billy Cobham
Soloist [Fender Rhodes] – Mark Soskin
Soloist [Guitar] – Steve Khan
Soloist [Tenor Sax] – Tom Scott
Credits
Bass [Electric, Electric Fretless], Synthesizer [Bass Pedal], Chapman Stick [Electric Stick] – Alphonso Johnson
 Composed By – Billy Cobham (tracks: 1, 6), Tom Scott (tracks: 3, 5)
 Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan
Lyricon, Percussion, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tom Scott
Percussion – Billy Cobham
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet, Synthesizer [Arp Odyssey, Mini-moog, Arp, String Ensemble] – Mark Soskin
Producer – Alphonso Johnson, Billy Cobham, Steve Khan, Tom Scott

MICHEL LEGRAND — I Love Paris (1954-1994) RM | Serie MasterSound | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Michel Legrand was only 22 when he created this best-selling theme album, a selection of Paris-centered standards from both sides of the Atlantic, scored for his own slightly jazzy orchestral ensemble. It's probably one of the few easy listening records (or any album until much later) where the work was meant to be listened to as a whole: Legrand blends 16 songs together into a sort of suite, beginning with church bells chiming in the square, then taking off on a musical journey around the city. The arrangements are heavy on the strings and accordion and not, as the label now touts, Miles Davis, who is not very discernible -- if there at all. (Davis certainly took part later in "Legrand Jazz"). Considering that the young Legrand cut this album as a quick way to make money, the resulting success (and the doors that it opened for him) are remarkable. Ted Mills

Tracklist  
1. I Love Paris (2:37)
2. Mademoiselle De Paris (2:29)
3. Paris (1:48)
4. Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes) (3:31)
5. Under The Bridges Of Paris (Sous Les Ponts De Paris) (1:09)
6. Le Seine (4:30)
7. Paris In The Spring (1:57)
8. Paris Canaille (2:11)
9. April In Paris (3:38)
10. A Paris (2:08)
11. La Vie En Rose (2:19)
12. Under Paris Skies (Sous Le Ciel De Paris) (2:26)
13. Paris, Je T'Aime (Paris, Stay The Same) (1:34)
14. The Song From 'Moulin Rouge' (3:40)
15. The Last Time I Saw Paris (2:47)
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor – Michel Legrand
Orchestra – Michel Legrand Et Sa Grande Formation

JOHN McLAUGHLIN | JACO PASTORIUS | TONY WILLIAMS — Trio Of Doom (1979-2007) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Certainly the potential of a recording by this trio featuring guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Tony Williams (both members of Lifetime with organist Larry Young) along with bassist Jaco Pastorius -- aka the Trio of Doom -- is enormous. This compilation contains a performance of the trio at the Havana Jam in 1979, a U.S. State Department-sponsored cultural tour by a large number of American musicians who played on the same stage as Cuban aces. The band rehearsed and had about 25 minutes on the stage. Five days after leaving Cuba, the band reconvened in a New York City studio and recut most of the tracks. The studio versions (cuts six, seven, and ten) were released on a pair of various-artists compilations from the Cuban concert. McLaughlin felt at the time that the live performances were unusable because of Pastorius' playing. He relates the details in brief in the liner notes by Bill Milkowski. What this means, of course, is that out of ten cuts here, seven have never been released before. That said, the sum total of all the music that the group cut together is a little less than 40 minutes. From this, the opening drum solo by Williams takes up nearly three, and 20 seconds is of an alternate take of the drummer's "Para Oriente." But this is not a dodgy rip simply assembled to make money from the stuff of myth. Well, it is designed to make money from myth, but there is some seriously intense music here.

For starters, Williams' drum solo that opens the album is to die for. There is no excess, no showing off -- only an intense orgy of rhythm. When McLaughlin and Pastorius join him, the crowd must have gone crazy because he shifts nonstop into the guitarist's composition "Dark Prince." While his solo is overdriven, distorted, and rangy, full of angles and twists and turns, Jaco's playing on the head, and in taking the tune out, is solid. Perhaps at the time this didn't seem up to snuff, but it's hard to hear that based on the disc. The entire band is engaged with focused attention, ascending scalar and harmonic peaks together for its six and a half minutes. It is followed by a beautiful ballad by Pastorius called "Continuum," which appeared on his self-titled solo debut for Columbia. It's a gorgeous and deeply melodic ballad, and the bassist's playing is intensely soulful and lyrical. McLaughlin's chord shadings and voicings are not only supportive, they bring weight and depth, as does the beautiful hi-hat work of Williams. (Speaking of which, on "Dark Prince" and elsewhere, it's obvious that Williams is the true inventor of the blastbeat, not some generic heavy metal drummer. To hear his incessant bass drum and chronic cymbal-and-snare workouts is inspiring.) "Are You the One, Are You the One?," written by McLaughlin, closes the live set, and it's a funky, kinetic, and knotty jam with Williams playing breaks as well as pummeling the toms to get the funk up out of the thing. Pastorius' groove is incessant, even when he is matching the guitarist note for contrapuntal note. That's the good news. The studio versions of these cuts may "sound" better technically -- mostly due to the amplification and balance given the drum kit -- but they lack the raw edginess of the live sides. Still, fans of the fusion era, and those interested in any of these personas, will be much edified by what is found here. If only there were more of it.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist:
1 Drum Improvisation   2:26
Tony Williams
2 Dark Prince 6:36
John McLaughlin
3 Continuum 5:11
Jaco Pastorius
4 Para Oriente 5:42
Tony Williams
5 Are You the One, Are You the One? 4:54
John McLaughlin
6 Dark Prince 4:08
John McLaughlin
7 Continuum 3:49
Jaco Pastorius
8 Para Oriente 1:05
Tony Williams
9 Para Oriente 0:20
Tony Williams
10 Para Oriente 5:28
Tony Williams
Credits
 Bass – Jaco Pastorius
 Drums – Tony Williams
 Guitar – John McLaughlin

JOE ZAWINUL — Dialects (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If Joe Zawinul was out to prove that he didn't need Weather Report anymore, he succeeded spectacularly in this virtual one-man show. Zawinul recorded many of the vocals (assisted now and then by Bobby McFerrin and a vocal trio) and all of the synthesizer and rhythm machine tracks himself in his Pasadena home studio, yet the results are anything but mechanical. Zawinul in fact achieves a rare thing: He manages to get his stacks of electronics to swing like mad in these pan-global grooves that pick up where WR was about to leave off. "Waiting for the Rain" generates a ribbon of tension and anticipation, while "Zeebop" is a noisy rush of pure adrenaline. And "Carnivalito" is a total gas, a percolating, outrageously joyous evocation of a carnival that would put the world's best percussion players out of business if Zawinul's swinging talent could be bottled and sold. This is an important, overlooked album because it proves that electronic instruments can reach your emotions and shake your body when played by someone who has bothered to learn how to master them. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

THE ZAWINUL SYNDICATE — Black Water (1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With a few changes in personnel, the Zawinul Syndicate continues to be Joe Zawinul's personal vehicle for pan-global fusions of jazz, Afro-Latin rhythms, rock and whatever world music he can lay his hands on. Again Zawinul keeps a configuration of vocalists on board, including his own gritty electronically processed voice, and he even dusts off his childhood accordion for a bit of Austrian local color on "Medicine Man." The leadoff track, a group remake of "Carnivalito" recorded live in Copenhagen, is, oddly enough, inferior to Zawinul's solo version -- too cluttered. But with the South African freedom-fighting, percolating "Black Water," the Syndicate is back on track, empowered as always by Zawinul's unquenchable urge to swing right in the pocket. And far from being predictable in its format, the Syndicate takes considerable time out to do Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Mood" and "Little Rootie Tootie" in amazingly reverent, though electronic, fashion. One can, however, do without bassist Gerald Veasley's spoken admonition to Monk's critics that reeks of PC. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

THE ZAWINUL SYNDICATE — Lost Tribes (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Now reduced in size to a quintet (dropping the extra percussionist), Zawinul's Syndicate delivers its most overtly political album -- or shall we say, its most anti-political album with its forget-our-differences, one-world tone poems. If Lost Tribes sounds more like a Weather Report album than its Syndicate predecessors, it may be because the CD is loaded with Zawinul's uncanny impersonations of Wayne Shorter on his Pepe synthesizer. Yet the album also cuts down on the pop and straight jazz strains of yore as it explores the sounds and grooves of world music, and Zawinul also resumes using introductory sound collages that produce effects not unlike twisting a short-wave radio dial. The record begins powerfully with the circulating, tense "Patriots" -- depicting, oddly enough, the role of black soldiers in the Persian Gulf War -- and segues into the relaxed, swinging "South Africa," a celebratory sequel to "Black Water" with vocals by Perri. Bass player Gerald Veasley contributes a track called "San Sebastian" which comes very close to pure flamenco. This CD ranks above the other Syndicate Columbias because it is emotionally deeper; Zawinul allows himself to brood and ponder as well as party. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON | NOBUO HARA AND HIS SHARPS & FLATS — Oliver Nelson In Tokyo (1970-2013) RM | Serie Dig Deep Columbia | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

GIL EVANS — Columbia Jazz Profiles (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

LEE KONITZ - Stereokonitz (1969-2014) RM | Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Lee Konitz has had many opportunities to record with European artists over the decades, but this session is a bit unusual, in that all the compositions are by bassist Giovanni Tommaso and Konitz doesn't stick strictly to alto saxophone. Joining them are pianist Franco D'Andrea (with whom Konitz worked on a number of Philology CDs decades later), trumpeter Enrico Rava and drummer Gegé Munari. Tommaso's charts delve into bop and cool, with Konitz primarily playing the Varitone (a form of electronic saxophone that was experimented with briefly and abandoned by reed players in the late '60s), though he does play some alto sax and also makes a rare appearance on flute (doubling on it in "Take Seven"). While the music from this 1968 session is enjoyable, even though the sound quality of the Varitone pales when compared to a regular saxophone, this remains one of Lee Konitz's more obscure recordings from the '60s, even if this European LP was finally reissued on CD (again, only in Europe) three decades later. Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1    A Minor Blues    4:37
2    Five, Four And Three    3:32
3    Kominia    4:44
4    Midnight Mood    3:49
5    Terre Lontane    5:25
6    Take Seven    3:13
7    Giovanni D'Oggi    4:20
8    Tune Down    4:51
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone [Sax alto], Electronic Wind Instrument [Varitone], Flute [Flauto] – Lee Konitz
Contrabass [C. basso], Arranged By [Arrangiamenti di], Written-By – Giovanni Tommaso
Drums [Batteria] – Gegè Munari
Piano – Franco D'Andrea
Trumpet [Tromba] – Enrico Rava

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Broken Shadows (1982) LP | Contemporary Masters Series | 24bits-192Hz | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This LP contains eight selections taken from Ornette Coleman's three-year period with Columbia that were previously unreleased. Cut prior to Coleman's formation of Prime Time, these performances serve as an unintentional retrospective of his career up to that point. Not that any of the original compositions (all by Coleman) had ever been recorded before but such alumni as trumpeters Don Cherry and Bobby Bradford, tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummers Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins appear on most of the selections in one combination or another (and all of them are on two septet selections). In addition, a pair of numbers ("Good Girl Blues" and "Is It Forever") have Coleman, Redman, Haden and Blackwell joined by guitarist Jim Hall, pianist Cedar Walton, a singer and a woodwind section; these look back a bit at Ornette's guest appearances on a John Lewis/Gunther Schuller album. Scott Yanow
SIDE A
A1     Happy House 9'50
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
A2     Elizabeth 10'30
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
A3     School Work 5'40
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
SIDE B
B1     Country Town Blues 6'27
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
B2     Broken Shadows 6'45
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
B3     Rubber Gloves 3'26
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
B4     Good Girl Blues 3'07
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Electric Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano [Acoustic] – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Vocals – Webster Armstrong
B5     Is It Forever 4'52
(Ornette Coleman)
Acoustic Bass – Charlie Haden
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Electric Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano [Acoustic] – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Vocals – Webster Armstrong
Notas.
Uncredited woodwind section on B4 and B5.
Original Contemporary Masters Series. Red and black label. "Columbia NY" on run-out groove.
A1 to B2 are previously unreleased sessions from the recording of Science Fiction in September 1971. Tracks B3 to B5 previously unreleased sessions recorded in September 1972.

ORNETTE COLEMAN - The Complete Science Fiction Sessions (2000) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Finally, on a pair of CDs in one collection are the rest of Ornette Coleman's Columbia recordings, all of them done before Skies of America. Science Fiction was a regular part of Columbia's jazz catalogue, and Broken Shadows was released on LP in 1982. On this double set, both of those records and three previously unreleased cuts from those sessions are together at last. Coleman assembled mostly alumni for his September 1971 sessions in the Columbia studios. The sizes of the ensembles range from septet to quartet to up to 11 players. His classic early bands are reunited here with trumpeter Don Cherry, saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummers Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins. Augmenting these bands in places are pianist Cedar Walton, guitarist Jim Hall, trumpeter Bobby Bradford, vocalist Asha Puthi, and Science Fiction narrator, poet David Henderson. The swinging weirdness quotient is high on Science Fiction, especially on "What Reason Could I Give," "Street Woman," and "Civilization Day." The title track is an out, free-blowing fest that sounds hopelessly dated but is still cool, and on the tracks "School Work," "Broken Shadows," and "Happy House," listeners hear the first traces of the themes Coleman continues to employ. The inclusion of alternate takes offers the listener a cleaner view of the kind of harmonic theory Coleman was working against when he created harmolodics. Some of the oddities on these sessions are the seeming incongruities between Redman and Hall on "Good Girl Blues," with Webster Armstrong's singing with Walton's piano and Coleman just undermining the entire thing, trying to force another dimension out of the blues, or perhaps a new one into them. Elsewhere, on "Rock the Clock," listeners hear Coleman's first experiments with electricity, with a funky backbeat straining to maintain itself against his sawing violin, note-spattering trumpet; then there are Redman's bluesy post-bop chromatics (quoting Brubeck's "Take Five" in his solo) moving atop a funky doubled-up backbeat and one scary amplified Charlie Haden bass. Science Fiction is a stellar collection of Ornette-ology assembled in one place. This is some of his very best material, archived and issued the way it should have been in the first place.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1-1    What Reason Could I Give 3'07
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Timpani – Billy Higgins
Trumpet – Carmine Fornarotto, Gerard Schwarz
Vocals – Asha Puthli
1-2    Civilization Day 6'05
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
1-3    Street Woman 4'50
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
1-4    Science Fiction 5'02
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
Voice [Poet] – David Henderson
1-5    Rock The Clock 3'17
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone, Suona [Musette] – Dewey Redman
Trumpet, Violin, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
1-6    All My Life 3'56
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Timpani – Billy Higgins
Trumpet – Carmine Fornarotto, Gerard Schwarz
Vocals – Asha Puthli
1-7    Law Years 5'22
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
1-8    The Jungle Is A Skyscraper 5'27
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
1-9    School Work 5'36
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
1-10    Country Town Blues 6'25
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
1-11    Street Woman (Alternate Take) 5'46
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
1-12        Civilization Day (Alternate Mix) 6'04
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
2-1        Happy House 9'47
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
2-2    Elizabeth 10'26
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
2-3    Written Word 9'44
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
2-4    Broken Shadows 6'42
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
2-5    Rubber Gloves 3'24
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
2-6    Good Girl Blues 3'05
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Vocals – Webster Armstrong
2-7    Is It Forever 4'49
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Vocals – Webster Armstrong

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Science Fiction (1972) LP | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ornette Coleman's first album for Columbia followed a stint on Blue Note that found the altoist in something of a holding pattern. Science Fiction was his creative rebirth, a stunningly inventive and appropriately alien-sounding blast of manic energy. Coleman pulls out all the stops, working with a variety of different lineups and cramming the record full of fresh ideas and memorable themes. Bassist Charlie Haden and drummers Billy Higgins and/or Ed Blackwell are absolutely indispensable to the overall effect, playing with a frightening, whirlwind intensity throughout. The catchiest numbers -- including two songs with Indian vocalist Asha Puthli, which sound like pop hits from an alternate universe -- have spacy, long-toned melodies that are knocked out of orbit by the rhythm section's churning chaos, which often creates a totally different pulse. Two tracks reunite Coleman's classic quartet of Haden, Higgins, and Don Cherry; "Street Woman" just wails, and "Civilization Day" is a furious, mind-blowing up-tempo burner. "Law Years" and "The Jungle Is a Skyscraper" feature a quintet with Haden, Blackwell, tenorist Dewey Redman, and trumpeter Bobby Bradford; both have racing, stop-start themes, and "Jungle"'s solos have some downright weird groaning effects. "Rock the Clock" foreshadows Coleman's '70s preoccupations, with Redman playing the musette (an Arabic double-reed instrument) and Haden amplifying his bass through a wah-wah pedal to produce sheets of distorted growls. The title track is a free septet blowout overlaid with David Henderson's echoed poetry recitations, plus snippets of a crying baby; it could sound awkward today, but in context it's perfectly suited to the high-octane craziness all around it. Science Fiction is a meeting ground between Coleman's past and future; it combines the fire and edge of his Atlantic years with strong hints of the electrified, globally conscious experiments that were soon to come. And, it's overflowing with brilliance. Steve Huey  
Tracklist :
A1    What Reason Could I Give 3:01
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Carmon Fornarotto, Gerard Schwarg
Vocals – Asha Puthli
A2    Civilization Day 6:02
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
A3    Street Woman 5:45
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
A4    Science Fiction 5:05
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
Trumpet [Pocket] – Don Cherry
Voice [Poet] – David Henderson (5)
B1    Rock The Clock 4:52
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone, Suona [Musette] – Dewey Redman
Trumpet, Violin – Ornette Coleman
B2    All My Life 4:00
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Carmon Fornarotto*, Gerard Schwarg*
Vocals – Asha Puthli
B3    Law Years 5:29
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford
B4    The Jungle Is A Skyscraper 5:25
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman
Trumpet – Bobby Bradford