SHELLY MANNE & HIS FRIENDS — Bells Are Ringing (1958-1996) RM | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

When Shelly Manne and His Friends (a trio starring pianist André Previn) had a surprise hit with their interpretations of melodies from My Fair Lady, it started a trend toward recording jazz versions of scores from plays. For this LP, Manne's trio (with Previn and bassist Red Mitchell) perform nine songs from the play Bells Are Ringing. Although seven of the pieces remained obscure, "The Party's Over" (which is heard twice) and particularly "Just in Time" caught on. As is always the case with this group, Previn's piano is the lead voice and his virtuosity, good taste, melodic improvising, and solid sense of swing are chiefly responsible for the music's success. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    I Met A Girl    3:18
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
2.    Just In Time    3:34
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
3.    Independent (On My Own)    5:11
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
4.    The Party's Over (Ballad Version)    5:46
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
5.    It's A Perfect Relationship    3:43
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
6.    Is It A Crime?    3:06
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
7.    Better Than A Dream     5:54
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
8.    Mu-Cha-Cha    4:23
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
9.    Long Before I Knew You    4:10
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
10.    The Party's Over (Up Tempo Version)    4:00
 Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne 
Credits :
Bass – Red Mitchell
Drums – Shelly Manne
Piano – André Previn
Producer, Liner Notes – Lester Koenig 

HAMPTON HAWES QUARTET — All Night Session! 1 (1958-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On the night of November 12 and into the morning of November 13, 1956, a quartet led by pianist Hampton Hawes recorded enough material to fill three long-playing phonograph record albums. This studio session contained many elements associated with a live gig: the work took place during regular nightclub performing hours, the improvisations were mostly extended, and there were no alternate takes. A remarkable freshness and spontaneity prevailed throughout the session. Although controversy continues regarding the original sequence of titles, Duke Jordan's "Jordu" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" are superb openers for this first of three volumes. In addition to an invigorating run down "Broadway," Hawes improvised two original themes: "Takin' Care" and a bluesy walk entitled "Hampton's Pulpit" that stretched out for more than 11 minutes, making it the longest track of the entire all-night session. Collaborating with the pianist on this historic date were guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman. The interplay between these four men is marvelous, particularly when heard with headphones or through a sound system allowing for a full appreciation of the stereophonic balance achieved by the recording engineers. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Jordu  7:05
Written-By – Duke Jordan
2.    Groovin' High  5:44
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie
3.    Takin' Care  8:07
Written-By – Hampton Hawes
4.    Broadway  6:50
Written-By – Bill Bird, Henri Woode, Teddy McRae
5.    Hampton's Pulpit  11:14
Written-By – Hampton Hawes
Credits :
Bass – Red Mitchell
Drums – Bruz Freeman
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Hampton Hawes 

HAMPTON HAWES QUARTET — All Night Session ! 2 (1958-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the second of three albums that came about as the result of an all-night recording session that took place in Los Angeles on November 12 and 13, 1956. Although Hampton Hawes spontaneously created five original tunes at this extraordinarily inspired date, everything on Vol. 2 comes directly out of the standard bop musician's working repertoire. The quartet, with bassist Red Mitchell, guitarist Jim Hall, and drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman, collectively improvise their way through four attractive standards ("I Should Care" turned out to be the only slow ballad of the entire session) and three of Dizzy Gillespie's most refreshing creations. In 1958 Hawes was quoted as saying "It's hard to put into words how good it feels to play jazz when it's really swinging...I've reached a point where the music fills you up so much emotionally that you feel like shouting hallelujah -- like people do in church when they're converted to God. That's the way I was feeling the night we recorded All Night Session!". arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    I'll Remember April    7:05
 Gene DePaul / Patricia Johnston / Don Raye 
2.    I Should Care    4:28
 Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston 
3.    Woody'n You    5:45
 Dizzy Gillespie 
4.    Two Bass Hit    2:54
 Dizzy Gillespie / John Lewis
5.    Will You Still Be Mine    6:59
 Tom Adair / Matt Dennis 
6.    April In Paris    7:34
 Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg 
7.    Blue 'N' Boogie    8:10
 Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli 
Credits :
Bass – Red Mitchell
Drums – Bruz Freeman
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Hampton Hawes 

HAMPTON HAWES QUARTET — All Night Session! 3 (1958-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Vol. 3 of the Hampton Hawes Quartet's All Night Session contains three spontaneously improvised variations on the blues, one very cool extended rendition of Duke Ellington's "Do Nothin' 'Till You Hear from Me" and a strikingly handsome treatment of Harold Arlen's "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea." The briskly paced "Blues #4" is especially progressive and exciting. Apparently "Blues of a Sort" was a warm-up performance, as voices are audible (discussing a football game!) in the background during the bass solo. For this one-take marathon late-night session of November 12 and 13, 1956, Hawes chose to share the studio with guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Eldridge "Bruz" Freeman, who had replaced Chuck Thompson following that musician's sudden inability to continue touring with the group earlier that year. "We gave Chuck what money we could and left him sitting on a hospital cot in a white bathrobe." This grim image, like much of Hawes' autobiography Raise Up Off Me, paints a stark picture of the narcotics epidemic among jazz musicians during the '50s. Although this was the first peak of his career, Hawes later admitted that "during the fall of 1956 I was messing up consistently -- showing late on gigs or missing them altogether." He had lots of offers for work, including the possibility of providing music for a film soundtrack: "Wanted to do it, would have paid good, but at the time I didn't even have the bread to get high enough to get to the studio to see what they had in mind." One of the great incongruities of bop is the fact that Charlie Parker and the musicians who were most directly influenced by him were able to be so creative and prolific while grappling with addictions that confounded, immobilized, and eventually slew them. All of these insights quietly swarm beneath the surface of what added up to more than two hours of exceptionally fine quartet jazz. The complete All Night Session was issued in 2007 by the Definitive label and is emphatically recommended for listeners of every persuasion. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1.    Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me  11:03
Written-By – Bob Russell, Duke Ellington
2.    Blues #3  7:38
Composed By – Hampton Hawes
3.    Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea  11:00
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
4.    Blues #4  6:17
Composed By – Hampton Hawes
5.    Blues Of A Sort  5:37
Composed By – Hampton Hawes
Credits :
Bass – Red Mitchell
Drums – Bruz Freeman
Guitar – Jim Hall
Piano – Hampton Hawes

BARNEY KESSEL— Some Like It Hot (1956-1988) RM | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The release of the movie Some Like It Hot served as a good excuse for guitarist Kessel to join together with Art Pepper (switching between alto, clarinet, and tenor), trumpeter Joe Gordon, pianist Jimmy Rowles, rhythm guitarist Jack Marshall, bassist Monty Budwig, and drummer Shelly Manne to interpret a variety of vintage numbers, most of which dated from the 1920s. Such tunes as "I Wanna Be Loved by You," "Runnin' Wild," "Down Among the Sheltering Palms," and "By the Beautiful Sea" are given fairly modern arrangements but still retain the flavor of the 1920s, and it's particularly interesting to hear Gordon and Pepper soloing on these ancient songs. [Some reissues add two alternate takes. ] Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    Some Like It Hot    4:15
 Matty Malneck 
2.    I Wanna Be Loved By You    3:37
 Bert Kalmar / Harry Ruby / Herbert Stothart 
3.    Stairway To The Stars    3:16
 Matty Malneck / Mitchell Parish / Frank Signorelli 
4.    Sweet Sue    4:42
 Will J. Harris / Victor Young 
5.    Sweet Sue (Alternate Track)    4:48
 Will J. Harris / Victor Young 
6.    Runnin' Wild    3:19
 Arthur Gibbs / Joe Grey / Leo Wood 
7.    Runnin' Wild (Alternate Track)    6:31
 Arthur Gibbs / Joe Grey / Leo Wood 
8.    Sweet Georgia Brown    3:39
 Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard 
9.    Down Among The Sheltering Palms    4:01
 James Brockman / Abe Olman 
10.    Sugar Blues    3:24
 Lucy Fletcher / Edgar Sampson / Cootie Williams 
11.    I'm Thru With Love    3:14
 Gus Kahn / Fud Livingston / Matty Malneck 
12.    By The Beautiful Sea    3:10
 Harry Carroll 
Credits :
Bass – Monty Budwig
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Art Pepper
Drums – Shelly Manne
Guitar – Barney Kessel, Jack Marshall
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Producer, Liner Notes – Lester Koenig
Remastered By, Mastered By – Joe Tarantino
Trumpet – Joe Gordon

HELEN HUMES — Songs I Like to Sing! (1960-1988) RM | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the high points of Helen Humes' career, this Contemporary set (reissued on CD) features superior songs, superb backup, and very suitable and swinging arrangements by Marty Paich. Humes' versions of "If I Could Be With You," "You're Driving Me Crazy," and "Million Dollar Secret," in particular, are definitive. On four songs, she is backed by tenor great Ben Webster, a rhythm section, and a string quartet; the other numbers find her joined by a 14-piece band that includes Webster and Teddy Edwards on tenors along with altoist Art Pepper. This classic release is essential and shows just how appealing a singer Helen Humes could be. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    If I Could Be With You 3:22
Written-By – Creamer, Johnson
2.    Don't Worry 'Bout Me 2:58
Written-By – Bloom, Koehler
3.    Don't Worry 'Bout Me (Alternate Take)    2:56
4.    Mean To Me 3:25
Written-By – Ahlert, Turk
5.    Every Now And Then 3:49
Written-By – Silver, Lewis, Sherman
6.    I Want A Roof Over My Head 3:00
Written-By – Harvey Brooks 
7.    St. Louis Blues 2:43
Written-By – W. C. Handy
8.    You're Driving Me Crazy 3:09
Written-By – Walter Donaldson
9.    My Old Flame 3:20
Written-By – Johnston, Coslow
10.    Millon Dollar Secret 4:04
Written-By – Helen Humes
11.    Love Me Or Leave Me 2:58
Written-By – Kahn, Donaldson
12.    Imagination 3:04
Written-By – Burke-Van Heusen
13.    Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:41
Written-By – Stept, Clare
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Marty Paich
Baritone Saxophone – Bill Hood (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13)
Bass – Leroy Vinegar
Cello – Eleanor Slatkin (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 12)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13)
Drums – Shelly Manne
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Piano – Andre Previn
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster, Teddy Edwards (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13)
Trombone – Bob Fitzpatrick (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13), Harry Betts (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13)
Trumpet – Al Porcino (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13), Jack Sheldon (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13), Ray Triscari (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13), Stu Williamson (tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 13)
Viola – Alvin Dinkin (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 12)
Violin – James Getzoff (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 12), Joseph Stepansky (tracks: 1, 5, 9, 12)
Vocals – Helen Humes

HELEN HUMES — 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do (1959-1990) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Helen Humes had not recorded as a leader in seven years when she made the first of three albums for Contemporary, all of which have been reissued on CD via the OJC imprint. Humes, 45 at the time, was at the peak of her powers, although she never really made a bad record. Accompanied by Benny Carter (on trumpet), trombonist Frank Rosolino, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Andrew Previn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and either Shelly Manne or Mel Lewis on drums, the singer is typically enthusiastic, exuberant, and highly appealing on such numbers as "You Can Depend on Me," "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," and "''Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do." She even sings credible versions of "Bill Bailey" and "When the Saints Go Marching In" on this easily recommended CD. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 You Can Depend on Me 3:22
Charles Carpenter / Louis Dunlap / Earl Hines
2 Trouble in Mind 2:37 
Richard M. Jones
3 Among My Souvenirs 3:37 
Edgar Leslie / Horatio Nicholls
4 Ain't Misbehavin' 4:03
Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
5 Stardust 4:45
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
6 Bill Bailey 2:21
Hughie Cannon
7 When I Grow Too Old to Dream 3:34
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
8 A Good Man Is Hard to Find 3:06
Eddie Green
9 Bill 2:37
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / P.G. Wodehouse
10 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do 2:24
Percy Grainger / Porter Grainger / Robert Prince / Everett Robbins / Clarence Williams
11 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 3:26
Duke Ellington / Paul Francis Webster
12 When the Saints Go Marching In 4:03
James Black / Traditional
Credits :
Bass – Leroy Vinnegar
Drums – Mel Lewis (# 3, 8, 10, 11), Shelly Manne (# 1, 2, 4 ,7, 9)
Leader, Trumpet – Benny Carter
Piano – André Previn
Tenor Saxophone – Teddy Edwards
Trombone – Frank Rosolino
Vocals – Helen Humes

ART PEPPER – The Trip (1977-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Art Pepper made a name for himself around Los Angeles in the '50s as a leading light in the style then known as West Coast jazz -- a cool alternative to the hot hard bop being made in East Coast cities like New York and Philadelphia. Pepper never really fit the cool stereotype, however; he was too incendiary a soloist (influenced by Lester Young, perhaps, and Bird certainly), more inclined to inject overt anger and passion into his playing than contemporaries like Getz or Mulligan. By the time these sides were made in 1976, any residual coolness had been displaced by hot emotionalism and an almost manic intensity. The lessons of John Coltrane had clearly been absorbed, harmonically and otherwise; not only was Pepper more assertive than ever, but he also took more chances. Polish is for shoes and fingernails: by the late '70s Pepper was rough, raw, and nakedly vulnerable. Every solo this late in his career was an adventure. On this record the adventure is joined by ex-Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones, who doesn't interact with Pepper as much as one might expect, but nevertheless puts down the hard grooves the altoist needed to be at his best. There's a bit of a tentative cast to much of this record, almost as if the musicians were not yet completely comfortable with one another. Pepper's playing is first-rate, however: his interpretation of Michel Legrand's melody, "The Summer Knows," is by itself worth the price of the album. Given that he would not live many years longer after its recording, this one is a keeper. Chris Kelsey
Tracklist :
1    The Trip (Original Take) 8:46
Composed By – Art Pepper
2    The Trip (Alternate Take) 12:58
Composed By – Art Pepper
3    A Song For Richard 6:17
Composed By – Joe Gordon
4    Sweet Love Of Mine 6:34
Composed By – Woody Shaw
5    Junior Cat 7:46
Composed By – Art Pepper
6    The Summer Knows 7:09
Composed By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Michel LeGrand
7    Red Car 5:45
Composed By – Art Pepper
Credits :
Art Pepper - Alto Saxophone
George Cables - Piano
David Williams - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums

WOODY SHAW — Blackstone Legacy (1970-1999) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally a two-fer on vinyl and now on one CD, Shaw's debut as a leader is one of the first "free bop" sessions, in many ways his answer to Bitches Brew. The trumpeter's ensemble extracts dense, energetic, meaty collective sounds based in pure improvisation with a skeleton of a rhythmic framework to expound upon. Saxophonists Gary Bartz & Bennie Maupin, electric pianist George Cables, twin bassists Ron Carter and Clint Houston, and drummer Lenny White respond to Shaw's heavy direction, making for some of the most kinetic jazz heard in that period of early fusion. Shaw's bright melodicism, hard edged swing and refusal to compromise are his greatest assets. They come shining through on tuneful classics like the unstoppable "Think On Me" and stop-start gymnastics of "Boo-Ann's Grand." It represents the progressive bop aesthetic at a fever pitch. The title track is as wild and wooly as Woody could be, while "Lost & Found" is free bop at its finest. "New World" is a free funk number, quite a trend setter for its time, while "A Deed For Dolphy" shows an abstract, no-time side rarely heard from Shaw. All tunes are quite lengthy, no shorter than nine, no longer than seventeen minutes. This allows the band to develop their ideas and interact in a manner more akin to a concert setting. Bartz (alto and soprano saxophone) and Maupin (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet and flute) consistently show why they are two of the best improvising jazzmen out there. As much as the music is the thing, it is the singular presence of Shaw that refracts many colors of light and dark, like a multi-hued beacon directing many ships to port. There is not a better example of this music from its inception, documented on tape, than this other worldly session that brought the trumpeter to the jazz world's attention. Furthermore, few have done it better since. Truly a landmark recording, and a pivot point in the history of post-modern music. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist
1    Blackstone Legacy    16:08
Composed By – Woody Shaw
2    Think On Me 10:49
Composed By – George Cables
3    Lost And Found    10:45
Composed By – Woody Shaw
4    New World 17:06
Composed By – George Cables
5    Boo-Ann's Grand    14:25
Composed By – Woody Shaw
6    A Deed For Dolphy    8:56
Composed By – Woody Shaw
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Left Channel], Soprano Saxophone [Left Channel] – Gary Bartz
Bass [Left Channel] – Ron Carter (tracks: 2 to 6)
Bass [Right Channel] – Clint Houston (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6)
Drums – Lenny White
Piano, Electric Piano – George Cables
Tenor Saxophone [Right Channel], Bass Clarinet [Right Channel], Flute [Right Channel] – Bennie Maupin
Trumpet – Woody Shaw

SHELLY MANNE & HIS FRIENDS — Modern Jazz Performances Of Songs From My Fair Lady (1956-1986) RM | 20 Bit Remastered Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This trio set by Shelly Manne & His Friends (consisting of the drummer/leader, pianist André Previn, and bassist Leroy Vinnegar) was a surprise best-seller and is now considered a classic. Previn (who is really the main voice) leads the group through eight themes from the famous play, including "Get Me to the Church on Time," "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "On the Street Where You Live." The result is a very appealing set that is easily recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    Get Me to the Church on Time 4:14
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
2.    On the Street Where You Live 5:41
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
3.    I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face 3:25
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
4.    Wouldn't It Be Loverly? 5:36
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
5.    Ascot Gavotte 4:21
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
6.    Show Me 3:43
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
7.    With a Little Bit of Luck 6:04
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
8.    I Could Have Danced All Night 3:01
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
Credits :
Shelly Manne - Drums
André Previn - Piano
Leroy Vinnegar - Bass