ELVIN JONES — At This Point In Time (1973-1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1973 album features the legendary jazz drummer Elvin Jones in a rather unique musical setting. Joined by a large band (not to be mistaken with what is known in jazz as a "big band"), Jones knocks down the walls that separate jazz from rock, jazz from avant garde, and jazz from the generic "jam band" music that blossomed in the 1960's. That said, Jones' group consists of three saxophonists, a guitarist, pianist/keyboardist, bass, and four percussionists in addition to himself on drum set.

AT THIS POINT IN TIME is essentially jazz fusion. This music is an expansion of Jones' post-1966 groups using typically modal material. The music is strongly groove oriented, and attempts to use early drums machines (called rhythm boxes) and Moog synthesizers to augment the group's already huge sound. Percussionist Omar Clay's composition "Pauke Tanz" is memorable because of the vast array of electronically created sound effects. Also, Frank Foster's "The Unknighted Nations" is interesting because of its funky beat and electrifying keyboard solo by Jan Hammer. However, the highlight is definitely the lengthy (and virtuosic) drum solo that Jones takes on his wife's composition "Don't Cry." AllMusic
Tracklist :
1    At This Point In Time 7:32
Written-By – Frank Foster
2    Currents/Pollen 11:12
Written-By – D. Garcia, G. Perla
3    The Prime Element 8:16
Written-By – Omar Clay
4    Whims Of Bal 12:22
Written-By – Omar Clay
5    Pauke Tanz 6:32
Written-By – Omar Clay
6    The Unknighted Nations 6:25
Written-By – Frank Foster
7    Don't Cry 7:41
Written-By – Keiko Jones
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams
Bass, Electric Bass – Gene Perla
Congas – Candido Camero
Drums – Elvin Jones
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Percussion – Richie 'Pablo' Landrum
Percussion, Drum Machine [Programmable Rhythm Box] – Omar Clay
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Jan Hammer
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster, Steve Grossman
Timpani [Tympani] – Warren Smith

ELVIN JONES — The Prime Element (1976) 2 x Vinyl, LP | The Blue Note Re-Issue Series | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This two-LP set consists of a pair of unrelated Elvin Jones Blue Note sessions that had not been previously released. The earlier date features Jones in a septet with the tenors of George Coleman and Joe Farrell along with trumpeter Lee Morgan, while the 1973 album has an 11-piece group that includes a large rhythm section, baritonist Pepper Adams and the tenors of Steve Grossman and Frank Foster. The challenging modal material (an extension of John Coltrane's music of the early '60s) and diverse soloists make this two-fer into a rather stimulating listen. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
A1    At This Point In Time 7:30
Written-By – F. Foster
A2    Currents / Pollen 11:06
Written-By – D. Garcia, G. Perla
B1    The Prime Element 6:14
Written-By – O. Clay
B2    Whims Of Bal 12:22
Written-By – O. Clay
C1    Inner Space 6:28
Written-By – C. Corea
C2    Once I Loved (O Amor E Paz) 6:18
Lyrics By – V. De Moraes
Translated By – R. Gilbert
Written-By – A. C. Jobim
C3    Raynay 7:54
Written-By – E. Jones
D1    Champagne Baby 10:20
Written-By – J. Farrell
D2    Dido Afrique 11:14
Written-By – E. Jones
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: A1 to B2)
Bass – Wilbur Little (tracks: C1 to D2)
Congas [Conga] – Candido Camero
Drums – Elvin Jones
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Gene Perla (tracks: A1 to B2)
Electric Guitar – Cornell Dupree (tracks: A1 to B2)
Percussion – Miovelito Valles (tracks: C1 to D2), Omar Clay (tracks: A1 to B2), Richie "Pablo" Landrum (tracks: A1 to B2)
Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano [Acoustic] – Jan Hammer (tracks: A1 to B2)
Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman (tracks: C1 to D2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: A1 to B2), Steve Grossman (tracks: A1 to B2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Alto Flute – Joe Farrell (tracks: C1 to D2)
Timpani – Warren Smith (tracks: A1 to B2)
Trumpet – Lee Morgan (tracks: C1 to D2)

GROVER WASHINGTON , Jr. — All the King's Horses (1972) Two Version (1993, MCA Records – MCD 10930) + (2008, RM | Serie Verve Originals) FLAC (tracks+image+.cue), lossless

Grover Washington, Jr.'s sophomore date for Creed Taylor's Kud imprint was released in late 1972. Like its predecessor Inner City Blues, this session was produced by the label boss himself and was arranged and conducted by Bob James. Assembled for the date were large horn and string sections. The former contained stalwart talents like Detroit's Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Ernie Royal. Other players on the session included what would become the heart of the CTI session crew: guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, bassists Ron Carter and Gordon Edwards (who only appears on the opening cut), drummer Idris Muhammad (though Billy Cobham is also here), and percussionists like Airto Moreira and Ralph MacDonald. The real star of course is the soloist. Washington's debut, Inner City Blues, had done surprisingly well -- especially since it was a date originally intended for Hank Crawford who couldn't make the scene. This time out, both Taylor and James played to Washington's tremendous strengths as an emotional player whose melodic improvising referenced everything from Motown to Stax and Volt, from Ray Charles to early James Brown and the Fabulous Flames, to Donny Hathaway, who had an uncanny knack with current pop hits. James too was discovering his own strengths in this field as a pianist and really shines behind Washington on tracks like "Where Is the Love," (written by MacDonald, actually), and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." Washington was equally versed on both tenor and alto, and possesses two very different tones on the horns. This gave James the opportunity to color the tunes with a rather startling array of colors, shades, and textures, making the two a wonderful team. Along with the aforementioned winners are the title track by Aretha Franklin with the slow, deep blue saxophone lines accompanied by hand percussion, a tight snare and hi-hat kit rhythm, and James ghostly chords on the Fender Rhodes. But the large backdrop of horns lends so much weight to the tune it almost breaks wide open. Then there's the gorgeous -- and radical-re-envisioning of "Body and Soul," as a montage illustrated wonderfully by James impressionistic strings and woodwinds underneath Washington's bluesy take on the melody. The standard "Lover Man" is reintroduced here and includes a new interlude written by James. Washington's playing on the tune is actually reminiscent of Crawford's in feel (during his time with Ray Charles), but Washington also evokes Ben Webster in the chances he takes improvising on his solo. As if all this weren't adventurous enough, the set closes with "Love Song 1700," an adaptation from a song by classical composer Henry Purcell. Here is the genius of James at work. His love for Purcell and classical composition of this era shows up throughout his career, but the way he orchestrates strings and winds behind Washington -- who could inject pure soul into even the dullest music of Lawrence Welk -- is provocative, lovely, and haunting, even in its more overblown moments. When All the King's Horses was originally released, it wasn't received as well as Inner City Blues had been the previous year. In retrospect, however, this set has assumed its proper place in Washington's catalog: as one of his more ambitious and expertly performed sessions.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist
1 No Tears, In The End 3:50
Ralph MacDonald / William Salter
2 All The King's Horses 3:49
Aretha Franklin
3 Where Is The Love 5:07
Ralph MacDonald / William Salter
4 Body And Soul (Montage) 3:05
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
5 Lean On Me 4:25
Bill Withers
6 Lover Man 7:03
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
7 Love Song 1700 4:50
Adapted By, Arranged By – Bob James
Drums – Billy Cobham
Written-By [Adapted From A Song By] – Henry Purcell
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute, English Horn, Oboe, Recorder – George Marge
Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Arranged By, Conductor – Bob James
Baritone Saxophone – Arthur Clarke, Pepper Adams
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Charles McCracken, George Ricci
Congas – Ralph MacDonald
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Arthur Clarke
French Horn – Brooks Tillotson, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Ray Alonge
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza, Eric Gale, Gene Bertoncini
Harp – Margaret Ross
Organ – Richard Tee
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Producer – Creed Taylor
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr.
Trombone – Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alan Rubin, Ernie Royal, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young
Viola – Emanuel Vardi, Richard Dickler
Violin – Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, John Pintaualle, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - Blacknuss (1971-2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

From its opening bars, with Bill Salter's bass and Rahsaan's flute passionately playing Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," you know this isn't an ordinary Kirk album (were any of them?). As the string section, electric piano, percussion, and Cornel Dupree's guitar slip in the back door, one can feel the deep soul groove Kirk is bringing to the jazz fore here. As the tune fades just two and a half minutes later, the scream of Kirk's tenor comes wailing through the intro of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," with a funk backdrop and no wink in the corner -- he's serious. With Richard Tee's drums kicking it, the strings developing into a wall of tension in the backing mix, and Charles McGhee's trumpet hurling the long line back at Kirk, all bets are off -- especially when they medley the mother into "Mercy Mercy Me." By the time they reach the end of the Isleys' "I Love You, Yes I Do," with the whistles, gongs, shouting, soul crooning, deep groove hustling, and greasy funk dripping from every sweet-assed note, the record could be over because the world has already turned over and surrendered -- and the album is only ten minutes old! Blacknuss, like The Inflated Tear, Volunteered Slavery, Rip, Rig and Panic, and I Talk to the Spirits, is Kirk at his most visionary. He took the pop out of pop and made it Great Black Music. He took the jazz world down a peg to make it feel its roots in the people's music, and consequently made great jazz from pop tunes in the same way his forbears did with Broadway show tunes. While the entire album shines like a big black sun, the other standouts include a deeply moving read of "My Girl" and a version of "The Old Rugged Cross" that takes it back forever from those white fundamentalists who took all the blood and sweat from its grain and replaced them with cheap tin and collection plates. On Kirk's version, grace doesn't come cheap, though you can certainly be a poor person to receive it. Ladies and gents, Blacknuss is as deep as a soul record can be and as hot as a jazz record has any right to call itself. A work of sheer blacknuss!
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Ain't No Sunshine 2'26
Renaldo Benson / Al Cleveland / Marvin Gaye / Bill Withers
2     What's Goin' On/Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) 3'47
Renaldo Benson / Al Cleveland / Marvin Gaye
3     I Love You, Yes I Do 2'49
Chris Allen / Johnny Cameron / Rahsaan Roland Kirk
4     Take Me Girl, I'm Ready 3'18
Johnny Bristol / Pam Sawyer / LaVerne Ware
5     My Girl 3'06
Smokey Robinson / William Robinson / Ronald White
6     Which Way Is It Going 2'26
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7     One Nation 3'41
Princess Patience Burton
8     Never Can Say Goodbye 4'02
Clifton Davis
9     Old Rugged Cross 7'15
Traditional
10     Make It with You 4'50
David Gates
11     Blacknuss 5'12
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Bass – Henry Pearson (pistas: 1, 8, 11), Bill Salter (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Congas – Richard Landrum (pistas: 1, 8, 11)
Congas, Percussion [Cabassa] – Arthur Jenkins (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Drums – Bernard Purdie (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10), Khalil Mhdri (pistas: 1, 8, 11)
Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Manzello, Stritch], Gong, Whistle [Police Whistle], Arranged By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Guitar – Billy Butler (pistas: 1, 8, 11), Cornell Dupree (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10), Keith Loving (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Organ – Mickey Tucker (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Percussion – Joe Habad Texidor
Piano – Richard Tee (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10), Sonelius Smith (pistas: 1, 8, 11)
Trombone – Dick Griffin (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Trumpet – Charles McGhee (pistas: 2 to 7, 9, 10)
Vocals – Rahsaan Roland Kirk (pistas: 1, 5, 8, 11)

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color (1975-2004) Atlantic Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Perhaps I am an apologist for Rahsaan Roland Kirk, I don't know. If I am then I should be smacked, because he needed no one to make apologies for him. The Case of the 3-Sided Dream in Audio Color is a case in point. The namby-pamby jazz critics, those "serious" guys who look for every note to be in order before they'll say anything positive, can shove it on this one. They panned the hell out of it in 1975, claiming it was "indulgent." Okay. Which Kirk record wasn't? Excess was always the name of the game for Kirk, but so was the groove, and here on this three-sided double LP, groove is at the heart of everything. Surrounding himself with players like Cornell Dupree, Hugh McCracken, Richard Tee, Hilton Ruiz (whose playing on "Echoes of Primitive Ohio and Chili Dogs" is so greasy, so deliciously dirty it's enthralling), Steve Gadd, and others from that soul-jazz scene, it's obvious what you're gonna get, right? Nope. From his imitations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane on "Bye, Bye, Blackbird" to his screaming, funky read on "High Heel Sneakers" to his Delta-to-New-Orleans version of "The Entertainer," Kirk is deep in the groove. But the groove he moves through is one that is so large, so universal, deep, and serene, that it transcends all notions of commercialism versus innovation. Bottom line, even with the charming tape-recorded ramblings of his between tunes, this was his concept and it works like a voodoo charm. Here's one for the revisionists: This record jams.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Conversation    0:57
2    Bye Bye Blackbird 2:37
Written-By – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
3    Horses (Monogram/Republic)    0:19
4    High Heel Sneakers 4:48
Written-By – Robert Higginbotham
5    Dream    0:52
6    Echoes Of Primitive Ohio And Chili Dogs 6:52
Written-By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7    The Entertainer (Done In The Style Of The Blues) 6:00
Written-By – Scott Joplin
8    Freaks For The Festival 4:00
Written-By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
9    Dream    1:31
10    Portrait Of Those Beautiful Ladies 6:22
Written-By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
11    Dream    0:59
12    The Entertainer 6:12
Written-By – Scott Joplin
13    Dream    1:05
14    Dream    0:24
15    Portrait Of Those Beautiful Ladies 7:53
Written-By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
16    Dream    0:50
17    Freaks For The Festival 5:34
Written-By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
18    Horses    0:19
19    Bye Bye Blackbird 2:37
Written-By – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
20    Conversation    0:53
21    Telephone Conversation    12:40
Credits :
Arranged By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 6, 9, 11 to 14, 16, 18, 20, 21)
Arranged By, Conductor – Arthur Jenkins (pistas: 4, 10, 15), William Eaton (pistas: 7, 8, 17)
Baritone Saxophone – Pat Patrick
Bass – Francisco Centeno, Metathias Pearson, Bill Salter
Congas – Lawrence Killian
Congas, Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Drums – John Goldsmith, Sonny Brown, Steve Gadd
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Hugh McCracken, Keith Loving
Keyboards – Arthur Jenkins, Hilton Ruiz, Richard Tee
Tenor Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute, Trumpet, Saxophone [Manzello], Arranged By – Rahsaan Roland Kirk

ARCHIE SHEPP - The Impulse Story (2007) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Archie Shepp's volume in The Impulse Story series, with liner notes by Ashley Kahn, author of The House That Trane Built: The Impulse Story, is arguably the best and most representative of any of the editions in it. These ten cuts capture Shepp's many faces. There's his wonderful look inside the music of his mentor John Coltrane ("Naima" from Four for Trane), through to his gaze at the jazz tradition (Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady"), to bossa nova (a very unique read of "Girl from Ipanema") to the weighty concerns of his own compositions that engaged everything from the avant-garde "Les Matin des Noires" to politics ("Malcolm Malcolm -- Semper Malcolm"), to R&B and soul ("Damn If I Know" "Mama Too Tight," and "Attica Blues"). While certain albums are not represented here -- the magnificent Magic of Ju-Ju being one -- the breadth and depth of Shepp's true genius is all here. That said, it is a shame that many of his albums recorded for Impulse (the classic Fire Music and Magic of Ju-Ju just to name two) are currently out of print. Of all the volumes in this fine collection, Shepp's stands, with Alice Coltrane's as the very best in that it gives a true introduction to an artist often misunderstood, but during his tenure for this label, he was creatively unstoppable.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Naima 7'10
(John Coltrane)
Bass – Reggie Workman
Drums – Charles Moffett
Flugelhorn – Alan Shorter
Producer – John Coltrane
Trombone – Roswell Rudd
2     Los Olvidados 8'56
(Archie Shepp)
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brown
Bass – Reggie Johnson
Drums – Joe Chambers
Trumpet – Ted Curson
3     The Girl from Ipanema 8'35
(Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Vinícius de Moraes)
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brown
Bass – Reggie Johnson
Drums – Joe Chambers
Trumpet – Ted Curson
4     Malcolm, Malcolm - Semper Malcolm 4'51
(Archie Shepp)
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Vocals [Recitation] – Archie Shepp
5     Le Matin des Noires 8'00
(Archie Shepp)
Bass – Barre Phillips
Drums – Joe Chambers
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson     
6     Scag 3'23
(Archie Shepp)
Bass – Barre Phillips
Drums – Joe Chambers
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson
Vocals [Recitation] – Archie Shepp
7     Mama Too Tight 5'25
(Archie Shepp)
Bass – Charlie Haden
Clarinet – Perry Robinson
Drums – Beaver Harris
Trombone – Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd
Trumpet – Tommy Turrentine
Tuba – Howard Johnson
8     Damn If I Know (The Stroller) 6'19
(Walter Davis, Jr.)
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Beaver Harris
Trombone – Grachan Moncur III
Trumpet – Jimmy Owens
9     Sophisticated Lady 7'10
(Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Mitchell Parish)
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Roy Haynes
Trombone – Grachan Moncur III
Trumpet – Jimmy Owen
10     Attica Blues 4'47
(Beaver Harris / Archie Shepp)
Alto Saxophone – Clarence White, Marion Brown
Backing Vocals – Albertine Robinson, Joshie Armstead
Baritone Saxophone – James Ware
Bass [Fender] – Jerry Jemmott, Roland Wilson
Cello – Calo Scott, Ronald Lipscomb
Cornet – Clifford Thornton
Drums – Beaver Harris
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Lead Vocals – Henry Hull
Percussion – Juma Sutan*, Nene DeFense, Ollie Anderson
Producer – Ed Michel
Tenor Saxophone – Roland Alexander
Trombone – Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens, Kiane Zawadi
Trumpet – Charles McGhee, Michael Ridley
Tuba – Hakim Jami
Violin – John Blake, Leroy Jenkins, Shankar

ARCHIE SHEPP - Attica Blues (1972-2003) RM | Serie: LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Refining his large-ensemble experiments of 1971, Attica Blues is one of Archie Shepp's most significant post-'60s statements, recorded just several months after authorities ended the Attica prison uprising by massacring 43 inmates and hostages. Perhaps because Shepp's musical interests were changing, Attica Blues isn't the all-out blast of rage one might expect; instead, it's a richly arranged album of mournful, quietly agonized blues and Ellingtonian swing, mixed with a couple of storming funk burners. Of course, Shepp doesn't quite play it straight, bringing his avant-garde sensibilities to both vintage big band and contemporary funk, with little regard for the boundaries separating them all. His soloing on tenor and soprano is typically sharp-edged and modal, and his nasal, slicing tone on soprano is featured quite heavily. The stylishness of the slow numbers is undercut with quivering, faintly unsettling dissonances, and the up-tempo funk cuts recall the way Sly Stone's arrangements ping-ponged many different elements off each other in a gleeful organized chaos. That's especially true on the gospel-inflected title song, a monster of a groove that later became a hit on the acid jazz revival circuit (and stands up to anything recorded by straight-up funk bands of the era). In the same vein, "Blues for Brother George Jackson" sounds like an edgier Isaac Hayes-style blaxploitation soundtrack cut. Vocal ballads are plentiful, and Joe Lee Wilson ("Steam," a song Shepp would return to often) and Carl Hall (aka Henry Hull) both acquit themselves well; more debatable are the poetic recitations and the choice of flügelhornist/composer Cal Massey's young daughter Waheeda to sing "Quiet Dawn" (although Waheeda's almost-there intonation is effectively creepy). Still, in the end, Attica Blues is one of Shepp's most successful large-group projects, because his skillful handling of so many different styles of black music produces such tremendously groovy results. Steve Huey
Tracklist :
1     Attica Blues 4'47
(W.G. Harris / Archie Shepp)    
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brownburr
Backing Vocals – Albertine Robinson, Joshie Armstead
Bass [Fender] – Jerry Jemmott
Lead Vocals – Henry Hull
2     Invocation: Attica Blues 0'19
(W.G. Harris)    
Narrator – William Kunstler
3     Steam, Pt. 1 5'07
(Archie Shepp)
Electric Piano – Dave Burrell
Flute [Bamboo] – Marion Brown
Lyrics By – Archie Shepp
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson    

4     Invocation to Mr. Parker 3'16
(Bart Gray / Archie Shepp)    
Flute – Marion Brown
Narrator, Other [Text] – Bartholomew Gray
5     Steam, Pt. 2 5'10
(Archie Shepp)    
Electric Piano – Dave Burrell
Flute [Bamboo] – Marion Brown
Lyrics By – Archie Shepp
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
6     Blues for Brother George Jackson 4'00
(Archie Shepp)    
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brown
7     Invocation: Ballad for a Child 0'29
(W.G. Harris)    
Narrator – William Kunstler
8     Ballad for a Child 3'36
(W.G. Harris / Archie Shepp)    
Vocals – Henry Hull
9     Goodbye Sweet Pops 4'22
(Cal Massey)
Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Drums – Billy Higgins
Music By – Cal Massey
10     Quiet Dawn 6'12
(Cal Massey)
Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Drums – Billy Higgins
Flugelhorn, Music By, Lyrics By – Cal Massey
Vocals – Waheeda Massey
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Clarence White (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Baritone Saxophone – James Ware (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Bass – Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
Bass [Fender] – Roland Wilson (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
Cello – Calo Scott (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Ronald Lipscomb (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)
Cornet – Clifford Thornton (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Drums – Beaver Harris (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
Euphonium – Hakim Jami (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8)
Lyrics By – William G. Harris (pistas: 1 to 8)
Music By – Archie Shepp (pistas: 1 to 8)
Percussion – Juma Sutan (pistas: 1, 6, 10), Marion Brown (pistas: 3, 4, 5), Nene DeFense (pistas: 1, 6, 10), Ollie Anderson (pistas: 1, 6, 10)
Piano – Walter Davis Jr. (pistas: 6, 8, 9, 10)
Soprano Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 3, 5, 9)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 1, 6, 8, 10), Billy Robinson (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Roland Alexander (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Trombone – Charles Greenlee (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Charles Stephens (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Kiane Zawadi (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Trumpet – Charles McGhee (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Michael Ridley (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Roy Burrowes (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Violin – John Blake (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Leroy Jenkins (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Shankar (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)

ARCHIE SHEPP - The Cry Of My People (1973-2004) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1972 with a core band of Leroy Jenkins, Cornell Dupree (!), Jimmy Garrison, and Charles McGhee, Shepp supplemented these proceedings in much the same way he did with the cast of Attica Blues, with gospel singers, big bands, quintets, sextets, and chamber orchestras, with guests that included Harold Mabern on piano, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums, and Ron Carter on electric bass! Recorded during a period in which Shepp was reaching out of the jazz idiom to include all of what he perceived to be "trans-African" music at the time, there is gutbucket R&B here, as well as the sweetly soul gospel of "Rest Enough." The charts' arrangements are a combination of Ellington's more pastoral moods -- usually expressed in his suites -- and the more darkly complex modal stylings of George Russell. Unlike some of Shepp's dates from this period, the vocals do not detract from the mix employed here. This is an urban record that showcases Shepp's ability, at this time in his career, to literally take on any project, combine as many sources as he was permitted by his financial resources, and come up with something compelling, provocative, and soulful. All extremes are subsumed by the whole: The avant-garde free jazz of the period is covered in the large-ensemble playing, which is covered by the gospel and R&B stylings that are accented by the free jazz players. Shepp worked with many larger ensembles as a leader, but never did he achieve such a perfect balance as he did on The Cry of My People. Given that the remastered version -- with excellent liner notes, superb sound, and a gorgeous package -- is being issued during an election year in the United States, its poignancy and urgency couldn't be more timely.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Rest Enough (Song to Mother) 4:41
Backing Vocals – Andre Franklin, Patterson Singers
Lead Vocals – Peggy Blue
Written-By – Archie Shepp
2     A Prayer 6:29
Arranged By, Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Written-By, Arranged By – Cal Massey    
3     All God's Children Got a Home in the Universe 2:58
Written-By – Archie Shepp
4     The Lady 5:31 Arranged By – Romulus Franceschini
Arranged By, Conductor – Cal Massey
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – Bob Ford
5     The Cry of My People 5:45
Arranged By – Romulus Franceschini
Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor – Cal Massey    
6     African Drum Suite, Pt. 1-2 0:35
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – William G. Harris
7     African Drum Suite, Pt. 2 7:34 Arranged By, Conductor – Dave Burrell
Berimbau, Percussion [Brazilian] – Guilherme Franco
Bongos, Congas – Nene DeFense
Tambourine, Congas – Terry Quaye
Written-By – William G. Harris
8     Come Sunday 9:30
Arranged By, Conductor – Charles Greenlee
Backing Vocals – Patterson Singers
Lead Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – Duke Ellington
Credits
Bass – Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 2, 4 to 8)
Bass [Fender] – Ron Carter (pistas: 1, 3, 5)
Cello – Esther Mellon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Pat Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Drums – Beaver Harris (pistas: 3 to 5), Bernard Purdie (pistas: 1, 2)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (pistas: 1, 3)
Percussion – Nene DeFense (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 8)
Piano – Dave Burrell (pistas: 6. 7), Harold Mabern (pistas: 1 to 5, 8)
Soprano Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 2, 4, 7)
Tambourine – Nene DeFense (pistas: 1, 3)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 3, 4, 5, 8)
Trombone – Charles Greenlee (pistas: 2 to 7), Charles Stephens (pistas: 2 to 5, 8)
Trumpet – Charles McGhee (pistas: 2 to 5, 7, 8)
Violin – Gayle Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Jerry Little (pistas: 4, 7, 8), John Blake (pistas: 2, 5), Leroy Jenkins (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Lois Siessinger (pistas: 2, 5), Noel DaCosta (pistas: 4, 7, 8)

LOU DONALDSON - Sweet Lou (1974) lp | 24bits-192hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

An examination of the famous Blue Note catalog reveals that, on the average, the style of music featured on Lou Donaldson's Sweet Lou is just as typical to the label as the recordings for which it is justifiably renowned. Few would remember the label at all if every Blue Note title was candy of the Sweet Lou sort, these sorts of productions and arrangements bringing to mind a cookie-cutter production line. Still, the passing of time has been in some ways been kind to these efforts, blurring the original impression given of careers headed downhill. Donaldson's tone on alto saxophone, regardless of setting, sounds like Charlie Parker after he has spent the night stuffed into one of those jars of pickled eggs on the menu in particularly hardcore bars. He stuffs banal compositions on this program such as "If You Can't Handle It, Give It to Me" with sublime Kansas City jazz blues licks as if festooning a National Guard unit with candy bar wrappers. The 1974 setting, following standard operating procedure for the period, is a nougat of trumpet and trombone charts plus a funky rhythm section infiltrated by trendy clavinet and synthesizer sounds. During two sessions a week apart, overlapping waves of session musicians nudged into each other's breathing room, ringers such as ex-bandleader Buddy Lucas blasting harmonica licks into the ears of A-team guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken. Bernard "Pretty" Purdie played drums on some of this, leaving behind shards of ingenuity that in some cases represent the main reason subsequent generations of listeners returned to this material, its initial impact and subsequent shelf life roughly equal to that of a baggage clam stub. Coming back from a "Hip Trip," however, a traveler may want to save such an item to trigger fond memories, in this case of nicely executed cover of a tune by Don Patterson, ace jazz organist. Things fall into place nicely on the closing "Peepin' Herman's Mambo," any variation on the Afro-Cuban jazz gestalt being as familiar to the Blue Note hellions as rice at a wedding. Furthermore, it swings. Starting over again, "You're Welcome, Stop on By" is a cover version of a funk hit associated with Bobby Womack, the presence of a female vocal team as alluring as signs announcing a chemical spill ahead. A commercial influence of a more pleasing nature is the continual copping from Stevie Wonder. Eugene Chadbourne  
Tracklist :
1     You're Welcome, Stop On By 3:57
Truman Thomas / Bobby Womack    
2     Lost Love 5:49
Lou Donaldson    
3     Hip Trip 6:30
Don Patterson    
4     If You Can't Handle It, Give It To Me 3:55
Lou Donaldson    
5     Love Eyes 3:59
Mark "Moose" Charlap / Norman Gimbel    
6     Peepin' 6:13
Lonnie O. Smith    
7     Herman's Mambo 4:40
Herman Foster
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] – Lou Donaldson (pistas: 2)
Backing Vocals [Singers] – Barbara Massey, Bill Davis, Carl Williams Jr., Eileen Gilbert, Eric Figueroa, Hilda Harris, William Sample
Clavinet – Paul Griffin
Congas [Cga], Vibraphone [Vib], Percussion [Perc] – Unidentified
Drums – Bernard Purdie, Jimmie Young
Electric Bass [Fender Bass] – Wilbur Bascomb
Electronic Wind Instrument [El-as (Electronic Alto Sax)] – Lou Donaldson
Flute, Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Arthur Clark, Seldon Powell
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Dave Spinozza, Hugh McCracken
Harmonica – Buddy Lucas
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Horace Ott
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trumpet – Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Joe Shepley

HERBIE MANN - Push Push (1971-2014) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 - 1 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Flutist Herbie Mann opened up his music on this date for Push Push (and during the era) toward R&B, rock and funk music. The results were generally appealing, melodic and danceable. On such songs as "What's Going On," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "What'd I Say" and the title cut, Mann utilizes an impressive crew of musicians, which include guitarist Duane Allman and keyboardist Richard Tee. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Push Push 9:55
Electric Guitar – Duane Allman
Written-By – H. Mann
2    What's Going On 4:12
Written-By – A. Cleveland, M. Gaye, R. Benson
3    Spirit In The Dark 9:25
Written-By – A. Franklin
4    Man's Hope 6:54
Arranged By – Herbie Mann
Written-By – H. Mann
5    If 4:29
Written-By – D. Gates
6    Never Can Say Goodbye 3:32
Written-By – C. Davis
7    What'd I Say 4:55
Written-By – R. Charles
- Bonus Track -    
8    Funky Nassau 4:54
Written-By – R. Munnings, T. Fitzgerald
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey (faixas: 1, 2, 6), Donald "Duck" Dunn (faixas: 4, 5), Jerry Jemmott (faixas: 3, 7, 8)
Drums – Al Jackson Jr. (faixas: 4, 5), Bernard Purdie (faixas: 1 To 3, 7, 8)
Electric Piano – Richard Tee
Flute – Herbie Mann
Flute [Alto] – Herbie Mann (faixas: 1, 2, 4 To 6)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (faixas: 1, 2, 6), David Spinozza (faixas: 3 To 5, 7, 8), Duane Allman
Guitar [Solo] – David Spinozza (faixas: 4), Duane Allman (faixas: 1 To 3, 5 To 8)
Harp – Gene Bianca (faixas: 2, 6)
Organ – Richard Tee (faixas: 1, 2, 6)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Piano – Richard Tee (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)

LENA HORNE + GABOR SZABÓ - Watch What Happens! (1970-1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pairing of chanteuse Lena Horne and guitarist Gabor Szabo may seem incongruous on paper, but Watch What Happens! is an unexpected delight, capturing a soulfulness and sass largely absent from the singer's previous efforts. Producer and arranger Gary McFarland's candy-coated orchestral settings afford Horne the opportunity to step out of the elegant but often stuffy refinement of her classic LPs and let down her hair. Her vocals pirouette around Szabo's hypnotically funky guitar leads with the focused abandon of a child playing hopscotch. Keyboardist Richard Tee, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Grady Tate contribute the supple grooves that highlight so many McFarland sessions, and the material is top-notch, including no fewer than three Beatles covers: "In My Life," "Fool on the Hill," and "Rocky Raccoon," the latter featuring the most purely joyful performance of Horne's career. [Watch What Happens! was originally released on Szabo's Skye Records label as Lena & Gabor in 1970.]  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Watch What Happens 4:00
Jacques Demy / Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand  
2 Something 3:08
George Harrison
3 Everybody's Talkin' 2:52
Fred Neil
4 The Fool on the Hill 3:35
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
5 Yesterday, When I Was Young 4:00
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
6 Rocky Raccoon 3:27
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
7 My Mood Is You 4:45
Carl Sigman
8 A Message to Michael 3:14
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
9 Night Wind 3:35   
Erroll Garner / Bobby Scott
10 In My Life 2:52
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gabor Szabo
Orchestrated By, Arranged By, Conductor – Gary McFarland
Organ – Richard Tee
Vocals – Howard Roberts Singers, Lena Horne

STANLEY TURRENTINE WITH MILT JACKSON - Cherry (1972-2014) CTI Supreme Collection 12 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Album by tenor sax man Stanley Turrentine with vibraphonist Milt Jackson recorded for Creed Taylor's label CTI in 1972. The backing band has some of Jazz music's heaviest hitters such as Ron Carter on acoustic bass, Billy Cobham on drums, Bob James on mostly Fender Rhodes electric piano and session ace Cornell DuPre on guitar.
This album is typical of what the CTI record label was putting out in the early 70s. In this case the players blend hard bop with slight overtones of soul jazz. The medium tempo tunes swing like mad thanks to the amazing hook up of Cobham Carter and James. This came out after Turrentine's successful album "Sugar" and if you're familiar with that album "Cherry" is very similar except with the addition of Milt Jackson's vibes. They share many of the same backing musicians. The music on Cherry is pretty diverse with an interesting take on Lee Morgan's tune "Speedball" that opens the album. There are two tunes composed by Weldon Irving who you may know as the composer of the tune "Mr Clean" made famous by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard on his CTI album "Straight Life". I recommend this to fans of Stanley Turrentine's CTI period and fans of albums like Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay". by Jonathan Guarriello

 

Tracklist :
1. Speedball 6:35
Lee Morgan
2. I Remember You 5:10
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
3. The Revs 8:00
Milt Jackson
4. Sister Sanctified 6:00
Weldon Irvine
5. Cherry 5:10
Ray Gilbert / Don Redman
6. Introspective 6:55
Weldon Irvine
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Billy Cobham
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Piano, Electric Piano – Bob James
Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine       
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson

HARLEM RIVER DRIVE - Harlem River Drive (1971-2005) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

The reason this record is "legendary" is because it marks the first recorded performances, in 1970, of Eddie and Charlie Palmieri as bandleaders. The reason it should be a near mythical recording (it has never been available in the U.S. on CD, and was long out of print on LP before CDs made the scene), is for its musical quality and innovation. The Palmieris formed a band of themselves, a couple of Latinos that included Andy Gonzales, jazz-funk great -- even then -- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, and some white guys and taught them how to play a music that was equal parts Cuban mambo, American soul via Stax/Volt, blues, Funkadelic-style rock, pop-jazz, and harmonic and instrumental arrangements every bit as sophisticated as Burt Bacharach's or Henry Mancini's or even Stan Kenton's. One can hear in "Harlem River Drive (Theme)" and "Idle Hands" a sound akin to War's on World Is a Ghetto. Guess where War got it? "If (We Had Peace)" was even a model for Lee Oskar's "City, Country, City." And as much as War modeled their later sound on this one record, as great as they were, they never reached this peak artistically. But there's so much here: the amazing vocals (Jimmy Noonan was in this band), the multi-dimensional percussion section, the tight, brass-heavy horn section, and the spaced-out guitar and keyboard work (give a listen to "Broken Home") where vocal lines trade with a soprano saxophone and a guitar as snaky keyboards create their own mystical effect. One can bet that Chick Corea heard in Eddie's piano playing a stylistic possibility for Return to Forever's Light As a Feather and Romantic Warrior albums. The band seems endless, as if there are dozens of musicians playing seamlessly together live -- dig the percussion styling of Manny Oquendo on the cowbell and conga and the choral work of Marilyn Hirscher and Allan Taylor behind Noonan. Harlem River Drive is a classic because after 30-plus years, it still sounds as if listeners are the ones catching up to it. It's worth every dime you pay for it, so special order it today.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Harlem River Drive (Theme Song) 4:11
Bass – Victor Venegas
Congas – Eladio Perez
Drums – Reggie Ferguson
Guitar – Bob Bianco
Organ – Charlie Palmieri
Timbales – Nick Marrero    
2     If (We Had Peace Today) 3:02
Bass – Gerald Jemmott
Drums – Dean Robert Pratt
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Trombone – Bruce L. Fowler
Trumpet – Burt Collins    
3     Idle Hands 8:29
Bass – Gerald Jemmott
Congas – Eladio Perez
Drums – Bernard Purdy
Guitar – Cornell Dupree
Saxophone [Tenor] – Dick Meza
Timbales – Nick Marrero
Trombone – Bruce L. Fowler
4     Broken Home 10:37
Bass – Victor Venegas
Congas, Cowbell – Manny Oquendo
Drums – Nick Marrero
Guitar – Bob Bianco
Organ – Charlie Palmieri    
5     Seeds of Life 5:09
Bass – Victor Venegas
Bass [Fender] – Andy Gonzalez
Congas – Eladio Perez
Drums – Bernard Purdy
Guitar [Accompanying] – Cornell Dupree
Guitar [Lead] – Bob Mann
Saxophone [Tenor] – Dick Meza
Timbales – Manny Oquendo
Trombone – Barry Rogers
Trumpet – Randy Brecker
Credits :
Chorus – Allan Taylor, Marilyn Hirscher
Piano – Eddie Palmieri
Producer – Eddie Palmieri, Lockie Edwards
Saxophone [Soprano, Baritone] – Ronnie Cuber
Vocals – Jimmy Norman 

WELDON IRVINE - Simbad [1976] RCA / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded with an exemplary supporting cast featuring pianist Don Blackman, guitarist Eric Gale, and saxophonist Michael Brecker, Sinbad explores the extremes of Weldon Irvine's music, juxtaposing several of the keyboardist's funkiest, most energetic grooves to date alongside mellow, contemplative performances of uncommon intricacy and beauty. Inspired in both sound and spirit by the soul-searching Motown efforts of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, complete with covers of their respective "What's Going On" and "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," Sinbad contrasts the elegant soul-jazz contours and luminous, horn-driven arrangements of the title cut and "Do Something for Yourself" alongside the nuances and soft pastels of "I Love You" and "Music Is the Key." The resiliency of Irvine's vision and the vibrant performances of his collaborators nevertheless create a kind of yin-yang dynamic that enables the album's divided soul to operate in harmony.  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:
1 Sinbad 6:25
W. Irvine
2 Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 5:53
Stevie Wonder
3 What's Goin' On? 4:39
Marvin Gaye
4 I Love You 3:04
D. Blackman
5 Do Something For Yourself 4:48
W. Irvine
6 Music is the Key 7:37
Weldon Irvine / Tommy Smith
7 Here's Where I Came In 3:47
W. Irvine
8 Gospel Feeling 4:16
W. Irvine
Credits
Alto Saxophone – George Young
Backing Vocals – Adrienne Albert, Bunny McCullough, Deborah McDuffie
Baritone Saxophone – Phil Bodner
Bass – Gordon Edwards
Bass Trombone – Alan Raph
Congas – Martin Charles
Drums – Chris Parker, Steve Gadd (tracks: 2)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale
Percussion – Napoleon Revels-Bey
Piano [Acoustic], Lead Vocals – Don Blackman
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor, Keyboards, Synthesizer – Weldon Irvine
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Trombone – Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Randy Brecker

WELDON IRVINE - Simbad [1976] 

RE [2011] Sony / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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