DAVID FRIESEN — Two for the Show (1993) APE (image+.cue), lossless

David Friesen's Two for the Show is a series of brilliant duets featuring the bassist with six different musicians. Not only does he set an incredibly fast tempo for tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker as he introduces Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," but his complex line inspires Brecker to some of his best playing of his career. The perennial favorite "Old Folks" finds Friesen taking a back seat to the brittle, very personalized guitar of John Scofield. Uwe Kropinski sticks to acoustic guitar for his two tracks, including Friesen's adventurous "On the Road With Jazz" and Kropinski's gypsy-flavored "Pianola." "Alone Together" opens with alto saxophonist Bud Shank unaccompanied before Friesen's imaginative bassline weaves in underneath him in a spellbinding improvisation. Friesen's duets with frequent partner Denny Zeitlin are always magical; their two tracks, taken from a 1992 gig at the Jazz Bakery, include the bassist's lyrical ballad "In Times Past," while the pianist's bittersweet ballad "Maybe in Spring" also packs an emotional punch. Their chemistry together, as always, is perfect. But it is hard for anyone to upstage Clark Terry, whose instantly recognizable sound commands attention. Both Terry (on flugelhorn) and Friesen pull all stops on a brisk take of "I Want to Be Happy"; Terry switches to muted trumpet for the understated swinger "Breeze." It is hard to imagine David Friesen and his guests wanting to stop recording after two tracks during each session, because it's obvious that they were having a great time and it would have been easy to imagine an entire CD by the bassist with any one of the artists. Here's hoping that there are still tracks left in the vault for a follow-up release. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    Airegin 4:56
Written-By – Rollins
2    True Blue 7:48
Written-By – Friesen
3    I Want To Be Happy 2:55
Written-By – Caeser, Youmans
4    In Times Past 7:12
Written-By – Friesen
5    Alone Together 4:46
Written-By – Dietz/Schwartz
6    On The Road With Jazz 4:53
Written-By – Friesen
7    Signs And Wonders 6:04
Written-By – Friesen
8    Old Folks 6:15
Written By – Hill / Robinson
9    Breeze    5:18
10    Maybe In Spring 7:46
Written-By – Zeitlin
11    Double Take 3:14
Written-By – Friesen
12    Pianola 4:10
Written-By – Kropinski
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Uwe Kropinski (tracks: 6, 12)
Alto Saxophone – Bud Shank (tracks: 5, 11)
Electric Guitar – John Scofield (tracks: 2, 8)
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: 3, 9)
Grand Piano [Acoustic] – Denny Zeitlin (tracks: 4, 10)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 1, 7)

KENNY GARRETT · JOHN SCOFIELD · MICHAEL BRECKER · DAVID FRIESEN — Old Folks (1999) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

This West Wind album, recorded at various studio sites in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Berkeley, CA, and New York City between 1987 and 1994, has Kenny Garrett as the leader, but a closer reveal might more accurately hand that title to David Friesen. The bassist is on five of the nine tracks, in duet performances with John Scofield, Michael Brecker, or Denny Zeitlin, while Garrett does lead the other four selections in larger ensemble contexts. Extraordinary musicianship is present throughout, making for an interesting musical experience, and with great appeal for fans who enjoy any of these talented musicians.
Longtime friends Scofield and Friesen reunite for a somber take of "Old Folks" and a brighter "True Blue," Brecker's tenor sax joins the bassist for a great, spirited version of the Sonny Rollins classic "Airegin" and the heavy duty, hip neo-bop original "Signs & Wonders," with the two occasionally merging in tandem phrases. A final track for bass and piano with the brilliant Zeitlin allows them to interpret the great Wayne Shorter composition "Speak No Evil" over nine minutes with a symmetry and balance unparalleled in most duet recordings, especially over long lengths of time via the wonderfully inventive acoustic keyboardist. Garrett leads a sextet with less dominant trombonist Julian Priester, a pronounced Bill Frisell and sublimated Robben Ford on electric guitars. They do the sly Duke Ellington evergreen "Wanderlust" proud under a deep bassline by Anthony Cox, while the outstanding track of the album "The Oyster Dance" slips from 7/8 time to fractured beats at will in a funky yet scattered method quite reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. Another quintet with Steve Nelson and Mulgrew Miller offers up a different sonic challenge, as they do pianist Miller's "Wingspan" in hard bop fashion with Garrett's alto alongside Nelson's vibraphone in fully charged bright moments, while "Sonhos Do Brasil" offers a contrasting, sleek, and softer bossa nova style, with percussionist Rudy Bird as special guest. The listening skills of the larger ensembles is quite evident, while Garrett -- at this time a 27-year-old phenom -- is still learning his craft but growing very quickly in the company of these well-chosen super-pro partners. Drummers Jerry Granelli and Tony Reedus are especially notable for rhythmically moving things along quite nicely for Garrett and friends. This material deserves high marks simply for the great musicians participating, and though uneven, retains full intrigue in one-of-a-kind session status, any of which could have been full-blown concepts -- one of which (sigh) might have been a Garrett-Brecker project that is not here. Michael G. Nastos 
Tracklist :

1.     Old Folks    6:15
Dedette Lee Hill / Willard Robison
2.     Wanderlust    7:46 
Kenny Garrett
3.     True Blue    7:48
David Friesen
4.     Airegin    4:56
Sonny Rollins
5.     Signs and Wonders    6:04
David Friesen
6.     Speak No Evil    8:42
Wayne Shorter
7.     Wingspan    5:36
Mulgrew Miller
8.     The Oyster Dance    5:04
Kenny Garrett
9.     Sonhos Do Brasil (Dreams of Brazil)    7:14
Kenny Garrett
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett (tracks: 2,7-9)
Banjo – Bill Frisell (tracks: 2)
Bass – Anthony Cox (tracks: 2,8), Charnett Moffett (tracks: 7,9), David Friesen (tracks: 1,3-6)
Drums – Jerry Granelli (tracks: 2,8), Tony Reedus (tracks: 7,9)
Grand Piano – Denny Zeitlin (tracks: 6)
Guitar – Bill Frisell (tracks: 2,8), John Scofield (tracks: 1,3), Robben Ford (tracks: 2,8)
Percussion – Rudy Bird (tracks: 9)
Piano – Mulgrew Miller (tracks: 7,9)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 4,5)
Trombone – Julian Priester (tracks: 2,8)
Vibraphone – Steve Nelson (tracks: 7,9)    

THE JEREMY STEIG QUARTET - Flute Fever +1 [1963] FLAC

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. Fantastic early work from flautist Jeremy Steig – a 60s quartet session for Columbia that came several years before the funky style of some of his later work – and a damn great record, with lots of soulful touches! Part of this has to do with the rhythm section of Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums – both of whom put a nice kick in the proceedings, and substantially ground and groove the solo work of Steig's flute and Denny Zeitlin's piano.

On that note, Steig's and Zeitlin's solos are truly outstanding – more than delivering on the feverish promise of the album's title! Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "So What", "Willow Weep For Me", "Well, You Needn't", "Blue Seven", "Oleo", and "Lover Man". This excellent CD version also includes the bonus first take version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?".

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 (1963) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218}

Tracklist:

1 - Oleo

2 - Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)

3 - What Is Things Called Love?

4 - So What

5 - Well, You Needn't

6 - Willow Weep For Me

7 - Blue Seven

8 - What Is Things Called Love? (Take 1) (bonus track)

Personnel:

Jeremy Steig – Flute

Denny Zeitlin – Piano

Ben Tucker – Bass

Ben Riley - Drums

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 [1963] 

[2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218]

© 1963, 2014 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4218

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