ELLA FITZGERALD – 1954-1955 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1457 (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 15th installment in the complete studio recordings of Ella Fitzgerald as reissued in the Classics Chronological Series contains 22 titles cut between March 30, 1954, and August 5, 1955, marking the tail end of her contractual obligations as a Decca recording artist. Ella's involvement with Decca extended a full 20 years back to her initial recording session with the Chick Webb Orchestra in June 1935; by January of 1956 she would be working with Norman Granz (who had already been recording her in live performance with his Jazz at the Philharmonic package), inaugurating one of the great longstanding singer/producer collaborations in the entire history of recorded jazz. Drawing upon material originally made available on the LPs Sweet and Hot, Songs in a Mellow Mood, The First Lady of Song, Lullabies of Birdland and Songs from "Pete Kelly's Blues" (a motion picture in which Ella appeared cast as a jazz singer), this patchwork compilation opens with three songs that close out one of the delightful sessions that she shared with pianist Ellis Larkins during the spring of 1954. The next two titles come from a date that was typical of Decca's approach to artists and repertoire, for here Ella and a sextet including tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor, pianist Hank Jones, and organist Bill Doggett were pitted against a standard issue '50s pop vocal choir. Other ensembles heard on this disc were conducted or supervised by Benny Carter, Sy Oliver, André Previn, Dick Hyman, and Toots Camarata. Altogether, it's a fine portrait of Ella Fitzgerald in one of her primes, and an effective appetizer for the next chapter in her musical biography. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

BENNY CARTER – 1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1438 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume eleven in the complete Classics Benny Carter chronology presents 14 outstanding tracks recorded during the summer and autumn of 1954 and subsequently released on producer Norman Granz's Norgran label. Recorded in Los Angeles on June 23, 1954, tracks one through eight are strikingly beautiful studies for alto saxophone with backing by pianist Don Abney, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Louie Bellson. These are some of the loveliest selections in the entire Benny Carter discography. Back in New York on September 14, 1954, Carter waxed four more standards in the company of trombonist Bill Harris and Granz's preferred rhythm section: Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich. On Carter's own "Marriage Blues" and Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things" Dizzy Gillespie joined the group, blew his horn and stirred things up a bit. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1     Moonglow 2:48     
2     My One and Only Love 3:55
Robert Mellin / Guy Wood
3     Our Love Is Here to Say 3:39
4     This Can't Be Love 3:27
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers    
5     Tenderly 3:41
Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence    
6     Unforgettable 3:25      
7     Ruby 4:36
Heinz Roemheld    
8     Moon Song 4:01    
9     Laura 7:42
Johnny Mercer / David Raksin    
10     That Old Black Magic 6:48
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer    
11     Angel Eyes 3:28
12     The Song Is You 4:50
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
13     Marriage Blues 7:46
14     Just One of Those Things 6:09
Cole Porter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter
Bass – George Duvivier (tracks: 1 to 8), Ray Brown (tracks: 9 to 14)
Drums – Buddy Rich (tracks: 9 to 14), Louis Bellson (tracks: 1 to 8)
Guitar – Herb Ellis (tracks: 9 to 14)
Piano – Don Abney (tracks: 1 to 8), Oscar Peterson (tracks: 9 to 14)
Trombone – Bill Harris (tracks: 9 to 13)
Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie (tracks: 13, 14)

MARILYN MOORE - Moody Marilyn Moore [2014] FLAC

Singer Marilyn Moore was wed to reedist Al Cohn at the time she recorded her lone LP, the aptly titled Bethlehem session Moody Marilyn Moore, but the scarcity of her studio output and the connubial origins of the session shouldn't be considered a condemnation of her talents. Working with a small but beguiling backing unit including Cohn on tenor and bass clarinet, Milt Hinton on bass, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Joe Wilder on trumpet, Don Abney on piano and Osie Johnson on drums, Moore proves herself a first-rate stylist in the Billie Holiday mode, with a lived-in, seen-it-all authority that lends the music a welcome edge. The arrangements perfectly capture a smoky, late-night atmosphere, but it's Moore's vocals that truly underscore the solitude and heartbreak so essential to the record's potency. by Jason Ankeny

Tracklist:

1. I'm Just A Lucky So And So (2:56)

2. Ill Wind (2:50)

3. If Love Is Trouble (2:39)

4. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? (3:22)

5. Born To Blow The Blues (3:34)

6. Lover Come Back To Me (2:55)

7. You're Driving Me Crazy (2:51)

8. Trav'lin' All Alone (3:05)

9. I Cried For You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry Over Me) (2:14)

10. Leavin' Town (3:29)

11. Trouble Is A Man (2:49)

12. I Got Rhythm (2:09)

Credits

Bass – Milt Hinton

Drums – Osie Johnson

Guitar – Barry Galbraith

Piano – Don Abney

Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Al Cohn

Trumpet – Joe Wilder

Vocals – Marilyn Moore

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