GENE AMMONS — Boss Tenor (1960) RM | Five Version | 20bit K2 | XRCD | SACD | RVG Remasters | The Prestige Stereo Series | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

The great tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons was of the generation of swing-era players that easily adapted to bop. But though he was a modernist, Ammons maintained that breathy, old-school romantic approach to the tenor. Boss Tenor, a quintet session from 1960, is one of Ammons' very best albums. Ray Barretto's congas subtly add a bit of Latin spice, but otherwise this is a collection of standards rendered with a gorgeous late-night bluesy feel. Accompaniment by Tommy Flanagan, one of the best mainstream pianists ever, certainly doesn't hurt, either. A gem. Mark Keresman
Tracklist :
1. Hittin' The Jug 8:29
 Gene Ammons
2. Close Your Eyes 3:46
 Bernice Petkere
3. My Romance 4:16
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4. Canadian Sunset 5:24
 Norman Gimbel / Eddie Heywood
5. Blue Ammons 4:57
 Gene Ammons
6. Confirmation 5:24
 Charlie Parker
7. Stompin' At The Savoy 3:31
 Bill Doggett / Lucky Millinder
Credits :
Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Arthur Taylor - Drums
Ray Barretto - Conga

JACKIE McLEAN — 4, 5 And 6 (1956) Four Version | RM | SACD | RVG | The Prestige Mono Series | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1956 Jackie McLean was only beginning to assert himself as a true individualist on the alto saxophone, exploring the lime-flavored microtones of his instrument that purists or the misinformed perceived as being off-key or out of tune. 4, 5 and 6 presents McLean's quartet on half the date, and tunes with an expanded quintet, and one sextet track -- thus the title. Mal Waldron, himself an unconventional pianist willing to explore different sizings and shadings of progressive jazz, is a wonderful complement for McLean's notions, with bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor the impervious team everyone wanted for his rhythm section at the time. The quartet versions of "Sentimental Journey," "Why Was I Born?," and "When I Fall in Love" range from totally bluesy, to hard bop ribald, to pensive and hopeful, respectively. These are three great examples of McLean attempting to make the tunes his own, adding a flattened, self-effaced, almost grainy-faced texture to the music without concern for the perfectness of the melody. Donald Byrd joins the fray on his easygoing bopper "Contour," where complex is made simple and enjoyable, while Hank Mobley puts his tenor sax to the test on the lone and lengthy sextet track, a rousing version of Charlie Parker's risk-laden "Confirmation." It's Waldron's haunting ballad "Abstraction," with Byrd and McLean's quick replies, faint and dour, that somewhat illuminates the darker side. As a stand-alone recording, 4, 5 and 6 does not break barriers, but does foreshadow the future of McLean as an innovative musician in an all-too-purist mainstream jazz world. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    Sentimental Journey    (9:59)
 Les Brown / Bud Green / Ben Homer
2.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    Why Was I Born?    (5:16)
 Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
3.    Jackie McLean Quintet–    Contour    (5:02)
 Kenny Drew
4.    Jackie McLean Sextet–    Confirmation    (11:25)
 Charlie Parker
5.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    When I Fall In Love    (5:35
 Edward Heyman / Victor Young
6.    Jackie McLean Quintet–    Abstraction (8:02)
 Mal Waldron
Credits :
Jackie McLean - Alto Saxophone
Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#3, 4, 6 only)
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone (#4 only)
Mal Waldron - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Arthur Taylor - Drums

HORACE SILVER QUINTET — 6 Pieces of Silver (1956-1999) RM | RVG Edition Series | Two Version | APE (image+.cue), lossless + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this set is highlighted by "Señor Blues" and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet of 1956 was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before, with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins (while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map, and the album is a hard bop and gospel-tinged jazz gem. [Some reissues add bonus tracks, including two additional versions of "Señor Blues," including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson.] Scott Yanow 
Tracklist :
1 Cool Eyes 5:55
Horace Silver 
2 Shirl 4:16
Horace Silver 
3 Camouflage 4:25
Horace Silver 
4 Enchantment 6:22
Horace Silver 
5 Señor Blues 7:01
Horace Silver 
6 Virgo 5:48
Horace Silver 
7 For Heaven's Sake 5:09
Elise Bretton / Donald Meyer / Edwards Sherman 
8 Señor Blues 6:38
Horace Silver 
9 Tippin' 6:16
Horace Silver 
10 Señor Blues 6:12
Horace Silver 
 Credits :
Drums – Louis Hayes
Piano – Horace Silver
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley (tracks: 1 to 8), Junior Cook (tracks: 9, 10)
Trumpet – Donald Byrd

PHIL WOODS · GENE QUILL · JACKIE McLEAN · JOHN JENKINS · HAL McKUSICK — Bird Feathers (1957-2013) RM | MONO | SHM-CD | New Jazz Chronicle Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bird Feathers features Woods with the McLean/Jenkins/McKusick lineup in a high-flying blowing/jam session from the '50s. Ron Wynn

Tracklist :
1    Solar    5:49
 Miles Davis
2    Bird Feathers    10:22
 Charlie Parker
3    Interim    5:48
 Hal McKusick
4    Airegin    6:23
 Sonny Rollins
5    Don't Worry 'Bout Me    8:06
 Rube Bloom / Ted Koehler
6    Con Alma    7:40
 Dizzy Gillespie
Credits :
(tracks: 1, 4)
Phil Woods, Gene Quill – Alto Saxophone  
George Syran - Piano
Teddy Kotick - Bass
Nick Stabulas Drums

(tracks: 2)
Jackie McLean, John Jenkins – Alto Saxophone
Wade Legge - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Art Taylor - Drums

(tracks: 3, 5, 6),
Hal McKusick – Alto Saxophone  
Billy Byers - Trombone
Paul Chambers - Bass
Charlie Persip - Drums
Eddie Costa - Piano

KENNY BURRELL · JIMMY RANEY — Two Guitars (1957-1992) RM | Two Version | APE + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For this 1957 studio session, the two distinctive but complementary guitarists Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Raney are teamed up in a septet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. The full group gets to stretch out on one original each by Watkins and McLean ("Little Melonae") and three from Waldron, while the two standards ("Close Your Eyes" and "Out of Nowhere") are individual features for Burrell and Raney. This is a well-rounded set that may not contain any real surprises, but will be enjoyed by collectors of hard bop. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Blue Duke 8:46
Written-By – Mal Waldron
2 Dead Heat 4:05
Written-By – Waldron 
3 Pivot 5:12
Written-By – Waldron
4 Close Your Eyes 4:46
Written-By – Bernice Petkere
5 Little Melonae 9:27
Written-By – Jackie McLean
6 This Way 11:20
Written-By – Doug Watkins
7 Out Of Nowhere 4:31
Written-By – Hyman, Green
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie Mclean
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Arthur Taylor
Guitar – Jimmy Raney, Kenny Burrell
Piano – Mal Waldron
Trumpet – Donald Byrd

CURTIS FULLER — New Trombone (1957-1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1957 date matches Fuller with bluesy, fervent alto sax wailer Sonny Red Kyner. They make both a tight ensemble pair and an excellent contrasting frontline, with Kyner's spewing, flailing delivery featured on such cuts as "Blue Lawson" and "Namely You" operating against Fuller's equally intense, but lighter and smoother trombone lines. With Hank Jones operating as the rhythm section's harmonic link on piano, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Louis Hayes mesh underneath effectively. These undiluted, straight-ahead bop and blues numbers are still par for the course. Ron Wynn
Tracklist & Credits :

RED GARLAND — Soul Burnin' (1964-1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Soul Burnin' contains material recorded at Red Garland' final two sessions for the Prestige label. Garland is generally in fine form, drawing on his bop and blues influences to produce cleanly coherent solos.
On "If You Could See Me Now" and "On Green Dolphin Street," Garland's trio (with Charlie Persip, drum, and Peck Morrison, bass) is supplemented by the trumpet of Richard Williams and the saxophone of Oliver Nelson. Nelson (known mostly as an arranger/ composer) has an unformed sound and a melodic conception that recalls Coltrane.
The three tunes performed by Garland's other trio (with Sam Jones, bass, and Art Taylor, drums) are solid, if uninspired. Also included as a bonus track is a tune called "A Little Bit of Basie" -- Garland's playing here echoes the elegance, economy, and style of the Count's. Rovi Staff    Tracklist & Credits :

RED GARLAND — Rediscovered Masters, Vol.2 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

RED GARLAND — Red's Blues (1998-2006) RM | MONO | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With sights set firmly set upon the blues, this is bedrock Red Garland, aimed squarely down the middle of his most fertile period. Not everything here is a blues, but they might as well be, given the sameness of mood and approach in this selection of small-group blowing sessions. Wherever you go on Red's Blues, you can't miss Garland's distinctive block chords and light-handed right-handed bop patterns recorded in the soft-focused Van Gelder studio manner, all of which jazz fans would hear constantly down the road in the '60s. And not only that, almost all of the tunes are in the keys of B flat or C, which could make this disc useful for background if not extended listening. Nevertheless, the personnel is often stellar; John Coltrane and Donald Byrd turn up on "Birks' Works," and Arnett Cobb saunters through "Black Velvet" (better known as "Don'Cha Go Way Mad"), Coleman Hawkins is in fine funky form on "Red Beans," and Ray Barretto's congas light up one of the few jazz compositions ever named after a critic ("Ralph J. Gleason Blues"). The 75-minute disc, all of whose contents have been issued on CD before, opens with a long, majestic Garland meditation on "See See Rider" -- and that pretty much sets the tone.  Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

CURTIS FULLER — New Trombone (1957-1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1957 date matches Fuller with bluesy, fervent alto sax wailer Sonny Red Kyner. They make both a tight ensemble pair and an excellent contrasting frontline, with Kyner's spewing, flailing delivery featured on such cuts as "Blue Lawson" and "Namely You" operating against Fuller's equally intense, but lighter and smoother trombone lines. With Hank Jones operating as the rhythm section's harmonic link on piano, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Louis Hayes mesh underneath effectively. These undiluted, straight-ahead bop and blues numbers are still par for the course. Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1 Vonce #5 7:40
2 Transportation Blues 8:18
3 Blue Lawson 6:51
4 Namely You 9:25
5 What Is This Thing Called Love? 6:30
– BONUS TRACKS –
6 Alicia 5:11
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Red Kyner
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Louis Hayes
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Hank Jones
Trombone – Curtis Fuller

PEPPER ADAMS — Critics' Choice (1958-2005) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pepper Adams was one of the greatest jazz baritone saxophonists of all time. During a time when Gerry Mulligan's cool-toned baritone was very influential, Adams rose to prominence with a harder and bigger sound, much more hard bop than cool. This relatively obscure release, originally an LP for the World Pacific label, finds the baritonist in Los Angeles matching his hard-driving style with several players identified with West Coast cool jazz. Trumpeter Lee Katzman, who is on every selection but "Blackout Blues" and "Four Funky People," has a tone closer to Chet Baker than to Donald Byrd, but fits in well with Adams. The rhythm section is mostly laid-back and quiet but swinging. A joy of this CD reissue is the repertoire, which contains catchy originals by Adams, Barry Harris (the memorable "High Step"), Tommy Flanagan, and Thad Jones in addition to a lone standard in "Alone Together." Adams was one of the most consistent of all jazzmen; he never seemed to make an unworthy record, so he is in typically fine form throughout this freewheeling hard bop set. "Four Funky People," not originally on the LP but from the same sessions, is included as a bonus cut. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist :
1  Minor Mishap  6:28
Tommy Flanagan
2  Blackout Blues 4:58
Pepper Adams
3  High Step 8:44
Barry Harris
4  Zec  6:35
Thad Jones
5  Alone Together 5:51
Schwartz-Dietz
6  50-21 8:12
Thad Jones
– BONUS TRACKS –
7  Four Funky People 4:56
Pepper Adams
Credits :
    Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams
    Bass – Doug Watkins
    Drums – Mel Lewis
    Piano – Jimmy Rowles
   Trumpet – Lee Katzman (tracks: 1, 3 To 6)

HANK MOBLEY - The Complete Blue Note Hank Mobley Fifties Sessions (1998) 6xCD, BOX-SET | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a typically remarkable box set from Mosaic. The six-CD limited-edition package has all of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's recordings as a leader for Blue Note from a three-year period, all of the music originally included in the albums titled The Hank Mobley Quartet, Hank Mobley Sextet, Hank Mobley & His All-Stars, Hank Mobley Quintet, Hank, Hank Mobley, Curtain Call, Poppin', and Peckin' Time; not a lot of imagination went into these records' original titles. There is only one previously unissued selection (the alternate take of "Barrel of Funk"), but two of the albums were only out previously in Japan, and most of the others had not been previously available on CD. Mobley, an underrated player with a distinctive sound (influenced at times by Sonny Rollins), would continue to grow as an improviser and composer throughout the 1960s, but even on his earliest date here, he is a strong (if unsung) soloist. Featured along with the leader is a who's who of 1950s hard bop, including trumpeters Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Bill Hardman, Kenny Dorham, and Art Farmer, pianists Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark, and Wynton Kelly, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassists Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, and Jimmy Rowser, and drummers Art Blakey, Charlie Persip, Philly Joe Jones, and Art Taylor. A must for Hank Mobley and 1950s Blue Note fans, but this deluxe box (released in 1998) promises to go out of print quickly. Scott Yanow  
All Tracks & Credits :

HANK MOBLEY - Complete The Jazz Message Sessions With Kenny Clarke (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This set features four different sessions which tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley recorded as a leader before he got to Blue Note label. Recorded in 1953 and 1956, Mobley is in four distinct settings here. The first two sessions are with Max Roach on drums, and one has a front line with Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto, Franklin Skeete on bass, and Walter Davis, Jr. on piano. The second with Roach, also from that year, strips away the other horns into a quartet. This material is notable for its three Mobley compositions -- "Kismet," "Mobleyization," and "Orientation," as well as several by Roach, including the stellar "Cou-Manchi Cou." The latter material is significant because Mobley's sidemen include drummer Kenny Clarke, and Donald Byrd, as well as two different pianists (depending on the session), either Barry Harris or Ronnie Ball. Doug Watkins swings hard in the bass chair on both sessions. Mobley's compositional chops are way up here, and the interplay between the two is remarkable. They dovetail, go head to head, and complement each other as the hard bop wunderkinds they were, with the sheer joy of invention and competition everywhere present. This pairing of front-line players is, perhaps, the reason the folks at Jazz Factory chose to place the Byrd and Clarke material first on the disc, despite the fact that it was recorded later than the Roach sides. In any case, it's all very fine indeed, and brings to light some little-known early Mobley.
>| This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' |<
Tracklist :
1     There Will Never Be Another You 5:49
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren    
2     Cattin' 4:36
Hank Mobley    
3     Madeline 4:41
Hank Mobley    
4     When I Fall in Love 3:45
Edward Heyman / Victor Young    
5     B. For B.B. 6:29
Hank Mobley    
6     Space Flight 4:13
Hank Mobley    
7     Blues Number Two 4:57
Hank Mobley    
8     Orientation 2:53
Hank Mobley
9     Mobleyzation 2:45
Hank Mobley    
10     Glow Worm 2:29
Paul Lincke / S. Wright    
11     Sfax 2:19
Max Roach    
12     Just One of Those Things 3:11
Cole Porter    
13     Cou Manchi-Cou 3:04
Max Roach    
14     Kismet 2:42
Hank Mobley    
15     Chi-Chi 3:03
Charlie Parker    
16     I'm a Fool to Want You 3:16
Joel Herron / Frank Sinatra / Jack Wolf    
17     Drum Conversation 2:41
Max Roach

HANK MOBLEY — Messages (1956-1989) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the exception of Hank Mobley's original "Alternating Current," which was left out due to lack of space, this single CD has all of the music from the two Prestige LPs Mobley's Message and Hank Mobley's Second Message; a two-LP set from 1976 which had the same Messages title and catalog number, but also the complete program, is actually the preferred acquisition, but will be difficult to locate. The first session mostly features the fine tenor Hank Mobley jamming on four superior bop standards, including "Bouncing with Bud," "52nd Street Theme" and "Au Privavem" and his own "Minor Disturbance" in a quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor; altoist Jackie McLean has a strong cameo on "Au Privave." The second set, recorded a week later, is less of a jam session, with Mobley, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor essaying three of Mobley's now-obscure compositions, Benny Harris's "Crazeology" and the standards "These Are the Things I Love" and "I Should Care." The two dates give one a good example of Hank Mobley's playing prior to becoming a regular Blue Note artist, where he would create his greatest work. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Bouncing with Bud 6:57
Bud Powell    
2     52nd Street Theme 5:41
Thelonious Monk    
3     Minor Disturbance 6:15
Hank Mobley    
4     Au Privave 7:31
Charlie Parker    
5     Little Girl Blue 8:41
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers    
6     These Are the Things I Love 6:37
Harold Barlow / Lewis Harris    
7     Message from the Border 6:03
Hank Mobley    
8     Xlento 5:36
Hank Mobley    
9     The Latest 5:48
Hank Mobley    
10     I Should Care 10:01
Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston    
11     Crazeology 6:56
Benny Harris
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean (tracks: 4)
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Barry Harris (tracks: 1 to 5), Walter Bishop (tracks: 7 to 11)
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Donald Byrd (tracks: 1 to 4), Kenny Dorham (tracks: 6 to 11)

HANK MOBLEY - Hank Mobley Quartet (1955-2015) RM | 24 Bit By RVG | MONO | 24bits-192hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Horace Silver on piano and Doug Watkins on bass, plus someone named Art Blakey on drums. Ron Wynn

 Tracklist :
1 Hank's Prank 4:29
Hank Mobley
2 My Sin 3:48
Hank Mobley
3 Avila and Tequila  4:31
Hank Mobley
4      Walkin' the Fence 3:38
Hank Mobley
5 Love for Sale 4:30
Cole Porter
6 Just Coolin' 4:11
Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Blakey
Engineer [Recording], Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Horace Silver
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley

HANK MOBLEY - The Jazz Message Of Hank Mobley # 2 (1956-1992) RM | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue. The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry-standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long -- 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message. Jim Todd  
Tracklist:
1     Thad's Blues 9:48
Thad Jones    
2     Doug's Minor B' Ok" 6:40
Doug Watkins    
3     B. For B.B. 6:31
Hank Mobley    
4     Blues Number Two 5:00
Hank Mobley    
5     Space Flight 4:15
Hank Mobley
Credits:
1-3
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Hank Jones
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Lee Morgan
3-5
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Drums – Kenny Clarke  
Piano – Barry Harris   
Trumpet – Donald Byrd

HANK MOBLEY - Hank Mobley And His All Stars (1957-1996) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD is a straight reissue of a Hank Mobley LP that features the "Who's Who" of late-'50s hard bop: the tenor-leader, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, pianist Horace Silver, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Blakey. The quintet performs five Mobley compositions (best is the lyrical "Mobley's Musings"), songs that are generally more interesting for their chord changes than for their melodies, which is probably why none of them became standards. One's attention is constantly drawn to the inventive solos and Art Blakey's roaring "accompaniment." An above-average effort from some of the best. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Reunion 6:54
Hank Mobley
2     Ultra Marine 6:38
Hank Mobley    
3     Don't Walk 7:48
Hank Mobley    
4     Lower Stratosphere 10:36
Hank Mobley    
5     Mobley's Musings 6:04
Hank Mobley
Credits :
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Art Blakey
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Horace Silver
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Milt Jackson

COLEMAN HAWKINS - Coleman Hawkins With The Red Garland Trio (1959-1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of Hawkins's better Prestige sessions (originally on its Swingville subsidiary) finds him fronting a then-modern rhythm section for a variety of basic originals, the ballad "I Want to Be Loved" and "It's a Blues World." The lengthy "Bean's Blues" is the highpoint of this generally relaxed session. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     It's a Blue World 7:59
George Forrest / Robert Wright
2     I Want to Be Loved 5:54
Savannah Churchill
3     Red Beans 4:14
Red Garland    
4     Bean's Blues 11:54     
Coleman Hawkins
5     Blues for Ron 6:14
Doug Watkins
Credits :
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Charles "Specks" Wright
Piano – Red Garland
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins

ART FARMER | DONALD BYRD - 2 Trumpets (1956-1992) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     The Third 7'42
Donald Byrd
2     Contour 7'38
Kenny Drew
3     When Your Lover Has Gone 5'13
Einar A. Swan
4     Dig 14'29
Miles Davis
5     'Round Midnight 6'38
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean (pistas: 1, 2, 4)
Bass – Doug Watkins
Drums – Arthur Taylor
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Barry Harris
Remastered By [Digital] – Phil De Lancie
Trumpet – Art Farmer (pistas: 1 to 4), Donald Byrd (pistas: 1, 2, 4, 5)

HANK MOBLEY - Hank Mobley Quintet (1957-2007) RVG Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley has been called underrated so many times that the word may as well have been his middle name, and when combined with the numerous financial, personal, and health issues the saxophonist endured during his career, it all added up to a middle of the pack position in the jazz canon. He truly deserves a reevaluation. This delightfully warm set was cut on March 8, 1957 with Mobley on tenor sax, Art Farmer on trumpet, Horace Silver on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and the energetic and busy Art Blakey on drums, which makes for a pretty nice session band when all is said and done. All eight selections (two are bonus tracks, alternate versions of "Funk in Deep Freeze" and "Wham and They're Off") are original Mobley compositions and show off his -- you guessed it -- underrated writing and arranging ability. "Wham and They're Off" is an aptly named piece, bouncing breezily out of the box in both versions, while "Base on Balls" is wonderfully lazy and laconic, unwinding into a perfectly loose and soulful jam for a long summer's day. "Funk in Deep Freeze," by the way, seems more frozen than it is funk, but it's still fun. The bottom line is that this is a superior quintet working effortlessly together, and Mobley's concisely measured, round sax tone binds everything into a beautifully nuanced set. Mobley might not have been out there pushing the envelope with his instrument, but here he plays with confidence and lyrical economy, making this easily one of his best outings. by Steve Leggett  
Tracklist :
1-"Funk in Deep Freeze" - 6:50
Hank Mobley
2-"Wham and They're Off" - 7:42
Hank Mobley
3-"Fin de l'affaire" - 6:39
Hank Mobley
4-"Startin' from Scratch" - 6:43
Hank Mobley
5-"Stella-Wise" - 7:18
Hank Mobley
6-"Base on Balls" - 7:33
Hank Mobley
7-"Funk in Deep Freeze" (Alternate Take) - 6:57
Hank Mobley
8-"Wham and They're Off" (Alternate Take) - 7:37
Hank Mobley
Personnel :
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone
Art Farmer - Trumpet
Horace Silver - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Art Blakey - Drums