CHARLIE PARKER – The Complete Dean Benedetti Recordings Of Charlie Parker (1990) 7xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The packaging is impeccable, this seven-CD box set has a definitive 48-page booklet, and the recording quality is as good as possible, so why the "poor" rating? Dean Benedetti, a fanatical Charlie Parker disciple, recorded Bird extensively during three periods in 1947-1948 but did his best to turn off his wire recorder whenever anyone but Parker was soloing. He became legendary, as did his long lost acetates, and Mosaic has done what it could to make the excerpts coherent but the results
are still quite unlistenable. None of the performances on this large set are complete; guests such as Thelonious Monk and Carmen McRae are introduced, play, or sing two notes and then are cut off. And, although Parker seems to play well, these performances reveal no new secrets and add nothing to his legacy. Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

STAN GETZ – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1338 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In response to shortsighted comments implying that Stan Getz and Zoot Sims sounded too much like each other and too similar to Lester Young, Ira Gitler liked to use the analogy of "...a friend calling you on the telephone. You know who it is immediately. It's the same thing when you hear a musician play." The secret, of course, is to listen so carefully and consistently that you feel as though you have become a friend of the artist. This sort of empathy is a vital ingredient in jazz -- the empathy between composers, players, and listeners. Hearing Stan Getz recorded live in performance at Boston's Storyville club on October 28, 1951, spells it out marvelously. Backed by pianist Al Haig, guitarist Jimmy Raney, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Tiny Kahn, Getz sounds as though he has arrived at a hard-won maturity. One great aspect of this music lies within the comparative nature of every sound. In Getz listeners can hear Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz, even Charles Lloyd -- but best of all, Getz himself. By this time his artistry had evolved well beyond where he had been only a couple of years earlier. In some of these bands there's something of the marvelous complexity of Lennie Tristano's fascinating ensembles. Eight 1952 recordings originally released on 78-rpm singles bearing the baby-blue Roost label appeared under the heading of the Johnny Smith Quintet. Smith's quicksilver guitar, heard most dynamically on the rapid Tristano-like "Jaguar" and a fantastic cruising theme called "Tabu," acts as a stunning foil for the tenor. The slower numbers are positively intoxicating. Even with the guitar predominating, "Moonlight in Vermont" stands among the loveliest ballad recordings this saxophonist ever participated in. The band's next session took place in November of 1952, and resulted in music of comparable excellence. On December 12, Getz collaborated for the very first time with producer Norman Granz. Backed by a rhythm section including pianist Duke Jordan, the saxophonist had clearly found his own voice. "The Way You Look Tonight" is a powerful closer for this outstanding album of vintage early modern jazz. arwulf arwulf     Tracklist :

STAN GETZ – 1952-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1379 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This fifth installment in the Classics Stan Getz chronology opens with a 60-mph workout on Sigmund Romberg's "Lover, Come Back to Me." Accompanied by pianist Duke Jordan, guitarist Jimmy Raney, bassist Bill Crow, and drummer Frank Isola, and using everything he learned about saxophones from Lester Young and Charlie Parker, Getz also sounds at times a tiny bit like his contemporaries John LaPorta and Lee Konitz. Several of these 12 sides recorded for the Mercury, Norgran, and Royal Roost labels during December 1952 are slow luxurious ballads, a treat for anyone enamored of Getz's intoxicating suede-toned manner. "Lullaby of Birdland," "Fools Rush In," "How Deep Is the Ocean?," and especially this band's spirited rendition of Gigi Gryce's "Hymn to the Orient" are invigorating examples of what Getz could accomplish at higher velocities. Four Mercury/Clef sides recorded on April 16, 1953, are infused with composer and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer's smooth ideas and cool textures. "Erudition" is a particularly rewarding dose of hot modernity. The rhythm section of Bill Crow, drummer Al Levitt, and pianist John Williams works wonders here behind the pleasantly paired horns. The four tracks closing this excellent compilation were recorded for Prestige on April 23, 1953, with Frank Isola behind the drums, pianist Hall Overton, bassist Red Mitchell, and heavily featured guitarist Jimmy Raney, who composed three of the four tunes rendered on that day. Note also that a few years later, some of the players heard on this disc -- Brookmeyer, Mitchell, and Isola -- would show up gigging with Lee Konitz in Paris. arwulf arwulf 

GENE AMMONS – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1329 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This leg of the Gene Ammons chronology begins with two pretty vocals by Christine Chapman. Jug is in the background, offering emotional support through the tenor sax. These tidbits are soon forgotten as several powerful blowing sessions unfold. The lush, theatrical renditions of "Ev'rything Depends on You" and "When You're Gone" are thrilling examples of where the jazz ballad was at in 1949. The elegant boppish swing of "Hot Springs" is liberating. "Little Slam" eventually reveals itself as a reconstituted "King Porter Stomp." The next session is even better: "Pennies From Heaven" is all delicacy and beatitude. "The Last Mile," also known as "Rockin' Rocker," does an impressive slow grind on simple blues changes. "Cha-Bootie" is definitive swaggering Gene Ammons, full of soul. During "Full Moon" the band bursts all restraints and lunges forward with horns blazing. On March 5th 1960, Ammons started laying down thunder tracks for the Prestige label. "Bye Bye" sounds like "Soft Winds" with salt and Tabasco. Ammons leads a hand-clapping moralistic singalong called "Let It Be." That's Sonny Stitt blowing down a baritone sax. He comes round front, switches to tenor and duels with Ammons on "Blues Up and Down," a showpiece that would be revived by Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis during the early 1960s. How cool it is to hear the original version of this two-sax workout, followed by a brisk "You Can Depend On Me"? Great rhythm section in Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter and "Kansas City" Jo Jones. Teddy Williams must have opened his mouth abnormally wide when he sang with this band. It's kind of outrageous, like he's doing Billy Eckstine impressions. On "Dumb Woman Blues" his chortling makes a bit more sense but he's still really loud and overbearing. For this kind of singing, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson would be preferable. The Prestige rendering of "Chabootie" is a marvel of precision. Stitt was a capable baritone player, and Art Blakey has appeared as a worthy successor for Jones. "Who Put the Sleeping Pills in Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" is surprisingly stupid, and no amount of hot blowing can rescue the song from itself after Gene leads the band in a stilted singalong. The melody is a turkey, which explains why this track rarely appears on reissues. "Gravy" is immediately recognizable as "Walkin'," that great durable anthem of hard bop. Once again, Stitt's baritone is a bitch. "Easy Glide" sparkles with a vintage early-'50s show time arrangement, very theatrical. The disc closes out with four sides issued on the Chess label. While "Tenor Eleven" is pleasantly stimulating, Jug really finds himself in the ballad groove with the help of primitive reverb and maybe something else to steady the nerves and enhance his mood. Three ballads and you're out. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

GENE AMMONS – 1950-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1367 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

CHARLIE PARKER – 1947 | The Chronogical Classics – 1000 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This second installment in the Classics Charlie Parker chronology contains quite a number of Bird's best-loved and most respected recordings. The first 12 tracks, recorded in New York for the Dial label in October and November of 1947, are all masterpieces of modern music, with the ballads, especially "Embraceable You," constituting some of Parker's very best recorded work. This is the classic 1947 quintet with Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, and Max Roach. Even if his personal life was characteristically chaotic, 1947 was a good year for Charlie Parker's music. It was in November 1947 that this band hit the road to play the El Sino Club on St. Antoine Boulevard in Detroit. Unfortunately, Bird got really snockered and couldn't perform, so the El Sino management canceled the gig. Bird ultimately destroyed his saxophone by throwing it out of a hotel window onto the street below. (A tragic and disturbing image!) Back in New York, the band -- now a sextet with the addition of trombonist J.J. Johnson -- made six more sides for Dial on December 17, 1947. Once again the quintet visited Detroit to make good on its broken contract with the El Sino, and this time the band's return engagement was a success. Miles Davis later remembered: "Bird played his ass off." Vocalist Betty Carter even sat in. While they were still in Detroit, producer Teddy Reig had "the Charlie Parker Quintette" make more records for the Savoy label. The four master takes heard here contain music that is still studied and cherished by musicians, poets, lovers, cultural historians, and devout listeners everywhere. arwulf arwulf                    Tracklist + Credits : 

ROY ELDRIDGE – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 983 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As far as Roy Eldridge's big bands go, this was the peak. With arrangements by Buster Harding and a stable of powerful young players, the Roy Eldridge Orchestra must have been formidable in live performance. Most of the recordings they made for the Decca label represent the ultimate in extroverted big-band swing. The explosive "Little Jazz Boogie" is one of the hottest records Roy Eldridge ever made. The flip side, "Embraceable You," bears witness to his profound abilities as an interpreter of ballads. Three sides by the Roy Eldridge Little Jazz Band recorded for V-Disc on November 14, 1945, allow for more intimate interplay. "Roy Meets Horn" -- the title is a takeoff on "Boy Meets Horn," Ellington's feature for Rex Stewart -- and "Old Rob Roy" are late-period swing or "prebop" numbers, anticipating stylistic changes that were in the wind at the time. With Nick Caiazza blowing tenor sax, Ernie Caceres wielding a clarinet, and Trigger Alpert and Specs Powell in the rhythm section, this was one exciting little jam band. "I've Found a New Baby" is a full-blown stomp employing traditional swing polyphony. Contrary to what the discography claims, there is no spoken introduction by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Back in the Decca studios on January 31, 1946, the big band generated huge gusts of sound, employing lots of in-your-face brass. "Ain't That a Shame" is a fine cool blues graced with one of Eldridge's hippest vocals. The session of May 7, 1946, opened with the rowdy "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip" and eased into "Tippin' Out" -- the apparent obverse of "Tippin' In," a big hit for Erskine Hawkins. During his solo on "Yard Dog," tenor saxophonist Tom Archia quotes from Fats Waller's hit record "There's Honey on the Moon Tonight." On the other hand, "Les Bounce" is not a very inventive melody. The band compensates by blowing hard and Eldridge tries using a portion of the melodic line from his famous "Little Jazz." The material recorded on September 24, 1946, signals a return to dependable jazz standards of the day. This band had alto saxophonists Sahib Shihab and Joe Eldridge, Cecil Payne on baritone, and pianist Duke Jordan. The disc closes with the WNEW Saturday Night Swing Session broadcast live on May 31, 1947. "Honeysuckle Rose" is played by just the rhythm section of Al Casey, Eddie Safranski, and Specs Powell. "Flip and Jazz" is nearly nine minutes of hot jamming in the company of tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips. "How High the Moon" is, well, a visit to bop city as Eldridge brings in the melody known as "Ornithology." "Lover" is played bright and fast with lots of block chords hammered out by pianist Mike Coluchio's right hand. "Buck Still Jumps," played once again just by the rhythm section, is Al Casey's sequel to "Buck Jumpin'," his famous feature number from Fats Waller days. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

OSCAR PETTIFORD – 1954-1955 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1454 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During his short, prolific, and equally tempestuous career, bassist Oscar Pettiford made potent modern jazz that stands the test of time, and is equal to or as brilliant as any you can name. These reissues, mainly from Bethlehem label recordings, showcase large ensembles and are a prelude to the orchestra Pettiford would lead before his untimely death in a European bicycle accident in 1960. There is an octet and a nonet from the Bethlehem dates, quite different and very strong. With trumpeters Clark Terry and Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and baritone saxophonist Danny Bank, Pettiford is able to use these members of Duke Ellington's orchestra in a manner much like Duke. There's a jam for Hamilton on Ellington's "Jack the Bear," Pettiford's reverent Jewish-sounding theme "Tamalpais," Terry's hard bopper "Chuckles" with Bank taking the lead, a typical "Mood Indigo" with Pettiford's walking bass up front in the mix, and a darker, moodier "Time on My Hands." The effortlessness of the ensemble is easy to hear, but does not really tell what Pettiford and his big band would do in the not-too-distant future. The next nine tracks, with considerable help from alto saxophonist and arranger Gigi Gryce, give definitive foreshadowing as to the charts that set Pettiford's music in an advanced stance. With trumpeters Donald Byrd and Ernie Royal, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, multi-instrumentalist Jerome Richardson, and Gryce, a higher bar is set from a harmonic standpoint. "Titoro" is an outstanding merging of post-bop, Latin spice, and emerging progressive modernism, topped off by a scintillating solo from pianist Don Abney. The trend continues on the predatory ambush sounds of "Scorpio," the wild bird flute of Richardson on "Oscalypso," the bluesy "Don't Squawk" (a change of pace and a feature for Richardson again on flute), the happy chart "Kamman's A-Coming," Pettiford's cello feature "Another Seventh Heaven," and the famous bass-led "Bohemia After Dark." All are stellar examples of things to come in the late '50s. There are six quintet tracks with just French horn icon Julius Watkins and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse in the front line, ranging from the galloping bop of Gerry Mulligan's "Sextette" to the well-known tuneful melody "Tricotism" with horns comping over Pettiford's lead bassline, and the solid bop of "Cable Car" and "Rides Again," both tunes that should be standards. The CD kicks off with two tracks originally on the Swing label out of France, featuring pianist Henri Renaud and a sextet with Max Roach on drums, guitarist Tal Farlow, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, and trombonist Kai Winding. These two tunes are from a session documented on the previous Classics Pettiford reissue, 1951-1954: another happy Mulligan bopper ("E Lag") and the Charlie Parker-like "Rhumblues" (similar to "My Little Suede Shoes"). 1954-1955 is a must-have for mainstream jazz fans, and a fully representative document of what Pettiford was capable of as a player and leader. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist + Credits :

COLEMAN HAWKINS - 1950-1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1340 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although he adapted better than most swing-era musicians to the bop revolution that swept through jazz in the late '40s, Coleman Hawkins was still viewed by the record labels as a swing artist, and he recorded infrequently in the early '50s. His tough, romantic tenor saxophone sound was considered by many to be dated, although most bop tenor players knew better, and his stature rebounded as the decade wore on. This collection opens with three marvelous tracks recorded at Carnegie Hall during a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert, but the balance of the set (save for the lovely "And So to Sleep Again" and the striking "If I Could Be With You") feels like Hawkins in limbo, playing what is essentially incidental mood music. His breathy tone is there, but you can't help sensing that he's just waiting for the ice to break. And it would, as his pairing with Roy Eldridge was just around the corner. Collectors will want this disc to fill out their Hawkins shelves, but it is hardly representative of the first great modern sax player. Steve Leggett
Tracklist :
1     Stuffy 6:39
Coleman Hawkins     
2     Yesterdays 3:56
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
3     Hawk's Tune 4:52
Erskine Hawkins    
4     Sin 2:58
George Hoven / Chester R. Shull    
5     And So to Sleep Again 2:59
Joe Marsala / Sunny Skylar
6     Spellbound 3:08
Mack David / Miklós Rózsa    
7     Amber 2:45         
McKenna   
8     Lost in a Fog 3:06
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh    
9     Carioca 2:28
Edward Eliscu / Gus Kahn / Vincent Youmans    
10     Trust in Me 3:06
Milton Ager / Arthur Schwartz / Ned Wever    
11     Wishin' 3:10
Hart / Lewis / Simms 
12     Lonely Wine 3:15
Dicky Wells
13     Midnight Sun 2:57
Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton    
14     If I Could Be With You 3:15
Henry Creamer / Lonnie Johnson    
15     I Can't Get Started 2:58
Vernon Duke / Ira Gershwin    
16     Ruby 2:28
Mitchell Parish / Heinz Roemheld    
17     Moulin Rouge 3:00
Georges Auric / William Engvick    
18     Lucky Duck 2:50
Neal Hefti     
19     Bye 'n' Bye 2:51
Neal Hefti

STAN GETZ - Stan Getz Plays (1954-2004) Universal Jazz The Best - 30 / MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz is in excellent form playing with one of his finest groups, a quintet with guitarist Jimmy Raney and pianist Duke Jordan. Although the music does not quite reach the excitement level of the Getz-Raney Storyville session, this music (particularly the ballads) really shows off the tenor's appealing tone. This set is rounded out by four titles that Getz cut with a quartet in 1954 that co-starred pianist Jimmy Rowles. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Stella by Starlight 2:41
Ned Washington / Victor Young
2     Time on My Hands 2:55
Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans
3     'Tis Autumn 3:11
Henry Nemo
4     The Way You Look Tonight 3:01
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
5     Lover, Come Back to Me 2:54
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
6     Body and Soul 3:14
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
7     Stars Fell on Alabama 3:21
Mitchell Parish / Frank Perkins
8     You Turned the Tables on Me 2:55
Louis Alter / Sidney Mitchell
9     Thanks for the Memory 3:17
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
10     Hymn of the Orient 2:53
Gigi Gryce
11     These Foolish Things 3:20
Harry Link / Holt Marvell / Jack Strachey
12     How Deep Is the Ocean? 2:48
Irving Berlin
Credits :
Stan Getz : Tenor Saxophone,
Jimmy Raney : Guitar,
Duke Jordan : Piano,
Bill Crow : Bass,
Frank Isola : Drums

TINA BROOKS - True Blue (1960-2010) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Obscure but talented tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks is teamed with the young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (on one of his earliest sessions), pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor for a set dominated by Brooks' originals. None of the themes may be all that memorable ("Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You" comes the closest), but the hard bop solos are consistently excellent. [Some reissues add alternate takes of "True Blue" and "Good Old Soul."] by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Good Old Soul 8:07
Tina Brooks
2     Up Tight's Creek 5:17
Tina Brooks
3     Theme for Doris 5:53
Tina Brooks
4     True Blue 4:57
Tina Brooks
5     Miss Hazel 5:32
Tina Brooks
6     Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You 7:53
Fred Fisher / M. Fisher / Marvin Fisher / J. Segal / Jack Segal
Credits :
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Duke Jordan
Tenor Saxophone – Tina Brooks
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

BARNEY WILEN / ALAIN GORAGUER - Jazz & Cinéma Vol. 1 (2000) Jazz In Paris 49 / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This compilation in Verve's laudable Jazz in Paris reissue series features two separate soundtracks of original music. The first features a dozen works by French saxophonist Barney Wilen, written for Edouard Molinaro's Un Témoin dans la Ville, with a quintet consisting of Kenny Dorham, Duke Jordan, Kenny Clarke, and bassist Paul Rovere. While many of the pieces were only heard as musical fragments in the film, and several of them are little more than a brief chorus or two in recorded form, the music doesn't need visuals to be effective. Best is Wilen's sole appearance on soprano sax, the mellow duo ballad with Jordan of "Mélodie pour les Radio-Taxis." None of the tunes is particularly memorable, though the music is certainly enjoyable. Alain Goraguer's music for Michel Gast's movie J'Irai Cracher sur Vos Tombes sounds very much like something John Lewis might have composed for the Modern Jazz Quartet. The pianist is joined by bassist Pierre Michelot, drummer Christian Garros, vibraphonist Michel Hausser, and trumpeter Roger Guerin, with brief appearances by tenor saxophonist Georges Grenu, flutist Raymond Guiot, and harmonica player Claude Garden. All of these selections are less than two and a half minutes each, so the music never has much of a chance to make an impression. The personnel listings seem incomplete, as an unidentified baritone saxophonist and alto saxophonist are heard on the final track, "Surprise-Partie au Bord de L'eau." by Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1    Barney Wilen–    Témoin Dans La Ville    2:57
2    Barney Wilen–    La Pendaison    1:01
3    Barney Wilen–    Mélodie Pour Les Radio-Taxis    3:49
4    Barney Wilen–    Poursuite Et Métro    2:11
5    Barney Wilen–    Ambiance Pourpre    1:00
6    Barney Wilen–    Préméditation Dans L'Appartement    1:42
7    Barney Wilen–    La Vie N'Est Qu'Une Lutte    3:13
8    Barney Wilen–    Complainte Du Chauffeur    0:41
9    Barney Wilen–    Sur L 'Antenne    4:14
10    Barney Wilen–    Blues De L'Antenne    4:14
11    Barney Wilen–    S.O.S. Radio-Taxis    0:55
12    Barney Wilen–    Final Au Jardin D'Acclimatation    3:42
13    Alain Goraguer–    Blues De Memphis    1:56
14    Alain Goraguer–    Générique    2:09
15    Alain Goraguer–    Thème D'Amour    1:28
16    Alain Goraguer–    Thème De Liz    2:16
17    Alain Goraguer–    Blues De Memphis    0:43
18    Alain Goraguer–    Surprise-Partie Au Bord De L'Eau    2:11
Credits :
Composed By, Arranged By, Conductor – Alain Goraguer (faixas: 13 to 18)
Composed By, Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] – Barney Wilen (faixas: 1 to 12)
Double Bass – Paul Rovère (faixas: 1 to 12), Pierre Michelot (faixas: 13 to 18)
Drums – Christian Garros (faixas: 13 to 18), Kenny Clarke (faixas: 1 to 12)
Flute – Raymond Guiot (faixas: 13)
Harmonica – Claude Garden (faixas: 17)
Piano – Duke Jordan (faixas: 1 to 12)
Producer – Boris Vian (faixas: 13 to 18), Marcel Romano (faixas: 1 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Georges Grenu (faixas: 13 to 18)
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (faixas: 1 to 12), Roger Guérin (faixas: 13 to 18)
Vibraphone – Michel Hausser (faixas: 15, 16, 18)
Nota :
Barney Wilen: Un Témoin Dans La Ville
Original Soundtrack of Edouard Molinaro's movie
Recorded 1959 in Paris.

Alain Goraguer: J'Irai Cracher Sur Vos Tombes
Original Soundtrack of Michel Gast's movie.
Recorded 1959 in Paris.

Reissue of the Fontana 10" LP 660 226 (1-12) and of the Philips EP 432 400 (13-18). 

KENNY BURRELL - Blue Lights, Vol. 1 (1958-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Guitarist Kenny Burrell leads a strong jam session that features the talented but very underrated trumpeter Louis Smith (who sounds a bit like Lee Morgan), the similar but contrasting tenors of Junior Cook and Tina Brooks, pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Jordan's tongue-in-cheek "Scotch Blues" is a high point. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Yes Baby 7:00
Kenny Burrell / Don Robey
2 Scotch Blues 5:35
Duke Jordan 
3 Autumn In New York 5:00
Vernon Duke
4 Caravan 7:20
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Juan Tizol
Credits:

Trumpet – Louis Smith (tracks: 1, 2, 4)

Bass – Sam Jones

Design [Cover] – Andy Warhol, Reid Miles
Drums – Art Blakey
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Piano – Bobby Timmons (tracks: 3, 4), Duke Jordan (tracks: 1, 2)
Recorded, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Junior Cook (tracks: 1, 2, 4), Tina Brooks (tracks: 1, 2, 4)

KENNY BURRELL - Blue Lights, Vol. 2 (1958-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A jam session led by guitarist Kenny Burrell features the talented if forgotten trumpeter Louis Smith, both Junior Cook and Tina Brooks on tenors, pianist Bobby Timmons (Duke Jordan was on the first volume), bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. The all-star group performs two standards ("Caravan" and the guitarist's feature on "Autumn in New York"), Sam Jones' "Chuckin'," and Burrell's "Rock Salt." This is excellent music that easily fits into the bop mainstream of the period. by Scott Yanow 
Tracklist:
1 Rock Salt 11:20
Kenny Burrell
2 The Man I Love 6:43
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
3 Chuckin' 12:10
Sam Jones
4 Phinupi 9:47
Kenny Burrell
Credits:
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Art Blakey
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Recorded, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Louis Smith
Piano – Bobby Timmons (tracks: 1, 3), Duke Jordan (tracks: 2, 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Junior Cook (tracks: 1, 3, 4), Tina Brooks (tracks: 1, 3)
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin (tracks: 2), Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1, 4), Sam Jones (tracks: 3)

CECIL PAYNE - Patterns of Jazz (1956-1991) RM / MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1956 set partners baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne with the superb rhythm section of pianist Duke Jordan, drummer Art Taylor, and bassist Tommy Potter. Their performances of originals, standards, and a pair of Randy Weston compositions are unpretentious bop artistry of a high caliber. Jordan and Potter played together in Charlie Parker's quintet of the late '40s and are well-equipped to meet the demands of bebop. The pianist's economical, swinging style falls somewhere between Count Basie's and Thelonious Monk's. Like them, Jordan is supremely skilled at saying a lot with a little. His open approach leaves plenty of space for the unassuming virtuosity of Potter and Taylor. Potter, in particular, merits close attention. He is a master of the walking bass, spilling out a relentless four to the bar with the precision of a Swiss timepiece and the obsession of one whose calling is, above all, to swing and to swing righteously. Payne's conception is the opposite of the big-throated, baritone sax roar of his Savoy labelmate Pepper Adams. Rather, his light tone calls to mind Lester Young's tenor sax, a parallel that is most apparent on Payne's extended solo on his ballad treatment of "How Deep Is the Ocean." On four of the eight tracks on this 1991 CD reissue the quartet is joined by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, who is in excellent form, adding a high-energy second voice to the frontline and a fearless chorus on the quintet's version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High." For listeners who have yet to become acquainted with Cecil Payne, this classic mid-'50s Savoy recording would make a good introduction. by Jim Todd 
Tracklist:
1 This Time The Dream's On Me 3:46
2 How Deep Is The Ocean? 7:47
3 Chessman's Delight 5:27
4 Arnetta 3:38
5 Saucer Eyes 6:38
6 Man Of Moods 5:33
7 Bringing Up Father 6:19
8 Groovin' High 4:22
Credits:
Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne
Bass – Tommy Potter
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Duke Jordan
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (tracks: 5 to 8)