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

SHIRLEY HORN — Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1990) Serie PolyGram Jazz Vocal Classics | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two of pianist/vocalist Shirley Horn's rarest (and earliest) recordings are reissued in full on this single CD. Actually, Horn does not play piano at all, sticking exclusively to vocals, and she had less control over the interpretations (being persuaded to sing some songs at faster-than-usual tempos) than she would later on. The arrangements for the big bands that back Horn were written by Jimmy Jones and Quincy Jones and, although the overall music is enjoyable, Horn would have much preferred to be the pianist behind her own vocals. Since she would only record two other albums during the next 15 years (sticking to playing locally in the Washington, D.C., area while raising her daughter), this CD gives one a valuable look at the early Shirley Horn; her distinctive vocal style was already nearly fully formed. Scott Yanow
Loads Of Love
1 Wild Is Love 1:29
Written-By – Wayne, Rasch
2 Loads Of Love 2:24
Written-By – Richard Rodgers
3 My Future Just Passed 2:40
Written-By – Marion, Jr., Whiting
4 There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York 2:41
Written-By – Ira & George Gershwin
5 Ten Cents A Dance 3:49
Written-By – Rodgers & Hart
6 Only The Lonely 3:05
Written-By – Cahn/Van Heusen
7 The Second Time Around 3:12
Written-By – Van Heusen/Cahn
8 Do It Again 2:56
Written-By – DeSilva, Gershwin
9 It's Love 2:01
Written-By – Comden/Green, Bernstein
10 That's No Joke 2:37
Written-By – Bailey
11 Love For Sale 3:50
Written-By – Porter
12 Who Am I 2:49
Written-By – Stone, Bullock
Shirley Horn With Horns
13 On The Street Where You Live 2:15
Written-By – Lerner/Lowe
14 The Great City 2:02
Written-By – Lewis
15 That Old Black Magic 2:34
Written-By – Mercer/Arlen
16 Mack The Knife 3:01
Written-By – Brecht, Weill, Blitzstein
17 Come Dance With Me 2:13
Written-By – Van Heusen/Cahn
18 Let Me Love You 3:04
Written-By – Howard
19 After You've Gone 2:59
Written-By – Creamer, Layton
20 Wouldn't It Be Loverly 3:42
Written-By – Lerner/Lowe
21 Go Away Little Boy 3:26
Written-By – Goffin/King
22 I'm In The Mood For Love 2:47
Written-By – McHugh/Fields
23 The Good Life 3:11
Written-By – Reardon, Distel
24 Wee Small Hours 3:20
Written-By – Hilliard, Mann
Credits:
Arranged By, Conductor – Jimmy Jones (tracks: 1 to 12)
Baritone Saxophone – Gerry Mulligan (tracks: 1 to 12)
Bass – Milt Hinton (tracks: 1 to 12)
Drums – Osie Johnson (tracks: 1 to 12)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1 to 12)
Piano – Bobby Scott (tracks: 13, 16, 18, 20), Hank Jones (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 10, 12), Jimmy Jones (tracks: 7, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 to 24)
Producer, Conductor – Quincy Jones (tracks: 13 to 24)
Saxophone – Al Cohn (tracks: 1 to 12)
Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess (tracks: 1 to 12), Jerome Richardson (tracks: 1 to 12)
Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland (tracks: 13 to 24)
Trumpet – Ernie Royal (tracks: 1 to 12), Joe Newman (tracks: 1 to 12)
Violin – Gene Orloff (tracks: 1 to 12)
Vocals – Shirley Horn

CURTIS FULLER — Soul Trombone + Cabin in the Sky (2011) RM | Serie Impulse! 2-On-1 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This budget two-fer in Impulse's 2011 reissue series offers trombonist Curtis Fuller's first two releases for the label, both recorded in 1961; they are his 18th and 19th overall. The first, Soul Trombone, recorded in November, is aptly titled and places Fuller as the leader of a stellar band that includes pianist Cedar Walton, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, Granville T. Hogan on drums, and either Jimmy Cobb or Jymie Merritt on bass. Of the six track on the set, three are originals, and they include the stellar hard bop offering "The Clan," the swinging "Newdles," and the breezy "Ladies Night." Two standard ballads here, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," and Stan Getz's arrangement of "Dear Old Stockholm," are also beautifully delivered. On this date, Fuller allowed all of his sidemen to stretch out and engage with one another generously. Cabin in the Sky is an entirely different kind of outing, and almost experimental -- though not in the avant-garde sense -- with Fuller leading a pair of different large bands that include a full string section arranged by Harry Lookofsky and conducted by Manny Albam. This date relies heavily (but not exclusively) on the tunes of Vernon Duke and John Latouche. The emphasis here is on texture, color, and harmony, but as a result, some of Fuller's authority is overshadowed by the elaborate and restrictive arrangements. That said, this set is far from uninteresting, and given the price tag, irresistible. Some of the players on this date include Bob Brookmeyer, Kai Winding, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson. Standouts include non string-arranged tracks such as "Honey in the Honeycomb" and "Savannah."
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN | MILT JACKSON — Much In Common + All-Star Big Band (1996) 2xCD | Serie Verve Take 2 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Verve Jazz Masters 48 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Considering that he was the equal of such heralded arrangers as Quincy Jones, Gil Evans, and Tadd Dameron, it's a shame Oliver Nelson has, for the most part, gone unsung. Maybe Nelson's eventual TV and film work tainted him in the eyes of critics and purists; but, then again, most jazz arrangers made that move, often out of sheer financial necessity -- and let's not scold them if it was simply a matter of wanting to expand their horizons. Before his Hollywood switch, though, Nelson used several '60s dates to not only display those pen skills, but to reveal his considerable saxophone chops (tenor, alto, and soprano!), as well. The fruits can be found on many dates for OJC, Impulse (the classic Blues and the Abstract Truth), and Verve. It's his work for the latter label that is nicely showcased on this collection. Covering the years 1962-1967 and culled to a large extent from his Full Nelson album and various Leonard Feather-sponsored releases, the 16 tracks here find Nelson at the helm of various big band lineups, plying his always swinging yet often complex and distinct sound. The mix contains a dazzling array of treats, including some of the most sophisticated jazz charts ("Patterns for Orchestra"), a taste of his later soundtrack work ("A Typical Day in New York"), beautiful ballads ("Penthouse Dawn"), and even some contemporary R&B-tinged fare ("Full Nelson"). Along with these and several other original pieces, Nelson also does fine by Ellington ("Paris Blues") and W.C. Handy ("St. Louis Blues"). And it's Joe Newman's fine solo on this last cut that ably demonstrates how Nelson, like Mingus, had a knack for bringing out the best in his players. With an all-star cast of players and plenty of fine sides to go, this Nelson roundup offers the perfect way to familiarize yourself with one of the great jazz architects of the '60s. Stephen Cook   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON ORCHESTRA — Afro-American Sketches (1961-1993) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Oliver Nelson merged the rhythmic fervor of Africa and Black America with the organizational flair of Europe on this release. The often spectacular work features the orchestra sometimes whooping and clashing in the backdrop and other times giving soulful statements or converging in a blues setting. While Nelson combined Afro-Latin rhythmic support from Ray Barretto with crisp jazz drumming from Ed Shaughnessy, he also contributed his own soaring alto and tenor sax solos and conducted the orchestra. It was a monumental job, and Nelson exceeded it. Ron Wynn   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON & FRIENDS – Happenings + Soulful Brass (2011) RM | Serie Impulse! 2-On-1 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Impulse two-fer revives a pair of LPs by arranger, composer, and saxophonist Oliver Nelson, Happenings and Soulful Brass, released in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Happenings, a date with pianist Hank Jones, is the better album, unlike Soulful Brass, which was co-led with comedian/pianist Steve Allen. Unfortunately, both pianists are featured mainly on harpsichord, which tends to dominate, and at times overwhelm, the compositions. Unless you're a die-hard collector, best to skip this two-fer and pick up the Impulse releases, The Blues & the Abstract Truth and More Blues & the Abstract Truth. Al Campbell  Tracklist & Credits :

GIL EVANS — Columbia Jazz Profiles (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

GIL EVANS ft. CANNONBALL ADDERLEY — New Bottle, Old Wine (1958-1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Gil Evans' second album as a leader (a World Pacific set that has been reissued by Blue Note) features his reworking of eight jazz classics including "St. Louis Blues," "Lester Leaps In" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." Evans' charts utilize three trumpets, three trombones, a french horn, a prominent tuba, one reed player, altoist Cannonball Adderley and a four-piece rhythm section. Most memorable is a classic rendition of "King Porter Stomp" featuring the exuberant altoist Cannonball Adderley, who is the main soloist on most of the selections. Other key voices include Evans' piano, guitarist Chuck Wayne and trumpeter Johnny Coles. This is near-classic music that showed that Gil Evans did not need Miles Davis as a soloist to inspire him to greatness. Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :

GIL EVANS AND HIS ORCHESTRA – There Comes a Time (1976-2014) Serie Jazz Collection 1000 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 This CD reissue of Gil Evans' There Comes a Time differs greatly from the original LP of the same name. Not only are there three previously unreleased performances ("Joy Spring," "So Long," and "Buzzard Variation"), but "The Meaning of the Blues" has been expanded from six minutes to 20, and two numbers, "Little Wing" and "Aftermath the Fourth Movement/Children of the Fire," have been dropped (the former was reissued on Evans' Jimi Hendrix tribute album) and the remaining four tracks were re-edited and remixed under Evans' direction. So in reality, this 1987 CD was really a "new" record when it came out. The remake of "King Porter Stomp," with altoist David Sanborn in Cannonball Adderley's spot, is a classic. The "new" version of "The Meaning of the Blues" is memorable, and overall the music (which also has solos by Billy Harper and George Adams on tenors, along with trumpeter Lew Soloff) is quite rewarding, it's a creative big band fusion that expertly mixes together acoustic and electric instruments. This was one of Gil Evans' last truly great sets. [This is the original issue without the bonus tracks.] Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :

GIL EVANS – Priestess (1977-1983) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After the success of his studio sessions of the early to mid-'70s, Gil Evans primarily recorded live in concert during the remainder of his career. This is one of the better sets, for although two of the four selections are over 12 minutes long ("Priestess" exceeds 19 1/2 minutes), the music is generally under control. Evans's eccentric 16-piece group consists of three trumpets, trombone, French horn, two tubas, three saxes and a five-piece rhythm section including Pete Levin on synthesizer. With such soloists as altoists David Sanborn and Arthur Blyte, trumpeter Lew Soloff and George Adams on tenor, the music is quite stimulating and exciting. Scott Yanow
Tracklist & Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — Afro (1955-2002) RM | Serie LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pairing Dizzy Gillespie with Cuban arranger/composer Chico O'Farrill produced a stunning session which originally made up the first half of a Norgran LP. O'Farrill conducts an expanded orchestra which combines a jazz band with a Latin rhythm section; among the participants in the four-part "Manteca Suite" are trumpeters Quincy Jones and Ernie Royal, trombonist J.J. Johnson, tenor saxophonists Hank Mobley and Lucky Thompson, and conga player Mongo Santamaria. "Manteca," written during the previous decade, serves as an exciting opening movement, while the next two segments build upon this famous theme, though they are jointly credited to O'Farrill as well. "Rhumba-Finale" is straight-ahead jazz with some delicious solo work by Gillespie. A later small-group session features the trumpeter with an all-Latin rhythm section and flutist Gilberto Valdes, who is heard on "A Night in Tunisia" and "Caravan." Both of the Latin versions of these pieces are far more interesting than "Con Alma," as the excessive percussion and dull piano accompaniment add little to this normally captivating theme. Long out of print, this 2002 CD reissue will only be available until May 2005; it is well worth acquiring. Ken Dryden 
Tracklist :
1 Manteca Theme 4:11
2 Contrastes 2:46
3 Jungla 4:44
4 Rhumba-Finale 4:39
5 A Night In Tunisia 4:15
6 Con Alma 5:01
7 Caravan 7:20
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – George Dorsey (tracks: 1 to 4), Hilton Jefferson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Arranged By, Conductor – Chico O'Farrill (tracks: 1 to 4)
Baritone Saxophone – Danny Bank (tracks: 1 to 4)
Bass – Roberto Rodriguez, Lou Hackney (tracks: 1 to 4)
Bongos – José Manguel
Congas – Candido Camero, Mongo Santamaria (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums – Charlie Persip (tracks: 1 to 4)
Flute – Gilberto Valdez (tracks: 5, 7)
Percussion – Rafael Miranda (tracks: 5 to 7)
Piano – Ray Concepcion (tracks: 1 to 4), Rene Hernandez (tracks: 5 to 7), Wade Legge (tracks: 1 to 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley (tracks: 1 to 4), Lucky Thompson (tracks: 1 to 4)
Timbales – Ubaldo Nieto
Trombone – George Matthews (tracks: 1 to 4), J.J. Johnson (tracks: 1 to 4), Leon Comegys (tracks: 1 to 4)
Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie, Ernie Royal (tracks: 1 to 4), Jimmy Nottingham (tracks: 1 to 4), Quincy Jones (tracks: 1 to 4)
Notes
Tracks 1-4: Recorded May 24, 1954 at Fine Sound, New York City
Tracks 5-7: Recorded June 3, 1954 at Fine Sound, New York City

NAT "KING" COLE – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 914 (1996) FLAC (tracks), lossless

With his amazingly warm and intimate vocal style, Nat King Cole could handle any song he came across, transforming it into a cool expressive croon that is unsurpassed in the pop realm. This collection includes perhaps his most famous song, the string-drenched "Mona Lisa," but it also features several lesser known pieces, many of them falling into the novelty song category, a genre Cole practically defined with his assured singing and often innovative (and spare) arrangements. "The Horse Told Me" is a case in point. Essentially a game of whispers turned into a song, Cole's easy vocal puts it over while the odd arrangement, a mix of junkyard percussion and classy piano, keeps it fresh. Another highlight here is "Calypso Blues," which features a marvelously controlled vocal set over a sparse bongo track, and it indicates how versatile Cole was. There is really no song or style he couldn't make his own. While this release is relatively narrow in its focus, it shouldn't be passed over by Cole fans. Steve Leggett  
Tracklist :

JAMES MOODY – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1169 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Whether you think you're already hip to James Moody, or if you aren't hip to him at all, be sure and check this stuff out! It's rare, it's beautiful and the solos are extraordinary. What you have here is essentially Moody's European tour journal. This phonographic diary takes us through Stockholm towards the end of 1949 and then to Paris in February and April of 1950. Moody is hanging with the French and the Swedes. They have been carefully studying the twists and turns of American bop. The arrangements are intricate and very contemporary. Don't worry about the goofy titles. "Three Bop Mice" and "Flight of the Bopple Bee" are actually fine pieces of work, hot and busy, composed and executed by this formidable sax and flute man from Georgia who got his start working with Dizzy Gillespie. Much of what we know about Moody comes from a stream of American records issued and reissued over a span of more than 50 years. His early European recordings are of inestimable value in their own light and as context for the rest of his work. "Three Bop Mice" seems to refer to the front line of three wicked tenor saxophones. Good thing this jam runs for nearly six minutes! It gives the guys kicking room. When Moody approaches a ballad, the results are often stunning. "Laura" is exquisite and "Body and Soul" pulsates with Moody's personal blend of languid urgency. "I'm in the Mood for Love" is the divine original take of a set of variations that would help to spawn the entire vocalese tradition, bearing forever the altered title "Moody's Mood for Love." Some will involuntarily detect echo-premonitions of Eddie Jefferson as the improvisations effortlessly unwind. Who would have guessed that the lovely upper register chorus, which Eddie would always sing in a disarming falsetto, was originally devised by the Swedish pianist Thore Swanerud? "Lester Leaps In" turns out to be the blueprint for Jefferson's wonderful vocalese outing "I Got The Blues." He obviously owned each of these Swedish records and learned them by heart. A pity he didn't get a chance to devise note-for-note lyrics to Moody's improvisations on "Indiana" "Dexterious" and "Good Bait," as these too are brilliant. The next jaw-dropper is "Blue and Moody," which proves to be the record that Eddie Jefferson turned into "Birdland Story," that exciting number heard on the 1956 Flute 'N the Blues album. This one CD holds the key to so many of James Moody's greatest records. Two 1950 Parisian sessions led by pianist Jack Dieval explore unusual harmonic realms, presenting ideas and tonalities that would take root over the next ten years. This is progressive music, unusually advanced for its day. Annie Ross sings in her most bizarre, pleasantly disorienting manner during "Le Vent Vert." Next, the Ernie Royal All-Stars punch out a five-minute "Period Suite." Russell Procope blossoms during a six-and-a-half-minute excursion through "Perdido," neatly bisected during Pierre Michelot's bass solo. Everybody ought to own a copy of this glorious disc. It is a glowing emerald deeply set in the precious lapidary of James Moody's music, surely some of the greatest music the world will ever hear. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1950-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1263 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

April in Paris, 1950. James Moody is making records with a band led by trumpeter Ernie Royal. While two originals by Royal are based on textbook bop themes, Moody's own "Date With Kate" shows greater depth of invention. "Mean to Me" prances at a healthy clip and "Embraceable You" is presented as a slow-dance delicacy. Jumping to July of 1950, Moody leads his own "Boptet" through four remarkable exercises in modernity. Marshall "Red" Allen, who subsequently worked for decades with Sun Ra, is heard in Moody's band playing alto saxophone. These must be Allen's earliest appearances on record. "Delooney" surges ahead with peculiar chords that do in fact slightly resemble what Ra's Arkestra would be playing by 1957. "Real Cool" features the celeste and piano of Raymond Fol and some lovely bass work by Buddy Banks. "In the Anna" is a slow and harmonically altered stroll through "Back Home Again in Indiana." Moody sings a chorus of rapid-fire bop scat on "Voila." After he blows his horn for a bit, several voices sing a background chorus, which continues during a fadeout, that new effect just beginning to occur on records in 1950. Moody's last Parisian session focuses tightly upon his tenor sax backed by apparent Bud Powell devotee Raphael "Raph" Schecroun, Pierre Michelot, and the amazing Kenny "Klook" Clarke, whose solo on "Riffin' and Raphin'" is a pleasure. Hot tracks invigorate, and ballads bring on the coolest of reveries. Moody's fluidic improvisations are always full of pleasant surprises. "St. Louis Blues" gets a modern, sophisticated treatment, slipping with progressive ease into the traditional tango chorus. There are no less than three distinct renditions of "Embraceable You" on this CD. Maybe we're inside a movie and this is the recurring theme song, always returning to assist in the story line's continuity: five months in the life of James Moody. The home stretch takes listeners back to Stockholm. Backed by seven Scandinavians and bolstered by cushy arrangements, Moody delivered six gorgeous performances for the Prestige label. His balladeering is always astonishing. "How Deep Is the Ocean" has the power to reassure. So does "I'll Get By." Each of these little three-minute records should be cherished like a vision of a better world. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

BILL EVANS & LEE KONITZ - Play The Arrangements Of Jimmy Giuffre (1959-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Lone Hill Jazz compilation presents the contents of two separate releases Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre and You and Lee featuring Lee Konitz and Jimmy Giuffre (the latter playing baritone sax and contributing the arrangements) together, with pianist Bill Evans being the prominent sideman, though the ensemble includes tenor saxophonists Warne Marsh and Ted Brown (both of whom studied with Lennie Tristano alongside Konitz), and alto saxophonist Hal McKusick, though it is Konitz that is featured throughout the sessions from Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre. Konitz contributed the quirky blues "Cork 'N' Bib," which features an unusually bluesy solo by Evans, plus an atonal offering by Marsh and Giuffre's robust single chorus. The breezy setting of "The Song Is You" is an excellent wrap to this spring session. Later the same year the musicians returned to the studio while adding guitarist Jim Hall to record the Verve LP You and Lee, which had not been reissued on CD until appearing in this anthology. Play the Arrangements of Jimmy Giuffre concentrates exclusively on Giuffre's arrangements of standards and while it isn't quite as wide-ranging as the earlier effort, Konitz is obviously inspired by the arrangements and excellent ensemble behind him. Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1    Palo Alto    3:08
 Konitz
2    When Your Lover Has Gone    5:02
 Swan
3    Cork 'N Bib    9:50
Konitz
4    Somp'm Outa' Nothin'    4:29
Giuffre
5    Someone To Watch Over Me    3:36
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
6    Uncharted    3:55
Giuffre
7    Moonlight In Vermont    3:59
Suessdorf / Blackburn
8    The Song Is You    5:08
 Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
9    Darn That Dream    1:58
De Lange / Van Heusen
10    Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs To You)    4:48
Rodgers / Hart
11    You Don't Know What Love Is    4:19
Raye / De Paul
12    I Didn't Know About You    4:00
Ellington / Russell
13    I'm Getting Sentimental Over You    3:57
 George Bassman / Ned Washington
14    You're Driving Me Crazy    4:11
Donaldson
15    You're Clear Out Of This World    4:08
Arlen / Mercer
16    The More I See You    3:39
Warren / Gordon
17    You Are Too Beautiful    4:12
Rodgers / Hart
Credits :   
Alto Saxophone – Hal McKusick (tracks: 1 to 9), Lee Konitz (tracks: 1 to 9)
Baritone Saxophone, Arranged By – Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 1 to 17)
Bass – Buddy Clark (tracks: 1 to 8), Sonny Dallas (tracks: 10 to 17)
Drums – Ronnie Free (tracks: 1 to 8), Roy Haynes (tracks: 10 to 17)
Guitar – Jim Hall (tracks: 14 to 17)
Piano – Bill Evans (tracks: 1 to 8, 10 to 13)
Tenor Saxophone – Ted Brown (tracks: 1 to 9), Warne Marsh (tracks: 1 to 9)
Trombone – Bill Byers, Eddie Bert
Trumpet – Ernie Royal, Marky Markowitz, Phil Sunkel  

LEE KONITZ | ARRANGEMENTS BY JIMMY GIUFFRE - You and Lee (1960-2007) RM | Lee Konitz By Special Requests – 6 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

One of the lesser-known Lee Konitz albums, this LP (which has not been reissued yet on CD) features the altoist joined by six brass and a rhythm section for eight Jimmy Giuffre arrangements. The shouting brass contrasts well with Konitz's cool-toned solos and together they perform eight underplayed standards. Guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans (who are on four songs apiece) are major assets behind Konitz on this pleasing set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     I'm Getting Sentimental over You
George Bassman / Ned Washington
2     You Don't Know What Love Is
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
3     I Didn't Know About You
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
4     Everything I Have Belongs to You
Bob Russell, Duke Ellington
5     You're Clear Out of This World
Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
6     You Are Too Beautiful
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     The More I See You
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
8     You're Driving Me Crazy
Walter Donaldson
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Arranged By, Conductor – Jimmy Giuffre
Bass – Sonny Dallas
Drums – Roy Haynes
Guitar – Jim Hall (faixas: 3, 5, 6, 7)
Piano – Bill Evans (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 8)
Trombone – Billy Byers, Bob Brookmeyer
Trumpet – Ernie Royal, Marky Markowitz, Phil Sunkel

JOHNNY HODGES WITH LEON THOMAS AND OLIVER NELSON - Three Shades of Blue (1970) lp | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
A1    Empty Ballroom Blues    4:54
Duke Ellington / Cootie Williams
A2    Duke´s Place    3:35
Ellington / Thiele
A3    Echoes Of Harlem    4:20
Duke Ellington
A4    Disillusion Blues    3:56
Leon Thomas
A5    Yearning    5:20
Oliver Nelson
B1    Welcome To New York    4:10
Leon Thomas
B2    Black, Brown And Beautiful    3:50
Oliver Nelson
B3    Rockin´ In Rhythm    3:09
Ellington / Mills / Carney
B4    Creole Love Call    4:56
Duke Elligton
10    It´s Glory    2:55
Duke Ellington
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Johnny Hodges
Arranged By, Conductor – Oliver Nelson
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Grady Tate
Guitar – David Spinozza
Piano – Earl Hines, Hank Jones
Producer – Bob Thiele
Saxophone – Danny Bank, Frank Wess, Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell, Bob Ashton
Trombone – Al Grey, Garnett Brown, Quentin Jackson, Thomas Mitchell
Trumpet – Ernie Royal, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Snooky Young
Notas.
Original first pressing.
This album was recorded in New York City, March 17 and 19, 1970 and the liner notes by Nat Hentoff were written before the untimely death of Johnny Hodges on May 11, 1970.

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

LOU DONALDSON - A Man with a Horn (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These sessions were recorded for Blue Note in 1961 and 1963. The first date features five cuts with Jack Mcduff on organ, Grant Green on guitar, and Joe Dukes on drums. The four remaining cuts were recorded two years later with John Patton on organ, Ben Dixon on drums, and the addition of Irvin Stokes on trumpet. This is a mainly mellow affair with six of the nine tracks exchanging the hard bop and soul-jazz of the times for ballads and slow blues. However, the occasional up-tempo funky surprise does pop up on "My Melancholy Baby" and the Donaldson originals "Hipty Hop" and "Soul Meetin'." Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     Misty 8:30
Johnny Burke / Erroll Garner     
2     Hippity Hop 5:44     
Lou Donaldson    
3     Please 6:07
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin    
4     My Melancholy Baby 6:29
Ernie Burnett / George Norton    
5     Man With a Horn 5:47
Eddie DeLange / Jack Jenney / Bonnie Lake
6     Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White 4:22
Mack David    
7     Prisoner of Love 5:10
Russ Columbo / Clarence Gaskill / Leo Robin
8     Soul Meetin' 7:11
Lou Donaldson    
9     Stardust 6:11
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
Notas.
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 25, 1961 (#1,3,5,7,9) and June 7, 1963 (#2,4,6,8)
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Ben Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8), Joe Dukes (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Grant Green
Organ – Jack McDuff (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), John Patton (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8)
Trumpet – Irvin Stokes (pistas: 2, 4, 6, 8)
Trumpet – Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Joe Shepley