FREDDIE HUBBARD — First Light (1971-2011) RM | Serie CTI Records 40th Anniversary Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Never one to take lyricism for granted, trumpeter and composer Freddie Hubbard entered Creed Taylor's studio for the third time in 1971 with the express purpose of making a record radically different from anything he'd cut before; he was looking for it to use electricity and to be out of the soul-jazz mold, but was also more ambitious and wanted to push that envelope and himself. Taylor and Hubbard assembled a band that included Herbie Hancock on Rhodes, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion, and Richard Wyands on acoustic piano to back him. The band was also supported by the truly ethereal and adventurous string arrangements of Don Sebesky (a first for Hubbard). The result is a masterpiece of textured sound, gorgeously far-flung charts, sweet, tight grooves, a subtle mystic feel, and some of Hubbard's most exciting playing ever. The title track and Hubbard's ingenious read of Paul and Linda McCartney's "Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey," as well as Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town," are so in the pocket that they bleed soul. Benson's uncharacteristically edgy guitar playing juxtaposed against Hubbard's warm tone, and Hancock's beautifully modal Rhodes lines that are drenched with big, open, minor chord voicings, are simply made more illustrious and graceful by Sebesky's strings. While Red Clay and Straight Life are both fine albums, First Light is the one that connects on all levels -- and it did with the jazz-buying public as well. A masterpiece.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    First Light 11:05
Written-By – Freddie Hubbard
2    Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey 8:17
Written-By – Paul & Linda McCartney
3    Moment To Moment 5:43
Written-By – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
4    Yesterday's Dreams 3:55
Written-By – Don Sebesky, Norman Martin
5    Lonely Town 7:00
Written-By – Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Leonard Bernstein
6    Fantasy In D (Polar AC) 6:55
Written-By – Cedar Walton
7    First Light (Live) 16:04
Written-By – Freddie Hubbard
Credits :
Arranged By – Don Sebesky
Bass – Ron Carter
Bassoon – Jane Taylor, Wally Kane
Cello – Charles McCracken, Emanuel Vardi
Clarinet – George Marge, Romeo Penque
Drums – Jack DeJohnette
English Horn, Oboe – Romeo Penque
Flute – George Marge, Hubert Laws, Romeo Penque, Wally Kane
French Horn – James Buffington, Ray Alonge
Guitar – Eric Gale (tracks: 7), George Benson
Harp – Margaret Ross
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Piano – Richard Wyands
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Freddie Hubbard
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Phil Kraus
Viola – Alfred Brown, Emanuel Vardi
Violin – David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, Matthew Raimondi, Paul Gershman, Tosha Samaroff

LOU DONALDSON — Alligator Bogaloo (1967-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Blue Note, The Masterworks Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Alligator Bogaloo is one example of Lou Donaldson's successful combinations of hard bop and soul-jazz. Of the six tunes, three are Donaldson originals, including the title hit. The excellent band, consisting of Melvin Lastin, Sr. on cornet, George Benson on guitar, Lonnie Smith on organ, and Leo Morris on drums, mixes laid-back vamps beneath driving hard bop charts. As the '60s turned into the '70s, Donaldson began shaving off hard bop invention for a more radio-friendly and 45 rpm length, leaving soulful -- yet monotonous -- vamping. At that point, Donaldson's material suffered from a lack of originality. That's not the case on Alligator Bogaloo. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1     Alligator Boogaloo 6:57
Lou Donaldson    
2     One Cylinder 6:49
Freddie McCoy    
3     The Thang 3:34
Lou Donaldson    
4     Aw Shucks! 7:23
Dr. Lonnie Smith    
5     Rev. Moses 6:28
Lou Donaldson    
6     I Want a Little Girl 4:29
Murray Mencher / Billy Moll
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Cornet – Melvin Lastie, Sr.
Drums – Leo Morris
Guitar – George Benson
Organ – Lonnie Smith
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder

LOU DONALDSON - The Midnight Creeper (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless |

As he delved deeper into commercial soul-jazz and jazz-funk, Lou Donaldson became better at it. While lacking the bite of his hard bop improvisations or the hard-swinging funk of Alligator Bogaloo, Midnight Creeper succeeds where its predecessor, Mr. Shing-A-Ling failed: it offers a thoroughly enjoyable set of grooving, funky soul-jazz. The five songs -- including two originals by Donaldson and one each by Lonnie Smith (who also plays organ on the record), Teddy Vann, and Harold Ousley -- aren't particularly distinguished, but the vibe is important, not the material. And the band -- Donaldson, Smith, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Leo Morris -- strikes the right note, turning in a fluid, friendly collection of bluesy funk vamps. Donaldson could frequently sound stilted on his commercial soul-jazz dates, but that's not the case with Midnight Creeper. He rarely was quite as loose on his late-'60s/early-'70s records as he is here, and that's what makes Midnight Creeper a keeper. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Midnight Creeper 6:32
Lou Donaldson / Dr. Lonnie Smith    
2     Love Power 7:46
Teddy Vann    
3     Elizabeth 5:37
Lou Donaldson    
4     Bag of Jewels 9:44
Lonnie Liston Smith    
5     Dapper Dan 6:30
Harold Ousley
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Drums – Leo Morris
Guitar – George Benson
Organ – Lonnie Smith
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell

HANK MOBLEY - Reach Out ! (1968-2005) RVG Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Reach Out was one of the few times Hank Mobley left behind driving, aggressive hard bop, choosing to concentrate on lightly grooving bop and soul-jazz instead. Essentially, the session resulted in the most commercially oriented record he made, complete with two pop covers ("Reach Out (I'll Be There)," "Goin' Out of My Head") and a laidback, swinging vibe. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but the band -- an impressive lineup of Woody Shaw (trumpet, flugelhorn), George Benson (guitar), Lamont Johnson (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums) -- sounds constrained by the material and their desire to make the music appeal to a wide audience. Things rarely are worse than on "Reach Out," where the group not only fails to lay down a groove, but they often sound on the verge of falling apart, especially during Higgins' poorly timed breaks. They recover shortly afterward, but no one sounds particularly enthusiastic, including Mobley. In fact, Mobley's presence on the record feels strangely minimal. Only during "Good Pickin's" -- a laidback bop original that's easily the best thing here -- does he come alive, weaving a spell with long, liquid lines, but its subtle grace just illustrates the problems with this curiously bland record. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Reach Out (I'll Be There) 6:49
Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland    
2     Up, Over, And Out 5:52
Hank Mobley    
3     Lookin' East 5:19
Hank Mobley    
4     Goin' Out of My Head  5:19
Teddy Randazzo / Bob Weinstein
5     Good Pickin's 5:30
Hank Mobley    
6     Beverly 7:01
Lamont Johnson
Credits :
Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Drums – Billy Higgins
Guitar – George Benson
Mastered By – Ron McMaster
Piano – LaMont Johnson
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw

AIRTO MOREIRA - Free (1972-2003) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

The 1970s were banner years for Airto Moreira -- not only because of his association with Chick Corea's Return to Forever and his work on wife Flora Purim's Milestone dates, but also, because of the generally superb work he did under Creed Taylor's supervision at CTI from 1972-74. One of the five-star gems that the Brazilian percussionist recorded for CTI was Fingers, which employs Purim on percussion and vocals, David Amaro on guitar, Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards and harmonica, Jorge Fattoruso on drums and Ringo Thielmann on electric bass. Produced by Taylor and recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's famous New Jersey studio, this LP demonstrates just how exciting and creative 1970s fusion could be. When Moreira and his colleagues blend jazz with Brazilian music, rock and funk on such cuts as "Wind Chant," "Tombo in 7/4" and "Romance of Death," the results are consistently enriching. Fingers is an album to savor. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1  Return to Forever - 10:17
(Chick Corea)
2 Flora's Song - 8:30
(Flora Purim)
3 Free - 11:50
(Airto Moreira)
4 Lucky Southern - 2:36
(Keith Jarrett)
5 Creek (Arroio) - 6:12
(Victor Brazil)
- Bonus Track -
6 So Tender - 5:01
(Keith Jarrett)
7 Jequié - 2:57
(Moacir Santos)
8 Creek (Arroio) (Altenate Version) - 9:23  
Personnel :
Airto - Percussion, Vocals
Hubert Laws - Flute
Joe Farrell - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Piccolo
Chick Corea - Piano, Electric Piano
Keith Jarrett - Piano
Nelson Ayres - Electric Piano
George Benson - Guitar
Jay Berliner - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Stanley Clarke - Electric Bass
Flora Purim - vocals
Burt Collins, Mel Davis, Alan Rubin - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Wayne Andre, Garnett Brown, Joe Wallace - Trombone
Don Sebesky - Arranger

STANLEY TURRENTINE - Sugar (1970-2017) CTI + RVG Ultimate Remastering Series / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If ever there were a record that both fit perfectly and stood outside the CTI Records' stable sound, it is Sugar by Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1970, only three tracks appear on the original album (on the reissue there's a bonus live version of the title track, which nearly outshines the original and is 50 percent longer). Turrentine, a veteran of the soul-jazz scene since the '50s, was accompanied by a who's who of groove players, including guitarist George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, bassist Ron Carter, organist Butch Cornell, and drummer Billy Kaye, among others. (The live version adds Airto, flutist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and organist Johnny Hammond.) The title track is a deep soul blues workout with a swinging backbeat and the rhythm section fluidly streaming through fours and eights as Benson, Hubbard, and Turrentine begin slowly and crank up the heat, making the pace and stride of the cut simmer then pop -- especially in Hubbard's solo. This is truly midnight blue, and the party's at the point of getting really serious or about to break up. By the time Benson picks up his break, full of slick, shiny, warm arpeggios, the seams are bursting and couples are edging into corners. Butch Cornell's "Sunshine Alley" is a solid, funky groover, paced by organ and double fours by Kaye. Turrentine and Hubbard stride into the melody and keep the vamp in the pocket, riding out past the blues line into a tag that just revs the thing up even further. But the big surprise is in the final track, one of the most solidly swinging, from-the-gut emotional rides of John Coltrane's "Impressions" ever taken. Turrentine is deep inside his horn, ringing out in legato with everything he has -- and it is considerable. Ron Carter's bass playing flows through the modal interludes, creating a basis for some beautifully intervallic invention by Benson and Smith by building a series of harmonic bridges through the mode to solos. It's hard to believe this is Turrentine, yet is could be no one else. If jazz fans are interested in Turrentine beyond the Blue Note period -- and they should be -- this is a heck of a place to listen for satisfaction.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Sugar 9:56
Written-By – Stanley Turrentine                                                                                            
2    Sunshine Alley 10:42
Written-By – Butch Cornell
3    Impressions 14:16
Written-By – John Coltrane
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Ron Carter                                                                          
Congas – Richard "Pablo" Landrum
Drums – Billy Kaye
Electric Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr.
Guitar – George Benson
Organ – Butch Cornell
Producer, Reissue Producer – Creed Taylor
Engineer, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

JIMMY SMITH - Off The Top (1982-2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It had been nine years since organist Jimmy Smith recorded for a major label when Bruce Lundvall approached him to make an album for Elektra Musician. Smith plays some unusual material (including Lionel Richie's "Endless Love" and the "Theme from M.A.S.H.") on this recording but swings everything and has a particularly strong supporting cast -- guitarist George Benson, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Grady Tate. A fine comeback date. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Off the Top 7:47
Jimmy Smith
2     Endless Love 7:06
Lionel Richie
3     Mimosa 5:49
George Benson
4     I'll Drink to That 7:34
Jimmy Smith
5     Suicide Is Painless 6:10
Michael Altman / Johnny Mandel
6     Ain't Misbehavin' 3:57
Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
7     Jimmy Smith Rap 1:08
Jimmy Smith
- Bonus Track -
8    Keep On Comin' (Live)    12:37
9    Be Yourself (Live)    8:06
10    No Problem (Live)    7:28
11    Callitwhachawana (Live)    8:18
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter (faixas: 1 to 7)
Drums – Grady Tate (faixas: 1 to 7), Mike Baker (faixas: 8 to 11)
Guitar – George Benson (faixas: 1 to 7), Kenny Burrell (faixas: 8 to 11)
Saxophone – Johnny Griffin (faixas: 8 to 11), Stanley Turrentine (faixas: 1 to 7)

FREDDIE HUBBARD — Red Clay (1970-2010) RM | Serie CTI 40th Anniversary | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This may be Freddie Hubbard's finest moment as a leader, in that it embodies and utilizes all of his strengths as a composer, soloist, and frontman. On Red Clay, Hubbard combines hard bop's glorious blues-out past with the soulful innovations of mainstream jazz in the 1960s, and reads them through the chunky groove innovations of '70s jazz fusion. This session places the trumpeter in the company of giants such as tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lenny White. Hubbard's five compositions all come from deep inside blues territory; these shaded notions are grafted onto funky hard bop melodies worthy of Horace Silver's finest tunes, and are layered inside the smoothed-over cadences of shimmering, steaming soul. The 12-minute-plus title track features a 4/4 modal opening and a spare electric piano solo woven through the twin horns of Hubbard and Henderson. It is a fine example of snaky groove music. Henderson even takes his solo outside a bit without ever moving out of the rhythmatist's pocket. "Delphia" begins as a ballad with slow, clipped trumpet lines against a major-key background, and opens onto a midtempo groover, then winds back into the dark, steamy heart of bluesy melodicism. The hands-down favorite here, though, is "The Intrepid Fox," with its Miles-like opening of knotty changes and shifting modes, that are all rooted in bop's muscular architecture. It's White and Hancock who shift the track from underneath with large sevenths and triple-timed drums that land deeply inside the clamoring, ever-present riff. Where Hubbard and Henderson are playing against, as well as with one another, the rhythm section, lifted buoyantly by Carter's bridge-building bassline, carries the melody over until Hancock plays an uncharacteristically angular solo before splitting the groove in two and doubling back with a series of striking arpeggios. This is a classic, hands down.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1 Red Clay 12:09
2 Delphia 7:21
3 Suite Sioux 8:37
4 The Intrepid Fox 10:42
Bonus Tracks
5 Cold Turkey 10:25
6 Red Clay (Alternate Version) 18:44
Drums [Uncredited] – Billy Cobham
Guitar [Uncredited] – George Benson
Organ, Electric Piano [Uncredited] – Johnny Hammond
Percussion [Uncredited] – Airto Moreira
Tenor Saxophone [Uncredited] – Stanley Turrentine
Credits
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Lenny White (tracks: 1 to 5)
Piano – Herbie Hancock (tracks: 1 to 5)
Producer – Creed Taylor
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Saxophone – Joe Henderson (tracks: 1 to 5)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

 

TONY WILLIAMS - The Joy Of Flying (1979-1997) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It would be an understatement to say that there was a fair amount of variety on this set. Drummer Tony Williams is heard in two duets with keyboardist Jan Hammer, with a quartet also including keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Tom Scott (who unfortunately sticks to lyricon) and bassist Stanley Clarke, and he welcomes rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, keyboardist Brian Auger, guitarist George Benson, Hammer and tenorman Michael Brecker on other tracks. Much of this music is closer to R&B than to jazz, although there are many strong moments. But the most interesting selection is certainly "Morgan's Motion" which matches Williams with pianist Cecil Taylor in a powerful (and completely atonal) collaboration. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Going Far (Jan Hammer) - 4:13
Drums – Tony Williams
Engineer [Assistant] – Bob Schachner
Engineer, Synthesizer [Moog, Oberheim, Polymoog], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Jan Hammer
2. Hip Skip (George Benson) - 8:03
Alto Saxophone – Dave Sanborn
Arranged By [Horns] – William Eaton
Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Bass – Paul Jackson
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Jan Hammer
Engineer – Don Puluse
Engineer [Assistant] – Ken Robertson
Engineer [Assitant, Horn Recording] – Michael Barry
Engineer [Horn Recording] – Jack Malken
Guitar – George Benson
Mixed By – Tony Williams, Jack Malken
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Trombone – Barry Rogers
Trumpet – Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker
3. Hittin' on 6 (Tom Scott) - 6:16
Clavinet [Hohner D6], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Herbie Hancock
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke
Engineer – Fred Catero
Engineer [Assitant] – Leslie Ann Jones
Lyricon – Tom Scott
4. Open Fire (Ronnie Montrose, Edgar Winter) - 6:18
Bass – Mario Cipollina
Drums – Tony Williams
Engineer – Tom Suzuki
Engineer [Assitant] – Tetsuro Tomita
Guitar – Ronnie Montrose
Mixed By – Tony Williams, Jack Malken
Organ, Synthesizer [Mini-Moog] – Brian Auger
5. Tony (Stanley Clarke) - 6:50
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Oberheim, Prophet V], Piano [Acoustic] – Herbie Hancock
Engineer – Fred Catero
Engineer [Assitant] – Leslie Ann Jones
Lyricon – Tom Scott
6. Eris (Hammer) - 3:33
Drums – Tony Williams
Engineer – Jan Hammer
Engineer [Assitant] – Bob Schachner
Synthesizer [Moog, Oberheim, Polymoog] – Jan Hammer
7. Coming Back Home (Hammer) - 6:06
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Bass – Paul Jackson
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan Hammer
Engineer – Don Puluse
Engineer [Assitant] – Ken Robertson
Guitar – George Benson
Mixed By – Tony Williams, Jack Malken
8. Morgan's Motion (Cecil Taylor) - 8:18
Drums – Tony Williams
Engineer – Stanley Tonkel
Engineer [Assitant] – Ken Robertson
Grand Piano [Concert Grand Piano] – Cecil Taylor