PHAROAH SANDERS — The Impulse Story (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like the Archie Shepp and Alice Coltrane volumes in the Impulse Story series, the Pharoah Sanders issue is one of the flawless ones -- despite the fact that it only contains four tracks. Ashley Kahn, author of the book the series is named after, wisely chose tracks with Sanders as a leader rather than as a sideman with John Coltrane (those were documented quite well on the John and Alice volumes). The set begins with "Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt," recorded in 1966 while he was still a member of the Coltrane band. Featuring Sanders on tenor, piccolo, percussion, and vocals, it also contains a who's who of the vanguard: pianist Dave Burrell, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, bassist Henry Grimes, percussionist Nat Bettis, and drummer Roger Blank. Sanders could take a disparate group of players like this one and wind them into his sound world. Burrell is the most automatically sympathetic, and lends a hand in creating a series of call-and-response exchanges with Sanders so Sharrock and Grimes follow suit -- not the other way around. This is also the place where the listener really encounters Sharrock's unique (even iconoclastic) playing -- he performed on Miles Davis' seminal Jack Johnson album but was mixed out. At over 16 minutes, it is barely a hint of what is to come. This cut is followed by Sanders' magnum opus, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." Based on a simple vamp, it unravels into an almost 33-minute textured improvisation that sounds like it could move heaven and earth because it almost literally explodes. Recorded for the Karma album in 1969, "The Creator" also features the late great Leon Thomas on vocals, providing his eerie, deep, and soulful "voice as improvisational instrument" approach that sends the tune soaring. Other sidemen here are bassists Richard Davis and Reggie Workman, James Spaulding, Julius Watkins, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, Bettis, and drummer Billy Hart. This is where this track belongs, not on the box where it took time and space away from other artists. "Astral Traveling," from the 1970 platter Thembi, follows, with the great violinist Michael White serving as foil to the lyric Pharoah. The last two tracks really chart Sanders' development not just as an improviser and composer but as a bandleader and in his mastery of the soprano saxophone -- only Steve Lacy and Coltrane did it better. The sprawl is tightened -- this cut is less than six minutes long -- but mainly in the way he leads the band with his approach to the saxophone and its dynamics. Cecil McBee plays bass here and Clifford Jarvis is on drums, and Smith uses an electric piano to fantastic effect. The final cut here, "Spiritual Blessing" from the Elevation album in 1973, is widely regarded as another Sanders classic with the man himself on soprano. He is accompanied by a group of percussionists, including Michael Carvin, Jimmy Hopps, John Blue, and Lawrence Killian. Sanders uses the percussionists as a counter to the featured drone instruments (with Joe Bonner on harmonium and Calvin Hill on tamboura). At just under six minutes, it's a song that perfectly fuses Eastern and Western musical improvisational traditions. Listening to this volume of the course of an hour is literally an aurally expansive and spiritually enlightening experience. If you can only have one of the CDs in this series, this may be the one to snag -- along with Alice Coltrane's chapter, this is spiritual jazz at its very best.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Upper Egypt And Lower Egypt 16:16
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Roger Blank
Electric Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Dave Burrell
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Percussion, Vocals, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
2    The Creator Has A Master Plan 32:45
Bass – Richard Davis
Composed By – Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders
Drums – Billy Hart
Flute – James Spaulding
French Horn – Julius Watkins
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Pharoah Sanders
Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas
3    Astral Traveling 5:48
Bass – Cecil McBee
Electric Piano, Composed By – Lonnie Liston Smith
Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders
Violin – Michael White
4    Spiritual Blessing 5:40
Bells [Bell Tree] – Lawrence Killian
Drums – Michael Carvin
Harmonium – Joe Bonner
Percussion – Jimmy Hopps, John Blue
Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders
Tambura – Calvin Hill

DON CHERRY — Symphony for Improvisers (1967-2005) RM | RVG Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

For his second album, Symphony for Improvisers, Don Cherry expanded his Complete Communion quartet -- tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Ed Blackwell -- to a septet, adding vibraphonist Karl Berger, bassist Jean François Jenny-Clark, and tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders (who frequently plays piccolo here). The lineup has a real international flavor, since Barbieri was from Argentina, Berger from Germany, and Jenny-Clark from France; Cherry had gigged regularly with all three during his 1964-1965 sojourn in Europe, and brought them to New York to record. With all the added firepower, it's remarkable that Symphony for Improvisers has the same sense of shared space and controlled intelligence as its predecessor, even when things are at their most heated. Once again, Cherry sets up the album as two continuous medleys that fuse four compositions apiece, which allows the group's improvisational energy and momentum to carry straight through the entire program. The "Symphony for Improvisers" suite is the most raucous part of Cherry's Blue Note repertoire, and the "Manhattan Cry" suite pulls off the widest mood shifts Cherry had yet attempted in that format. Even though the album is full of passionate fireworks, there's also a great deal of subtlety -- the flavors added to the ensemble by Berger's vibes and Sanders' piccolo, for example, or the way other instrumental voices often support and complement a solo statement. Feverish but well-channeled, this larger-group session is probably Cherry's most gratifying for Blue Note. Steve Huey   
Tracklist
 1 Symphony for Improvisers:
 Symphony for Improvisers/Nu Creative Love 19:43
Don Cherry
2 Manhattan Cry: Manhattan Cry/Lunatic/Sparkle Plenty/Om Nu 19:17
Don Cherry
Credits
Bass – Henry Grimes, Jean-François Jenny-Clark
Cornet, Composed By – Don Cherry
Drums – Edward Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Gato Barbieri
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute – Pharoah Sanders
Vibraphone, Piano – Karl Berger

LENNIE TRISTANO - Continuity (1985-1994) FLAC (tracks), lossless

These valuable recordings document the great pianist Lennie Tristano during his later years, when public appearances were rare and recordings only an infrequent event. Tristano is heard playing at the Half Note on two separate occasions. Warne Marsh is on tenor, altoist Lee Konitz is a major asset to the selections from 1964, and the rhythm sections include either Henry Grimes or Sonny Dallas on bass and Paul Motian or Nick Stabulas on drums. The recording quality is decent if not admirable, but it is the music (six explorations of common chord changes and a 50-second "Everything Happens to Me") that is wonderful. Tristano, Marsh, and Konitz constantly create new melody lines and make highly original music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Continuity 4:11
(Tristano)
2. She's Funny That Way 3:54
(Daniels/Whiting)
3. My Baby 5:35
(Tristano)
4. Everything Happens to Me 0:53
(Adair/Dennis)
5. . Subconscious Lee 5:56
(Konitz)
6. 317 East 32nd 9:53
(Tristano)
7. Background Music 7:42
(Marsh)
Credits :
1-4
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Paul Motian
Piano – Lennie Tristano
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh
5-7
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Sonny Dallas
Drums – Nick Stabulas
Piano – Lennie Tristano
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh
Notas.
Tracks 1-4: Recorded October 1958 at The Half Note, New York, NY
Tracks 5-7: Recorded June 1964 at The Half Note, New York, NY

THE LEE KONITZ QUARTET - Tranquility (1957-1999) RM | MONO | Verve Original Collection 50 – 13 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Lee Konitz' Verve label debut remains the purest expression of the sculpted, geometric aesthetic the altoist honed throughout the Eisenhower era -- crafted with startling precision and economy, Tranquility extols the virtues of mood and shape with Talmudic zeal, towering astride thought and expression. Supported by the bedrock rhythm section of bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Dave Bailey, Konitz and guitarist Billy Bauer weave melodies as intricate and ephemeral as spider webs. Rarely is music so profoundly cerebral also so deeply heartfelt. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1     Stephanie 3:57
Lee Konitz
2     Memories of You 3:12
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf
3     People Will Say We're in Love 4:57
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
4     When You're Smiling 3:48
Mark Fisher / Joe Goodwin / Larry Shay
5     Sunday 3:26
Chester Cohn / Benny Krueger / Ned Miller / Jule Styne
6     Lennie Bird 5:25
Lennie Tristano
7     The Nearness of You 6:09
Hoagy Carmichael / Ned Washington
8     Jonquil 3:09
Werner Bauer
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Dave Bailey
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Notas.
Recorded October 22, 1957 in New York.
As per the original release, the sleeve lists track four as "When You're In Love" while labels list "When You're Smiling".

LEE KONITZ - From Newport to Nice (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This compilation consists of live tracks from various sources, including festivals, television and radio broadcasts over a quarter century. While the playing of Konitz and his various band mates is first rate, the sound quality ranges from excellent to poor, probably due to the condition of the tapes and the fact that some of the songs likely come from audience tapes. Highlights include "All The Things You Are," heard in a swinging quintet that included guitarist Rene Thomas and pianist Misha Mengleberg; Lennie Tristano's "At Twilight," by a quartet that featured the late guitarist Atilla Zoller; and the lengthy but delightful second version of "Lover Man," in a quartet with Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell and Jimmy Rowles. Konitz fans should not let the sometimes dismal sound quality keep them from acquiring this excellent CD. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Two Not One 5:41
Lennie Tristano
2     My Melancholy Baby 3:09
Ernie Burnett / George Norton
3     I'm Getting Sentimental over You 3:38
George Bassman / Ned Washington
4     Easy Living 3:53
Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
5     Some of These Days 4:14
Shelton Brooks
6     Lover Man 4:19
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
7     Will You Still Be Mine? 4:05
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
8     'Round Midnight 5:10
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
9     All the Things You Are 9:20
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
10     317 East 32nd Street 6:17
Lennie Tristano
11     At Twilight 7:59
Maceo Pinkard
12     Lover Man 10:05
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
13     Body and Soul 5:54
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Contrabass – Barre Phillips (pistas: 10, 11), Bob Carter (pistas: 1), Frank Carroll (pistas: 2), Henry Grimes (pistas: 5 to 7), Johnny Fischer (pistas: 3, 4), Red Mitchell (pistas: 12), Rob Langereis (pistas: 8, 9)
Drums – Buzzy Drootin (pistas: 1), Don Lamond (pistas: 2), Ed Levinson (pistas: 5 to 7), Han Bennink (pistas: 8, 9), Rudi Sehring (pistas: 3), Shelly Manne (pistas: 12), Stu Martin (pistas: 10, 11)
Guitar – Attila Zoller (pistas: 10, 11), Jimmy Raney (pistas: 13), Johnny Smith (pistas: 2), René Thomas (pistas: 8, 9)
Piano – Jimmy Rowles (pistas: 12), Misha Mengelberg (pistas: 8, 9), Roland Kovac (pistas: 3), Russ Freeman (pistas: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh (pistas: 1)

ALBERT AYLER - Goin' Home (1964-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Albert Ayler was confronted with a spiritual anxiety that both plagued and comforted him throughout his life. This is frighteningly clear listening to the highly intense musical yin and yang that was present February 24, 1964, when the tracks for Goin' Home and Witches and Devils were recorded. Ayler plays tenor and soprano saxophones on "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Deep River," "Goin Home," "Down by the Riverside," "When the Saints Go Marchin In," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." These traditional compositions are treated with reverence and a lack of improvisation, played in a quietly passionate but respectful manner. They reveal a sensitivity that was obscured with the emotionally charged tenor screeching of the Ayler originals that were also recorded at this session: "Witches and Devils," "Spirits," "Holy, Holy," and "Saints." Black Lion reissued Goin' Home with double takes of "Down by the Riverside," "Ol' Man River," and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The Goin' Home rhythm section is held together by the gospel-influenced piano style of Call Cobbs. This was the first time the saxophonist had played with Cobbs, who, like Ayler, was from Cleveland and had recently moved to New York. Free jazz stalwarts Henry Grimes' bass and Sunny Murray's drums rounded out the proceedings, following Ayler and Cobbs lead, sounding more accessible than they had on previous recordings. While Goin' Home and Witches and Devils haven't been released together on one compact disc, obtaining both and playing them back to back makes for an amazing comparison in moods and styles. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1    Goin' Home 4'26
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
2    Ol' Man River (Take 2) 5'25
Written-By – Kern & Hammerstein
3    Down By The Riverside (Take 6) 4'39
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
4    Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Take 3) 4'30
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
5    Deep River 4'15
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
6    When The Saints Go Marchin' In 4'12
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
7    Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen 4'44
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
8    Ol' Man River (Take 1) 3'58
Written-By – Kern & Hammerstein
9    Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Take 1) 4'49
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
10    Down By The Riverside (Take 5) 4'28
Traditional
Arranged By – Albert Ayler
Credits :
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Arthur 'Sonny' Murray
Piano – Call Cobbs Jr.
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Albert Ayler

ALBERT AYLER QUARTETS 1964 - Spirits To Ghosts Revisited (1964-2019) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist :
1    Spirits    6:33
2    Prophecy    6:11
3    Holy, Holy    11:09
4    Witches And Devils    12:05
5    Ghosts    7:58
6    Mothers    7:05
7    Vibrations    4:56
8    Holy Spirit    8:29
9    Ghosts    2:06
10    Children    6:52
Credits :
Double Bass – Earle Henderson (pistas: 1, 3), Gary Peacock (pistas: 5 to 10), Henry Grimes (pistas: 1, 2, 4)
Drums – Sunny Murray
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone (5 to 10), Composed By [All Compositions By] – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Don Cherry (pistas: 5 to 10), Norman Howard (pistas: 1 to 4)

ALBERT AYLER - Live in Greenwich Village : The Complete Impulse Recordings (1998) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Live in Greenwich Village was Albert Ayler's first recording for Impulse, and is arguably his finest moment, not only for the label, but ever. This double-CD reissue combines both of the Village concerts -- documented only partially on previously released LPs -- recorded in 1965 and 1966 with two very different groups. The Village gigs reveal the mature Ayler whose music embodied bold contradictions: There are the sweet, childlike, singalong melodies contrasted with violent screaming peals of emotion, contrasted with the gospel and R&B shouts of jubilation, all moving into and through one another. On the 1965 date, which featured Ayler, his brother Donald on trumpet, Joel Freedman on cello, bassist Lewis Worrell, and the great Sunny Murray on drums, the sound is one of great urgency. Opening with "Holy Ghost," the Aylers come out stomping and Murray double times them to bring the bass and cello to ground level in order to anchor musical proceedings to their respective generated sounds. "Truth Is Marching In" casts a bleating, gospelized swirl against a backdrop of three- and four-note "sung" phrases that are constantly repeated, à la a carny band before kicking down all the doors and letting it rip for almost 13 minutes. On the 1967 date of the second disc, the Aylers are augmented with drummer Beaver Harris, violinist Michel Sampson, Bill Folwell and Alan Silva on basses, and trombonist George Steele on the closer, "Universal Thoughts." "For John Coltrane" opens the set with a sweltering abstraction of tonalities in the strings and horns. On "Change Has Come," the abstraction remains but the field of language is deeper, denser, more urgent. Only with "Spiritual Rebirth," which opens with a four-note theme, does one get the feeling that the band has been pacing itself for this moment, and that the concert has become an actual treatise on the emotion of "singing" as an ensemble in uncharted territories. Throughout the rest of the set, Ayler's band buoys him perfectly, following him up through every new cloud of unknowing into a sublime musical and emotional beyond which, at least on recordings, would never be realized again. This recording is what all the fuss is about when it comes to Ayler.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist 1 :
1     Holy Ghost 7'41
Albert Ayler
2     The Truth Is Marching In 12'42
Albert Ayler
3     Our Prayer 4'45
Donald Ayler
4     Spirits Rejoice 16'22
Albert Ayler
5     Divine Peacemaker 12'37
Albert Ayler
6     Angels 9'53
Albert Ayler
Tracklist 2 :
1     For John Coltrane 13'40
Albert Ayler
2     Change Has Come 6'24
Albert Ayler
3    Light in Darkness 10'59
Albert Ayler
4     Heavenly Home 8'51
Albert Ayler
5     Spiritual Rebirth 4'26
Albert Ayler
6     Infinite Spirit 6'37
Albert Ayler
7     Omega Is the Alpha 10'46
Albert Ayler
8     Universal Thoughts 8'22
Albert Ayler
Credits :    
Bass – Alan Silva (tracks: 2-1 to 2-8), Bill Folwell (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-1 to 2-8), Henry Grimes (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5)
Cello – Joel Freedman (tracks: 1-1, 2-1 to 2-8)
Drums – Beaver Harris (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-2 to 2-8)
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Don Ayler (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5, 2-2 to 2-8)
Violin – Michel Sampson (tracks: 1-2 to 1-5, 2-1 to 2-8)

ALBERT AYLER - Witches & Devils (1964-1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Arista Freedom release is actually a reissue of two sessions from 1964. Witches & Devils is a compelling listen because of its situational framework rather than its artistic achievement. Ayler had already had the experience of playing with Cecil Taylor in Europe two years before this. The rhythm section there, Sunny Murray and Henry Grimes, also appear here. Though Grimes plays on only one of the two sessions -- the other bassist was Earle Henderson -- Murray is present throughout, and what a difference it makes in the sound of Ayler's confidence, tone, and overall musical presentation. Previous outings featured Ayler with well-meaning but incapable European musicians trying to play his music. Here, though the trumpet chair -- Norman Howard, a friend from Ayler's hometown of Cleveland -- is a weak link in the chain, this situation allows Ayler's music to shine through, more or less. Needless to say, the quartet with Grimes and Murray, which yields two tunes here -- the title track, which also features Henderson, and "Holy, Holy" -- offers the first real glimpse of Ayler in command. His statuesque take on the tonal and timbral fronts comes from both Ornette Coleman and the honking R&B bar-walkers. And in looking inside the various registers on the title cut, he explores the emotions inherent in timbral modulation without refracting the notes themselves too much. He moves from a whisper of great tenderness to a bloodcurdling scream, and it all sounds natural. On "Holy, Holy," the arco bass work by Grimes complements the intensity with which Ayler is playing. He goes for the upper register buoyed up by Murray's triple time, timberline beats and cross-handed polyrhythms, screeching to the point of sounding like a crying child, quoting hymns and blues tunes throughout. Howard's trumpet playing is no great shakes, but he moves through note displacement very well, opening up the harmonic registers for Ayler and Grimes to break through unencumbered. This is a revealing if not completely satisfying recording.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Witches and Devils 1'55
Albert Ayler
2     Spirits 6'35
Albert Ayler / David Hudson
3     Holy, Holy 11'00
Albert Ayler
4     Saints 6'005
Albert Ayler
Credits :    
Bass – Earle Henderson (tracks: 1, 3), Henry Grimes (tracks: 1, 2, 4)
Drums – Sonny Murray
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Norman Howard

ALBERT AYLER - Spirits Rejoice (1965) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at New York's Judson Hall in 1965, Spirits Rejoice is one of Albert Ayler's wildest, noisiest albums, partly because it's one of the very few that teams him with another saxophonist, altoist Charles Tyler. It's also one of the earliest recordings to feature Ayler's brother Don playing an amateurish but expressive trumpet, and the ensemble is further expanded by using bassists Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock together on three of the five tracks; plus, the rubato "Angels" finds Ayler interacting with Call Cobbs' harpsichord in an odd, twinkling evocation of the spiritual spheres. Aside from that more spacious reflection, most of the album is given over to furious ensemble interaction and hard-blowing solos that always place in-the-moment passion above standard jazz technique. Freed up by the presence of the trumpet and alto, Ayler's playing concentrates on the rich lower register of his horn and all the honks and growls that go with it; his already thick, huge tone has rarely seemed more monolithic. Spirits Rejoice also provides an opportunity to hear the sources of Ayler's simple, traditional melodies becoming more eclectic. The nearly 12-minute title track has a pronounced New Orleans marching band feel, switching between two themes reminiscent of a hymn and a hunting bugle call, and the brief "Holy Family" is downright R&B-flavored. "Prophet" touches on a different side of Ayler's old-time march influence, with machine-gun cracks and militaristic cadences from drummer Sunny Murray driving the raggedly energetic ensemble themes. For all its apparent chaos, Spirits Rejoice is often surprisingly pre-arranged -- witness all the careening harmony passages that accompany the theme statements, and the seamless transitions of the title track. Spirits Rejoice is proof that there was an underlying logic even to Ayler's most extreme moments, and that's why it remains a tremendously inspiring recording. Steve Huey  
Tracklist :
1     Spirits Rejoice 11'41
Albert Ayler
2     Holy Family 2'11
Albert Ayler
3     D. C. 8'00
Albert Ayler
4     Angels 5'30
Albert Ayler
5     Prophet 5'36
Albert Ayler
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Charles Tyler
Bass – Gary Peacock, Henry Grimes
Drums – Sunny Murray
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trumpet – Don Ayler

ALBERT AYLER - In Greenwich Village (1967-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During 1967-69 avant-garde innovator Albert Ayler recorded a series of albums for Impulse that started on a high level and gradually declined in quality. This LP, Ayler's first Impulse set, was probably his best for that label. There are two selections apiece from a pair of live appearances with Ayler having a rare outing on alto on the emotional "For John Coltrane" and the more violent "Change Has Come" while backed by cellist Joel Friedman, both Alan Silva and Bill Folwell on basses and drummer Beaver Harris. The other set (with trumpeter Donald Ayler, violinist Michel Sampson, Folwell and Henry Grimes on basses and Harris) has a strong contrast between the simple childlike melodies and the intense solos. However this LP (which was augmented later on by the two-LP set The Village Concerts) will be difficult to find. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     For John Coltrane 13'38
Albert Ayler
2     Change Has Come 6'24
Albert Ayler
3     Truth Is Marching In 12'43
Albert Ayler
4     Our Prayer 4'43
Donald Ayler
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Albert Ayler (tracks: 1)
Bass – Alan Silva (tracks: 1, 2), Bill Folwell, Henry Grimes (tracks: 3, 4)
Cello – Joel Friedman (tracks: 1, 2)
Drums – Beaver Harris
Producer – Bob Thiele
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler (tracks: 2 to 4)
Trumpet – Donald Ayler (tracks: 3, 4)
 Violin – Michel Sampson (tracks: 3, 4)

ARCHIE SHEPP - On This Night (1966-1993) RM | GRP Presents The Legendary Masters Of Jazz | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp's third release for the Impulse label collects valuable loose ends recorded between March and August 1965. Among the highlights are a passionate reading of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" and the title piece, a moving tribute to W.E.B. DuBois, featuring the haunting soprano vocalist Christine Spencer employing a distinct 20th century classical influence, with Shepp on piano. Shepp is the solo horn on these dates, playing at peak form with contributions from vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson early in his career, David Izenzon or Henry Grimes on bass, and four rotating drummers, including Rashied Ali, J.C. Moses, Joe Chambers, and Ed Blackwell, playing a variety of percussion. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1    On This Night (If That Great Day Would Come) 10'00
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Rashied Ali
Tenor Saxophone, Piano – Archie Shepp
Timpani – Joe Chambers
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson
Vocals [Soprano Voice] – Chirstine Spencer
2    The Mac Man 7'27
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Rashied Ali
Percussion [Rhythm Logs] – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson
3    The Mac Man (Alternate Take) 9'27
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Rashied Ali
Percussion [Rhythm Logs] – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson
4    The Original Mr. Sonny Boy Williamson 5'58
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – J.C. Moses
Percussion [Rhythm Logs] – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson
5    In A Sentimental Mood 3'18
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Joe Chambers
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson
Written-By – Duke Ellington
6    The Chased (Take 1) 11'42
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
7    The Chased (Take 2) 6'10
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
8    The Chased (Take 3) 5'11
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
9    The Pickaninny (Picked Clean -- No More -- Or Can You Back Back Doodlebug) 7'22
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
10    Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm, Semper Malcolm 4'50
Bass – David Izenzon
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone, Voice [Recitation] – Archie Shepp
Note:
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on August 12, 1965 (#1-5) and March 9, 1965 (#6-10)
Tracks 3, 6 to 8, 10: Bonus cuts, not included on the original album [tray insert]
"Gingerbread, Gingerbread Boy" which appeared on the original LP of On This Night, was recorded live at Newport and now appears on the CD of New Thing At Newport by Shepp and John Coltrane.
"Malcolm" originally appeared on Fire Music (AS-86). The Third Take of "The Chase" originally appeared on The Definitive Jazz Scene - Volume Three (AS 9101). The first two takes of "The Chase" and the alternate take of "The Mac Man" first appeared on Further Fire Music (IA-9357). The output of these August and March, 1965 sessions is presented completely on this CD.
[booklet]

ARCHIE SHEPP — Further Fire Music (1978) 2 x Vinyl, LP | The Dedication Series – Vol. XVII | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
A1        The Chased (Take 1)    11:47
A2        The Chased (Take 2)    6:11
B1        The Chased (Take 3)    5:15
B2        The Pickaninny    7:20
B3        Malcolm, Malcolm Semper Malcolm 4:40
Vocals [Recitation] – Archie Shepp
C1        Rufus (Swung His Face At Last To The Wind, Then His Neck Snapped)    4:58
C2        Le Matin De Noire    7:39
C3        Scag 3:04
Vocals [Recitation] – Archie Shepp
C4        Call Me By My Rightful Name    6:19
D1        Gingerbread, Gingerbread Boy    10:15
D2        The Mac Man (Alternate Take) 9:30
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Ed Blackwell, Rashied Ali
Credits
Bass – Barre Phillips (pistas: C1 to D1), David Izenzon (pistas: A1 to B3)
Drums – J. C. Moses (pistas: A1 to B3), Joe Chambers (pistas: C1 to D1)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone, Written-By – Archie Shepp
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson (pistas: C1 to D2)
Notas.
All selections previously released on various ABC Impulse albums, except Side A and D-2 which are previously unreleased alternate takes.
A, B recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 9, 1965
C & D1 recorded live at The Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island on July 2, 1965
D2 recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on August 12, 1965

PHAROAH SANDERS - Tauhid (1967-2007) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tauhid marks the 1966 Impulse debut of tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, who had already gained fame as a flame-throwing saxophonist of the "new thing" playing with John Coltrane. However, Sanders' tenor appearance doesn't saturate the atmosphere on this session; far from it. Sanders is content to patiently let the moods of these three pieces develop, whether it be through the percussion of Roger Blank and Nat Bettis, guitarist Sonny Sharrock, or his own piccolo. For those looking for Sanders' patented screeching tenor throughout, Tauhid will disappoint. Al Campbell
Tracklist :
1    Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt    16:16
2    Japan    3:22
3    Aum / Venus / Capricorn Rising    14:46
Credits :
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Roger Blank
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Guitar – Sonny Sharrock
Percussion – Nat Bettis
Piano – Dave Burrell
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Voice, Composed By – Pharoah Sanders

SONNY ROLLINS AND COLEMAN HAWKINS - Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Throughout a career that spanned more than 40 years, Coleman Hawkins consistently maintained a progressive attitude, operating at or near the cutting edge of developments in jazz. If Hawk's versatility came in handy when he backed Abbey Lincoln during Max Roach's 1960 We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, he took on an assignment of challenging dimensions when in 1963 he cut an entire album with Sonny Rollins in the company of pianist Paul Bley, bassists Bob Cranshaw and Henry Grimes, and drummer Roy McCurdy. Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins each virtually defined the tenor saxophone for his respective generation. To hear the two of them interacting freely is a deliciously exciting experience. Hawkins is able to cut loose like never before. Sometimes the two collide, locking horns and wrestling happily without holding back. For this reason one might detect just a whiff of Albert Ayler's good-natured punchiness, particularly in the basement of both horns; such energies were very much in the air during the first half of the 1960s. Rather than comparing this date with the albums Hawkins shared with Ben Webster (1957), Henry "Red" Allen (1957), Pee Wee Russell (1961), or Duke Ellington (1962), one might refer instead to Hawk's wild adventures in Brussels during 1962 (see Stash 538, Dali) or Rollins' recordings from around this time period, particularly his Impulse! East Broadway Run Down album of 1965. Check out how the Hawk interacts with Rollins' drawn-out high-pitched squeaking during the last minute of "Lover Man." On Sonny Meets Hawk!, possibly more than at any other point in his long professional evolution, Hawkins was able to attain heights of unfettered creativity that must have felt bracing, even exhilarating. He obviously relished the opportunity to improvise intuitively in the company of a tenor saxophonist every bit as accomplished, resourceful, and inventive as he was. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :
1    Yesterdays 5'12
Written-By – J. Kern, O. Harbach
2    All The Things You Are 9'30
Written-By – J. Kern, O. Hammerstein II
3        Summertime
Written-By – D. Heyward, G. & I. Gershwin
4    Just Friends 4'37
Written-By – J. Klenner, S. Lewis
5    Lover Man 8'50
Written-By – J. Davis, J. Sherman, R. Ramirez
6    At McKies' 7'01
Written-By – S. Rollins
Credits :
Bass – Bob Cranshaw (pistas: 1, 2, 5), Henry Grimes (pistas: 3, 4, 6)
Drums – Roy McCurdy
Piano – Paul Bley
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins

CECIL TAYLOR - Conquistador! (1966-1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For the second of Cecil Taylor's two Blue Note albums (following Unit Structures), the innovative pianist utilized a sextet comprised of trumpeter Bill Dixon, altoist Jimmy Lyons, both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses and drummer Andrew Cyrille. During the two lengthy pieces, Lyons' passionate solos contrast with Dixon's quieter ruminations while the music in general is unremittingly intense. Both of the Taylor Blue Notes are quite historic and near-classics but, despite this important documentation, Cecil Taylor (other than a pair of Paris concerts) would not appear on records again until 1973. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Conquistador 17:55
Cecil Taylor
2     With (Exit) 19:22
Cecil Taylor
3     With (Exit) 17:23
Cecil Taylor
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Lyons
Bass – Alan Silva, Henry Grimes
Drums – Andrew Cyrille
Piano, Written-By – Cecil Taylor
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Bill Dixon

CECIL TAYLOR - Unit Structures (1966-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 After several years off records, pianist Cecil Taylor finally had an opportunity to document his music of the mid-'60s on two Blue Note albums (the other one was Conquistador). Taylor's high-energy atonalism fit in well with the free jazz of the period but he was actually leading the way rather than being part of a movement. In fact, this septet outing with trumpeter Eddie Gale, altoist Jimmy Lyons, Ken McIntyre (alternating between alto, oboe and bass clarinet), both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on basses, and drummer Andrew Cyrille is quite stunning and very intense. In fact, it could be safely argued that no jazz music of the era approached the ferocity and intensity of Cecil Taylor's.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist
1 - Steps 10:18
Cecil Taylor
2 - Enter, Evening (Soft Line Structure) 11:05
Cecil Taylor
3 - Unit Structure / As Of A Now / Section 17:45
Cecil Taylor
4 - Tales (8 Whisps) 7:43
Cecil Taylor
Credits
Alto Saxophone - Jimmy Lyons
Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Bass Clarinet - Ken McIntyre
Bass - Alan Silva, Henry Grimes
Drums - Andrew Cyrille
Piano, Bells, Written-By, Liner Notes - Cecil Taylor
Trumpet - Eddie Gale Stevens Jr.

JEROME RICHARDSON - Going to the Movies (1962-2011) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Movie themes, along with songs from Broadway, have long been fodder for jazz musicians. This United Artists LP features Jerome Richardson leading his working quintet during a live engagement, though the venue is unidentified. The extended workout of Duke Jordan's "No Problem" (from the film Les Liaisons Dangereuses) showcases Richardson's robust baritone sax and Les Spann on flute, with the leader adding a tag at the end on piccolo. Richardson switches to tenor sax and Spann to guitar for a rather brisk arrangement of "Moon River." "Tonight" (from West Side Story) is a bit unusual in that it features both musicians on flute. The potent rhythm section includes pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Grady Tate. Richardson's recordings as a leader after the early '60s were rather sporadic, but this early effort gives a strong indication of his potential. Long out of print, this LP will be difficult to acquire. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     No Problem 8:45
Duke Jordan / Pat McLaughlin
2     Moon River 4:34
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer
3     Never on Sunday 4:32
Manos Hadjidakis
4     Tonight 3:46
Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim
5     Delilah 7:34
Victor Young
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Jerome Richardson
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Grady Tate
Guitar, Flute – Les Spaan
Performer – Jerome Richardson Quintet
Piano – Richard Wyands