ERIC DOLPHY — Muses (2013) MONO | Historical Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Marshmallow release in its Historical Series features Eric Dolphy's previously unreleased studio recordings from the so-called "Douglas Sessions," supposedly produced by Alan Douglas who was an A&R man for United Artists. Some materials from these sessions have been released over the years from several different labels, including the album Conversations from the FM label and Iron Man from the Douglas label.
Tracks 1 and 3-5 are previously unreleased alternate takes from these sessions, and Track 2 is a newly discovered tune that was supposedly "rejected" and therefore thought to have been erased. The album opens with two stunning duo performances by Dolphy and bassist Richard Davis. Their interplay is intimate and at times telepathetic. "Iron Man" and "Mandrake" are played by a quintet featuring Woody Shaw on trumpet and Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone. "Love Me" is a searing alto sax solo performance by Dolphy.
Tracklist :
1    Alone Together 12:07
Written-By – A. Schwartz
2    Muses 8:48
Written-By – E. Dolphy
3    Iron Man 8:27
Written-By – E. Dolphy
4    Love Me 3:39
Written-By – V. Young
5    Mandrake 4:18
Written-By – E. Dolphy
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 3 to 5)
Bass – Eddie Khan (tracks: 3), Richard Davis (tracks: 1, 2, 5)
Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 1, 2)
Drums – J.C. Moses (tracks: 3, 5)
Trumpet – Woody Shaw (tracks: 3, 5)
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson (tracks: 3, 5)
Recorded in New York, July 1st (1,2), July 3rd or 4th, 1963.

JOE SAMPLE — Fancy Dance (1969-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This recording (a reissue of a project for Sonet) was pianist Joe Sample's first solo set, although he was already well-known for his nine high-profile years with the Jazz Crusaders. Teamed with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer J.C. Moses, Sample plays mostly adventurous straight-ahead jazz on his date. There are some funky moments (particularly on the two blues), but all six of his originals have their challenging moments and Sample is heard stretching himself way beyond the predictable. Scott Yanow

KENNY DORHAM — Matador (1962-2010) RM | Serie Jazz名盤 999 Best & More, EMI Music Japan Inc. 50th Anniversary | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Kenny Dorham's Matador can safely claim the all too common distinction of being a classic among jazz connoisseurs while virtually unknown to the casual listener. Dorham is joined here by Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Teddy Smith, and J.C. Moses, all of whom deliver outstanding performances. More than anything, this session is perhaps best known for including a stunning version of McLean's composition "Melody for Melonae," used less than a month earlier on his groundbreaking Blue Note LP Let Freedom Ring. For this session, though, the tune is renamed "Melanie" and, if not better, this version at least rivals the take under McLean's leadership. For starters, the addition of another horn adds some tonal depth to the proceedings, a situation arguably lacking in the tune's earlier recording. Also of note is what has to be Bobby Timmons' most intense moment on record. One rarely has the opportunity to hear Timmons dig and scrape as hard as he does during this solo, and his barely audible vocal accompaniment (à la Bud Powell) only helps to prove this point. This is a case where a performer not commonly associated with seriously stretching out goes at it with a life-affirming fervor, making "Melanie" a treat for listeners who revel in emotional performances. Other highlights include the opener, "El Matador," a 5/4 number that, frankly, fades out just when things were getting good, and the otherwise unaccompanied Dorham/Timmons duet, "Prelude." A fantastic session by any standard. Brandon Burke 

Tracklist :

1 El Matador 6:32
Kenny Dorham
2 Melanie, Pts. 1-3 11:34
Jackie McLean
3 Smile 5:00
Charlie Chaplin / Geoffrey Parsons / John Turner
4 Beautiful Love 5:13
Haven Gillespie / Wayne King / Egbert VanAlstyne / Victor Young
5 Prelude 4:47
Heitor Villa-Lobos
6 There Goes My Heart 5:12
Benny Davis / Horace Silver
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
Bass – Teddy Smith
Drums – J.C. Moses
Piano – Bobby Timmons
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

ROLAND KIRK - Kirk In Copenhagen (1963-2004) RM | Serie : LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In addition to being Roland Kirk's first live long-player, the breakthrough Kirk in Copenhagen was his fifth in a little over two years during his particularly prolific relationship with Mercury Records. On this 1964 release, Kirk heads up a truly integrated quintet featuring the multi-reedsmith (tenor sax, flute, manzello, strich, nose flute, and siren) as well as Tete Montoliu (piano) from Spain, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass) from Denmark, and a pair of Yanks in Don Moore (bass) and J.C. Moses (drums). The dementedly humorous blues workout on "The Monkey Thing" features a character by the name of Big Skol (mouth harp) -- whose true identity is none other than Sonny Boy Williamson. It is presumed that contractual or other potentially litigious circumstances prevented the blues legend from being properly credited at the time of this LP's initial release. Although somewhat ragtag in derivation, the combo quickly finds its sonic niche. The opener, "Narrow Bolero," audibly suffers from a rhythmically disoriented Moses, whose sloppy skins and decidedly uneven timing are brutally evident on occasion. Thankfully, he quickly smartens up and his contributions -- especially to "Cabin in the Sky" -- are both engaging and active in their solidification of the rhythm section. Nowhere is Moses more in control than the set's brilliant conclusion, "On the Corner of King and Scott Streets." The band commences and concludes with an open throttle as it blazes through the high-velocity and densely intricate jam, the bottom of which falls out, providing Kirk plenty of space to improvise wildly, utilizing his clever wit and immensely expressive musicality. The ten-CD Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk box set from 1990 embellishes the half-dozen performances included on this album with an additional ten sides. Ultimately, this yields over an hour and 45 minutes of primal live Kirk, and is considered by many enthusiasts as worthy of the nominal investment needed to acquire the otherwise essential and definitively comprehensive compilation. Kirk in Copenhagen was reissued on CD as part of Verve's classic reissue program in a limited edition with beautifully remastered sound in a digipack replica of the original LP sleeve. There is no bonus material on this reissue. Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1     Narrow Bolero 5'23
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2     Mingus-Griff Song 8'07
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
3     The Monkey Thing 5'43
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
4     Mood Indigo 7'17
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
5     Cabin in the Sky 7'46
Vernon Duke / John Latouche
6     On the Corner of King and Scott Streets 4'12
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Bass – Don Moore, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Drums – J.C. Moses
Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson
Piano – Tete Montoliu
Producer – Quincy Jones
Tenor Saxophone, Idiophone [Manzello, Stritch], Flute, Siren, By – Roland Kirk

ROLAND KIRK QUARTET WITH TETE MONTOLIU - Copenhagen Concert (2005) 2CD | FLAC (tracks), lossless

There are many wonderful ways to get acquainted or stay in touch with the spirit of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. For a truly mind-altering and life-changing listening experience, try this Lone Hill Jazz double-CD reissue of Kirk's amazing performances recorded live at the Club Montmartre in Copenhagen on October 24 and 25, 1963. (Present in the audience on the second night was John Coltrane, who was resting his chops after playing the Tivolis Koncertsal.) Earlier that year, Kirk was working out of Chicago when a promoter from Sweden heard him and suggested a Scandinavian tour. By late September Kirk was in London playing to packed houses at Ronnie Scott's and the Marquee Club. The tour then expanded as Kirk roared through Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Holland in addition to Sweden and Denmark. Fortunately, Quincy Jones arranged for the Copenhagen Concert to be recorded, preserving for posterity the magical interplay between this joyously driven multi-instrumental Ohioan and the Barcelona-born pianist Tete Montoliu, bassists Don Moore and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and drummer J.C. Moses, who by the end of the decade would serve as the house drummer at Café Montmartre. Two tracks feature special guest blues harmonica legend Sonny Boy Williamson, identified on most previous issues only as 'Big Skol'. The gutsy combination of Kirk and Williamson on "Untitled Blues" and "The Monkey Thing" is a spicy treat that meshes nicely with Williamson's other European and British adventures in the company of Memphis Slim, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, and Eric Burdon & the Animals. According to what Kirk says by way of introduction, he and Sonny Boy Williamson had previously gigged together in Milwaukee, which makes their Danish rendezvous somewhat of a reunion jam. Every aspect of Kirk's artistry is documented on the Copenhagen recordings -- gorgeous ballads, gleefully reconstituted standards and fiery originals. Essential features are his supreme one-man three-sax and flute adaptation of "Mood Indigo," a bouncing medley that opens with a rousing "Rock-A-Bye Baby" and Kirk's blustery, screaming over-the-top flute solo during "On the Corner of King and Scott Streets." This edition also contains two exciting bonus tracks: a sunny seven-minute version of "A Stritch in Time" recorded live at the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival, and a rare recording of a nearly 15-minute jam on Charlie Parker's "Au Privave," tape recorded by an enterprising amateur at a gig in Berlin on September 24, 1964. In addition to Tete Montoliu, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Kenny Clarke, this steamy blowout features alto saxophonist Sonny Stitt. Those who really love their jazz will want to absorb this track in all its muddy-sounding "bootleg" splendor, as this is the only known recording of Sonny Stitt and Rahsaan Roland Kirk performing together. Don't miss it. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist 1 :
1-1    Narrow Bolero    8:24
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1-2    My Heart Stood Still    5:50
 Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
1-3    No Title No. 1    5:56
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1-4    Mood Indigo    7:14
 Ellington / Mills / Bigard
1-5    Cabin In The Sky    7:47
Duke / Latouche
1-6    On The Corner Of King And Scott Streets    4:41
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1-7    Untitled Blues    6:16
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1-8    The Monkey Thing    5:55
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
1-9    Will You Still Be Mine?    8:40
 Adair / Dennis
1-10    One For My Baby    3:54
 Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
1-11    We'll Be Together Again    5:21
Fisher / Laine
1-12    Mingus-Griff Song    8:03
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Tracklist 2 :
2-1    Mood Indigo    7:28
Ellington / Mills / Bigard
2-2    Medley: Rock-A-Bye Baby / The Nearness Of You / No Title No. 3    12:35
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk / Ned Washington
2-3    Half A Triple    4:54
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2-4    Narrow Bolero    6:46
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2-5    A Stritch In Time    7:08
 Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2-6    Au Privave    14:37
C. Parker
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt (pistas: 2-6)
Bass – Don Moore (pistas: 1-1 to 2-4), Jimmy Woode (pistas: 2-6), Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen (pistas: 1-1 to 2-4), Vernon Martin (pistas: 2-5)
Drums – Clifford Jarvis (pistas: 2-5), J.C. Moses (pistas: 1-1 to 2-4), Kenny Clarke (pistas: 2-6)
Harmonica – Sonny Boy Williamson (pistas: 1-7, 1-8)
Nose Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1-1 to 2-4)
Piano – Andrew Hill (pistas: 2-5), Tete Montoliu (pistas: 1-1 to 2-4, 2-6)
Siren, Flute – Roland Kirk (pistas: 1-1 to 2-5)
Tenor Saxophone, Saxophone [Manzello], Saxophone [Stritch] – Roland Kirk
Vocals – Sonny Boy Williamson (pistas: 1-7)

ARCHIE SHEPP - Archie Shepp & The New York Contemporary Five (1963-2004) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This historically significant LP has six selections recorded by the New York Contemporary Five on November 11, 1963. The short-lived group, which consists of cornetist Don Cherry, altoist John Tchicai, Archie Shepp on tenor, bassist Don Moore, and drummer J.C. Moses, was avant-garde for the period, influenced most by Ornette Coleman's Quartet; the participation of Coleman's cornetist certainly helped. However, Tchicai (although sometimes hinting at Coleman) had a different approach than Coleman, and it was obvious that Shepp had already developed his own original voice and was the group's most passionate soloist. Together this very interesting quintet (which would soon break up) performs pieces by Coleman, Thelonious Monk (there's a short melodic renditions of "Crepescule with Nellie"), Bill Dixon, Tchicai, Shepp, and Cherry. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Consequences 8'39
Written-By – Cherry
2    Monk's Mood 2'29
Written-By – Monk
3    Emotions 8'43
Written-By – Coleman
4    Wo Wo 5'50
Written-By – Tchicai
5    Trio 15'32
Written-By – Dixon
6    Crepescule With Nellie 2'22
Written-By – Monk
7    O.C. 6'40
Written-By – Coleman
8    When Will The Blues Leave 8'57
Written-By – Coleman
9    The Funeral 8'08
Written-By – Shepp
10    Mick 7'42
Written-By – Tchicai
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Tchicai
Bass – Don Moore
Cornet – Don Cherry
Drums – J.C. Moses
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Notas.
Recorded November 15, 1963, Jazzhus Montmartre Copenhagen.
This is a compilation of "New York Contemporary 5 - Vol. 2" (track 1 to 5) and "New York Contemporary 5 - Vol. 1" (track 6 to 10), minus one track ("Cisum").