HERBIE HANCOCK — Maiden Voyage (1965) RM | SACD, Hybrid | Four Version | RVG Edition Series + The BN Works 4100 Series + The Blue Note Reissues Series | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Between 1965's Maiden Voyage and 1968's Speak Like a Child, Herbie Hancock was consumed with his duties as part of the Miles Davis Quintet, who happened to be at their creative and popular peak during those three years. When Hancock did return to a leadership position on Speak Like a Child, it was clear that he had assimilated not only the group's experiments, but also many ideas Miles initially sketched out with Gil Evans. Like Maiden Voyage, the album is laid-back, melodic, and quite beautiful, but there are noticeable differences between the two records. Hancock's melodies and themes have become simpler and more memorable, particularly on the title track, but that hasn't cut out room for improvisation. Instead, he has found a balance between accessible themes and searching improvisations that work a middle ground between post-bop and rock. Similarly, the horns and reeds are unconventional. He has selected three parts -- Thad Jones' flügelhorn, Peter Phillips' bass trombone, Jerry Dodgion's alto flute -- with unusual voicings, and he uses them for tonal texture and melodic statements, not solos. The rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Mickey Roker keeps things light, subtle, and forever shifting, emphasizing the hybrid nature of Hancock's original compositions. But the key to Speak Like a Child is in Hancock's graceful, lyrical playing and compositions, which are lovely on the surface and provocative and challenging upon closer listening. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1.    Riot    4:36
 Herbie Hancock 
2.    Speak Like A Child    7:47
 Herbie Hancock 
3.    First Trip 5:58
Composed By – Ron Carter
4.    Toys    5:50
 Herbie Hancock 
5.    Goodbye To Childhood    7:04
 Herbie Hancock 
6.    The Sorcerer    5:36
 Herbie Hancock 
7.    Riot (First Alternate Take)    4:55
 Herbie Hancock 
8.        Riot (Second Alternate Take)    4:40
 Herbie Hancock 
9.        Goodbye To Childhood (Alternate Take)    5:49
 Herbie Hancock 
Credits :  
Alto Flute – Jerry Dodgion
Bass – Ron Carter
Bass Trombone – Peter Phillips
Drums – Mickey Roker
Flugelhorn – Thad Jones
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Producer – Duke Pearson
Recorded By, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder

JACK KEROUAC — Reads On The Road (1999) Voices Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Rhino's compilation might mark a better place to start, Reads on the Road is certainly a worthy collection of some of Jack Kerouac's narratives and poetry, embellished by some actual singing. Kerouac is a more enjoyable author to hear reading on disc than most, since his prose had much of a jazz rhythm, and since he was an engaging reader/performer himself. The big find on this 74-minute CD is the 28-minute excerpt from On the Road his most famous and widely-read book, found on '50s acetates that had been thought lost. "On the Road" is presented as it was discovered, with just Kerouac's voice, but guitarist Vic Juris and Hammond organist John Medeski recorded music in 1998 for his early-'60s musical song-poem "On the Road" (a separate performance from his reading of material from the book). It's unexpected, and amusing if not brilliant, to hear Kerouac sing three jazz standards by the likes of Sammy Cahn, Johnny Mercer, and Gordon Jenkins in the late 1950s (presented with the original musical backing, by unknown musicians). David Amram, who had provided musical backup for Kerouac's readings in the late 1950s, wrote and recorded music in 1998 for two more Kerouac poems, cut by Kerouac in the back of a record shop, including the previously unpublished "Washington D.C. Blues," which runs for 17 minutes. Ending the set is Tom Waits, backed by Primus, doing yet another "On the Road," for which Waits put music to Kerouac's prose. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1.    Jack Kerouac–    Ain't We Got Fun 2:31
Instrumentation By – Unknown Artist
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jerry Newman
Technician – Sean Slade
Vocals – Jack Kerouac
Written-By – Egan, Whiting, Sammy Kahn
2.    Jack Kerouac–    On The Road (Jazz Of The Beat Generation)  28:40
Technician – Greg Calbi, Steve Fallone
Voice – Jack Kerouac
3.    Jack Kerouac–    On The Road 2:16
Arranged By, Guitar – Victor Juris
Arranged By, Organ [Hammond] – John Medeski
Engineer [Assistant] – James Harned
Engineer, Mixed By – Danny Lawrence
Technician – Jim Sampas
Voice – Jack Kerouac
4.    Jack Kerouac–    Come Rain Or Shine 3:37
Instrumentation By – Unknown Artist
Lyrics By – Johnny Mercer
Music By – Harold Arlen
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jerry Newman
Technician – Sean Slade
Vocals – Jack Kerouac
5.    Jack Kerouac–    Orizaba 210 Blues 9:32
Composed By, Performer, French Horn, Piano, Shanai, Goblet Drum [Dumbek], Drums [Frame Drum], Flute [Lakota], Tin Whistle [Penny], Ocarina, Congas, Percussion – David Amram
Engineer [Assistant] – James Harned
Engineer, Mixed By – Danny Lawrence
Technician – Jim Sampas
Voice – Jack Kerouac
6.    Jack Kerouac–    When A Woman Loves A Man 2:54
Instrumentation By – Unknown Artist
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jerry Newman
Technician – Sean Slade
Vocals – Jack Kerouac
Written-By – Bernard D. Hanighen, Gordon Jenkins, John H. Mercer
7.    Jack Kerouac–    Leavin' Town 3:00
Instrumentation By – Unknown Artist
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jerry Newman
Technician – Sean Slade
Vocals – Jack Kerouac
Written-By – George Handy, Jack Segal
8.    Jack Kerouac–    Washington D.C. Blues 17:43
Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Bass – Victor Venegas
Bassoon – Jane Taylor
Composed By, Performer – The David Amram Ensemble
Congas – Candido
Drums, Bongos – Johnny Almendra
Engineer [Assistant] – Danny Harned
Engineer, Mixed By – Danny Lawrence
Guitar – Victor Juris*
Oboe, English Horn – Ronald Roseman
Organ [Hammond] – John Medeski
Piano, French Horn, Shanai, Goblet Drum [Dumbek], Whistle [Penny] – David Amram
Technician – Jim Sampas
Viola – Midhat Serbagi
Voice – Jack Kerouac
9.    Tom Waits & Primus–    On The Road 3:58
Bass [Upright], Percussion – Les Claypool
Engineer [Second] – Jeff Sloan
Guitar, Percussion – Larry LaLonde
Mixed By – Bernd Burgdorf
Music By, Performer, Vocals, Guitar, Percussion – Tom Waits
Percussion – Brain (26)
Performer – Primus
Recorded By – Biff Daws
Saxophone – Ralph Carney 

ABBEY LINCOLN — The World Is Falling Down (1990) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Abbey Lincoln's first in a series of impressive recordings for Verve matches her unique voice and very credible style with flugelhornist Clark Terry, the altos of Jackie McLean and Jerry Dodgion, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Billy Higgins and French pianist Alain Jean-Marie. McLean has all of the alto solos and most of the instrumental arrangements were contributed by Ron Carter. Lincoln has always been expert at picking out superior material to record and all eight numbers on this CD are memorable in their own way, particularly Haden's classic "First Song," a French version of "How High the Moon," "Hi Fly," Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring" and Lincoln's two originals "The World Is Falling Down" and "I Got Thunder." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1.    The World Is Falling Down 6:20
Written-By – Abbey Lincoln
2.    First Song 6:29
Written-By – Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden
3.    You Must Believe In Spring And Love 5:58
Written-By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand
4.    I Got Thunder (And It Rings) 5:47
Written-By – Abbey Lincoln
5.    How High The Moon (La Lune Est Grise... Mon Coeur Aussi) 7:31
Written-By – Jacques Larue, Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton
6.    When Love Was You And Me 5:47
Written-By – Abbey Lincoln, Thad Jones
7.    Hi Fly 6:34
Written-By – Jon Hendricks, Randy Weston
8.    Live For Life 4:50
Written-By – Francis Lai, Norman Gimbel, Pierre Barouh
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Alto Saxophone, Soloist – Jackie McLean
Arranged By – Ron Carter (tracks: 1, 3 to 8)
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Alain Jean-Marie
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry
Vocals – Abbey Lincoln

GERALD WILSON ORCHESTRA – In My Time (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Veteran arranger Gerald Wilson utilized a New York band full of all-stars for this very rewarding and memorable project. Three of the selections ("Dorian," "Ray's Vision at the U," and "Blues for Manhattan") form a suite called "The Diminished Triangle," which is based upon diminished chords and utilizes Wilson's eight-part harmony. Guitarist Russell Malone is showcased on the ballad "Musette," a remake of "Lomelin" pays tribute to a bullfighter in dramatic fashion, and such players as tenor saxophonist Kazumi Washington (an impressive new voice), pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeters Jon Faddis, Jimmy Owens, and Sean Jones, and tenor man Ron Blake are among the many colorful soloists. But it is the enthusiastic arranger/bandleader who takes honors with his consistently inventive writing and (one imagines) enthusiastic conducting. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Sax Chase 10:21
Written-By – Miles Davis
The Diminished Triangle - Three Part Composition
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
2    Dorian 7:27
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
3    Ray's Vision At The U 4:25
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
4    Blues For Manhattan 8:47
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
5    Lomelin 7:41
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
6    A.E.N. 10:26
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
7    Musette 5:47
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
8    So What 11:08
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
9    Love For Sale 5:05
Written-By – Cole Porter
10    Jeri 3:55
Written-By – Gerald Wilson
Credits :
Gerald Wilson Orchestra:
Steve Wilson , Gary Smulyan, Kamasi Washington, Ron Blake , Dustin Cicero, Jerry Dodgian -Woodwinds
Russell Malone - Guitar
Eddie Henderson, Frank Green, Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Owens, Jon Faddis, Sean Jones, Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet
Luis Bonilla, Benny Powell, Douglas Purviance, Dennis Wilson - Trombone
Renee Rosnes - Keyboards
Peter Washington - Double Bass
Lewis Nash - Drums

DUKE PEARSON – The Right Touch (1967-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Duke Pearson rises to the challenge of writing for an all-star octet (with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Garnett Brown, altoist James Spaulding, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, bassist Gene Taylor, drummer Grady Tate, and the leader/pianist), contributing colorful frameworks and consistently challenging compositions. The set is full of diverse melodies (the CD reissue has a previously unissued take of "Los Malos Hombres") played by a variety of distinctive soloists; many of these songs deserve to be revived. This is one of the finest recordings of Duke Pearson's career. Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits

AL COHN - Jazz Mission to Moscow (1962-2010) RM | Jazz名盤 999 Best & More | FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 1962 Benny Goodman had a historic visit to the Soviet Union, touring with a big band full of young all-stars. After the orchestra returned to the U.S., tenor saxophonist Al Cohn (who had not made the trip but did write some of Goodman's charts) put together an album (also released by Colpix) using many of the sidemen and paying tribute to the event. Strangely enough none of the six numbers are Cohn originals and he does not play on the record although he arranged all of the music. Of the six songs, "Mission to Moscow," "Let's Dance" and "Russian Lullaby" were part of Goodman's repertoire. Altoist Phil Woods effectively doubles on clarinet and other soloists include tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trumpeter Marky Markowitz and trombonist Willie Dennis. An interesting set of modern swing but this LP has been unfortunately long out-of-print. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Mission To Moscow 4:20
Written-By – Mel Powell
2    The Sochi Boatman 5:17
Adapted By – A. Gilbert
Arranged By – Al Cohn
3    Midnight In Moscow 5:59
Written-By – Ball, Soloviev-Sedoy, Matusovsky
4    Let's Dance 4:32
Written-By – Baldridge, Stone, Bonime
5    Russian Lullaby 5:39
Written-By – Irving Berlin
6    Red, White And Blue Eyes 4:53
Adapted By – A. Gilbert
Arranged By – Al Cohn
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Phil Woods
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jerry Dodgion
Baritone Saxophone – Gene Allen
Bass – Bill Crow
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Eddie Costa
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims
Trombone – Willie Dennis
Trumpet – Jimmy Maxwell, Markie Markowitz