PHAROAH SANDERS AND ALICE COLTRANE — Antibes 68 & New York 71 : The Radio Broadcasts (2022) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pharoah Sanders    Medley    (37:54)
1-1    –    Unidentified    
1-2    –    Venus    
1-3    –    The Creator Has A Master Plan    
2    Alice Coltrane–    Africa    28:35
Credits :
Bass – Cecil McBee (tracks: 1-2), Jimmy Garrison (tracks: 1-2), Norris Jones (tracks: 1-1)
Drums – Clifford Jarvis (tracks: 1-2), Ed Blackwell (tracks: 1-2), Majid Shabazz (tracks: 1-1)
Harmonium – Kumar Kramer (tracks: 1-2)
Piano – Lonnie Liston Smith (tracks: 1-1)
Piano, Harp – Alice Coltrane (tracks: 1-2)
Tambora – Tulsi (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-1)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Fife – Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Archie Shepp (tracks: 1-2)

THE WALTER BISHOP JR. TRIO — Speak Low + 3 (1961-1987) MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first album as a leader would of course be an occasion of incredible pressure, especially for an artist such as this one. By the time this recording was originally released in 1961, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr. had spent so much time in other people's bands that it seemed the sideman stigmata would never heal. And it really never did, since despite more than a dozen efforts as leader between this one and his death in 1998 he never really achieved the acknowledgement as a leader that some of his contemporaries did, even ones who were somewhat lesser players. Of course anyone who peruses commentary on the bebop era that Bishop paid his dues in will come across opinions to the contrary. It is sometimes said that this pianist "lacked chops," hip lingo concerning technique and not meant to suggest he failed to stop off at the butcher on the way home as requested. True, this is not a flashy keyboardist and also one who did not choose his debut as a leader to unveil a stack of up til then hidden original masterpieces of composition. He plays standards here, choosing either the long or short form for six different titles, some of them quite familiar. Listeners may be advised that this is a side worth owning simply for the playing of the bassist, Jimmy Garrison, the value of the piano playing put aside temporarily. By the '60s this bassist was mostly associated with John Coltrane, and was a member of what is often considered Trane's classic quartet. While that group was quite adept at playing standards, the type of straight-ahead approach presented in the Bishop trio was more the way Coltrane played before Garrison came into his group. This album is full of this bassist's wonderful touch with mainstream jazz material, including some rumbling arco solos and terrific walking. "Blues in the Closet" holds steady to its quick tempo; after all, Garrison hardly flagged on the long, fast "Chasin' the Trane" that would follow only a few years later.

Interesting drummer Wilbert G.T. Hogan recorded with some other fine pianists besides this one, notably Randy Weston. He also wound up with the Ray Charles band at one point and lays down a somewhat harder beat on sides by tenor saxophonist and Charles alumni Hank Crawford. This is somewhat more information that was given about him on the original album and reissues, the total sum of which was the following: "G.T. Hogan is on drums. Notice his fine brush work. A diminishing art today." The final comment isn't really true if any contemporary percussionists are asked -- they would all love to play brushes as well as Hogan and many are trying very hard. Whether the same comment could be made concerning the pianist is hard to say. Many keyboardists have missed out on the influence of pianists such as Bishop, who knows how to state themes simply and eloquently. His use of dissonance in 1961 is subtle, hinting at tritones in "Sometimes I'm Happy" and letting somewhat delirious overtones ring out on the superb performance of "Alone Together." Needless to say, the piano is a bit out of tune here and there, adding to the mystique. Despite that, there is the sense that this album must have been something special for Bishop. His final recordings came out under the title of Speak Low Again several years after his death, kind of like a set of bookends. Eugene Chadbourne
Tracklist :
1    Sometimes I'm Happy (Alt. Take) 7:24
Composed By – I. Caesar, V. Youmans
2    Sometimes I'm Happy 6:25
Composed By – I. Caesar, V. Youmans
3    Blues In The Closet (Alt. Take) 3:47
Composed By – O. Pettiford
4    Blues In The Closet 2:57
Composed By – O. Pettiford
5    Green Dolphin Street 9:45
Composed By – B. Kaper, N. Washington
6    Alone Together 6:45
Composed By – A. Schwartz
7    Milestones 4:45
Composed By – M. Davis
8    Speak Low (Alt. Take) 9:25
Composed By – K. Weil, O. Nash
9    Speak Low 9:20
Composed By – K. Weil, O. Nash
Credits :
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – G. T. Hogan
Piano – Walter Bishop Jr.

ELVIN JONES | JIMMY GARRISON SEXTET ft. McCOY TYNER — Illumination! (1965-2017) RM | Serie Impulse! Master Sessions | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second album by Elvin Jones as sole title rights leader (excluding the co-op ensemble that recorded the stunning and essential progressive jazz icon Illumination!) has the drummer sounding more like a backup musician, as he claims no compositional duties or noticeable solo space. In fact, this is one of the very best albums in the career of alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano, who occupies the bulk of lead lines and improvising responsibilities. He's so up-front, and on an instrument that is not John Coltrane's main instrument -- the tenor sax -- that the title is also a bit of a misnomer. The value of Jones as a bandleader lies in his concept of using fellow Detroiter Sir Roland Hanna or brother Hank Jones on selected tracks, or in the case of three tracks, no pianist. Bassist Richard Davis rounds out this truly brilliant ensemble of burgeoning mid-'60s jazz stars, who play an enticing collection of standards, bop, compositions of Bob Hammer, and originals from several modern sources. A stone cold bebopper and Charlie Parker devotee at the time of this recording. Mariano is the standout performer. He swings easily but mightily on the title track paralleling Coltrane's "Milestones," stretches the Charles Mingus evergreen "Reincarnation of a Lovebird" (titled here as "Love Bird"), and pulls out all the stops with Hank Jones during an only slightly flawed (they miss two notes) version of the tricky "Anthropology." They tack a calypso beat onto Duke Ellington's "Fantazm" in a playful, modern dress, and stroll on the quirky Hammer composition "That Five-Four Bag" as an offshoot retort to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five." The three tracks sans piano include a walking version of "Everything Happens to Me"; the ballad "Smoke Rings," where the band excepting Mariano is relaxed; and Frank Sinatra's "This Love of Mine," where the emotive saxophonist dips into humor, even a bit ribald. The variety from cut to cut is engaging, and there's nothing over the top, even the drumming of Elvin Jones. With the musicality at a high level, Dear John C. needs revisiting by drumming students and jazz fans to note how teamwork, shared values, and held-in-check dynamics benefit the overall quality of music. It seems this recording is underrated when over time it should never be. Dear John C. is deserving of an excellent rating. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1    Nuttin' Out Jones    5:32
 Prince Lasha
2    Oriental Flower    3:45
 McCoy Tyner
3    Half And Half    6:21
 Charles Davis
4    Aborigine Dance In Scotland    4:09
 Sonny Simmons
5    Gettin' On Way    5:12
 Jimmy Garrison
6    Just Us Blues    5:54
 Charles Davis
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, English Horn – Sonny Simmons
Baritone Saxophone – Charles Davis
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Clarinet, Flute – Prince Lasha
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – McCoy Tyner

ELVIN JONES — The Ultimate (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is one of Joe Farrell's finest recordings. Switching between tenor, soprano and flute, Farrell had to be good because he was joined in the pianoless trio by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones. The group performs two standards, three Garrison originals and one by Farrell; it is a tossup as to who takes honors. Farrell is in consistently creative form but Garrison's occasional solos and Jones's polyrhythmic accompaniment are also noteworthy. This LP is long overdue to reappear on CD. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    In The Truth 5:04
Written-By – Joe Farrell
2    What Is This? 7:07
Written-By – Jimmy Garrison
3    Ascendant 5:13
Written-By – Jimmy Garrison
4    Yesterdays (From The Musical Production "Roberta") 5:37
Written-By – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
5    Sometimes Joie 10:37
Written-By – Jimmy Garrison
6    We'll Be Together Again 3:05
Written-By – Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine
Credits :
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Flute – Joe Farrell (tracks: 6)
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder
Soprano Saxophone – Joe Farrell (tracks: 2, 3)
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell (tracks: 1, 4, 5)

THE NEW ELVIN JONES TRIO — Puttin' It Together (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Limited Edition | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Joe Farrell (heard on tenor, soprano, and flute) did some of his finest playing while with drummer Elvin Jones' trio during 1968-1969. Joined by bassist Jimmy Garrison (in one of his first post-Coltrane recordings), Farrell really digs into group originals, obscurities, "For Heaven's Sake," and Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy." With Jones pushing him and Garrison sounding quite advanced, Farrell was consistently inspired to play at the peak of his creativity. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Reza 7:12
Written-By – Edu Lobo, Ruy Guerra
2    Sweet Little Maia 7:47
Written-By – Jimmy Garrison
3    Keiko's Birthday March 6:50
Written-By – Elvin Jones
4    Village Greene 5:08
Written-By – William Greene
5    Jay-Ree 3:48
Written-By – Joe Farrell
6    For Heaven's Sake 5:04
Written-By – Don Meyer, Elise Bretton, Sherman Edwards
7    Ginger Bread Boy 5:10
Written-By – Jimmy Heath
Credits :
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Piccolo Flute – Joe Farrell

THE CURTIS FULLER SEXTETTE — Imagination (1959-1991) RM | MONOAURAL | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Prior to the official formation of the Jazztet with trumpeter Art Farmer, trombonist Curtis Fuller and tenorman Benny Golson made several albums together, usually with other trumpeters. This somewhat rare date has trumpeter Thad Jones, bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Dave Bailey, and, most significantly, pianist McCoy Tyner in his recording debut completing the sextet. Fuller arranged all five of the songs, four of which were his originals. Although the material (other than the lone standard "Imagination") is unfamiliar, the chord changes inspire the players to create some fine solos. Easily recommended to hard bop fans lucky enough to find this album. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

CURTIS FULLER QUINTET — Blues ette (1959-1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Sessions in any genre of music are all too often described as "sublime," but seldom has that description been better deserved than with this relaxed hard bop classic. One looks to other catchalls such as "effortless" and "loose," but even those slight this amazing date by implying a lack of intensity -- and intensity comes in all forms. For all intents and purposes, this is the first recorded meeting of what would become the famous Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet (albeit without Farmer), a group most commonly associated with its 1960 Chess session, Meet the Jazztet. Curtis Fuller's next date, The Curtis Fuller Jazztet, and his appearance on the Chess date, only compound this point. Like perhaps Jimmy Smith's flagship, The Sermon, Blues-ette's brilliance manifests itself not only within the individual solos but also in the way the group functions as a collective. One gets the impression that these tunes could have continued for hours in the studio without the slightest lack of interest on anyone's part. This might be because many of the themes presented here are so basic and seemingly obvious that they don't seem like anything to write home about upon first listen. A day or so later, when you're walking down the street to the tempo of the title track, you may begin to think otherwise. These are some exceptionally catchy heads and many have since become standards. As far as individual performances are concerned, you're not likely to find better solos by any of the members of this quintet than you will here, though they all have extensive and very high-quality catalogs themselves. Picking highlights is a moot point. Blues-ette is best experienced as an entire LP. It would have surely made a greater impact upon its initial release had it been on a more high-profile label, such as Columbia or Blue Note, but there's no sense worrying about that now. Any serious jazz collection is incomplete without this record. Period. Brandon Burke   

CURTIS FULLER — Images Of Curtis Fuller (1960-1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

CURTIS FULLER — The Magnificent Trombone Of Curtis Fuller (1961-2014) Serie Jazz Collection 1000 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :  

LEE KONITZ - Live at the Half Note (1959-1994) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The music on this two-CD set has a strange history. Pianist Lennie Tristano had a rare reunion with altoist Lee Konitz and tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh (his two greatest "students") during an extended stay at the Half Note in 1959. Tristano took Tuesday nights off to teach and Bill Evans was his substitute, but the pianist had a couple of those performances recorded for posterity. While listening to his tapes years later, he was so impressed with Marsh's playing that he sent edited versions (comprised entirely of the tenor man's solos) to Marsh, and somehow they ended up being released in that form by the Revelation label. In 1994, the unedited music was finally issued by Verve; the consistently exciting playing by Konitz, Marsh, and Evans (with backup by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Paul Motian) makes one wonder what took so long. They perform a dozen extended standards (or "originals" based on the chord changes of familiar tunes) with creativity and inspiration. In fact, of all the Konitz-Marsh recordings, this set ranks near the top. Scott Yanow
Tracklist 1 :
1     Palo Alto 9:13
Lee Konitz
2     How About You? 9:15
Ralph Freed / Burton Lane
3     My Melancholy Baby 6:54
Ernie Burnett / George Norton
4     Scrapple from the Apple 7:53
Charlie Parker
5     You Stepped Out of a Dream 7:39
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
6     317 East 32nd Street 7:44
Lennie Tristano
Tracklist 2 :        
1     April 8:44
Lennie Tristano
2     It's You or No One 8:09
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
3     Just Friends 5:40
John Klenner / Sam M. Lewis
4     Baby, Baby All the Time 8:31
Bobby Troup
5     Lennie-Bird 8:39
Lennie Tristano
6     Subconscious Lee 7:41
Lee Konitz
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone, Producer [Original Recordings] – Lee Konitz
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Paul Motian
Piano – Bill Evans
Tenor Saxophone – Warne Marsh

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Beauty Is a Rare Thing : The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1993) RM | Atlantic Jazz Gallery | 6CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While it's true this set has been given the highest rating AMG awards, it comes with a qualifier: the rating is for the music and the package, not necessarily the presentation. Presentation is a compiler's nightmare in the case of artists like John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, who recorded often and at different times and had most of their recordings issued from the wealth of material available at the time a record was needed rather than culling an album from a particular session. Why is this a problem? It's twofold: First is that listeners got acquainted with recordings such as The Shape of Jazz to Come, This Is Our Music, Change of the Century, Twins, or any of the other four records Ornette Coleman released on Atlantic during that period. The other is one of economics; for those collectors who believe in the integrity of the original albums, they need to own both those recordings and this set, since the box features one album that was only issued in Japan as well as six unreleased tunes and the three Coleman compositions that appeared on Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions record. Politically what's interesting about this box is that though the folks at Rhino and Atlantic essentially created a completely different document here, putting Coleman's music in a very different context than the way in which it was originally presented, his royalty rate was unchanged -- he refused to do any publicity for this set when it was issued as a result. As for the plus side of such a collection, there is a certain satisfaction at hearing complete sessions in context. That cannot be argued -- what is at stake is at what price to the original recorded presentations. Enough complaining. As for the music, as mentioned, the original eight albums Coleman recorded for Atlantic are here, in one form or another, in their entirety: Shape of Jazz to Come, Change of the Century, The Art of the Improvisers, Twins, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, Ornette, and Ornette on Tenor, plus To Whom Keeps a Record, comprised of recordings dating from 1959 to 1960. In fact all of the material here was recorded between 1959 and 1961. Given that there is a total of six completely unreleased compositions as well as alternate takes and masters, this is a formidable mountain of material recorded with not only the classic quartet of Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins, but also the large double quartet who produced the two-sided improvisation that is Free Jazz with personalities as diverse as Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, and Scott LaFaro, as well as Coleman, Cherry, Haden, and Ed Blackwell, who had replaced Higgins on the music for To Whom Keeps a Record and This Is Our Music -- though Higgins does play on Free Jazz.

The progression of the recording sessions musically is one of dynamics, color, and, with the addition of Blackwell, firepower. As the listener moves from the first session that would become most of The Shape of Jazz to Come, listeners can hear how the interplay between Cherry and Coleman works lyrically not so much as a system, but as system of the creation of melody from dead fragments of harmony, thereby creating a harmonic sensibility that cares not for changes and chord progressions, but for the progression of music itself in the context of a quartet. From the sharp edges on "Focus on Sanity," through "Peace" and "Congeniality," through "Lonely Woman," Coleman's approach to harmony was one of disparate yet wholly compatible elements. This is the story as the sessions unfold, one kind of lyricism evolving into itself more fully and completely with time. On Change of the Century, Twins, and This Is Our Music, Coleman shifts his emphasis slightly, adding depth and dimension and the creation of melody that comes out of the blues as direct and simply stated as possible. By the time LaFaro enters the picture on Free Jazz and Art of the Improvisers, melody has multiplied and divided itself into essence, and essence becomes an exponential force in the creation of a new musical syntax. The recordings from 1960 and 1961, along with the unreleased masters and alternates, all show Coleman fully in possession of his muse. The trek of musicians through the band -- like Jimmy Garrison and Eric Dolphy, as well as people like Jim Hall and Bill Evans where Coleman appeared in Gunther Schuller's experiments -- all reveal that from The Shape of Jazz to Come through Ornette on Tenor, Coleman was trying to put across the fully developed picture of his musical theory of the time. And unlike most, he completely succeeded. Even on the unreleased compositions, such as the flyaway storm of "Revolving Doors" or "PROOF Readers" or the slippery blues of "The Tribes of New York," Coleman took the open-door approach and let everything in -- he didn't necessarily let it all out. The package itself is, as are all Rhino boxes, handsome and original; there are three double-CD sleeves that all slip into a half box, which slips, reversed, into the whole box. There is a 68-page booklet with a ton of photographs, complete session notes, and liners by Coleman (disappointingly brief, but he was pissed off at the label), a fantastic essay by the late Robert Palmer, recollections by all the musicians, and quotes from Coleman from interviews given through the decades. The sound is wonderful and the mastering job superb. In all -- aside from the breach of pop culture's own historical context, which is at least an alternate reality -- this is, along with John Coltrane's Atlantic set and the Miles & Coltrane box, one of the most essential jazz CD purchases.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
All Tracks & Credits :
Notas.
This six-CD set contains the entirely of Ornette Coleman's recorded output for the Atlantic label, including the contents of the following albums:
The Shape Of Jazz To Come
Change Of The Century
This Is Our Music
Free Jazz
Ornette!
Ornette On Tenor
The Art Of The Improvisers
Twins
To Whom Who Keeps A Record
Also included are six previously unreleased compositions (2-7, 2-9, 2-10, 2-12, 3-2, 5-1) and two selections from (composer) Gunther Schuller's Jazz Abstractions featuring Ornette Coleman on alto saxophone.

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Ornette on Tenor (1962-2012) RM | Jazz Best Collection 1000 – 2 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's an understatement to say that Ornette Coleman's stint with Atlantic altered the jazz world forever, and Ornette on Tenor was the last of his six LPs (not counting outtakes compilations) for the label, wrapping up one of the most controversial and free-thinking series of recordings in jazz history. Actually, it's probably his least stunning Atlantic, not quite as revolutionary or memorable as many of its predecessors, but still far ahead of its time. Coleman hadn't played much tenor since a group of Louisiana thugs beat him and destroyed his instrument, but he hadn't lost his affection for the tenor's soulful, expressive honk and the ease with which people connected with it. That rationale might suggest a more musically accessible session, but that isn't the case. Ornette on Tenor is just as challenging and harmonically advanced as any of his previous Atlantics. In fact, it's arguably more so, since there aren't really any memorable themes to return to. That means there are fewer opportunities for Coleman and Don Cherry to interact and harmonize, which puts the focus mainly on Coleman's return to tenor playing. And, actually, it isn't tremendously different from his alto playing. There are a few traces of Coleman's early Texas gutbucket R&B days, plus a few spots where he explores a breathier tone, but for the most part his spiraling solo lines are very similar to his other Atlantic albums, and his upper-register sound is often a dead ringer for his plaintive alto cries. With Coleman ostensibly exploring new territory, it's hard not to be a little disappointed that Ornette on Tenor doesn't have the boundary-shattering impact of his previous work -- but then again, it's probably asking too much to expect a revolution every time out. Steve Huey  
Tracklist :
1    Cross Breeding    11:20
2    Mapa    9:08
3    Enfant    6:29
4    Eos    6:38
5    Ecars    7:37
Credits :
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Ed Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Ornette Coleman
Trumpet [Pocket] – Donald Cherry

ORNETTE COLEMAN - The Art of the Improvisers (1970-2017) SHM-CD | Jazz Masters Collection 1200 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like many of Ornette Coleman's Atlantic sides, The Art of the Improvisers was recorded in numerous sessions from 1959-1961 and assembled for the purpose of creating a cohesive recorded statement. Its opening track, "The Circle with the Hole in the Middle," from 1959, with the classic quartet of Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, and Charlie Haden, is one of Coleman's recognizable pieces of music. Essentially, the band is that quartet with two very notable exceptions: The last tracks on each side feature a different bass player. On the end of side one, the great Scott LaFaro weighs in on "The Alchemy of Scott La Faro," and Jimmy Garrison weighs in on "Harlem's Manhattan" to close the album out. These last two sessions were recorded early in 1961, in January and March respectively. As an album, The Art of the Improvisers is usually undervalued when placed next to This Is Our Music or The Shape of Jazz to Come. This is a mistake in that some of Coleman's most deeply lyrical harmonic structures reside here in tracks such as "Just for You," with literally stunning intervallic interplay between him and Cherry from the middle to the end. The track also messes with standard blues form and comes up in a modal way without seemingly intending to. The set roars into "The Fifth of Beethoven," which collapses a series of flatted fifths around Haden and Cherry, and Coleman goes on a Texas blues spree in his solo, dancing all around them. "The Alchemy of Scott La Faro" must have pissed off the hard boppers like nothing else. Here is a straining sprint that the quartet takes in stride as LaFaro and Blackwell charge around the edges in frightening time signatures. Coleman and Cherry for the most part clamor around a B flat-C sharp major figure and run circles around each other in muscular fashion as LaFaro goes pizzicato to head with Coleman in the middle, turning the saxophonist's phrases into rhythmic structures which Blackwell accents as if cued. But he's not; this is invented on the spot. Coleman's deep lyricism shines through despite the tempo, and the entire thing goes out in a blaze of light. "The Legend of Bebop" is a jazz history lesson with the band working out on the front line, quoting from Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong, moving through some Ellingtonian themes, and slipping around the corner to a slow, blued-out bebop before taking off in consonant solos and counterpoint. "Harlem's Manhattan," with Garrison in Haden's bass chair, begins with a quote right from Parker and Gillespie before challenging the framework of the blues and its tempos. Blackwell is a blur of the dance, his cymbal work against Garrison's punctuated accents make Coleman's and Cherry's jobs knotty and difficult, but always rooted in the melody that blues inspires. This is basically one of Coleman's most uptempo records for Atlantic, but also one of his most soulful. It deserves serious re-evaluation.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    The Circle With A Hole In The Middle    4:53
2    Just For You    3:48
3    The Fifth Of Beethoven    6:35
4    The Alchemy Of Scott La Faro    8:48
5    Moon Inhabitants    4:28
6    The Legend Of Bebop    7:14
7    Harlem's Manhattan    8:10
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Painting [Cover], Written-By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Charlie Haden (pistas: 1 to 3, 5, 6), Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 7), Scott LaFaro (pistas: 4)
Cornet, Trumpet – Don Cherry
Drums – Billy Higgins (pistas: 1, 2), Ed Blackwell (pistas: 3 to 7)

ORNETTE COLEMAN - Love Call (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Love Call is other half of the New York Is Now session, which is, in a sense, ridiculous. Blue Note issued two records when they really only had one. There were two dates, April 29 and May 7, 1968. Half the tunes from this volume and half from New York Is Now were recorded at each session. Coleman, with Dewey Redman and the rhythm section of Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison, work through Coleman's melodic conceptions and harmonic constructs on five numbers. Coleman plays alto on four tunes and trumpet on three -- better than violin. "Airborne" is the most successful thing here in that Coleman's music matches the rhythm section's energy for the only time on the session. Redman's tenor solo is one of the most bleating and emotionally intense of his career, careening across microphonics as he flats fifths and screeches through a series of arpeggios that cause Coleman to begin his solo at 60 mph at the very top of a scale, and cruise through six or seven melodic variations on its theme before bringing it back down. Meanwhile, Elvin barely breaks a sweat and Garrison creates such a taut harmonic template for Coleman and Redman, they have to stretch. The title track is perhaps Coleman's finest moment on the trumpet. He spatters his notes in such a way that across the B-flat diminished nine scalar invention, he picks up all the tonal qualities in the color palette and chromatically orders them in such a way that they set Redman up with a prime opportunity to alter the melody of the tune one note at a time. Also, the bluesy theme in "Check Out Time," with its echoes of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk," is a nice touch, but it should have opened or closed the album.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Airborne    10:29
2    Love Call     8:44
3    Open To The Public    8:03
4    Check Out Time    8:21
- BONUS TRACKS -        
5    Love Call (Alternate Take)     5:29
6    Check Out Time (Alternate Take)    7:55
7    Just For You    4:13
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Tenor Saxophone – Dewey Redman

ORNETTE COLEMAN - New York Is Now! (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded during the same session that resulted in the Love Call album (in late April and early May of 1968), New York Is Now is one of the true curiosity pieces in Ornette's catalog. With a rhythm section comprised of ex-Coltrane sidemen Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones as well as tenorist Dewey Redman, Ornette is, in some sense, at odds with himself here. This particular rhythm section is a lot more modally than harmonically propelled -- especially Jones, who sounds here like he doesn't know what to do with himself in the restrictive tempos -- and creates a complex set of issues for Coleman and Redman to contend with. That said, on "The Garden of Souls," which opens the album, Coleman makes the most of this sprightly, energetic rhythm team and moves through quotations of "Moon River," "Danny Boy," and even Paul Muriat's "Love Is Blue" during his solo, before shifting the harmonics around and anchoring them somewhere between E flat 7 and E major. On "Broadway Blues," Coleman actually makes use of Monk in his melodic conception, and he and Redman have a go at turning a seven-note vamp into all sorts of knotty material for soloing -- you can almost feel Jones smile as the tempo reaches triple time; the saxophonists have to race each other through it. And while this date is of only marginal interest it is pleasant if not amazing -- with the exception of "For a Commercial," which features Ornette's strident violin playing above the rest of the band in the mix.

-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 

Tracklist:

1 - The Garden Of Souls

2 - Toy Dance

3 - We Now Interrupt For A Commercial

4 - Broad Way Blues

5 - Round Trip

6 - Broad Way Blues (alt. take) (bonus track)

Personnel:

Ornette Coleman – alto saxophone, violin

Jimmy Garrison – bass

Elvin Jones – drums

Dewey Redman – tenor saxophone

ARCHIE SHEPP - Live At The Donaueschingen Music Festival (1967-2000) RM | Most Perfect Sound Edition – 28 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This is an exciting album. The important tenor Archie Shepp and his 1967 group -- with both Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur on trombones, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Beaver Harris -- romp through the continuous 43-and-a-half-minute "One for the Trane" before an enthusiastic audience at a German music festival. Although he improvises very freely and with great intensity, Shepp surprised the crowd by suddenly bursting into a spaced-out version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" near the end of this memorable performance. On the whole, this very spirited set represents avant-garde jazz at its peak and Archie Shepp at his finest. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     One for the Trane, Pt. 1 22:09
Archie Shepp    
2     One for the Trane, Pt. 2 21:54
Archie Shepp
Credits
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Beaver Harris
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Trombone – Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd

ARCHIE SHEPP - Attica Blues (1972-2003) RM | Serie: LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Refining his large-ensemble experiments of 1971, Attica Blues is one of Archie Shepp's most significant post-'60s statements, recorded just several months after authorities ended the Attica prison uprising by massacring 43 inmates and hostages. Perhaps because Shepp's musical interests were changing, Attica Blues isn't the all-out blast of rage one might expect; instead, it's a richly arranged album of mournful, quietly agonized blues and Ellingtonian swing, mixed with a couple of storming funk burners. Of course, Shepp doesn't quite play it straight, bringing his avant-garde sensibilities to both vintage big band and contemporary funk, with little regard for the boundaries separating them all. His soloing on tenor and soprano is typically sharp-edged and modal, and his nasal, slicing tone on soprano is featured quite heavily. The stylishness of the slow numbers is undercut with quivering, faintly unsettling dissonances, and the up-tempo funk cuts recall the way Sly Stone's arrangements ping-ponged many different elements off each other in a gleeful organized chaos. That's especially true on the gospel-inflected title song, a monster of a groove that later became a hit on the acid jazz revival circuit (and stands up to anything recorded by straight-up funk bands of the era). In the same vein, "Blues for Brother George Jackson" sounds like an edgier Isaac Hayes-style blaxploitation soundtrack cut. Vocal ballads are plentiful, and Joe Lee Wilson ("Steam," a song Shepp would return to often) and Carl Hall (aka Henry Hull) both acquit themselves well; more debatable are the poetic recitations and the choice of flügelhornist/composer Cal Massey's young daughter Waheeda to sing "Quiet Dawn" (although Waheeda's almost-there intonation is effectively creepy). Still, in the end, Attica Blues is one of Shepp's most successful large-group projects, because his skillful handling of so many different styles of black music produces such tremendously groovy results. Steve Huey
Tracklist :
1     Attica Blues 4'47
(W.G. Harris / Archie Shepp)    
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brownburr
Backing Vocals – Albertine Robinson, Joshie Armstead
Bass [Fender] – Jerry Jemmott
Lead Vocals – Henry Hull
2     Invocation: Attica Blues 0'19
(W.G. Harris)    
Narrator – William Kunstler
3     Steam, Pt. 1 5'07
(Archie Shepp)
Electric Piano – Dave Burrell
Flute [Bamboo] – Marion Brown
Lyrics By – Archie Shepp
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson    

4     Invocation to Mr. Parker 3'16
(Bart Gray / Archie Shepp)    
Flute – Marion Brown
Narrator, Other [Text] – Bartholomew Gray
5     Steam, Pt. 2 5'10
(Archie Shepp)    
Electric Piano – Dave Burrell
Flute [Bamboo] – Marion Brown
Lyrics By – Archie Shepp
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
6     Blues for Brother George Jackson 4'00
(Archie Shepp)    
Alto Saxophone – Marion Brown
7     Invocation: Ballad for a Child 0'29
(W.G. Harris)    
Narrator – William Kunstler
8     Ballad for a Child 3'36
(W.G. Harris / Archie Shepp)    
Vocals – Henry Hull
9     Goodbye Sweet Pops 4'22
(Cal Massey)
Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Drums – Billy Higgins
Music By – Cal Massey
10     Quiet Dawn 6'12
(Cal Massey)
Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Drums – Billy Higgins
Flugelhorn, Music By, Lyrics By – Cal Massey
Vocals – Waheeda Massey
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Clarence White (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Baritone Saxophone – James Ware (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Bass – Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10)
Bass [Fender] – Roland Wilson (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
Cello – Calo Scott (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Ronald Lipscomb (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)
Cornet – Clifford Thornton (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Drums – Beaver Harris (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
Euphonium – Hakim Jami (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8)
Lyrics By – William G. Harris (pistas: 1 to 8)
Music By – Archie Shepp (pistas: 1 to 8)
Percussion – Juma Sutan (pistas: 1, 6, 10), Marion Brown (pistas: 3, 4, 5), Nene DeFense (pistas: 1, 6, 10), Ollie Anderson (pistas: 1, 6, 10)
Piano – Walter Davis Jr. (pistas: 6, 8, 9, 10)
Soprano Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 3, 5, 9)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 1, 6, 8, 10), Billy Robinson (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Roland Alexander (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Trombone – Charles Greenlee (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Charles Stephens (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Kiane Zawadi (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Trumpet – Charles McGhee (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Michael Ridley (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10), Roy Burrowes (pistas: 1, 6, 9, 10)
Violin – John Blake (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Leroy Jenkins (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10), Shankar (pistas: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)

ARCHIE SHEPP - The Cry Of My People (1973-2004) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1972 with a core band of Leroy Jenkins, Cornell Dupree (!), Jimmy Garrison, and Charles McGhee, Shepp supplemented these proceedings in much the same way he did with the cast of Attica Blues, with gospel singers, big bands, quintets, sextets, and chamber orchestras, with guests that included Harold Mabern on piano, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums, and Ron Carter on electric bass! Recorded during a period in which Shepp was reaching out of the jazz idiom to include all of what he perceived to be "trans-African" music at the time, there is gutbucket R&B here, as well as the sweetly soul gospel of "Rest Enough." The charts' arrangements are a combination of Ellington's more pastoral moods -- usually expressed in his suites -- and the more darkly complex modal stylings of George Russell. Unlike some of Shepp's dates from this period, the vocals do not detract from the mix employed here. This is an urban record that showcases Shepp's ability, at this time in his career, to literally take on any project, combine as many sources as he was permitted by his financial resources, and come up with something compelling, provocative, and soulful. All extremes are subsumed by the whole: The avant-garde free jazz of the period is covered in the large-ensemble playing, which is covered by the gospel and R&B stylings that are accented by the free jazz players. Shepp worked with many larger ensembles as a leader, but never did he achieve such a perfect balance as he did on The Cry of My People. Given that the remastered version -- with excellent liner notes, superb sound, and a gorgeous package -- is being issued during an election year in the United States, its poignancy and urgency couldn't be more timely.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1     Rest Enough (Song to Mother) 4:41
Backing Vocals – Andre Franklin, Patterson Singers
Lead Vocals – Peggy Blue
Written-By – Archie Shepp
2     A Prayer 6:29
Arranged By, Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Written-By, Arranged By – Cal Massey    
3     All God's Children Got a Home in the Universe 2:58
Written-By – Archie Shepp
4     The Lady 5:31 Arranged By – Romulus Franceschini
Arranged By, Conductor – Cal Massey
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – Bob Ford
5     The Cry of My People 5:45
Arranged By – Romulus Franceschini
Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor – Cal Massey    
6     African Drum Suite, Pt. 1-2 0:35
Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – William G. Harris
7     African Drum Suite, Pt. 2 7:34 Arranged By, Conductor – Dave Burrell
Berimbau, Percussion [Brazilian] – Guilherme Franco
Bongos, Congas – Nene DeFense
Tambourine, Congas – Terry Quaye
Written-By – William G. Harris
8     Come Sunday 9:30
Arranged By, Conductor – Charles Greenlee
Backing Vocals – Patterson Singers
Lead Vocals – Joe Lee Wilson
Written-By – Duke Ellington
Credits
Bass – Jimmy Garrison (pistas: 2, 4 to 8)
Bass [Fender] – Ron Carter (pistas: 1, 3, 5)
Cello – Esther Mellon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Pat Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Drums – Beaver Harris (pistas: 3 to 5), Bernard Purdie (pistas: 1, 2)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (pistas: 1, 3)
Percussion – Nene DeFense (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 8)
Piano – Dave Burrell (pistas: 6. 7), Harold Mabern (pistas: 1 to 5, 8)
Soprano Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 2, 4, 7)
Tambourine – Nene DeFense (pistas: 1, 3)
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp (pistas: 3, 4, 5, 8)
Trombone – Charles Greenlee (pistas: 2 to 7), Charles Stephens (pistas: 2 to 5, 8)
Trumpet – Charles McGhee (pistas: 2 to 5, 7, 8)
Violin – Gayle Dixon (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Jerry Little (pistas: 4, 7, 8), John Blake (pistas: 2, 5), Leroy Jenkins (pistas: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Lois Siessinger (pistas: 2, 5), Noel DaCosta (pistas: 4, 7, 8)

BENNY CARTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA - Further Definitions (1966-1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Altoist/arranger Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions is a revisiting, instrumentation-wise, to the famous 1937 session that Carter and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins made in France with two top European saxophonists (Andre Ekyan and Alix Combelle) and guitarist Django Reinhardt. The all-star group (which also includes Hawkins, altoist Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse on second tenor, pianist Dick Katz, guitarist John Collins, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Jo Jones) performs a particularly inspired repertoire. Carter's charts, which allow Hawkins to stretch out on "Body and Soul," give everyone a chance to shine. "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Crazy Rhythm" hold their own with the 1937 versions, and "Blue Star" and "Doozy" prove to be two of Carter's finest originals. Although Benny Carter was not actively playing much at the time (this was his only small-group recording during 1963-1975), he is heard in typically prime form. Very highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Honeysuckle Rose 3:54
Andy Razaf / Fats Waller    
2     The Midnight Sun Will Never Set 4:01
Dorcas Cochran / Quincy Jones / Henri Salvador    
3     Crazy Rhythm 3:26
Irving Caesar / Roger Wolfe Kahn / Joseph Meyer    
4     Blue Star 5:23
Benny Carter    
5     Cotton Tail 4:27     
Duke Ellington    
6     Body and Soul 4:13
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour    
7     Cherry 4:56
Ray Gilbert / Don Redman    
8     Doozy 3:36
Benny Carter    
9     Fantastic, That's You 6:15
George Cates / Mort Greene    
10     Come on Back 4:18
Benny Carter    
11     We Were in Love 4:31
Benny Carter    
12     If Dreams Come True 5:53
Benny Goodman / Irving Mills / Edgar Sampson    
13     Prohibido 3:25
Benny Carter     
14     Doozy 5:37
Benny Carter    
15     Rock Bottom 4:19     
Benny Carter    
16     Titmouse 3:02
Benny Carter
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter, Phil Woods
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Jo Jones
Guitar – John Collins
Piano – Dick Katz
Producer – Bob Thiele
Tenor Saxophone – Charles Rouse, Coleman Hawkins

LOREZ ALEXANDRIA - For Swingers Only (1963-2008) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Originally released in 1963, For Swingers Only is singer Lorez Alexandria's tenth album and her fourth for Argo. While Alexandria is best known to ardent jazz fans, she was one of the great interpretive vocalists of her time, and this set is proof of that. Alexandria was a Chicago native who had established her reputation there. That said, she was successful enough to relocate to Los Angeles in 1960 to lend her voice work to soundtracks, television commercials, and recordings, and to hold a club gig as a headliner. Unlike some of her previous Argo dates, this one was recorded in Chicago at Ter-Mar Recording Studios. Her band for the session included some regulars like guitarist George Eskridge and drummer Phil Thomas. The great Chicago pianist John Young and the amazing reed and woodwind studio player Ronald Wilson were also on the date. Her bass player for the session was Jimmy Garrison from the John Coltrane Quartet. The material is ambitious. Alexandria had cut Hoagy Carmichael's "Baltimore Oriole," before on the Deluxe label, but this version -- with its slippery, slightly Latin rhythm and popping flute -- is more sultry and atmospheric, and carries within it a loneliness that the earlier one doesn't touch. Her reading of Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blue" is, though this may seem blasphemous, every bit the equal of Nina Simone's -- especially with its deeply soulful a cappella opening. The flute adds exponentially as it softly winds through the ends of lines, filling the space between the rhythm section and the singer. The sadness literally drips from her mouth, saturating the listener. These aren't all sad songs, however. The strutting "All or Nothing at All" is a finger-popping swinger with gorgeous work by Garrison, Young, and Wilson. Given that there are only eight cuts on this set, each one counts -- though these are far from one or two-minute selections, and they dig into their grooves and allow Alexandria to stretch out. The beautiful guitar work on "Traveling Down a Lonely Road" gives the listener the feeling that the protagonist doesn't mind so much. It is the first known vocal recording of the song -- it originally appeared as an instrumental in Federico Fellini's La Strada. Eskridge and drummer Thomas, with his subtle breakbeat style in the intro, set up a beautiful transaction for the piano, bass, and lilting flute work. The true highlight of the set is "Mother Earth," a 12/8 blues with Wilson blowing a gritty tenor and Garrison strolling the bassline in full gutbucket mode. Alexandria allows some of that large throaty range of hers out of the box and lets it rip. This is simply among Lorez Alexandria's most stylized, disciplined, soulful, and satisfying recording sessions, and is highly recommended. [While this fine album had been out of print in the United States for decades, Chicago's own Dusty Groove imprint licensed the master from Universal and had it remastered for release on compact disc for the first time in 2008.] 
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1 Baltimore Oriole 3:09
2 Little Girl Blue 3:31
3 All Or Nothing At All 4:50
4 Travelling Down A Lonely Road 3:43
5 Mother Earth 4:54
6 Love Look Away 3:47
7 The End Of A Love Affair 2:48
8 That Old Devil Called Love 3:53
Credits :
Contrabass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Phil Thomas
Guitar – George Eskridge
Piano – John Young
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Ronald Wilson
Voice – Lorez Alexandria