ALBERT AYLER - New York Eye and Ear Control (1964-2000) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a very interesting set, music that was freely improvised and used as the soundtrack for the 34-minute short film New York Eye and Ear Control. Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler leads the all-star sextet (which also includes trumpeter Don Cherry, altoist John Tchicai, trombonist Roswell Rudd, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray) on two lengthy jams. The music is fiery but with enough colorful moments to hold one's interest throughout. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Don's Dawn 1'03
Albert Ayler
2     A Y 21'21
Albert Ayler
3     ITT 23'23
Albert Ayler
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Tchicai
Bass – Gary Peacock
Drums – Sonny Murray
Tenor Saxophone – Albert Ayler
Trombone – Roswell Rudd
Trumpet – Don Cherry

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").

ARCHIE SHEPP / BILL DIXON - Quartet (2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1 - Trio
2 - Quartet
3 - Somewhere
4 - Peace
Archie Shepp - tenor sax
Bill Dixon - trumpet
Don Moore - bass
Reggie Workman - bass on track 4
Paul Cohen - drums
Howard McRae - drums on track 4
Recorded:October, 1962    New York
5 - Where Poppies Bloom (Where Poppies Blow)
6 - Like A Blessed Baby Lamb
7 - Consequences
Archie Shepp & The New York Contemporary Five
Archie Shepp - tenor sax
John Tchicai - alto sax
Don Cherry - pocket cornet on track 7
Ted Curson - trumpet, piccolo trumpet on tracks 5 & 6
Ronnie Boykins - bass
Sunny Murray - drums
Recorded: February 9, 1964    New York
8 -13 Winter Song Section
14 - The 12th December
Bill Dixon Septet
Bill Dixon - trumpet
George Barrow - tenor sax
Ken McIntyre - alto sax, oboe
Howard Johnson - tuba, baritone sax
David Izenzon - bass
Hal Dodson - bass
Howard McRae - drums
Recorded: February 4, 1964    New York

ARCHIE SHEPP - Four for Trane (1964-2001) RM | Impulse! Best 50 – 20 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

From 1964, Archie Shepp's first date as a leader featured -- as one would expect from the title -- four tunes by John Coltrane, his mentor, his major influence, and his bandleader. The fact that this album holds up better than almost any of Shepp's records nearly 40 years after the fact has plenty to do with the band he chose for this session, and everything to do with the arranging skills of trombonist Roswell Rudd. The band here is Shepp on tenor, John Tchicai on alto, Rudd on trombone, Trane's bassist Reggie Workman, and Ornette Coleman's drummer Charles Moffett. Even in 1964, this was a powerhouse, beginning with a bluesed-out wailing version of "Syeeda's Song Flute." This version is ingenious, with Shepp allowing Rudd to arrange for solos for himself and Tchicai up front and Rudd punching in the blues and gospel in the middle, before giving way to double time by Workman and Moffett. The rawness of the whole thing is so down-home you're ready to tell someone to pass the butter beans when listening. Rudd's arrangement of "Naima" is also stunningly beautiful: He reharmonizes the piece for the mid-register tone of Shepp, who does his best Ben Webster and adds a microtonal tag onto the front and back, dislocating the tune before it begins and after it ends, while keeping it just out of the range of the consonant throughout. Wonderful! The only Shepp original here is "Rufus (Swung, His Face at Last to the Wind, Then His Neck Snapped)." It's not a terribly sophisticated tune, but it works in the context of this band largely because of the soloing prowess of all the members -- particularly Tchicai -- here. There is barely any melody, the key changes are commensurate with tempo shifts, and the harmonics are of the sliding scale variety. Still, there are the blues; no one can dig into them and honk them better than Shepp. When it came to sheer exuberance and expression, he was a force to be reckoned with in his youth, and it shows in each of the tunes recorded here. Four for Trane is a truly fine, original, and lasting album from an under-celebrated musician.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1 Syeeda's Song Flute 8:28
 John Coltrane
2 Mr. Syms 7:39
 John Coltrane
3 Cousin Mary 7:13
 John Coltrane
4 Naima 7:08
 John Coltrane
5 Rufus (Swung, His Face At Last To The Wind, Then His Neck Snapped) 6:25
Archie Shepp
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – John Tchicai
Bass – Reggie Workman
Drums – Charles Moffett
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Producer – Bob Thiele, John Coltrane
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Trombone – Roswell Rudd
Trumpet – Alan Shorter