SONNY STITT — Kaleidoscope (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Deftly handling the alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone, bebop giant Sonny Stitt is heard to perfection here on a variety of early-'50s dates. Stitt not only shows off his patented speed throughout, but he goes a long way in dispelling criticisms of him being all fire and no grace. The 16-track disc kicks off with four tight, Latin-tinged swingers featuring an octet that includes trumpeter Joe Newman and timbales player Humberto Morales. Switching to piano quartet mode for the bulk of the disc, Stitt ranges effortlessly from frenetic blasts ("Cherokee") to golden-hued ballads ("Imagination"). Capping off the set with four bonus cuts featuring the likes of Gene Ammons and Junior Mance, Stitt delivers one of the top sets of performances from the late bebop era. Stephen Cook
Tracklist :
1    Stitt's It 2:35
Written-By – Massey, Stitt
2    Cool Mambo 2:40
Written-By – Massey, Stitt
3    Blue Mambo 2:25
Written-By – Massey, Stitt
4    Sonny Sounds 2:29
Written-By – Massey, Stitt
5    Ain't Misbehavin' 3:02
Written-By – Razaf, Waller, Brooks
6    Later 3:00
Written-By – Sonny Stitt
7    P.S. I Love You 3:00
Written-By – Jenkins, Mercer
8    This Can't Be Love 2:47
Written-By – Rodgers-Hart
9    Imagination 3:24
Written-By – Burke-Van Heusen
10    Cherokee 2:33
Written-By – Ray Noble
11    Can't We Be Friends 2:41
Written-By – Swift, James
12    Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away) 2:45
Written-By – Gershwin-Gershwin, Kahn
– BONUS TRACK –
13    To Think You've Chosen Me 3:11
Written-By – Benjamin, Weiss
14    After You've Gone 2:25
Written-By – Creamer, Layton
15    Our Very Own 3:05
Written-By – Elliot, Young
16    'S Wonderful 2:24
Written-By – Gershwin-Gershwin
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Sonny Stitt
Baritone Saxophone – Gene Ammons (tracks: 13 to 16)
Bass – Ernie Sheppard (tracks: 1 to 4), Gene Wright (tracks: 7 to 16), Tommy Potter (tracks: 5, 6)
Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 5, 6, 9, 10), Shadow Wilson (tracks: 1 to 4), Teddy Stewart (tracks: 7, 8, 11, 12), Wesley Landers (tracks: 13 to 16)
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Charlie Bateman (tracks: 7, 8, 11, 12), John Houston (tracks: 1 to 4), Junior Mance (tracks: 9, 10, 13 to 16), Kenny Drew (tracks: 5, 6)
Timbales – Humberto Morales (tracks: 2, 3)
Trombone – Matthew Gee (tracks: 13 to 16)
Trumpet – Bill Massey (tracks: 1 to 4, 13 to 16), Joe Newman (tracks: 1 to 4), John Hunt (tracks: 1 to 4)
Vocals – Larry Townsend (tracks: 13 to 16)
Nota.
Selections #1-4 recorded on March 25, 1952; #5-6 February 17, 1950; #7-8 February 1, 1951; #9-10 December 15, 1950; #11-12 January 31, 1951; #13-16 October 8, 1950. All selections recorded in New York City.
NoNOISE reprocessing by Sonic Solutions.
Audio restoration and digital remastering, 1992 (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley).
Selections #13-16 previously released on Stitt’s Bits (Prestige 7585).

JUNIOR MANCE — Sweet and Lovely (2004) WV (image+.cue), lossless

In the ‘60s, the terms "soul-jazz" and "organ combo" went hand-in-hand -- frequently, but not always. Although organ combos dominated soul-jazz in the ‘60s, there is another valuable part of ‘60s soul-jazz that isn't discussed quite as much: piano trios led by funky, soulful players like Ray Bryant, Bobby Timmons, Ramsey Lewis, and Gene Harris. All of those artists demonstrated that earthy down-home soul-jazz didn't have to have an organ, and Junior Mance was also well aware of the piano's possibilities as a soul-jazz instrument. The Chicago native has often made it clear that piano jazz (to borrow Marian McPartland's term) can also be soul-jazz -- a fact that is quite evident on Sweet and Lovely. This 2004 release unites two of Mance's early-‘60s sessions on a single 77-minute CD: The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance and Big Chief (minus the Big Chief track "The Seasons," which Fantasy omitted due to space limitations). Both albums were produced by Orrin Keepnews for Jazzland/Riverside, and both of them find Mance leading cohesive piano trios. Whether Mance is joined by bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Bobby Thomas on Soulful Piano, or bassist Jimmy Rowser and drummer Paul Gusman on Big Chief, the pianist is in fine form throughout Sweet and Lovely. Mance excels on 12-bar blues themes, and he is equally convincing on standards that range from George Gershwin's "Summertime" and Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" to Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear". Occasionally, Mance ventures into cerebral territory; "Love for Sale" and the original "Swish," for example, underscore the Chicagoan's ability to play tough, complex, demanding bop changes at a fast tempo. But most of these trio performances thrive on groove-oriented accessibility and will easily appeal to those who prefer their jazz on the melodic side. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
# 1-9 originally released as 'The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance' (Jazzland 930)
1    The Uptown    4:02
Written-By – Julian Mance
2    Ralph's New Blues    4:20
Written-By – Milt Jackson
3    Main Stem    4:21
Written-By – Duke Ellington
4    Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup    3:38
Written-By – Anna Socenko
5    Playhouse    4:14
Written-By – Julian Mance
6    Sweet And Lovely    3:35
Written-By – Daniels, Arnheim, Tobias
7    In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee    4:36
Written-By – Mary Lou Williams
8    I Don't Care    4:27
Written-By – Ray Bryant
9    Swingmatism    5:12
Written-By – McShann, Scott
# 10-17 on 'Big Chief!' (Jazzland 953)
10    Big Chief!    4:16
Written-By – Junior Mance
11    Love For Sale    4:55
Written-By – Cole Porter
12    Fillet Of Soul    4:27
Written-By – Larry Gales
13    Swish    3:38
Written-By – Junior Mance
14    Summertime    4:09
Written-By – George And Ira Gershwin
15    Ruby, My Dear    5:55
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
16    Little Miss Gail    4:45
Written-By – Junior Mance
17    Atlanta Blues    5:51
Written-By – W. C. Handy
Credits :
1-9 originally released as 'The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance' (1969, Jazzland 930)
Bass – Ben Tucker
Drums – Bobby Thomas
Piano – Junior Mance
10-17 on 'Big Chief!' (1961, Jazzland 953)
Bass – Jimmy Rowser
Drums – Paul Gusman
Piano – Junior Mance

DIZZY GILLESPIE – To Diz, With Love (Live At The Blue Note) (1992) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dizzy Gillespie's final recording, taken from a month he spent featured at the Blue Note in New York, matches the aging giant with such fellow trumpeters as Jon Faddis, Wynton Marsalis, Claudio Roditi, Wallace Roney, Red Rodney, Charlie Sepulveda and the ancient -- but still brilliant -- Doc Cheatham (who cuts both Diz and Faddis on "Mood Indigo"). Although Gillespie was no longer up to the competition, the love that these fellow trumpeters had for him (and some fine solos) makes this historic CD worth getting. Scott Yanow              Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — Have Trumpet, Will Excite! (1959-2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's easy and perhaps unfair to take any later jazz album by a trendy, "hot" trumpeter and compare it to a classic like Have Trumpet, Will Excite!. Critics and fans have been afforded the luxury of time to weed out half-efforts. Still, even without former knowledge of who Dizzy Gillespie is, Have Trumpet, Will Excite! separates itself from the crowd pretty quickly. The Latin up-tempo arrangement of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" thrusts the song into an entirely different realm. Junior Mance's piano kicks things of with a quirky, forceful rhythm, and after Gillespie's trumpet lays down the bare bones of the melody, it's pretty much forgotten. From there, the band takes off on a creative surge. The same is true of "My Man." A brave arrangement, kicked off by piano and outlined by trumpet, completely rewrites the piece. "Sure," Gillespie and the band, seem to say, "We can play old swing tunes, but wouldn't it be cool if we turned them inside out?" This approach, along with sharp solos, gives the material an exciting edge. Gillespie's solo on "St. Louis Blues" just soars, while Les Spann, who plays both flute and guitar on the album, follows him with a bristly guitar solo. Mance offers distinctive piano work that matches Gillespie's enthusiasm on tunes like "Woody 'N' You," while bassist Sam Jones and drummer Lex Humphries keep a high-octane rhythm in constant motion. Have Trumpet, Will Excite! more than measures up to its promise and stands as a cornerstone of Gillespie's '50s work. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
Tracklist + Credits :

GENE AMMONS – 1947-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1251 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Gene Ammons, son of Albert, was a warm, approachable tenor saxophonist who existed at the fulcrum of several genres, and styles within genres. He swung, bopped, rocked, rolled, preached, and dished out sensuous songs of love and heartbreak. These are his first recordings as a leader. "Red Top," a portrait of Gene's wife Mildred (who was also T-Bone Walker's niece), was to be the inspiration for a milestone vocalese rendition recorded six years later by King Pleasure and Betty Carter, who sang words based upon Gail Brockman's trumpet solo. Here on the original track, Ammons quotes "Alice Blue Gown" at the beginning of his solo. This would become "Alice Rosetta" in King Pleasure's translation. Even if there weren't any vocals for comparison, "Red Top" is a masterpiece and "Idaho" the perfect flip side. These are object lessons in bop groove logic. Repeated exposure to jazz of this sort will permanently alter your brain in all of the hippest ways. "Concentration" does everything modern jazz was supposed to do. It's intricate, fresh and inventive. We're lucky to have contrasting versions from two different ensembles. "Blowing Red's Bop" should have been called "Blowing Red's Top," as it is clearly a remake of "Red Top." Twelve sides from October and December 1947 paint a picture of Chicago's jazz scene in rapid transition. "Shermanski" contains a wild ensemble vamp behind the sax that might rile your blood. "Jeet Jet" is a ferocious bop line that includes a swift succession of nine hammer strokes. The magnificently titled "Blowing the Family Jewels" rolls at about 65 mph. Earl Coleman sings like Billy Eckstine on "Hold That Money." Contrary to what the discography says, Coleman is not heard on "Dues in Blues," a sultry cooker that walks its way into "Night Train" territory. The session from February 1949 is a good example of bebop you could dance to if you felt like it. "Brother Jug's Sermon" has a spoken intro and handclaps behind a "preaching" tenor sax. Two sentimental vocals, one by pianist Christine Chatman and the other by Mary F. Graham, are included in the package to place Ammons' music in context for the year 1949. But the instrumentals are the gravy. "Stuffy," a percolator by Coleman Hawkins, comes across nice and solid. Ammons' handling of "Once in a While" is gorgeous, honest, personable and very, very cool. arwulf arwulf         Tracklist + Credits :

GENE AMMONS – 1949-1950 | The Chronogical Classics – 1329 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This leg of the Gene Ammons chronology begins with two pretty vocals by Christine Chapman. Jug is in the background, offering emotional support through the tenor sax. These tidbits are soon forgotten as several powerful blowing sessions unfold. The lush, theatrical renditions of "Ev'rything Depends on You" and "When You're Gone" are thrilling examples of where the jazz ballad was at in 1949. The elegant boppish swing of "Hot Springs" is liberating. "Little Slam" eventually reveals itself as a reconstituted "King Porter Stomp." The next session is even better: "Pennies From Heaven" is all delicacy and beatitude. "The Last Mile," also known as "Rockin' Rocker," does an impressive slow grind on simple blues changes. "Cha-Bootie" is definitive swaggering Gene Ammons, full of soul. During "Full Moon" the band bursts all restraints and lunges forward with horns blazing. On March 5th 1960, Ammons started laying down thunder tracks for the Prestige label. "Bye Bye" sounds like "Soft Winds" with salt and Tabasco. Ammons leads a hand-clapping moralistic singalong called "Let It Be." That's Sonny Stitt blowing down a baritone sax. He comes round front, switches to tenor and duels with Ammons on "Blues Up and Down," a showpiece that would be revived by Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis during the early 1960s. How cool it is to hear the original version of this two-sax workout, followed by a brisk "You Can Depend On Me"? Great rhythm section in Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter and "Kansas City" Jo Jones. Teddy Williams must have opened his mouth abnormally wide when he sang with this band. It's kind of outrageous, like he's doing Billy Eckstine impressions. On "Dumb Woman Blues" his chortling makes a bit more sense but he's still really loud and overbearing. For this kind of singing, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson would be preferable. The Prestige rendering of "Chabootie" is a marvel of precision. Stitt was a capable baritone player, and Art Blakey has appeared as a worthy successor for Jones. "Who Put the Sleeping Pills in Rip Van Winkle's Coffee?" is surprisingly stupid, and no amount of hot blowing can rescue the song from itself after Gene leads the band in a stilted singalong. The melody is a turkey, which explains why this track rarely appears on reissues. "Gravy" is immediately recognizable as "Walkin'," that great durable anthem of hard bop. Once again, Stitt's baritone is a bitch. "Easy Glide" sparkles with a vintage early-'50s show time arrangement, very theatrical. The disc closes out with four sides issued on the Chess label. While "Tenor Eleven" is pleasantly stimulating, Jug really finds himself in the ballad groove with the help of primitive reverb and maybe something else to steady the nerves and enhance his mood. Three ballads and you're out. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist + Credits :

GENE AMMONS – 1950-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1367 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist + Credits :

THE JOHNNY GRIFFIN AND EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS QUINTET - Tough Tenors (1960-2003) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

If one feels their music getting a bit stale, perhaps a little too predictable, then they have a couple choices. They can dig back into their roots to reconnect with the music they love, or they can go head to head with a counterpoint in an effort to create sparks. Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis choose the latter course in Tough Tenors, turning a half-dozen pieces into an enticing mix of edgy solos and synchronized ensemble playing. The fun stuff here bops along at a giddy pace, letting Griffin and Davis trade their tough leads, while pianist Junior Mance offers a slight pause with his swift keyboarding. Lester Young's "Tickle Toe" kicks off the affair with aplomb, and Davis/Griffin's "Twins" provides plenty of room for explosive solo work. The album's center rests with the nine-minute take on Bennie Green's "Flunky Flute," a spontaneous piece that eventually -- because of the players' intensity -- becomes an endurance test. The medium tempo of "Soft Winds" qualifies as a ballad for these guys, and the mellow groove makes it an easygoing closer. Bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley also do a fine job of keeping this boisterous crew on the ground. Tough Tenors is one of the many amazing jazz recordings from 1960, and will please saxophone fans, Davis/Griffin fans, and anyone who enjoys classic hard bop. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
Tracklist :
1     Tickle Toe 5'30
Lester Young
2     Save Your Love for Me 7'09
Buddy Johnson
3     Twins 6'35
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis / Johnny Griffin
4     Funky Fluke 9'16
Bernie Green
5     Imagination 4'29
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
6     Soft Winds 7'17
Benny Goodman / Fletcher Henderson
Credits :
Bass – Larry Gales
Drums – Ben Riley
Piano – Junior Mance
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Johnny Griffin

JOHNNY GRIFFIN AND EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS QUINTET - Lookin' At Monk (1961-1998) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Originally recorded in 1961, this tribute program features two of the best tenor saxophonists of the period along with pianist Junior Mance and a rhythm section composed of bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley (both of whom would later work as Thelonious Monk sidemen). If the program seems a bit obvious ("'Round Midnight," "Epistrophy," "Well, You Needn't," etc.), bear in mind that this was only the second all-Monk program anyone had recorded and several of these numbers had yet to attain standard status. The playing is uniformly inventive and witty (both required attributes when approaching this repertoire), and Mance is particularly to be commended for maintaining a graceful and elegant attack and not trying to praise Monk by imitation. If there's a complaint to be made here, it's with the tempos, which sometimes verge on the headlong. The arrangement of "Well, You Needn't" suffers from too much forward momentum, as does "I Mean You." On the other hand, the group's vigorous approach to "Rhythm-A-Ning" (and the honking two-note tag they append to the head) is perfect. Rick Anderson  
Tracklist :
1     In Walked Bud 4'34
Thelonious Monk
2     Well, You Needn't 5'31
Thelonious Monk
3     Ruby, My Dear 4'39
Thelonious Monk
4     Rhythm-A-Ning 3'53
Thelonious Monk
5     Epistrophy 8'36
Kenny Clarke / Thelonious Monk
6     'Round Midnight 5'26
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
7     Stickball (I Mean You) 5'52
Coleman Hawkins / Thelonious Monk
Credits :
Bass – Larry Gales
Drums – Ben Riley
Piano – Junior Mance
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Remastered By – Joe Tarantino
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (pistas: 1 to 5, 7), Johnny Griffin (pistas: 1, 2, 4 to 7)

EDDIE 'LOCKJAW' DAVIS & JOHNNY GRIFFIN - Live at Minton's (1961-1998) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This duo (tenor saxophonists Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin) made about a dozen LPs together, most for Jazzland and Prestige, and they are all worth investigating. They had a special affinity for pianist Thelonious Monk's music, and while there were other sets which emphasize that better, the Monk pieces ("Straight No Chaser"/"In Walked Bud") included in the program on this live set were among the highlights. Bob Rusch
Tracklist :
 1     Billie's Bounce 8'43
Charlie Parker
2     Epistrophy 7'17
Kenny Clarke / Thelonious Monk
3     Well, You Needn't 8'58
Thelonious Monk
4     In Walked Bud 6'14
Thelonious Monk
5     Land of Dreams 7'52
Norman Gimbel / Eddie Heywood
6     Bean O 6'42
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis    
7     Robbins Nest 10'12
Illinois Jacquet / Bob Russell / Sir Charles Thompson
8     Our Delight 7'17
Tadd Dameron
9     Dee Dee's Dance 6'12
Denzil Best
10     Epistrophy 8'46
Kenny Clarke / Thelonious Monk
Credits :
Bass – Larry Gales
Drums – Ben Riley
Piano – Junior Mance
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis

EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS & JOHNNY GRIFFIN - Battle Stations (1963-2002) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin joined forces and formed a two-tenor front line, bop enthusiasts could safely assume that the sparks were going to fly. Davis and Griffin, after all, were one of hard bop's exciting tenor teams -- their saxophone battles were as legendary as the encounters of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, or Phil Woods and Gene Quill (who, unlike the other teams mentioned here, were a two-alto pair). Battle Stations, like other Davis/Griffin encounters, points to the fact that the two tenormen never had a problem finding common ground. Both had big tones; both were very extroverted, aggressive players; and both swung unapologetically hard -- no one ever mistook either of them for members of jazz's cool school, which favored subtlety, restraint, and understatement over intensity and aggression. A sense of friendly competition is evident on Battle Stations; when Davis and Griffin lock horns, the result is musical sportsmanship at its finest. And "friendly" is the operative word on this 1960 date -- as competitive as Davis and Griffin could be, they had a great deal of respect for one another. Battle Stations (which employs Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Ben Riley on drums) demonstrates that the saxmen were not only sparring partners, they were also a mutual admiration society, and the improvisers enjoy an incredibly strong rapport on hard-swinging numbers like "Pull My Coat," "Hey Jim!," and "What's Happening." Battle Stations is an album that fans of heated two-tenor exchanges shouldn't overlook.  Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     What's Happening 6'51
Fletcher Henderson
2     Abundance 6'54
Norman Simmons
3     If I Had You 6'45
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Ted Shapiro
4     63rd Street Theme 7'12
Johnny Griffin
5     Pull My Coat 6'40
Richard Evans
6     Hey Jim! 8'00
Babs Gonzales / James Moody
7     Billie's Bounce 11'17
Charlie Parker
8     Theme 1'06
Traditional
Credits :
Bass – Larry Gales (pistas: 7, 8), Vic Sproles (pistas: 1 to 6)
Drums – Ben Riley (pistas: 1 to 8)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder (pistas: 1 to 6)
Piano – Junior Mance (pistas: 7, 8), Norman Simmons (pistas: 1 to 6)
Remastered By [Remaster] – Joe Tarantino
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Johnny Griffin

JOHNNY GRIFFIN - J.G (1956-2004) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As a CD reissue, it's a crime that this very first outing by Johnny Griffin as a leader is only available from Japan in an irritating paper sleeve that comes apart down the center. OK, enough bitching. Here's the skinny: Griffin's first date featured the saxophonist in the company of Junior Mance on piano, bassist Wilbur Ware, and session drummer Buddy Smith. The program features eight tunes that were fairly standard fare for jazzmen in 1956, such as "These Foolish Things," Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays," and the Youmans-Greene nugget "The Boy Next Door." These are played with the requisite verve and mastery of harmony, rhythm, and melodic changes, but they don't really stand out. What does stand out in this program are Griffin's originals, such as "Satin Wrap," which has since been covered by any tenor player worth his mouthpiece. It's a funky blues number that does not fall headlong into the hard bop swinging that would be so pervasive in the tenorist's style. Instead there are more formalist notions that suggest Paul Gonsalves and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, the album-closer, "Lollypop," comes out swinging hard with an R&B hook that digs in. Mance propels Griffin with fat, greasy chords that suggest a Chicago bar-walking honk frenzy, but Griffin's own playing is too sophisticated and glides like Lester Young around the changes. Also notable here is Ware's beautiful bop run "Riff Raff." The bassist knew not only how to write for but arrange for horns. Mance and Griffin are in it knee-deep, note for note, with Mance adding beefy left-hand clusters to the melody as Ware and Smith play it straight time until the solo, when the middle breaks up and everybody goes in a different direction. It's got the hard bop blues at its root. This recording is brief, as it originally came out on a 10" LP, but is nonetheless a necessary addition to any shelf that pays Johnny Griffin homage.
|| This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' ||
Tracklist :
 1     I Cried for You 3'37
Gus Arnheim / Arthur Freed / Abe Lyman
2     Satin Wrap 3'05
Johnny Griffin
3     Yesterdays 2'31
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
4     Riff-Raff 3'10
Wilbur Ware
5     Bee-Ees 3'52
Johnny Griffin
6     The Boy Next Door 3'18
Otto Harbach / Vincent Youmans
7     These Foolish Things 3'36
Harry Link / Jack Strachey
8     Lollypop 3'03
Johnny Griffin
Credits :
Bass – Wilbur Ware
Drums – Buddy Smith
Piano – Junior Mance
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin

CLARK TERRY - Mellow Moods (1962-1994) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This LP combines together two former LPs by flugelhornist Clark Terry: Everything's Mellow and All American. Since those two sessions were cut for the Moodsville label (where all of the sets were supposed to be emphasizing quiet ballads) and the second date has songs from a forgotten musical, this release wouldn't seem to have much potential. However, Terry is highly expressive on the former date (a quartet outing with pianist Junior Mance, bassist Joe Benjamin, and drummer Charlie Persip) and does not stick only to ballads, throwing in some blues and obscure melodies. As for the All American score, Oliver Nelson was enlisted to write arrangements for Terry's septet (which is comprised of Budd Johnson on tenor, trombonist Lester Robertson, baritonist George Barrow, pianist Eddie Costa in one of his final recordings, bassist Art Davis, and drummer Ed Shaughnessy) and, except for a couple of purposely corny moments, the music is greatly uplifted; in fact, a few of the songs deserve to be revived. Terry and Johnson are in great form throughout. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Out in the Cold Again 4'29
Bobby Bloom / Rube Bloom / Ted Koehler
2     The Simple Waltz 5'10
Bob Brookmeyer / Clark Terry
3     This Is Always 4'53
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
4     Lullaby 3'40
Johannes Brahms
5     Among My Souvenirs 4'48
Edgar Leslie / Horatio Nicholls
6     In the Alley 3'46
Clark Terry
7     Michelle 4'33
John Lennon / Paul McCartney / Clark Terry
8     As You Desire Me 3'26
Allie Wrubel
9     What a Country 4'22
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
10     Same Language 4'05
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
11     If I Were You 5'00
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
12     I've Just Seen Her 3'50
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
13     Once upon a Time 2'20
Lee Adams / Benny Carter / Charles Strouse
14     Nightlife 4'34
Lee Adams / Lou Gramm / Mick Jones / Charles Strouse
15     It's Fun to Think 5'06
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
16     The Fight Song 3'45
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
Credits :
Arranged By – Oliver Nelson (pistas: 9 to 16)
Baritone Saxophone – George Barrow (pistas: 9 to 16)
Bass – Art Davis (pistas: 9 to 16), Joe Benjamin (pistas: 1 to 8)
Drums – Charlie Persip (pistas: 1 to 8), Ed Shaughnessy (pistas: 9 to 16)
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Junior Mance (pistas: 1 to 8)
Piano, Vibraphone – Eddie Costa (pistas: 9 to 16)
Remastered By [Digital Remastering, 1993] – Phil De Lancie
Tenor Saxophone – Budd Johnson (pistas: 9 to 16)
Trombone – Lester Robertson (pistas: 9 to 16)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

IRENE KRAL - The Band and I + Better Than Anything (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Band and I pairs Irene Kral with Ernie Wilkins and Al Cohn, whose energetic, robust arrangements capture a dimension of the singer rarely glimpsed on record -- upbeat and persuasive, with little of the spectral melancholy that hangs over her later, more familiar sessions. The titular backing unit in question, led by trumpeter Herb Pomeroy, expertly bridges the gap between traditional big band and modern-era jazz, creating a soulful, lightly swinging showcase that inspires Kral to deliver some of her most appealing performances -- cuts like "This Little Love" and "I'd Know You Anywhere" boast a radiance sadly absent from subsequent sessions. by Jason Ankeny

The Band and I

1 I'd Know You Anywhere 2:14

Jimmy McHugh / Johnny Mercer

2 Detour Ahead 3:43

Lou Carter / Herb Ellis / John Freigo

3 Comes Love 2:36

Lew Brown / Sam H. Stept / Charles Tobias

4 Everybody Knew But Me 2:01

Irving Berlin

5 Lazy Afternoon 2:56

John Latouche / Jerome Moross

6 What's Right for You 3:01

7 I Let a Song Go out of My Heart 2:46

Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Henry Nemo / John Redmond

8 Memphis in June 2:58

Hoagy Carmichael / Paul Francis Webster

9 This Little Love 2:07

10 The Night We Called It a Day 2:32

Tom Adair / Matt Dennis

11 It Isn't So Good 2:32

12 Something to Remember You By 2:12

Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz

Better than Anythin 

This CD reissues a formerly rare Irene Kral album that was originally recorded for the Ava label, one of only two records that she recorded during 1960-1973. Kral is quite recognizable, although not singing with quite the emotional intensity that she would display during her final three albums (which are all classics). Joined by pianist Junior Mance, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Mickey Roker (whose name is misspelled Rocker), Kral was already a delightful singer. Best are her versions of "Better Than Anything," "The Meaning of the Blues," "It's a Wonderful World," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and "Nobody Else But Me." This enjoyable set is available through the Spanish Fresh Sound label. by Scott Yanow

13 Better Than Anything 2:21

David "Buck" Wheat

14 The Touch of Your Lips 2:22

Ray Noble

15 The Meaning of the Blues 3:11

Bobby Troup / Leah Worth

16 Rock Me to Sleep 2:20

Lou Carter / Paul Vandervoort II

17 No More 3:10

Tutti Camarata / Bob Russell

18 Passing By 1:54

Johnny Hess / Jack Lawrence / Paul Misraki / Charles Trénet

19 It's a Wonderful World 2:34

Harold Adamson / Jan Savitt / Johnny Watson

20 This Is Always 3:23

Mack Gordon / Harry Warren

21 Just Friends 2:40

John Klenner / Sam M. Lewis

22 Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry 3:35

Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne

23 Nobody Else But Me 1:54

Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern

- Bonus Tracks -

24 The Meaning Of The Blues

25 Just Friends

26 Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

27 Nobody Else But Me

28 Detour Ahead

29 It's A Wonderful World

30 Forgetful 

BILLIE POOLE - Confessin' the Blues! (1962-1996) Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series / RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This CD brings back the second of two Riverside albums cut by singer Billie Poole. Other than a single from a few years earlier, the two sets were Poole's entire recording legacy. Poole was an expressive singer who felt most comfortable on blues-oriented material. For this date, she was assisted by an unbeatable rhythm section (guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Junior Mance, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Mickey Roker) and performed mostly vintage material, with a few more recent songs added for variety. Poole sounds fine on such tunes as "Confessin' the Blues," "Stormy Weather," "Alone Together," and even "God Bless the Child." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1     Confessin' the Blues 3:37
Walter Brown / Jay McShann
2     Them Blues 2:10
Ollie Jones
3     God Bless the Child 3:53
Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog, Jr.
4     I Worry 'Bout You 3:23
Norman Mapp
5     Jailhouse Blues 3:45
Bessie Smith / Clarence Williams
6     Stormy Weather 4:29
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
7     The Man That Got Away 4:52
Harold Arlen / Ira Gershwin
8     Keep Your Hand on Your Heart 3:31
Big Bill Broonzy
9     Ain't That Love 3:50
Ray Charles
10     Alone Together 2:38
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz
11     When Your Well Runs Dry 2:49
Norman Mapp
12     Stormy Monday 4:00
Bob Crowder / Billy Eckstine / Earl Hines
Credits:
Junior Mance (Piano)
Kenny Burrell (Guitar)
Bob Cranshaw (Bass)
Mickey Roker (Drums)
Billie Poole (Vocals)