GLEN HALL | GIL EVANS – The Mother Of The Book (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of Gil Evans' least-known and most sonorous projects of his prolific old age was this exotic collaboration with fellow Canadian composer/saxophonist Glen Hall which, no thanks to red tape, took nine years to emerge in Germany and then another two years to appear in the U.S. Intrigued by the prospect of working with synthesizers, a small wind brigade, and the avant-garde Canadian percussion troupe NEXUS, Evans created a gentle, vital, yet melancholy Third World landscape out of five Hall compositions while conducting and playing electric piano on the sessions. The flavors originate from places as diverse as Japan, India, Indonesia, the Middle East and the South Side of Chicago, and Evans' distinct sonic signatures -- the lightly dissonant voicings for woodwinds, trumpet and synths -- turn up more often here than in many of his more free-blowing late projects, evoking the acidly mournful passages of Sketches of Spain. Designed to work as a suite, The Mother of the Book reaches its peak on the final two numbers: "The Folk" with its propulsive, battering, almost gamelan percussion-driven groove, and "Muddy Waters," an impressionistic tour through the old bluesman's territory laced with subtributes to other Chicago bluesicians, earthy tenor work from Hall, and plenty of Gil's voicings for winds and electronics. The marvel, of course, is that Evans' curiosity and ear for unusual sonorities stayed with him to the end, which this CD reveals more tellingly than most. Richard S. Ginell    Tracklist & Credits :

LEE KONITZ - Inside Hi-Fi (1957-1999) HDCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This excellent recording (part of their 1987 Jazzlore series) features altoist Lee Konitz with two separate quartets during 1956. Either guitarist Billy Bauer or pianist Sal Mosca are the main supporting voices in groups also including either Arnold Fishkind or Peter Ind on bass and Dick Scott on drums. The most unusual aspect to the set is that on the four selections with Mosca, Konitz switches to tenor, playing quite effectively in a recognizable cool style. The overall highlights of this enjoyable album are "Everything Happens to Me," "All of Me," and "Star Eyes," but all eight performances are well played and swinging. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Kary's Trance 6:09
Lee Konitz
2     Everything Happens to Me 4:31
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
3     Sweet and Lovely 4:03
Gus Arnheim / Jules LeMare / Harry Tobias
4     Cork 'N' Bib 5:30
Lee Konitz
5     All of Me 5:11
Gerald Marks / Seymour Simons
6     Star Eyes 5:22
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
7     Nesuhi's Instant 5:09
Peter Ind
8     (Back Home Again In) Indiana 5:18
James F. Hanley / Ballard MacDonald
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz (tracks: 1 to 4)
Bass – Arnold Fishkin (tracks: 1 to 4), Peter Ind (tracks: 5 to 8)
Drums – Dick Scott (tracks: 1 to 8)
Guitar – Billy Bauer (tracks: 1 to 4)
Piano – Sal Mosca (tracks: 5 to 8)
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Lee Konitz (tracks: 5 to 8)

STAN GETZ PRESENTS JIMMIE ROWLES - The Peacocks (1977-1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though Stan Getz is credited as the leader of The Peacocks, and his immediately identifiable tenor saxophone is well represented, this session is actually headed by pianist and vocalist Jimmy Rowles, with Getz as producer. It is essentially a series of laid-back duets between Rowles and Getz, or a small amount of quartet recordings complemented by bassist Buster Williams and drummer Elvin Jones. The range of emotion and dynamics presented offers a unique listening experience for anyone not particularly familiar with the veteran Los Angeles based Rowles, supported by a variety of players who fully understand his muse. Not without his own innate sense of style, rhythm, and energy, Rowles is the centerpiece in a stack of standards, music of Duke Ellington, modern jazz compositions, and one original. He has a dry vocal style cum Mose Allison or even Tony Bennett, most evident on "I'll Never Be the Same" or the reserved but heartfelt blues ballad/waltz "My Buddy." Without singing, Rowles and Getz sail through the stride flavored Ellington evergreen "What Am I Here For?" and the elegant "Serenade in Sweden," while the title track is the haute cuisine piece, a Rowles original that languishes in pensive, dark and midnight slow liquid colors. Of the ensemble pieces, Wayne Shorter's "Lester Left Town" brims with fermented bubbles, as Getz glides through the melody with a restrained Jones and perky piano from Rowles. A song of slow lingering and reflection on the passing of youth, "This Is All I Ask" is an old man's refrain, fondly remembering bygone glory with a request for one final chance. The stand-out track, completely set apart from the rest, is "The Chess Players," a devilish genius word play set to Wayne Shorter's instrumental melody by Jon Hendricks, featuring the lyricist, family members, wife Judith and daughter Michelle, and Getz's wife Beverly. It's a killer song, rousingly upbeat and wild, as the chorale threatens they're "coming to get you," "you better believe it," and they "must have your love." Rowles does a modified free solo piano adaptation of "Body & Soul," and an interesting medley of Cedar Walton's modal "Mosaic" affixed to a short snippet of "Would You Like to Take a Walk?" as an appropriate coda for this program. With few Jimmy Rowles recordings in the world, this has to rank as his best, clearly the most entertaining, and a project Getz was ever proud to bring to the jazz world. It is definitive, deserving of the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces tag, and a must-have item in your modern jazz collection. by Michael G. Nastos 
Tracklist :
1     I'll Never Be the Same 4:07
Gus Kahn / Matty Malneck / Frank Signorelli
Piano, Vocals – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
2     Lester Left Town 5:53
Wayne Shorter
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
3     Body and Soul 5:51
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
4     What Am I Here For? 4:57
Duke Ellington / Frankie Laine
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
5     Serenade to Sweden 5:39
Duke Ellington
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
6     The Chess Players 5:43
Wayne Shorter
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Vocals – Jon Hendricks, Judith Hendricks, Michelle Hendricks
7     The Peacocks 5:42
Jimmy Rowles
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
8     My Buddy 4:26
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano, Vocals – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
9     The Hour of Parting 3:35
Gus Kahn / Mischa Spoliansky
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
10     Rose Marie 2:54
Rudolf Friml / Otto Harbach / Oscar Hammerstein II / Herbert Stothart
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano, Vocals – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
11     This Is All I Ask 4:23
Gordon Jenkins
Bass – Buster Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano, Vocals – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
12     Skylark 4:01
Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
13     Mosaic/Would You Like to Take a Walk 1:33
Mort Dixon / Billy Rose / Cedar Walton / Harry Warren
Piano – Jimmy Rowles