CLIFFORD BROWN – Memorial Album (1956-1987) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trumpeter Clifford Brown is heard here in two unusual and unrelated sessions. On four selections, Brown is featured with arranger/pianist Tadd Dameron's Orchestra; other soloists include Benny Golson on tenor and altoist Gigi Gryce. The other date was recorded in Sweden while Brown was touring with Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra. Clifford Brown and fellow trumpeter Art Farmer play four Dameron arrangements with a Swedish group that includes altoist Arne Domnerus, baritonist Lars Gullin, and pianist Bengt Hallberg. Oscar Hammerstein II & Sigmund Romberg's "Lover Come Back to Me" really cooks and Brown and Farmer get to trade off in exciting fashion during Quincy Jones' "'Scuse These Blues." Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1950-1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1263 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

April in Paris, 1950. James Moody is making records with a band led by trumpeter Ernie Royal. While two originals by Royal are based on textbook bop themes, Moody's own "Date With Kate" shows greater depth of invention. "Mean to Me" prances at a healthy clip and "Embraceable You" is presented as a slow-dance delicacy. Jumping to July of 1950, Moody leads his own "Boptet" through four remarkable exercises in modernity. Marshall "Red" Allen, who subsequently worked for decades with Sun Ra, is heard in Moody's band playing alto saxophone. These must be Allen's earliest appearances on record. "Delooney" surges ahead with peculiar chords that do in fact slightly resemble what Ra's Arkestra would be playing by 1957. "Real Cool" features the celeste and piano of Raymond Fol and some lovely bass work by Buddy Banks. "In the Anna" is a slow and harmonically altered stroll through "Back Home Again in Indiana." Moody sings a chorus of rapid-fire bop scat on "Voila." After he blows his horn for a bit, several voices sing a background chorus, which continues during a fadeout, that new effect just beginning to occur on records in 1950. Moody's last Parisian session focuses tightly upon his tenor sax backed by apparent Bud Powell devotee Raphael "Raph" Schecroun, Pierre Michelot, and the amazing Kenny "Klook" Clarke, whose solo on "Riffin' and Raphin'" is a pleasure. Hot tracks invigorate, and ballads bring on the coolest of reveries. Moody's fluidic improvisations are always full of pleasant surprises. "St. Louis Blues" gets a modern, sophisticated treatment, slipping with progressive ease into the traditional tango chorus. There are no less than three distinct renditions of "Embraceable You" on this CD. Maybe we're inside a movie and this is the recurring theme song, always returning to assist in the story line's continuity: five months in the life of James Moody. The home stretch takes listeners back to Stockholm. Backed by seven Scandinavians and bolstered by cushy arrangements, Moody delivered six gorgeous performances for the Prestige label. His balladeering is always astonishing. "How Deep Is the Ocean" has the power to reassure. So does "I'll Get By." Each of these little three-minute records should be cherished like a vision of a better world. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

JAMES MOODY – 1951 | The Chronogical Classics – 1388 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In need of rest and recuperation after suffering under the twin scourges of alcoholism and Benzedrine addiction, saxophonist James Moody backed away from the scene in 1948 and took off to stay with his uncle in Paris for a couple of weeks, only to remain overseas for three years, making great jazz records with some of Europe's finest young players. Volume four in the Classics James Moody chronology assembles all of the recordings he made for the Metronome and Vogue labels in Stockholm and Paris between January 24 and July 27, 1951. The opening tracks, culled from the Swedish portion of the survey, are greatly enhanced by the presence of baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, a marvelous improviser whose tonalities blend beautifully with Moody's tenor. On "Pennies From Heaven" and "Cherokee," Moody and the rhythm section are backed by a modest string ensemble; here the sonic chemistry is so pleasantly integrated as to warrant comparison with Charlie Parker's own adventures in chamber music. The next leg of Moody's European odyssey finds him backed by a rhythm section with conga drums and a huge string and wind orchestra under the direction of André Hodier. Using alto and tenor saxophones, Moody navigates well even when the monstrous ensemble threatens to engulf him. It's a relief to hear him two weeks later blowing alto sax and leading a quintet comprised of trumpeter Roger Guerin and the same trio that was used with Hodier's Orchestre: pianist Raymond Fol, bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Pierre Lemarchand. Longtime Moody fans will thrill to hear the enclosed version of "I Cover the Waterfront," destined to serve as the basis for Eddie Jefferson's famous vocalese version on James Moody's 1956 Flute 'n the Blues album. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

LEE KONITZ - Move (1994) Unofficial Release | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lee Konitz has recorded often during his career, but many of the tracks within this CD may be fairly rare. The first eight songs are from two 1956 studio dates in Germany with either Hans Koller on tenor sax and a rotating cast of one or two baritone saxophonists, including Lars Gullin, Willi Sanner, and Rudi Sehring. With the exception of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" in which Konitz is the only reed player, the material sticks to originals by either pianist Roland Kovac, Gullin, or the leader; though the music is pleasant, none of the tunes are particularly memorable. Better is a 1958 New York session with Warne Marsh on tenor sax, pianist Billy Taylor, mellophonist Don Elliott, and guitarist Mundell Lowe covering lively takes of "Move" and "Subconscious Lee," Konitz's well-known reworking of "What Is This Called Love?" The last three tracks with Niels Pedersen and Alan Dawson are of historical interest. A very brief but wild interpretation of "What's New" is mainly a feature for Pedersen's extended bass solo; while Konitz invites Evans to join them on stage for a rather choppy "How Deep Is the Ocean," which features a terrific introduction by the pianist, and the more accessible "Beautiful Love." Like most Moon CDs the sound is rather erratic, with the live tracks showing lots of tape hiss and a fair amount of distortion. But both Konitz and Evans fans should consider adding this now out-of-print release to their collections. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    East Of Eden    4:02
2    Stephany    5:01
3    Late Summer    7:02
4    En Rodage    3:58
5    Ablution    4:00
6    Variations No.8 From "Passacaglia"    3:04
7    I'm Getting Sentimental Over You    2:50
8    Lee-La-Lu    5:00
9    Move    3:09
10    Subconscious Lee    2:33
11    What's New    2:30
12    How Deep Is The Ocean?    7:28
13    Beautiful Love    3:38
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz (pistas: 1 to 3, 6 to 13)
Baritone Saxophone – Lars Gullin (pistas: 4, 5), Lee Konitz (pistas: 4, 5), Willi Sanner (pistas: 1, 2, 8)
Bass – Eddie Safranski (pistas: 9, 10), Johnny Fischer (pistas: 1 to 8), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (pistas: 11 to 13)
Drums – Alan Dawson (pistas: 11 to 13), Ed Thigpen (pistas: 9, 10), Karl Sanner (pistas: 3 to 8), Rudi Sehring (pistas: 1, 2)
Guitar – Mundell Lowe (pistas: 9, 10)
Mellophone – Don Elliott (pistas: 9, 10)
Piano – Bill Evans (pistas: 11 to 13), Billy Taylor (pistas: 9, 10), Roland Kovac (pistas: 1 to 8)
Tenor Saxophone – Hans Koller (pistas: 1 to 3, 6, 8), Warne Marsh (pistas: 9, 10)
Notas.Tracks 1 to 8 Lee Konitz Ensemble, Kohln, Germany, January 17 & 21, 1956
Tracks 9 to 10 Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh Ensemble, New York, 1958
Tracks 11 to 13 Lee Konitz Trio special guest Bill Evans, Stockholm, Sweden, 1966

ARCHIE SHEPP | LARS GULLIN QUINTET - The House I Live In (1963-1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a fascinating release. Tenor-saxophonist Archie Shepp would not burst upon the U.S. avant-garde scene until 1964-65 but here he is featured at a Danish concert with the great coolbop baritonist Lars Gullin and a top-notch straightahead rhythm section (pianist Tete Montoliu, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Alex Riel). The quintet stretches out on four lengthy standards (including "Sweet Georgia Brown" and a 19-minute rendition of "You Stepped out of a Dream") and it is particularly interesting to hear the reactions of the other musicians to Shepp's rather free flights; at a couple of points Gullin tries to copy him. An important historical release. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     You Stepped Out of a Dream 19'06
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
2     I Should Care 9'00
Sammy Cahn / Axel Stordahl / Paul Weston
3     The House I Live In 9'09
Earl Robinson
4     Sweet Georgia Brown 11'22
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Lars Gullin
Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Drums – Alex Riel
Piano – Tete Montoliu
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp

LARS GULLIN - 1955 - 1956 : With Chet Baker, Vol. 1 [1992] FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Improving upon the original LP in Dragon's Lars Gullin series by adding an additional four-song session, this CD features the legendary Swedish baritonist with four different groups from the 1955-1956 period, ranging from a quartet to an octet and featuring trumpeter Chet Baker on four numbers. Throughout, Gullin is heard in prime form, stretching out on his most famous original ("Danny's Dream"), featuring the cool-toned clarinet of Arne Domnerus on "Ma," and holding his own with Baker's quartet. Highly recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist
1 Danny's Dream 4:21
Lars Gullin
2 Igloo 5:25
Lars Gullin
3 Lars Meets Jeff 5:25
Lars Gullin
4 Cool Blues 3:21
Charlie Parker
5 Brash 4:36
Bob Zieff
6 Lover Man 5:24
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
7 I'll Remember April 6:37
Gene DePaul / Patricia Johnston / Don Raye
8 All of Me 5:49
Gerald Marks / Seymour Simons
9 Like Someone in Love 5:36
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
10 Jeepers Creepers 4:55
Johnny Mercer / Harry Warren
11 You Go to My Head 5:58
J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
12 Fedja 4:11
Lars Gullin
13 Ma 4:36
Lars Gullin
14 Perntz 5:59
Lars Gullin
Credits
Baritone Saxophone – Lars Gullin (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 14), Lennart Jansson (tracks: 12 to 14)
Bass – Bengt Carlsson (tracks: 8 to 11), Georg Riedel (tracks: 1 to 3, 12 to 14), Jimmy Bond (tracks: 4 to 7)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Arne Domnérus (tracks: 12 to 14)
Drums – Bosse Stoor (tracks: 1 to 3), Egil Johansen, Bertil (Bert) Dahlander (tracks: 8 to 11), Peter Littman (tracks: 4 to 7)
Guitar – Rolf Berg (tracks: 1 to 3)
Piano – Dick Twardzik (tracks: 4 to 7), Gunnar Svensson (tracks: 12 to 14), Lars Gullin (tracks: 2, 3), Rune Öfverman (tracks: 8 to 11)
Tenor Saxophone – Bjarne Nerem (tracks: 12 to 14), Rolf Billberg (tracks: 2, 3)
Trombone – Gordon Olsson (tracks: 12 to 14)
Trumpet – Chet Baker (tracks: 4 to 7)
Vocals – Catherina Valente (tracks: 7)

LARS GULLIN - 1955-1956: With Chet Baker, Vol. 1 

[1992] Dragon / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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