JAMES MOODY – 1948-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1116 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These earliest sessions recorded by saxophonist James Moody under his own leadership, follow his initial years with Dizzy Gillespie, an association that would be maintained off and on throughout Dizzy's life. The disc starts in chronological order with eight sides recorded for Blue Note in October 1948. Arranged by composer Gil Fuller and backed by Moody's Modernists, which were, in essence, musicians comprised of Dizzy Gillespie's band including baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, alto saxophonist Ernie Henry, Chano Pozo, and Art Blakey. These sessions were recorded in New York before Moody left for Europe, not to return to the states until years later. The remaining 14 tracks find him jamming with European musicians and fellow American expatriates including fellow tenor saxophonist Don Byas, mixing bebop and standards recorded in Zurich, Paris, Lausanne, and Stockholm for Vogue, Blue Star, and Prestige. Al Campbell  
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 :

DEWEY REDMAN | DAVID BOND | ED BLACKWELL | MARSHALL ALLEN - The Key of Life (2009) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The Key Of Life (recorded in 2005) documents Dewey Redman's last performance. Redman died in 2006. The two sessions on this CD give tribute to and extend the parameters of two monumental traditions in music. The first from the infinitely deep musical well of Ornette Coleman and associates; the second from Sun Ra and his musical collaborators. David shows an important ability not all jazzmen have in abundance, the ability to respond and dialog with the musicians at hand without losing musical identity. He does it superbly with Dewey Redman and Ed Blackwell, and then in a different yet equally effective way with Marshall Allen and company.  web

Tracklist :
1    Dewey's Beat    12:06
David Bond
2    Key Of Life    18:49
David Bond
3    Rise Up    9:33
David Bond
4    Klee's Machine    10:56
David Bond
5    Moon Over Eastern Sky    16:36
David Bond
6    Sun Ra Swing    11:42
David Bond
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – David Bond, Marshall Allen (3, 4, 5)
Bass – Mark Helias (1, 2), Harold Anderson (3-6)
Drums – Ed Blackwell (1,2), Luqman Ali (3-6)
Tenor Saxophone – Andrew White (6), Dewey Redman (1, 2)
Bob Butta - Piano (3-6)
Notas.
Aside from those credited, other undisclosed Sun Ra colleagues were involved in these performances.