DODO MARMAROSA TRIO — Complete Studio Recordings (2004) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Even if comparisons with Lennie Tristano, Al Haig and Bud Powell are inevitable, Dodo Marmarosa's music has a surrealistic imprint essentially unlike that of any other pianist in or out of bop. In honor of this cardinal truth, the Lone Hill Jazz label has come forward with the Complete Studio Recordings of the Dodo Marmarosa Trio (including alternate takes), bringing together three different West Coast sessions from 1946 and 1947, four selections waxed in his home town of Pittsburgh in 1950, and an entire second disc's worth of mature Marmarosa material recorded in Chicago in 1961 and 1962. The instrumentation is well worth scrutinizing; the two earliest tracks, dated January 11, 1946, involved bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jackie Mills. Tracks three through 14, waxed on or after September 23, 1946, had no drummer -- only guitarist Barney Kessel and bassist Gene Englund played with the pianist. A rare example of Dodo the vocalist, "I've Got News for You" was originally released on the Atomic record label. The bedrock of this man's musical legacy is a series of sides recorded for the Dial label in Los Angeles on December 3, 1947 (disc one, tracks 15-19 and 24-29). The first cascading bars of "Bopmatism" plunge the listener into an intoxicating groove from which there is no retreat. Here Dodo worked with Harry Babasin, a bassist who doubled on the cello, and once again percussionist Jackie Mills. The Pittsburgh Savoy session found the pianist in the company of bassist Thomas Mandrus and drummer Joe Wallace. More than ten years fraught with personal crises passed before Dodo Marmarosa, by then operating in Chicago, recorded again in a studio with a trio. On May 9 and 10, 1961, the pianist recorded ten tracks with bassist Richard Evans and drummer Marshall Thompson. Almost exactly one year later, on May 4, 1962, seven additional performances were waxed with the great Sam Jones replacing Evans. Both those who are just discovering Marmarosa's music and seasoned jazzheads who are mainly familiar with his earlier work will find this raft of latter-day Dodo a treasure well worth savoring time and again. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist 1 :
1    Mellow Mood 3:12
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
2    Dodo's Blues 3:11
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
3    Raindrops 2:47
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
4    I've Got News For You 2:58
Written-By – L. Easton
5    Compadoo 2:18
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
6    I'm In Love 2:35
Lyrics By – LeBaron / Music By – Kreisler
7    Opus No. 5 1:45
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
8    You Thrill Me So 2:44
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
9    Dodo's Bounce 1:41
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
10    Escape 1:42
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
11    Lover Come Back To Me 2:49
Lyrics By – Hammerstein II / Music By – Romberg
12    Raindrops 2:09
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
13    Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 2:38
Lyrics By – Harbach / Music By – Kern
14    Bopmatism 1:20
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
15    Bopmatism 2:55
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
16    Dodo's Dance 3:06
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
17    Trade Winds 3:08
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
18    Dary Departs 2:35
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
19    Cosmo Street 3:51
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
20    My Foolish Heart 2:36
Lyrics By – Washington / Music By – Young
21    Blue Room 3:04
Written-By – Hart-Rodgers
22    Why Was I Born 3:13
Written-By – Kern-Hammerstein II
23    The Night Is Young 2:48
Written-By – I. Kahal
24    Bopmatism    3:06
25    Dodo's Dance    3:04
26    Trade Winds    3:05
27    Dary Departs    2:45
28    Dary Departs    2:43
29    Cosmo Street    3:25
Tracklist 2 :
1    April Played The Fiddle 4:07
Written-By – Monaco, Burke
2    Why Do I Love You 3:19
Written-By – Kern-Hammerstein II
3    Everything Happens To Me 4:39
Music By – Carmichael / Words By – Mercer
4    Me And My Shadow 4:04
Lyrics By – Rose / Music By – Dreyer / Written-By – Jolson
5    On Green Dolphin Street 3:15
Lyrics By – Washington / Music By – Kaper
6    Tracy's Blues 3:36
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
7    You Call It Madness 3:56
Written-By – Conrad, DuBois, Gregory, Columbo
8    Mellow Mood 3:57
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
9    I Thought About You 5:29
Lyrics By – Mercer / Music By – VanHeusen
10    A Cottage For Sale 4:56
Lyrics By – Conley / Music By – Robison
11    The Song Is You 7:31
Written-By – Kern-Hammerstein II
12    Just Friends 5:17
Lyrics By – Klenner / Music By – Lewis
13    Yardbird Suite 4:18
Written-By – C. Parker
14    I Remember You 3:41
Lyrics By – Mercer / Music By – Schertzinger
15    The Moody Blues 4:09
Written-By – D. Marmarosa
16    The Very Thought Of You 4:02
Written-By – R. Noble
17    Yardbird Suite 3:50
Written-By – C. Parker
Credits :
Bass – Gene Englund (tracks: 1-3 to 1-14), Ray Brown (tracks: 1-1, 1-2), Richard Evans (tracks: 2-1 to 2-10), Sam Jones (tracks: 2-1 to 2-10), Thomas Mandrus (tracks: 1-20 to 1-23)
Bass, Cello – Harry Babasin (tracks: 1-15 to 1-19, 1-24 to 1-29)
Drums – Jackie Mills (tracks: 1-1, 1-2, 1-15 to 1-19, 1-24 to 1-29), Joe Wallace  (tracks: 1-20 to 1-23), Marshall Thompson (tracks: 2-1 to 2-17)
Guitar – Barney Kessel (tracks: 1-3 to 1-14)
Piano – Dodo Marmarosa
Vocals – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 1-4)

BUNKY GREEN — Playin' For Keeps (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Playin' for Keeps draws on inspirations spanning from Tin Pan Alley to bossa nova to the British Invasion to forge a soul-jazz groove with its own distinct sensibility. Though rooted in bop, Bunky Green embraces both pop and avant-garde idioms as well, channeling his myriad influences to create a soulful and lithe sound with an impressive command of space and time. Bassist Cleveland Eaton, pianist Willie Pickens, and drummer Harold Jones are all in fine form throughout, clearly relishing the indelible melodies of selections like "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "Yesterday." Green's edgy, forceful alto is nevertheless the focal point, navigating the material with skill and finesse. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    On Green Dolphin Street    5:21
2    My Ship    4:03
3    Yesterday    3:39
4    Playin' For Keeps    4:17
5    What I Can Do    5:43
6    Mi Compasion    4:09
7    My Man's Gone Now    3:51
8    Brazilano    5:29
9    Step High    5:31
10    Tamra    4:17
11    Silver Dollar    3:39
12    When The Sun Comes Out    4:31
13    Testifyin' Time    3:37
14    Tweedlee Dee    4:21
15    Orbit Six    3:27
16    The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme From "The Sandpiper")    3:25
17    Mama Looka Boo Boo    4:32
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Bunky Green
Bass – Cleveland Eaton (tracks: 1-8, 10-17), Larry Ridley (tracks: 9)
Congas – Eli Gutierrez (tracks: 16-17)
Drums – Harold Jones (tracks: 3-8), Jimmy Cobb (tracks: 9), Marshall Thompson (tracks: 1-2, 10-17)
Piano – Billy Wallace (tracks: 1-2, 10-15), Charles Stepney (tracks: 16-17), Willie Pickens (tracks: 3-8), Wynton Kelly (tracks: 9)
Saxophone – Kenny Soderblom (tracks: 16-17)
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – James Meyer (tracks: 10-15)
Trombone – John Avant (tracks: 16-17)
Trumpet – Paul Serrano (tracks: 16-17), Walter Strickland (tracks: 10-15), Warren Kime (tracks: 16-17)

STAN GETZ / CHET BAKER - Stan Meets Chet (1958-1999) WV (image+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Chet Baker never particularly liked each other and, even though they had musically compatible styles, they only worked together briefly in three periods. Their mutual hostility can be felt in subtle ways on this session. Getz ignores Baker's attempt to state the melody of "I'll Remember April" and he plays it himself several bars after. The two horns do not meet at all on the ballad medley and, since Baker sits out on "Jordu," they only play together on two of the four performances. Getz battles a squeaky reed on "I'll Remember April" and Baker seems a bit subpar in general although he really digs in on "Half-Breed Apache" (a very fast "Cherokee"). This effort, which also includes pianist Jodie Christian, bassist Victor Sproles, and drummer Marshall Thompson, doesn't really live up to its potential. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     I'll Remember April 12:24
Gene Paul / Don Raye
2     Autumn in New York/Embraceable You/What's New? 14:34
Johnny Burke / Vernon Duke / George Gershwin / Robert Haggart
3     Jordu 8:31
Duke Jordan
4     Half-Breed Apache 14:50
Stan Getz
Credits :
Bass – Victor Sproles
Drums – Marshall Thompson
Piano – Jodie Christian
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Trumpet – Chet Baker