BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - Eternal (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Eternal finds saxophonist Branford Marsalis in a contemplative mood performing a mix of original and standard ballads with his usual quartet of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. The title track, written for his wife Nicole, is a hushed and cerebral affair, but never feels anything but warm. Similarly, the lead-off track, "The Ruby and the Pearl," contains the faint blush of Ellington-ian exoticism and "Gloomy Sunday" brings to mind the rumbling and atmospheric late-'60s work of longtime Marsalis touchstone John Coltrane. The album, his second solo outing for his Marsalis Music label, is dedicated in memory to a list of people one can only assume were as influential musically on Marsalis as emotionally. Among them are bassist Malachi Favors, drummer Elvin Jones, saxophonist Steve Lacy, and the one and only Ray Charles. Their spirits are palpable here as Marsalis and his band have clearly documented a handful of quietly beautiful and deeply moving performances. by Matt Collar
Tracklist:
1    The Ruby And The Pearl 8:53
Written-By – Livingston & Evans
2    Reika's Loss 7:51
Written-By – Jeff "Tain" Watts
3    Gloomy Sunday 12:43
Lyrics By – Sam Lewis
Written-By – Laszlo Javor, Rezső Seress
4    The Lonely Swan 9:04
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
5    Dinner For One Please, James 8:00
Written-By – Michael Carr
6    Muldoon 4:13
Written-By – Eric Revis
7    Eternal 17:41
Written-By – Branford Marsalis
8    Body And Soul ( Bonus Track) 5:09
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Recorded By, Mixed By – Rob "Wacko" Hunter
Saxophone, Producer – Branford Marsalis

JOHN COLTRANE - Olé Coltrane (1961-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The complicated rhythm patterns and diverse sonic textures on Olé Coltrane are evidence that John Coltrane was once again charting his own course. His sheer ability as a maverick -- beyond his appreciable musical skills -- guides works such as this to new levels, ultimately advancing the entire art form. Historically, it's worth noting that recording had already commenced two days prior to this session on Africa/Brass, Coltrane's debut for the burgeoning Impulse! label. The two sets complement each other, suggesting a shift in the larger scheme of Coltrane's musical motifs. The assembled musicians worked within a basic quartet setting, featuring Coltrane on soprano and tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums, with double-bass chores held down by Art Davis and Reggie Workman. Added to that are significant contributions and interactions with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and Eric Dolphy on flute and alto sax (although Dolphy's contract with another record label prevented him from being properly credited on initial pressings of the album). The title track is striking in its resemblance to the Spanish influence heard on Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. This is taken a bit further as Coltrane's combo stretches out with inspired improvisations from Dolphy, Hubbard, Tyner, and Coltrane, respectively. "Olé" likewise sports some amazing double-bass interaction. The combination of a bowed upright bass played in tandem with the same instrument that is being plucked has a sinister permeation that undoubtedly excited Coltrane, who was perpetually searching for sounds outside the norm. The haunting beauty of "Aisha" stands as one of the finest collaborative efforts between Tyner, the song's author, and Coltrane. The solos from Hubbard, Dolphy, and an uncredited Tyner gleam from within the context of a single facet in a multi-dimensional jewel. [Some reissues include an extra track cut during the same sessions, "To Her Ladyship."] by Lindsay Planer  

Tracklist:

1 Olé 18:13
Written-By – John Coltrane
2 Dahomey Dance 10:49
Written-By – John Coltrane
3 Aisha 7:37
Written-By – McCoy Tyner
- Bonus Track -
4 Original Untitled Ballad (To Her Ladyship) 8:58
Written-By – Billy Frazier 
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – George Lane (tracks: 2)
Bass – Art Davis (tracks: 1, 3, 4), Reggie Workman
Drums – Elvin Jones
Flute – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 4), George Lane
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

THE JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET - The Complete Africa / Brass Sessions (1961-1995) 2xCD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

This two-disc collection gathers the results of two recording sessions from April and May 1961 with the John Coltrane Orchestra. As the title indicates, The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions includes both volumes of the work and relocates "The Damned Don't Cry" -- originally issued on the Trane's Modes compilation -- to this more chronologically sound release. On this collection, these recordings replicate the sequence in which they were documented. After a successful string of albums on Atlantic Records, Coltrane signed to the burgeoning and jazz-intensive Impulse! label -- a relationship which would be kept for the remainder of his career. Shortly after reprising his role in the Miles Davis Sextet on "Teo" as well as the title track for Davis' Someday My Prince Will Come long-player, Coltrane assembled a 17-piece orchestra and began recording what would become known as Africa/Brass. Among the jazz luminaries contributing to these landmark sessions are: Booker Little (trumpet), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone), Eric Dolphy (alto sax/bass clarinet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums). Coltrane manipulates their power into masterful contrasts between the syncopated rhythms of "Greensleeves" or the full-out bop onslaught of "Songs of the Underground Railroad." The amazing virtuosity in Coltrane's solos has begun to show signs of the future direction his later avant-garde sides would take. The interaction with Tyner on "Songs of the Underground Railroad" is impeccable. Coltrane allows room for Elvin Jones and Reggie Workman to likewise engage Tyner for some high-spirited improvisation. This is a key work in understanding the path John Coltrane's music took in its final phases. The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions brilliantly documents this pivotal era in Coltrane's music. by Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist 1 :
1 Greensleeves 9:57
Traditional
2 Song Of The Underground Railroad 6:44
Traditional
3 Greensleeves (Alternate Take) 10:53
Traditional
4 The Damned Don't Cry 7:34
Arranged By, Conductor – Romulus Franceschini
Written-By – Cal Massey
5 Africa (First Version) 14:08
Bass – Paul Chambers 
Written-By – John Coltrane
Tracklist 2 :

1 Blues Minor 7:20

Written-By – John Coltrane
2 Africa (Alternate Take) 16:08
Bass – Art Davis
Written-By – John Coltrane
3 Africa 16:29
Bass – Art Davis 
Written-By – John Coltrane
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy
Arranged By – John Coltrane (tracks: 1-1 to 1-3, 1-5 to 2-3), McCoy Tyner (tracks: 1-1 to 1-3, 1-5 to 2-3)
Baritone Saxophone – Pat Patrick
Bass – Reggie Workman
Conductor, Orchestrated By – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 1-1 to 1-3, 1-5 to 2-3)
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Euphonium – Carl Bowman (tracks: 2-1 to 2-3), Charles Greenlee (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5), Julian Priester (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5)
French Horn – Donald Corrado, Jimmy Buffington (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5), Julius Watkins, Bob Northern, Robert Swisshelm
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Piccolo Flute, Reeds – Garvin Bushell (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5)
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Trombone – Britt Woodman (tracks: 2-1 to 2-3)
Trumpet – Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 1-1 to 1-5)
Tuba – Bill Barber

JOHN COLTRANE - Afro Blue Impressions (1977-1992) MONO / 2xCD / RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The recordings that make up Afro Blue Impressions were acquired by jazz impresario/auteur Norman Granz during the tours he produced for many jazz artists during the 1960s, though they weren't issued until 1973. Recorded at shows in Berlin and Stockholm, the John Coltrane Quartet -- with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones -- is in tremendous form here, using a familiar repertoire in order to expand upon the group's own building blocks in creating the new post-harmonic system that the saxophonist was developing. This is evident almost immediately in the first few minutes of opening number "Lonnie's Lament," where Coltrane begins reaching with his arpeggios to notes that aren't even on the horn in his frenetic solo and his duet with Jones. That said, there is enough of the quartet's own engagement with the tune's original architecture to satisfy all but the most conservative of Coltrane listeners. The brilliant razor-sharp focus on restraint and lyricism applied in "Naima" reveals Tyner utilizing numerous subtly shaded chord voicings to prod Coltrane's tender lyric exploration of the melody. Of course, the 21-minute version of "My Favorite Things" points directly at the territories the quartet would explore on the forthcoming albums Crescent and A Love Supreme and, in its most adventurous moments, somewhere beyond them. Tyner's arpeggios and ostinatos are sharp and fleet here, responding to Jones' driving snare and cymbals. Coltrane's soprano moves between blues, Dorian modes, and even Eastern scalar articulations in his solo. "Afro Blue" is a rhythm collision, where mode gives way to some of Trane's most angular soprano playing, pushing the limits of the instrument and his own dexterity to near breaking points. As the two long set-closers -- "Spiritual" and "Impressions" -- reveal, the group was not yet finished with more formal structures. They push at them, but still engage conventional ideas of harmony even as modes and meta scales dominate. Ample evidence can be found in the moaning gospel overtones of the former, which bring out the deep blues in Tyner's solo, and in Coltrane's knotty bop head, which commences the latter in advance of his manic, wildly imaginative solo. Afro Blue Impressions is the sound of one of the greatest -- albeit short-lived -- quartets in jazz history completely coming into its own in concert.
(This comment is posted on allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog O Púbis da Rosa)
Tracklist 1 :
1 Lonnie's Lament 10:15
John Coltrane
2 Naima 8:05
John Coltrane

3 Chasin' the Trane 5:47

John Coltrane

4 My Favorite Things 21:11

Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
Tracklist 2 :
1 Afro Blue 7:43
Mongo Santamaria
2 Cousin Mary 9:55
John Coltrane

3 I Want to Talk About You 8:20

Billy Eckstine
4 Spiritual 12:29
John Coltrane

5 Impressions 11:36

John Coltrane

Credits:

Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
Note:
Disc 1 & Disc 2, tracks 1-3: recorded live during a tour of Europe, 1963.
Disc 2, tracks 4-5: recorded live in Stockholm, October 22, 1963.

JOHN COLTRANE - Coltrane Plays The Blues (1962-2006) RM / ATLANTIC 60th / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Coltrane's sessions for Atlantic in late October 1960 were prolific, yielding the material for My Favorite Things, Coltrane Plays the Blues, and Coltrane's Sound. My Favorite Things was destined to be the most remembered and influential of these, and while Coltrane Plays the Blues is not as renowned or daring in material, it is still a powerful session. As for the phrase "plays the blues" in the title, that's not an indicator that the tunes are conventional blues (they aren't). It's more indicative of a bluesy sensibility, whether he is playing muscular saxophone or, on "Blues to Bechet" and "Mr. Syms," the more unusual sounding (at the time) soprano sax. Elvin Jones, who hadn't been in Coltrane's band long, really busts out on the quicker numbers, such as "Blues to You" and "Mr. Day." [Some reissues add five bonus tracks: two alternates apiece of "Blues to Elvin" and "Blues to You," and "Untitled Original (Exotica)." All three were recorded on October 24, 1960. Also, a two-CD Expanded Edition released in 2017 included 13 bonus tracks recorded between 1957 and 1960, featuring the aforementioned Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Steve Davis (both also heard on the original Plays the Blues album), as well as such additional jazz luminaries as Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Gene Ammons, Cecil Payne, Pepper Adams, Milt Jackson, Hank Jones, Red Garland, Mal Waldron, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor.] by Richie Unterberger  
Tracklist:
1 Blues to Elvin 7:52
Elvin Jones
2 Blues to Bechet 5:46
John Coltrane
3 Blues to You 6:30
John Coltrane

4 Mr. Day 7:55

John Coltrane

5 Mr. Syms 5:22

John Coltrane

6 Mr. Knight 7:39

John Coltrane

- Bonus Tracks -

7 Untitled Original (Exotica) 5:26
8 Blues To Elvin (Alternate Take 1) 11:02
9 Blues To Elvin (Alternate Take 3) 5:56
10 Blues To You (Alternate Take 1) 5:37
11 Blues To You (Alternate Take 2) 5:30
Credits:
Bass – Steve Davis (tracks: 1 to 6)
Drums – Elvin Jones (tracks: 1 to 6)
Piano – McCoy Tyner (tracks: 1 to 4 to 6)
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2, 5)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1, 3 to 4, 6)
Written-By – Elvin Jones (tracks: 1, 8, 9), John Coltrane (tracks: 2 to 7, 10, 11)

JOHN COLTRANE - Impressions (1963-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Impressions is a hodgepodge of memorable John Coltrane performances from the 1961-1963 period. "India" and "Impressions" are taken from Trane's famous November 1961 engagement at the Village Vanguard; bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy is heard on the former while the latter features a marathon solo from Coltrane on tenor. Also included on this set are 1962's "Up 'Gainst the Wall" and the classic of the album, 1963's "After the Rain." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 India 14:10
John Coltrane
2 Up 'Gainst the Wall 3:17
John Coltrane

3 Impressions 15:05

John Coltrane

4 After the Rain 4:27

John Coltrane

Credits:

Alto Saxophone – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 3)
Bass – Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman (tracks: 1)
Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy (tracks: 1)
Drums – Elvin Jones (tracks: 1 to 3), Roy Haynes (tracks: 4)
Piano – McCoy Tyner (tracks: 1, 3 to 4)
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2 to 4)
Written-By – John Coltrane

JOHN COLTRANE - Crescent (1964-1987) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

John Coltrane's Crescent from the spring of 1964 is an epic album, showing his meditative side that would serve as a perfect prelude to his immortal work A Love Supreme. His finest quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones supports the somewhat softer side of Coltrane, and while not completely in ballad style, the focus and accessible tone of this recording work wonders for anyone willing to sit back and let this music enrich and wash over you. While not quite at the "sheets of sound" unfettered music he would make before his passing in 1967, there are hints of this group stretching out in restrained dynamics, playing as lovely a progressive jazz as heard anywhere in any time period. The highlights come at the top with the reverent, ruminating, and free ballad "Crescent," with a patient Coltrane acquiescing to swinging, while the utterly beautiful "Wise One" is accented by the delicate and chime-like musings of Tyner with a deeply hued tenor from Coltrane unrushed even in a slight Latin rhythm. These are the ultimate spiritual songs, and ultimately two of the greatest in Coltrane's storied career. But "Bessie's Blues" and "Lonnie's Lament" are just as revered in the sense that they are covered by jazz musicians worldwide, the former a hard bop wonder with a classic short repeat chorus, the latter one of the most somber, sad jazz ballad reflections in a world full of injustice and unfairness -- the ultimate eulogy. Garrison and especially Jones are put through their emotional paces, but on the finale "The Drum Thing," the African-like tom-tom sounds extracted by Jones with Coltrane's sighing tenor, followed by some truly amazing case study-frantic snare drumming, makes it one to be revisited. In the liner notes, a quote from Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka states John Coltrane was "daringly human," and no better example of this quality transferred to musical endeavor is available than on this definitive, must have album that encompasses all that he was and eventually would become. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1 Crescent 8:44
John Coltrane
2 Wise One 9:03
John Coltrane
3 Bessie's Blues 3:34
John Coltrane
4 Lonnie's Lament 11:47
John Coltrane
5 The Drum Thing 7:23
John Coltrane
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – John Coltrane

JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965-2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One of the turning points in the career of John Coltrane came in 1965. The great saxophonist, whose playing was always very explorative and searching, crossed the line into atonality during that year, playing very free improvisations (after stating quick throwaway themes) that were full of passion and fury. This particular studio album has two standards (a stirring "Chim Chim Cheree" and "Nature Boy") along with two recent Coltrane originals ("Brazilia" and "Song of Praise"). Art Davis plays the second bass on "Nature Boy," but otherwise this set (a perfect introduction for listeners to Coltrane's last period) features the classic quartet comprised of the leader, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Chim Chim Cheree 6:58
Richard M. Sherman / Robert B. Sherman
2 Brazilia 12:57
John Coltrane
3 Nature Boy 8:03
Eden Ahbez
4 Song of Praise 9:47
John Coltrane
Credits:
Bass – Art Davis (tracks: 3), Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Soprano Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane (tracks: 2 to 4)

JOHN COLTRANE - A Love Supreme (1965-2002) 2xCD / DELUXE EDITION / RM / FLAC (tracks), lossless

One of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, spoke to the current of deep spirituality that liberated him from addictions to drugs and alcohol, and glimpsed at the future innovations of his final two and a half years. Recorded over two days in December 1964, Trane's classic quartet--Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison-- stepped into the studio and created one of the most the most thought-provoking, concise, and technically pleasing albums of their bountiful relationship. From the undulatory (and classic) bassline at the intro to the last breathy notes, Trane is at the peak of his logical and emotionally varied soloing, while the rest of the group is completely atttuned to his spiritual vibe. Composed of four parts, each has a thematic progression. "Acknowledgement" is the awakening to a spiritual life from the darkness of the world; it trails off with the saxophonist chanting the suite's title. "Resolution" is an amazingly beautiful, somewhat turbulent segment. It portrays the dedication required for discovery on the path toward spiritual understanding. "Pursuance" searches deeply for that experience, while "Psalm" portrays that discovery and the realization of enlightenment with humility. Although sometimes aggressive and dissonant, this isn't Coltrane at his most furious or adventurous. His recordings following this period--studio and live-- become progressively untethered and extremely spirited. A Love Supreme not only attempts but realizes the ambitious undertaking of Coltrane's concept; his emotional, searching, sometimes prayerful journey is made abundantly clear. Clocking in at 33 minutes; A Love Supreme conveys much without overstatement. It is almost impossible to imagine any jazz collection without it. by Sam Samuelson  
Tracklist 1:
1. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowledgement 7:43
Vocals – John Coltrane
2. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution 7:20
3. John Coltrane Part 3 - Pursuance 10:42
4. John Coltrane Part 4 - Psalm 7:05
Tracklist 2:
1. André Francis Introduction By André Francis 1:13
2. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 1 - Acknowledgement (Live Version) 6:12
3. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 2 - Resolution (Live Version) 11:37
4. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 3 - Pursuance (Live Version) 21:30
5. The John Coltrane Quartet Part 4 - Psalm (Live Version) 8:49
6. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution (Alternative Take) 7:25
7. John Coltrane Part 2 - Resolution (Breakdown) 2:13
8. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowlegement (Alternative Take) 9:09
Bass – Art Davis
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
9. John Coltrane Part 1 - Acknowlegement (Alternative Take) 9:23
Bass – Art Davis
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Credits:
Bass – Jimmy Garrison
Drums – Elvin Jones
Engineer [Original Studio Recordings], Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone, Liner Notes [Original Liner Notes], Composed By – John Coltrane

DOROTHY ASHBY - The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby (1970-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Issued on Cadet in 1970, The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby is really a left-field offering for the jazz harpist. But being a jazz harpist was -- and remains -- an outside thing in the tradition. Her previous offerings on Prestige were pure, hard bop jazz with serious session players soloing all over them. She made recordings for Atlantic and Jazzland before landing at Chess in 1968 with Afro-Harping which began her partnership with arranger Richard Evans. Ashby became content as an iconoclast and was seemingly moving forward toward the deep well of spiritual jazz in the aftermath of John Coltrane's death and the recordings of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. On this set for Cadet, she again teams with Evans who wears the hats of producer, arranger, and conductor of a string section and the record goes in a somewhat different direction. Whereas Afro-Harping hit on a direction for Ashby and cemented her relationship with Evans, Rubaiyat realizes that partnership in total. With a band that included a host of percussion instruments -- Stu Katz played vibes and kalimba, and Fred Katz played a second kalimba, Cash McCall was enlisted as guitarist, Cliff Davis played alto saxophone, and Lenny Druss played flute, oboe, bass flute, and piccolo. There is also a bass player and a drummer but they are not credited. For her part, Ashby played her harp, but she also brought the Japanese koto into the mix as well as her voice. Rubaiyat is no ordinary jazz vocal album. It is exotic, mysterious, laid-back, and full of gentle grooves and soul. The opening cut, "Myself When Young," with its glissando harp and koto, is in an Eastern mode, and immediately lays out Ashby's vocal as this beautiful throaty, clear instrument hovering around the low end of the mix. Midway through it kicks into soul-jazz groove without losing the Eastern mode and goes, however gently, into an insistent funky soul-jazz groove. There is no kitsch value in this music, it's serious, poetic, and utterly ingenious musically. It sounds like nothing else out there. And it only gets better from here. The poem that commences "For Some We Loved" gives way to a percussion and koto workout that comes right from the modal blues. The oboe playing is reminiscent of Yusef's Eastern Sounds but with more driving, hypnotic rhythm. "Wax and Wane" begins with kalimbas playing counterpoint rhythms and Ashby singing in Japanese scale signature, but soon hand percussion, strings, and a flute enter to make the thing groove and glide, ethereal, light, beautiful. "Drink" is a pure soul-jazz ballad with harp fills, a funky bassline, and shimmering flutes above a trap kit. The piano solo -- played by Evans, we can assume -- on "Wine," is a killer move bringing back the hard bop and giving way to a smoking vibes solo by Katz. It's as if each track, from "Joyful Grass and Grape," "Shadow Shapes," and "Heaven and Hell," enter from the world of exotica, from someplace so far outside jazz and western popular musics, and by virtue of Ashby's vocal and harp, are brought back inside, echoing the blues and jazz -- check out the koto solo on this cut, by way of the symbiotic communication between Evans and the musicians. You can literally hear that Ashby trusts Evans to deliver. Ashby transforms "Shadow Shapes" and "Heaven and Hell" from near show tunes in her contralto into swinging, shuffling jazz numbers. The lithe beauty on display in her voice and the in-the-pocket backup of the rhythm section is flawless and infectious. The set ends on its greatest cut, "The Moving Finger." Introduced by what seems like an Eastern Buddhist chant, it quickly slips into harp, koto, guitars, drums, and bass bump. Evans adds strings for drama playing repeating two-note vamps before Katz and his vibes take the thing into outer space. The slippery guitar groove and alto solo that cut right into the flesh of the blues turn it into a solid late-night groover with plenty, plenty soul. The fuzz guitar solo playing counterpoint with the kalimba rhythms is mindblowing, sending the record off to some different place in the listener's head. And this is a head record. Time and space are suspended and new dimensions open up for anyone willing to take this killer little set on and let it spill its magic into the mind canal through the ears. Depending on how much of a jazz purist you are will give you a side to debate the place of this set in Ashby's catalogue. For those who remain open, this may be her greatest moment on record. by Thom Jurek

Tracklist:

1. Myself When Young - 5:16

2. For Some We Loved - 4:02

3. Wax and Wine - 4:25

4. Drink - 2:30

5. Wine - 3:56

6. Dust - 2:51

7. Joyful Grass and Grape - 3:38

8. Shadow Shapes - 3:32

9. Heaven and Hell - 3:10

10. The Moving Finger - 5:39

Credits:

Dorothy Ashby - harp, koto, vocals

Lenny Druss - flute, oboe, piccolo flute (tracks 1-5 & 10)

Cliff Davis - alto saxophone (track 10)

Stu Katz - vibraphone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 & 8-10)

Cash McCall - guitar (track 10)

Fred Katz - kalimba (tracks 2, 3 & 10)

Ed Green - violin (track 2)

Richard Evans - arranged and conducted 

Inspired by the words of Omar Khayyam

HERBIE HANCOCK - Head Hunters (1973-2008) SACD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Head Hunters was a pivotal point in Herbie Hancock's career, bringing him into the vanguard of jazz fusion. Hancock had pushed avant-garde boundaries on his own albums and with Miles Davis, but he had never devoted himself to the groove as he did on Head Hunters. Drawing heavily from Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and James Brown, Hancock developed deeply funky, even gritty, rhythms over which he soloed on electric synthesizers, bringing the instrument to the forefront in jazz. It had all of the sensibilities of jazz, particularly in the way it wound off into long improvisations, but its rhythms were firmly planted in funk, soul, and R&B, giving it a mass appeal that made it the biggest-selling jazz album of all time (a record which was later broken). Jazz purists, of course, decried the experiments at the time, but Head Hunters still sounds fresh and vital decades after its initial release, and its genre-bending proved vastly influential on not only jazz, but funk, soul, and hip-hop. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1 Chameleon 15:41
Written-By – B. Maupin, H. Mason, H. Hancock, P. Jackson
2 Watermelon Man 6:29
Arranged By – H. Mason
Written-By – H. Hancock
3 Sly 10:15
Written-By – H. Hancock
4 Vein Melter 9:09
Written-By – H. Hancock
Credits:
Congas, Shekere, Balafon, Agogô, Cabasa, Whistle [Hindewho], Tambourine, Slit Drum [Log Drum], Surdo, Bells [Gankoqui], Percussion [Beer Bottle] – Bill Summers
Drums [Yamaha] – Harvey Mason
Electric Bass, Marimbula – Paul Jackson
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet [Hohner D 6], Synthesizer [Arp Odyssey, Arp Soloist], Pipe – Herbie Hancock
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Saxello, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute – Bennie Maupin

LARRY YOUNG - Into Somethin' (1964) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

THE JEREMY STEIG QUARTET - Flute Fever +1 [1963] FLAC

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. Fantastic early work from flautist Jeremy Steig – a 60s quartet session for Columbia that came several years before the funky style of some of his later work – and a damn great record, with lots of soulful touches! Part of this has to do with the rhythm section of Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums – both of whom put a nice kick in the proceedings, and substantially ground and groove the solo work of Steig's flute and Denny Zeitlin's piano.

On that note, Steig's and Zeitlin's solos are truly outstanding – more than delivering on the feverish promise of the album's title! Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love?", "So What", "Willow Weep For Me", "Well, You Needn't", "Blue Seven", "Oleo", and "Lover Man". This excellent CD version also includes the bonus first take version of "What Is This Thing Called Love?".

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 (1963) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218}

Tracklist:

1 - Oleo

2 - Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)

3 - What Is Things Called Love?

4 - So What

5 - Well, You Needn't

6 - Willow Weep For Me

7 - Blue Seven

8 - What Is Things Called Love? (Take 1) (bonus track)

Personnel:

Jeremy Steig – Flute

Denny Zeitlin – Piano

Ben Tucker – Bass

Ben Riley - Drums

The Jeremy Steig Quartet - Flute Fever +1 [1963] 

[2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 4218]

© 1963, 2014 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICP 4218

O Púbis da Rosa