TERI THORNTON — Devil May Care (1961-1999) RM | Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the first (of three) long out of print recordings by Teri Thornton, finally available to the general public. It would not be a stretch to say she is perhaps the most talented, distinctive, clean, out-of-sight singer listeners have never heard....until now. Thornton's powerful, almost chilling voice compares favorably to the pristine tones and vibrato of Sarah Vaughan, the blues sassiness of Dinah Washington, and some of the more soulful refrains of Abbey Lincoln. Simply put, you have to hear her once to believe her. Whether on doleful ballads or raucous swingers, Thornton is totally confident and in control -- of her emotions and yours. From the best version of the Bob Dorough-written title track you are likely to hear, to the regretful ballad "My Old Flame" or the ultimate heart-melter "Left Alone," to an interesting arrangement on a pleading "What's Your Story, Morning Glory?," Thornton charges through the bar lines. Check her forcefulness on "Dancing in the Dark" and "I Feel a Song Coming On." Sometimes she purposefully staggers behind measures to grand effect. Every track is a showstopper, thanks to her uniquely soulful, drama-laden approach. Potent, unobtrusive horn charts feature legends like trumpeter Clark Terry, trombonist Britt Woodman, and saxophonists Earle Warren and Seldon Powell. The rhythm section of guitarist Freddie Green (half the tracks, Sam Herman on the others), pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Jimmy Cobb can do no wrong. Arranger par excellence Norman Simmons provided the perfect charts. This is an important document of a truly great jazz singer, and is essential in the collection of every serious aficionado. The only one regret is that it can't be given several handfuls of. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1 Lullaby of the Leaves 2:48
Bernice Petkere / Joe Young 
2 Devil May Care 2:47
Bob Dorough 
3 Detour Ahead 3:10
Lou Carter / Herb Ellis / John Freigo / Johnny Frigo 
4 The Song Is You 2:33
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern 
5 My Old Flame 3:29
Sam Coslow / Arthur Johnston 
6 What's Your Story, Morning Glory? 3:47
Jack Lawrence / Paul Francis Webster / Mary Lou Williams 
7 Dancing in the Dark 2:31
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz 
8 Left Alone 3:27
Billie Holiday / Mal Waldron 
9 Blue Champagne 3:11
Jim Eaton / Frank Ryerson / Grady Watts 
10 I Feel a Song Coming On 2:42
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh / George Oppenheimer 
11 What's New? 4:11
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart 
12 Blue Skies 2:33
Irving Berlin 
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Earl Warren
Arranged By, Conductor – Norman Simmons
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Jimmy Cobb
Guitar – Freddie Green, Sam Herman
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Tenor Saxophone – Seldon Powell
Trombone – Britt Woodman
Trumpet – Clark Terry
Vocals – Teri Thornton

DAKOTA STATON — Dakota at Storyville (1962-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This album features singer Dakota Staton at her best. Recorded live at Boston's Storyville, Staton sounds quite inspired on such numbers as "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," "Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week," "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (which spontaneously becomes a crowd singalong), "Mean and Evil Blues," and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Other than pianist Norman Simmons, the accompanying quartet is unidentified, but the man on tenor, flute, and (on "Music, Maestro, Please") oboe is obviously Yusef Lateef. An underrated gem. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? 2:59
Bill Austin / Louis Jordan    
2     This Is the Beginning of the End 2:34
Mack Gordon
3     Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) 2:08
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
4     The Show Must Go On 2:47
Alfred / Frisch
5     When I Grow Too Old to Dream 3:43
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
6     Mean and Evil Blues 2:47  
Claude De Metrius    
7     Don't Get Around Much Anymore 2:07
Hank Crawford / Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
8     It's the Talk of the Town 4:02
Jerry Livingston / Al J. Neiburg / Marty Symes
9     Easy to Love 1:55
Cole Porter
10     Music, Maestro, Please! 2:39     
Allie Wrubel / Herb Magidson
11     Play Your Hands, Girls 2:56     
Dakota Staton
Credits :
Accompanied By – Norman Simmons Quartet
Vocals – Dakota Staton

EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS & JOHNNY GRIFFIN - Battle Stations (1963-2002) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin joined forces and formed a two-tenor front line, bop enthusiasts could safely assume that the sparks were going to fly. Davis and Griffin, after all, were one of hard bop's exciting tenor teams -- their saxophone battles were as legendary as the encounters of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray, or Phil Woods and Gene Quill (who, unlike the other teams mentioned here, were a two-alto pair). Battle Stations, like other Davis/Griffin encounters, points to the fact that the two tenormen never had a problem finding common ground. Both had big tones; both were very extroverted, aggressive players; and both swung unapologetically hard -- no one ever mistook either of them for members of jazz's cool school, which favored subtlety, restraint, and understatement over intensity and aggression. A sense of friendly competition is evident on Battle Stations; when Davis and Griffin lock horns, the result is musical sportsmanship at its finest. And "friendly" is the operative word on this 1960 date -- as competitive as Davis and Griffin could be, they had a great deal of respect for one another. Battle Stations (which employs Norman Simmons on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Ben Riley on drums) demonstrates that the saxmen were not only sparring partners, they were also a mutual admiration society, and the improvisers enjoy an incredibly strong rapport on hard-swinging numbers like "Pull My Coat," "Hey Jim!," and "What's Happening." Battle Stations is an album that fans of heated two-tenor exchanges shouldn't overlook.  Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     What's Happening 6'51
Fletcher Henderson
2     Abundance 6'54
Norman Simmons
3     If I Had You 6'45
Jimmy Campbell / Reginald Connelly / Ted Shapiro
4     63rd Street Theme 7'12
Johnny Griffin
5     Pull My Coat 6'40
Richard Evans
6     Hey Jim! 8'00
Babs Gonzales / James Moody
7     Billie's Bounce 11'17
Charlie Parker
8     Theme 1'06
Traditional
Credits :
Bass – Larry Gales (pistas: 7, 8), Vic Sproles (pistas: 1 to 6)
Drums – Ben Riley (pistas: 1 to 8)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder (pistas: 1 to 6)
Piano – Junior Mance (pistas: 7, 8), Norman Simmons (pistas: 1 to 6)
Remastered By [Remaster] – Joe Tarantino
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Johnny Griffin

JOHNNY GRIFFIN ORCHESTRA - The Big Soul-Band (1960-1990) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tenor-saxophonist Johnny Griffin is showcased with a ten-piece group on this CD reissue of a Riverside LP which is augmented by a previously unreleased version of "Wade in the Water." The repertoire is a bit unusual with some spirituals (including "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Deep River"), a tune apiece by Bobby Timmons ("So Tired") and Junior Mance, and three originals from Norman Simmons who arranged all of the selections. Trumpeter Clark Terry and trombonists Matthew Gee and Julian Priester have some short solos but the emphasis is on the leader who is in typically spirited and passionate form. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Wade in the Water (Alternate Take) 3'51
Traditional
2     Wade in the Water 3'47
Traditional
3     Panic Room Blues 4'37
Norman Simmons
4     Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen 2'43
Traditional
5     Meditation 8'21
Norman Simmons
6     Holla 3'39
Norman Simmons
7     So Tired 6'38
Bobby Timmons
8     Deep River 5'29
Traditional
9     Jubilation 3'57
Junior Mance
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Frank Strozier, Pat Patrick (pistas: 1, 2, 3, 8)
Arranged By – Norman Simmons
Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Davis
Bass – Bob Cranshaw (pistas: 1, 2, 3, 8), Vic Sproles (pistas: 4 to 7, 9)
Celesta – Bobby Timmons (pistas: 4)
Drums – Charlie Persip
Piano – Bobby Timmons (pistas: 5), Harold Mabern (pistas: 1 to 4, 6 to 9)
Producer, Liner Notes – Orrin Keepnews
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
Tenor Saxophone – Edwin Williams, Johnny Griffin
Trombone – Julian Priester, Matthew Gee
Trumpet – Bob Bryant, Clark Terry

JOHNNY GRIFFIN - White Gardenia (1961-1995) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin pays tribute to Billie Holiday, who had died exactly two years earlier, on this ballad-oriented set, which has been reissued on CD. Griffin is joined by a brass section (either five or seven pieces), plus a rhythm section and strings (the latter dominated by cellos), for his warm interpretations of nine songs associated with Billie Holiday, plus his original "White Gardenia." The arrangements, provided by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons, are tasteful, and the lyrical music is well-performed, if not overly memorable. Worth checking out. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Gloomy Sunday 4'06
Sam M. Lewis / Rezsö Seress
2     That Old Devil Called Love 3'50
Doris Fisher / Allan Roberts
3     White Gardenia 3'18
Johnny Griffin
4     God Bless the Child 3'17
Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog, Jr.
5     Detour Ahead 4'33
Lou Carter / Herb Ellis / John Freigo / Johnny Frigo
6     Good Morning Heartache 4'10
Ervin Drake / Dan Fisher / Irene Higginbotham
7     Don't Explain 4'43
Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog, Jr.
8     Travelin' Light 4'06
Harry Akst / Sidney Clare
9     No More 3'57
Tutti Camarata / Bob Russell
10     Left Alone 2'54
Eric Dolphy / Billie Holiday / Mal Waldron
Credits :
Arranged By – Melba Liston (pistas: 1 to 3, 7, 9, 10), Norman Simmons (pistas: 4 to 6, 8)
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Ben Riley
French Horn – Ray Alonge
Guitar – Barry Galbraith
Piano – Barry Harris (pistas: 2, 5, 8), Jimmy Jones (pistas: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin
Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland, Paul Faulice, Urbie Green
Trumpet – Ernie Royal, Nat Adderley
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

CAROL SLOANE - Whisper Sweet (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

While young female singers tend to catch the eyes and ears of the general public, seasoned jazz musicians, critics, and fans are the ones to appreciate a veteran vocalist like Carol Sloane. With over a half century of professional singing experience, Sloane's voice is still magic as she captures the essence of each of the 11 ballads on this High Note CD. Guitarist Paul Bollenback is the major soloist backing her warm interpretation of the bittersweet "Here's That Rainy Day." Paul West's dancing bass propels her through a magical but playful take of "The Lady's in Love With You." Her bluesy, drawn-out rendition of "This Time the Dream's on Me" (a song usually played at a brisk tempo) is backed by pianist Norman Simmons, one of the late Joe Williams' favorite accompanists. But she pulls out all the stops with her unaccompanied introduction to an emotional "My One and Only Love." She also explores a few older gems, including a polished take of Eubie Blake's "Memories of You" and a surprising bossa nova arrangement of stride master James P. Johnson's forgotten chestnut "Whisper Sweet." Tenor saxophonist Houston Person, who frequently played with the late Etta Jones, is added on several tracks, including a delightful "The Night We Called It a Day." Carol Sloane's magnificent performances throughout this disc will easily stand the test of time Ken Dryden   
Tracklist :
1 Here's That Rainy Day 5:18
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
2 Memories of You 5:25
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf
3 The Lady's in Love With You 4:45
Burton Lane / Frank Loesser
4 It's Easy to Remember 5:52
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
5 Where or When 5:28
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6 More Than You Know 4:43
Edward Eliscu / Billy Rose / Vincent Youmans
7 This Time the Dream's on Me 4:14
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
8 My One and Only Love 5:17
Robert Mellin / Guy Wood
9 Whisper Sweet 5:02
J.P. Johnson
10 The Night We Called It a Day 7:12
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
11 You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me 5:33
Sammy Fain / Irving Kahal / Peter Norman
Credits :
Norman Simmons,  Piano
Carol Sloane,  Vocals
Grady Tate,  Drums
Paul E. West,  Bass
Houston Person,  Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor)
Paul Bollenback,  Guitar