FREDDIE HUBBARD — Breaking Point! (1964) RM | RVG Edition Series | Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Immediately after leaving Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard formed his own quintet and set the modern jazz world on its collective ear with this incredible album. Beyond hard bop and into early creative territory, Hubbard explored a sonic deliverance based on his fiery personality and a refusal to stand still or be satisfied with standardized phrasings and nomenclature. His effective teaming with the unique alto saxophonist James Spaulding and pianist Ronnie Mathews is particularly telling, as this set of Hubbard originals and one from drummer Joe Chambers constitutes some of the most powerful jazz music of this time period. The expansive style of Andrew Hill is identifiable especially during the title track, with the piano of Mathews leading a startling charge of several short and swift mini-theme clarion bursts, moving into calypso. This is one of the more astonishing pieces ever conceived in modern music. "Blue Frenzy" and "D Minor Mint" both display uncanny original themes within mainstream frameworks, bearing the stamp of Hubbard's fierce approach to post-Dizzy Gillespie-type trumpet. The former piece is an easy 24-bar blues activated into cool constraints via the style of Horace Silver but fired up by the antics of Mathews, while the latter track sports a chatty melody, humorously cackling onward. "Far Away" is the most intriguing piece rhythmically and sonically, moving from 6/4 and 3/4 to 12/6, again similar to Andrew Hill's harmonic concept with Spaulding's piquant flute accenting a hip, agile melody. The pure energy Hubbard injected into this ensemble, and the sheer originality of this music beyond peers like Miles Davis and Lee Morgan, identified Hubbard as the newest of new voices on his instrument. Breaking Point has stood the test of time as a recording far ahead of mid-'60s post-bop, and is an essential item for all listeners of incendiary progressive jazz. [Some reissues offer alternate takes of "Blue Frenzy" and the pretty Joe Chambers composition "Mirrors," wavering via Spaulding's flute, a reaching-for-the-stars ballad that has become a standard.] Michael G. Nastos

Tracklist :
1.    Breaking Point  10:15
Composed By – F. Hubbard
2.    Far Away
Composed By – F. Hubbard
3.    Blue Frenzy  6:22
Composed By – F. Hubbard
4.    Blue Frenzy (Alternate Take)  3:15
Composed By – F. Hubbard
5.    D Minor Mint 6:22
Composed By – F. Hubbard
6.    Mirrors  6:04
Composed By – J. Chambers
7.    Mirrors (Alternate Take)  3:19
Composed By – J. Chambers
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute – James Spaulding
Bass – Eddie Khan
Drums – Joe Chambers
Engineer [Recording] – Rudy Van Gelder
Liner Notes – Leonard Feather
Piano – Ronnie Matthews
Producer – Alfred Lion
Reissue Producer [Produced For Release] – Michael Cuscuna
Transferred By [Digital Transfer] – Ron McMaster
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard 

ANDREW HILL— Point of Departure (1965) RM | Two Version | 24 Bit By RVG Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist and composer Andrew Hill is perhaps known more for this date than any other in his catalog -- and with good reason. Hill's complex compositions straddled many lines in the early to mid-1960s and crossed over many. Point of Departure, with its all-star lineup (even then), took jazz and wrote a new book on it, excluding nothing. With Eric Dolphy and Joe Henderson on saxophones (Dolphy also played clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute), Richard Davis on bass, Tony Williams on drums, and Kenny Dorham on trumpet, this was a cast created for a jazz fire dance. From the opening moments of "Refuge," with its complex minor mode intro that moves headlong via Hill's large, open chords that flat sevenths, ninths, and even 11ths in their striding to move through the mode, into a wellspring of angular hard bop and minor-key blues. Hill's solo is first and it cooks along in the upper middle register, almost all right hand ministrations, creating with his left a virtual counterpoint for Davis and a skittering wash of notes for Williams. The horn solos in are all from the hard bop book, but Dolphy cuts his close to the bone with an edgy tone. "New Monastery," which some mistake for an avant-garde tune, is actually a rewrite of bop minimalism extended by a diminished minor mode and an intervallic sequence that, while clipped, moves very quickly. Dorham solos to connect the dots of the knotty frontline melody and, in his wake, leaves the space open for Dolphy, who blows edgy, blue, and true into the center, as Hill jumps to create a maelstrom by vamping with augmented and suspended chords. Hill chills it out with gorgeous legato phrasing and a left-hand ostinato that cuts through the murk in the harmony. When Henderson takes his break, he just glides into the chromatically elegant space created by Hill, and it's suddenly a new tune. This disc is full of moments like this. In Hill's compositional world, everything is up for grabs. It just has to be taken a piece at a time, and not by leaving your fingerprints all over everything. In "Dedication," where he takes the piano solo further out melodically than on the rest of the album combined, he does so gradually. You cannot remember his starting point, only that there has been a transformation. This is a stellar date, essential for any representative jazz collection, and a record that, in the 21st century, still points the way to the future for jazz. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    Refuge    12:12
 Andrew Hill 
2.    New Monastery    7:00
 Andrew Hill 
3.    Spectrum    9:42
 Andrew Hill 
4.    Flight 19    4:10
 Andrew Hill 
5.    Dedication    6:40
 Andrew Hill 
– BONUS TRACKS –
6.    New Monastery (Alternate Take)    6:08
7.    Flight 19 (Alternate Take)    3:45
8.    Dedication (Alternate Take)    7:01
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy
Bass – Richard Davis 
Drums – Tony Williams
Piano, Written-By – Andrew Hill
Producer – Alfred Lion
Recorded By, Remastered By [1998] – Rudy Van Gelder
Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

THELONIOUS MONK — Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (1947) RM | MONO | RVG Edition, Modern Jazz Series | Two Version | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume 1 of the two-volume Genius of Modern Music set comprises the first sessions Thelonious Monk recorded as a leader, on October 15 and 24 and November 21 of 1947. It's impossible to overstate the importance of these sessions. They include some of the earliest recordings of Monk compositions that would become standards, despite their angularity and technical difficulty: the strange, sideways chord progression of "Thelonious"; the bouncy and cheerful but melodically cockeyed "Well, You Needn't"; the post-bop Bud Powell tribute "In Walked Bud"; and, of course, "'Round Midnight," which is now one of the most frequently recorded jazz compositions ever. There are kinks to be worked out: Art Blakey's drumming is fine, but he obviously hasn't quite taken the measure of Monk's compositional genius, and on the November session, alto saxophonist Sahib Shihab employs a fat, warbly tone that sounds out of place. But the excitement of discovery permeates every measure, and Monk himself is in top form, his solos jagged and strange, yet utterly beautiful. This first volume of Genius of Modern Music, along with the second, belongs in every jazz collection. Rick Anderson   
Tracklist :
1. Humph 2:50
Composed By – Monk
2. Evonce (Alternate Take) 3:00
Composed By – I. Sulieman, I. Quebec
3. Evonce 3:01
Composed By – I. Sulieman, I. Quebec
4. Suburban Eyes 2:58
Composed By – Ike Quebec
5. Suburban Eyes (Alternate Take) 2:55
Composed By – Ike Quebec
6. Thelonious 2:58
Composed By – Monk
7. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Alternate Take) 3:01
Composed By – Gershwin
8. Nice Work If You Can Get It 3:00
Composed By – Gershwin
9. Ruby My Dear (Alternate Take) 3:03
Composed By – Mon
10. Ruby My Dear 3:05
Composed By – Monk
11. Well You Needn't 2:55
Composed By – Monk
12. Well You Needn't (Alternate Take) 2:52
Composed By – Monk
13. April In Paris (Alternate Take) 2:39
Composed By – Harburg, Duke
14. April In Paris 3:17
Composed By – Harburg, Duke
15. Off Minor 2:58
Composed By – Monk
16. Introspection 3:10
Composed By – Monk
17. In Walked Bud 2:54
Composed By – Monk
18. Monk's Mood 3:09
Composed By – Monk
19. Who Knows 2:40
Composed By – Monk
20. 'Round Midnight 3:09
Composed By – Monk
21. Who Knows (Alternate Take) 2:39
Composed By – Monk
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Danny Quebec West (tracks: 1 to 6), Sahib Shihab (tracks: 17 to 21)
Bass – Bob Paige (tracks: 17 to 21), Gene Ramey (tracks: 1 to 16)
Drums – Art Blakey
Piano – Thelonious Monk
Trumpet – George Taitt (tracks: 17 to 21), Idrees Sulieman (tracks: 1 to 6)

THELONIOUS MONK — Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 (1952) RM | MONO | RVG Edition, Modern Jazz Series | Two Version | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The second volume in this two-disc series displays Thelonious Monk coming into his own fully as a leader. The program consists almost entirely of original compositions, and in fact it opens with two of his most difficult: "Four in One" (with its conventional bop intro that leads into a bizarre, repeated five-against-two quintuplet sequence) and the forbiddingly abstract "Criss Cross." Get through those and you'll eventually be rewarded with the relatively straightforward, blues-based "Straight No Chaser" and the sweet ballad "Ask Me Now," among other treats. Sidemen include the young trumpeter Kenny Dorham and bassist Al McKibbon, as well as a more clued-in Art Blakey and (replacing Blakey on half of the program) Max Roach. Sahib Shihab's sax tone is more appropriate this time out, and the production quality is somewhat better. This disc, along with Volume 1, belongs in every jazz collection. Rick Anderson
Tracklist :
1.    Four In One    3:27
 Thelonious Monk 
2.    Four In One (Alternate Take)    3:26
 Thelonious Monk 
3.    Criss Cross    2:55
 Thelonious Monk 
4.    Criss Cross (Alternate Take)    2:48
 Thelonious Monk 
5.    Eronel    3:01
 Thelonious Monk 
6.    Straight No Chaser    2:54
 Thelonious Monk 
7.    Ask Me Now (Alternate Take)    4:26
 Thelonious Monk 
8.    Ask Me Now    3:12
 Thelonious Monk 
9.    Willow Weep For Me  3:00
Written-By – Ann Ronnell
10.    Skippy    2:55
 Thelonious Monk 
11.    Skippy (Alternate Take)    3:07
 Thelonious Monk 
12.    Hornin' In (Alternate Take)    3:05
 Thelonious Monk 
13.    Hornin' In    3:07
 Thelonious Monk 
14.    Sixteen (First Take)    3:28
 Thelonious Monk 
15.    Sixteen (Second Take)    3:36
 Thelonious Monk 
16.    Carolina Moon  3:25
Written-By – Davis, Burke
17.    Let's Cool One    3:45
 Thelonious Monk 
18.    I'll Follow You  3:46
Written-By – Alhert, Turk
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson (tracks: 10 to 17), Sahib Shihab (tracks: 1 to 6, 9)
Bass – Al McKibbon (tracks: 1 to 9), Nelson Boyd (tracks: 10 to 18)
Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 1 to 9), Max Roach (tracks: 10 to 18)
Piano – Thelonious Monk
Producer – Alfred Lion
Reissue Producer – Michael Cuscuna
Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson (tracks: 10 to 17)
Transferred By [Disc Transfers, 2001], Restoration [Digital Audio Restoration, 2001], Remastered By [Mastered By, 2001] – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (tracks: 10 to 17)
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson (tracks: 1 to 6, 9) 

YUSEF LATEEF — Eastern Sounds (1961-2006) RM | RVG Remasters Series | Two Version | WV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

One of multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef's most enduring recordings, Eastern Sounds was one of the last recordings made by the band that Lateef shared with pianist Barry Harris after the band moved to New York from Detroit, where the jazz scene was already dying. Lateef had long been interested in Eastern music, long before John Coltrane had ever shown any public interest anyway, so this Moodsville session (which meant it was supposed to be a laid-back ballad-like record), recorded in 1961, was drenched in Lateef's current explorations of Eastern mode and interval, as well as tonal and polytonal improvisation. That he could do so within a context that was accessible, and even "pretty," is an accomplishment that stands today. The quartet was rounded out by the inimitable Lex Humphries on drums -- whose brushwork was among the most deft and inventive of any player in the music with the possible exception of Connie Kay from the Modern Jazz Quartet -- and bass and rabat player Ernie Farrow. The set
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.   The Plum Blossom 4:59
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
2.    Blues For The Orient 5:38
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
3.    Ching Miau 3:17
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
4.    Don't Blame Me 4:54
Written-By – Fields, McHugh
5.    Love Theme From Spartacus 4:13
Written-By – Alex North
6.    Snafu 5:40
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
7.    Purple Flower 4:29
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
8.    Love Theme From The Robe 3:59
Written-By – Alfred Newman
9.    The Three Faces Of Balal 2:23
Written-By – Yusef Lateef
Credits :
Bass, Rabab [Rabat] – Ernie Farrow
Drums – Lex Humphries
Piano – Barry Harris
Recorded By, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone, Oboe, Flute – Yusef Lateef

JACKIE McLEAN — 4, 5 And 6 (1956) Four Version | RM | SACD | RVG | The Prestige Mono Series | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1956 Jackie McLean was only beginning to assert himself as a true individualist on the alto saxophone, exploring the lime-flavored microtones of his instrument that purists or the misinformed perceived as being off-key or out of tune. 4, 5 and 6 presents McLean's quartet on half the date, and tunes with an expanded quintet, and one sextet track -- thus the title. Mal Waldron, himself an unconventional pianist willing to explore different sizings and shadings of progressive jazz, is a wonderful complement for McLean's notions, with bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor the impervious team everyone wanted for his rhythm section at the time. The quartet versions of "Sentimental Journey," "Why Was I Born?," and "When I Fall in Love" range from totally bluesy, to hard bop ribald, to pensive and hopeful, respectively. These are three great examples of McLean attempting to make the tunes his own, adding a flattened, self-effaced, almost grainy-faced texture to the music without concern for the perfectness of the melody. Donald Byrd joins the fray on his easygoing bopper "Contour," where complex is made simple and enjoyable, while Hank Mobley puts his tenor sax to the test on the lone and lengthy sextet track, a rousing version of Charlie Parker's risk-laden "Confirmation." It's Waldron's haunting ballad "Abstraction," with Byrd and McLean's quick replies, faint and dour, that somewhat illuminates the darker side. As a stand-alone recording, 4, 5 and 6 does not break barriers, but does foreshadow the future of McLean as an innovative musician in an all-too-purist mainstream jazz world. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    Sentimental Journey    (9:59)
 Les Brown / Bud Green / Ben Homer
2.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    Why Was I Born?    (5:16)
 Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
3.    Jackie McLean Quintet–    Contour    (5:02)
 Kenny Drew
4.    Jackie McLean Sextet–    Confirmation    (11:25)
 Charlie Parker
5.    Jackie McLean Quartet–    When I Fall In Love    (5:35
 Edward Heyman / Victor Young
6.    Jackie McLean Quintet–    Abstraction (8:02)
 Mal Waldron
Credits :
Jackie McLean - Alto Saxophone
Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#3, 4, 6 only)
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone (#4 only)
Mal Waldron - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Arthur Taylor - Drums

ROY HAYNES · PHINEAS NEWBORN · PAUL CHAMBERS — We Three (1958) Two Version (1986, RM | MONO | Serie : Prestige CD Masterpiece Series – 12) + (2007, RM | RVG Remasters Series) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

We Three, recorded in a single session on November 14, 1958, was the first American studio date as a bandleader for the diminutive and legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes, although with pianist Phineas Newborn on board (along with bassist Paul Chambers), it really is a set dominated by Newborn, whose busy, two-handed technique here works in tandem balance with Haynes' cool refinement. Newborn was all about amazing and dazzling piano runs that on some dates created simply too much flash and clutter to allow pieces to flow and breathe properly, but Haynes has always been about grace and flow throughout his career (if a drummer's style can said to be elegant, Haynes fits the bill), and here he rubs off on Newborn, who exercises just enough restraint to keep him in the proper orbit, resulting in a fine album. Highlights include the easy, pure swing of the opener, a version of Ray Bryant's "Reflection," a wonderful and bluesy rendition of Avery Parrish's "After Hours" (which finds Newborn in perfect balance between explosive ornamentation and smooth functionality), and a jaunty, fun spin through Newborn's own "Sugar Ray," a tribute to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. This trio had a brief recording career together, but as this solid set shows, they made the best of it. Steve Leggett
Tracklist  :
1    Reflection 4:23
Written By – Ray Bryant
2    Sugar Ray 6:26
Written By – Phineas Newborn Jr.

3    Solitaire    8:51
Guion-Borek-Nutter
4    After Hours 11:20
Written By – Avery Parrish
5    Sneakin' Around 4:23
Written By – Ray Bryant
6    Our Delight 4:04
Written By – Tadd Dameron
Credits :
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Roy Haynes
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Phineas Newborn

HORACE SILVER QUINTET — 6 Pieces of Silver (1956-1999) RM | RVG Edition Series | Two Version | APE (image+.cue), lossless + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first classic album by the Horace Silver Quintet, this set is highlighted by "Señor Blues" and "Cool Eyes." The early Silver quintet of 1956 was essentially the Jazz Messengers of the year before, with trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins (while drummer Louis Hayes was in Blakey's place), but already the band was starting to develop a sound of its own. "Señor Blues" officially put Horace Silver on the map, and the album is a hard bop and gospel-tinged jazz gem. [Some reissues add bonus tracks, including two additional versions of "Señor Blues," including a later vocal rendition by Bill Henderson.] Scott Yanow 
Tracklist :
1 Cool Eyes 5:55
Horace Silver 
2 Shirl 4:16
Horace Silver 
3 Camouflage 4:25
Horace Silver 
4 Enchantment 6:22
Horace Silver 
5 Señor Blues 7:01
Horace Silver 
6 Virgo 5:48
Horace Silver 
7 For Heaven's Sake 5:09
Elise Bretton / Donald Meyer / Edwards Sherman 
8 Señor Blues 6:38
Horace Silver 
9 Tippin' 6:16
Horace Silver 
10 Señor Blues 6:12
Horace Silver 
 Credits :
Drums – Louis Hayes
Piano – Horace Silver
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley (tracks: 1 to 8), Junior Cook (tracks: 9, 10)
Trumpet – Donald Byrd

JACKIE McLEAN — Let Freedom Ring (1961) Two Version (2003, RM | Serie 24 Bit By RVG) + (2003, RM | Serie RVG Edition ) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless & APE (image+.cue), lossless

Jackie McLean had always been a highly emotional soloist, so it makes sense that he was one of the first hard bop veterans to find a new voice in the burning intensity of jazz's emerging avant-garde. McLean had previously experimented with Coltrane's angular modes and scales and Ornette's concept of chordal freedom, but Let Freedom Ring was the landmark masterpiece where he put everything together and ushered in the era of the modernists at Blue Note. A number of saxophonists were beginning to explore the ability of the instrument to mimic human cries of passion, and here McLean perfected a long, piercing squeal capable of expressing joy, anguish, fury, and more. The music on Let Freedom Ring remained more rooted in hard bop structure than Coleman's, and McLean was still recognizably himself, but that was precisely what was revolutionary about the album: It validated the avant-garde aesthetic, demonstrating that it had enough value to convert members of the old guard, and wasn't just the province of radical outcasts. There are only four pieces, one of which is the surging Bud Powell ballad "I'll Keep Loving You"; the other three are McLean originals ("Melody for Melonae," "Rene," and "Omega," dedicated to his daughter, son, and mother respectively) that spotlight his tremendous inventiveness on extended material and amaze with a smoldering fire that never lets up. Pianist Walter Davis takes the occasional solo, but the record is McLean's statement of purpose, and he accordingly dominates the proceedings, with the busy, free-flowing dialogues of bassist Herbie Lewis and Ornette drummer Billy Higgins pushing him to even greater heights. The success of Let Freedom Ring paved the way for a bumper crop of other modernist innovators to join the Blue Note roster and, artistically, it still stands with One Step Beyond as McLean's greatest work. Steve Huey
Tracklist :
1    Melody For Melonae    13:17
 Jackie McLean
2    I'll Keep Loving You    6:14
 Bud Powell
3    Rene    9:57
 Jackie McLean
4    Omega    8:30
 Jackie McLean
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
Bass – Herbie Lewis
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Walter Davis, Jr.
Recorded By, Remastered By – Rudy Van Gelder

KENNY DORHAM — Trompeta Toccata (1964) Two Version (1995, The BN Works 4100 Series) + (2006, RM | Serie RVG Edition) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It seems strange and somewhat tragic that this was trumpeter Kenny Dorham's last full album as a leader for he was only 40 at the time and still in his prime. Dorham contributed three of the four selections to the session (Joe Henderson's catchy "Mamacita" also receives its debut), and his very underrated abilities as a writer, trumpeter, and talent scout are very much in evidence. This modern hard bop quintet set with Henderson on tenor, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath served as a strong (if premature) ending to Dorham's impressive career as a solo artist. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Trompeta Toccata 12:28
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
2    Night Watch 5:48
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
3    Mamacita 11:06
Written-By – Joe Henderson
4    The Fox 8:02
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
Credits :
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Albert Heath
Piano – Tommy Flanagan
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

KENNY BURRELL — Midnight Blue (1963) Three Version (1986, Serie Blue Note CD Super 50 – 29) + (1999, RM | Serie RVG Edition) + (2010, RM | SACD, Hybrid, DSD | Serie The Blue Note Reissues | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless & FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This album is one of guitarist Kenny Burrell's best-known sessions for the Blue Note label. Burrell is matched with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, bassist Major Holley, drummer Bill English, and Ray Barretto on conga for a blues-oriented date highlighted by "Chitlins Con Carne," "Midnight Blue," "Saturday Night Blues," and the lone standard "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Chitlins con Carne 5:30
Kenny Burrell
2 Mule 6:56
Kenny Burrell / Major Holley
3 Soul Lament 2:43
Kenny Burrell
4 Midnight Blue 4:02
Kenny Burrell
5 Wavy Gravy 5:47
Kenny Burrell
6 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 4:25
Andy Razaf / Don Redman
7 Saturday Night Blues 6:16
Kenny Burrell
8 Kenny's Sound 4:43
Kenny Burrell
9 K Twist 3:37
Kenny Burrell
Credits:
Bass – Major Holley, Jr.
Congas – Ray Barretto
Drums – Bill English
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine

WAYNE SHORTER — Adam's Apple (1966-2003) RM | RVG Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the possible exception of its song, "Footprints," which would become a jazz standard, Adam's Apple received quite a bit less attention upon its release than some of the preceding albums in Wayne Shorter's catalog. That is a shame because it really does rank with the best of his output from this incredibly fertile period. From the first moments when Shorter's sax soars out in the eponymous opening track, with its warmth and roundness and power, it is hard not to like this album. It might not be turning as sharp of a corner stylistically as some of his earlier works, like Speak No Evil, but its impact is only dulled by the fact that Shorter has already arrived at the peak of his powers. Taken in isolation, this is one of the great works of mid-'60s jazz, but when Shorter has already achieved a unique performance style, compositional excellence, and a perfectly balanced relationship with his sidemen, it is hard to be impressed by the fact that he manages to continue to do these things album after album. But Shorter does shine here, while allowing strong players like Herbie Hancock to also have their place in the sun. Especially hypnotic are two very different songs, the ballad "Teru" and Shorter's tribute to John Coltrane, "Chief Crazy Horse," both of which also allow Hancock a chance to show what he could do. Stacia Proefrock
Tracklist :
1    Adam's Apple    6:47
Wayne Shorter
2    502 Blues (Drinkin' And Drivin')    6:32
Jimmy Rowles
3    El Gaucho    6:28
Wayne Shorter
4    Footprints    7:27
Wayne Shorter
5    Teru    6:10
Wayne Shorter
6    Chief Crazy Horse    7:32
Wayne Shorter
7    The Collector    6:54
Herbie Hancock
Credits :
Bass – Reggie Workman
Drums – Joe Chambers
Piano – Herbie Hancock
Producer – Alfred Lion
Recorded By, Remastered By [2003] – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

McCOY TYNER — The Real McCoy (1967-1999) RM | RVG Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two and a half years after his last recording as a leader for Impulse, pianist McCoy Tyner emerged to start a period on Blue Note that would result in seven albums. Having left John Coltrane's Quartet in late 1965, Tyner was entering a period of struggle, although artistically his playing grew quite a bit in the late '60s. For this release, the pianist is teamed with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Elvin Jones for five of his originals. Highlights of the easily recommended album include "Passion Dance," "Four by Five," and "Blues on the Corner." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Passion Dance 8:44
McCoy Tyner
2 Contemplation 9:10
McCoy Tyner
3 Four by Five 6:33 
McCoy Tyner
4 Search for Peace 6:27
McCoy Tyner
5 Blues on the Corner 5:58
McCoy Tyner
Credits
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – McCoy Tyner
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson

DON CHERRY — Symphony for Improvisers (1967-2005) RM | RVG Edition Series | APE (image+.cue), lossless

For his second album, Symphony for Improvisers, Don Cherry expanded his Complete Communion quartet -- tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Ed Blackwell -- to a septet, adding vibraphonist Karl Berger, bassist Jean François Jenny-Clark, and tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders (who frequently plays piccolo here). The lineup has a real international flavor, since Barbieri was from Argentina, Berger from Germany, and Jenny-Clark from France; Cherry had gigged regularly with all three during his 1964-1965 sojourn in Europe, and brought them to New York to record. With all the added firepower, it's remarkable that Symphony for Improvisers has the same sense of shared space and controlled intelligence as its predecessor, even when things are at their most heated. Once again, Cherry sets up the album as two continuous medleys that fuse four compositions apiece, which allows the group's improvisational energy and momentum to carry straight through the entire program. The "Symphony for Improvisers" suite is the most raucous part of Cherry's Blue Note repertoire, and the "Manhattan Cry" suite pulls off the widest mood shifts Cherry had yet attempted in that format. Even though the album is full of passionate fireworks, there's also a great deal of subtlety -- the flavors added to the ensemble by Berger's vibes and Sanders' piccolo, for example, or the way other instrumental voices often support and complement a solo statement. Feverish but well-channeled, this larger-group session is probably Cherry's most gratifying for Blue Note. Steve Huey   
Tracklist
 1 Symphony for Improvisers:
 Symphony for Improvisers/Nu Creative Love 19:43
Don Cherry
2 Manhattan Cry: Manhattan Cry/Lunatic/Sparkle Plenty/Om Nu 19:17
Don Cherry
Credits
Bass – Henry Grimes, Jean-François Jenny-Clark
Cornet, Composed By – Don Cherry
Drums – Edward Blackwell
Tenor Saxophone – Gato Barbieri
Tenor Saxophone, Piccolo Flute – Pharoah Sanders
Vibraphone, Piano – Karl Berger

KENNY DORHAM — The Complete 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia (1956-2002) 2CD | RM | MONO | Serie RVG Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During the spring and summer of 1956, trumpeter Kenny Dorham recorded two studio albums with his Jazz Prophets, a small hard bop band involving tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose and a rhythm section of pianist Dick Katz, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Arthur Edgehill. On May 31 of that year, Dorham's group performed live at the Café Bohemia with Bobby Timmons at the piano and guitarist Kenny Burrell sitting in on all but the first of four sets. Originally engineered by Rudy Van Gelder and remastered by him in 2001, Blue Note's 2002 double-disc "Complete" Dorham Café Bohemia edition combines every usable track taped during this exceptionally fine evening of live jazz. The word "understated" has sometimes been used to describe the music played by Dorham's band on this night in 1956; this is only appropriate if Dorham is compared with intense individuals like Fats Navarro or Dizzy Gillespie. Dorham's jazz was perhaps more intimate and accessible precisely because his horn had an earthier tone, almost like that of a cornet. Sometimes compared with Ted Curson, Richard Williams or Freddie Hubbard, Dorham sounded a lot like the profoundly gifted and vastly underappreciated Johnny Coles, particularly during ballads like "Autumn in New York" and "Round Midnight." There are also intimations of Miles Davis, Nat Adderley and even young Don Cherry. This music is designed for relaxing and grooving out. It will greatly assist anyone who is traveling by night or trying to make it through to the end of another day. arwulf arwulf   Tracklist & Credits

J.J. JOHNSON — The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 1 (1956-2001) RM | MONO | RVG Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The CD reissue of the two volumes titled The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson straighten out his three Blue Note sessions of 1953-55 and add alternate takes. This particular CD concentrates exclusively on the trombonist's 1953 sextet date with the great trumpeter Clifford Brown, Jimmy Heath (who doubles on tenor and baritone), pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke. The six titles (plus three alternates) are highlighted by "It Could Happen to You," "Turnpike" and a classic rendition of "Get Happy." Although Johnson has a couple of features, Clifford Brown largely steals the show. This CD is well worth getting by listeners who do not have the music on Brownie's own Complete Blue Note set. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

J.J. JOHNSON — The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2 (1956-2001) RM | Modern Jazz Series, RVG Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist & Credits :

CURTIS FULLER — Bone & Bari (1957-2003) RM | Serie 24 Bit By RVG | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Curtis Fuller emerged during the 1950s as a leading hard bop trombonist. A native of Detroit, Fuller was initially inspired by hearing J.J. Johnson, who became a mentor for the young musician. This recording was completed only weeks before Fuller went into the studio to record John Coltrane's Blue Trane. The session is unique in its pairing of trombone with the baritone sax of Tate Houston. The resultant front line sound is thick and rotund. The rhythm section of Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor had a lovely rapport; individually and collectively, these three made many important recordings in the late 1950s, especially for the Blue Note label. Highlights of Bone & Bari include the title tune, penned by Fuller, and the group's rendering of the standard "Heart and Soul." Lee Bloom

Tracklist 
1 Algonquin 5:02
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
2 Nita's Waltz 6:55
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
3 Bone & Bari 6:18
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
4 Heart And Soul 4:48
Written-By – Frank Loesser, Hoagy Carmichael
5 Again 7:18
Written-By – Dorcas Cochran, Lionel Newman
6 Pickup 5:46
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Tate Houston
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Sonny Clark
Trombone – Curtis Fuller

CURTIS FULLER — The Opener (1957) Two Version (1996, RM | MONOAURAL | The BN Works 1500 Series) + (1999, RM | Serie 24 Bit By RVG) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Opener is trombonist Curtis Fuller's first album for Blue Note and it is a thoroughly impressive affair. Working with a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Fuller runs through a set of three standards -- "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening," "Here's to My Lady," "Soon" -- two originals and an Oscar Pettiford-penned calypso. The six songs give Fuller a chance to display his warm, fluid style in all of its variations. "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" illustrates that he can be seductive and lyrical on ballads, while the brassy "Hugore" and hard-swinging "Lizzy's Bounce" shows that he can play hard without getting sloppy. His backing musicians are equally impressive; in particular, Mobley's robust playing steals the show. In all, The Opener, along with his three earlier sessions for Prestige and New Jazz, establishes Fuller as one of the most distinctive and original hard bop trombonists of the late '50s. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist :
1 A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening 6:50
Written-By – H. Adamson, J. McHugh
2 Hugore 6:41
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
3 Oscalypso 5:37
Written-By – Oscar Pettiford
4 Here's To My Lady 6:40
Written-By – J. Mercer, R. Bloom
5 Lizzy's Bounce 5:21
Written-By – Curtis Fuller
6 Soon 5:35
Written-By – G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin
Credits :
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Bobby Timmons
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trombone – Curtis Fuller

CURTIS FULLER — Volume 3 (1957-1999) RM | Serie 24 Bit By RVG | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Trombonist Curtis Fuller settled in New York in April of 1957, after working for several years in his native Detroit. Volume 3 pairs him with trumpeter Art Farmer, along with a buoyant rhythm section comprising Sonny Clark (who also relocated to N.Y.C. in April '57), George Tucker and Louis Hayes. This third solo recording for Fuller on the Blue Note label is stronger than its predecessors, especially in showcasing the trombonist's writing talents. The five original tunes and one standard feature some fine ensemble playing and cover a broad range from Afro-Cuban to medium swing to ballad. Fuller's composition "Carvon" is exceptional; the main theme is played on trombone accompanied only by bowed bass. This recording firmly established Curtis Fuller as a serious, mature voice on his instrument. Lee Bloom Tracklist & Credits