COUNT BASIE • JOE TURNER — The Bosses (1974-1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Count Basie and an all-star band (including trumpeter Harry Edison, trombonist J.J. Johnson and the tenors of Eddie Davis and Zoot Sims) back up veteran Kansas City blues singer Big Joe Turner on one of his better later albums. The many fine solos inspire Turner, who is in top form on such tunes as "Night Time Is the Right Time," "Wee Baby Blues" and "Roll 'Em Pete." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Honeydripper 6:42
 Joe Liggins
2. Honey Hush 2:37
 Lou Willie Turner
3. Cherry Red 4:42
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
4. Night Time Is The Right Time 3:54
 Leroy Carr
5. Blues Around The Clock 4:58
 Willie Bryant
6. Since I Fell For You 3:55
 Buddy Johnson
7. Flip, Flop And Fly    3:28
 Charles E. Calhoun / Chuck Calhoun / Lou Willie Turner
8. Wee Baby Blues 5:37
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
9. Good Mornin' Blues 3:50
 Count Basie / Eddie Durham / Jimmy Rushing
10. Roll 'Em Pete 4:16
 Pete Johnson / Big Joe Turner
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Louis Bellson
Guitar – Irving Ashby
Piano, Organ – Count Basie
Tenor Saxophone – Eddie Davis, Zoot Sims
Trombone – J.J. Johnson
Trumpet – Harry Edison
Vocals – Joe Turner

BEN WEBSTER | OSCAR PETERSON — Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (1959) Two Version (1997, RM | Serie Verve Master Edition) + (2011, RM | SACD, Hybrid | Serie Verve Reissues) APE (image+.cue), lossless & FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio -- Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen -- use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist's best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing -- none of Webster's boogie-woogie piano work to break up the mood here. Besides reinvigorating such lithe strollers as "Bye Bye Blackbird" (nice bass work by Brown here) and "This Can't Be Love," Webster and company achieve classic status for their interpretation of the Sinatra gem "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." And to reassure Peterson fans worried about scant solo time for their hero, the pianist lays down a healthy number of extended runs, unobtrusively shadowing Webster's vaporous tone and supple phrasing along the way. Not only a definite first-disc choice for Webster newcomers, but one of the jazz legend's all-time great records. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1 The Touch Of Your Lips 6:10
Written-By – Noble
2 When Your Lover Has Gone 3:50
Written-By – Swan
3 Bye Bye Blackbird 6:35
Written-By – Dixon, Henderson
4 How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky) 2:30
Written-By – Berlin
5 In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning 3:06
Written-By – Hilliard, Mann
6 Sunday 3:55
Written-By – Krueger, Conn, Styno, Miller
7 This Can't Be Love 9:45
Written-By – Rodgers/Hart
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster

MILT JACKSON — A London Bridge (1988) APE (image+.cue), lossless

One of three albums of material recorded by the Milt Jackson Quartet (which consisted of pianist Monty Alexander, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Mickey Roker) during a stay at Ronnie Scott's Club in London, this excellent set features the veterans playing in their usual style (bop, blues and ballad) but with a fresher repertoire than usual including "Impressions," "Good Bait" and Alexander's "Reggae/Later." The pianist often steals the show on this fine set; all three records from this gig are easily recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Impressions    5:40
 John Coltrane
2    Flamingo    5:22
 Ted Grouya / Milt Jackson
3    Eleuthera    7:11
 Monty Alexander
4    Good Bait    5:23
 Count Basie / Tadd Dameron
5    FSR    6:20
 Ray Brown
6    Reggae/Later    6:49
 Monty Alexander
7    Close Enough For Love    7:23
 Johnny Mandel / Paul Williams
8    Captain Bill    7:27
 Ray Brown
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Mickey Roker
Piano – Monty Alexander
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson

JON FADDIS — Legacy (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After too long a period in the studios, talented trumpeter Jon Faddis returned to jazz with this brilliant effort. Best known for his ability to closely emulate his idol, Dizzy Gillespie (far from an easy feat), Faddis pays tribute to Gillespie with "Night in Tunisia" and "Things to Come." However, he also does a close imitation of Roy Eldridge on "Little Jazz," pays homage to Louis Armstrong on "West End Blues," shows sensitivity on Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born," and performs three other numbers. With the assistance of tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Mel Lewis, Jon Faddis is in superb form throughout this outstanding release, his definitive recording. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    West End Blues 5:35
Written-By – Clarence Williams, Joe "King" Oliver
2    Little Jazz 5:37
Written-By – Roy Eldridge
3    Night In Tunisia 6:02
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli, Jon Hendricks
4    Instigator 4:44
Written-By – Jon Faddis
5    Things To Come 3:31
Written-By – Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller
6    A Child Is Born 7:00
Written-By – Thad Jones
7    Li'l Darlin' 4:09
Written-By – Neal Hefti
8    Whisper Not 5:31
Written-By – Benny Golson, Leonard Feather
Credits
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Mel Lewis
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jon Faddis
Piano – Kenny Barron
Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land

COUNT BASIE Encounters OSCAR PETERSON — Satch and Josh (1974-1998) RM | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Producer Norman Granz occasionally got carried away with the quantity of his recording projects. In 1974 he recorded a full album teaming fellow pianists Count Basie and Oscar Peterson in a rhythm quintet; little did anyone realize that this then-unique matchup would eventually result in five albums. This first one, which finds Basie doubling on organ, is among the best. Peterson's virtuosic style somehow worked very well with Basie's sparse playing and these ten numbers really swing. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
 1. Buns Blues [4:37]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) [5:45]
Written-By – Link, Marvell, Strachey
3. R B [5:35]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
4. Burning [4:15]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
5. Exactly Like You [6:19]
Written-By – Fields/McHugh
6. Jumpin' At The Woodside [2:54]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
7. Louie B. [6:21]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
8. Lester Leaps In [4:09]
Written-By – Lester Young
9. Big Stockings [4:29]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
10. S & J Blues [7:53]
Written-By – Basie, Peterson
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Louie Bellson
Guitar – Freddie Green
Organ – Count Basie
Piano – Count Basie, Oscar Peterson
Producer – Norman Granz
Remastered By – Phil De Lancie

DOROTHY DANDRIDGE — Smooth Operator (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Real Name: Dorothy Jean Dandridge.
Profile: American actress and popular singer.
Born : November 09, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Died : September 08, 1965 in West Hollywood, California. (Embolism or Overdose)
Was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress

Actress/singer Dorothy Dandridge was Hollywood's first African-American superstar, becoming the first black performer ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Born November 9, 1923 in Cleveland, she was the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge, and with sister Vivian teamed in the song-and-dance duo the Wonder Children. The family relocated to Los Angeles during the mid-'30s, and in 1937 Dandridge briefly made her film debut in the Marx Brothers classic A Day at the Races.

Carmen Jones [Original Soundtrack] Concurrently she continued her singing career, and with Vivian performed as the Dandridge Sisters, sharing stages with the likes of Jimmie Lunceford and Cab Calloway as well as recording with Louis Armstrong. During the early '40s Dorothy appeared in a series of musical film shorts, and as the decade progressed she became a sensation on the nightclub circuit. Dandridge's mainstream breakthrough was her title role in Otto Preminger's 1954 screen musical Carmen Jones, a performance which earned her an Academy Award nomination and made her a star; nevertheless, she did not reappear onscreen until 1957's Island in the Sun, and despite winning a Golden Globe for her work in 1959's Porgy and Bess she was offered virtually no future film roles, returning to nightclubs by the early '60s.
Smooth Operator Plagued by years of personal hardships as well as professional hurdles, Dandridge was found dead of an overdose of anti-depressants on September 8, 1965. Three decades later her career enjoyed a kind of renaissance with an acclaimed 1997 biography by film historian Donald Bogle in addition to Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, a 1999 HBO telefilm starring Halle Berry. Smooth Operator, a long-unreleased recording date from 1958 featuring the Oscar Peterson trio, was finally issued in 1999 as well. web

Smooth Operator explores a little-known aspect of the beautiful, troubled African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge: her vocal abilities. Most of this album comes from a 1958 recording session featuring Dandridge's lovely interpretations of "When Your Lover Has Gone," "Body & Soul" and the title track. That her backing band is an augmented version of the Oscar Peterson Trio makes her album even more special, and a must for jazz fans and film buffs. Heather Phares
Tracklist :
1 It's Easy To Remember 2:24
Written-By – Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart
2 What Is There To Say? 3:11
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke
3 That Old Feeling 3:05
Written-By – Lew Brown, Sammy Fain
4 The Touch Of Your Lips 2:58
Written-By – Ray Noble
5 When Your Lover Has Gone 2:59
Written-By – E. A. Swan
6 The Nearness Of You 3:17
Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
7 (In This World) I'm Glad There Is You 4:02
Written-By – Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Madeira
8 I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face 1:48
Written-By – Alan J. Lerner-Frederick Loewe
9 Body And Soul 3:38
Written-By – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Robert Sour
10 How Long Has This Been Going On? 3:30
Written-By – George and Ira Gershwin
11 I've Got A Crush On You 2:28
Written-By – George and Ira Gershwin
12 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 2:37
Written-By – Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart
13 Somebody 2:48
Written-By – Harry Warren , Jack Brooks 
14 Stay With It 2:35
Written-By – Dotty Wayne, Ray Rasch
15 It's A Beautiful Evening 2:38
Written-By – Dotty Wayne, Ray Rasch
16 Smooth Operator 3:06
Written-By – Clyde Otis, Murray Stein
Credits
Bass – Ray Brown (tracks: 1-12)
Bongos – Alvin Stoller (tracks: 4, 12)
Celesta – Oscar Peterson (tracks: 4, 8, 11)
Drums – Alvin Stoller (tracks: 1-3, 5-7, 9-11)
Guitar – Herb Ellis (tracks: 1-12)
Orchestra – Unknown Artist (tracks: 13-16)
Piano – Oscar Peterson (tracks: 1-3, 5-7, 9-10)
Vocals – Dorothy Dandridge

TAL FARLOW — A Sign of the Times (1977-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Guitarist Tal Farlow's debut for the Concord label was only his second album as a leader since 1959. Farlow, who had given up the hectic lifestyle of a full-time jazz musician to become a sign painter who played guitar on the side, had not lost any of his power or creative swing through the years. Teamed up in a drumless trio with pianist Hank Jones and bassist Ray Brown, Farlow is in typically brilliant form on such numbers as a rapid "Fascinating Rhythm," a slower-than-usual "Stompin' at the Savoy," Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" and even "Put on a Happy Face." This CD is a fine example of Tal Farlow's talents. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Fascinating Rhythm (Gershwin-Gershwin) - 4:11
2. You Don't Know What Love Is (Raye-DePaul) - 4:08
3. Put on a Happy Face (Adams-Strouse) - 4:21
4. Stompin' at the Savoy (Webb-Sampson-Razaf-Goodman) - 7:39
5. Georgia on My Mind (Carmichael-Gorrell) - 3:45
6. You Are Too Beautiful (Rodgers-Hart) - 5:07
7. In Your Own Sweet Way (Brubeck) - 3:13
8. Bayside Blues (Brown) - 7:05
Credits :
Tal Farlow - Guitar
Ray Brown - Bass
Hank Jones - Piano

HERB ELLIS | RAY BROWN SEXTET — Hot Tracks (1976) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Guitarist Herb Ellis was the leader of six of the first dozen Concord releases. This lesser-known set has some fine playing from Ellis, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson, bassist Ray Brown, drummer Jake Hanna and keyboardist Mike Melvoin although Melvoin's electric piano sounds a bit dated today. As usual the music is uncomplicated, straightahead, swinging and tasteful. Six of the songs are originals by group members which are performed along with Johnny Hodges' "Squatty Roo" and the ballad "But Beautiful." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Onion Roll (Ellis) - 4:26
2. Spherikhal (Brown) - 4:55
3. But Beautiful (Burke-Van Heusen) - 5:25
4. Blues for Minnie (Brown) - 4:41
5. Bones (Johnson) - 5:54
6. So's Your Mother (Melvoin) - 5:20
7. Squatty Roo (Hodges) - 3:10
8. Sweetback (Edison) - 4:27
Credits :
Herb Ellis - Guitar
Ray Brown - Bass
Harry "Sweets" Edison - Trumpet
Jake Hanna - Drums
Plas Johnson - Saxophone
Mike Melvoin - Keyboards

OSCAR PETERSON | RAY BROWN | BENNY CARTER | CLARK TERRY — The More I See You (1995) Serie Telarc 20 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

After Oscar Peterson suffered a severe stroke in the spring of 1993, it was feared that he would never again play on a professional level, but two years of intense therapy resulted in the masterful pianist returning to what sounds, on this Telarc CD, like near-prime form. For the all-star date, The More I See You, Peterson tears into seven standards and two blues and outswings all potential competitors. Altoist Benny Carter at 87 sounds like he is 47 (if Carter had retired back in 1940 he would still be a legend), and flugelhornist Clark Terry (here 74) proves to be not only (along with the remarkable 90-year-old Doc Cheatham) the finest trumpeter over 70 but one of the top brassmen of any age. The cool-toned guitarist Lorne Lofsky and drummer Lewis Nash are also strong assets while bassist Ray Brown (a year younger than Peterson at a mere 68) displays his typical limitless energy on appealing tunes such as "In a Mellow Tone," "When My Dream Boat Comes Home," and a medium/up-tempo version of "For All We Know." The musicians all play up to their usual high level, making this a joyous comeback album for the great Oscar Peterson. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     In a Mellow Tone 4'53
Duke Ellington / Milt Gabler
2     Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 4'45
Andy Razaf / Don Redman
3     On the Trail 7'03
Harold Adamson / Ferde Grofé
4     When My Dreamboat Comes Home 8'17
Dave Franklin / David Franklin / Cliff Friend
5     Ron's Blues 8'05
Oscar Peterson
6     For All We Know 8'39
J. Fred Coots / Sam M. Lewis
7     Blues for Lisa 9'15
Oscar Peterson
8     Squatty Roo 5'39
Johnny Hodges
9     The More I See You 6'02
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Lewis Nash
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

JOE SAMPLE | RAY BROWN | SHELLY MANNE — The Three (1975-1978) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Japanese East Wind LP (which was made available domestically on the now-defunct Inner City label) features pianist Joe Sample, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne exploring five jazz standards plus Sample's "Funky Blues" in purely straight-ahead fashion. One of Joe Sample's finest sessions as a leader, this obscure outing is highlighted by his renditions of Oliver Nelson's "Yearnin'," "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Manha Do Carnaval." Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — The Best Of The Concord Years (2002) 2xCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ray Brown was in at the beginning of the Concord Jazz record label in the early '70s, and starting with Brown's Bag in 1975, he recorded a dozen albums as a leader for Concord before departing for Telarc Records in the early '90s. This two-disc compilation, with a running time of almost two hours and 20 minutes, presents 24 selections drawn from 19 Concord Jazz albums recorded between 1973 and 1993, including live performances at the Concord Jazz Festivals, recordings by Brown's trio and the L.A. 4, and a Brown duet with Jimmy Rowles, among other configurations. As a bass player, Brown only rarely solos, so one usually notices the horn players (Harry "Sweets" Edison, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, Richie Kamuca, Blue Mitchell, Ralph Moore, and Bud Shank), the pianists (Monty Alexander, George Duke, Gene Harris, Art Hillery, and Rowles), or other frontline musicians (guitarists Laurindo Almeida, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass, violinist John Frigo) before the rhythm section. But even when Brown isn't stepping out, he is maintaining the group's swing, along with drummers John Guerin, Jeff Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Gerryck King, Shelly Manne, Mickey Roker, and Jimmie Smith, and he also wrote a number of the tunes. Brown had done relatively few sessions as a leader in the 30 years of his career prior to his association with Concord, so, while the label owes him a lot, he also was enabled to flourish with the company in a way he had not before, and that is reflected in this well-chosen compilation. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — With The All-Star Big Band ft. Cannonball Adderley + Ray Brown & Milt Jackson (2012) RM | SHM-CD | Two Original Albums On One CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits : 

1-9 With The All-Star Big Band
10-17 Ray Brown / Milt Jackson

RAY BROWN — Bass Hit! (1958-1998) RM | Serie Verve Elite Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ray Brown's earliest date as a leader features him prominently in the solo spotlight with arrangements by Marty Paich. They collaborated on a swinging original blues, "Blues for Sylvia," and the snappy "Blues for Lorraine." The rest of the release concentrates on familiar standards, with the addition to the reissue of several complete and incomplete takes of "After You've Gone," which didn't appear on the original release. The supporting cast includes the cream of the crop of musicians living on the West Coast at the time: Jimmy Rowles, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Jimmy Giuffre among them. Out-of-print for a long time, this record was reissued in 1999, though as a limited-edition title in the Verve Elite series, so it will not remain available for long. Ken Dryden
Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — This Is Ray Brown (1958-1998) RM | MONO | Serie Verve Original Collection 50 – 41 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — Jazz Cello (1960-2003) RM | Serie LP Reproduction | APE (image+.cue), lossless

On the last day of August and the first day of September 1960, bassist Ray Brown recorded his third album for the Verve label, focusing most of his attention upon the cello while Joe Mondragon handled the bass. The 11-piece band on this date was conducted by arranger Russ Garcia and included reed players Paul Horn and Bob Cooper as well as pianist Jimmy Rowles. The results were typical of late-'50s West Coast mainstream jazz: familiar ballads and friendly, uplifting standards, tidily performed. Some of the tunes reach back to the 1920s, with "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" serving as a surprisingly hip link with vaudeville as Brown's pizzicato maneuverings are punctuated with punchy blasts from reeds and brass. If one takes the time to place this recording within an historical context, an impressive evolution reveals itself. The first bassist to cross over to cello on records in modern times is believed to have been Oscar Pettiford, while Fred Katz popularized the warm-toned instrument through his work with drummer Chico Hamilton. The progression of jazz cellists since then is impressive, from Ray Brown, Sam Jones, Percy Heath and Ron Carter to Abdul Wadud, David Holland, David Darling, David Eyges and Diedre Murray. By the first decade of the 21st century, an unprecedented number of improvising cellists had appeared, making Ray Brown's 1960 Jazz Cello album seem like a sunny little episode in the foundation of a fascinating modern tradition spanning several generations. arwulf arwulf   Tracklist & Credits 

RAY BROWN | MILT JACKSON — Much In Common + All-Star Big Band (1996) 2xCD | Serie Verve Take 2 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — Brown's Bag (1976-1991) Concord Jazz Collector's Series | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Bassist Ray Brown's debut for Concord (and his first recording as a leader in six years) features him with two separate groups: a quintet also including trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor-saxophonist Richie Kamuca, pianist Art Hillery and drummer John Guerin and (on three of the seven songs) a quartet with keyboardist Dave Grusin, guitarist John Collins and drummer Jimmie Smith. While the former group has some hot moments (particularly on "Blues for Eddie Lee" and "Surrey with the Fringe on Top"), the latter band sticks to dreamy ballads. The fact that this CD reissue has less than 35 minutes is a minus; plus none of the selections are really all that memorable despite the strong playing. Not one of the more significant Ray Brown albums. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits : 

RAY BROWN • JIMMY ROWLES — As Good As It Gets (1977-1992) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Although the title of this CD reissue has a bit of bragging, this is an excellent duet set which features bassist Ray Brown and pianist Jimmy Rowles. There are many subtle surprises on the set including Rowles' striding on "Like Someone in Love" and Brown's melodic lead on "Honey." Other highlights include "Sophisticated Lady," Rowles' "Looking Back," a playful version of "Love" and "Rosalie." Delightful music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN | JIMMY ROWLES — "Tasty!" (1983-1995) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

The second of two duet albums by bassist Ray Brown and pianist Jimmy Rowles, this subtle and delightful CD reissue is the equal of the first. Rowles, who plays some surprising stride on "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," shows his sly wit in several spots along with harmonic sophistication. Brown's huge tone is well displayed in the sparse setting. Highlights include "A Sleepin' Bee," "My Ideal" and "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)."  Scott Yanow  Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN • MONTY ALEXANDER • SAM MOST — A Ray Brown 3 (1983) RM | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Brown took a fresh approach for this 1982 date, retaining the trio format but substituting flute for drums and using Monty Alexander instead of regular pianist Gene Harris. The results were intriguing; Most provided colors and sounds that haven't been on a Brown date since, while Alexander added some Caribbean flavor and a bit more adventurous sound. Ron Wynn
Tracklist & Credits :