THE ROSCOE MITCHELL ART ENSEMBLE — Congliptious (1968-2009) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Congliptious is a landmark recording of modern jazz, an extraordinarily strong and creative album and one that, among other things, perfectly encapsulates the ideals of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). One of the graduation requirements of students in the AACM was to be able to pull off a solo recital on whatever their instrument happened to be. In the late '60s, the idea of an evening-length solo performance on saxophone or drums, for example, was unheard of. The first three cuts on Congliptious are solos for bass, alto saxophone, and trumpet that not only stand on their own as powerful statements, but also mark out several of the conceptual territories near and dear to this organization's heart. In "Tutankhamen," bassist Malachi Favors pays homage to the deep past, his rich arco delving into a theme older than the blues, but always keeping the blues in mind. Roscoe Mitchell's "Tkhke" remains, more than three decades later, incredibly alive and corrosive, reaching the furthest limits of his instrument, harrowing yet tightly controlled. Only when it resolves into a placid near lullaby does the listener dare exhale. Humor was another constant element in the work of these Chicagoans, rarely better expressed than by the late Lester Bowie in his historic soliloquy, "Jazz Death?" Posing as both unctuous interviewer and sly interviewee, Bowie wends his way through virtually the entire history of jazz trumpet with affection, soulful beauty, and a sardonic glance or two. The side-long "Congliptious/Old" is a masterpiece in breadth of conception and execution, an exemplar of the newly drawn lines distinguishing chaos from order. The trio is joined by drummer Robert Crowder, who leads things off in march tempo before dissembling into a maelstrom of percussion and the "little instruments" beloved by these musicians. The piece ebbs and flows, traveling from thunderous explosions to childlike songs to abstract vocal exhortations (including the timely phrase, "Sock it to me!"), but always retaining a sense of the blues. That aura comes into sublime fruition in the closing section, "Old," where Mitchell has written a theme as timeless as its title, an utterly gorgeous tune with roots in New Orleans dirges and beyond, which the quartet takes out with gusto, aplomb, and -- again -- a devilish humor. As of 2002, Congliptious was only available on disc as part of a limited-edition five-CD box set on Nessa (The Art Ensemble 1967/68). However the listener gets hold of it, it is one of the single most vital recordings of the jazz avant-garde, and an album of unique beauty. Brian Olewnick
Tracklist :
1    Tutankhamen 6:38
Bass [Solo] – Malachi Favors
Composed By – Favors
2    TKHKE 7:32
Alto Saxophone [Solo] – Roscoe Mitchell
Composed By – Mitchell
3    Jazz Death? 7:20
Composed By – Bowie
Trumpet [Solo] – Lester Bowie
4    Carefree-Take 3 2:35
Composed By – Roscoe Mitchell
5    Tatas-Matoes 2:17
Composed By – Bowie
6    Congliptious / Old 19:30
Composed By – Mitchell
7    Carefree-Take 1    3:05
8    Carefree-Take 2    3:05
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute, Recorder, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Roscoe Mitchell (tracks: 2, 4 to 8)
Bass, Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, Zither, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Malachi Favors (tracks: 1, 4 to 8)
Drums, Gong – Robert Crowder (tracks: 4 to 8)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horns [Steer Horn], Whistle [Bass Whistle], Bass Drum, Siren, Gong, Performer [Little Instruments] – Lester Bowie (tracks: 3 to 8)

EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 538 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Another chapter in the Classics label's impressive chronological account of Earl Hines' big-band and solo piano work from 1928-1947. By this time, Hines was slipping into a bit of a routine, but for the most part the material here maintains the high standards of his benchmark work from 1934 and 1935. His top arranger, Jimmy Mundy, is on hand again, joined by Horace Henderson (Fletcher Henderson's brother) and Budd Johnson. Johnson would later flower as one of Hines' main chart-makers, and here he ably displays his talents on the churning "XYZ" and the Hines showcase "Piano Man." Hines further displays his mammoth chops on two exciting solo tracks, "The Father's Getaway" and "Reminiscing at Blue Note." And making fine contributions of their own are clarinetist Omer Simeon and trumpeters George Dixon, Ray Nance (later of Ellington fame), and Freddy Webster. A highly enjoyable if unessential disc from the Hines catalog. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist + Credits :

EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 567 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

At the time of these recordings, Hines was in the process of re-igniting his once potent and inventive big band of the mid-'30s. And while he and his cohorts hadn't completely dropped off the quality scale -- Hines' solos, of course, always remained hot -- the group's material was beginning to dip in caliber. Then came the twin powers of arranger/tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson and singer Billy Eckstine. Picking up from his fine work on Classics' earlier 1937-1939 disc, Johnson delivers standout charts here, like "Number 19" and the novelty number "Tantalizing a Cuban." One of Hines' top arrangers from the past, Jimmy Mundy, also does his part with solid if somewhat slick cuts like "You Can Depend on Me" and "Easy Rhythm." And with Eckstine in the mix, the band finally found a genuine star vocalist. Showing the kind of swarthy tone and incredible facility that would bring him fame over the next three decades, Eckstine lights up the proceedings on classics like "Jelly, Jelly," "I'm Falling for You," and "Ann." Keeping up with the Young Turk, Hines displays his seasoned soloing chops on numbers like "Rosetta," "Body and Soul," and "Child of a Disordered Brain." Check out the mighty Hines band finding its groove again before unwittingly morphing into an incubator for bebop talent. Stephen Cook     Tracklist :

EARL HINES AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 621 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1975, when Bluebird brought out a double-LP reissue of vintage Earl Hines big-band recordings, the producers included a chain of beefy instrumentals from 1941. The Classics Chronological series zeroed in and fleshed out an important part of the picture by compiling all of Hines' 1941 material onto one CD 16 years later. What you get are eight terrific instrumentals interspersed with ten vocal tracks and a pair of fine piano solos. Since the vocal performances were aimed at the general record-buying public, they deviate noticeably from the powerhouse home base of big-band swing infused with intimations of the approaching bebop revolution. Eight instrumentals, then, form the backbone of this volume in the complete recordings of Earl Hines. "Up Jumped the Devil" and the attractive "Jersey Bounce" were designed for dancers, fairly bristling with hot drum breaks by Rudy Traylor and steamy solos by trumpeter George Dixon and tenor man Franz Jackson. Jackson composed, arranged, and blew his horn on "South Side," a cooker with solos by trumpeter Harry Jackson and Scoops Carey on clarinet. "Windy City Jive," composed and arranged by Buster Harding, has a tenor sax solo by the mighty Budd Johnson. Arranged by Eddie Durham, "Swingin' on C" overflows with great solos, including two trombone breaks by John "Streamline" Ewing. "Yellow Fire," a vivid, time-honored stomp for big band, finishes off with a percussion explosion by Traylor. Presiding over all of this excitement, Earl Hines distinguishes himself from time to time with piano breaks amid the other solos. "The Father Jumps," borrowing an ascending riff from Duke Ellington's "Merry Go Round," is a good hot jam with foamy drumming. "The Earl" is completely built around the pianist's presence, as he executes flashy tricks and wiggly runs between big-band blasts. This track showcases some of Hines' finest keyboard calisthenics. On the two unaccompanied piano solos, Hines demonstrates what could be called "Chicago stride," experimenting more than a bit with the structure of "Melancholy Baby." As for the vocalists, Billy Eckstine turns in half a dozen calorie-laden performances, the best of which is the slightly outrageous "Jitney Man," wherein he approaches the joyous theatricality of Al Hibbler. Madeline Green had a sweet little voice, but listeners are almost never able to appreciate it without the sugary backing of a vocal group calling itself the Three Varieties -- a takeoff on the Heinz condiment company's much-touted slogan, "57 Varieties." These singers try for the confectionary sound that many white big bands were hopelessly addicted to at the time. They pour syrup all over the place, and as a result some of the pop-oriented material feels at times a bit sticky. But that's what you get in a complete chronological survey of everything this bandleader did in order to stay in business over the space of eight months in 1941. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist :