CURTIS FULLER — Curtis Fuller and Hampton Hawes with French Horns (1957-2000) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The French horn has rarely been used in jazz as a solo instrument until recent times. Back in the 1950s, jazz's top French horn player was Julius Watkins, with David Amram certainly ranking in the top five. For this 1957 session, trombonist Curtis Fuller and his quintet with altoist Sahib Shihab, pianist Hampton Hawes (Teddy Charles, who contributed three originals, takes his place on one number), bassist Addison Farmer, and drummer Jerry Segal are joined by both Watkins and Amram. On originals by Charles, Amram, and Salvatore Zito, the colorful ensembles and the very adept soloing by the French horns make this a particularly memorable recording. Strange that this album has been obscure for so long. Only the brief playing time keeps this intriguing set from getting a higher rating. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

THELONIOUS MONK – 1947-1948 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1118 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 The first recordings ever issued under Thelonious Monk's name are presented as volume one in the Classics Thelonious Monk chronology. Although he'd been an active catalyst on the jazz scene for many years it wasn't until the autumn of 1947 that Monk was able to begin making records as a leader. These 20 Blue Note sides are uniformly excellent; each of the pianist's original compositions would soon begin to form a musical canon of strikingly creative works that would completely transform the ways in which jazz was conceived, structured, played, received and understood. During this period, Monk's groups included such vital players as Milt Jackson, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Gene Ramey, Idrees Sulieman, Sahib Shihab and Ike Quebec's cousin Danny Quebec West. Monk's quartet session of July 2, 1948 features two pleasant vocals by Kenny "Pancho" Hagood. Note that "Evidence," based upon the chord progressions of "Just You, Just Me," was originally titled "Just Us." Legend has it that after he realized that the recording engineer had mistakenly written down "Justice," Monk decided that if he was going to court he'd be sure and bring along the Evidence. arwulf arwulf      Tracklist :

THELONIOUS MONK – 1951-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1430 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During a three year period following his Blue Note session of July 2, 1948, Thelonious Monk made no studio recordings as a leader. This second installment in the complete recordings of Monk as reissued in the Classics Chronological Series presents the master takes from Monk's Blue Note and Prestige sessions dating from July 23, 1951 through December 18, 1952. This portion of Monk's discography is a rich blend of 15 original compositions and five jazz standards, performed in the company of skilled improvisers like vibraphonist Milt Jackson, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, and saxophonists Lou Donaldson, Sahib Shihab, and Lucky Thompson. Monk's bassists during this 17-month period were Al McKibbon, Nelson Boyd, and Gary Mapp. His drummers were Art Blakey and Max Roach. Monk would continue to record for Prestige until September 1954; his fruitful working relationship with Riverside would commence in July 1955. By concentrating on master takes and combining the all too often separated selections from the Blue Note and Prestige catalogs, Classics has once again done a splendid job of reissuing great historic jazz recordings with a detailed disocgraphical session index and insightful liner notes that will enable the listener to better understand and fully enjoy this great music. arwulf arwulf       Tracklist :

DIZZY GILLESPIE – 1953 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1380 (2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first three tracks on this ninth installment in the Classics Dizzy Gillespie chronology were recorded for the Vogue label in Paris on February 22, 1953. Note the presence of pianist Wade Legge. A stunning exercise in reflective meditation entitled "This Is the Way" is followed by a nutty study on "'S Wonderful" that begins like Dixieland corn and suddenly shifts into a 65-mph bop mode. The session finishes off with a patented Joe Carroll doubletalk scat-bop vocal. Gillespie and his quintet spent the rest of February 22, 1953, recording for Blue Star, the competitor to Vogue. After two very solid numbers, the band cut six more tracks backed by what Diz called his "Operatic String Orchestra." For those who aren't allergic to this kind of theatrical instrumentation, this is an opportunity to compare Gillespie's stringed adventure with Bird's famous Charlie Parker with Strings sessions. The effect here is something like a saucy '50s film soundtrack, often exciting and never tedious. Two sides cut in New York for the Showcase label in June of 1953 feature alto and baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab, and still more of that fine piano from Wade Legge. This outstanding compilation closes with six titles recorded in Los Angeles on December 9, 1953, for Norman Granz's Norgran label. The music, like the lineup, with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Max Roach, is breathtaking. arwulf arwulf      Tracklist + Credits :

ROY ELDRIDGE – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 983 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As far as Roy Eldridge's big bands go, this was the peak. With arrangements by Buster Harding and a stable of powerful young players, the Roy Eldridge Orchestra must have been formidable in live performance. Most of the recordings they made for the Decca label represent the ultimate in extroverted big-band swing. The explosive "Little Jazz Boogie" is one of the hottest records Roy Eldridge ever made. The flip side, "Embraceable You," bears witness to his profound abilities as an interpreter of ballads. Three sides by the Roy Eldridge Little Jazz Band recorded for V-Disc on November 14, 1945, allow for more intimate interplay. "Roy Meets Horn" -- the title is a takeoff on "Boy Meets Horn," Ellington's feature for Rex Stewart -- and "Old Rob Roy" are late-period swing or "prebop" numbers, anticipating stylistic changes that were in the wind at the time. With Nick Caiazza blowing tenor sax, Ernie Caceres wielding a clarinet, and Trigger Alpert and Specs Powell in the rhythm section, this was one exciting little jam band. "I've Found a New Baby" is a full-blown stomp employing traditional swing polyphony. Contrary to what the discography claims, there is no spoken introduction by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Back in the Decca studios on January 31, 1946, the big band generated huge gusts of sound, employing lots of in-your-face brass. "Ain't That a Shame" is a fine cool blues graced with one of Eldridge's hippest vocals. The session of May 7, 1946, opened with the rowdy "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip" and eased into "Tippin' Out" -- the apparent obverse of "Tippin' In," a big hit for Erskine Hawkins. During his solo on "Yard Dog," tenor saxophonist Tom Archia quotes from Fats Waller's hit record "There's Honey on the Moon Tonight." On the other hand, "Les Bounce" is not a very inventive melody. The band compensates by blowing hard and Eldridge tries using a portion of the melodic line from his famous "Little Jazz." The material recorded on September 24, 1946, signals a return to dependable jazz standards of the day. This band had alto saxophonists Sahib Shihab and Joe Eldridge, Cecil Payne on baritone, and pianist Duke Jordan. The disc closes with the WNEW Saturday Night Swing Session broadcast live on May 31, 1947. "Honeysuckle Rose" is played by just the rhythm section of Al Casey, Eddie Safranski, and Specs Powell. "Flip and Jazz" is nearly nine minutes of hot jamming in the company of tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips. "How High the Moon" is, well, a visit to bop city as Eldridge brings in the melody known as "Ornithology." "Lover" is played bright and fast with lots of block chords hammered out by pianist Mike Coluchio's right hand. "Buck Still Jumps," played once again just by the rhythm section, is Al Casey's sequel to "Buck Jumpin'," his famous feature number from Fats Waller days. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

ART FARMER QUINTET - Manhattan (1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Art Farmer added a bit of a different twist for these 1981 studio sessions, including baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab with him in the front line, along with fellow expatriate Americans Kenny Drew (piano) and Ed Thigpen (drums), plus bassist Mads Vinding. Drew contributed the first two songs, including the boisterous mid-tempo opener "Context" and the brisk blues "Blue Wail," both top-notch features for Farmer and Shihab. The intricate take of Charlie Parker's "Passport" and Bennie Wallace's inventive "Back Door Beauty" find Shihab switching to soprano sax. The only standard is a lush take of "Manhattan," showcasing the leader's lyrical flugelhorn. This release is a little short by CD standards, clocking under 40 minutes, but it will be of great interest to fans of Art Farmer. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Context 6'53
Kenny Drew
2     Blue Wail 5'06
Kenny Drew
3     Manhattan 6'50
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4     Passport 6'48
Charlie Parker
5     Arrival 6'51
Horace Parlan
6     Back Door Beauty 6'17
Bennie Wallace
Credits :
Bass – Mads Vinding
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
Piano – Kenny Drew
Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Sahib Shihab

BENNY GOLSON — Free (1962-1998) Serie A Chess Reissue – 0004 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1998 CD reissues tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson's excellent Free album of 1962 plus seven of the ten selections from his Take A Number From 1 To 10 project of 1960. Although one wishes that both sets could have been reissued in full (the CD is just 62 minutes long), it is a joy to have Free available again. Golson's last album as a leader in which he plays in his Don Byas/Lucky Thompson style (he would soon become a fulltime arranger and, by the time he led his next playing date in 1977, Golson's sound was quite a bit different) finds him in top form. Joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Art Taylor, Golson performs two originals, Will Davis' catchy "Sock Cha" and three standards with "Mad About The Boy" and "Just In Time" (during which he sounds a bit like Sonny Rollins) being among the highlights. The other session found the tenorman playing unaccompanied on a brief "You're My Thrill" and adding an instrument to each song, up to a tentet on the original album, and a septet here. The duet rendition of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" is excellent and trombonist Curtis Fuller makes a strong impression on the speedy "Swing It." Despite the three missing tracks, this CD is recommended. Scott Yanow  
Tracklist:
1 Sock Cha 7:10
Will Davis
2 Mad About the Boy 7:15
Noël Coward
3 Just by Myself 5:45
Benny Golson
4 Shades of Stein 4:30
Benny Golson

5 My Romance 7:30

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6 Just in Time 5:55
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
7 You're My Thrill 1:34
Burton Lane / Ned Washington
8 My Heart Belongs to Daddy 4:08
Cole Porter
9 The Best Thing for You Is Me 2:46
Clifford Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson
10 Impromptune 3:00
Benny Golson
11 Little Karin 3:33
Benny Golson
12 Swing It 4:24
Benny Golson
13 I Fall in Love Too Easily 4:46
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Sahib Shihab
Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: 1 to 6), Tommy Williams (tracks: 8 to 13)
Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath (tracks: 9 to 13), Art Taylor (tracks: 1 to 6)
Piano – Cedar Walton (tracks: 10 to 13), Tommy Flanagan (tracks: 1 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson
Trombone – Curtis Fuller (tracks: 12 to 13)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 11 to 13)