JACK WILSON - Song for my Daughter (1968-2014) RM / BLUE NOTE MASTERWORKS / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Song for My Daughter, his third record for Blue Note, Jack Wilson "changed with the times," to paraphrase one of the record's songs. Like many of his peers on the label, Wilson pursued a pop direction as the '60s drew to a close, which meant he covered pop hits like "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and "Stormy," and that he recorded the album with a large band augmented by a string section. It is a testament to Wilson's strengths as a pianist that he doesn't get lost in this heavy-handed setting and manages to contribute some typically graceful moments, including the lovely title song. Nevertheless, the song selection is a little uneven, and there isn't much room for the band to improvise, which makes the album of marginal interest to serious jazz listeners. Audience that aren't quite so concerned such matters will find this an engaging pop-jazz album. Although the production has dated somewhat, it remains a pleasant artifact of its time, and fans of that sound should search for it. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1    Imagine 4:24
Written-By – Francis Lai, Sammy Cahn
2    Herman's Helmet 4:33
Written-By – Jack Wilson
3    Changing With The Times 3:02
Written-By – George Shearing
4    Night Creature 3:55
Written-By – Duke Ellington
5    Scarborough Fair / Canticle (From The Motion Picture "The Graduate") 5:09
Written-By – Paul Simon - Art Garfunkel
6    Song For My Daughter 3:02
Written-By – Jack Wilson
7    Eighty-One 6:26
Written-By – Ron Carter
8    Se Todas Fossem Iguais A Voce 2:19
Written-By – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius DeMoraes
9    Stormy 5:29
Written-By – Buddy Buie, James Barney Cobb Jr.
10    Soft Summer Rain 5:56
Written-By – David N. Baker
Credits:
Bass – Andy Simpkins (tracks: 2, 4, 7), Ike Issacs (tracks: 5, 9), Ray Brown (tracks: 1, 3, 8, 10)
Cello – Jesse Ehrlich (tracks: 6, 9), Kurt Reher (tracks: 6, 9)
Conductor, Arranged By [Strings] – Billy Byers (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 9)
Drums – Donald Bailey (tracks: 5, 9, 10), Jimmie Smith (tracks: 2, 4, 7), Varney Barlow (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Guitar – Howard Roberts (tracks: 2, 4, 7, 10), John Gray (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Piano – Jack Wilson
Shaker – Stan Levey (tracks: 1, 8)
Timpani [Tympani] – Victor Feldman (tracks: 4)
Vibraphone – Stan Levey (tracks: 3), Victor Feldman (tracks: 2)
Vibraphone [Vibraharp] – Tommy Vig (tracks: 10)
Viola – Dave Burk (tracks: 6, 9), Myer Bellow (tracks: 6, 9)
Violin – Betty Marks (tracks: 6, 9), Israel Baker (tracks: 6, 9)

STANLEY TURRENTINE - Look of Love (1968-2014) RM / BLUE NOTE MASTERWORKS / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With its mix of pop covers and jazz material, The Look of Love could be considered a typical Turrentine album from the late '60s. What sets this and a few other of his Blue Note titles apart, though, are the full yet tasteful string and band arrangements by jazz flügelhorn player and composer Thad Jones. With his flexible phrasing and muscular tone, Turrentine dives into the lush arrangements, especially on the sweeping rendition of Burt Bacharach's "Look of Love." Other pop selections bring mixed results: The plodding arrangement on "McArthur Park" garners a lukewarm response from Turrentine, while the tender settings for "Emily" and another Bacharach number, "This Guy's in Love With You," elicit the kind of velvety vaporous tone and sincere romantic phrasing Turrentine usually killed with on ballads. More upbeat, straight-ahead material like "A Beautiful Friendship" and the blues swinger "Blues for Stan" keep the date well balanced and set the table for some masterful Turrentine solos. Again, special mention should be made of Thad Jones who, along with Oliver Nelson (Nancy Wilson's Welcome to My Love in particular) and Duke Pearson, supplanted the usual syrupy arrangements found on "cross-over" dates with intelligent, complimentary charts. Turrentine certainly appreciated it, as evidenced by his strong work here. Purists who usually cringe at late-'60s jazz dates like this (yes, there is a Beatles cover here) might be pleasantly surprised. For those who feel Bacharach and Jimmy Webb provide fine material for jazz, then The Look of Love is a must. by Stephen Cook  
Tracklist:.
1 The Look of Love 4:25
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
2 Here, There and Everywhere 3:35
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
3 A Beautiful Friendship 3:18
Donald Kahn / Stanley Styne
4 Blues for Stan 5:55
Stanley Turrentine
5 This Guy's in Love With You 2:34
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
6 MacArthur Park 4:39
Jimmy Webb
7 I'm Always Drunk in San Francisco 2:22
Tommy Wolf
8 Emily 3:20
Johnny Mandel / Johnny Mercer
9 Cabin in the Sky 3:40
Vernon Duke / John La Touche
10 Smile 4:05
Charlie Chaplin 
Credits:
Arranged By – Duke Pearson, Thad Jones
Bass – George Duvivier
Bass Trombone – Benny Powell
Drums – Grady Tate (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7, 8, 10), Mickey Roker (tracks: 2, 6, 9)
Flugelhorn – Jimmy Nottingham, Snooky Young
French Horn – Jim Buffington
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 10)
Piano – Duke Pearson (tracks: 1), Hank Jones (tracks: 3 to 5, 7, 8, 10), Roland Hanna (tracks: 2, 6, 9)
Producer – Duke Pearson
Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine

THE CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET - Them Dirty Blues (1960-2000) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in early 1960, Them Dirty Blues contains two classic jazz compositions: Nat Adderley's "Work Song" and Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere," the sequel to "This Here." This was alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley's second quintet with brother Nat Adderley (cornet), and features Bobby Timmons on piano (who plays on four tracks and was replaced by Barry Harris on the remaining five), Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Them Dirty Blues was originally released on Riverside until Adderley made the switch to Capitol where he brought several master tapes with him, including these sessions. by Al Campbell
Tracklist:
1 Work Song 5:05
Composed By – Nat Adderley
2 Jeannine 7:15
Composed By – Duke Pearson
3 Easy Living 4:20
Composed By – L. Robin, R. Rainger
4 Them Dirty Blues 7:10
Composed By – Julian Adderley
5 Dat Dere 5:28
Composed By – Bobby Timmons
6 Del Sasser 4:40
Composed By – Sam Jones
7 Soon 5:34
Composed By – G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin
8 Work Song (Alternate Version) 5:49
Composed By – Nat Adderley
9 Dat Dere (Alternate Take) 5:28
Composed By – Bobby Timmons
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley
Bass – Sam Jones
Cornet – Nat Adderley
Drums – Louis Hayes
Piano – Barry Harris (tracks: 1 to 4), Bobby Timmons (tracks: 5 to 9)

THE CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy ! : Live at "The Club" (1966-2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cannonball Adderley's most popular album, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy wasn't actually recorded "Live at 'The Club'," as its subtitle says. The hoax was meant to publicize a friend's nightclub venture in Chicago, but Adderley actually recorded the album in Los Angeles, where producer David Axelrod set up a club in the Capitol studios and furnished free drinks to an invitation-only audience. Naturally, the crowd is in an extremely good mood, and Adderley's quintet, feeding off the energy in the room, gives them something to shout about. By this point, Adderley had perfected a unique blend of earthy soul-jazz and modern, subtly advanced post-bop; very rarely did some of these harmonies and rhythms pop up in jazz so saturated with blues and gospel feeling. Those latter influences are the main inspiration for acoustic/electric pianist Joe Zawinul's legendary title cut, a genuine Top 40 pop hit that bears a passing resemblance to the Southern soul instrumentals of the mid-'60s, but works a looser, more laid-back groove (without much improvisation). The deep, moaning quality and spacy texture of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" stand in contrast to the remainder of the record, though; Nat Adderley contributes two upbeat and challenging originals in "Fun" and "Games," while Zawinul's second piece, "Hippodelphia," is on the same level of sophistication. The leader's two selections -- the gospel-inflected "Sticks" and the hard-swinging, bluesy bop of "Sack O' Woe" (the latter of which became a staple of his repertoire) -- are terrific as well, letting the group really dig into its roots. Adderley's irrepressible exuberance was a major part of his popularity, and no document captures that quality as well -- or with such tremendous musical rewards -- as Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. by Steve Huey  
Tracklist:
1 Fun 8:26
Nat Adderley / Nat Adderley, Jr.  
2 Games 7:19
Nat Adderley
3 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 5:10
Joe Zawinul
4 Sticks 3:54
Cannonball Adderley
5 Hippodelphia 5:49
Joe Zawinul
6 Sack O' Woe 10:29
Cannonball Adderley
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley
Bass – Vic Gatsky
Cornet – Nat Adderley
Drums – Roy McCurdy
Electric Piano – Joe Zawinul

QUINCY JONES - Gula Matari (1970-1999) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With his second and last album under the Creed Taylor aegis, the complexities of Quincy Jones' catholic, evolving tastes start to reveal themselves. We hear signs of his gradual gravitation toward pop right off the bat with the churchy R&B cover of Paul Simon's mega-hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water," dominated by Valerie Simpson's florid soul vocal and a gospel choir. His roots fixation surfaces in the spell-like African groove of the title track, a dramatic tone poem that ebbs and flows masterfully over its 13-minute length. From this point on, it's all jazz; the roaring big band comes back with a vengeance in "Walkin'," where Milt Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, and other jazzers take fine solo turns, and things really get rocking on Nat Adderley's "Hummin'." Major Holley is a riot with his grumble-scat routine on bass. The whole record sounds like they must have had a ball recording it.  by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist 
1 Bridge Over Troubled Water 6:10
Composed By – Simon & Garfunkel
2 Gula Matari 13:05
Composed By – Quincy Jones
3 Walkin' 7:55
Composed By – Richard Carpenter

4 Hummin' 8:05
Composed By – Nat Adderley
Credits
Arranged By, Conductor – Quincy Jones
Baritone Saxophone – Danny Bank, Pepper Adams
Bass – Ray Brown, Richard Davis (tracks: 2), Ron Carter (tracks: 2)
Bass Saxophone – Danny Bank
Bass, Soloist – Major Holley
Cello – Alan Shulman, Kermit Moore, Lucien Schmit, Seymour Barab
 Drums – Grady Tate
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute, Soloist – Hubert Laws
Guitar, Soloist – Eric Gale
Guitar, Whistle, Soloist – Toots Thielemans
Keyboards – Bob James, Bobby Scott, Herbie Hancock
Marimba [Bass] – Don Elliott (tracks: A2)
Percussion – Don Elliott, Jimmy Johnson, Warren Smith
 Producer – Creed Taylor
Soprano Saxophone, Soloist – Jerome Richardson
Trombone – Benny Powell, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre
Trombone, Soloist – Al Grey
Trumpet – Danny Moore, Ernie Royal, Gene Young, Freddie Hubbard, Marvin Stamm
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson
Vocals – Barbara Massey, Hilda Harris, Maretha Stewart, Marilyn Jackson
Vocals, Soloist – Valerie Simpson
Voice, Soloist – Major Holley

KING CURTIS - Soul Meeting (1960-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

King Curtis, an influential and greatly in-demand R&B tenorman, made relatively few jazz dates in his career. This CD has two of the best, complete albums originally called The New Scene of King Curtis and Soul Meeting; the former is also available as a separate CD but should be skipped in favor of this one. Curtis teams up with the passionate cornetist Nat Adderley, pianist Wynton Kelly, either Paul Chambers or Sam Jones on bass and Oliver Jackson or Belton Evans on drums. The music is blues-based bop, with seven basic Curtis originals and four standards. Highly recommended, this set serves as proof that King Curtis could have been a viable jazz player. by Scott Yanow

HANK CRAWFORD - Indigo Blue (1983-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Hank Crawford's Indigo Blue was released in August of 1983, less than a year after his excellent comeback set, Midnight Ramble, and proves that his renewed sense of creativity was no fluke. Here he teams once more with Dr. John on piano and organ and drummer Bernard Purdie. Melvin Sparks took over the guitar chair from Calvin Newborn, and Wilber Bascombe, Jr. holds down the rhythm section on bass. In addition, a horn section that includes David "Fathead" Newman, Danny Moore, Howard Johnson, and Martin Banks, arranged by Crawford, follows the same recipe as Midnight Ramble. The performances here are solid, truly impressive. Crawford plays sweet and slow as well as honking mean in getting at the root source of straight-ahead jazz and soul-jazz: the blues. And speaking of blues, the opener, "All Alone and Blue," is a barrelhouse of nasty guitar and organ work with Crawford's alto walking the bar while playing a mean solo. It's quite a changeup to open a set with -- but the only other thing you could do is close with it. This is followed by a gorgeous reading of Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You," all slow, deep, and refined with only Crawford's alto allowed to bring in the edges. But there are more surprises as Crawford and band tackle Willie Nelson's "Funny" and reveal both the blues and jazz roots in the tune. The swing between Dr. John and Sparks in the title track is truly canny, and Crawford's response in blowing shows it. This one is in the cut, and the groove is everywhere. The bittersweet ballad "Just for a Thrill" ends the set, with some of the sweetest and most lyrical piano and alto playing either man had done on a record until that time. Indigo Blue is a winner; it's hungry and elegant, sophisticated and swaggering. It's a trademark recording by Hank Crawford. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 All Alone And Blue
2 The Very Thought Of You
3 Things Ain't What They Used To Be
4 Funny
5 Indigo Blue
6 Just For A Thrill
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Electric Piano – Hank Crawford
Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson
Bass – Wilbur Bascomb
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar – Melvin Sparks
Piano, Organ – Dr. John
Tenor Saxophone – David "Fathead" Newman

Trumpet – Danny Moore, Martin Banks

THE J.B.'S - Funky Good Time : The Anthology (1995) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The J.B.'s recorded under various billings in the early '70s, including the J.B.'s, Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s, Maceo & the Macks, the First Family, the Last Word, and others. This double CD gathers 30 of the prime tracks by all of the above configurations from the first half of the '70s, including all nine of their chart hits and quite a few rare singles and long versions. Often, James Brown himself chips in with incidental vocals (though this is mostly instrumental) and keyboards. The two-and-a-half-hour program can start to sound monotonous if taken all at once, but it's prime, often riveting funk, jammed with lockstep grooves that vary between basic R&B vamps and imaginative, almost jazzy improvisation. by Richie Unterberger

THE J.B.'S - Food for Thought (1972-1990) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1     Pass The Peas   
2     Gimme Some More   
3     To My Brother   
4     Wine Spot   
5     Hot Pants Road   
6     The Grunt   
7     Blessed Blackness 
8     Escape-Ism, Part 1, Part 2   
9     Theme From King Heroin   
10     These Are The JB's

RAMSEY LEWIS - Sun Goddess (1974-1999) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist Ramsey Lewis first came to fame as the purveyor of swinging soul-jazz in the mid-'60s, but like a lot of musicians he underwent some major changes by the end of that decade. Sun Goddess (1974), Lewis' biggest success of the decade, is miles away from the finger-snapping supper club sounds of "The In Crowd." By this time, Lewis had transformed himself into a jazz fusion funkateer, riffing on electric piano and synthesizer amid arrangements that meld jazz with funk, R&B, and yes, even touches of progressive rock. Sun Goddess is also something of a stealth Earth, Wind & Fire album, as it features most of the key players from that band, and bears echoes of EW&F's jazzier, more atmospheric side. by Rovi Staff

Tracklist:

1 Sun Goddess 8:29

Bass, Vocals – Verdine White

Congas, Vocals – Philip Bailey

Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp Ensemble] – Charles Stepney

Guitar – Johnny Graham

Tenor Saxophone – Don Myrick

Timbales, Drums, Vocals – Maurice White

2 Living For The City 5:20

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

3 Love Song 5:53

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

4 Jungle Strut 4:40

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Congas, Drums, Sounds [Weeah], Vocals – Derf Rehlew Raheem

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

Synthesizer [Freeman String Symphonizer] – Ramsey Lewis

5 Hot Dawgit 3:00

Bass, Vocals – Verdine White

Congas, Vocals – Philip Bailey

Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp Ensemble] – Charles Stepney

Guitar – Johnny Graham

Timbales, Drums, Vocals – Maurice White

6 Tambura 2:53

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

Guitar – Byron Gregory

7 Gemini Rising 5:50

Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Fender Bass] – Cleveland Eaton

Drums, Tambura, Congas, Percussion – Maurice Jennings

DOROTHY ASHBY - The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby (1970-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Issued on Cadet in 1970, The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby is really a left-field offering for the jazz harpist. But being a jazz harpist was -- and remains -- an outside thing in the tradition. Her previous offerings on Prestige were pure, hard bop jazz with serious session players soloing all over them. She made recordings for Atlantic and Jazzland before landing at Chess in 1968 with Afro-Harping which began her partnership with arranger Richard Evans. Ashby became content as an iconoclast and was seemingly moving forward toward the deep well of spiritual jazz in the aftermath of John Coltrane's death and the recordings of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. On this set for Cadet, she again teams with Evans who wears the hats of producer, arranger, and conductor of a string section and the record goes in a somewhat different direction. Whereas Afro-Harping hit on a direction for Ashby and cemented her relationship with Evans, Rubaiyat realizes that partnership in total. With a band that included a host of percussion instruments -- Stu Katz played vibes and kalimba, and Fred Katz played a second kalimba, Cash McCall was enlisted as guitarist, Cliff Davis played alto saxophone, and Lenny Druss played flute, oboe, bass flute, and piccolo. There is also a bass player and a drummer but they are not credited. For her part, Ashby played her harp, but she also brought the Japanese koto into the mix as well as her voice. Rubaiyat is no ordinary jazz vocal album. It is exotic, mysterious, laid-back, and full of gentle grooves and soul. The opening cut, "Myself When Young," with its glissando harp and koto, is in an Eastern mode, and immediately lays out Ashby's vocal as this beautiful throaty, clear instrument hovering around the low end of the mix. Midway through it kicks into soul-jazz groove without losing the Eastern mode and goes, however gently, into an insistent funky soul-jazz groove. There is no kitsch value in this music, it's serious, poetic, and utterly ingenious musically. It sounds like nothing else out there. And it only gets better from here. The poem that commences "For Some We Loved" gives way to a percussion and koto workout that comes right from the modal blues. The oboe playing is reminiscent of Yusef's Eastern Sounds but with more driving, hypnotic rhythm. "Wax and Wane" begins with kalimbas playing counterpoint rhythms and Ashby singing in Japanese scale signature, but soon hand percussion, strings, and a flute enter to make the thing groove and glide, ethereal, light, beautiful. "Drink" is a pure soul-jazz ballad with harp fills, a funky bassline, and shimmering flutes above a trap kit. The piano solo -- played by Evans, we can assume -- on "Wine," is a killer move bringing back the hard bop and giving way to a smoking vibes solo by Katz. It's as if each track, from "Joyful Grass and Grape," "Shadow Shapes," and "Heaven and Hell," enter from the world of exotica, from someplace so far outside jazz and western popular musics, and by virtue of Ashby's vocal and harp, are brought back inside, echoing the blues and jazz -- check out the koto solo on this cut, by way of the symbiotic communication between Evans and the musicians. You can literally hear that Ashby trusts Evans to deliver. Ashby transforms "Shadow Shapes" and "Heaven and Hell" from near show tunes in her contralto into swinging, shuffling jazz numbers. The lithe beauty on display in her voice and the in-the-pocket backup of the rhythm section is flawless and infectious. The set ends on its greatest cut, "The Moving Finger." Introduced by what seems like an Eastern Buddhist chant, it quickly slips into harp, koto, guitars, drums, and bass bump. Evans adds strings for drama playing repeating two-note vamps before Katz and his vibes take the thing into outer space. The slippery guitar groove and alto solo that cut right into the flesh of the blues turn it into a solid late-night groover with plenty, plenty soul. The fuzz guitar solo playing counterpoint with the kalimba rhythms is mindblowing, sending the record off to some different place in the listener's head. And this is a head record. Time and space are suspended and new dimensions open up for anyone willing to take this killer little set on and let it spill its magic into the mind canal through the ears. Depending on how much of a jazz purist you are will give you a side to debate the place of this set in Ashby's catalogue. For those who remain open, this may be her greatest moment on record. by Thom Jurek

Tracklist:

1. Myself When Young - 5:16

2. For Some We Loved - 4:02

3. Wax and Wine - 4:25

4. Drink - 2:30

5. Wine - 3:56

6. Dust - 2:51

7. Joyful Grass and Grape - 3:38

8. Shadow Shapes - 3:32

9. Heaven and Hell - 3:10

10. The Moving Finger - 5:39

Credits:

Dorothy Ashby - harp, koto, vocals

Lenny Druss - flute, oboe, piccolo flute (tracks 1-5 & 10)

Cliff Davis - alto saxophone (track 10)

Stu Katz - vibraphone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 & 8-10)

Cash McCall - guitar (track 10)

Fred Katz - kalimba (tracks 2, 3 & 10)

Ed Green - violin (track 2)

Richard Evans - arranged and conducted 

Inspired by the words of Omar Khayyam

STANLEY CLARKE - Children Of Forever (1973-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stanley Clarke's debut solo effort was issued when he was already a seasoned jazz veteran, and a member of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, which at the time of this recording also included Joe Farrell on soprano sax and flute, and the Brazilian team of vocalist Flora Purim and drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira. Produced by Corea, who plays Rhodes, clavinet, and acoustic piano on Children of Forever, the band included flutist Art Webb, then-new RtF drummer Lenny White, guitarist Pat Martino, and a vocal pairing between the inimitable Andy Bey and Dee Dee Bridgewater on three of the five cuts -- Bey appears on four. Clarke plays both electric and acoustic bass on the set; and while it would be easy to simply look at this recording as an early fusion date, that would be a tragic mistake. If anything, Children of Forever is a true cousin to Norman Connors' classic Dance of Magic and Dark of Light albums, which were also released in 1973; Clarke played bass on both. This is basically funky, spiritual jazz in the best sense. Yes, jazz. That wonderfully mercurial, indefinable force that brings into itself the whole of music, from popular to classical and folk forms, and makes something new out of them. The long title track with its killer vocal interplay between Bridgewater and Bey is seductive from the jump. Add Clarke's big fat bassline, which is mellow and meaty at the beginning, but after the long piano and guitar breaks in the middle becomes dirty, fuzzy, and spacy by the end as the cut leans into souled-out funk.
The "message" tunes that make up this music balance the dawning of the future as the logical place of Black consciousness -- where a new day was indeed emerging from the struggles of the '50s and '60s. Add to this the cosmic looking cover, and its weighed electric and acoustic underpinnings, and you have the makings of a timeless classic. Indeed, no matter how one feels about Clarke's later work, which aimed for the harder and funkier realms of disco and urban soul as well as keeping his jazz chops intact, this disc in every sense is forward-looking and memorable. Bridgewater's lead vocal interaction with Webb's flute on "Unexpected Days," with Bey helping on the bridge and refrain, is awe-inspiring. The ensemble is focused on "song." Corea's has rarely sounded so naturally funky as he does here and his production is free of the hard, sometimes brittle sound he would employ with the Al DiMeola-Lenny White version of RtF. The centerpiece of the disc is a vehicle for Clarke, called "Bass Folk Song." At nearly eight minutes, Clarke plays both upright and electric bass, sometimes employing a wah wah pedal on the former. It shows his virtuosity; he could literally make either instrument sing. Corea is fantastic in his supporting role, playing fills and vamps behind the bassist and Martino -- who also has never sounded so nasty as he does here on electric guitar and 12-string acoustic -- they're full of innovative rhythms and eclectic harmonics. And White is simply a powerhouse, breaking beats and taking Clarke for a real ride in almost unconscious rhythmic interplay.
The last half of the set is equally wonderful with the ballad "Butterfly Dreams" that launches into something wholly other by its midpoint, and never loses sight of its melody, lush harmonics, and very real sense of abstract swing. Clarke propels the ensemble from the bass chair, and allows everyone the room to blend into that big wood sound he gets on his upright. Bey's vocal performance on the cut is one of his best on record. The set closes with Corea's "Sea Journey," the longest track here, coming in at over 16 minutes. There is quite a bit of improvisation here as one might expect, with Corea playing intense Latin contrapuntal melodies on his Rhodes and clavinet -- even moving into descarga at one point -- and Bridgewater and Bey stretching their vocals to drape the music; their pairing is utterly elegant, soulful, and lovely. Clarke and White are a force maejure as a rhythm section, they push and entwine with one another in a dance of double, triple, and half-time beats and pulses, bringing a sense of not only movement but travel to the proceedings without ever leaving the groove. The beautiful front line of Corea and Webb in the head and during the middle section is subtle and haunting; it literally drifts, anchored only by the rhythm section that keeps them from lifting off into more modal explorations. Martino is free to fill, solo, vamp, and project. Clarke's bowed bass fiddle solo, which interplays with Bey's vocal, is brave and deeply moving; there isn't a trace of gimmickry in it (or anywhere else on this set, for that matter). Like the aforementioned Connors' recordings, Children of Forever has aged exceedingly well, and sounds as warm, inviting, and full of possibility in the early 21st century as it did in the early '70s. It's full of heart, soul, passion, and truly inspired musicianship. by Thom Jurek  
Tracklist:
1 Children Of Forever 10:41
2 Unexpected Days 5:51
3 Bass Folk Song 7:58
4 Butterfly Dreams 6:51
5 Sea Journey 16:28
Credits:
Double Bass [Bass Fiddle], Electric Bass – Stanley Clarke
Drums – Lenny White
Electric Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar – Pat Martino
Electric Piano, Clavinet [Clavinette], Piano [Acoustic], Producer – Chick Corea
Flute – Arthur Webb
Vocals – Andy Bey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5), Dee Dee Bridgewater (tracks: 1, 2, 5)

JOEY DEFRANCESCO - Where Were You? (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 
On his second recording, organist Joey DeFrancesco is heard in settings ranging from a quartet to a large orchestra. Although he is generally the main star, DeFrancesco welcomes such guests as tenors Illinois Jacquet and Kirk Whalum (heard on two songs apiece, including both jamming on "Red Top") and guitarist John Scofield. DeFrancesco holds his own and is in top form on such selections as "Teach Me Tonight," "Where Were You," "But Not for Me," and "Love Attack."  by Scott Yanow

DOM SALVADOR - Dom Salvador (1969) Lp / FLAC (tracks), lossless

RICHARD 'GROOVE' HOLMES - Blue Groove (1994) APE (image+.cue), lossless

BIG JOHN PATTON - Blue John (1963-2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

SHIRLEY SCOTT - Shirley Scott & The Soul Saxes (1969-2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

JIMMY SMITH - Rockin' the Boat (1963-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

THE 3 SOUNDS - Introducing the 3 Sounds (1958) BN / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

What's remarkable about Introducing the Three Sounds is how the trio's lightly swinging sound arrived fully intact. From the basis of this album, it sounds as if pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andrew Simpkins, and drummer William Dowdy have been playing together for years. There's empathetic, nearly intuitive interplay between the three musicians, and Harris's deft style already sounds mature and entirely distinctive. There's no question that this music is easy to listen to, but dismissing it because of that would be wrong -- there's genuine style in their light touch and in Harris' bluesy compositions. The Three Sounds never really deviated from the sound they established on Introducing, but that's one of the things that is so remarkable -- they were fully formed on their very first album. Even if it was a peak, it wasn't the only peak in their career. They would often match the heights of this album, but this debut remains a shining jewel in their catalog, and the way to become acquainted with their sound. [The CD reissue of Introducing the Three Sounds contains the five outtakes plus the alternate take of "Goin' Home" that originally comprised the Japanese album, Introducing the Three Sounds, Vol. 2.] by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist:
1 Tenderly 4:36
2 Willow Weep For Me 4:42
3 Both Sides 4:41
4 Blue Bells 4:27
5 It's Nice 4:40
6 Goin' Home 3:55
7 Would'n You 7:14
8 O Sole Mio 3:59
9 Bobby 4:25
10 Mo-Ge 4:23
11 It Might As Well Be Spring 6:34
12 Soft Touch 3:42
13 Don't Get Around Much Anymore 4:38
14 Goin' Home [Alternate Take] 5:46
Credits:
Bass – Andrew Simpkins
Drums – Bill Dowdy
Piano, Celesta – Gene Harris

THE 3 SOUNDS - Introducing the 3 Sounds (1958) 

(1987) BN / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

WELDON IRVINE - Simbad [1976] RCA / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded with an exemplary supporting cast featuring pianist Don Blackman, guitarist Eric Gale, and saxophonist Michael Brecker, Sinbad explores the extremes of Weldon Irvine's music, juxtaposing several of the keyboardist's funkiest, most energetic grooves to date alongside mellow, contemplative performances of uncommon intricacy and beauty. Inspired in both sound and spirit by the soul-searching Motown efforts of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, complete with covers of their respective "What's Going On" and "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," Sinbad contrasts the elegant soul-jazz contours and luminous, horn-driven arrangements of the title cut and "Do Something for Yourself" alongside the nuances and soft pastels of "I Love You" and "Music Is the Key." The resiliency of Irvine's vision and the vibrant performances of his collaborators nevertheless create a kind of yin-yang dynamic that enables the album's divided soul to operate in harmony.  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:
1 Sinbad 6:25
W. Irvine
2 Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 5:53
Stevie Wonder
3 What's Goin' On? 4:39
Marvin Gaye
4 I Love You 3:04
D. Blackman
5 Do Something For Yourself 4:48
W. Irvine
6 Music is the Key 7:37
Weldon Irvine / Tommy Smith
7 Here's Where I Came In 3:47
W. Irvine
8 Gospel Feeling 4:16
W. Irvine
Credits
Alto Saxophone – George Young
Backing Vocals – Adrienne Albert, Bunny McCullough, Deborah McDuffie
Baritone Saxophone – Phil Bodner
Bass – Gordon Edwards
Bass Trombone – Alan Raph
Congas – Martin Charles
Drums – Chris Parker, Steve Gadd (tracks: 2)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale
Percussion – Napoleon Revels-Bey
Piano [Acoustic], Lead Vocals – Don Blackman
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor, Keyboards, Synthesizer – Weldon Irvine
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Trombone – Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Randy Brecker

WELDON IRVINE - Simbad [1976] 

RE [2011] Sony / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa