JOSHUA REDMAN - Wish (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Joshua Redman's sophomore effort found him leading a piano-less quartet that also included guitar great Pat Metheny and half of Ornette Coleman's trailblazing late-'50s/early-'60s quartet: acoustic bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins. With such company, Redman could have delivered a strong avant-garde or free jazz album; Haden and Higgins had played an important role in jazz's avant-garde because of their association with Coleman, and Metheny had himself joined forces with Coleman on their thrilling Song X session of 1985. But Wish isn't avant-garde; instead, it's a mostly inside post-bop date that emphasizes the lyrical and the introspective. The musicians swing hard and fast on Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche," but things become very reflective on pieces like Redman's "The Undeserving Many" and Metheny's "We Had a Sister." One of the nice things about Redman is his ability to provide jazz interpretations of rock and R&B songs. While neo-conservatives ignore them and many NAC artists simply provide boring, predictable, note-for-note covers, Redman isn't afraid to dig into them and show their jazz potential. In Redman's hands, Stevie Wonder's "Make Sure You're Sure" becomes a haunting jazz-noir statement, while Eric Clapton's ballad "Tears in Heaven" is changed from moving pop/rock to moving pop-jazz. The latter, in fact, could be called "smooth jazz with substance." Some of bop's neo-conservatives disliked the fact that Redman was playing with two of Coleman's former sidemen and a fusion icon like Metheny, but then, Redman never claimed to be a purist. Although Wish isn't innovative, it's an appealing CD from an improviser who is willing to enter a variety of musical situations. by Alex Henderson 

Tracklist: :

1. Turnaround 6:24

(Ornette Coleman)

2. Soul Dance 6:34

(Joshua Redman)

3. Make Sure You’re Sure 5:24

(Stevie Wonder)

4. The Deserving Many 5:39

(Joshua Redman)

5. We Had a Sister 5:46

(Pat Metheny)

6. Moose the Mooche 3:32

(Charlie Parker)

7. Tears in Heaven 3:21

(Eric Clapton)

8. Whittlin’ 5:21

(Pat Metheny)

9. Wish (live) 7:26

(Joshua Redman)

10. Blues for Pat (live) 12:08

(Charlie Haden)

Credits :

Joshua Redman – Sax 

Pat Metheny – Guitar 

Charlie Haden – Bass

Bill Higgins – Drums.

JOSHUA REDMAN - Joshua Redman (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the early to mid-'90s, no "Young Lion" was hyped to death by jazz critics more than Joshua Redman; to hear some critics tell it, he was as important a saxophonist as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, or Sonny Rollins. The problem with such excessive hype is that it gives a young talent like Redman way too much to live up to at an early age; the tenor man was only 22 when this self-titled debut album was recorded, and he needed time to grow and develop. Nonetheless, Redman did show a lot of promise on this CD, which isn't in a class with Coltrane's A Love Supreme or Rollins' Saxophone Colossus (some critics really did have the audacity to make such claims) but showed Redman to be a swinging, expressive improviser who had impressive technique as well as versatility. Redman's playing is greatly influenced by funky, big-toned soul-jazz tenors like Eddie Harris, Gene Ammons, and Red Holloway, but his probing, searching qualities bring to mind Coltrane. Redman's gritty soul-jazz workout on James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" demonstrates that he isn't a stuffy neo-conservative, while his enjoyable interpretations of "Body and Soul" and Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle" illustrate his ability to play "in the tradition," as hard boppers are fond of saying. Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" is pure bop, and Redman (whose acoustic support on this album includes pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson) gets into a Coltrane-influenced post-bop groove on his own "Sublimation." Joshua Redman isn't a masterpiece, but it let us know that he was certainly someone to keep an eye on. by Alex Henderson  

Tracklist:

1. Blues on Sunday 4:59

(Joshua Redman)

2.Wish 7:30

(Joshua Redman)

3.Trinkle Tinkle 7:02

(Thelonious Monk)

4.Echoes

5. I Got You (I Feel Good) 4:36

(James Brown)

6. Body & Soul 4:47

(Heyman-Green-Sour)

7. Tribalism 5:58

8. Groove X (By Any Means Necessary) 5:49

9.Salt Peanuts 3:14

(Dizzy Gillespie)

10. On the Sunny Side of the Street 5:31

(McHugh-Fields)

11. Sublimation 8:52

Credits:

Joshua Redman – Tenor saxophone

Kevin Hays – Piano

Christian McBride – Bass

Gregory Hutchinson – Drums

Mike LeDonne – Piano

Paul LaDuca – Bass

Kenny Washington – Drums

Clarence Penn – Drums

JOSHUA REDMAN - Back East (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Back East showcases saxophonist Joshua Redman as he leads a few different trios through a cerebral and muscular set of originals and standards. Redman has long evinced the influences of such similarly inclined legends as Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and John Coltrane, and Back East is no exception -- which isn't to say it's business as usual. Admittedly, while this is a straight-ahead acoustic jazz date, it is one ripe with creative energy that finds Redman's knack for deeply thoughtful improvisation and unexpected rhythmic interplay in full flower. Recorded prior to the passing of Redman's father, saxophonist Dewey Redman, in 2006, the album is dedicated in his father's memory and not only features the elder Redman alongside his son, but Redman even gives him a solo turn on the last cut. Interestingly, Back East finds Redman ruminating on alternate meanings of the title: as in the "Back East" of cities like New York and Boston or as in Eastern philosophies and religious beliefs. This leads Redman to myriad musical settings, including the funky swing of "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and the more raga-influenced and expansive post-bop of the original "Zarafah." Joining Redman here is a cadre of top-notch rhythm players, including bassists Larry Grenadier, Reuben Rogers, and Christian McBride; drummers Ali Jackson, Brian Blade, and Eric Harland; and saxophonists Chris Cheek and Joe Lovano. This CD was nominated in 2007 for a Grammy award as Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group). by Matt Collar 

Tracklist:

1 The Surrey with the Fringe on Top 5:13

Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers

2 East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) 5:36

Brooks Bowman

3 Zarafah 7:58

Joshua Redman

4 Indian Song 6:12

Wayne Shorter

5 I'm an Old Cowhand 6:06

Joshua Redman

6 Wagon Wheels 5:58

Peter DeRose / William J. Hill

7 Back East 6:43

Joshua Redman

8 Mantra #5 6:12

Joshua Redman

9 Indonesia 4:43

Joshua Redman

10 India 4:57

John Coltrane

11 GJ 3:40

Dewey Redman

Credits:

Bass – Christian McBride (tracks: 3 to 4), Larry Grenadier (tracks: 1 to 2, 8 to 11), Reuben Rogers (tracks: 5 to 7)

Drums – Ali Jackson (tracks: 1 to 2, 8 to 11), Brian Blade (tracks: 3 to 4), Eric Harland (tracks: 5 to 7)

Saxophone, Producer – Joshua Redman

JOSHUA REDMAN - Trios Live (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Trios Live features saxophonist Joshua Redman performing live in concert with his trio on two separate dates. The first concert was recorded in 2009 at New York's Jazz Standard and the second was recorded in 2013 at Washington's Blues Alley. Backing Redman on both of these dates is drummer Gregory Hutchinson; who is then joined by bassist Matt Penman on the Jazz Standard recording, and bassist Reuben Rogers for the Blues Alley performance. As there are no chordal instruments such as piano or guitar in Redman's trio, he is free to explore a wide harmonic color palette and does so here with plenty of exuberance. This is Redman the bluesy, muscular, yet mathematically concise improviser, digging deep into such influences as Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, and Ornette Coleman. Although Redman has never shied away from progressive, extroverted improvisation, as Trios Live comes on the heels of his reflective, lushly produced 2013 orchestral ballads album, Walking Shadows, it has more in common with his adventurous 2007 studio trio album, Back East, as well as his fearless 2009 double-trios experiment, Compass. Along with three originals, on Trios Live we also get Redman's take on such standards as Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "Moritat (Mack the Knife)," Jay Livingston and Ray Evans' "Never Let Me Go," and Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle, Tinkle." Also included is Redman's frenetic reworking of Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean." Always an engaging improviser, Redman is perhaps at his best in a club setting and Trios Live does nothing to dissuade one of that notion. by Matt Collar 

Tracklist:

1. Moritat (Mack The Knife) 12:02

Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill

2. Never Let Me Go 6:38

Ray Evans / Jay Livingston

3 Soul Dance 6:43

Joshua Redman

4 Act Natural 12:25

Joshua Redman

5 Mantra #5 7:37

Joshua Redman

6 Trinkle, Tinkle 5:57

Thelonious Monk

7 The Ocean 6:38

John Bonham / John Paul Jones / Jimmy Page / Robert Plant

Credits:

Bass – Matt Penman (tracks: 1, 5 to 7), 

Reuben Rogers (tracks: 2 to 4)

Drums – Gregory Hutchinson

Tenor-Saxophone – (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7)

Soprano Saxophone – Joshua Redman (tracks: 3, 5)

ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS - The Freedom Rider (1961-2015) RM / BLUE NOTE MASTERWORKS / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The final recording by this edition of The Jazz Messengers (featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jymie Merritt and drummer/leader Art Blakey) finds the group consolidating their year-and-a-half of experience into yet another exciting document. Blakey's unaccompanied drum feature on "The Freedom Rider" is full of drama while the rest of the program (two compositions apiece by Morgan and Shorter) makes this last chapter for this particular band quite memorable. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Tell It Like It Is 7:53
Wayne Shorter
2 The Freedom Rider 7:25
Art Blakey
3 El Toro 6:20
Wayne Shorter
4 Petty Larceny 6:14
Lee Morgan
5 Blue Lace 5:59
Lee Morgan
6 Uptight 6:12
Lee Morgan
7 Pisces 6:52
Lee Morgan
8 Blue Ching 6:43
Kenny Dorham
Credits:
Bass – Jymie Merritt
Drums – Art Blakey
Piano – Bobby Timmons
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Lee Morgan

STAN TRACEY - Three Classic Albums Plus : Showcase / Little Klunk / Jazz Inc. (2011) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two of the three classic Stan Tracey album referenced on the cover of this double-disc set are Showcase, his debut album from 1958, and Little Klunk, which was his first to feature only his own compositions. Then things get murky. Jazz Inc., which is featured here in its entirety, was actually recorded by the Tony Crombie Orchestra, of which Tracey was a part. The other music here includes four tunes by Tracey's Quartet with Tubby Hayes, some selections from Tracey with the Harry Klein Quartet, and a few from his tenure as a sideman in yet another group led by American guitarist Jon Wheatley. The back sleeve has an interesting typo: it claims that Jazz Inc. is comprised of tracks 1-28 on disc two, but there are only 16 selections on the disc. In any case, there are completely new liner notes as well as reproductions of the originals, and a fine remastering job was done; all sold for a very respectable price tag. As an introduction to one of British jazz's great original voices, this is truly worthy. by Thom Jurek

KENNY GARRETT - Do Your Dance! (2016) FLAC (tracks), lossless

On Kenny Garrett's fourth Mack Avenue release, 2016's Do Your Dance!, the Detroit-born saxophonist dives headlong into a set of original songs that exploit dance rhythms in subtle, unexpected ways. Conceptually speaking, while there are dance beats from swing, funk, Latin, and more throughout Do Your Dance!, the idea of doing your dance could also simply refer to the idea of doing your own thing and expressing yourself in your own unique way. That seems to be the deeper notion running through much of Garrett's music, which is often explosive, harmonically challenging, and highly engaging here. Joining Garrett are several collaborators from his other Mack Avenue releases, including pianist Vernell Brown, Jr., bassist Corcoran Holt, drummers Ronald Bruner, Jr. and McClenty Hunter, and percussionist Rudy Bird. Together, they have a lively, organic ensemble sound that lends itself to group interplay even during solos. Everybody sounds alert and focused with all ears on Garrett. Bookended by two fiery post-bop swingers in "Philly" and "Chasing the Wind," both of which bring to mind mid-'60s John Coltrane, Do Your Dance! finds Garrett in an eclectic mood. His roiling "Backyard Groove" picks up on the angular circularity of Miles Davis' "Freedom Jazz Dance," while the aptly titled "Bossa" is a fluid, minor-key-tinged exploration the Brazilian sound. Elsewhere, Garrett displays his knack for combining disparate sounds, as on the classically inflected "Wheatgrass Shot (Straight to the Head)" featuring rapper Donald "Mista Enz" Brown, Jr., which sounds delightfully like the Roots making an ECM album. Also unexpected are the ruminative "Waltz (3 Sisters)" and the exotic "Persian Steps," which features Garrett on sax, flute, and the droney, traditional Indian Shruti Box. More expected, but no less impressive, is the buoyant "Calypso Chant," in which Garrett summons the titanic energy and island-inspired hard bop of Sonny Rollins. Ultimately, with Do Your Dance! Garrett has crafted an album that will get your blood flowing to your brain and your feet.  by Matt Collar  

Tracklist:

1 Philly 8:06

Kenny Garrett

2 Backyard Groove 6:56

Kenny Garrett

3 Wheatgrass Shot (Straight to the Head) 4:43

Kenny Garrett

4 Bossa 6:22

Kenny Garrett

5 Do Your Dance! 4:57

Kenny Garrett

6 Calypso Chant 4:37

Kenny Garrett

7 Waltz (3 Sisters) 7:23

Kenny Garrett

8 Persian Steps 8:08

Kenny Garrett

9 Chasing the Wind 5:30

Kenny Garrett

Credits:

Rudy Bird - Percussion

Vernell Brown, Jr. - Piano

Ronald Bruner, Jr. - Drums

Kenny Garrett - Composer, Percussion, Producer, Sax (Alto), Vocals

Corcoran Holt - Bass

McClenty Hunter - Drums

Donald "Mista Enz" Brown, Jr - Rap

KENNY GARRETT - Do Your Dance!

 (2016) MAC / FLAC (tracks), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa

THE ROY HARDGROVE QUINTET - Earfood (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The now mature jazz trumpeter/composer/bandleader Roy Hargrove, who has been utterly masterful since the beginning of his career, has been involved with various all-star bands, neo-fusion outfits, and made a very good living playing modern instrumental music. Now he is reaching a new and elevated level of pure jazz artistry with Earfood. A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him. Alto saxophonist Justin Robinson and pianist Gerald Clayton are not only rising stars and standout soloists, but also players perfectly compatible to play this contemporary and mainstream modern jazz. Add young bassist Danton Bolder and the excellent drummer Montez Coleman, and you have a band that can bring Hargrove's music fully to life. It is said that everyone learns from their mistakes, but if that is true, Hargrove has gone far beyond the pale, and is flawless here, in terms of both concept and execution. The CD comes out of the box with four home runs -- an ultra hip contemporary version of the Cedar Walton tune "I Am Not So Sure," a sweet 7/8 beat for "Brown" with outstanding piano from Clayton, "Strasbourg/St. Denis" sporting an infectiously happy aura, clever staccato unison and chatty counterpoint from the horns, and the sleek, breezy and soulful "Starmaker" which sounds like it could have come from the book of the late pianist James Williams. There's also a remake of the great Weldon Irvine original blues-funk-soul classic "Mr. Clean" that is well done but not overcooked, an excellent version showcasing varying subtleties and dynamics during the Larry Willis composition "To Wisdom the Prize," and the good swinger "The Stinger," soaked in harmonic colors and good vibes. The four salt-and-pepper ballads all show Hargrove's expert ability to play slow and soulfully, still unfortunately becoming a lost art, with "Joy Is Sorrow Unmasked" and "Rouge" particularly poignant. The CD concludes with an in-concert gospel-soul version of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me," as good a coda to this set as could be. There are no missteps on this program, no filler tunes, the trumpeter simply playing as precisely -- if not better -- than he ever has, and a band who fully understands how to make his music come alive. This comes with the highest of recommendations, a zenith watermark for Hargrove, and has to be a candidate for Best Jazz CD of 2008.  by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1 I'm Not So Sure 5:51
Cedar Walton
2 Brown 4:32
Roy Hargrove
3 Strasbourg/St. Denis 4:40
Roy Hargrove
4 Starmaker 7:56  
Lou Marini
5 Joy Is Sorry Unmasked 4:48
Roy Hargrove
6 The Stinger 4:59
Roy Hargrove
7 Rouge 2:48
Roy Hargrove
8 Mr. Clean 5:53
Weldon Irvine
9 Style 6:36 
Roy Hargrove
10 Divine 5:12
Roy Hargrove
11 To Wisdom The Prize 5:45
Roy Hargrove
12 Speak Low 5:19
Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill
13 Bring It On Home To Me 3:00
Sam Cooke
 Credits
    Alto Saxophone, Flute – Justin Robinson
    Bass – Danton Boller
    Drums – Montez Coleman
    Piano – Gerald Clayton
    Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove
    Written-By – Roy Hargrove (tracks: 2, 3, 5 to 7, 9, 10)

 

ROY HARGROVE & ANTONIO HART - The Tokyo Sessions [1992] FLAC

 Trumpeter Roy Hargrove and alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, two of the finest contemporary hard boppers, made a potent team on this CD featuring sessions recorded in Tokyo during 1991. Hargrove's fierce trumpet solos and Hart's bluesy, equally energetic and accomplished answering alto statements fueled nine excellent reworkings of standards and jazz repertory. The quintet performed such established material as Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark," and Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," and Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom," as well as Cole Porter's "Easy To Love," with confidence and in a smooth yet expressive style. It would still be nice to hear Hart and Hargrove doing their own material rather than simply putting their spin on shopworn, though wonderful, anthems. by Ron Wynn
Tracklist  
1 Bohemia After Dark 5:04
Written-By – Oscar Pettiford
2 Love Your Spell Is Everywhere 6:20
Written-By – Edmund Goulding, Elsie Janis
3 Work Song 6:45
Written-By – Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown Jr.
4 I Remember Clifford 7:00
Written-By – Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks
5 Straight No Chaser 4:46
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
6 But Not For Me 6:05
Written-By – Ira Gershwin - George Gershwin
7 Alone Together 7:33
Written-By – Howard Dietz - Arthur Schwartz
8 Lotus Blossom 5:29
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
9 Easy To Love 6:35
Written-By – Cole Porter
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Arranged By – Antonio Hart, Roy Hargrove
 Bass – Tomoyuki Shima
 Drums – Masahiko Osaka
 Piano – Yutaka Shiina
 Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

ROY HARGROVE & ANTONIO HART
The Tokyo Sessions 

NOVUS 1992 / FLAC / scan

O Púbis da Rosa