THE BUDDY DeFRANCO QUINTET — Sweet And Lovely (1956-2012) RM | Limited Edition | MONO | Serie Jazz The Best お宝コレクション – 64 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

I'm not the greatest fan of the clarinet, which was the most celebrated instrument during the '30s and '40s--the so-called "Swing Era"--when the two most popular instrumental stars were Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Both led big bands and realized revenues that exceeded (or at least matched) the leading vocal stars of the period--the foremost of which were Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby). How can you explain the instrument's hold on the American public and its complete fall from grace by 1955 (Artie wisely quit the music business in 1954, with more than half of his life in front of him; BG managed to hang on, as a nostalgia item in America pop culture and still a "star" in the eyes of the rest of the world (Russia, Japan, Europe)?

Here's a theory that has never received attention in explaining the relative "disappearance" of the clarinet (except as a 2nd horn, useful for doubling in certain situations and on certain arrangements). First (and foremost), beginning in the 1960s the only instrument that "mattered" to the new and powerful consumer culture (mostly young adults, 25-45) was the guitar. Ask the "average" listener to name ANY instrumentalist, and if it's not a guitarist, it's going to be a guitarist-composer-singer (Bob Dylan, Elvis, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash), it's the rare exception that gets the public's attention--someone like Kenny G or David Sanburn.

Both of the latter instruments, it must be noted, played as high as the clarinet, but were fuller and more penetrating. And this is what helps explain the mystery of the clarinet's fall from public favor: the MICROPHONE. The mic came along in time for Bing Crosby to crowd Al Jolsen from the stage, but it was not sufficiently sensitive, compact and complex to allow for amplifying an instrument in a big band (make it 3-4 on today's drummers). I saw Ray Brown playing unamplified bass in amphitheaters in the late '50s. In such a context, the clarinet was the star because it was the only instrument that could be HEARD among 20 other guys playing fff.

After 1950 the clarinet no longer had the advantage it had received "by default." Artie Shaw would not have been able to marry 8 trophy wives (4 of them Hollywood stars), nor did Buddy DeFranco. But among that tiny minority of listeners who follow jazz--embracing its completelness in time and space--Buddy DeFranco was to the clarinet what Charlie Parker was to all musicians who, by the late 1940s, wanted to sound more "modern" than either Benny or Artie. He was, minimally, the equal of Benny and Artie, and he played more complex music, "musician's music." And to prove he was the "real deal," he performed with major, pyrotechnical jazz stars (entire albums with Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson) and he mined the inexhaustible challenges and beauty of "the Great American Songbook." On this album Buddy is featured with primo bebop pianist Sonny Clark and some of the jewels representing the real art of American popular song. Samuel L. Chell
Tracklist :
1    Getting A Balance 8:57
Written-By – DeFranco, Clark
2    Old Black Magic 6:39
Written-By – Arlen/Mercer
3    They Say Its Wonderful 7:14
Written-By – Berlin
4    But Beautiful 4:34
Written-By – Burke/Van Heusen
5    Nearness Of You 4:54
Written-By – Carmichael, Washington
6    What I Can Say (After I Say I’m Sorry) 4:43
Written-By – Lyman, Donaldson
7    Moe 4:07
Written-By – Clark
Credits :
Bass – Gene Wright
Clarinet – Buddy DeFranco
Drums – Bobby White
Guitar – Tal Farlow (tracks: 1, 3 to 5)
Organ, Piano – Sonny Clark

GEORGE SHEARING QUINTET | RED NORVO TRIO – Midnight on Cloud 69 (1956-1993) RM | MONOAURAL | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1. Sorry Wrong Rumba (George Shearing Quintet) (3:22)
2. Cotton Top (George Shearing Quintet) (2:50)
3. Be Bop's Fables (George Shearing Quintet) (3:05)
4. Midnight On Cloud 69 (George Shearing Quintet) (3:10)
5. Little White Lies (Red Norvo Trio) (3:50)
6. I'm Yours (Red Norvo Trio) (4:11)
7. Moon Over Miami (George Shearing Quintet) (3:13)
8. Cherokee (George Shearing Quintet) (2:44)
9. Life With Feather (George Shearing Quintet) (3:11)
10. Four Bars Short (George Shearing Quintet) (2:25)
11. Time And Tide (Red Norvo Trio) (2:38)
12. Night And Day (Red Norvo Trio) (4:09)

George Shearing Quintet (tracks #1-4, 7-10)
George Shearing - p
Marjorie Hyams - vib
Chuck Wayne - g
John Levy - b
Denzil Best - d

Red Norvo Trio (tracks #5, 6, 11, 12)
Red Norvo - vib
Tal Farlow - g
Charles Mingus - b
Note
1 to 4 & 7 to 10 recorded January 31, 1949
5 recorded October 13, 1950
6 recorded April 13, 1951
11 & 12 recorded May 3, 1950

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

TAL FARLOW — Chromatic Palette (1981-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This album is most notable for the interplay between veteran guitarist Tal Farlow and pianist Tommy Flanagan. With bassist Gary Mazzaroppi completing the trio, the musicians perform Tal's "Blue Art, Too" (based on a blues), plus seven superior standards, including "Nuages," "If I Were a Bell" and "St. Thomas." In general, the music is on the relaxed side but there is plenty of inner heat to be felt on the fine set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. In a Mellow Tone (Ellington, Gabler) - 7:32
2. Do Nothing 'Till You Hear from Me (Ellington, Russell) - 7:04
3. Tangerine (Mercer, Schertzinger) - 4:59
4. Snow Fall (Thornhill) - 5:23
5. Cherokee (Noble) - 5:11
6. In the Dark (Beiderbercke) - 3:03
7. The Very Thought of You (Noble) - 4:09
8. Three Little Words (Kalmar, Ruby) - 3:53
9. What's New? (Burke, Haggart) - 6:07
10. Moon Glow (DeLange, Hudson, Mills) - 4:58
11. Jitterbug Waltz (Maltby, Waller) - 6:15
12. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (Brockman, Kellette, Kendis ...) - 1:22
13. Blues for Emmett (Alden, Pizzarelli) - 5:23
Credits :
Bass – Gary Mazzaroppi
Guitar – Tal Farlow
Piano – Tommy Flanagan

THE TAL FARLOW QUARTET — Cookin' on All Burners (1982-1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On the fifth of six Concord albums (a surprising amount of activity considering that he only played locally in the New England area during most of 1957-1975), the brilliant bop-based guitarist Tal Farlow performs concise renditions (none over six and a half minutes in length) of nine standards with pianist James Williams, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Vinnie Johnson. Highlights of the excellent straight-ahead date include "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "I've Got the World on a String," "Love Letters," and "Just Friends." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (Porter) - 3:35
2. If I Should Lose You (Robin-Rainger) - 5:06
3. I Wished on the Moon (Parker-Rainger) - 5:29
4. I've Got the World on a String (Arlen-Koehler) - 6:29
5. Love Letters (Young-Heyman) - 4:04
6. Why Shouldn't I (Porter) - 3:14
7. Lullaby of the Leaves (Petkere-Young) - 5:46
8. Just Friends (Lewis-Klenner) - 3:55
9. I Thought About You (Van Heusen-Mercer) - 4:23
Credits :
Tal Farlow - Guitar
James Williams - Piano
Gary Mazzaroppi - Bass
Vinnie Johnson - Drums

THE BUDDY DeFRANCO QUINTET — Sweet And Lovely (1956-2012) RM | MONO | Serie Jazz The Best お宝コレクション – 64 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

I'm not the greatest fan of the clarinet, which was the most celebrated instrument during the '30s and '40s--the so-called "Swing Era"--when the two most popular instrumental stars were Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Both led big bands and realized revenues that exceeded (or at least matched) the leading vocal stars of the period--the foremost of which were Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby). How can you explain the instrument's hold on the American public and its complete fall from grace by 1955 (Artie wisely quit the music business in 1954, with more than half of his life in front of him; BG managed to hang on, as a nostalgia item in America pop culture and still a "star" in the eyes of the rest of the world (Russia, Japan, Europe)?

Here's a theory that has never received attention in explaining the relative "disappearance" of the clarinet (except as a 2nd horn, useful for doubling in certain situations and on certain arrangements). First (and foremost), beginning in the 1960s the only instrument that "mattered" to the new and powerful consumer culture (mostly young adults, 25-45) was the guitar. Ask the "average" listener to name ANY instrumentalist, and if it's not a guitarist, it's going to be a guitarist-composer-singer (Bob Dylan, Elvis, Buck Owens, Johnny Cash), it's the rare exception that gets the public's attention--someone like Kenny G or David Sanborn.
Both of the latter instruments, it must be noted, played as high as the clarinet, but were fuller and more penetrating. And this is what helps explain the mystery of the clarinet's fall from public favor: the MICROPHONE. The mic came along in time for Bing Crosby to crowd Al Jolsen from the stage, but it was not sufficiently sensitive, compact and complex to allow for amplifying an instrument in a big band (make it 3-4 on today's drummers). I saw Ray Brown playing unamplified bass in amphitheaters in the late '50s. In such a context, the clarinet was the star because it was the only instrument that could be HEARD among 20 other guys playing fff.
After 1950 the clarinet no longer had the advantage it had received "by default." Artie Shaw would not have been able to marry 8 trophy wives (4 of them Hollywood stars), nor did Buddy DeFranco. But among that tiny minority of listeners who follow jazz--embracing its completelness in time and space--Buddy DeFranco was to the clarinet what Charlie Parker was to all musicians who, by the late 1940s, wanted to sound more "modern" than either Benny or Artie. He was, minimally, the equal of Benny and Artie, and he played more complex music, "musician's music." And to prove he was the "real deal," he performed with major, pyrotechnical jazz stars (entire albums with Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson) and he mined the inexhaustible challenges and beauty of "the Great American Songbook." On this album Buddy is featured with primo bebop pianist Sonny Clark and some of the jewels representing the real art of American popular song.  Samuel L. Chell

Tracklist :
1     Getting A Balance 8:57
Written-By – DeFranco, Clark
2    Old Black Magic 6:39
Written-By – Arlen/Mercer
3    They Say Its Wonderful 7:14
Written-By – Berlin
4    But Beautiful 4:34
Written-By – Burke/Van Heusen
5    Nearness Of You 4:54
Written-By – Carmichael, Washington
6    What I Can Say (After I Say I’m Sorry) 4:43
Written-By – Lyman, Donaldson
7    Moe 4:07
Written-By – Clark
Credits :
Buddy De Franco - Clarinet
Sonny Clark - Piano and Organ
Tal Farlow - Guitar
Gene Wright - Bass
Bobby White - Drums
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, on September 1, 1954 and August 12 & 26, 1955.

TAL FARLOW – The Swinging Guitar Of Tal Farlow (1957-1999) RM | Serie Verve By Request | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In the mid-'50s, guitarist Tal Farlow led one of his finest groups, a drumless trio with pianist Eddie Costa and bassist Vinnie Burke. The same band would record the album Tal a week or two later. With Burke contributing a constant walking bass, the interplay between Farlow and Costa is always exciting, whether they are playing unisons or trading off. This 1999 CD reissue not only has the original seven selections but "Gone With the Wind" (which was left off of the original LP due to lack of space) plus three full-length alternate takes that are basically on the same level as the masters. Among the highpoints are "Taking a Chance on Love," "Yardbird Suite," "Like Someone in Love," and Farlow's lone original, "Meteor," which utilizes the chord changes of "Confirmation." Hot bebop that is easily recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Taking A Chance On Love 4:47
Written-By – Latouche, Fetter, Duke
2 Yardbird Suite 5:19
Written-By – Parker
3 You Stepped Out Of A Dream 5:43
Written-By – Kahn, Brown
4 They Can't Take That Away From Me 5:46
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin
5 Like Someone In Love 6:42
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen And Johnny Burke
6 Meteor 6:39
Written-By – Farlow
7 I Love You 5:48
Written-By – Porter
8 Gone With Wind 6:48
Written-By – Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson
9 Taking A Chance On Love (Alternative Take) 5:10
Written-By – John Latouche, Ted Fetter, Vernon Duke
10 Yardbird Suite (Alternative Take) 5:04
Written-By – Charlie Parker
11 Gone With Wind (Alternative Take) 5:26
Written-By – Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson
Credits:
Bass – Vinnie Burke
Guitar – Tal Farlow
Piano – Eddie Costa

RED NORVO – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1422 (2006) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Red Norvo was an example of resilient adaptability. During the early '40s, having dissolved his politely accessible swing band, he began performing and recording with musicians who were poised at the cutting edge of modern jazz; the most famous examples being Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Throughout the '40s and well into the '50s, Norvo seemed willing and eager to grow with the brisk and somewhat challenging patterns of the new music. The formation of a trio featuring guitarist Tal Farlow and bassist Charles Mingus (identified at this early date as "Charlie") was a decisively creative development. The recordings assembled here were made in Los Angeles and Chicago between May 3, 1950 and April 13, 1951. Some of these rapid-fire bop lines might evoke the unprecedented velocities attainable on newly constructed highways, or maybe even convey a taste of Benzedrine. While this might at first appear to be mellow postwar entertainment, the subtext and the context for the music are thought-provoking. Near the end of his poetically charged autobiographical novel Beneath the Underdog, Charles Mingus left a bitter account of his experiences as a member of the Red Norvo Trio. Without mincing words he described what it was like touring through the Southern United States with two somewhat careless white men and his white girlfriend, and how he ultimately left the group after a white bassist was hired to fill in for him when the Trio appeared on television. If Norvo had chosen Red Mitchell, Mingus reasoned, he might have been able to believe that it had something to do with his playing. Some leaders would have walked off the gig in protest. Norvo didn't, and Mingus never forgave him for it. The psychological landscape underlying this music, then, is as powerful as anything else that Mingus ever lived through and strove to communicate. Sometimes the trio hovers as if swimming gently across the night sky. "Time and Tide" suggests a passage from Rainer Maria Rilke: "The chiming clocks call each to each, and one sees to the floor of time." The rhythmic pattern used in the intro is a clear precedent for "Ysabel's Table Dance," one of the spicier episodes in Mingus' 1957 Tijuana Moods album. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

OSCAR PETTIFORD – 1951-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1409 (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 2006. a survey of recordings made during the years 1951-1954 by groups under the leadership of bassist, cellist, and composer Oscar Pettiford was released as part of the Classics Chronological Series. During this period, Pettiford was making history as one of the very first improvising cellists in jazz. Swingin' ‘Til the Girls Come Home and "Bei Mir Bist du Schon" were recorded under the supervision of Leonard Feather on April 28, 1951 for Mercer Records, the label named for Duke Ellington's son. The sextet, billed as Oscar Pettiford, His Cello and Orkette, included trumpeter Howard McGhee, vibraphonist Joe Roland (whose other specialty was scoring bop charts for string ensembles à la Charlie Parker with Strings); pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Art Taylor. Arrangements were provided by Quincy Jones. During the summer of 1951, Pettiford worked with bands led by Jimmy Mundy, Wynton Kelly, and Budd Johnson. In the autumn he assembled a six-piece unit for a series of USO shows (this was during the Korean War) in New Jersey, New York, Japan, Korea, and various islands in the Pacific. In late 1951/early 1952, the group was recorded live in Guam. Those recordings, which include interpretations of older traditional standards played by the young boppers, were subsequently released under Howard McGhee's name, and are not included here. On February 21, 1952 Pettiford recorded again with his cello, now backed by bassist Charles Mingus, pianist Billy Taylor, and drummer Charlie Smith. As if to signal that this was not Pettiford's maiden voyage using the violoncello, one of the pieces was titled "Cello Again." Over the next several months, Pettiford would operate as a member of the Beryl Booker Trio, the Miles Davis Sextet, the Billy Taylor Quartet, and a unit led by pianist George Wallington. He also engaged in collective improvisations with Mary Lou Williams and Kenny Clarke at the Downbeat, where nobody recorded what must have been a series of remarkable experiments in early modern jazz.

In February 1953, Pettiford joined the Duke Ellington orchestra, replacing Charles Mingus, who was fired after tussling with valve trombonist Juan Tizol in front of a live audience. While swiftly becoming an important ingredient in Duke's ensemble, Pettiford sat in with Bud Powell and Roy Haynes at Birdland. After playing the Apollo Theater with Duke, he toured with the Ellington orchestra to Albuquerque and Pasadena. While in Los Angeles in June of 1953, he recorded his masterpiece "Blues in the Closet" and three other numbers with his All-Stars, a quintet which featured himself and Harry Babasin on celli. After gigging with Wardell Gray in August and September, Pettiford joined a Norman Granz package tour with Ellington. On December 29, 1953 the New Oscar Pettiford Sextet cut five tracks for the Mingus/Roach-owned and operated Debut label, again featuring the leader on cello, with Julius Watkins blowing French horn, Phil Urso on tenor sax, and a rhythm section of Walter Bishop, Charles Mingus, and Percy Brice. Quincy Jones wrote the arrangements for "Tamalpais Love Song" (later shortened to "Tamalpais") which featured Pettiford on the bass, and Quincy's own "Stockholm Sweetnin'." Pettiford began the year 1954 sitting in with a small band led by Illinois Jacquet's big brother, trumpeter Russell Jacquet. On March 21, Pettiford, the trailblazing jazz cellist, recorded six titles (four of which are included here) for the Vogue label with tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, trombonist Kai Winding, guitarist Tal Farlow, bassist Henri Renaud, and drummer Max Roach. The producers of the Classics Chronological Series are to be commended for having assembled these cello-centered recordings of Oscar Pettiford on one album for all to enjoy and learn from.. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist + Credits :

OSCAR PETTIFORD – 1954-1955 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1454 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During his short, prolific, and equally tempestuous career, bassist Oscar Pettiford made potent modern jazz that stands the test of time, and is equal to or as brilliant as any you can name. These reissues, mainly from Bethlehem label recordings, showcase large ensembles and are a prelude to the orchestra Pettiford would lead before his untimely death in a European bicycle accident in 1960. There is an octet and a nonet from the Bethlehem dates, quite different and very strong. With trumpeters Clark Terry and Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and baritone saxophonist Danny Bank, Pettiford is able to use these members of Duke Ellington's orchestra in a manner much like Duke. There's a jam for Hamilton on Ellington's "Jack the Bear," Pettiford's reverent Jewish-sounding theme "Tamalpais," Terry's hard bopper "Chuckles" with Bank taking the lead, a typical "Mood Indigo" with Pettiford's walking bass up front in the mix, and a darker, moodier "Time on My Hands." The effortlessness of the ensemble is easy to hear, but does not really tell what Pettiford and his big band would do in the not-too-distant future. The next nine tracks, with considerable help from alto saxophonist and arranger Gigi Gryce, give definitive foreshadowing as to the charts that set Pettiford's music in an advanced stance. With trumpeters Donald Byrd and Ernie Royal, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, multi-instrumentalist Jerome Richardson, and Gryce, a higher bar is set from a harmonic standpoint. "Titoro" is an outstanding merging of post-bop, Latin spice, and emerging progressive modernism, topped off by a scintillating solo from pianist Don Abney. The trend continues on the predatory ambush sounds of "Scorpio," the wild bird flute of Richardson on "Oscalypso," the bluesy "Don't Squawk" (a change of pace and a feature for Richardson again on flute), the happy chart "Kamman's A-Coming," Pettiford's cello feature "Another Seventh Heaven," and the famous bass-led "Bohemia After Dark." All are stellar examples of things to come in the late '50s. There are six quintet tracks with just French horn icon Julius Watkins and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse in the front line, ranging from the galloping bop of Gerry Mulligan's "Sextette" to the well-known tuneful melody "Tricotism" with horns comping over Pettiford's lead bassline, and the solid bop of "Cable Car" and "Rides Again," both tunes that should be standards. The CD kicks off with two tracks originally on the Swing label out of France, featuring pianist Henri Renaud and a sextet with Max Roach on drums, guitarist Tal Farlow, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn, and trombonist Kai Winding. These two tunes are from a session documented on the previous Classics Pettiford reissue, 1951-1954: another happy Mulligan bopper ("E Lag") and the Charlie Parker-like "Rhumblues" (similar to "My Little Suede Shoes"). 1954-1955 is a must-have for mainstream jazz fans, and a fully representative document of what Pettiford was capable of as a player and leader. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist + Credits :

ARTIE SHAW AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1951-1954 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1413 (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume 16 in the Classics Artie Shaw chronology covers a time line from January 30 1951 to March of 1954, combining ten of his excellent latter-day Gramercy Five recordings with 11 performances by what is now recognized as his last big band. The ensembles used on the sessions that took place in July of 1953 were positively gargantuan, with the group that was squeezed into the studio on July 2 weighing in as Brobdingnagian: 20 pieces + 17 string players = 37 musicians, a jazz orchestra monstrous enough to have handled one of Stan Kenton's Innovations charts, although the arrangements used here were so sugary as to suggest instead a Jackie Gleason midnight cocktail lounge set. Although those who suffer from an allergy to string ensembles might balk at the prospect, Shaw's inspired clarinet technique transforms even the sweetest of these marzipans into an intoxicating daydream of Cinemascopic proportions. The Gramercy Five sides are exceptionally satisfying, with attractive vocals by June Hutton, a mature Connee Boswell and sensuous Trudy Richards, who seems to have modeled her singing style after Dinah Washington. Of the three quintets heard in this part of the chronology, the one Shaw led during September 1953 and again in early 1954 was a particularly fine unit composed of pianist Hank Jones, vibraphonist Joe Roland, guitarist Tal Farlow, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Irv Kluger, who got to show off during the "Stop and Go Mambo." The nearly nine minute "Sequence in B Flat" is a full-fledged exercise in modern bop. Altogether a fascinating segment of Artie Shaw's late period, this compilation features the last of his Decca recordings, a transitional date for the tiny Bell record label, and the first of Shaw's wonderful collaborations with producer Norman Granz. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits : 

ADA MOORE - Jazz Workshop, Vol.3 (1954-1992) Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | RM | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The focus of this 1954 set is a seldom-heard session that Ada Moore recorded for Charles Mingus' Debut Records label in 1954. The lineup is certainly nothing to complain about; Moore is joined by guitarist Tal Farlow, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and alto saxman John La Porta (among others), and Mingus helps with the arrangements. Moore has a soulful delivery that is somewhere between Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan, although Jazz Workshop, Vol. 3 is more abstract than what either of them were doing in 1954. The arrangements combine jazz with European chamber music, and Moore's risk-taking pays off on material that ranges from "The Man I Love" and Billy Strayhorn's "Something to Live For" to the folk song "Lass from the Low Country." Meanwhile, "The Devil Is a Woman" is a moody Moore original that almost sounds like a combination of "Black Coffee" and "Blues in the Night." Like much of the music that the Modern Jazz Quartet was providing at the time, Jazz Workshop, Vol. 3 manages to be classical-influenced without sacrificing the feeling of the blues. This session didn't do much for Moore commercially, but it's worth checking out if you appreciate the third stream experiments of the 1950s. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1. The Man I Love 4:49
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
2. The Man I Love (Take 2) 4:44
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
3. Something To Live For 5:24
Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn
4. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis 3:45
John Benson Brooks / Bob Russell
5. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis (Take 2) 3:57
John Benson Brooks / Bob Russell
6. The Devil Is A Woman 3:54
Ada Moore
7. The Devil Is A Woman (Take 1) 4:09
Ada Moore
8. Lass From The Low Country 2:33
Traditional
9. Lass From The Low Country (Take 2) 2:31
Traditional
10. Strange Fascination 2:05
Ada Moore
11. Summertime 4:39
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
Credits :
Ada Moore : Vocals
Tal Farlow : Guitar
John La Porta : Sax (Alto)
Oscar Pettiford : Bass 

RED NORVO TRIO - Move (1954-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During 1950-1951, vibraphonist Red Norvo led one of his finest groups, a popular trio including guitarist Tal Farlow and bassist Charles Mingus. They recorded 20 selections (not counting alternate takes) for the Savoy label before Mingus eventually quit; his replacement would be Red Mitchell. This Savoy release has 12 of the songs, totaling just 40 minutes. Although one wishes that all 20 songs were included, this makes for a decent sampling, at least until the music is reissued in complete fashion, as it was in the 1970s on a double LP. The interplay between the three expert musicians is often brilliant, particularly on such numbers as "Move," "I'll Remember April," "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart," and "Swedish Pastry." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Move 2:40
Written-By – Denzil Best
2 I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me 2:52
Written-By – Gaskill, Mchugh
3 I'll Remember April 3:25
Written-By – Raye, Depaul
4 September Song 3:32
Written-By – Weill
5 Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart 3:26
Written-By – Manley
6 I've Got You Under My Skin 2:22
Written-By – Porter
7 I Get A Kick Out Of You 2:25
Written-By – Porter
8 If I Had You 4:06
Written-By – Shapiro
9 Godchild 4:47
Written-By – Wallington
10 This Can't Be Love 2:25
Written-By – Rodgers
11 Cheek To Cheek 2:40
Written-By – Berlin
12 Swedish Pastry 2:25
Written-By – Barney Kessell
Credits:
Double Bass – Charlie Mingus
Guitar – Tal Farlow
Vibraphone – Red Norvo

TAL FARLOW - The Tal Farlow Album (1957) Verve / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For guitarist Tal Farlow's second album as a leader (following a very obscure effort for Blue Note), he is joined by rhythm guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Joe Morello on eight numbers, and pianist Claude Williamson and bassist Red Mitchell for the remaining four. Farlow is heard in his early prime. Thirty-two at the time, he was a brilliant technician who could play extremely fast, yet clean and with a light touch. His solos on the 11 standards (which include Pettiford's "Blues in the Closet," "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "You and the Night and the Music"), plus his own "Gibson Boy," are hard-swinging and creative, yet thoughtful. [Originally released in 1954, Tal Farlow Album was finally reissued on CD in 2002 and includes bonus tracks.]
by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:
1 If There's Someone Lovelier Than You 2:45
Tal Farlow
2 With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair 3:04
Clara Edwards / Jack Lawrence
3 My Old Flame 3:36
Sam Coslow / Arthur Johnston
4 Gibson Boy 2:45
Tal Farlow
5 You and the Night and the Music 3:43
Otto Harbach / Walter Hirsch
6 Love Nest 2:45
Howard Dietz / Otto Harbach / Arthur Schwartz
7 Blues in the Closet 2:51
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
8 Everything I've Got 3:31
Oscar Pettiford
9 Lullaby of the Leaves 3:48
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
10 Stompin' at the Savoy 3:18
Tal Farlow
11 This Is Always 3:07
Bernice Petkere / Joe Young
12 Tea For Two 2:56
Benny Goodman / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb 
Credits:
Bass – Oscar Pettiford
Drums – Joe Morello
Guitar – Barry Galbraith, Tal Farlow

TAL FARLOW - The Tal Farlow Album (1957-2013) 

 Verve Japan, SHM-CD / Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered

FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

O Púbis da Rosa