THE THREE SOUNDS — Moods (1960-2005) Serie Blue Note 決定盤 1500 – 82 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Three Sounds open their signature sound a bit on the romantic Moods. They retain the same light touch that made their early albums so enjoyable, but they add more textures to the mix. Light Latin rhythms permeate Moods, from the inventive reworking of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" to Harris' original "Tammy's Breeze." Like its predecessor, Feelin' Good, this record has a bluesy, soulful streak to its personality, as evidenced by the mellow take on "On Green Dolphin Street," the hep swing of "Loose Walk," and the infectious cover of Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light." Occasionally, the Three Sounds play it a little too cool -- while the slow, relaxed "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" manages to be engaging, "Li'l Darlin'" slows down to a crawl -- but on the whole, Moods is an endearing collection of appealing mainstream jazz. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Love For Sale    6:37
 Cole Porter
2    Things Ain't What They Used To Be    8:54
 Ted Persons
3    On Green Dolphin Street    5:36
 Bronislaw Kaper / Ned Washington
4    Loose Walk    4:56
 Johnny Richards / Sonny Stitt
5    Li'l Darlin'    4:51
 Neal Hefti
6    I'm Beginning To See The Light    2:29
 Duke Ellington / Don George / Johnny Hodges / Harry James
7    Tammy's Breeze    4:28
 Gene Harris
8    Sandu    4:20
 Clifford Brown
Credits :
Bass – Andrew Simpkins
Drums – Bill Dowdy
Piano – Gene Harris
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder

THE THREE SOUNDS AND THE OLIVER NELSON ORCHESTRA — Coldwater Flat (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Live at the Lighthouse captured the Three Sounds at their jazziest, but Coldwater Flat, the first studio session pianist Gene Harris and bassist Andrew Simpkins recorded with new drummer Donald Bailey, takes a different path. For this date, the group decided to emphasize its pop side, recording the record with the lush Oliver Nelson Orchestra and choosing to cover such pop hits as "The Look of Love" and "Last Train to Clarksville." The closing number, "Star Trek," is actually an original by Harris, unrelated to the TV show. One of the primary attractions of the Three Sounds' sound was its simplicity and their ability to find so much variation within the trio format. That magic is somewhat lost with the orchestra, which tends to overwhelm the trio. More than anything, that is what prevents Coldwater Flat from ranking among the group's finest efforts, but the glossy production has its appealing moments as well, and the record does function well as pleasant background music, even if it veers too close to easy listening to be true jazz. Stephen Thomas Erlewine   Tracklist & Credits :

LOU DONALDSON - The Complete Blue Note Lou Donaldson Sessions 1957-60 (2002) RM | MONO | 6xCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A soul survivor in every sense of the term, this alto saxophonist is one of the few remaining jazz artists who made a major impact on the jazz community via an extensive run with producer Alfred Lion and the Blue Note label (Horace Silver being another Blue Note legend that comes to mind). From his first recordings for the label with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, it was clear that Lou Donaldson put melody and sound at a premium, coming up with an amalgam that combined the creamy smoothness of Johnny Hodges with the quicksilver bop inflections of Charlie Parker.
Over the course of some 20 albums that Donaldson would cut for Blue Note beginning with his first sessions in 1953, you can trace the course of popular jazz styles, from bop inflected quintets to soul jazz organ combos. The majority of this new six disc set covers the type of bebop fare that is the core of Donaldson's musical persona and much of this material has been available previously on compact disc, although there are a few items that could only be found previously on pricey Japanese imports.

For the record, the albums included herein are Wailing with Lou, Swing and Soul, Lou Takes Off, Blues Walk, LD + 3, The Time Is Right, Sunny Side Up, Light-Foot, Gravy Train, and Midnight Sun.

Seven of the original sessions feature Donaldson in stripped down quartet formats, with conga player Ray Barretto added on occasion. Pianist Herman Foster is a mainstay on several of these dates and he shares a strong affinity with our leading man, especially on the albums Swing and Soul and Light-Foot. Of course, the cream of the crop in this category has to be Blues Walk, a certifiable Blue Note gem with bop ditties such as 'Move' and 'Callin' All Cats' mixing beautifully with lush ballad as found on 'The Masquerade Is Over' and 'Autumn Nocturne.' Never before available in the U.S. on disc, the transcendent L.D. + 3 should be considered the sleeper of these quartet/quintet sides, with Gene Harris and the Three Sounds helping to cast a bluish hue that finds Donaldson at his most sublime. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to suggest that this session alone is worth the price of admission.

The rest of the set finds Donaldson working with larger groups, starting with 1957's Lou Takes Off. Strictly a blowing session, the four extended performances allow Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, and Donaldson to stretch out at length, with the rhythm section of Sonny Clark , George Joyner, and Art Taylor booting things along at a medium tempo for the most part. For Wailing With Lou, The Time Is Right, and Sunny Side Up, things revert to a quintet format that places trumpet and alto as the lead voices. The latter two albums are excellent Blue Note dates of the period that make the most of pianist Horace Parlan's bluesy grass roots approach. Plus, trumpeters Blue Mitchell and Bill Hardman make perfect foils to Donaldson in that each has a lyrical style that meshes beautifully with altoist's own melodic muse.

Closing this durable set and serving as a signpost of groovier things to come, namely the organ combo records that Donaldson would launch into beginning with The Natural Soul, 1960's Midnight Sun and the following year's Gravy Train, wrap up this set in a funky vein with Barretto (and Alec Dorsey on Gravy Train ) back to add a little percussive spice. Pieces like 'Dog Walk,' 'Twist Time,' and 'Gravy Train' are modern blues numbers with just a touch of soul and a flavor that would make them jukebox classics at the time—their crossover appeal was very strong.

In typical Mosaic fashion, this set is housed in a 12 x 12 inch box (although the company now is not fastening the top and bottom sections of the box; the top simply slips on top of the bottom half). Along with the 24-bit sound in this package, a 16-page booklet includes original session photographs by Francis Wolff and commentary by Bob Blumenthal. All recordings are available solely through Mosaic Records: 35 Melrose Place; Stamford, CT 06902; (203) 327-7111.

 All Tracks & Credits

LOU DONALDSON WITH THE THREE SOUNDS - LD+3 (1959-2010) RM | Digibook | WV (image+.cue), lossless

Lou Donaldson and the Three Sounds both had a tendency to slip into low-key grooves, which is what makes the hard-driving bop of the opener "Three Little Words" a little startling. Donaldson is at a fiery peak, spinning out Bird-influenced licks that nevertheless illustrate that he's developed a more rounded, individual style of his own. The Three Sounds are equally as impressive, working bop rhythms with a dexterity that their first albums only hinted at. That high standard is maintained throughout the album, one of the finest in either of their catalogs. Albums like this and Blues Walk established Donaldson's reputation as a first-rate alto saxophonist, since he flaunts a full, robust tone, a fondness for melody, and nimble solos over the course of the record. LD + 3 is pretty much straight bop and hard bop, with little of the soul-jazz the two artists would later explore, but this collection of swinging standards, bop staples, and a pair of Donaldson originals ranks as one of Lou's finest straight bop sessions.  Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1     Three Little Words 6:19     
Bert Kalmar / Harry Ruby
2     Smooth Groove 5:53
Lou Donaldson
3     Just Friends 5:13
John Klenner / Sam M. Lewis
4     Blue Moon 3:08     
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
5     Jump Up 6:37     
Lou Donaldson
6     Don't Take Your Love From Me 5:54
Henry Nemo
7     Confirmation 5:32
Charlie Parker
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] – Lou Donaldson
Bass – Andrew Simpkins
Drums – Bill Dowdy
Piano – Gene Harris
Recorded By [Recording By] – Rudy Van Gelder

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

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