CHET BAKER - Sings And Plays With Bud Shank, Russ Freeman And Strings (1955-1987) MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the growing popularity of Chet Baker's first vocal album, Chet Baker Sings, Pacific Jazz producer Richard Bock wanted to capitalize on both facets of his young star's abilities. Hence, the trumpeter turned vocalist entered the studio in 1955 with both his quartet featuring pianist Russ Freeman and an expanded sextet including bassist Red Mitchell, Bud Shank on flute, and various string players. The resulting album, Chet Baker Sings and Plays, helped set in stone the image of Baker as the jazz world's matinee idol and icon of '50s West Coast cool. His laid-back style -- a mix of '30s crooner and Miles Davis' nonet recordings -- appealed in its immediacy to a jazz public tiring of the hyper, athletic musicality of bebop. Similarly, his plaintive, warm trumpet sound was the more sensitive antidote to such brassy kings as Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown. Others artists had performed many of these standards before, but as with "My Funny Valentine" on Chet Baker Sings, tracks like "Let's Get Lost," "Long Ago and Far Away," and "Just Friends" became definitively associated with Baker for the rest of his career. Chet Baker Sings and Chet Baker Sings and Plays are not only the two most important albums of Baker's career, but are classics of jazz. [The 2004 EMI reissue of Chet Baker Sings and Plays includes an EP version of "Let's Get Lost" not included on the original album.] by Matt Collar  
Tracklist:
1 Let's Get Lost 3:43
Frank Loesser / Jimmy McHugh
2 This Is Always 3:06
M. Gordon / Harry Warren
3 Long Ago and Far Away 3:57
Ira Gershwin / Jerome Kern
4 Someone to Watch Over Me 3:01
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
5 Just Friends 2:43
John Klenner / Sam M. Lewis
6 I Wish I Knew 3:59
M. Gordon / Harry Warren
7 Daybreak 2:41
Harold Adamson / Ferde Grofé
8 You Don't Know What Love Is 4:50
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
9 Grey December 3:41
Frank Campo
10 I Remember You 3:15
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
Credits:
Bass – Carson Smith (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10), Red Mitchell (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 9)
Drums – Bob Neel
Flute – Bud Shank (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 9)
Harp – Corky Hale (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 9)
Piano – Russ Freeman
Trumpet, Vocals – Chet Baker

KID THOMAS & HIS ALGIERS STOMPERS - New Orleans : The Living Legends, Vol. 1 (1961-1994) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 That's A-Plenty 3:16
Ray Gilbert / Lew Pollack / Bert Williams
2 Girl of My Dreams 5:11
Sunny Clapp
3 Dinah 3:14
Harry Akst / Sam M. Lewis / Joe Young
4 Smile, Darn You, Smile 3:20
C. O'Flynn, J. Meskill, M. Rich
5 Confessin' (That I Love You) 7:34
Doc Daugherty / Al J. Neiburg / Ellis Reynolds
6 Kid Thomas Boogie Woogie 3:40
 T. Valentine
7 Algiers Strut 5:09
 T. Valentine
8 Gally House Blues 5:17
 T. Valentine
9 Sing On 2:51
 T. Valentine
Traditional
10 Panama 3:07
William Tyers
11 Mack the Knife 4:36
Marc Blitzstein / Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill
12 Ja-Da 2:09
Bob Carlton
Credits:
Banjo – Homer Eugene
Bass – Joseph Butler
Clarinet – Albert Burbank, Emil Barnes
Drums – Samuel Penn
Piano – Joe James
Trombone – Louis Nelson
Trumpet – Kid Thomas

KID THOMAS & HIS ALGIERS STOMPERS - New Orleans : The Living Legends, Vol. 2 (1961-1994) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is the only entry in Riverside's The Living Legends series (which has been reissued on CD in the OJC series) that is not recommended. Trumpeter Kid Thomas Valentine's playing is very erratic and the ensemble (which includes clarinetist Emile Barnes and trombonist Louis Nelson) is rarely in tune. Their renditions of the basic material ranges from raw to feeble and is a major disappointment. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Big Lunch Blues 5:59
Joseph Butler
2 Some of These Days 3:30
Shelton Brooks
3 When My Dreamboat Comes Home 4:57
Dave Franklin / David Franklin / Cliff Friend
4 China Boy 2:56
Phil Boutelje / Dick Winfree
5 It's a Long Way to Tipperary 3:00
Jack Judge / Harry Williams
6 Hindustan 2:59
Dave Wallace / Harold Weeks
7 I Can't Escape from You 3:03
Leo Robin / Richard A. Whiting / Hank Williams
8 Bye and Bye 2:39
Traditional
9 Down by the Riverside 3:32
Paul Barnes / Traditional
10 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now? 5:34
Will M. Hough / Joe Howard / Joseph E. Howard / Harold Orlob
11 Big Milk-Cow Blues 5:23
Kid Thomas Valentine
Credits:
Bass – Joseph Butler
Clarinet – Emile Barnes
Drums – Samuel Penn
Piano – Joe James
Trombone – Louis Nelson
Trumpet – Kid Thomas

LOUIS ARMSTRONG - Louis Armstrong Plays W. C. Handy (1954-1999) SACD / DSF-WV STEREO

This recording was not only Louis Armstrong's finest record of the 1950s but one of the truly classic jazz sets. Armstrong and his All-Stars (trombonist Trummy Young, clarinetist Barney Bigard, pianist Billy Kyle, bassist Arvell Shaw, drummer Barrett Deems, and singer Velma Middleton) were clearly inspired by the fresh repertoire, 11 songs written by W.C. Handy. Their nearly nine-minute version of "St. Louis Blues" -- with witty vocals, roaring Young trombone, and a couple of long majestic trumpet solos -- is arguably the greatest version of the oft-recorded song. Other highlights include "Loveless Love," "Beale Street Blues," and a romping version of "Ole Miss Blues." Essential music for all serious jazz collections. [Some reissues also include rehearsal versions of three songs, Louis Armstrong telling a joke, and a brief George Avakian interview with W.C. Handy.] by Scott Yanow 
Tracklist:
1. St Louis Blues 8:52
W.C. Handy 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong, Velma Middleton

2. Yellow Dog Blues 4:17 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong

W.C. Handy 

3. Loveless Love 4:29 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong, Velma Middleton

W.C. Handy 

4. Aunt Hagar’s Blues 4:58
Tim Brymn / W.C. Handy 
5 .Long Gone (From Bowling Green) 5:10
W.C. Handy / Chris Smith 
6. The Memphis Blues (Or Mister Crump) 3:00
W.C. Handy / George Norton 
7. Beale Street Blues 4:57

Vocals – Louis Armstrong

W.C. Handy 

8. Ole Miss Blues 3:26 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong

 W.C. Handy 

9. Chantez Les Bas (Sing ‘Em Low) 4:49

Vocals – Louis Armstrong

W.C. Handy 

10. Hesitating Blues 5:21 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong, Velma Middleton

W.C. Handy 

11. Atlanta Blues (Make Me One Pallet On Your Floor) 4:34 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong

David Elman / W.C. Handy 

12. George Avakian’s Interview With W.C. Handy 2:45
David Elman / W.C. Handy 
13. Loveless Love (rehearsal sequence) 5:56

W.C. Handy 

14. Hesitating Blues (rehearsal sequence) 5:40 

W.C. Handy 

Vocals – Louis Armstrong, Velma Middleton

15. Alligator Story 0:47 

16. Long Gone (From the Bowlin' Green)

W.C. Handy / Chris Smith

Credits:

Bass – Arvell Shaw

Clarinet – Barney Bigard

Drums – Barrett Deems

Piano – Billy Kyle

Trombone – Trummy Young

Trumpet, Vocals – Louis Armstrong

Vocals – Velma Middleton

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ALL STARS - Satch Plays Fats : A Tribute To The Immortal Fats Waller (1955) lp / 24-192 / FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 1955, Louis Armstrong, along with vocalist Velma Middleton, got into the studio to pay tribute to the late Fats Waller. All the standards are here: "Honeysuckle Rose," "Squeeze Me," "Ain't Misbehavin," rendered in fine and mellow but gently, genially swinging fashion. Armstrong's trumpet is superb and his voice carries the good-time spirit of Waller's music.
Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller only worked together twice, briefly in 1925 in Erskine Tate's band and four years later in the New York revue Connie's Hot Chocolates. But Waller made an indelible enough impression for Satchmo to record the tribute album Satch Plays Fats: The Music of Fats Waller in 1955, when such ideas were new. The nine tracks feature Armstrong ably supported by his All-Stars on such classics as "Honeysuckle Rose," "Squeeze Me," and "Ain't Misbehavin'." The mid-'50s was a fertile time for Armstrong, and this makes for a stellar package. by Cub Koda
Tracklist
A1     Honeysuckle Rose    2:53
    Written-By – Razaf, Waller
A2     Blue Turning Grey Over You    4:53
    Written-By – Razaf, Waller
A3     I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby    4:26
    Written-By – A. Hill, Waller
A4     Squeeze Me    5:04
    Written-By – C. Williams, Waller
A5     Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now    3:20
    Written-By – Razaf, Waller
B1     All That Meat And No Potatoes    5:14
    Written-By – Kirkeby, Waller
B2     I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling    3:10
    Written-By – B. Rose, Waller, Link
B3     (What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue    4:37
    Written-By – Razaf, Waller, Brooks
B4     Ain't Misbehavin'    3:59
    Written-By – Razaf, Waller, Brooks

Credits
    Bass [String Bass] – Arvell Shaw
    Clarinet – Barney Bigard
    Drums – Barrett Deems
    Piano – Billy Kyle
    Trombone – Trummy Young
    Trumpet – Louis Armstrong
    Vocals – Louis Armstrong (tracks: A1, A2, A4 to B4), Velma Middleton (tracks: A1, A4)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE DUKES OF DIXIELAND - The Complete Louis Armstrong and the Dukes of Dixieland (2007) 3xCD / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist 1:
1 Bourbon Street Parade 3:08
Paul Barbarin
2 Back O' Town Blues 4:02
Louis Armstrong / Luis Russell
3 Sweethearts On Parade 4:28
Carmen Lombardo / Charles Newman
4 Dippermouth Blues 2:32
King Oliver
5 Riverside Blues 4:28
Tommy Dorsey / Richard M. Jones
6 Bill Bailey 2:54
Traditional
7 Someday You'll Be Sorry 4:04
Louis Armstrong
8 Struttin' With Some Barbecue 5:10
Louis Armstrong / Lil Hardin / Don Raye
9 I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll 4:44
Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
10 Cornet Chop Suey 2:14
Louis Armstrong
11 The Bucket's Got a Hole In It 2:14
Clarence Williams
12 Muskrat Ramble 4:06
Kid Ory
13 Bye and Bye 3:20
Traditional
14 Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen 4:45
Traditional
Tracklist 2:
1 South 3:36
Dick Charles / Thamon Hayes / Bennie Moten
2 Washington and Lee Swing 3:48
Thornton Allen / C.A. Robbins / Mark Sheafe
3 Avalon 4:48
Buddy DeSylva / Al Jolson / Vincent Rose
4 New Orleans 3:02
Hoagy Carmichael
5 That's a Plenty 3:50
Ray Gilbert / Lew Pollack
6 Just a Closer Walk With Thee 4:20
Traditional
7 Dixie 3:52
Traditional
8 The Sheik of Araby 3:26
Louis Armstrong / Louis Armstrong and the Dukes of Dixieland
9 Wolverine Blues 4:18
Jelly Roll Morton / Franklin Spikes / John Spikes
10 Sweet Georgia Brown 3:58
Maceo Pinkard
11 Limehouse Blues 4:42
Philip Braham / Douglas Furber
12 Bourbon Street Parade 3:18
Paul Barbarin
13 Back O' Town Blues 3:58
Louis Armstrong / Luis Russell
14 Sweethearts On Parade 5:28
Carmen Lombardo / Charles Newman
15 Dippermouth Blues 2:30
King Oliver
16 Riverside Blues 4:23
Tommy Dorsey / Richard M. Jones
Tracklist 3:
1 Bill Bailey 2:58

Traditional

2 Someday You'll Be Sorry 4:06
Louis Armstrong
3 I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll 4:48
Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
4 Cornet Chop Suey  2:16
Louis Armstrong
5 The Bucket's Got a Hole In It 2:18
Clarence Williams
6 South 3:40
Dick Charles / Thamon Hayes / Bennie Moten
7 Avalon 6:24
Buddy DeSylva / Al Jolson / Vincent Rose
8 New Orleans 2:56
Hoagy Carmichael
9 That's a Plenty 3:52
Ray Gilbert / Lew Pollack
10 Just a Closer Walk With Thee 4:28
Traditional
11 Dixie 3:46
Traditional
12 The Sheik of Araby 3:30
Louis Armstrong / Louis Armstrong and the Dukes of Dixieland
13 Wolverine Blues 4:20
Jelly Roll Morton / Franklin Spikes / John Spikes
14 Sweet Georgia Brown 4:02
Maceo Pinkard
15 Limehouse Blues 5:09
Philip Braham / Douglas Furber
Credits:
Banjo – Fred Assunto, "Papa" Jac Assunto
Clarinet – Jerry Fuller
Drums – Red Hawley (tracks: 1-2 to 1-14, 2-13 to 2-16, 3-1 to 3-5), Owen Mahoney (tracks: 1-1, 2-1 to 2-12, 3-6 to 3-15)
Helicon, Bass – Richard Matteson (tracks: 1-1, 2-1 to 2-12, 3-6 to 3-15)
Piano – Stanley Mendelsohn
Trombone – "Papa" Jac Assunto (tracks: 1-1, 2-1 to 2-12, 3-6 to 3-15)
Trumpet, Vocals – Frank Assunto, Louis Armstrong
Tuba – Lowell Miller (tracks: 1-2 to 1-14, 2-13 to 2-16, 3-1 to 3-5)

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS ALL STARS - Ambassador Satch (1955-2000) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

As Louis Armstrong traversed the globe, bringing jazz to every corner of it, live recordings became the norm. This reissue brings together 1955 concert recordings with the All-Stars from Milan and Amsterdam, buffeted with three previously unreleased bonus studio tracks recorded in New York and Hollywood. Both Satchmo and the All-Stars are in top-notch form here, playing with a real spirit of abandon. Another real good one to add to the collection. by Cub Koda
Tracklist:
1 Royal Garden Blues 5:10
Clarence Williams / Spencer Williams
2 Tin Roof Blues 4:30
George Brunies / Georg Brunis / Paul Mares / Walter Melrose / Ben Pollack / Leon Roppolo / Mel Stitzel / Melville Stitzel
3 The Faithful Hussar 6:11
Heinrich Frantzen / Hawkey Franzen
4 Muskrat Ramble 5:43
Ray Gilbert / Kid Ory
5 All of Me 4:16
Gerald Marks / Seymour Simons
6 Twelfth Street Rag 4:59
Euday L. Bowman / J.S. Sumner
7 Undecided 3:41
Sydney Robin / Charlie Shavers
8 Dardanella 2:59
Felix Bernard / Johnny Black / Johnny S. Black / Fred Fisher
9 West End Blues  4:16
King Oliver / Clarence Williams
10 Tiger Rag 3:37
Harry Da Costa / Eddie Edwards / Nick LaRocca / Henry W. Ragas / Tony Sbarbaro / Larry Shields
- Bonus Tracks -
11 Clarinet Marmalade 2:14
Eddie Edwards / Nick LaRocca / Henry W. Ragas / Tony Sbarbaro / Larry Shields
12 Someday You'll Be Sorry 4:26
Louis Armstrong
13 When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along 2:05
Harry Woods
Credits:
Bass – Arvell Shaw
Clarinet – Edmond Hall
Drums – Barrett Deems
Piano – Billy Kyle
Trombone – Trummy Young
Trumpet, Vocals – Louis Armstrong

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND KING OLIVER'S CREOLE JAZZ BAND - Louis Armstrong & King Oliver (1992) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Louis Armstrong's tenure as second cornetist to the great King Oliver is one of jazz history's legendary apprenticeships, on par with the one Miles Davis served with Charlie Parker or Stephane Grappelli's with Django Reinhardt. Sadly, only a handful of recordings survive from this formative period in Armstrong's career. This LP features 18 of King Oliver's 1923 recordings with Armstrong, as well as a bonus appendix consisting of seven tracks recorded in 1924 by the Red Onion Jazz Babies under Armstrong's sole leadership (and featuring, on one number, a very young Alberta Hunter). The performances are as red-hot as you'd expect, and include two King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton duets. by Rick Anderson
Tracklist:
1 Just Gone 2:41
Bill Johnson / King Oliver
2 Canal Street Blues 2:28
Louis Armstrong / King Oliver
3 Mandy Lee Blues 2:09
Marty Bloom / Walter Melrose
4 I'm Going Away to Wear You off My Mind 2:49
W. Smith
5 Chimes Blues 2:52
King Oliver
6 Weather Bird Rag 2:41
Louis Armstrong
7 Dippermouth Blues 2:25
King Oliver
8 Froggie Moore 2:59
Jelly Roll Morton
9 Snake Rag 2:57
King Oliver / Armand Piron
10 Alligator Hop 2:22
King Oliver / Armand Piron
11 Zulu's Ball 2:28
King Oliver / Alvin Robertson / Robinson
12 Working Man Blues 2:09
Lil Hardin / King Oliver
13 Krooked Blues 2:43
Bill Johnson / Dink Johnson / Benjamin Franklin Spikes / John Spikes
14 Mabel's Dream 2:47
Ike Smith
15 Mabel's Dream 2:43
Ike Smith
16 Southern Stomp 2:42
Richard M. Jones
17 Southern Stomp 2:42
Richard M. Jones
18 Riverside Blues 2:56
Tommy Dorsey / Richard M. Jones
19 Texas Moaner Blues 3:03
Fay Barnes / Clarence Williams
20 Of All the Wrongs You've Done to Me 2:49
Edgar Dowell / Lawrence Payton / Chris Smith
21 Terrible Blues 2:49
Clarence Williams
22 Santa Claus Blues 2:45
Gus Kahn / Charley Straight
23 Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning 2:50
Pearl Delaney / Tom Delaney
24 Early in the Morning 2:54
William Higgins / W. Benton Overstreet
25 Cake Walking Babies from Home 3:08
Chris Smith / Henry Troy / Clarence Williams
Credits:

Banjo – Bill Johnson (tracks: 1 to 9), Buddy Christian (tracks: 19 to 22), Johnny St. Cyr (tracks: 10 to 13)

Bass Saxophone – Charlie Johnson (tracks: 14 to 18)
Clarinet – Johnny Dodds (tracks: 1 to 18)
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone – Buster Bailey (tracks: 19 to 22)
Cornet – King Oliver, Louis Armstrong
Drums – Baby Dodds (tracks: 1 to 18)
Piano – Lil Hardin Armstrong
Producer [Reissue] – Orrin Keepnews
Saxophone – Stump Evans (tracks: 10 to 13)
Soprano Saxophone – Sidney Bechet (tracks: 23 to 25)
Trombone – Aaron Thompson (tracks: 19 to 22), Charlie Irvis (tracks: 23 to 25), Honore Dutrey (tracks: 1 to 18)
Vocals – Clarence Todd (tracks: 25), Josephine Beatty (tracks: 19 to 25)

BIX BEIDERBECKE - The Classic Years of Bix Beiderbecke (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Rhythm King 3:19
2. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Riverboat Shuffle 3:08
3. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - There'll Come A Time 2:52
4. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Jazz Me Blues 3:01
5. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang At The Jazz Band Ball 2:50
6. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Take Your Tomorrow 2:59
7. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - I'm Coming Virginia 3:10
8. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - I Like That 2:58
9. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Wa-Da-Da 3:00
10. The Wolverine Orchestra - Copenhagen 2:28
11. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Royal Garden Blues 3:00
12. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Goose Pimples 3:14
13. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Since My Best Girl Turned Me Down 3:03
14. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Ostrich Walk 3:06
15. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Sorry 2:52
16. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Crying All Day 3:02
17. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Way Down Yonder In New Orleans 2:50
18. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Clarinet Marmalade 3:14

FATS NAVARRO - Dameronia (Jazz Archives 1947-1948) (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tragically, Fats Navarro epitomized the stereotype of the heroin-addicted bebopper who lived fast and died young. The trumpeter's potential was enormous, but like so many of his colleagues Navarro allowed heroin to rob him of what should have been a very long career. One can only speculate on the things Navarro would have accomplished had tuberculosis (a condition that his heroin addiction made him more vulnerable to) not claimed his life at the age of 26 in 1950, but we do know this much: Navarro's contributions to jazz were enormous. Navarro was Clifford Brown's primary influence, which means that his big, fat, brassy sound had a direct or indirect influence on everyone from Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, and Carmell Jones, to Woody Shaw and Roy Hargrove. Focusing on Navarro's 1947 and 1948 work, this French release of 1999 boasts some of early bop's finest, most influential trumpet playing. While "Our Delight," "The Squirrel," "Dameronia," "Lady Bird," and "The Chase" are among the well known classics that find Navarro being employed as a sideman by pianist Tadd Dameron, Navarro co-leads a sextet with fellow trumpeter Howard McGhee on "Double Talk," and leads various groups of his own on exuberant gems that include "Fat Girl," "Fats Blows," "Bebop Romp," and "Barry's Bop." The sound quality is generally decent (by 78-era standards), and Navarro's virtuosity is stunning despite the toll that heroin was taking on his body. Dameronia 1947/48 is enthusiastically recommended to anyone with even a casual interest in early bebop. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist:
1 Fat Girl 2:21
Fats Navarro
2 Ice Freezes Red 2:41
Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro
3 Eb-Pob 2:24
Fats Navarro / Leo Parker
4 Goin' to Minton's 2:52
Fats Navarro
5 Our Delight 3:07
Tadd Dameron
6 The Squirrel 3:22
Tadd Dameron
7 The Chase 3:00
Tadd Dameron
8 Dameronia 3:15
Tadd Dameron
9 A Be-Bop Carol 3:00
Tadd Dameron
10 The Tadd Walk 2:53
Tadd Dameron
11 Nostalgia 2:44
Fats Navarro
12 Barry's Bop 2:40
13 Be-Bop Romp 2:37
14 Fats Blows 2:51
15 Lady Bird 2:53
Tadd Dameron
16 Jahbero  3:03
Tadd Dameron
17 Symphonette 3:10
Tadd Dameron
18 Double Talk 5:36
Howard McGhee / Fats Navarro
19 Fats Flat 3:00
20 Good Bait, No. 1 5:47
Tadd Dameron

JOE NEWMAN - Four Classic Albums : Locking Horns / All I Wanna Do Is Swing / The Midgets / Soft Swingin' Jazz (2012) RM / 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 2012 double-disc collection Four Classic Albums: Locking Horns/All I Wanna Do Is Swing/The Midgets/Soft Swingin' Jazz brings together four of jazz trumpeter Joe Newman's albums from the 1950s. These are swinging, soulful, and straight-ahead releases that showcase Newman's mainstream and bop-oriented trumpet playing. Featured here are such other stellar musicians as Al Cohn, Frank Wess, Shirley Horn, Hank Jones, Freddie Green, Oscar Pettiford, and others. Ultimately, fans of Newman's midrange melodicism and bluesy group interplay will find much to enjoy on this generous set. by Matt Collar
Tracklist 1:
Locking Horns (1957)
1 Corky
2 Mambo For Joe
3 Wolafunt's Lament
4 Midnight Fantasy
5 'Tater Pie
6 Oh Shay
7 Bassing Around
8 Oh Joe
9 Susette
10 Similar Souls
All I Wanna Do Is Swing (1955)
11 Soon
12 Limehouse Blues
13 Dream A Little Dream Of Me
14 Corner Pocket
15 If I Could Be With You
16 It's A Thing Of The Past
17 Pretty Skinny Bunny
18 Leonice
19 Jack's Wax
20 Topsy
21 Captain Spaulding
22 I Could Have Told You
Tracklist 2:
The Midgets (1956)
1 The Midgets
2 The Late Late Show
3 Really? Healy!
4 One Lamper
5 She Has Red Hair
6 Valerie
7 No Moon At All
8 Indeed The Blues
9 Living Dangerously
10 Scooter
11 My Dog Friday
Soft Swingin' Jazz (1958)
12 Makin' Whoopee
13 Three Little Words
14 Scotty
15 There's A Small Hotel
16 I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
17 Moonglow
18 Organ Grinder's Song
19 Rosetta
20 Too Marvellous For Words
21 The Farmer's Daughter
22 Save Your Love For Me

LEE MORGAN - The Gigolo (1965-2014) RM / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lee Morgan was the leading trumpeter in hard bop during the 1960s and he recorded quite a few classic albums for Blue Note. This is one of them. The CD reissue (which adds an alternate take of the title cut to the original five-song program) features Morgan at his best, whether playing his memorable blues "Speed Ball," an explorative ballad version of "You Go to My Head," a lengthy "The Gigolo," or his other two originals ("Yes I Can, No You Can't" and "Trapped"). There are no weak selections on this set and the playing by the leader, Wayne Shorter on tenor, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins is beyond any serious criticism. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Yes I Can, No You Can't 7:25  
Lee Morgan
2 Trapped 6:00
Lee Morgan
3 Speedball 5:32
Lee Morgan
4 The Gigolo 11:03
Lee Morgan
5 You Go to My Head 10:05
Lee Morgan
6 The Gigolo 7:19
J. Fred Coots
Credits:
Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Harold Mabern, Jr.
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Lee Morgan

LEE MORGAN - The Rajah (1966-2014) RM / SHM-CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This long-lost Lee Morgan session was not released for the first time until it was discovered in the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna in 1984; it has still not been reissued on CD. Originals by Cal Massey, Duke Pearson ("Is That So") and Walter Davis, in addition to a couple of surprising pop tunes ("What Not My Love" and "Once in My Lifetime") and Morgan's title cut, are well-played by the quintet (which includes the trumpeter/leader, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins). Much of the music is reminiscent of The Jazz Messengers and that may have been the reason that it was lost in the shuffle for Morgan was soon investigating modal-oriented tunes. Despite its neglect, this is a fine session that Lee Morgan and hard bop fans will want. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 A Pilgrim's Funny Farm 13:36
Cal Massey
2 The Rajah 9:11
Lee Morgan
3 Is That So? 5:18
Duke Pearson
4 Davisamba 6:46
Walter Davis, Jr.
5 What Now, My Love? 5:22
Gilbert Bécaud
6 Once in My Lifetime 5:47
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley
Credits:
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – Gene Taylor
Piano – Cedar Walton
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley
Trumpet – Lee Morgan

HOWARD McGHEE - 1948 {CC, 1058} (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This excellent album of vintage bop opens with seven tracks recorded in Chicago during February 1948, using members of the band that Howard McGhee was leading at Chicago's Argyle Lounge at the time. Milt Jackson and Percy Heath are heard on the first three tunes, along with an unnamed baritone saxophonist. For the second session McGhee used an entirely different band, with a tenor player who is believed to have been Kenny Mann and a rhythm section of Hank Jones, Ray Brown, and the great J.C. Heard. Billy Eckstine, who by this time had dissolved his own band and was busily pulling in an unprecedented amount of cash by making vocal pop records for MGM, blows his valve trombone alongside McGhee on this date. No vocalist is mentioned in the enclosed discography, even though someone scats up a storm from time to time. Whoever it was, he didn't sound like Eckstine. McGhee's next recording dates as a leader took place in Paris, where 13 sides were cut for the Vogue and Blue Star labels on May 15th and 18th. This band really cooked, with Jimmy Heath and Jesse Powell joining the trumpeter's front line and a rhythm section of Vernon Biddle, Percy Heath, and Specs Wright. The upbeat numbers are exceptionally well-crafted studies in modern jazz. "Denise" and "Etoile," slow and reflective, sound like the poetically charged "Portrait" studies that young Charles Mingus was already beginning to formulate on his own. The closing selections, recorded for Blue Note in New York on October 11, 1948, pair McGhee with Fats Navarro alongside alto saxophonist Ernie Henry and Milt Jackson playing both vibes and piano. Curly Russell and Kenny Clarke round off this amazing six-piece Howard McGhee Boptet. by arwulf arwulf  

THAD JONES - Thad Jones (1956-1991) RM / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Trumpeter Thad Jones made his debut as a leader for Charles Mingus' Debut label during 1954-55, music that has been reissued as a single CD in the OJC series and as part of a huge 12-CD Mingus Debut box set. The 12 performances (which include two alternate takes) really put the focus on Jones' accessible yet unpredictable style. Half of the music showcases Jones in a quartet with pianist John Dennis, bassist Mingus and drummer Max Roach. while the other six numbers are more in a Count Basie groove with Frank Wess on tenor and flute, pianist Hank Jones, Mingus and drummer Kenny Clarke. The originals tend to be tricky, and even such standards as "I'll Remember April," "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Get Out of Town" have their surprising moments. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Get Out of Town 8:43
Cole Porter
2 One More 7:28
Thad Jones
3 Bitty Ditty 4:53
Thad Jones
4 More of the Same 5:12
Thad Jones
5 Elusize 5:12
Thad Jones
6 Sombre Intrusion 2:46
Thad Jones
7 I Can't Get Started 6:06
Vernon Duke / Ira Gershwin
8 I'll Remember April 3:48
Gene DePaul / Patricia Johnston / Don Raye
9 You Don't Know What Love Is 3:29
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
10 Chazzanova 3:41
Charles Mingus
11 Get Out of Town 8:43
Cole Porter
12 One More 7:28
Thad Jones
Credits:
Bass – Charlie Mingus
Drums – Kenny Clarke (tracks: 3, 5 to 6, 8 to 10), Max Roach (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 12)
Piano – Hank Jones (tracks: 3, 5 to 6, 8 to 10), John Dennis (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 12)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess (tracks: 3, 5 to 6, 8 to 10)
Trumpet – Thad Jones

OSCAR PETERSON & JON FADDIS - Oscar Peterson & Jon Faddis (1975-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In the mid-'70s, Oscar Peterson recorded duet albums with veteran trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. He paid the young Jon Faddis a huge compliment by also recording a set with him. Faddis, very much under Gillespie's influence but already displaying a wide range, clearly enjoyed the challenge, and on a set of standards and basic material, he often tears into the songs with reckless abandon. The Peterson-Faddis encounter is generally quite exciting and a high point in the early career of Jon Faddis. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Things Ain't What They Used to Be 10:23
Mercer Ellington / Ted Persons
2 Autumn Leaves 6:51
Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert
3 Take the "A" Train 7:58
Billy Strayhorn
4 Blues for Birks 7:22
Jon Faddis / Oscar Peterson
5 Summertime 7:28
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
6 Lester Leaps In 6:25
Lester Young
Credits:
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Trumpet – Jon Faddis

OSCAR PETERSON & CLARK TERRY - Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry (1975-1994) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Pianist Oscar Peterson and flugelhornist Clark Terry always made for a perfect matchup. Their duet set (one of five Peterson made during this period) is quite friendly, witty and hard-swinging. C.T. generally sets the joyous mood and on numbers such as "On a Slow Boat to China," "Shaw 'Nuff," "No Flugel Blues" and "Mack the Knife," the warm-toned flugelhornist shows that he was one of the few who could truly keep up with the remarkable pianist. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 On a Slow Boat to China 4:24
Frank Loesser
2 But Beautiful 4:44
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
3 Shaw 'Nuff 4:29
Ray Brown / Gil Fuller / Dizzy Gillespie
4 Satin Doll 7:13
Duke Ellington / Johnny Mercer / Billy Strayhorn
5 Chops 4:48
Oscar Peterson / Clark Terry
6 Makin' Whoopee 5:56
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
7 No Flugel Blues 5:38
Oscar Peterson / Clark Terry
8 Mack the Knife 4:34
Marc Blitzstein / Bertolt Brecht / Kurt Weill
Credits:
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Trumpet – Clark Terry

MILES DAVIS - Filles de Kilimanjaro (1969-1990) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Since it's billed as "Directions in Music by Miles Davis," it should come as little surprise that Filles de Kilimanjaro is the beginning of a new phase for Miles, the place that he begins to dive headfirst into jazz-rock fusion. It also happens to be the swan song for his second classic quintet, arguably the finest collective of musicians he ever worked with, and what makes this album so fascinating is that it's possible to hear the breaking point -- though his quintet all followed him into fusion (three of his supporting players were on In a Silent Way), it's possible to hear them all break with the conventional notions of what constituted even adventurous jazz, turning into something new. According to Miles, the change in "direction" was as much inspired by a desire to return to something earthy and bluesy as it was to find new musical territory, and Filles de Kilimanjaro bears him out. Though the album sports inexplicable, rather ridiculous French song titles, this is music that is unpretentiously adventurous, grounded in driving, mildly funky rhythms and bluesy growls from Miles, graced with weird, colorful flourishes from the band. Where Miles in the Sky meandered a bit, this is considerably more focused, even on the three songs that run over ten minutes, yet it still feels transitional. Not tentative (which In the Sky was), but certainly the music that would spring full bloom on In a Silent Way was still in the gestation phase, and despite the rock-blues-n-funk touches here, the music doesn't fly and search the way that Nefertiti did. But that's not a bad thing -- this middle ground between the adventurous bop of the mid-'60s and the fusion of the late '60s is rewarding in its own right, since it's possible to hear great musicians find the foundation of a new form. For that alone, Filles de Kilimanjaro is necessary listening. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist:

1 Frelon Brun (Brown Hornet) 5:36

2 Tout De Suite 14:04
3 Petits Machins (Little Stuff) 8:05
4 Filles De Kilimanjaro (Girls Of Kilimanjaro) 12:00
5 Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry) 16:32
Credits:
Bass – Dave Holland (tracks: 3, 5), Ron Carter (tracks: 1, 2, 4)
Drums – Tony Williams
Piano, Electric Piano – Chick Corea (tracks: 3, 5), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 1, 2, 4)
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet, Leader [Directions In Music], Written-By – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - In a Silent Way (1969-2000) RM / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Shhh / Peaceful 18:21
Written-By – M. Davis
2 In A Silent Way - It's About That Time 19:53
Written-By – J. Zawinul, M. Davis
Credits:
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Tony Williams
Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Organ, Electric Piano – Josef Zawinul
Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
Trumpet – Miles Davis

MILES DAVIS - Jack Johnson (Original Soundtrack Recording) (1971-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 None of Miles Davis' recordings has been more shrouded in mystery than Jack Johnson, yet none has better fulfilled Davis' promise that he could form the "greatest rock band you ever heard." Containing only two tracks, the album was assembled out of no less than four recording sessions between February 18, 1970 and June 4, 1970, and was patched together by producer Teo Macero. Most of the outtake material ended up on Directions, Big Fun, and elsewhere. The first misconception is the lineup: the credits on the recording are incomplete. For the opener, "Right Off," the band is Davis, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Michael Henderson, and Steve Grossman (no piano player!), which reflects the liner notes. This was from the musicians' point of view, in a single take, recorded as McLaughlin began riffing in the studio while waiting for Davis; it was picked up on by Henderson and Cobham, Hancock was ushered in to jump on a Hammond organ (he was passing through the building), and Davis rushed in at 2:19 and proceeded to play one of the longest, funkiest, knottiest, and most complex solos of his career. Seldom has he cut loose like that and played in the high register with such a full sound. In the meantime, the interplay between Cobham, McLaughlin, and Henderson is out of the box, McLaughlin playing long, angular chords centering around E. This was funky, dirty rock & roll jazz. The groove gets nastier and nastier as the track carries on and never quits, though there are insertions by Macero of two Davis takes on Sly Stone tunes and an ambient textured section before the band comes back with the groove, fires it up again, and carries it out. On "Yesternow," the case is far more complex. There are two lineups, the one mentioned above, and one that begins at about 12:55. The second lineup was Davis, McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland, and Sonny Sharrock. The first 12 minutes of the tune revolve around a single bass riff lifted from James Brown's "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The material that eases the first half of the tune into the second is taken from "Shhh/Peaceful," from In a Silent Way, overdubbed with the same trumpet solo that is in the ambient section of "Right Off." It gets more complex as the original lineup is dubbed back in with a section from Davis' tune "Willie Nelson," another part of the ambient section of "Right Off," and an orchestral bit of "The Man Nobody Saw" at 23:52, before the voice of Jack Johnson (by actor Brock Peters) takes the piece out. The highly textured, nearly pastoral ambience at the end of the album is a fitting coda to the chilling, overall high-energy rockist stance of the album. Jack Johnson is the purest electric jazz record ever made because of the feeling of spontaneity and freedom it evokes in the listener, for the stellar and inspiring solos by McLaughlin and Davis that blur all edges between the two musics, and for the tireless perfection of the studio assemblage by Miles and producer Macero. by Thom Jurek 

Tracklist:

1. Right Off - 26:54

2. Yesternow - 25:36

Personnel:

Trumpet – Miles Davis

Bass [Fender] – Michael Henderson

Drums – Billy Cobham

Guitar – John McLaughlin

Keyboards – Herbie Hancock

Liner Notes – Miles Davis

Saxophone – Steve Grossman

Voice [Jack Johnson's Voice] – Brock Peters