TONY SCOTT — Music For Zen Meditation And Other Joys (1964-1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After stints at Juilliard and in the Army during the '40s, clarinetist Tony Scott rose to prominence in the '50s as a respected jazz soloist. His resumé at the time included work with Sarah Vaughan, Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, and Claude Thornhill, among many others. In addition to these sidemen dates, Scott also cut several solo albums. His subtle phrasing eventually found a perfect niche in the smattering of meditation and yoga dates he cut in the mid-'60s for Verve. Fueled by his burgeoning interest in Far Eastern culture, Scott hooked up with two Japanese master instrumentalists for this classic 1964 date. And while Scott, koto player Shinichi Yuize, and shakuhachi player Hozan Yamamoto produce nine cuts that sound classically Japanese and really nothing like jazz, they do actually improvise pretty much throughout the entire set. If you'd like to levitate to music with some unexpected twists, then Scott's Music for Zen Meditation is for you. Stephen Cook
Tracklist :
 1. Is Not All One?
 Tom Scott / Hozan Yamamoto / Shinichi Yuize
2. The Murmuring Of The Mountain Stream
 Tom Scott / Shinichi Yuize
3. A Quivering Leaf, Ask The Winds
  Hozan Yamamoto  
4. After The Snow, The Fragrance
 Tom Scott / Shinichi Yuize
5. To Drift Like Clouds
 Hozan Yamamoto / Shinichi Yuize
6. Ze-zen (Meditation)
 Tom Scott / Hozan Yamamoto
7. Prajna-Paramita-Hridaya Sutra (Sutra Chant)
 Tom Scott / Shinichi Yuize
8. San-zen (Moment Of Truth)
 Tom Scott / Shinichi Yuize
9. Satori (Enlightenment)
 Tom Scott / Shinichi Yuize
 Line-up / Musicians
Shinichi Yuize - Koto
 Hozan Tamamoto - Shakuhachi.
Tony Scott - Clarinete

MARGARET WHITING — Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book (1960-2002) RM | Serie : LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Given Margaret Whiting's limitations as a stylist, you certainly wouldn't expect an album of Jerome Kern-penned Broadway standards to rank among her jazziest, most lively LPs, but the great arranger Russ Garcia truly outdoes himself, masterminding a delightfully energetic session that's undeniably appealing. While Garcia and sidemen including altoist Bud Shank contribute much of the album's sense of swing, Whiting proves herself a far more fluid and rhythmic singer than her critics care to admit -- her clarion vocals achieve a nice balance between the theatricality of Kern's music and the pizzazz of Garcia's treatments. A pointed reminder that "wholesome" doesn't necessarily equate with "square." Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1. Why Was I Born? 3:22
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
2. Remind Me 2:55
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
3. The Song Is You 3:32
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
4. I Won't Dance 2:25
Dorothy Fields / Otto Harbach / Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / Jimmy McHugh
5. Don't Ever Leave Me 3:19
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / Traditional
6. I'm Old Fashioned 2:44
Jerome Kern / Johnny Mercer
7. All in Fun 3:06
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
 8. Why Do I Love You? 2:34
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
 9. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man 3:57
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
  10. A Fine Romance 3:39
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
 11. Look for the Silver Lining 2:56
Buddy DeSylva / Jerome Kern
 12. All the Things You Are 3:49  
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
13. Poor Pierrot 3:23
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
14. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes 3:57  
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
15. Let's Begin 2:15
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
16. D'Ye Love Me? 3:24  
Otto Harbach / Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
17. Dearly Beloved 2:52
Jerome Kern / Johnny Mercer
18. Long Ago (And Far Away) 4:17
Ira Gershwin / Jerome Kern
19. The Way You Look Tonight 3:33
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
 20 You Couldn't Be Cuter 2:05
Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern
21. Yesterdays 3:08
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
22. Bill 4:03
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / P.G. Wodehouse
23. She Didn't Say Yes 2:25
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
24. The Touch of Your Hand 3:42
Otto Harbach / Jerome Kern
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Russell Garcia
Vocals – Margaret Whiting
Notes :
Recorded January and February 1960 in Los Angeles.
In collaboration with Russell Garcia, who devised the ingenious arrangements and conducted the orchestra for the set, Margaret Whiting has produced a treasury of some of the greatest popular songs written in our time.

STEVE KUHN — The October Suite : Three Compositions of Gary McFarland (1966-2003) RM | Serie LP Reproduction | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Composer and arranger Gary McFarland was well known in the 1960s for his film-scoring abilities and his charting skills with midsized bands. McFarland was also, however, a jazz fan, and particularly one of scalar pianist Steve Kuhn. This project features Kuhn in the center of a program made up entirely of McFarland compositions, all but two of which were written specifically for the album. Recorded in 1966, it is an anomaly in the Impulse catalog of the time in that it did not pursue the free jazz realms with the vengeance that most of the label's other acts did during that year. It is also significant that it caught the attention of a young Manfred Eicher, who later signed Kuhn to his ECM label based on the strengths of this recording. Like Keith Jarrett, Kuhn is in the pointillistic school of jazz pianists of the era. Unlike Jarrett, Kuhn does not consider force in his attack as necessary as his labelmate does. Instrumentally, Kuhn's customary trio situation -- which is dutifully performed with zeal by Ron Carter and drummer Marty Morell -- is augmented with a string quartet on half the record and with a wind trio with harp on the other half. The tracks on side one are in some ways less revolutionary, yet more fulfilling because Kuhn is clearly at home with the sonorities afforded by the strings. They don't swing, even on "One I Could Have Loved" from the film 13 or "St. Tropez Shuttle," a strangely metered bossa tune (in 3/4 instead of 4/4). Kuhn's cautious, contemplative improvising concerns itself with scalar explorations of melody, color, and harmony rather than rhythm or modal considerations. His touch is light and airy and therefore most pronouncedly visible against the strings. The interplay between Carter and Morell is almost instinctual; they couldn't have moved any closer together on this set if the charts had been written for them -- and they were not. With the wind trio and harp, Kuhn's approach is more physical, but nonetheless strives to create a palette for the very instruments that are trying to create one for him. There is some tension in this approach, but it works to the record's advantage. In sum, The October Suite was an experiment that worked beautifully, even if it was not acknowledged as being one of the more subtly brilliant albums of its day, though it most certainly stands the test of time that way.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    One I Could Have Loved    4:45
 Gary McFarland
2    St. Tropez Shuttle    7:10
 Gary McFarland
3    Remember When    7:25
 Gary McFarland
4    Traffic Patterns    5:04
 Gary McFarland
5    Childhood Dreams    6:27
 Gary McFarland
6    Open Highway    8:43
 Gary McFarland
Credits :
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Al Brown (tracks: 1 to 3)
Composed By, Conductor, Arranged By – Gary McFarland
Drums – Marty Morell
Harp – Corky Hale (tracks: 4 to 6)
Piano – Steve Kuhn
Viola – Charlie McCracken (tracks: 1 to 3)
Violin – Isador Cohen (tracks: 1 to 3), Matt Raimondi (tracks: 1 to 3)
Woodwind – Don Ashworth (tracks: 4 to 6), Gerald Sanfino (tracks: 4 to 6), Irving Horowitz (tracks: 4 to 6), Joe Firrantello (tracks: 4 to 6)

THE OSCAR PETERSON TRIO WITH HERB ELLIS — Hello Herbie (1969-2005) RM | Serie Most Perfect Sound Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Guitarist Herb Ellis still considers this to be one of his personal favorite recordings. Ellis was reunited with his old boss Oscar Peterson and, with the assistance of Peterson's trio of the period (with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Bobby Durham), the two lead voices often romp on the jam session-flavored set. Most of the chord changes are fairly basic (including three blues and "Seven Come Eleven"), and Peterson was clearly inspired by Ellis' presence (and vice versa). Scott  Yanow
Credits :
1 Naptown Blues 5:20
Written-By – Wes Montgomery
2 Exactly Like You 4:48
Written-By – Beda, McHugh - Fields
3 Day By Day 4:40
Written-By – Stordahl, Weston
4 Hamp's Blues 3:46
Written-By – Hampton Hawes
5 Blues For H.G. 6:10
Written-By – Oscar Peterson
6 A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening 8:25
Written-By – Adamson, McHugh
7 Seven Come Eleven 5:10
Written-By – Goodman, Christian
Credits :
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Bob Durham
Guitar – Herb Ellis
Piano – Oscar Peterson

YUSEF LATEEF — The Golden Flute (1966-2004) RM | Serie LP Reproduction | APE (image+.cue), lossless

 This is one of the most obscure of all Yusef Lateef recordings, one that has even been left out of some discographies. Lateef mostly sticks to tenor (playing only flute on one song and making one appearance on the double-reed arghul) and is featured with his Detroit All-Stars, a quintet also including the up-and-coming trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Ernie Farrow and drummer Louis Hayes. Overall, the set is more bop-oriented than normal, with versions of "Pike's Peak" (based on "What Is This Thing Called Love"), Charlie Parker's "Constellation" and the blues "Chang, Chang, Chang" showing how strong and original Lateef could be even playing conventional straight-ahead material. Some of the other pieces look toward the future and/or the East, and all eight selections have their memorable moments, with the passionate yet thoughtful ballad "Love Is Eternal" being among the high points. Recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Road Runner 4:44
Written-By – Lateef
2    Straighten Up And Fly Right 3:26
Written-By – Mills, Cole
3    Oasis 4:23
Written-By – Lateef
4    I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You 4:03
Written-By – Crosby, Washington, Young
5    Exactly Like You 2:54
Written-By – McHugh/Fields
6    The Golden Flute 3:54
Written-By – Lateef
7    Rosetta 3:51
Written-By – Hines, Woode
8    Head Hunters 4:33
Written-By – Harris, Lawson
9    The Smart Set 7:31
Written-By – Brooks
Credits
Bass – Herman Wright
Drums – Roy Brooks, Jr.
Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Oboe – Yusef Lateef
Piano – Hugh Lawson

BEN WEBSTER | OSCAR PETERSON — Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (1959) Two Version (1997, RM | Serie Verve Master Edition) + (2011, RM | SACD, Hybrid | Serie Verve Reissues) APE (image+.cue), lossless & FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio -- Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen -- use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist's best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing -- none of Webster's boogie-woogie piano work to break up the mood here. Besides reinvigorating such lithe strollers as "Bye Bye Blackbird" (nice bass work by Brown here) and "This Can't Be Love," Webster and company achieve classic status for their interpretation of the Sinatra gem "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." And to reassure Peterson fans worried about scant solo time for their hero, the pianist lays down a healthy number of extended runs, unobtrusively shadowing Webster's vaporous tone and supple phrasing along the way. Not only a definite first-disc choice for Webster newcomers, but one of the jazz legend's all-time great records. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1 The Touch Of Your Lips 6:10
Written-By – Noble
2 When Your Lover Has Gone 3:50
Written-By – Swan
3 Bye Bye Blackbird 6:35
Written-By – Dixon, Henderson
4 How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky) 2:30
Written-By – Berlin
5 In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning 3:06
Written-By – Hilliard, Mann
6 Sunday 3:55
Written-By – Krueger, Conn, Styno, Miller
7 This Can't Be Love 9:45
Written-By – Rodgers/Hart
Credits :
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Ed Thigpen
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster

BILL EVANS WITH JEREMY STEIG — Whats New (1969-1995) RM | Serie Verve 24bit Super Best 50 – 4 | FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Fin 1968 le pianiste Bill Evans (1929-1980) met en place un nouveau trio ; le batteur Marty Morell rejoint le contrebassiste Eddie Gomez qui est déjà avec Bill depuis 1966. Ce trio durera jusqu’en 1974. En octobre 1968, ils se produisent au Top Of The Gate, situé au-dessus du Village Gate. Souvent en fin de soirée le flutiste Jeremy Steig s’adjoint au groupe. Bill Evans connaissait Steig depuis 1964 et l’appréciait. Eddie Gomez était très ami avec le flutiste, il venait de participer à l'enregistrement d'un disque de jazz fusion, "Jeremy & The Satyrs", sous la direction du flutiste. Depuis de nombreuses années Bill et Jeremy avaient le projet d’un album conjoint. Bill Evans dans les notes de pochette de cet album rappelle combien il apprécie la flûte, instrument qu’il a pratiqué de nombreuses années. Rendez-vous est donc pris pour un album commun prometteur.
L’album «What’s new», enregistré début 1969, est donc le premier en studio du trio Evans-Gomez-Morell, avec le flutiste en invité. Un Bill Evans plus rageur dès le premier morceau, la composition de Monk «Straight No Chaser», ou encore comme sur un «Autumn Leaves» plein d’énergie, comme une poussée de sève printanière. L’album se conclut avec un «So What» que Bill Evans n’avait pas enregistré* depuis la séance historique avec Miles Davis. Probablement à la demande de Steig, c’est une version nettement plus « speed » qui nous est offerte, Bill Evans semble en retrait.
Disque plaisant certes, mais à l’écoute je ne ressens ni la même spontanéité ni la même complicité que sur l'excellent Flute Fever, premier album du flutiste (en compagnie de Denny Zeitlin au piano). Sur plusieurs morceaux, pendant le solo de Jeremy, le piano est absent. Eddie Gomez occupe une grande place dans cet album, bénéficiant d’un large espace comme soliste et il s’avère très brillant. Bien des années plus tard, à propos de cet album, Marty Morell dans deux interviews (une sur le site Jazzwax et l’autre avec Jan Stevens) laisse entendre que Jeremy Steig n’était pas du tout en forme, un peu ailleurs. Les prises se sont multipliées (près de 30 parfois) et Bill Evans perdait patience. Au final, malgré tout, un bon disque, même si son accouchement a été difficile. Un rendez-vous dont peut-être les protagonistes attendaient trop ? Philippe A
Tracklist :
1    Straight No Chaser 5:40
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
2    Lover Man 6:19
Written-By – David, Sherman, Ramirez
3    What's New 4:50
Written-By – Haggart, Burke
4    Autumn Leaves 6:12
Written-By – Prevert, Mercer, Kosma
5    Time Out For Chris 7:17
Written-By – Evans
6    Spartacus Love Theme 4:18
Written-By – North
7    So What 9:06
Written-By – Hall, Davis
Credits :
Bass – Eddie Gomez
Drums – Marty Morell
Flute – Jeremy Steig
Piano – Bill Evans

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

REGINA CARTER — Motor City Moments (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two years after her stunning debut on Verve, violinist Regina Carter offers listeners her exceptional string virtuosity on ten great songs inspired by her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Motor City Moments features a stellar collection of songs written by some of the best musicians from Detroit including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Thad Jones, and Milt Jackson. Regina Carter applies her pure skill, pizzicato, and arco passages to "Don't Mess With Mr. T" and "Higher Ground" with impeccable tuning and multiple approaches. Her string virtuosity on Milt Jackson's "For Someone I Love," is a masterful performance backed adeptly by Mayra Casales on percussion and spotlights a brilliant piano solo by Werner "Vana" Gierig. Two originals, "Forever February" and "Up South," which was co-written with guitarist Russell Malone, provide an interesting contrast of the artist's use of reflective temperament and folk-ornamented cadences. Each song also emphasizes Carter's adept techniques with melodic phrasing and song forms. Accompanied by her touring band of Darryl Hall on bass, Alvester Garnett on drums, percussionist Mayra Casales, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and flugelhorn, James Carter on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Barry Harris on piano, Lewis Nash, as well as several special guests, Regina Carter has rapidly become one of the most exciting and original violinists to arrive on the jazz scene. Paula Edelstein
Tracklist :
1    Don't Git Sassy 5:17
Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – James Carter
Trumpet – Marcus Belgrave
Written-By – Thad Jones
2    Don't Mess With Mr. T 6:18
Drums – Lewis Nash
Written-By – Marvin Gaye
3    For Someone I Love 5:52
Arranged By – Regina Carter
Written-By – Milt Jackson
4    Forever February 3:49
Written-By – Regina Carter
5    Higher Ground 6:56
Written-By – Stevie Wonder
6    Love Theme From Spartacus 6:24
Bass Clarinet – James Carter
Flugelhorn – Marcus Belgrave
Written-By – Alex North
7    Prey Loot 3:47
Drums – Lewis Nash
Piano – Barry Harris
Written-By – Lucky Thompson
8    Fukai Aijo 4:56
Written-By, Piano – Barry Harris
9    Chattanooga Choo Choo 3:50
Guitar – Russell Malone
Whistle [Train Whistle] – Regina Carter
Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
10    Up South 3:36
Written-By – Regina Carter
Written-By, Guitar – Russell Malone
Credits :
Arranged By – John Clayton (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 9)
Bass [The Band] – Darryl Hall (tracks: 1 to 7, 9)
Drums [The Band] – Alvester Garnett (tracks: 1, 4 to 6)
Percussion [The Band] – Mayra Casales (tracks: 2, 3, 5)
Piano [The Band] – Werner "Vana" Gierig (tracks: 1 to 6, 9)
Violin – Regina Carter

CHARLIE HADEN & PAT METHENY – Beyond The Missouri Sky (Short Stories) (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny have been good friends since the 1970s, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Beyond the Missouri Sky should be their first duet album together. Both musicians are from small towns in Missouri, which leads Metheny to speculate in the liner notes if this similarity of childhood ambience might have something to do with the two players' obvious love and affinity for each other. Whatever the answer, the result of this logical pairing is a rather somber and moody one. Metheny has a dark tone on his electric guitar, and on Beyond the Missouri Sky, where he plays acoustic, his sound is similarly deep and rounded. Metheny has called Haden one of the greatest improvisers of all time, and although this may be hyperbolic exaggeration from a longtime friend, Haden has at least earned the right to defend the claim. On Beyond the Missouri Sky, his playing is as sensitive and beautiful as always. Although one can understand the vibe that Haden and Metheny were going for, the preponderance of slow and mid-tempo material can wear on the listener. When they eschew the dirge-like tempos, as on the fantastic "The Precious Jewel," the results are just as atmospheric and are, in fact, even more evocative of the Midwestern landscapes that are featured so prominently in the album art. With Metheny setting up a strummy rhythm, Haden plays the stately melody with impeccable tone. This track, one of many, also showcases Metheny overdubbing different guitars to thicken out the sound of the performance. The results are similar, at least in spirit, to Bill Frisell's recordings in the latter half of the 1990s. Although many Metheny and Haden compositions that are featured on this record, it is their readings of older material that are most effective. The Jimmy Webb classic "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" is wonderfully nostalgic, as Metheny uses subtle guitar and synth washes to pad a beautiful duet performance, and the traditional "He's Gone Away" is the greatest lullaby that never was. Overall, Beyond the Missouri Sky is a fine record when the material is happening, but a bit of a chore when it is not. If Haden and Metheny had gone with the more Americana theme throughout, instead of interspersing that rootsy feel with post-bop, it would have been a much stronger record. Daniel Gioffre
Tracklist :
1. Waltz for Ruth (4:29)
 Charlie Haden
2. Our Spanish Love Song (5:42)
 Charlie Haden
3. Message to a Friend (6:14)
 Pat Metheny
4. Two for the Road (5:18)
 Leslie Bricusse / Henry Mancini
5. First Song (for Ruth) (6:41)
 Charlie Haden
6. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (4:06)
 Jimmy Webb
7. The Precious Jewel (3:48)
 Roy Acuff
8. He's Gone Away (4:18)
 Traditional
9. The Moon Song (6:59)
 Johnny Mandel
10. Tears of Rain (5:32)
 Pat Metheny
11. Cinema Paradiso (love theme) (3:37)
 Andrea Morricone / Ennio Morricone
12. Cinema Paradiso (main theme) (4:27)
 Ennio Morricone
13. Spiritual (8:24)
 Charlie Haden
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Instruments [All Other Instruments] – Pat Metheny
Bass – Charlie Haden

ROY AYERS UBIQUITY — Virgo Red (1973-2009) RM | Serie Verve Originals | FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Despite contributions from an abundance of soul-jazz greats including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Owens, and Garnett Brown, Virgo Red is the most stripped-down and nuanced of Roy Ayers' Ubiquity LPs. Its sinuous funk grooves are first and foremost a showcase for the intuitive interplay of Ayers and electric keyboardist Harry Whitaker, whose Fender Rhodes' fills orbit Ayers' vibes' solos like a planet circling the sun. The material is a crazy quilt of righteously soulful originals and deeply funky covers spanning Leroy Hutson's soul classic "Giving Love" to Stories' soft pop smash "Brother Louie" to absolute treacle like The Poseidon Adventure's "The Morning After" -- by all rights it shouldn't work, but as the astrological overtones winding through Virgo Red attest, sometimes the stars align. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    Brother Louie 6:08
Composed By – E. Brown, T. Wilson
2    Virgo Red 2:58
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Ayers
3    I Am Your Mind 6:13
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Ayers
4    The Morning After 4:37
Composed By – A. Kasha, J. Hirschhorn
5    Love From The Sun 2:43
Composed By – C. Clay, R. Clay, W. Garfield
6    It's So Sweet 4:23
Composed By – R. Alderson, W. Salter
7    Giving Love 4:26
Composed By – J. Reaves, L. Hutson
8    Des Nude Soul 4:49
Composed By – R. Ayers
Credits
Arranged By [Vocals] – Bert DeCoteaux
Artwork – Haruo Miyauchi
Baritone Vocals – Argerie Ayers, Arthur Clark, D.D Bridgewater, Leslie Carter, Seldon Powell, Willie Michael
Bass – David Johnson, Gordon Edwards
Congas, Bongos, Vocals – Chano O'Ferral
Drums, Percussion – Dennis Davis
Guitar – Dennis Heaven, Will Hawes
Percussion – Adrian Dey, Stephen Sadiz Shbazzberrios
Piano, Electric Piano, Organ – Harry Whitaker
Sitar [Electric Sitar] – Jerry Friedman
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trumpet – Cecil Bridgewater, Jimmie Owens
Vibraphone, Organ, Vocals, Percussion, Arranged By [Vocals] – Roy Ayers

GROVER WASHINGTON , Jr. — All the King's Horses (1972) Two Version (1993, MCA Records – MCD 10930) + (2008, RM | Serie Verve Originals) FLAC (tracks+image+.cue), lossless

Grover Washington, Jr.'s sophomore date for Creed Taylor's Kud imprint was released in late 1972. Like its predecessor Inner City Blues, this session was produced by the label boss himself and was arranged and conducted by Bob James. Assembled for the date were large horn and string sections. The former contained stalwart talents like Detroit's Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Ernie Royal. Other players on the session included what would become the heart of the CTI session crew: guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, bassists Ron Carter and Gordon Edwards (who only appears on the opening cut), drummer Idris Muhammad (though Billy Cobham is also here), and percussionists like Airto Moreira and Ralph MacDonald. The real star of course is the soloist. Washington's debut, Inner City Blues, had done surprisingly well -- especially since it was a date originally intended for Hank Crawford who couldn't make the scene. This time out, both Taylor and James played to Washington's tremendous strengths as an emotional player whose melodic improvising referenced everything from Motown to Stax and Volt, from Ray Charles to early James Brown and the Fabulous Flames, to Donny Hathaway, who had an uncanny knack with current pop hits. James too was discovering his own strengths in this field as a pianist and really shines behind Washington on tracks like "Where Is the Love," (written by MacDonald, actually), and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." Washington was equally versed on both tenor and alto, and possesses two very different tones on the horns. This gave James the opportunity to color the tunes with a rather startling array of colors, shades, and textures, making the two a wonderful team. Along with the aforementioned winners are the title track by Aretha Franklin with the slow, deep blue saxophone lines accompanied by hand percussion, a tight snare and hi-hat kit rhythm, and James ghostly chords on the Fender Rhodes. But the large backdrop of horns lends so much weight to the tune it almost breaks wide open. Then there's the gorgeous -- and radical-re-envisioning of "Body and Soul," as a montage illustrated wonderfully by James impressionistic strings and woodwinds underneath Washington's bluesy take on the melody. The standard "Lover Man" is reintroduced here and includes a new interlude written by James. Washington's playing on the tune is actually reminiscent of Crawford's in feel (during his time with Ray Charles), but Washington also evokes Ben Webster in the chances he takes improvising on his solo. As if all this weren't adventurous enough, the set closes with "Love Song 1700," an adaptation from a song by classical composer Henry Purcell. Here is the genius of James at work. His love for Purcell and classical composition of this era shows up throughout his career, but the way he orchestrates strings and winds behind Washington -- who could inject pure soul into even the dullest music of Lawrence Welk -- is provocative, lovely, and haunting, even in its more overblown moments. When All the King's Horses was originally released, it wasn't received as well as Inner City Blues had been the previous year. In retrospect, however, this set has assumed its proper place in Washington's catalog: as one of his more ambitious and expertly performed sessions.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist
1 No Tears, In The End 3:50
Ralph MacDonald / William Salter
2 All The King's Horses 3:49
Aretha Franklin
3 Where Is The Love 5:07
Ralph MacDonald / William Salter
4 Body And Soul (Montage) 3:05
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
5 Lean On Me 4:25
Bill Withers
6 Lover Man 7:03
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
7 Love Song 1700 4:50
Adapted By, Arranged By – Bob James
Drums – Billy Cobham
Written-By [Adapted From A Song By] – Henry Purcell
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute, English Horn, Oboe, Recorder – George Marge
Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Arranged By, Conductor – Bob James
Baritone Saxophone – Arthur Clarke, Pepper Adams
Bass – Ron Carter
Cello – Charles McCracken, George Ricci
Congas – Ralph MacDonald
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Arthur Clarke
French Horn – Brooks Tillotson, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Ray Alonge
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza, Eric Gale, Gene Bertoncini
Harp – Margaret Ross
Organ – Richard Tee
Percussion – Airto Moreira
Producer – Creed Taylor
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr.
Trombone – Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alan Rubin, Ernie Royal, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young
Viola – Emanuel Vardi, Richard Dickler
Violin – Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, John Pintaualle, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman

CHRIS POTTER — Gratitude (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Saxophonist Chris Potter honors the legacy of some of jazz's greats on Gratitude, his debut for Verve. The award-winning virtuoso and composer is compelling on his tributes to John Coltrane, Eddie Harris, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, and several other legendary saxophonists. Gratitude contains nine original compositions written by Potter, who plays tenor saxophone on the majority of the songs, switches to soprano saxophone on "Eurydice," his tribute to Wayne Shorter, and plays the alto saxophone and Chinese wood flute on "Star Eyes," the tribute to Charlie Parker. Chris Potter is outstanding on bass clarinet on his composition "The Visitor" for Lester Young and captures the ambience that reflects the many styles of these accomplished players, including sliding from one note to a higher or lower note with intermediate pitches on "The Source," his tribute to the glissandi (sheets of sound) of John Coltrane, and capturing the dense, soulful sound of Joe Henderson on "Shadow." Gratitude also includes a song titled "What's New," for the current generation which completes the set. Potter, leading his great quartet of contemporaries -- keyboardist Kevin Hayes, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade -- makes a significant contribution to jazz history with this project and offers musical statements and voices that are truly varied in scope and deep in their essence. Paula Edelstein   
Tracklist :
1 The Source (for John Coltrane) 6:36
2 Shadow (for Joe Henderson) 5:47
3 Sun King (for Sonny Rollins) 7:00
4 High Noon (for Eddie Harris) 8:19
5 Eurydice (for Wayne Shorter) 6:00
6 The Mind's Eye Intro 0:44
7 The Mind's Eye (for Michael Brecker And Joe Lovano) 7:14
8 Gratitude (for All The Past Masters) 3:05
9 The Visitor (for Lester Young) 7:39
10 Body And Soul (for Coleman Hawkins) 5:29
Written-By – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Robert Sour
11 Star Eyes (for Charlie Parker) 5:23
Written-By – Don Raye, Gene DePaul
12 Vox Humana (for Ornette Coleman) 5:24
13 What's New (for The Current Generation) 2:22
Written-By – Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke
Credits :
Alto Flute – Chris Potter (tracks: 4, 7)
Alto Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 11)
Bass – Scott Colley (tracks: 1 to 12)
Bass Clarinet – Chris Potter (tracks: 4, 7, 10)
Composed By – Chris Potter (tracks: 1 to 9, 12)
Drums – Brian Blade (tracks: 1 to 12)
Electric Piano – Kevin Hays (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7)
Flute [Chinese Wood] – Chris Potter (tracks: 12)
Piano – Kevin Hays (tracks: 1, 3, 5 to 9, 12)
Soprano Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 5, 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 13) 

BILLIE HOLIDAY — Solitude (1952-1993) RM | Serie Billie Holiday Verve Story – Volume 2 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Billie Holiday's first recordings for Norman Granz' Clef Records present a vocalist truly at the top of her craft, although she would begin a rapid decline soon thereafter. This 1952 recording (originally issued as a 10" LP, Billie Holiday Sings) places Holiday in front of small piano and tenor saxophone-led groups including jazz luminaries such as Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers, where her gentle phrasing sets the tone for the sessions, evoking lazy evenings and dreamy afternoons. The alcoholism and heroin use that would be her downfall by the end of this decade seems to be almost unfathomable during these recordings since Holiday is in as fine a voice as her work in the '30s, and the musical environment seems ideal for these slow torch songs. Solitude runs as the common theme throughout these 16 tracks; the idle breathiness of "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)" finds the vocalist casually reminiscing, and Barney Kessel's warm guitar lines frame the title track beautifully. Several of Holiday's best-known recordings came from this session, including outstanding versions of "I Only Have Eyes for You" and a darkly emotional "Love for Sale," making this album far and away the best work of her later years, and certainly a noteworthy moment of her entire career. Zac Johnson
Tracklist :
1. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) (Bowman) - 2:56
2. Blue Moon (Rodgers-Hart) - 3:31
3. You Go to My Head (Coots-Gillespie) - 2:57
4. You Turned the Tables on Me (Alter-Mitchell) - 3:28
5. Easy to Love (Porter) - 3:02
6. These Foolish Things (Link-Strachey-Maschwitz) - 3:35
7. I Only Have Eyes for You (Warren-Dubin) - 2:54
8. Solitude (Ellington-DeLange-Mills) - 3:32
9. Everything I Have Is Yours (Lane-Adamson) - 3:45
10. Love for Sale (Porter) - 2:59
11. Moonglow (DeLange-Hudson-Mills) - 3:00
12. Tenderly (Gross-Lawrence) - 3:25
13. If the Moon Turns Green (Coates-Hanighen) - 2:47
14. Remember (Berlin) - 2:37
15. Autumn in New York (LP take) (Duke) - 3:43
16. Autumn in New York (78 rpm take) (Duke) - 3:52
Credits :
Billie Holiday - Vocals
Charlie Shavers - Trumpet
Flip Phillips - Tenor Saxophone
Oscar Peterson - Piano
Barney Kessel - Guitar
Alvin Stoller - Drums

DINAH WASHINGTON ! BROOK BENTON — The Two of Us (1959-1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Wonderful duets between Brook Benton (v) and Washington, plus solo cuts by both from 1960. Ron Wynn

Tracklist :
1    Dinah Washington–    There Goes My Heart 3:29
Written-By – Abner Silver, Benny Davis
2    Brook Benton–    Call Me 2:36
Written-By – Belford C. Hendricks, Clyde Otis
3    Brook Benton & Dinah Washington–    Baby (You've Got What It Takes) 2:43
Written-By – Brook Benton, Clyde Otis, Murray Stein
4    Dinah Washington–    Love Walked In 2:08
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin
5    Brook Benton–    Not One Step Behind 2:22
Written-By – Brook Benton, Chris Towns
6    Brook Benton & Dinah Washington–    A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love) 2:25
Written-By – Brook Benton, Clyde Otis, Luchi DeJesus
7    Brook Benton–    Someone To Believe In 2:36
Written-By – Bobby Stevenson, Brook Benton, Clyde Otis
8    Dinah Washington–    This I Promise You 2:36
Written-By – Clyde Otis, Vincent Corso
9    Brook Benton & Dinah Washington–    I Do 2:21
Written-By – Ben Raleigh, Don Wolf
10    Brook Benton–    Because Of Everything 2:25
Written-By – Belford C. Hendricks, Clyde Otis
11    Dinah Washington–    Again 3:22
Written-By – Dorcas Cochran, Lionel Newman
12    Brook Benton & Dinah Washington–    I Believe 3:21
Written-By – Al Stillman, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl
- BONUS TRACKS -    
13    Dinah Washington–    Nothing In The World 3:14
Written By – Brook Benton
Written-By – Belford C. Hendricks, Clyde Otis
14    Dinah Washington–    While We're Young 2:23
Written-By – Alec Wilder, Morty Palitz, Bill Engvick
15    Dinah Washington–    Looking Back 2:25
Written-By – Belford C. Hendricks, Brook Benton, Clyde Otis
16    Dinah Washington–    We Have Love 2:24
Written-By – Alfonso Higgins, Dinah Washington
17    Dinah Washington–    Early Every Morning 2:18
Written-By – Belford C. Hendricks, Clyde Otis
18    Dinah Washington–    Love Walked In 2:13
Written-By – George & Ira Gershwin
19    Brook Benton–    Someone To Believe In 2:13
Written-By – Bobby Stevenson, Brook Benton, Clyde Otis
Credits :
Arranged By – Belford Hendricks (pistas: 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 11 to 19), Fred Norman (pistas: 5, 10)
Conductor – Belford Hendricks (pistas: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19), Fred Norman (pistas: 16, 17)
Directed By [Recording] – Clyde Otis
Orchestra – Fred Norman Orchestra (pistas: 5, 10, 16, 17), Nat Goodman Orchestra (pistas: 1, 4, 18)
Producer – Clyde Otis
Vocals – Brook Benton (pistas: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 19), Dinah Washington (pistas: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11 to 18)

DOROTHY DANDRIDGE — Smooth Operator (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Real Name: Dorothy Jean Dandridge.
Profile: American actress and popular singer.
Born : November 09, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Died : September 08, 1965 in West Hollywood, California. (Embolism or Overdose)
Was the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress

Actress/singer Dorothy Dandridge was Hollywood's first African-American superstar, becoming the first black performer ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Born November 9, 1923 in Cleveland, she was the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge, and with sister Vivian teamed in the song-and-dance duo the Wonder Children. The family relocated to Los Angeles during the mid-'30s, and in 1937 Dandridge briefly made her film debut in the Marx Brothers classic A Day at the Races.

Carmen Jones [Original Soundtrack] Concurrently she continued her singing career, and with Vivian performed as the Dandridge Sisters, sharing stages with the likes of Jimmie Lunceford and Cab Calloway as well as recording with Louis Armstrong. During the early '40s Dorothy appeared in a series of musical film shorts, and as the decade progressed she became a sensation on the nightclub circuit. Dandridge's mainstream breakthrough was her title role in Otto Preminger's 1954 screen musical Carmen Jones, a performance which earned her an Academy Award nomination and made her a star; nevertheless, she did not reappear onscreen until 1957's Island in the Sun, and despite winning a Golden Globe for her work in 1959's Porgy and Bess she was offered virtually no future film roles, returning to nightclubs by the early '60s.
Smooth Operator Plagued by years of personal hardships as well as professional hurdles, Dandridge was found dead of an overdose of anti-depressants on September 8, 1965. Three decades later her career enjoyed a kind of renaissance with an acclaimed 1997 biography by film historian Donald Bogle in addition to Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, a 1999 HBO telefilm starring Halle Berry. Smooth Operator, a long-unreleased recording date from 1958 featuring the Oscar Peterson trio, was finally issued in 1999 as well. web

Smooth Operator explores a little-known aspect of the beautiful, troubled African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge: her vocal abilities. Most of this album comes from a 1958 recording session featuring Dandridge's lovely interpretations of "When Your Lover Has Gone," "Body & Soul" and the title track. That her backing band is an augmented version of the Oscar Peterson Trio makes her album even more special, and a must for jazz fans and film buffs. Heather Phares
Tracklist :
1 It's Easy To Remember 2:24
Written-By – Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart
2 What Is There To Say? 3:11
Written-By – E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke
3 That Old Feeling 3:05
Written-By – Lew Brown, Sammy Fain
4 The Touch Of Your Lips 2:58
Written-By – Ray Noble
5 When Your Lover Has Gone 2:59
Written-By – E. A. Swan
6 The Nearness Of You 3:17
Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
7 (In This World) I'm Glad There Is You 4:02
Written-By – Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Madeira
8 I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face 1:48
Written-By – Alan J. Lerner-Frederick Loewe
9 Body And Soul 3:38
Written-By – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Robert Sour
10 How Long Has This Been Going On? 3:30
Written-By – George and Ira Gershwin
11 I've Got A Crush On You 2:28
Written-By – George and Ira Gershwin
12 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 2:37
Written-By – Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart
13 Somebody 2:48
Written-By – Harry Warren , Jack Brooks 
14 Stay With It 2:35
Written-By – Dotty Wayne, Ray Rasch
15 It's A Beautiful Evening 2:38
Written-By – Dotty Wayne, Ray Rasch
16 Smooth Operator 3:06
Written-By – Clyde Otis, Murray Stein
Credits
Bass – Ray Brown (tracks: 1-12)
Bongos – Alvin Stoller (tracks: 4, 12)
Celesta – Oscar Peterson (tracks: 4, 8, 11)
Drums – Alvin Stoller (tracks: 1-3, 5-7, 9-11)
Guitar – Herb Ellis (tracks: 1-12)
Orchestra – Unknown Artist (tracks: 13-16)
Piano – Oscar Peterson (tracks: 1-3, 5-7, 9-10)
Vocals – Dorothy Dandridge

QUINCY JONES AND HIS ORCHESTRA — Big Band Bossa Nova (1962-2007) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A byproduct of the bossa nova fad that followed the success of "Desafinado" (and preceded the famous recording Getz/Gilberto), this set finds Quincy Jones utilizing and exploiting bossa nova rhythms in his arrangements for a big band. The personnel includes flügelhornist Clark Terry, altoist Phil Woods, pianist Lalo Schifrin, guitarist Jim Hall, and (on "Soul Bossa Nova") the remarkable Rahsaan Roland Kirk. However, since the selections are all quite brief, and some of the charts are a bit cheesy and inappropriate for the gentle rhythms, this disc (although pleasant enough) is of lesser interest. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Soul Bossa Nova (2:48)
 Quincy Jones
2. Boogie Bossa Nova (2:45)
 Charles Mingus
3. Desafinado (2:57)
 Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
4. Black Orpheus (Manha De Carnaval) (2:58)
 Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria
5. Se E Tarde Me Pardoa (Forgive Me If I'm Late) (4:25)
 Ronaldo Bôscoli / Carlos Lyra
6. On The Street Where You Live (2:36)
 Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
7. Samba De Uma Nota So (One Note Samba) (2:05)
 Jon Hendricks / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
8. Lalo Bossa Nova (3:13)
 Lalo Schifrin
9. Serenata (3:22)
 Leroy Anderson
10. Chega De Saudade (No More Blues) (5:39)
 Antônio Carlos Jobim
Credits :
Bass – Chris White
Drums – Rudy Collins
Flugelhorn – Clark Terry
Flute – Jerome Richardson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk (tracks: 1)
Flute [Alto] – Jerome Richardson
Guitar – Jim Hall (tracks: 3, 8-10)
Percussion – Carlos Gomez, Jack Del Rio, José Paula
Piano – Lalo Schifrin
Producer – Quincy Jones
Saxophone [Alto] – Phil Woods (tracks: 6-9)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Paul Gonsalves (tracks: 2, 4 & 7)
Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: 2 & 10)
Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

ABBEY LINCOLN — Through the Years : 1956-2007 (2010) 3CD SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Anyone who has followed Abbey Lincoln’s career with any regularity understands that she has followed a fiercely individual path and has paid the cost for those choices. Through the Years is a cross-licensed, three-disc retrospective expertly compiled and assembled by the artist and her longtime producer, Jean-Philippe Allard. Covering more than 50 years in her storied career, it establishes from the outset that Lincoln was always a true jazz singer and unique stylist. Though it contains no unreleased material, it does offer the first true picture of he range of expression. Her accompanists include former husband Max Roach, Benny Carter, Kenny Dorham, Charlie Haden, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Kelly, Benny Golson, J.J. Johnson, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, and Hank Jones, to name scant few.

Disc one commences with “This Can’t Be Love” from 1956; one of the best-known tunes off her debut album, arranged and conducted by Golson. But the story begins to change immediately with "I Must Have That Man" with her fronting the Riverside Jazz All-Stars in 1957. Tracks from It’s Magic, Abbey Is Blue, and Straight Ahead are here, and the story moves ahead chronologically and aesthetically all the way to 1984. But there are also big breaks stylistically, with her primal performance on “Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace” from We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite in 1960 and the amazing “Lonesome Lover” from It’s Time: Max Roach and His Orchestra and Choir in 1962, which is where her story takes its first recording break. It picks up in 1973 with "Africa" from People in Me. It breaks again until 1980, with “Throw It Away” off the beautiful Painted Lady, and continues through appearances with Cedar Walton and Sun Ra. There is another break in the narrative between discs one and two, commencing again in 1990 with the issue of the brilliant The World Is Falling Down on Verve when she began her association with Allard and recorded regularly. This disc contains a dozen tracks all recorded between 1990 and 1992. Disc three commences in 1995 and goes straight through to 2007. The latter two discs reflect the periods when Lincoln finally assumed her rightful status as a true jazz icon; individual track performances from standards to self-written tunes and folk songs are all done in her inimitable style and are well-known to fans. This set is gorgeously compiled and sequenced. As a listen, Through the Years is literally astonishing in its breadth and depth. It establishes her commitment to artistic freedom, and her fierce dedication to discipline, song, and performance. The box features liners by Gary Giddins, and great photographs, as well as stellar sound quality.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1-1    This Can't Be Love 2:22
Composed By – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Directed By, Arranged By – Benny Carter
Engineer – John Kraus
Orchestra – Benny Carter And His Orchestra
Producer – Russell Keith
1-2    Don't Explain 6:35
Bass – Wynton Kelly
Composed By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
Drums – Max Roach
Engineer – Jack Higgins
Producer – Bill Grauer, Orrin Keepnews
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham
1-3    I Must Have That Man 3:37
Bass – Paul Chambers
Composed By – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh

Drums – Max Roach
Engineer – Jack Higgins
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Producer – Bill Grauer, Orrin Keepnews
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham
1-4    Little Niles 4:59
Bass – Sam Jones
Composed By – Jon Hendricks, Randy Weston
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones
Engineer – Jack Higgins
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Producer – Orrin Keepnews
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson
Trumpet – Art Farmer
1-5    Let Up 5:19
Bass – Bob Boswell
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Max Roach
Engineer – Jack Higgins
Piano – Cedar Walton
Producer – Bill Grauer, Orrin Keepnews
Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine
Trombone – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Tommy Turrentine
1-6    Come Sunday 5:07
Bass – Sam Jones
Composed By – Duke Ellington
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones
Engineer – Jack Higgins
Guitar – Les Spann
Piano – Phillip Wright
Producer – Bill Grauer, Orrin Keepnews
1-7    Triptych: Prayer / Protest / Peace 7:58
Composed By – Max Roach
Drums – Max Roach
Engineer – Bob D'Orleans
1-8    Left Alone 6:46
Bass – Art Davis
Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy
Composed By – Billie Holiday, Mal Waldron
Drums – Max Roach
Piano – Mal Waldron
Tenor Saxophone – Walter Benton
Tenor Saxophone, Soloist – Coleman Hawkins
Trombone, Arranged By – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Booker Little
1-9    Lonesome Lover 7:01
Backing Vocals, Conductor – Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
Bass – Art Davis
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Composed By, Orchestrated By – Max Roach
Drums – Max Roach
Engineer, Mixed By – George Piros, Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Mal Waldron
Producer – Bob Thiele
Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan
Trombone – Julian Priester
1-10    Africa 7:08
Bass – Kunimitsu Inaba
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln, John Coltrane
Drums – Al Foster
Engineer, Mixed By – Suenori Fukui
Percussion – James Mtume
Piano – Hiromasa Suzuki
Producer – Toshinari Koinuma
Tenor Saxophone – David Liebman
1-11    Throw It Away 6:35
Bass – Jack Gregg
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Freddie Waits
Engineer, Mixed By – Emile Flock, Jean-Claude Talar
Piano – Hilton Ruiz
Producer – Emile De La Tour, Gérard Terronès, Odile Terronès, Éric Terronès
Tenor Saxophone – Archie Shepp
Trumpet – Roy Burrowes
1-12    The Maestro 4:38
Bass – David Williams (2)
Composed By – Cedar Walton
Drums – Billy Higgins
Engineer, Mixed By – Malcolm Addey
Piano – Cedar Walton
Producer – Cedar Walton
Tenor Saxophone – Bob Berg
1-13    The River 4:57
Alto Saxophone – Steve Coleman
Backing Vocals – Arlene Knox, Bemshee Shirer, Naima Williams
Bass – Billy Johnson
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Mark Johnson
Engineer, Mixed By – David Baker
Percussion – Jerry Gonzalez
Piano – James Weidman
Producer – Horst Weber, Mathias Winkelmann
2-1    The World is Falling Down 6:20
Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Alto Saxophone, Soloist – Jackie McLean
Arranged By – Ron Carter
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Billy Higgins
Piano – Alain Jean-Marie
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – David Baker
Trumpet – Clark Terry
2-2    You Must Believe in Spring and Love 5:57
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
Arranged By – Ron Carter
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand
Drums – Billy Higgins
Flugelhorn – Clark Terry
Piano – Alain Jean-Marie
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – David Baker
2-3    First Song 6:31
Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden
Piano – Alain Jean-Marie
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – David Baker
Trumpet – Clark Terry
2-4    Bird Alone 8:34
Arranged By – Randolph Noël
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Mark Johnson
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Viola – Maxine Roach
2-5    I'm In Love 6:11
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Joan Griffin
Drums – Mark Johnson
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
2-6    A Time For Love 8:40
Arranged By – Randolph Noël
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
Drums – Mark Johnson
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
Viola – Maxine Roach
2-7    Jungle Queen 6:12
Ashiko – Kehinde O'Uhuru
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Djembe, Agogô – Sule O'Uhuru
Djembe, Ashiko, Shekere, Drum [Ngoma] – Babatunde Olatunji
Dunun [Jun Jun Drums] – Gordy Ryan
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
2-8    A Child Is Born 6:22
Bass – Marcus McLaurine
Composed By – Alec Wilder, Thad Jones
Drums – Grady Tate
Piano – Rodney Kendrick
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Trombone – J.J. Johnson
2-9    You Came A Long Way From St. Louis 3:55
Composed By – Bob Russell, John Benson Brooks
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Claude Ermelin
2-10    I Should Care 5:45
Composed By – Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorder, Mixed By – Claude Emelin
2-11    Through The Years 5:23
Bass – Michael Bowie
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Composed By, Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Bheki Mseleku
Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard, Russell Herman
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
2-12    When I'm Called Home 5:28
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Mark Johnson
Piano – Hank Jones
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz
3-1     Avec le temps 5:38
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Pat Metheny
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Léo Ferré
Drums – Victor Lewis
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
3-2     Mr Tambourine Man 6:53
Bass – Michael Bowie
Composed By – Bob Dylan
Drums – Aaron Walker
Piano – Marc Cary
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Julien Lourau
3-3    Love Has Gone Away 7:35
Alto Saxophone – Steve Coleman
Bass – Michael Bowie
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Aaron Walker
Piano – Marc Cary
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
3-4    And It's Supposed To Be Love 5:12
Backing Vocals – Maggie Brown
Bass – Michael Bowie
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Alvester Garnett
Marimba – Bobby Hutcherson
Percussion – Daniel Moreno
Piano – James Hurt
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
3-5    Should've Been 7:57
Bass – Charlie Haden
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Victor Lewis
Electric Guitar – Pat Metheny
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
3-6    Nature Boy 5:04
Bass – Christian McBride
Composed By – Eden Ahbez
Drums – Victor Lewis
Piano – Rodney Kendrick
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Tenor Saxophone – Julien Lourau
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
3-7    The Windmills Of Your Mind 5:52
Bass – Jaz Sawyer, John Ormond
Composed By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand
Piano – Brandon McCune
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano
3-8    Skylark 5:25
Bass – Ray Drummond
Composed By – Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer
Conductor, Arranged By – Laurent Cugny
Drums – Jaz Sawyer
Piano – Kenny Barron
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
3-9    It's Me, O' Lord 3:42
Composed By – traditional
Piano – Kenny Barron
Producer – Daniel Richard, Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
3-10    Blue Monk 5:13
Acoustic Guitar, Resonator Guitar – Larry Campbell
Bass – Scott Colley
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln, Thelonious Monk
Drums – Shawn Pelton
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
3-11    The Music Is Magic 3:53
Bass – Scott Colley
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Shawn Pelton
Electric Guitar – Larry Campbell
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By – Jay Newland
3-12    Down Here Below 8:50
Arranged By – Randolph Noël
Bass – Charlie Haden
Cello – John Robinson
Composed By – Abbey Lincoln
Drums – Victor Lewis
Piano – Kenny Barron
Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Applegate
Violin – Sandra Bilignslea