AHMAD JAMAL TRIO — Count 'Em 88 (1956-1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP (not yet reissued on CD) was pianist Ahmad Jamal's first with his new group, a trio also including bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Walter Perkins. Although he was reasonably popular around the Chicago area at the time, Jamal's major breakthrough would be the following album, But Not for Me, recorded more than a year later. The "Jamal sound," with its expert use of dynamics, close interplay, space and subtle surprises was very much in place, and this out-of-print set is on the same level as his better-known hits to come. Highlights include "Green Dolphin Street," "How About You" and "Easy To Remember." Well worth searching for. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Volga Boatman 3:53
Ahmad Jamal
2    On Green Dolphin Street 3:20
Bronislaw Kaper / Ned Washington
3    How About You 5:30
R. Freed / Ralph Freed / Burton Lane
4    I Just Can't See for Lookin 2:04
Nadine Robinson
5    Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year 2:35
Frank Loesser
6    Beat Out One 5:28
Ahmad Jamal
7    Maryam 3:39
Ahmad Jamal
8    Easy to Remember 5:41
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9    Jim Love Sue 2:51
Ahmad Jamal
Credits :
Double Bass – Israel Crosby
Drums – Walter Perkins
Piano – Ahmad Jamal

ROLAND KIRK - "Rahsaan" The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk (1990) 11xCD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Rahsaan Roland Kirk's nearly one-dozen long-players on the Mercury Records family of labels -- including the Smash and Limelight subsidiaries -- are gathered on this massive ten-disc compilation. Actually, it is 11 discs if you count the surprise bonus CD. Additionally, Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk lives up to its name by augmenting those albums with more than two-dozen previously unissued sides. Kirk's thoroughly innovative multi-instrumental reed work caught the attention of legendary producer Quincy Jones, then the vice-president of Mercury Records, who signed Kirk and would later arrange and conduct orchestrations for several of his memorable sessions. Perhaps the most recognizable among them is "Soul Bossa Nova" which is heavily featured in the Austin Powers franchise. Kirk's ability to perform several reed instruments -- including the tenor, flute, clarinet, manzello, and stritch -- simultaneously allowed him a musical autonomy few instrumentalists are afforded. His youthful embrace of the R&B, soul, pop, and eventually rock genres produced swinging interpretations of "And I Love Her" and "Walk on By," among others. Regardless of the genre, however, Kirk's ability to Swing -- with a capitol "S" -- is imprinted upon every piece he performed. Although Kirk continued his prolific output on Atlantic records in the late '60s and '70s, arguably his most profound sides are included here. We Free Kings, Domino, Reeds and Deeds, Gifts and Messages, I Talk with the Spirits and Rip, Rig & Panic are offered in their entirety. Undoubtedly the centerpiece of Kirk's work for the label is the live Kirk in Copenhagen, which features some wicked harp blowing from blues legend "Sonny Boy" Williamson, aka Big Skol. It is only fitting that this album benefits so greatly from inclusion on this set. The original six sides have been supplemented with an additional ten to present the entire October '63 performance, now complete at an hour and 45 minutes. Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings if Roland Kirk is complimented visually with a 56-page information packed booklet that includes: complete discographical and recording session logs, as well individual essays for each disc. Although not for the light of funds, this is truly the best way to become immersed in these early works of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Lindsay Planer
All Tracks & Credits

ROLAND KIRK - I Talk with the Spirits (1964-1998) RM | Verve Master Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk leaves the stritch, manzello and other exotic instruments at home for this all-flute outing from his pre-"Rahsaan" days. Consisting mostly of originals, with a couple of show tunes and a swinging take on John Lewis' "Django" thrown in, I Talk to the Spirits provides the best sampling of Kirk's unique flute style. He hums along with himself as he plays, inserts pieces of lyrics when the mood hits, finds overtones and multi-part harmonies as he blows madly through the upper register and sails sweetly through the lower. Included here is the original version of "Serenade to a Cuckoo," a song later taken to rock audiences with its inclusion on the first Jethro Tull album. (In fact, for the Tull fan who wants to hear where Ian Anderson borrowed his style, I Talk to the Spirits is the place to go.) The playing on this outing is uniformly excellent, with Kirk ranging from his trademark up-tempo overblowing on "A Quote from Clifford Brown" to bluesy growling on "The Business Ain't Nothing But the Blues" to placid beauty on the ballad "Trees." He guides Kurt Weill's "My Ship" on a five-minute voyage through calm seas and turbulent double-timed storms. Kirk's sense of whimsy and musical fun is evident throughout. Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1     Serenade to a Cuckoo 4'40
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
2     We'll Be Together Again/People 4'38
Carl Fischer / Frankie Laine / Bob Merrill / Jule Styne
3     A Quote from Clifford Brown 4'22
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
4     Trees 6'18
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
5     Fugue'n and Alludin 0'41
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Vibraphone – Bobby Moses    
6     The Business Ain't Nothin' But the Blues 5'02
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7     I Talk with the Spirits 3'56
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Vibraphone – Bobby Moses
8     Ruined Castles 1'18
Rentaroh Taki
Other [Music Box] – Roland Kirk    
9     Django 4'50
John Lewis
Idiophone [Celeste] – Horace Parlan    
10     My Ship 5'05
Ira Gershwin, Kurt Weill
Credits :
Bass – Michael Fleming (pistas: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Drums, Percussion – Walter Perkins (pistas: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Flute, Flute [Amplified Flute], Flute [African Wood Flute], Vocals [Vocal Interjections] – Roland Kirk
Piano – Horace Parlan (pistas: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Vocals – Crystal-Joy Albert (pistas: 1, 7)

CLARK TERRY - The Happy Horns Of Clark Terry (1964-1994) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This all-star LP has plenty of memorable moments. Flugelhornist Clark Terry teams up with altoist Phil Woods (who doubles on clarinet), tenor great Ben Webster, pianist Roger Kellaway, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Walter Perkins for a varied program that includes a rollicking version of "Rockin' in Rhythm," Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist," a Duke Ellington medley, and "Return to Swahili," which is mostly a flügelhorn-drums duet. The lively music is quite enjoyable. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Rockin' in Rhythm 4'40
Harry Carney / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
2     In a Mist 4'08
Bix Beiderbecke
3     Return to Swahili 3'05
Clark Terry
4     Ellington Rides Again: Dont' Get Around Much Anymore/Perdido/I 2'57
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges / Harry James / Bob Russell / Juan Tizol
5     Impulsive 4'40
Johnny Hodges
6     Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me 3'36
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
7     Jazz Conversations 4'31
Buck Clayton / Bob Hammer
8     High Towers 3'48
Phil Woods
9     Hammerhead Waltz 2'49
Bob Hammer
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Phil Woods
Bass – Milt Hinton
Drums – Walter Perkins
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Roger Kellaway
Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

THE ART FARMER QUARTET - Live at the Half Note (1962-1987) RM APE (image+.cue), lossless

After the Jazztet that he co-led with tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson broke up, flugelhornist Art Farmer led a pianoless quartet during 1963-64 with guitarist Jim Hall. For this reissue in the Atlantic Jazzlore series, Farmer and Hall are joined by bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Walter Perkins. Their repertoire is a bit surprising since four of the five songs were veteran swing standards; all but Miles Davis's obscure "Swing Spring." Hall (who has "I'm Gettin' Sentimental over You" as his feature) was a perfect musical partner for Farmer since both musicians have mellow sounds and thoughtful improvising styles that are more complex than expected. This 1987 reissue is well worth picking up. The group only lasted long enough to make three records, all of which are out-of-print. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Stompin' at the Savoy 12'27
Benny Goodman / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
2     Swing Spring 5'51
Miles Davis
3     What's New? 4'24
Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
4     I Want to Be Happy 9'41
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
5     I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You 5'03
George Bassman / Ned Washington
Credits :
Bass – Steve Swallow
Drums – Walter Perkins
Flugelhorn – Art Farmer (pistas: 1 to 4)
Guitar – Jim Hall

ART FARMER & JIM HALL QUARTET - The Complete Live Recordings (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The Art Farmer-Jim Hall Quartet recorded only a handful of times in the early 1960s, making this reissue of two separate live performances all the more valuable. By the time Farmer recruited Hall for his new group, he had made the switch from trumpet to the richer sound of the flugelhorn, while the guitarist's style of playing complemented the leader perfectly. The first date originally was issued by Atlantic, though both the album and the subsequent CD reissue have long been unavailable; the rhythm section consists of Steve Swallow (who had not yet made the switch to electric bass) and drummer Walter Perkins. Except for Miles Davis' "Swing Spring," all of the songs are from the swing era. The extended workout of "Stompin' at the Savoy" is illustrative of the group's abilities, while Hall is featured in a lush setting of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." The last five tracks first appeared on the Moon bootleg CD Meets Mulligan & Hall, though it too has been out of print for some time, with Pete La Roca (aka Pete Sims) taking over on drums. The sound of these performances is a bit muddy, as if taken from a second or third generation of a broadcast taping, though the music is excellent throughout the set. This Gambit reissue repeats the earlier CD's sloppy composer credits, which attribute the lilting take of "Sometime Ago" to Chick Corea instead of Sergio Mihanovich, though the addition of detailed liner notes is welcome. The heartfelt arrangement of "'Darn That Dream" and burning take of Sonny Rollins' unusual jazz waltz "Valse Hot" are also highlights. Ken Dryden  

Tracklist :
1     Stompin' at the Savoy 12'25
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra / Andy Razaf / Edgar Sampson / Chick Webb
2     Swing Spring 5'56
Miles Davis
3     What's New? 4'28
Haggart / Burke   
4     I Want to Be Happy 9'43
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
5     I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 5'07
George Bassman / Ned Washington
6     Sometime Ago 7'49
Chick Corea
7     Bilbao Song 6'10
Kurt Weill
8     Darn That Dream 4'55
James Van Heusen
9     Valse Hot 11'21
Sonny Rollins
10     Theme 0'58
Art Farmer
Credits :
Bass – Steve Swallow
Drums – Pete La Roca, Walter Perkins
Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
Guitar – Jim Hall

AHMED ABDUL-MALIK WITH RAY NANCE AND SELDON POWELL - Spellbound (1964-2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Spellbound, recorded in 1964, is double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik's final date as a leader, though given its contents, it shouldn't have been. Abdul-Malik, an American born musician of Sudanese descent, helped to bring the sounds of the Middle East to jazz in the '50s, incorporating oud and a different set of scales in his own recordings. His sidemen for this date are ubiquitous Duke Ellington Orchestra cornetist Ray Nance, who also plays violin here, drummer Walter Perkins, saxophonist/flutist Seldon Powell, the little known pianist Paul Neves, and oud player -- on two tracks -- Sudanese musician Hamza Aldeen (not to be confused with the Egyptian composer, oud and tar player Hamza el Din). The program on this date is unusual: three of the five tunes here come from movie soundtracks. The opening title track is from the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name and features a fine, gently swinging solo from Neves, and some excellent frontline and violin from Nance. "Never on Sunday," from the Greek film of the same name, is a showcase for Aldeen, who twins his lines with Nance's plucked violin, anchored by Abdul-Malik and Perkins. Powell's flute moves off into a solo before the piano and oud restate the theme followed by a saxophone, piano, and second flute break. It's breezy, easy, and it swings. The interplay between Nance's cornet break and Powell's tenor solo registers its emotion as Neves fills the melody with wonderful, spacious, right-hand arpeggios. Abdul-Malik's bass opens "Song of Delilah" from the film Samson & Delilah. He's followed in a complex melodic statement by flute, a gypsy jazz solo by Nance on violin, and finally, a gorgeous oud break based on a single chord -- with deep, responsorial bass from Abdul-Malik -- that eventually moves the tune into a grooving flute break. Closer "Cinema Blues" isn't from a film. Instead, it's a straight-ahead hard bop blues, with some fine muted cornet work, killer comps from Neves, and a fluid, mid-register solo by Powell, with a driving rhythm section. Spellbound isn't as groundbreaking as some of Abdul-Malik's earlier work, but it doesn't need to be: by this point, he had successfully melded jazz with Middle Eastern sounds into a seamless -- if somewhat exotically textural -- whole. The band fires on all cylinders under his inspired direction, making this a fitting sendoff to him as a bandleader. Musically, he saved one of his best for last.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Spellbound    4:57
Miklós Rózsa
2    Never On Sunday    5:14
Manos Hadjidakis
3    Body And Soul    7:14
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
4    Song Of Delilah    7:02
Ray Evans / Eldee Young
5    Cinema Blues    8:16
Ahmed Abdul-Malik
Credits :    
Bass – Ahmed Abdul-Malik
Cornet, Violin – Ray Nance
Drums – Walter Perkins
Oud – Hamza Aldeen (pistas: 2, 4)
Piano – Paul Neves
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Seldon Powell