ELVIN JONES — Live At The Village Vanguard (1968-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In what was probably the first recording by drummer Elvin Jones' working group (and one of his first after the death of John Coltrane), the focus is very much on tenor saxophonist George Coleman. The trio (which also includes bassist Wilbur Little) stretches out on Coleman's "By George," "Laura," and "You Don't Know What Love Is," and is joined by trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson for a 15-minute version of "Mister Jones." The music is very much in the late-'50s/early-'60s modal vein of Coltrane, and although rather brief, the playing here is excellent and reasonably exploratory. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    M.C.    0:31
Written-By – Elvin Jones
2    By George 7:06
Written-By – George Coleman
3    Laura 12:00
Written-By – David Raskin
4    Mister Jones 15:05
Written-By – Keiko Jones
5    You Don't Know What Love Is 6:57
Written-By – Don Raye, Gene DePaul
6    M.C. 0:37
Written-By – Elvin Jones
Credits :
Bass – Wilbur Little
Drums – Elvin Jones
Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman
Trumpet – Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson (tracks: 4)

ELVIN JONES — Poly-Currents (1969-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Poly-Currents features drummer Elvin Jones leading a sextet full of notables, who include the underrated tenor great George Coleman; Joe Farrell on tenor, flute, and English horn; baritonist Pepper Adams; bassist Wilbur Little, and Candido on congas. They stretch out on group originals highlighted by "Mr. Jones" and "Whew." In addition, flutist Fred Tompkins teams up with Farrell's flute, Little, and Jones on his own "Yes." Advanced modal hard bop with all of the musicians playing in top form. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Agenda 13:50
Written-By – E. Jones
2    Agappe Love 5:52
Written-By – J. Farrell
3    Mr. Jones 7:35
Written-By – K. Jones
4    Yes 2:22
Written-By – F. Tompkins
5    Whew 9:33
Written-By – W. Little
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: 1 to 3)
Bass – Wilbur Little
Bass Flute – Joe Farrell (tracks: 4)
Congas – Candido Camero (tracks: 1 to 3)
Drums – Elvin Jones
English Horn – Joe Farrell (tracks: 1)
Flute – Fred Tompkins (tracks: 4), Joe Farrell (tracks: 2)
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman (tracks: 1 to 3, 5), Joe Farrell (tracks: 3, 5)

ELVIN JONES — Coalition (1971-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note, The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Drummer Elvin Jones' Blue Note sessions have long been underrated, partly because the label itself was declining during the era and also partly due to the rise of the avant-garde and fusion, which overshadowed Jones' passionate and advanced hard bop. In 1970, Elvin's band consisted of George Coleman and Frank Foster on tenors (Foster also plays bass clarinet on one number), bassist Wilbur Little, Candido on conga, and the drummer/leader. This was a particularly creative and often intense ensemble, attached to the hard bop tradition but always looking forward. On four group originals (including Coleman's "5/4 Thing") and "Yesterdays," the quintet generates a lot of heat, with the contrast between the tones of Coleman and Foster making this album (not yet reissued on CD) of particular interest. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Shinjitu 7:38
Composed By – K. Jones
2    Yesterdays 10:57
Composed By – J. Kern, O. Harbach
3    5/4 Thing 5:25
Composed By – G. Coleman
4    Ural Stradania 8:27
Composed By – F. Foster
5    Simone 6:29
Composed By – F. Foster
Credits :
Alto Clarinet – Frank Foster (tracks: 1)
Bass – Wilbur Little
Congas – Candido (tracks: 1, 3 to 5)
Drums – Elvin Jones
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Tambourine – Candido (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 2 to 5), George Coleman

ELVIN JONES — Mr. Jones (1973-2013) RM | Serie BNLA 999 Encore | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    One's Native Place 6:17
Written-By – Keiko Jones
2    Gee Gee 5:45
Written-By – Gene Perla
3    Mr. Jones 7:35
Written-By – Keiko Jones
4    What's Up-That's It 5:40
Written-By – Gene Perla
5    Soultrane 6:12
Written-By – Tadd Dameron
6    New Breed 6:55
Written-By – David Liebman
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Gene Perla (tracks: 1, 4 to 6)
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: 3)
Bass – Wilbur Little (tracks: 3)
Congas – Carlos "Patato" Valdes (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6)
Drums – Elvin Jones
Electric Bass – Gene Perla (tracks: 2)
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flugelhorn – Thad Jones (tracks: 1, 2)
Flute – David Liebman (tracks: 1)
Percussion – Candido Camero* (tracks: 3), Frank Ippolito (tracks: 1, 4, 5)
Piano – Jan Hammer (tracks: 1, 2, 4)
Soprano Saxophone – David Liebman (tracks: 4), Steve Grossman (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone – David Liebman (tracks: 2, 6), George Coleman (tracks: 3), Joe Farrell (tracks: 3), Steve Grossman (tracks: 2, 4 to 6)
Timpani – Albert Duffy (tracks: 1, 5)

ELVIN JONES — The Prime Element (1976) 2 x Vinyl, LP | The Blue Note Re-Issue Series | FLAC (tracks), lossless

This two-LP set consists of a pair of unrelated Elvin Jones Blue Note sessions that had not been previously released. The earlier date features Jones in a septet with the tenors of George Coleman and Joe Farrell along with trumpeter Lee Morgan, while the 1973 album has an 11-piece group that includes a large rhythm section, baritonist Pepper Adams and the tenors of Steve Grossman and Frank Foster. The challenging modal material (an extension of John Coltrane's music of the early '60s) and diverse soloists make this two-fer into a rather stimulating listen. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
A1    At This Point In Time 7:30
Written-By – F. Foster
A2    Currents / Pollen 11:06
Written-By – D. Garcia, G. Perla
B1    The Prime Element 6:14
Written-By – O. Clay
B2    Whims Of Bal 12:22
Written-By – O. Clay
C1    Inner Space 6:28
Written-By – C. Corea
C2    Once I Loved (O Amor E Paz) 6:18
Lyrics By – V. De Moraes
Translated By – R. Gilbert
Written-By – A. C. Jobim
C3    Raynay 7:54
Written-By – E. Jones
D1    Champagne Baby 10:20
Written-By – J. Farrell
D2    Dido Afrique 11:14
Written-By – E. Jones
Credits :
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: A1 to B2)
Bass – Wilbur Little (tracks: C1 to D2)
Congas [Conga] – Candido Camero
Drums – Elvin Jones
Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Gene Perla (tracks: A1 to B2)
Electric Guitar – Cornell Dupree (tracks: A1 to B2)
Percussion – Miovelito Valles (tracks: C1 to D2), Omar Clay (tracks: A1 to B2), Richie "Pablo" Landrum (tracks: A1 to B2)
Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano [Acoustic] – Jan Hammer (tracks: A1 to B2)
Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman (tracks: C1 to D2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: A1 to B2), Steve Grossman (tracks: A1 to B2)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Alto Flute – Joe Farrell (tracks: C1 to D2)
Timpani – Warren Smith (tracks: A1 to B2)
Trumpet – Lee Morgan (tracks: C1 to D2)

ELVIN JONES — Revival : Live at Pookie's Pub (2022) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded live at a small New York City venue, Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub captures drummer Elvin Jones and his quartet in several sweaty, intensely delivered performances recorded over a three-day period in 1967. This was a year after Jones had left John Coltrane's storied quartet and launched his own influential group with tenor saxophonist/flutist Joe Farrell, who is featured prominently here. Joining them are pianist Billy Greene and bassist Wilbur Little, both regular members of Jones' ensembles in the late '60s. With his roiling, tidal wave-like drum style, Jones was easily one of the most distinctive and immediately recognizable players of his era. His playing was as much a defining aspect of the sound of '60s modal jazz and post-bop as Coltrane's. It's that vibe he carried forward with his own group, bringing along the advanced harmonic devices and kinetic group interplay he championed with Coltrane, as well as a passion for lyrical jazz standards, and originals that prefigured the funk and blues explorations of the '70s. Farrell is an absolute monster here, tearing his way through a 16-minute version of his angular blues "13 Avenue B." The band throw more fire on their off-the-cuff rendition of Jimmy Heath's "Gingerbread Boy" featuring Larry Young; the organist clearly showed up at the gig and it's fascinating to hear him apply his ringing organ chords to the piano. We also get a crackling takes on the Jones original "Keiko's Birthday March" (dedicated to his wife), composer Ferde Grofé's Western-themed "On the Trail" (the bar owner's favorite as Jones says), and a delicately rendered "My Funny Valentine" (marked by Farrell's luminous flute). While the late-'60s post-bop aesthetic was often deeply intellectual, Jones could groove as he does on Frank Foster's "Raunchy Rita," a song he recorded a year prior with bassist Richard Davis on Heavy Sounds and which he pushes with a raw, dance club swagger here. Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1-1    Keiko's Birthday March 21:11
Written-By – Elvin Jones
1-2    Gingerbread Boy 8:32
Written-By – Jimmy Heath
1-3    13 Avenue B 16:39
Written-By – Joe Farrell
1-4    My Funny Valentine 8:24
Written-By – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
1-5    M.E. 20:06
Written-By – Billy Greene
2-1    On The Trail 19:46
Written-By – Ferde Grofé, Harold Adamson
2-2    Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 18:23
Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
2-3    Raunchy Rita 3:55
Written-By – Elvin Jones
2-4    Oleo 16:14
Written-By – Sonny Rollins
Credits :
Bass – Wilbur Little
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – Billy Greene, Larry Young (tracks: 1-2)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Joe Farrell

ARCHIE SHEPP - Perfect Passions (1978-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded in 1978 in Warsaw, Poland, this set of Archie Shepp's was played before it became his journeyman live gig. The greasy rhythm section includes Wilber Little on bass, the amazing Clifford Jarvis on drums, and German pianist Seigfried Kessler on piano. There are three tunes in the set: one of the finest and most involved harmonic performances of "Mama Rose"; "Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life," which is a mirror image of Coltrane's 19546 read, and goes on for a full 20 minutes. Finally, there is a shorter and more workmanlike reading of Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood," which nonetheless captures all of the emotion in the original. But it's "Mama Rose" that shows Shepp at his best, turning the modal structure of the tune to his own intervallic dimensional favor. Shepp goes meditating on breath and scales, and Jarvis anticipates his every move and gives him the platform to roll out onto. It's astonishing, the intensity he gets to, especially while keeping the melodic fragments together and stringing them together with long open legatos of Eastern original and intricate modal density. "Lush Life" is its stellar opposite, with Shepp staying deeply in the roots of blues and swing, and Little doing some beautifully spacious arco work on the bass. There is a problem, however, when one considers that this is on the notorious (read: pirate) West Wind label. The recording quality is less than stellar, and there's more than a good chance that Shepp never saw a dime from this recording. That said, the performance is so stunning, it would be worth purchasing and then sending Shepp a check through his management.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Mama Rose 26:39
Composed By – Archie Shepp
2    Lush Life 20:01
Composed By – Billy Strayhorn
3    In A Sentimental Mood 8:49
Composed By – Ellington, Mills, Kurtz
Credits :
Bass – Wilbur Little
Drums – Clifford Jarvis
Piano – Siegfried Kessler
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Vocals [Vocal] – Archie Shepp

ARCHIE SHEPP - Little Red Moon (1986) FLAC (tracks), lossless

 By 1985 Archie Shepp's tone on tenor had declined quite a bit from just a few years earlier. This should have been a strong set for the sidemen (trumpeter Enrico Rava, keyboardist Siegfried Kessler, bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Clifford Jarvis) are excellent and the repertoire is both diverse and challenging. However Shepp fouls up "Naima" by playing his out-of-tune soprano, talks and sings on the 18-minute "Little Red Moon" more than he plays tenor and his sax sounds quite sloppy on "Whisper Not" and "Sweet Georgia Brown." Despite some good moments from the supporting cast, this is one to skip. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Little Red Moon 17'59
Archie Shepp
2     Impromptu 4'00
Archie Shepp    
3     Naima 7'51
John Coltrane    
4     Whisper Not 9'08
Benny Golson    
5     Sweet Georgia Brown 6'59
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
Credits
Bass – Wilbur Little
Drums – Clifford Jarvis
Piano, Synthesizer – Siegfried Kessler
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals [Vocal] – Archie Shepp
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Enrico Rava