HERBIE MANN — Memphis Two-Step (1971-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Memphis Two-Step was the third in Herbie Mann's series of soul/R&B-inflected albums with similar names that began with Memphis Underground and continued with Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty. It is also one of the weakest. "Soul Man" and the title cut really cook, with the personnel and recording information on the latter indicating it may be an outtake from the Memphis Underground sessions. In fact, it is the only track actually recorded in Memphis. The rest of the album doesn't work very well, with "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" a particularly poor choice for a jazz session. The album cover, however, is very cool. Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1    Soul Man 4:49
Bass – Darrel Clayborn
Drums – Richard Waters
Electric Piano – John Barnes
Flugelhorn – Melvin Lastie
Guitar – Al Vescovo
Percussion – Victor Pantoja
Trombone – George Bohanan
Trumpet – Ike Williams
Written-By – David Porter, Isaac Hayes
2    The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 5:25
Bass – Darrel Clayborn
Drums – Richard Waters
Electric Piano – John Barnes
Flugelhorn – Melvin Lastie
Guitar – Al Vescovo
Percussion – Victor Pantoja
Trombone – George Bohanan
Trumpet – Ike Williams
Written-By – J.R. Robertson
3    Memphis Two-Step 6:27
Bass – Mike Leach
Drums – Gene Christman
Electric Piano – Bobby Wood
Guitar – Larry Coryell, Reggie Young
Organ – Bobby Emmons
Vibraphone – Roy Ayers
Written-By – Don Sebesky
4    Down On The Corner 5:50
Congas – Patato Valdez
Guitar – Charlie Brown
Written-By – John Fogerty
5    Guinnevere 8:00
Guitar – Charlie Brown
Written-By – David Crosby
6    Acapulco Rain 7:54
Bass – Ron Carter
Guitar – Richie Resnicoff
Rainstick [Rainmaker] – Eddie Simon
Written-By – Herbie Mann
7    Kabuki Rock 5:30
Bass – Ron Carter
Guitar – Richie Resnicoff
Written-By – William S. Fischer

STANLEY CLARKE | CHICK COREA | JOE HENDERSON | FREDDIE HUBBARD | LENNY WHITE – The Griffith Park Collection (1982-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This unique straight-ahead jazz project unites three core members of Return to Forever with post-bop horn heavyweights Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson. Stanley Clarke makes an unusual appearance on upright bass, and plays it well. Chick Corea and Lenny White round out the ensemble. The set is strictly acoustic, beginning and ending with two Lenny White tunes, the lively "L's Bop" and the somber, dramatic "Guernica," respectively. Clarke contributes the catchy, mid-tempo blues "Why Wait," while Corea gives us "October Ballade" and Hubbard dusts off his hard-bop classic "Happy Times." Corea's trio featured on Steve Swallow's "Remember" breaks things up nicely. David R. Adler
Tracklist :
 1 - L's Bop 5:17
 Lenny White
2 - Why Wait 8:12
 Stanley Clarke
3 - October Ballade 5:36
  Chick Corea
4 - Happy Times 7:14
 Freddie Hubbard
5 - Remember 4:12
 Steve Swallow
6 - Guernica
 Lenny White
Credits :
 Chick Corea – Piano
 Freddie Hubbard – Flughelhorn; Trumpet
 Joe Henderson –Tenor Saxophone
 Lenny White – Drums
 Stanley Clarke – Bass [Upright Bass]

STANLEY CLARKE | CHICK COREA | JOE HENDERSON | FREDDIE HUBBARD | LENNY WHITE – The Griffith Park Collection 2 In Concert (1983-2008) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The first four tracks on this double live record are extended version of tunes from the group's 1982 studio album. The last two are Thelonius Monk's "I Mean You" and the standard "Here's That Rainy Day." There's some great playing from all involved, especially Joe Henderson and Chick Corea, but the recording quality leaves something to be desired. David R. Adler
Tracklist 1 :
1    Why Wait 18:53
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
2    Guernica 19:35
Written-By – Lenny White
Tracklist 2 :
1    Happy Times 12:30
Written-By – Freddie Hubbard
2    October Ballad 14:36
Written-By – Chick Corea
3    I Mean You 11:51
Written-By – Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk
4    Here's That Rainy Day 12:22
Written-By – Johnny Burke & Jimmy VanHeusen
Credits :
Bass [Upright Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Drums, Producer, Liner Notes – Lenny White
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard
Painting [Cover] – Edward Hopper
Piano – Chick Corea
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson

BOOMERANG — Boomerang (1971-2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Boomerang's eponymous 1971 debut also proved to be their last (though a shelved second album remains stashed away somewhere), and its surprisingly stripped-down and unfettered blues-rock approach will probably surprise those familiar with vocalist/organist Mark Stein's earlier work with psychedelic overlords Vanilla Fudge. Clearly inspired by the white-knuckled intensity of Led Zeppelin's first two albums, economic hard rockers like "Juke It," "Cynthia Fever," and "The Peddler" attempted to deliver the same thrilling brand of sheer power masking barely reigned-in virtuosity. Like every other six-stringer of the day, guitar wunderkind Ricky Ramirez (press clippings claimed he was 15 at the time of this recording) was thrust into the role of guitar hero whether he liked it or not; and, despite falling well short of achieving headline status (witness his nonexistent post-Boomerang career), he handled himself convincingly enough throughout, even contributing a nifty backward solo to "Hard Times." As for the band's true frontman and centerpiece, Mark Stein, tunes like the bluesy ballad "Fisherman" and the aforementioned "Juke It" reveal just how much future Deep Purple singer David Coverdale borrowed from his bluesy style. Not to beat a dead horse, but, also like Purple's Coverdale-fronted Mark III lineup, Boomerang offered frequent vocal sparing matches between Stein and bassist Jo Casmir. The duo trades vocal licks with particularly successful results on the extremely funky "Mockingbird," and the entire group's ability to mesh with lush string arrangements on the almost Allman Brothers-like "Brother's Comin' Home" serves as a final reminder of Boomerang's restrained versatility and unfulfilled promise. That fact notwithstanding, all of the above help make this self-titled release an obscure delight for enthusiasts of early-'70s hard rock. Eduardo Rivadavia 
Tracklist :
1 Juke It 4:55
 James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
2 Fisherman 3:36
 Mark Stein
3 Hard Times 4:10
 James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
4 Mockingbird 4:01
 Charlie Foxx / Inez Foxx
5 Cynthia Fever 3:44
 Lenny Brennan / James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
6 Brother's Comin' Home 4:44
 James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
7 The Peddler 5:18
 Lenny Brennan / James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
– BONUS TRACKS –
8 Montreal Jail 3:01
 James Galluzi / Rick Ramirez / Mark Stein
Credits :
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Jo Casmir
Drums, Percussion – James Galluzi
Organ, Piano, Vocals – Mark Stein
Guitar [Lead, Rythm, Acoustic] – Richard Rameriz

ELVIN JONES | JAMES MOODY | CLARK TERRY | BUNKY GREEN | ROLAND PRINCE — Summit Meeting (1977-2019) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This 1976 session led by Elvin Jones is a lot of fun, especially with the presence of Clark Terry and James Moody; rounding out the band are alto saxophonist Bunky Green, guitarist Roland Prince, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist David Matthews, and percussionist Angel Allende. Terry's matchless flügelhorn is the highlight of his original happy blues "Tee Pee Music." Green, who has devoted much of his career to being a jazz educator, contributed the challenging "Blues for Clark" and also the wild post-bop "Summit Song," the latter featuring a solo that borders on avant-garde. Duke Ellington's "Jones," a swinging blues that the maestro narrated to describe how to be cool as one listened to live jazz, is recast with a funky swagger, with Moody's smoking tenor sax and some fine call and response between the horns and the bass, though Terry steals the show by alternating back and forth between flügelhorn and muted trumpet. This somewhat obscure date is overdue to be reissued on CD. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1    Tee Pee Music 8:06
Written-By – Clark Terry
2    Blues For Clark 5:55
Written-By – Bunky Green
3    Moody Magic 6:09
Written-By – Ed Bland
4    Summit Song 10:11
Written-By – Bunky Green
5    Jones 9:59
Written-By – Duke Ellington, Pauline Reddon
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Bunky Green
Bass, Guest – David Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Guitar – Roland Prince
Percussion, Guest – Angel Allende
Piano, Guest – Al Dailey
Tenor Saxophone – James Moody
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

ELVIN JONES — The Main Force (1976-2019) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This inconsistent 1976 release from the mighty Elvin Jones is most successful when it draws on the high-energy, advanced hard bop style of the drummer's post-Coltrane period. It's a different story when it comes to the date's superfluous accommodations to fusion. Ryo Kawasaki's squelchy wah-wah guitar serves as the date's chief fusion device. At times, Kawasaki functions usefully in a role somewhat based on John McLaughlin's approach with Miles Davis in the late '60s. Mostly, he comes across as an additional flavor calculated to skew the music's appeal to the rock audience. Still, the opening track, Kawasaki's "Salty Iron," is wonderful, funky, jazz fusion, but it's not a track that calls for Jones' peerless gifts. "Philomene" and "Mini Modes" are in a more hard bop vein, but their potential is undermined by Kawasaki's trendy licks and the tinny chime of Al Dailey's electric piano. The highlight is Gene Perla's "Sweet Mama." Here, guest saxophonist Dave Liebman fires up some tasty, apocalyptic mayhem over a roiling, rhythm-section tempest. There's also a magical solo spot from Jones. This track is helped considerably by Dailey more suitably playing an acoustic piano and bassist Dave Williams setting aside his electric in favor of his upright. As for the 16-plus-minute "Song of Rejoicing," this marathon of collective, percussive noodling, including extensive pad slapping from reed players Pat Labarbera and Frank Foster, is simply an ill-conceived shamble. Jim Todd
Tracklist :
1    Salty Iron 5:15
Written-By – Ryo Kawasaki
2    Sweet Mama 6:22
Written-By – Gene Perla
3    Mini Modes 10:32
Written-By – David Williams
4    Philomene 4:38
Written-By – Ed Bland
5    Song Of Rejoicing After Returning From A Hunt 15:43
Adapted By [From The Djoboko Rhythm Of The Ba-benzele Pygmies] – Elvin Jones
Arranged By – Gene Perla
Credits :
Bass – Dave Williams
Drums – Elvin Jones
Guitar – Ryo Kawasaki
Percussion – Dave Johnson (tracks: 1, 2)
Reeds – Dave Liebman (tracks: 1, 2), Frank Foster (tracks: 3 to 5), Pat LaBarbera, Steve Grossman (tracks: 2 to 5)

JERRY GOODMAN & JAN HAMMER — Like Children (1974-2006) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Violinist Jerry Goodman and keyboardist Jan Hammer away from Mahavishnu. They play all instruments (overdubbed). "Country and Eastern Music" and "Steppings Tones" were high-water marks for this new breed (at the time). Like Children was reissued on CD by Wounded Bird in 2006. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1    Country And Eastern Music 5:37
Electric Guitar, Violin [Violins], Viola [Violas], Viol [Violows], Electric Violin, Vocals – Jerry
Piano, Drums, Bass [Moog Bass], Synthesizer [Moog Lead], Percussion, Vocals – Jan
Written-By – Jan Hammer
2    No Fear 3:28
Synthesizer [Moog], Sequencer [Oberheim Digital Sequencer] – Jan
Written-By – Jan Hammer
3    I Remember Me 3:49
Acoustic Guitar, Violin [Violins], Viola [Violas], Viol [Violows] – Jerry
Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jan
Written-By – Jan Hammer
4    Earth (Still Our Only Home) 4:17
Drums, Bass [Moog Bass], Synthesizer [Moog Lead], Electric Piano, Sequencer, Vocals – Jan
Electric Guitar [Electric Guitars], Electric Violin, Vocals – Jerry
Written-By – Jan Hammer
5    Topeka 2:57
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Electric Guitar, Mandolin [Electric Mandolin], Electric Violin – Jerry
Drums, Synthesizer [Moog Bass & Lead], Electric Piano – Jan
Written-By – Jerry Goodman
6    Steppings Tones 3:30
Synthesizer [Moog Bass & Lead], Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Drums, Percussion – Jan
Violin [Acoustic], Electric Violin, Mandolin [Electric Mandolin] – Jerry
Written-By – Rick Laird
7    Night 5:49
Synthesizer [Moog Bass & Lead], Sequencer, Percussion, Drums – Jan
Viola [Violas], Viol [Violows], Violin [Acoustic], Electric Violin – Jerry
Written-By – David Earle Johnson, Jan Hammer
8    Full Moon Boogie 4:13
Drums, Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic], Synthesizer [Moog Lead & Bass], Vocals – Jan
Electric Violin, Electric Guitar, Lead Vocals – Jerry
Written-By – Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman
Giving In Gently / I Wonder    (4:44)
9a    Giving In Gently
Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Electric Guitar, Violin, Viola, Viol [Violow], Lead Vocals – Jerry
Synthesizer [Moog Lead & Bass], Electric Piano, Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Jan
Written-By – Ivona Reich, Jan Hammer
9b    I Wonder
Drums, Synthesizer [Moog Lead & Bass], Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic] – Jan
Lead Guitar, Mandolin [Electric Mandolin], Violin [Violins], Viol [Violow] – Jerry
Written-By – Jerry Goodman

CORYELL | CATHERINE — Splendid (1978-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The companion to Twin House proves to be just as good as the first. This session is a bit more experimental than the first and includes the always reliable Joachim Kühn on piano ("Dues Xango"). Like their first effort, it is not just their remarkable technique that makes this a worthy effort, but also the energetic compositions. Splendid is just as good, if not better, than Twin House, hence, both are recommended. Robert Taylor
Tracklist :
1    One Plus Two Blues 5:17
Written-By – Larry Coryell
2    Snowshadows 3:29
Written-By – Larry Coryell
3    Transvested Express 5:20
Written-By – Philip Catherine
4    Deus Xango 5:27
Piano – Joachim Kühn
Written-By – Astor Piazzolla
5    My Serenade 4:54
Written-By – Django Reinhardt
6    No More Booze 3:43
Written-By – Larry Coryell
7    Father Christmas 2:29
Written-By – Philip Catherine
8    A Quiet Day In Spring 4:02
Written-By – Julie Coryell
9    The Train And The River 4:48
Written-By – Jimmy Giuffre
Credits
Acoustic Guitar [6-string, 12-string] – Larry Coryell
Acoustic Guitar [6-string, 12-string], Electric Guitar [Fretless] – Philip Catherine