Arkadin's Ark

Dave Liebman - The Last Call

2012-01-15T12:05:00.000+01:00

Here comes a little known effort by sax giant Dave Liebman for Joe Haider's fine label EGO Records. Completely diggin' the two fiery and intensive tracks (Your Lady, The Last Call/First Visit) on which Liebman is accompanied by drummer Jeff Williams only. Sounding a bit like an echo of Coltrane's legendary Interstellar Space with Rashied Ali to me.

A1. Your Lady
A2. Thoughts of Loss
A3. Leprechaun
A4. I Don't Believe You
B1. The Last Call/First Visit
B2. Wind Blues

Dave Liebman - soprano & tenor sax
Mark Isham - trumpet, flugelhorn (A2)
Michael Formanek - bass
Mike Barsimento - drums
Jeff Williams - drums on A1, B1

A1, B2 recorded live at the Arcadia Ballroom, New Haven, Conneticut, February, 1976
A2, A3, A4, B2 recorded at Mobius Music, San Francisco, November, 1977

EGO Records 4016, 1979

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Naoya Matsuoka & Wesing - Live at Montreux Festival

2011-12-21T11:33:00.003+01:00

Here's one for you to have a groovy Christmas and/or New Year's

celebration - enjoy and massive good luck for 2012!

A1. Introducing Naoya Matsuoka & Wesing
A2. Theme
A3. Desafio
A4. Penny Market
A5. Noche Corriendo
B1. Mistica Latina
B2. Rap Out (Oye Baila Mi Son)
B3. Adria
C1. Introducing Toots Thielemans
C2. Fall Forever
C3. Dried Flower & Dried Love
D1. Fisherman's Break
D2. Introducing Mongo Santamaria
D3. Que Pasa Amigo
listen:

Naoya Matsuoka - acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes
Takayuki Hijikata - guitar
Getao Takahashi - bass
Yuichi Togashiki - drums
Pecker - congas, bongos, surdo, percussion
Martin Willweber - timbales, percussion & MC
Kazumi Takeda - trumpet, flugelhorn
Kenji Nakazawa - trumpet, flugelhorn
Tadanori Konakawa - trombone
Hidefumi Toki - alto & soprano saxophone
Yasuaki Shimizu - tenor saxophone

Toots Thielemans - harmonica on #C2, C3, D2
Mongo Santamaria - congas on #D3

Recorded at Casino de Montreux, Swiss on July 19, 1980
Warner Bros. Records M-6001-2W, 1980

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Eddie Harris - There Was A Time (Echo Of Harlem)

2011-12-04T18:10:00.000+01:00

Here comes a fine addition to my last Eddie Harris post contributed by reader D.

Allmusic:

"Eddie Harris, famous as the master of the electrified sax and for his brand of funky jazz, sticks exclusively to acoustic straightahead music on this rewarding Enja CD. With assistance from pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Ben Riley, Harris is heard in peak form on such songs as "Love Letters," "Autumn in New York," "The Song Is You" and a lengthy "Harlem Nocturne." Although Harris has maintained a fairly low profile during the past decade, he is still playing in his prime as this highly recommended CD demonstrates." (S.Y.)

1. Love Letters
2. Historia de un Amor
3. Autumn in New York
4. Photographs of You
5. The Song Is You
6. Harlem Nocturne
7. There Was a Time (Echo of Harlem)
8. Lover, Come Back to Me

Eddie Harris - tenor sax
Kenny Barron - piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Ben Riley - drums

Recorded at The Edison Studio, N.Y.C., on May 9, 1990
Enja Records 6068 2

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Eddie Harris - Pourquoi L'Amérique (Why America)

2011-11-25T14:54:00.003+01:00

Probably Eddie Harris' least known album, a soundtrack he did for an obscure documentary (on American history from 1917 to 1939 - that's about all I could find out about the film) by Frederic Rossif. There's also no info neither on the exact recording date nor on the drummer of this session (Richard Smith, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart maybe?), any way there are definitely some nice tracks on this one.

A1. Theme From "Why America" (Pourquoi L'Amérique)
A2. The Land (La Terre)
A3. The Smell Of Gunpowder (Odeur De La Poudre)
A4. Music For Valentine's Day (Musique Pour Un Massacre)
A5. Death Of A Public Enemy (Mort D'Un Ennemi Public)
A6. Theme From "Why America": Second Version (Pourquoi L'Amérique: Deuxième Version)
B1. New Deal
B2. Prelude To Pearl Harbor
B3. Consumer Civilisation (Civilisation De Consommation)
B4. Violent Strikes (Grèves Sauvages)
B5. And Then It's War (Parfois La Guerre)
B6. The Okies (Raisins De La Colère)
B7. Theme From "Why America": Third Version (Pourquoi L'Amérique: Troisième Version)

Eddie Harris - Electric tenor sax
Jimmy Owens - trumpet & fluegelhorn
Jodie Christian - piano
Melvin Jackson bass & electric bass
Billy Hart - drums*

Recorded October, 1969 in New York*
Disc AZ Stec LP 68

(*according to Bruyninckx Jazz discography- thanks to reader BillD for this information)

Links in comments (scroll down to 10th and 11th comment)

Bill Saxton - Beneath The Surface

2011-11-08T00:31:00.002+01:00

Tenor saxophonist Bill Saxton first attracted attention recording and playing with Dannie Richmond in 1979, and he later worked with Charlie Persip's big band and Errol Parker [Saxton's website also mentions: Roy Haynes, Jackie McLean, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster, Carmen McRae, Mongo Santa Maria, Roy Ayers, Barry Harris, Tito Puente, and Charles Tolliver]. His playing has been strong and confident, but also essentially standard hard bop in a Wayne Shorter/John Coltrane mode. Saxton can be heard on recordings more often as a sideman than a leader; his own albums include 1984’s Beneath the Surface and 1994’s Atymony. In 2006 Saxton opened the jazz venue Bill's Place on West 133rd Street in Harlem, at the location of a former speakeasy. Saxton has since devoted a considerable portion of his creative energies to managing and playing at the club, while continuing to appear on recordings as a sideman. (Ron Wynn/AMG)

A1. Beneath the Surface (Bill Saxton)*
A2. Simone (Frank Foster)
excerpt:

A3. Riff Raff (Wilbur Ware)
B1. Third World Express (Kasa Allah)*
B2. Teminha Pra Bebe (Claudio Roditi)*
excerpt:

B3. Ladies Blues (Rahsaan Roland Kirk)

Bill Saxton - curved soprano & tenor sax
John Hicks - piano*
Ray Drummond - bass
Alvin Queen - drums, producer

Recorded April 12 & 16, 1984 at Minot Sound Studio, White Plains, New York
Nilva NQ 3408

Links in comments (Please note: The album's track order is incorrect on the flac-file, sorry)

(Alvin Queen's album Ashanti, also with Saxton, Hicks & Drummond can be found here)

Shirley Scott - Great Scott! (Muse)

2011-10-20T15:00:00.000+02:00

The album's title is not very imaginative since this is the third album called "Great Scott". Shirley Scott's debut as bandleader for Prestige (1958) was identically titled, ditto her 1964 album for Impulse. Call it continuity...

Dustygroove gives its blessing:

A later set from Shirley Scott, but one that's recorded with an old school lineup that includes Art Harper on bass and Mickey Roker on drums – plus some guest tenor work from the mighty Buck Hill! The tunes are a lot more open and fluid than Scott's sound on Prestige in the 60s – with a bit of the vibe she picked up during her 70s years, as she really started to loosen up from before. And although the tunes are mostly familiar numbers, this approach really changes them up – moving them farther from the standard ballad mode of earlier Scott albums. Shirley plays piano on one track – "Yours Is My Heart Alone"

1. Skylark
2. Triste
3. More Than You Know
4. Blues for Groove
5. Have You met Miss Jones?
6. I Could Have Told You
7. Don't Misunderstand Me
8. Yours Is My Heart Alone

Shirley Scott - organ, piano (on #8)
Buck Hill - tenor sax (#3 & 5)
Arthur Harper - bass
Mickey Roker - drums

Recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ, on July 7, 1991
Muse MCD 5434

Thanks a lot for another contribution from the incomparable Igor! Links in comments

Sal Nistico - Just For Fun

2011-09-28T12:19:00.001+02:00

A little known and somehow overlooked album by the great Sal Nistico recorded in Germany for Joe Haider's small but mighty label EGO Records. Swingin' & groovin' straightforward jazz (with Haider's originals 7787 and Beautiful Black Casanova being my favorites) from a group of excellent musicians, no more, no less.

A1. 7787 (Joe Haider)
A2. I Remember Duke (Joe Haider)
A3. Groovin' Sal (Sal Nistico)
B1. Beautiful Black Casanova
B2. Do Not Make Circles (Günter Lenz)
B3. Invitation (Kaper/Webster)

Sal Nistico - tenor sax
Joe Haider - piano
Günter Lenz - bass
Joy Nay - drums

Recorded March 1976 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, Germany
EGO Records 4002, 1976

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Beaver Harris 360 Degree Experience - Safe

2011-08-29T15:47:00.000+02:00

Here we have a scarcely known and rare (if not his rarest) album by Beaver Harris and his 360 Degree Experience. Most discographies don't even list it. A pretty accessible effort compared to some of his other albums and worthwhile alone for the first track Boogie on Dawn!

A1. Boogie on Dawn
A2. J.C. Moses
B1. I Wish I Knew
B2. Don't I
B3. Loving Living

Beaver Harris - drums
Cameron Brown - bass
Ron Burton - piano
Grachan Moncur III - trombone
Ken McIntyre - oboe, flute, bassoon, bass clarinet

Recorded on June 22, 1979 at Barigozzi Studio, Milan
Red Record VPA 151

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Elvin Jones - Skyscrapers Vol. 4

2011-07-31T14:20:00.000+02:00

Well, guys, here comes the last Skyscrapers-chapter. If you liked the previous three volumes this fourth volume won't disappoint you for sure. As before Elvin's drumming is a class of its own, Coleman's playing energetic and intense as ever and Wilbur Little's bass as solid as a rock. The only difference is the addition of trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson to the trio, however it doesn't make such a big difference as Hannibal easily fits into the group and meets its high standard. Some final words taken from the liner notes:

"In just two tracks, each covering one full side of an LP, Elvin Jones covers the topic of jazz drumming. He plays those patterns for which he is justifiably famous; he uses brushes, sticks, presents straight jazz tempi and Latin. He shows where the drums came from by infusing African and Indian chants and techniques. But most of all we perceive Elvin Jones's ability to spark an ensemble. [..]

With this collection Honey Dew concludes its issuance of Elvin Jones live at the Village Vanguard. It may well rank as the most complete example of one man's work outside of a studio. If you don't hear what you want from Elvin in these four volumes, he probably hasn't played it." (Arnold Jay Smith)

A1. Mister Jones
B1. Raunchy Rita

Elvin Jones - drums
George Coleman - tenor sax
Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson - trumpet
Wilbur Little - bass

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York in March, 1968 or early 1970s?
Honey Dew Records, HD 6605, 1977

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Elvin Jones - Skyscrapers Vol. 3

2011-07-17T12:59:00.000+02:00

This is the third of a four volume compendium glorifying the greatness of drummer Elvin Jones. [..] While each volume stands on its own merit, pleasant surprises crop up in having the entire set. For example, here we find two "repeats" from previous editions. Dizzy Gillespie's Night in Tunisia is handled as comparatively abrupt 3 1/2 minute compared to the 28 minutes of the bebop tune on Volume 1.

Where Volume 1's Tunisia is a tour de force for the leader, this cut down version states the theme, allows some room for Coleman, and out. It is nonetheless a massive "push" job for Elvin who keeps the same tension in the shorter version as hes does in the longer.

It is Wilbur's solo that highlights Yesterdays. His double fingering shows how terribly underplayed his role has been. While working steadily with so many jazz musicians, Little's talents should have been out of the woods more than it has. (I think I just discovered another way of saying "unterrated" without getting into cliched phrases.)

The side-covering Body and Soul herein ballooning to a 16 minute length, is a full 100 percent longer than its predecessor on Volume 2. It is George again who carries the inspired melody to its height. Elvin holds back so you hear his brushes "shshshing" along under George and Wilbur. Again there is the cross between John Coltrane's bite and Ben Webster's warmth evidenced in the melody and succeeding choruses. But in the third chorus, lookout, Elvin merely snaps a syncopation and Coleman starts to trot. The tempo hasn't changed yet, but George has, his solo has gained a sense of urgency. In the fifth chorus, Elvin moves up the tempo, but George is ready with a trick of his own - he plays fewer notes. Elvin becomes agitated in the next chorus and gives vent with a flurry of cross rhythms that probably can't be discerned even if they were copied, which is a project I would love to be in charge of. Talk about fly shit on paper! (Taken from the liner notes by Aran Wald, Modern Drummer Magazine)

A1. Yesterdays
A2. Night in Tunisia
B1. Body and Soul

Elvin Jones - drums
George Coleman - tenor sax
Wilbur Little - bass

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York in March, 1968 or early 1970s?
Honey Dew Records, HD 6604, 1977

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Elvin Jones - Skyscrapers Vol. 2

2011-06-29T16:14:00.000+02:00

In the present setting we find George Coleman on tenor. A big man in stature, Coleman's demeanor is quietude. But his horn blows big, round sounds. He digs in almost from the outset of his solos. After the jazz waltz Whew! comes the quick-paced Blues Inside Out, another version of which can be found in Volume 1 (HD 6602). Coleman burns from bar one, as Elvin pushes all the way.

Side B is made up of two standards. You Don't Know What Love Is has been done by the best. [..] George, with deft use of his octave key, tells his tale with a breathy attack reminiscent of the late Ben Webster. There are some Trane tracks in there, too, making for nice contrast.

Body And Soul opens in the same manner as You Don't... (There's a longer version of this tune on Volume 3 (HD 6604). Slowly, as George builds his own intensity, Elvin becomes more audible, driving, pushing even on this down-tempoed ballad. Then, as simply as I write these words, he doubles it. Switching to sticks, Elvin gives the venerable melody a different color. The Jones dirvish-like movements begin under Coleman shedding yet another light on it. The tempo doubles again as Elvin's waves continue to pound away at the Coleman shoreline. George digs in, the race gets heated as Elvin brings the tempo back to square two. George gears down. Finally, the out choruses have George "cooling off" as he trots around the track, VER-RY slowly. Elvin is back on brushes. Fade. (Taken from the liner notes by Aran Wald, Modern Drummer Magazine)

A1. Whew!
A2. Blues Inside Out
B1. You Don't Know What Love Is
B2. Body And Sould

Elvin Jones - drums
George Coleman - tenor sax
Wilbur Little - bass

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York in March, 1968 or early 1970s?
Honey Dew Records, HD 6603, 1977

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Elvin Jones - Skyscrapers Vol. 1

2011-05-21T11:31:00.001+02:00

It's not a big step from my previous Pat La Barbera-post to Elvin Jones as La Barbera was a frequent member of Jones' groups since the mid-70s. Here's the first volume of Elvin Jones' obscure Skyscrapers-tetralogy for the equally obscure Honey Dew label. There's some confusion as for the recording date. While the liner notes speak of "the early 1970s" it's not unlikely that jazzdisco.org is right with March, 1968 as a concert of the same line-up at the Village Vanguard was cut in March, 1968, later released as Elvin Jones - Live at the Village Vanguard (Enja). Another coincidence is Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson joining the trio for Mr. Jones on both the Enja-release and Skyscrapers Vol. 4.

"There are only two tunes on this album and one of them contains one of the longest Elvin Jones drum solos on record. Night in Tunisia was too good to fade out after the A Side concluded so the Honey Dew people decided to extend it to the B side as well. It is in this solo that we see other influences than jazz. Elvin culls from African and Indian tribal rhythms and patterns. The overall conception, however, is one of integration and the feeling is a unity of sound.

Coleman's Blues Inside Out does not slack off the pace of Tunisia. It is yet another breathless example of Elvin's drive. His hands don't stop even after the piece has ended. It's like a runner who must be eased out of top speed slowly.

If Elvin decides to buld some skyscrapers, I would like to be a tenant, for their foundations will be as firmly entrenched in bedrock as his drumming is in tradition." (Aran Wald/Modern Drummer Magazine, taken from the liner notes)

A1. Night in Tunisia (Part I)
B1. NIght in Tunisia (Part II)
B2. Blues Inside Out

Elvin Jones - drums
George Coleman - tenor sax
Wilbur Little - bass

Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York in March, 1968 or early 1970s?
Honey Dew Records, HD 6602, 1977

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Pat La Barbera - The Wizard

2011-04-18T20:14:00.001+02:00

Back with a little known and pretty rare album by still somewhat underrated Canadian sax player Pat La Barbera for the renowned Italian label Dire. Especially the up-tempo version of Night and Day and the rousing title track do it for me - check it out!

A1. Night and Day (Cole Porter)
A2. Cattin' (Mal Waldron)
B1. You're a Weaver of Dreams (Young/Elliot)
B2. The Wizard (Pat La Barbera)

Pat La Barbera - tenor sax
Roland Prince - guitar
Andy McCloud - bass
Bruno Biriaco - drums

Recorded in Milano on 1978
Dire FO 352

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Stafford James Ensemble - S/T (Red Record)

2011-03-05T11:18:00.000+01:00

By popular demand, here's Stafford James' second album as leader. As its predecessor for Horo (1975) it was again recorded for a renowned Italian label, for Red Records, and as the one for Horo it's equally rare. I leave it to you how it compares to the excellent effort for Horo...

There's no exact recording date on this album, but I assume it was recorded sometime at the end of 1977 or beginning of 1978 shortly after Frank Strozier's great album What's Going On (Steeplechase) since the line-up is basically the same and it's stylistically reminiscent of Strozier's album, at least those 3 tracks featuring Strozier (Twelve for Four, Yellow Days, Impressions) while the other 3 tracks (Soul Eyes, Softly as in the Morning Sunrise, Del Samba) feature Stafford James in duo or trio configurations allowing him to demonstrate his superior bass skills. Some of you may already know Del Samba from my compilation, so here's the rest - links are in comments.

A1. Twelve for Four (S. James)
A2. Soul Eyes (M. Waldron)
A3. Softly as in the Morning Sunrise (S. Romberg)
B1. Del Samba (S. James)
B2. Yellow Days (Carillo-Bernstein)
B3. Impressions (J. Coltrane)

Stafford James - bass
Frank Strozier - alto sax & flute
Harold Mabern - piano
Louis Hayes - drums

Recorded ?1978 at Basing Street Studios, New York
Red Record VPA 142, 1978

Black Classical - Sound Rings like an Echo in the Woods

2011-02-20T22:21:00.001+01:00

Black Classical is back to claim the vacant throne as blogland's king of jazz mix as his very own. Go and get his enthronement-mix -----> HERE <-----

Guido Manusardi Quartet feat. Zbigniew Namyslowski - Namymanu

2011-02-17T12:33:00.001+01:00

Please ignore the monumentally ugly cover (tastes differ though), it doesn't do justice at all to this beautiful album which is for whatever reason pretty unknown - maybe the cover was just too deterrent for potential buyers... I really love the majestic Planetarium Suite on side A which reminds me of other post-Trane efforts of that time, say McCoy Tyner's albums for Milestone, and which has a spiritual feel I dare to say. Namyslowski has never sounded better, more expressive. Well, check it out & tell me what you think about it.

Side A

Planetarium Suite:
a) The Silent Sound of Space
b) Exploration
c) Song of the Spheres
d) Creation
e) Reaction
f) Back in Silence

Side B

1) Ballad for Eve
2) From the Bottom to the Top
3) Namymanu

Guido Manusardi - piano
Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto sax
Peter Guidi - soprano sax (Side A only)
Lucio Terzano - bass (Side A & B2)
Gianni Cazzola - drums (Side A & B2)

Recorded on 29/30 October 1977 in the High School of Music of Warsaw
Atlantic T50509

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Klaus Lenz Band - Wiegenlied

2010-12-30T15:06:00.001+01:00

I got many requests for this album which is presumably the rarest record by Klaus Lenz and the last studio album he recorded in East Germany before leaving the country one year later (1977) for West Germany where Wiegenlied (lullaby) would be released on Vinyl Records. Luckily I came across a copy just some days ago, so here it is, freshly ripped. Thanks for your attention & Happy New Year!

A1 Tarantel
A2 Octopus
A3 Wiegenlied
B1 La Fiesta
B2 Bubblestone
B3 The Old New Way
B4 Say It To You Tomorrow

Klaus Lenz - trumpet
Axel-Glenn Müller - alto & soprano sax, flute, bass clarinet
Reiner Gäbler - alto & tenor sax (A1, B1, B4)
Axel Gothe - baritone sax, alto flute, percussion
Mathias Pflugbeil - trumpet
Signor Rothbart - flugelhorn
Bernd Swoboda - trombone
Hannes Bauer - trombone
Wolfgang Fiedler - Fender piano, piano, ARP-synthesizer, melotrone
Christian Pittius - Hohner piano, ELKA keyboard, mini moog
Jürgen Kratzenberg - Fender bass
Jürgen Resnizcek - Fender bass (A1, B1, B4)
Dieter Erhardt - drums
Detlev Keßler - drums (A1, B4)
Wolfgang Schneider - drums (B1)

Recorded 1976 in East Berlin at Amiga, published 1977 on Vinyl Records (VS 001), West Berlin

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Klaus Lenz Big Band - Aufbruch

2010-12-11T12:28:00.000+01:00

Some of you may already know the title track from my compilation for Spaceinvaderradio posted on this blog not so long ago. So here's the whole thing. Aufbruch which - almost anticipatingly - means departure would be that last album East German jazz giant Klaus Lenz could publish in his home country. Due to problems with the authority he left East Germany in 1977 and settled down in the western part of Germany where he would record only two more albums (both with another giant, Zbigniew Namyslowski). Around 1980 he completely retired from the music scene to earn his living as conservator. A tragic loss for German jazz if you ask me, the man was just 40 years old then. It was a big surprise when Lenz returned this year for some concerts with his old buddies. A CD of these concerts which is said to be pretty fine has been released not long ago.

A1 Blow Out
A2 Balkantanz
A3 Aufbruch
B1 Hallo, Igor
B2 Ballade für zwei

Klaus Lenz - leader, trumpet
Max Pflugbeil - trumpet
Claus-Dieter Knispel - trumpet, percussion
Signor Rotbarth - trumpet, flugelhorn
Bernd Swoboda - trombone
Manfred Nytsch - bass trombone
Axel-Glenn Müller - soprano & alto sax, bass clarinet
Helmut Forsthoff - tenor sax, flute
Rainer Gäbler - baritone sax
Wolfgang Fiedler - electric piano, synthesizer, organ
Jürgen Heinrich - guitar
Jörg Dobersch - bass
Dieter Ehrhardt - drums & percussion

Recorded November 1975, East Berlin
Amiga 8 55 509
1976

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Francois Jeanneau - Éphémère

2010-11-30T14:25:00.001+01:00

A1 Aurore
A2 Fables
A3 Complicité
A4 Sortilèges
B1 Éphémère
B2 Effervescence
B3 Quiétude
B4 Crépuscule

Francois Jeanneau - tenor & soprano & alto sax, flute, alto flute, bass clarinette, lyricon, Oberheim polyphonic 8 & ARP 2600 synthesizer, piano
Jacques Bessot, Ivan Jullien - trumpet (A4)
Noel Alain, Patrick Nicoleau - French horn (A4)
Hamid Belhocine - trombone (A4)
Marc Steckar - bass trombone (A4)
Philip Catherine - guitar (A2)
Didier Lockwood (A4), Pierre Louis, Jean-Yves Rigaud - violin (B1)
Pierre Linarès - alto violin (B1)
Hervé Derrien - cello (B1)
Michel Graillier (A4, B1, B2), Ran Blake - piano (B3)
Henri Texier (A3), Patrice Caratini (A4), Jean-Francois Jenny-Clark - bass (B1)
Daniel Humair (A3), André Ceccarelli (A4), Aldo Romano - drums (B3)

Recorded at Sysmo Studio and Acousti Studio Paris, June 23 (B3), October 14 (A3) and 18 (B1, B2), November 16 (A1, B4) and December 6 (A4), 1977
Owl Records 07, 1977

Links in comments (for new flac-links scroll down to the 16th comment)

Roy Burrowes Sextett - Live At The Dreher

2010-11-20T17:49:00.002+01:00

If you liked Roy Burrowes' playing on Blues Walk by Walter Davis Jr., my previous post, here's the perfect follow-up, another generous contribution from mighty chief contributor Igor (thanks as always, mate!). Since informations about Roy Burrowes are a bit sparse in the internet I'd like to quote a part of the CDs liner notes:

"Born in Kingston in 1930, Roy Burrowes took his first professional steps as a trumpeter during the 1940s as a member of the Jamaican Military Band. Following a busy life in music, first in his home country then in America, where he settled in 1946, by 1956 he was working with such established names as Coleman Hawkins and James Moody. He also led the Jamaican Jazz Crusaders, making a record for the JMA label in 1958. It was in the spring of 1962 that Burrowes joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra, playing for two years in a trumpet section that also comprised such star names as Cat Anderson, Ray Nance and Cootie Williams! He thus participated in all Ellington's recordings from this period, including the Great Paris Concert at the Olympia Theatre in 1963. Upon leaving Ellington, he joined the Ray Charles Orchestra, another two-year stay during which he took part in the film Blues for Lovers. In the 1965-67 period he also found time to play with Max Roach and Sonny Rollins. Burrowes then formed a quintet that undertook concert and television work under the auspices of the Jamaican government.

At the turn of the '70s, Roy Burrowes played in the bands of Tom Jones, Count Basie, and Aretha Franklin, and he recorded Attica Blues with Archie Shepp. Following a spell in the Frank Foster orchestra and work in several Broadway shows (Bubbling Brown Sugar among them), he was contacted in 1979 by Archie Shepp, then in the process of assembling his Attica Blues Big Band ready for a European tour. At the end of this tour, Burrowes decided to stay in France for a while, grabbing whatever opportunities he could. He was thus on hand for Abbey Lincoln's Paris recording in early 1980, and he organised a sextet with that fine American pianist Mal Waldron, a group that also featured French saxophonist Richard Raux. It is the traces of this effervescent period that are here issued on disc for the first time." (Jean Buzelin, adapted from the French by Don Waterhouse)

1. Old Compton Street (R. Burrowes)
2. Hard Talk (M. Waldron)
3. Sometimes (R. Burrowes)
4. Jamaica (R. Burrowes)
5. Searching (R. Burrowes)
6. Sea Gulls (Mal Waldron)
7. Symphony In Blues (R. Burrowes)
8. Going Back Home (R. Burrowes)

Roy Burrowes - trumpet, flugelhorn
Richard Raux - tenor & soprano sax
Mal Waldron - piano
Patrice Caratini - bass
George Brown - drums
Roger Raspail - percussion on 4 & 8

Recorded live at jazz club Le Dreher, Paris, March 10, 1980
Marge 14

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Walter Davis Company - Blues Walk

2010-11-14T13:01:00.005+01:00

In November 1979 Walter Davis, Jr. was a pretty busy man. Just two weeks after cutting his solo live performance at the Festival del Jazz al Ciak in Milan, later released as Uranus on Palcoscenico (posted on this blog more than one year ago), and one day after recording A Being Such As You (Red Record VPA 150) he did another album: On Blues Walk for Red Records he is backed by the top-notch rhythm section of Johnny Dyani on bass and Clifford Jarvis on drums and the completely solid trumpeter Roy Burrowes who is added on Side B. Excellent hard-swinging set in my opinion with Miles Davis' Solar being my favorite.

A1 Cherokee
A2 Get Happy
A3 Billie's Bounce
B1 Visa
B2 Solar
B3 Blues Walk

Walter Davis, Jr. - piano
Roy Burrowes - trumpet (only side B)
Johnny Dyani - bass
Clifford Jarvis - drums

Recorded at Barigozzi Studio November 23, 1979
Red Record VPA 153

Links in comments

Mix For Space Invader Radio

2010-10-31T18:57:00.003+01:00

Here comes a mix I did just some weeks ago for Blackclassical's show on Spaceinvaderradio. It's a compilation of tracks taken from partially pretty rare/obscure/oop/little known albums covering a wide range of jazz-styles: Modal, spiritual, fusion, percussive, oriental, latin, avantgarde etc. As far as I can see most tracks are blogland premieres.

It's the first time I did a mix/compilation, hope you like it. Here's the tracklist (check the txt-file I added for more detailed informations on line-ups, albums, labels etc.):

01. Mario Rusca - Smiling Harry
02. Moravagine - Funky Seven
03. Byron Pope Speed Of Light - No Boundries
04. Theo Loevendie Consort - Mr. Brook
05. Joe Koinzer - Troppo Grappa
06. Jirí Stivín - Melancholici
07. Louis Hayes - Olea
08. Bhakti Jazz - Eastern Mood
09. Frank Ricotti Quartet - Late Into The Night
10. Moravagine - Culbuto
11. Götz Tangerding & Rudolf Roth - Nasrudin Suite (6. Movement)
12. Kenny Gill - Valley Of All Brothers
13. Riot - The Border
14. Chris Joris - Shaya Sebothane
15. Family Of Percussion & Friends - Prestidigator
16. Completorium - Spain
17. Stafford James Ensemble - Del Samba
18. Joe Bonner Quintet - Change It!
19. Klaus Lenz Big Band - Aufbruch

Link in comment

The Quartette Trés Bien - Our Thing

2010-10-25T14:35:00.005+02:00

Righteous grooviness by this great combo! The record was probably the group's 10th – recorded during a very successful run for Decca, when they were crafting finely groovy albums of soul jazz, in a mode that was similar to the early work by the Young-Holt Trio, but which also had the distinction of added percussion. The album's got some nice covers done in the band's style – like "Sunny", "Sunrise Sunset", "Invitation", and "Alfie" – plus the original tunes "Wish You Were Here" and "I Am That I Am". (Dustygroove)

I already contributed a low bitrate version of this album downloaded from Soulseek to Cheeba's Soundological Investimigations, but recently I came across a copy of this one in pretty good condition and so I thought some of you might appreciate a better rip... Btw this one is dedicated to blog buddy Cheeba who's been through a lot - all the best to him!

A1 Sunny
A2 Alfie
A3 Goodbye
A4 Wish You Were Here
A5 I Am That I Am
B1 Sunrise, Sunset
B2 Invitation
B3 The More I See You
B4 The Sound Of Music

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 75044
1968

Check 16th comment for a new flac-link

James Newton - Luella & S/T & Water Mystery

2010-10-08T15:25:00.006+02:00

Most recordings by flutist James Newton are quite spontaneous in their improvising, but well-planned as a whole. This outing features Newton with three string players (violinists John Blake and Gayle Dixon and cellist Abdul Wadud) and a four-piece rhythm section (vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart). Each of the five numbers has its purpose, including "Mr. Dolphy" (a tribute to Eric Dolphy), Wayne Shorter's moody "Anna Maria," and a three-part suite about South Africa ("Diamonds Are for Freedom"). Well worth several listens. (AMG)

A1 Not Without You
A2 Mr. Dolphy
A3 Anna Maria
B1 Diamonds Are For Freedom
B2 Luella (For My Aunt)

John Blake - violin (solo on A1)
Gayle Dixon - violin (solo on B2)
Abdul Wadud - cello
Jay Hoggard - vibraphone
Kenny Kirkland - piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Billy Hart - drums
James Newton - flute & conductor

Recorded at Bearsville Studio, Bearsville, New York, 1983
Gramavision GR 8304, 1984

Links in comments

Bonus by ZedBit:

If you liked Luella the two other albums Newton recorded for Gramavison will surely be right up your alley. Luckily ZedBit grabbed them while still available. According to him Water Mystery was originally seeded on Demonoid by nivlacr whereas he can't remember anymore which now closed forum he got Newton's self-titled album from and who posted it there. Anyhow thanks a lot to the original rippers and especially to ZedBit for saving those rips and contributing them to my blog!

James Newton - James Newton (1983)

1. Daydream
2. Budapest
3. Ismene
4. Persephone
5. The Crips

James Newton - flute
John Blake - violin
Anthony Davis - piano
Slide Hampton - trombone
Billy Hart - drums
Jay Hoggard - vibraphone
Cecil McBee - bass

Recorded October 1982 at Vanguard Recording Studio.
Gramavision GR 8205, 1983. Reissued as CD on Canyon Records, 1984.

James Newton - Water Mystery

1. Star Crossed Lovers
2. Lone Hill
3. The Crips
4. Water Mystery
5. One For Strayhorn
6. Dance Steps

James Newton - flute
Charles Owens - English horn, soprano sax
John Carter - clarinet
Allan Iwohara - koto
Red Callender - tuba
Greg Martin - oboe
John Nunez - bassoon
Roberto Miranda - bass
Anthony Brown - percussion

Recorded at Mad Hatter Studios, Hollywood, California, January 1985
Gramvision GR 8407, 1986

Scroll down to the eighth comment for links and don't forget to thank ZedBit!

Griot Galaxy - Opus Krampus

2010-09-28T00:25:00.001+02:00

One of the hippest groups on the Sound Aspects label during the mid 80s – and one of the few who ever lived up to the promise of their name and cover! The Grio Galaxy are spiritual jazz ensemble with strong Afro-centric leanings – led by reed player Faruq Z Bey, and featuring Anthony Holland on saxes, Jaribu Shahid on basses, and Tani Tabbal and Panda O'Bryan on percussion. The group all speak out in one poetry passage on the set, but overall the style of the record is rhythmic grooving in sort of a post-AACM mode – but with less of the "outside" end of things. A great live recording, featuring the long tracks "Necrophilia", "Dragons", and "Liberty City Rundown". (Dustygroove)

On Opus Krampus, Detroit's Griot Galaxy bring with them their usual sense of weirdness and entropy, all the while injecting incredibly paced rhythms and a mix of avant-garde and straight-ahead beats. Saxophonist Faruq Z. Bey leads the band with his furious accents and choppy rhythms that scurry by so quickly they almost sound smooth. His support's off-kilter time signatures work out minimal phase shifting patterns to temper Bey's perfectly unresolved tones. Considering the recording is culled from a live performance, one can only imagine Griot Galaxy's stage get-up at the time, usually comprising of mime-painted faces and gaudy, new wave-inspired dress, crossing Sun Ra with Art Ensemble of Chicago. Certainly, many of the sounds here match that comparison as well. This 1984 recording from Austria is crisp and true, as its near studio-like quality is definitely a testament to impeccable engineering. It consists of a mere three tracks, one of them utilizing the entire second side. This track, the 25-minute "Necrophilia," is a full-out assault on the audience with deafening sax skronks and squeals, complex percussion, and three-voice poetry lending an eerie, cult-like vibe to the recording. Opus Krampus is hardly a record that one might expect to come out of Detroit in the '80s, one of the city's roughest decades. And partly because of that assumption it proves to be a brilliant one. (Ken Taylor/AMG)

1. After Death*
2. Dragons
3. Liberty City Rundown
4. Necrophilia**
5. Song of the Khemti Nobles*

(*Tracks 1 and 5 on CD only)

Faruq Z. Bey - tenor & soprano sax, reciter (1st voice**)
Anthony Holland - soprano & alto sax
Jaribu Shahid - string % electric bass, reciter (2nd voice**)
Tani Tabbal - drums & gembe, reciter (3rd voice**)
Panda O'Bryan - percussion & gembe (guest**)

Recorded live in concert July 1st, 1984 during the Nickelsdorfer Konfrontationen Festival
Sound Aspects SAS CD 004

Links in comments

Piero Bassini Quartet - In The Shadows

2010-09-16T18:32:00.002+02:00

A little known effort for Red Records by renowned Italian pianist Piero Bassini who's probably best known for his work with Bobby Watson - a really fine set of modern jazz tunes, energetic, groovy and with a Latin feel on some tracks, especially those featuring guest artist Luis Agudo, but on the whole it's the excellent Michele Bozza on tenor sax stealing the show.

A1 In The Shadows
A2 One For Solitude
A3 Voyage
A4 Wellcome
B1 Fast Time
B2 Ornette's Portrait
B3 Menino

Piero Bassini - piano, cymbal on B2
Michele Bozza - tenor sax
Gianni Grecchi - bass, electric bass
Giampiero Prina - drums
and guest artist Luis Agudo - percussion on A3, B3

Recorded at Studio 7, Milano, November 1984
Red Records VPA 180
1985

Links in comments

Hamiet Bluiett - Bearer Of The Holy Flame

2010-09-05T12:21:00.001+02:00

A great set from Hamiet Bluiett – almost back to his roots in the St Louis underground scene, as the album's a live recording of long spiritual jazz tracks, arguably a lot more compelling than most of Bluiett's studio work from the time! The album was recorded at Sweet Basil in 1983 – with a group that features John Hicks on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, Marvin Smitty Smith on drums, and Chief Bey playing some extra African percussion. Bluiett's tone is wonderful – deep and round, but also raspy, almost in the manner of Pharoah Sanders – and the group plays an incredible version of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", a nice take on Curtis Lundy's "Gumbo", and the cuts "Song Song", "Ebu", and "Headless Blues". (Dustygroove)

1. Footprints (Shorter)
2. EBU (Bluiett)
3. Song Song (Bluiett)
4. Headless Blues (Bluiett)
5. I'll Close My Eyes (Kaye-Reid)
6. Gumbo (Vegetarian Style)

Hamiet Bluiett - baritone sax, clarinet, alto flute
John Hicks - piano
Fred Hopkins - bass
Marvin Smitty Smith - drums
Chief Bey - African drums, percussion

Recorded live at Sweet Basil's Juliy 25, 1983
Released on Black Fire Music in 1994

Another fine and also pretty rare album contributed by Igor, a true friend of this blog. Leave him some thanks in the comments!

Links in comments

Tatsuya Takahashi & The Tokyo Union - Maiden Voyage

2010-08-28T18:52:00.001+02:00

The Tokyo Union big band delivers a pretty eclectic yet homogeneously amalgameted mix of styles ranging from modal jazz to blues, funk and more traditional forms of jazz on this entertaining album issued on the legendary Japanese Three Blind Mice label. Check the two tracks ("Maiden Voyage" & "One Mint Julip") from this rarity which I uploaded for you. (Link in comments)

A1 Maiden Voyage
A2 The Blues
A3 One Mint Julip
B1 The Preacher
B2 Sir Duke
B3 Giant Steps
B4 A Child Is Born

Trumpets - Yoshifumi Tada, Hiroshi Abiko, Motoharu Suzuki, Tomokazu Saiki
Trombones - Eijiro Miyazaki, Kiyotaka Uchida, Koichi Okada
Bass Trombone - Ken-ichi Sudare
Alto Saxes - Keiji Hori, Hiroshi Yanagimura
Tenor Sax - Seiji Inoue
Baritone Sax - Takemi Ishikane
Electric Piano - Masahiro Kanayama
Bass - Yoshinori Ishida
Drums - Kazuhiro Ebisawa
Guitars - Masahiro Ikumi, Ken-ichi Araya
Leader & Tenor Sax - Tatsuya Takahashi

Recorded December 4 & 5, 1976
Three Blind Mice TBM-3001

Dizzy Reece - Manhatten Project

2010-08-11T09:50:00.003+02:00

It is a bit of a mystery why British trumpeter Dizzy Reece never became much better known. His three Blue Note dates of 1958-60 are of high quality, as is his New Jazz session (Asia Minor) of 1962. However, during the 16 years since, he only made one obscure European album (a 1970 set co-led by tenor saxophonist John Gilmore) and was largely forgotten. Fortunately, Bee Hive documented him in 1978, teaming Reece up with an all-star group (both Clifford Jordan and Charles Davis on tenors, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist Art Davis and drummer Roy Haynes). Reece easily keeps up with his notable sidemen, performing three hard bop originals, "Woody'n You" and a minor blues called "One for Trane." Hopefully, this highly enjoyable Bee Hive LP will someday be rediscovered and reissued on CD. (SY/AMG)

Dusty likes it, too: "Excellent later work from trumpeter Dizzy Reece – best known for his classic late 50s sides on Blue Note and New Jazz, but heard here as part of a great flurry of 70s revival sessions! The work's got an arch modern tone that's really surprising – almost a bit like Ted Curson at times, which is no surprise, since he and Reece were playing together a bit in the late 70s. Tracks have a nice "statement" quality – played by a bold group that includes Clifford Jordan, Charles Davis, Albert Dailey, and Roy Haynes – tight in formation on the themes, but breaking loose with some great work on the solos."

A1 Con Man (Reece)
A2 Manhattan Walk (Reece)
A3 Yule On The Hudson (Reece)
B1 Woody 'n You (Gillespie)
B2 One For Trane (Bass)

Dizzy Reece - trumpet
Clifford Jordan - tenor sax
Charles Davis - tenor sax
Albert Dailey - piano
Art Davis - bass
Roy Haynes - drums

Recorded January 17, 1978, Blue Rock Studio, N.Y.C.
Bee Hive Records BH 7001

MP3 or FLAC 1 FLAC 2

Jazztrack & Norma Winstone - Flying Stork

2010-07-31T14:25:00.002+02:00

Though not as known as big names like Mangelsdorff, Herbolzheimer, Kühn, Dauner or Doldinger Jazztrack was one of the finest German jazz groups in the second half of the seventies. Their albums (First Call aka Wake Up, 1975; Jazz Track aka Sigi Busch-Experience, 1976; Listen, 1977) have been reissued on CD and are still available for peanuts (have a look on Amazon marketplace), except for their last album Flying Stork (1979), which doesn't show up very often. All their albums are worth hearing, but to me Flying Stork remains Jazztrack's masterpiece as it adds Norma Winstone's angelic voice to the group's distinctive sound.

Norma Winstone - vocal
Wolfgang Engstfeld - tenor & soprano sax
Christoph Spendel - piano
Heinrich Hock - drums
Sigi Busch - bass

Recorded November 1978 at Rüssl Tonstudio Hamburg for Musicians Record Co./Emi Electrola

I uploaded the title track for you, check the comments (and leave some)

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra - Wishing Peace

2010-07-18T17:15:00.001+02:00

Yet another review by Scott Yanow bursting with inspiration:

Ironically after Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin broke up their West Coast big band, relocated to New York and put together a new orchestra, they seemed to get less publicity than previously. In fact, since this 1986 recording for their own Ascent label, Akiyoshi's ensemble has made relatively few albums. For the Ascent LP, the 16-piece big band performs a remake of "Feast in Milano" (which is more complex than Akiyoshi's earlier version), Tabackin's ballad "Unrequited Love" and Akiyoshi's three-part sidelong "Liberty Suite." The soloists include trombonist Conrad Herwig, Walt Weiskopf on tenor, trumpeters John Eckert and Brian Lynch, altoist Jim Snidero, flutist Frank Wess and Tabackin on tenor and flute. All of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra's recordings are well worth acquiring. (AMG)

Side A

1. Feast in Milano

Listen to an excerpt:

2. Unrequited Love

Side B

Liberty Suite:
1. Lady Liberty
2. Wishing Peace
3. Uptown Stroll

Trumpets:
Joe Mosello
John Eckert
Brian Lynch
Chris Pasin

Trombones:
Hart Smith
Conrad Herwig
Kenny Rupp
Matt Finders (bass trombone)

Reeds:
Frank Wess - alto & soprano sax, flute
Lew Tabackin - tenor sax, flute, piccolo flute
Jim Snidero - alto sax, clarinet, flute
Walt Weiskopf - tenor clarinet
Mark Lopeman - baritone sax, bass clarinet

Rhythm Section:
Toshiko Akiyoshi - piano
Jay Anderson - bass
Jeff Hirschfield - drums
Daniel Ponce - conga drums #A1

Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studio, July 21, 22, 1986
Ascent ASC 1006

Links in comments

RIP John Coltrane - A Mix Supreme by Blackclassical & Monohub

2010-07-17T12:58:00.002+02:00

"Today is the anniversary of John Coltrane’s passing. Me and Monohub have put together this two hour tribute to the great man… Don’t expect a bunch of classics side by side though, this is a story of his life. I think he would have approved."

Get it here (and leave some comments, thanks)

The Quartette Trés Bien - Four Of A Kind (Decca)

2010-06-28T11:15:00.000+02:00

A groovy batch of soul jazz numbers -- wonderful work from this long-gone quartet that mixed piano, bass, drums, and percussion, into a mode that was softer than the Ramsey Lewis Trio, and more complicated percussively than most of their contemporaries -- grooving in a slightly exotic mode that's almost inspired by Horace Silver, with touches of the MJQ. As with all of their albums, this one features two great originals -- "Tribal Festival" and "Goodbye Summer" -- plus some really well-crafted reworkings of 60s tunes, including "The Joker", "Yesterday", "Girl Talk", and "How Insensitive". (Dustygroove)

A1 Matchmaker, Matchmaker
A2 How Insensitive
A3 Goodbye Summer
A4 Girl Talk
A5 Tribal Festival

B1 Somewhere
B2 The Joker
B3 Strangers In The Night
B4 Yesterday

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 74958
1968

Links in comments

This is the last QTB-album from my collection, get more here and on Cheeba's Soundological Investimigations. Then buy the still available ones and enjoy completeness - and some real good music!

Charlie Mariano - Folk Soul (Victor)

2010-06-22T12:33:00.001+02:00

2 tracks (Where have all the flowers gone and Yagi-Bushi) from this hardly known and very rare lovely little album by Charlie "tears of sound" Mariano recorded during his 2-years stay in Japan and with Masabumi Kikuchi being the most prominent member of his all-Japanese band.

A1 Blowin' In The Wind
A2 Cruel War
A3 Where Have All The Flowers Gone
A4 Shenandoah
A5 Yosakoi - Bushi
B1 We Shall Overcome
B2 500 Miles
B3 This Land Is Your Land
B4 Greensleeves
B5 Yagi - Bushi

Charlie Mariano – alto saxophone, flute
Sadanori Nakamura – guitar
Masabumi Kikuchi – piano
Masanaga Harada – bass
Masahiko Togashi – drums

Recorded July 28, 1967 at Victor Studio, Tokyo, Japan
Victor (Japan) SMJ 7460

Link in comments

Clare Fischer - Clare Fischer & EX-42 (MPS)

2010-06-05T16:32:00.001+02:00

According to the back cover of my MPS-copy this album was recorded in June, 1979, which is obviously an error as this is a reissue of T'DA-A-A!, released on Revelation in 1972. Whatever, "it's an excellent album, one of Fischer's elusive electric sides, and one that features him playing a Yamaha EX-42 organ, which has a very cool sound! The group's a quartet, with the great Gary Foster on alto and soprano sax, and the tracks are a mix of older jazz standards ("Soon", "Round Midnight", "Lennie's Pennies") and originals ("Blues In F" by Fischer and "Crystal Sunrise" by Tom Scott), all done in long versions with some intimate and exploratory solos." (Dustygroove)

A1 Soon
A2 'Round Midnight
A3 Lennie's Pennies

excerpt:

B1 Blues In F
B2 Crystal Sunrise

excerpt:

Clare Fischer - EX-42, electronic organ
Gary Foster - alto & soprano sax
Andy Simpkins - bass
Larry Bunker - drums

Originally released in 1972 as T'DA-A-A! (Revelation 23), reissued as Clare Fischer and EX-42 (MPS 0068.246) in 1979

Links in comments

Jazz Jamboree 75, Vol. 2

2010-05-28T10:33:00.002+02:00

As mentioned in my previous post there's a much longer and in my opinion superior version of Tango called Der Schmaltztango on Jazz Jamboree 75, Vol. 2 - et voilà, here it is! Really a fascinating piece of music I don't get tired of listening to. And let's not forget the equally nice side one on which Namyslowski's quartet backs the great Norwegian songstress Karin Krog. Dustygroove has a little review:

A rare session by singer Karin Krog -- one that also features great work by Polish alto player Zbigniew Namyslowski! The album was recorded at Poland's Jazz Jamboree in 1975 -- and side one features Krog singing with backing from Namyslowski's quartet, which includes some great work on Fender Rhodes by Wojciech Karolak. The mixture of Krog's icy vocals and warm keyboards is as strong here as on her best 70s recordings -- and the side features 2 original tunes, "When Fortune Smiles" and "Hello Thursday", plus versions of "Who Cares" and "How Long Has This Been Going On". Side two is great too -- and features Namyslowski's group on its own, joined by a tenor player, working on a free-flowing modal number called "Der Schmaltztango", which has nice Latiny touches, and runs for over 25 minutes!

A1 How Long Has This Been Going On (Gershwin)
A2 Hello Thursday (Surman/Krog)

Hello Thursday (excerpt):

A3 When Fortune Smiles (Surman/Krog)
A4 Who Cares (Gershwin)
B1 Der Schmaltztango (Namyslowski)

Karin Krog - vocal [A1 - A4]
Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto sax
Tomasz Szukalski - tenor sax [B1]
Wojciech Karolak – Fender piano
Pawel Jarzebski - bass
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

Recorded live at the Congress Hall, Warsaw, Octobre 1975
Muza SX 1340

Links in comments (which are appreciated btw)

Zbigniew Namyslowski - Namyslovski (Inner City)

2010-05-17T18:56:00.005+02:00

Funky fusion from Poland's jazz giant Zbigniew Namyslowski on the now ~~defunkt~~ label Inner City, produced by countryman Michal Urbaniak whose self-titled album on Inner City (IC 1036) in return has Namyslowski as guest and was recorded at the same time and in the same studio (August 1977 in Zurich, Switzerland).

Mango Boogie is perhaps the best known song on this album as it was on some compilations, but my personal fav is the modal tango, simply called Tango, some of you may know in its extended, 25 minutes lasting version Schmaltztango from the Jazz-Jamboree-75-album on Muza.

A1 Mango Boogie

A2 Time Goes By
A3 Tango
A4 Pastorale
B1 Ballada
B2 Hobble
B3 Just A Little Waltz
B4 Ohh-Hah!

Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto sax
Slawomir Kulpowicz - fender & acoustic piano
Pawel Jarzebski - electric & acoustic bass
Janusz Stefanski - drums

All compositions by Zbigniew Namyslowski
Produced by Michal Urbaniak
Recorded at Powerplay Studio Zurich, Switzerland in August 1977
Inner City IC 1048

Obviously Inner City has been reactivated. This album was reissued, buy it here

Paul Serrano Quintet - Blues Holiday (Riverside)

2010-05-04T14:21:00.013+02:00

Although you may recognize Paul Serrano's name from the production credits on countless Chicago soul LPs (on just about every label*), this LP's one of the few albums that the trumpeter ever cut in the straight jazz vein. It was put together as part of the "Cannonball Adderley Presents" series for Riverside, in which Cannonball dug up obscure artists from local scenes around the US -- and it was recorded in Chicago, with Bunky Green on alto, Jodie Christian on piano, Don Garrett on bass, and Pete La Roca on drums. The set grooves with a classic Chicago hard bop sound, and is a brilliant example of the kind of crossover in styles and groupings that was happening in the city around the time. Titles include Muhal Richard Abrams' "Dream Of Igor", plus "Blues Holiday", "Me Too", and "Little Niles". (Dustygroove)

* "So, Paul Serrano was a hard bop trumpeter here in Chicago that ultimately became a world-renowned engineer with his own Studio (PS Recording Studios). He recorded some of the greatest soul, gopel, blues, and jazz music ever laid down on wax, right here in Chicago. Built in 1966, the independent studio was on-par with Chess Records’ Ter-Mar Studios and even RCA’s massive Midwest Recording Studios.
Artists including Jerry Butler, the Emotions, Natalie Cole, Ramsey Lewis, Peabo Bryson, the Independents, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Mary Wells, Chicago Gangsters, Oscar Brown, Jr., Deniece Williams, Von Freeman, Ghanaian Highlife Bandleader Dan Boadi, and Captain Sky recorded there." (darkjive.com)

Side A

1. Me, Too (Serrano)
2. Dream Of Igor (Richard Abrams)
3. Blues Holiday (Jodie Christian)

Side B

1. Little Niles (Randy Weston)
2. Mr. Lucky (Henry Mancini)
3. Everything's Coming Up Roses (Sondheim-Styne)

Paul Serrano - trumpet
Bunky Green - alto sax
Jodie Christian - piano
Don Garrett - bass
Pete La Roca - drums

Produced by Julian "Cannonball" Adderly
Recorded November 8, 1960 in Chicago
Riverside RLP 9359

Here comes another rare album with Paul Serrano being involved. Suits perfectly to the post above. Thanks a lot to contributor Grumpy!

Daddy-O presents MJT + 3

1. Ray's Idea
2. My One and Only Love
3. End of the Line
4. They Can't Take That Away from Me
5. Egypic
6. No Name
7. Temporarily Out of Order
8. Little Brother
9. No Land's Man

Muhal Richard Abrams - piano
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Nicky Hill - tenor sax
Walter Perkins - drums
Paul Serrano - trumpet

Recorded in Chicago, 1957
Argo Cadet LP 621

All links removed, both albums just got reissued coupled on one CD (thanks to coop for the info!)

Flying Dutchman: Completion Party!

2010-04-25T12:01:00.000+02:00

It's done. Thanks to Robert who opened his treasure chest once more to contribute the remaining three FD-albums I'm in the position to declare the Flying Dutchman label blog: complete!

Get it here

On Those Were The Days Thiele indulges in his love for more traditional and very easy forms of jazz. I guess this album is rather one for fans of Thiele's wife and singer Teresa Brewer who makes a guest appearance on this musical lightweight.

California Here I Come is another record revealing that Flying Dutchman wasn't only a home for modernists like Leon Thomas, Gato Barbieri or Lonnie Liston Smith, but also for musicians representing the aforementionend traditional forms of jazz. However, as opposed to Thiele's album Lipskin's and Smith' stride piano summit is definitely more substantial.

The Great Comedy Album once again shows that Flying Dutchman was also a politically aware label, even though I have to admit there are more successful albums in this regard (with Rosko's albums leading the way) than this "collection of speeches by Agnew with a laugh track (an annoying one which repeats every third laugh or so) indiscriminately filling every pause." One for completists.

I'd be happy about some comments paying respect to Robert, who generously contributed the last six FD-albums. Cheers!

Flying Dutchman: Major Update!

2010-04-15T13:27:00.005+02:00

Get it here

Great news for Flying-Dutchman-fans: Robert generously contributed not only one but three (!) much sought after albums, and they are all worth listening.

Especially fans of Tom Scott who recorded his best albums around that time will be satisfied. Paint Your Wagon may be a little more straight forward and less eclectic than usual, but it is one of his finest, most consistent efforts as for his sax playing in my opion. Tom Scott also plays flute on Ron Anthony's Oh! Calcutta! which is stylistically a bit related to Scott's groovy mix of jazz, rock, pop and funk, but puts more emphasis on the latter ones than on jazz.

Ron Anthony - Flying Dutchman (excerpt):

Rosko's Murder At Kent State University, a harsh statement on the Nixon administration's brutality, is a must-have for everyone being interested in the spoken word genre. Rosko's haunting, almost hypnotic speech is subtly accompanied by Ron Carter's bass and James Spaulding's flute thus creating a sinister, oppressive feel. Sadly still relevant 40 years later.

As aforementioned it doesn't happen very often that you get such a chance to make your Flying-Dutchman-collection more complete, so say thanks to Robert, our generous contributor!

Steve Allen - Soulful Brass #3 (Flying Dutchman)

2010-04-12T14:43:00.005+02:00

Ken Dryden doesn't like it that much:

Steve Allen's first two volumes in his Soulful Brass series of LPs were collaborations with noted arranger Oliver Nelson, but they were handicapped by his insistence on performing on inferior electric keyboards on most of the tracks. Nelson was replaced by Tom Scott for this third volume, with the results taking on a more rockish sound. Unfortunately, Allen is still playing the same wimpy keyboards, even though they do fit in better with Scott's charts than Nelson's. But none of the performances of big band favorites like "Take the 'A' Train," "Cherokee," "Begin the Beguine," or "Flying Home" is in the least bit memorable. Neither are either of Allen's two originals. So Nat Hentoff's laudatory liner notes need to be taken with a proverbial grain of salt, as this badly dated music can be easily bypassed by the most devoted fans of Steve Allen. (AMG)

Side A

1. Cherokee
2. Rising Sun
3. One O'Clock Jump
4. Amapola
5. Begin The Beguine
6. Sing, Sing, Sing

Side B

1. Moonlight Serende
2. Flying Home

3. Last Night I Saw
4. Marie
5. Take The A Train

Steve Allen - wimpy keyboards
Tom Scott - cheesy arrangements
and a bunch of anonymous musicians who refused to be credited

Flying Duchman FD-10133
1971

The owner of this blog has a big heart for badly dated cheesy crap performed on wimpy keyboards and a 2-stars-rating on AMG. In fact nothing but a 2-stars-rating on AMG motivates him more to post an album, so spoil your ears and grab that crap here:

MP3 or FLAC

Oh, before I forget: Leave some comments and tell me how much you hated it - thanks ;)

Sun Ra Project By Blackclassical & Monohub

2010-04-07T14:19:00.000+02:00

The restless and inexhaustible source of creativity called Blackclassical has a new project. This time it's about Sun Ra - check it out:

me and monhub are gonna put together a sun ra thing for the 30th may and we have asked a number of the planets cool musos to contribute a cover of any track. I am also looking for people to record snippets of what sun ra means to you and this could be reflected in say a poem, a video or whatever you feel maybe appropriate?

Wann a get involved? Would need submissions by first week in may, leave a comment and ill get back to you in more depth… The final project then will be turned into an iPhone app release on itunes a few weeks after. If we charge for this then the proceeds will go to a philadelphia based charity that has something to do with musical enlightenment if such a project exists, again i would ask for suggestions?

Get in touch with Blackclassical here

Mara & Nana Vasconcelos - Ntsano (Red Records)

2010-03-11T11:11:00.011+01:00

Mara was a Canadian group from Québec which didn't leave many marks on the musical sphere but this 1983 released album on the renowned Italian label Red Records.

Pianist and composer Denis Hébert has some entries for playing solo concerts on the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Apart from that he seems to have turned rather to classical music i.e. minimalism - at least this is how I interpret the sparse informations Google provides me with.

Drummer and percussionist Piere Tanguay in contrast was pretty active:

"If we could give a prize to the most valuable Ambiances Magnétiques sideman (or woman), it would go to drummer Pierre Tanguay. Even though he is not one of the nine core members of the collective, he appears on more albums put out by its label than any one of them. But his career cannot be pinned down to the Montreal avant-garde scene. He has also been a valued sideman on the jazz scene, playing with Eric Longsworth, Jean Vanasse, Karen Young, and a dozen of others, and is active in world music, especially with his Mediterranean folk group Strada. In Montreal, he occupies a place comparable to Hamid Drake in New York.

Tanguay was born in Quebec City in 1957. He began as a jazz drummer, finding inspiration in the playing of Billy Higgins, Ed Blackwell, and Paul Motian. A professional musician since 1978, he also studied African percussion for two years in the Comores Islands and went to Paris to study tablas and Indian music with Anand Kumar. When he settled in Montreal in the late '70s, he was already an accomplished player. One of the first musicians he hooked up with was saxophonist Jean Derome, who would later co-found Ambiances Magnétiques. Tanguay has been his trusty partner for decades, first in the scrapyard ensemble Les Patenteux du Québec and later in Jean Derome et les Dangereux Zhoms and Derome Tanguay Danse.

Still, at first, Tanguay let the Ambiances Magnétiques musicians pursue their experimentations, preferring to ride a softer avant-garde jazz wave. In the '80s, he was part of Icarus with cellist Eric Longsworth and participated in bassist Pierre Cartier's ensembles. His relentless working schedule and rare listening quality and musicianship established him as a leading session drummer. With Cartier and Derome, he formed the Thelonious Monk tribute trio Évidence and by the mid-'90s he was involved in all major projects by Derome, René Lussier, Robert M. Lepage, Joane Hétu, and Diane Labrosse. With the Dangereux Zhoms, he toured Europe and the U.S., appearing at every major jazz festival.

Tanguay prefers the role of sideman, but he has occasionally stepped to the front of the stage, particularly in free improv duets with trombonist Tom Walsh (the album Midi Tapant came out in 1998) and Derome (Pinc! Plonc! in 2001). In 2000, he released a first solo album, La Musique de Mon Disque, a collection of experimental ambient percussion pieces. Around the same time, he also began to write and perform music for film, theater, and dance." (Francois Couture/AMG)

Reeds player Maurice Bouchard was a member of Ungava, a Quebecian progressive rock group which came to some local fame in 1977 with a selftitled album. Except for that Google comes up with a few more hits (saxophone on Jacques Vizel's Mi-zoo, Mi-fou, clarinet on Manuel Césaire's Rhapsodie Nègre Et Fantaisies Martiniquaises, member of a group called Le Group Zo), but all in all Bouchard doesn't seem to have participated in something making him much known to a wide public outside of Québec.

Guest star Nana Vasconcelos needs no introduction, I guess, which brings us to the music. I assume AMG would label Ntsano as world fusion. Personally it reminds me of albums ECM produced around that time, not only because of the similar sound aesthetics, but also musically, and it's no big coincidence that Nana Vasconcelos was on many of those albums with Codona leading the way. Codona may be a reference point for the more percussive parts of Ntsano, then again the group at times creates an epic sound a bit reminiscent of Jan Garbarek. John Surman is another ECM-artist coming to my mind when I hear Maurice Bouchard's deep bass clarinette playing. Well, wether my ECM-associations are appropriate or not, Ntsano is a fine effort, definitely worth a try!

Side A

1. Gong (Hébert)
2. Gagaku (Hébert)
3. Argile (Tanguay)

Side B

1. Ntsano (Hébert)

2. Credo (Hébert)
3. Desormais (Hébert)

Maurice Bouchard - flute, soprano sax, bass clarinette
Denis Hébert - piano, organ
Pierre Tanguay - drums, percussion
Nana Vasconcelos - berimbau, talking drum, percussion, voice

Recorded and mixed at PSM studio, Québec City, Canada, July 14, 1983
Red Records VPA 171

MP3 or FLAC

The Quartette Trés Bien - Here It Is (Decca)

2010-02-13T13:18:00.004+01:00

Here it is, the last of my QTB-rips and number eight in the discography of that legendary group with the misspelled name (or was it artistic freedom to spell it trés instead of très? ;-)). As aforementioned I find the QTB's later albums to be a bit formulaic which is me unskillfully trying to say that their songs had become shorter with less space for abrupt change of pace or exciting percussive attacks - less complex African drama á la Watusi Warrior, but more of pleasing and catchy grooves based on fox-trot, jazz waltz, boogaloo or bossa nova. That said it's still a very enjoyable album with some really precious items as Jasmine Eyes or Sally - check the soundclips!

Side A

1. In The Still Of The Night
2. Jasmine Eyes

3. Tracy's Boogaloo
4. The Shadow Of Your Smile
5. Love Is A Hurtin' Thing
6. Happy Donna

Side B

1. Autumn Leaves
2. Pamelam-A-Lam
3. Sally
4. Goin' Out Of My Head
5. Where Is Love?
6. Collaboration

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 4893
1968

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Ripping vinyl is a lot of work, so leave some feedback no matter if you liked or disliked the music - thanks!

The Quartette Tres Bien - "In" Motion (Decca)

2010-02-12T10:41:00.003+01:00

The QTB's sixth album (the predecessor Sky High can be found here) "In" Motion finds the group consolidating on a high level. As on their previous releases the group plays some popular numbers or standards plus some original material which again is the outstanding one to me. No matter if they play numbers with a waltz, fox trot or bossa nova feel, they all get transformed into the unique QTB-sound finally:

"Time was when the jazz waltz was a daring novelty, but note how effortlessly, how almost matter-of-factly, the Quartette delivers Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So and Percy James's Brother Percy in waltztime. These are not the lilting waltzes of Johann Strauss, Jr., nor the rather lachrymose kind that dominated dancing for the first quarter of this century, but they are waltzes appropriatly articulated and attuned to contemporary taste - African rather than Viennese. To borrow from a couple of Ellington song titles, things ain't what they used to be and - for once that ain't bad!" (Stanley Dance again, the QTB's chief-liner-notes-writer)

Side A

1. It Ain't Necessarily So
2. Master Charles
3. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
4. For Heaven's Sake
5. Saint Sylvester

Side B

1. Love Theme From "Madame X"
2. It Could Happen To You
3. Bad People
4. Charade

5. Brother Percy

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 4791
1966

MP3 @320k or FLAC

The Quartette Trés Bien - Stepping Out! (Decca)

2010-02-11T09:02:00.003+01:00

The album cover on which you see the QTB walking upwards goes nicely with the group taking the next level. I described the previous album Spring Into Spring as sort of breathing pause after two energetic releases. I might have also said the QTB used it to regain strength for what would be a significant step-up: Stepping Out!, one of their best records.

Just listen to the mighty Watusi Warrior, the track opening side one - this is the QTB at their most exciting and complex and in this respect at their freest: "'Emotion' is a word that Jeter Thompson returns to in conversation, for it is a quality he and the others seek to project on original compositions as well as in their playing, and this determines the playing of their most characteristic effects. The astonishing Watusi Warrior, for instance, is another example of Thompson's gift for descriptive writing with an African motif, its predecessors including Kilimanjaro and Rhodesian Chant on Decca DL 4548 and DL 4547 respectively. He insists that this evocative piece, which seems so wild, exciting, barbaric and abandoned, was 'all worked out' beforehand. Such a performance is made possible by the Quartette's élan, and by the intuitive understanding each musician has - after playing together for seven years - of the others' ways of thought and expression." (Stanley Dance, taken from the liner notes)

Side A

1. Watusi Warrior

2. Summertime
3. Stay, My Love
4. A Taste Of Honey

Side B

1. More (Theme from "Mondo Cane")
2. Sheryl Likes Bananas
3. Brazil (Aquarela Do Brazil)

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 4675
1965

MP3 @320k or FLAC

The Quartette Trés Bien - Spring Into Spring (Decca)

2010-02-10T11:22:00.008+01:00

This week I'd like to post 4 QTB-albums, starting with Spring Into Spring. Having released 2 highly energetic albums this album marks a little breather as it dials it down a notch. The sentiment is more relaxed, reflective, melancholy, the rhythmic fireworks are reduced. Pianist Jeter Thompson's playing is to the fore, Percy James on bongos and congas - the other key figure of QTB's distinctive sound - really comes into his own not until the last track Accidently On Percy, my personal favorite. Nevertheless it's another good QTB-album - having heard all but one of their albums I simply have to state that this group never released a bad album. Sure, their first albums may be more frenetic and impulsive, whereas their later ones sound a bit formulaic. It's also true that the guys, once they had found their formula, didn't change it anymore. Then again the formula simply worked - and it still does more than 40 years later. The music still sounds fresh and sweeping, it has a timeless quality.

"The Quartette's program is as knowingly varied and paced as its treatment of individual numbers, This one opens with The Night Is Young And You're So Beautiful, which proceeds from a lush, romantic introduction through melodic statements against an increasingly insistent drum commentary. A relaxed version of Richard Rogers' It Might As Well Be Spring follows. The choice of tempo is good, and this performance offers a notable example of how the Quartette's music can, at its least flamboyant, permeate rather than intrude upon the consciousness. We Remember Jamie, an original by drummer Albert St. James, is a swinging, up-tempo work-out for all four men, together and individually. Joey, Joey, Joey is a pretty number in complete contrast with the ones before it. There is effective use of bowed bass in the coda, where Jeter Thompson figuratively salutes another pianist, Duke Ellington.

Side Two opens with a one-chorus interpretation of There Is No Greater Love, a beautiful number from 1936 by Isham Jones, on which Thompson's clean, fast right hand is expressive but restrained. Lover Man is the pièce de résistance. On this great standard by Roger Ramirez, the pianist swings energetically and inventively over the rhythm section's waltztime, while the reflective Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most shows his acute ear for color in chords and a propensity for melancholy. Finally, there is Accidently On Percy, a showcase by and for Percy James. His sensitive hands and taut, well-articulated drum beats evoke a brilliant Caribbean picture, which incidentally suggests one way to spring into spring a little early, this or any other year. (Taken from Stanley Dance's liner notes)

Side A

1. The Night Is Young And You're So Beautiful
2. It Might As Well Be Spring
3. We Remember Jamie
4. Joey, Joey, Joey

Side B

1. There Is No Greater Love
2. Lover Man
3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
4. Accidently On Percy

Jeter Thompson - piano
Richard Simmons - bass
Albert St. James - drums
Percy James - bongos & congas

Decca DL 4617
1965

MP3@320k or FLAC

Everything you always wanted to know about the QTB, but were afraid to ask, read it in Cheeba's essential post, to whom I dedicate my QTB-posts.

Guy Warren - African Rhythms: The Exciting Soundz Of Guy Warren And His Talking Drums (Decca)

2010-01-24T22:17:00.008+01:00

From the liner notes: "Guy's friend, drummer Max Roach, was in the studio when this number [Aesop's Fables] was cut. He commented thru the inter-com from the control room, 'Hey, Guy, do you know something... you must be deported back to Africa... you are too wild!...' and to this josh, Guy said, 'Ding-dong! That's where all the nice mess IS!'"

Side A

1. That's How She Walks
2. Hail The Soundz
3. My Anthem

4. Aesop's Fables

Side B

1. The Third Phase - Prelude (An African Drum Symphony)
2. The Third Phase - Main Theme (An African Drum Symphony)

Guy Warren - percussion, flute, piano, vocal, composer, arranger
Ollie Shearer - vibes, marimba
Richard Davis - bass

Decca DL 74243. 1962

MP3 @320k or FLAC

For more Guy Warren check out these great blogs:

Guy Warren Soundz - Themes For African Drums on Cheeba's Soundological Investimigations

Guy Warren Of Ghana - Afro Jazz on Fat Toro's blog

Vibration Society - The Music Of Rahsaan Roland Kirk

2010-01-12T00:12:00.004+01:00

A beautiful tribute to the music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk -- one that really gets at all the sensitive soul and spirit that we first came to love in his recordings of the 60s! The quality of the set's no surprise, though, given that some of the key members here include Steve Turre and Hilton Ruiz -- both of whom worked with Kirk back in the day, and who not only recreate his sound wonderfully -- but also do a good of imagining its extension, had Roland not been taken from us too soon in his all-too-short career. Other players include Bill Hardman on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Paul Brown on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums -- and Suzanne Klewan and Timmy Shepherd sing on a few tracks , too. Titles include "Spirits Up Above", "A Handful Of Fives", "Serenade To A Cuckoo", "Theme For The Eulipions", "My Delight", "Bright Moments", and "The Inflated Tear". (Dustygroove)

1. Serenade To A Cuckoo
2. Theme For The Eulipions
3. A Handful Of Fives
4. Spirits Up Above

5. The Inflated Tear
6. My Delight
7. Bright Moments
8. Steppin' Into Beauty
9. E.D.

Tracks 1-8:

Bill Hardman - trumpet
Steve Turre - trombone
Junior Cook - tenor sax
Hilton Ruiz - piano
Paul Brown - bass
Leroy Williams - drums
Suzanne Klewan & Timmy Shepherd - vocals on 2, 4 & 7

Track 9:

Steve Turre - trombone
Cedar Walton - piano
Buster Williams - bass
Billy Higgins - drums

Tracks 1-8 recorded at Lobel Studio, West New York, NJ, January 14 & 15, 1986
Track 9 recorded at Kampo Cultural Center, NY, February 6, 1988

Natasha Imports NI-4024
1993

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Mark Murphy & Karlheinz Miklin Quartet In Concert - Just Jazz

2009-12-22T12:54:00.007+01:00

I stumbled upon this album when actually investigating on Tone Janša's sidemen. It turned out that his bassist Ewald Oberleitner also played on this Mark Murphy-album 15 years later, an album I had never heard of and that seemed to be virtually nonexistent... But then I thought a guy who was able to unearth an ultra rare Janša-album might be able to help me with this one, too, so I asked my local contact man and mate Igor and - guess what! - only some days later I got a mail from him with RapidShare-links! So please thank Igor for his generosity when leaving a comment - this blog owes him a lot!

By the way it's a nice album. Mark Murphy was in good shape and occasionally humorous at that evening, and even though his Austrian sidemen may not be all too known outside of their homeland they are more than just faceless background-musicians, notably the great Karlheinz Miklin on sax and flute (check out the fantastic "Vera Cruz" or "Prism").

1. Stolen Moments
2. Parker's Mood
3. Along Came Betty
4. Vera Cruz

5. Bolero De Sata
6. Going To Chicago
7. Charleston Alley
8. I'll Remember Clifford
9. Prism
10. Body & Soul

Mark Murphy - vocal
Karlheinz "Charlie" Miklin - saxes, flute
Claus Raible - piano
Ewald Oberleitner - bass
Heimo Wiederhofer

Recorded live in Zagreb at the BP Club, 1993
Jazzette BP CD 027

MP3 @320k or FLAC

That's it for 2009 - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

David Amram & Friends - Latin-Jazz Celebration

2009-12-11T13:41:00.003+01:00

David Amram, who has played and composed in several different areas of music, has always had a special love for Latin jazz. This out-of-print LP finds Amram (on French horn, piano, guitar and various flutes and whistles) playing six of his compositions, plus "Take the 'A' Train," with an impressive 14-piece group that features such notables as altoist Paquito D'Rivera, altoist Jerry Dodgion, David "Fathead" Newman on tenor, baritonist Pepper Adams, trumpeter Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy Knepper and many percussionists, including Machito and Candido. Frequently explosive and always infectious music. (Scott Yanow/AMG)

I know some of you take a Yanow-review as an anti-recommendation, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while... Fine album, especially the first track En Memoria de Chano Pozo - nothing but a killer (check the sound clip)!

Side A

1. En Memoria De Chano Pozo
2. New York Charanga
3. Andes Breeze
4. Take The A Train

Side B

1. Blue Bomba (Bomba Azul)
2. Brazilian Memories
3. Celebration
4. Song Of The Rain Forest
5. An Interview With David Amram

David Amram - french horn, piano, acoustic guitar, penny whistles, ocharinas, Andean flutes & percussion
Paquito d'Rivera - alto sax, percussion & flute on "New York Charanga"
Jerry Dodgion - alto & soprano sax
David "Fathead" Newman - tenor sax
George Barrow - tenor sax
Pepper Adams - baritone sax
Joe Wilder - trumpet
Jimmy Knepper - trombone
Victor Venegas - bass
Machito - claves
Machito Jr. (Mario Grillo) - guiro & percussion
Candido - bongos & congas
Myra Casales - congas
Steve Berrios - timbales, drums & percussion
Duduca Fonseca - Brazilian percussion

Recorded & Mixed at the Hit Factory, January 1982
1983. Elektra/Asylum

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Gaetano Liguori - Terzo Mondo

2009-12-04T15:44:00.003+01:00

Ok, let's complete my little Palcoscenico-blog with the first of nine albums released on this obscure label, a worthy completion in my opinion, an energetic album linking post-bop with more avantgarde structures yet quite accessible and melodious. Except for some short freer parts Terzo Mondo is mostly characterized by a steady, driving pulse. Especially like the fiery final seven, eight minutes - check out the soundclip below!

Sergio Fanni - trumpet
Danilo Terenzi - trombone
Gaetano Liguori - piano
Roberto Del Piano - electric bass
Pasquale Liguori - drums

Side A

1. Peppina   (7:07)
2. Geronimo Boogie   (5:02)
3. Suite Per Il Terzo Mondo, Part 1   (11:11)

Side B

1. Suite Per Il Terzo Mondo, Part 2   (24:18)

Listen to an excerpt:

All compositions by Gaetano Liguori
Recorded live at CIAK, Milano, Italy; November 2, 1979

Palcoscenico PAL 15001. 1980

MP3 @320k or FLAC (I know, I know, everyone's busy buying Christmas presents at the moment, no time for commenting, however I'm a grateful person...)

Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band - Sumi-E

2009-11-26T11:45:00.007+01:00

For a period of time between the mid-'70s and early '80s, Toshiko Akiyoshi was taking her big band (co-founded with husband Lew Tabackin) into the studio with some regularity, consistently producing outstanding recordings. This long-unavailable LP, released by the Japanese label Insights, consists of four extended original works, beginning with the exotic, multi-faceted "Sumi-e." "Hangin' Loose" is a far more lighthearted piece, which she introduces with a jaunty piano solo backed by the rhythm section. The cryptically titled "A-10-205932" is a great showcase for Tabackin's underrated prowess as a flutist. The orchestra also includes trumpeter Bobby Shew, trombonist Bill Reichenbach, and alto saxophonist Gary Foster, though all of the musicians excel in their playing of Akiyoshi's demanding charts. This somewhat hard-to-find album is well worth acquiring. (Ken Dryden/AMG)

Side A

1. Sumi-E - 7'56

2. Hangin' Loose - 8'47

Side B

1. Quadrille, Anyone? - 5'55
2. A-10-205932 - 9'56

All songs composed by Toshiko Akiyoshi

Toshiko Akiyoshi - piano
Lew Tabackin - tenor sax, flute
Steven Huffstetter, Bobby Shew, Larry Ford, Mike Price - trumpet
Randy Aldcroft, Bill Reichenbach, Rick Culver - trombone
Phil Teele - bass trombone
Gary Foster, Dick Spencer - alto sax
Tom Peterson - tenor sax
Bill Byrne - baritone sax
John Heard - bass
Peter Donald - drums
Kisaku Katada - percussion

Recorded February 2 & 3, 1979, Iruma City Auditorium, Saitama, Japan
RCA PL 37537 (Digital Recording)

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Dave Pike - On A Gentle Note & Moon Bird (Muse)

2009-11-15T12:43:00.003+01:00

I downloaded the following albums a while ago from Soulseek and I've never contributed them to Ish's Muse blog as I took it for granted someone else had done it before me. On the occasion of Bacoso posting Pike's Let The Minstrels Play On some days ago I called on the Nine Sisters again and to my surprise found no links for On A Gentle Note (1977) and Moon Bird (1983). As I also couldn't find them in the blogosphere it seemed like a good idea to me to make them available again, not least because they are pretty hard to get and worth hearing, especially On A Gentle Note.

Scott "The Unavoidable" Yanow:

After 1966, vibraphonist Dave Pike was primarily heard on European labels until he made his first album for Muse in 1975. His second effort for the label teams Pike with a variety of top L.A. players: Tom Ranier on electric piano (he plays alto on "Scrapple from the Apple"), guitarist Ron Eschete, bassist Luther Hughes, drummer Ted Hawke, and the obscure Rudolph Johnson on tenor. There are some unaccompanied solos (Eschete on "Everytime We Say Goodbye," Ranier's keyboard on "Gigi," and Pike on "Visions of Spain") and a fair amount of variety in the rhythms (ranging from straight-ahead to Latin and rock), making this a generally unpredictable (if now hard to find) LP.

Side A

1. Lazy Afternoon
2. Gigi
3. Regards From Freddie Horowitz

Side B

1. Secret Mystery Of Hensch
2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
3. Scrapple From The Apple
4. Visions Of Spain

Dave Pike - vibes
Rudolph Johnson - tenor sax
Tom Ranier - electric piano & alto sax
Ron Eschete - guitar
Luther Hughes - bass
Ted Hawke - drums & percussion

Recorded November & December 1977 at United Audio Studio, Santa Ana, California
Muse MR 5168

MP3 @320k (thanks to the original ripper)

Another one of the post-Europe Dave Pike recordings, with a sound that's a bit straighter than usual, but still with his usual great take on jazzy vibes playing. The title track's a nice breezy groover, and the LP also includes two more originals, one with a Latiny feel called "Set the Stage", the other with the usual Pike goofiness, called "Jumpy the Snail". (Dustygroove)

Side A

1. Moon Bird
2. Love For Sale
3. Jumpy The Snail

Side B

1. Set The Stage
2. Dream
3. Anthropology

Dave Pike - vibes
Ron Eschete - guitar
Tom Ranier - piano
Luther Hughes - bass
Ted Hawke - drums & percussion
Buck Clark - percussion

Muse MR 5261
1983

MP3 @192 VBR (thanks to the original ripper)

Claudio Fasoli Jazz Trio - Eskimo Fakiro

2009-11-11T13:18:00.010+01:00

Having posted his album Cloudy (Palcoscenico) in July Claudio Fasoli is no stranger to this blog anymore, therefore no introduction is needed. Some of you may also know the title track from the fine Tempo Jazz series still available on Flageolette's blog. Just have a look at the guys playing on this album: Claudio Fasoli, Giorgio Azzolini, Bruno Biriaco and Franco D'Andrea - simply said the créme de la crème of modern Italian jazz on an album for Carosello's legendary Jazz from Italy series. By the way hardworking jazzfromitaly has just started a new label blog featuring that series, not to forget his main blog and his Horo-blog - check them out!

Side A

1. Days Off
2. Pseudonimo
3. Dolores

Side B

1. Eskimo Fakiro
2. Childish Eyes
3. Sunless Dream

Claudio Fasoli - tenor & soprano sax
Giorgio Azzolini - bass
Bruno Biriaco - drums

Guest artist: Franco D'Andrea - piano

Recorded at CAP Studio, June 9 - 10, 1977
Carosello/Jazz From Italy CLE 21036

MP3 @320k or FLAC (comments are much appreciated!)

The Paul Horn Quintet With Voices - Here's That Rainy Day

2009-11-04T10:04:00.004+01:00

My download stats tell me that Clifford Jordan's Inward Fire has been the most downloaded album so far surprisingly followed by Paul Horn's Monday, Monday - obviously there's some need for easier sounds...Well, here you go! Here's That Rainy Day is another album from Horn's - in my opinion - completely underrated RCA period, one of those albums receiving 2 stars only from the sometimes ignorant AMG-staff which then again is almost a recommendation...

I'd like to quote Al Schmitt's liner notes partially as they are quite accurate:

"In this album, the mood is sentimental. It alludes to memories, to loneliness, to love, to regret and to all the torchy times that were sad, wistful or reflective. It is a mood I have long wanted to present in an album, but it took an artist like Paul Horn to make the idea a reality in sound. [..] In this album, Paul is backed by his quintet, augmented by two harps and a chorus. The voices are used differently than they have been in the past. They sing only the most important line in each song. The rest of the time the chorus becomes an instrumental section, with Paul's horn taking over as the lyricist. Wether telling the story on clarinet, bass flute or alto flute, Paul's message is a bittersweet sound, so sensuous, so touching, that it is impossible to hear it without being moved to a new level of mood... a mood that haunts you on 'That Rainy Day'"

Dustygroove agrees: "A sweet and mellow set from flutist Paul Horn -- with a sad, sleepy, and wonderfully late nite feel! Ralph Carmichael arranged and conducted the set -- and most of the tracks feature the Ralph Carmichael Singers in the background, singing in a really moody style that adds a nice edge to the tunes. The record's the kind we might have passed up years ago, thinking it a snoozer -- but we love it's dark tension, and really appreciate some of the additional instrumental touches, like vibes by Lynn Blessing, piano by Mike Lang, and bass by Bill Plummer."

Maybe interesting for some of you, Gang Starr's Memory Of contains a sample from Here's That Rainy Day (title track):

Side A

1. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)?
2. Here's That Rainy Day
3. How Sensitive (Insensatez)
4. The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme From "The Sandpiper")
5. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Side B

1. Girl Talk
2. Moment To Moment
3. Ecstasy
4. Laura
5. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)

Paul Horn - clarinet on A4, B5; flute on A2, A3, B1, B3; bass flute on A5; alto flute on A1, B2, B4
Bill Plummer - bass
Lynn Blessing - vibes
Bill Goodwin - drums
Mike Lang - piano

Ralph Carmichael - arranger, conductor & choral director
The Ralph Carmichael Singers - chorus
plus 2 harps, uncredited

Recorded Nov 4, 1965 - Nov 8, 1965, released 1966

RCA Victor/Dynagroove LSP-3519

Lovely little album, made for daydreaming on a cold, grey and wet November day - grab it here:

MP3 @320k or FLAC (comments are much appreciated)

Archie Shepp - Devil Blues (Circle)

2009-10-26T19:38:00.004+01:00

While the first side of Devil Blues features the ending tracks of Frankfurt Workshop '78: Tenor Saxes the second one completes the Afrian Moods-session recorded October 6, 1984 with two preceding tracks - Circle had a strange publishing policy to say the least...

In the late 1970s and beyond, Shepp's career went between various old territories and various new ones. He continued to explore African music, while also recording blues, ballads, spirituals and tributes to more traditional jazz figures like Charlie Parker and Sidney Bechet, while at other times displaying his penchant for honking R&B and soulful blues. (Wikipedia)

No big surprise the stomping title track is a showcase for Shepp's more bluesy side, it also gives the other players opportunity for some sweeping solos - quite entertaining. If one didn't know that side 2 was recorded in 1984 one might assume this session to be the one from 1978. Especially the fiery U-majaa recalls the progressive Shepp from past times - my personal fav thanks also to Don Mumford's great drumming.

Side A

1. Devil Blues (18:55)
2. Confirmation (2:31)

Archie Shepp - tenor sax
George Adams - tenor sax, vocal
Heinz Sauer - tenor sax
Rainer Brüninghaus - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Alex Riel - drums

Recorded 24/9/1978, Frankfurt

Side B

1. Mama Rose (6:07)
2. U-majaa (17:08)

Archie Shepp - tenor & soprano sax, vocal
Siggi Kessler - piano
Peter Bockius - bass
Don Mumford - drums

Recorded 6/10/1984, Leverkusen
Circle Records RK 7884/33

Devil Blues was kindly contributed by reader Thomas so when you leave a comment don't forget to thank him - keeps us in business as Ish says!

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Jazzrocková Dílna - Jazzrock Workshop (Panton)

2009-10-20T13:47:00.001+02:00

Let's stay behind the former Iron Curtain and move to Ex-Czechoslovakia. If Tone Janša's Pattern is an evidence for Coltrane's or Sanders' influence on him, this album demonstrates that groups like Impuls, CH.A.S.A. and Jazz Q had listened to Herbie Hancock, Return To Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra very well and no reason to hide from their western counterparts imo. Btw there's a Jazzrocková Dílna 2 - anyone out there having this album and being so generous to share it with us?

Side A

1. Ctveracky/Sly (Herbie Hancock) - 9:07''
2. Kristavlove Ticho/Crystal Silence (Chick Corea) - 5:42''
3. Chasablanca (Ivo Albrecht) - 6:49''

Side B

1. Zivi Se Divi/Wondering Of A Living (Martin Kratochvil) - 7:27''
2. Tun/Water Pool (Martin Kratochvil) - 6:45''
3. Svedek Sveta/Witness To The World (Martin Kratochvil/Joan Duggan) - 6:24''

Side A, Track 1 & 2 - Impuls:

Pavel Kostiuk - Fender piano, leader
Zdenek Fiser - guitar
Michal Gera - electric trumpet
Alexander Cihar - bass
Jaromir Helesic - drums

Side A, Track 3 - CH.A.S.A.:

Ivo Albrecht - bass, leader
Jiri Adam - guitar
Pavel Chmelar - soprano & baritone sax, flute
Antonin Striz - drums
Ivan Havlicek - percussion
Mirka Krivankova - vocal

Side B, Track 1 & 2 - Jazz Q:

Martin Kratochvil - Fender, Moog, leader
Frantisek Francl - guitar
Jan Martinec - soprano sax, electric violin
Premysl Faukner - bass
Libor Laun - drums

Side B, Track 3 - Jazzrocková Dílna:

Martin Kratochvil - Fender, Moog
Lubos Andrst - guitar
Jan Martinec - soprano sax, electric violin
Petr Korinek - bass
Josef Vejvoda - drums
Jiri Tomek - percussion
Joan Duggan - vocal
C & K Vocal (Helena Arnetova, Zdena Adamova, Milena Cervena, Ladislav Kantor, Jiri Cerha, Lubos Pospisil) - vocals

Recorded Live At Prague Jazz Days (March 1975)
Panton 11 0572

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Tone Janša Quartet - Pattern (Helidon)

2009-10-12T20:01:00.004+02:00

And now for something very special. Tone Janša is nothing less but a legend, probably the best sax player ever to emerge from former Yugoslavia (he's from Slovenia, to be correct), "a giant of a man, and a saxophonist who has much in common with both Pharaoh Sanders and the giant who influenced him, John Coltrane." (Thom Jurek)

However he's is somewhat of a lost giant which may has something to do with the fact that he didn't record much after the mid-eighties except for the private released CD Tone Janša Quintet & Sextet (1998). Well, at least that's what I was able to find out. If someone out there has more informations about what Mr. Janša did in the last 20 years I'd be happy to hear it.

Anton (Tone) Janša was born May 5, 1943 in Ormoz/Slovenia. He "got seriously engaged in jazz in 1969, when he started to study it at the institute of Jazz in Graz, Austria [where he may have met most of his band mates as they also studied there]. In the years 1971, 1972 and 1973 he played with Dieter Glawischnig in several clubs in West Germany, Austria and Poland. Later he began to work with his own quartet, played in clubs and recorded in Ljubljana and for NDR (Radio Station) in Hamburg, Germany.

In 1974 he was recording with his quartet for RTV Ljubljana made after that a tour to Poland, where he took part in "Jazz nad Odra" festival. After finishing his studies in Graz - where he graduated in classical music and jazz - and on the Berklee College in Boston, he joined as professional the big band of RTV Ljubljana [of which he was a member until 1984], and at the same time continued to work with the quartet. In 1974 he played at jazz festival in Graz with the international big band, the leader of which was Slide Hampton; other members were Albert Mangelsdorff, Art Farmer, Rudi Josel etc. In 1975 he appeared with the quartet at the jazz festival in Ljubljana. In the autumn of the same year he visited Hungary. In 1976 he played also in Gustav Brom's big band together with Simeon Chterev at jazz festival in Prague." (Janez Gregorc, taken from the liner notes of Tone Janša - Jazz Kvartet)

Outside of Yugoslavia Tone Janša is best known for the two fine records he made with Woody Shaw, Woody Shaw With The Tone Janša Quartet (1985) and Dr. Chi (1986) and for Bouyancy (2001), a commendable compilation of tracks from Jazz Kvartet (RTB LP 4202, 1977) and Tone Janša Kvartet (RTB LP 4205, 1978), issued on Cosmic Sounds making material of Janša's most creative phase available for the first time.
In 1988 he started teaching saxophone and flute at the University of Graz and the music school Schladming. He retired in 2004.

Pattern (Helidon, 1979) is not a single bit worse than his releases on RTB, it's almost a little more interesting respectively versatile as it adds the RTV Ljubljana Big Band on the title track.

Tone Janša - tenor & soprano sax, flute

André Jeanquartier - piano

Ewald Oberleitner - bass

Miroslav Karlovic - drums

*RTV Ljubljana Big Band

Jože Privšek - conductor

Side A

1. Noc (3'42)
2. Labirint (5'34)
3. Kje So Tiste Stezice (3'54)
4. Parabola (6'12)

Side B

1. Pattern* (5'02)
2. Dan 1/Vzgon (11'02)**
3. Rom (3'51)
4. Potop (3'58)

**Live at the Lubljana '78 Jazz Festival

Helidon FLP 08-003. 1979. Yugoslavia

Not an everday post, likely to be the best one on this blog so far, so please be so kind and thank Igor who generously contributed this excellent rip!

Vinyl rip, WAV (~470 MB) or MP3 @320k

Update: Check out this blog for another superb Janša-album (thanks to Corvimax for the tip!): http://jugozvuk.blogspot.com/2009/10/tone-jansa-1978-quartet.html

Walter Davis, Jr. - Uranus (Palcoscenico)

2009-09-29T11:10:00.001+02:00

One of the most accomplished pianists to emerge from the bebop era, Walter Davis, Jr. earned his pedigree at an early age, having played with Charlie "Bird" Parker while still in high school. He went on to perform with many of the music’s most important masters, most notably Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, and Sonny Rollins and in later years led his own impressive groups, which at times included the young Branford and Wynton Marsalis.

Davis was born in Richmond, Virginia on September 2, 1932, but moved with his parents when he was only one day old to East Orange, New Jersey, where he was raised amongst a most musical family. Davis’s mother was an accomplished vocalist who sang in a chorus known as the Orange Majestic Singers and also played piano, as did her four brothers and her husband.

Davis began playing piano at a very young age and began his formal studies with Mrs. Dolores Tillary, wife of the Majestic Singers musical director Albert Tillary, eventually studying with Mr. Tillary himself. Later he studied the classics with Miss Zevia Reed, in preparation for a career as a concert pianist, but after hearing Billy Eckstine’s forward looking big band at Newark’s Adam Theatre and Harlem’s Apollo his interest in the European classical repertoire was replaced with a passion for the music of the nascent bebop movement.

While still a student at East Orange High School a classmate introduced Davis to Bud Powell, who took the young pianist under his wing. One of Davis’s first professional jobs was with bebop vocalist Babs Gonzalez’s Three Bips and a Bop group featuring both Powell and Thelonious Monk, the latter who became another important friend and mentor. Soon Davis was working with Charlie Parker at the Apollo Bar in Harlem.

A chance encounter with a teacher while was playing a club engagement with Bird in Newark resulted in the end of Davis’s academic pursuits and soon he was devoting himself to music full time. In 1952 he joined Max Roach’s group and the following year he made his recording debut on the drummer’s album The Max Roach Quartet featuring Hank Mobley for the musician owned record label Debut that Roach had formed with bassist Charles Mingus.

Thereafter Davis worked regularly in Harlem with a host of beboppers, often with Babs Gonzalez groups featuring the likes of Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham, Lucky Thompson and other pioneers of the new music. In 1956 he joined Dizzy Gillespie’s big band for its State Department tours of Europe and the Middle East. In ’58 he returned to Europe with Donald Byrd’s quintet featuring Belgian saxophonist/flutist Bobby Jaspar, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor, recording Byrd’s Jazz In Paris during the group’s residency in France.

Upon returning to New York he joined longtime friend Art Blakey as a member of his Jazz Messengers, fortifying the relationship that went back to the drummer’s early days with the Billy Eckstine band and would last the rest of the pianist’s life.

As was the case with many other great artists, Davis made his recorded debut in 1959 as a composer with Blakey and the Messengers, waxing his composition “Splendid” with the group, which also featured Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter, on the band’s Blue Note album Africaine that sadly would not be released until two decades later.

Davis's profile in the jazz community increased greatly that year through his association with Blakey, a pair of recordings for Blue Note Byrd In Hand with trumpeter Donald Byrd, and New Soil with Jackie McLean. He also made his first appearance as leader on Blue Note with Davis Cup, which featured both Byrd and McLean on a program comprised completely of the Davis's original compositions.

He also appeared on drummer Art Taylor’s Taylor’s Tenors for Prestige and recorded again with Blakey on the Live Paris Concert album on which he gracefully steps away from the piano for two tunes to allow his friend and mentor Bud Powell to sit in with the group.

Davis worked regularly with Blakey into 1960 when drug problems that made touring difficult forced his departure from the band. He returned to record with the group the following year, contributing two new originals to the Messengers’ album Roots and Herbs, but unfortunately again his work with the group was to remain largely unknown until the album was released several years later.

The next year he recorded and performed with Betty Carter (‘Round Midnight) and Jackie McLean (Let Freedom Ring), while also working with Philly Joe Jones and leading his own group. He was largely absent from the jazz scene for the next several years, during which times he earned a living as a tailor/clothing designer and furniture craftsman, returning in 1966 to record a pair of albums for Prestige with Teddy Edwards and Sonny Criss.

He recorded again with Criss (Portrait of Criss) in 1967 and with Archie Shepp the next year (The Way Ahead), before embarking on another hiatus from the jazz scene to study music in India. His return to New York was marked by work with both Doctor John (Mac Rebennack) and the Rolling Stones.

Returning to the world of Jazz in 1972, he recorded again with Blakey (A Child’s Dance) and Shepp (Attica Blues), before joining the group of Sonny Rollins, (who himself was making a triumphant return from his famous second sabbatical from public performing), touring with the tenor titan through 1974 and appearing on his widely heralded Horn Culture album.

The following year he joined Blakey full time after missing the drummer’s Backgammon record date, to which he contributed the title track and another original, “Uranus,” the latter of which remained in the Jazz Messenger songbook for the remainder of the band’s existence. He recorded with group featuring special guest Sonny Stitt in 1975, remaining with Blakey through 1977, when he appeared on the classic Gypsy Folk Tales album, again contributing the date’s title tune.

In 1977 Davis recorded his album Illumination for the Japanese Denon label, his second date as a leader, nearly twenty years after his first effort as such. The session, which featured Blakey making a rare appearance as a sideman, and Tony Williams sharing drum duties, began a fruitful relationship with the high quality label, that included two more albums as a leader, Abide With Meand Night Song, as well as sessions with Sonny Stitt and Archie Shepp.

The decade of the eighties found Davis receiving long overdue deserved recognition. He worked regularly as a leader and with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet and Philly Joe Jones’s group Dameronia, as well as various allstar alumni Jazz Messenger assemblages. He toured and recorded regularly as a leader for various European labels, including most notably the impressive trio date Scorpio Rising for Steeplechase.

Widely recognized at the time as the foremost interpreter of the music of Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, along with Barry Harris, he appeared on various concerts paying tribute to the two piano greats, including performances at New York City’s the Town Hall and Lincoln Center and Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center. In light of his many accomplishments, it is remarkable that Davis’s stunning solo album In Walked Thelonious, recorded in 1989 for the independent Maple Shade label, was only his second date as a leader for an American record company.

Walter Davis, Jr. passed away June 2, 1990 in New York City. At the time of his death he was in the middle of an engagement, leading a duo at the Greenwich Village piano player’s mecca, Bradley’s. (Russ Musto/Jazz.com)

Side A

1. Blackgammon* (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 5:50" [*A write error?]
2. Night Song (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 7:20"
3. Cheryl (Charlie Parker) - 3:50"

Side B

1. Just One Of Those Things (Cole Porter) - 7:20"
2. Ronnie's A Dynamite Lady (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 2:32"
3. Glass Enclosure (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 2:44"
4. Uranus (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 2:44"
5. Bloosy (Walter Davis, Jr.) - 3:15"

Walter Davis, Jr. - piano

Recorded live at CIAK, Milano, Italy, November 8, 1979
Released 1981. Palcoscenico Records PAL 15008

MP3 @320k or FLAC

Mel Dancy - A Little Lovin' (Mainstream)

2009-09-27T17:17:00.004+02:00

The Ark very proudly presents an exquisite review by Cheeba, blogland's prime soundological investigator and keeper of the Shack - I feel priviledged! Don't forget to thank him when you leave a comment!

"It's an honour to be asked to write a guest post for the Ark, especially since it meant I'd have a chance to listen to the Mel Dancy set Sherlock had recently acquired. Although it's a little too much on the e-z listening tip for him, he knew I was more attuned to the loungier side of the spectrum (i.e., I have dodgy taste and high tolerance for cheez) and asked if I would do the deed. Gladly says I!

As a starting point for my investimigation, Inspector Arkadin passed along a link to Mel's website. It had some very basic info, a discography and exactly two pics of him. It was an easy task to find his up-to-date MySpace page with current gig schedules and more photos, confirming he's still active in the Miami area but it doesn't have much more in the way of biographical info. Further searching led to a jackpot in Marv Golberg's R&B Notebook on The Rivileers, a doo wop/R&B group of which Mel was a member in the 50s. Here's some background on Mel from an interview Marv conducted with him ca. 1996 for the article:

Mel had started his show business career by being Dizzy Gillespie's paper boy, and was always big into jazz: “When I was a kid, I used to shimmy down the drainpipe and take a bus to a train and get off at 52nd Street [the jazz capital of New York City]. Then with my mother's eyebrow pencil, I would paint a moustache on, and they would laugh ... and slip me into the club.”

source: Marv Goldberg
“I was 17 years old,” says Mel, “and in the Jamaica High School choir, when they approached me because Gene Pearson was going in the service. So we used to go down to my basement and practice and learn all the old tunes. Then we started taking new tunes. We took '(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons' and I did the arrangement on it. It was the first time, to my knowledge, that a modulation ever appeared in Rhythm and Blues. It was a three-tone modulation, which the McGuire Sisters covered exactly the way I envisioned it and the way we recorded it. That was actually my arrangement; it was done in my basement and it was out of my head. We were also doing 4 Freshmen tunes and were singing very good; we had very tight harmony.”
--------
As for Mel, “When I got out [of the Air Force], I thought I was gonna set the world on fire. I went on an amateur show in Harlem, and I didn't win!” In spite of this initial lack of success, Mel is the only one of the Rivileers who has made music his career. He became the singer with a band that was playing the Village Vanguard (in New York's Greenwich Village), toured Russia during the Nixon Administration, and was with a jazz aggregation called the Singin' Swingin' Zeniths. Says Mel, “I've never been anything but active in music.”
--------
Mel Dancy's career also included being the singer at the Hotel Edison in Manhattan; recording a jazz album for Bobby Shad's Mainstream Records; leading a Platters group that toured the world; appearing as “Lord Dancy,” the calypso singer on cruise ships; being in several episodes of Miami Vice; and having the part of Whitney Houston's piano player in the movie The Bodyguard. At the time this article was written, he was doing an eight-month stint as the piano player/singer at “Lord Jim's” at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

I've been charmed by big chunks of this album for a few weeks now, which really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. How could it not yield some great moments with personnel like Cornell Dupree, Gordon Edwards, Phil Bodner, Ray Barretto, Johnny Pacheco and George Devens under the aegis of Wade Marcus? Although the strings and arrangements can get a bit overpowering at times, under the dusting of powdered sugar there's still a fantastic crooner album with swinging moments à la Bennett or Sinatra. This is especially true on the killer reading of the title track given by him and the band.

Even if he's not a top-tier vocalist, Dancy has a solid voice and can deliver a line with a wink as well as a tear. Being '72, the obligatory funk and soul elements creep out here and there (" See Saw" and "Wasn't It You") as well as the requisite countrypolitan soul ("Just Beginning To Feel The Pain") and a gospel closer. I'm more often than not left nonplussed by Marcus' arrangements but there are some great charts here and any fan of his sound would surely find this an enjoyable listen. Thanks to Arkadin for the opportunity to hear it and for filling another crack in the shad shack!" (Cheeba)

Side A

1. Just A Little Lovin' (2:56)

2. See-Saw (3:09)
3. Don't Give Up On Me (3:16)
4. Wasn't It You (3:06)
5. Beginning To Feel The Pain (3:02)

Side B

1. Let Me Do What I Want To Do (2:37)
2. The Years Of My Youth (4:37)
3. Day Star (3:49)
4. Fly With Me (Butterfly) (2:56)
5. This Time We'll Know Him (2:53)

Mel Dancy - Vocals
Paul Griffin - Acoustic & Electric Piano
Gordon Edwards - Bass
Jimmy Johnson - Drums
Cornell Dupree - Electric Guitar
Carly Lynch - Rhythm Guitar
Ray Barretto - Congas
Michael Collazo - Conga & Bongos
John Pacheco - Congas
George Devens - Percussion
Phil Bodner - Flute, Piccolo, Oboe
George Marge - Oboe
Aaron Rosand - Concert master
Violins - Norman Carr, Harry Glickman, Sanford Allen, Irving Spice, Max Hollander, Louis Stone, Peter Dimitriades, Paul Winter, Jack Zayde, James Tyron, Noel DaCosta
Celli - Maurice Brown, Seymour Barab, Alan Schulman, Maurice Bialkin
Violas - Theodore Israel, Archie Levin, Seymour Berman, Arnold Magnes, Harry Zaratzien

Produced by Bob Shad
Arranged & Conducted by Wade Marcus
Engineer - Roy Cicala
Photography - Joel Brodsky
Cover Design - MPI

Recorded at East Coast Record Plant last week of August and/or first week of October 1972

MP3 @320k or FLAC

P.S.: Thanks also for including credits plus tracklist and doing all the formatting, mate - makes me feel so lazy! :)

Mitchell-Ruff Duo - Strayhorn: A Mitchell-Ruff Interpretation (Mainstream)

2009-09-26T20:45:00.005+02:00

Although Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff have worked together as a duo for decades, their recordings have been sporadically available, including these early-'70s sessions first issued by Mainstream. Their program focuses exclusively on the works of Billy Strayhorn, who was so impressed with their performance at the now defunct Hickory House that he wrote "Suite for the Duo" specifically for them. Mitchell's solo interpretation of "Take the 'A' Train" is a virtuoso affair that suggests Oscar Peterson at times. Ruff's majestic French horn, with beautifully held long notes, is the centerpiece of "Passion Flower." The aforementioned "Suite for the Duo" is unlike anything else in Strayhorn's vast output, beginning with a strident prologue featuring French horn and piano, including a middle segment with a complex blues piano theme, and finishing dramatically with Ruff returning on French horn to join Mitchell. The flip side of the record focuses exclusively on well-known Strayhorn works, with a gorgeous solo piano arrangement of "Chelsea Bridge," an unusually slow but effective piano/French horn duet of "U.M.M.G.," a playful miniature of "Rain Check," and a haunting take of "Lush Life," the latter in which Ruff's French horn steals the show. While a few of these tracks have been compiled with various reissues of a 1971 concert by the Mitchell-Ruff Duo with Dizzy Gillespie, the full album has been unavailable since the demise of Mainstream. Highly recommended. (Ken Dryden/AMG)

Those who wish to savor the genius of Strayhorn should cop a very special new recording, Strayhorn: A Mitchell-Ruff Interpretation (Mainstream MRL 335). Almost everything about it is unusual. First of all, due recognition has evaded two fine artists heard here - Dwike Mitchell, a piano virtuoso and Willie Ruff, a bassist and one of the very few who can play jazz on the difficult French Horn. They have recorded infrequently and their finest album, The Catbird Seat (Atlantic 1374), is out-of-print though it wows all who hear it. Here they offer a sensitive and artistically superb rendition of Strayhorn's best-known works, including Lush Life and others mentioned here. More importantly, this album features a previously unknown suite for French horn and piano that the little one composed especially for this duo. It is exquisite in its simple beauty and the interpretation is quite worthy of the master who created it. (Phyl Garland/Ebony)

Side A

1. Take The 'A" Train - 4:28
2. Passion Flower - 5:24
3. Suite For The Duo - 12:23*

Side B

1. Chelsea Bridge - 4:23
2. Upper-Manhattan Medical Group - 3:50
3. Rain Check - 1:18
4. Lush Life - 6:25

Willie Ruff - bass & French horn
Dwike Mitchell - piano

Recorded 1970/71, Hollywood (*Recorded 1969 at a memorial concert at Lincoln Center, New York)
Mainstream MRL 335. 1972

Still availabe, buy here

Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan & The Jimmy Rowles Quintet (Mainstream)

2009-09-25T14:39:00.003+02:00

Sarah Vaughan's sole small-group recording with pianist Jimmy Rowles (aside from a pair of tribute albums to Duke Ellington in 1979) was recorded live at an unlisted location in 1974 for Mainstream. Although Rowles proves himself to be a consummate accompanist, and Vaughan is in her usual outstanding form, excessive reverb is used on several of the tracks, giving the album a somewhat cavernous sound. The singer's interest in a variety of material is evident, including chestnuts like "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," and W.C. Handy's "Morning Star," along with the then-current pop hit "A House is Not a Home" (which is strangely credited to a another pair rather than its actual composers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David), and Jimmy Rowles' campy collaboration with Johnny Mercer, "Frasier (The Sensuous Lion)." Tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards and trumpeter Al Aarons join Vaughan and her quartet on three selections. This LP, which has only been reissued in Japan, is worth picking up, in spite of the questionable production. (Ken Dryden/AMG)

Side A

1. Folks Who Live On The Hill
2. That Face

3. That Sunday

Side B

1. A House Is Not A Home
2. Frasier

3. Morning Star

Sarah Vaughan - Vocals

Jimmy Rowles - Piano
Al Aarons - Trumpet
Donald Bailey - Drums
Monty Budwig - Bass
Teddy Edwards - Tenor Sax

Recording Date 1974
Release Date June 1975
Mainstream MRL 404

Had to delete the links, album is available as mp3-download from Amazon

Julian Bahula's Jazz Afrika - Son Of The Soil (Tsafrika)

2009-08-25T10:11:00.001+02:00

Julian Bahula, famous throughout the 60's and early 70's in South Africa because of Malombo music, came to Britain, to exile from his home, in 1973, to begin all over again. He came to Europe with the band Jo'burg Hawk at a time when the politics of Apartheid were impacting both life and music making.
The move to London heralded the start of a new era for Bahula, who immediately started working with musicians around town and forming his very first band as a leader, "Jabula". Those musicians included Terri Quaye, Australian drummer Graham Morgan, Britons Ken Ely, Bob Howes, Dave Defries, bringing in fellow South Africans Lucky Ranku, Pinise Saul, Ernest Mothle, Afro-Caribbean's Mike Rose and Steve Scipio. Julian also worked in collaboration with the late Dudu Pukwana and his band "Spear", performing as "Jabula Spear".
Throughout the remainder of the 70's, Jabula toured extensively in Europe, working with the African National Congress, S.A.C.T.U, together with the Anti-Apartheid Movements, raising awareness about the Struggle. Julian went to Chicago for Black History Month, performing on the University circuit; to Nigeria for the cultural festival Festac, to Cuba for the Youth Festival, to France Fete L'Humanite, and to Portugal's communist Party Festival, to Helsinki for the Peace Festival and many other major political events in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and all other European countries. "Jabula" often provided the musical voice at festivals and rallies alongside the powerful voice of the struggle, the late President Oliver Tambo.
The early 80's brought about the birth of "Julian Bahula's Jazz Afrika", with Denmark's Michael Nielson and Britain's Dave Chambers on saxophones, South Africans Pianist Mervyn Africa on keyboards and Lucky Ranku on guitar, Italian bassist Roberto Bellatalla, bassists Dill Katz and Chucho Merchan, trumpeter Peter Segona and drummer Alan Jackson. The album made was called "Son of the Soil". Jazz Afrika, the name described the accent of the music rather than the ethnic composition or nationalities of the musicians; it brought together musicians from many backgrounds and countries; an exhilarating ensemble of excellence. (jabulamusic.com)

Check also Wallofsound's site for more biographical and discographical facts: Click here

Michael Nielsen - flute, tenor & soprano sax
Lucky Madumetja Ranku - guitar
Mervyn Africa - acoustic piano
Roberto Bellatalla - bass on A3, B1, B2
Chucho Merchan - bass on A1, A2, B3
Alan Jackson - drums
Julian Sebothane Bahula - Malombo drums & percussion

Side A

1. Molebatsi 5'34
2. Tribute To Our People 9'17
3. What's Wrong With Jazz 7'14

Side B

1. Woza Cindi 8'02

2. Son Of The Soil 6'27
3. Morwa Bahula 5'38

All tracks composed, arranged and produced by Julian Sebothane Bahula
Recorded at Atmosphere Studio, London

1982 Tsafrika Records/1983 Verlag "pläne" GmbH

Links in comments. Saying goodbye with this post, see you back sometime in autumn - have a good time!

Gil Evans Orchestra - Synthetic Evans (Live at Jazz Jamboree '76)

2009-08-20T12:58:00.008+02:00

Gil Evans - piano, Fender piano, arranger, leader
Peter Levin - Moog synth
(Arthur Blythe - alto sax)*
George Adams - tenor sax
Ernie Royal, Joe Faddis, (~~Lew Soloff~~)* - trumpets
Janice Robinson, ~~(Tom Malone~~)* - trombone
Bob Stewart - tuba
John Clark - guitar
Mike Richmond - bass
Sue Evans - drums

*Obviously the credits on the LP are wrong. Sardo has TV recordings of this concert and was able to identify the correct personnel - thanks a lot for your help, much appreciated!

Side A

1. Priesteso aka Priestess (B. Harper) - 22'57

Side B

1. Gone (G. Gershwin) - 11'10
2. Summertime (G. Gershwin - 7'37
3. Rhythm-A-Ning (T. Monk) - 1'18

Recorded October 23, 1976 at Jazz Jamboree '76
Poljazz Z-SX-0636(LP). 1976

Links in comments

Eugen Cicero - Klavierspielereien (MPS)

2009-08-14T14:52:00.010+02:00

"Eugen Cicero, of Romanian-Hungarian descent, was born in Cluj-Napoca (Klausenburg), Romania, on June 26, 1940. His remarkable musical aptitude manifested itself at a very early age. He started taking piano lessons at the age of four and was taught by some of the country's most renowned teachers. He owed his brilliantly sensitive touch to the instruction he received from Aurelia Cionca, while Ana Pitis initiated him into the virtuoso tradition, as personified by Franz Liszt.

In addition, Cicero studied instrumentation and composition at the National Conservatory in Bucharest. However, neither the prospect of an academic career nor that of becoming a conventional concert pianist appealed to him. He saw these roles as much too restrictive. The key musical philosophy for Cicero was to be receptive towards everything new and to maintain a free spirit in developing his art.

Growing up in a communist country, he found swing music to be a magical source of inspiration. It was therefore almost invitable that his first concert tour in the sixties took him West to Berlin to be exact the melting pot of European jazz. There, Cicero encountered musicians with a multitude of different styles, and, thanks to his well-honed powers of perception, he was able to adapt some of these to his own musical approach. Soon his personal style crystallized into the so-called Classic-Swing idiom, forging a harmonious link between classical music and mainstream jazz.
The response to Cicero's distinctive keyboard work was an immediate, widespread and enthusiastic one. His recipe for success was to introduce into exquisite baroque, classical and romantic compositions an infectious swing and sophisticated harmonies, and his gifted and dextrous hands transformed these works into timeless masterpieces.
Many musicians had already sought to combine the classical and jazz idioms, but none of them could match Cicero's ability to draw on a rich fund of knowledge and extraordinary technical expertise to achieve such an inspired synthesis. Cicero was, without question, the leading exponent of the so-called Classic-Swing style.
A true evaluation of Cicero's creativity requires not only an appreciation of his tremendous technique but also an ability to listen with the heart. Cicero loved music and he loved his audience. He never played for himself, but for his audiences, which he always succeeded in captivating. His careful selection of originals, prior to each performance, was a pure delight not only for the friends of classical music but also for jazz lovers" (Lisa Boulton/www.eugen-cicero.de)

Eugen Cicero - piano
Charly Antolini - drums (on A1, A3, B1, B3)
Peter Witte - bass (on A1, A3, B1, B3 )

Side A

1. I Got Rhythm (Gershwin) - 3'22

2. Rumänische Volksweisen - 4'56
3. Summertime (Gershwin) - 5'55
4. What Kind Of Fool Am I? (Bricusse/Newley) - 7'14

Side B

1. Bye, Bye Blackbird (Dixon/Henderson) - 5'15
2. Rumänisches Volkslied - 4'48
3. My Foolish Heart - 6'50
4. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (Deutsch/Kaper) - 3'38

Recorded 04.January and 14.March 1965
MPS 15209

Links in comments

Archie Shepp, George Adams & Heinz Sauer - Frankfurt Workshop '78: Tenor Saxes (Circle)

2009-08-06T09:12:00.010+02:00

Some months back I found two untagged and unedited MP3-files on Soulseek named "Archie Shepp - Live '78" but since there is a German speaker introducing the musicians and with help from jazzdisco.org I was able to verify these recordings as Archie Shepp, George Adams & Heinz Sauer - Frankfurt Workshop '78: Tenor Saxes released on Circle. 1986 Circle released an album called Devil Blues featuring two more tracks from the same session on Side A. Anyone having this album?

Archie Shepp - tenor & soprano sax
George Adams - tenor sax
Heinz Sauer - tenor sax
Rainer Brüninghaus - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Alex Riel - drums

Recorded live in Frankfurt, September 24, 1978
Circle RK 24978/31

As I said not my rip, just tagged and edited the files. Link in comments

Update: Motivated by readers' comments I tried to get another very rare album Archie Shepp did with Jeanne Lee for Circle Records: African Moods (1984). As it doesn't seem to be available in blogland I searched on Soulseek once again and luckily succeeded. Check out the comments (scroll down a bit, it's the 12th comment) and grab it, it's worth it and be it only for the 10 minutes lasting "Bahia"!

Archie Shepp (ts, ss,voc), Siggi Kessler (p), Peter Bockius (b), Don Mumford (d), Jeanne Lee (voc)

Leverkusen, West Germany, October 6, 1984
Circle RK 61084/29