What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Sextet -- SACD

Cal Tjader Stan Getz

1958/2004 Fantasy Records

STAN GETZ WITH CAL TJADER is a classic, not only because it pairs the renowned tenor player (Getz) with the great vibraphonist (Tjader), but because the additional personnel on the session make it something of an all-star date. Drummer Billy Higgins, still some time away from his work on the groundbreaking experiments of Ornette Coleman, appears here on one of his first sessions. Bassist Scott LaFaro, who would achieve fame as a member of Bill Evans's legendary trio, also makes an early appearance. Pianist Vince Guaraldi, a leader and composer in his own right (his "Ginza Samba" is one of the highlights on the set), sits in, as does fleet-fingered guitarist Eddie Duran.The ensemble--which has a lively, robust sound due to the instrumentation--moves effortlessly between highly lyrical ballads and fierce, up-tempo bop. The set includes several Tjader tunes, including the smart and swinging "Crow's Nest" and "Big Bear," while the group's treatment of the standard "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" displays remarkable sensitivity and sweetness. Though Tjader and Getz are naturally in the forefront throughout--they both balance shimmering, cool tones with dazzling dexterity--there is fine soloing from all involved, making this a consistently superb set.

Track Listing
1. Ginza Samba
2. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
3. For All We Know
4. Crow's Next
5. Liz-Anne
6. Big Bear
7. My Buddy

Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Vince Guaraldi (piano); Eddie Duran (guitar); Scott LaFaro (bass); Billy Higgins (drums).Recorded at Circle Record Studios, San Francisco, California on February 8, 1958.

 

[Dennie]

Plays Ellington Songs -- CD

Harry Allen with the Bill Charlap Trio

1999 RCA Victor Records

Allen's tenor sax sound is perfectly suited for the music of Duke Ellington. His literate, traditional approach and occasionally Stan Getz-ian breathy tones go to the heart of Duke's melodic and harmonic concepts. Pianist Bill Charlap is excellent through and through, while bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington are dutiful in attending to their swing. Several of these tracks are read pretty straight, as the ballad "Lush Life," the easy swinger "Just Squeeze Me," the Afro-Cuban to bop "Caravan," and the air-filled "Sophisticated Lady." But the band changes up the rest. At the least extreme, "Mood Indigo" is easy swing as opposed to balladic; "Take the A Train" is slowed way down with Allen and Charlap only, while the pianist plays the melody while Allen's tenor counter-swipes licks on "C Jam Blues." More adapted is the slow tick-tock to bossa of the usual wall-melting ballad "Solitude," and a low-down, lugubrious bluesy swing with Charlap loading up on the intro and melody of "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," with Allen's stacatto stopped accents. At their most energetic, the quartet charges hard and trade eights during the up-tempo workout "Cotton Tail," whereas Allen and bassist Washington in duet need no other instrumental accoutrements in order to rhythmically fire up "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing." This is most likely Allen's best batch yet, for he is a great interpreter rather than innovator. Duke did all the inventing necessary here, and this true collective quartet is hard to top. Recommended. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Track Listing
1. C Jam Blues
2. Solitude
3. Mood Indigo
4. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
5. Lush Life
6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
7. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
8. Caravan
9. Take the "A" Train
10. Cotton Tail
11. Sophisticated Lady

 

[Dennie]

Stardust - The Music of Hoagy Carmichael -- CD

Bill Charlap

2002 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

With his elegant lyric sensibility and use of classic harmonics, which might best be characterized as equal parts Hank Jones and Bill Evans, pianist Bill Charlap manages to suggest something at once timeless and modern in his approach to jazz piano. And while references to past and present masters of the keyboard abound in this recital of Hoagy Carmichael compositions (as in his tasty appropriation of Evans's tolling intro to "Some Other Time" on a poignant reading of "The Nearness of You," or his interpolation of Red Garland's "Billy Boy" as a prelude to "I Walk with Music"), Charlap manages to evoke the dreamy, unhurried character redolent of so much of Carmichael's music, while maintaining his own probing, crystalline presence. Thus, while a briskly swinging jaunt through "Jubilee" finds him navigating an equestrian set of changes in a round-robin romp with his exceptionally empathetic rhythm mates (bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington), his sultry flirting with tenorist Frank Wess on "Blue Orchids" and his lofty harmonic byplay with guitarist Jim Hall reveal a musician wise beyond his years--restrained and relaxed and confident enough not to hide behind a fusillade of empty notes. Such maturity is part of what makes his storytelling accompaniments behind master vocalists Tony Bennett and Shirley Horn--and a breathtakingly slow, humid trio treatment of "Georgia"--so richly rewarding. --Chip Stern

1. Jubilee
2. I Get Along Without You Very Well
3. Rockin' Chair
4. I Walk With Music
5. Two Sleepy People
6. Nearness Of You
7. One Morning In May
8. Blue Orchids
9. Georgia On My Mind
10. Stardust
11. Skylark

 

[Dennie]

Dinah '62 -- CD

Dinah Washington

1962/2003 Roulette Jazz

Uniquely Memorable Beautiful Voice, April 24, 2009
By Kriss Siler "Kriss Siler" (Wheat Ridge, CO USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Dinah '62 (Audio CD)

Dinah Washington was one of those rare singers whose artistry was enhanced by her uniquely rare, memorable, beautiful voice. She could literally sing anything (even the telephone book) and give her own unique spin. Dinah could sing torch songs, the blues, jazz, R&B in sad, yearning, lonely vocals or high and happy vocals, depending on the song. The raw emotion she sings with can move you to tears of longing, the remembering of "been there, done that," and just as easily have you jumping and laughing for joy. So, kick back and "Take Your Shoes Off." You're heading for "Make Believe Dreams" of a "A Handful of Stars:" "Destination Moon!"

Track listing

1. Drinking Again
2. Destination Moon
3. Miss You
4. A Handful of Stars
5. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?
6. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
7. Red Sails in the Sunset
8. Where Are You?
9. Coquette
10. Take Your Shoes Off, Baby
11. Make Believe Dreams
12. Something's Gotta Give
13. I'll Never Stop Loving You
14. Me and My Gin

 

[Dennie]

Dance Mania Volume 2 -- Remastered CD

Tito Puente and His Orchestra

1960/1992 RCA Victor Records

Puente's dancing music greatest album! June 16, 1998
By nolmo@olmo.com
Format:Audio CD

At the top of his Palladium days, the first record featuring singer Santos Colon, the sound of his big band... this superb collection is Puente's dancing music greatest album! Many tracks were prepared for this record and the selected ones reveal the genius of the masters, or how they select their material. Recorded circa 1957-58 Dance Mania quickly became a classical. It has endured the passage of time and it continues to be a best seller, in various re-issues. The only other Puente record at this level is Night Beat, on jazz, and perhaps some in the Ensemble Latin Jazz series.

1. A Gozar Timbero [Son Montuño]
2. Si Te Contara [Bolero-Cha Cha Chà]
3. Séparala Tambien [Cha-Cha Mambo]
4. Caonao [Afro Jazz]
5. Una Mujer [Bolero]
6. Baila Como Es [Mambo]
7. Dance Mania [Instrumental]
8. Por Qué Te Perdí
9. Guancona [Guaguancó]
10. Son Guachá [Son Con Cha Cha]
11. Con Sandunga [Guaguancò]
12. Cua Cua [Mambo]
13. Mambozooka [Instrumental]
14. Havana After Dark [Instrumental]

 

[Dennie]

Sneakin' Up Behind You - The Very Best of... -- CD

The Brecker Brothers

2006 Arista Signature Series

Say what you will about Philly funk brothers Michael and Randy Brecker, but from their start with the very commercial recordings of their band Dreams, they were as responsible as anyone for the revolution in jazz that embraced more straight-ahead music -- funk, easy listening, soul, Caribbean rhythms, and deep grooves. These guys were both crack studio musicians who broke out and brought the funk into mainstream jazz and went right to the dancefloor with it. Consequently, they saw radio and club play more than any other jazz artists who made the transfer, with the possible exception of George Duke. This ten-cut collection spans the Brothers' Arista years from 1975-1981. Disco was flourishing from New York to San Francisco to Miami. As evidenced by the title track, which opens the album, the Brecker Brothers knew how to throw down the funk and keep their jazz tip. The players on some of these sides include David Sanborn, Don Grolnick, Harvey Mason, Will Lee, Steve Khan, Hiram Bullock, Duke, Steve Jordan, Marcus Miller, and more. For evidence of this kind of funky jazz, listen no further than Randy's muted psychedelic solo in the knotty "Some Skunk Funk," with its freaky changes and tangled head lines. Michael's solo follows and struts right through. But the Brothers could lay down ballads too -- as in the tropical groove in "Funky Sea, Funky Dew." (You can also tell these cats were so into playing they didn't give much thought to titles.) "Tabula Rasa" is straight-up fusion with a myriad of twists and turns, where "Threesome" is a soul-based tune with jazzy interludes and some great meat-and-potatoes playing by Michael. Bullock's screaming electric guitar enters the fray on "Squish" -- which actually feels squishy thanks to Duke's Oberheim Voice polyphonic synthesizer. "Straphangin'" was another hit for the Brothers, with its Baroque opening theme that quickly mutates into groove jazz. The bottom line is that these tunes smoke. If you're a purist, then you're already a lost cause; if you have an adventurous ear and an open mind, this comp is its own kind of mini history of the original jazz-funk movement. ~ Thom Jurek

Track Listing
1. Sneakin' Up Behind You
2. Some Skunk Funk
3. Funky Sea, Funky Dew
4. Tabula Rasa
5. Threesome
6. Squish
7. Baffled
8. Straphangin'
9. Jacknife
10. Inside Out [Live] - (live)

 

[Dennie]

Rich versus Roach - A battle of bands and drums between Buddy Rich and Max Roach -- CD

Buddy Rich & Max Roach

1959/1986 Mercury Records

Rich in one ear and Roach in the other equals MAGIC, October 21, 2002
By Kevin Nieman "Writer / Provocateur" (Moorpark, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Rich Vs Roach (Audio CD)
I have always been fascinated by the tribal lure of the drum, and Buddy Rich has always been the pre-eminent drum virtuoso of all time, in my opinion.

Yes, there are those who dislike Rich's bombastic playing as opposed to Max Roach's more calm and intellectual approach to his instrument. I cannot argue with that other than to say that this CD is a perfect example of both men's styles. Rich pounds the drums like a madman, and Roach plays them like a lover. Rich exhudes flash and fireworks, and Roach embraces subtlety and a carefully placed silence. Both men hammer out their styles like professionals, and some may say that it comes out as a draw.

Whatever your personal taste is regarding these two drum masters, this is a CD that drum fans and jazz fans can enjoy for generations to come. The debate over who was the better drummer will never be solved, but at least we can hear these two jazz giants battle it out, knowing that they were loving every minute of it.

1. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" (Louis Prima) – 4:22
2. "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" – 4:08
3. "The Casbah" (Gigi Gryce) – 4:28
4. "The Casbah" – 4:58
5. "Sleep" (Earl Lebieg) – 3:18
6. "Figure Eights" (Buddy Rich, Max Roach) – 4:30
7. "Yesterdays" (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 5:41
8. "Big Foot" (Charlie Parker) – 5:00
9. "Big Foot" – 5:14
10. "Limehouse Blues" (Phillip Braham, Douglas Furber) – 3:56
11. "Limehouse Blues" – 3:43
12. "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye" (Ernie Erdman, Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn, Robert A. K. King) – 3:57

 

[Dennie]

We All Love Ennio Morricone -- CD

Various Artists

2007 Sony Classical

Amazon.com

The names on this tribute testify to the extraordinarily wide appeal of the Italian film composer Ennio Morricone: not many people could get Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Quincy Jones, Renée Fleming, and Metallica on one disc. And while the artists come from very diverse genres, the album holds together well. Things start off on a syrupy note with Dion's "I Knew I Loved You," a ballad from 1984's Once Upon a Time in America (to which Alan and Marilyn Bergman added lyrics in 2006). But fortunately the CD quickly recovers and goes on to survey most of Morricone's styles, from the dissonance of his spaghetti Western scores to his mod period to his lush orchestral vistas. Metallica goes all out with guitars blazing on "Ecstasy of Gold," a track they've used as a concert intro for years, while Brazil's Daniela Mercury and Eumir Deodato breeze through "Conmigo," and the French-British combo Vanessa and the O's resuscitate the pure '60s pop of "Je Changerai d'Avis," once performed by Françoise Hardy. As for ballads, listen for soprano Renée Fleming, who surpasses her previous pop-crossover attempts on the fragile "Sail Away." Morricone himself couldn't stay away: he wrote interstitial music to create seamless transitions between the tracks, and conducts three instrumental cues. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

1. Knew I Loved You - Celine Dion
2. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Quincy Jones featuring Herbie Hancock
3. Once Upon a Time in the West - Bruce Springsteen
4. Conradiana - Andrea Bocelli
5. The Ecstacy of Gold - Metallica
6. Maléna - Yo-Yo Ma
7. Come Sail Away - Renée Fleming
8. Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone
9. Conmigo - Daniela Mercury featuring Eumir Deodato
10. La Luz Prodigiosa - Dulce Pontes
11. Love Affair - Chris Botti
12. Je Cangerais d'Avis - Vanessa and The O's
13. Lost Boys Calling -Roger Waters
14. The Tropical Variation - Ennio Morricone
15. Could Heaven Be - Denyce Graves
16. Addio Monti - TaroMonti - Taro Hakase
17. Cinema Paradiso - Ennio Morricone

 

[Botch]

 

[No-L]

:handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

Jazz Legend -- CD

Louis Armstrong

2002 Direct Source Records (Canada)

1. West End Blues
2. Heebie Jeebies
3. Struttin' with Some Barbecue
4. Skid-Dat-De-Dat
5. Dippermouth Blues
6. Black and Blue [Live]
7. Cornet Chop Suey
8. Big Butter and Egg Man[with Ella]
9. A Kiss to Build a Dream On
10. Just a Gigolo
11. Blueberry Hill
12. Mack the Knife[Live]

 

[Dennie]

Black and Blue and Tabacco Road -- Remastered CD

Lou Rawls

2006 Blue Note Records

This excellent twofer brings together a pair of albums Lou Rawls recorded for Capitol in the early 1960s. Both sessions feature Rawls with a hard-swinging big band and flanked by a three-strong saxophone section and the soul-jazz organist Richard "Groove" Holmes. The results, as one might expect, are both raucous and smoky. And while Rawls wouldn't hit his stride commercially until 1966's LOU RAWLS LIVE, he sounds utterly in command here.Both BLACK AND BLUE and TOBACCO ROAD focus on jazz and blues standards, including George Gershwin's "Summertime," Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road," which would become Rawls's signature tune. The artist's rugged, soulful singing is the perfect match for the well-arranged big band, and the 2006 CD-issue of these classic albums is a welcome arrival.

Track Listing
1. Roll 'Em Pete
2. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
3. How Long, How Long Blues
4. Everyday I Have the Blues
5. St. James Infirmary
6. Black and Blue, (What Did I Do to Be So)
7. Gloomy Sunday - (previously unreleased)
8. Kansas City
9. Goin' to Chicago Blues
10. Trouble in Mind
11. World of Trouble
12. Six Cold Feet of Ground
13. Strange Fruit
14. Tobacco Road
15. Cotton Fields
16. Rockin' Chair
17. Stormy Weather
18. Ol' Man River
19. Blues For a Four-String Guitar
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Sentimental Journey
23. Summertime
24. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

 

[Dennie]

The Absence -- CD

Melody Gardot

May 29th, 2012 Verve Records

Absence makes the heart grow fonder... May 29, 2012
By Nse Ette TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD

Jazz chanteuse Melody Gardot's new CD "The Absence" is produced by Brazilian composer and guitarist Heitor Pereira, adding a Latin lilt to her soft breezy sound.

Opening is the sunny "Mira", with Gardot scatting and singing to rhythmic guitars. In a similar vein is closing number, the celebratory "Iemanja" which is sung in Portuguese (with a hidden instrumental jam after a 10 minute wait)."Amalia" is Folky, "So Long" is a tender acoustic piece, while "So We Meet Again My Heartache" is an achingly beautiful ballad with lush strings and emotive vocals - my favourite. "Lisboa" starts with chiming bells leading to a Jazzy guitar-driven ballad.

Everything stands out really; "Impossible Love" (with enchanting guitar, clarinet and strings, and some spoken vocals with Gardot flitting between French and English as she tries to share her frustration at trying to get an affair to work), the prowling "If I Tell You I Love You" (with some Eartha Kitt-style purring and growling), the horn-sprinkled slow shuffle "Goodbye", and the spare hushed "Se Voce Me Ama" (with tenderly plucked guitar and some harmonising). Regally understated and beautiful!

HIDDEN TRACK ALERT.......

Track Listing
1. Mira
2. Amalia
3. So Long
4. So We Meet Again My Heartache
5. Lisboa
6. Impossible Love
7. If I Tell You I Love You
8. Goodbye
9. Se Voce Me Ama
10. My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way
11. Iemanja /Chegue Journeyman [Hidden Track]

 

[No-L]

Black and Blue and Tabacco Road -- Remastered CD

Lou Rawls

2006 Blue Note Records

This excellent twofer brings together a pair of albums Lou Rawls recorded for Capitol in the early 1960s. Both sessions feature Rawls with a hard-swinging big band and flanked by a three-strong saxophone section and the soul-jazz organist Richard "Groove" Holmes. The results, as one might expect, are both raucous and smoky. And while Rawls wouldn't hit his stride commercially until 1966's LOU RAWLS LIVE, he sounds utterly in command here.Both BLACK AND BLUE and TOBACCO ROAD focus on jazz and blues standards, including George Gershwin's "Summertime," Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road," which would become Rawls's signature tune. The artist's rugged, soulful singing is the perfect match for the well-arranged big band, and the 2006 CD-issue of these classic albums is a welcome arrival.

Track Listing
1. Roll 'Em Pete
2. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
3. How Long, How Long Blues
4. Everyday I Have the Blues
5. St. James Infirmary
6. Black and Blue, (What Did I Do to Be So)
7. Gloomy Sunday - (previously unreleased)
8. Kansas City
9. Goin' to Chicago Blues
10. Trouble in Mind
11. World of Trouble
12. Six Cold Feet of Ground
13. Strange Fruit
14. Tobacco Road
15. Cotton Fields
16. Rockin' Chair
17. Stormy Weather
18. Ol' Man River
19. Blues For a Four-String Guitar
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Sentimental Journey
23. Summertime
24. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

I LUVS me some Lou Rawls!!!
:handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

Black and Blue and Tabacco Road -- Remastered CD

Lou Rawls

2006 Blue Note Records

This excellent twofer brings together a pair of albums Lou Rawls recorded for Capitol in the early 1960s. Both sessions feature Rawls with a hard-swinging big band and flanked by a three-strong saxophone section and the soul-jazz organist Richard "Groove" Holmes. The results, as one might expect, are both raucous and smoky. And while Rawls wouldn't hit his stride commercially until 1966's LOU RAWLS LIVE, he sounds utterly in command here.Both BLACK AND BLUE and TOBACCO ROAD focus on jazz and blues standards, including George Gershwin's "Summertime," Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues," and John D. Loudermilk's "Tobacco Road," which would become Rawls's signature tune. The artist's rugged, soulful singing is the perfect match for the well-arranged big band, and the 2006 CD-issue of these classic albums is a welcome arrival.

Track Listing
1. Roll 'Em Pete
2. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
3. How Long, How Long Blues
4. Everyday I Have the Blues
5. St. James Infirmary
6. Black and Blue, (What Did I Do to Be So)
7. Gloomy Sunday - (previously unreleased)
8. Kansas City
9. Goin' to Chicago Blues
10. Trouble in Mind
11. World of Trouble
12. Six Cold Feet of Ground
13. Strange Fruit
14. Tobacco Road
15. Cotton Fields
16. Rockin' Chair
17. Stormy Weather
18. Ol' Man River
19. Blues For a Four-String Guitar
20. St. Louis Blues
21. Georgia on My Mind
22. Sentimental Journey
23. Summertime
24. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

I LUVS me some Lou Rawls!!!
:handgestures-thumbup:

Me Too! ....and you can't go wrong with this "Two-fer" set. It is fantastic! One of the best versions of "Ol' Man River" I've ever heard, along with all the other songs!

Just Fantastic! :text-bravo:


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

Folk Singer -- Remastered CD

Muddy Waters

1964/1999 Chess/MCA Records

Amazon.com

Muddy Waters started out playing acoustic blues in the Delta, and it shows on this return to his roots, designed to appeal to the mid-1960s surge of interest in folk music. The back of the CD includes a photo of Waters with bassist and songwriter Willie Dixon, as well as a very young Buddy Guy, gathered around a single microphone. This particular CD reissue includes five bonus tracks, among which are "The Same Thing" and "Short Dress Woman," which take advantage of the longer CD running time. All of the other reasons to hear this one remain--Waters's strong, confident voice, the relaxed smoothness of the material, and the surprisingly clean recording, made even cleaner by the digital remastering. --Genevieve Williams
Original vinyl release

"My Home Is in the Delta" (Waters) – 3:58
"Long Distance" (Waters) – 3:30
"My Captain" (Willie Dixon) – 5:10
"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" (Sonny Boy Williamson) – 3:12
"You Gonna Need My Help" (Waters) – 3:09
"Cold Weather Blues" (Waters) – 4:40
"Big Leg Woman" (John Temple) – 3:25
"Country Boy" (Waters) – 3:26
"Feel Like Going Home" (Waters) – 3:52


1999 re-release

"The Same Thing" (Dixon) – 2:57
"You Can't Lose What You Never Had" (Waters) – 2:46
"My John the Conqueror Root" (Dixon) – 2:22
"Short Dress Woman" (John T. Brown) – 2:49
"Put Me in Your Lay Away" (L.J. Welch) – 2:56

 

[Dennie]

Power of the Pontchartrain -- CD

Tab Benoit with Louisiana's Leroux

2007 Telarc Blues

Amazon.com

Tab Benoit's album titles leave little doubt as to where he's from or the music he plays. Brother to the Blues, Fever for the Bayou, Wetlands, and now Power of the Pontchartrain exude the sweaty Louisiana swamp, blues, and R&B inherent in their names. But that only tells part of the story--the rest is in the grooves where Benoit's distinctive, grainy voice and tough Telecaster leads bring soul, grit, and intensity to a sound already infused with an earthy sensibility. There's more of the same on this disc, but that's no criticism. Benoit generally sticks with others' songs here, yet he unearths hidden gems. Julie Miller's "Midnight and Lonesome" is dragged into the murky swamps as a driving ballad with eerie qualities that live up to its name. Miller and husband Buddy are also credited with the righteous-yet-rugged gospel of "Shelter Me." "Somebody's Got to Go," originally by Lonnie Johnson, gets a crisp, frisky makeover, and even Buffalo Springfield's crusty "For What It's Worth" takes a swim in the muddy waters of Benoit's home state, with a little help of some altered, post-Katrina lyrics. The guitarist lets his Cajun influences fly on the bouncy rhythms of "Sac-Au-Lait Fishing," the album's only original, and shifts into pleading Otis Redding mode for the aching blues ballad "I'm Guilty of Lovin' You." The Chicago-by-way-of-the-Delta shuffle of "One Foot in the Bayou" is also an apt description of Benoit's approach. He touches on a variety of Americana styles, yet always keeps part of himself planted firmly in the wetlands of his roots. --Hal Horowitz

Track Listing
1. Don't Make No Sense
2. Good to Ya, Baby
3. Shelter Me
4. Power of the Pontchartrain
5. For What It's Worth
6. Midnight and Lonesome
7. Sac-au-Lait Fishing
8. Somebody's Got to Go
9. I'm Guilty of Lovin' You
10. Addicted
11. One Foot in the Bayou

 

[Dennie]

Blues Caravan -- Remastered CD

Buddy Rich and his Sextet

1962/2005 Verve Records

Buddy Rich Drums In A Winner On This Session!, March 18, 2008
By J. Rich - See all my reviews
This review is from: Blues Caravan (Dig) (Audio CD)

"Blues Caravan" recorded in 1961 is, in my opinion, one of Buddy's best records to date. What makes this record so fresh besides the incredible musicians and the compositions is the instrumental line-up, which can only be described as inventive. I don't think Buddy has recorded anything this unique before or since. It's amazing that even though this recording is a sextet, it sounds like an octet!

Most of the compositions are uptempo, but there is a very beautiful rendition of Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford" that closes the album. As I mentioned before, all the musicians are incredible and they are: Buddy Rich (leader and drums), Sam Most (flute), Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Mike Mainieri (vibes), Wyatt Ruther (bass), and Johnny Morris (piano). You couldn't have asked for a better band than this. What surprises me is this is the only album with this line-up. I wished they made another one!

If you're a Buddy Rich fan or just a fan of good jazz, then I highly recommend this record.

LP side A

"Blowin' the Blues Away" (Horace Silver) – 8:40
"B.R. Blues" (Buddy Rich) – 3:14
"Late Date" (Maynard) – 5:12

LP side B

"Caravan" (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol) – 9:44
"Young Blood" (Mike Mainieri) – 5:59
"I Remember Clifford" (Benny Golson) – 3:35

----

Wyatt Ruther - double bass
Buddy Rich - drums
Sam Most - flute
Johnny Morris - piano
Rolf Ericson - trumpet
Mike Mainieri - vibraphone

Production

Creed Taylor - audio production

 

[Dennie]

Blue Train -- SACD

John Coltrane

1957/2003 Blue Note Records

Worth The Upgrade, December 31, 2003
By Thomas Shea (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Blue Train (SACD Hybrid) (Audio CD)

Since anyone considering buying this probably knows what a great album it is, I am writing this simply to address the Hybrid SACD version of Blue Train. This is one of those albums that I, personally, have spent the money to upgrade 3 times (it's THAT good).

While I can't speak for the recent RVG Series reissue, I can say that this version sounds considerably better than the 1996 reissue, The Ultimate Blue Train--bass is richer, drums crisper and overall live feel of the recording is unprecedented. If are considering buying the RVG remaster, why not spend a few dollars more and get this Hybrid SACD since it plays in both Super Audio and regulars CD players. It's definitely worth the investment.

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Blue Train" John Coltrane 10:43
2. "Moment's Notice" John Coltrane 9:10

Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Locomotion" John Coltrane 7:14
2. "I'm Old Fashioned" Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern 7:58
3. "Lazy Bird" John Coltrane 7:00

2003 bonus tracks
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Blue Train" (alternate take) John Coltrane 9:58
2. "Lazy Bird" (alternate take) John Coltrane 7:12



John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, bandleader
Lee Morgan – trumpet
Curtis Fuller – trombone
Kenny Drew – piano
Paul Chambers – double bass
Philly Joe Jones – drums

 

[Dennie]

At Carnegie Hall -- CD

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane

1957/2005 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

Every year sees a crop of newly found jazz gems, but rarely are listeners treated to anything as special as this 1957 concert recording of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, which was accidentally discovered in an unmarked box by a Library of Congress engineer early in 2005. Until now, fans could only dream of hearing these two immortals play together beyond the three studio tracks they left behind. But here they are, hitting their stride at an all-star benefit concert, basking in the chemistry they had developed in Monk's quartet during the preceding weeks at New York's Five Spot. Coltrane's playing is a revelation. He's both an inspired accompanist and a galvanizing soloist, taking the music to new heights with his bold, brilliantly challenging, and sometimes jaw-dropping phrases, note clusters, and blasts of power. Sharing with Coltrane a newfound sense of freedom following the personal and professional troubles that had plagued them both, Monk is clearly tickled to be in the tenorist's presence, injecting humorous commentaries and otherwise asserting his eccentric genius as a pianist. The material, which was very well recorded by the Voice of America, includes Monk classics like "Epistrophy," "Monk's Moods," and "Evidence," as well as a striking rendition of the standard "Sweet and Lovely." This is music that not only bears repeated listenings, but also demands them--the ultimate definition of a classic. --Lloyd Sachs

Product Description

This never-before heard jazz classic documents one of the most historically important working bands in all of Jazz history, a band that was both short-lived and, until now, thought to be frustratingly under-recorded. The concert, which took place at the famed New York hall on November 29, 1957, was preserved on newly-discovered tapes made by Voice of America for a later radio broadcast that were located at the Library of Congress in Washington DC earlier this year. Blue Note. 2005.

"Monk's Mood" – 7:52
"Evidence" – 4:41
"Crepuscule With Nellie" – 4:26
"Nutty" – 5:03
"Epistrophy" – 4:29
"Bye-Ya" – 6:31
"Sweet & Lovely" – 9:34
"Blue Monk" – 6:31
"Epistrophy" (incomplete) – 2:24



Thelonious Monk – piano
John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass
Shadow Wilson – drums