What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Plays The Benny Carter Songbook -- CD

Marian McPartland

1990 Concord Records

Two aspects uplift this Marian McPartland CD above most songbooks. Benny Carter is much better-known as an altoist and an arranger than as a composer, so his compositions tend to be quite fresh since they have been underplayed through the years. Also, the fact that Carter himself performs on the majority of these selections (which also include bassist John Clayton and drummer Harold Jones) makes the set something special. Highlights include "When Lights Are Low," "I'm in the Mood for Swing," "Key Largo," "Doozy," "Lonely Woman" and "Only Trust Your Heart," but all 11 songs are enjoyable and swinging. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. When Lights Are Low
2. I'm in the Mood For Swing
3. A Kiss From You
4. Key Largo
5. Another Place Another Time
6. Summer Serenade
7. Doozy
8. Lonely Woman
9. Only Trust Your Heart
10. Evening Star
11. Easy Money

Personnel: Marian McPartland (piano), Benny Carter (alto saxophone), John Clayton (bass), Harold Jones (drums).Tributee: Benny Carter

 

[Botch]

Okay, I was familiar with this piece.

 

[Dennie]

Graceland -- CD

Paul Simon

1986/1996 Columbia Records

Amazon.com essential recording

The melding of South African styles and Simon's trademark sensibility made for one of the most intriguing albums--not to mention commercial hits--of the '80s. At once lively, thoughtful, gorgeous, and tough, Graceland acknowledges splits both in South Africa's social fabric and in Simon's personal life (the title track is a clear descendant of the earlier "Hearts and Bones," a song about the singer-songwriter's brief marriage to Carrie Fisher). Humor is hardly absent from the mix, though; witness the addled "I Know What I Know" and the fable-like "You Can Call Me Al." --Rickey Wright


"The Boy in the Bubble" (Forere Motloheloa/Paul Simon) - 3:59
"Graceland" - 4:48
"I Know What I Know" (General MD Shirinda/Simon) - 3:13
"Gumboots" (Lulu Masilela/Jonhjon Mkhalali/Simon) - 2:44
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (Joseph Shabalala/Simon) - 5:45
"You Can Call Me Al" - 4:39
"Under African Skies" - 3:37
"Homeless" (Shabalala/Simon) - 3:48
"Crazy Love, Vol. II" - 4:18
"That Was Your Mother" - 2:52
"All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" - 3:15

 

[Babs]

Okay, I was familiar with this piece.

Honestly, it doesn't surprise me! Incredible!!! So BEAutiful!!!! :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Philly Style -- CD

Jeff Lorber

2003 Narada Records

The soul-jazz minded keyboardist has been a legendary pop-fusion and smooth-jazz artist for several decades, and producer Steven Dubin had been a huge smooth-jazz force for several years (working with Peter White, Richard Elliot and Najee). The two Philadelphia natives never crossed paths (despite having gone to the same high school and played the same clubs), however, until Lorber hired him to work on his album Kickin' It. This disc continues the fun, feisty and funky retro-soul vibe of that disc in an even fuller celebration of their Phillyness. Lorber is so well known for his old school Rhodes textures (which were "new school" when he first did them in the 70s) that it's nice to hear so much classy acoustic piano here, as on the seductive, horn drenched opening track "Under Wraps." Lorber uses the Rhodes as an underpinning harmony, but his ivory soloing is what makes the tune shimmer. The hooky title track collaboration with Elliot offers the same type of vibe, with brass and piano soloing galore before a break in the action, where Lorber turns fully to his Rhodes mastery, punching along with the horns. He keeps the Rhodes-sax duetting with rising horns process going on the well titled "Soul Food," which features vocalist Naila. "Laissez Faire" is all laid back cool, as is the mystical acoustic piano ballad "When She Smiles," while the centerpiece jam "Uncle Darrow's" captures the classic Rhodes centered Crusaders flavor with a crisp horn-harmony-duality provided by Gary Meek (sax) and Ron King (trumpet). It's kind of hard to imagine that any Jeff Lorber disc isn't truly Philly-styled, but it's nice to see he's finally acknowledging that influence more directly. ~ Jonathan Widran

Track Listing
1. Under Wraps
2. Gigabyte
3. Regardless Of
4. Philly Style
5. Soul Food
6. Laissez Faire
7. Step on It
8. Uncle Darrow's
9. When She Smiles
10. Serpentine Lane

Personnel: Jeff Lorber (arranger, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer bass); Naila (vocals); Gary Meek (soprano & tenor saxophones); Dan Higgins, Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Ron King, Jerry Hey (flugelhorn); Bill Reichenbach (trombone); Nelson Jackson, Robbie Nevil (keyboards); Tony Maiden (guitar); Alex Al (bass); John Roberts (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).Recorded at JHL Sounds, Pacific Palisades, California.

 

[Dennie]

Time Out -- Remastered CD

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

1959/1997 Columbia Legacy Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five," Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five," the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Blue Rondo à la Turk" Dave Brubeck 6:44
2. "Strange Meadow Lark" Dave Brubeck 7:22
3. "Take Five" Paul Desmond 5:24
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Three to Get Ready" Dave Brubeck 5:24
2. "Kathy's Waltz" Dave Brubeck 4:48
3. "Everybody's Jumpin'" Dave Brubeck 4:48
4. "Pick Up Sticks" Dave Brubeck 4:16

Dave Brubeck — piano
Paul Desmond — alto saxophone
Eugene Wright — bass
Joe Morello — drums

 

[Dennie]

Quiet Nights -- CD

Diana Krall

2009 Verve Records

Diana Krall's 12th album Quiet Nights is an intimate recording of ballads and bossa novas from the team that brought you her best-selling GRAMMY Award-winning CD The Look of Love. Accompanied by her quartet and orchestra, Diana turns her sensual vocals and consummate piano skills to "The Boy from Ipanema", "Walk on By"and other classic tunes. Quiet Nights is initially available as a limited edition CD including 2 bonus tracks - her stunning rendition of the Bee Gee's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" and the standard "Every Time We Say Goodbye". Also available on LP pressed on 180 Gram Vinyl.

"Where or When" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 4:10
"Too Marvelous for Words" (Johnny Mercer, Richard A. Whiting) – 4:05
"I've Grown Accustomed to His Face" (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner) – 4:48
"The Boy from Ipanema" (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel) – 4:54
"Walk On By" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 5:03
"You're My Thrill" (Jay Gorney, Sidney Clare) – 5:47
"Este Seu Olhar" (Jobim) – 2:45
"So Nice" (Marcos Valle, Paulo Sérgio Valle, Gimbel) – 3:52
"Quiet Nights" (Jobim, Gene Lees) – 4:45
"Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) – 4:59
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 4:30
"Everytime We Say Goodbye" (Cole Porter) – 5:18

 

[Dennie]

This one sounds so good, I've got to spin it again......

Groove Yard -- 20bit K2 Remastered XRCD

The Montgomery Brothers

1961/1994 Riverside/Fantasy/JVC

This record makes you wonder why there weren't more great hard-bop albums made by guitarist-led quartets -- or, for that matter, why Wes didn't record more with his brothers. The guitarist is joined by brothers Buddy on piano and Monk on string bass, with Bobby Thomas on drums. There are two originals by Buddy and one by Wes ('Doujie') as well as tunes by Milt Jackson, Harold Land and others. These are tunes the brothers were playing as part of a regular gig they had in New York City at the time of the recording in 1961.As a result the arrangements are remarkably tight and the interplay is exhilarating--there's plenty of blowing, but it's hardly a "blowing session" per se. The album is rightly credited as a group effort; even though Wes has plenty of room to stretch out, the emphasis, as the title suggests, is on grooving as an ensemble. The brothers tend to hang in the middle tempos, further contributing to the sense of relaxation that runs throughout the eight tunes here. Highly recommended.

Track listing

"Bock to Bock (Back to Back)" (Buddy Montgomery) – 6:48
"Groove Yard" (Carl Perkins) – 3:05
"If I Should Lose You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) – 5:52
"Delirium" (Harold Land) – 3:41
"Just For Now" (Buddy Montgomery) – 5:00
"Doujie" (Wes Montgomery) – 4:39
"Heart Strings" (Milt Jackson) – 4:38
"Remember" (Irving Berlin) – 5:36

The song "Groove Yard" is usually titled "Grooveyard".

Personnel includes: Wes Montgomery (arch top electric guitar); Buddy Montgomery (piano); Monk Montgomery (Fender bass); Bobby Thomas (drums).Recorded in January, 1961. Originally released on Riverside (9362).Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

Bags Meets Wes! -- Remastered 24bit CD

Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery

1961/2008 Riverside/Concord Records

One of the classic hard-bop collaborations, BAGS MEETS WES! presents guitarist Wes Montgomery and vibraphonist Milt "Bags" Jackson in an excellent 1961 session. Montgomery's warm, rootsy tone and blues-derived style provided a perfect complement to Jackson's intellectual, traditional bop approach, and the two achieve natural, sometimes scintillating dialogues on this date.Backed by a hard-to-beat band--pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Philly Joe Jones--Bags and Wes play largely in a blues mode here, with plenty of stretching out over the 12-bar progressions. Jackson's "S.K.J." kicks off the set, and proves one of the highlights, as does Montgomery's "Jingles," an up-tempo, minor-key groove-laden song on which the co-leaders unfurl vibrantly melodic lines during their solos.

Track Listing
1. S.K.J.
2. Stablemates - (take)
3. Stairway to the Stars - (Take 6)
4. Blue Roz
5. Sam Sack
6. Jingles - (take 9)
7. Delilah - (take 4)
8. bonus track) Stablemates [Take 4] - (Take 2
9. bonus track) Stairway to the Stars [Take 2] - (take 8
10. bonus track) Jingles [Take 8] - (Take 3
11. Delilah [Take 3] - (take)

Personnel: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Wynton Kelly (piano); Sam Jones (bass instrument); Philly Joe Jones (drums, drum).Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino.Recording information: Plaza Sound Studios, New York, NY (12/18/1961-12/19/1961).

 

[Dennie]

Suddenly It's Spring -- CD

Zoot Sims

1992 Pablo/OJC Records

This CD reissue of one of tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims's final recordings adds a version of "Emaline" to the original program. Pianist Jimmy Rowles often co-stars on the date (with bassist George Mraz and drummer Akira Tana offering solid support). The lyrical repertoire emphasizes ballads and pretty melodies with the highpoints including such offbeat material as Woody Guthrie's "So Long," Sims's "Brahms...I Think," "In the Middle of a Kiss" and the more familiar "Never Let Me Go" and "Suddenly It's Spring." The melodic performances are quite warm, romantic and enjoyable, fine examples of subtle creativity. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Brahms...I Think
2. I Can't Get Started
3. MacGuffie's Blues
4. In the Middle of a Kiss
5. So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh)
6. Never Let Me Go
7. Suddenly It's Spring
8. Emaline - (bonus track)

Personnel: Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Rowles (piano); George Mraz (bass); Akira Tana (drums).Recorded May 1983.

 

[Dennie]

Return of The Grievous Angel- A Tribute to Gram Parsons-- CD

Various Great Artists

1999 ALMO Sounds

Unlike many hastily thrown together tribute albums, GRIEVOUS ANGEL has the distinction of having the heavy involvement of someone who was personally involved with the artist. In this case, that would be Gram Parsons' musical soulmate, Emmylou Harris. Her participation goes beyond mere executive producer duties as she duets with the Pretenders (a shimmering "She"), Beck (straightforward strum and twang on "Sin City") and Sheryl Crow (an ethereal "Juanita").Although the Cosmic Cowboy's love of country music could be reverential (as evidenced by Elvis Costello's gentle reading of "Sleepless Nights" and the emotive Evan Dando/Juliana Hatfield take on "$1,000 Wedding"), the native Floridian also had a more fun-loving side to his persona. Former Byrd and Burrito-mate Chris Hillman proves this by teaming up with Steve Earle on the country shuffle "High Fashion Queen" as do Wilco who turn the rollicking number "One Hundred Years From Now" into a stomper overflowing with gnarly guitar and Wurlitzer runs.Parson's death at such a young age lends a spiritual quality to this album. This feeling is mirrored in the gospel-soaked "In My Hour Of Darkness" by the Rolling Creekdippers, an ad hoc group consisting of Buddy & Julie Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Victoria Williams and Marc Olson.

Track Listing
1. She - Emmylou Harris/Pretenders
2. Ooh Las Vegas - Cowboy Junkies
3. Sin City - Emmylou Harris/Beck
4. $1000 Wedding - Evan Dando/Juliana Hatfield
5. Hot Burrito #1 - The Mavericks
6. High Fashion Queen - Chris Hillman/Steve Earle
7. Juanita - Emmylou Harris/Sheryl Crow
8. Sleepless Nights - Elvis Costello
9. Return of the Grievous Angel - David Crosby/Lucinda Williams
10. One Hundred Years from Now - Wilco
11. A - Whiskeytown Song for You
12. Hickory Wind - Gillian Welch
13. In My Hour of Darkness - Rolling Creekdippers

A portion of the album's proceeds will go toward the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's "Campaign For A Landmine-Free World."Includes liner notes by Bud Scoppa.Personnel: Gillian Welch (vocals, guitar, drums); Ryan Adams (vocals, guitar); Raul Mato (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Sheryl Crow (vocals, acoustic guitar, violin); Chris Hillman, Emmylou Harris, Julie Miller, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Beck (vocals, acoustic guitar); Buddy Miller (vocals, 12-string guitar, melodica); Victoria Williams (vocals, banjo); Elvis Costello (vocals, piano, celesta, vibraphone); David Rawlings (vocals, organ); Chrissie Hynde, David Crosby, Jeff Tweedy, Jim Lauderdale, Mark Olson (vocals); Ethan Johns (guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, drums, percussion); Jay Bennett (guitar, piano, Wurlitzer organ, background vocals); Adam Seymour, John Jorgenson, Michael Timmins, Smokey Hormel, Tim Smith (guitar); Evan Dando (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Steve Donnelly (acoustic guitar); Jeff Trott, Michael Henderson , Nick Kane, Bernie Leadon, Brad Rice (electric guitar); Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar); Greg Leisz (lap steel guitar, mandolin); Gurf Morlix (lap steel guitar); Ed Foote (hurdy-gurdy); Gabe Witcher (fiddle); Richard Causon (accordion, piano); Skip Edwards (piano); Spooner Oldham (electric piano); Benmont Tench (organ); Jerry Dale McFadden (Wurlitzer organ, keyboards); Robert Reynolds (electric bass); Roy Babbington (bass guitar); Ken Coomer (drums, background vocals); Fran Breen, Pete Thomas , Dale Baker, Willie Ornelas, Gregg Williams , Joey Waronker, Paul Deakin, Peter Timmins, Martin Chambers (drums); Dave Houghton (percussion); David Trumfio, John Stirratt (background vocals).Audio Mixers: Chris Lord-Alge; Ethan Johns; Glyn Johns; Jay Bennett; Allen Sides; Mike Bradley; Trina Shoemaker; Bernard Matthews; Buddy Miller.Liner Note Author: Bud Scoppa.Recording information: Chemical Sounds, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Fort Apache Studios, Boston, MA; Oceanway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; SoundShop.

 

[Dennie]

Hillbilly Deluxe -- CD

Dwight Yoakam

1987 Reprise Records

Dwight Yoakam At His Best, May 20, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Hillbilly Deluxe (Audio CD)

Dwight Yoakam out-did-himself...I love this CD...Dwight is pure country...any fan of rockabilly...or Bluegrass...should try this CD...I believe Dwight enjoyed the songs he sung on "Hillbilly DeLuxe" that's what makes this album so natural...The words are heart-felt...and the music is just amazing...Dwight wrote a couple of the songs on this album fer family...which makes em special ta him as well as the fans...Dwight did an outstandin job on this one...I Love it !!!

"Little Ways" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:18
"Smoke Along the Track" (Alan Rose/Don Helms) - 3:13
"Johnson's Love" (Dwight Yoakam) - 4:25
"Please, Please Baby" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:36
"Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:32
"Always Late with Your Kisses" (Lefty Frizzell/Blackie Crawford) - 2:10
"1,000 Miles" (Dwight Yoakam) - 4:10
"Throughout All Time" (Dwight Yoakam) - 3:54
"Little Sister" (Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman) - 3:01
"This Drinkin' Will Kill Me" (Dwight Yoakam) - 2:35

 

[Dennie]

Version of The Truth -- CD

Foster & Lloyd

1990 RCA Records

I LOVE THIS RECORD, August 8, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Version of The Truth (Audio CD)
OK, no one has reviewed this cd, so I will write a bit about it. All I really have to say is that this is one of my all-time favorite CD's. It sounds as fresh today as the day it came out. Another interesing thing about this record is that I ALWAYS put it in rotation at dinner parties, get togethers, all out bashes and it seems that EVERYONE comments on it at the first listen. I can't tell you how many people have asked "Who is this???" over the years and then a few months later asking me how to find a copy when they are unsuccessful in procuring a copy. If you are reading this, then you know Radney. If you like Radney, you'll LOVE this one. The songs are among the best of his (their) carreer. If you don't know Radney, you'll like it too. "When the buzzer went off inside of my head we were 10 feet apart in a king sized bed. I thought I heard the fat lady sing..." Wonderful lyrics set to fantastic, creative music.

1. Is It Love
2. Version Of The Truth
3. I Wishdaida Run Into You
4. Leavin' In Your eyes
5. Side Of The Road
6. It's A Done Deal
7. Lonesome Run
8. It's Over
9. All Said And Done
10. Workin' On Me
11. Whoa

 

[Dennie]

With One Voice -- CD

Ramsey Lewis

2005 Narada Jazz

Gospel meets jazz, February 8, 2008
By Daniel Olson "musicfreak" (Molndal, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)


Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: With One Voice (Audio CD)

This is a great record, contemporary jazz meets contemporary gospel.
Ramsey Lewis invites a gospel choir to perform with him live and it's a really good one with great singers/musicians.
The songs are mostly unknown for me expect "Oh happy day" but they sounds really good with a "jazzy touch" from Ramsey's piano!
If you're into booth gospel and contemporary/classic jazz this a record for you!
Buy it and you won't be diassapointed!

1. Oh Happy Day
2. Sunday Strut
3. Bless Me (Prayer Of Jabez)
4. Thoughts And Reflections
5. Pass Me Not
6. Trees
7. Work It Out
8. My Love For You
9. Healed Heart
10. Keep The Spirit
11. With One Voice

 

[Dennie]

One Moment More -- CD

Mindy Smith

2004 Vanguard Music

Amazon.com

While the hype machine forever proclaims this or that new artist to be "unique," "original," or "a fresh new voice," most of the time what you hear is more of the same old, same old. Thus, it is a rare joy to hear a newcomer that actually qualifies as all of the above. Mindy Smith fits loosely in the alt-country genre but adds some distinctive touches that set her apart from the field. A residency in Nashville brings a welcome Music Row level of craftsmanship to the playing and production, while her singing and songwriting take the music to places where cliché has never been. A song like "Hurricane" has a hook Faith Hill would kill for, but tells a tale of rebirth that might prove a little raw for her emotional range. Like Julie Miller, Smith writes songs that deal with redemption and spiritual matters in a way that is powerful without being off-putting to the more secular among us. Likewise she can write about her stepmother's passing in terms general enough to make it a stirring ode to the loss of any love--and do it in a voice that could make a statue misty. Smith more than held her own on the Dolly Parton tribute, Just Because I'm a Woman, alongside the likes of Alison Krauss, Norah Jones, and Dolly herself. One Moment More proves that it was no fluke. This time believe the hype. --Michael Ross

"Come to Jesus" – 4:14
"Falling" – 3:35
"Raggedy Ann" – 4:55
"Fighting for It All" – 3:19
"Train Song" – 3:22
"It's Amazing" – 3:40
"Angel Doves" – 3:56
"Down in Flames" – 4:12
"Hurricane" – 3:33
"Hard to Know" – 3:06
"One Moment More" – 3:47
"Jolene" (Dolly Parton) – 4:20

 

[Dennie]

Jazz Masters 5 -- Remastered CD

Bill Evans

1994 Verve Records

It's hard to go wrong with Bill Evans. Unless you're congenitally ill-equipped to enjoy piano music with a classically infused sense of melody, a subtle yet intense feel for swing and timing, and a touch delicate and tender enough to melt polar ice caps, you're in for a wonderful listen with nearly any Evans compilation, especially ones that cover his work from the 1960s.This 13-track collection brings together a variety of tracks on which Evans is featured in small combo settings. Evans takes on tunes by Thelonious Monk ("Bemsha Swing"), Burt Bacharach ("Alphie"), and Joe Zawinul ("Angel Face"), while offering some of his own compositions, like the haunting, somewhat unsettling solo piece "NYC's No Lark." Evans's singular skills are on display throughout, making VERVE JAZZ MASTERS 5 a fine, if not essential, addition to any jazz library.

Track Listing
1. Israel
2. Here's That Rainy Day
3. Just Me Just You
4. A Sleepin' Bee
5. Let's Go Back to the Waltz
6. Funkallero
7. N.Y.C.'s No Lark
8. Mother of Earl
9. Bemsha Swing
10. Angel Face
11. Alfie
12. On Green Dolphin Street
13. Quiet Now

Personnel: Bill Evans (piano); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Jim Hall (guitar); Chuck Israels, Gary Peacock, Monty Budwig, Ron Carter, Eddie Gomez (bass); Larry Bunker, Paul Motian, Shelly Manne, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Jack DeJohnette (drums).Producers: Helen Keane, Creed Taylor.Compilation producer: Michael Lang.Recorded between 1962 and 1969. Includes liner notes by Art Lange.Digitally remastered by Suha Gur (Polygram Studios).This is part of the Verve Jazz Masters series.

 

[Babs]

This...

& this...

Tis' the holiday season!!!!!

 

[Dennie]

Kind of Blue -- Remastered CD

Miles Davis

1959/1997 Columbia Legacy Edition

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the one jazz record owned by people who don't listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis's masterful casting skills, if not of God's existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on "Freddie Freeloader," Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Coltrane's astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley's funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis's men's hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. --John Szwed

All songs composed by Miles Davis (see content section for more information). Only six complete takes of the five tunes on the album exist, indicated by the song numbers.

"So What" – 9:22
"Freddie Freeloader" – 9:46
"Blue in Green" – 5:37
"All Blues" – 11:33
"Flamenco Sketches" – 9:26

Reissue bonus track

"Flamenco Sketches" (Alternate take) – 9:32

Tracks 1, 2 and 3 (side one on the original vinyl release) recorded March 2, 1959; tracks 4 and 5 (side two) recorded April 22, 1959. All tracks recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City.

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

A Hundred Miles or More - A Collection -- CD

Alison Krauss

2007 Rounder Records

Amazon.com

A Hundred Miles or More carries the subtitle A Collection, and what a curious collection it is--cuts from soundtracks, side projects, and tribute albums, plus guest duets on other artists' albums and five previously unreleased tracks. In other words, this is a collection of Alison Krauss performances that have never appeared on an Alison Krauss album, though it holds together better than such a grab-bag approach might suggest. Highlights such as her duet with Brad Paisley on "Whiskey Lullaby" and her a cappella rendition of "Down to the River to Pray" from O Brother, Where Art Thou? will be familiar to most Krauss fans, though it's doubtful that many share her infatuation with retro rocker John Waite (with whom she revives his "Missing You" and duets on a cover of Don Williams's "Lay Down Beside Me."). Other projects represented range from Disney to the Chieftains to the Louvin Brothers (she duets with James Taylor on their "How's the World Treating You." There's minimal contribution from her Union Station band--making this a solo release by default--and little information to indicate whether the previously unreleased tracks were outtakes from earlier releases or recently recorded for this one. --Don McLeese

"You're Just a Country Boy" (Fred Hellerman, Marshall Barer)
"Simple Love" (Sarah Siskind)
"Jacob's Dream" (Julie Lee, John Pennell)
the story of the Lost Children of the Alleghenies
"Away Down the River" (Lee)
"Sawing on the Strings" (Lewis Compton)
"Down to the River to Pray" (Traditional)
"Baby Mine" (Ned Washington, Frank Churchill)
"Molly Bán (Bawn)" (Paddy Moloney)
"How's the World Treating You" (Chet Atkins, Boudleaux Bryant)
featuring James Taylor
"The Scarlet Tide" (Elvis Costello, Henry Burnett)
"Whiskey Lullaby" (Bill Anderson, Jon Randall)
featuring Brad Paisley
"You Will Be My Ain True Love" (Sting)
featuring Sting
"I Give You to His Heart" (Ron Block)
"Get Me Through December" (Gordie Sampson, Fred Lavery)
"Missing You" (John Waite, Mark Leonard, Charles Sanford)
featuring John Waite
"Lay Down Beside Me" (Don Williams)
featuring John Waite

 

[topper]

(2008 release ~ Telarc)

~~~ :handgestures-thumbup:

(my favorite of the five discs I have by Taylor)