What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Velvet Soul -- Remastered CD

Carmen McRae

1973/2001 LRC Records

McRae was doing mix of standards, ballads, a little blues, and some originals, and was also experimenting with some soul jazz. These are not as well done as her material on some other labels, but are interesting for showing the mood of a label in the transitional '70s. ~ Ron Wynn

Track Listing
1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
2. It Takes a Whole of Human Feeling
3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
4. Hey John
5. Where Are the Woods
6. Straighten up and Fly Right
7. Inside a Silent Tear
8. Imagination
9. The Right to Love
10. All the Things You Are
11. You're Mine You
12. You and I
13. How Could I Settle For Less
14. The Good Life
15. Sunshine of My Life
16. Exactly Like You
17. There Will Come a Time
18. Masquerade
19. Livin'

Personnel: Carmen McRae (vocals); Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Larry Bunker (vibraphone, percussion); Dick Shreve, Tom Garvin (piano), Joe Pass, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Ray Brown, Paul West (bass); Frank Severino, Jimmy Madison (drums).Recorded in Los Angeles and New York between 1972 and 1973. Originally released on LRC

 

[Dennie]

To Our Children's Children's Children -- 2 Disc SACD/CD Set

The Moody Blues

1969/2006 Threshold/Decca Records

The Moodies were a prolific lot in the late '60s. This, the post-Denny Laine lineup's fourth album, was the second to be released in 1969. It was the group's most mature, fully realized effort to date, arguably surpassing even the milestone DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED in its elegance and vision. The Moodies were always capable of both songcraft and experimentalism, but this was the first time they combined them both successfully. Mike Pinder's dramatically arcing mellotron is the perfectly complement to the group's lush vocal harmonies, which are colored by rich acoustic guitar textures.Things open on a mind-bendingly psychedelic note with the electrical storm of "Higher and Higher," but soon the waters calm. Justin Hayward's brief acoustic ballad "I Never Thought I'd Live to be a Hundred" is among the band's loveliest tunes, and it leads into "Beyond," an ambitious instrumental that is the Moodies at their most progressive. Throughout the album, the mixture of winningly melodic balladry, poignant folk-rock and ambitious prog-rock leanings combine for what is one of the Moody Blues' most satisfying albums.

Side One

"Higher and Higher" (Graeme Edge) - 4:07
"Eyes of a Child I" (John Lodge) - 3:24
"Floating" (Ray Thomas) - 3:02
"Eyes of a Child II" (Lodge) - 1:20
"I Never Thought I'd Live to be a Hundred" (Justin Hayward) - 1:06
"Beyond" (Edge) - 2:59
"Out and In" (Mike Pinder, Lodge) - 3:50

Side Two

"Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" (Hayward) - 3:33
"Eternity Road" (Thomas) - 4:19
"Candle of Life" (Lodge) - 4:15
"Sun Is Still Shining" (Pinder) - 3:40
"I Never Thought I'd Live to be a Million (Hayward) - 0:34
"Watching and Waiting" (Hayward, Thomas) - 4:16

2006 SACD Deluxe Edition tracks

To Our Children's Children's Children was remastered into SACD in March 2006 and repackaged into a 2CD Deluxe Edition.

Extra tracks on the Deluxe Edition CD are:

"Gypsy" (Alternate version) (Hayward) - 4:17
"Candle of Life" (Alternate version) (Lodge) - 4:59
"Sun Is Still Shining" (Extended version) (Pinder) - 4:07
"Gypsy" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Hayward) - 3:21
"Sunset" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Pinder) 3:54
"Never Comes the Day" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Hayward) - 4:42
"Are You Sitting Comfortably" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Hayward, Thomas) - 2:54
"The Dream" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Edge) 0:58
"Have You Heard Pt. 1/The Voyage/Have You Heard Pt. 2" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Pinder) - 5:42
"Nights in White Satin" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Hayward) - 3:12
"Legend of a Mind" (BBC radio concert 17 December 1969) (Thomas) - 4:37

The Moody Blues: Justin Hayward, Mike Pinder, John Lodge, Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge.All tracks have been digitally remastered.This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Belly Of The Sun -- CD

Cassandra Wilson

2002 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

By now, it's a moot point whether Cassandra Wilson is singing jazz or not. By unifying what were once considered disparate styles and song forms with her languorously rich vocals and offbeat instrumental textures, she has become the queen of her own genre. Largely recorded at a one-time train station in her native Mississippi, Belly of the Sun ranges from country-blues great Fred McDowell's gritty "You Gotta Move" (popularized by the Rolling Stones and here featuring acoustic-guitar wiz Richard Johnston) to Brazilian immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim's winsome "Waters of March" (featuring a children's choir) to a hauntingly feminized version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." Revealing her command of narrative material, Wilson draws seductive meaning from Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm" and the Band's "The Weight." Featuring Kevin Breit and Marvin Sewell on all manner of guitars and related string instruments, Belly of the Sun also boasts three strong Wilson originals, including "Just Another Parade," a jazzy-soulful duet with India Arie, and "Show Me a Love." As her own producer, Wilson comes up with less compelling backgrounds than Craig Street, who produced her darker-tinged breakthrough albums. Still, this is her most seamless, smoothest-flowing, and most effortlessly expansive recording. "I need to feel some rich black soil that's moist between my toes," she sings. You can feel her Southern roots in the grooves as well. --Lloyd Sachs

1. "The Weight" (Robbie Robertson) – 6:05
2. "Justice" (Cassandra Wilson) – 5:27
3. "Darkness on the Delta" (Jay Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes) – 3:47
4. "Waters of March" (Antonio Carlos Jobim) – 4:26
5. "You Gotta Move" (Mississippi Fred McDowell) – 2:44
6. "Only a Dream in Rio" (James Taylor) – 4:32
7. "Just Another Parade" (Wilson) – 6:05 featuring India.Arie
8. "Wichita Lineman" (Jimmy Webb) – 5:48
9. "Shelter From the Storm" (Bob Dylan) – 5:17
10. "Drunk as Cooter Brown" (Wilson) – 4:58
11. "Show Me a Love" (Robinson, Wilson) – 3:49
12. "Road So Clear" (Richmond) – 5:22
13. "Hot Tamales" (Robert Johnson) – 1:43

 

[Dennie]

The Poll Winners -- Remastered 20-Bit CD

Barney Kessel with Shelly Manne and Ray Brown

1957/2000 Contemporary/Fantasy Records

Amazon.com

The Poll Winners trio was based on guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne, who each managed to place first on his instrument in the 1956 Down Beat, Metronome, and Playboy readers' polls, a remarkable feat given the range from hardcore jazz fans to casual generalists who read the magazines. Kessel and Brown had worked together as two-thirds of the Oscar Peterson trio, and they had all played together on numerous recording sessions, but the open sound of the guitar-led trio was a special opportunity for Brown and Manne to share the foreground. Kessel was an outstanding soloist, capable of almost trumpetlike phrases delivered with rhythmic bite and flexibility--unusual in guitarists of the era. His clear, boppish lines intertwine neatly with Brown's loping pulse and Manne's lightly swinging drums, while Brown's solos are almost as dexterous as the guitarist's. It's low-key, melodic music, equally suited for casual and close listening. --Stuart Broomer

Track Listing
1. Jordu
2. Satin Doll
3. It Could Happen to You
4. Minor Mood
5. Nagasaki
6. On Green Dolphin Street
7. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
8. You Go to My Head
9. Mean to Me

Personnel: Barney Kessel (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Shelley Manne (drums).Recorded at Contemporary Studios, Los Angeles, California on March 18-19, 1957. Includes original liner notes by Nat Hentoff.Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding System technology.

 

[Dennie]

Cannonball Adderley and The Poll Winners -- 20Bit Remastered CD

Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery, Ray Brown

1960/1999 Capitol Jazz

The "Poll-Winners" at the time of this recording were Adderley, guitarist Wes Montgomery and bassist Ray Brown; together with Victor Feldman doubling on piano and vibes and drummer Louis Hayes they cut this excellent quintet date. This was the only meeting on records by Adderley and Montgomery and, although not quite a classic encounter, the music (highlighted by "The Chant," "Never Will I Marry" and two takes of "Au Privave") swings hard and is quite enjoyable. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. The Chant
2. Lolita
3. Azule Serape
4. Privave, Au
5. Yours Is My Heart Alone
6. Never Will I Marry
7. Privave, Au - (alternate take)


Personnel: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Victor Feldman (vibraphone, piano); Wes Montgomery (guitar); Ray Brown (acoustic bass); Louis Hayes (drums).Producers: Orrin Keepnews, Cannonball Adderly.Reissue producers: Orrin Keepnews, Michael Cuscuna.Recorded at Fugazi Hall, San Francisco, California on May 21, 1960; United Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California on June 5, 1960. Originally released on Riverside (9355). Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews.Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster.

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Get Rhythm - CD

Ry Cooder

1990 Warner Bros. Records

"The Musician's Musician." "The Master of the Eclectic." There are probably a dozen more titles by which this "guitar player" is known. To even refer to him as a guitar player is probably a gross mislabeling of this musician. He defies any sort of categorization; this is his greatest strength and for some his weakness. The theme for these nine cuts is rhythm of all different ilk. I won't even give the parameters because he seems to have none. I wondered how many different instruments he played on this album (I thought I counted five different types of guitar); it only says guitar and vocal for his credits. Listen to his version of "All Shook Up," more bop and rhythm than Elvis could put into four of his songs. It seems musicians line up to play with him, and they feel he did them a favor by letting them play on his albums. He always gives them plenty of space to do what they do. This CD will make the dead start tapping their toes. ~ Bob Gottlieb

1. "Get Rhythm" (Johnny Cash)
2. "Low Commotion" (Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner)
3. "Going Back to Okinawa" (Ry Cooder)
4. "Thirteen Question Method" (Chuck Berry)
5. "Women Will Rule the World" (Raymond Quevedo)
6. "All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell)
7. "I Can Tell by the Way You Smell" (Walter Davis)
8. "Across the Borderline" (Ry Cooder, Jim Dickinson, John Hiatt)
9. "Let's Have a Ball" (Alden Bunn)

 

[Dennie]

Red Garland's Piano -- Remastered 24bit CD

Red Garland - Paul Chambers - Art Taylor

1957/2006 Prestige/Concord Records

Red Garland's third session as a leader finds the distinctive pianist investigating eight standards (including "Please Send Me Someone to Love," "Stompin' at the Savoy," "If I Were a Bell," and "Almost Like Being in Love") with his distinctive chord voicings, melodic but creative ideas, and solid sense of swing. Joined by bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Garland plays up to his usual consistent level, making this an easily recommended disc for straight-ahead fans. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Please Send Me Someone to Love
2. Stompin' at the Savoy
3. The Very Thought of You
4. Almost Like Being in Love
5. If I Were a Bell
6. I Know Why (And So Do You)
7. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
8. But Not for Me

Personnel: Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (upright bass); Art Taylor (drums).

 

[Dennie]

The Hawk Relaxes -- Remastered 24bit CD

Coleman Hawkins

1961/2006 Prestige-Moodsville/Concord Records

Some would contend that THE HAWK RELAXES is largely mood music; it's made up almost entirely of ballads of a similar tempo. However, the quality of the music presented here automatically takes this recording (and all of the musicians) out of the limited realm of mood music.These subtle renderings of songs such as "Under a Blanket of Blue," "More Than You Know," and "Speak Low" feature not only Coleman Hawkins' inimitable thick but never hard-edged sound, but also a youthful Kenny Burrell's refined approach to the electric guitar. In fact, on the entire album, Burrell performs almost in the role of a horn player. The tenor legend and the guitarist develop quite a rapport over the course of these seven tracks. Don't be fooled by this music; it may be sleepy, but it's filled with some of the most advanced ballad playing jazz has ever fostered.

Track Listing
1. I'll Never Be the Same
2. When Day Is Done
3. Under a Blanket of Blue
4. More Than You Know
5. Moonglow
6. Just a Gigolo
7. Speak Low

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Ronnell Bright (piano); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Andrew Cyrille (drums).Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on February 28, 1961. Originally released on Moodsville (15). Includes original release liner notes by Joe Goldberg.Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1991, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).

 

[topper]

1. Drinkin' Gourd
2. Freedom Train
3. Let The Mothers Step Up
4. Have A Heart
5. The Right Thing
6. Death Row Blues
7. Can't Please Everybody
8. The Lord's Work
9. With My Maker I Am One
10. They Know
11. She Got Mine
12. Good Like You
13. One Day At A Time

Jericho Road reflects the many musical influences that have informed Eric Bibb's writing throughout his career. World music, blues, folk and soul all find their way into the songs. Bibb is one of the highest profile international roots music artists, winning Acoustic Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in 2013. Jericho Road was produced by long-term collaborator Glen Scott. Bibb says, "The night before his death, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said: "Ultimately, you cannot save yourself without saving others." If this record has a theme, that's it in a nutshell"

 

[Dennie]

Paul Desmond & The Modern Jazz Quartet -- RemasteredCD

1993 Sony/Red Barron Records

The MJQ made their annual Christmas gig at New York's Town Hall one year, and who should show up after intermission but Paul Desmond, who would hardly bring himself to play with anyone in those days, save a Creed Taylor record date or two. The cool classical modernists and the dry-martini altoist are not unexpectedly a close fit -- after all, Percy Heath and especially Connie Kay had been fixtures on Desmond's solo sessions -- and they do some relaxed swinging turns on some congenial standards, adaptations of P.D. tunes ("La Paloma," "Greensleeves"), one current hit ("Jesus Christ Superstar" in a cute John Lewis arrangement), and the inevitable "Bags' Groove" (here entitled "Bags' New Groove"). Again, Desmond softly intones perhaps his favorite standard in the repertoire (he recorded it countless times), "You Go to My Head," tumbling contrapuntally around Milt Jackson in the tune, while "East of the Sun" has a fine chase sequence between the two down the stretch. Though they had been friends since the 1950s, this was apparently the only time the MJQ and Desmond ever performed in public, making this one-off album (issued well after Desmond's death through Lewis's efforts) a thing to savor for fans of all five musicians. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Track Listing
1. Greensleeves
2. You Go to My Head
3. Blue Dove (La Paloma Azul)
4. Jesus Christ Superstar
5. Here's That Rainy Day
6. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)
7. Bags' New Groove

Personnel: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).Producers: John Lewis, Ken Glancy.Reissue producers: Ken Glancy, Bob Thiele.Recorded live at Town Hall, New York, New York on December 25, 1971. Includes liner notes by Irving Townsend.Digitally remastered by Chris Herles (Sony Studios, New York, New York).

 

[Dennie]

Bean Stalkin' -- Remastered CD

Coleman Hawkins & Friends

1960/1988 Pablo/Fantasy Records

Recorded in Coleman Hawkins' later period, BEAN STALKIN' blends elements of swing and bebop in a unique manner. A live album, Hawk seems particularly inspired on the two dates heard here, a change from his rather sleepy studio albums from this period. The fiery, energetic playing by Hawkins' sidemen (including Roy Eldridge and Herb Ellis) add to the excitement.Highlights on BEAN STALKIN' include the uptempo "Crazy Rhythm" and the wild ruckus "Indiana (Back Home Again In)." On the former, Hawkins and Eldridge battle for supremacy. Fellow tenor man Don Byas and alto man Benny Carter add charm and diversity to "Take the 'A' Train." One of Hawkins' most memorable later records, BEAN STALKIN' is loaded with musical gems.

Track Listing
1. Bean Stalkin'
2. Indian Summer
3. Stompin' at the Savoy
4. Crazy Rhythm
5. Take the "A" Train
6. Indiana (Back Home Again in)

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Don Byas (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Lou Levy, Lalo Schifrin (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Max Bennett, Art Davis (bass); Gus Johnson, Jo Jones (drums).Producer: Norman Granz.Compilation producer: Eric Miller.

 

[Dennie]

Hymns of the 49th parallel -- CD

k.d. lang

2004 Nonesuch Records

Amazon.com

Was it homesickness that compelled longtime Los Angeles resident k.d. lang to fashion her one-woman campaign for north-of-the-border nationalism, or just plain good sense? All Canadian content has long been a mainstay of the Canadian Broadcasting System, but few have selected their material with such a fine hand and a high aesthetic. The expatriate singer has taken great pains to create a sophisticated homage to her Canadian roots, elegantly reinterpreting 11 songs penned by some of her more illustrious countrymen (and women) such as Jane Siberry, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen. The idiosyncratic chanteuse turns Cohen's "Bird on a Wire" into an aching monochromatic lament, exploring new tributaries of pain that didn't exist in the original, while recasting Neil Young's "Helpless" into a haunting anthem of memory and comfort, all the while sounding anything but helpless. A gorgeous love letter to her brethren, complete with an intelligent and understated orchestration. --Jaan Uhelszki

"After the Gold Rush" (Neil Young) – 4:00
"Simple" (Lang, David Piltch) – 3:02
"Helpless" (Neil Young) – 4:15
"A Case of You" (Joni Mitchell) – 5:12
"The Valley" (Jane Siberry) – 5:31
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) – 5:01
"One Day I Walk" (Bruce Cockburn) – 3:24
"Fallen" (Ron Sexsmith) – 2:56
"Jericho" (Mitchell) – 3:45
"Bird on the Wire" (Leonard Cohen) – 4:28
"Love is Everything" (Jane Siberry) – 5:43

 

[Dennie]

The King of The Tenor Sax 1929-1943 -- Remastered CD

Coleman Hawkins

2003 Allegro Jazz

Outstanding! A chronologically arranged core sample of the Hawk's progress from a notably able improviser to a fully developed archetypal saxophonist ready to assist with the birth and development of bebop. There are really four chapters in Hawkins' evolution. First come the adventures of a young sideman busily gigging throughout the 1920s, who gradually shone as a star of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra but also played bass saxophone behind Ma Rainey. Chapter two finds the internationally acclaimed master of the tenor taking himself to Europe during the 1930s and returning with more sheer power and facility than ever. The rest of Hawkins' career would count as chapters three and four, spanning the years 1944 through 1966. More than two decades of maturity gave the world that marvelous autumnal Hawkins, always insistent upon being up to date, eventually sitting in with Monk, Coltrane, Max Roach, and Abbey Lincoln. This collection focuses upon chapter two, or Hawkins' early middle period. These historical performances are invariably exciting and fruitful. Hearing Hawkins percolating alongside Red McKenzie's buzzing paper and comb is an incongruous delight, enhanced by the presence of Pee Wee Russell, Pops Foster, and Gene Krupa. A pity listeners only get to hear one example of the Coleman Hawkins/Henry "Red" Allen Orchestra of 1933. The Fletcher Henderson recordings have apparently been put aside for inclusion in a different volume of this reissue series. (Even so, the Henderson sides are numerous enough that they probably could have included Hawkins' harmonically adventuresome "Queer Notions" on this disc without depleting the supply). Hearing Hawkins in leisurely duet performance with Bessie Smith's ace pianist Buck Washington is a treat not to be missed.The recordings made in France and Holland during 1935 and 1937 are fresh and stimulating. Note the positive energy generated by musicians from varying countries and ethnic backgrounds, working together in defiance of prevailing racist politics on the continent at that time. In 1935, Nazi laws barred Hawkins from performing in Germany, as he and his music were considered racially impure. As if to demonstrate the antithesis of Hitler's ideology, Hawkins made a mighty handful of hot records in the company of legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Track Listing
1. Lola! Hello
2. One Hour (If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight)
3. Jamaica Shout
4. On the Sunny Side of the Street
5. I Wish I Were Twins
6. Avalon
7. Honeysuckle Rose
8. Stardust
9. All Right Then Well
10. Body and Soul
11. Dinah
12. When Day Is Done
13. The Sheik of Araby
14. My Blue Heaven
15. Bouncing with Bean
16. Feedin' the Bean
17. Boff Boff (Mop Mop)
18. My Ideal
19. Stumpy
20. Crazy Rhythm
21. The Man I Love

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Coleman Hawkins; Jack Bland, Jack Pet, Lawrence Lucie, Bernard Addison (guitar); Eddie Condon (banjo); Andre Van Den Ouderaa (violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Wim Poppink (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Hilton Jefferson (clarinet, alto saxophone); Andy Fitzgerald, Danny Polo (clarinet); Charles Lisee, Eustis Moore, Earle Warren, Jackie Fields, Andre Ekyan, Tab Smith (alto saxophone); Don Byas, Alix Combelle, Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone); Jack Washington (baritone saxophone); Henk Hinrichs, Ed Lewis, George Van Helvoirt, Harry "Sweets" Edison , Tommy Lindsay, Joe Guy, Al Killian, Noel Chiboust, Pierre Allier, Arthur Briggs, Buck Clayton (trumpet); Guy Paquinet, Dicky Wells, Glenn Miller, Glenn McGaha Miller, Marcel Thielemans, Earl Hardy, Dan Minor, Ed Cuffee (trombone); Count Basie, Gene Rodgers, Theo Uden Masman, Horace Henderson, Freddie Johnson, Buck Washington (piano); Oscar Pettiford, Artie Bernstein (double bass); Kees Kranenburg, Maurice Chailou, Arthur Herbert, Jo Jones , Tommy Benford, Walter Johnson (drums); Django Reinhardt, Freddie Green, Al Casey (guitar); Edmond Hall, Pee Wee Russell (clarinet); Benny Carter (alto saxophone, trumpet); Cootie Williams, Henry "Red" Allen, Bill Coleman (trumpet); J.C. Higginbotham (trombone); Eddie Heywood, Ellis Larkins, Joe Sullivan , Art Tatum, St‚phane Grappelli (piano); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Gene Krupa, Shelly Manne, Big Sid Catlett, Zutty Singleton (drums); Count Basie & His Orchestra.Audio Remasterer: Steve Pringle.Liner Note Author: Scott Yanow.Recording information: 11/14/1929-12/23/1943.

 

[Dennie]

Jazz, My Romance -- CD

Ron Carter - Herb Ellis - Kenny Barron

1994 Somethin' Else/Blue Note Records

As with virtually all of Ron Carter's recordings as a leader, this CD is primarily a showcase for his bass solos. The unusual combination of musicians (a trio with guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Kenny Barron) really does not live up to its potential. There are some short spots for Ellis and Barron but their roles are mostly in support of the bassist. Some of the selections (particularly "Sweet Lorraine" and the bassist's original "For Toddlers Only") do have their memorable moments but none of the songs are taken at faster than a medium tempo. Since bass solos (as with most drum showcases) often lose a lot when transferred to record (as opposed to being seen live), this CD is recommended mostly to Ron Carter completists. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Blues For D.P.
2. My Romance
3. Airegin
4. Quiet Times
5. Summertime
6. I Fall in Love Too Easily
7. For Toddlers Only
8. Sweet Lorraine

Personnel: Ron Carter (bass); Kenny Barron (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar).Recorded at Clinton Studios, New York, New York on January 4 & 5, 1994

 

[Dennie]

Monk's Music -- Remastered CD

Thelonious Monk

1957/1993 Riverside/OJC Records

This historic 1957 session, beginning with Monk's favorite hymn ("Abide With Me") and ending with the composer's most affecting ballad ("Crepescule With Nellie"), functions as an overview of his career. As such, MONK'S MUSIC, Thelonious' fifth album for the Riverside label, is a shot across the bow of the hard bop movement.A cubist intro by Monk and Wilbur Ware sets the tone for an extended seven-piece rendition of the pianist's classic "Well, You Needn't," with a fiery underpinning by Art Blakey. Monk is at his angular, bluesy best, opening with Charlie Christian-like percussive accents. He grows more taciturn in the second chorus, unleashing some of his most dynamic rhythmic devices before crying out for "Coltrane, Coltrane." Monk, Ware and Blakey drive Trane relentlessly, and the tenor giant responds with taut, screaming lyricism. Monk responds to Copeland's Gillespie-ish shouts with child-like glee, then recedes as Blakey ghosts Ware's dark, driving punctuations before his own polyrhythmic explosion. Coleman Hawkins enters on the crest of a drum roll with operatic fervor, followed by a feline Gigi Gryce, a coy Monk and a final reprise of the theme. A classic moment in jazz.But MONK'S MUSIC contains numerous highlights. Contrast Hawkins' elegant, barrel-chested machismo on the ballad "Ruby, My Dear" with Trane's rendition a year later on THELONIOUS MONK WITH JOHN COLTRANE. There are two takes of "Off Minor," one of Monk's most swinging lines. Hawkins comes off the starting blocks of the master take like a pit bull, Copeland responds in kind, and Monk follows with dissonant shards of counterpoint and harmonic subversion. Coltrane draws first blood on the spooky "Epistrophy," obviously inspired by Hawkins' steely melodic focus and Monk's probing cross-rhythms; Gryce's solo illustrates his fresh approach to the alto, and Blakey's solo, with its crushing rolls and extraordinary bent tones, is a masterpiece.

Track Listing
1. Abide With Me
2. Well You Needn't
3. Ruby My Dear - (featuring Coleman Hawkins)
4. Off Minor - (take)
5. Epistrophy - (take)
6. Crepuscule With Nellie - (take)
7. Off Minor - (take)
8. Crepuscule With Nellie - (take)
9. Blues For Tomorrow

Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York, New York on June 26, 1957. Originally released on Riverside (242). Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews.Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Gigi Gryce (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Ray Copeland (trumpet); Art Blakey (drums).Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino.

 

[Dennie]

Classic Moods -- 20bit K2 CD

Ernie Watts

1998 JVC Records

Classic Moods refers to a number of things -- classic songs, the classic small hard-bop group, the classic sound of jazz ballads. It's clear that Ernie Watts was out to recapture the spirit of his hero John Coltrane's exquisite Ballads, and what's surprising is how close he comes to fulfilling his goal. Working with pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist George Mraz and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Watts recaptures the classic sound of '50s small combos without ever sounding like a stodgy revivalist. That's because he's too concerned with feeling and fresh, vital improvisations to devote himself to painstaking re-creations of the past. Every musician in the group plays with passion, even during subtle interludes, and that is what brings such standards as "In a Sentimental Mood," "Green Dolphin Street" and "'Round Midnight" to life. You may have heard these songs countless times, but they're worth hearing again in this setting. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Track Listing
1. In a Sentimental Mood
2. Oh Green Dolphin Street
3. In Never Entered My Mind
4. 'Round Midnight
5. Blues Now and Then
6. Never Let Me Go
7. Lush Life
8. I Don't Know Why
9. The Poet
10. Good Morning Heartache

Personnel: Ernie Watts (saxophone); Mulgrew Miller (piano); George Mraz (acoustic bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

Three Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest -- CD

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

1993 Warner Bros. Records

The Flecktones' best studio album, December 30, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: 3 Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Audio CD)

This is the one! The departure of Howard Levy and his often annoying harmonica (Note: Howard, loved your keyboard playing but that harp had to go!) forced the three remaining 'Tones into a different, jazzier direction than before. Victor's writing really comes into its own on this album (his several tunes here are jaw-droppingly great), and Future Man's synth-drumming style improves exponentially. Technically, the all three are really on fire. Anyone who own's even one Flecktones album needs to get this one.

"Vix 9" (Victor Wooten) – 4:27
"At Last We Meet Again" (V. Wooten) – 5:34
"Spunky and Clorissa" (Béla Fleck) – 4:30
"Bumbershoot" (Fleck) – 5:22
"Blues For Gordon" (Fleck) – 5:16
"Monkey See" (Fleck) – 3:16
"The Message" (music: Fleck, V. Wooten, Future Man; lyrics: Joe Wooten) – 4:03
"Interlude (Return of the Ancient Ones)" (Future Man) – 2:06
"The Drift" (Fleck, V. Wooten, Future Man) – 3:30
"A Celtic Medley: Meridian/Traveling Light/Salamander's Reel" (Fleck) – 6:39
"Peace, Be Still" (V. Wooten) – 4:05
"The Longing" (Fleck) – 5:25
"For Now" (Fleck) – 2:40

 

[Dennie]

Drive -- SACD

Bela Fleck

2005 Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen at Your Own Risk, February 14, 2005
By Wayfaring Stranger (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Drive (Audio CD)

My brother and I popped this CD into the deck of a rented truck as we headed from Jackson, WY, out toward the Wind River Range. About three tracks into it, we realized we were going nearly 90 miles an hour. Our recognition of this fact perfectly coincided with a state trooper's recognition of us. All we could tell the guy was that we were blasting some incredible bluegrass and that its hypnotic power sort of caught us off guard. Sorry, officer. The cop looked at us for a minute, smiled, and gave us a firm warning to slow it down, and strolled back to his cruiser. We exhaled in relief. Then, the cop spun around just as he was about to get into his car and yelled, "I suggest you boys try some Perry Como!"

"Drive" is the tightest, most frenetic, river-water-rolling, sleekest, greatest frikkin' 'grass disc out there. Please listen responsibly.

All tracks written by Béla Fleck

"Whitewater"
"Slipstream"
"Up and Around the Bend"
"Natchez Trace"
"See Rock City"
"The Legend"
"The Lights of Home"
"Down in the Swamp"
"Sanctuary"
"The Open Road"
"Crucial Country Breakdown"

Personnel

Béla Fleck - banjo
Tony Rice - guitar
Sam Bush - mandolin
Stuart Duncan - fiddle
Mark O'Connor - fiddle
Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Pete Rowan - vocals

 

[Dennie]

Soul Street -- Remastered CD

Jimmy Forrest Quintet, Sextet and with The Oliver Nelson Big Band

1962/1998 Prestige New Jazz/Fantasy Records

A popular yet underrated tenor saxophonist, Jimmy Forrest is featured in several different settings on this 1998 CD reissue. Forrest matches wits with fellow tenors King Curtis and Oliver Nelson on "Soul Street" (his opening phrase is a classic), plays three standards (including an effective "Sonny Boy") with a combo that includes pianist Hugh Lawson and is featured on "I Wanna Blow, Blow, Blow" with a nonet also featuring trombonist Buster Cooper. The remainder of the CD has Forrest showcased on three numbers with an octet arranged by Oliver Nelson. These tracks are of lesser interest (particularly Henry Mancini's "Experiment in Terror") but still include some fine tenor playing. With this reissue, all of Forrest's work for the Prestige and New Jazz labels has been made available on CD. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Soul Street
2. I Love You
3. Sonny Boy
4. Soft Summer Breeze
5. Experiment in Terror
6. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
7. That's All
8. Blow, Blow - (Take 2, bonus track) I Wanna Blow

Personnel: Jimmy Forrest (tenor saxophone); Oliver Nelson (conductor, tenor saxophone); Jerome Richardson (alto saxophone, flute); King Curtis (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Art Farmer, Idrees Sulieman (trumpet); George "Buster" Cooper (trombone); Gene Casey, Hugh Lawson, Ray Bryant (piano); Calvin Newborn, Tiny Grimes (guitar); George Duvivier, Tommy Potter, Wendell Marshall (bass); Roy Haynes, Clarence Johnston, Osie Johnson (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).Oliver Nelson Big Band includes: George Barrow, Seldon Powell (tenor saxophone); Ernie Royal (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Chris Woods (piano); Mundell Lowe (guitar); Richard Davis (bass); Ed Shaughnessy (drums).Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on August 29, 1958 and at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey between September 9, 1960 and June 1, 1962. Includes liner notes by Dan Morgenstern.Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1998, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).

 

[Dennie]

For My Pals -- CD

Harry "Sweets" Edison

1988 Pablo Records

Trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison is a master of understatement, an inimitable improvisor who places notes with surgical precision. He has likewise achieved remarkable artistic longevity due his continual willingness and ability to develop. A member of Count Basie's classic band from 1938-1950, he also had a long association with Frank Sinatra live and on record, and his '70s recordings with soul compatriot Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis produced works of endless blues invention.

Track Listing
1. On the Road With "Jaws"
2. Sophisticated Lady
3. There Is No Greater Love
4. Just Friends
5. Count Me Out
6. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
7. It's a Wonderful World
8. Good Night
9. Blues For the Cats - (bonus track)

Personnel: Harry "Sweets" Edison, Buster Cooper, Curtis Peagler, Art Hillery and Andy Simpkins.Trumpeter Edison never sounded better than on this studio date. Highly recommended. ~ Michael G. Nastos