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Dennie
Well-Known Member
Happy Sunday everyone... :banana-dance:
Warm Tenor -- Remastered CD
Zoot Sims
1979/1989 Pablo Records
The Pablo label was a perfect home for Zoot Sims during the second half of the '70s; the cool-toned tenor always sounded at his best in informal settings with small groups where he had the opportunity to stretch out. This quartet set with pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist George Mraz and drummer Mousie Alexander (which has been reissued on CD) gives Sims a chance to interpret a variety of mostly underplayed standards along with a duet with Mraz on an ad-lib "Blues for Louise." Highlights include "Old Devil Moon," "You Go to My Head," "Blue Prelude" and "You're My Thrill." ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. Dream Dancing
2. Old Devil Moon
3. Blues For Louise
4. Jitterbug Waltz
5. You Go to My Head
6. Blue Prelude
7. Comes Love
8. You're My Thrill
Personnel: Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Rowles (piano), George Mraz (acoustic bass), Mousey Alexander (drums).
Warm Tenor -- Remastered CD
Zoot Sims
1979/1989 Pablo Records
The Pablo label was a perfect home for Zoot Sims during the second half of the '70s; the cool-toned tenor always sounded at his best in informal settings with small groups where he had the opportunity to stretch out. This quartet set with pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist George Mraz and drummer Mousie Alexander (which has been reissued on CD) gives Sims a chance to interpret a variety of mostly underplayed standards along with a duet with Mraz on an ad-lib "Blues for Louise." Highlights include "Old Devil Moon," "You Go to My Head," "Blue Prelude" and "You're My Thrill." ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. Dream Dancing
2. Old Devil Moon
3. Blues For Louise
4. Jitterbug Waltz
5. You Go to My Head
6. Blue Prelude
7. Comes Love
8. You're My Thrill
Personnel: Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Rowles (piano), George Mraz (acoustic bass), Mousey Alexander (drums).
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Workin' -- 20bit K2 Remastered CD
The Miles Davis Quintet
1959/2003 Prestige/Fantasy Records
WORKIN' WITH THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET is a grab-bag of different moods culled from the 26 sides Miles cut in two final marathon sessions for Prestige on May 11 and October 26, 1956. From this stock of magnificent performances, Prestige also issued RELAXIN' and STEAMIN'.WORKIN' is notable for the bittersweet reverie of "It Never Entered My Mind," one of the most beautiful ballads Miles ever recorded. Red Garland's rippling second theme and bell-like intermezzo set off Miles' muted melody in sharp relief; Miles' poignant, breathy timbre and weightless phrasing is sheer poetry.But WORKIN' plumbs a variety of moods and grooves. Philly Joe Jones' dancing polyrhythms set the mood for Miles' famous lines "Four" and "Half Nelson." By now, Miles' work with the open horn is a product of his own aesthetic, distinguished by a thoughtful use of space, meticulous note placement and a variety of expressive brass shadings. By editing the more technocratic aspects of his line, Miles has arrived at a lighter, cooler, more personal style of phrasing. And now even the relentlessly forceful Coltrane exhibits greater patience and melodic focus.Musical treats abound. There are two delightful takes of Miles' coy, bluesy trademark "The Theme" and a funky statement of "Trane's Blues" (aka "Vierd Blues"). "Ahmad's Blues" is a low-down, after-hours feature for pianist Red Garland (who is not often accorded the credit he deserves for developing this cosmopolitan lyric style), featuring Paul Chambers' remarkable bow work. A perfect jazz band.
Track Listing
1. It Never Entered My Mind
2. Four
3. In Your Own Sweet Way
4. The - (Take 1) Theme
5. Trane's Blues
6. Ahmad's Blues
7. Half Nelson
8. The - (Take 2) Theme
Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Davis (trumpet); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (acoustic bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums).Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey on May 11 & October 26, 1956. Originally released on Prestige (7166). Includes liner notes by Jack Maher.Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding System technology.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
65th Birthday Celebration -- Live at the Blue Note in New York City -- CD
Herbie Mann
1997 LightYear Records
To celebrate his 65th birthday, the influential flutist Herbie Mann played for a week at the Blue Note in New York, along with some of his favorite musicians. Among the many guests on this CD are such notables as trumpeters Claudio Roditi and Randy Brecker, altoists David "Fathead" Newman, Paquito D'Rivera and Bobby Watson, fellow flutist Dave Valentin, Tito Puente on timbales and several rhythm sections. Alternating between Brazilian music, vintage funk jazz (such as "Memphis Underground"), a catchy boogaloo blues ("Dippermouth") and a few straight-ahead tracks ("Au Privave" and "Jeep's Blues"), the flutist sounds as if he had a great time. The diverse music is consistently infectious and joyful, with all eight selections well worth hearing. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. Batucada
2. Sonhos
3. Jungle Fantasy
4. Au Private
5. Give and Take
6. Jeep's Blues
7. Memphis Underground
8. Dippermouth
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Bean Bags -- Remastered HDCD
Milt Jackson, Coleman Hawkins
1959/1998 Atlantic/Koch Jazz
Many of vibraphonist Milt Jackson's Atlantic recordings are long overdue to appear on CD, and that certainly includes Bean Bags, which features a meeting with the great tenor Coleman Hawkins. Assisted by a top-notch quartet (pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Eddie Jones, and drummer Connie Kay), Bean Bags romps through "Stuffy," "Get Happy," a pair of Jackson originals, and two fine ballads, with "Don't Take Your Love From Me" being particularly memorable. ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. Close Your Eyes
2. Stuffy
3. Don't Take Your Love From Me
4. Get Happy
5. Sandra's Blues
6. Indian Blues
Personnel: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass) Connie Kay (drums).Producer: Nesuhi Ertegun.Reissue producers: Donald Elfman, Naomi Yoshii.Recorded in New York, New York on September 12, 1959. Originally released on Atlantic (1316). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff.Digitally remastered by Gene Paul (DB Plus, New York, New York).
Dennie
Well-Known Member
New Moon Daughter -- CD
Cassandra Wilson
1996 Blue Note Records
Amazon.com essential recording
Her luscious alto has the depth and texture of a great tenor saxophonist, but Cassandra Wilson's defining asset is a postmodern song sense that enables her to surf through Son House, Neil Young, Johnny Mercer, Billie Holiday, and (gasp!) the Monkees in pursuit of strong songs that can provide that instrument with a canvas. Her second Blue Note album extends Wilson's seductive pilgrimage beyond the conventions of jazz repertoire and accompaniment, yet it's her instincts as a jazz singer that inform these brilliant readings. The settings again step away from traditional small group jazz (for starters, there's no piano) to evoke the emotional core of these songs. Anyone who can turn the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" into a slow-burning erotic vignette deserves your attention. --Sam Sutherland
"Strange Fruit" (Lewis Allan) — 5:33
"Love Is Blindness" (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr.) — 4:53
"Solomon Sang" (Cassandra Wilson) — 5:56
"Death Letter" (Son House) — 4:12
"Skylark" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) — 4:08
"Find Him" (Wilson) — 4:37
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Hank Williams) — 4:50
"Last Train to Clarksville" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart) — 5:15
"Until" (Wilson) — 6:29
"A Little Warm Death" (Wilson) — 5:43
"Memphis" (Wilson) — 5:04
"Harvest Moon" (Neil Young) — 5:01
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Something To Live For - A Billy Strayhorn Songbook -- CD
John Hicks
1998 HighNote Records
Sturdy jazz pianist John Hicks gives assertively accessible readings to an album's worth of Billy Strayhorn's gems on this fine trio recording. From the very well known--"Satin Doll" and "Lush Life"--to the more obscure--"Ummg," "Summary," and "Blood Count"--Hicks reveals the inner workings of Strayhorn's intricately haunted world. Aided and abetted by the understated prodding of Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Cecil Brooks III on drums, Hicks's straightforward, introspective renditions showcase the brilliance and timelessness of Strayhorn's jazz subtlety. If we think of Strayhorn's songs as the singer, Hicks effectively plays the role of an extremely supportive sideman--telling us more about the songs than about himself. This mature approach speaks volumes about John Hicks and even more about his respect for Billy Strayhorn's artistry. --Wally Shoup
All compositions by Billy Strayhorn except as indicated
"Something to Live For" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 5:44
"Day Dream" (Ellington, Strayhorn John La Touche) - 6:40
"Medley: Lotus/Blossom" - 4:08
"Blood Count" - 6:59
"A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" - 3:07
"Chelsea Bridge" - 6:10
"Lush Life" - 6:05
"U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)" - 5:30
"Minor Blues" (John Hicks) - 4:33
"Passion Flower" - 6:42
"Satin Doll" (Ellington, Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer) - 5:23
"Summary" (Hicks) - 4:56
Personnel
John Hicks - piano
Dwayne Dolphin - bass
Cecil Brooks III - drums
Production
Cecil Brooks III - producer
Dino DeStefano - engineer
Dennie
Well-Known Member
"...and his mother called him Bill" -- Remasterd 24bit CD
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
1967/2001 RCA Victor Gold (Import France)
When Billy Strayhorn died of cancer in 1967, Duke Ellington was devastated. His closest friend and arranger had left his life full of music and memories. As a tribute, Ellington and his orchestra almost immediately began recording a tribute to Strayhorn, using the late arranger's own compositions and charts. The album features well-known and previously unrecorded Strayhorn tunes that showcased his range, versatility, and, above all, the quality that Ellington admired him most for: his sensitivity to all of the timbral, tonal, and color possibilities an orchestra could bring to a piece of music. The set opens with a vehicle for Johnny Hodges called "Snibor," written in 1949. A loose blues tune, its intervals showcase Hodges against a stinging I-IV-V backdrop and turnaround, with a sweeping set of colors in the brass section before Cootie Williams takes a break and hands it back to Hodges to take out. The melancholy "Blood Count" was written in 1967 for the band's Carnegie Hall concert. It proved to be his final composition and chart. Hodges again gets the call and blows deep, low, and full of sadness and even anger. The music is moody, poignant, and full of poise, expressing a wide range of feelings as memories from different periods in the composers' and bandleaders' collective careers. Given all the works Strayhorn composed, this one -- with its muted trumpet section set in fours against Hodges' blues wailing -- is both wistful and chilling. Also included here is a remake of 1951's "Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note," in a spicy, funky version with a shimmering cymbal ride from Sam Woodyard and a punched up, bleating Cootie Williams solo as well as one from Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, smoothing out the harmonic edges of the brass section (which features a ringing break from John Sanders). In cut time, the tune shuffles in the groove with Ellington accenting on every eight as the brass and reeds mix it up joyously. There are two versions of "Lotus Blossom." Ellington claimed it was the piece Strayhorn most liked to hear him play. The LP version is a quiet, restrained, meditative rendition played solo by Ellington, with the most subtle and yet emotional nuances he ever presented on a recording as a pianist. Finally, closing the album is a bonus track, a trio version played in a whispering tone with only baritone saxophonist Harry Carney and bassist Aaron Bell accompanying Ellington. The piece was supposedly recorded as the band was packing up to leave. Its informality and soulful verve feel like they are an afterthought, an unwillingness to completely let go, a eulogy whose final words are questions, elegantly stated and met with only the echo of their last vibrations ringing in an empty room, full of wondering, longing, and helplessness, but above all the point of the questions themselves: "Is this enough?" or "Can there ever be enough to pay an adequate tribute to this man?" They are interesting questions, because only five years later we would all be saying the same thing about Ellington. For a man who issued well over 300 albums, this set is among his most profoundly felt and very finest recorded moments.
Track List:
American and French reissues
"Snibor" (Strayhorn) – 4:16
"Boo-Dah" (Strayhorn) – 3:28
"Blood Count" (Strayhorn) – 4:18
"U.M.M.G." (Strayhorn) – 3:14
"Charpoy" (Strayhorn) – 3:07
"After All" (Strayhorn) – 3:52
"The Intimacy of the Blues" (Strayhorn) – 2:58
"Rain Check" (Strayhorn) – 4:37
"Day Dream " (Ellington, Latouche, Strayhorn) – 4:25
"Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note" (Ellington, Strayhorn) – 3:02
"All Day Long" (Strayhorn) – 2:58
"Lotus Blossom [Solo Version]" (Strayhorn) – 3:54
"Acht O'Clock Rock" (Ellington) – 2:23
"Rain Check [alternate take]" (Strayhorn) – 5:22
"Smada" (Ellington, Strayhorn) – 3:21
"Smada [alternate take]" (Ellington, Strayhorn) – 3:20
"Midriff" (Strayhorn) – 4:35
"My Little Brown Book" (Strayhorn) – 4:13
"Lotus Blossom [Trio Version]" (Strayhorn) – 4:56
Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams (trumpet); Clark Terry (flugelhorn); John Sanders, Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors (trombone); Aaron Bell, Jeff Castleman (bass); Steve Little, Sam Woodyard (drums).Recorded at RCA Studios, New York, New York and between August and November 1967. Includes liner notes by Duke Ellington, Stanley Dance, Patricia Willard, and Robert Palmer.All tracks have been digitally remastered.Twenty-four bit digitally remasted with restored original artwork. CD contains 4 bonus tracks.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Johnny Hodges, Soloist -- Remastered 24bit CD
Billy Strayhorn and THE Orchestra
1962/1999 Verve Master Edition
A rare look at Hodges and Strayhorn without Ellington April 27, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
This disc which is the result of a session in 1961 that features Johhny Hodges on alto sax with Billy Strayhorn as the band leader. Detail of the session is related in Lush Life the biographpy of Billy Strayhorn (pg 217). Briefly, Strayhorn was given free rein in providing new arrangments of songs by Ellington, Hodges and himself. In the 30 plus years they worked together Strayhorn used the Ellington orchestra to feature Hodges. However, this disc really puts Hodges in the forefront of the orchestra and the results are tremendous. Hodges, under Strayhorns direction gives top notch redendtions of 2 of the greatest songs they did together, Day Dream and I Got It Bad. I haven't stopped playing this disc, comparing the arrangements by Strayhorn and playing by Hodges against other Ellington discs. Another one you may want to try is "And His Mother Called Him Bill" which I think is Hodges greatest performance. Oh by the way, Happy 100th Birthday Duke (April 29th) We love you madly!
Track Listing
1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
3. The Gal from Joe's
4. Your Love Has Faded
5. I'm Just a Lucky So and So
6. Jeep's Blues
7. Day Dream
8. Juice A-Plenty
9. Azure
10. Tailor Made
11. Stardust
Personnel: Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Billy Strayhorn (conductor); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Bill Berry, Ed Mullens, Howard McGhee (trumpet); Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson (trombone); Chuck Connors (bass trombone); Jimmy Jones (piano); Aaron Bell (bass); Sam Woodyard (drums).Producer: Creed Taylor.Reissue producer: Ben Young.Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in December 1961. Originally issued on Verve (8452). Includes liner notes by Loren Schoenberg and Stanley Dance.Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Kevin Reeves (Polygram Studios).This is part of the Verve Records Master Edition series
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Happy Monday everyone... :shock:
After The Gold Rush -- CD
Neil Young
1970/1990 Reprise Records
The album continues its collage of styles, from the wistfulness of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" to song fragments like "Til the Morning Comes" to the transformation of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" from canter to ballad. But the crowning achievements are the album's magnificent title track, a vividly drawn portrait of post-'60s melancholy, and the gorgeous, aching "Birds," a swan song heralding emotional departure. Both songs are graced by Nils Lofgren's delicate piano, and stand as two of Young's finest compositions. In a catalogue filled with rock classics, AFTER THE GOLDRUSH still ranks among the best.
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH mixes up the hard rock of EVERYONE KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE and the folk and country leanings Young pursued with Crosby, Stills And Nash in one of his most eclectic and satisfying releases. The acoustic picking on the opener, "Tell Me Why," frames Young's vulnerable warble beautifully, signaling the softer aspect of the album. But the electric crunch of "Southern Man," a raging tour de force protest song that captures the special chemistry between Young and backing group Crazy Horse, balances Young's sensitivity with aggression and amplification.
All songs written by Neil Young except when noted
Side one
"Tell Me Why" – 2:54
"After the Gold Rush" – 3:45
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" – 3:05
"Southern Man" – 5:31
"Till the Morning Comes" – 1:17
Side two
"Oh Lonesome Me" (Don Gibson) – 3:47
"Don't Let It Bring You Down" – 2:56
"Birds" – 2:34
"When You Dance I Can Really Love" – 4:05
"I Believe in You" – 3:24
"Cripple Creek Ferry" – 1:34
------------
Neil Young — guitar, piano, harmonica, vibes, lead vocals
Danny Whitten — guitar, vocals
Nils Lofgren — guitar, piano, vocals
Jack Nitzsche — piano
Billy Talbot — bass
Greg Reeves — bass
Ralph Molina — drums, vocals
Stephen Stills — vocals
Bill Peterson — flugelhorn
After The Gold Rush -- CD
Neil Young
1970/1990 Reprise Records
The album continues its collage of styles, from the wistfulness of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" to song fragments like "Til the Morning Comes" to the transformation of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me" from canter to ballad. But the crowning achievements are the album's magnificent title track, a vividly drawn portrait of post-'60s melancholy, and the gorgeous, aching "Birds," a swan song heralding emotional departure. Both songs are graced by Nils Lofgren's delicate piano, and stand as two of Young's finest compositions. In a catalogue filled with rock classics, AFTER THE GOLDRUSH still ranks among the best.
AFTER THE GOLDRUSH mixes up the hard rock of EVERYONE KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE and the folk and country leanings Young pursued with Crosby, Stills And Nash in one of his most eclectic and satisfying releases. The acoustic picking on the opener, "Tell Me Why," frames Young's vulnerable warble beautifully, signaling the softer aspect of the album. But the electric crunch of "Southern Man," a raging tour de force protest song that captures the special chemistry between Young and backing group Crazy Horse, balances Young's sensitivity with aggression and amplification.
All songs written by Neil Young except when noted
Side one
"Tell Me Why" – 2:54
"After the Gold Rush" – 3:45
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" – 3:05
"Southern Man" – 5:31
"Till the Morning Comes" – 1:17
Side two
"Oh Lonesome Me" (Don Gibson) – 3:47
"Don't Let It Bring You Down" – 2:56
"Birds" – 2:34
"When You Dance I Can Really Love" – 4:05
"I Believe in You" – 3:24
"Cripple Creek Ferry" – 1:34
------------
Neil Young — guitar, piano, harmonica, vibes, lead vocals
Danny Whitten — guitar, vocals
Nils Lofgren — guitar, piano, vocals
Jack Nitzsche — piano
Billy Talbot — bass
Greg Reeves — bass
Ralph Molina — drums, vocals
Stephen Stills — vocals
Bill Peterson — flugelhorn
