(CD Soul Note SN 121118-2) 1987 .... recorded September 16th, 1986 @ The Village Vanguard, New York .... Charlie Rouse (ts, fl) + Woody Shaw (tp, flh) + Mal Waldron (p) + Reggie Workman (b) + Ed Blackwell (dr) .... Mal Waldron`s long collaboration with Reggie Workman + Ed Blackwell in the 80`s bears lasting fruits and both Charlie Rouse + Woody Shaw contribute sustainably to a recording which stands for the best (released in that particular decade) ...
(CD Soul Note SN 121185-2) 1988 .... recorded July 31st,1987 @ Barigozzi Studio Milano, Italy .... Steve Lacy (ss) + Jean-Jacques Avenel (b) + Oliver Johnson (dr) .... Steve Lacy was usually magnificent independently of the setting, but (to me) he blossomed in particular via the sparse b + dr structure .... can`t stop marveling (done this here before several times ....) about the stupendous technique and musicality of Jean-Jacques Avenel - I was lucky enough to see him perforn in concert several times and will treasure these impressions forever .... btw this is a S-U-P-E-R-B album ....
Blue Mitchell - Blue Soul Riverside (1959) UCCO-9365 Trumpet – Blue Mitchell Piano – Wynton Kelly Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath Trombone – Curtis Fuller Bass – Sam Jones Drums – Philly Joe Jones
(LP Blue Note King Record Japan GXK 8120) 1979 .... recorded on December 11th, 1960 .... to me one of the rather unsung Blue Note gems .... Hank Mobley + Freddie Hubbard fit together perfectly (as they already did on Mobley`s Blue Note date for "Roll Call" recorded a few weeks earlier on November 13th, 1960) and Kenny Drew puts on display his considerable talents both as pianist and composer .... it took me some time to appreciate the intrinsic qualities - but obviously old(er) mills grind slowly ....
I have never really listened to Hargrove however I listened to a few clips and like what I hear so I am going to fix that and delve into his catalog.
This session is a bit of a departure for him. He was primarily a hard bop player, a protégé of Wynton Marsalis and regarded as one of the "Young Lions" in the 1990's. Go Raptors!
Booker Ervin's That's It! Candid CD from '61 with George Tucker, Al Harewood & Horace Parlan. He's become one of my favorite tenor players at this point & I'm planning on getting all of his recordings. If you like tenor players and don't have any Booker Ervin, treat yourself and snag some. He's amazing - very expressive and unique. This album is a smoker!
(CD Blue Note Universal Music Japan UCCQ-5059 SHM-CD) 2015 .... recorded October 2nd, 1963 @ Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (the "Andrew Hill session") .... Hank Mobley (ts) + Lee Morgan (tp) + Andrew Hill (p) + John Ore (b) + Philly Joe Jones (dr) .... another rather neglected Blue Note release aka Hank Mobley leader date - probably due to the fact that the original vinyl (and subsequent vinyl releases) featured tracks from two different sessions .... later CD editions finally disclosed all tracks from the session with Andrew Hill on piano - and what a beauty these are ....
Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling Blue Note (1967) TOCJ-4271 BN Works 4200 Series Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson Trumpet – Blue Mitchell Guitar – Jimmy "Fats" Ponder Organ – Lonnie Smith Drums – Leo Morris
Tonight's commuting music: Problems at home lately, haven't had much of an urge to listen to music. Agharta is enough to perk me up, though...I swear, come hell or high water, one o' these days I will learn that incredibly funky bass lick Michael Henderson starts playing about eighteen minutes into the "Prelude" section
(CD Blue Note "Blue Note Connoisseur Series" US Press CDP 7243 8 28978 2 8) 1994 .... recorded January 15th, 1961 @ Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey .... rounding off my re-listening of rather unheralded Blue Note classics with this platter aptly featuring superb - but comparatively unsung - Kenny Dorham as leader .... this is great music in pin point execution ....
In Sweden 1958 - 60 - Stan Getz (Dragon) 2CD with various musicians Benny Bailey (trumpet), Ake Persson (trombone), Stan Getz / Erik Norstrom / Bjarne Nerem (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax), Ian Johannson / Bengt Hallberg (piano), Gunnar Johnson / Ray Brown / Torbjorn Hultcrantz / Georg Riedel (bass), William Schiopffe / Sune Spangberg / Joe Harris (drums) A great mix of studio, concert and radio performances. I'm only hearing these two discs for the first time and am impressed with the quality (and quantity) of all the recordings. The package includes a 16 page booklet.
First cup of coffee and the morning starts with Cannonball Adderley – Somethin' Else Label: Blue Note – UDCD 563, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDCD 563 Series: Original Master Recording – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 24k Gold Country: US Released: Aug 1992 Genre: Jazz Style: Hard Bop
(CD Prestige New Jazz Universal Japan UCCO-5390 SHM-CD) 2013 .... recorded May 27th, 1960, New York .... Oliver Nelson (ts, as) + Eric Dolphy (as, b-cl) + Richard Williams (tp) + Richard Wyands (p) + George Duvivier (b) + Roy Haynes (dr) .... Oliver Nelson holds his own versus Eric Dolphy and the George Duvivier + Roy Haynes groove ist priceless .... spectacular sound via this japanese SHM-CD series released in 2013/early 2014 - what a pity they didn`t reissue the complete catalogue ....
Jazz In Paris | Art Blakey 1958 Paris Olympia (Gitanes/EmArcy) CD with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Benny Golson (tenor sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (double bass), Art Blakey (drums) Reissue of Fontana LP 680 202 plus 2 tracks from Fontana EP 460 642. CD & 8 page French/English booklet presented in gate-fold digipak. 24 bit CD remaster by Alexis Frenkel and Christophe Henault.