Monday Miles . . . 1957/2013 Columbia – CL 1041, Columbia – 88765413861 Miles Davis-The Original Mono Recordings – KPG@CA
ISIS - ENRICO PIERANUNZI Quartet & Quintet featuring ART FARMER (Soul Note) CD Alto Saxophone - Massimo Urbani Bass - Furio Di Castri Drums - Roberto Gattoeer - Giovanni Fornari Flugelhorn - Art Farmer Piano - Enrico Pieranunzi Recorded February 1980, Emmequattro Studios, Roma Art Farmer is the main man for me on this mainly fast paced album. "Enrico Pieranunzi has been so eminent among European jazz pianists for so long that there is, perhaps, a tendency in some quarters to take him for granted. You know Pieranunzi will always deliver, as he does on this a solidly swinging session with a repertoire of bop staples ( Ah-Leu-Cha, Blue’n’Boogie, Au Privave), standards and orginals; in a consistently high-quality solo environment, Pieranunzi’s Bud Powell- influenced piano is a standout." - edited Irish Times review
Sonny Rollins - Rollins Plays For Bird Sonny Rollins, tenor sax; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Wade Legge, piano; George Morrow, bass; Max Roach, drums.
MANHATTAN - ART FARMER QUINTET (Soul Note) CD Bass – Mads Vinding Drums – Ed Thigpen Piano – Kenny Drew Soprano / Baritone Saxophone – Sahib Shihab Recorded November 29 and 30, 1981 at Barigozzi Studios, Milano A very impressive album from a top notch Quintet.
Continuing with Lee Morgan's 1960s studio recordings; now: Taru ("Blue Note Works" Japan, 1998). Recorded on February 15, 1968 with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bennie Maupin (tenor saxophone), George Benson (guitar), John Hicks (piano), Reggie Workman (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums).
And finally: Lee Morgan - ¡Caramba! (Blue Note, 1996). Recorded on May 3, 1968 with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bennie Maupin (tenor saxophone), Cedar Walton (piano), Reggie Workman (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums).
Chicago calling . . . 1956/2019 Blue Note – BLP 1533, Blue Note – 1533 Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – KPG@CA
MIRAGE - ART FARMER QUINTET (Soul Note) CD Double Bass – Ray Drummond Drums – Akira Tana Flugelhorn – Art Farmer Piano – Fred Hersch Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan Recorded September 18 and 19, 1982 at Vanguard Studios, New York. Mixed September 22, 1982 at Barigozzi Studios, Milano
Found this beauty in pristine condition earlier this week — Wednesday Wayne . . . 1966/1994 Blue Note – B1-29100 Blue Note Connoisseur Series – Mastered by Capitol / Wally
NP Billy Harper- “Destiny is yours” steeplechase cd from 1990 with Francesca Tanksley piano Eddie Henderson trumpet Newman Baker drums Clarence Seay bass
Moment To Moment - THE JAZZTET (Soul Note) CD Bass – Ray Drummond Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath Flugelhorn – Art Farmer Piano – Mickey Tucker Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson Trombone – Curtis Fuller Recorded at Barigozzi Studio, Milano, Italy on May 30 & 31, 1983. Mastered at PolyGram Factory, Tribiano (Milano)
HERBIE HANCOCK TAKIN' OFF (Blue Note) CD with Freddie Hubbard (trumpet & flugelhorn), Dexter Gordon (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums) Recorded 1962. The 24-bit CD edition includes 3 alternate takes and was remastered by RVG in 2007. It's been a long time since I listened to this Herbie title!
The Three Sounds featuring Gene Harris Groovin' Hard LIVE AT the PENTHOUSE 1964-1968 (Resonance) CD with Gene Harris (piano), Andy Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy / Kalil Madi / Carl Burnett (drums) CD issued in gate-fold digipak with 20 page booklet included. Sound quality is great on this very well presented release from Resonance. It is full up with a very likeable and listenable hand picked selection of previously unissued live recordings.
YOU MAKE ME SMILE - THE ART FARMER QUINTET feat. CLIFFORD JORDAN (Soul Note) CD with Double Bass – Rufus Reid Drums – Akira Tana Piano – Fred Hersch Tenor Saxophone – Clifford Jordan Flugelhorn – Art Farmer Recorded December 13 and 15, 1984 at Classic Sound Studio, New York City. Mastered at PolyGram, Tribiano - Milano Another great Art Farmer title on Soul Note!
HERB ELLIS MEETS JIMMY GIUFFRE (Verve) CD Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper / Bud Shank Bass – Joe Mondragon Drums – Stan Levey Guitar – Herb Ellis / Jim Hall Piano – Lou Levy Tenor Saxophone – Richie Kamuca Tenor & Baritone Saxophone – Jimmy Giuffre Recorded March 26, 1959 at Radio Recorders, Hollywood A fine album recently re-issued on CD and presented in a gatefold cardboard sleeve.
AZURE - ART FARMER & FRITZ PAUER (Soul Note) CD with Art Farmer (flugelhorn) & Fritz Pauer (piano) Recorded over four sessions in 1987 at Austrophon Studios, Vienna. Mastered at PhonoComp, Tribiano - Milano. Art & Fritz with some lovely touches here and there.
JOE HENDERSON / POWER TO THE PEOPLE / MILESTONE / 1969 / US FIRST STEREO PRESSING MSP 9024 LP I have the (by the way excellent sounding) Keepnews CD since around 2013. I must admit that I didn't play it often these last 4-5 years, though. It may have to do with the fact, that while I liked the music, this album wasn't a favourite, because I somehow felt this was fusion. In my mind or to my taste, jazz had to be completely acoustic. Well, I was wrong in several ways. First off, this isn't a fusion album (at least that's how I see it today). It is much more in the post-bob vein and a precursor to Henderson's Spiritual Jazz efforts in the 70's on both Milestone and Impulse albums (as a sideman to Alice Coltrane). Henderson had already proven on his Blue Note outings that he was an excellent songwriter. His compositions just never fail and on top of that, his playing was among the very best at the time. Revisiting this album now on vinyl had me reflecting on how much my taste has shifted these past 12 months. I rarely reach for Blue Note albums anymore, at least not for the 50's and early 60's sessions (which fit right in my no electric instruments dogma) (but give me Henderson, Pete La Rosa, Jackie McLean or Moncur anytime, please). I recognise their importance and will surely enjoy them again someday in the future, but for now these modal "Soul-Jazz" sessions on Milestone, Strata-East, Muse, Nimbus etc. are much more satisfying.
This is Oscar PETERSON at the piano (RCA/Sony Music) 2CD A top notch compilation covering Oscar Peterson's first recordings. There are 49 tracks on this killer compilation including all 32 sides recorded between 1945 and 1949 and released on 78 rpm by Victor (Canada). 17 alternate takes are also included.
