3 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS - GERRY MULLIGAN (Verve) 3CD Disc 1 GERRY MULLIGAN meets BEN WEBSTER (1959) with Baritone Saxophone – Gerry Mulligan / Bass – Leroy Vinnegar / Drums – Mel Lewis / Piano – Jimmy Rowles / Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster This is the one album I was after in this collection. To buy a stand alone copy would have cost at least twice the price (or more) than that of this budget edition. The version included here is the very tasty sounding full blown 11 track one. Disc 2 GERRY MULLIGAN AND THE CONCERT BIG BAND LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD (1960) This has been in my collection for years now as a stand alone title and I would recommend it to anyone who has not heard it. Disc 3 NIGHT LIGHTS (1963) with Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Gerry Mulligan / Bass – Bill Crow / Drums – Dave Bailey / Guitar – Jim Hall / Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer / Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Art Farmer I love the sessions here and had the tracks on a very poor sounding Lonehilljazz label - but always wanted a better sounding copy and thankfully this legitiimate edition sounds so much better than the lifeless and drab Lonehilljazz release. The sound on all the discs in this EU budget release is remarkably good - probably original masterings. The packaging is a triple gatefold cardboard sleeve and the discs are inserted into cut out pockets, which is not exactly ideal packaging if you want to avoide the risk of scuffing the playing surfaces - or ripping the thin cardboard sleeve, but apart from that I have no complaints! Although this release comes with packaging issues, the upside is you get three well mastered discs, and with no worries about being conned with substandard CD-rs or badly mastered copies.
Columbia PC 32470 - The Miles Davis Sextet " Jazz At The Plaza Vol.1! - rec. 1973 ---> drummer is Jimmy Cobb!! [Same group as KOB]
MULLIGAN/BAKER * THE BEST OF THE GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET WITH CHET BAKER (Pacific Jazz) CD with Baritone Saxophone – Gerry Mulligan Bass – Bobby Whitlock | Carson Smith | Henry Grimes Drums – Chico Hamilton | Dave Bailey | Larry Bunker Trumpet – Chet Baker Superb 15 track selection originally issued on 7" & 10" vinyl between 1952-1953 except one track - 'Festive Minor' which was recorded in 1957 & originally issued on Mosaic. CD digital transfers by Ron McMaster.
Revisiting an album that has been out for a while now... LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S - YUSEF LATEEF (GEARBOX) CD Bass – Rick Laird / Drums – Bill Eyden / Flute, Shenai, Woodwind, Tenor Saxophone – Yusef Lateef / Piano – Stan Tracey Recorded January 15th 1966 and issued on CD by Gearbox 2017 in smaller than usual single carboard cover that also includes sleevenotes. The LP edition was issued 2016. The disc was mastered by Darrel Sheinman and Caspar Sutton-Jones from the original master tapes courtesy of Les Tompkins An enjoyable listen in good sound quality with a playing time just under 43 minutes.
O'NEAL'S PORCH - WILLIAM PARKER QUARTET (AUM) CD Alto Saxophone – Rob Brown / Bass – William Parker / Drums – Hamid Drake / Trumpet – Lewis Barnes Recorded on May 26, 2000 at Seltzer Sound, NYC. - CD issued in a digipak. It took me until very recently before I became aware how incredible William Parker's recorded output is. For anyone unfamiliar with this stunning session immediate investigation is recommended! This remarkable album has a running time of 72 minutes.
