Greg Abate / Alan Barnes / John Donaldson - Birds of a Feather

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
Time: 69:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 160,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:58) 1. Hot House
(10:00) 2. Wong's Way
( 9:44) 3. In The Stratosphere
( 6:59) 4. The Love Of Life
( 6:22) 5. Mr. T.C.
(10:27) 6. The Birdfeeder
(10:45) 7. The 'y' Blues
( 5:33) 8. Be-Bop

Anybody who grew up in a place called Woonsocket probably has to have cultivated a phlegmatic outlook on life, and saxophonist Greg Abate like his fellow Rhode Islander Scott Hamilton clearly believes the long familiar practices of classic bebop and mainstream swing have plenty of musical possibilities and ticket sales left in them.

Like Hamilton, Abate is a regular visitor to the UK and, again like Hamilton, he's the perfect partner for the British straightahead virtuoso Alan Barnes, engaging in a lively dialogue with him throughout this live recording from Leicester's Y theatre in November 2007.

Pianist John Donaldson, bassist Andy Cleyndert and drummer Spike Wells make up the rhythm section. Half of the tunes are Abate's, one is Barnes's and the others are standards including Tadd Dameron's Hot House and Dizzy Gillespie's Be-bop.

Abate's themes are dead right for the idiom, though not particularly memorable, but both saxophonists ingeniously improvise on them, with the amiable mainstream two-sax sound often driving the proceedings.

Donaldson's ebullient trills and churning mid-tempo rhythms glimmer through the music, and grooving blues like Mr TC and The Y Blues revel in the snappily punctuated melodies this style depends on. It's unpretentious swing, played with effortless relaxation.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/09/greg-abate-alan-barnes

Personnel: Greg Abate - alto / tenor; Alan Barnes - alto / baritone; John Donaldson - piano; Andrew Cleyndert - acoustic bass; Spike Wells - drums

Birds of a Feather

---

Milt Hinton - East Coast Jazz Series/5

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 1955
Time: 41:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:16) 1. Mean To Me
(4:45) 2. Pick 'N Pat
(3:40) 3. Over The Rainbow
(3:38) 4. Milt To The Hilt
(2:30) 5. Don't Blame Me
(5:20) 6. Katz' Meow (A Canon For Cats)
(2:17) 7. Upstairs With Milt
(2:44) 8. Ebony Silhouette
(4:29) 9. Cantus Firmus
(3:50) 10. These Foolish Things
(3:51) 11. Milt To The Hilt (Alt Take) (bonus track)

This 1955 date finds the venerable jazz bassist in the choice company of clarinetist Tony Scott (listed as A.J. Sciacca), pianist Dick Katz, and drummer Ossie Johnson. Having already established himself as a veteran sideman after getting his start in the late '20s, Hinton marked the mid-'50s with some solo dates for Bethlehem label. This collection features several remastered tracks from this association, including the Hinton originals "Pik 'N' Pat" and "Upstairs with Milton."

And while Scott and Katz avail themselves nicely on a smattering of solos, Hinton is the focus, displaying his deft bass work on every track with some extended soloing -- he even indulges in a bit of bowing on his own "Ebony Silhouette." Topped off with some fetching numbers by Katz and Scott, and handful of tasty covers, this Hinton disc makes for a perfect showcase of the master bassist's considerable talents.By Stephen Cook.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/east-coast-jazz-5-mw0000009728#review

Personnel: Bass – Milt Hinton; Clarinet – A. J. Sciacca; Drums – Osie Johnson; Piano – Dick Katz

East Coast Jazz Series No.5

---

Buddy Rich - Live at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 1980
Time: 44:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

( 4:37) 1. Beulah Witch
( 6:54) 2. Grand Concourse
( 6:18) 3. Blues a la 88 (Ernie's Blues)
( 5:28) 4. Saturday Night
( 5:43) 5. Slow Funk
(15:34) 6. Good News

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.

Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, "Traps the Drum Wonder." With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world. Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House.

By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 1940s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943). Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.

Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, audiences were entertained by Rich's constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers. This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley.

During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the King of Thailand, King Hussein of Jordan the Queen of England, and U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Longtime friend, Frank Sinatra, spoke a touching eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was "The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/buddy-rich/

Live at Ronnie Scott's

---