Benny Bailey - Grand Slam

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:34
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1978/1998
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. Reflectory, Pt. 1
[ 7:34] 2. Who's Bossa Now
[ 8:26] 3. Let Me Go, Pt. 1
[10:53] 4. Judgement Of Certain Kind
[ 9:55] 5. Thelonious Assault
[ 6:33] 6. Let Me Go, Pt. 2
[ 7:17] 7. Reflectory, Pt. 2

Trumpeter Benny Bailey was teamed with veteran tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse on this hard-blowing quintet date. The fresh material (two songs by Fritz Pauer who arranged the date, a pair from Bailey and one by Pepper Adams) inspires the soloists to play near their peak. With a fine rhythm section (pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Hart) pushing the horns, this set is even better than expected. ~Scott Yanow

Grand Slam

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Benny Bailey & Phil Woods - Big Brass / Rights Of Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:43
Size: 180.2 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[ 5:49] 1. Hard Sock Dance
[ 6:51] 2. Alison
[ 7:03] 3. Tipsy
[ 5:31] 4. Please Say Yes
[ 8:10] 5. A Kiss To Build The Dream On
[ 6:35] 6. Maud's Wood
[ 6:35] 7. Rights Of Swing: Prelude And Part 1
[ 7:42] 8. Rights Of Swing: Pt. 2 Ballad
[ 5:43] 9. Rights Of Swing Part 3 Waltz
[11:24] 10. Rights Of Swing Part 4 Scherzo
[ 7:16] 11. Rights Of Swing Part 5 Presto

Benny Bailey (tp), Curtis Fuller (tb), Julius Watkins (frh), Phil Woods (as, b-cl), Sahib Shihab (bs), Tommy Flanagan (p), Les Spann (fl, g), Buddy Catlett (b), Art Taylor, Osie Johnson (d). Tracks #1-6, from the album “Benny Bailey – Big Brass” (Candid CJS9011). Tracks #7-11, from the album “Phil Woods – Rights of Swing” (Candid CJS9016). Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered.

This memorable pairing of trumpeter Benny Bailey’s Big Brass and altoist Phil Woods’ Rights of Swing unites two albums which illustrate the virtues and the possibilities of the hard bop idiom. Made within months of each other at the start of the 1960s, they share largely the same brilliant players, but use them somewhat differently to achieve outstanding results.

For Big Brass Bailey had a blowing septet that included Woods, pianist Tommy Flanagan and French hornist Julius Watkins, and a programme mostly of originals, including pieces by Quincy Jones and Oliver Nelson. Simple arrangements gave the soloists a chance to shine and they took it, with Bailey, Woods, Flanagan and Watkins outstanding on the blues “Hard Sock Dance” and “Maud’s Mood” (with Woods on bass clarinet), and on “Tipsy” and “Please Say Yes” in particular.

Rights of Swing is even better, an ambitious, unfailingly inventive, five-part suite composed and arranged by Woods, with the same group, with minor changes, expanded to an octet that included trombonists Curtis Fuller or Willie Dennis, and baritonist Sahib Shihab. Imaginatively conceived and deftly crafted writing lends the octet a huge sound, while the soloists respond magnificently to the opportunities it offers, notably on “Part III (Ballad)”, the contrapuntal “Part IV (Scherzo)” and a marvellous “Part V (Presto)”. Its success makes it surprising that Woods didn’t attempt this kind of project more often.

Big Brass / Rights Of Swing

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Benny Bailey - For Heaven's Sake

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:17
Size: 122.0 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[ 5:25] 1. Little Jazz
[ 6:00] 2. Blues East
[ 7:14] 3. Peruvian Nights
[ 4:47] 4. Mood Indigo
[11:12] 5. For Heaven's Sake
[ 5:36] 6. One For Wilton
[ 7:30] 7. No Mo Blues
[ 5:30] 8. Arrival

Bass – Jimmy Woode; Clarinet – Tony Coe; Drums – Idris Muhammad; Piano – Horace Parlan; Saxophone – Tony Coe; Trumpet – Benny Bailey.

Legendary jazz trumpeter Benny Bailey creates the finest disc of a distinguished career. Featuring an all-star lineup of Tony Coe (tenor & soprano saxes/clarinet), Horace Parlan (piano), Jimmy Woode (bass), and Idris Muhammad (drums), the band swings its butt off with near telepathic interplay, casual sophistication, and a special joie de vivre.

For Heaven's Sake

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Dexter Gordon - Sophisticated Giant

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:59
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Laura
(6:39)  2. The Moontrane
(8:53)  3. Red Top
(7:55)  4. Fried Bananas
(9:52)  5. You're Blasé
(4:54)  6. How Insensitive
(4:51)  7. Diggin' In
(5:10)  8. It's Only a Paper Moon

This excellent Columbia album was recorded less than a year after Dexter Gordon's well-publicized tour of the United States following a dozen years spent living in Europe. With assistance from such other major players as trumpeters Woody Shaw and Benny Bailey, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson sounds in superlative form on Woody Shaw's "The Moontrane," four standards, and his own "Fried Bananas." In addition to the original program (which features Dexter with an all-star tentet), the 1997 CD reissue adds two 1979 features for vocalese singer Eddie Jefferson ("Diggin' It" and "It's Only a Paper Moon") that were originally released on Gordon's Great Encounters; trumpeter Shaw and trombonist Curtis Fuller co-star with Gordon. An excellent acquisition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sophisticated-giant-mw0000674545

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon — tenor and soprano saxophone;  Frank Wess — alto saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Woody Shaw — trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Benny Bailey — lead trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Slide Hampton — trombone;  Wayne Andre — lead trombone;  Howard Johnson — tuba, baritone saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson — vibes;  George Cables — piano;  Rufus Reid — bass;  Victor Lewis — drums

Sophisticated Giant

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Dexter Gordon & Benny Bailey - Revelation

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:22
Size: 131,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:55)  1. At Ronnie's
( 5:05)  2. Polkadots And Moonbeams
( 5:30)  3. I Can't Get Started
(10:15)  4. Days Of Wine And Roses
( 7:58)  5. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(17:36)  6. Revelation

Virtually all of tenor-saxophonist Dexter Gordon's SteepleChase recordings find him in prime form. This music, released for the first time in 1995, is a bit unusual in that Gordon (who usually played in a quartet) is joined by the fiery trumpeter Benny Bailey who has a particularly exciting solo on "At Ronnie 's." The obscure European rhythm section is fine in support of the two lead voices who, in addition to "At Ronnie's," perform Bill Barron's "Revelation," a couple of standards and a two-song ballad medley. Worth picking up.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/revelation-mw0000695442

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon (soprano & tenor saxophones); Benny Bailey (trumpet); Lars Sjosten (piano); Torbjorn Hultcrantz (bass); Jual Curtis (drums).

Revelation

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Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Swiss Movement

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1969

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 47:51

Size: 109,7 MB

Art: Front

(8:56)  1. Compared to What

(7:08)  2. Cold Duck Time

(6:15)  3. Kathleen's Theme

(7:34)  4. You Got It in Your Soulness

(9:12)  5. The Generation Gap

(8:43)  6. Kaftan

One of the most popular soul jazz albums of all time, and one of the best, although Harris (and trumpeter Benny Bailey) had never played or rehearsed with the Les McCann Trio before, and indeed wasn't even given the music. Perhaps that's what sparked the spontaneous funk coming through clearly on the tape of this show, recorded at the Montreux Festival in 1969. It's actually much more of a showcase for McCann than Harris, although the tenor saxist's contributions are significant. The sole vocal, a version of Gene McDaniels' "Compared to What," remains McCann's signature tune. [Some reissues add a nine-minute bonus track, "Kaftan."] ~ Richie Unterberger  http://www.allmusic.com/album/swiss-movement-mw0000054231

Personnel: Eddie Harris (vocals, saxophone, tenor saxophone, electric saxophone, trumpet, piano); Les McCann (vocals, piano, keyboards); Benny Bailey (trumpet); Donald Dean (drums).

Swiss Movement

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Freddie Redd - Redd's Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:29
Size: 88.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1988/2002
Art: Front

[7:12] 1. Now
[6:13] 2. Cute Doot
[7:00] 3. Old Spice
[5:00] 4. Blues For Betsy
[5:53] 5. Somewhere
[7:08] 6. Love Lost

Many times in the history of jazz, album titles have played word games with artists' names. Think of Grant Green and Green Street and Green is Beautiful. There is also Freddie Hubbard, with Ready for Freddie, Hub-Tones, and Hub-Cap. You may not have heard of the bop-pianist Freddie Redd, who not to be left out, made Shades of Redd and Redd’s Blues. The latter album, recorded in 1961, has been released now for the first time as part of Blue Note’s limited edition Connoisseur series.

Why would this album interest you? Well, you may not have heard of Freddie Redd, but you will have definitely heard of sidemen Jackie McLean, Tina Brooks and Paul Chambers. The other good news is that Freddie Redd had a good ear for a nice bop melody, and most of the themes feature great harmonic interplay between the three horns. One reason for the obscurity of Freddie Redd may be his rather lacklustre soloing, which although melodic, lacks the necessary pyrotechnics. As a consequence the three horn players take the more interesting solos. Still you can’t complain; this CD has an all-star cast and is classic 1960s Blue Note. Not only that, but unreleased 1960s Blue Note. The ultimate deciding factor in this album is your opinion of Jackie McLean. I personally find his off-sharp tone a little grating. But many listeners like it, in which case you'd be almost certainly be Reddy for Freddie (groan). ~Keiran Smalley

Freddie Redd: piano; Benny Bailey: trumpet; Jackie McLean: Alto saxophone; Tina Brooks: tenor saxophone; Paul Chambers: Bass; Sir John Godfrey: drums.

Redd's Blues  

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Benny Bailey - The Satchmo Legacy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123.1 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Bop
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:55] 1. Someday You'll Be Sorry
[6:49] 2. Ain't Misbehavin'
[6:56] 3. West End Blues
[4:35] 4. After You've Gone
[5:53] 5. Basin Street Blues
[4:15] 6. Pennies From Heaven
[6:32] 7. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
[7:19] 8. Home (Where Shadows Fall)
[6:27] 9. A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Recording Date: November 16 - 17, 1999. Benny Bailey trumpet, vocal; John Bunch piano; Bucky Pizzarelli guitar; Jay Leonhart bass; Grady Tate drums.

If New York is really the capitol of jazz, why is that so many American jazz greats have had an easier time earning a living in Europe? Why did Stockholm, Paris, Amsterdam, or Copenhagen offer many improvisers the steady work that eluded them in Mighty Manhattan? Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, and Art Farmer are among the many American jazz icons who spent long periods of time living in Europe, the continent that also attracted Benny Bailey. The Cleveland-born trumpeter was in his late twenties when he moved to Europe in the early 1950s, and he was still living there when the 20th century came to a close. Many of Bailey's albums have come out on European indies, including The Satchmo Legacy, which was recorded for Germany's Enja label in 1999. As its title indicates, this mostly instrumental CD is a tribute to the seminal trumpeter/vocalist Louis Armstrong. Joined by pianist John Bunch, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Grady Tate, a 74-year-old Bailey is in good form on "After You've Gone," "Ain't Misbehavin'," and other classics that Armstrong was known for. "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," "Basin Street Blues," and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" aren't songs that Armstrong wrote -- in fact, "Someday You'll Be Sorry" is the CD's only Armstrong original -- but they're songs that he defined. On this session, Bailey's playing isn't as forceful, aggressive, and brassy as it was in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, although he is still enjoyable and expressive. The Satchmo Legacy isn't among Bailey's essential albums and isn't recommended to casual listeners, but it's a respectable effort that his diehard fans will appreciate. ~Alex Henderson

The Satchmo Legacy

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