Oliver Nelson - Black, Brown and Beautiful

Styles: Piano, Saxophone , Big Band
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:23
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Aftermath
(7:08)  2. Requiem
(2:34)  3. Lamb of God
(4:15)  4. Martin Was a Man, a Real Man
(4:11)  5. Self-Help Is Needed
(2:38)  6. I Hope in Time a Change Will Come
(3:29)  7. 3, 2, 1, 0
(3:30)  8. Black, Brown and Beautiful
(4:04)  9. Requiem, Afterthoughts

One of Oliver Nelson's hippest albums a bold statement of righteous energy, and a fantastic summation of all the genius he'd created during the 60s as an arranger for other people's records! The record is almost at a Duke Ellington level a complex yet soulful suite of tracks for the post-60s years complete with some sound effects of rioting and urban strife at the beginning, and a mix of modern, modal, and compositional styles that bursts out with pride and power that we wouldn't have heard in Nelson's music a decade before! The soloists are great and the album features wonderful read work from John Klemmer, Frank Strozier, and Nelson himself on great original titles that include "Self Help Is Needed", "I Hope In Time A Change Will Come", "Requiem Afterthoughts", "Lamb Of God", and "Martin Was A Man A Real Man".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/856690/Oliver-Nelson:Black-Brown-Beautiful

Personnel: Oliver Nelson - piano, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, arranger, conductor;  Orchestra including the following soloists: Bobby Bryant - trumpet; Frank Strozier - alto saxophone;  John Gross, John Klemmer - tenor saxophone; Pearl Kaufman, Roger Kellaway - piano; Chuck Domanico - bass; John Guerin, Roy Haynes - drums

Black, Brown and Beautiful

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Hubert Laws - Land of Passion

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:55
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Music Forever
(5:56)  2. Land of Passion
(7:16)  3. We're in Ecstasy
(6:47)  4. Heartbeats
(7:09)  5. The Key
(4:56)  6. We Will Be
(3:25)  7. Land of Passion (Single Edit)

When Columbia released Land of Passion in 1979, the album received scathing reviews from jazz critics. They knew Hubert Laws for his work as a jazz instrumentalist, and for the most part, Land of Passion isn't instrumental jazz  it isn't hard bop, post-bop, or even fusion. The main focus of this LP is mellow, mildly jazzy R&B/pop (with the occasional instrumental). So serious jazz standards shouldn't be applied. Unfortunately, the critics who trashed Land of Passion did apply serious jazz standards, which is sort of like a food critic lambasting an Italian restaurant because it doesn't provide Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine. Land of Passion needs to be judged by R&B/pop and quiet storm standards, and when those standards are applied, one has to say that this record is likable but not mind-blowing. Laws was obviously going after the quiet storm crowd when he recorded gentle tunes like "Music Forever" and "We're in Ecstasy." Arguably, quiet storm music falls into two main categories: R&B/pop vocals (Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker) and R&B-minded crossover jazz (Grover Washington, Jr., David Sanborn, Lonnie Liston Smith). For the most part, this LP (which had yet to be reissued on CD when the 21st century arrived) falls into the former category, although it does contain two gently funky instrumentals: "We Will Be" and "Heartbeats." Neither are masterpieces, but they have a lot more substance and integrity than the sort of elevator Muzak that Kenny G and Richard Elliot were known for in the 1980s and 1990s. Not one of Laws' essential releases, Land of Passion must be taken for what it is: a pleasant but unremarkable collection of mood music. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/land-of-passion-mw0000875877

Personnel: Hubert Laws (alto, flute); Debra Laws, Eloise Laws, Blanch Laws, Johnny Laws (vocals); Roland Bautista (guitar); Dorothy Wade, Marcia Van Dyke, Janice Dower, Robert Sushel, Sandy Seymour, Arnold Belnick, Bonnie Douglas, Paul Shure, Endre Granat (violin, strings); Ron Cooper, Raymond Kelly, Nils Oliver (cello); Ronnie Laws (saxophone); Garnett Brown, Benny Powell, Maurice Spears (trombone); Raymond Brown, Oscar Brashear, Snooky Young, Bobby Bryant (brass); Patrice Rushen (piano); Larry Dunn (synthesizer); Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (drums); Victor Feldman (percussion).

Land of Passion

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Gerald Wilson - Everywhere

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:49
Size: 77,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Everywhere
(6:10)  2. Out of This World
(2:42)  3. Pretty Polly
(2:59)  4. M. Capetillo
(4:17)  5. Little Bit of Soul
(3:12)  6. Do I Love You?
(4:21)  7. Del Oilvar
(5:20)  8. Mini Waltz

Very hip stuff from Gerald Wilson – about as tight and hard as you can get for 60s big band work! The players on the set aren't listed clearly, but we can be sure that they're some of Gerald's usual contemporaries the best of the mid 60s LA soul jazz and avant bop scene, all working together to craft some incredibly groovy tunes with a high degree of soul. The album has lots of nice instrumental touches, from electric harpsichord to vibes to guitar, all woven through the mostly original tunes that make up the set. Tracks include "M Capetillo", "Del Olivar", "Little Bit Of Soul", "Do I Love You", and "Mini Waltz". (Cover has light wear.) © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/49998

Personnel:  Gerald Wilson - arranger, conductor;  Gary Barone (tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8), Bobby Bryant (tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8), Dick Forrest, Steve Huffsteter (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7), Bill Mattison (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7), Alex Rodriguez – trumpet;  Thurman Green, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong – trombone;  Mike Wimberly - bass trombone;  William Green - flute, piccolo;  Ramon Bojorquez, Henry DeVega (tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8) - alto saxophone;  Anthony Ortega - alto saxophone, flute, alto flute;  Hadley Caliman, Harold Land - tenor saxophone;  Richard Aplanalp - baritone saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone;  Jack Wilson - piano, organ;  Joe Pass – guitar;  Stanley Gilbert (tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8), Buddy Woodson (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7) – bass;  Frank Butler (tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8), Carl Lott (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7) – drums;  Moises Obligacion - congas (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7);  Hugh Anderson - percussion

Everywhere

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Bobby Bryant - Swahili Strut

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Swahili Strut
(8:20)  2. A Prayer For Peace
(5:49)  3. Peace
(4:57)  4. Kriss Kross
(4:25)  5. We've Only Just Begun
(6:34)  6. The Beauty of Her Soul
(6:18)  7. Nite Crawlers

I’m not sure whether I’m familiar with Bobby Bryant’s work. What I do know is that I found this record after a random listen through some jazz albums. The title song is a nice soulful jazz opener, but the real gem on here is A Prayer For Peace. This searing bit of funk sounds like it walked right off the set of a 70s cop show like Streets Of San Francisco or Hawaii Five-O right onto this slab of vinyl. A fast paced walking bass line, guitar and stabbing and screeching horn lines drive the song. The second side is just as good with songs like Kriss Kross, Nite Crawlers and probably the only version of We’ve Only Just Begun I’ve heard that I actually like.  http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php?/reviews/indepth/Swahili%20Strut/

An excellent bit of funky stuff from LA trumpeter Bobby Bryant. The set was recorded for Cadet in LA, features tight arangements by Bryant, and a lot of nice long cuts that have a bit more of a groove than some of his other recordings (although most of them are pretty great). Tracks include "Swahili Strut", "Prayer For Peace", "Kriss Kross", and "Nite Crawlers". (Blue label pressing. Cover has a split top seam, some wear, and remnants of a sticker.)  http://www.dustygroove.com/item/12331

Personnel: Arranged By, Conductor – Bobby Bryant; Bass – Max Bennett, Willie Allen; Congas – Bob Norris; Drums – Carl Lott; Guitar – Arthur Adams, David T. Walker; Organ – Henry Cain; Tenor Saxophone – Charles Owens, Herman Riley; Trumpet – Bobby Bryant

Swahili Strut

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