Charles Mingus - Incarnations

Styles: Post Bop, Jazz
Year: 2023
Time: 42:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 98,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:27) 1. Bugs (Take 3)
(11:50) 2. R&R (Take 1)
( 4:50) 3. All The Things You Are (All)
( 6:58) 4. Reincarnation of a Love Bird (2nd Version Take 1)
(10:41) 5. Body And Soul (Take 6)

A collection of recordings culled from Charles Mingus' 1960 sessions on the Candid label, 2024's Incarnations is a swinging yet still heady album that finds the bassist bridging the mainstream jazz of the '40s and '50s with the avant-garde post-bop and third-stream explorations he would pursue just a few years later.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/incarnations-mw0004165948

Personnel: Bass – Charles Mingus; Alto Saxophone – Charles McPherson, Eric Dolphy; Bass Clarinet – Eric Dolphy; Drums – Dannie Richmond, Jo Jones; Piano – Nino Bunick, Paul Bley, Tommy Flanagan; Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin ; Trombone – Britt Woodman, Jimmy Knepper; Trumpet – Lonnie Hillyer, Roy Eldridge, Ted Curson

Incarnations

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Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 92,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. II B.S.
(7:36)  2. I X Love
(6:10)  3. Celia
(4:44)  4. Mood Indigo
(6:26)  5. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul
(5:49)  6. Theme for Lester Young
(4:39)  7. Hora Decubitus

Having completed what he (and many critics) regarded as his masterwork in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charles Mingus' next sessions for Impulse found him looking back over a long and fruitful career. Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is sort of a "greatest hits revisited" record, as the bassist revamps or tinkers with some of his best-known works. The titles are altered as well  "II B.S." is basically "Haitian Fight Song" (this is the version used in the late-'90s car commercial); "Theme for Lester Young" is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"; "Better Get Hit in Your Soul" adds a new ending, but just one letter to the title; "Hora Decubitus" is a growling overhaul of "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too"; and "I X Love" modifies "Nouroog," which was part of "Open Letter to Duke." There's also a cover of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo," leaving just one new composition, "Celia." Which naturally leads to the question: With the ostensible shortage of ideas, what exactly makes this a significant Mingus effort?

The answer is that the 11-piece bands assembled here (slightly different for the two separate recording sessions) are among Mingus' finest, featuring some of the key personnel (Eric Dolphy, pianist Jaki Byard) that would make up the legendary quintet/sextet with which Mingus toured Europe in 1964. And they simply burn, blasting through versions that equal and often surpass the originals which is, of course, no small feat. This was Mingus' last major statement for quite some time, and aside from a solo piano album and a series of live recordings from the 1964 tour, also his last album until 1970. It closes out the most productive and significant chapter of his career, and one of the most fertile, inventive hot streaks of any composer in jazz history.
By Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/mingus-mingus-mingus-mingus-mingus-mw0000653088

Personnel:  Tracks #1 and 4–8, recorded on September 20, 1963: Eddie Preston – Trumpet;  Richard Williams – Trumpet; Britt Woodman – Trombone; Don Butterfield – Tuba;  Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute;  Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, clarinet, flute;  Booker Ervin – Tenor sax;  Eric Dolphy – Alto sax, flute, bass clarinet;  Jaki Byard – Piano;  Charles Mingus – Bass, (narration, #8);  Walter Perkins – Drums;  Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Tracks #2 and 3, recorded on January 20, 1963: Rolf Ericson – Trumpet;  Richard Williams – Trumpet;  Quentin Jackson – Trombone;  Don Butterfield – Tuba;  Jerome Richardson – Soprano, baritone saxes, flute;  Dick Hafer – Tenor sax, flute, oboe;  Charlie Mariano – Alto sax;  Jaki Byard – Piano;  Jay Berliner – Guitar;  Charles Mingus – Bass, piano;  Dannie Richmond – Drums;  Bob Hammer – Arranger and orchestrator

Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus

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Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:32
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:22) 1. Better Git It in Your Soul
(5:44) 2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(5:02) 3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
(3:10) 4. Self-Portrait in Three Colors
(5:51) 5. Open Letter to Duke
(6:17) 6. Bird Calls
(8:13) 7. Fables of Faubus
(9:14) 8. Pussy Cat Dues
(6:17) 9. Jelly Roll
(6:30) 10. Pedal Point Blues
(4:39) 11. GG Train
(4:07) 12. Girl of My Dreams

Charles Mingus' debut for Columbia, Mingus Ah Um is a stunning summation of the bassist's talents and probably the best reference point for beginners. While there's also a strong case for The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady as his best work overall, it lacks Ah Um's immediate accessibility and brilliantly sculpted individual tunes. Mingus' compositions and arrangements were always extremely focused, assimilating individual spontaneity into a firm consistency of mood, and that approach reaches an ultra-tight zenith on Mingus Ah Um.

The band includes longtime Mingus stalwarts already well versed in his music, like saxophonists John Handy, Shafi Hadi, and Booker Ervin; trombonists Jimmy Knepper and Willie Dennis; pianist Horace Parlan; and drummer Dannie Richmond. Their razor-sharp performances tie together what may well be Mingus' greatest, most emotionally varied set of compositions. At least three became instant classics, starting with the irrepressible spiritual exuberance of signature tune "Better Get It in Your Soul," taken in a hard-charging 6/8 and punctuated by joyous gospel shouts. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a slow, graceful elegy for Lester Young, who died not long before the sessions.

The sharply contrasting "Fables of Faubus" is a savage mockery of segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, portrayed musically as a bumbling vaudeville clown (the scathing lyrics, censored by skittish executives, can be heard on Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus). The underrated "Boogie Stop Shuffle" is bursting with aggressive swing, and elsewhere there are tributes to Mingus' most revered influences: "Open Letter to Duke" is inspired by Duke Ellington and "Jelly Roll" is an idiosyncratic yet affectionate nod to jazz's first great composer, Jelly Roll Morton. It simply isn't possible to single out one Mingus album as definitive, but Mingus Ah Um comes the closest. By Steve Huey
https://www.allmusic.com/album/mingus-ah-um-mw0000188531

Personnel: Charles Mingus – bass, piano (with Parlan on track 10); John Handy – alto sax (1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12), clarinet (8), tenor sax (2); Booker Ervin – tenor sax; Shafi Hadi – tenor sax (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10), alto sax (1, 5, 6, 9, 12); Willie Dennis – trombone (3, 4, 5, 12); Jimmy Knepper – trombone (1, 7, 8, 9, 10); Horace Parlan – piano; Dannie Richmond – drums

Mingus Ah Um

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Horace Parlan - Happy Frame of Mind

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:56
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:49)  1. Home Is Africa
(6:11)  2. A Tune for Richard
(5:58)  3. Back from the Gig
(5:59)  4. Dexi
(5:44)  5. Kucheza Blues
(6:13)  6. Happy Frame of Mind

Happy Frame of Mind finds Horace Parlan breaking away from the soul-inflected hard bop that had become his trademark, moving his music into more adventurous, post-bop territory. Aided by a first-rate quintet trumpeter Johnny Coles, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, guitarist Grant Green, bassist Butch Warren, drummer Billy Higgins Parlan produces a provocative set that is grounded in soul and blues but stretches out into challenging improvisations. None of the musicians completely embrace the avant-garde, but there are shifting tonal textures and unpredictable turns in the solos which have been previously unheard in Parlan's music. 

Perhaps that's the reason why Happy Frame of Mind sat unissued in Blue Note's vaults until 1976, when it was released as part of a double-record Booker Ervin set, but the fact of the matter is, it's one of Parlan's most successful efforts, finding the perfect middle ground between accessible, entertaining jazz and more adventurous music. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-frame-of-mind-mw0000207456

Personnel:  Horace Parlan – piano;  Johnny Coles – trumpet;  Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone;  Grant Green - guitar;  Butch Warren – bass;  Billy Higgins – drums.

Happy Frame of Mind

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Booker Ervin - Tex Book Tenor (Remastered)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:37
Size: 86,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:27) 1. Gichi
( 7:38) 2. Den Tex
( 5:53) 3. In A Capricornian Way
( 6:16) 4. Lynn's Tune
(10:21) 5. 204

I always thought the ultimate performances of tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin were on (arguably) the greatest studio recordings of Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um and Blues and Roots. This magnificent and long-overdue reissue of a Booker Ervin Blue Note session from 1968 has caused me to alter my opinion. I think this was the tenor saxman's greatest session, and given the company he found himself in, particularly trumpeter Woody Shaw and pianist Kenny Barron, it is little wonder that a magic glows from every tune.

What made Ervin such an exquisite partner with Mingus was his big, brawny, keening, and sometimes downright snarling tone. Just like the famed Mingus sensibility, comfy like a giant ball of uncoiling steel wool, could coax those extra abrasive notes from Ervin's sax, a really cooking, perhaps even frantic, Woody Shaw seems to bring out the fire in Ervin. The stupidly titled "Den Tex" Blue Note had this annoying habit of titling whole albums and tunes based on trivial word play (in this instance Irvin's Texas heritage) is a dazzling example of Shaw and Ervin egging one another on, with some substantial pushing from pianist Barron, who dances around their changes. Drummer Billy Higgins plays at full throttle while bassist Jan Arnet is along for the galloping ride.

Most of the five tunes, none with memorable hooks per se, follow this formula, and it all works as a truly classic hard bop session of distinction. Ervin was a major voice in transmuting the Texas R&B sound into bop, and the sheer emotional forcefulness of his sax sound was never better captured than on this fiery session which, by the way, is released in a "limited edition" "connoisseur's" edition, so the clock is ticking before this recording becomes unjustly unavailable again.~ Norman Weinstein https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tex-book-tenor-booker-ervin-blue-note-records-review-by-norman-weinstein.php

Personnel: Booker Ervin: tenor saxophone; Woody Shaw: trumpet; Kenny Barron: piano; Jan Arnet: bass; Billy Higgins: drums.

Tex Book Tenor (Remastered)

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Booker Ervin - Heavy!!!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:16)  1. Bachafillen
( 8:43)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 5:00)  3. Aluminum Baby
( 7:54)  4. Not Quite That
(12:28)  5. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
( 3:57)  6. Ode to Charlie Parker

This 1998 CD reissue differs from the original LP in that the immediately distinctive tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin is featured on a previously unreleased four-minute dirge, "Ode to Charlie Parker." The set matches Ervin with a remarkable rhythm section (pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Alan Dawson), plus trumpeter Jimmy Owens and trombonist Garnett Brown (who sometimes takes co-honors). The music is quite moody, soulful, and explorative yet not forbidding. Although the originals are fine (particularly Brown's "Bächafillen"), the main highlights are an inventive reworking of "Bei Mir Bist du Schön" and Ervin's quartet feature on an emotional rendition of "You Don't Know What Love Is."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/heavy%21-mw0000599980

Personnel: Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone; Jimmy Owens - trumpet (3,4,5,6), flugelhorn (1); Garnett Brown - trombone (1,3,4,5,6); Jaki Byard - piano; Richard Davis - bass; Alan Dawson - drums

Heavy!!!

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Booker Ervin - Booker And Brass

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. East Dallas Special
(4:29)  2. I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
(4:31)  3. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(5:06)  4. L.A. After Dark - Master Take-6
(3:22)  5. Kansas City
(4:39)  6. Baltimore Oriole
(4:21)  7. Harlem Nocturne
(4:16)  8. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(4:13)  9. St. Louis Blues
(5:12) 10. L.A. After Dark - Alt. Take-3
(5:04) 11. L.A. After Dark - Alt. Take-7

To hear Booker Ervin as the leading solo voice on a recording with a larger ensemble is a treat, not only for his fans, but for those interested in modern big-band sounds grown from the bop era that are flavored with urban blues. A trio of different sessions done at Webster Hall in New York City features groups ranging from ten to eleven pieces, with personnel switched up, and no supplemental saxophonists. Freddie Hubbard is the only other soloist besides Ervin, the trombone section features top-rate players Bennie Green, Britt Woodman, and Garnett Brown, and the rhythm section of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Lenny McBrowne is as solid as can be. The session is based entirely on themes dedicated to major cities in the U.S. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/booker-n-brass-mw0000041557

Personnel: Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone; Martin Banks (tracks 1-3, 5, 7 & 8), Johnny Coles (tracks 1, 2 & 5), Ray Copeland, Freddie Hubbard (tracks 3, 4 & 6-11), Charles Tolliver (tracks 4, 6 & 9-11), Richard Williams - trumpet; Garnett Brown (tracks 3, 4 & 6-11), Bennie Green, Britt Woodman (tracks 1, 2 & 5) - trombone; Benny Powell (tracks 1-3, 5, 7 & 8) - bass trombone; Kenny Barron - piano; Reggie Johnson - bass; Lenny McBrowne - drums; Teddy Edwards - arranger, conductor

Booker And Brass

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Booker Ervin - That's It

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:18
Size: 99,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Mojo
( 4:32)  2. Uranus
( 8:04)  3. Poinciana
( 7:12)  4. Speak Low
(10:59)  5. Booker's Blues
( 4:32)  6. Boo

Booker Ervin, who always had a very unique sound on the tenor, is heard in prime form on his quartet set with pianist Horace Parlan, bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. In virtually all cases, the jazz and blues musicians who recorded for Candid in 1960-61 (during its original brief existence) were inspired and played more creatively than they did for other labels. That fact is true for Ervin, even if he never made an indifferent record. 

In addition to "Poinciana" and "Speak Low," Ervin's quartet (which was a regular if short-lived group) performs four of the leader's originals; best known is "Booker's Blues." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/thats-it-mw0000196833

Personnel:  Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone; Horace Parlan - piano; George Tucker - bass; Al Harewood - drums

That's It

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Mal Waldron with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin - The Quest

Styles: Piano, Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:54)  1. Status Seeking
(4:09)  2. Duquility
(4:45)  3. Thirteen
(4:26)  4. We Diddit
(5:39)  5. Warm Canto
(5:39)  6. Warp and Woof
(8:02)  7. Fire Waltz

Although often reissued under Eric Dolphy's name, this CD reissue gives the leadership back to pianist Mal Waldron. The seven originals not only feature altoist Dolphy (who makes a rare appearance on clarinet during "Warm Canto") but tenor-saxophonist Booker Ervin, Ron Carter (on cello) and Waldron. With bassist Joe Benjamin and drummer Charlie Persip giving alert support, the complex music (which falls between hard bop and the avant-garde) is successfully interpreted. Worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-quest-mw0000078389

Personnel:  Mal Waldron – piano; Eric Dolphy – alto saxophone, clarinet; Booker Ervin – tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7); Ron Carter – cello; Joe Benjamin – bass; Charlie Persip – drums

The Quest

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Horace Parlan - Up & Down

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:58
Size: 103,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:49)  1. The Book's Beat
( 6:10)  2. Up And Down
( 7:08)  3. Fugee
(11:41)  4. The Other Part Of Town
( 4:06)  5. Lonely Blues
( 6:02)  6. Light Blue

I have a new hero: Pianist Horace Parlan. Until recently, I had heard of Parlan, but never really heard him. I certainly never knew his back story. It's inspirational and his music is pretty damn good, too. Parlan had a handicap. As a child, he lost some function in his right hand due to polio. Various bios disagree on the extent of the loss. Some say two fingers, others three. Either way, it's the kind of injury that makes a career as a pianist sound impossible. Yet Parlan found a way to compensate something to do with developing a powerful left hand. In any event, he had a long, successful career as a bop pianist. Of course the music stands on its own, regardless of how it's made. Handicap or no handicap, if the music weren't terrific, there would be nothing to talk about. And it is terrific. (For example, catch him on Charles Mingus' 1959 classic Mingus Ah Um.)  Up and Down, a 1961 bop-and-blues album, is the perfect introduction to Horace Parlan. It features three remarkable solists: Parlan on piano, Booker Ervin on tenor, and Grant Green on guitar. Together, they make wonderful, swinging music that borders on soul-jazz.  While some pianists made their names with jaw-dropping speed and technique think Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson  Parlan (by necessity or choice) goes the other way. He is wonderfully inventive. At times, he sounds almost Monk-ish, choosing unusual chords and odd notes. On every tune, without exception he is soulful and bluesy. Grant Green, of course, is tasteful, as always. Like Parlan, Green does not amaze with lightning-fast runs. Instead, he wrings the blues for every drop of emotion he can find, including the quiet spaces between notes. He is the perfect complement for Parlan.  Finally, there's Booker Ervin. Unlike Parlan and Green, Ervin can shred with the best. On Up and Down, he turns it on and off. On the opener, "Books Beat," Ervin is sassy and aggressive. On the ballad "Lonely One," he is all swirling smoke. And on the closer, "Light Blue," Ervin shows off his technique a toe-tapping, happy blues that sends the listener off with a smile. Up and Down is a great ensemble album. It's full of clever, swinging music. I could listen to it all day. And while you don't need know anything about Parlan's bum right hand to appreciate the music, it helps. The man is an inspiration.

Personnel:  Horace Parlan - piano;  Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone;  Grant Green - guitar;  George Tucker - bass;  Al Harewood - drums

Up & Down

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Andrew Hill - Grass Roots

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:07
Size: 160,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:41)  1. Grass Roots
(4:45)  2. Venture Inward
(6:19)  3. Mira
(8:22)  4. Soul Special
(7:45)  5. Bayou Red
(9:12)  6. MC (bonus track)
(4:36)  7. Venture Inward (first version) (bonus track)
(8:52)  8. Soul Special (first version) (bonus track)
(5:58)  9. Bayou Red (first version) (bonus track)
(7:33) 10. Love Nocturne (bonus track)

This reissue contains not only Hill’s original LP, but also a previously unreleased session from four months prior. On this earlier session, an entirely different lineup plays three of the tunes from Grass Roots, along with two numbers from deep within the vault  "MC," a tribal 12/8 blues, and "Love Nocturne," an angular quasi-ballad. Thanks to the juxtaposition of the two sessions, we are afforded a rare treat: a chance to listen closely to the stylistic contrasts between Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw, Booker Ervin and Frank Mitchell, Ron Carter and Reggie Workman, and Freddie Waits and Idris Muhammad. (Guitarist Jimmy Ponder also appears on three of the five new tracks.) We also get to hear what these different lineups bring out in Hill, both as a pianist and a composer. On the whole, Grass Roots is "inside" compared to Hill’s more representative Blue Note masterpiece, Point of Departure. "Venture Inward" and "Bayou Red" are the most advanced pieces, while the calypso "Mira" and the boogaloo "Soul Special" traverse more familiar Blue Note terrain. The title track, with its deliberately square melody, is an excellent sample of Hill’s fractured, fragmented style. The alternate takes and new tracks are less energetic, although Woody Shaw sounds more in his element than does Lee Morgan. And whereas Booker Ervin cooks a variegated stew containing traces of Trane, Dexter, and Johnny Griffin, Frank Mitchell sounds almost like a carbon copy of Wayne Shorter. Ponder’s tasty licks are in the style of early Pat Martino. ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/grass-roots-andrew-hill-blue-note-records-review-by-david-adler.php?width=1920

Personnel, 1-5: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Booker Ervin, tenor saxophone; Andrew Hill, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Freddie Waits, drums

Personnel, 6-10: Woody Shaw, trumpet; Frank Mitchell, tenor saxophone; Andrew Hill, piano; Jimmy Ponder, guitar; Reggie Workman, bass; Idris Muhammad, drums

Grass Roots

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Booker Ervin - Cookin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:32)  1. Dee Da Do
(5:18)  2. Mr. Wiggles
(7:25)  3. You Don't Know What Love Is
(6:13)  4. Down In The Dumps
(9:52)  5. Well, Well
(7:00)  6. Autumn Leaves

A very distinctive tenor with a hard, passionate tone and an emotional style that was still tied to chordal improvisation, Booker Ervin was a true original. He was originally a trombonist, but taught himself tenor while in the Air Force (1950-1953). After studying music in Boston for two years, he made his recording debut with Ernie Fields' R&B band (1956). Ervin gained fame while playing with Charles Mingus (off and on during 1956-1962), holding his own with the volatile bassist and Eric Dolphy. He also led his own quartet, worked with Randy Weston on a few occasions in the '60s, and spent much of 1964-1966 in Europe before dying much too young from kidney disease. Ervin, who is on several notable Charles Mingus records, made dates of his own for Bethlehem, Savoy, and Candid during 1960-1961, along with later sets for Pacific Jazz and Blue Note. His nine Prestige sessions of 1963-1966 (including The Freedom Book, The Song Book, The Blues Book, and The Space Book) are among the high points of his career. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cookin/3907000

Personnel:  Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone;  Richard Williams - trumpet;  Horace Parlan - piano;  George Tucker - bass;  Dannie Richmond - drums.

Cookin'

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Booker Ervin - Exultation

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:01
Size: 98,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:18)  1. Mooche Mooche
(6:19)  2. Black And Blue
(8:32)  3. Tune In
(2:29)  4. Just In Time (short take)
(4:55)  5. Just In Time (long take)
(2:38)  6. No Man's Land (short take)
(5:39)  7. No Man's Land (long take)
(4:08)  8. Mour

Booker Ervin's debut for Prestige (which has been reissued on CD with two shorter alternate takes added) matches the intense tenor with altoist Frank Strozier, pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Walter Perkins for some bop-based music that is actually quite adventurous. Highlights include "Mour" (based on "Four"), "Black and Blue" and Ervin's "Mooche Mooche." Ervin and Strozier made a mutually inspiring team; pity that this was their only recording together. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/exultation%21-mw0000644704

Personnel:  Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone;  Frank Strozier - alto saxophone;  Horace Parlan - piano;  Butch Warren - bass;  Walter Perkins - drums

Exultation

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Ted Curson Quartet - Urge

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:00
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(14:19)  1. Roy's Boys
( 6:10)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 7:40)  3. Cinq Quatre
( 8:15)  4. Musis Sacrum
( 8:00)  5. The Leopard
(10:33)  6. Latino

Japanese import issued in a mini facsimile of the original LP sleeve. Recorded in 1966 and originally released as part of Dutch Fontana s free jazz series. At the time of this recording, Ted Curson was best known for his acclaimed stint with Charles Mingus, but the trumpeter had been quietly honing his own style and navigates his own path on this session. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Urge-Ted-Curson-Quartet/dp/B00U2NDRB4

Personnel:  Ted Curson, trumpet, pocket trumpet;  Booker Ervin, tenor saxophone;  Jimmy Woode, bass;  Edgar Bateman, drums.

Urge

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Booker Ervin - The Freedom Book

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:30
Size: 97.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1964/2007
Art: Front

[7:42] 1. A Lunar Tune
[4:49] 2. Cry Me Not
[7:55] 3. Grants Stand
[9:26] 4. A Day To Mourn
[9:45] 5. Al's In
[2:50] 6. Stella By Starlight

Bass – Richard Davis; Drums – Alan Dawson; Piano – Jaki Byard; Tenor Saxophone – Booker Ervin. Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ; December 3, 1963.

In some ways tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin was the archetypal jazz player for the post-bop 1960s, combining the tradition of Texas sax with just the hint of edgy modernism, a sort of the Delta-meets-Morocco sound so accessible that it is easy to miss the chances Ervin took with his music. Although his career was short (cancer claimed him in the summer of 1970 when he was just shy of his 40th birthday), Ervin still managed to record some 20 albums as a frontman, most notably his "book" series, The Song Book, The Blues Book, The Space Book, and this fine session, The Freedom Book, which finds him working with a rhythm section of Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums. Recorded on December 3, 1963, The Freedom Book is a near perfect set of modern hard bop, ranging just far enough out there to feel fresh but retaining a strong lifeline to bop tradition. Highlights of the session include an impressive Ervin original, "A Lunar Tune," a fine version of Randy Weston's "Cry Me Not," the deliberately strident "Al's In," and another Ervin composition, the moving "A Day to Mourn," an emotionally charged ballad written after the assassination of JFK.ballad written after the assassination of JFK. [A bonus track, an interesting and brief treatment of Victor Young's "Stella by Starlight," a piece strongly associated with Charlie Parker, that was recorded at the Freedom Book session but originally released on the album Groovin' High, is included on the 2007 edition, further capping off a wonderful album.] ~Steve Leggett

The Freedom Book 

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Charles Mingus - Tonight At Noon

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:15
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:00)  1. Tonight At Noon
(4:50)  2. Invisible Lady
(7:55)  3. 'Old' Blues For Walt's Torin
(9:42)  4. Peggy's Blue Skylight
(9:46)  5. Passions Of A Woman Loved

A valuable reissue for Mingus fans, Tonight at Noon compiles five tunes originally recorded for two of the great bassist's most important album's, 1957's The Clown and 1961's Oh Yeah. Though the two sessions cover somewhat different stylistic ground, they blend together seamlessly and amount to much more than a haphazard assemblage of dusty outtakes. The earlier session is the more restrained of the two, with Mingus and a typically responsive quintet (trombonist Jimmy Knepper, alto saxophonist Shafi Hadi, pianist Wade Legge and drummer Dannie Richmond) expertly weaving a path between the extremes of European impressionism (on the haunting "Passions of a Woman Loved") and hard bop (on the fast-paced title tune). The 1961 date is a more freewheeling journey into the blues and gospel roots of jazz via Duke Ellington, with Mingus switching to piano (an instrument on which he was more than proficient) and handing the bass duties over to Doug Watkins. The hard-swinging group also includes Mingus stalwarts Knepper and Richmond, along with the dynamic saxophone duo of Booker Ervin and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Though most of the compositions on Tonight at Noon are not well known (with the exception of "Peggy's Blue Skylight" from the 1961 session) and several make their only appearances in the Mingus catalog here, there's certainly nothing second rate about these tunes. Along with the time limitations of the LP era, one gets the impression that, if anything, they were left off the original albums because they were even more provocative than the selected cuts. This is vital, exciting music.~ Joel Roberts https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tonight-at-noon-charles-mingus-water-music-review-by-joel-roberts.php

Personnel: Charles Mingus, Bass, Piano, Vocals; Shafi Hadi, Alto Saxophone; Doug Watkins, Bass; Dannie Richmond, Drums; Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Saxophones; Wade Legge, Piano; Booker Ervin, Tenor Saxophone; Jimmy Knepper, Trombone.

Tonight At Noon

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Eric Kloss - Sky Shadows In The Land Of The Giants

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:40
Size: 174,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:25)  1. In A Country Soul Garden
(13:15)  2. Sky Shadows
( 6:45)  3. The Girl With The Fall In Her Hair
( 6:43)  4. I'll Give You Everything
( 7:11)  5. January's Child
( 7:32)  6. Summertime
(11:02)  7. So What
( 5:19)  8. Sock It To Me Socrates
( 5:36)  9. When Two Lovers Touch
( 5:48) 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Although he’s apparently maintaining a low profile these days, saxophonist Eric Kloss recorded quite a few albums for Prestige records by the time he reached the tender ago of 19. Here, Prestige has reissued Kloss’ Sky Shadows and In The Land Of The Giants on 1 Compact Disc. From the liners....” This Music, from 1968 and ’69, finds the emerging Kloss in full flight, whether the setting is post-bop or modal, standard or balladic”. At this juncture, Kloss shows maturity, outstanding technical chops and depth while the now famous supporting cast were obviously motivated and geared up for these sessions.  Tracks 1-5 were originally released as Sky Shadows and feature: Kloss; Alto & Tenor Saxophones; Pat Martino; Guitar: Jaki Byard; Piano: Bob Cranshaw; Bass and Jack DeJohnette; Drums. Here, Kloss’ “In a Country Soul Garden” is soulful, bouncy and blends R&B and Jazz motifs featuring a vibrant tempo and memorable hook as “Sky Shadows” also serves as a fitting vehicle for Kloss’ often linear phraseology. On “Sky Shadows”, Kloss’ straight-up yet fluent approach along with near flawless intonation, counterbalances the narrative style and clear toned phrasing by the great guitarist, Pat Martino. Here, the late pianist Jaki Byard, performs as if he were truly inspired or motivated for both of these sessions. Byard’s impossibly fast lead soloing and rippling chord clusters are awe-inspiring! 

Sadly, Jaki Byard is no longer with us yet his numerous contributions to jazz and jazz education are meritorious and will stand for many years to come. Tracks 6-11 were originally released on In the Land Of The Giants as the personnel here consists of Kloss; Alto Sax, Booker Ervin; Tenor Sax; Jaki Byard; Piano; Alan Dawson; Drums and Richard Davis; Bass. Highlights are, an absolutely stunning, up-tempo version of Miles Davis’ “So What” featuring the towering and vigorous tenor saxophone work of the late Booker Ervin. Here, Kloss and Ervin take turns reaching for the stars via soaring and electrifying lead soloing!........Not a cutting contest yet these esteemed gentlemen perform with conviction as if they were possessed by spirits... Kloss’ sweet alto sax tone and sumptuous phrasing is evident on “When Two Lovers Touch”. On the Ellington classic, “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” Kloss’ expressionism and emotive lyricism displays mature sensibilities and expertise for such a young lad. Prestige has performed a dutiful service for jazz enthusiasts by releasing these gems from a man who seems to have toggled his career between fame and relative obscurity. Recommended.. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sky-shadows-in-the-land-of-the-giants-eric-kloss-prestige-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Eric Kloss (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Pat Martino (guitar); Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone); Jaki Byard (piano); Jack DeJohnette, Alan Dawson (drums).

Sky Shadows / In The Land Of The Giants

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Booker Ervin - The In Between

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:10
Size: 92.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[7:38] 1. The In Between
[7:13] 2. The Muse
[5:56] 3. Mour
[5:32] 4. Sweet Pea
[6:23] 5. Largo
[7:27] 6. Tyra

Bass – Cevera Jeffries Jr.; Drums – Lenny McBrowne; Piano – Bobby Few Jr.; Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Booker Ervin; Trumpet – Richard Williams (tracks: 1 to 4, 6). Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on January 12, 1968.

There's a kind of music I like to think of as harder bop. It's a lot like conventional 1950s hard bop, but tougher, more muscular, more cerebral. Booker Ervin's The In Between is that kind of record.

Ervin has an edgy style. It starts with a John Coltrane feel, then pushes a little further. Not into the crazy, atonal, unapproachable territory that Trane created in his later years, but into music that's more from the head than the heart. At least, that's how The In Between starts. The title cut is fast-paced and challenging. There's not much melody here—and that's something that often turns me off. Here, though, it's simply exhilarating. Ervin and trumpeter Richard Williams go for a wild ride, with drummer Lenny McBrowne bashing the skins like some jazz version of Keith Moon. The second cut, "The Muse," is more of the same. It starts with an intriguing two-minute intro that's gentle and Middle Eastern, with Ervin on flute and Bobby Few on piano playing a soothing melody that sounds like it was lifted from a Beirut marketplace. And just when you think you've got the vibe, it changes abruptly into a breakneck, harder bop cooker, then ends with the earlier Mideast feel. It's exciting. The rest of the album is just as eclectic. "Mour" and "Sweet Pea" are typical mid-tempo hard bop tunes that could have been done by the 1950s Jazz Messengers. "Largo" is a sweet, lyrical ballad. And the final cut, "Tyra," is the kind of swirling blues noir that always makes me think of old black-and-white private eye flicks starring Humphrey Bogart. Far from cerebral jazz, this is blues with feeling.

The In Between features six original tunes, all by Ervin. All are captivating. The group may be obscure and the album lesser-known, but it's a gem. ~Marc Davis

The In Between mc
The In Between zippy

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Booker Ervin - Poinciana

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:12
Size: 98.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2006
Art: Front

[ 8:00] 1. Poinciana
[ 7:12] 2. Speak Low
[ 7:57] 3. Mojo
[ 4:29] 4. Boo
[ 4:33] 5. Uranus
[10:59] 6. Booker's Blues

A very distinctive tenor with a hard, passionate tone and an emotional style that was still tied to chordal improvisation, Booker Ervin was a true original. He was originally a trombonist, but taught himself tenor while in the Air Force (1950-1953). After studying music in Boston for two years, he made his recording debut with Ernie Fields' R&B band (1956). Ervin gained fame while playing with Charles Mingus (off and on during 1956-1962), holding his own with the volatile bassist and Eric Dolphy. He also led his own quartet, worked with Randy Weston on a few occasions in the '60s, and spent much of 1964-1966 in Europe before dying much too young from kidney disease. Ervin, who is on several notable Charles Mingus records, made dates of his own for Bethlehem, Savoy, and Candid during 1960-1961, along with later sets for Pacific Jazz and Blue Note. His nine Prestige sessions of 1963-1966 (including The Freedom Book, The Song Book, The Blues Book, and The Space Book) are among the high points of his career. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Poinciana

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Booker Little & Booker Ervin - Sounds Of The Inner City

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:52
Size: 66,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:20)  1. Scoochie
(4:46)  2. Cycles
(3:41)  3. Stardust
(6:52)  4. The Confined Few
(3:39)  5. Blues De Tambour
(4:32)  6. Witch Fire

Two masters of hard bop, trumpeter Booker Little and tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, square off on this 1960 session reissued by Collectables as Sounds of the Inner City. This date has been released under various titles over the years since its original inception as Teddy Charles' New Directions Quartet Featuring Booker Little and Booker Ervin. Most of the material is straight-ahead bop under the leadership of vibraphonist Teddy Charles with Mal Waldron on piano, Addison Farmer on bass, and Ed Shaunesssy on drums. This is a noteworthy reissue considering that there are so few instances of Little's lyrical trumpet style and Ervin's passionate tenor recorded together. Original compositions include Ervin's "Scoochie," Little's "The Confined Few" and "Witch Fire," Shaunessy's "Blues de Tambour," pianist Ahmad Jamal's "Cycles," plus the standard "Stardust" (receiving an especially melancholy treatment.) The only complaint is the lack of liner notes, which excludes information on personnel and session history.~Al Campbell http://www.allmusic.com/album/sounds-of-the-inner-city-mw0000052199

Personnel: Booker Little (trumpet); Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone).

Sounds Of The Inner City

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