Ray Crawford - Smooth Groove

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:32
Size: 99,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:30)  1. The Compendium Suite
( 7:39)  2. Miss April
( 6:09)  3. Impossible
(10:11)  4. I Knew Prez
(11:00)  5. Smooth Groove

Guitarist Ray Crawford, best known for his associations with pianist Ahmad Jamal and organist Jimmy Smith, only led one session in his early years. Because the Candid label soon went bankrupt, the set went unreleased altogether until this 1988 CD. Comprised of five Crawford originals, the session finds the guitarist playing fairly advanced hard bop with trumpeter Johnny Coles, baritonist Cecil Payne (in top form), pianist Junior Mance, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Frankie Dunlop. Everyone sounds fine, making one regret that this set fell between the cracks for so many years.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/smooth-groove-mw0000093298

Personnel: Ray Crawford (guitar), Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone), Johnny Coles (trumpet), Junior Mance (piano), Ben Tucker (bass), Frankie Dunlop (drums).

Smooth Groove

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Cecil Payne & Duke Jordan - Brooklyn Brothers

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz

Year: 1973

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:55

Size: 90,6 MB

Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Egg Head

(5:31)  2. I Should Care

(5:26)  3. Jordu

(4:29)  4. Jazz Vendor

(6:05)  5. Cu-Ba

(3:45)  6. I Want To Talk About You

(5:12)  7. Cerupa

(4:08)  8. No Problem

'Brooklyn Brothers is truly a meeting of kindred spirits in perfect harmony. Cecil Payne and Duke Jordan are self-effacing people, but their music is strong and it takes on an extra richness when they are together. This is perhaps the most wholly satisfying session they have put down in an association which spans four decades.' Mark Gardner, from the original LP liner notes. This 1973 recording was Payne and Jordan s seventh together, and was the first in the previous 11 years. Deluxe CD includes 16-page book with original liner notes essay by Mark Gardner and new essay by jazz journalist Ted Panken, plus extra photos and session notes. Original session Produced & Directed by Don Schlitten. Album design & cover photo by Don Schlitten.~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Brothers-Cecil-Payne-Jordan/dp/B01D3LC2O4

Personnel:  Cecil Payne - Baritone Saxophone & Flute;  Duke Jordan - Piano;  Sam Jones - Bass;  Al Foster - Drums

Brooklyn Brothers

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Kenny Dorham - The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:26)  1. Minors Holiday
( 4:16)  2. Lotus Flower
( 6:00)  3. Mexico City
( 5:38)  4. Philly Twist
( 7:57)  5. Blue Bossa
( 7:11)  6. Short Story
(15:16)  7. Una Mas (One More Time)
( 7:58)  8. The Fox

Often lost in the shadows of A-team players like Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, trumpeter Kenny Dorham quietly made a name for himself throughout both the bebop and hard bop years from the mid-'40s to the mid-'60s. His tart tone and mercurial phrasing ideally framed here, The Best of Kenny Dorham offers newcomers a perfect way to get familiar with one of modern jazz's top composers and players. Starting with 1955's classic Afro-Cuban LP, the eight cuts include such essential Dorham originals as "Minor's Holiday," "Blue Bossa," and "Una Mas." And helping out along the way are tenor saxophonists Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. A fine snapshot of Dorham in his eclectic prime. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-kenny-dorham-blue-note-years-mw0000082543

Personnel: Trumpet – Kenny Dorham; Kenny Burrell - Guitar; Paul Chambers - Bass; Richard Davis - Bass; Kenny Drew - Piano; Cecil Payne - Saxophone; Philly Joe Jones - Drums.

The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

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The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band - 20th And 30th Anniversary

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29)  1. Things To Come
( 7:07)  2. One Bass Hit
( 8:17)  3. Frisco
(10:33)  4. Con Alma
( 8:01)  5. Things Are Here
( 1:51)  6. Theme (Birks Works)

Highlights radiate through the history of the Berlin Jazz Days, and November 7, 1968 was a particularly memorable one. On that evening Dizzy Gillespie visited the city on the Spree river; that alone would be enough for every jazz fan to jump for joy, since by that time the incomparable trumpeter was one of the few remaining constants in modern jazz. And he hadn’t brought just any orchestra with him – Dizzie’s combo included outstanding soloists from every phase of his career: saxophonist Cecil Payne and trombonist Ted Kelly from the Forties, colleague Curtis Fuller out of Dizzie’s Fifties groups, and from the younger generation representing the Sixties, Gillespie protégé trumpeter Jimmy Owens. These are only a few of the creative heads in Dizzie’s star-studded “Reunion Big Band”. 

Put together by Gillespie’s long-time musical companion Gil Fuller, the band only needed a few days’ rehearsals before they were breathing as one and ready to conduct their triumphant European tour. They strut their stuff in six pieces, from the exuberant, animalistic energy of “Things To Come” through Paul West’s swinging bass work on “One Bass Hit” on to “Frisco”, pianist Mike Longo’s composition with its chromatic ostinato resounding like a gangster movie soundtrack. From the Latin-saturated “Con Alma” with Dizzy dancing through the piece, through to the precisely arranged “Things Are There”, a wild chase that, after a series of excellent solos, ends in Candy Finch’s drumming fireworks. Dizzy Gillespie commented back then that it was his best big band of the last 20 years. After listening to the music you’ll have to agree. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Dizzy-Gillespie-Reunion-Big-Band/dp/B01JQUBHK6

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet; Jimmy Owens - trumpet; Dizzy Reece - trumpet; Victor Paz - trumpet;  Stu Haimer - trumpet;  Curtis Fuller - trombone; Tom McIntosh - trombone; Ted Kelly - trombone;  Chris Woods - saxophone;  James Moody - saxophone; Paul Jeffrey - saxophone; Sahib Shihab - saxophone; Cecil Payne - saxophone;  Mike Longo - piano;  Paul West - bass; Candy Finch - drums

20th And 30th Anniversary

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Tadd Dameron - Fontainbleau

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:18
Size: 71,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:53)  1. Fontainbleau
( 5:05)  2. Delirium
( 5:05)  3. The Scene Is Clean
( 4:53)  4. Flossie Lou
(11:21)  5. Bula-Beige

One of the prettiest octet albums of the 1950s was Tadd Dameron's Fontainebleau. Recorded in March 1956, the album for Prestige featured Kenny Dorham (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Sahib Shihab (as), Joe Alexander (ts), Cecil Payne (bar), Tadd Dameron (p,arr), John Simmons (b) and Shadow Wilson (d). The regal quality of Dameron's compositions and arrangements are steeped in classy romanticism yet remain in the hip bop realm. The players on the album come together well, as if carefully selected for their tones. Dorham's spirited trumpet playing is paired with Coker's mournful trombone and the deliberate reeds of Shihab, Alexander and Payne. Behind them, the rhythm section swishes along, powered by Wilson. Dameron on piano is an entity unto himself. Fontainebleau is a concept-album tribute to the one-time palace and weekend getaway of the French nobility southeast of Paris. When Dameron saw the landscape and Château de Fontainebleau in 1949, he was emotionally touched by the visiual beauty and symmetry. The forest, lake dotted with white swans and magnificent chateau float into each other, and Dameron's pieces seem to do the same. If we think of the first track, Fontainebleau, as the concept's overture, one can visualize the rising sun crash through the foliage and across the sprawling lawns. The quick-paced Delirium seems to depict the animals dashing about in the forest. The Scene Is Clean sounds like an ode to the swans floating across the water without disturbing the surface. Flossie Lou depicts the architectural exterior of the palace while Bula-Beige, clocking in at more than 11 minutes, seems to be a guided tour of the majestic interiors. For me, the album is as perfect as a panoramic landscape painting of the site. The music is delicate and cohesive, and the solos celebrate the vistas that dazzle the eye. Tadd Dameron died in 1965. ~ Marc Myers https://news.allaboutjazz.com/tadd-dameron-fontainebleau.php

Personnel: Tadd Dameron (p,arr), Kenny Dorham (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Sahib Shihab (as), Joe Alexander (ts), Cecil Payne (bar), John Simmons (b) and Shadow Wilson (d)

Fontainbleau

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Philly Joe Jones Dameronia - Look, Stop, and Listen

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Look, Stop and Listen
(5:34)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(5:30)  3. Choose Now
(5:49)  4. Focus
(6:08)  5. Killer Joe
(5:05)  6. Dial B for Beauty
(4:28)  7. Our Delight
(5:52)  8. Theme of No Repeat
(5:41)  9. If You Could See Me Now - 1st Take
(5:12) 10. Look, Stop and Listen - 1st Take

Philly Joe Jones was Tadd Dameron's roommate for nine years and long thought that the pianist/composer's contributions had been pretty much overlooked. He formed the tribute band Dameronia to make explore the late composer's music, debuting with a small group in the spring of 1982. With the help of trumpeter Don Sickler (who makes a pair of rare appearances on tenor sax as well) as musical director, the band expanded by the time of its first recording a few months later to a nonet. By the time of its second recording the following year, the personnel had changed slightly, now including pianist Walter Davis, Jr., tenor giant Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophonist Charles Davis and alto saxophonist Frank Wess (both of whom double on flute), baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, trombonist Benny Powell, trumpeter Virgil Jones, and bassist Larry Ridley. Sickler's transcriptions of Dameron's arrangements reveal the depth of his music. "Look, Stop and Listen" is a showcase for the leader, while Griffin shines in the richly textured ballad "If You Could See Me Now," backed by the lush flutes and brass. Wess' flighty alto and Powell's sassy trombone are featured in the rarely performed "Focus." Another gem is the infrequently heard "Dial B for Beauty," spotlighting Davis in a ballad setting instead of the driving hard bop often associated with him. The sole composition not by Dameron is a hard-charging take of "Killer Joe," again showcasing Griffin, who was invited as a guest for two songs initially but encouraged by the musicians to hang around and play on other tracks. Not satisfied with the original mix of the LP due to the dominant presence of the leader's drums (due to the fact that he refused to play in an isolation booth), original session engineer Rudy Van Gelder remixed the album, improving the sound and adding two alternate takes. Highly recommended. ~Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/look-stop-and-listen-mw0001954564

Personnel: Philly Joe Jones – drums; Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone; Don Sickler – trumpet, tenor saxophone, director; Virgil Jones – trumpet; Benny Powell – trombone; Frank Wess – alto saxophone, flute; Charles Davis – tenor saxophone, flute; Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone; Walter Davis Jr. – piano; Larry Ridley – double bass

Look, Stop, and Listen

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Cecil Payne - The Very Best Of

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:51
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Man Of Moods
(7:50)  2. Arnetta
(5:29)  3. I'm Gonna Learn Your Style
(3:40)  4. Tall Grass
(6:40)  5. Saucer Eyes
(5:35)  6. Bringing Up Father
(6:21)  7. Like Church
(4:24)  8. This Time The Dream's On Me
(3:50)  9. Dexterity
(4:00) 10. Yes, He's Gone
(4:47) 11. How Deep Is The Ocean
(5:00) 12. Groovin' High
(3:20) 13. Chessman's Delight

Acclaimed by peers and critics among the finest baritone saxophonists of the bebop era, Cecil Payne remains best remembered for his three-year stint with Dizzy Gillespie's seminal postwar big band. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on December 14, 1922, Payne began playing saxophone at age 13, gravitating to the instrument after hearing Lester Young's work on Count Basie's "Honeysuckle Rose." Young's supple, lilting tone remained a profound influence throughout Payne's career. After learning to play under the tutelage of local altoist Pete Brown, Payne gigged in a series of local groups before receiving his draft papers in 1942. He spent the four years playing with a U.S. Army band, and upon returning to civilian life made his recorded debut for Savoy in support of J.J. Johnson. During a brief stint with Roy Eldridge, Payne put down his alto and first adopted the baritone. Later that year he joined the Gillespie orchestra, earning renown for his unusually graceful approach to a historically unwieldy instrument. Payne appears on most of Gillespie's key recordings from this period, including "Cubano-Be/Cubano-Bop," and solos on cuts like "Ow!" and "Stay on It," but despite near-universal respect among the jazz cognoscenti, he remained a little-known and even neglected figure throughout his career. After exiting the Gillespie ranks in 1949, Payne headlined a session for Decca backed by pianist Duke Jordan and trumpeter Kenny Dorham. Following tenures with Tadd Dameron and Coleman Hawkins, in 1952 Payne launched a two-year stint with Illinois Jacquet, and in 1956, he toured Sweden alongside childhood friend Randy Weston. That same year, Payne also headlined the Savoy LP Patterns of Jazz. In 1957, he and fellow baritonist Pepper Adams backed the legendary John Coltrane on Dakar. 

Shortly after the session he abandoned the music business to work for his father's real estate firm and did not return to performing until 1960. The following year Payne joined the cast of playwright Jack Gelber's off-Broadway hit The Connection, an exposé of the urban drug culture informed by its on-stage jazz performances. From there, he again toured Europe, this time as a member of Lionel Hampton's band, but returned stateside only to resume his real estate work. Payne recorded just a handful of sessions in the years to follow, most notably Zodiac, a superb 1969 date for the Strata-East label. He nevertheless remained a valued sideman, working with Machito from 1963 to 1966 and spending the next two years with Woody Herman. In 1969, he joined Basie, with whom he played for three years. Payne spent the 1970s on and off the radar, cutting sessions for Xanadu and Muse as well as joining the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra in 1974. He also toured Europe in conjunction with a musical theater showcase titled The Musical Life of Charlie Parker. During the 1980s, he focused his energies into Dameronia, a band formed by drummer Philly Joe Jones in tribute to the music of Tadd Dameron. Payne continued with the ensemble throughout the decade, assuming an even greater creative role following Jones' 1985 death. He also rejoined Jacquet for an extended stint, and toured the New York City club circuit with Bebop Generation, a sextet he founded and led. During the early '90s, Payne helmed a series of well-regarded albums for Delmark. However, as the decade wore on he seemed to vanish, and eventually friends and admirers found him living in his Brooklyn home, a virtual recluse suffering from failing eyesight and living on a modicum of food. A proud, fiercely independent man, Payne only grudgingly accepted the financial assistance of the Jazz Foundation of America, but his health quickly improved and in time he returned to performing. He continued playing regularly well into his eighties, passing away November 27, 2007, just weeks shy of his 85th birthday. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cecil-payne-mn0000661645/biography

The Very Best Of

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Cecil Payne - Zodiac

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:51
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00)  1. Martin Luther King, Jr. / I Know Lowe
(10:53)  2. Girl, You Got a Home
( 4:25)  3. Slide Hampton
( 7:07)  4. Follow Me
(12:23)  5. Flying Fish

It’s impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records’ Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label’s close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release. The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) “I Know Love,” a showcase for Payne’s sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way. “Girl, You Got a Home” is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. 

Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly’s playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it’s an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute “Slide Hampton” feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that’s enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly. The final track, “Flying Fish,” may be the album’s highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it’s clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly’s career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians. https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3745-zodiac

Personnel:  Cecil Payne, baritone, alto saxophone; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano, organ; Wilbur Ware, bass; Albert Heath, drums.

Zodiac

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Cecil Payne - Payne's Window

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:45
Size: 169,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:25)  1. Spiritus Parkus
(4:26)  2. Martin Luther King Jr.
(7:38)  3. James
(8:49)  4. That's It Blues
(7:38)  5. Payne's Window
(7:09)  6. Southside Samba
(4:38)  7. Lover Man
(8:46)  8. Tune Up
(7:06)  9. Delillah
(8:05) 10. Hold Tight

Cecil Payne turns seventy-seven this month. Most people who are lucky enough to reach such an advanced age have long since retired from their craft. Payne has chosen a different path and judging from the sturdy work on this disc he isn't showing many signs of slowing down in his twilight years. After over a half century in the jazz trenches he's still delivering his signature brand of versatility and style to his instrument. And as on his earlier Delmark releases he's shaped a band that effectively bridges the generations. My first exposure to Payne's playing was on Coltrane's "Dakar where he rounded out a formidable horn section alongside Pepper Adams in a baritone sax combo that was tough to beat when that classic record was released and still is. Ever since hearing that album harboring a lasting appreciation for his oeuvre has been easy. Throughout his lengthy career he has balanced an enviable agility on the weighty reed with a rustic affinity for the blues and a gracious willingness to shape his sound to the setting he's in. He could play scalding hot runs or just as effortlessly change up and blow a breezy blue-tinged ballad. Over the intervening years Payne has unavoidably slowed a little in his attack, but he's traded some of the quicksilver veracity of youth for a sureness of tone that is contagious among his compatriots. The bucolic bite of his sax delivers the perfect impetus for the group to take flight. Along for the ride is a solid crew of supporters. Alexander is no stranger to spirited blowing sessions and he delivers his usual high level of empathy and improvisational ingenuity. 

On many of the tunes he favors the lower registers of his horn and his lines fit snugly against Payne's own deep-toned musings. Mabern shares distinction along with Payne as another elder statesman of hard bop. His emotive accompaniment is frequently the common denominator in the relaxed approach the group takes on most of the numbers. Webber and Farnsworth fill in the rhythmic blanks with skill and sensitivity. As for the program of tunes, they are mainly basic blowing vehicles, but the emphasis here is rightfully on inspired playing, not on compositional complexity. The opening "Spiritus Parkus lights the flames with rollicking solos from everyone save Farnsworth and over the course of the next sixty minutes the sextet continually delivers the goods. Standouts include the gentle ballad "Martin Luther King, Jr. and a dusky quartet reading of "Loverman, which features Payne as the only horn. "That's It Blues is another winner thanks mainly to Davis' cobalt slurs which slither deftly against Farnsworth's light cymbals. Regrettably Payne's featherweight flute only crops up Gershwin's "Delilah and would have been well served by more exposure. All things considered though this disc is a treat from start to finish and is easily recommended. Take a leisurely look through Payne's propitious window and you're guaranteed to be pleased by what you see. 

~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paynes-window-cecil-payne-delmark-records-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone, flute; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone; Harold Mabern, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums.

Payne's Window

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Randy Weston - Jazz a la Bohemia

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:39
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:49)  1. Theme: Solemn Meditation
(9:57)  2. Just a riff
(6:13)  3. You Go To My head
(6:30)  4. Once In a While
(7:28)  5. Hold 'Em Joe
(3:47)  6. It's All Right With Me
(9:27)  7. Chessman's Delight
(1:23)  8. Theme: Solemn Meditation

Randy Weston, who was more under Thelonious Monk's influence back in 1956 then he would be in the near future, is in top form during this live set. His quartet features the rarely heard but talented baritonist Cecil Payne, bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Al Dreares. Highpoints of the straightahead set (which has been reissued on CD) include the calypso "Hold 'Em Joe" (recorded almost a decade before Sonny Rollins), "It's All Right with Me" (one of two trio tracks) and the lone Weston original on the date, the stimulating "Chessman's Delight." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-%C3%A1-la-bohemia-mw0000316705

Personnel:  Randy Weston - piano - trio track 3 - solo track 6;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass;  Al Dreares - drums

R.I.P.

Born:  April 6, 1926 
Died:  September 1, 2018

Jazz a la Bohemia

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Illinois Jacquet - The Soul Explosion

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:41
Size: 85,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:19)  1. The Soul Explosion
(7:35)  2. After Hours
(3:09)  3. St. Louis Blues
(8:54)  4. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:33)  5. The Eighteenth Hole
(4:09)  6. Still King

The great tenor Illinois Jacquet is joined by a ten-piece group that includes trumpeter Joe Newman and Milt Buckner on piano and organ for this 1969 Prestige studio session which has been reissued on CD by the OJC series.

Jacquet is in prime form, particularly on "The Soul Explosion" (which benefits from a Jimmy Mundy arrangement), a definitive "After Hours" and a previously unissued version of "Still King." This blues-based set is full of soul but often swings quite hard with the focus on Jacquet's exciting tenor throughout.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soul-explosion-mw0000276486

Personnel:  Illinois Jacquet – tenor saxophone;  Russell Jacquet, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal – trumpet;  Matthew Gee – trombone;  Frank Foster – tenor saxophone;  Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone;  Milt Buckner – organ, piano, arranger;  Wally Richardson – guitar;  Al Lucas – bass, electric bass;  Al Foster – drums;  Jimmy Mundy – arranger.

The Soul Explosion

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Ernestine Anderson - Hot Cargo!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:16
Size: 89.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year:.1958/2008
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Mad About The Boy
[3:29] 2. Did I Remember
[3:32] 3. Day Dream
[3:42] 4. Experiment
[2:37] 5. That Old Feeling
[3:02] 6. The Song Is Ended
[2:23] 7. Love For Sale
[3:43] 8. Autumn In New York
[2:51] 9. My Man
[3:24] 10. Ill Wind
[3:33] 11. Little Girl Blue
[3:14] 12. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

Rolf Ericson (tp), Cecil Payne (bs), Duke Jordan (p), John Simmons (b), Art Taylor (d), and the Harry Arnold Orchestra, featuring Benny Bailey (tp), Ake Persson (tb), Arne Domnerus, Bjarne Nerem (saxes), Thore Swanerud (p), Georg Riedel (b).

2008 collection from this Jazz/Soul vocalist containing studio tracks she recorded while in Sweden in 1956. Ernestine Anderson's fascinating voice is quite evident on this album that presents 'Love for Sale', 'lll Wind', 'My Man' and other evergreens in a torchy repertoire never before treated so knowingly. Full and expressive, her voice is an instrument that creates truly inspirational music.

Hot Cargo! mc
Hot Cargo! zippy

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Jimmy Cleveland - Introducing Jimmy Cleveland & His All Stars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:30
Size: 127.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing
Year: 1955/2007
Art: Front

[5:46] 1. Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
[4:59] 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:25] 3. Vixen
[4:00] 4. My One And Only Love
[7:39] 5. Little Beaver
[3:29] 6. Love Is Here To Stay
[6:33] 7. Count 'em
[5:38] 8. Bone Brother
[4:11] 9. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
[5:15] 10. See Minor
[3:29] 11. Love Is Here To Stay (Alternate Version)

Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne; Bass – Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers (3); Drums – Max Roach, Osie Johnson; Guitar – Barry Galbraith; Piano – Hank Jones, John Williams; Tenor Saxophone – Lucky Thompson; Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland; Trumpet – Ernie Royal. First session August 4, 1955; Second session August 12, 1955; Third session November 22, 1955.

The first of five albums headed by trombonist Jimmy Cleveland during 1955-1959 (he has not led any since), this out of print LP (which was reissued by Trip in the 1970s) features Cleveland in medium-size groups with trumpeter Ernie Royal; either Lucky Thompson or Jerome Richardson on tenor; baritonist Cecil Payne; Hank Jones, John Williams, or Wade Legge on piano; Barry Galbraith, Paul Chambers, or Oscar Pettiford on bass; and either Max Roach, Osie Johnson, or Joe Harris on drums. The all-star cast interprets a variety of Quincy Jones arrangements, alternating standards with lesser-known originals, and although many of his sidemen get fine spots, Cleveland generally wins solo honors. ~Scott Yanow

Introducing Jimmy Cleveland & His All Stars mc
Introducing Jimmy Cleveland & His All Stars zippy

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Ernie Henry - Last Chorus

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:20
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Autumn Leaves
(6:28)  2. Beauty And The Blues
(7:49)  3. All The Things You Are
(2:41)  4. Melba's Tune
(4:54)  5. S'Posin'
(6:58)  6. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
(4:40)  7. Like Someone In Love
(8:31)  8. Cleo's Chant

Ernie Henry was a promising alto saxophonist who passed away prematurely on December 29, 1957, when he was only 31. He had recorded his album Seven Standards and a Blues on September 30, and four songs for an uncompleted octet date on September 23. This CD reissue has the latter tunes (which feature trumpeter Lee Morgan; trombonist Melba Liston, who contributed "Melba's Tune"; tenor saxophonist Benny Golson; and pianist Wynton Kelly), an alternate take from the Seven Standards set ("Like Someone in Love"), a leftover track from the preceding year ("Cleo's Chant"), the solos of Thelonious Monk and Henry (from the lengthy "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are"), and an alternate version of "S'posin'" taken from the altoist's final recording (a quartet outing with trumpeter Kenny Dorham). Overall, the music is fine and, surprisingly, does not have an unfinished air about it. It does make one wish that Ernie Henry had taken better care of his health, as he was just beginning to develop a sound of his own. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/last-chorus-mw0000036951

Personnel:  Ernie Henry - alto saxophone;  Kenny Dorham,  Lee Morgan – trumpet;  Melba Liston – trombone;  Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Kenny Drew, Wynton Kelly, Thelonious Monk – piano;  Paul Chambers, Eddie Mathias, Oscar Pettiford, Wilbur Ware – bass;  G. T. Hogan, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach , Art Taylor - drums

Last Chorus

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Cecil Payne - The Connection

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:46
Size: 70,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Stop and Listen
(5:48)  2. Born Again
(4:07)  3. Dear People
(5:38)  4. Kenny's One
(3:20)  5. Sister Carol
(3:38)  6. Mighty Fine Wine
(3:20)  7. It's Your Life

The Connection was an off-Broadway play that centered around a number of dope addicts waiting to score a fix from their dealer, with a musical score contributed by pianist Freddie Redd. After Redd recorded an album for Blue Note and left the production, baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne and pianist Kenny Drew composed songs for a brand new score, with Payne taking over Redd's duties providing music for the play. Payne expanded to a sextet from a quartet for his LP (issued by the Charlie Parker label), though his recording has been unjustly overlooked. Joined by Clark Terry and Bennie Green in the front line, and a rhythm section consisting of Duke Jordan, Ron Carter, and Charlie Persip, Payne's album also has much to offer. While it is difficult to conceptualize what the play was like by just listening to this recording, the music stands on its own. All of the musicians shine throughout the sessions. Though Payne is a fine soloist, Terry's almost conversational solos tend to steal the show. Long out of print, this excellent disc will likely be found only on jazz auction lists. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-music-from-the-connection-mw0000902716

Personnel:  Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne;  Bass – Ron Carter;  Drums – Charlie Persip;  Piano – Duke Jordan;  Trombone – Bennie Green;  Trumpet – Clark Terry

The Connection

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Cecil Payne - Scotch & Milk

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 163,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:04)  1. Scotch and Milk
( 8:46)  2. Wilhelmenia
( 9:56)  3. I'm Goin' In
( 5:15)  4. If I Should Lose You
( 8:10)  5. Que Pasaning
(11:18)  6. Cit Sac
( 8:13)  7. Lady Nia
(10:27)  8. Et Vous Too, Cecil?

When Cecil Payne turned 70 in 1992, the baritone saxophonist was showing no signs of slowing down. Payne was 73 when he recorded Scotch and Milk, a fine hard bop date employing trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, tenor saxmen Lin Halliday and Eric Alexander, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Ore, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Payne's chops are in top shape on this 1996 date, and the veteran saxman plays with a lot of passion on such exuberant originals as "Wilhemenia" (a Sonny Rollins-type jazz/calypso number), "Que Pasaning," and "Cit Sac" (which finds Payne switching to the flute). The only tune on the CD that Payne didn't write is the standard "If I Should Lose You," which serves as a nice example of his soulful ballad playing. Nothing groundbreaking takes places on Scotch and Milk; most of the material could have been recorded for Blue Note in the 1950s or 1960s instead of 1996. Scotch and Milk is a perfect example of a veteran improviser excelling by sticking with what he does best. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/scotch-and-milk-mw0000595078

Personnel: Cecil Payne (flute, baritone saxophone); Paul Serrano (recorder); Eric Alexander , Lin Halliday (tenor saxophone); Marcus Belgrave (trumpet); Harold Mabern (piano); Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Scotch & Milk

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Cecil Payne - Casbah

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:24
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:56)  1. Casbah
(6:54)  2. Carney
(8:18)  3. Wave
(5:52)  4. A Walkin' Thing
(3:36)  5. Time After Time
(5:49)  6. How Deep Is the Ocean
(5:55)  7. Bosco

This excellent effort is slightly unusual in that baritonist Cecil Payne (who doubles a bit on flute) is joined by a pianoless and drumless rhythm section (pianist Richard Wyands, guitarist Joe Carter and bassist Stafford James). The intimate setting suits Payne well, who is in top form on such numbers as Tadd Dameron's "Casbah," a song dedicated to Harry Carney (simply called "Carney"), Benny Carter's "A Walkin' Thing" and Payne's "Bosco." Cecil Payne remains one of the most underrated baritonists of the bop era; this small-label LP is a fine example of his talents. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/casbah-mw0000106743

Cecil Payne (baritone sax) Richard Wyands (piano) Joe Carter (guitar) Stafford James (bass)

Casbah

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Randy Weston - With These Hands

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. The Man I Love
(2:55)  2. Serenade In Blue
(8:47)  3. I Can't Get Started With You
(3:03)  4. This Can't Be Love
(4:38)  5. These Foolish Things
(4:17)  6. Lifetime
(5:15)  7. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(4:53)  8. Little Niles

With These Hands is one of pianist Randy Weston's lesser-known sets. Weston, who already had a fairly distinctive style, mostly sticks to standards (which is quite unusual for him), including "The Man I Love," "This Can't Be Love," and "Do Nothing Til You Hear from Me." A quartet is featured that also includes baritonist Cecil Payne (who would be a longtime associate), bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and drummer Wilbert Hogan. However, the date does include two of Weston's originals and is actually highlighted by the debut of his famous "Little Niles."~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-these-hands-mw0000087360

Personnel:  Randy Weston – piano;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass;  Wilbert Hogan - drums

With These Hands

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Dizzy Reece - Asia Minor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:13
Size: 82.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1962/1992
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. The Shadow Of Khan
[4:31] 2. The Story Of Love
[5:38] 3. Yamask
[4:37] 4. Spiritus Parkus (Parker's Spiritus)
[7:48] 5. Summertime
[8:11] 6. Ackmet

Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne; Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Charlie Persip; Flute – Joe Farrell; Piano – Hank Jones; Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell; Trumpet – Dizzy Reece. Recorded in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; March 13, 1962.

This is one of trumpeter Dizzy Reece's finest recordings, a well-planned sextet date (reissued on CD) with baritonist Cecil Payne, Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Charlie Persip that is on the level of a Blue Note album. Reece (who contributed three diverse originals) performs mostly minor-toned songs that seem to really inspire the musicians. The solos tend to be concise but quite meaningful, and, overall, this hard bop but occasionally surprising session is quite memorable. Strange that Reece would not get another opportunity to lead a record date until 1970. ~Sxptt Yanow

Asia Minor

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Kenny Dorham - Afro-Cuban

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1955

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:45

Size: 107,0 MB

Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Afrodisia

(4:18)  2. Lotus Flower

(4:26)  3. Minor's Holiday

(5:02)  4. Basheer's Dream

(5:32)  5. K.D.'s Motion

(5:19)  6. La Villa

(5:26)  7. Venita's Dance

(6:07)  8. Echo of Spring (aka K.D.'s Cab Ride)

(4:28)  9. Minor's Holiday (Alternate Take)

The fabled Spanish tinge has hovered on the fringes of jazz a lot longer ago that it was known to have been introduced into that idiom. Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton may have been the first to “claim” to have introduced it into the music, but in reality it is neither a proven but for Alan Lomax’s 1938 wax masters in the Library of Congress nor is necessary. Suffice it to say that the phrase Spanish tinge is a reference to the belief that an Afro-Latin rhythmic touch offers a reliable method of spicing the more conventional 4/4 rhythms commonly used in jazz music. The rhythm adaptation came from mimicking the sensuously quick step of the tresillo and shuffling skip of the habanera from Cuba of the day into the 4/4 rhythmic intervals of jazz. This is what is known today as clave, and once Dizzy Gillespie got a hold of it in the 1940s it has been in much greater use and thanks to the plethora of Afro-Caribbean folk forms has been almost completely embraced by musicians playing in the jazz idiom. However, those priceless recordings from the 1940s and 1950s, most precious among them being a 1993 compilation featuring selections by Machito and his orchestra entitled The Original Mambo Kings An Introduction to Afro-Cubop 1948-1954, which seduced such luminaries as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Flip Phillips and Howard McGhee and the ineffable Mario Bauzá as well. Another classic recording was the 1955 recording Afro-Cuban featuring by Kenny Dorham and spotlighting the percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdés.

Mr. Dorham had a sensationally pristine tone; husky and sensuous and full of forthright humility. His best work bespoke the rapid fire rhythm of bebop coloured in golden bronze. On Afro-Cuban he doffs his proverbial hat to the rhythms of the Afro-Caribbean part of the southern continent with full-blooded and messianic fervour. The album combines five tracks played in this vein and five tracks without the Carlos “Patato” Valdés. The Afro-Cuban music rumbles with the gravitas of the great bassist, Oscar Pettiford and baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne. Mr. Dorham soars over them like a majestic condor, howling on the wing as he mashes triplets with hot arpeggios and buttery glissandi. The group also features the dry warmth of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and the legendary trombonist J. J. Johnson. Carlos “Patato” Valdés is not the only crowning glory. That honour also belongs to Art Blakey, who trades “fourths” with Mr. Valdés. All of this makes for memorable charts such as “Afrodisia” the bolero-melded-into-a ballad, “Lotus Blossom.” Mr. Dorham’s playing is absolutely celestial here. The racy “Minor’s Holiday” provides a welcome change of pace for the rhythmists, but Mr. Dorham is utterly cool in his solo. Horace Silver, the pianist on this date is almost too self-effacing as he plays quietly tempered soli whenever he is called upon to do so, both here as well as on the beguiling “Basheer’s Dream.”

The rest of the album features alumni from this session without Mr. Pettiford, who is replaced by Percy Heath. This session begins with the medium fast blues, “K.D’s Motion” in which Mr. Dorham ad-libs for four glorious choruses before handing over to Hank Mobley. Horace Silver also displays splendid form in his solo. “La Villa” features a twisting melody played at great speed. Mr. Dorham solos beautifully and yammers almost endlessly and Mr. Silver chops up a fine solo here too before the song returns to its erudite and gravity-defying unison setting. “Venita’s Dance” features a skipping rhythm swathed in a pensive melodic line. Mr. Dorham is once again brilliant and Hank Mobley is sinewy; but he is matched muscle for muscle by Cecil Payne and Horace Silver. “K.D’s Cab Ride,” another scorching bebop chart completes this unforgettable album, one that ought to make into every true enthusiast’s collection.https://latinjazznet.com/reviews/cds/essential-albums/kenny-dorham-afro-cuban/

Personnel: Kenny Dorham: trumpet; J.J. Johnson: trombone; Hank Mobley: tenor saxophone; Cecil Payne: baritone saxophone; Horace Silver: piano; Oscar Pettiford: bass (1 – 4, 9); Art Blakey: drums; Carlos “Patato” Valdes: congas (1 – 4, 9); Ritchie Goldberg: cowbell (1 – 4, 9); Percy Heath: bass (5 – 8).

Afro-Cuban

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