Cedar Walton - Mobius & Beyond Mobius

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2015
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 79:52
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:07)  1. Blue Trane
(10:34)  2. Soho
( 7:48)  3. Off Minor
( 6:18)  4. The Maestro
( 5:39)  5. Road Island Red
( 4:15)  6. Bad Luck
( 6:18)  7. Low Rider
( 5:16)  8. Beyond Mobius
( 4:32)  9. Jive Talkin'
( 5:16) 10. Canadian Sunset
( 7:24) 11. The Girl with the Discotheque Eyes
( 6:17) 12. Lonely Cathedral

Two killers from Cedar Walton back to back on a single CD! First up is Mobius a real revelation from pianist Cedar Walton an unusual electric album from the 70s quite a surprise, given the mostly-acoustic sound of most of Cedar's other records! The album's a killer, though and has this fresh, full take on funky jazz for the time not the usual CTI copycat mode, and instead this compelling hybrid of elements that includes lots of Fender Rhodes from Walton, sweet guitar likes from Ryo Kawasaki, and lots of rootsy percussion from Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay two players who really make the album nice and earthy at the bottom. The rest of the group is wonderful, too and includes tenor from Frank Foster, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, and trumpet from Roy Burrowes all fresh players who open up a big can of soul for the set on titles that include a classic break version of "Off Minor", plus "Blue Trane", "Soho", and "Road Island Red". Beyond Mobius is a great electric set from Cedar Walton and a set that moves beyond his previous Mobius album, in case you couldn't guess from the title! The style here is a bit more tightly arranged with some backup vocals on a few cuts, which underscore the core jazzy elements from Walton on a range of keyboards and synth, Eddie Harris on tenor, and Blue Mitchell on trumpet all grooved together with some tight guitar lines from Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree! Keyboards definitely get some great solo time in the spotlight, but the overall sound is quite strong too a nice instrumental funk approach, save for the added chorus vocals in a few spots. Titles include the moogy "Beyond Mobius", a cover of "Low Rider", and the tracks "Jive Talkin", "The Girl With The Discotheque Eyes", and "Lonely Cathedral". © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/766015

Personnel: 
Beyond Mobius: Cedar Walton - keyboards, synthesizer arranger, conductor;  Burt Collins, Jon Faddis, Blue Mitchell - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Wayne Andre, Alan Raph – trombone;  George Marge, Eddie Harris - tenor saxophone;  Norman Carr, Harry Cykman, David Moore, Morris Sutow – strings;  Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale - rhythm guitar;  Gordon Edwards – bass;  Charles Collins, Jimmie Young – drums;  Angel Allende – percussion;  Mike Lipskin - percussion, ARP synthesizer, voice, string arranger, string conductor;  Alan Abrahams, Adrienne Albert, Yolanda McCullough, Maeretha Stewart – voice;  Rod Levitt - horn arranger, horn conductor, string arranger, string conductor

Mobius: Cedar Walton - keyboards, arranger;  Roy Burrowes – trumpet;  Wayne Andre – trombone;  Charles Davis, Frank Foster – saxophones;  Ryo Kawasaki - electric guitar;  Gordon Edwards – bass;  Steve Gadd – drums;  Omar Clay, Ray Mantilla – percussion; Adrienne Albert, Lani Groves - vocals

Mobius & Beyond Mobius

---

Archie Shepp - The Cry Of My People

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:56
Size: 99,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:39)  1. Rest Enough (Song To Mother)
(6:29)  2. A Prayer
(2:56)  3. All God's Children Got A Home In The Universe
(5:28)  4. The Lady
(5:43)  5. The Cry Of My People
(0:35)  6. African Drum Suite, Pt. 1
(7:32)  7. African Drum Suite, Pt. 2
(9:30)  8. Come Sunday

Archie Shepp is an artist whose work, while not always successful, nevertheless remains compelling and worth a listen. The Cry of My People is not his best effort, but one can respect his maverick approach to jazz scholarship that resists classification and challenges the notion of what can be defined as jazz. This album comes from a period in the early seventies where Shepp was absorbing all manner of black music from gospel to blues to Ellington into his compositions. The result is an recording that is consistently interesting, although a bit schizophrenic. Employing a very large ensemble that includes a choir and string section along with an expanded jazz group, Shepp stubbornly refuses to mix his influences, yet he obviously views them all as part of a vast continuum of musical expression. Listeners may be bewildered by the opening “Rest Enough,” a straightforward gospel tune, and equally puzzled by the segue into “A Prayer,” a brooding instrumental composed by Cal Massey, who arranged the album and died shortly after completing his work. After another gospel tune comes “The Lady,” a bleak tune with a suitably resigned vocal by Joe Lee Wilson. The first half of the record veers from the exuberance of the gospel music to the haunting beauty of a more mainstream jazz sound, yet Shepp remains the guiding force with his stinging, restless attack on both tenor and soprano sax, a dizzying squall of powerful notes. Further resisting categorization, the second side embraces the dissonant chanting and ominous drone of African music on the title track and the “African Drum Suite.” Although challenging, this side teeters between being repetitive and jarring, yet it's redeemed at the end by a lovely treatment of Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” featuring a great vocal by Wilson and fiery, passionate soloing by Shepp, showing why he was so highly regarded by artists such as Coltrane. Those who peg Shepp as a member of the avant-garde may be surprised by how accessible The Cry of My People is, regardless of whether or not they can embrace the adventurous nature or social consciousness of his work. Clearly his approach isn’t for everyone. Shepp fans, of course, will be delighted to see this one back in print. ~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-cry-of-my-people-archie-shepp-impulse-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Archie Shepp - tenor and soprano saxophone; Harold Mabern, Dave Burrell - piano; Charles McGhee - trumpet; Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens - trombone;  Cornell Dupree - guitar;  Ron Carter - electric bass; Jimmy Garrison - bass; Bernard Purdie - drums;  Beaver Harris - drums;  Nene DeFense, Terry Quaye - congas, percussion, tambourine; Guilherme Franco - berimbau, Brazilian percussion;  Peggie Blue, Joe Lee Wilson - lead vocals; Andre Franklin, Mildred Lane, Mary Stephens, Barbara White, Judith White - backing vocals; John Blake, Gayle Dixon, Leroy Jenkins, Lois Siessinger, Noel DeCosta, Jerry Little - violin;  Patricia Dixon, Esther Mellon - cello

The Cry Of My People

---

Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson - Cherry

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:50
Size: 87,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Speedball
(5:10)  2. I Remember You
(7:46)  3. The Revs
(6:04)  4. Sister Sanctified
(5:10)  5. Cherry
(7:00)  6. Introspective

One of the best CTI albums from the early 70s and one of Stanley Turrentine's funkiest records as well! The album's got a sharper edge than most other Turrentine albums of the time a quality that goes beyond Stan's already soulful approach to the tenor, and which brings in some tight changes and more pronounced rhythms that really give the best cuts a great groove! The group's a sextet with Bob James on electric piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums and titles include a monster version of Weldon Irvine's "Sister Sanctified" a great funk tune that's probably best known as the sample for "My Philosophy" by BDP! Other tracks include "Speedball", "Cherry", and "The Revs".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/1522/Stanley-Turrentine:Cherry

Personnel:  Stanley Turrentine - Tenor Sax; Milt Jackson - Vibes; Bob James - Electric Piano, Piano; Cornell Dupree - Guitar; Ron Carter - Bass; Billy Cobham - Drums

Cherry

---

David Newman - The Weapon

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:43
Size: 76,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. Missy
(4:22)  2. Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong
(7:00)  3. You Can't Always Get What You Want
(3:50)  4. Yes We Can Can
(4:00)  5. Happy Times
(4:36)  6. Drown In My Own Tears
(3:23)  7. Freedom For The Stallion

David "Fathead" Newman was never a jazz purist. The big-toned saxman held jazz and R&B in equally high regard, and he was as comfortable playing hard bop and soul-jazz as he was backing Aretha Franklin or Ray Charles. Newman recorded more than his share of commercial projects in the 1970s; one of the more memorable ones was 1973's The Weapon, which was produced by Joel Dorn and finds the Texan on tenor and alto sax as well as flute. 

Far from a bop album, this instrumental soul-jazz LP isn't for jazz purists. But from a soul-jazz perspective, The Weapon is generally enjoyable. Unfortunately, Dorn tends to overproduce, and Newman would have been better off without all the excessive string arrangements that William Eaton burdens him with. But even so, Newman really lets loose on the funky "Missy" and gets in some meaty, memorable solos on "Drown in My Own Tears," the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and the Pointer Sisters' "Yes We Can Can." Despite its flaws and imperfections, The Weapon is recommended to those who like their jazz laced with a lot of R&B. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-weapon-mw0001881821

Personnel:  David Newman - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flute; Mac Rebennack - piano, organ; Richard Tee - organ; Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza - guitar; Chuck Rainey - electric bass; Charles Collins, Jimmy Johnson, Bernard Purdie - drums; Ernie Royal (tracks 5 & 6), Joe Wilder (tracks 5 & 6), Wilmer Wise (track 3) - trumpet; Daniel Orlock - cornet (track 3); Robert Moore - trombone (track 3); Paul Ingraham - French horn (track 3); Jonathan Dorn - tuba (track 3); Frank Wess - alto saxophone (tracks 5 & 6); Seldon Powell - tenor saxophone (tracks 5 & 6); The Sweet Inspirations: Jeanette Brown, Judy Clay, Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell - backing vocals (tracks 2-4 & 7)

The Weapon

---

Grover Washington, Jr. - All The King's Horses

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:12
Size: 74,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. No Tears, In The End
(3:49)  2. All The King's Horses
(5:07)  3. Where Is The Love
(3:05)  4. Body And Soul (Montage)
(4:25)  5. Lean On Me
(7:03)  6. Lover Man
(4:50)  7. Love Song 1700

Grover Washington, Jr.'s sophomore date for Creed Taylor's Kud imprint was released in late 1972. Like its predecessor Inner City Blues, this session was produced by the label boss himself and was arranged and conducted by Bob James. Assembled for the date were large horn and string sections. The former contained stalwart talents like Detroit's Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, and trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Ernie Royal. Other players on the session included what would become the heart of the CTI session crew: guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, bassists Ron Carter and Gordon Edwards (who only appears on the opening cut), drummer Idris Muhammad (though Billy Cobham is also here), and percussionists like Airto Moreira and Ralph MacDonald. The real star of course is the soloist. Washington's debut, Inner City Blues, had done surprisingly well especially since it was a date originally intended for Hank Crawford who couldn't make the scene. This time out, both Taylor and James played to Washington's tremendous strengths as an emotional player whose melodic improvising referenced everything from Motown to Stax and Volt, from Ray Charles to early James Brown and the Fabulous Flames, to Donny Hathaway, who had an uncanny knack with current pop hits. James too was discovering his own strengths in this field as a pianist and really shines behind Washington on tracks like "Where Is the Love," (written by MacDonald, actually), and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." Washington was equally versed on both tenor and alto, and possesses two very different tones on the horns. This gave James the opportunity to color the tunes with a rather startling array of colors, shades, and textures, making the two a wonderful team. Along with the aforementioned winners are the title track by Aretha Franklin with the slow, deep blue saxophone lines accompanied by hand percussion, a tight snare and hi-hat kit rhythm, and James ghostly chords on the Fender Rhodes. But the large backdrop of horns lends so much weight to the tune it almost breaks wide open. 

Then there's the gorgeous and radical-re-envisioning of "Body and Soul," as a montage illustrated wonderfully by James impressionistic strings and woodwinds underneath Washington's bluesy take on the melody. The standard "Lover Man" is reintroduced here and includes a new interlude written by James. Washington's playing on the tune is actually reminiscent of Crawford's in feel (during his time with Ray Charles), but Washington also evokes Ben Webster in the chances he takes improvising on his solo. As if all this weren't adventurous enough, the set closes with "Love Song 1700," an adaptation from a song by classical composer Henry Purcell. Here is the genius of James at work. His love for Purcell and classical composition of this era shows up throughout his career, but the way he orchestrates strings and winds behind Washington -- who could inject pure soul into even the dullest music of Lawrence Welk  is provocative, lovely, and haunting, even in its more overblown moments. When All the King's Horses was originally released, it wasn't received as well as Inner City Blues had been the previous year. In retrospect, however, this set has assumed its proper place in Washington's catalog: as one of his more ambitious and expertly performed sessions.

~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-the-kings-horses-mw0000314316

Personnel:  Grover Washington Jr. – tenor and alto saxophone;  Bob James – arranger, conductor, electric piano, Harpsichord;  Richard Tee – organ;  Arthur Clarke, Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone;  John Frosk, Alan Rubin, Ernie Royal, Marky Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young, Jon Faddis – trumpet, flugelhorn;  Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Wayne Andre – trombone;  Brooks Tillotson, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Ray Alonge – French horn;  George Marge – alto saxophone, flute, English horn, oboe;  Cornell Dupree, David Spinozza, Eric Gale, Gene Bertoncini – guitar;  Margaret Ross – harp;  Ron Carter – bass;  Gordon Edwards – bass;Bernard Purdie – drums;  Billy Cobham – drums;  Airto Moreira – percussion;  Ralph MacDonald – congas;  Richard Dickler, Emanuel Vardi – viola;  Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, John Pintaualle, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman – violin;  Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello

All The King's Horses

---

Brother Jack McDuff - A Change Is Gonna Come

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:23
Size: 86,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:19)  1. Down In The Valley
(3:07)  2. A Change Is Gonna Come
(3:34)  3. Hotcha
(2:35)  4. What'd I Say
(4:42)  5. No Tears
(2:36)  6. Gonna Hang Me Up A Sign
(5:52)  7. Minha Saudade
(4:20)  8. Same Old, Same Old
(7:15)  9. Can't Find The Keyhole Blues

This album is an elegant mix of soul and sambas, interspersed with a pair of distinctly blues-focused pieces. Jack McDuff's Hammond B-3 organ surges and trills and rocks, at times seeming to talk as the lead instrument on renditions of works as different as Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." His calls and responses with the five-man brass section on several of the tracks here comprise another highlight, but even the slow numbers, such as "No Tears," offer virtuoso playing by McDuff. The tempo and texture shifts throughout keep this record continually interesting to the listener, and the range of influences, from jazz to gospel with side trips into the blues (culminating with a seven-minute epic in the latter genre), gives a lot of great playing for everybody.~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-change-is-gonna-come-mw0000378740

Personnel:  Jack McDuff - organ;  Johnny Grimes, Harold Johnson - trumpet;  Richard Harris - trombone;  Danny Turner - alto saxophone;  Arthur Clarke, George Coleman - tenor saxophone;  Buddy Lucas - baritone saxophone James Oliver - guitar;  Cornell Dupree - guitar, congas;  Jimmy Tyrell - bass;  Joe Dukes, Bernard Purdie - drums;  Warren Smith - percussion

A Change Is Gonna Come

---

Leon Thomas - Blues And The Soulful Truth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:23
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Soul/Funk/Jazz
Year: 1973/2014
Art: Front

[ 4:22] 1. Let's Go Down To Lucy's
[ 2:51] 2. L-O-V-E
[10:15] 3. Gypsy Queen
[ 3:13] 4. Love Each Other
[ 5:21] 5. Shape Your Mind To Die
[ 4:50] 6. Boom-Boom-Boom
[ 5:05] 7. China Doll
[ 6:21] 8. C.C. Rider

Bass – Donald Pate, Gordon Edwards; Drums – Bernard Purdie; Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Larry Coryell; Percussion – Baba Feme; Piano – Neal Creque; Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Pee Wee Ellis; Trombone – John Eckert; Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas.

The late Leon Thomas was a vocalist who has proven to be influential among jazz and blues saxophonists, guitarists, and pianists, who've admitted their debt to his innovation. However, though there are many vocalists who have benefited from his style as well, he is seldom acknowledged for his highly original -- and idiosyncratic -- contribution to them. One can only speculate as to why, though Thomas' full-throated style which employed everything from yodels to Joe Turner-ish growls and shouts may have been too wide for anyone to grasp in its entirety without overtly sounding as if they were aping him. Blues and the Soulful Truth is among the artist's most enduring performances, either as a leader or sideman. There is his trademark, otherworldly modal improvisation on Gabor Szabo's exotica classic "Gypsy Queen," the deep, greasy gutbucket, funky blues of "Let's Go Down to Lucy" and "L-O-V-E," and the traditional tune "C.C. Rider" -- though Thomas' arrangement is anything but -- among a lengthy, eight-song set. Perhaps the most revealing examples of his singularity is his ability to interpret a song like John Lee Hooker's "Boom, Boom" as funky, jazzed-out, angular R&B -- enabled mightily by the saxophone stylings of Pee Wee Ellis and the criminally under-appreciated pianism of Neal Creque and the wild violin of John Blair -- after coming out of a pop-oriented soul tune such as "Love Each Other," written with a groove prevalent among commercial jazz and R&B recordings of the time, both sounding sincere, authentic, and completely full of the singer's presence. Indeed, on the aforementioned "Gypsy Queen" or his own "Shape Your Mind to Die," Thomas inhabits his material fully, as if nobody ever had ever sung or heard these songs and would ever sing them again. Also, the production innovation and percussive touches many of these tunes have yet to be repeated (Pharoah Sanders, Thomas' previous employer who introduced the singer to the world, adopted some of the artist's percussive techniques permanently), like the firecrackers raining against Airto Moreira's drums and Larry Coryell's ethereal guitar riffs, or the use of a "prepared" vibraphone and coat hangers in "China Doll," as they slip against the singer's wail and moan, and the elegant stick and brushwork of Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. In sum, Blues and the Soulful Truth (Which does echo Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth in vision as well as title), is a tour through the depth and dimension of Thomas' mind-blowing abilities as a singer in a wide range of African American musical traditions, proving at the time, and now again, that he was far more than a free jazz singer. Indeed, the artist not only was a stylist of originality, but a composer, arranger, ethnomusicologist, and a singer of startling beauty and power -- no matter the song. This album is a singular achievement, even among the fine recordings in Thomas' own catalogue, and should be considered first by those curious enough to look into his work -- you won't be disappointed no matter what you find, but this one will take you places you never anticipated going. ~Thom Jurek

Blues And The Soulful Truth mc
Blues And The Soulful Truth zippy

---

Grant Green - The Original Jam Master Vol. 2: For The Funk Of It

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 106.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[10:02] 1. Upshot
[ 3:25] 2. The Final Comedown
[ 5:31] 3. Cantaloupe Woman
[ 6:04] 4. Dracula
[ 6:20] 5. California Green
[15:00] 6. Flood In Franklin Park

For the Funk of It is the second thematically focused volume in Blue Note's Original Jam Master Series that draws from guitarist Grant Green's late-period recordings for the label, from 1969 to 1972. Some of the players involved in these sessions include drummer Idris Muhammad, saxophonist Claude Bartee, Jr., Cornell Dupree (rhythm guitar), percussionists Hall Bobby Porter and Ray Armando, bassist Chuck Rainey, organist Emanuel Riggins, and many others. The material here is less bombastic than the soul and funk covers on Green's Ain't It Funky Now!, but they are still deep in the jukebox soul-jazz groove that was rapidly disappearing during the era. The set kicks off with a rare Green boogaloo original in "Upshot," from the Carryin' On album, with great solo work from Green, Clarence Palmer on electric piano, and vibist Willie Bivins. Another Green tune, "California Green," with a big band that includes Stix Hooper and Wilton Felder, appears near the end of the set. Of the covers, the read of Ben Dixon's "Cantaloupe Woman" is a stunner, with great interplay between Muhammad and Armando. Not as in-your-face as volume three in the series, but more in-the-pocket and groove-drenched. This is a fine comp for the cash. ~Thom Jurek

The Original Jam Master Vol. 2: For The Funk Of It mc
The Original Jam Master Vol. 2: For The Funk Of It zippy

---

Cornell Dupree - Doin' Alright

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 153.2 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Doin' Alright
[4:47] 2. I Ain't Got You
[6:02] 3. I Got A Woman
[5:00] 4. Help Me Make It Through The Night
[5:22] 5. Honky Tonk
[6:12] 6. The Bird
[5:01] 7. Erma's Shades
[4:52] 8. Rainy Night In Georgia
[4:07] 9. Squirrel
[6:05] 10. Ham
[6:14] 11. Cl Blues
[4:02] 12. K.C
[4:15] 13. I Got A Woman (With The Cornell Stamp)

Bass – George Porter (tracks: 1), Larry Fulcher (tracks: 3,4,9,11,13), Ronnie James (tracks: 2,5-8,10,12); Drums – Barry "Frosty" Smith; Guitar – Cornell Dupree; Organ – Mike Flanigin; Piano – Nick Connelly; Saxophone – Kaz Kazanoff.

Many words have been used to describe Cornell Dupree's guitar playing over the last 45 plus years, but one label that fits the bill is the ultimate session guitarist. He has over 2500 credits, playing with the likes of King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, Brooke Benton, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, the Gadd Gang and of course he was a member of the super session jazz/fusion group Stuff. Known as "Uncle Funky", Cornell, had a slew of well received solo albums over the course of his career, Like "Teasin", "Can't Get Enough", "Childs Play", "Cornell Dupree" "Who It Is" To name a few. Cornell who had been seriously ill over the past few years, passed away in May of 2011, but not before completing the final solo recording of his career, just eight weeks prior to his passing. His final words to his wife Erma was "I'm Doin Alright", hence the title of this cd. As sick as Cornell had been, attached to oxygen, he entered the recording studio, and let his wonderful guitar speak one more time. The result is stunningly well played Jazz/blues, with a touch of funky overtones that has a sound that is vintage Cornell till the end. Highlights include the funky "Doin Alright", a beautiful take on Brooke Benton's "Rainy Night In Georgia', which Cornell played on. He adds spice with a funkified take on "Help Me Make It Through The night". He then uses a jazz shuffle on the tune "I Ain't Got You", complete with sax solo, that will get anyone's feet moving. This is a wonderful farewell recording that should not be missed by anyone who loves Jazz/Rock fusion. He is supported by a tight back-up band in the studio, With B.E Smith "Frosty" on Drums, Mike Flanigin on organ, Nick Connelly keyboards, Ronnie James and Larry Fulcher as well as George Porter on bass. This cd was released as an import under the title "Doin alright", and recently domestically under the title "I'm Alright" Both are exactly the same. It is difficult to find. It has been a pleasure to listen to this man's recordings over the past 40 years both as a session and solo artist. I only hope the RRHOF, will see fit to elect Cornell into its session wing, as one of the great influential guitarists of the modern pop era. RIP "Uncle Funky"! ~Anthony Accordino

Doin' Alright

---

Hank Crawford, Jimmy McGriff - Crunch Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:37
Size: 120.5 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[6:29] 1. Bow Legs
[8:09] 2. It's All Good
[5:42] 3. Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)
[7:09] 4. Sandu
[7:12] 5. Crunch Time
[7:12] 6. What's Going On
[4:11] 7. Without A Song
[6:29] 8. The Preacher

Cornell Dupree, Melvin Sparks - Guitar; Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums; Jimmy McGriff - Organ; Hank Crawford - Sax (Alto).

Crunch Time is classic Crawford/McGriff from the laid-back soulfulness of Crawford's "Bow Legs" to the swing given to Horace Silver's "The Preacher." Saxophonist Crawford and organist McGriff, recording as a team for this, their seventh album, go together like red beans and rice, offering a similar blend of comfort and kick. Crawford's distinct, bright tone penetrates the grooves laid-down by McGriff's tasty chordings. It's McGriff who adds the cayenne on his self-penned, bebopping title cut with drummer Bernard Purdie in the pocket all the way. A moving interpretation of the standard ballad "Without a Song," gains emotional impact by its provocatively leisurely pace and the Crawford's heart-wrenching blowing. Guitarists Melvin Sparks and Cornell Dupree, who are heard on alternating cuts, compliment the leaders whether comping behind them with those big fat chords or stepping out to solo. The sense of timing throughout this album and within these musicians is at the music's essence. It's the element which makes Crunch Time-and all of Crawford's and McGriff's music-so timeless. ~Geraldine Wycoff

Crunch Time

---

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Blacknuss

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 98,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:24)  1. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:44)  2. What's Goin' On, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
(2:47)  3. I Love You Yes I Do
(3:18)  4. Take Me Girl, I'm Ready
(3:04)  5. My Girl
(2:26)  6. Which Way Is It Going
(3:40)  7. One Nation
(4:01)  8. Never Can Say Goodbye
(7:12)  9. Old Rugged Cross
(4:49) 10. Make It with You
(5:11) 11. Blacknuss

From its opening bars, with Bill Salter's bass and Rahsaan's flute passionately playing Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," you know this isn't an ordinary Kirk album (were any of them?). As the string section, electric piano, percussion, and Cornel Dupree's guitar slip in the back door, one can feel the deep soul groove Kirk is bringing to the jazz fore here. As the tune fades just two and a half minutes later, the scream of Kirk's tenor comes wailing through the intro of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," with a funk backdrop and no wink in the corner he's serious. With Richard Tee's drums kicking it, the strings developing into a wall of tension in the backing mix, and Charles McGhee's trumpet hurling the long line back at Kirk, all bets are off especially when they medley the mother into "Mercy Mercy Me." By the time they reach the end of the Isleys' "I Love You, Yes I Do," with the whistles, gongs, shouting, soul crooning, deep groove hustling, and greasy funk dripping from every sweet-assed note, the record could be over because the world has already turned over and surrendered and the album is only ten minutes old! Blacknuss, like The Inflated Tear, Volunteered Slavery, Rip, Rig and Panic, and I Talk to the Spirits, is Kirk at his most visionary. He took the pop out of pop and made it Great Black Music. 

He took the jazz world down a peg to make it feel its roots in the people's music, and consequently made great jazz from pop tunes in the same way his forbears did with Broadway show tunes. While the entire album shines like a big black sun, the other standouts include a deeply moving read of "My Girl" and a version of "The Old Rugged Cross" that takes it back forever from those white fundamentalists who took all the blood and sweat from its grain and replaced them with cheap tin and collection plates. On Kirk's version, grace doesn't come cheap, though you can certainly be a poor person to receive it. Ladies and gents, Blacknuss is as deep as a soul record can be and as hot as a jazz record has any right to call itself. A work of sheer blacknuss! ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/blacknuss-mw0000101699

Personnel: Rahsaan Roland Kirk (vocals, tenor saxophone, flute, whistle, percussion); Princess Patience Burton, Cissy Houston (vocals); Charles McGhee (trumpet); Dick Griffin (trombone); Sonelius Smith, Richard Tee (piano); Mickey Tucker (organ); Billy Butler, Cornell Dupree, Keith Loving (guitar); Henry Pearson, Bill Salter (bass); Khalil Mhrdi, Bernard Purdie (drums); Arthur Jenkins (congas, cabasa); Richard Landrum (congas); Joe Habad (percussion).

Blacknuss

---

Various Artists - Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach

Styles:  Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:37
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. The Jazz Crusaders - Promises, Promises
(5:57)  2. Stanley Turrentine - Walk On By
(3:41)  3. Lou Rawls - Any Day Now
(3:57)  4. Richard "Groove" Holmes - Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
(6:46)  5. Grant Green - I'll Never Fall in Love Again
(2:01)  6. Nancy Wilson - Wives And Lovers
(2:31)  7. Three Sounds - The Look Of Love
(4:29)  8. Stanley Jordan - One Less Bell To Answer
(6:43)  9. Stanley Turrentine - What the World Needs Now Is Love
(3:44) 10. Earl Klugh - The April Fools
(3:04) 11. Nancy Wilson - Alfie
(4:23) 12. Ernie Watts - Knowing When to Leave

Unfortunately, the 2004 issue of Blue Note Plays Bacharach falls short of the similar (now deleted) compilation from 1999, Blue Bacharach: A Cooler Shaker, also on Blue Note. Usually when a compilation disc is reissued, songs are added to the original program rather than omitted, which isn't the case in this instance. While Blue Bacharach originally had 14 tracks, this version has been whittled down to 12 tracks, nine of which are repeats. The three newly added songs, "The April Fools" by Earl Klugh, "One Less Bell to Answer" by Stanley Jordan, and "Any Day Now" by Lou Rawls, were recorded in 1976, 1986, and 1990, respectively, undermining the overall continuity of the '60s-based arrangements. Still, it's nice to have Bacharach standards played in a lively soul-jazz groove by Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and Reuben Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson's outstanding vocals on "Wives and Lovers" and "Alfie." Blue Note Plays Bacharach is a passable compilation, but keep your eyes open for a used copy of the superior Blue Bacharach: A Cooler Shaker. ~ Al Campbell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-note-plays-burt-bacharach-mw0000697637

Personnel: Nancy Jo Wilson , Lou Rawls (vocals); Cornell Dupree, Dennis Budimir, Grant Green, John Michael Gray (guitar); Earl Klugh (acoustic guitar); Ernie Watts (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Bobby Ray Watson, Frank Strozier, James Spaulding, Anthony Ortega (alto saxophone); Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone, electric bass); Eddie Harris, Plas Johnson , Rick Margitza, Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Bill Green , Howard Johnson , Richard Aplanalp, Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Larry McGuire, Herbert Anderson, Freddie Hill, Jack Walrath, Jerry Rusch, Blue Mitchell, Buddy Childers (trumpet); William Peterson (electric trumpet); Peter Myers, Lou Blackburn, Steve Turre, Wayne Henderson , Billy Byers, Frank Strong (trombone); Michael Wimberly, Ernie Tack (bass trombone); Richard Tee (piano, organ); Gene Harris, Clarence MacDonald, Joe Sample, Lou Levy, McCoy Tyner (piano); Richard "Groove" Holmes, Emanuel Riggins (organ); Eluriel Tinker Barfield, Jimmy Lewis (electric bass); Chris Parker , Donald Bailey , Idris Muhammad, Mickey Roker, Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid Chemists , Roberto Marín, Stix Hooper, Kenny Dennis (drums); Ken Watson, Candido Camero (congas); Richard Landrum (bongos); Milt Holland (percussion).

VA - Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach

---

Cornell Dupree - Mr 2500 - Live at Birdland

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 75:34
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:07)  1. Them Changes
(17:00)  2. The Ghetto
( 6:43)  3. Pick Up the Pieces
(11:00)  4. What's Going On?
( 7:25)  5. Something
( 6:29)  6. Bass Instinct
( 6:32)  7. Spirit in the Dark
( 5:52)  8. Memphis Soul Stew
( 6:21)  9. Watching the River Flow

A veteran of over 2,500 recording sessions, guitarist Cornell Dupree worked most prolifically in R&B and blues, but he was equally at home in jazz, particularly funky fusion and soul-jazz. Dupree was born in Fort Worth, TX, in 1942, and by the age of 20 was playing in King Curtis' R&B group. He became a session musician soon after, playing on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia," as well as records by stars like Lou Rawls, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack, Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and countless others. 

Dupree was also a member of Aretha Franklin's touring band from 1967-1976, and during that time also became a presence on many jazz-funk recordings, the sort that would find favor with rare groove and acid jazz fans in the years to come. Dupree's first jazz session as a leader was 1974's Teasin', which was followed by Saturday Night Fever in 1977, and Shadow Dancing in 1978. During the same period, Dupree was a member of the studio-musician fusion supergroup Stuff, which signed with Warner Bros. in 1975 and recorded four albums. 

They also reunited periodically in the '80s and spawned a mid-'80s spin-off group called the Gadd Gang, which Dupree also belonged to. Some of Dupree's most rewarding jazz albums came in the late '80s and early '90s; 1988's Coast to Coast was nominated for a Grammy, and funky sessions like 1991's Can't Get Through, 1992's live Uncle Funky, and 1993's Child's Play received positive reviews. 1994's Bop 'n' Blues was his most straight-ahead jazz album, also ranking as one of his best. Bio ~ Steve Huey  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cornell-dupree-mn0000118597/biography

Live at Birdland

---

Archie Shepp - Attica Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:24
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Attica Blues
(0:19)  2. Invocation: Attica Blues
(5:07)  3. Steam (Part 1)
(3:16)  4. Invocation to Mr. Parker
(5:10)  5. Steam (Part 2)
(4:00)  6. Blues for Brother George Jackson
(0:29)  7. Invocation: Ballad for a Child
(3:36)  8. Ballad for a Child
(4:22)  9. Good Bye Sweet Pops
(6:12) 10. Quiet Dawn

Refining his large-ensemble experiments of 1971, Attica Blues is one of Archie Shepp's most significant post-'60s statements, recorded just several months after authorities ended the Attica prison uprising by massacring 43 inmates and hostages. Perhaps because Shepp's musical interests were changing, Attica Blues isn't the all-out blast of rage one might expect; instead, it's a richly arranged album of mournful, quietly agonized blues and Ellingtonian swing, mixed with a couple of storming funk burners. Of course, Shepp doesn't quite play it straight, bringing his avant-garde sensibilities to both vintage big band and contemporary funk, with little regard for the boundaries separating them all. 

His soloing on tenor and soprano is typically sharp-edged and modal, and his nasal, slicing tone on soprano is featured quite heavily. The stylishness of the slow numbers is undercut with quivering, faintly unsettling dissonances, and the up-tempo funk cuts recall the way Sly Stone's arrangements ping-ponged many different elements off each other in a gleeful organized chaos. That's especially true on the gospel-inflected title song, a monster of a groove that later became a hit on the acid jazz revival circuit (and stands up to anything recorded by straight-up funk bands of the era). In the same vein, "Blues for Brother George Jackson" sounds like an edgier Isaac Hayes-style blaxploitation soundtrack cut. Vocal ballads are plentiful, and Joe Lee Wilson ("Steam," a song Shepp would return to often) and Carl Hall (aka Henry Hull) both acquit themselves well; more debatable are the poetic recitations and the choice of flügelhornist/composer Cal Massey's young daughter Waheeda to sing "Quiet Dawn" (although Waheeda's almost-there intonation is effectively creepy). Still, in the end, Attica Blues is one of Shepp's most successful large-group projects, because his skillful handling of so many different styles of black music produces such tremendously groovy results. ~ Steve Huey  http://www.allmusic.com/album/attica-blues-mw0000648984

Personnel : Archie Shepp (soprano & tenor saxophones); Marion Brown (alto saxophone, flute, bamboo flute, percussion); Walter Davis Jr. (piano, electric piano); Joe Lee Wilson (vocals), William Kunstler (spoken vocals); John Blake, Leroy Jenkins (violin); Cal Massey (flugelhorn); Charles Greene (trombone); Cornell Dupree (guitar); Jimmy Garrison (bass); Beaver Harris, Billy Higgins (drums); Juma Sultan (percussion).

Attica Blues

---

Dakota Staton - Congratulations To Someone

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 111.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Country Man
[6:24] 2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
[3:26] 3. Girl Talk
[4:05] 4. Cry Me A River
[4:25] 5. Heartbreak
[4:59] 6. It's The Talk Of The Town
[4:26] 7. Make It Easy On Yourself
[4:15] 8. How Did He Look
[4:47] 9. Congratulations To Someone
[4:06] 10. Blues For Tasty
[3:36] 11. A Losing Battle

Dakota Staton (vocals); Cornell Dupree, Lloyd Davis (guitar); Eddie Daniels, Frank Wess (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Joe Newman , Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Burt Collins, Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet); Eddie Bert, Garnett Brown, Bill Watrous (trombone); Horace Ott (electric piano); Richard "Groove" Holmes (organ); Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Kwasi Jayourba (congas, bongos).

Dakota Staton was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1931. Although hers was not a musical family, Dakota claims to have known from early on that performing was her destiny. “When I was four years old, I started singing and dancing like Shirley Temple,” she recalled in an interview. Staton further developed these budding abilities at Pittsburgh’s Filion School of Music. “When I was sixteen, I was in a stage show called Fantastic Rhythm. From that show, I was chosen to be a vocalist with the top band in the Pittsburgh area, Joe Wespray and his orchestra. "I sang with him for two years. Then I went to Detroit, Michigan, and worked in all the show bars there…” While in Detroit, Staton made a particularly strong impression at The Flame Show Bar. From there, she followed a nightclub circuit that led as far afield as Toronto and Montreal in Canada before returning stateside and passing through Indianapolis; Minneapolis; Cleveland and St. Louis before eventually winding it’s way to New York. It was while singing in a Harlem nightclub called the Baby Grand that Staton was discovered by Capitol producer Dave Cavanaugh and signed to the label.

Congratulations To Someone 

---

Cornell Dupree - Unstuffed

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 107.4 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[10:11] 1. Shadow Dancing
[ 7:58] 2. The Closer I Get To You
[ 6:16] 3. On And On
[ 7:39] 4. Hey Girl
[ 5:11] 5. Peg
[ 4:28] 6. Two Doors Down
[ 5:10] 7. Unstuffed

A veteran of over 2,500 recording sessions, guitarist Cornell Dupree worked most prolifically in R&B and blues, but he was equally at home in jazz, particularly funky fusion and soul-jazz. Dupree was born in Fort Worth, TX, in 1942, and by the age of 20 was playing in King Curtis' R&B group. He became a session musician soon after, playing on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia," as well as records by stars like Lou Rawls, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack, Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and countless others. Dupree was also a member of Aretha Franklin's touring band from 1967-1976, and during that time also became a presence on many jazz-funk recordings, the sort that would find favor with rare groove and acid jazz fans in the years to come. Dupree's first jazz session as a leader was 1974's Teasin', which was followed by Saturday Night Fever in 1977, and Shadow Dancing in 1978. During the same period, Dupree was a member of the studio-musician fusion supergroup Stuff, which signed with Warner Bros. in 1975 and recorded four albums. They also reunited periodically in the '80s and spawned a mid-'80s spin-off group called the Gadd Gang, which Dupree also belonged to. Some of Dupree's most rewarding jazz albums came in the late '80s and early '90s; 1988's Coast to Coast was nominated for a Grammy, and funky sessions like 1991's Can't Get Through, 1992's live Uncle Funky, and 1993's Child's Play received positive reviews. 1994's Bop 'n' Blues was his most straight-ahead jazz album, also ranking as one of his best.

Unstuffed

---