Milt Hinton - Laughing At Life

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:48
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:17)  1. A Child Is Born
(5:46)  2. Sweet Georgia
(4:23)  3. Brown
(4:32)  4. Laughting At Life
(4:05)  5. Prelude To A Kiss
(3:04)  6. Indiana
(5:04)  7. Mona's Feeling Lonely
(4:20)  8. Jon John
(4:33)  9. Old Man Harley
(4:52) 10. Just Friends
(6:52) 11. The Judge And The Jury

Milt Hinton's major label debut as a leader (at age 85), other than a 1955 date for Victor, finds the great bassist utilizing two separate rhythm sections on a variety of standards. In addition to fine solos from pianists Richard Wyands and Derek Smith, there are guest appearances by trumpeter Jon Faddis (who defies his stereotype by sounding closer here to Roy Eldridge than to Dizzy Gillespie) and veteran Harold Ashby whose warm tenor recalls Ben Webster. Even if Hinton's three vocals are one too many, his singing has its charm. The finale "The Judge and the Jury" adds four other bassists for a very musical tribute to one of the few veterans of the 1920s still to be heard in his prime in the mid-'90s. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/laughing-at-life-mw0000628214

Personnel:  Bass, Vocals – Milt Hinton;  Bass – Brian Torff, Lynn Seaton, Rufus Reid, Santi Debriano;  Drums – Alan Dawson, Dave Ratajczak, Terry Clark;  Piano – Derek Smith, Richard Wyands;  Saxophone [Tenor] – Harold Ashby ;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jon Faddis

Laughing At Life

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Duke Ellington - The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:33
Size: 87,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:12) 1. Chinoserie
(3:37) 2. Didgeridoo
(5:23) 3. Afrique
(3:04) 4. Acht O'Clock Rock
(4:43) 5. Gong
(4:46) 6. Tang
(3:36) 7. True
(4:09) 8. Hard Way

Recorded in 1971, The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse reads in many ways like a follow up to the 1967 epic Far East Suite. Compelling, cosmopolitan, and organic, this music comes from Ellington's sifting of travel experiences, and it sounds as if he is using his impressions of places and people rather than appropriations of "authentic" scales and rhythms. "Chinoiserie" is boisterous and fun, with long-tone horn peals forming the melodic cornerstone. Tenorman Harold Ashby takes his place blowing pure swing. "Afrique" is a percussion-based piece, with a liberal layering of the horn players' entrances creating strains that are at first incongruous, then tie briefly together toward the middle of the affair. Preceded by the more even-tempered melodic and rhythmic structures of "Acht" and "Gong," "Tang" takes the picture to the outer limits again with strident opening horn blasts that yield to staccato call-and-responses that chill to the bone. All in all, a textured, cross-cultural treat for the ears.~ Rovi Staff https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-afro-eurasian-eclipse-mw0000675528

Personnel: Piano, Composed By – Duke Ellington; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Russell Procope; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Norris Turney; Baritone Saxophone – Harry Carney; Bass – Joe Benjamin; Bass Trombone – Chuck Connors; Drums – Rufus Jones; Tenor Saxophone – Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves; Trombone – Booty Wood, Malcolm Taylor; Trumpet – Cootie Williams, Eddie Preston, Mercer Ellington, Money Johnson

The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse

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Harold Ashby Quartet - Harold Ashby Quartet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:34
Size: 126,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Candy
(4:26)  2. Quickie
(5:02)  3. There Is No Greater Love
(3:59)  4. Dainty
(5:08)  5. Over the Rainbow
(4:31)  6. Pleading
(4:00)  7. Days of Wine and Roses
(3:49)  8. Cous Cous
(5:00)  9. There Is No Greater Love - Alt-Take 9
(4:04) 10. Days of Wine and Roses - Alt-Take 3
(6:19) 11. Pleading - Alt-Take 1
(3:47) 12. Dainty - Alt-Take 1

An excellent Ben Webster-inspired tenor saxophonist, Harold Ashby fit right in during his period with Duke Ellington. He had played in Kansas City (starting in 1946) and, in the early '50s, in Chicago. While most of his previous work was in R&B and blues bands, he was always a fine swing-based improviser. In 1957, Ashby moved to New York, met Ben Webster, and through the elder tenor was introduced to Duke Ellington. During the next decade he was on the periphery of Duke's world, playing with Mercer Ellington's short-lived band, recording with Ellington stars, and appearing in Duke's My People show. Ashby was more than ready when he joined Ellington in 1968, and he was a major asset to the band up until the leader's death. Ashby continued with Mercer Ellington into 1975, gigged with Benny Goodman and Sy Oliver, and performed often in Europe and led occasional record dates, including 1991's What Am I Here For? and 1999's Just For You, thus keeping the Ellington swing tenor legacy alive. After suffering a heart attack in May of 2003, Harold Ashby was hospitalized in his adopted home of New York. He passed away June 13, 2003 at the age of 78. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harold-ashby-mn0000667414/biography

Personnel: Harold Ashby (ts); Don Friedman (p); George Mraz (b); Ronnie Bedford (d)

Harold Ashby Quartet

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Harold Ashby - Scufflin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:25
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Scufflin' (take 2)
(6:33)  2. Earma Jean
(7:46)  3. Salty Mama
(5:13)  4. When Sunny Gets Blue
(3:15)  5. Stealing
(9:54)  6. Quiet Nights
(7:29)  7. Get Down
(6:26)  8. Scufflin' (take 1)

Other than a scarce album for Masters of Jazz from 1959, this was Harold Ashby's debut as a leader. The underrated tenor saxophonist, one of Duke Ellington's finest soloists during his final decade, is teamed with three other alumni of Ellington's bands (trombonist Booty Wood, bassist Aaron Bell, and drummer Sam Woodyard), plus pianist Raymond Fol. The original program (six Ashby originals) is augmented by a new alternate take of "Scufflin'," plus a previously unreleased "When Sunny Gets Blue." Ashby's warm tenor is equally welcome on both warm ballads and jumping originals, blending in well with Wood's colorful trombone for a high-quality mainstream swing set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/scufflin-mw0001152758

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Harold Ashby;  Bass – Aaron Bell; Drums – Sam Woodyard; Piano – Raymond Fol;  Trombone – Booty Wood

Scufflin'

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Harold Ashby Quartet - What Am I Here For?

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:17
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. I Can't Get Started
(7:35)  2. What Am I Here For?
(5:08)  3. Mood Indigo
(7:41)  4. Frankie And Johnny
(4:54)  5. Once In A While
(9:00)  6. Poinciana
(7:47)  7. C Jam Blues
(6:55)  8. Prelude To A Kiss
(8:27)  9. September In The Rain
(6:15) 10. Perdido

It shouldn't be surprising that Harold Ashby has a decidedly Ellington slant to this CD. A tenor saxophonist in the mold of Ben Webster (who first introduced him to the maestro) Ashby was a frequent substitute on call until he replaced the departed Jimmy Hamilton in 1968, where he remained until the year after Ellington's death. On this relatively rare date as a leader, the veteran devotes half of his program to music from the vast Ellington repertoire, including a strutting take of "What Am I Here For?" and a lush treatment of "Mood Indigo" that initially features Mulgrew Miller's old-fashioned stride piano and Rufus Reid's arco bass in unison with Ashby. An up-tempo "C Jam Blues" is kicked off by drummer Ben Riley, while the leader's rich vibrato reins supreme in their interpretation of the lovely "Prelude to a Kiss." The final track from the Ellington book is Juan Tizol's "Perdido," which wraps the CD with a flourish. 

Most of the non-Ellington tracks that make up the rest of this release are favorites of the swing era, with the exception of the easygoing and somewhat romantic bossa nova "Poinciana." Although this session was recorded in New York City, the erratic distribution of the Criss Cross label makes this CD somewhat more difficult to find than it should be for many swing fans. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-am-i-here-for-mw0000083425

Personnel: Harold Ashby (tenor saxophone), Mulgrew Miller, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley.

What Am I Here For?

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Harold Ashby - On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:17
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Out Of Nowhere
(4:42)  2. There Is No Greater Love
(5:08)  3. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:02)  4. Pennies From Heaven
(5:57)  5. It's The Talk Of The Town
(5:47)  6. Satin Doll
(5:37)  7. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
(6:08)  8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(8:33)  9. Scufflin'
(7:45) 10. In My Solitude
(6:19) 11. Just Squeeze Me

Harold Ashby's a tremendous tenorist almost like Von Freeman or Buck Hill, in that he had years of experience before getting a bit of wider experience on records thanks to albums like this! The set's got Ashby's great raspy tone in perfect formation with a trio led by pianist Horace Parlan himself experiencing a big new wave of exposure at the time, on some of his other Timeless sessions, which marked a move to spacious, more tradition-filled playing which makes him a great partner for Ashby on this set! The rest of the group features Wayne Dockery on bass and Steve McRaven on drums and although the tracks are short, Ashby delivers volumes in a very small space on titles that include "Out Of Nowhere", "Satin Doll", "Talk Of The Town", "Scufflin", "These Foolish Things", and "In My Solitude". © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/764029

Personnel: Harold Ashby (tenor saxophone); Horace Parlan (piano); Steve Mcraven (drums).

On The Sunny Side Of The Street

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Harold Ashby - Just For You

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:18
Size: 124,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Reminiscining
(5:12)  2. Stampash
(5:39)  3. Lotus Blossom
(5:28)  4. Forever
(5:01)  5. Tasty
(6:57)  6. Just for You
(6:19)  7. Neat
(4:30)  8. The Intimacy of the Blues
(4:44)  9. Sultry Serenade
(6:11) 10. Sweet Nothin's

Former Duke Ellington band member Harold Ashby, although approaching 75 years, shows no sign of slowing down and no decrease in his sax playing prowess. Cut for Mapleshade Records, this album also reveals that Ashby is a composer of no mean accomplishment. All but three of the tunes are his, with the others belonging to Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Ashby's distinctive rendition of Ellington's "Lotus Blossom" is an outstanding reading. Strayhorn's "The Intimacy of the Blues" swings, and Ellington's "Sultry Serenade" is played by Ashby, with his characteristic, lightly touched tone combined with a kind of frolicking flavor. The tunes penned by Ashby run the gamut of style: "Reminiscing" is a sensual ballad while "Forever" has a faint Latin beat. The title tune is an intimate piece, reminiscent of Ellington's own "Azure," and is an album highlight. On the session's coda, "Sweet Nuthins," Ashby's tenor takes on a Hodge-esque flavor, featuring his soft-played approach to this blues-tinged number.

Ashby is supported by three gifted musicians on the scene today; their efforts are consistent with the very relaxed feeling Ashby and producer Hamiet Bluiett have established for this session. No one is being pushed here, and John Hicks' piano playing is lightly touched. Keter Betts, long-time Washington, DC resident and elegant bass player supreme, combines with premiere drummer Jimmy Cobb to provide the proper rhythmic setting for both Ashby and Hicks to ply their wares. Those who prefer their jazz sophisticated and suave, not loud and raucous, will certainly be attracted to this very good album that amply demonstrates how good this music can sound when in the right hands. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/just-for-you-mw0000242549

Personnel: Harold Ashby (tenor saxophone); John Hicks (piano); Keter Betts (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Just For You

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