Howard Mcghee - Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:36) 1. Meciendo
(2:50) 2. Lo-flame
(2:52) 3. Fluid Drive
(2:53) 4. I'll Remember April
(3:10) 5. Fuguetta
(2:51) 6. Donnellon
(2:54) 7. Lo-flame (Alt. Take)
(5:21) 8. Yesterdays
(2:29) 9. Stella By Starlight
(3:24) 10. Gloria
(2:45) 11. Be My Love
(3:33) 12. Lover Come Back To Me
(4:43) 13. Everything Happens To Me
(2:50) 14. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:27) 15. Drew's Blues
(4:23) 16. Yesterdays (Alt. Take)
(3:29) 17. Everything Happens To Me (Alt. Take)

This 1998 CD has all of the music from two formerly scarce 10" LPs. Trumpeter Howard McGhee heads an all-star group that includes trombonist J.J. Johnson, tenor saxophonist Brew Moore, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach on "I'll Remember April," an original by the leader and four songs (plus an alternate take) by Drew, who was making his recording debut.

Because it was the tail-end of the 78 era, all of the performances are between 2:34 and 3:07 in length but the concise solos are generally quite strong. Although McGhee gets the top billing on this CD, the second half of this disc is actually by the Kenny Drew Trio (with Russell and drummer Art Blakey) from three years later, Drew's debut as a leader. Other than his "Gloria" and the basic "Drew's Blues," all of the music (which is augmented by two alternate takes) is standards including "Be My Love," "Yesterdays," and a surprisingly heated rendition of "It Might As Well Be Spring." Easily recommended to bebop collectors. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-the-kenny-drew-trio-mw0000601264

Personnel: Howard McGhee - Trumpet; J.J. Johnson - Trombone; Brew Moore - Saxophone; Kenny Drew - Piano; Curly Russell - Bass; Max Roach - Drums

Howard Mcghee Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

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Howard McGhee, Teddy Edwards - Wise In Time

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:57
Size: 170,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. I Want To Talk About You
(6:05)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(7:04)  3. Crescent
(7:42)  4. Ruby My Dear
(5:06)  5. Time Waits
(7:46)  6. Relaxing At Camarillo
(6:53)  7. Reflections
(7:35)  8. Blues In The Closet
(4:38)  9. On A Misty Night
(4:08) 10. In Walked Bud
(4:14) 11. Yardbird Suite
(6:36) 12. Moose The Mooche

Originating from the same recording sessions (trumpeter Howard McGhee's last) that resulted in its superior companion Young at Heart, this set is a bit of a disappointment. McGhee, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Art Hillery, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Billy Higgins all sounded fine on the other record but this album sticks exclusively to ballads and the results are dragging and a bit dreary. The renditions of such songs as "I Want to Talk About You," "I Remember Clifford" and John Coltrane's "Crescent" do not even come close to comparing with more definitive earlier versions and the musicians sound a bit tired. Skip this set and get Young at Heart (and some of Howard McGhee's earlier albums) instead. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/wise-in-time-mw0000428357

Personnel: Howard McGhee – trumpet; Teddy Edwards – tenor saxophone; Art Hillery – piano; Leroy Vinnegar – bass; Billy Higgins – drums

Wise In Time

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Coleman Hawkins - Hollywood Stampede

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:42
Size: 114,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:57)  1. April In Paris
(2:56)  2. Rifftide
(3:16)  3. Stardust
(3:03)  4. Stuffy
(3:11)  5. Hollywood Stampede
(3:15)  6. I'm Thru With Love
(3:21)  7. What Is There To Say?
(3:08)  8. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
(2:54)  9. Too Much Of A Good Thing
(3:07) 10. Bean Soup
(2:51) 11. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:07) 12. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:06) 13. Isn't It Romantic?
(2:36) 14. Bean-A-Re-Bop
(2:50) 15. The Way You Look Tonight
(2:56) 16. Phantomesque

Hawkins led one of his finest bands in 1945, a sextet with the fiery trumpeter Howard McGhee that fell somewhere between small-group swing and bebop. This CD contains all of that group's 12 recordings, including memorable versions of "Rifftide" and "Stuffy"; trombonist Vic Dickenson guests on four tracks. 

This CD concludes with one of Hawkins' rarest sessions, an Aladdin date from 1947 that finds the veteran tenor leading a septet that includes 20-year-old trumpeter Miles Davis. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/hollywood-stampede-mw0000203302

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins; Alto Saxophone – Howard Johnson (6) (tracks: 13 to 16); Bass – John Simmons (tracks: 9 to 12), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 1 to 8); Bass [Probably] – Curley Russell (tracks: 13 to 16); Drums – Denzil Best (tracks: 1 to 12); Drums [Probably] – Max Roach (tracks: 13 to 16); Guitar – Allan Reuss (tracks: 1 to 12); Piano – Hank Jones (tracks: 13 to 16), Sir Charles Thompson (tracks: 1 to 12); Trombone – Kai Winding (tracks: 13 to 16), Vic Dickenson (tracks: 5 to 8); Trumpet – Howard McGhee (tracks: 1 to 12), Miles Davis (tracks: 13 to 16)

Hollywood Stampede

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André Previn - Previn At Sunset

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:43
Size: 120,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(4:42)  2. Body And Soul
(3:51)  3. Sunset In Blue
(3:05)  4. All The Things You Are
(3:27)  5. Something To Live For
(2:34)  6. Good Enough To Keep
(2:56)  7. California Clipper
(4:10)  8. How High The Moon
(3:07)  9. Take The A Train
(3:23) 10. Subtle Slough
(4:09) 11. That Old Blue Magic
(3:02) 12. Blue Skies
(2:43) 13. I Found A New Baby
(4:25) 14. Variations On A Theme
(2:39) 15. Mulholland Drive

André Previn was just 16 years old when he recorded the earliest numbers on Previn at Sunset, but he was already a brilliant pianist and a busy arranger at the MGM studios. Most (but not quite all) of the recordings that he made for the Sunset and Monarch labels, among the earliest in his career, are here. A major swing stylist who had not yet been affected by bop, Previn is heard on some unaccompanied solos; in three different trios with such sidemen as guitarists Dave Barbour or Irving Ashby, bassists John Simmons, Eddie Safranski, or Red Callender, and drummer Lee Young; and a couple of jam tunes ("All the Things You Are" and "I Found a New Baby") with a sextet also either Buddy Childers or Howard McGhee on trumpet, altoist Willie Smith, and Vido Musso on tenor. The small group swing performances are quite enjoyable, and the teenage pianist easily keeps up with the other, more famous players. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/previn-at-sunset-mw0000121441

Personnel: Piano – André Previn;  Alto Saxophone – Willie Smith; Bass – Eddie Safranski , John Simmons, Red Callender; Drums – Lee Young; Guitar – Dave Barbour, Irving Ashby; Tenor Saxophone – Vido Musso; Trumpet – Buddy Childers, Howard McGhee

R.I.P.
Died: February 28, 2019, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States 

Born: April 6, 1929, Berlin, Germany

Previn At Sunset

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Sonny Stitt - Autumn In New York

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:14
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:51)  1. Stardust
( 4:16)  2. Cherokee
( 4:45)  3. Autumn In New York
( 3:36)  4. The Gypsy
( 5:21)  5. Loverman
(10:53)  6. Matter Horns
( 7:01)  7. Hello
( 7:29)  8. Night Work

Autumn in New York combines together four selections from a quintet session featuring altoist Sonny Stitt, trumpeter Howard McGhee, pianist Walter Bishop, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Kenny Clarke (three boppish blues and a Stitt feature on "Lover Man") with four selections showcasing Stitt with unknown accompaniment from a 1962 date at Birdland. The saxophonist recorded so many sessions that it is not necessary to acquire them all to get a good sampling of his playing, particularly since his style was virtually unchanged after the mid-'50s. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/autumn-in-new-york-mw0000315962

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Sonny Stitt;   Bass – Tommy Potter;  Drums – Kenny Clarke;   Piano – Walter Bishop;  Trumpet – Howard McGhee

Autumn In New York

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Howard McGhee - Maggie: The Savoy Sessions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:22
Size: 158.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1995/2009
Art: Front

[2:06] 1. Merry Lee
[1:55] 2. Short Life
[2:49] 3. Talk Of The Town
[2:58] 4. Bass C Jam
[2:46] 5. Down Home
[2:58] 6. Sweet And Lovely
[2:08] 7. Fiesta
[2:53] 8. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:44] 9. Belle From Bunnycock
[2:29] 10. Flip Lip
[2:45] 11. The Man I Love
[2:21] 12. The Last Word
[4:16] 13. Medley Royal Garden Blues, Mood Indigo, St. Louis Blues
[2:36] 14. One O'clock Jump
[2:00] 15. Stormy Weather
[3:45] 16. The Man With A Horn
[2:11] 17. Stompin' At The Savoy
[5:18] 18. Lady Be Good
[3:06] 19. Stardust
[4:57] 20. How High The Moon
[3:26] 21. Don't Blame Me
[3:22] 22. Body And Soul
[3:24] 23. Harvest Time

This single CD put out by the Japanese Denon label has 23 of the 27 selections put out a decade earlier on a two-LP set. Worse than the omissions was the decision to duplicate the liner notes and reprint them so small as to be microscopic. The first half of this set is actually quite good, featuring trumpeter Howard McGhee jamming with a talented sextet that co-stars altoist Jimmy Heath and vibraphonist Milt Jackson and with another group that has solo space for Billy Eckstine on his surprisingly effective valve trombone. The remainder of the CD is much weaker, music recorded in Guam by McGhee, trombonist J.J. Johnson and tenor saxophonist Rudy Williams with a pianoless rhythm trio. Guitarist Skeeter Best is not strong enough to make up for the lack of a piano and some of the repertoire (including an attempt at a brief history-of-jazz) does not work that well. It is best to hold on to the original two-LP set. Otherwise, this CD is mostly recommended for the two earlier dates. ~Scott Yanow

Maggie: The Savoy Sessions

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Howard McGhee - Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:54
Size: 82.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Sonny Boy
[2:26] 2. So Blue
[3:01] 3. Broken Hearted
[3:11] 4. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:13] 5. Good News Just Imagine
[2:59] 6. I'm A Dreamer Aren't We All
[3:05] 7. My Song
[2:49] 8. The Best Things In Life Are Free
[2:50] 9. Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
[2:06] 10. Together
[3:10] 11. Come To Me
[3:09] 12. My Sin

Howard McGhee (tp) Danny Bank, Phil Bonder, Sid Brown, Leon Cohen, Herbie Mann (sax) Donn Trenner (p) Al Caiola (g) Arnold Fishkin (b) Osie Johnson, Don Lamond (d) Frank Hunter (arr, dir) recorded NYC, February 14 & 15, 1956.

An orchestral setting for McGhee’s distinctive trumpet, treading a narrow path between jazz and Fifties Hollywood music score. Consisting entirely of familiar standards and a little sacharin at times, it nevertheless has its moments, and you could be forgiven for thinking you had somehow been transported back in time to the Nineteen Fifties.

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

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Howard McGhee - Dusty Blue Remembered

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:13
Size: 80.6 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1960/2012
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Dusty Blue
[3:29] 2. Park Avenue Petite
[5:49] 3. Flyin' Colors
[4:17] 4. Groovin' High
[3:20] 5. The Sound Of Music
[4:05] 6. I Concentrate On You
[2:52] 7. Sleep Talk
[3:59] 8. With Malice Towards None
[4:27] 9. Cottage For Sale

Howard McGhee (tp) Bennie Green (tb) Roland Alexander (ts) Pepper Adams (bars) Tommy Flanagan (p) Ron Carter (b) Walter Bolden (d) recorded NYC, June 13, 1960.

McGhee had been one of bop’s premier league of trumpet-players since the Forties, alongside Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham and notable for his collaborations with Fats Navarro, a fellow addict. Few had his mastery of the instrument, however his musical career in the Fifties was dogged by spells in prison as a consequence of his addiction, as was the case with Art Pepper and many other jazz musicians. Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock” had more truth to it than people at the time imagined – Jailhouse Bop.

Dusty Blue, released in 1960 by Bethlehem, is one of the highlights of his Sixties comeback, and sees him teamed with some of long-standing bop collaborators like Bennie Green Tommy Flanagan and Pepper Adams, as they all slide seamlessly into the groove.

Dusty Blue Remembered

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James Moody - Cookin' The Blues And Another Bag

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:19
Size: 174.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:40] 1. The Jazz Twist
[5:55] 2. One For Nat
[5:39] 3. Bunny Boo
[4:19] 4. Moody Flooty
[5:51] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:15] 6. Disappointed
[2:51] 7. Sister Sadie
[2:12] 8. Little Buck
[6:19] 9. Home Fries
[4:45] 10. Sassy Lady
[7:46] 11. Ally Parts 1, 2, 3
[3:09] 12. Spastic
[3:16] 13. Minuet In G
[6:52] 14. Cup Bearers
[5:29] 15. The Day After
[2:53] 16. Pleyel D'jamie

Twofer: Tracks #1-9, from the album “Cookin' the Blues” (Argo LPS 756); Tracks #10-16, from the album “Another Bag” (Argo LPS 695). James Moody (as), Howard McGhee (tp), Bernard McKinney (tb), Musa Kaleem (bs), Sonny Donaldson (p), Steve Davis (b), Arnold Enlow (d), Eddie Jefferson (vcl) / Paul Serrano (tp), John Avant (tb), Kenny Barron (p), Ernest Oulaw (b), Marshall Thompson (d). James Moody’s full-bodied sound on tenor was always original and hard swinging, but as he demonstrated leading these fine small bands, he felt equally at home playing alto sax or flute.

“Cookin’ the Blues”, the first album here, features his septet recorded live at the Jazz Workshop in June 1961, during his tour on the West Coast. Moody, wonderfully relaxed and in good form, fronts a band (with trumpeter Howard McGhee in his come back to the coast) offering inspired performances and more musical content than groups with a bigger name. Eddie Jefferson was also was one of the moving forces behind the whole show, with his humorous, and happily frantic singing.

All seven songs in “Another Bag”—the second album of this compilation—are excellent originals. Tom McIntosh, arranger on the date, contributed five, with his craftsmanship throughout distinguished by skillful voicings, interesting harmonic structures and beautiful melodies, somewhat reminiscent of the writing of Tadd Dameron and Gigi Gryce. Besides a forceful and driving Moody, the group features the consistently effective Paul Serrano on trumpet and the excellent solo and comping of pianist Kenny Barron.

Cookin' The Blues And Another Bag

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Howard McGhee - Maggie's Back In Town

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:36

Size: 97.5 MB

Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1961/2011

Art: Front

[ 7:49] 1. Demon Chase

[ 4:22] 2. Willow Weep For Me

[ 3:14] 3. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

[ 5:13] 4. Sunset Eyes

[10:39] 5. Maggie's Back In Town

[ 3:12] 6. Summertime

[ 8:03] 7. Brownie Speaks

Trumpeter Howard McGhee, after spending much of the 1950s only partly active in music (due to drug problems), made a full-fledged comeback in the early '60s only to find his bop-oriented music out of fashion. This Contemporary set (reissued on CD in the OJC series) was McGhee's finest recording of the period, a quartet outing with brilliant pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne. Although tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards is not on the date, two of his compositions (his famous "Sunset Eyes" and a tribute to the trumpeter, "Maggie's Back in Town") are fully explored by the quartet. Other titles include three standards plus McGhee's original blues "Demon Chase." This CD is a perfect starting point for listeners not familiar with the underrated (and often overlooked) Howard McGhee. ~Scott Yanow

Maggie's Back In Town

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