Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:33
Size: 102,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:34) 1. The All Seeing Eye
(11:48) 2. Genesis
( 6:57) 3. Chaos
( 5:32) 4. Face Of The Deep
( 9:40) 5. Mephistopheles

With such titles as "The All Seeing Eye," "Genesis," "Chaos," "Face of the Deep," and "Mephistopheles," it is clear from the start that the music on this LP is not basic bop and blues. Wayne Shorter (who composed four of the five originals) picked an all-star cast (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, altoist James Spaulding, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers, along with brother Alan Shorter on flügelhorn for the final song) to perform and interpret the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-all-seeing-eye-mw0000097755

Personnel: Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn; Grachan Moncur III – trombone; James Spaulding – alto saxophone; Herbie Hancock – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Joe Chambers – drums; Alan Shorter – flugelhorn (track 5 only)

The All Seeing Eye

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Billy Bang - Vietnam: Reflections

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:05
Size: 161,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:49) 1. Reflections
( 3:23) 2. Ru con
(12:36) 3. Lock And Load
( 2:20) 4. Ly Ngua O
( 9:21) 5. Doi moi
( 8:23) 6. Reconciliation
( 6:48) 7. Waltz of the Water Puppets
( 2:29) 8. Trong Com
(12:52) 9. Reconciliation 2

With his previous record, Vietnam: The Aftermath, violinist, veteran, and anti-war activist Billy Bang exorcized some of the demons that continued to haunt him for thirty years following his return from a tour of duty in Vietnam in the '60s. With Vietnam: Reflections, an album that blends traditional Vietnamese folk melodies with modal grooves and tender ballads, he moves further towards reconciliation. It doesn't exactly shake any musical foundations, but that's not the point of this deeply personal project that finds Bang surrounded by a number of other Vietnam veterans trumpeter Ted Daniels, drummer Michael Carvin, percussionist Ron Brown, and conductor Butch Morris in addition to pianist John Hicks, saxophonist/flautist James Spaulding, multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill (this time heard solely on flute), and bassist Curtis Lundy.

The inclusion of singer Co Boi Nguyen and Nhan Thanh Ngo on dan tranh, a sixteen-string zither, finds Bang moving towards a point that, despite experiences that have inexorably altered the lives of Americans and Vietnamese alike, also looks to moving on and finding nexus points between two very different cultures. Bang's own compositions are informed with a significant shade of blue and fashion their melodies after Oriental pentatonics in the same way that Coltrane integrated Indian harmonies in his music. And by interspersing them with traditional Vietnamese songs, Bang creates a moving work that, even with its sometimes melancholic nature, is ultimately filled with hope and healing.

Even the structure of the album is pointed towards resolution and a joining of cultures. "Reflections starts with a modal vamp that gets moving in a relaxed way, with Bang's oriental-informed theme not entering until nearly the two-minute mark. This piece, like the third track, the equally groove-based and modal "Lock & Load, is more about creating a simple, open-ended context for the soloists, rather than any developed compositional concerns. But the interspersing of the traditional pieces "Ru Con and "Ly Ngua O performed by Nguyen, Ngo, and Bang after "Reflections and "Lock & Load, respectively, paints a picture of cultural division, at least at first.

But then the haunting ballad "Doi Moi paves the way for the first of two takes on "Reconciliation 1, where the American and Vietnamese musicians finally join together and, for the rest of the nearly seventy-minute record, even when the musicians go their own separate ways as they do on the beautiful "Waltz of the Water Puppets and the traditional "Trong Com the precedent has been set, so that by the time of the album's closer, a more upbeat reading of "Reconciliation 2, the mood has become considerably brighter.

While Bang first got his credentials in more avant-garde and free jazz settings, his most recent work has moved closer to the centre, sounding more mainstream and certainly more approachable. Still, despite the more straight-ahead direction of Vietnam: Reflections, there's no sense of pandering. Instead it's all about finding common ground and the potential for beauty in the simplest of contexts.By John Kelman
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/vietnam-reflections-billy-bang-justin-time-records-review-by-john-kelman

Personnel: Billy Bang (violin); James Spaulding (alto sax, flute); Henry Threadgill (flute); Ted Daniel (trumpet); Butch Morris (conductor); John Hicks (piano); Curtis Lundy (bass); Michael Carvin (drums); Ron Brown (percussion); Co Boi Nguyen (vocalist); Nhan Thanh Ngo (dan tranh)

Vietnam: Reflections

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The Duke Pearson Nonet - Honeybuns

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:01
Size: 71.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1965/2012
Art: Front

[7:04] 1. Honeybuns
[5:14] 2. New Girl
[4:18] 3. You Know I Care
[4:17] 4. Is That So
[4:09] 5. Our Love
[5:57] 6. Heavy Legs

Alto Saxophone – James Spaulding; Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet – Pepper Adams; Bass – Bob Cranshaw; Drums – Mickey Roker; Flute – Les Spann; Piano – Duke Pearson; Trombone – Garnett Brown; Trumpet – Johnny Coles.

This 1998 Koch CD reissues a Duke Pearson LP from 1966, containing music from the previous year. Other than "Our Love" (a familiar classical theme adapted to American pop music by Larry Clinton), all six selections are originals by the pianist. Utilizing a nonet that includes trumpeter Johnny Coles (who does his best to be soulful on "Honeybuns"), trombonist Garnett Brown, flutist Les Spann, altoist James Spaulding, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, baritonist Pepper Adams, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Mickey Roker, Pearson performs music in a style that would have fit in quite well on Blue Note. Most memorable among his originals is "Is That So." This is not an essential date, but it is nice to have this rarity back in print again. ~Scott Yaow

Honeybuns mc
Honeybuns zippy

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McCoy Tyner - Tender Moments

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:11
Size: 89,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. Mode To John
(6:54)  2. Man From Tanganyika
(6:07)  3. The High Priest
(7:39)  4. Utopia
(6:05)  5. All My Yesterdays
(5:40)  6. Lee Plus Three

Now 66 years old, McCoy Tyner has made countless albums and become an elder statesman of jazz. He is certainly best known as the pianist in the transformational John Coltrane Quartet of the '60s, but it was with Blue Note recordings like this one from 1967, recently reissued in remastered form, that he revealed his personality as a composer, arranger, and soloist. Tender Moments was one of Tyner's first major explorations of the world of colors and textures available through arrrangements for large ensemble. He gathered together some of his musical friends (some of whom had recorded for Blue Note already) and created settings for them which showcased their ensemble and solo prowess, as well as his own burgeoning skills as a colorist and architect. Tenor saxophonist Bennie Maupin and flautist James Spaulding offer some of their finest solo work, adding rich dimensions to Tyner's themes, particularly on "Man from Tanganyika and "The High Priest. And Lee Morgan a fellow Philadelphian is his ever-soulful and assured self, particularly on his blues feature "Lee Plus Three, where it's just Morgan with piano, bass, and drums.

From the beginning, we are in the presence of someone concerned with texture. The low brass beautifully complements the lighter statement of "Mode to John, Tyner's tribute to his old boss. On the jaunty and rhythmic "Man from Tanganyika, the flute and piano tandem on the theme and then the brass players' coloration gives the tune its clear shape. Tyner's tribute to Monk is quite original he has created a Monkish theme and some intriguing horn lines and fills, without for a second sacrificing the sound that we know as his own. As in all his solo passages, Tyner manages to be subtle, engaging, and yet the same player who so drove the Coltrane band. The album's high point is the album's tenderest moment: the gorgeous "All My Yesterdays. It's a true ballad with an exquisitely slow tempo all the way through and low brass that is all about color. Tyner's solo is uncharacteristically gentle. Tender Moments is all about architecture and scene painting, and as such it stands as a key marker in the recorded career path of one of the music's most individual artists. ~ Donald Elfman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tender-moments-mccoy-tyner-blue-note-records-review-by-donald-elfman.php

Personnel: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; James Spaulding, alto saxophone, flute; Bennie Maupin, tenor saxophone; Bob Northern, French horn; Howard Johnson, tuba; McCoy Tyner, piano; Herbie Lewis, bass; Joe Chambers, drums.

Tender Moments

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Donald Brown - Cause and Effect

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:03
Size: 156,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. The Power of the Drums
(6:25)  2. I Should Care
(7:45)  3. A Free Man?
(8:08)  4. Cause and Effect
(6:58)  5. Theme for Mandela
(7:09)  6. Black Narcissus
(7:14)  7. Daddy's Girl Cynthia
(7:12)  8. The Smile of the Snake
(6:23)  9. Man in a State of Nature (Part 1)
(4:44) 10. Man in a State of Nature (Part 2)

A really wonderful little album from pianist Donald Brown deeply soulful, and in ways that go beyond just his work on piano! There's some great higher-concept ideas going on here bits of culture and philosophy folded into the music, courtesy of recitations by Marlon Saunders on a handful of tracks the oft-overlooked legacy of soul jazz that extended well past the 70s, at a time when this sort of music was often an expression for deeper thoughts in the years before hip hop dominated such territory too strongly. 

Brown's got some great help on the date too tenor from Joe Henderson, flute from James Spaulding, and vibes from Steve Nelson plus bass from Ron Carter and drums from either Kenny Washington or Carl Allen, both the kind of players who get the rhythmic pulse of the record right. Titles include "A Free Man","The Power Of The Drums", "Black Narcissus", "Man In A State Of Nature", "Daddy's Girl Cynthia", and "Cause & Effect". (Out of print.)  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/497070

Personnel: Donald Brown (piano), Marlon Saunders (vocals, narration), Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone), James Spaulding (flute), Steve Nelson (vibraphone, marimba), Ron Carter (bass), Carl Allen, Kenny Washington (drums), Rudy Bird, Donald Eaton (percussion), Lenora Helm (background vocals).

Cause and Effect

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Wayne Shorter - The Soothsayer

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:07
Size: 115,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:16)  1. Lost
(4:51)  2. Angola
(6:42)  3. Angola (alternate take)
(8:23)  4. The Big Push
(9:40)  5. The Soothsayer
(5:36)  6. Lady Day
(7:37)  7. Valse Triste

A good month for tenor saxophone connoisseurs, April 2008, with a second Rudy Van Gelder re-master released alongside Ike Quebec's signature Blue & Sentimental (Blue Note, 2008). The Soothsayer may be comparably less of a benchmark in Wayne Shorter's discography, and remains to some extent overshadowed by its close contemporary Speak No Evil (Blue Note, 1964), but it's a solid and enduring album despite 15 years between the recording session and the original LP release. Things were happening big time for Shorter in early 1965, when The Soothsayer was recorded. After five years with drummer and band leader Art Blakey as musician, composer and, finally, musical director, the saxophonist had recently joined trumpeter Miles Davis' second great quintet. With Davis, Shorter would record six studio albums over the next three years the first, E.S.P. (Columbia, 1965) was recorded two months before The Soothsayer plus a further four under his own name. There was an embarrassment of Shorter riches around, and The Soothsayer was initially shelved to make way for the release of the more structurally adventurous The All Seeing Eye (Blue Note, 1965). When Shorter left Davis and joined Weather Report, The Soothsayer, temporarily, was overtaken by events. It was finally released in 1980. The album finds Shorter in the company of two Davis quintet colleagues bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams together with pianist McCoy Tyner, then a member of saxophonist John Coltrane's classic quartet, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and the relatively unsung alto saxophonist James Spaulding. Hubbard and Carter had been retained from Speak No Evil; Tyner had been featured on the earlier Shorter albums Night Dreamer (Blue Note, 1964) and Ju Ju (Blue Note, 1964). Spaulding and Williams were new recruits. Shorter's virile playing aside, the album is worthwhile for the presence of drum prodigy Williams (Shorter's regular drummers of the time were Elvin Jones and Joe Chambers) who turns in an inventive solo on "Angola" and for the strength of Shorter's writing. The triple meter, medium groove "Lost," the opener, is quintessential Shorter of the period. Eight years before the release of The Soothsayer it was featured on Weather Report's Live In Tokyo (Columbia, 1972). "Angola," which follows, sounds like it could have been written earlier, for Blakey's band. The haunting "Lady Day" is a ballad tribute to singer Billie Holiday. Of interest too is Shorter's re-arrangement of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius' pretty "Valse Triste" on Speak No Evil, Shorter had credited Sibelius as a key inspiration for that album's "Dance Cadaverous." The word "deconstruction" may not have been common jazz parlance in 1965, but deconstruct is exactly what Shorter does here, sensitively and engagingly. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-soothsayer-wayne-shorter-blue-note-records-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone; James Spaulding: alto saxophone; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; McCoy Tyner: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Tony Williams: drums.

The Soothsayer

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James Spaulding - James Spaulding Plays The Legacy Of Duke Ellington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:30
Size: 95.0 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1976/2012
Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Take The 'a' Train
[5:53] 2. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:28] 3. Come Sunday
[5:27] 4. Caravan
[2:11] 5. I Love You Madly
[4:34] 6. Lucky So And So
[6:20] 7. Sophisticated Lady
[7:02] 8. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Avery Brooks - Vocals; Billy Higgins - Drums; Sam Jones - Bass; James Mtume - Congas, Percussion; Steve Nelson - Vibraharp, Vibraphone; James Spaulding - Flute, Flute (Bass), Flute (Tenor), Piccolo, Primary Artist, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano); Cedar Walton - Piano.

Despite being a top altoist and flutist since at least the mid-'60s, when he played with Freddie Hubbard's band, James Spaulding did not get his recording debut as a leader until this 1976 LP. Spaulding, on various flutes, piccolo, soprano and alto, performs eight songs associated with Duke Ellington, including "Take the 'A' Train" (a Billy Strayhorn composition mistakenly co-credited in the liners to Duke), "Come Sunday," an impressive flute showcase on "Sophisticated Lady" and "It Don't Mean a Thing." Spaulding is joined by pianist Cedar Walton, a young Steve Nelson on vibes, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Billy Higgins and percussionist Mtume. The most unusual aspect of this set is that Avery Brooks (who has a deep baritone that Ellington might have liked) sings four of the eight songs. A sincere tribute. ~Scott Yanow

James Spaulding Plays The Legacy Of Duke Ellington mc
James Spaulding Plays The Legacy Of Duke Ellington zippy

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Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 138.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1962/1999/2014
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. You're My Everything
[5:27] 2. Prophet Jennings
[8:19] 3. Hub-Tones
[9:36] 4. Lament For Booker
[8:33] 5. For Spee's Sake
[6:25] 6. You're My Everything (Alternate Take)
[7:55] 7. Hub-Tones (Alternate Take)
[7:51] 8. For Spee's Sake (Alternate Take)

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard teams up on record with James Spaulding (who doubles on alto and flute) for the first time on this excellent set, with the assistance of pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Clifford Jarvis. The quintet performs four of the trumpeter's originals (including "Lament for Booker" and the title cut) plus an advanced version of the standard "You're My Everything." John Coltrane's modal music was starting to influence Hubbard's conception and his own playing was pushing the modern mainstream ahead without really entering the avant-garde.

Hub-Tones mc
Hub-Tones zippy

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Archie Shepp - Things Have Got to Change!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:44
Size: 86,4 MB
Art: Front

(18:21)  1. Monet Blues
( 2:29)  2. Dr. King, The Peaceful Warrior
(16:53)  3. Things Have Got to Change

Things Have Got to Change is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1971 on the Impulse! label. The album features a performance by Shepp with a large ensemble and vocal choir. The album "solidified the saxophonists reputation as a soulful, yet radical free jazz artist motivated by social commentary and cultural change". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Have_Got_to_Change

Personnel:  Archie Shepp: tenor and soprano saxophone;  James Spaulding: alto saxophone, piccolo;  Roy Burrows, Ted Daniel: trumpet;  Charles Greenlee, Grachan Moncur III: trombone;  Howard Johnson: baritone saxophone;  Dave Burrell: electric piano;  Billy Butler, David Spinozza: guitar;  Roland Wilson: electric bass;  Beaver Harris: drums;  Ollie Anderson, Hetty "Bunchy" Fox, Calo Scott, Juma Sultan: percussion;  Joe Lee Wilson: lead vocal;  Anita Branham, Claudette Brown, Barbara Parsons, Ernestina Parsons, Jody Shayne, Anita Shepp, Johnny Shepp, Sharon Shepp: vocals

Things Have Got to Change!

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Max Roach - Drums Unlimited

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop, Post-Bop 
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:40
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

( 3:36)  1. The Drum Also Waltzes
(12:47)  2. Nommo
( 4:23)  3. Drums Unlimited
( 5:24)  4. St.Louis Blues
( 3:05)  5. For Big Sid
(12:25)  6. In The Red (A Xmas Carol)

Other than a trio set with the legendary pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali, this set was Max Roach's only recording as a leader during 1963-67. Three of the six numbers ("Nommo," "St. Louis Blues" and "In the Red") find Roach heading a group that includes trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, altoist James Spaulding, pianist Ronnie Mathews, bassist Jymie Merritt and, on "St. Louis Blues," Roland Alexander on soprano. Their music is essentially advanced hard-bop with a generous amount of space taken up by Roach's drum solos. 

The other three selections ("The Drum Also Waltzes," "Drums Unlimited" and "For Big Sid") are unaccompanied features for Max Roach and because of the melodic and logically-planned nature of his improvisations, they continually hold on to one's attention. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/drums-unlimited-mw0000312587

Personnel: Max Roach (drums); Roland Alexander (soprano saxophone); James Spaulding (alto saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Ronnie Mathews (piano).        

Drums Unlimited

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James Spaulding - Escapade

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:15
Size: 133,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Escapade
(6:42)  2. Cheesecake
(5:16)  3. Warm Valley
(5:10)  4. Madeline
(4:50)  5. Just One of Those Things
(6:36)  6. Grant's Tune
(6:47)  7. High Modes
(5:08)  8. The Break Through
(5:27)  9. It Could Happen to You
(6:21) 10. La Mesha

Well-swung standards and compositions of Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green and Hank Mobley are tapped for revision. Don Sickler (trumpet/flugelhorn) joins Spaulding for eight of the ten tracks, with the immaculate trio of pianist John Hicks, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington as support. Spaulding's tart-sweet alto sax has never sounded better, while his pristine flute playing is easily in the top ten of late-'90s jazz performers. The CD is bookended by Dorham's music, the opening title track a flute/flugelhorn traipse through classic Blue Notesville in a light Afro-Cuban beat, the closer "La Mesha" a flute/flugel ballad. Mobley's music comes back to back, as jungle toms and light bluesy swing signify the easy mood of "High Modes," with flute and muted trumpet in unison, while the classic post-bop vehicle "The Breakthrough" has alto and trumpet strutting their stuff and puffing their chests. Gordon's similarly classic bopper "Cheesecake" has Sickler's flugelhorn playing a countermelody vis a vis Spaulding's standard alto line, and they do the same for the hip, churning melody of Grant Green's "Grant's Tune," except that Spaulding changes up on the tenor-led original by using his flute. The three numbers without Sickler are the scorching bop of "Just One of Those Things," the easy bossa beat of Duke Ellington's "Warm Valley," and the ballad treatment, on flute, of the final Mobley piece "Madeline." Spaulding shows a consistency within mainstream parameters, a real sense of teamwork with these worthy session mates, and a willingness to take chances. 

~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/escapade-mw0000603776

Personnel:  James Spaulding (alto saxophone, flute, bass flute);  Don Sickler (trumpet, flugelhorn);  John Hicks (piano);  Ray Drummond (bass);  Kenny Washington (drums)

Escapade

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James Spaulding - Smile of the Snake

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Third Avenue
(5:51)  2. Serenity
(6:07)  3. The Smile of the Snake
(4:58)  4. Lenora
(7:20)  5. Tonight Only
(7:00)  6. Premonition
(5:46)  7. Yes It Is
(5:08)  8. Panchito
(5:51)  9. Love Is Not a Dream
(5:48) 10. Havana Days (Cuba 1954)

One of the most underrated saxophonists of the post-1960 era, James Spaulding has long been a passionate postbop altoist and a warm flutist. On this superior outing he is heard in top form on both of his axes (plus two appearances on bass flute) in a quartet with pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Ron McClure and drummer Tony Reedus. Producer Donald Sickler helped advise Spaulding on the material and the result is a high-quality set of obscurities by Wyands, McClure, Clifford Jordan, Donald Brown, Geoff Keezer and Idrees Sulieman. Spaulding digs into the songs, displays a great deal of versatility and certainly has his fiery moments. One of James Spaulding's finest allround recordings. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/smile-of-the-snake-mw0000038736

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – James Spaulding;  Bass – Ron McClure;  Drums – Tony Reedus;  Flute – James Spaulding;  Flute [Bass Flute] – James Spaulding;  Piano – Richard Wyands

Smile of the Snake

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