Hank Mobley - Jazz Message #2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:14
Size: 74,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:51)  1. Thad's Blues
(6:40)  2. Doug's Mino B' Ok
(6:31)  3. B. For B.B.
(4:58)  4. Blues Number Two
(4:11)  5. Space Flight

Impressive lineups, both in the front line and the rhythm section, fuel the two 1956 sessions on this Savoy reissue. The players are committed, the writing is good, and the performances reward repeated listening. The result is a worthwhile precursor to the industry standard hard bop Mobley would later record for Blue Note.Lee Morgan, then 18, joins Mobley on two tracks that have pianist Hank Jones, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor in the rhythm section. Even if Morgan at this time was audibly still growing as a trumpet player, his poise, execution, and resourceful imagination were already the tools of a master. Donald Byrd, on form and playing with crispness and authority, moves into the trumpet chair for the three remaining tracks. This time it's Barry Harris on piano, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Watkins (again) on bass. The influence on Mobley of swing era tenors, from Lester Young to Illinois Jacquet, can be clearly heard on these tracks. Mobley's respect for and understanding of the pre-bebop style serve him well in his contribution to the development of the predominant jazz style that followed bebop. In addition to three Mobley originals, there is a blues by Thad Jones and another from Watkins. The standout track is Mobley's "Space Flight," a bright, up-tempo bop number that has memorable solos from Mobley, Byrd, Harris, and Clarke. The recording on this CD is very good but, as is common on Savoy reissues, the running time isn't long 32 minutes in the case of this jazz message. ~ Jim Todd https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-jazz-message-of-hank-mobley-vol-2-mw0000098294

Personnel: Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone; Donald Byrd - trumpet; Barry Harris - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Kenny Clarke - drums

Jazz Message #2

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Kenny Burrell - Jazzmen Detroit

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 77,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Afternoon in Paris
(4:46)  2. You Turned the Tables on Me
(5:28)  3. Apothegm
(5:21)  4. Your Host
(5:37) 5. Cottontail
(6:40)  6. Tom's Thumb

This Savoy CD lists Kenny Burrell as session leader, but it is clearly a group effort that could easily have been attributed to Pepper Adams or pianist Tommy Flanagan. Burrell has the edge, though, in writing credits with the contribution of two tunes: the quietly assured "Your Host" and the bluesy, hard bop line "Tom's Thumb." Adams offers his leisurely, sophisticated "Apothegm" to the date. Flanagan, for his part, is pure elegance, subtlety, and swing. With the exception of drummer Kenny Clarke, all the players hail from the motor city.

Coming up through the same hometown music scene may help account for the fine group interplay. It's also apparent the musicians had the luxury of working through these six tunes before sitting down to record. The result does full justice to the fine writing and arranging and allows for thoughtfully developed improvisations. Ensemble entries are crisp and assured, as are the entrances by all soloists. Burrell favors a dry, clean attack here, while Adams reins in his more full-throated tendencies. Clarke, Flanagan, and bassist Paul Chambers support with consummate taste. The overall mood may be a bit too polite, but this remains a classy, near classic performance. There's no padding, although, at 33 minutes, the running time is brief. The sound recording is excellent.By Jim Todd  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazzmen-detroit-mw0000097797

Personnel: Kenny Burrell (guitar); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Jazzmen Detroit

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Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd - The Birth Of Hard Bop Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: The Birth Of Hard Bop  Disc 1

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:18
Size: 146,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. Budo
(6:58)  2. I Married An Angel
(8:02)  3. The Jazz Message
(5:49)  4. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:06)  5. Cattin' - Alternate Take
(4:37)  6. Cattin'
(4:41)  7. Madeline
(3:45)  8. When I Fall In Love
(4:20)  9. Space Flight - Previously Unissued
(4:12) 10. Space Flight
(5:18) 11. Blues Number Two - Previously Unissued
(4:56) 12. Blues Number Two

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Album: The Birth Of Hard Bop  Disc 2

Time: 64:36

Size: 149,2 MB

(6:30)  1. B. For B.B. - Previously Unissued

(6:28)  2. B. For B.B.

(7:01)  3. Hank's Shout

(7:53)  4. Bet

(8:53)  5. Nostalagia

(9:49)  6. Thad's Blues

(5:31)  7. A-1

(5:48)  8. A-1 - Alternate Take

(6:37)  9. Doug's Minor Bouk

This 2-CD set, introducing the Savoy Jazz Rare Sessions series, contains the reissue of four 1956 Savoy albums: The Jazz Message Of Hank Mobley, Hard Bop, The Jazz Message Of Hank Mobley, Volume 2 and A-1: The Savoy Sessions. It includes alternate takes and previously unissued tracks that serve an important purpose. Here, "Cattin’," for example, is played at different tempos: Bird-like on the alternate take with different featured soloists. The version originally issued is looser and more representative of hard bop. "Space Flight," on the other hand, is virtually the same on both takes. Minor flaws in the recorded sound were most likely caused when performers turned away from the microphone. The unissued track of "Blues Number Two" contains serious sound problems as well as artist miscues. But there’s more. The alternate track was performed at a faster bebop tempo without as much soulful expression as that evident in the issued take.

By including the alternate track, Savoy is giving the listener an opportunity to hear what was considered desirable in the recording studio: better sound and a genuine, gospel-influenced, blues-based expression.While the previously unissued take of "B. for B.B." is obviously inferior, both in its poor sound balance and in the faster, uninspired mood; "A-1" appears as two different arrangements, both of great value but independent of each other. Each session leader is well represented. Sweet ballads and driving jams feature the Byrd/Mobley quintet as well as the Morgan/Mobley quintet. Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley appear on the last 7 tracks. Over two hours in length, Savoy’s reissue offers early glimpses of several pioneers, four very different pianists, and an introduction to what folks began calling hard bop. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-birth-of-hard-bop-lee-morgan-savoy-jazz-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan- trumpet; Hank Mobley- tenor saxophone; John LaPorta- alto saxophone; Horace Silver, Ronnie Ball, Barry Harris, Hank Jones- piano; Wendell Marshall, Doug Watkins- bass; Kenny Clarke, Arthur Taylor- drums. 

The Birth Of Hard Bop Disc 1, Disc 2

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Miles Davis - Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1956

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:12

Size: 98,5 MB

Art: Front

( 7:59)  1. The Man I Love (Take 2)

(10:46)  2. Swing Spring

( 5:24)  3. 'Round Midnight

( 9:32)  4. Bemsha Swing

( 8:29)  5. The Man I Love (Take 1)

Including sessions recorded the same day as those on Bags Groove, this album includes more classic performances from the date that matched together trumpeter Miles Davis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, pianist Thelonious Monk, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Kenny Clarke. Davis and Monk actually did not get along all that well, and the trumpeter did not want Monk playing behind his solos. Still, a great deal of brilliant music occurred on the day of their encounter, including "The Man I Love," "Bemsha Swing," and "Swing Spring." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/miles-davis-and-the-modern-jazz-giants-mw0000199989

Personnel:  Miles Davis – trumpet;  John Coltrane – tenor saxophone;  Milt Jackson – vibraphone;  Thelonious Monk – piano;  Red Garland – piano;  Percy Heath – bass;  Paul Chambers – bass;  Kenny Clarke – drums;  Philly Joe Jones – drums

Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants

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Julius Watkins Sextet - Volumes 1 & 2

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:21) 1. Linda Delia
(5:09) 2. Perpetuation
(4:28) 3. I Have Known
(4:53) 4. Leete
(4:45) 5. Garden Delights
(3:35) 6. Julie Ann
(4:18) 7. Sparkling Burgundy
(5:00) 8. B And B
(4:45) 9. Jor-du

Before the rise of bebop, the French horn was never heard as an improvising instrument in jazz. John Graas, who worked with Stan Kenton and Shorty Rogers, was the first jazz French horn player to lead his own record date, in 1953. However, Julius Watkins soon surpassed him as a major soloist and would be the top jazz French horn player to emerge until the 1990s. He appeared as a soloist on a Thelonious Monk date in 1953 next to Sonny Rollins, and in 1954-1955 recorded music for a pair of very rare Blue Note 10" LPs. All of the latter performances are on this CD reissue.

The 42 minutes of music find Watkins heading sextets with either Frank Foster or Hank Mobley on tenor, guitarist Perry Lopez, George Butcher or Duke Jordan on piano, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums. The French horn/tenor front line is an attractive sound (substitute Watkins for a trombonist, and one has the Jazz Crusaders); when Watkins formed Les Jazz Modes (which lasted for five years) a few years later, he would use Charlie Rouse as his tenor.

The French horn might be a difficult instrument, but Watkins played it with the warmth of a trombone and nearly the fluidity of a trumpet. All nine straight-ahead selections on his CD are group originals, with Duke Jordan's future standard "Jordu" being heard in one of its earliest versions. Overall, the music fits into the modern mainstream of the period. This early effort by Julius Watkins is easily recommended.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/julius-watkins-sextet-vols-1-2-mw0000601261

Personnel: French Horn – Julius Watkins; Bass – Oscar Pettiford; Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 5 to 9), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 4); ; Guitar – Perry Lopez; Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: 5 to 9), George Butcher (tracks: 1 to 4); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 1 to 4), Hank Mobley (tracks: 5 to 9)

Sextet Volumes 1 & 2

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Maurice Vander, Kenny Clarke, Pierre Michelot - Jazz At The Blue Note

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:59
Size: 101,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. Take The A Train
(5:40) 2. Willow Weep For Me
(7:25) 3. Walkin'
(5:24) 4. Autumn Leaves
(6:24) 5. I'll Remember April
(4:30) 6. The Nearness Of You
(5:45) 7. Django
(3:58) 8. Blue Lester

After opening in June 1958, the “Blue Note” became the most cosmopolitan jazz club in all of Paris. Located on 27 rue d’Artois, in the 8th arrondissement, fans were usually crammed on the leather benches that dotted its large central hall, and if they couldn’t find a spot, there was always the bar. The acoustics of the room were excellent, and the house band included some of the best French jazzmen led by guitarist Jimmy Gourley. They, in turn, accompanied many of the top American soloists who visited the “Blue Note” during the splendor years of the club (1958-1965). The long list of names includes Sarah Vaughan, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Ray Nance, Lester Young, Alice McCloud, Lucky Thompson, Johnny Griffin and Booker Ervin.

The “Blue Note” was also the club where the legendary bebop pianist Bud Powell established the base of operations for his trio, with Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Their stay had really successful moments, and ran from 1959 until 1962, with daily performances where they alternated with the featured American guest of the week. In November 1960, Maurice Vander one of the most prominent jazz pianists in Europe at the time joined forces with the talents of Michelot and Clarke. The trio was warmly acclaimed by the audience at the “Blue Note”, and that good response led to the recording of these excellent live performances. There is no doubt that Vander, Michelot and Clarke were truly “three of a kind.” https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/maurice-vander-albums/6659-jazz-at-the-blue-note.html

Personnel: Maurice Vander (p), Pierre Michelot (b), Kenny Clarke (d)

Jazz At The Blue Note

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Miles Davis - Bag's Groove

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:23
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:17)  1. Bags' Groove (Take 1)
( 9:27)  2. Bags' Groove (Take 2)
( 4:55)  3. Airegin
( 5:13)  4. Oleo
( 5:45)  5. But Not For Me (take 2)
( 4:56)  6. Doxy
( 4:45)  7. But Not For Me (take 1)

There are a multitude of reasons why Bags' Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session featuring Thelonious Monk which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis' practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax). Or Horace Silver's (piano) uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis' choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. 

The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of "Airegin" flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis' Sketches of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned "Oleo" features one of Heath's most impressive displays on Bags' Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags' Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections. Likewise, the neophyte as well as the seasoned jazz enthusiast will find much to discover and rediscover throughout the disc. [Some reissues include both historic takes of "Bags' Groove" as well as one additional rendering of the pop standard "But Not for Me."] ~ Lindsay Planer http://www.allmusic.com/album/bags-groove-mw0000649467

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Bag's Groove

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Frank Foster - No Count

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:39
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Stop Gap
(5:14)  2. Excursion
(6:33)  3. Casa Del Marcel
(3:55)  4. Apron Strings
(8:58)  5. Alternative
(4:52)  6. Serenata

No Freddie Green either, but that's okay; the four horns carved out from the Count Basie band for this Frank Foster-led date get along just fine with drummer Kenny Clarke, bassist Eddie Jones, and guitarist Kenny Burrell. The set is a companion to Frank Wess' North, South, East...Wess, recorded by the same players at the same sessions. No Count, however, stays closer to Kansas City swing than the Wess release, which attempted, not altogether successfully, to update the sound with some nods to hard bop. Foster's charts provide for lots of interplay and counterpoint between the two trombones and two tenors. This gets around the potential for the similar ranges of the horns to bog down in tonal homogeneity. The natural, yet sophisticated, blues-based swing players spin out long, masterful lines. Trombonists Henry Coker and Bennie Powell are most effective in supporting roles. The rhythm section is what makes this date, though. The poised Clarke balances the blues feeling of the arrangements with a cool bopping, cymbal-driven pulse. Jones, too, is effective, even if he is a bit far down in the mix. Then there's Burrell, who pretty much steals the show, covering for the absent Count and Basie guitarist Freddie Green with some of the finest rhythm work to be heard anywhere. À la the Count, he also takes the occasional brief but impressive solo. ~ Jim Todd http://www.allmusic.com/album/no-count-mw0000100132

Personnel: Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); Frank Wess (tenor saxophone, flute); Bennie Powell, Henry Coker (trombone); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

No Count

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Kenny Clarke, Francy Boland Big Band, Stan Getz - Change Of Scenes

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:12
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:03) 1. Extravagances
(5:52) 2. Symptones
(9:18) 3. Quiproquos
(4:47) 4. Escarmouches
(6:33) 5. Touchstone
(6:36) 6. Provocations

This amazing album was the last recording by the Clarke-Boland Big Band and features six original compositions by Francy Boland with Stan Getz as featured soloist. The album was originally released only in Europe and its current CD re-release is now out of print, which is regrettable because it features some of the finest big band compositions and performances of all time. Francy Boland, now semi-retired and living in Switzerland, has never received his due as a jazz composer. Part of this has to do with the fact that his compositions and arrangements always swing, regardless of their harmonic or contrapuntal complexity; and therefore, critics have mistaken him for a mainstream jazz composer. Another reason may be due to the fact that the C-BBB had limited exposure in America during its 12-year existence.

The first piece, "Extravagances," features a 12-tone theme and excellent solos by Getz on tenor, Sahib Shihab on alto flute and Tony Coe on clarinet. This work, along with its companion pieces, utilizes not only a lot of highly complex and dissonant harmonies, but also frequent changes of meter and tempi. The next piece, "Symptones," features Herb Geller on oboe with some fine backup by flutes and bass. Geller's multifaceted woodwind talents are also put to good use in "Quidproquos" and "Escarmouches" where he provides some outstanding solos on the English horn. Fans of Stan Kenton will appreciate the album's finale, Provocations," which has many similarities to the big production numbers featured by the Kenton bands of the 1970s as well as some of the symphonic complexities of the Innovations Orchestra of the 1950s. Albert Mandelsdorff on trombone sounds eerily like Kenton lead trombonist Dick Shearer on the out chorus. Kudos need to go to Stan Getz who instigated this collaboration and proved himself to be more than up to the challenge of Francy Boland's difficult and highly original charts.~ William Grim https://www.allaboutjazz.com/change-of-scenes-kenny-clarke-verve-music-group-review-by-william-grim

Ack Van Rooyen, flugelhorn, trumpet; Stan Saltzman, woodwinds; Sahib Shihab, alto flute, baritone sax, soprano sax, flute; Erik Van Lier, trombone; Jean Warland, electric bass, bass; Stan Sulzmann, soprano sax, tenor sax, flute; Kenny Clare, drums; Kenny Clarke, drums; Tony Inzalaco, percussion; Rick Keefer, trumpet; Rick Kiefer, flugelhorn, trumpet; Benny Bailey, flugelhorn, trumpet; Francy Boland, composer/arranger, keyboards, piano, electric piano; Art Farmer, flugelhorn, trumpet; Herb Geller, English horn, oboe, piccolo, alto sax, flute; Stan Getz, tenor sax; Albert Mangelsdorff, trombone; Tony Coe, tenor sax, clarinet; Ake Persson, trombone; Manfred Schoof, flugelhorn, trumpet; Ronnie Scott, tenor sax

Change Of Scenes

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Kenny Burrell - The Artist Selects

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:14
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. This Time The Dream's On Me - Remastered 2000
(6:05) 2. Delilah - Remastered 2000
(3:49) 3. But Not For Me - Remastered
(4:42) 4. Phinupi - Remastered
(4:46) 5. Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere
(7:59) 6. Scotch Blues - Remastered
(4:43) 7. Weaver Of Dreams - Remastered 2000
(9:35) 8. Swingin' - Remastered 1987
(5:25) 9. Chitlins Con Carne
(2:43) 10. Soul Lament - Remastered 1999/Rudy Van Gelder Edition
(4:01) 11. Midnight Blue - Remastered
(5:30) 12. These Foolish Things - 20 Bit Mastering; 1998 Digital Remaster
(6:02) 13. Hackensack - Remastered
(4:49) 14. Freedom

Taking a cue from ECM’s: rarum series, Blue Note has initiated their own The Artist Selects series, allowing living legends to hand-pick their own “best-of” compilations and even sequence them. The inaugural portion of the series, launched Oct. 4, features albums from guitarist Kenny Burrell (pictured), also saxophonist Lou Donaldson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and composer/arranger Gerald Wilson. The musicians cull their Blue Note releases, while Wilson selects from his Pacific Jazz recordings. Emphasizing the “artist selects” title, the liner notes contain first-person testimony from the artist of how the recordings came to be and how the process developed. By Katherine Silkaitis https://jazztimes.com/archives/blue-note-begins-artist-selects-series

Personnel: Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1-14); Bass - Ben Tucker (tracks: 5,8,14), Major Holley (tracks: 9,11), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 4), Paul Chambers (tracks: 1,2,7), Sam Jones (tracks: 6); Congas – Candido Camero (tracks: 1,2), Ray Barretto (tracks: 5,8,11,14); Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones (tracks: 12,13), Art Blakey (tracks: 6,8), Bill English (tracks: 5,9,11,14), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1,2,7), Shadow Wilson (tracks: 4); Organ – Jimmy Smith (tracks: 13); Piano – Bobby Timmons (tracks: 8), Duke Jordan (tracks: 5), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 5,14), Tommy Flanagan (tracks: 1,2,4,7); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 4), Junior Cook (tracks: 5), Stanley Turrentine (tracks: 9,14), Tina Brooks (tracks: 5,8); Trumpet – Louis Smith (tracks: 6)

The Artist Selects

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Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke - Jazz In Paris: Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95.3 MB
Styles: Soul jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Bitter Street
[5:18] 2. Satin Doll
[6:07] 3. It's Impossible
[5:43] 4. Speak Low
[3:01] 5. Now's The Time
[4:35] 6. Out Of Nowhere
[5:29] 7. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[3:19] 8. Toe Jam
[4:34] 9. On Green Dolphin Street

Originally recorded in Paris at a pair of two-day sessions in 1977 and then released as a BarClay Records LP that same year, this fine duo set features the sturdy soul-jazz organ of Rhoda Scott paired with Kenny Clarke on drums, and together they create a remarkably full sound. It is worth noting that two of the best numbers here are Scott originals, "Bitter Street," which opens the album, and the funky "Toe Jam." ~Steve Leggett

Jazz In Paris: Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke

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Thad Jones - The Fabulous Thad Jones

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:36
Size: 146,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:47)  1. Get Out Of Town
(7:33)  2. One More
(4:56)  3. Bitty Ditty
(5:16)  4. More Of The Same
(5:15)  5. Elusive
(2:50)  6. Sombre Intrusion
(6:08)  7. I Can't Get Started
(3:51)  8. I'll Remember April
(3:33)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:45) 10. Chazzanova
(7:33) 11. Get Out Of Town (Alternate Take)
(4:03) 12. One More (Alternate Take)

Trumpeter Thad Jones made his debut as a leader for Charles Mingus' Debut label during 1954-55, music that has been reissued as a single CD in the OJC series and as part of a huge 12-CD Mingus Debut box set. The 12 performances (which include two alternate takes) really put the focus on Jones' accessible yet unpredictable style. Half of the music showcases Jones in a quartet with pianist John Dennis, bassist Mingus and drummer Max Roach. while the other six numbers are more in a Count Basie groove with Frank Wess on tenor and flute, pianist Hank Jones, Mingus and drummer Kenny Clarke. 

The originals tend to be tricky, and even such standards as "I'll Remember April," "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Get Out of Town" have their surprising moments. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-fabulous-thad-jones-mw0000262510

Personnel includes: Thad Jones (trumpet); Frank Wess (tenor saxophone, flute); John Dennis, Hank Jones (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Max Roach, Kenny Clarke (drums).

The Fabulous Thad Jones

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Roy Haynes & Kenny Clarke - Transatlantic Meetings

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:55
Size: 208,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Red Rose
(4:34)  2. A Mountain Sunset
(2:40)  3. Laffin' and Crying
(5:08)  4. Minor Encamp
(3:02)  5. Subscription
(3:34)  6. Dillon
(4:04)  7. Trianon
(5:20)  8. Kenny's Special
(3:17)  9. Illusion
(7:27) 10. Love Me or Leave Me
(4:20) 11. Cinerama
(6:41) 12. Vogue
(6:51) 13. Buyer's Blues

Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 70 years he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered the father of modern jazz drumming. "Snap Crackle" was a nickname given to him in the 1950s. He has led bands such as the Hip Ensemble. His albums Fountain of Youth and Whereas were nominated for a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1999. His son Graham Haynes is a cornetist; his son Craig Holiday Haynes and grandson Marcus Gilmore are both drummers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Haynes

Kenny Clarke (born Kenneth Clarke Spearman, later aka, Liaqat Ali Salaam, on January 9, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-died January 26, 1985 in Paris, France) was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming. As the house drummer at Minton's Playhouse in the early 1940's, he participated in the after hours jams that led to the birth of Be-Bop, which in turn lead to modern jazz. He is credited with creating the modern role of the ride cymbal as the primary timekeeper. Before, drummers kept time on the high-hat and snare drum (”digging coal”, Clarke called it) with heavy support from the bass drum. With Clarke time was played on the cymbal and the bass and snare were used more for punctuation. This led to a much more relaxed style of drumming. From this point more and more rhythms and poly-rhythms are made possible. For this, “every drummer” Ed Thigpen said, “owes him a debt of gratitude.” Clarke was nicknamed “Klook” or “Klook-mop” for the style he innovated. Clarke was a founder member of the Modern Jazz Quartet (as the Milt Jackson Quartet) in 1951 and also participated in many recording sessions as house drummer for Savoy Records. Connie Kay took his place in the MJQ in 1955 and from 1956 Clarke was resident in France where he regularly worked with visiting American musicians in Paris, in particular forming a working trio, known as “The Bosses”, with Bud Powell and Pierre Michelot. Kenny Clarke died in Paris in 1985. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/kennyclarke

Featuring: Kenny Clarke (drums), Roy Haynes (drums), Henri Renaud (piano), Martial Solal (piano), Barney Wilen (saxophone), Joe Benjamin (bass), Billy Byers (trombon), Jay Cameron (saxophone), Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Allen Eager (saxophone), Jimmy Gourley (guitar), Benoît Quersin (bass)

Transatlantic Meetings

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Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker For Lovers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:23
Size: 84,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Easy To Love
(3:23)  2. Lover Man
(3:12)  3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(2:51)  4. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:58)  5. Laura
(2:41)  6. Un Poquito De Tu Amor
(3:15)  7. Everything Happens To Me
(5:07)  8. I Love Paris - Take 3 / Master
(2:46)  9. Summertime
(3:28) 10. Autumn In New York
(3:07) 11. Out Of Nowhere

As part of Verve's For Lovers series, the genius alto saxophonist Charlie Parker is spotlighted on 11 tracks recorded between 1949 and 1954. This romantic set of standards aptly highlights Bird's melancholic flight, especially on the seven tracks from Charlie Parker with Strings: "Easy to Love," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "Laura," "Everything Happens to Me," "Summertime," "Autumn in New York," and "Out of Nowhere." Some of Bird's sidemen on these sessions include John Lewis, Red Rodney, Hank Jones, Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Walter Bishop, Jr., and Ray Brown, not to mention a full string section. While this compilation contains timeless performances, it only represents a miniscule portion of Charlie Parker's panoramic legacy. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/album/charlie-parker-for-lovers-mw0000426002

Charlie Parker For Lovers

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Zoot Sims Quartet - Tenorly

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:18
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. Night And Day, Take 1
(2:58)  2. Night And Day, Take 2
(2:58)  3. Night And Day, Take 3
(3:20)  4. Slingin' Hasch, Take 1
(3:30)  5. Slingin' Hasch, Take 2
(2:48)  6. Tenorly, Take 1
(2:50)  7. Tenorly, Take 2
(2:47)  8. Tenorly, Take 3
(3:21)  9. Zoot And Zoot
(3:41) 10. I Understand, Take 1
(3:33) 11. I Understand, Take 2
(3:08) 12. Don't Worry About Me
(3:13) 13. Crystal
(5:52) 14. Toot's Suite
(4:27) 15. The Late Tiny Kahn
(3:18) 16. Call It Anything
(4:12) 17. Zoot's Suite
(3:32) 18. Once A While
(2:42) 19. Great Drums

Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired, and although his style did not change much after the early 1950s, Zoot's enthusiasm and creativity never wavered. Zoot's family was involved in vaudeville, and he played drums and clarinet as a youth. His older brother, Ray Sims, developed into a fine trombonist who sounded like Bill Harris. At age 13, Sims switched permanently to the tenor, and his initial inspiration was Lester Young, although he soon developed his own cool-toned sound. Sims was a professional by the age of 15, landing his first important job with Bobby Sherwood's Orchestra, and he joined Benny Goodman's big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BG's favorite tenormen for the next 30 years. He recorded with Joe Bushkin in 1944, and even at that early stage, his style was largely set. After a period in the Army, Sims was with Goodman from 1946-1947. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" during his time with the Second Herd (1947-1949). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Rich's short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson, and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-1956). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band of the early '60s and visited the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman in 1962. A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos or co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn; the two tenors had very similar sounds and styles. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the '70s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always seemed to come out ahead. Fortunately, Zoot Sims recorded frequently, leading sessions for Prestige, Metronome, Vogue, Dawn, Storyville, Argo, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, United Artists, Pacific Jazz, Bethlehem, Colpix, Impulse, Groove Merchant, Famous Door, Choice, Sonet, and a wonderful series for Pablo. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/zoot-sims-mn0000228087/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Bass – Don Bagley (tracks: 14 to 19), Pierre Michelot (tracks: 1 to 13); Drums – Jean-Louis Viale (tracks: 14 to 19), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 13); Guitar – Jimmy Gourley (tracks: 14 to 19); Piano – Gerry Wiggins (tracks: 1 to 13), Henri Renaud (tracks: 14 to 19); Trombone – Frank Rosolino (tracks: 14 to 19)

Tenorly

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Stéphane Grappelli - Satin Doll

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:12
Size: 163,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. Satin Doll
(3:22)  2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(4:54)  3. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:38)  4. Mack The Knife
(7:52)  5. Body And Soul
(7:01)  6. Pennies From Heaven
(5:12)  7. The Girl From Ipanema
(4:07)  8. My Funny Valentine
(4:23)  9. Blue Moon
(4:48) 10. The Lady Is A Tramp
(3:16) 11. Exactly Like You
(3:18) 12. Ebb Tide
(3:30) 13. You Took Advantage Of Me
(3:36) 14. Lover Man
(3:12) 15. I Didn't Know What Time

On this double LP, violinist Stéphane Grappelli gets away from his usual tribute to the late Django Reinhardt and plays 15 standards, including "Mack the Knife," "The Girl from Ipanema," "You Took Advantage of Me," and "Body and Soul." Accompanied by organist Eddy Louiss, pianist Marc Hemmeler, guitarist Jimmy Gourley, bassist Guy Pedersen, and drummer Kenny Clarke, Grappelli is in typically flawless form for these enjoyable swing sessions. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/satin-doll-mw0000188216

Personnel: Violin – Stéphane Grappelli; Bass – Guy Pedersen; Guitar – Jimmy Gourley; Organ – Eddy Louiss; Percussion – Kenny Clarke; Piano – Marc Hemmeler 

Satin Doll

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Stan Getz - Live in Paris 1959

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959/2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:22
Size: 179,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:00)  1. Cherokee
( 6:11)  2. All the Things You Are
( 4:08)  3. Lover Man
( 3:36)  4. Special Club
( 6:17)  5. Round 'Bout Midnight
(10:04)  6. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
( 5:08)  7. Tenderly
( 5:01)  8. The Squirrel
( 7:20)  9. Yardbird Suite
( 7:08) 10. Too Marvellous for Words
( 7:03) 11. Topsy
( 7:21) 12. Over the Rainbow

A fantastic live performance from Stan Getz recorded in Paris at the end of the 50s, and with maybe a bit more of an edge than some of his other European concerts! One of the key factors here is the budding modernist Martial Solal on piano who makes a nicely surprising partner for Stan  in a group that also features Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums certainly something of a French pick-up group, but one that's top shelf all the way through! Stan's got a wonderful sharpness to his tone with that growing sense of fullness that would mature in the 60s, but still also this link that maybe goes a bit back towards Lester Young too  spun out on long takes of familiar tunes, very well-recorded as on other selections in this series. Titles include "The Squirrel", "Yardbird Suite", "All The Things You Are", "Topsy", "Tenderly", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Round Midnight", and "Special Club".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/889508/Stan-Getz:Stan-Getz-Live-In-Paris-1959

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone - Stan Getz; Bass – Pierre Michelot; Drums – Kenny Clarke; Guitar – Jimmy Gourley ; Piano – Martial Solal

Live in Paris 1959

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Donald Byrd - Timeless

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:32
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Long Green
(7:49)  2. Star Eyes
(7:39)  3. Someone to Watch over Me
(7:36)  4. Honeylike
(7:43)  5. Orpheus
(7:11)  6. Winterset

Timeless Donald Byrd combines most of the trumpeter's 1955 Savoy session Byrd's Word and two tracks from alto saxophonist John Jenkins' 1957 Savoy release Jazz Eyes. 

Both albums are solid examples of mid-'50s mainstream jazz and represent both artists well. Given that these albums go in and out of print, the Timeless compilations are welcome additions to the artists' catalogs, though diehards will still want to seek out the original albums. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/timeless-donald-byrd-mw0000661040

Personnel:  Trumpet – Donald Byrd; Alto Saxophone – John Jenkins;  Bass – Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers; Drums – Art Taylor, Kenny Clarke; Piano – Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan; Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster; Trombone – Curtis Fuller

Timeless

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Duke Jordan - Do it Yourself Jazz Vol.1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:50
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Sometimes I'm Happy
(7:30)  2. Embraceable You
(4:57)  3. Jordu
(4:31)  4. Oh Yeah
(7:14)  5. Pennies from Heaven
(7:51)  6. Yesterdays
(5:20)  7. It's Only a Paper Moon
(5:28)  8. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

Duke Jordan was a pianist whose work with the saxophonist Charlie Parker endures in the jazz pantheon. Jordan was regarded as one of the great early bebop pianists, the sound that he helped to create in the postwar era was something new, and it remains a cornerstone of jazz. Irving Sydney Jordan was born in New York in 1922, and began his formal piano studies at the age of eight.He continued to study piano until he was 16, playing in the school band at Brooklyn Automotive High. After graduation in 1939 he joined the septet of trombonist Steve Pulliam. This combo, appearing in an amateur contest at the New York World's Fair that summer, won a prize and earned the attention of John Hammond, who was impressed by the teen-aged efforts of young Duke. The unit stayed together for a year or two, after which Duke entered what, was almost certainly the most important formative phase of his career. Jazz was undergoing a quiet but vital upheaval in 1941. Around the time when Duke Jordan went to work at a club in Harlem, the experiments that were to crystallize in the form of bebop had gotten underway at several uptown clubs. The group was under the nominal leadership of Clark Monroe, the veteran night club host who was involved in the operation of a series of clubs, including his own Uptown House where Charlie Parker first worked in New York. Thus, though Duke gained his first experience in jazz through the records of Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum and their contemporaries, he was exposed early to the work of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, as well as to Gillespie and Parker. Duke was one of the very first to play in what was then a revolutionary new style; in fact the only other bop pianists of any note on the 52nd Street horizon, aside from Powell himself, were Al Haig, Billy Taylor and George Wallington. For a while Duke played with Coleman Hawkins at Kelly's Stable, in a combo similar to the one that had been organized by Clark Monroe. 

After this he returned to the uptown front, working for a year with a “jump band” called the Savoy Sultans, which functioned as a part-time house band at the late lamented Savoy Ballroom. Charlie Parker was sufficiently impressed by Duke to hire him for his quintet. Duke worked intermittently for Bird during this period (1946-48), the other members of the group being Miles Davis, Max Roach and Tommy Potter. A handful of recordings from 1947 and 1948 featuring Parker, along with Miles Davis on trumpet, Jordan on piano and Max Roach on drums, are considered masterpieces. They include “Embraceable You,” “Crazeology,” and “Scrapple From the Apple.” During the Bird years Duke played for a few months with Roy Eldridge, recording on a big band date with Roy. Later, after leaving Bird, he worked with the Stan Getz combo in 1949. During the 1950s he free-lanced around New York, gigging with Oscar Pettiford, with off-night groups at Birdland, and also spending some time with Gene Ammons' band. His work in the 1950’s sometimes embraced more of a blues and gospel feeling but never left the fundamentals of the bebop sound.It was about 1954 that Duke began to develop as a composer. His first and best known original, “Jordu,” was recorded first by the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet; soon after, Duke cut it as a sideman with a Julius Watkins group for a ten-inch LP on Blue Note. In 1958 he was in Europe for a time with Kenny Dorham, Don Byas and Kenny Clarke. Jordan's career drifted for a while in the late 60s, during which period he worked as a New York cab driver. In the 1970’s, he began a new life as a leader of trios and quartets in Copenhagen, where he settled permanently in 1978. He recorded more than 30 albums for the Danish label SteepleChase Records, but his 1960 date for Blue Note “Flight to Jordan,” remains his most recognized album endeavor. Duke Jordan remained in Denmark until his passing in August of 2006. Parts of this bio by Leonard Feather. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/dukejordan

Personnel: Duke Jordan - piano;  Oscar Pettiford - bass;  Kenny Clarke - drums

Do it Yourself Jazz  Vol.1

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Ernie Wilkins - Top Brass and Trumpets All Out

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:36
Size: 165,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. 58 Market St.
(5:21)  2. Trick or Treat
(4:42)  3. Speeway
(5:39)  4. Dot's What
(3:21)  5. Top Brass
(2:17)  6. Willow Weep for Me
(2:42)  7. Imagination
(1:51)  8. It Might as Well Be Spring
(2:37)  9. The Nearness of You
(4:48) 10. Taking a Chance on Love
(8:28) 11. Five Cats Swingin'
(5:06) 12. Blues in 6/4
(3:19) 13. Trumpets All Out
(5:27) 14. She's Just My Size
(1:51) 15. Love Is Here To Stay
(1:49) 16. Time On My Hands
(1:51) 17. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:00) 18. All Of Me
(3:53) 19. Low Life

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall  all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. 

There's a definite swing-based approach here different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/540512

Personnel:  Art Farmer, Emmett Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, Shorty Baker, Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, Joe Wilder (trumpete),  Hank Jones, Don Abney (piano),  Wendell Marshall (bass),  Kenny Clarke, Bobby Donaldson (drums)

Top Brass and Trumpets All Out

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