Eddie Henderson - Witness to History

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:00
Size: 128,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:02) 1. Scorpio Rising
(8:35) 2. Why Not?
(7:40) 3. Sweet and Lovely
(8:45) 4. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:21) 5. Freedom Jazz Dance
(5:02) 6. I'm Gonna Miss You, My Darling
(7:04) 7. Totem Pole
(6:27) 8. Born to Be Blue

Make no mistake: it is the hot buttered soul, "Shaft"-like theme of "Scorpio Rising" that first snags one's attention. But once snagged, the old cool sets in and Witness To History, trumpeter Eddie Henderson's self curated soundtrack, unwinds with a wicked fervor. A deep, wicked joy.

Henderson who has pretty much seen it all from the impulsive, jazz rock Realization (Capricorn, 1973) through The Cookers to the still palpable Shuffle and Deal (Smoke Avenue, 2020) looks back for a PBS documentary due for release in early 2024 and knows for sure he has had a good run. He then intuitively and soulfully gathers a few wily and confident cohorts and it is away to the races.

But it is not that frantic metro influencer gallop for this crew. Not by any means. These cats are all pure blue, after-hours shuffle. Because not only is Henderson, now in his eighty-third orbit, at a zenith in said orbit, ditto that of Donald Harrison's blue venue sax and George Cables' pianistic touch. Splice all that in with the interstitial elasticity of bassist Gerald Cannon and drummers Lenny White andMike Clark and "Scorpio Rising" becomes an infectious roll through the back alleys of late 1970s urban noir. The liquid gold of "I Am Going to Miss You, My Darling," written by the trumpeter's wife, beautifully occurs.

It is very hard to learn that everyone should lay back on the groove, but to this group it is a banner taken into battle. A badge of honor. Witness To History is full of badges and banners. First heard on Lee Morgan's eventful The Sidewinder (Blue Note, 1964), "Totem Pole" holds all the flash and slink of the original but with its own immediate vibe. Cables' jumpy "Why Not" is a slow steamer highlighted by trumpet and saxophone punching the air. As it should be, "Sweet and Lovely" is all trad jazz with Cannon in the lead.

Maybe when and if it all becomes accountable, Witness To History does not stand the test of time. Maybe it does. The same can be said for all and any of us. But that does not make Witness To History any less of great record. In fact it just being makes it all that much better.By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/witness-to-history-eddie-henderson-smoke-sessions-records__22447

Personnel: Eddie Henderson - trumpet; Donald Harrison - saxophone, alto; George Cables - piano; Lenny White - drums ; Gerald Cannon - bass

Witness to History

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Cyrus Chestnut - Natural Essence

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:14
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Mamacita
(7:12)  2. It Could Happen to You
(6:15)  3. Faith Amongst the Unknown
(6:57)  4. I Cover the Waterfront
(7:34)  5. I Remember
(8:01)  6. Dedication
(9:06)  7. My Romance
(6:21)  8. Toku-do
(6:11)  9. Minority

Thanks also to a formidable rhythm, with Natural Essence Cyrus Chestnut signs one of the most convincing works of his discography. Maintaining the link with the tradition of swing, this trio rhythmically and dynamically defines dynamic tension. To this is added a vibrant communicative vis and the new imprinting, with a swinging average time, in the imaginative rereading of "It Could Happen To You" and "I Cover The Waterfront." Through sophisticated harmonizations, the American pianist ascends the way he knows how to touch and revive the deeper strings of the interpreted standards. 

Its elegant touch, rhythmically incisive, illuminates the solid interplay of a perfect equilibrium formation. His blues feeling pervades every song interpreted, to make us savor the most authentic and genuine roots of jazz. Thanks to a skilful use of dynamics, tension and distension alternate to innervate also the episodes mentioned above, at a slow pace. ~ Maurizio Zerbo https://www.allaboutjazz.com/natural-essence-cyrus-chestnut-highnote-records-review-by-maurizio-zerbo.php?width=1920

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut: piano; Buster Williams: double bass; Lenny White: battery.

Natural Essence

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Joe Henderson Quintet - At The Lighthouse

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:12
Size: 175,8 MB
Art: Front

( 5:37)  1. Caribbean Fire Dance
( 8:19)  2. Recorda-Me
(10:31)  3. A Shade Of Jade
( 4:30)  4. Isotope
( 9:01)  5. 'Round Midnight
( 8:33)  6. Mode For Joe
( 7:33)  7. Invitation
(11:30)  8. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
( 9:47)  9. Blue Bossa
( 0:46) 10. Closing Theme

I was pretty late coming to Joe Henderson. I was never a big sax aficionado, least of all tenors; once I got through Trane, Shorter, Rahsaan, Bartz, and Branford, I kind of grew a preference for alto players. That being what it is, there is a certain class of tenor players who do not wow me so much for their own singular identity, as much as their amazing ability to blend into an ensemble so very well (even if they are the leader). Henderson is one of those, and I do really admire his breadth in that regard. He has class and a vast technique that lets him work gigs like this to maximum. At the Lighthouse is a 1970 performance that had been split up on various releases and box compilations, but was finally loosed upon the record buying public by Milestone/Fantasy in 2004. It is one of Henderson at his peak, playing with a hearty, fat tone that slides around between warm and bubbly to boisterous and blaring. His band has Woody Shaw working a crisp trumpet, that is not too harsh or bright tonally, and reminds me of Clifford Brown a little. The rhythm department is my favorite part; Lenny White on traps never disappoints, and since I love electric piano (the Fender Rhodes is technically incapable of sounding bad…ever), the support from George Cables impresses me (because I had never recalled his name ever entering memory before this album), especially on Invitation. The take on the ‘Round Midnight Monk standard has a lot of space, which lets the various players work through nine minutes of challenging interpretation. The same interplay and great soloing happens on the Kenny Dorham composition Blue Bossa. Henderson brings a few of his on compositions, like Isotope, which are challenging and a whole push back into hard bop in the best way. White hammers and dances on the kit, making the pulse seem both out of control and effortless. The odd duck of the album is another Henderson-penned cut, f You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem. It is the closest to funky soul-jazz as this set gets, but at eleven and a half minutes makes for a filling slice of sonic badonkadonk. The sole track where acoustic bassist Ron McCLure switches to electric, he locks in with White in a linear groove workout that lets Shaw, Henderson and even Cables have a field day. I give at least partial credit to the great quality of the recording to uber-producer Orrin Keepnews. Solid! https://devrandom.net/~zeruch/wordpress/?p=453
 

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson; Bass – Ron McClure; Bass [Electric] – Ron McClure; Congas – Tony Waters; Drums – Lenny White; Electric Piano – George Cables; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw

At The Lighthouse

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Andrew Hill - Passing Ships

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:40
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Sideways
(7:08)  2. Passing Ships
(8:32)  3. Plantation Bag
(9:49)  4. Noon Tide
(6:22)  5. The Brown Queen
(6:27)  6. Cascade
(5:11)  7. Yesterday's Tomorrow

The history of Blue Note Records is in many ways the history of the golden age of jazz. When Blue Note changed, the whole face of jazz changed. After releasing classic sides one after another for much of the '60s, Blue Note veered off into populist funk and, despite its present renaissance, never really recovered. With today's Blue Note subsisting on fewer quality releases and the RVG reissue series, its reputation of yore seems firmly in the past. If so, the occasional new "old" album released by the label is a rare opportunity to be part of those heady days. Pianist Andrew Hill, like Wayne Shorter, or Herbie Hancock, was one of the main proponents of the Blue Note style - heavy post bop that didn't shy away from experimentation. Hill's albums like Point of Departure or Compulsion probably would be mentioned in the same breath as Juju or Maiden Voyage if he had more consistent exposure. By the late '60s, Hill's tenure at Blue Note was almost up and several sessions he recorded remained unissued, not seen as commercially viable. What has become the recently released Passing Ships is a rare chance to hear Hill's advanced melodic and harmonic concepts applied to a nonet including such musicians as Woody Shaw, Julian Priester, Joe Farrell and Ron Carter. 

The irony of this material lying dormant for 34 years is that this Hill is more commercial; apparently Blue Note didn't agree then but with interest resurging for the idiosyncratic pianist, Passing Ships is available now as a period document, a burning bridge away from '60s progressive jazz. Hill's music doesn't translate very well to a big band, though this may be the strange audio levels and a presumed lack of substantial rehearsal. Howard Johnson's tuba sounds jarring on occasion, Ron Carter is underwhelming, and this is only rookie Lenny White's second session.  Bright spots include the double punch of trumpeters - Shaw and Dizzy Reece, both underappreciated and overshadowed by the era's more strident players. Even more satisfying is how the late Joe Farrell completely takes over, playing no less than five disparate instruments: soprano and tenor sax for lead work, alto flute and bass clarinet for moody ambience and English horn for stylistic filigree. What was originally a curio piece of large ensemble writing by Hill becomes an opportunity to see why everyone was so high on Farrell before he bottomed out on the CTI label in the '70s. Whatever he is playing, the music centers on him, the other musicians granting him well-deserved space.  But if you forget this is an Andrew Hill record, the twists of his compositions remind you. Much of the material is the typical bread-and-water post bop which Blue Note pioneered, Hill's leads calmly flowing through the steep ravine of the horns. Of the seven tunes, three are the length and intellectual meat of the album. The title track features all the perks of Hill's playing: suspensions, ostinatos, thought-provoking dissonances. "Plantation Bag" is quite a funky plantation, Hill's island roots in evidence. "Noon Tide" is the freest, most quintessential Hill piece; one segment demonstrates the subtleties of Hill's accompaniment. As Farrell leads, Hill comps underneath, distinctly changing the feel of the piece five times with his chord voicings. Hill, a product of an era that had many virtuosos, may be able to the most with the least, which is probably why his take on the avant-garde seems less dated than many. While not his best album, and there may be other sessions more deserving of resuscitation, the moments where Hill stretches out and Farrell makes one strong contribution after another make one pine for the days when Blue Notes were the notes. ~ Andrey Henkin https://www.allaboutjazz.com/andrew-hill-passing-ships-by-andrey-henkin.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Andrew Hill - piano;  Ron Carter - bass;  Julian Priester - trombone;  Dizzy Reece - trumpet;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Lenny White - drums;  Joe Farrell - bass clarinet, alto flute, English horn, soprano sax, tenor sax;  Bob Northern - French horn;  Howard Johnson - tuba, bass clarinet

Passing Ships

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Michal Urbaniak - Manhattan Man

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:12
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Manhattan Man
(5:48)  2. Street Talk
(6:25)  3. Paris Groove
(5:06)  4. Don't Wait
(4:36)  5. City Lights
(5:38)  6. Torn Apart
(5:56)  7. Beauty & Hope
(4:00)  8. You Only Love Once
(4:31)  9. Zephyrus
(5:20) 10. Manhattan Man (Reprise)

One never knows what to expect from violinist Michal Urbaniak, who has recorded bop, free jazz, funk and junk throughout his career with equal enthusiasm. Unfortunately, funk and junk are the main course on this CD, particularly during its first half. An odd collection, the set features plenty of electronic percussion and aimless grooves along with a few worthwhile moments. Urbaniak is overdubbed on strings, keyboards and saxophones but buries most of his guests under the mechanical percussion, including harmonica great Toots Thielemans on "Manhattan Man" and an otherwise acoustic trio featuring pianist Herbie Hancock on "Paris Groove." An odd record. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-man-mw0000075203

Personnel: Michael Urbaniak (violin); Bervine Harris (vocals); Peter Burman, Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Herbie Hancock (piano); Bobby Baldwin (keyboards); Gregg Jones (bass); Lenny White (drums); Darren Quinland (drum programming)

Manhattan Man

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Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 157,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:16)  1. Red Clay
( 7:25)  2. Delphia
( 8:49)  3. Suite Sioux
(10:48)  4. The Intrepid Fox
(10:27)  5. Cold Turkey
(18:45)  6. Red Clay

Like Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard's best work was always in the service of others until he signed with Creed Taylor's CTI label. He then released a trio of albums that represents his crowning achievement as a leader. Red Clay finds him in the company of Herbie Hancock, who played a large part in defining jazz fusion, as well as heavyweights like Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, and Lenny White. The title track kicks off the record with a funky groove that is much more memorable than any such trick attempted on Blue Note releases from the previous decade; the remaining tracks are fairly adventurous explorations of a variety of interesting themes. Hancock, whose electric piano is one of the guilty pleasures of the area, carries the day with funky vamping and tasteful soloing. 

But Hubbard is no slouch either, contributing some of his most memorable solos over the jazzy grooves. Henderson has smoothed out his previous sound, eliminating the stuttering and wailing that defined his style in the sixties. Simply put, Red Clay is one of the relatively few jazz masterpieces from the seventies.~David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/red-clay-freddie-hubbard-cti-records-review-by-david-rickert.php
 

Personnel: Ron Carter - Bass; Herbie Hancock - Piano; Joe Henderson - Saxophone; Lenny White - Drums; Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet.

Red Clay

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Rachel Z - Trust The Universe

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:39
Size: 141,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:29)  1. Nardis
(5:16)  2. I Won't Cry 4 Us
(5:01)  3. Monk's Other Women
(7:01)  4. Inamorata
(4:21)  5. Under The Suit
(6:12)  6. Forgive Me
(3:42)  7. Save My Soul
(3:56)  8. Go!
(4:59)  9. One Night
(4:29) 10. Trust The Universe
(4:56) 11. When The Cats Away
(4:11) 12. Iyakutanda

Keyboardist Rachel Z divides her debut CD into mainstream and contemporary sections, but in reality she plays basically the same in both sessions, emphasizing her acoustic work in a style most influenced by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and occasionally Bill Evans. The music is usually soulful enough for the jazz lite listener and contains just enough chance-taking for more serious jazz collectors. Nothing too unexpected occurs, but this enjoyable set has some fine solos from the leader and the contrasting saxophones of David Sanchez and David Mann.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/trust-the-universe-mw0000094905

Personnel: Rachel Z (piano, keyboards); David Mann (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); David Sanchez (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Charnett Moffett (acoustic bass); Victor Bailey (electric bass); Al Foster, Lenny White (drums); Gumbi Ortiz (percussion).

Trust The Universe

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Pete Levin - Jump

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:27
Size: 145.2 MB
Styles: B3 Organ jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:49] 1. Jump!
[6:48] 2. Exclamation!
[6:36] 3. That Was Then
[6:47] 4. The Big Dog Is Always Right
[6:31] 5. Talk To The Animals
[5:57] 6. Nostalgia In Times Square
[6:02] 7. Little Sunflower
[5:44] 8. Candido
[7:09] 9. Alone Together
[5:00] 10. Honeysuckle Rose

Some music, just by the act of listening to it, makes you feel cooler. A great jazz organ trio can do that with ease. Whether it's Jimmy Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes, or Pete Levin, those syncopated stabs and walking basslines on the Hammond B3, when percolating with brushed drums and warm electric guitar, have the power to relax the mind and stoke the imagination.

As the fleet-fingered Levin saunters and swings through the mentholated grooves of "Exclamation!," "That Was Then" and "The Big Dog Is Always Right," the listener is suddenly in some smoke-filled corner bar, circa 1960, decked out in a sharkskin suit and a Dobbs lid. And as if he or she needed any more fuel for the way back machine, Levin even covers Mingus' aptly titles "Nostalgia in Time Square."

Remarkably, the B3 is not Levin's first instrument. In the '70s, he got his start playing French horn with Gil Evans, then branched out as one of jazz's first synthesizer specialists. His work with a wide array of artists across the spectrum, from Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter to Paul Simon and Annie Lennox, influences his own compositions, which are both harmonically interesting and immediate. And his choice of covers reflects a playful sensibility, from Doctor Doolittle's "Talk to the Animals" to Tin Pan Alley chestnuts "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Alone Together."

Bandmates drummer Lenny White and guitarist Dave Stryker get plenty of room to stretch out - Stryker's solo on "That Was Then" is especially lovely - but mostly this is Levin administering one long, invigorating shot of B3 cool. ~Bill DeMain

Jump

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Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Lenny White - Electric

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:33
Size: 131.7 MB
Styles: Jazz-rock, Jazz guitar
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:05] 1. Wolfbane
[5:01] 2. Bb Blues
[6:17] 3. So What
[7:17] 4. Sex Machine
[6:15] 5. Black Dog
[7:24] 6. Footprints
[7:49] 7. Born Under A Bad Sign
[7:11] 8. Low Blow
[4:12] 9. Rhapsody And Blues

This trio set featuring guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Lenny White, and bassist Victor Bailey is issued by Chesky, purveyor of uncompressed audiophile recordings. And while the sound is wondrous, it's the performances here that take front and center. The mix of jazz, funk, and rock tunes on Electric is infectious, especially when played with such incendiary inspiration. Members of this trio wrote four of the nine tunes here. White's furied funk freak-out "Wolfsbane" opens the proceeding on a hot note, and Coryell's "BB Blues" takes the jazz-inflected blues to a new intensity. But it is the covers here that really resonate, from a skeletal and edgy reading of Miles Davis' "So What," to Wayne Shorter's signature tune "Footprints," the jazz chops and expansive improvisation are present everywhere. On Sly and the Family Stone's "Sex Machine" and the Page & Plant nugget "Black Dog," the pedal to the metal aesthetic really works. Elsewhere, "Born Under a Bad Sign" is dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century without losing its blues fire. This is not a recording for those looking for Coryell's jazz technique and subtle artistry in interpreting music from the days of yore. Listeners looking for a balls-out charge of electric jazz-rock will be more than delighted by this outing. ~ Thom Jurek

Larry Coryell (electric guitar); Larry Coryell (guitar); Victor Bailey (electric bass, bass guitar); Lenny White (drums).

Electric

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