Dexter Gordon - Dexter Rides Again

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1947
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:59
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Dexter's Riff
(5:55)  2. Settin' the Pace - Part 1 & 2
(3:43)  3. So Easy
(3:05)  4. Long Tall Dexter
(3:18)  5. Dexter Rides Again
(3:17)  6. I Can't Escape from You
(3:00)  7. Dexter Digs In
(2:45)  8. Dexter's Minor Mad
(3:00)  9. Blow Mr. Dexter
(2:58) 10. Dexter's Deck
(3:08) 11. Dexter's Cuttin' Out

Taken from three separate sessions from 1945-'47, Dexter Rides Again showcases prime bebop sides Gordon cut for Savoy. His unique adaptation of Charlie Parker's alto conception to the tenor saxophone is displayed throughout, revealing a mix of fluid, hard-toned lines and a vibrato-heavy and vaporous ballad sound. And while Gordon's ballad mastery would come to the fore on his come-back albums for Blue Note in the '60s, the tenor saxophonist primarily sticks to up-tempo material here, a standard for most bebop sets. Abetted by a collective cast including the fine, yet rarely heard trumpeter Leonard Hawkins, baritone saxophonist Leo Parker, pianists Tadd Dameron and Bud Powell, and drummers Max Roach and Art Blakey, Gordon is in top form on a typical collection of self-penned, utility tunes, dispensing of involved head statements in favor of solo space. Standouts include "Dexter's Deck," the lone ballad "I Can't Escape From You," and the jam session number "Settin' The Pace" (Gordon recorded many extended cuts like this with fellow bebop tenor star Wardell Gray, and here teams up with Leo Parker for something like a baritone and tenor cutting contest). For those interested in where elements of both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane's distinct style came from, check out these fine Gordon sides; besides the history lesson on wax, there's a consistent run of top-notch bebop sides to enjoy. For completists, these tracks, plus alternate takes and an excellent session featuring Fats Navarro, are included on Denon's Savoy reissue package, Settin' the Pace.~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/dexter-rides-again-mw0000077810

Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Leonard Hawkins (trumpet); Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, Sadik Hakim (piano); Gene Ramey, Curly Russell (bass); Art Blakey, Max Roach, Ed Nicholson (drums).

Dexter Rides Again

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Gene Ammons - Red Top

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:11
Size: 98.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1994/2009
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. El Sino
[2:54] 2. Ineta
[2:56] 3. Wild Leo
[3:00] 4. Leaping Leo
[3:07] 5. Just Chips
[2:55] 6. Street Of Dreams
[2:58] 7. Good Time Blues
[2:54] 8. Travellin' Light
[3:07] 9. Red Top
[3:06] 10. Fuzzy
[2:44] 11. Stairway To The Stars
[3:01] 12. Jim Dawgs
[4:31] 13. Big Slam Part 1
[2:43] 14. Big Slam Part 2

Baritone Saxophone – Leo Parker; Bass – Ben Stuberville, Gene Wright; Drums – Chuck Williams, George Brown; Piano – John Houston, Junior Mance; Tenor Saxophone – Gene Ammons; Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Mack Easton; Trombone – Lino Murray; Trumpet – Howard McGhee, Johnny Coles. Recorded in Detroit, October 4, 1947. Recorded in Chicago November 18, 1952, April 15, 1953 (B2) or June 1953.

Tenor-saxophonist Gene Ammons is well-featured on this LP, playing as a sideman with baritonist Leo Parker's sextet on four numbers from 1947 and heading two sessions of his own from 1952-53. The latter performances (which also include trumpeter Johnny Coles and pianist John Houston in the octet) are highlighted by a remake of Ammons's hit "Red Top," warm ballad versions of "Street of Dreams," "Travellin' Light" and "Stairway to the Stars" and an extended tenor battle with Mack Easton on "Big Slam." ~Scott Yanow

Red Top zippy
Red Top mc

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Fats Navarro - Goin' to Minton's

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:07
Size: 165,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Boppin' A Riff
(5:45)  2. Fat Boy
(5:52)  3. Everything's Cool
(5:38)  4. Webb City
(2:50)  5. Calling Dr. Jazz
(2:53)  6. Fracture
(2:42)  7. Hollerin' & Screamin'
(2:49)  8. Stealing Trash
(2:16)  9. Just A Mystery
(3:06) 10. Red Pepper
(2:33) 11. Spinal
(3:03) 12. Maternity
(2:21) 13. Fat Girl
(2:41) 14. Ice Freezes Red
(2:25) 15. Eb Pob
(2:52) 16. Goin' to Minton's
(3:00) 17. A Be Bop Carroll
(2:53) 18. The Tadd Walk
(2:44) 19. Nostalgia
(2:40) 20. Barry's Bop
(2:37) 21. Be Bop Romp
(2:48) 22. Fats Blows

There are many tragic figures in bebop history, but Fats Navarro's story is even sadder than most. Considered by some to be a better trumpeter than Dizzy Gillespie (Lennie Tristano is reported to have said of Gillespie, "He's a nice trumpet player, but he's no Fats"), Navarro was killed by his heroin addiction at age 26. This disc includes material from five sessions recorded between September of 1946 and December of 1947, when bop was at the height of its popularity and its most important and influential practitioners were still alive. Some of them, in addition to Navarro, are present on these sessions: Bud Powell plays piano on "Boppin' a Riff," "Fat Boy," "Everything's Cool," and his own "Webb City," tracks which also feature Sonny Stitt on alto and Kenny Clarke on drums. Other sessions feature Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor, frequent Charlie Parker sideman Curley Russell on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor, and Art Blakey on drums. While the sound quality isn't always great, the performances themselves rarely fall short of greatness, and Navarro's sweet tone and effortlessly beautiful phrasing are a constant pleasure throughout. ~ Rick Anderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/goin-to-mintons-mw0000252304

Personnel includes: Fats Navarro (trumpet); Leo Parker (alto & baritone saxophones); Sonny Stitt, Ernie Henry (alto saxophone); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Charlie Rouse, Morris Lane (tenor saxophone); Ed DeVerteuill (baritone saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, Al Haig (piano); Huey Long (guitar); Al Hall, Gene Ramey, Curley Russell, Nelson Boyd (bass); Kenny Clarke, Denzil Best, Art Blakey (drums).

Goin' to Minton's

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Fats Navarro - Fats Blows 1946-1949

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:54
Size: 166,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Dance Of The Infidels
(2:49)  2. 52nd St. Theme
(5:34)  3. Double Talk
(2:35)  4. Move
(2:41)  5. Hollerin' And Screamin'
(2:54)  6. The Tadd Walk
(3:09)  7. Jumpin' For Jane
(2:50)  8. Lady Bird
(2:53)  9. Goin' To Minton's
(2:45) 10. Nostalgia
(2:25) 11. Eb Pob
(2:59) 12. Our Delight
(3:16) 13. Bouncing With Bud
(3:04) 14. Wail
(3:05) 15. Symphonette
(3:07) 16. Boperation
(2:49) 17. Fats Blows
(4:02) 18. Stop
(2:52) 19. Sid's Delight
(2:53) 20. Jahbero
(2:57) 21. The Skink
(2:59) 22. The Squirrel
(3:13) 23. Groovin' High

A 23-track overview of Fats' brief moments of brilliance in the jazz skyline. The groups are varied, as was Navarro's wont, featuring such luminaries as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Tadd Dameron, Leo Parker, Art Blakey, Howard McGhee, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, and Fats' idol, Charlie Parker. Navarro was a brilliant musician, done in by drugs and tuberculosis. This disc gives you an idea of how tragic his loss was to the jazz world. ~ Cub Koda http://www.allmusic.com/album/fats-blows-1946-1949-mw0000051021

Personnel includes: Fats Navarro (trumpet); Leo Parker (alto & baritone saxophones); Charlie Parker, Ernie Henry, Budd Johson, Sahib Shihab, Ernie Henry (alto saxophone); Eddie Davis, Charlie Rouse, Don Lamphere, Allen Eager, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Wardell Gray (tenor saxophone); Cecil Payne, Marion De Veta (baritone saxophone); Howard McGhee (trumpet); Kai Winding (trombone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Al Haig, Tadd Dameron, Lennie Tristano, Linton Garner, Bud Powell (piano); Huey Long, Billy Bauer, Chuck Wayne (guitar); Gene Ramey, Curley Russell, Nelson Boyd, Tommy Potter, Jimmy Johnson, Jack Lesberg (bass); Denzil Best, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Roy Haynes (drums); Chano Pozo, Diego Ibarra (bongos); Vidal Bolado (conga).

Fats Blows 1946-1949

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J.J. Johnson - J.J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:05
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Trombone jazz
Year: 1996/2003
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Jay Bird
[2:57] 2. Coppin' The Bop
[3:06] 3. Jay Jay
[2:39] 4. Mad Be Bop
[2:58] 5. Boneology
[2:32] 6. Down Vernon's Alley
[2:46] 7. Audobon
[2:46] 8. Don't Blame Me
[2:23] 9. Goof Square
[2:25] 10. Bee Jay
[3:00] 11. Yesterdays
[2:26] 12. Riffette

Alto Saxophone – Cecil Payne; Baritone Saxophone – Leo Parker; Bass – Al Lucas, Gene Ramey, Leonard Gaskin; Drums – Max Roach, Hank Jones, John Lewis; Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins; Trombone – J.J. Johnson. This limited edition CD reissue is part of the "Savoy Jazz 20 Bit Master Transfer Collection", a series that utilizes Denon's 20-bit digital remastering console which they refer to as the Mastersonic.

One can fault this CD for having brief playing time (a dozen selections totaling 33 minutes) and for not including the alternate takes, but the music is beyond criticism. When trombonist J.J. Johnson burst on the scene in the mid-'40s, his speed, fluency and quick ideas put him at the top of his field, where he remained for over a half century. This 1992 CD has the trombonist's first three sessions as a leader, music that qualifies as classic bebop. Johnson is matched with either altoist Cecil Payne, baritonist Leo Parker or tenor great Sonny Rollins (on one of his first dates) in quintets that also include Bud Powell, Hank Jones or John Lewis on piano; Leonard Gaskin, Al Lucas or Gene Ramey on bass; and Max Roach or Shadow Wilson on drums. Other than the ballads "Don't Blame Me" and "Yesterdays," the repertoire is comprised of originals (including Rollins' "Audobon") containing lots of tricky lines, concise but heated solos, and virtuosic playing. Until a more complete reissue takes its place, bop fans not owning the music (plus the alternates) on earlier LPs will definitely find this CD valuable. ~Scott Yanow

J.J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets

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Leo Parker - Legendary Bop, Rhythm & Blues Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 23:06
Size: 52.9 MB
Styles: Bebop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Anything Can Happen
[3:08] 2. Tippin' Lightly
[2:55] 3. Blue Sails
[2:37] 4. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:37] 5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (dub in)
[3:01] 6. Candlelight Serenade
[2:56] 7. Hornet
[2:41] 8. Leo's Blues

The first jazz be-bop musician to play the baritone sax, Leo Parker was a rising force in the be-bop community of the late 1940's and might have become a huge star had not a drug addiction derailed his career and eventually claim his life at the age of 36. With a sound that wedded gospel drenched R&B with the advanced harmonies of be-bop, Parker's style and flawless technique became a prime inspiration for scores of young be-boppers to come. The first five tracks presented here were recorded in Chicago in August of 1953 with an unidentified rhythm section; the remaining tracks are from a July, 1951 Chicago session featuring Parker's baritone with Eddie Johnson on tenor sax; Claude Jones on piano (organ on "Candlelight Serenade"); Johnny Pate bass and Al Williams on drums. All selections have been newly remastered.

Legendary Bop, Rhythm & Blues Classics

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Leo Parker - Rollin' With Leo

Styles: Hard Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. The Lion's Roar
(6:17)  2. Bad Girl
(6:25)  3. Rollin'  With Leo
(4:56)  4. Music Hall Beat
(4:31)  5. Jumpin'  Leo
(6:30)  6. Talkin' The Blues
(5:41)  7. Stuffy
(4:35)  8. Mad Lad Returns

Drugs and addictions defined most of Leo Parker's adult life, finally claiming it entirely in February of 1962 when he was only 36 years old. Only months earlier in 1961, in two sessions held on October 12 and October 20, Parker had played his heart out in what would have been his second album for Blue Note Records that year, and it had appeared that the baritone saxophonist was well on his way to a much deserved career comeback. The sessions, however, weren't released until almost 20 years later. Rollin' with Leo, presented here in remastered form, is a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders. 

The centerpiece of Rollin' with Leo is the fascinating "Talkin' the Blues," which unfolds, nearly themeless, like a late-night conversation, ebbing and flowing exactly the way a conversation does, with Parker's baritone swinging back to gather notes, but always moving and stretching forward, expanding the conversation until it seems like everything that could be said HAS been said. Parker's death was tragic because he had so much more to say, and that makes this fine set all that more of a treasure. ~ Steve Leggett  http://www.allmusic.com/album/rollin-with-leo-mw0000653973

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone – Leo Parker;  Bass – Al Lucas (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B4), Stan Conover (tracks: A3, A4);  Drums – Purnell Rice (tracks: A3, A4), Wilbert Hogan (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B4) Piano – Johnny Acea;  Tenor Saxophone – Bill Swindell;  Trumpet – Dave Burns

Rollin' With Leo

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Leo Parker - Complete Jazz Series 1947-1950

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1947
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:42
Size: 162,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. El Sino
(2:55)  2. Ineta
(2:58)  3. Wild Leo
(3:06)  4. Leapin Leo
(2:45)  5. Wee Dot
(2:53)  6. Solitude
(2:53)  7. Lion Roars
(2:46)  8. Mad Lad Boogie
(3:03)  9. On The House
(2:29) 10. Dunky
(2:40) 11. Senor Leo
(2:49) 12. Chase N The Lion
(2:26) 13. Leos Bells
(2:27) 14. Sweet Talkin Leo
(2:32) 15. Swinging For Love
(2:28) 16. The New Look
(3:18) 17. Mona Lisa
(3:08) 18. Whos Mad
(3:04) 19. Darn That Dream
(2:39) 20. I Cross My Fingers
(2:51) 21. Mad Lad Returns
(2:50) 22. Woody
(2:41) 23. Rolling With Parker
(2:13) 24. Leo Leaps In
(3:21) 25. Solitude

There's something about the purling, snarling and booting of a baritone sax that can create pleasant disturbances in the listener's spine and rib cage. Leo Parker came up during the simultaneous explosions of bebop and rhythm & blues. Everything he touched turned into a groove. Recording for Savoy in Detroit during the autumn of 1947, Leo was flanked by Howard McGhee and Gene Ammons, who at this point seems to have been operating under the influence of Lester Young. Leo does his own share of Prez-like one-note vamping, bringing to mind some of Lester's Aladdin recordings made during this same time period. Leo's Savoys originally appeared on 78 rpm platters, then on 10" long-playing records. Anyone who has ever heard one of these relics played on period equipment can testify to the sensation of hearing an old-fashioned phonograph wrestling with the extra fidelity contained in the voice of that king-sized sax. 

The next session happened in New York two months later. J.J. Johnson was on hand to supervise a smart recording of his own soon-to-be-famous "Wee Dot." Dexter Gordon is in fine form and it's nice to hear Joe Newman blowing so much gutsy bebop through his trumpet. Everything smoothes out for a gorgeous rendition of Duke Ellington's "Solitude," a lush feature for the baritone. The rhythm section of Curly Russell, Hank Jones and Shadow Wilson makes this particular session even more solid than usual. Leading his "Quintette" in Detroit on March 23rd, 1948, Leo races into "Dinky" with a run straight out of Herschel Evans' "Doggin' Around." Sir Charles Thompson tosses off some of his most fragmented playing, splattering the walls with abrupt block chords and tiny whirlpools of truncated riffs. "Señor Leo" cruises at a very cool, almost subterranean Latin tempo, a mood that brings to mind Bud Powell's hypnotic opus "Comin' Up." You get to hear the voices of Parker and Thompson at the beginning of "Chase 'n' the Lion," a fine bit of updated boogie-woogie. 

Apparently, Sir Charles was also known at that time as "Chase." A second session recorded on the same day adds Charlie Rouse to an already steaming band. Leo gnaws his way through four tunes of his own devising. Nothing brilliant here, just good hot jamming. The people at Prestige Records were smart enough to line up a date with the Leo Parker Quartet in July of 1950, resulting in what has got to be the hippest version of "Mona Lisa" ever put on record. The quartet hatched two other handsome ballads and a pair of kickers. "Who's Mad" is a sort of sequel to the famous "Mad Lad," made when Leo was recording for the Apollo label under Sir Charles' leadership. That makes "Mad Lad Returns" a sequel to the sequel. Unable or unwilling to shake this particular thematic, Leo called his next recording band "the Mad Lads." Two out of four sides were issued on the little Gotham label. Meet the all-but-forgotten Henri Durant, a bop tenor who made all the right moves and promptly split the scene. Good thing he at least made it on to this blowing session. Finally, get a load of Leo's creatively reconstituted "Solitude," rejected by Gotham but included by Classics at the tail-end of this mother lode of vintage recordings by the amazing Leo Parker. ~ Arwulf Arwulf   http://www.allmusic.com/album/1947-1950-mw0000658641

Personnel: Leo Parker (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Dexter Gordon (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Gene Ammons, Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Howard McGhee, Joe Newman , James Robertson (trumpet); J.J. Johnson (trombone); Hank Jones , James Craig, Kenny Drew, Al Haig, Sir Charles Thompson (piano); Eddie Bourne, Charles "Hungry" Williams , Max Roach, Shadow Wilson (drums).

Recorded in Detroit, Michigan and New York, New York between 1947 & 1950

Complete Jazz Series 1947-1950

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