Mundell Lowe - Blues for a Stripper

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:18
Size: 73,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:30) 1. Blues for a Stripper
(3:25) 2. From Mundy On
(2:15) 3. Montage
(3:33) 4. Coffee, Coffee
(3:41) 5. The Lost and the Lonely
(2:28) 6. Pattern of Evil
(3:30) 7. Satan in High Heels
(2:54) 8. East Side Drive
(3:33) 9. Lake in the Woods
(2:25) 10. The Long Knife

The music on this big-band date led by guitarist Mundell Lowe has a somewhat confusing history, since it was initially released as the soundtrack to the low-budget film Satan in High Heels and later reissued as Blues for a Stripper. The ten originals are written, arranged, and conducted by Lowe, with a formidable all-star big band that includes Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Newman, Al Cohn, Oliver Nelson, and Eddie Costa.

His brief sketches are enjoyable, running the gamut of bop, hard bop, cool, and swing, though none of them makes a lasting impression. Sadly, none of the soloists is identified and the solos are too brief to make it obvious who is playing, though Costa takes several excellent solos on vibes. This LP, issued on the Charlie Parker label, is a bit of an obscurity that is worth searching for. By Ken Dryden
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-a-stripper-mw0000350724

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods; Baritone Saxophone – Gene Allen, Sol Schlinger; Bass – George Duvivier; Drums – Ed Shaughnessy; Guitar – Mundell Lowe; Piano, Vibraphone – Eddie Costa; Saxophone – Al Cohn, Al Klink, Ray Beckenstein, Walter Levinsky; Saxophone, Flute – Walter Levinsky; Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn, Oliver Nelson; Trombone – George "Buster" Cooper*, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green; Trumpet – Bernie Glow, Clark Terry, Carl Severinsen*, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman

Blues for a Stripper

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Oliver Nelson - ZigZag

Styles: Stage & Screen
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:53
Size: 67,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:38) 1. All You Did Was Smile
(2:30) 2. Main Title From Zigzag
(1:50) 3. Guilty, Your Honor
(2:32) 4. It Was You, It Was You
(2:41) 5. Love Theme (Bossa)
(2:07) 6. Earphones
(2:52) 7. Zigzag
(4:00) 8. The Other Car
(4:53) 9. Variation Of Themes
(2:34) 10. I Call Your Name
(1:11) 11. End Title

Oliver Nelson (1932-1975) was a U.S. jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Nelson was born on 4th June 1932 in St Louis, Missouri. His family was musical: his brother was a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams in the 1940s, and his sister sang and played piano. Nelson began learning to play the piano when he was six, and started on the saxophone at eleven. From 1947 he played in territory bands around St Louis, before joining the Louis Jordan big band from 1950 to 1951, playing alto sax and arranging. After military service in the marines, he returned to Missouri to study music composition and theory at Washington and Lincoln Universities, graduating in 1958.

After graduation, Nelson moved to New York, playing with Erskine Hawkins and Wild Bill Davis, and working as the house arranger for the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. He also played on the West Coast briefly with the Louie Bellson band in 1959, and in the same year began recording as leader with small groups. From 1960 to 1961 he played tenor sax with Quincy Jones, both in the U.S. and on tour in Europe.

After six albums as leader between 1959 and 1961 for the Prestige label, Nelson's big breakthrough came with The Blues and the Abstract Truth, on Impulse!, featuring the tune "Stolen Moments", now considered a standard. This made his name as a composer and arranger, and he went on to record a number of big-band albums, as well as working as an arranger for Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Eddie Davis, Johnny Hodges, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Smith, Billy Taylor, Stanley Turrentine, Irene Reid, Gene Ammons, and many others. He also led all-star big bands in various live performances between 1966 and 1975. Nelson continued to perform as a soloist during this period, though increasingly on soprano saxophone.

In 1967, Nelson moved to Los Angeles. Apart from his big-band appearances (in Berlin, Montreux, New York, and Los Angeles), he toured West Africa with a small group. He also spent a great deal of time composing music for television (Ironside, Night Gallery, Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Longstreet) and films (Death of a Gunfighter ,and he arranged Gato Barbieri's music for Last Tango in Paris).

He produced and arranged for pop stars such as Nancy Wilson, James Brown, The Temptations, and Diana Ross. Less well-known is the fact that Nelson composed several symphonic works, and was also deeply involved in jazz education, returning to his alma mater, Washington University, in the summer of 1969 to lead a five-week long clinic that also featured such guest performers as Phil Woods, Mel Lewis, Thad Jones, Sir Roland Hanna, and Ron Carter. Nelson died of a heart attack on 28th October 1975, aged 43.https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/oliver-nelson

ZigZag

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Oliver Nelson - The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 4), (Disc 5), (Disc 6)

Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 4)
Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:28
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:14) 1. Let The Word Go Forth
(2:34) 2. A Genuine Peace
(3:54) 3. The Rights Of All
(3:20) 4. Tolerance
(3:26) 5. The Artists' Rightful Place
(2:12) 6. Jacqueline
(3:37) 7. Day In Dallas
(3:17) 8. John Kennedy Memory Waltz
(2:46) 9. Love Is Just Around The Corner
(2:15) 10. This Is It
(3:09) 11. Memories Of You
(3:48) 12. Pee Wee's Blues
(2:25) 13. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(3:43) 14. Ja-Da
(2:51) 15. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
(2:55) 16. Bopol
(4:16) 17. I'm Coming Virginia
(3:36) 18. Six And Four

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Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 5)
Time: 66:40
Size: 154,2 MB

(5:55) 1. Walk On The Wild Side
(3:56) 2. Ol' Man River
(4:25) 3. In A Mellow Tone (Album Version)
(4:13) 4. Step Right Up (Album Version)
(4:46) 5. Hobo Flats
(4:56) 6. Blueberry Hill
(3:31) 7. Walk Right In
(4:24) 8. Trouble In Mind (Album Version)
(6:15) 9. The Preacher (Album Version)
(3:06) 10. Meditation (Album Version)
(4:29) 11. I Can't Stop Loving You
(7:08) 12. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
(4:29) 13. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolff? (Pt. 1)
(5:00) 14. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolff? (Pt. 2)

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Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 6 )
Time: 76:39
Size: 176,7 MB

(4:08) 1. The Cat The Grandfather
(9:37) 2. Peter's Theme Meal Time
(7:14) 3. Elegy For A Duck
(5:19) 4. Cat In A Tree
(1:13) 5. Capture Of The Wolf
(4:44) 6. Parade Peter Plays Some Blues
(5:27) 7. One Mint Julep
(5:24) 8. Blues And The Abstract Truth
(9:59) 9. Down By The Riverside
(6:45) 10. Night Train
(5:19) 11. 13 (Death March)
(4:08) 12. Milestones
(7:17) 13. 'Round Midnight

Oliver Nelson was one of the more distinctive arrangers to be active in jazz, the studios, and popular music of the '60s. While most Nelson reissues focus on his always-excellent saxophone playing (whether on tenor or alto), this six-CD set, Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions, focuses on Oliver Nelson the arranger-composer-bandleader. He does take solos on some of these dates on tenor, alto,and soprano (his only recorded solos on that instrument), but it his writing that takes center stage. Included are his albums Full Nelson, Fantabulous, Jazzhattan Suite (which finds the ensemble called the Jazz Interactions Orchestra), Sound Pieces, and his unusual and reverent tribute set Musical Tribute to JFK: The Kennedy Dream.

In addition, Nelson's writing for Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars is here, plus his contributions (usually just part of each record) for sets by organist Shirley Scott (Roll 'Em), a group co-led by Ray Brown and Milt Jackson, and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell (The Spirit of '67). Topping off this well-conceived box are all of the music for organist Jimmy Smith's Hobo Flats, Peter and the Wolf (a classic jazz version), and Smith's first collaboration with guitarist Wes Montgomery, plus a few numbers from Smith's Bashin', Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Hootchie Coochie Man.

In addition to the playing of Jimmy Smith (who was really at his peak during this period), Wes Montgomery, Shirley Scott, and Pee Wee Russell, the most memorable soloists are altoist Phil Woods, cornetist Nat Adderley (on the Feather date), and flugelhornist Clark Terry plus Nelson himself. There is plenty of classic material here (such as the Smith/Montgomery blues jamming on "Down by the Riverside") which, even when the big-band writing is secondary, serves as a superior tribute to the underrated Oliver Nelson. By Scott Yanow

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-argo-verve-and-impulse-big-band-studio-sessions-mw0000407387

The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions(Disc 4),(Disc 5), (Disc 6 )

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Oliver Nelson - Meet Oliver Nelson / Main Stem

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 72:25

Size: 165.8 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[7:02] 1. Jams And Jellies

[6:51] 2. Passion Flower

[3:44] 3. Don't Stand Up

[5:30] 4. Ostinato

[6:52] 5. What's New

[6:34] 6. Booze Blues Baby

[6:50] 7. Main Stem

[5:50] 8. J & B

[4:33] 9. Ho!

[6:11] 10. Latino

[5:18] 11. Tipsy

[7:03] 12. Tangerine

Kenny Dorham, Joe Newman (tp), Oliver Nelson (ts), Ray Bryant, Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall, George Duvivier (b), Charlie Persip, Art Taylor (d).

”Meet Oliver Nelson” marked the leader recording debut of a considerable talent in tenor saxophonist Oliver Nelson (1932-1975). He was to win even greater acclaim later as a composer and arranger, but at 27 he was already a vastly experienced performer and a notably imaginative soloist, affectingly sensitive on ballads like Passion Flower and What’s New, with a voluminous sound, full and fiery, on more driving material.

For his debut he had simpatico company in trumpeter Kenny Dorham, so lyrical on Booze Baby Blues, and a shrewdly chosen rhythm section in pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Art Taylor. It was a noteworthy beginning.

Recorded almost two years later, “Main Stem” was much more like a typical Prestige blowing session of the time, heavily dependant on the wit and invention of the participants. Fortunately, Nelson again chose his colleagues well. Trumpeter Joe Newman is particularly good and pianist Hank Jones is his usual lucidly impeccable self in a swinging rhythm section with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Charlie Persip, while the leader, on both alto and tenor, produces an abundance of melodic, well-constructed solos over a satisfying session.

Meet Oliver Nelson/Main Stem  

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Oliver Nelson - The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Discs 1, 2 & 3 of 6-Disc Set)

Oliver Nelson was one of the more distinctive arrangers to be active in jazz, the studios, and popular music of the '60s. While most Nelson reissues focus on his always-excellent saxophone playing (whether on tenor or alto), this six-CD set, Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions, focuses on Oliver Nelson the arranger-composer-bandleader. He does take solos on some of these dates on tenor, alto,and soprano (his only recorded solos on that instrument), but it his writing that takes center stage. Included are his albums Full Nelson, Fantabulous, Jazzhattan Suite (which finds the ensemble called the Jazz Interactions Orchestra), Sound Pieces, and his unusual and reverent tribute set Musical Tribute to JFK: The Kennedy Dream. In addition, Nelson's writing for Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz All Stars is here, plus his contributions (usually just part of each record) for sets by organist Shirley Scott (Roll 'Em), a group co-led by Ray Brown and Milt Jackson, and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell (The Spirit of '67). Topping off this well-conceived box are all of the music for organist Jimmy Smith's Hobo Flats, Peter and the Wolf (a classic jazz version), and Smith's first collaboration with guitarist Wes Montgomery, plus a few numbers from Smith's Bashin', Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Hootchie Coochie Man. In addition to the playing of Jimmy Smith (who was really at his peak during this period), Wes Montgomery, Shirley Scott, and Pee Wee Russell, the most memorable soloists are altoist Phil Woods, cornetist Nat Adderley (on the Feather date), and flugelhornist Clark Terry plus Nelson himself. There is plenty of classic material here (such as the Smith/Montgomery blues jamming on "Down by the Riverside") which, even when the big-band writing is secondary, serves as a superior tribute to the underrated Oliver Nelson. ~Scott Yanow

Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 1)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 74:46

Size: 171.2 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2012

[2:45] 1. Full Nelson

[1:51] 2. Skokiaan

[4:08] 3. Miss Fine

[3:04] 4. Majorca

[4:52] 5. Cool

[3:29] 6. Back Woods

[3:53] 7. Lila's Theme

[2:33] 8. Ballad For Benny

[2:48] 9. Hoe Down

[2:54] 10. Paris Blues

[3:48] 11. What Kind Of Fool Am I

[4:28] 12. You Love But Once

[4:09] 13. Teenie's Blues

[5:27] 14. Daylie's Double

[3:44] 15. A Bientot

[3:21] 16. Three Plus One

[5:25] 17. Hobo Flats

[3:57] 18. Daylie's Double

[4:04] 19. Teenie's Blues

[3:58] 20. Laz-Ie Kate

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Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 2)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 65:43

Size: 150.4 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2012

[6:08] 1. St. Louis Blues

[6:25] 2. I Remember Bird

[2:31] 3. Ricardo's Dilemma

[3:11] 4. Patterns For Orchestra

[6:28] 5. The Sidewalks Of New York

[2:26] 6. Greensleeves

[3:20] 7. John Brown's Blues

[3:04] 8. Twelve Tone Blues

[4:42] 9. A Typical Day In New York

[4:10] 10. The East Side The West Side

[6:36] 11. 125th And Seventh Avenue

[3:07] 12. Penthouse Dawn

[5:23] 13. One For Duke

[8:06] 14. Complex City

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Album: The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:29

Size: 122.5 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2012

[4:05] 1. Roll 'em

[3:43] 2. For Dancers Only

[2:49] 3. Sophisticated Swing

[3:52] 4. Sometimes I'm Happy

[5:30] 5. Lined With A Groove

[4:49] 6. Lazy Theme

[5:12] 7. Now Hear My Meaning

[6:01] 8. In A Crowd

[9:41] 9. Sound Piece For Jazz Orchestra

[2:46] 10. Flute Salad

[4:56] 11. The Lady From Girl Talk

The Argo, Verve And Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (Disc 1, 2, 3) 

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Oliver Nelson - Swiss Suite

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:45
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(26:51)  1. Swiss Suite
( 8:38)  2. Stolen Moments
( 3:15)  3. Black, Brown & Beautiful
( 5:59)  4. Blues & The Abstract Truth

Recorded at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, this big-band outing features a mostly all-star band and altoist Oliver Nelson (who wrote all of the arrangements and compositions) and trumpeter Danny Moore on remakes of "Stolen Moments," "Black, Brown & Beautiful" and "Blues and the Abstract Truth." However it is the nearly 27-minute "Swiss Suite" that dominates this album and although tenorman Gato Barbieri has a couple of raging solos, it is a five-minute segment when guest altoist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson plays the blues that is most memorable. Vinson's classic spot alone is worth the price of this hard-to-find LP. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/swiss-suite-mw0000739505

Personnel:  Oliver Nelson - alto saxophone, arranger, conductor; Charles Tolliver - trumpet, flugelhorn; Danny Moore, Richie Cole, Bernt Stean, Harry Beckett - trumpet; Buddy Baker, Bertil Strandberg, Donald Beightol, C.J. Shilby, Monte Holz, John Thomas - trombone; Jim Nissen - bass trombone; Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Jesper Thilo, Ozren Depolo - alto saxophone; Gato Barbieri, Michael Urbaniak, Bob Sydor - tenor saxophone; Steve Stevenson - baritone saxophone; Stanley Cowell - piano; Victor Gaskin, Hugo Rasmussen - bass; Bernard Purdie- drums; Bosko Petrovic - drums, vibraphone, tarabooka; Na Na - berimbau; Sonny Morgan - congas

Swiss Suite

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Oliver Nelson - Black, Brown and Beautiful

Styles: Piano, Saxophone , Big Band
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:23
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Aftermath
(7:08)  2. Requiem
(2:34)  3. Lamb of God
(4:15)  4. Martin Was a Man, a Real Man
(4:11)  5. Self-Help Is Needed
(2:38)  6. I Hope in Time a Change Will Come
(3:29)  7. 3, 2, 1, 0
(3:30)  8. Black, Brown and Beautiful
(4:04)  9. Requiem, Afterthoughts

One of Oliver Nelson's hippest albums a bold statement of righteous energy, and a fantastic summation of all the genius he'd created during the 60s as an arranger for other people's records! The record is almost at a Duke Ellington level a complex yet soulful suite of tracks for the post-60s years complete with some sound effects of rioting and urban strife at the beginning, and a mix of modern, modal, and compositional styles that bursts out with pride and power that we wouldn't have heard in Nelson's music a decade before! The soloists are great and the album features wonderful read work from John Klemmer, Frank Strozier, and Nelson himself on great original titles that include "Self Help Is Needed", "I Hope In Time A Change Will Come", "Requiem Afterthoughts", "Lamb Of God", and "Martin Was A Man A Real Man".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/856690/Oliver-Nelson:Black-Brown-Beautiful

Personnel: Oliver Nelson - piano, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, arranger, conductor;  Orchestra including the following soloists: Bobby Bryant - trumpet; Frank Strozier - alto saxophone;  John Gross, John Klemmer - tenor saxophone; Pearl Kaufman, Roger Kellaway - piano; Chuck Domanico - bass; John Guerin, Roy Haynes - drums

Black, Brown and Beautiful

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Jimmy Smith - Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:06
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Blues 3+1
(6:24)  2. Ode To Billie Joe
(2:16)  3. The Organ Grinder's Swing
(3:21)  4. The Ape Woman
(4:26)  5. Satisfaction
(6:42)  6. Funky Broadway
(8:42)  7. Mellow Mood
(3:57)  8. Burning Spear
(5:31)  9. One Mint Julep
(4:46) 10. Hobo Flats
(4:15) 11. Groove Drops
(5:27) 12. TNT
(4:46) 13. Blues In The Night
(7:40) 14. The Sermon

Designed to appeal to hip-hop and acid jazz fans, not jazz purists, Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz collects 14 tracks Jimmy Smith cut for Verve during the late '60s. Comprised of pop covers and funky workouts, the music is "jazzy," not jazz there's little improvisation on the record, but there is a lot of hot vamping, with Smith creating dense, funky chord clusters and bluesy leads. 

It's music that is devoted to the groove, and while a few of these cuts fall flat "Ode to Billie Joe" has no funk in it, no matter how hard you try but for the most part Talkin' Verve is soulful fun. Not much of this sounds like acid jazz, especially since the rhythms are a little stiff, but it's enjoyable lite funk, and it's more palatable in the compilation than it is on their original albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/talkin-verve-roots-of-acid-jazz-mw0000646824

Personnel:  James Oscar "Jimmy" Smith - vocals, organ; Johnny Pate, Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin - arranger, conductor; Jerry Dodgion - alto saxophone, reeds; George Dorsey - alto saxophone; Budd Johnson, Zoot Sims - tenor saxophone; Marvin Halladay - baritone saxophone; Snooky Young - trumpet, flugelhorn; Jimmy Maxwell, Joe Newman, Clark Terry – trumpet; Bill Berry – flugelhorn; Wayne Andre, Bernie Powell, Billy Byers, Ernie Tack, Quentin Jackson, Urbie Green – trombone; Paul Faulise - bass trombone; Donald Corrado, Earl Chapin, Bill Correa - French horn; Don Butterfield – tuba;  Jerome Richardson, Plas Johnson – reeds; Billy Butler, Kenny Burrell, Thornell Schwartz, Wes Montgomery, Bill Suyker – guitar; Bob Bushnell, Ben Tucker, Carol Kaye – bass; Donald Dean, Grady Tate, Herbie Lovelle, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Larry Bunker, Mel Lewis, Bill Rodriguez – drums; Victor Pantoja, Ray Barretto – congas; George Devens, Bobby Rosengarden, Phil Kraus - percussion

Talkin' Verve: Roots Of Acid Jazz

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Oliver Nelson - Verve Jazz Masters 48

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:14
Size: 163,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Hoe Down
(6:13)  2. St. Louis Blues
(3:15)  3. Patterns For Orchestra
(6:29)  4. I Remember Bird
(4:47)  5. A Typical Day In New York
(3:10)  6. Penthouse Dawn
(5:28)  7. One For Duke
(8:10)  8. Complex City
(4:32)  9. You Love But One
(2:50) 10. Full Nelson
(2:35) 11. Ricardo's Dilemma
(2:57) 12. Paris Blues
(6:32) 13. The Sidewalks Of New York
(2:37) 14. Ballad For Benny
(2:30) 15. Greensleeves
(4:09) 16. Miss Fine

Considering that he was the equal of such heralded arrangers as Quincy Jones, Gil Evans, and Tadd Dameron, it's a shame Oliver Nelson has, for the most part, gone unsung. Maybe Nelson's eventual TV and film work tainted him in the eyes of critics and purists; but, then again, most jazz arrangers made that move, often out of sheer financial necessity and let's not scold them if it was simply a matter of wanting to expand their horizons. Before his Hollywood switch, though, Nelson used several '60s dates to not only display those pen skills, but to reveal his considerable saxophone chops (tenor, alto, and soprano!), as well. The fruits can be found on many dates for OJC, Impulse (the classic Blues and the Abstract Truth), and Verve. It's his work for the latter label that is nicely showcased on this collection. Covering the years 1962-1967 and culled to a large extent from his Full Nelson album and various Leonard Feather-sponsored releases, the 16 tracks here find Nelson at the helm of various big band lineups, plying his always swinging yet often complex and distinct sound. The mix contains a dazzling array of treats, including some of the most sophisticated jazz charts ("Patterns for Orchestra"), a taste of his later soundtrack work ("A Typical Day in New York"), beautiful ballads ("Penthouse Dawn"), and even some contemporary R&B-tinged fare ("Full Nelson"). Along with these and several other original pieces, Nelson also does fine by Ellington ("Paris Blues") and W.C. Handy ("St. Louis Blues"). And it's Joe Newman's fine solo on this last cut that ably demonstrates how Nelson, like Mingus, had a knack for bringing out the best in his players. With an all-star cast of players and plenty of fine sides to go, this Nelson roundup offers the perfect way to familiarize yourself with one of the great jazz architects of the '60s. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/verve-jazz-masters-48-mw0000176396

Verve Jazz Masters 48

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Oliver Nelson - Fantabulous

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:36
Size: 82,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Hobo Flats
(5:30)  2. Post No Bills
(3:47)  3. A Bientot
(3:25)  4. Three Plus One
(5:28)  5. Take Me With You
(4:01)  6. Daylie's Double
(4:08)  7. Teenie's Blues
(3:59)  8. Laz-ie Kate

By the time Oliver Nelson and his big band had recorded Fantabulous in March of 1964 for Argo, the great composer, saxophonist, conductor, and arranger was a man about town in New York. He had released some truly classic dates of his own as a leader in smaller group forms Blues and the Abstract Truth and Full Nelson among them and had done arrangement work for everyone from Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Hodges, Nancy Wilson, Frank Wess, King Curtis, Etta Jones, Jimmy Smith, Jack Teagarden, Betty Carter, Billy Taylor, and Gene Ammons, to name more than a few. For Fantabulous, he took his working big band to Chicago for a gig sponsored by Daddy-O-Daylie, a famous local disc jockey. He had also worked with a number of the players on this date before, even recording an earlier version of the tune "Hobo Flats" that opens this set a year before on an album of the same name. Altoist Phil Woods, baritone roarer Jerome Richardson, trumpeters Snooky Young and Art Hoyle, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Grady Tate are a few of the names on Fantabulous. Nelson holds down the tenor chair, and Patti Bown is on piano with additional brass and reed players. Another Nelson original, "Post No Bills" features killer alto work from Woods, and a brief but smoking hot baritone break form Richardson on the same cut. This program is compelling in that it provides an excellent meld of all of Nelson's strengths-as an advanced, colorful harmonist who insisted on the hard swinging esthetic, as an excellent tenor saxophonist and a killer conductor. Another highlight is "Daylie's Double," (which bears a similarity to Nat Adderley's "Work Song"") named for the aforementioned DJ, with smoking tenor breaks from Nelson, and big fat soulful chord soloing from Bown. Likewise Billy Taylor's "A Bientot," it opens in true big brass Ellingtonian elegance, and unravels itself as a gorgeous bluesy ballad with echoes of "I Only Have Eyes for You" in its melody. The subtle shades of flute and twinned clarinet are a nice touch before the entire band arrives to carry it out on a big yet tenderly expressive lyric cloud. That said, there isn't a weak moment here, there isn't anything that doesn't captivate, delight, and even astonish, as in the smoking, striated harmonic bop head on "Three Plus One." It's almost amazing it took more than 20 years before this appeared on American shores on CD, but at last, here it is in excellent sound at a budget price as part of Verve's Originals series. This is for those who are fans who don't have it yet (and who are unwilling to pay high collector's fees for good vinyl copies or the wages of Japanese import insanity), and those wondering where to begin with Nelson the arranger. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/fantabulous-mw0000493692

Personnel:  Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone, arranger and conductor;  Phil Woods - alto saxophone, clarinet;  Kenny Soderblom - alto sax, flute;  Bob Ashton - tenor sax, clarinet;  Jerome Richardson - baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute;  Art Hoyle, Snooky Young - trumpet;  Ray Weigand - trombone;  Tony Studd - bass trombone;  Patti Bown - piano;  Ben Tucker - bass;  Grady Tate - drums

Fantabulous

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Various - A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story (2 parts)

The litany of names that drummer Roy Haynes has worked with in his half-century long career reads like a history of modern jazz, and includes such undeniable luminaries as Lester Young, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Stan Getz, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Alice Coltrane, and John Coltrane, all of whom are represented on this three-disc (there is a fourth DVD disc that adds interviews and videos of live shows) survey of Haynes' musical life and times. Spanning 1949 through 2006, at 37 tracks this set only begins to scratch the surface of what Haynes has contributed to jazz, of course, but it is both an ideal starting point and a capsule survey of those contributions. A must for fans and those in the know, but even the most casual listener will be impressed.

Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 86:28
Size: 197.9 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007

[2:26] 1. Lester Young - Ding Dong
[3:00] 2. Bud Powell - Bouncin' With Bud
[3:02] 3. Charlie Parker - My Little Suede Shoes
[2:21] 4. Miles Davis - Morpheus
[2:50] 5. Miles Davis - Down
[2:30] 6. Sonny Rollins - I Know
[4:54] 7. Charlie Parker - I'll Walk Alone
[2:38] 8. Sarah Vaughan - Shulie A Bop
[3:32] 9. Nat Adderley - Two Brothers
[2:38] 10. Sarah Vaughan - How High The Moon
[4:20] 11. Roy Haynes - Reflection
[9:27] 12. Thelonious Monk Quartet - Rhythm A Ning
[3:49] 13. Etta Jones - Don't Go To Strangers
[5:41] 14. Eric Dolphy Quintet - On Green Dolphin Street
[2:28] 15. Stan Getz - I'm Late, I'm Late
[8:44] 16. Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments
[4:40] 17. Roy Haynes Quartet - Long Wharf
[4:07] 18. Roy Haynes Quartet - Snap Crackle
[9:03] 19. Jackie Mclean - Esoteric
[4:09] 20. John Coltrane Quartet - After The Rain

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Album: A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story Part 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:03
Size: 290.8 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. Andrew Hill - Black Fire
[ 7:53] 2. Jack Dejohnette - Poppa Daddy And Me
[ 6:27] 3. Chick Corea - Matrix
[11:41] 4. Alice Coltrane - Transfiguration
[ 3:02] 5. Michel Petrucciani - Little Peace In C For U
[ 6:22] 6. Gary Burton - Question And Answer
[17:20] 7. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
[ 4:35] 8. Roy Haynes - James
[ 4:24] 9. Roy Haynes - Equipoise
[ 7:15] 10. Roy Haynes - After Sunrise
[ 7:01] 11. Roy Haynes - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[ 5:55] 12. Roy Haynes - Vistalite
[ 6:43] 13. Roy Haynes - Water Children
[ 7:36] 14. Roy Haynes - Brown Skin Girl
[ 8:19] 15. Roy Haynes - Greensleeves
[ 6:53] 16. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Hippidy Hop
[ 8:37] 17. Roy Haynes & The Fountain Of Youth Band - Segment

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Herbie Mann - Our Mann Flute

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:47
Size: 75,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. Scratch
(2:28)  2. Philly Dog
(2:09)  3. Happy Brass
(2:51)  4. Good Lovin'
(5:07)  5. Theme from "This Is My Beloved"
(2:15)  6. Frere Jacques
(2:44)  7. Our Mann Flint
(2:22)  8. Fiddler on the Roof
(2:17)  9. Theme from "Malamondo"
(2:34) 10. Down by the Riverside
(2:58) 11. Monday, Monday
(2:22) 12. Skip to My Lou

Herbie Mann played a wide variety of music throughout his career. He became quite popular in the 1960s, but in the '70s became so immersed in pop and various types of world music that he seemed lost to jazz. However, Mann never lost his ability to improvise creatively as his later recordings attest. Herbie Mann began on clarinet when he was nine but was soon also playing flute and tenor. After serving in the Army, he was with Mat Mathews' Quintet (1953-1954) and then started working and recording as a leader. During 1954-1958 Mann stuck mostly to playing bop, sometimes collaborating with such players as Phil Woods, Buddy Collette, Sam Most, Bobby Jaspar, and Charlie Rouse. He doubled on cool-toned tenor and was one of the few jazz musicians in the '50s who recorded on bass clarinet; he also recorded a full album in 1957 (for Savoy) of unaccompanied flute. After spending time playing and writing music for television, Mann formed his Afro-Jazz Sextet, in 1959, a group using several percussionists, vibes (either Johnny Rae, Hagood Hardy, or Dave Pike) and the leader's flute. He toured Africa (1960) and Brazil (1961), had a hit with "Comin' Home Baby," and recorded with Bill Evans. The most popular jazz flutist during the era, Mann explored bossa nova (even recording in Brazil in 1962), incorporated music from many cultures (plus current pop tunes) into his repertoire, and had among his sidemen such top young musicians as Willie Bobo, Chick Corea (1965), Attila Zoller, and Roy Ayers; at the 1972 Newport Festival his sextet included David Newman and Sonny Sharrock. By then Mann had been a producer at Embroyo (a subsidiary of Atlantic) for three years and was frequently stretching his music outside of jazz. As the '70s advanced, Mann became much more involved in rock, pop, reggae, and even disco. After leaving Atlantic at the end of the '70s, Mann had his own label for awhile and gradually came back to jazz. He recorded for Chesky, made a record with Dave Valentin, and in the '90s founded the Kokopelli label on which before breaking away in 1996, he was free to pursue his wide range of musical interests. Through the years, he recorded as a leader for Bethlehem, Prestige, Epic, Riverside, Savoy, Mode, New Jazz, Chesky, Kokopelli, and most significantly Atlantic. He passed away on July 1, 2003, following an extended battle with prostate cancer. His last record was 2004's posthumously released Beyond Brooklyn for Telarc. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/our-mann-flute/76152839

Personnel:  Herbie Mann - flute, alto flute, arranger, conductor, writer;  Leo Ball, Doc Cheatham, Al DeRisi, Jerome Kail, Marky Markowitz, Joe Newman, Jimmy Owens, Ernie Royal, Ziggy Schatz, Clark Terry, Snooky Young - trumpet;  Bob Alexander, Quentin Jackson, Jimmy Knepper, Joe Orange, Santo Russo, Chauncey Welsch - trombone;  Tony Studd - bass trombone;  Jerry Dodgion - flute, clarinet, alto saxophone;  Richie Kamuca - clarinet, tenor saxophone;  King Curtis - tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone;  Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone;  Dave Pike, Johnny Rae - vibraphone;  Don Friedman, Jimmy Wisner - piano;  Al Gorgoni, Mundell Lowe, Charles Macey, Attila Zoller - guitar;  Milt Hinton, Jack Six, Knobby Totah, Reggie Workman - bass;  Joe Mack - electric bass;  Bruno Carr, Rudy Collins, Bernard Purdie, Bobby Thomas - drums;  Willie Bobo, Gary Chester - timbales, percussion;  Ray Barretto, Warren Smith, Carlos "Patato" Valdes - congas;  Ray Mantilla - bongos;  Michael Olatunji - percussion, vocals;  George Devens - percussion;  Maya Angela, Dolores Parker - vocals;  Anthony Bambino, Hinda Barnett, Emanuel Green, Harry Katzman, Leo Kruczek, Gene Orloff, Paul Winter - violin;  Charles McCracken, Kermit Moore - cello;  Arif Mardin, Oliver Nelson, Richard Wess, Jimmy Wisner - arranger, conductor

Our Mann Flute

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Hank Jones, Oliver Nelson - Happenings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:44
Size: 77.2 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Bop
Year: 1966/2001
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Broadwalk Samba
[2:23] 2. Winchester Cathedral
[2:35] 3. Mas Que Nada (Pow, Pow Pow)
[2:31] 4. Lullaby Of Jazzland
[2:18] 5. Jazztime, U.S.A
[3:03] 6. Cul-De-Sac
[3:09] 7. Happenings
[4:21] 8. Lou's Good Dues Blues
[4:24] 9. Fugue Tune
[3:10] 10. Spy With A Cold Nose
[2:50] 11. Funky But Blues

Bass – George Duvivier, Ron Carter; Drums – Ed Shaugnessy, Grady Tate; Harpsichord [Electric] – Hank Jones; Percussion – Joe Venuto; Piano – Hank Jones; Trombone – Britt Woodman, J.J. Johnson, Jimmy Cleveland, Tom Mitchell; Trumpet – Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Snooky Young, Joe Newman; Woodwind – Danny Bank, Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Phil Woods, Robert Ashton, Romeo Penque. Recorded October 19, 1966 - October 21, 1966.

The combination of Hank Jones and Oliver Nelson, along with sidemen such as Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, and Jerry Dodgion, would normally have one expecting a great release. Unfortunately, Jones plays an electric harpsichord on seven of the 11 tracks from this mid-1960s LP, plus there are several dated pop numbers from the era, including "Winchester Cathedral" (though it has a campy pesudo-Satchmo vocal by Terry) and the bland "Mas Que Nada (Pow Pow Pow)," which has long since worn out its welcome. Jones' playing, Nelson's arrangements and his originals (including "Happenings" and "Lou's Good Due Blues"), and the work of the various sidemen is all first rate. But the forgettable sound of the electric harpsichord (an instrument that thankfully didn't catch on, contrary to liner note writer Stanley Dance's prediction that it was here to stay along with earlier electronic instruments) keeps this release from achieving the heights it would have if Jones had only stuck to the piano throughout the sessions. This disc will be sought only by those fans who must have everything Hank Jones has recorded. ~Ken Dryden

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Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy - Straight Ahead

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:11
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Images
(7:18)  2. Six And Four
(5:04)  3. Mama Lou
(9:57)  4. Ralph's New Blues
(5:36)  5. Straight Ahead
(3:27)  6. 111-44

Contrast is everything. Think of food for example: A big salty hunk of mature cheese is nicely offset by a couple of sweet grapes. Gastronomes would never dream of eating a rich foie-gras without the accompaniment of the honeyed sweetness of a glass of Sauternes. The same is true with music; a whole album of fast-paced music quickly becomes draining. Likewise, an hour of chilled-out dub can send you to sleep. The saxophonist and composer Oliver Nelson was obviously acutely aware of this when choosing his musical sparring partners. Nelson's decision to share the frontline on three albums with the multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy is often described as brave. I believe that Nelson knew exactly what he was doing. Dolphy, a hero of the avant-garde, has a style so diametrically opposed to Oliver Nelson’s that the two just can’t help but complement each other. This synergy is beautifully demonstrated on the 1961 recording Straight Ahead. Both soloists play a number of instruments, with Nelson on alto/tenor saxophone and clarinet and Dolphy on bass clarinet, alto saxophone and flute. Oliver Nelson was a jazz composer par excellence, and this album does not disappoint. It contains a number of memorable themes, such as “Six and Four,” “Mama Lou” and “Straight Ahead.” Best of all: the soloing. The high-speed elasticity of Dolphy’s runs contrast perfectly with the pure, soaring tone of Nelson. The two horn players spark each other and generate music of genuine intensity. It is worth noting that Oliver Nelson and Eric Dolphy played together on a number of other albums, the highlight of which must be the classic chamber-jazz of The Blues and the Abstract Truth. Pass the grapes.....~ Keiran Smalley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/straight-ahead-oliver-nelson-fantasy-jazz-review-by-keiran-smalley.php

Personnel: Oliver Nelson: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Richard Wyands: piano; George Duvivier: bass; Roy Haynes: drums

Straight Ahead

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Oliver Nelson - Taking Care Of Business

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:37
Size: 97.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Art: Front

[9:54] 1. Trane Whistle
[6:57] 2. Doxy
[5:30] 3. In Time
[6:16] 4. Lou's Good Dues
[7:32] 5. All The Way
[6:26] 6. Groove

Bass – George Tucker; Drums – Roy Haynes; Organ – Johnny "Hammond" Smith; Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Oliver Nelson; Vibraphone – Lem Winchester.

Oliver Nelson would gain his greatest fame later in his short life as an arranger/ composer, but this superior session puts the emphasis on his distinctive tenor and alto playing. In a slightly unusual group (with vibraphonist Lem Winchester, organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Roy Haynes), Nelson improvises a variety of well-constructed but spontaneous solos; his unaccompanied spots on "All the Way" and his hard-charging playing on the medium-tempo blues "Groove" are two of the many highpoints. Nelson remains a vastly underrated saxophonist and all six performances (four of them his originals) are excellent. ~Scott Yanow

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Oliver Nelson - Screamin' The Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:54
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:59)  1. Screamin' The Blues
( 4:59)  2. March On, March On
( 5:49)  3. The Drive
( 6:43)  4. The Meetin'
( 6:25)  5. Three Seconds
( 4:58)  6. Alto-itis

Screamin' the Blues is an apt description of the soloists' approach on this 1960 session, here reissued as an RVG remaster, the first of three matching leader Oliver Nelson with avant-gardist Eric Dolphy. Although not as well-known as Nelson's masterpiece, Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961), the date is characterized, above all, by "generosity" on the part of all three principals, including the underrated trumpeter Richard Williams. Nelson's tenor solo on the title tune is the equivalent of an operatic tenor aria full-throated, dramatic, played to the back row. It alone is testimony to the remarkable player he was before putting the horn aside and arranging for everyone from Ringo Starr to Thelonious Monk to opera diva Rise Stevens. Add to these activities his film scores for Last Tango in Paris, Lady Sings the Blues, and Alfie, with a sound-track featuring Sonny Rollins, and you begin to wonder less at why he died so young than how he accomplished so much in his forty-three years. On both tenor and alto Nelson favored a pure but powerful sound. His vibrato spins tightly and he's forward on the beat, but otherwise the decisiveness and absolute assurance with which he "sticks" every note is prime-time Dexter Gordon. Moreover, he thinks like a composer constructing solos with a beginning, middle, and end, each musical narrative culminating in a majestic but hard-earned climax. As harmonically grounded as he is, no player is more averse to "running the changes"; in fact, Nelson incorporates the principle of tension and release practically to the extreme. He will repeat an identical phrase derived from a chord's "extension notes" to the point of discomfort before relinquishing it to the harmonic mainstream. Especially striking examples are his solos on "Perdido (Soul Battle, 1960) and "Mainstem (Mainstem, 1961). Following the stentorian statements of Nelson's tenor and Williams' trumpet on the title tune, Dolphy's squawking bass clarinet sounds like an odd duck. But once moving to alto for "March On, March On" he reveals the aggressive technique and bold harmonies that caused Nelson, a harmonic experimenter and virtuoso player in his own right, to see in Dolphy an adventurous musical soul and kindred spirit, someone capable of pushing the leader to greater risks and potentially greater rewards. Dolphy remains on alto for the next five tunes, frequently raising the bar for Nelson, whose musical-emotional rhetoric, fueled by Dolphy's range-busting top tones and volcanic technique, is not about to give an inch. 

After a particularly blistering solo by the guest alto player on the leader's "Alto-itis," Nelson starts his solo tenuously, as though planning his attack carefully before executing with breathtaking surgical precision, leaving the "screamin'" to the entire ensemble on the out chorus. Sounding no less eruptive than the Count Basie band from the Wyands-Duvivier-Haynes power plant to the three explosive horns each impersonating an entire section it's a fitting finale by musicians for whom feeling blue is an occasion for celebrating. ~ Samuel Chell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/screamin-the-blues-oliver-nelson-prestige-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php

Personnel: Oiver Nelson: tenor and alto saxophones; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone and bass clarinet; Richard Williams: trumpet; Richard Wyands: piano; George Duvivier: bass; Roy Haynes: drums.

Screamin' The Blues

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Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis - Trane Whistle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:03
Size: 76,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Trane Whistle
(3:35)  2. Whole Nelson
(5:11)  3. You Are Too Beautiful
(7:54)  4. The Stolen Moment
(5:27)  5. Walk Away
(4:36)  6. Jaws

This CD reissue brings back an Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis session in which the distinctive tenor saxophonist is joined by a 13-piece big band arranged by Oliver Nelson. Most significant is the inclusion of the original version of "Stolen Moments" (here called "The Stolen Moment" and predating the more famous Oliver Nelson recording by several months). Eric Dolphy is in the backup group but is not heard from in a solo capacity. There are some spots for trumpeters Richard Williams, Clark Terry and Bobby Bryant along with Nelson on alto but this is primarily Davis' showcase. On a set comprised of four Oliver Nelson originals, the ballad "You Are Too Beautiful" and the leader's "Jaws," Lockjaw as usual shows plenty of emotion during his driving solos. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/trane-whistle-mw0000207360

Personnel: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone); Clark Terry, Richard Williams, Bob Bryant (trumpet); Melba Liston, Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Jerome Richardson, Oliver Nelson, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow, Bob Ashton (reeds); Richard Wyands (piano); Wendell Marshall (bass); Roy Haynes (drums).

Trane Whistle

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Gene Ammons - A Stranger In Town

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:51

Size: 155.3 MB

Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[9:41] 1. The Song Is You

[3:59] 2. Light'n Up

[3:32] 3. Short Stop

[3:58] 4. They Say You're Laughing At Me

[4:13] 5. Salome's Tune

[4:10] 6. Blue Coolade

[5:58] 7. A Stranger In Town

[5:32] 8. Scam

[4:24] 9. Count Your Blessings

[3:07] 10. Cara Mia

[5:18] 11. Night Lights

[5:41] 12. Calypso Blues

[8:11] 13. Nature Boy

Alto Saxophone – Oliver Nelson;Baritone Saxophone – Gene Easton, Robert Ashton; Bass – George Duvivier, Wendell Marshall; Congas – Henry Pucho Brown, Ray Barretto; Drums – Billy English, Ed Thigpen, George Brown, Rudy Collins, Walter Perkins; Piano – John Houston, Mal Waldron, Patti Brown, Richard Wyands, Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone – Gene Ammons, George Barrow, Red Holloway; Trombone – Henderson Chambers; Trumpet – Clark Terry, Hobart Dotson, Nate Woodward.

More so than other independent jazz labels such as Blue Note and Riverside, the powers to be at Prestige seemed to take great liberties in producing albums that would often contain cuts from multiple sessions, a discographical nightmare at its most basic. But even more troubling, this often made for a lack of coherence that could be disconcerting at times. What then made all of this worse was that the practice was often used with some of the label’s most important and visible artists.

The forgoing will hopefully put into perspective the circumstances surrounding the strange mélange that makes up the Gene Ammons compilation A Stranger In Town. Taken from no less than five recording sessions that span from 1954 to 1970, the 13 tracks assembled here originally appeared on the albums Velvet Soul, Sock!, and Night Lights. That’s the easy part; and then it gets confusing as you try to keep up with the rotating cast of characters on hand. A boisterous “The Song Is You” gets us started with some great small group charts provided by Oliver Nelson, only to give way to a spate of quartet performances that while solid are not particularly all that revelatory. The closing three tracks, particularly a tasty “Calypso Blues,” are the cream of the crop as Ammons' blustery attack gets bluesy support from the ubiquitous Wynton Kelly. ~C. Andrew Hovan

A Stranger In Town

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Joe Newman - Quintet At Count Basies

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(9:51)  1. Caravan
(4:38)  2. Love Is Here To Stay
(5:52)  3. Someone To Love
(4:28)  4. The Midgets
(5:58)  5. On Green Dolphin Street
(8:13)  6. Wednesday's Blues

After two long stints with Count Basie's band, esteemed trumpeter Joe Newman put together his own quintet. And where did his new group choose to unveil itself? At Joe's famous ex-boss's New York City nightclub! Joe, Oliver Nelson, Ed Shaughnessy and the band play Caravan; On Green Dolphin Street; Please Send Me Someone to Love , and more. 1961 recording. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Newman-Quintet-Count-Basies/dp/B0007KVAKM

Personnel: Oliver Nelson (tenor saxophone); Joe Newman (trumpet); Lloyd Mayers (piano); Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Quintet At Count Basies

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Chris Connor - Free Spirits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 79.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1962/2005
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Jump For Joy
[3:15] 2. Night Bird
[3:18] 3. Milano
[3:11] 4. Opportunity, Please Knock
[2:58] 5. Day Dream
[2:25] 6. Things Are Swingin'
[3:51] 7. Kansas City
[4:01] 8. Lonely Woman
[2:48] 9. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
[3:15] 10. Free Spirits
[2:58] 11. God Bless The Child

Alto Saxophone – Phil Woods; Baritone Saxophone – Sol Schlinger; Bass – Ben Tucker, George Duvivier; Bass Clarinet – Sol Schlinger; Clarinet – Oliver Nelson, Phil Woods; Drums – Dave Bailey, Ed Shaughnessy; Piano – Ronnie Ball; Tenor Saxophone – Oliver Nelson; Trumpet – Clark Terry, Joe Newman, Irvin Markowitz; Vocals – Chris Connor.

Chris Connor's smoky voice made her a natural fit for torch songs, but her flair for improvisation expanded her considerable talents to include upbeat material as well. Free Spirits, an excellent small-group date arranged for her by Al Cohn, features Connor in a range of settings; remember, free spirits don't necessarily mean high spirits. The choices for material also range far and wide. A trio of Ellington evergreens anchor the set, but she also includes material from Peggy Lee, Oscar Brown, Jr., Leiber & Stoller's "Kansas City," and Billie Holiday's nearly untouchable "God Bless the Child." It helps that she gets expressive accompaniment from an all-star lineup -- alto Phil Woods, tenor Oliver Nelson, and a pair of all-time trumpeters (Clark Terry and Joe Newman). Despite the title, the only concept at work here is her ability to captivate a listening audience with a wide-ranging set. ~John Bush

Free Spirits

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