Esther Phillips - Black Eyed Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 77.5 MB
Styles: Soul/Blues/R&B
Year: 1973/2012
Art: Front

[5:30] 1. Justified
[3:29] 2. I've Only Known A Stranger
[6:41] 3. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[6:09] 4. Black-Eyed Blues
[4:34] 5. Too Many Roads
[7:27] 6. You Could Have Had Me, Baby

Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion, Pee Wee Ellis; Backing Vocals – Carl Carldwell, Joshie Armstead, Lani Groves, Tasha Thomas; Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams; Bass – Boz, Ron Carter; Cello – Alan Shulman, Anthony Sophos; Drums – Ian Wallace; Guitar – Charlie Brown; Percussion – Arthur Jenkins; Piano – Tim Hinkley; Trumpet – Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm; Viola – Alfred Brown, Emanuel Vardi; Violin – David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Irving Spice, Joe Malin, Max Ellen. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios. Recorded July, 1973.

This was the third album that Esther cut for Creed Taylor's CTI album. It marked a change from the previous two in that the string arrangements were undertaken for the first time with this artist, by Bob James; it's a subtle but very important change. Secondly the material stretches out from the straight-ahead R&B to embrace a range of varying styles. This being the case, the album is not as 'immediate' as the previous two, but is just as satisfying when it yields all its nuances. My favourite tracks are her reading of Bill Wither's "Justified" which is a great version.There's a particularly sensual and burning version of "I've only known a stranger" and a straight ahead jazz version of Leonard Feather's "You could have had me baby".While I'm writing about it I should also mention the title track, which is a Joe Cocker track given a particularly good makeover. That's four out of the seven tracks mentioned already, so when you consider that there's a bonus unreleased track as well out of the remaining three,it makes you realise what good value it is. Add in an excellent set of sleeve notes, and this is another 'must have' Esther Phillips album! ~Dr.D.Treharne

Black Eyed Blues

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Pee Wee Ellis - Yellin' Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 65:00

Size: 149,6 MB

Art: Front

( 4:18)  1. Lazy Bird

( 8:31)  2. Do Dee Dum Diddy

( 9:52)  3. Sophisticated Lady

( 6:58)  4. Like Sonny

( 9:42)  5. Yellin' Blue

( 6:10)  6. Groovin' High

(11:24)  7. In A Mellow Tone

( 8:03)  8. Tag Alone

Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was the architect of James Brown's era-defining soul classics of the late '60s, introducing the dynamic arrangements and punishing rhythms that would define the emerging language of funk. Born Alfred Ellis in Bradenton, FL, on April 21, 1941, he was raised in Lubbock, TX, and was playing professionally by the time he reached middle school. In 1955, his family relocated to Rochester, NY, where he collaborated with classmates (and fledgling jazzmen) Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter. Ellis spent the summer of 1957 under the tutelage of sax giant Sonny Rollins, and after graduating high school he returned to Florida to form his own R&B combo, Dynamics Incorporated. The experience honed his skills as a writer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, and after a brief stint with the Sonny Payne Trio he joined the James Brown Revue in 1965. Assigned alto sax and organ duties, Ellis quickly proved himself an invaluable contributor to arrangements and horn charts as well, and when Nat Jones quit the lineup in early 1967, Brown named Ellis his new musical director, resulting in significant refinements to the Godfather of Soul's sound. Ellis channeled the lessons of his jazz background to strip Brown's music to its bare essentials, showcasing bold, precise horns and repetitive rhythms with a minimum of melodic embellishment -- hits like "Cold Sweat," "Licking Stick-Licking Stick," and "Funky Drummer" redefined the sound and scope of soul, pointing the way for its transformation to funk. Ellis went on to co-write and arrange a series of James Brown smashes, including "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Mother Popcorn," as well as issuing a handful of solo singles on Brown's label King, among them "Little Green Apples" and "In the Middle." He resigned from Brown's band in the autumn of 1969, and after settling in New York City he signed to the Nashville-based Sound Stage 7 label and issued the rare groove classic "Moonwalk." Ellis also emerged as a sought-after session player, contributing to dates headlined by everyone from soul-jazz great Brother Jack McDuff to a latter-day blues-rock incarnation of the Blues Magoos. He then served as musical director and arranger for the CTI label's influential fusion imprint Kudu, overseeing sessions for Esther Phillips, George Benson, and Hank Crawford.

Ellis next teamed with the studio group Gotham to record the LP Pass the Butter for Motown's Natural Resources subsidiary before resuming his solo career with his first-ever full-length effort, the 1976 Savoy release Home in the Country. After relocating to San Francisco, Ellis formed a short-lived fusion quintet with soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, also playing on and producing Liebman's 1977 A&M release Light'n Up Please! With 1979's Into the Music, he was named arranger for blue-eyed soul mystic Van Morrison, a collaboration that spanned until 1986 and included a series of well-regarded albums including Common One and Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. Ellis spent much of the late '80s touring behind longtime Brown backing vocalist Bobby Byrd in tandem with fellow J.B.'s alums Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker as the JB Horns, debuting on disc with the 1990 release Pee Wee, Fred and Maceo. Subsequent efforts include I Like It Like That and Funky Good Time/Live. After the JB Horns went on hiatus in 1992, Ellis reunited with another Brown alum, drummer Clyde Stubblefield, for the album Blues Mission. He then returned to his jazz roots with 1993's acclaimed Twelve and More Blues, a live set cut in Köln, Germany, with bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Bruce Cox. That summer, Ellis also headlined a week of sold-out dates at Ronnie Scott's in London, an experience that shaped both his movement into acid jazz with 1994's Sepia Tonality and subsequent relocation to western England. With the move overseas, Ellis also resumed his partnership with Van Morrison on the latter's 1995 effort, Days Like This, serving as musical director of Morrison's studio and stage crew for years to follow; Ellis also formed his own band, the Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, for 1996's A New Shift. The group remained active in concert and on record for years to follow, confining most of its activities to Europe and pursuing a direction Ellis dubbed "smunk" i.e., smooth funk. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pee-wee-ellis-mn0000305424/biography

Personnel: Bass – Dwayne Dolphin;  Drums – Bruce Cox;  Tenor Saxophone, Producer – Pee Wee Ellis

Yellin' Blue

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Pee Wee Ellis - Blues Mission

Styles: Saxophone, Jazz Funk
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:51
Size: 89,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. Zig Zag
(3:23)  2. Gotcha!
(5:36)  3. Cold Sweat/Mother Popcorn
(3:11)  4. Yellin' Blue
(4:10)  5. One Mint Julep
(6:23)  6. Texas Sweet
(4:15)  7. Ham
(4:40)  8. Fort Apache
(3:20)  9. Blues Mission

Longtime James Brown arranger and band member Pee Wee Ellis took the spotlight on this set of hot instrumentals, blues-based uptempo numbers, and inspired covers. Ellis' tenor sax solos are strong, exuberant, and tight. His band members include guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly in a more restrained role than usual, while Tyrone Jefferson provides the trombone fills and effects much as Fred Wesley did in The JBs. The group pays homage to Ellis' past with the stinging "Cold Sweat Mother Popcorn," rivaling the original Brown orchestra in their execution, funk, and energy. ~ Ron Wynn  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-mission-mw0000099231

Personnel: Pee Wee Ellis (tenor saxophone), Jean-Paul Bourelly (electric guitar), Jack Walrath (trumpet), Tyrone Jefferson (trombone), Masabumi "Poo" Kikuchi (Hammond B-3 organ), Jean-Paul Bourelly (electric guitar), Darryl Jones (Fender bass), Clyde Stubblefield (drums).

Blues Mission

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Pee Wee Ellis - Sepia Tonality

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:31
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
(5:57)  2. I Should Care
(4:26)  3. Stardust
(4:15)  4. Sepia Tonality
(3:41)  5. Cleaning Windows
(3:36)  6. Cherry Red
(6:37)  7. Body And Soul
(4:20)  8. Prayer Of Love
(4:48)  9. Why Not
(5:34) 10. Come Rain Or Come Shine

A versatile composer, arranger, saxophonist and keyboard player, a musician whose repertoire encompasses all manner of music from jazz through soul and funk to stadium rock, Alfred Pee Wee Ellis stands distinctive in any company. Born in Bradenton, Florida in 1941, Pee Wee was raised in Lubbock, Texas where he played his first public show in 1954 while still in Junior High School. His family moved to Rochester, NY, the following year, where he continued to play professionally throughout High School. He also met Sonny Rollins at this time, and spent the summer of 1957 under his masterful tutelage - a pivotal experience. “A great sax player, he taught me a lot and I still listen to him”. Returning to Florida after graduation he formed his own ensemble, Dynamics Incorporated. He also worked on the carny circuit at this time, laying the foundation of his career as a bandleader and musical director, writer and arranger, and by now multi-instrumentalist, with tenor saxophone as his principal musical voice. It was during this period that he first came to the notice of James Brown. Back in New York, Pee Wee was working with The Sonny Payne Trio in 1965 when he got ‘the call’ from his close friend Wayman Reed to join the James Brown Revue, then the hottest, most sensational and successful head-buster on the R&B circuit, and fast becoming an international phenomenon. “I stood there in the wings and I thought, I should have bought a ticket. 

It was that much of a privilege to be so close to James Brown and that band” says Pee Wee now of his first exposure to the revue. Playing alto sax and organ Pee Wee quickly became an integral element in James’ expanding vision, writing arrangements and horn charts, and he was instantly promoted to bandleader when Nat Jones quit in January 1967. That very same day Pee Wee arranged Brown’s R&B Top 5 Hit, “Let Yourself Go” (from which, 'There Was A Time' was born), and then turned the soul world on its head with Brown’s follow-up, “Cold Sweat.” This was a million selling Number 1 Hit in the autumn of 1967 and it redefined the parameters of popular music. Brown had been out on a musical limb since 1964, with unconventional hits such as “I Got You (I feel Good)” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” but Nat Jones’ arrangements had not taken him over the edge. Pee Wee’s “Cold Sweat” propelled James Brown into a new dimension musically, and founded a funk revolution that is still being copied and sampled the world over 30 years on. Pee Wee continued to be a mainspring in James Brown’s musical direction for the next two and a half years, co-writing and arranging the majority of the ‘Godfather’s’ single hits and album tracks during that period and also interjecting commercial success into the instrumental releases of the James Brown Band ('In the Middle', 'Popcorn', 'Soul Pride' and 'The Chicken'.) Pee Wee left the Revue in September of 1969, basing himself in New York and cutting a quick single for the Nashville label, Sound Stage 7, called “Moonwalk” backed with “That Thing”- this is now a sought after ‘rare groove.’ 

He moved to CTI’s Kudu label as musical director and arranger and worked with many of their roster including George Benson and Hank Crawford, and in particular, the exceptional Esther Philips, for whom he was musical director through a five year period. During the 70s Pee Wee continued as arranger and conductor for musicians like Sonny Stitt, and began to concentrate on his own projects such as an album called “Pass The Butter,” for Motown’s Natural Resources label. This led in 1976, to Pee Wee’s first album, “Home in the Country” recorded for Savoy/Arista just before he located to California’s Bay Area. Here he formed a band with David Liebman in 1977. Mark Isham had played with Pee Wee on the road with Esther, and had been in the band with David, so when Van Morrison needed some horns on a song he was working on, called 'Troubadours', Mark recommended Pee Wee. And so began a long-term relationship that was to produce much significant music - 'Into the Music', 'Live in Belfast', 'Beautiful Vision', 'Inarticulate Speech of the Heart', and 'Common One'. “Van gave me the freedom to put the horn charts together. I liked that”, says a modest Pee Wee of his contribution to some of the finest music from the 80s. During this decade, via Bobby Byrd and the JB Allstars, Pee Wee regrouped with Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker from the James Brown days to form the JB Horns. This line-up worked from 1988 and into the 90s, recording “Pee Wee, Fred and Maceo,” “The JB Horns,” and “I Like It Like That” in 1991, “Funky Good Time Live In Tokyo,” in 1992, and the hit albums, “Life on Planet Groove,” “Roots Revisited,” and “Mo Roots,” with the Roots Revisited Ensemble. Pee Wee resumed his solo recording career in 1992, with yet another formidable line-up of New York musicians on “Blues Mission,” which teamed him again with Clyde Stubblefield - the original ‘Funky Drummer’. Pee Wee’s next solo album was released the following year and was another departure - a jazz trio album recorded live in Koln, Germany with bassist Dwayne Dolphin and Bruce Cox on drums. Entitled “Twelve and More Blues,” this CD backtracks to Pee Wee’s musical roots and then moves straight ahead in a be-bop direction, tackling both jazz standards and his own original compositions with virtuosity and vitality. 

The album was chosen as one of the ten Best Jazz Albums of 1993 by the New York Times. Sampling of his songs by Salt 'n' Pepa, KMC KRU and Dodge City Productions, and a sell-out week at Ronnie Scott's in London in the summer of '93, with an astonishing group of young British musicians, sketched out the footprint for Pee Wee's movement from funk into jazz and beyond - 'a modern version of jazz, a little north of funk and well south of fusion' - as Musician Magazine put it. This movement was soon consolidated with a quartet album “Sepia Tonality,” recorded in New York in early 1994 and featuring Pee Wee on tenor, with Rodney Jones on Guitar, Will Boulware on organ and Grady Tate on Drums. A second trio album from Koln was recorded live during a Pee Wee Ellis Assembly Trio tour of Europe in the spring of '94. Called “Yellin' Blue,” it attracted much critical acclaim in Europe. Pee Wee's path had crossed Van Morrison's many times since the 1980s, particularly when Van called on the JB Horns to play with his band, so it was only natural that when Pee Wee relocated to the West Country in England he should rejoin Van on stage and in the studio. Pee Wee arranged the horns and played on Van's 1995 return to critical and commercial success, “Days Like This.” He followed this up working with Van on his subsequent albums, the jazz-orientated, “How Long Has This Been Going On,” and the Mose Allison tribute, “Tell Me Something.” Pee Wee, however, did not ignore his own career and in 1996 a new solo album on Minor Music hit the streets. Entitled, “A New Shift,” the CD was recorded in Germany . 

More studio work with Van Morrison followed later that year, and the resultant CD, “The Healing Game,” was released in 1997. Pee Wee's arrangements and solos turned the album into an instant classic and gave Van some of his strongest material ever for his stage performances. 1997 also saw the release of Pee Wee's “What You Like.” Recorded with the Assembly and the NDR Bigband, it also features Van Morrison and Fred Wesley. In the autumn Pee Wee became Van's Musical Director, arranging and developing Van's stage and studio sound, and also promoting “What You Like,” by touring in France and Germany with the Assembly. Since the turn of the new century Pee Wee had released “Ridin’ Mighty High,” (2001) “Live and Funky,” (2002) and “Different Rooms,” in 2005. Most recently he has performed with, and arranged for, the Miami based Spam All Stars with whom he will be performing live in 2007. He also played several successful dates with Fred Wesley in the UK in 2006 and they played together again in London and Europe in 2007. Pee Wee Ellis’ distinguished career has embraced some of the most important musical movements of recent decades, from jazz to funk, via the blues and a touch of rock. After almost forty years in the music business he is one of the most acclaimed saxophonists of his generation and one of the most sought-after arrangers and MD’s in the industry. His musical range and pursuit of excellence has gained him renown among his peers and the enduring respect of ensuing generations of musicians and fans. http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/peeweeellis

Personnel: Pee Wee Ellis (tenor saxophone); Rodney Jones (guitar); Howard Johnson (tuba); Will Boulware (organ); Grady Tate (drums).

R.I.P

Born: April 21, 1941, Bradenton, Florida, United States

Died: September 24, 2021

Sepia Tonality

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Kim Cypher - Love Kim X

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:34
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:27) 1. The Nearness of You(feat. Pee Wee Ellis & David Newton)
(6:47) 2. Maybe...(Remix)[feat. Karl Vanden Bossche & David Newton]
(6:13) 3. Soul Eyes(feat. David Newton & Clive Morton)
(4:40) 4. Comes Love(feat. David Newton)
(7:26) 5. Breezin'(feat. Lee Jones)
(4:14) 6. Valerie
(5:08) 7. People Get Ready(feat. B.D. Lenz)
(4:40) 8. Highland Mike(feat. Pee Wee Ellis)
(5:14) 9. Rising from the Dust (Soundtrack from the Music Video)[feat. B.D. Lenz & The Kentwood Show Choir]
(4:54) 10. A Time to Reflect, A Time to Forget(feat. Chris Santo Cobbson)
(5:47) 11. Baker Street(feat. B.D. Lenz)

Saxophonist and singer Kim Cypher’s second album builds her reputation for sparkling jazz with classic style and attitude, bringing guest stars including tenor sax legend Pee Wee Ellis and pianist David Newton into the fold for an enjoyable collection of standards and originals with very wide appeal. Since the release of her first album in 2017 Kim Cypher has been building a solid reputation on the UK scene with her lively stage presence and stylish vintage look. Appearances around the country including two appearances at Pizza Express Soho (click on the link for a stonking version of It’s Almost Like Being In Love recorded there) mean that this second CD comes with a track record. The mix is similar to her first album Make Believe, with slightly fewer originals and a wider repertoire. What makes Kim Cypher stand out is her ability both as a sax player and instrumental soloist (we hear her on alto, tenor and soprano on this collection) as well as a stand-out singer and songwriter. Either of these would be notable together they make for an exceptional and winning performer. Add to this her ability to surround herself with fine musicians and guests, and we have a great show on our hands.

The three originals on this album include the soulful Maybe… with a nice soprano sax solo and groovy Rhodes piano from David Newton, and dedicated to Karen Jackson, a friend of Kim’s who is suffering from cancer. It’s a song about hope and has a restful and optimistic quality. Highland Mike is another dedication (to Mike Carter, who introduced Kim to a lot of different music), a reggae-tinged lilting instrumental giving Pee Wee Ellis time to stretch out on tenor saxophone. Rising From The Dust is a power rock ballad with some crunching guitar in the Gary Moore style from American visitor B.D. Lenz and the added vocals of the Kentwood Show Choir, adding up to a number which would sit happily in all kinds of radio setting. The other tracks range from classic jazz to a couple of unexpected rock/pop reinterpretations. The Nearness Of You gives the Hoagy Carmichael classic a nicely judged out-of-time opening with Ellis backing Cypher’s vocal, before latching onto a slightly-faster-than-you-expect tempo giving the piece a lively air. Comes Love bounces along with Cypher backing her own vocals on tenor sax before guitarist Chris Santo Cobbson takes a cleanly picked solo. Cobbson also contributes A Time To Reflect, A Time To Forget, a sunny-tinged calypso offering Cypher another chance to shine on soprano sax. Breezin’ takes the Bobby Womack tune beloved of Gabor Szabo and lets guitarist Lee Jones loose on it, with Karl Vanden Bossche’s percussion making a great contribution.

As on her first album, Cypher has a way of picking pop tunes which seem to have been done to death and then rethinking them in interesting and imaginative ways. Valerie (The Zutons/Amy Winehouse) finds a place as a bouncing jazz waltz vocal with delicate drum-work from Mike Cypher, while the most requested sax riff in the world, Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street, turns up the tempo into a pumping instrumental boogie which fairly leaps along. The accompanying cast on this and many of the other tracks includes Alex Steele on piano and Tom Clarke-Hill on bass, who don’t put a foot wrong throughout. With a wide range of material, engaging arrangements and thoroughly enjoyable performances throughout, this is more than a jazz album… it’s a Kim Cypher album. Catch her when you can – forthcoming London dates include Mill Hill Jazz Club (8 May 2019) and the Bull’s Head, Barnes (24 August 2019).~ Mark McKergow https://londonjazznews.com/2019/04/27/cd-review-kim-cypher-love-kim-x/

Love Kim X

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Pee Wee Ellis - A New Shift

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 143,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. It's a Funky Thing to Do
(6:44)  2. Chicken Soup
(6:10)  3. What a Wonderful World
(5:33)  4. I'm So Tired of Being Alone
(5:09)  5. A New Shift
(4:21)  6. Back Home
(6:20)  7. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
(5:06)  8. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
(3:47)  9. Spring Like
(6:14) 10. New Moon
(8:00) 11. Come on in the House

Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was the architect of James Brown's era-defining soul classics of the late '60s, introducing the dynamic arrangements and punishing rhythms that would define the emerging language of funk. Born Alfred Ellis in Bradenton, FL, on April 21, 1941, he was raised in Lubbock, TX, and was playing professionally by the time he reached middle school. In 1955, his family relocated to Rochester, NY, where he collaborated with classmates (and fledgling jazzmen) Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter. Ellis spent the summer of 1957 under the tutelage of sax giant Sonny Rollins, and after graduating high school he returned to Florida to form his own R&B combo, Dynamics Incorporated. The experience honed his skills as a writer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, and after a brief stint with the Sonny Payne Trio he joined the James Brown Revue in 1965. Assigned alto sax and organ duties, Ellis quickly proved himself an invaluable contributor to arrangements and horn charts as well, and when Nat Jones quit the lineup in early 1967, Brown named Ellis his new musical director, resulting in significant refinements to the Godfather of Soul's sound. Ellis channeled the lessons of his jazz background to strip Brown's music to its bare essentials, showcasing bold, precise horns and repetitive rhythms with a minimum of melodic embellishment hits like "Cold Sweat," "Licking Stick-Licking Stick," and "Funky Drummer" redefined the sound and scope of soul, pointing the way for its transformation to funk. Ellis went on to co-write and arrange a series of James Brown smashes, including "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Mother Popcorn," as well as issuing a handful of solo singles on Brown's label King, among them "Little Green Apples" and "In the Middle." He resigned from Brown's band in the autumn of 1969, and after settling in New York City he signed to the Nashville-based Sound Stage 7 label and issued the rare groove classic "Moonwalk." Ellis also emerged as a sought-after session player, contributing to dates headlined by everyone from soul-jazz great Brother Jack McDuff to a latter-day blues-rock incarnation of the Blues Magoos. He then served as musical director and arranger for the CTI label's influential fusion imprint Kudu, overseeing sessions for Esther Phillips, George Benson, and Hank Crawford.

Ellis next teamed with the studio group Gotham to record the LP Pass the Butter for Motown's Natural Resources subsidiary before resuming his solo career with his first-ever full-length effort, the 1976 Savoy release Home in the Country. After relocating to San Francisco, Ellis formed a short-lived fusion quintet with soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, also playing on and producing Liebman's 1977 A&M release Light'n Up Please! With 1979's Into the Music, he was named arranger for blue-eyed soul mystic Van Morrison, a collaboration that spanned until 1986 and included a series of well-regarded albums including Common One and Inarticulate Speech of the Heart.  Ellis spent much of the late '80s touring behind longtime Brown backing vocalist Bobby Byrd in tandem with fellow J.B.'s alums Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker as the JB Horns, debuting on disc with the 1990 release Pee Wee, Fred and Maceo. Subsequent efforts include I Like It Like That and Funky Good Time/Live. After the JB Horns went on hiatus in 1992, Ellis reunited with another Brown alum, drummer Clyde Stubblefield, for the album Blues Mission. He then returned to his jazz roots with 1993's acclaimed Twelve and More Blues, a live set cut in Köln, Germany, with bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Bruce Cox. That summer, Ellis also headlined a week of sold-out dates at Ronnie Scott's in London, an experience that shaped both his movement into acid jazz with 1994's Sepia Tonality and subsequent relocation to western England. With the move overseas, Ellis also resumed his partnership with Van Morrison on the latter's 1995 effort, Days Like This, serving as musical director of Morrison's studio and stage crew for years to follow; Ellis also formed his own band, the Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, for 1996's A New Shift. The group remained active in concert and on record for years to follow, confining most of its activities to Europe and pursuing a direction Ellis dubbed "smunk" -- i.e., smooth funk. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pee-wee-ellis-mn0000305424/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals – Pee Wee Ellis; Drums – Guido May; Electric Bass – Patrick Scales; Guitar – Martin Scales; Keyboards – Roberto Di Gioia; Trombone – Fred Wesley; Trumpet – Till Brönner

A New Shift

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Leon Thomas - Blues And The Soulful Truth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:23
Size: 97.0 MB
Styles: Soul/Funk/Jazz
Year: 1973/2014
Art: Front

[ 4:22] 1. Let's Go Down To Lucy's
[ 2:51] 2. L-O-V-E
[10:15] 3. Gypsy Queen
[ 3:13] 4. Love Each Other
[ 5:21] 5. Shape Your Mind To Die
[ 4:50] 6. Boom-Boom-Boom
[ 5:05] 7. China Doll
[ 6:21] 8. C.C. Rider

Bass – Donald Pate, Gordon Edwards; Drums – Bernard Purdie; Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Larry Coryell; Percussion – Baba Feme; Piano – Neal Creque; Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Pee Wee Ellis; Trombone – John Eckert; Vocals, Percussion – Leon Thomas.

The late Leon Thomas was a vocalist who has proven to be influential among jazz and blues saxophonists, guitarists, and pianists, who've admitted their debt to his innovation. However, though there are many vocalists who have benefited from his style as well, he is seldom acknowledged for his highly original -- and idiosyncratic -- contribution to them. One can only speculate as to why, though Thomas' full-throated style which employed everything from yodels to Joe Turner-ish growls and shouts may have been too wide for anyone to grasp in its entirety without overtly sounding as if they were aping him. Blues and the Soulful Truth is among the artist's most enduring performances, either as a leader or sideman. There is his trademark, otherworldly modal improvisation on Gabor Szabo's exotica classic "Gypsy Queen," the deep, greasy gutbucket, funky blues of "Let's Go Down to Lucy" and "L-O-V-E," and the traditional tune "C.C. Rider" -- though Thomas' arrangement is anything but -- among a lengthy, eight-song set. Perhaps the most revealing examples of his singularity is his ability to interpret a song like John Lee Hooker's "Boom, Boom" as funky, jazzed-out, angular R&B -- enabled mightily by the saxophone stylings of Pee Wee Ellis and the criminally under-appreciated pianism of Neal Creque and the wild violin of John Blair -- after coming out of a pop-oriented soul tune such as "Love Each Other," written with a groove prevalent among commercial jazz and R&B recordings of the time, both sounding sincere, authentic, and completely full of the singer's presence. Indeed, on the aforementioned "Gypsy Queen" or his own "Shape Your Mind to Die," Thomas inhabits his material fully, as if nobody ever had ever sung or heard these songs and would ever sing them again. Also, the production innovation and percussive touches many of these tunes have yet to be repeated (Pharoah Sanders, Thomas' previous employer who introduced the singer to the world, adopted some of the artist's percussive techniques permanently), like the firecrackers raining against Airto Moreira's drums and Larry Coryell's ethereal guitar riffs, or the use of a "prepared" vibraphone and coat hangers in "China Doll," as they slip against the singer's wail and moan, and the elegant stick and brushwork of Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. In sum, Blues and the Soulful Truth (Which does echo Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth in vision as well as title), is a tour through the depth and dimension of Thomas' mind-blowing abilities as a singer in a wide range of African American musical traditions, proving at the time, and now again, that he was far more than a free jazz singer. Indeed, the artist not only was a stylist of originality, but a composer, arranger, ethnomusicologist, and a singer of startling beauty and power -- no matter the song. This album is a singular achievement, even among the fine recordings in Thomas' own catalogue, and should be considered first by those curious enough to look into his work -- you won't be disappointed no matter what you find, but this one will take you places you never anticipated going. ~Thom Jurek

Blues And The Soulful Truth mc
Blues And The Soulful Truth zippy

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Pee Wee Ellis - Tenoration (2-Disc Set)

Although best known for the funk he provided as James Brown's co-writer and musical director for a spell during one of the Godfather of Soul's most creative periods, saxist Pee Wee Ellis is a jazzman at heart. Perhaps that's why Van Morrison tapped him as his go-to reed guy for so many years in the early '80s when Morrison's muse led him in that direction. Here Ellis uses a two-disc format (both could have fit on a single) to explore his funk and jazz leanings, with an emphasis on the latter. The all-instrumental album is appropriately subtitled "From Jazz to Funk and Back" and opens with five tunes that display Ellis' R&B side, leading a tight four-piece ensemble through the paces.

The playing is tough, uncompromising, and filled with substantial jazzy improvisation while keeping the backbeat rugged, especially on a lean but sizzling ten-minute take of Cannonball Adderley's "Sticks." This combination has been done before, particularly by the Crusaders, although Ellis' muscular lines add more heft to the approach. The group whips through a rather obscure, old Brown-Ellis composition, "Gittin' a Little Hipper," where the tone shifts to jazz yet returns to funk, all within three minutes, similar to the original. The closing ballad on the first half is a sweet, slinky, smoky version of "At Last," a jazz/soul interpretation of the Etta James signature tune that sets up disc two's predominantly straight-ahead style. Here Ellis displays his sax chops admirably during a short (just over 30 minutes) six-song program that runs from standards such as "You've Changed" through to Eddie Harris' classic "Freedom Jazz Dance." Only the drummer remains from the funk disc and the backing band is slimmed down to a trio. "Sticks" gets another, much shorter, but no less intense workout with an eight-minute Sonny Rollins' "Sunnymoon for Two" and Ellis' upbeat, bump and shake "Now Go On" both riding their grooves. "Freedom Jazz Dance" nimbly combines both styles into one fiery performance to close out this impressive set and prove that Ellis is equally adept at either jazz or funk, but perhaps best when he joins the two. ~Hal Horowitz

Album: Tenoration (Disc 1): Into The Funk
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 93.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz
Year: 2011

[ 7:13] 1. Slanky
[ 2:58] 2. Gittin' A Little Hipper
[ 6:58] 3. Bon Bonn
[10:41] 4. Sticks (Version 1)
[ 6:57] 5. Zig Zag
[ 6:03] 6. At Last

Tenoration (Disc 1) mc
Tenoration (Disc 1) zippy

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Album: Tenoration (Disc 2): Back To Jazz
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:19
Size: 74.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. You've Changed
[4:07] 2. Sticks (Version 2)
[4:27] 3. Parlayin'
[8:33] 4. Sonnymoon For Two
[5:57] 5. Now Go On
[4:46] 6. Freedom Jazz Dance

Tenoration (Disc 2) mc
Tenoration (Disc 2) zippy

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Maceo Parker - Life on Planet Groove

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:58
Size: 174,2 MB
Art: Front

(16:39)  1. Shake Everything You've Got
(11:27)  2. Pass The Peas
( 3:45)  3. I Got You (I Feel Good)
( 7:08)  4. Got To Get U
( 8:58)  5. Addictive Love
( 6:21)  6. Children's World
( 7:23)  7. Georgia On My Mind
(14:13)  8. Soul Power '92

A scorching album of funky grooves from Maceo Parker, assisted by the rest of the JB's on backing horns. The album was recorded in concert at a club called Stadtgarten in Cologne, Germany, and the crowd seems just as responsive in most ways as any Atlanta mob. Along with the JB horns, Vincent Henry accompanies on bass throughout the album/concert. The album starts out with an original Maceo composition, then moves into a pair from his old boss James Brown. After that, there's another Maceo number, a cover of "Addictive Love," a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind," and a composition undertaken by a veritable army of funk veterans. 

This is probably just about the best solo Maceo Parker album there is, at least until the release of Funkoverload. If you're a funk fan, or a soul-jazz fan, this album might just provide what you need. Maceo on his own always provides a nice collection of soul and funk, and this one is no exception. ~ Adam Greenberg https://www.allmusic.com/album/life-on-planet-groove-mw0000088479

Personnel:  Maceo Parker - alto saxophone, vocals; Candy Dulfer - alto saxophone;  Larry Goldings - Hammond organ;  Vincent Henry - bass, alto saxophone;  Rodney Jones – guitar;  Pee Wee Ellis - flute, tenor saxophone, vocals;  Kym Mazelle – vocals;  Kenwood Dennard – drums;  Fred Wesley - trombone, vocals

Life on Planet Groove

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Pee Wee Ellis - Gentle Men Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 133,2 MB
Art: Front

(0:36)  1. Mercedes Benz - Take 1
(6:43)  2. I Love You For Sentmental Reasons
(7:49)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:59)  4. Party Time
(6:09)  5. Crazy
(8:26)  6. Old Folks
(4:30)  7. Parlaying
(9:00)  8. Cottage For Sale
(3:38)  9. Hamburg´n
(3:40) 10. Rock Of Ages
(0:40) 11. Mercedes Benz - Take II

Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was the architect of James Brown's era-defining soul classics of the late '60s, introducing the dynamic arrangements and punishing rhythms that would define the emerging language of funk. Born Alfred Ellis in Bradenton, FL, on April 21, 1941, he was raised in Lubbock, TX, and was playing professionally by the time he reached middle school. In 1955, his family relocated to Rochester, NY, where he collaborated with classmates (and fledgling jazzmen) Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter. Ellis spent the summer of 1957 under the tutelage of sax giant Sonny Rollins, and after graduating high school he returned to Florida to form his own R&B combo, Dynamics Incorporated. The experience honed his skills as a writer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, and after a brief stint with the Sonny Payne Trio he joined the James Brown Revue in 1965.  Assigned alto sax and organ duties, Ellis quickly proved himself an invaluable contributor to arrangements and horn charts as well, and when Nat Jones quit the lineup in early 1967, Brown named Ellis his new musical director, resulting in significant refinements to the Godfather of Soul's sound. Ellis channeled the lessons of his jazz background to strip Brown's music to its bare essentials, showcasing bold, precise horns and repetitive rhythms with a minimum of melodic embellishment hits like "Cold Sweat," "Licking Stick-Licking Stick," and "Funky Drummer" redefined the sound and scope of soul, pointing the way for its transformation to funk.

Ellis went on to co-write and arrange a series of James Brown smashes, including "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Mother Popcorn," as well as issuing a handful of solo singles on Brown's label King, among them "Little Green Apples" and "In the Middle." He resigned from Brown's band in the autumn of 1969, and after settling in New York City he signed to the Nashville-based Sound Stage 7 label and issued the rare groove classic "Moonwalk." Ellis also emerged as a sought-after session player, contributing to dates headlined by everyone from soul-jazz great Brother Jack McDuff to a latter-day blues-rock incarnation of the Blues Magoos. He then served as musical director and arranger for the CTI label's influential fusion imprint Kudu, overseeing sessions for Esther Phillips, George Benson, and Hank Crawford.  Ellis next teamed with the studio group Gotham to record the LP Pass the Butter for Motown's Natural Resources subsidiary before resuming his solo career with his first-ever full-length effort, the 1976 Savoy release Home in the Country. After relocating to San Francisco, Ellis formed a short-lived fusion quintet with soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, also playing on and producing Liebman's 1977 A&M release Light'n Up Please! With 1979's Into the Music, he was named arranger for blue-eyed soul mystic Van Morrison, a collaboration that spanned until 1986 and included a series of well-regarded albums including Common One and Inarticulate Speech of the Heart.

Ellis spent much of the late '80s touring behind longtime Brown backing vocalist Bobby Byrd in tandem with fellow J.B.'s alums Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker as the JB Horns, debuting on disc with the 1990 release Pee Wee, Fred and Maceo. Subsequent efforts include I Like It Like That and Funky Good Time/Live. After the JB Horns went on hiatus in 1992, Ellis reunited with another Brown alum, drummer Clyde Stubblefield, for the album Blues Mission. He then returned to his jazz roots with 1993's acclaimed Twelve and More Blues, a live set cut in Köln, Germany, with bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Bruce Cox. That summer, Ellis also headlined a week of sold-out dates at Ronnie Scott's in London, an experience that shaped both his movement into acid jazz with 1994's Sepia Tonality and subsequent relocation to western England.  With the move overseas, Ellis also resumed his partnership with Van Morrison on the latter's 1995 effort, Days Like This, serving as musical director of Morrison's studio and stage crew for years to follow; Ellis also formed his own band, the Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, for 1996's A New Shift. The group remained active in concert and on record for years to follow, confining most of its activities to Europe and pursuing a direction Ellis dubbed "smunk”  i.e., smooth funk. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pee-wee-ellis-mn0000305424/biography

Personnel:  Pee Wee Ellis (saxophone), Horace Parlan (piano)

Gentle Men Blue

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Pee Wee Ellis - What You Like

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:29
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. The Prophet
(5:21)  2. Take Me To The River
(4:53)  3. Soul Pride
(2:42)  4. I Will Be There [feat. Van Morrison]
(5:09)  5. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(6:02)  6. 2 Dock C
(5:31)  7. (Your Love Is) So Doggone Good
(6:49)  8. Far From Home
(6:12)  9. Tune With A View [feat. Fred Wesley]
(3:46) 10. Step
(6:02) 11. What You Like

Leading the German NDR Big Band, saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis turns in a competent, occasionally stilted collection of soul-jazz and classic funk. The production and the playing is a bit too mannered for the music to actually catch fire, but there are moments  such as Fred Wesley's cameo on "Tune with a View" or Van Morrison's vocal spotlight on "I Will Be There" that make the disc a worthwhile listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/what-you-like-mw0000693549

Personnel: Pee Wee Ellis (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone);  Jenni Evans, Van Morrison (vocals);  Tony Remy (guitar); Peter Bolte (reeds, alto saxophone);  Lutz Büchner (reeds, tenor saxophone);  Edgar Herzog, Fiete Felsch, Steffen Schorn (reeds); Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Lennart Axelsson, Reiner Winterschladen (trumpet); Lucas Schmid, Fred Wesley, Wolfgang Ahlers, Jon Welch, Egon Christmann, Joe Gallardo (trombone); Detlev Beier (acoustic bass); Mike Mondesir (drums).

What You Like

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Clare Teal & Grant Windsor With Special Guest Pee Wee Ellis - In Good Company

Size: 107,9 MB
Time: 46:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (4:17)
02. I Get Along Without You Very Well (4:57)
03. Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (4:24)
04. A Kiss To Build A Dream On (3:37)
05. Lover Man (5:15)
06. Come Together (4:14)
07. The Nearness Of You (5:09)
08. Don't Go To Strangers (5:39)
09. I Got You (I Feel Good) (5:28)
10. My Neighbourhood (3:51)

Following on from the success of 'And So It Goes', Clare and Grant invited saxophone legend Pee Wee Ellis into the studio to make an 'as live' totally organic album. In Good Company was recorded over 2 days and is a collection of songs that have inspired, or influenced Pee Wee, songs that he has enjoyed playing throughout his vast career or that he has indeed written himself, not to mention a couple of random offerings that are there purely because they came up in conversation at the time!

In Good Company

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Pee Wee Ellis - Live And Funky

Styles: Jazz Funk, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:47
Size: 139,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:26)  1. Chicken
(4:08)  2. How I Depend On You
(5:44)  3. Grandma's Hands
(5:28)  4. Pass The Peas
(8:36)  5. House Party
(6:26)  6. What's Up With That
(5:58)  7. Cherry Red
(6:44)  8. Cold Sweat - Licking Stick - Licking Stick
(4:06)  9. I Got The Feeling
(5:08) 10. I Got You (I Feel Good)

Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis may not be a household name, but his name is spoken with reverence by other funk musicians and fans of vintage soul. A former music director for James Brown (and co-composer of such soul classics as "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud"), he collaborated with Brown and fellow J.B.'s Fred Wesley, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, and others to establish the parameters of modern funk. 

This live album finds him reunited with several of his old compadres as well as singer Fred Ross for an unabashed revival of that sound, including a number of James Brown tunes ("Pass the Peas," "I Got the Feeling," "Cold Sweat," "I Got You [I Feel Good]"). There are a couple of missteps: the cover of Bill Withers' emotionally damp "Grandma's Hands" was utterly unnecessary, and it's not at all clear why Ellis chose to take "I Got You (I Feel Good)" at half the normal tempo. But overall, this album is lots of good, sweaty, greasy, funky fun. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-and-funky-mw0000223145

Personnel: Pee Wee Ellis (vocals, tenor saxophone); Fred Wisley (vocals, trombone); Fred Ross (vocals); Mick Gaffney, Mike Hogan (guitar); Jimmy Smith (keyboards); Curtis Ohlson (bass); John Mader (drums).

Live And Funky

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