Bill Evans - Coffee and Cigarettes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:17
Size: 180,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Some Other Time
(3:40) 2. Lucky to Be Me
(7:36) 3. Night and Day
(4:54) 4. What Is There to Say
(7:36) 5. Detour Ahead
(6:42) 6. Peace Piece
(4:41) 7. I Wish I Knew
(3:28) 8. Haunted Heart
(5:55) 9. Sweet and Lovely
(4:58) 10. My Foolish Heart
(7:12) 11. My Romance
(3:34) 12. Tenderly
(7:00) 13. Waltz for Debby
(5:54) 14. Young and Foolish

" I remember finding that somehow I had reached a new level of expression in my playing. It had come almost automatically, and I was very anxious about it, afraid I might lose it", Evans said.

One of the new pieces was Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time". Evans started to play an introduction using an ostinato figure. However the pianist spontaneously started to improvise over that harmonic frame, creating the recording that would be named "Peace Piece“.

According to Evans: "What happened was that I started to play the introduction, and it started to get so much of its own feeling and identity that I just figured, well, I'll keep going."

"Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall. I had to change the way the band sounded again for Bill's style by playing different tunes, softer ones at first.“~ Miles Davis

Personnel: Bill Evans - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums; Paul Motian- drums

Coffee and Cigarettes

---

Miles Davis - Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:07
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. It Never Entered My Mind
(7:13) 2. Four
(5:43) 3. In Your Own Sweet Way
(1:59) 4. The Theme (take 1)
(8:33) 5. Trane's Blues
(7:24) 6. Ahmad's Blues
(4:46) 7. Half Nelson
(1:02) 8. The Theme (take 2)

Trumpeter Miles Davis led several sessions for Prestige Records between November 1955 and October 1956 with his legendary "first" quintet, featuring tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The sessions represent an incomparable musical legacy. Impeccably engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, the music was released on five albums that provide a unique glimpse at how five brilliant instrumentalists coalesced into one of the most extraordinary ensembles in modern jazz.

Workin' presents an easy going program that balances ballads with the blues and includes quintet performances of originals by Davis ("Four," "Half Nelson"), Coltrane ("Trane's Blues"), and Dave Brubeck ("In Your Own Sweet Way"); an interpretation of the standard "It Never Entered My Mind" without saxophone; and a piano-trio version of Ahmad Jamal's "Ahmad's Blues." Coltrane's melancholy solo on Brubeck's tune and Garland's spry excursion on Coltrane's are two of this classic's many highlights. By Mitchell Feldman https://www.amazon.com/Workin-Miles-Davis-Quintet/dp/B000000YGI

Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

---

Miles Davis - The Miles Davis Quintet: At Peacock Alley Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: The Miles Davis Quintet: At Peacock Alley Disc 1
Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:11
Size: 71,9 MB
Art: Front

(0:41) 1. Intro
(5:53) 2. Ah-leu-cha
(5:19) 3. A Foggy Day
(6:35) 4. All of You
(5:13) 5. Woody 'n' You
(7:27) 6. Walkin'

---

Album: The Miles Davis Quintet: At Peacock Alley Disc 2
Time: 42:48
Size: 98,6 MB

( 5:16) 1. Two Bass Hit
( 7:39) 2. Well You Needn't
( 4:23) 3. Billy Boy
(11:03) 4. All of You
( 6:07) 5. Airegin
( 7:01) 6. Newk #2/Theme
( 1:16) 7. Sign Off-Theme

Miles Davis at Peacock Alley is an unauthorized bootleg album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It was recorded in a two-part broadcast on KXLW-AM on July 14 and July 21, 1956, from Peacock Alley in the Gaslight Square entertainment district of St. Louis. The sessions were hosted by Spider Burks, a local DJ who championed jazz, and was also one of St. Louis’ first black Disc Jockeys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis_Quintet_at_Peacock_Alley

Personnel: Miles Davis — trumpet; John Coltrane — tenor saxophone; Red Garland — piano; Paul Chambers — bass; Philly Joe Jones — drums

Miles Davis - Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1956

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:12

Size: 98,5 MB

Art: Front

( 7:59)  1. The Man I Love (Take 2)

(10:46)  2. Swing Spring

( 5:24)  3. 'Round Midnight

( 9:32)  4. Bemsha Swing

( 8:29)  5. The Man I Love (Take 1)

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

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

Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants

---

Clifford Brown - Memorial Album (Remastered)

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1953/2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 165,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Bellarosa
(3:56)  2. Carvin' The Rock
(3:14)  3. Cookin'
(3:46)  4. Brownie Speaks
(4:51)  5. De-Dah
(4:19)  6. You Go To My Head
(3:51)  7. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take)
(3:08)  8. Cookin' (Alternate Take)
(4:05)  9. Carvin' The Rock (Alternate Take #2)
(4:02) 10. Wail Bait
(4:07) 11. Hymn Of The Orient
(3:56) 12. Brownie Eyes
(3:27) 13. Cherokee
(3:44) 14. Easy Living
(4:34) 15. Minor Mood
(4:07) 16. Wail Bait (Alternate Take)
(3:42) 17. Cherokee (Alternate Take)
(4:01) 18. Hymn Of The Orient (Alternate Take)

Clifford Brown emerged fully formed in 1953, a trumpeter gifted with an ebullient swing and technical skills that added polish and precision to fresh invention. Foregoing both the manic pyrotechnics of Dizzy Gillespie and the laconic introversion of Miles Davis, he also provided a stylistic model for jazz trumpeters that has never gone out of style. This CD combines Brown's first two recording dates as leader, placing him in quintet and sextet settings with some of the core musicians of the New York bop scene. The first nine tracks have Brown in an inspired quintet, prodded by the twisting, off-kilter solos and comping of the brilliant and underrated pianist Elmo Hope and the sparkling complexity of drummer Philly Joe Jones. While altoist Lou Donaldson is deeply in the sway of Charlie Parker, Brown sets his own course, whether it's the boppish "Cookin'" or the standard "You Go to My Head." 

The final nine tracks have Art Blakey's drums driving the sextet, while altoist Gigi Gryce's understated concentration acts as an effective foil to Brown's joyous, dancing lines. Taken at a medium up-tempo, "Cherokee" is one of Brown's most effective vehicles. The alternate takes from each session highlight Brown's spontaneous creativity, while Rudy Van Gelder's remastering adds fresh focus to both his gorgeous tone and the explosive drumming. ~ Stuart Broomer - Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Memorial-Album-Clifford-Brown/dp/B00005MIZ6

Personnel: Tracks 1-9: Clifford Brown - trumpet; Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone; Elmo Hope - piano; Percy Heath - bass; Philly Joe Jones - drums. Tracks 10-18: Clifford Brown - trumpet; John Lewis - piano; Gigi Gryce - alto saxophone, flute; Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone; Percy Heath - bass; Art Blakey - drums

Memorial Album

---

Miles Davis Quintet - Steamin'

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:11
Size: 92,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:06) 1. Surrey with the Fringe on Top
(6:10) 2. Salt Peanuts
(6:17) 3. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(7:52) 4. Diane
(6:20) 5. Well, You Needn't
(4:24) 6. When I Fall in Love

Although chronologically the last to be issued, this collection includes some of the best performances from the tapes which would produce the albums Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and ultimately, Steamin'. A primary consideration of these fruitful sessions is the caliber of musicians Miles Davis (trumpet), Red Garland (piano), John Coltrane (tenor sax), and Philly Joe Jones (drums) who were basically doing their stage act in the studio. As actively performing musicians, the material they are most intimate with would be their live repertoire. Likewise, what more obvious place than a studio is there to capture every inescapable audible nuance of the combo's musical group mind. The end results are consistently astonishing. At the center of Steamin', as with most outings by this band, are the group improvisations which consist of solo upon solo of arguably the sweetest and otherwise most swinging interactions known to have existed between musicians.

"Surrey With the Fringe on Top" is passed between the mates like an old joke. Garland compliments threads started by Davis and Coltrane as their seamless interaction yields a stream of strikingly lyrical passages. There are two well-placed nods to fellow bop pioneers Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie on a revision of their "Salt Peanuts." Philly Joe Jones' mimicking cymbal speak which replicates Gillespie's original vocals is nothing short of genius. This rendition is definitely as crazy and unpredictable here as the original. Thelonious Monk also gets kudos on "Well, You Needn't." This quintet makes short work of the intricacies of the arrangement, adding the double horn lead on the choruses and ultimately redefining this jazz standard. Although there is no original material on Steamin', it may best represent the ability of the Miles Davis quintet to take standards and rebuild them to suit their qualifications.~ Lindsay Planer https://www.allmusic.com/album/steamin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet-mw0000191715

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet; John Coltrane – tenor saxophone (except 3 and 6); Red Garland – piano; Paul Chambers – bass; Philly Joe Jones – drums

Steamin'

---

Slide Hampton - American Swinging In Paris

Styles: Trombone Jazz, Swing
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:55
Size: 78,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:01)  1. In Case of Emergency
( 7:14)  2. Last Minute Blues
( 7:55)  3. Chop Suey
( 4:42)  4. Lament
( 4:02)  5. Impossible Waltz

Slide Hampton has been a fine trombonist and arranger since the mid-'50s, helping to keep the tradition of bop alive in both his playing and his writing. After working with Buddy Johnson (1955-1956) and Lionel Hampton, he became an important force in Maynard Ferguson's excellent big band of 1957-1959. He led octets in the 1960s with such sidemen as Freddie Hubbard and George Coleman. After traveling with Woody Herman to Europe in 1968, Hampton settled overseas where he stayed very active. Since returning to the U.S. in 1977, he led his World of Trombones (which features nine trombonists), played in a co-op quintet called Continuum, and been involved in several Dizzy Gillespie tribute projects, recording in the 1990s for Telarc. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/slide-hampton-mn0000748827/biography

Personnel: Slide Hampton, trombone; Joachim Kuhn, piano; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums

American Swinging In Paris

---

Tadd Dameron - The Magic Touch

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:37
Size: 85,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. On A Misty Night
(4:11)  2. Fontainebleau
(4:54)  3. Just Plain Talking
(3:18)  4. If You Could See Me Now
(2:51)  5. Our Delight
(3:01)  6. Dial B For Beauty
(4:56)  7. Look, Stop And Listen
(3:31)  8. Bevan's Birthday
(3:42)  9. You're A Joy
(3:12) 10. Swift As The Wind

Tadd Dameron is known to proclaim that he became an arranger rather than stay an exclusive instrumentalist because it was the only way he could get his music played. In retrospect, considering his best-known works are widely revered, few of them are frequently played by other bands, and only the finest musicians are able to properly interpret them. Dameron's charts had an ebb and flow that superseded the basic approach of Count Basie, yet were never as quite complicated as Duke Ellington. Coming up in the bop movement, Dameron's music had to have been by definition holding broader artistic harmonics, while allowing for the individuality of his bandmembers. The Magic Touch includes a handful of Dameron's most beloved compositions, as well as those that were more obscure, and have still never been covered. When you look at the sheer talent level of the players on this recording Clark Terry, Charlie Shavers, Joe Wilder, Jimmy Cleveland, Britt Woodman, Julius Watkins, Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, Johnny Griffin, Bill Evans, Ron Carter, George Duvivier, et al.one has to be in awe of them, and that only Dameron was able to convene such a band of extraordinary jazz performers in their prime. To effectively rein them all in was the trick, keeping solos at a bare minimum, and blending their personalized sounds together so harmoniously. "If You Could See Me Now" is the most famous, the immortal ballad of regret featuring the Sarah Vaughan styled vocal of Barbara Winfield. She also appears on the restrained and serene "You're a Joy." Dameron was known for his wonderfully piquant flute arrangements, with Dodgion, Richardson, and Leo Wright doing the honors, sounding chirpy during "If You Could See Me Now," in wonderfully supple Japanese style trills during "Dial B for Beauty," in staccato bop trim for "Swift as the Wind," or in heightened dramatic, evocative romantic nuances on the classic "Fontainebleau." The other classic standards include the definitive, spirited, cohesive rock 'em sock 'em horn punctuations and the great drumming of Philly Joe Jones for "On a Misty Night," and the direct, simple, hard swinging bop of "Our Delight" charts in most every big band's repertoire. The blues infused "Just Plain Talkin'" take the flutes and alto saxophonist Dodgion to a higher atmospheric level, "Look, Stop & Listen" is a quirky bop managed in choppy horn layers, while "Bevan's Birthday" is a Latin to easy swing and back inversion, triggered by the flutes to go back to the spicy beats. This CD version features several shorter alternate takes, thus increasing the value of the original sessions, not with longer solos, but different improvisational nuances. As close to a definitive recording as Dameron issued, and considering his very small discography, The Magic Touch is a recording that all modern jazz lovers need to own and take further lessons from. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-magic-touch-of-tadd-dameron-mw0000378367

Personnel: Tadd Dameron - Piano, Arranger, Conductor; Clark Terry - Trumpet; Ernie Royal - Trumpet; Charlie Shavers - Trumpet; Joe Wilder - Trumpet; Jimmy Cleveland - Trombone; Britt Woodman - Trombone; Julius Watkins - French Horn; Jerry Dodgion - Alto Sax, Flute; Leo Wright - Alto Sax, Flute; Jerome Richardson - Tenor Sax, Flute; Johnny Griffin - Tenor Sax; Tate Houston - Baritone Sax; Bill Evans - Piano; Ron Carter - Bass; George Duvivier - Bass; Philly Joe Jones - Drums; Barbara Winfield - Vocals

The Magic Touch

---

Philly Joe Jones Dameronia - Look, Stop, and Listen

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Look, Stop and Listen
(5:34)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(5:30)  3. Choose Now
(5:49)  4. Focus
(6:08)  5. Killer Joe
(5:05)  6. Dial B for Beauty
(4:28)  7. Our Delight
(5:52)  8. Theme of No Repeat
(5:41)  9. If You Could See Me Now - 1st Take
(5:12) 10. Look, Stop and Listen - 1st Take

Philly Joe Jones was Tadd Dameron's roommate for nine years and long thought that the pianist/composer's contributions had been pretty much overlooked. He formed the tribute band Dameronia to make explore the late composer's music, debuting with a small group in the spring of 1982. With the help of trumpeter Don Sickler (who makes a pair of rare appearances on tenor sax as well) as musical director, the band expanded by the time of its first recording a few months later to a nonet. By the time of its second recording the following year, the personnel had changed slightly, now including pianist Walter Davis, Jr., tenor giant Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophonist Charles Davis and alto saxophonist Frank Wess (both of whom double on flute), baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, trombonist Benny Powell, trumpeter Virgil Jones, and bassist Larry Ridley. Sickler's transcriptions of Dameron's arrangements reveal the depth of his music. "Look, Stop and Listen" is a showcase for the leader, while Griffin shines in the richly textured ballad "If You Could See Me Now," backed by the lush flutes and brass. Wess' flighty alto and Powell's sassy trombone are featured in the rarely performed "Focus." Another gem is the infrequently heard "Dial B for Beauty," spotlighting Davis in a ballad setting instead of the driving hard bop often associated with him. The sole composition not by Dameron is a hard-charging take of "Killer Joe," again showcasing Griffin, who was invited as a guest for two songs initially but encouraged by the musicians to hang around and play on other tracks. Not satisfied with the original mix of the LP due to the dominant presence of the leader's drums (due to the fact that he refused to play in an isolation booth), original session engineer Rudy Van Gelder remixed the album, improving the sound and adding two alternate takes. Highly recommended. ~Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/look-stop-and-listen-mw0001954564

Personnel: Philly Joe Jones – drums; Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone; Don Sickler – trumpet, tenor saxophone, director; Virgil Jones – trumpet; Benny Powell – trombone; Frank Wess – alto saxophone, flute; Charles Davis – tenor saxophone, flute; Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone; Walter Davis Jr. – piano; Larry Ridley – double bass

Look, Stop, and Listen

---

Jimmy Smith - Softly As A Summer Breeze: The Incredible Jimmy Smith

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. These Foolish Things
(6:00)  2. Hackensack
(6:18)  3. It Could Happen To You
(8:23)  4. Sometimes I'm Happy
(6:32)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:49)  6. Ode To Philly Joe
(3:26)  7. Willow Weep For Me
(2:41)  8. Ain't No Use
(3:28)  9. Angel Eyes
(2:48) 10. Ain't That Love

An oddity and supporting cast player in the Jimmy Smith canon, Softly As A Summer Breeze is nonetheless a welcome addition to Blue Note's Rudy Van Gelder remasters programme, bringing together three distinct sessions with partially overlapping personnel. All the evidence suggests the first four tracks were originally recorded for a Kenny Burrell album which was never released, and the next two for a Jimmy Smith set which likewise didn't materialise. The final four tracks, featuring vocalist Bill Henderson, were originally released on a pair of jukebox-targeted 45 rpm singles and were included as bonus tracks on the album's first CD issue ten years ago. Tracks 1-6 were recorded in February 1958, the day after Burrell had contributed to the sessions for Smith's House Party and The Sermon. They stayed on the shelf until 1965, either because they didn't include one of Smith's trademark soul-jazz shouters or, as seems more likely, because they were simply overtaken by new material recorded by the prolific organist and guitarist. All the signs are of a compilation of Burrell and Smith sessions that were paired up for joint release as a late afterthought. Burrell states the themes and takes most of the opening solos on "These Foolish Things," "Hackensack," "It Could Happen To You" and "Sometimes I'm Happy." The first two tunes ride at a furious gallop, with Burrell and Smith each taking rapid-fire, long-line, mainly single-note, bop-based solos. Smith gets a shade more raucous and funky on "Sometimes I'm Happy," but the rest of time he plays close to the top lines and remains relatively well behaved. (As does Philly Joe Jones, who, apart from trading fours on "Hackensack," stays in a crisp accompanying role.) Though he made his mainstream reputation with sweating, shouting soul-jazz and screaming big band set pieces, it's sometimes forgotten that Smith started out a performer of standards, albeit phattened ones. His 1956 Blue Note debuts A New Sound... A New Star, Vols 1-3 did indeed include the monumental funktifications of Horace Silver's "The Preacher" and Dizzy Gillespie's "The Champ," but most of the material consisted of standards and showtunes. Smith liked to soup them up, sometimes to the point of florid three-ring-circus cheesiness, but he relished pretty tunes and his naif performances of them, on those debut albums and this one from a couple of years later, are as irresistible as they are flamboyant. The least successful tracks are the last four, featuring vocalist Bill Henderson and averaging three minutes in length. The spotlight is naturally enough on Henderson, whose routine and anonymous readings haven't travelled well. But hey, you can always hit the search button. The rest of the music is busting. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/softly-as-a-summer-breeze-jimmy-smith-blue-note-records-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Jimmy Smith: organ; Kenny Burrell (1-4), Eddie McFadden (5,6), Ray Crawford (7-10): guitar; Philly Joe Jones (1-4), Donald Bailey (5-10): drums; Bill Henderson (7-10): vocals.

Softly As A Summer Breeze

---

Elmo Hope - Plays His Original Compositions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:08
Size: 125,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Hot Sauce
(5:01)  2. When The Groove Is Low
(4:28)  3. De-Dah
(3:46)  4. Abdullah
(3:39)  5. Freffie
(6:45)  6. Stars Over Marrakesh
(4:58)  7. Chips
(4:05)  8. Happy Hour
(4:21)  9. Moe's Bluff
(4:31) 10. Moe Is On
(4:39) 11. Maybe So
(4:15) 12. Crazy

The highly original works of composer/pianist Elmo Hope included in this collection are certainly a landmark in his career and a source of unalloyed joy to his many admirers. Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, two of the most exciting jazz musicians, are the remaining two-thirds of this extraordinary trio. Within the dazzling framework of Hopes vivid compositions, they form an aggregation with a strikingly individual style. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/elmo-hope-albums/4386-plays-his-own-compositions.html

Personnel: Elmo Hope (p), Paul Chambers, Edward Warren (b), Philly Joe Jones, Granville Hogan (d)

Plays His Original Compositions

---

Art Pepper - Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:45
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(3:36)  2. Red Pepper Blues
(5:51)  3. Imagination
(2:55)  4. Waltz Me Blues
(3:58)  5. Straight LIfe
(4:46)  6. Jazz Me Blues
(7:41)  7. Tin Tin Deo
(5:11)  8. Star Eyes
(4:17)  9. Birks Works

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section is a mythic recording. The circumstances surrounding its genesis were first revealed in Pepper's steely autobiography Straight Life and reproduced countless times in articles and liner notes. Here it goes, one more time. On the morning of the recording session, January 19, 1957, Pepper's then-wife Diane informed him that she had secured an afternoon recording session with the Miles Davis rhythm section who were in Los Angeles appearing with Davis. Unhappily surprised and with a horn in bad need of repair, Pepper fixed an extra large amount of heroin and was off to the session. The music produced from this chaos has been described as "a diamond of recorded jazz history." The material for the session previously selected by the artists. After some discussion, drummer Philly Joe Jones suggested Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" and the historic session was off and running. The date gradually began to take shape. Red Garland provided an original "Red Pepper Blues." The Burke/Van Heusen ballad "Imagination" was included. The quartet mixed things up with the New Orleans classic "Jazz Me Blues" played against Chano Pozo?s Afro-Cubano credo "Tin Tin Deo" (featuring some solid drumming by Jones) A pair of blues juxtaposes as well. "Waltz Me Blues" was a session original composed by Pepper and bassist Paul Chambers. It is lilting and light. It stands in great contrast to John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie?s smoky minor blues "Birks? Works." Perhaps central to the recording was the Pepper original "Straight Life." This Pepper classic is a complex and fast paced piece of West Coast Be Bop. It, along with "Somewhere over the Rainbow," would become his signature song. A brisk "Star Eyes" and bonus track "The Man I Love" round out the collection.  Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section is one of those singular events that can only occur in a blaze like reading King Lear by a lightning flash. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/art-pepper-meets-the-rhythm-section-remastered-art-pepper-contemporary-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Art Pepper: Alto Saxophone; Red Garland: Piano; Paul Chambers: Bass; Philly Joe Jones: Drums.

Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section

---

Lee Morgan - Indeed!

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:12
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:18)  1. Roccus
(4:55)  2. Reggie of Chester
(6:47)  3. The Lady
(8:23)  4. Little T
(3:57)  5. Gaza Strip
(5:49)  6. Stand By

The first time Lee Morgan entered a recording studio, he was just 18 years old and he was leading his own band. More impressive, that band included soon to be legendary pianist Horace Silver and drummer Philly Joe Jones. This is the CD of that 1956 recording session. While the players were great, the music is merely ordinary which isn't too surprising given the tender age of the leader. Indeed! is standard Blue Note hard bop by the guys who would, in various combinations, become the label's mainstays.  That's not a knock. This is a good record, and if you're a fan of hard bop, as I am, you'll like it. Morgan is very much the product of Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro. He sounds a bit like both, and he even played Dizzy's trademark horn with a bent bell. The other horn player is a virtual unknown saxman Clarence Sharpe, known to friends as C. Sharpe, or C#. In many numbers, he sounds like a Charlie Parker knockoff again, no big surprise for a young alto player in 1956, a year after Bird's death. In Sharpe's 1990 obituary, The New York Times called him "the missing link between Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman." But that was later in life. Here, he's all bebop. Same with Lee Morgan, who had a long and legendary career on Blue Note, recording something like 25 albums. This is the first, and it's no fault of the young 18-year-old that it's not yet as memorable as 1963's The Sidewinder. It's solid, enjoyable, if unoriginal, hard bop. A couple of side notes: First, though the album has only one ballad, "The Lady," it is sweet and tender and nearly all Morgan. A real standout. Second, the cut "Gaza Strip" has absolutely no hints of Middle Eastern or Arabic influences. Wonder where the title came from. Finally, though Horace Silver is a member of the band, he mostly stays in the background, taking a handful of perfunctory solos. ~ Marc Davis https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lee-morgan-indeed--blue-note-1538-lee-morgan-by-marc-davis.php

Personnel:  Lee Morgan - trumpet;  Horace Silver - piano;  Clarence Sharpe - alto saxophone;  Wilbur Ware - bass;  Philly Joe Jones - drums

Indeed!

---

Elmo Hope Sextet And Trio - Homecoming!

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1961

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:26

Size: 116,6 MB

Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Moe, Jr. (take 4)

(4:41)  2. Moe, Jr. (take 2)

(3:14)  3. La Berthe

(6:33)  4. Eyes So Beautiful As Yours

(5:15)  5. Homecoming

(6:48)  6. One Mo' Blues

(5:33)  7. A Kiss For My Love (take 5)

(5:39)  8. A Kiss For My Love (take 4)

(6:43)  9. Imagination

Homecoming! is a particularly high-spirited record for this stage in Hope's troubled career. Following an extended stay in Los Angeles, a number of the day's top players helped welcome a refreshed Hope back to New York on this session. Tenor saxophonists Frank Foster and Jimmy Heath, as well as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, form the front line on the sextet numbers, while on all tracks Hope is joined by the rhythm section of Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. Four of the album's (original) seven tracks are sextet performances and the two alternate takes only appear on the Fantasy Original Jazz Classics CD reissue. The Dameron-esque bop numbers sizzle and weave and the tenor work of Frank Foster is especially rewarding on the album's bouncing opener, "Moe, Jr.," take four on the CD. The three ballads are equally fresh and less doom-ridden than comparable performances found elsewhere in his catalog. Expect fine performances by all. This great hard bop record is highly recommended. ~ Brandon Burke https://www.allmusic.com/album/homecoming%21-mw0000093981

Personnel:  Elmo Hope - piano;  Blue Mitchell - trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 & 8);  Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 & 8);  Percy Heath - bass;  Philly Joe Jones - drums

Homecoming!

---

Duke Jordan - The Great Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 116.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1982/1994
Art: Front

[6:36] 1. All The Things You Are
[7:28] 2. Moonglow
[6:38] 3. Satin Doll
[8:55] 4. Thinking Of You
[9:54] 5. A Night In Tunesia
[6:57] 6. Ladybird
[4:10] 7. Blues In The Closet

Bass – David Friesen; Drums – Philly Joe Jones; Piano – Duke Jordan. Recorded June 30, 1978.

One of many recordings by Duke Jordan for Steeplechase, this trio session pairs the pianist with bassist David Friesen and drummer Philly Joe Jones. There's a bit of hyperbole in the album's title, as the play list is hardly adventurous and the arrangements are average, in spite of the strong personnel. The date opens with a rather perfunctory rendition of "All the Things You Are" that incorporates Dizzy Gillespie's famous introductory vamp, and a spacious "Moonglow" followed by Duke Ellington's overly recorded "Satin Doll," a piece even many Ellington fans are tired of hearing. Jones sets up "A Night in Tunisia" with an extended fiery solo, with Jordan and Friesen firing on all cylinders in a romp through this bop standard. Friesen's delicious walking bass is the highlight of "Blues in the Closet." The CD edition adds a previously unissued track, Jordan's warm, low-key ballad "Thinking of You." ~Ken Dryden

The Great Session mc
The Great Session zippy

---

Elmo Hope - Informal Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 88,8 MB
Art: Front

(11:13)  1. Weeja
( 8:41)  2. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
( 9:05)  3. On It
( 9:43)  4. Avalon

The Prestige label turned out records like this at the rate they roast ducks in Chinatown, and there are plenty of happy souls who can't get enough of either. If this particular session hasn't assumed the legend of a jazz classic, it's because, on the whole, some little spark seems to be missing. If this element could be defined easily, and put into words quickly and efficiently, then record producers and musicians would know exactly how to create the perfect jam session record. The people involved in this record know much more about such a science then the average musician and record producer. These are musicians very far down the road from being average, all of this underscoring the difficulty of creating a spontaneous recording session at which moments of improvisational genius are expected to pop up. While the album's title is another example of how cleverly labels such as this can describe what they are selling, there are really many aspects of these proceedings that are hardly informal at all. Describing these in the order in the importance, the obvious place to start is the drum and bass team of Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers. The playing of these gentlemen here is worth the price of the record alone, even if the copy is secured from a tightwad used-record store owner somewhere in the Ozarks who only opens the doors of his establishment for gold credit card owners. This is hardly the kind of rhythm section playing heard at a jam session, except possibly in heaven. Elmo Hope mans the piano bench at the helm of this dream team, and while the liner notes call him the "nominal leader" for the blowing date, he earns actual leader status by accomplishing two things. First, his solo spots are the best part of the record, especially the part of "Weeja" where even Jones drops back, eventually adding some strange filigree. At this point the rhythm section seems to be making a statement about having gone through the rigmarole of backing all the previous horn solos in an exercise that is supposed to produce great moments of jazz, but maybe didn't. They play as if in relief, as if happy it is up to them for a change. What happens is truly memorable, but it sounds more like professional musicians who have worked together many times hitting a genius moment, not a jam session.

Second, Hope provides original material that helps give the record its personality. It is typical to pass off the tunes at sessions such as this as just simple contrivances to launch soloists, but again it is a stretch to imagine an "informal" recording session where even material as complicated as this is played. Both of the standards have arrangements that would leave jazz students, and some of their teachers, tying their shoes on the bridge. Hope's "Weeja" has a simple fanfare of a theme, sure, but it is arranged within a nifty series of short blowing spots. This is where the merry listener gets the treat of hearing Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, and John Coltrane introduce themselves instrumentally, the latter tenor giant making a great ride of the bridge. Everything is tight, together, and without a hitch. Squeaking mouthpieces from Mobley and Coltrane are the only casual aspects. 

These tenor titans are promoted as being involved in reviving the instrumental battle popularized by Gene Ammons and others here, but a real duel would require some kind of interaction between the participants. Mobley and Coltrane really don't seem to be paying much attention to each other, pursuing their own agendas. Mobley has the whisk broom and the fluff brush, enjoying an effortlessly fluid tone with a sound a bit like Warne Marsh at times. Coltrane continually blasts ringing melodic variations on various hard bop licks, each of them worthy of being chiseled into marble. The trumpeter's acrobatics are familiar, pole-vaulting through the changes, running the 440 through the bridge, then a standing broad jump in the trades with Jones. Can anyone else play like Byrd? It hasn't happened yet. The overall best performance is probably "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" since it is the one slow tune of the bunch, it gets the most special treatment. Shorn of nothing but moments of sheer brilliance, a shorter and better version of this album would feature only the piano solos and the parts where everyone trades fours with the drummer. ~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/album/informal-jazz-mw0000907736

Personnel:  Elmo Hope — piano;  Donald Byrd — trumpet;  John Coltrane, Hank Mobley — tenor saxophone;  Paul Chambers — bass;  Philly Joe Jones — drums

Informal Jazz

---

Lee Morgan - The Cooker

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 106.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1957/2006
Art: Front

[9:19] 1. A Night In Tunisia
[7:02] 2. Heavy Dipper
[7:15] 3. Just One Of Those Things
[6:46] 4. Lover Man
[8:11] 5. New-Ma
[7:51] 6. Just One Of Those Things

Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams; Bass – Paul Chambers (3); Drums – Philly Joe Jones; Piano – Bobby Timmons; Trumpet – Lee Morgan. Originally recorded on September 29, 1957 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. All transfers from analog to digital were made at 24-bit resolution.

Although Lee Morgan had already made a handful of albums at the age of 19, The Cooker (1957) represents his throwing down the gauntlet as successor to Clifford Brown's vacated throne. It's close to being a pure bebop session, suggestive of a date like For Musicians Only (Verve, 1956), on which Gillespie, Stitt and Getz set some sort of record for NPS (notes per second). At the same time, the precocious trumpeter, already brimming with confidence, is not about to get reckless: he pulls a punch or two, most notably on the opening "Night in Tunisia."

Bebop was a musical language about comparisons, and Morgan was keenly aware of his predecessors. Charlie Parker's incredible four-bar break at the end of the sixteen-bar tag of Gillespie's signature piece on the 1947 Carnegie Hall concert (Diz 'N Bird at Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, 1997) had come to represent the gold standard of jazz improvisation, which Morgan had only begun to approach on his solo performances of the tune with the Gillespie big band (Dizzy Gillespie at Newport, Verve, 1957). And though Clifford Brown's version is equal parts inspired invention and stunning virtuosity (Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1, Blue Note, 1954), the naked four-bar break is given to Lou Donaldson's alto saxophone, with arguably embarrassing results.

Morgan slyly eludes trouble yet takes the listener by surprise when he omits all but the tag's challenging four bars, which he then "wastes" by simply having bass and drums mark time. The listener's letdown is quickly offset, however, by a blistering trumpet solo starting on the first beat of the main chorus, demonstrating why the rising star chose such a deliberative tempo: almost the entirety of his two-chorus solo is played in double time. As dazzling as his execution is, Morgan has one more deception up his sleeve. On both the earlier Gillespie recording and a later Art Blakey date (A Night in Tunisia, Blue Note, 1960), the trumpeter makes sure he gets his piece said on the A7 altered chord of the tune's cadenza: on this occasion, he takes a complete pass!

The characteristically showy side of Morgan is in evidence on his "Heavy Dipper," an infectious, medium-tempo swinger. Anticipating trademark mannerisms—clipped notes, upward slurs, half-valving, triple-tonguing—his solo is still as flowing as it is playful. The tempo of "Just One of Those Things" breaks the sound barrier while exposing one of the still-maturing musician's weaknesses: if a turn of phrase sounds good once, certainly playing it a few more times can't be a bad idea. Unfortunately, the effect of these ramped-up, "treadmill" moments can get uncomfortably close to "Carnival of Venice" showpiece territory. The alternate take of the tune proves more musically substantive, though the ballad number—the bebopper's requisite "Lover Man"—does little to advance the newcomer's cause.

Pepper Adams is an unrelenting juggernaut on the date, pushing the leader to rise to each challenge. Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones supply all of the heat required for this cooking session, otherwise judiciously staying clear of the head chef, who serves up cuisine likely to impress even the fastidious gourmet. ~Samuel Chell

The Cooker mc
The Cooker zippy

---

Red Garland, Ron Carter, Philly Joe Jones - Crossings

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:38
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:10)  1. Solar
( 5:23)  2. Railroad Crossing
( 5:18)  3. Never Let Me Go
( 5:17)  4. Oleo
( 7:02)  5. But Not for Me
(11:26)  6. Love for Sale

Amazingly enough, this set (reissued on CD) was the first time that pianist Red Garland and drummer Philly Joe Jones recorded together in a trio setting, even though they had both been a part of Miles Davis' first classic quintet. With bassist Ron Carter completing the group, they perform five standards and the bassist's "Railoroad Crossing." This is one of Garland's best later dates (Philly Joe often pushes him), and the highlights include "Solar," "Oleo" and "Love for Sale." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/crossings-mw0000309769

Personnel: Red Garland (piano); Philly Joe Jones (drums);  Ron Carter (bass).

Crossings

---

Red Garland - The P.C. Blues

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:57
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29)  1. Ahmad's Blues
( 6:26)  2. Lost April
( 5:49)  3. Why Was I Born?
(13:18)  4. Tweedle Dee Dee
( 9:53)  5. The P.C. Blues

P.C. Blues is a trio album from 1957 that features pianist Red Garland with bassist Paul Chambers (the "P.C." in the title), and drummer Art Taylor. 

In addition to the four original titles (which are highlighted by a sensitive version of "Lost April" and the lengthy "Tweedle Dee Dee"), Garland's feature on a 1956 Miles Davis record, "Ahmad's Blues" (which features him with Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones), adds to the value of this thoughtful but swinging release. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/pc-blues-mw0000075514

Personnel: Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor, Philly Joe Jones (drums).

The P.C. Blues

---

Hank Mobley - Another Workout

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:05
Size: 84.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2006
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. Out Of Joe's Bag
[7:39] 2. I Should Care
[7:41] 3. Gettin' And Jettin'
[8:40] 4. Hank's Other Soul
[8:01] 5. Hello, Young Lovers

Bass – Paul Chambers; Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones; Piano – Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley. Originally recorded on December 5, 1961 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

This LP has material from 1961 that for no real reason went unreleased until 1985. One song, "Three Coins in a Fountain," is from the same session that resulted in tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's famous Workout session with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The other five numbers -- three obscure Mobley originals, plus "I Should Care" and "Hello Young Lovers" -- are from the previously unheard December 5, 1961 session with the same personnel except for Green. Hank Mobley was in a prime period around this time, and all of his Blue Note recordings are well worth picking up. ~Scott Yanow

Another Workout

---