Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis - Goin' To The Meetin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:00
Size: 171,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. I Wished On The Moon
(4:24)  2. From This Moment On
(5:44)  3. It's A Pity To Say Goodnight
(6:17)  4. Just Friends
(7:03)  5. The Moon Of Mankoora
(6:53)  6. Speak Low
(5:27)  7. Goin' To Meetin'
(3:05)  8. People Will Say We're In Love
(5:00)  9. Night And Day
(3:41) 10. Pass The Hat
(3:48) 11. Yes, Yes
(3:59) 12. Please Send Me Someone To Love
(2:40) 13. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(5:35) 14. Oh Babee
(4:15) 15. Little Cougar

The esthetic and visceral aspects of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ music have been on my mind a lot lately. My regular AAJ column “Combing the Fantasy Catalog” allowed me the welcome chance to explore his Prestige label legacy at length, but much to my regret this recent reissue wasn’t in circulation until after I’d put the wrap on the articles. The generous clutch of material from three albums, Misty, Stompin’ and Goin’ to the Meetin’ gathered here is much in line with his other work circa this vintage. The disc’s first half revisits the classic Davis/Scott combo flying its full hard-swinging soul-hued regalia with the added bonus of conguero Ray Barretto in the ranks. Originally a Moodsville release the tunes are a surprising mix of up-tempo burners like “From This Moment On” and balladic fare such as “Just Friends.” Both vie to create a swirling batch of performances that bring out the band’s best side. Just drop in on the furious conga breaks on the former tune and tidal force of Scott’s sustain-saturated fills for a taste guaranteed to leave even the most sullenly jaded listener rapacious for more. Even the slice of pop exotica “The Moon of Manakoora,” a regular staple of the Bachelor pad orchestras bandleaders like Les Baxter and is successfully given a make-over in line with the Davis’ no-frills delivery.

The album from which the disc’s title is taken fills out the second half trading Scott’s soul organ for Parlan’s hard bop piano and convening a completely different rhythm section with conga presence intact. Catlett’s moody walking line on the title track (which strangely recalls the bass line to Gil Melle’s “Mars”- how’s that for an obscure reference?) is but one of the many indications of a different, but no less visceral vibe. Bobo’s skins are sparser and more staccato in sound, accenting rather than driving the group, and Taylor’s sticks deliver a crisper, more measured sound than Edgehill. Parlan steps to the solo podium almost as often as the leader, but tune lengths are significantly shorter. Highlights are numerous, but the Latin groove of “Night and Day” where Taylor and Bobo sculpt a living lattice of interlocking cross rhythms beneath Davis’ booting phrasings garners first prize by my estimation. Listener’s familiar with Davis won’t need much prodding when it comes to acquisition of this disc, but suffice it to say that those unfamiliar with his gruff charms are likely to find themselves pleased by the purchase as well.By Derek Taylor
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/goin-to-the-meetin-eddie-lockjaw-davis-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone); Horace Parlan (piano); Shirley Scott (organ); George Duvivier (bass); Ray Barretto, Willie Bobo (congas).

Goin' To The Meetin'

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Wild Bill Moore - 90 Wild Bill's Beat & Bottom Groove

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:44
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Heavy Soul
(5:57)  2. A Good 'un
(5:28)  3. Tearin' Out
(6:51)  4. Wild Bill's Beat
(5:11)  5. Things Are Getting Better
(5:18)  6. Bubbles
(5:15)  7. Just You, Just Me
(6:20)  8. Sister Caroline
(5:38)  9. Bottom Groove
(5:35) 10. My Little Girl
(5:36) 11. Down With It
(7:12) 12. Sea Breezes
(5:30) 13. Caravan

Many of the tenor saxophonists who came out of the honker school of the '40s and early '50s had no problem being relevant to the soul-jazz scene of the '60s. That's because '60s soul-jazz was very much an extension of classic honker music; the recordings that big-toned tenor titans like Willis "Gator" Jackson and Arnett Cobb provided in the '60s were not a radical departure from their early sessions. Influenced by Illinois Jacquet and Chu Berry, Wild Bill Moore was the essence of an extroverted, big-toned, hard-blowing honker he epitomized what critic Scott Yanow calls "rhythm & jazz" (that is, jazz with strong R&B leanings). This 76-minute CD, which Fantasy assembled in 2002, reissues two Orrin Keepnews-produced albums that Moore recorded for Jazzland in 1961: Bottom Groove and Wild Bill's Beat. Both albums employ Joe Benjamin on upright bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas, but while Wild Bill's Beat features pianist Junior Mance, Bottom Groove is an organ date with Johnny "Hammond" Smith (one of the countless Jimmy Smith-minded organists who was active in the '60s). Despite the fact that one album has a pianist and the other has an organist, they are quite similar. Both are state-of-the-art soul-jazz, and both are highly accessible; people who, in the '60s, felt that a lot of post-swing jazz was too cerebral and abstract for its own good had no problem getting into straightforward players like Moore. Soulful accessibility is the rule whether Moore is playing original material or turning his attention to Nat Adderley's "Sister Caroline" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Naturally, there are plenty of 12-bar jazz-blues grooves, and Moore shows listeners how appealing a ballad player he could be on the dreamy "Sea Breezes." This CD is well worth acquiring if you have a taste for '60s soul-jazz. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/bottom-groove-mw0000659120

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Wild Bill Moore;  Bass – Joe Benjamin; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Ben Riley; Organ – Johnny "Hammond" Smith (tracks: 8 to 13); Piano – Junior Mance (tracks: 1 to 7)

90 Wild Bill's Beat & Bottom Groove

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Gene Ammons - Up Tight!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:04
Size: 171.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/1994
Art: Front

[6:25] 1. The Breeze And I
[6:06] 2. Carbow
[5:03] 3. Moonglow
[6:01] 4. I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over
[4:47] 5. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[8:17] 6. Jug's Blue Blues
[4:13] 7. Lester Leaps In
[5:57] 8. The Five O'clock Whistle
[4:31] 9. I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
[5:12] 10. Song Of The Islands
[3:32] 11. Up Tight
[3:40] 12. Travelin'
[4:49] 13. Soft Summer Breeze
[6:24] 14. Don't Go To Strangers

Bass – Arthur Davis, George Duvivier; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Piano – Patti Bown, Walter Bishop; Saxophone – Gene Ammons. Recorded in October 17th & 18th, 1961.

Gene Ammons recorded many albums for Prestige but, if this CD is a good start for listeners unfamiliar with his playing. A reissue of two LPs (Up Tight and Boss Soul) recorded during the same two-day period, these performances find Ammons backed by a pair of four-piece rhythm sections (with either Walter Bishop or Patti Bown on piano and Ray Barretto's congas a major asset) and taking the lion's share of the solo space. Ammons sounds particularly warm and emotional throughout this CD, particularly on such numbers as "The Breeze and I," "I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is over," a cooking "Lester Leaps In" and "Song of the Islands." His sound and style effectively bridged the gap between bop and soul jazz. ~Scott Yanow

Up Tight!

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Herbie Mann - Waterbed

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:42
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Waterbed
(5:35)  2. Comin' Home Baby
(4:57)  3. Paradise Music
(4:51)  4. Bang! Bang!
(4:37)  5. Deus Xango
(5:10)  6. Violet Don't Be Blue
(3:50)  7. I Got a Woman
(4:49)  8. Body Oil - Single Version

If you need an example of how jazz critics and soul/funk audiences didn't see eye to eye in the 1970s, you need look no further than Herbie Mann. Many jazz critics hated commercial Mann LPs like Discotheque and Waterbed with a passion, and saw them as examples of a gifted virtuoso dumbing his music down in order to sell more records. But young soul and funk lovers the ones who made 1975's "Hijack" a hit on black radio  were digging Mann and didn't understand why jazz snobs had it in for him. Although it contains a funky version of Ben Tucker's "Coming Home, Baby," Waterbed is a vocal-oriented soul/funk project first and foremost. In fact, it's one of the strongest commercial albums he recorded, thanks to memorable cuts that range from the infectious title song and the haunting "Body Oil" to remakes of Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" and Joe Cuba's "Bang! Bang!." A dynamo of a singer, Cissy Houston (Whitney Houston's mother) has an excellent spot on the dusky "Violent Don't Be Blue" it's too bad she would eventually give up secular music altogether. Unfortunately, Waterbed has long been out of print, but it's worth trying to find if you're a fan of 1970s soul/funk. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/waterbed-mw0000881633

Personnel: Herbie Mann - flute;  David Newman - tenor saxophone; Pat Rebillot - keyboards;  Jerry Friedman, Bob Mann, Hugh McCracken, Jeff Mironov - guitar;   Will Lee, Tony Levin - bass; Steve Gadd , Allan Schwartzberg , Darryl Washington - drums; Ray Barretto, Armen Halburian, Ralph MacDonald, Ray Mantilla - percussion; Anahid Ajemian, Matthew Raimondi - violin; Jean Dane - viola;  Michael Rudiakov - cello; The Hijackers: Cissy Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Eunice Peterson - vocal

Waterbed

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Clifford Jordan - Soul Fountain

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:16
Size: 65,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:39)  1. TNT
(3:00)  2. I've Got A Feeling For You
(3:32)  3. H.N.I.C.
(2:37)  4. I Got You
(2:07)  5. Caribbean Cruise
(5:42)  6. Senor Blues
(4:05)  7. Eeh Bah Lickey Doo
(4:31)  8. Retribution

Clifford Jordan's Soul Fountain was recorded for Atlantic in 1966 and produced by no less a talent than Arif Mardin. It was not released until 1968 and then reissued properly in 1970 on the Vortex imprint, by which time Jordan had become an American expatriate living in Europe as so many other jazzmen had. The bottom line is that there was no good reason for any of it. This may be, like Jordan's Plays Leadbelly album, a recording of deep roots music in this case soul but as a jazz album with big fat grooves, stellar playing, and arrangements, it's a monster. The bands (a bit different on sides one and two) tell a big part of the story of the album. The first five tracks the front side feature Jordan on tenor and piano, Jimmy Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn, Julian Priester on trombone, Frank Owens playing both piano and B-3, Ben Tucker on upright bass, Bob Cranshaw on upright and Fender electric bass, drummer Bob Durham, and percussionists Orestes Vilató and Joe Wohletz. The music on side one includes the smoking Ben Tucker jams "T.N.T." and "H.N.I.C.," the first of which is a complete soul-jazz groover with big-boned tenor work by Jordan knotted up in the best Blue Note early three-horn front-line '60s fashion: it's where hard bop met the extrapolated sounds of Latin boogaloo and Ray Charles-styled big-band soul. Tucker's grooves were scorching. The latter tune, written in a minor key, offers more Latin grooves with the same front-line 12-bar blues set up with beautiful call and response, a knotty chorus, and wonderfully seamless harmonies among the horns. Jordan contributes a pair of originals to the side (and three overall). The first is "I've Got a Feeling for You," coming right out of the groove territory with those hand drums popping in and around the piano played by Cliff, and a snarling B-3 workout in the fills by Frank Owens. It's suave, spunky, and swaggering with great trumpet work by Jimmy Owens. Jordan's latter tune on the side is a too-brief little calypso fueled hard bop number. The kit work by Durham is hot and the Jordan solo swings hard and in the pocket. The other tune on the side is a burning funky workout on James Brown's "I Feel Good" with amazing trombone work by Priester, who could have been a part of the '70s J.B.'s in a heartbeat, as his sense of propulsion and rhythm is infectious and Durham's breaks are smoking and in the pocket. Side two offers a bit of a change: Big John Patton plays organ, Billy Higgins plays drums, and Ray Barretto replaces Vilató on congas! Three tunes make up the side: one is a reading of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" that is so full of Latin groove that it drips. Jordan's interplay with the drummers and Patton is rich, wrangling, his best Sonny Rollins in the role and taking it outside slightly via Coltrane. 

The breezy "Eeh Bah Lickey Doo," by the saxophonist is a shimmering, lightly funky riff-based blues with Jordan playing flute to change things up the tonal contrast between his little woodwind and Patton's B-3 simmering is very hip especially when Big John takes his solo. The final track, written by Priester and Abbey Lincoln is called "Retribution." It's the most complex tune here rhythmically, juxtaposing an intensely clave rhythm against a straight cut time and the front-line playing right in between the two signatures. Priester's lyric sense is complex but utterly accessible, and when Jordan takes his solo following that fat downbeat where it all comes together, he can walk between both poles effortlessly. Patton just pushes from the inside out and finds the horn in the corners. Barretto even at this point was offering a dimension on other people's recordings that was singular. He sounded like no one else and his manner of reading the hard bop accents and angles through boogaloo added a hip factor of ten to the side. Priester's solo is brief, followed by Jimmy Owens' before they bring it all back to that melody, closing it out on a very high point indeed.  Certainly, Jordan's great accomplishments as a leader the two Glass Bead Games volumes and In the World on Strata East, as well as Night of the Mark 7 from the '70s are regarded as high marks in his career, but this side should not be counted out by any stretch of the imagination. Mardin's production work adds the right amount of warmth and Jordan is clearly relaxed and in control, walking the razor's edge between the hard bop past, the present-day soul, and the future openness that he would embrace wholesale a couple of years later. This is a fine set and well worth pursuing whether on wax or via the Wounded Bird reissue (it needs to be said that the latter's program of reissuing Atlantic and Warner jazz from the early '70s is really special in that it highlights work that has been forgotten or was entirely ignored). ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-fountain-mw0000582716

Personnel: Clifford Jordan — tenor saxophone, flute, piano; Jimmy Owens - trumpet, flugelhorn; Julian Priester - trombone; John Patton - organ (tracks 6-8); Frank Owens - piano, organ (tracks 1-5); Ben Tucker - bass (tracks 1-5); Bob Cranshaw - bass, electric bass (tracks 1-5); Bobby Durham (tracks 1-5), Billy Higgins (tracks 6-8) - drums; Ray Barretto - congas (tracks 6-8); Joe Wohletz - bongos, percussion; Orestes Vilato - percussion (tracks 1-5)

Soul Fountain

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Lou Donaldson - The Time Is Right

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 85,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Lou's Blues
(5:46)  2. Be My Love
(5:11)  3. Idaho
(4:42)  4. The Nearness Of You
(5:18)  5. Mack The Knife
(5:15)  6. Crosstown Shuffle
(5:03)  7. Tangerine

Saxophonist Lou Donaldson is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker. Donaldson has worked with jazz greats including Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Blue Mitchell, Horace Silver and Art Blakey. 

First released in 1959, The Time is Right is a warm, mellow affair overall, definitely post-bop. His group features Horace Parlan on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Laymon Jackson on bass and Dave Bailey on drums. Ray Baretto is featured on conga, which gives the session a bit of Latin flavor.~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Time-Right-Lou-Donaldson/dp/B004C6QER6

Personnel:  Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone;  Horace Parlan - piano;  Blue Mitchell - trumpet - except track 2;  Laymon Jackson - bass;  Dave Bailey - drums;  Ray Barretto - congas

The Time Is Right

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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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Arnett Cobb - Party Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:22
Size: 85,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. When My Dream Boat Comes Home
(3:57)  2. Lonesome Road
(4:20)  3. Blues In The Closet
(5:55)  4. PartyTime
(5:14)  5. Flying Home
(6:52)  6. The Slow Poke
(5:14)  7. Cocktails For Two

Tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb, who was inactive between 1957 and 1958 due to a serious auto accident, recorded three strong albums for Prestige during the first half of 1959. This CD reissue is the only one of the trio that features Cobb as the only horn and backed by a pianist (Ray Bryant) instead of an organ player. 

With bassist Wendell Marshall, drummer Art Taylor and Ray Barretto on conga completing the group, most of the focus is on Cobb's tough yet flexible tenor. Such songs as "When My Dreamboat Comes Home," "Blues in the Closet" and a remake of "Flying Home" make this the definitive Arnett Cobb album from the era. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/party-time-mw0000177104

Personnel:  Arnett Cobb - tenor saxophone;  Ray Bryant - piano;  Wendell Marshall - bass;  Art Taylor - drums;  Ray Barretto - congas

Party Time

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Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:07
Size: 101,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. Chitlins con Carne
(6:56)  2. Mule
(2:43)  3. Soul Lament
(4:01)  4. Midnight Blue
(5:48)  5. Wavy Gravy
(4:24)  6. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
(6:17)  7. Saturday Night Blues
(4:44)  8. Kenny's Sound
(3:40)  9. K Twist

This album is one of guitarist Kenny Burrell's best-known sessions for the Blue Note label. Burrell is matched with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, bassist Major Holley, drummer Bill English, and Ray Barretto on conga for a blues-oriented date highlighted by "Chitlins Con Carne," "Midnight Blue," "Saturday Night Blues," and the lone standard "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-blue-mw0000187778

Personnel: Kenny Burrell (guitar); Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Major Holley, Jr. (bass); Bill English (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).

Midnight Blue

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Wes Montgomery - So Much Guitar!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:31
Size: 179.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Bop
Year: 1961/2013
Art: Front

[5:35] 1. Twisted Blues
[3:41] 2. Cotton Tail
[5:28] 3. I Wish I Knew
[5:54] 4. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:52] 5. Repetition
[4:45] 6. Something Like Bags
[2:16] 7. While We're Young
[7:42] 8. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
[4:07] 9. Jeannine
[6:52] 10. Snowfall
[6:28] 11. Angel Eyes
[2:29] 12. Barbados
[3:47] 13. This Love Of Mine
[4:31] 14. On Green Dolphin Street
[6:19] 15. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:39] 16. Beaux Arts

Bass – Ron Carter; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Lex Humphries; Guitar – Wes Montgomery; Piano – Hank Jones. Recorded in New York City; August 4, 1961.

One of Wes Montgomery's finest recordings, a Riverside date that showcases the influential guitarist in a quintet with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Lex Humphries, and the congas of Ray Barretto. All performances are memorable in their own way, with "Cottontail," "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," and a brief unaccompanied "While We're Young" being high points. ~Scott Yanow

So Much Guitar!

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Johnny Lytle Trio - Moon Child

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:43
Size: 86.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1962/2013
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Moon Child
[4:16] 2. The House Of Winchester
[6:37] 3. Work Song
[4:30] 4. The Nearness Of You
[4:37] 5. A Taste Of Honey
[4:32] 6. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
[3:59] 7. The Moor Man
[4:27] 8. Moonlight In Vermont

Bass – Steve Cooper; Congas [Conga Drums] – Ray Barretto; Drums – Peppy Hinnant; Organ – Milt Harris; Vibraphone [Vibes] – Johnny Lytle.

In the 1960s, jazz went in a variety of directions. On one hand, you had free jazz and avant-garde explorers who were extremely abstract and uncommercial; on the other hand, you had accessible soul-jazzers and organ combos that tried to attract the young listeners that jazz was losing to rock and R&B. Johnny Lytle was a prime example of the latter; accessibility and commercial appeal were things the vibist considered positive. That isn't to say that his albums were dumbed down --Moon Child is accessible and groove-minded, but it's also a swinging, creative collection of soul-jazz/hard bop. Produced by Orrin Keepnews in 1962, this vinyl LP has a lot going for it. Lytle is expressive and appealing on well known standards that range from Nat Adderley's "Work Song" to Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," and he fares just as well on swinging originals that include the title song, "The Moor Man," and "The House of Winchester" (which was written in memory of vibist Lem Winchester). Gratefully, Lytle has a solid team to help him make this album come alive -- one that includes organist Milt Harris, bassist Steve Cooper, and drummer Peppy Hinnant. Conga giant Ray Barretto is added on lyrical performances of "Moonlight and Vermont" and "The Nearness of You," bringing Afro-Cuban touches to those standards. Moon Child was out of print for many years, but, in 2001, Fantasy pleasantly surprised us by reissuing this album and 1963's Got That Feeling! back to back on the same 75-minute CD. And that's a good thing, because Moon Child is a perfect example of how instrumental jazz can have commercial appeal without losing its integrity. ~Alex Henderson

Moon Child

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Red Garland - Rojo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:06
Size: 95,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:54)  1. Rojo
(6:47)  2. We Kiss In A Shadow
(5:14)  3. Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
(6:43)  4. Ralph J. Gleason Blues
(5:12)  5. You Better Go Now
(8:14)  6. Mr. Wonderful

Pianist Red Garland recorded frequently with trios for Prestige during the second half of the 1950s. For this set (reissued on CD), Garland, bassist George Joyner and drummer Charlie Persip are joined by Ray Barretto on congas and the emphasis is on forceful swinging. Garland takes such ballads as "We Kiss in a Shadow" and "You Better Go Now" at faster-than-expected tempos. "Ralph J. Gleason Blues" and the Latin feel of "Rojo" are among the highlights of this enjoyable disc. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/rojo-mw0000619557

Personnel: Red Garland (piano); Ray Barretto (congas); George Joyner (bass); Charlie Persip (drums).

Rojo

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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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Horace Parlan - Headin' South

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:42
Size: 96,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Headin' South
(5:55)  2. The Song Is Ended
(6:00)  3. Summertime
(5:29)  4. Low Down
(4:23)  5. Congalegre
(5:28)  6. Prelude To A Kiss
(4:33)  7. Jim Loves Sue
(5:22)  8. My Mother's Eyes

On the surface, Headin' South is another set of bluesy soul-jazz, but it actually finds the Horace Parlan trio stretching out a little. Adding conga player Ray Barretto to his usual rhythm section of bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood, Parlan decides to take chances with his standard-heavy repertoire. "Summertime" features some evocative bowing from Tucker, and the solo sections on "The Song Is Ended," "Prelude to a Kiss," and "My Mother's Eyes" offer probing, intriguing tonal textures that make the selection of Ahmad Jamal's "Jim Loves Sue" understandable. Barretto's "Congalegre" is a fun, Latin-inflected number, and Parlan's "Headin' South" is a strong, swinging blues, but the slow blues "Low Down" is nearly undone by his incessant circular arpeggio, which lasts for over a minute. Still, that's not nearly enough to sink the record, which is another understated but solid effort from Horace Parlan. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/headin-south-mw0000710182

Personnel: Piano – Horace Parlan; Bass – George Tucker;  Congas – Ray Barretto;  Drums – Al Harewood. 

Headin' South

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The Red Garland Trio - Manteca (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:20
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1958/1990
Art: Front

[ 8:07] 1. Manteca
[ 6:43] 2. 's Wonderful
[ 5:50] 3. Lady Be Good
[ 7:08] 4. Exactly Like You
[12:11] 5. Mort's Report
[ 7:18] 6. Portrait Of Jenny

Bass – Paul Chambers; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Piano – Red Garland. Recorded in Hackensack, NJ; April 1958.

This is a solid LP that differs from most sets by pianist Red Garland in that, in addition to bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, he employs Ray Barretto on conga. The Latin flavor does not affect the music much (other than on the title cut), but Barretto does light a fire under the other musicians. A nice, swinging session. ~Scott Yanow

Manteca

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Sonny Stitt - Soul Classics

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Soul jazz
Year: 1988/2006
Art: Front

[7:11] 1. Soul Shack
[6:39] 2. When Sunny Gets Blue
[5:50] 3. Night Crawler
[3:49] 4. Goin' Down Slow
[5:14] 5. Night Letter
[4:05] 6. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
[8:34] 7. Walk On By
[3:27] 8. Lover Man
[7:22] 9. Goin' To D.C

Sonny Stitt (alto, tenor & Varitone saxophones); Virgil Jones (trumpet); Hank Jones (piano); Jack McDuff, Don Patterson, Gene Ludwig, Leon Spencer (organ); Eddie Diehl, Pat Martino, Grant Green, Billy Butler, Melvin Sparks (guitar); Leonard Gaskin, George Duvivier (bass); Herbie Lovelle, Art Taylor, Billy James, Idris Muhammad, Randy Gelispie (drums); Ray Barretto (congas).

Fine playing, frequently galvanizing solos.1988 reissue of cuts from 1962-1972. ~ Ron Wynn

Soul Classics

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Cannonball Adderley & His Orchestra - African Waltz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:28
Size: 81.2 MB
Styles: Soul jazz, Modern big band
Year: 1961/1993
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Something Different
[4:03] 2. West Coast Blues
[2:59] 3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:13] 4. The Uptown
[3:39] 5. Stockholm Sweetnin'
[2:10] 6. African Waltz
[4:51] 7. Blue Brass Groove
[3:48] 8. Kelly Blue
[1:58] 9. Letter From Home
[3:40] 10. I'll Close My Eyes
[3:01] 11. This Here

Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley; Alto Saxophone, Flute – George Dorsey; Baritone Saxophone – Arthur Clarke; Bass – Sam Jones; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Charlie Persip, Louis Hayes; Piano – Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Jerome Richardson, Oliver Nelson; Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise; Trumpet – Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Nat Adderley, Nick Travis; Tuba – Don Butterfield. Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City; February 28, May 9 and 15, 1961.

The music on African Waltz is better than it should be. Cannonball Adderley had a fluke hit with "African Waltz," so a full album was recorded with the hopes of coming up with additional hits. These 11 selections (which include "African Waltz") feature altoist Adderley backed by an 18-piece big band with arrangements provided by Ernie Wilkins and Bob Brookmeyer. The tunes clock in between two and five minutes and leave little room for much improvising by anyone other than Cannonball, his brother Nat on cornet, and pianist Wynton Kelly. There is some strong material on the set (including "West Coast Blues," "Stockholm Sweetnin'" and a remake of "This Here"), but the results are not too substantial and this was not that big a seller but it is still a reasonably enjoyable effort. ~Scott Yanow

African Waltz

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Various - Latin Nights (2-Disc Set)

Album: Latin Nights (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:54
Size: 155.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2008

[6:59] 1. Juan Pablo Torres - When Day Breaks
[5:23] 2. Julio Barreto Cuban Quartet - Coming Home Baby
[4:40] 3. Cheo Feliciano - Anacona
[4:11] 4. Armando Peraza - Souled Out
[2:36] 5. Celia Cruz - Burundanga
[5:05] 6. Humberto Ramírez - Paradise
[3:33] 7. Armando Peraza - Wild Thing
[7:32] 8. Juan Pablo Torres - Moonlight Serenade 2
[6:12] 9. Michael Philip Mossman - Iron And Blood
[9:17] 10. Ray Barretto - Club Mix 50 Aniversario
[4:52] 11. Armando Peraza - Viva Peraza
[7:29] 12. Ray Barretto - Fuerza Gigante

Latin Nights (Disc 1)

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Album: Latin Nights (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:18
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[7:57] 1. Juan Manuel Ceruto - A Puerto Padre
[4:43] 2. Josep Soto - Tornasol
[2:59] 3. Gary McFarland - Flamingo
[2:23] 4. El Rey Del Mundo - Originale
[4:26] 5. Voces Del Milenio - Juguete
[3:05] 6. Cal Tjader - Morning Mist
[3:13] 7. Armando Peraza - Al Bajar El Sol
[5:09] 8. Humberto Ramírez - Con El Corazon
[4:57] 9. Cal Tjader - Nica's Dream
[6:31] 10. Humberto Ramírez - Tus Ojos
[3:14] 11. Gabor Szabo - The Look Of Love
[3:35] 12. Gary McFarland - O Morro

Latin Nights (Disc 2)

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Various - The Colors Of Latin Jazz: From Samba To Bomba!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:40
Size: 143.5 MB
Styles: Latin rhythms, Samba, Afro-Cuban jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:00] 1. Claudio Roditi - Manhattan Style
[3:10] 2. Tito Puente - Mambo King
[4:45] 3. Poncho Sanchez - Papa Gato
[5:12] 4. Mongo Santamaria - Soca Mi Nice
[4:49] 5. Manfredo Fest - Guararapes
[5:04] 6. Pete Escovedo - Like A Volcano
[5:16] 7. Cal Tjader - Linda Chicana
[4:15] 8. Hendrik Meurkens - Sambahia
[8:19] 9. Caribbean Jazz Project - Charanga Si, Si
[4:02] 10. Monty Alexander - Reggae-Later
[4:53] 11. Poncho Sanchez - La Familia
[3:50] 12. Tania Maria - Sangria
[3:59] 13. Ray Barretto - Bomba-Riquen

As the fourth release in the Colors of Latin Jazz series, From Samba to Bomba! will appeal to the Latin jazz connoisseur because of its exciting array of compositions that feature the diverse rhythms of a variety of Latin cultures. From the Brazilian samba to the Puerto Rican bomba -- and a number of styles in between, including the ChaChaCha, mambo, soca, charanga, maracatu, and more -- this CD includes the "Mambo King" himself, Tito Puento, playing his hit "Mambo King" from the award-winning Mambo of the Times album issued on Concord Picante. He is the full-on mambo master on this ballroom dance of Cuban origin that gained greater notoriety when it was featured in the movie Mambo Kings. Puento's work on this composition rivals much of his work of the '50s and early '60s in what critics have hailed as his most imaginative Latin musical period, a period that spawned "Dancemania" and "Tambo." The former featured "Mambo Gozon," a volcanic display of his greatness and mastery of the mambo but "Mambo King" encompasses all the greatness of those years and more! The Brazilian rush is realized "Manhattan Style" as Trio Da Paz kicks off this CD with special guests JoAnne Brackeen and Claudio Roditi, an energetic composition issued originally on Brasil From the Inside. Tania Maria lends her breezy scats on "Sangria." A very special Dutch-German favorite adds his innovative global mix to the Brazilian samba with brilliant jazz harmonica played by none other than the exciting Hendrik Muerkens on his "Sambahia." Originally issued on Sambahia by Concord Picante, Hendrik plays with exceptional finesse on an instrument not found often in jazz ensembles. It's a very refreshing blend of harmonic pleasures! Monty Alexander's Ivory & Steel presents the excitement of reggae on "Reggae-Later" from his popular Jamboree. His mastery of this popular music of Jamaican origin that combines his native styles with elements of rock and soul is performed to reggae perfection with Alexander's very hip piano bop stylings accompanied by steel pans and hand drums. This track is a great jam. Ray Barretto, the highly inventive conguero and percussionist, is amazing as he fuels the bomba "Bomba-Riquen." Poncho Sanchez is ablaze on "La Familia" and continues to work his magic on one of the best solos on the CD even though he is generous about sharing the solo limelight. The popular soca played richly by Mongo Santamaria on "Soca Me Nice" and the Afro-Cuban charanga is well imagined by Dave Samuels on "Charanga, Si, Si" with Dave Valentin. They impose no restrictions on your imagination with the sonority of their uncommon Latin flavors. Originally issued on New Horizons, the pair work The Colors of Latin Jazz into an exciting musical palette that is as beautifully vibrant as the rhythms they represent. This exciting CD is a Latin jazz collector's dream. ~Paula Edelstein

The Colors Of Latin Jazz: From Samba To Bomba!

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Various - Cha Cha Party

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:59
Size: 132.7 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin rhythms
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Poncho Sanchez - Bodacious Q
[5:23] 2. Mongo Santamaria - Day Tripper
[5:48] 3. Tito Puente - Oye Como Va
[6:09] 4. Caribbean Jazz Project - Jamboree
[5:45] 5. Ray Barretto - Killer Joe
[3:42] 6. Poncho Sanchez - Watermelon Man
[6:14] 7. Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro)
[5:38] 8. Ray Vega - Boperation
[4:25] 9. Ed Calle - Rum & Coke (Cuba Libre)
[5:06] 10. Pete Escovedo - 'ah' Bailar Cha-Cha-Cha
[5:28] 11. Poncho Sanchez, Ray Vega - Besame Mama

Cha Cha has the distinction of being one of the most dominant "pop" rhythms of the last 40 to 50 years and is characterized as having an upbeat, infectious rhythm, which creates a sense of playfulness and flirtation. The Cha Cha is said to be a combination of the Mambo and the American Swing.

Cha Cha is a Cuban innovation of the old Latin form (danson). Originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha the Cha Cha became popular about 1954. Cha Cha is an off-shoot of the Latin dance 'Mambo'. In the slow Mambo tempo, there is a distinct sound in the music that people began dancing to, calling the step the "Triple" Mambo. Eventually it evolved into a separate dance, today known as the Cha Cha.

Cha Cha Party

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