Sonny Stitt - Deuces Wild

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:50
Size: 78,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Deuces Wild
(4:42)  2. My Foolish Heart
(4:16)  3. Blues Ahead
(4:00)  4. Sittin' in with Sitt
(6:19)  5. In the Bag
(3:17)  6. Me 'n' You
(5:50)  7. Pipin' the Blues

Originally released on Atlantic in 1967, this welcome reissue of an above-average sax/organ date finds Sonny Stitt in a familiar setting with familiar company. The organist is listed as Wilmer Mosby, but one listen makes clear that it's the great Don Patterson working the B-3 with his customary drive, taste, and imagination. (The pseudonym may have been necessary for contractual reasons.) The core trio is rounded out by drummer Billy James, a longtime collaborator with Patterson and Stitt, who supports with a supple, active style. The performances are concise, blues-based blowing numbers. What they lack in compositional refinement they make up for in energetic execution. The one exception is the flaccid reading of the ballad standard "My Foolish Heart." Saxophonist Robin Kenyatta's serpentine facility brings a progressive dimension to the tracks "In the Bag" and "Me 'n You." Stitt, in turn, responds with a slightly more outward-bound approach on these two Kenyatta originals, the second of which is, unfortunately, flawed by an abrupt edit near the end of Patterson's solo. The final track, "Pipin' the Blues," includes a jazz rarity...bagpipes. Sounding like an electric organ (Farfisa not Hammond), piper Rufus Harley's single-note lines fit right in with Stitt's blues groove. A whole album of soul-jazz bagpipes might wear thin, but as a one-off, Harley's performance here is more than mere novelty. ~ Jim Todd https://www.allmusic.com/album/deuces-wild-mw0000011960

Personnel: Sonny Stitt - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Robin Kenyatta - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Wilmer Mosby - organ; Billy James - drums; Rufus Harley - bagpipes

Deuces Wild

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Andrew Hill - Spiral

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:44
Size: 102,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Tomorrow
(6:07)  2. Laverne
(6:07)  3. The Message
(7:30)  4. Invitation
(4:49)  5. Today
(9:10)  6. Spiral
(7:25)  7. Quiet Dawn

After four years mostly off of records, the innovative pianist/composer Andrew Hill re-emerged for this Freedom set, which has since been reissued on CD. The program is split between quintet numbers with altoist Lee Konitz (who doubles on soprano) and trumpeter Ted Curson, and quartet performances that showcase the somewhat forgotten altoist Robin Kenyatta. In addition, "Invitation," the one Hill nonoriginal, is taken as a spontaneous duet with Konitz. Although the music overall does not reach the heights of the pianist's earlier work for Blue Note (or his later sessions), there are enough surprising moments and thought-provoking solos to make this a release worth picking up by open-eared listeners.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/spiral-mw0000651843

Personnel:  Andrew Hill – piano;  Ted Curson – trumpet, flugelhorn, pocket trumpet (tracks 1-4);  Lee Konitz – soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone (tracks 1-4);  Robin Kenyatta – alto saxophone (tracks 5-7);  Cecil McBee (tracks 1-4), Stafford James (tracks 5-7) – bass;  Barry Altschul (tracks 5-7), Art Lewis (tracks 1-4) – drums

Spiral

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Robin Kenyatta - Stompin' At The Savoy

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:38
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(3:07)  2. Smooth Sailing
(9:59)  3. The Need To Smile
(2:29)  4. Two Bass Blues
(5:23)  5. Neither One Of Us
(4:32)  6. Mellow In The Park
(3:59)  7. Jessica
(5:37)  8. River Boat

A great blend of older jazz styles and the sweet 70s funk of Robin Kenyatta served up with a hip sort of sparkle overall! There's a few familiar jazz modes in here that definitely live up to the spirit of the title but most of the record is more open, laidback, and somewhat spiritual thanks to help from a hip lineup that includes Billy Harper on tenor sax, Dwight Brewster and Larry Willis on electric piano, Winston Wright on organ, Lew Soloff on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone! Some of the best tracks here are surprisingly open and earthy almost pointing back towards Kenyatta's Until album, but a bit more inside and other cuts have a warmer sort of 70s glow, more in the mode that Robin was hitting on other Atlantic albums of the time. Titles include "The Need To Smile", "Mellow In The Park", "Jessica", "River Boat", "Two Bass Blues", and "Smooth Sailing". © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/475315

Personnel: Robin Kenyatta (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Tasha Thomas, Robin Clark, Carl Hall (vocals); David Spinozza (guitar, electric guitar); Hux Brown (guitar); Billy Harper (tenor saxophone); Lew Soloff (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jimmy Knepper (trombone); Gladstone Anderson, Neville Hinds, Sonelius Smith (piano); Dr. John (electric piano, keyboards); Dwight Brewster, Larry Willis (electric piano); Winston Wright (organ); Ron Carter (bass instrument, acoustic bass, upright bass, electric bass); Lewis Worrell, Walter Booker (acoustic bass); Chuck Rainey, Jackie Jackson (electric bass); Alphonse Mouzon, Winston Grennan, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Gilmore Digap (congas, tambourine); Guilherme Franco, Ralph MacDonald, Joao Palma (percussion).

Stompin' At The Savoy

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Robin Kenyatta - Terra Nova

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:52
Size: 82,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. Temptation Took Control of Me (And I Fell)
(9:01)  2. Need Your Love So Bad
(4:56)  3. Terra Nova
(3:46)  4. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
(3:51)  5. Freedom Jazz Dance
(3:22)  6. Mother Earth (Provides for Me)
(3:15)  7. Touch
(3:35)  8. Island Shakedown

Backing off a bit from the outright funky fusion of 1972's Gypsy Man, Terra Nova nonetheless finds saxophonist Robin Kenyatta still indulging his newfound love of electricity and rhythmically altered jazz-funk tempered by his newfound love of Caribbean music. This Michael Cuscuna-produced date showcases Kenyatta's alto in three different settings though half of them feature him in an octet with a pair of electric guitarists and two pianists, an organist, bassist, drummer, and no less than Ralph MacDonald on percussion. The feel on most of these cuts is informed by bubbling funky reggae and calypso. Eric Kaz's "Temptation Took Control (And I Fell)" and " Mother Earth (Provides for Me)," Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and the originals "Island Shakedown" and the title track (that add saxophonist Carlos Garnett, trumpeter Enrico Rava, and trombonist Jonas Gwangwa), are all drenched in these rhythms. The remaining two numbers include a tough, Ray Charles  inflected soul-jazz version of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad," and the straight up proto-smooth jazz tune "Touch." These latter two numbers make the recording feel a bit schizy, but nonetheless extremely enjoyable though in 1973 it must have felt like it was coming from left-field and has dated well This is a prime example of the wide range of musical interests Kenyatta attempted to integrate during the '70s. Wounded Bird finally made this set available on CD in 2008. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/terra-nova-mw0000793923

Personnel: Robin Kenyatta (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Betty Jack Davis (vocals); Hux Brown (guitar); Carlos Garnett (tenor saxophone); Enrico Rava (trumpet); Jonas Gwangwa (trombone); Neville Hinds, Pat Rebillot (piano, electric piano); Gladstone Anderson (piano); Sonny Burke , Winston Wright (organ); Ron Carter (bass instrument, electric bass); Jackie Jackson , Boris Gardiner (electric bass); Ray Lucas, Winston Grennan (drums); Ralph MacDonald (congas, percussion).

Terra Nova

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Ted Curson - Quicksand

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:23
Size: 111,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:53)  1. Spiderlegs
( 8:16)  2. Tears For Dolphy
( 7:26)  3. Typical Ted
( 5:55)  4. Greasy As A Porkchop
( 6:58)  5. Sugar 'N' Spice
(11:52)  6. Quicksand

An excellent and flexible trumpeter, Ted Curson will always be best known for his work with Charles Mingus' 1960 quartet (which also included Eric Dolphy and Dannie Richmond). He studied at Granoff Musical Conservatory; moved to New York in 1956; played in New York with Mal Waldron, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones; and recorded with Cecil Taylor (1961). After the 1959-1960 Mingus association (which resulted in some classic recordings), Curson co-led a quintet with Bill Barron (1960-1965), played with Max Roach, and led his own groups. He spent time from the late '60s on in Europe (particularly Denmark) but had a lower profile than one would expect after returning to the U.S. in 1976. 

He led sessions for Old Town (1961), Prestige, Fontana, Atlantic, Arista, Inner City, Interplay, Chiaroscuro, and several European labels. Curson died of a heart attack on November 4, 2012. He was 77 years old.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ted-curson-mn0000022039/biography

Personnel:  Ted Curson - trumpet, piccolo trumpet;  Robin Kenyatta - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Nick Brignola - baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxello;  Kenny Barron - piano, electric piano;  Herb Bushler - bass, electric bass;  Albert Heath – drums;  Butch Curson - drums, percussion;  Lawrence Killian - congas, bell tree;  Chicky Johnson - bongos, timbales

Quicksand

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Robin Kenyatta - Ghost Stories

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:16
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Ghost Stories
(2:50)  2. Calypso Girl
(5:02)  3. The Breeze And I
(6:23)  4. My Favorite Things
(4:45)  5. Swinging Regards
(7:03)  6. His Love
(4:50)  7. Blues For Mama Doll
(4:28)  8. Lullaby Of the leaves
(5:58)  9. It's Alright With Me

Born Robert Prince Haynes in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States, Kenyatta grew up in New York. He played with Bill Dixon there in the 1960s, playing with his project "The October Revolution in Jazz". Later that decade he played with Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Roswell Rudd, Sonny Stitt, Archie Shepp, and Buddy Miles among others. In the 1970s he played with Alan Silva and Andrew Hill; for a brief time he experimented with instrumental pop music during this decade as well. He moved to Europe during that decade, finding it easier to make a living there as a jazz musician. Later, he played with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, B. B. King, Dr. John and George Benson, played the Montreux Jazz Festival, and went with his own groups on a European tour. He also led a jazz school in Lausanne. In 2002, Kenyatta was again back in the United States and active as a director of music in Boston. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2004.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Kenyatta

Ghost Stories

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