Clifford Jordan - Drink Plenty Water

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:41
Size: 82,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. The Highest Mountain
(3:08) 2. The Witch Doctor's Chant (Ee-Bah-Lickey-Doo)
(3:08) 3. Drink Plenty Water and Walk Slow
(3:13) 4. I've Got A Feeling For You
(3:09) 5. My Papa's Coming Home
(9:32) 6. Talking Blues
(9:33) 7. Talking Blues (Instrumental)

This long-lost 1974 recording from the late Chicago tenor sax master is finally available. Originally recorded for the Strata-East label, Drink Plenty Water is Clifford's only primarily vocal recording release, with inventive arrangements courtesy of bassist Bill Lee. Joining Jordan are Dick Griffin on trombone, Bill Hardman on trumpet, Charlie Rouse on bass clarinet, Strata East co-founder Stanley Cowell on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, Bernard Fennell on cello, and Lee and Sam Jones on bass.

Her late husband's passion project, Sandy Jordan spearheaded the effort to release Drink Plenty Water. Jordan’s daughter, Donna Jordan Harris sings lead vocals on several tracks, backed by remaining members of the ensemble. The vocal arrangements bring an unexpected new take to the compositions “Witch Doctor’s Chant (Ee-Bah-Lickey-Doo)” and “I’ve Got a Feeling for You” that first appeared on Clifford Jordan’s 1968 album Soul Fountain. The vocal arrangement for “The Highest Mountain” on Drink Plenty Water makes it the most unique treatment of one of his finest compositions.

Additional tracks include “My Papa’s Coming Home,” a rhythm changes vamp with what trombonist Griffin describes as a “stunning” solo from the leader, and “Drink Plenty Water and Walk Slow,” a short track featuring Fennell and Jordan under a spoken word story from actor David Smyrl. Other highlights of the 35-minute-long recording are the two tracks titled “Talking Blues” a spoken-word story from Smyrl about a hustler living the fast life, followed by the instrumental track that reveals great interplay between Jordan, Hardman, Fennell and Griffin.
https://shop.mapleshadestore.com/Clifford-Jordan-his-Friends-Drink-Plenty-Water-CD_p_1498.html

Personnel: Clifford Jordan (ts,composer), Bill Hardman (tp), Dick Griffin (tb), Charlie Rouse (b-cl), Stanley Cowell (p), Bernard Fennell (cello), Bill Lee (b,arr), Sam Jones (b), Billy Higgins (d), Donna Jordan Harris and David Smyrl (vcl) and Kathy O'Boyle, Denise Williams and Muriel Winston (backing-vcl).

Drink Plenty Water

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Art Pepper - Winter Moon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Our Song
(5:21)  2. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:52)  3. That's Love
(5:33)  4. Winter Moon
(5:48)  5. When The Sun Comes Out
(7:00)  6. Blues In The Night
(6:48)  7. The Prisoner (Love theme from 'The Eyes of Laura Mars')
(5:34)  8. Our Song (alternate)
(4:57)  9. The Prisoner (alternate)
(6:13) 10. Ol' Man River

Ever since Artie Shaw and Charlie Parker, most jazz musicians have had a desire to record at least once in their lives with strings, often considering it a prestigious honor. Altoist Art Pepper finally had his chance on this album and fortunately the string arrangements (by Bill Holman and Jimmy Bond) do not weigh down the proceedings. Pepper sounds quite inspired performing seven strong compositions highlighted by Hoagy Carmichael's "Winter Moon," "When the Sun Comes Out" and a clarinet feature on "Blues in the Night." This material (plus four alternate takes and two other songs from the same sessions) is included in the massive Art Pepper Galaxy box set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/winter-moon-mw0000188534

Personnel: Art Pepper (alto saxophone); Howard Roberts (guitar); Stanley Cowell (piano); Cecil McBee (acoustic bass guitar); Carl Burnett (drums).

Winter Moon

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John Gordon - Step By Step

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 75,1 MB
Art: Front

(10:50) 1. Step By Step
( 4:58) 2. P+g Incorporated
( 5:15) 3. Dance Of The Ymas
( 5:35) 4. No Tricks No Gimmicks
( 8:11) 5. Making Memories
( 5:58) 6. Activity

A deep jazz classic on the legendary Strata-East label as well as one of the most obscure sessions featuring two of the founders of the label, Charles Tolliver on trumpet and Stanley Cowell on piano. The trombone is a difficult instrument but in the hands of an artist like John Gordon it can create vivid images and conjure up beautiful music. The sound on Step By Step is easily the equal of that from Music Inc.. The instruments have a full-bodied yet delicate sound that one hears more from a live performance than a recorded one. As an example of how realistic this album sounds, listen to Cowell’s piano on "P & G Incorporated." The resolution is high enough to convey what both Cowell’s right and left hands are doing, even when playing at the same time..https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/79048/john-gordon/step-by-step

Personnel: John Gordon - trombone; Charles Tolliver - trumpet; Roland Alexander - tenor, soprano sax, flute; Lisle Atkinson - bass; Andrew Cyrille - drums; Stanley Cowell - piano

Step By Step

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Charles Sullivan - Genesis

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:08
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:26) 1. Evening Song
( 5:55) 2. Good-Bye Sweet John (In Memory Of John Foster: Pianist)
( 3:43) 3. Field Holler
( 4:33) 4. Now I'll Sleep
(17:29) 5. Genesis

Trumpeter, flügelhornist, and composer Charles Sullivan pegged as a poor man's Lee Morgan or Woody Shaw toiled in many mainstream or progressive big bands of the 1970s, languishing in obscurity until breaking through with this, his debut as a leader. Using a spare, warm tone, Sullivan was a cool customer in the firestorm of progressive jazz and fusion of the day, adapting those idioms to his own brand of personalized jazz. Because of his many professional associations, he was able to employ true cream-of-the-crop musicians like pianists Stanley Cowell, Onaje Allan Gumbs, and Sharon Freeman, saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Alex Blake, percussionist Lawrence Killian, and drummer Billy Hart to play his original compositions. Of the five selections, each has its own distinctive flair, taking from different modern jazz elements prevalent to the time frame while not stuck in a rut with any of them.

As the very first piece he ever wrote, "Evening Song" is compelling with its Latin beat and modal montuno piano where Sullivan takes an extended solo, with Cowell also featured before the trumpeter returns for more. A solemn duet with Gumbs for the late pianist John Foster on "Goodbye Sweet John" contrasts with the funky fusion tune "Field Holler," with Freeman's stabbing electric Fender Rhodes chord-driven lines, featuring Alphonse Mouzon's powerhouse drumming and the electric bass of Anthony Jackson, with a lyrical and basic Sullivan sounding influenced by James Brown.

The remainder of the recording is a twofold message of despair and renewal, as Dee Dee Bridgewater sings beautifully in the paradox song "Now I'll Sleep," about suicide, with the lyric that one might "choose to lose, afraid to love" with Sullivan's horn in way late. "Genesis" is a 17-plus-minute workout that rises from those sullen ashes with an Afro-modal stance similar to Frank Foster's Loud Minority of the same era. Cowell's piano and the impressive tandem of Sullivan and Fortune's fiery alto sax push the ensemble to the limits of African-American progressive jazz expressionism. This recording received a five-star rating in Down Beat magazine, and while there are too few Charles Sullivan recordings in the marketplace, it's well deserving of this accolade as one of the very best post-bop efforts of its decade, and now available on CD. By Michael G. Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/genesis-mw0001879323

Personnel: Charles Sullivan - trumpet; Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone; Stanley Cowell, Onaje Allan Gumbs - piano; Sharon Freeman - electric piano; Alex Blake - bass; Billy Hart - drums; Lawrence Killian - congas, percussion; Dee Dee Bridgewater - vocals

Genesis

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Heath Brothers - In Motion

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:53
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:06) 1. Feelin' Deelin'
(4:23) 2. The Voice Of The Saxophone
(6:44) 3. Project 'S'
(6:47) 4. Move To Groove
(5:28) 5. Passion Flower
(7:23) 6. (There's) A Time And A Place

The Heath Brothers was an American jazz group, formed in 1975 in Philadelphia, by the brothers Jimmy (tenor saxophone), Percy (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); and pianist Stanley Cowell. Tony Purrone (guitar) and Jimmy's son Mtume (percussion) joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978, and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period before returning in 1982. They also added other sidemen for some of their recording dates. The group issued four singles between 1978 and 1981, "Mellowdrama", "For the Public", "Use it (Don't abuse it)" and "Dreamin'". "Dreamin'", a track from the 1980 LP, "Expressions of Life", had the most airplay in the UK despite not reaching the UK charts.

The group with just two of the brothers, Jimmy and Tootie, and additional sidemen as needed, continued to perform and record after Percy died in 2004. The DVD, Brotherly Jazz: The Heath Brothers, recorded in 2004, shortly before Percy's death, was one of the last times the three brothers played together and chronicled the brothers' personal lives as well as socio-political issues many jazz musicians dealt with in the later 20th century, including jail, drugs, discrimination and segregation. The 2009 CD Endurance was the first without Percy, and features seven original numbers by Jimmy, including "From a Lonely Bass", composed in memory of his late brother. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Brothers

The Heath Brothers: Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone); Percy Heath (bass); Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); Stanley Cowell (piano); Tony Purrone (guitar).

In Motion

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Heath Brothers - As We Were Saying

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:21) 1. The Newest One
(7:15) 2. Bop Again
(4:49) 3. For Seven's Sake
(3:32) 4. South Filthy
(7:41) 5. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:09) 6. Dave's Haze
(6:48) 7. DayDream
(8:23) 8. Nostalgia
(8:19) 9. This Is What It Is

Oh man. Does this swing from the get-go, or what? And such a deal. Not only do you get the three Heath brothers: Jimmy on tenor and alto, Percy on bass and cello, and Al ("Tootie") drums, but they’re joined by the one and only Slide Hampton on ‘bone, Stanley Cowell on piano and kalimba, Sir Roland Hanna on piano, Jon Faddis on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Mark Elf on guitar. Plus James Mtume, Jimmy’s son, on percussion.Need I say more? Just look at the CV’s on these guys. The brothers have played with a hall of fame’s worth of masters: Dizzy, Monk, Miles, Trane, the MJQ, on and on and on. Let’s not slight Herbie Hancock, Yusef Lateef, J. J. Johnson, and even, by way of Mtume, electric-funk Miles. This thing charges out of the gate with the delightful "The Newest One," featuring brief but potent solos from Faddis and Hampton, followed by Sir Roland on piano and Jimmy on tenor sounding like they invented jazz and own all the patents. Next time the kids come by with their Counting Crows and Smashing Pumpkins discs, show them what real music sounds like with "Bop Agin," the second track. Yep, everybody plays excellently. Mark Elf wraps things up with a guitar solo and bar-swap with Jimmy that’s sunny but a trifle pro-forma; Elf isn’t a legend, but at this point, who’s counting?

"For Seven’s Sake" is a Coltrane-ish, spiritual number (not to say these guys are derivative. Coltrane probably got the idea from them), more introverted and serious than the first two, with some affecting work by Cowell on kalimba. "South Filthy" is a tribute to the Heath brothers’ lovely home town, featuring the brothers in a jaunty mood joined only by Mtume’s triangle. Jimmy’s horn here is hypnotically assured. It’s really something to hear his complete command of his instrument, a command unmatched by altogether too many younger players. The listener can tell here what it means to perfect a craft over fifty years. Check out his work solo on Jimmy Dorsey’s "I’m Glad There Is You." To borrow a phrase, it’s like watching Michelangelo sculpt.

The other two brothers hold up their end. Percy shines on Fats Navarro’s "Nostalgia" and "Dave’s Haze," another bright number featuring Elf turning in a fine blues line backed up by the solid rock of Percy and Al. The final track is called "This Is What It Is," and no better title could be found for the whole album. Inquirers into jazz should be directly referred to this CD: this is what it is. These three and their sidemen played a large part in making it what it is, and here is a little sampler of what they do with the experience they’ve amassed and the mastery they’ve achieved.

The album is actually called As We Were Saying..., which I take to be a reference to the fact that the brothers haven’t played together since 1983 (They were interrupted by the MJQ and scads of other activity). I’m sorry for the interruptions, but it seems clear that what the brothers have gained in all their years of separate activity is the beautiful ease and control that enriches this disc.~Robert Spencer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/as-we-were-saying-concord-music-group-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel: Acoustic Bass, Cello [Jazz Cello] – Percy Heath; Drums, Percussion – Albert "Tootie" Heath; Guitar – Mark Elf ; Piano – Sir Roland Hanna; Piano, Kalimba – Stanley Cowell; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Jimmy Heath; Trombone – Slide Hampton; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jon Faddis

As We Were Saying

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The Heath Brothers - Brotherly Love

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:18
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:10) 1. A Sound For Sore Ears
(5:49) 2. Autumn In New York
(6:40) 3. No End
(6:53) 4. Life In The City
(6:08) 5. Homes
(4:36) 6. Rejoice

By their sixth album, the Heath Brothers (consisting of Jimmy on tenor and soprano, Percy Heath on bass, keyboardist Stanley Cowell, guitarist Tony Purrone and drummer Akira Tana) were sticking to their basic hard bop format, with an occasional poppish tune tossed in to give the group variety and possible commercial potential. This excellent set finds the band performing Kenny Dorham's "No End," "Autumn In New York," Percy's "Rejoice," and three originals by Jimmy. With eight years of constant playing, the Heath Brothers had developed into a solid working group with a sound of its own; Jimmy Heath's writing and solos gave the band its own personality. This Antilles set, which has been reissued on CD, is an excellent example of their playing.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/brotherly-love-mw0000651137

Personnel: Bass – Percy Heath; Drums – Akira Tana; Guitar – Tony Purrone; Keyboards – Stanley Cowell; Saxophone – Jimmy Heath

Brotherly Love

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Oliver Nelson - Swiss Suite

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

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

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

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

Swiss Suite

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The Heath Brothers - Live At The Public Theater

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 109,1 MB
Art: Front

(0:18) 1. Introduction by Ted Ross
(9:45) 2. A Sassy Samba
(6:40) 3. Warm Valley
(7:30) 4. Cloak And Dagger
(5:03) 5. For The Public
(7:12) 6. Watergate Blues
(9:00) 7. We Need Peace And We Need Love
(1:24) 8. Artherdoc Blues

The fourth of the Heath Brothers' seven recordings before their breakup in 1983 (they would regroup in 1997) once again puts the focus on Jimmy Heath's writing, including such originals as "A Sassy Samba" (for Sarah Vaughan), "Cloak and Dagger," and the unusual "For the Public." Along with Jimmy's tenor and soprano, the main soloists are keyboardist Stanley Cowell (who is also a master of the kalimba, the African thumb piano) and guitarist Tony Purrone. Offering tasteful support are bassist Percy Heath drummer Akira Tana, an unknown at the time, and a couple of percussionists. Unfortunately, none of the Heath Brothers' enjoyable Columbia LPs have yet been reissued on CD.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-public-theater-mw0000902996

Personnel: Double Bass [Acoustic Bass], Bass [Baby] – Percy Heath; Drums – Akira Tana; Electric Guitar – Tony Purrone; Keyboards, Kalimba – Stanley Cowell; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Arranged By – Jimmy Heath

Live At The Public Theater

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Stanley Cowell - Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:53
Size: 165,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:39) 1. Cal Massey
( 6:49) 2. Charleston Rag
(11:59) 3. Montage For Toledo
( 4:51) 4. Equipoise
( 5:11) 5. It's Time
(12:14) 6. Banana Pudding
( 9:33) 7. No Illusions
( 8:33) 8. This Life

A real standout set from pianist Stanley Cowell one of his few dates in recent years to feature more than a trio lineup and recorded in a live setting that really seems to ignite some old school fires in Stanley's music! Make no mistake Cowell is always wonderful but there's a nice edge to his compositions here, as Stanley hits a bit harder, and drives things along to match the energy from the trumpet of Freddie Hendrix and alto of Bruce Williams who play in a lineup that also features Tom DiCarlo on bass and Vince Ector on drums.

Sunny Cowell performs a beautiful vocal version of the classic "Equipoise" maybe worth the price of the album alone and other tracks include "Cal Massey", "Montage For Toledo", "This Life", "Banana Pudding", "No Illusions", and a take on the Max Roach tune "It's Time". © 1996-2021, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/969232/Stanley-Cowell:Live-At-Keystone-Korner-Baltimore

Personnel: Piano – Stanley Cowell; Alto Saxophone – Bruce Williams ; Bass – Tom DiCarlo; Drums – Vincent Ector; Trumpet – Freddie Hendrix; Vocals – Sunny Cowell

Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore

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Stanley Cowell - Reminiscent (Plus a Xmas Suite)

Styles: Piano Jazz, Christmas
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:59
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

( 4:10) 1. Intermezzo
( 6:05) 2. Re-Confirmed
( 7:54) 3. A Child Is Born
(10:02) 4. Medley: A Xmas Suite
( 6:44) 5. Peace
( 9:06) 6. Midnight Diversion
( 3:33) 7. Hear with Me
( 6:48) 8. Time
( 5:11) 9. Reminiscent
( 5:21) 10. Sweet Song

'Reminiscent' includes a featured program of Christmas melodies ("A Xmas Suite") as well as Stanley Cowell originals and compositions by Brahms, Thad Jones and Richie Powell. His trio includes the acclaimed bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Billy Drummond. Since his retirement in 2013 from the professorship at the prestigious Rutgers University, where he led its jazz department, pianist/composer Stanley Cowell has been increasingly active on the scene both in concerts and recordings.

In a glittering career Cowell has recorded for labels such as Strata-East - the cult jazz label he started with Charles Tolliver, ECM, Galaxy, and as a sideman on Blue Note, Atlantic, Muse, Impulse! and many others. He has recorded with an array of jazz stars, including Bobby Hutcherson, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Art Pepper, Max Roach, Charles Tolliver and Clifford Jordan. "It's a great pleasure to hear Stanley Cowell's It's Time: a finely crafted collection of mostly originals that is at once sophisticated, both aggressive and pensive, and simply fascinating to listen to."
~ Greg Simmons, All About Jazz(on 'It's Time') https://www.amazon.es/Reminiscent-Plus-Suite-Stanley-COWELL/dp/B011Q9HDCG

Personnel: Stanley Cowell (piano, thumb piano), Jay Anderson (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)

Reminiscent (Plus a Xmas Suite)

R.I.P.
Born: 05-05-1941
Died: 17-12-2020

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Stanley Cowell - Waiting For The Moment

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Ragtime
(3:00)  2. Boogie Woogie
(3:32)  3. Parisian Thoroughfare
(7:19)  4. 'Round Midnight
(2:14)  5. Spanish Dancers
(5:14)  6. Sienna: Welcome My Darling
(4:39)  7. Sienna: Waiting For The Moment
(5:16)  8. Coup De Grass
(4:09)  9. Today, What A Beautiful Day

This out-of-print LP is a solo set by Stanley Cowell. The first side has five acoustic numbers which range from the "Ragtime" and "Boogie Woogie" sections of Jimmy Heath's "Afro-American Suite Oof Evolution" to "'Round Midnight" and Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare." The flip side finds Cowell utilizing both electronics and overdubbing to perform four of his more modern originals. An interesting if not quite essential program. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/waiting-for-the-moment-mw0000871127

Personnel:  Stanley Cowell - piano, electric grand piano, synthesizer, thumb piano

Waiting For The Moment

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Arthur Blythe - In the Tradition

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:38
Size: 75,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
(7:51)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:07)  3. Break Tune
(5:30)  4. Caravan
(4:39)  5. Hip Dripper
(6:47)  6. Naima

Sometimes the easiest way to get "in" to someone's music is to see how they handle standards. Altoist Arthur Blythe, who although he has been associated somewhat with the avant-garde does not fit easily into any category, is heard on this 1978 studio session exploring four veteran songs plus two of his originals. 

The instrumentation of his quartet is conventional but the musicianship is exceptionally high (pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Fred Hopkins, and drummer Steve McCall), and it is quite interesting to hear how they stretch such songs as "In a Sentimental Mood," "Jitterbug Waltz," and "Caravan," making them sound fresh and original. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-tradition-mw0000891072

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Arthur Blythe; Bass – Fred Hopkins;  Drums – Steve McCall; Piano – Stanley Cowell

In the Tradition

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Stanley Cowell - Setup

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:03
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:04)  1. Departure
( 7:14)  2. Setup
( 6:31)  3. Varions
( 7:14)  4. Bright Passion
( 9:21)  5. Bip Bip Bam
(10:06)  6. Sendai Sendoff
( 8:29)  7. Carnegie Six

While standards have played a major role on many of Stanley Cowell's albums, the acoustic pianist sticks to his own compositions on Setup. That fact alone makes this 1993 session especially noteworthy, for Cowell is a gifted, if underrated, composer. Cowell's talents as a composer are illustrated by memorable post-bop or hard bop pieces that range from the haunting "Bright Passion" and the mysterious title song to the Thelonious Monk-influenced "Varions." Thankfully, he has some hard-swinging allies to help him bring the material to life, including trumpeter Eddie Henderson, tenor saxman Rick Margitza, trombonist Dick Griffin, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Billy Hart. Cowell was 52 when he recorded Setup, and his supporters continued to hope that eventually, he would become a bigger name in the jazz world. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/setup-mw0000239899

Personnel:  Stanley Cowell - piano; Eddie Henderson - trumpet; Dick Griffin - trombone; Rick Margitza - tenor saxophone; Peter Washington - bass; Billy Hart - drums

Setup

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Stanley Cowell - Back To The Beautiful

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:48
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. Theme For Ernie
(6:23)  2. Wail
(4:59)  3. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(6:26)  4. But Beautiful
(5:55)  5. Sylvia's Place
(9:07)  6. Come Sunday
(6:45)  7. Carnegie Six
(5:15)  8. St. Croix
(9:06)  9. Prayer For Peace
(5:44) 10. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

Pianist Stanley Cowell displays some of his versatility on this Concord CD, performing pieces that range from "It Don't Mean Aa Thing" and Bud Powell's boppish "Wail" to four of his own inventive originals. Most of the tunes are performed in a trio with bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Joe Chambers while guest Steve Coleman (on alto and soprano) helps out on three songs, sounding quite effective on "Sylvia's Place" and "Come Sunday."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-the-beautiful-mw0000207035

Personnel:  Stanley Cowell – piano; Steve Coleman – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone (tracks 5, 6); Santi Debriano – bass (tracks 1-9); Joe Chambers – drums (tracks 1-9)

Back To The Beautiful

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Stanley Cowell - Musa - Ancestral Streams

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:00
Size: 90,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:06)  1. Abscretions
(3:43)  2. Equipoise
(7:08)  3. Prayer For Peace
(2:53)  4. Emil Danenberg
(5:28)  5. Maimoun
(2:58)  6. Travelin' Man
(5:20)  7. Departure No. 1
(2:14)  8. Departure No. 2
(3:06)  9. Sweet Song

Musa Ancestral Streams remains a relative oddity in the pantheon of jazz's black consciousness movement -- a solo piano set of stunning reach and scope, its adherence to intimacy contrasts sharply with the bold, multi-dimensional sensibilities that signify the vast majority of post-Coltrane excursions into spiritual expression, yet the sheer soulfulness and abandon of Stanley Cowell's performance nevertheless vaults the record into the same physical and metaphysical planes. Cowell's energy and touch are remarkable, as if guided by divine power, and for all the music's structural spaciousness and rhythmic freedom, not a note feels out of place, let alone excessive. Most intriguing is "Travelin' Man," an overdubbed "duet" featuring Cowell on both acoustic and electric piano that underscores his uncommon affinity for space and presence. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/musa-ancestral-streams-mw0000771842

Personnel:  Stanley Cowell - piano, electric piano, kalimba

Musa - Ancestral Streams

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Stan Getz - The Song Is You

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:33
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:52)  1. The Song Is You
( 6:05)  2. O Grande Amor
( 3:24)  3. For Jane
( 7:51)  4. Dane's Chant
( 6:21)  5. Major General
( 5:12)  6. Folk Tune For Bass
(13:09)  7. Tonight I Shall Sleep - Desafinado
( 6:54)  8. All The Things You Are
( 3:44)  9. Summer Night
( 1:58) 10. One Note Samba

If any album by Stan Getz could be termed a sleeper, this one would be it. Released by producer Sonny Lester on his LRC label, and relatively unheralded due to distribution factors or sketchy information, this apparently is a summertime 1969 concert festival performance done somewhere in Italy. A scant few years away from teaming up with Chick Corea for the 1972 Captain Marvel date, this version of the Getz quartet is a dynamic coalition, including pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Miroslav Vitous, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, all young and extraordinarily individualistic modern jazzmen. Getz sounds as good as he ever did, retaining some of the bossa nova tunes that boosted his rise to super stardom while allowing room for his bandmembers to bring in their own compositions and provide them a solo spotlight. Cowell is especially bold and euphoric, whether by design or his personal will power, displaying immense taste and inventiveness that also served him well during his time as a leader on his pivotal 1969 Black Lion/Arista-Freedom date Traveling Man aka Blues for the Viet Cong. From the opening strains of the title track "The Song Is You," it's clear something special is happening, as an extrapolated intro fueled by Cowell's piano expands the theme before it is settled and stated by Getz. Never straying far from his stylized bossa nova, Getz does four songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim's, anchored by the thick and sinewy basslines of Vitous during "O Grade Amor" and "Summer Night," mixing and matching contrasting implied beats courtesy of DeJohnette, 27-years-old at this time but already defining his signature sound. The drummer also composed the short, sweet, and spontaneous ballad "For Jane," and the multi-directional "Major General," morphing from the pedal point bass of Vitous to swing and bop as tight as can be, the rhythm section charged with kinetic energy. Cowell wrote "Dane's Chant," in a loose-tight churning whirl of 6/8 time inserted in 4/4 similar to a Dizzy Gillespie theme. As this is a Getz led date, you get the expected smooth and rounded tenor which he had developed in the '60s. His quietude is rendered in freer moods for the jazz/bossa medley "Tonight I Shall Sleep/Desafinado," while completely and purposefully restrained on "All the Things You Are." Vitous, at age 22, plays an unaccompanied solo, at times obtuse or harmonically sour, but lithe, quick, and diverse during "Folk Tune for Bass," advanced far beyond his years. The two-minute finale "One Note Samba" features an unattributed vocalist singing in mixed English and Portuguese, sounding similar to Flora Purim, but perhaps an Italian friend of Getz. The Song Is You is a missing link between a less than successful teaming with Bill Evans, and the more modern quartet music Getz played thereafter with Corea, Jimmy Rowles, Joanne Brackeen, or Kenny Barron. It's a very worthwhile item to own if you search for it, well recorded and performed by a group that could collectively be the most purely talented of any you might find who ever backed up Stan Getz. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-song-is-you-mw0000101272

Personnel:  Stan Getz - tenor saxophone;  Stanley Cowell - piano;  Miroslav Vitous - bass;  Jack DeJohnette - drums

The Song Is You

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Larry Coryell - Joy Spring: The Swinging Side Of Larry Coryell

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:28
Size: 131.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[6:45] 1. Joy Spring
[4:45] 2. The Duke
[5:02] 3. My Shining Hour
[8:50] 4. 'Round Midnight
[6:28] 5. Nefertiti
[5:46] 6. Yesterdays
[6:04] 7. Moment's Notice
[5:04] 8. Sophisticated Lady
[8:40] 9. All The Things You Are

Larry Coryell (guitar); Kenny Barron, Stanley Cowell (piano); Buster Williams (bass instrument); Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Beaver Harris, Billy Hart (drums).

Joy Spring is a compilation of straight-ahead tracks that guitarist Larry Coryell recorded over a four-year period for the Muse label, now reissued on the refueled and retooled Savoy Jazz label. Recorded a decade after his super fusion Eleventh House band split, Coryell is in the company of first-rate jazz talent on these three sessions with such luminaries as Stanley Cowell, Billy Hart, Buster Williams, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, and Beaver Harris (Cowell being the only constant). The tunes range form standards like the Arlen & Mercer classic "My Shining Hour," and Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" to a completely reharmonized version of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," and a wailing read of Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring," which opens the album. There are also fine interpretations of John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" and Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady." The only problem is that while the disc does show Coryell's straight chops in fine form and his band swinging like mad, it can feel a little schizophrenic at times, given the range of material, but perhaps that's inevitable for a comp that is apt to showcase just how deep the guitarist's roots go. ~Thom Jurek

Joy Spring: The Swinging Side Of Larry Coryell

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Clifford Jordan - Glass Bead Games

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 148,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Powerful Paul Robeson
(4:36)  2. Glass Bead Games
(4:15)  3. Prayer to the People
(2:43)  4. Cal Massey
(6:48)  5. John Coltrane
(4:19)  6. Eddie Harris
(5:34)  7. Biskit
(5:19)  8. Shoulders
(3:48)  9. Bridgework
(5:40) 10. Maimoun
(8:16) 11. Alias Buster Henry
(6:47) 12. One for Amos

Perennially underrated saxophonist Clifford Jordan recorded two of his best albums for the Strata East label and Glass Bead Games is arguably his greatest recording and one of the great albums of the 1970s. Everything is right about this date; Jordan never sounded so good, his tone rich and full, his improvisatory ideas taking the models of Coltrane and Rollins and giving them his own twist. Recorded on a "stormy Monday, October 29, 1973," it was originally issued as a double LP. On the album, Jordan works with two different rhythm sections: Stanley Cowell or Cedar Walton on piano and Bill Lee or Sam Jones on bass, with Billy Higgins manning the drum stool for both. The difference between the two rhythm sections is minimal (the Cowell/Lee group leans a little more toward the Trane model), probably due to Higgins' commanding presence in each.

Jordan spread the compositional chores around and everyone except Jones contributed. The first three tracks (which comprised side one of the original album) are the leader's and they are pitched somewhere between the Trane-derived spiritual mood that was prevalent at the time and the hard-driving bop with which Jordan is most commonly associated. Walton contributes two characteristic tricky melodic themes ("Shoulders" and "Bridgework") that give Jordan plenty to sink his chops into while Lee's funky "Biskit" and "Eddie Harris" (which has a kinship to Harris' "Listen Here") keep things invigorated. 

This disc also shines as one of the finest examples of the art of Higgins' drumming, the variety of moods and tempi inspiring some of his best playing. Glass Bead Games is a record that seems to have gotten better with age. In his liner notes, Stanley Crouch (a writer with whom I rarely agree) cites the fact that this album is a classic revered by many. Mention of this record to most any tenor player is guaranteed a favorable reaction. About the only complaint about this album would be the ordinary cover art for such extraordinary music. ~ Robert Iannapollo https://www.allaboutjazz.com/glass-bead-games-clifford-jordan-harvest-song-records-review-by-robert-iannapollo.php
 

Personnel: Clifford Jordan: tenor saxophone; Stanley Cowell: piano; Cedar Walton: piano; Bill Lee: bass; Sam Jones: bass; Billy Higgins: drums.

Glass Bead Games

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Marion Brown - Vista

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. Maimoun
(5:40)  2. Visions
(7:44)  3. Vista
(4:37)  4. Moment Of Truth
(6:02)  5. Bismillahi 'Rrahmani' Rrahim
(9:45)  6. Djinji

Altoist Marion Brown, one of the potentially great high-energy saxophonists to emerge in the mid-'60s (he was on John Coltrane's famous Ascension record), has had somewhat of a directionless career. This disc certainly boasts an impressive backup crew (including both Anthony Davis and Stanley Cowell on keyboards along with bassist Reggie Workman and some appearances by drummer Ed Blackwell) but does not seem to know what it wants to be. The solos are relatively short, there is a poppish vocal by Allen Murphy on a Stevie Wonder tune and little that is all that memorable actually occurs. Better to acquire Marion Brown's earlier recordings. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/vista-mw0000452724

Personnel:  Marion Brown — alto saxophone, wind chimes;  Stanley Cowell (tracks 1-4), Anthony Davis — piano, electric piano;  Bill Braynon — celeste, electric piano (tracks 1-4);  Reggie Workman — bass (tracks 1 & 3-6);  Jimmy Hopps — drums (tracks 1 & 3-5);  Ed Blackwell — drums, slit drums, (tracks 3 & 6);  Jose Goico — congas, tambourine (tracks 1 & 3-6);  Allen Murphy — vocals (track 2), bells (track 5);  Harold Budd - celeste, gong (track 5)

Vista

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