Showing posts with label Woody Shaw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Woody Shaw. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Woody Shaw - In My Own Sweet Way

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:04
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:33)  1. The Organ Grinder
( 8:33)  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
( 8:41)  3. The Dragon
(10:02)  4. Just A Ballad For Woody
( 7:21)  5. Sippin' At Bells
( 5:19)  6. Estate
(13:32)  7. Joshua C.

Although trumpeter Woody Shaw never really broke through to gain the recognition he deserved, he also never recorded an unworthy album. This late-period set for the German In & Out label (recorded only two years before his death) features Shaw with the Austrian drummer Alex Deutsch and a couple of talented Canadians: pianist Fred Henke and bassist Neil Swainson. They perform three standards (including Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Estate"), plus a pair of group originals and Theresa Trainello's "Just A Ballad For Woody." Excellent advanced hard bop.By Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-my-own-sweet-way-mw0000176616

Personnel:  Woody Shaw – trumpet; Fred Henke – piano;  Neil Swainson – bass;  Alexander Deutsch - drums

In My Own Sweet Way

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Nathan Davis - Two Originals (Happy Girl & The Hip Walk)

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:42
Size: 176,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. The Flute In The Blues
(7:04)  2. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(7:18)  3. Happy Girl
(7:15)  4. Evolution
(5:08)  5. Theme From Zoltan
(2:18)  6. Along Came Byrd
(3:21)  7. Mister E.
(7:00)  8. The Hip Walk
(7:23)  9. While Children Sleep
(5:26) 10. Train Of Thought
(2:54) 11. Yesterdays
(7:56) 12. That Kaycee Thing
(3:45) 13. Carmell's Black Forest Waltz
(4:57) 14. B's Blues

Nathan Davis spent some time living and working in Europe in the mid-'60s before returning to the United States to serve in jazz education. His recordings as a leader have been hard to find, so this compilation of two 1965 studio sessions, Happy Girl and Hip Walk, (both originally issued by MPS) will be a welcome discovery for collectors who can find it. In the earlier date he is joined by trumpeter Woody Shaw, Larry Young (on piano rather than organ), bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Billy Brooks. His happy "The Flute in the Blues" showcases his lighthearted flute playing, accompanied only by bass and drums. His big tone on tenor sax in the standard ballad "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" is somewhat suggestive of John Coltrane, but with a stronger vibrato. His original "Evolution" has an exotic sound like the kind of post-bop material that was recorded by various Blue Note artists a year or two later. Shaw contributed the fascinating "Theme From Zoltan," which showcases Brooks' inventive polyrhythms and Woode's adventurous bass, backing strong solos by the trumpeter and the leader (on tenor sax). The jaunty, angular blues "Along Came Byrd" finds Davis holding his own on soprano sax. The later session retains Woode, but substitutes trumpeter Carmell Jones, pianist Francy Boland and drummer Kenny Clarke. Although the arrangements are equally challenging, things seem looser on this session, suggesting that there was more time to rehearse, though that is unlikely, since Jones was flown in especially for this date. 

The Coltrane influence is again apparent in the ballad "While Children Sleep." It would be easy to imagine Art Blakey tackling the furious "Train of Thought." Davis switches to flute for a haunting take of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays." This valuable music was reissued in Europe by Motor Music in 1998, though it may very well have already lapsed again from print; it is well-worth investigating.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-originals-happy-girl-hip-walk-mw0000041160

Personnel: Nathan Davis (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Carmell Jones, Woody Shaw (trumpet); Francy Boland, Larry Young (piano); Kenny Clarke, Billy Brooks (drums).

Two Originals (Happy Girl & The Hip Walk)

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Roy Brooks - Duet In Detroit

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:50
Size: 170,5 MB
Art: Front

( 0:56)  1. Introduction
( 8:12)  2. Zulu
( 6:26)  3. Waltz For Sweetcakes
(12:07)  4. Elegy For Eddie Jefferson
( 2:37)  5. Jeffuso
( 0:36)  6. Introduction
(11:45)  7. Forever Mingus
(15:00)  8. Healing Force
( 4:33)  9. Samba Del Sol
( 7:33) 10. Duet In Detroit

This CD features drummer Roy Brooks (who also plays musical saw on one piece) on two duets apiece (recorded live over a period of six years) with trumpeter Woody Shaw and pianists Randy Weston, Don Pullen and Geri Allen. The music is full of surprises and generally holds one's interest with the trumpet-drums duets being the most unusual. 
~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/duet-in-detroit-mw0000095280

Personnel:   Roy Brooks - drums, percussion, musical saw, composer;  Randy Weston - piano, composer;  Woody Shaw - trumpet, composer;  Don Pullen - piano, composer;  Geri Allen - piano, composer

Duet In Detroit

Friday, August 6, 2021

Roy Brooks, Woody Shaw - Understanding

Styles: Post Bop, Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 123:33
Size: 283,6 MB
Art: Front

( 0:25) 1. Introduction
(21:34) 2. Prelude to Understanding
(20:10) 3. Understanding
(21:06) 4. Billie's Bounce
(23:18) 5. Zoltan
(32:25) 6. Taurus Woman
( 4:31) 7. The Theme

Roy Brooks was a preeminent hard-bop drummer who early on participated in seminal recording dates led by Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef and Sonny Stitt. In this release entitled Understanding, produced by Cory Weeds and Zev Feldman for Reel To Real Records, Brooks is documented live by The Left Bank Jazz Society at The Famous Ballroom in Baltimore on November 1, 1970. The limited-edition 180 gram 3-LP gatefold set of previously unreleased material, features a stellar band including trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, pianist Harold Mabern and bassist Cecil McBee.

The start of the 1970s set out a movement towards freer improvisation to offer a path for expansion in harmony, structure and character. As a result, the listener was expected to adopt a new set of standards for listening, comprehending and dissecting the music. The five compositions that are presented in this recording fall into this category, and while they may appear to be arbitrary and unstructured, they do have a fundamental and textural construct. Additionally, the compositions are unusual in length, each taking the complete side of the LP. The playing is intense and demanding and the rhythm is propulsive, with Brooks ferocious behind the drum kit.

Disc One features two Brooks compositions, "Prelude to Understanding" and "Understanding." On the first, following a rubato introduction, the band begins its lengthy excursion into the lines, harmony and character of the number. Shaw is exhilarating, with intense playing for an extended period. He hardly seems to draw a breath. Mabern and McBee work together to build a rapport, while Brooks is working overtime to create a dynamic of rhythm, accents and shapes to move the number forward. With "Understanding," the style shifts to a 16+16 bar form with a Latin rhythm. Garnett dives into the fray with his high-tailing sound and fluent approach. McBee offers an extended fleet-fingered solo that has some similarities to flamenco strumming. Shaw and Mabern continue to demonstrate that they are soloists of energy and quicksilver brilliance.

Disc Two rides the Charlie Parker composition "Billie's Bounce" for a full twenty-one minutes. This bebop classic was written as a 12 bar blues, but the version offered here is a far cry from the original intent. The last two tunes are Shaw's "Zoltan" and Garnett's "Taurus Woman." The former is a 32 bar structure in the Lydian mode. Shaw is in full control as he tears through the changes. Brooks pushes the tempo up throughout the number, almost leaving Mabern behind. Garnett, of Panamanian heritage, is the key player in his own composition, one evolves into a Latin groove with Afro-Cuban references as created by Brooks. Garnett's tenor solo is coherent for the most part, although it does include what you might consider to be unnecessary squeals and squawking. The twenty page high-gloss booklet that accompanies this set is a treasure trove of information about the recording and the participants. There are photos, interviews, essays and stories, all of which add to the experience.~ Pierre Giroux https://www.allaboutjazz.com/understanding-roy-brooks-reel-to-real

Personnel: Roy Brooks: drums; Carlos Garnett: saxophone, tenor; Woody Shaw: trumpet; Harold Mabern: piano; Cecil McBee: bass.

Understanding

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Woody Shaw - Stepping Stones: Live At The Village Vanguard

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:35
Size: 162,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:12)  1. Stepping Stone
(11:16)  2. In a Capricornian Way
( 8:35)  3. Seventh Avenue
(12:04)  4. All Things Being Equal Are Not
(11:14)  5. Escape Velocity
(17:12)  6. Blues for Ball
( 1:00)  7. Theme for Maxine

It's one thing to play the right note, it's another to get it; one thing to play a phrase, another to get to its essence. With academic jazz education more accessible than ever, countless aspiring musicians are learning its vernacular. But music, like all art, is more than technique it's an indefinable truth that can only come from complete immersion and commitment. Learn the language, but without getting on the bandstand every night, playing with as many people in as many contexts as possible, and it's impossible to make the transition from aspiration to being. It's possible to tell almost immediately whether or not a group has managed to get inside the music, transcending mere method. That may not be something you can easily articulate, but it's something you know. From the opening notes of Columbia/Legacy's reissue of the late trumpeter Woody Shaw's 1978 live recording Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard, there's the instant ring of truth here is a group of players who don't just play notes, they mean them. Hot on the heels of his critically-acclaimed The Moontrane (Muse, 1975), Shaw found himself on a major label with the kind of promotional power that should have led to greater acclaim. Still, his uncompromising devotion to a chosen path contrary to the popular predominance of fusion at that time resulted in a reputation that was greater amongst his fellow musicians than the greater listening public. 

Sixteen years after his tragic death in 1989, the significance of his potent melodies, bright tone, and incisive improvisational style are finally being recognized, with his blend of change-based writing and open-ended modality resulting in flexible but eminently memorable songs. Shaw's band at the time saxophonist Carter Jefferson, pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs, bassist Clint Houston, and drummer Victor Lewis may be the best working group of his career. With everyone but Jefferson contributing songs to the set, it's clear that this is a cooperative, despite Shaw's name on the marquee. They come charging out of the gate for "Stepping Stone with transcendent intensity. Jefferson is especially notable, combining vivid themes with occasional Coltrane-esque sheets of sound. Shaw's "In a Capricornian Way is a modal waltz that's more slow burn than high heat, the perfect setup for Lewis' equally modal 7/4 workout, "Seventh Avenue. But with all the energy and pure engagement of songs like Houston's up-tempo swinger "Escape Velocity and Shaw's equally fast-moving "Blues for Ball, it's Gumbs' lyrical "All Things Being Equal Are Not one of two previously unissued tracks that's the gem of the set. Shaw who eschews trumpet on this date for cornet and, on this song, flugelhorn squeezes pure emotion out of Gumbs' deeply moving ballad. While capable of fleet-fingered runs, Shaw understood the potency of a simple phrase, a well-chosen note, and a perfectly timed trill. Something the entire band clearly understands, making Stepping Stones an album that's more than strong material and imaginative playing. Indeed, it's a deep musical truth that many seek, but few find. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/stepping-stones-live-at-the-village-vanguard-woody-shaw-sony-bmg-legacy-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Woody Shaw: cornet, flugelhorn; Carter Jefferson: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Onaje Allan Gumbs: piano; Clint Houston: bass; Victor Lewis: drums.

Stepping Stones: Live At The Village Vanguard

Friday, June 14, 2019

Joe Henderson Quintet - At The Lighthouse

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:12
Size: 175,8 MB
Art: Front

( 5:37)  1. Caribbean Fire Dance
( 8:19)  2. Recorda-Me
(10:31)  3. A Shade Of Jade
( 4:30)  4. Isotope
( 9:01)  5. 'Round Midnight
( 8:33)  6. Mode For Joe
( 7:33)  7. Invitation
(11:30)  8. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
( 9:47)  9. Blue Bossa
( 0:46) 10. Closing Theme

I was pretty late coming to Joe Henderson. I was never a big sax aficionado, least of all tenors; once I got through Trane, Shorter, Rahsaan, Bartz, and Branford, I kind of grew a preference for alto players. That being what it is, there is a certain class of tenor players who do not wow me so much for their own singular identity, as much as their amazing ability to blend into an ensemble so very well (even if they are the leader). Henderson is one of those, and I do really admire his breadth in that regard. He has class and a vast technique that lets him work gigs like this to maximum. At the Lighthouse is a 1970 performance that had been split up on various releases and box compilations, but was finally loosed upon the record buying public by Milestone/Fantasy in 2004. It is one of Henderson at his peak, playing with a hearty, fat tone that slides around between warm and bubbly to boisterous and blaring. His band has Woody Shaw working a crisp trumpet, that is not too harsh or bright tonally, and reminds me of Clifford Brown a little. The rhythm department is my favorite part; Lenny White on traps never disappoints, and since I love electric piano (the Fender Rhodes is technically incapable of sounding bad…ever), the support from George Cables impresses me (because I had never recalled his name ever entering memory before this album), especially on Invitation. The take on the ‘Round Midnight Monk standard has a lot of space, which lets the various players work through nine minutes of challenging interpretation. The same interplay and great soloing happens on the Kenny Dorham composition Blue Bossa. Henderson brings a few of his on compositions, like Isotope, which are challenging and a whole push back into hard bop in the best way. White hammers and dances on the kit, making the pulse seem both out of control and effortless. The odd duck of the album is another Henderson-penned cut, f You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem. It is the closest to funky soul-jazz as this set gets, but at eleven and a half minutes makes for a filling slice of sonic badonkadonk. The sole track where acoustic bassist Ron McCLure switches to electric, he locks in with White in a linear groove workout that lets Shaw, Henderson and even Cables have a field day. I give at least partial credit to the great quality of the recording to uber-producer Orrin Keepnews. Solid! https://devrandom.net/~zeruch/wordpress/?p=453
 
Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson; Bass – Ron McClure; Bass [Electric] – Ron McClure; Congas – Tony Waters; Drums – Lenny White; Electric Piano – George Cables; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw

At The Lighthouse

Monday, November 26, 2018

Dexter Gordon & Johnny Griffin' - Great Encounters

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:50
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(14:05)  1. Blues Up And Down
( 4:52)  2. Diggin' In
(12:04)  3. Cake
( 8:41)  4. Ruby, My Dear
( 5:08)  5. It's Only A Paper Moon

The two great tenors, Dexter Gordon and Johnny Griffin, battle it out on in exciting fashion on live versions of "Blues Up and Down" and "Cake." Bop singer Eddie Jefferson and trumpeter Woody Shaw join Gordon and his quartet (pianist George Cables, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Eddie Gladden) on "Diggin' In" and "It's Only a Paper Moon" and Gordon takes Thelonious Monk's ballad "Ruby My Dear" as his feature. Everything works quite well on this diverse but consistent LP, one of Dexter Gordon's later efforts. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/great-encounters-mw0000421077

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin (Tenor Saxophone); Rufus Reid (Double Bass); Eddie Gladden (Drums); George Cables (Piano); Curtis Fuller (Trombone); Woody Shaw (Trumpet); Eddie Jefferson (Vocals).

Great Encounters

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Roy Brooks - The Free Slave

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:05
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:15)  1. The Free Slave
(10:55)  2. Understanding
( 9:08)  3. Will Pan's Walk
(13:45)  4. Five for Max

Originally released on the Muse label, this album is of vital importance not only because it is one of Brooks' few dates as leader, but also because it introduced much of the jazz world to trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Hugh Lawson, and bassist Cecil McBee. Recorded at the Left Bank Jazz Society in Baltimore, MD, Brooks and company reflect the music of the day, from straight post-bop and soul-jazz to ultra-modern sounds and unique percussion musings. There are four lengthy selections three written by Brooks, one by McBee. The set starts with the title track, which features soaring horn lines and a steady feel-good boogaloo fueled by ostinato piano and bass. Coleman's smooth tenor and Shaw's pungent trumpet contrast each other to good effect on this number. "Understanding" features a head where lead trumpet meets harmonious tenor. Shaw's trumpet solo intensifies Brooks' lovelight beat, and the piece ends in ticktock mode with counterpointed horns and delirious gong ringing. "Will Pan's Walk" has the seeds of a classic, with McBee's heavy ostinato contrasting Lawson's delicate shadings. On the finale, "Five for Max," Brooks cops many of Max Roach's signature trappings and adds a few of his own, including using a breath-a-tone device that allows him to heighten or lower the pitch of his drums by exhaling or inhaling through a pair of plastic tubes. Brooks can drive 'em completely wild and does on this exciting piece of modal modern jazz. Of course, Coleman, Shaw, Lawson, and McBee are nothing less than world-class. This is a band for the ages. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-free-slave-mw0000037801

Personnel:  Roy Brooks - drums;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  George Coleman - tenor saxophone;  Hugh Lawson - piano;  Cecil McBee - bass

The Free Slave

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Eric Dolphy - Iron Man

Styles: Clarinet, Flute And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:27
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:10)  1. Iron Man
( 4:45)  2. Mandrake
( 6:26)  3. Come Sunday
(11:54)  4. Burning Spear
( 8:10)  5. Ode to C. P.

The companion piece to Conversations (recorded at the same mid-1963 sessions with producer Alan Douglas), Iron Man is every bit as essential and strikes a more consistent ambience than its widely varied twin. It also more clearly anticipates the detailed, abstract sound paintings of Dolphy's masterwork Out to Lunch, in large part because this time around the program is weighted toward Dolphy originals. "Iron Man," "Burning Spear," and the shorter "Mandrake" all have pretty outside themes, full of Dolphy's trademark wide interval leaps and playful sense of dissonance. Yet there's enough structure and swing to make their roots in hard bop perfectly clear, and once the front-line horns blast out the themes, the ensemble shifts into a more cerebral, exploratory mode. In the absence of a piano, Bobby Hutcherson's vibes are a crucial anchor, outlining dissonant harmonies that hang in the air almost spectrally behind the rest of the group. Most of the same musicians from Conversations appear here, including trumpeter Woody Shaw, flutist Prince Lasha, altoist Sonny Simmons, and soprano sax player Clifford Jordan. And once again, Dolphy duets with bassist Richard Davis, twice this time -- on bass clarinet for Ellington's "Come Sunday" and on flute for Jaki Byard's "Ode to C.P." Both are lovely, meditative pieces filled with conversational exchanges between the two players, illustrating what similar wavelengths they were on. Between Conversations and Iron Man, split up the way they are, one has to give a slight edge to the latter for its more cohesive presentation, yet these are classic sessions in any form and constitute some of the most brilliant work of the early-'60s avant-garde. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/iron-man-mw0000651215

Personnel:  Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone;  Richard Davis – bass;  Clifford Jordan – soprano saxophone;  Sonny Simmons – alto saxophone;  Prince Lasha – flute;  Woody Shaw – trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone;  J.C. Moses – drums;  Eddie Khan – bass ("Iron Man")

Iron Man

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Eric Dolphy - Conversations

Styles: Clarinet, Flute Jazz 
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:51
Size: 78,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:17)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
( 9:35)  2. Music Matador
( 3:22)  3. Love Me
(13:36)  4. Alone Together

In 1963 (probably July, though some sources place the dates in May or June), Eric Dolphy recorded some sessions in New York with producer Alan Douglas, the fruits of which were issued on small labels as the LPs Conversations and Iron Man. They've been reissued a number of times on various labels, occasionally compiled together, but never with quite the treatment they deserve (which is perhaps why they're not as celebrated as they should be). In whatever form, though, it's classic, essential Dolphy that stands as some of his finest work past Out to Lunch. Conversations is the more eclectic of the two, featuring radical re-imaginings of three standards, plus the jubilant, Caribbean-flavored "Music Matador" (by ensemble members Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto). 

That cut, and a classic inside/outside reworking of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" feature Dolphy leading ensembles of up-and-coming "new thing" players, which prominently feature vibist Bobby Hutcherson and trumpeter Woody Shaw. The second half of the album takes a far more minimalist approach, with Dolphy performing unaccompanied (extremely rare prior to Anthony Braxton's For Alto) on "Love Me." "Alone Together" is an over-13-minute duet between Dolphy and bassist Richard Davis, featuring some astoundingly telepathic exchanges that more than justify its length. Even if the selections don't completely hang together as an LP statement, they're united by Dolphy's generally brilliant playing and a sense that  after several years without entering the studio much as a leader Dolphy was really striving to push his (and others') music forward. The results are richly rewarding, making Conversations one of the landmarks in his catalog.~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversations-mw0000199276

Personnel:  Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone;  Richard Davis – bass;  Eddie Khan – bass;  Clifford Jordan – soprano saxophone;  Sonny Simmons – alto saxophone;  Prince Lasha – flute;  Woody Shaw – trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone;  J.C. Moses – drums;  Charles Moffett - drums on "Music Matador"

Conversations

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Eric Dolphy - Muses

Styles: Clarinet, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:22
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

(12:07)  1. Alone Together
( 8:48)  2. Muses
( 8:27)  3. Iron Man
( 3:39)  4. Love Me
( 4:18)  5. Mandrake

Undelivered collection of waiting Douglas session. Anyway, attention is the duo with Richard Davis by bus clarinet , which is another take of the world first debut title drama "Muses" and "Alone Together" by world clarinet . (In addition, I imagined another take of "Iron Man" "Love Me" " Mandrake " and I imagined it actually, as you can imagine, the sound quality is not good).  First of all, from "Alone Together" at the beginning. The basic composition is the same as this take, but Dollfie is an unexpected development that plays the theme melody quite clearly from the beginning, it is totally scary or loose, after all the original is not enemy. Expected "Muses" has a gloomy mood that is hard to say, and it is certain that it is one song different from the composition of Dolphy 's compositions. However, I still feel that it is incomplete. I guess that it was for that reason that it was not included in the original (and it will also float completely from other songs). However, I think that the significance of the existence of this performance became clear. If you lived long, you probably had become an ECM musician. I could not think of anything like that at all. https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://outwardbound.hatenablog.com/entry/2013/11/28/010918&prev=search

Personnel:   Eric Dolphy - bass clarinet, alto saxophone, composer;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone;  Richard Davis - double bass;  Eddie Khan - double bass.

Muses

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Buddy Terry - Pure Dynamite

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:41
Size: 104,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:11)  1. Quiet Afternoon
(10:49)  2. Paranoia
(17:32)  3. Baba Hengates
( 7:07)  4. Miscegenation

Edlin "Buddy" Terry (born January 30, 1941) is an American jazz musician and alto/tenor sax player. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. In the 1960s and 1970s Terry made albums for Prestige Records and Mainstream Records. He played with the group Swingadelic from 2000 to 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Terry

Personnel:  Buddy Terry - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Eddie Henderson - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Kenny Barron - piano;  Joanne Brackeen - piano, electric piano;  Stanley Clarke, Mchezaji - bass;  Billy Hart, Lenny White - drums;  Airto Moreira - percussion;  Mtumé - African percussion

Pure Dynamite

Monday, October 1, 2018

Freddie Hubbard & Woody Shaw - Double Take

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:00
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. Sandu
(4:54)  2. Boperation
(6:21)  3. Lament For Booker
(6:26)  4. Hub-Tones
(8:07)  5. Desert Moonlight
(5:28)  6. Just A Ballad For Woody
(8:15)  7. Lotus Blossom

Other than their joint appearance as sidemen on Benny Golson's Time Speaks in 1983, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw had never recorded together before Double Take. At this point in their evolution, Hubbard still gets the edge (his range is wider and he cannot be surpassed technically). Although Shaw tended to play more harmonically sophisticated lines and is remarkably inventive, they are both trumpet masters. 

Their meeting on Double Take was more of a collaboration than a trumpet battle; in fact, the brass giants only trade off briefly on "Lotus Blossom." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/double-take-mw0000192018

Personnel:  Freddie Hubbard: trumpet, flugelhorn;  Woody Shaw: trumpet;  Kenny Garrett: alto saxophone, flute;  Mulgrew Miller: piano;  Cecil McBee: bass;  Carl Allen: drums

Double Take

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Woody Shaw - Tokyo 1981

Size: 169,4 MB
Time: 73:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rosewood (10:40)
02. 'Round Midnight (15:32)
03. Apex ( 6:51)
04. From Moment To Moment ( 7:45)
05. Song Of Songs (16:13)
06. Theme For Maxine ( 1:47)
07. Sweet Love Of Mine (14:36)

That trumpeter Woody Shaw is considered "underrated" may be a considerable understatement. Shaw died at age 44 in 1989, but he managed to release 33 recordings as a leader (27 in his lifetime) and worked in collaboration with Gary Bartz, Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Stanley Cowell, Eric Dolphy and most notably with Dexter Gordon, on his 1976 Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia). His recording, Rosewood (Columbia, 1978), his first major label release, is considered his masterpiece. Shaw's seamlessly melodic 69 bars of "Rosewood" inaugurates the newly found, unreleased performance from Tokyo, December 7, 1981. This release is a sister to the recently released Dexter Gordon Quartet: Tokyo 1975, appropriate as Shaw and Gordon enjoyed a fruitful musical relationship.

Tokyo 1981 contains six selections from the said performance, augmented by a single performance of the Paris Reunion Band recorded at Den Haag, July 14, 1985. Shaw's brand of jazz was very much a product of the period in which he recorded. The trumpeter favored compositions with complex melodic and harmonic elements. Shaw's tone is lyrical with a hard edge. That contrasts well with the fluid playing of trombonist Steve Turre, evidenced on the ballad "From Moment to Moment." This show is closed with two Shaw originals, the modal-extended "Song of Songs," which as introduced is reminiscent of Lee Morgan's "Search For a New Land," and "Theme for Maxine" composed for Shaw's manager, Maxine Gordon (and wife of Dexter Gordon). "Song of Songs" is an outgrowth of the post-bop pioneered by Miles Davis 15 years before. Tony Reedus's drumming is forward progressive and Mulgrew Miller's piano potently clear in a McCoy Tyner sense. Tokyo 1981 is a worthy addition to the Woody Shaw catalog. Is there more of this music lurking in the shadow? ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Woody Shaw: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Turre: trombone, percussion; Mulgrew Miller: piano; James Stafford: bass; Tony Reedus: drums.

Tokyo 1981

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Andrew Hill - Passing Ships

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:40
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Sideways
(7:08)  2. Passing Ships
(8:32)  3. Plantation Bag
(9:49)  4. Noon Tide
(6:22)  5. The Brown Queen
(6:27)  6. Cascade
(5:11)  7. Yesterday's Tomorrow

The history of Blue Note Records is in many ways the history of the golden age of jazz. When Blue Note changed, the whole face of jazz changed. After releasing classic sides one after another for much of the '60s, Blue Note veered off into populist funk and, despite its present renaissance, never really recovered. With today's Blue Note subsisting on fewer quality releases and the RVG reissue series, its reputation of yore seems firmly in the past. If so, the occasional new "old" album released by the label is a rare opportunity to be part of those heady days. Pianist Andrew Hill, like Wayne Shorter, or Herbie Hancock, was one of the main proponents of the Blue Note style - heavy post bop that didn't shy away from experimentation. Hill's albums like Point of Departure or Compulsion probably would be mentioned in the same breath as Juju or Maiden Voyage if he had more consistent exposure. By the late '60s, Hill's tenure at Blue Note was almost up and several sessions he recorded remained unissued, not seen as commercially viable. What has become the recently released Passing Ships is a rare chance to hear Hill's advanced melodic and harmonic concepts applied to a nonet including such musicians as Woody Shaw, Julian Priester, Joe Farrell and Ron Carter. 

The irony of this material lying dormant for 34 years is that this Hill is more commercial; apparently Blue Note didn't agree then but with interest resurging for the idiosyncratic pianist, Passing Ships is available now as a period document, a burning bridge away from '60s progressive jazz. Hill's music doesn't translate very well to a big band, though this may be the strange audio levels and a presumed lack of substantial rehearsal. Howard Johnson's tuba sounds jarring on occasion, Ron Carter is underwhelming, and this is only rookie Lenny White's second session.  Bright spots include the double punch of trumpeters - Shaw and Dizzy Reece, both underappreciated and overshadowed by the era's more strident players. Even more satisfying is how the late Joe Farrell completely takes over, playing no less than five disparate instruments: soprano and tenor sax for lead work, alto flute and bass clarinet for moody ambience and English horn for stylistic filigree. What was originally a curio piece of large ensemble writing by Hill becomes an opportunity to see why everyone was so high on Farrell before he bottomed out on the CTI label in the '70s. Whatever he is playing, the music centers on him, the other musicians granting him well-deserved space.  But if you forget this is an Andrew Hill record, the twists of his compositions remind you. Much of the material is the typical bread-and-water post bop which Blue Note pioneered, Hill's leads calmly flowing through the steep ravine of the horns. Of the seven tunes, three are the length and intellectual meat of the album. The title track features all the perks of Hill's playing: suspensions, ostinatos, thought-provoking dissonances. "Plantation Bag" is quite a funky plantation, Hill's island roots in evidence. "Noon Tide" is the freest, most quintessential Hill piece; one segment demonstrates the subtleties of Hill's accompaniment. As Farrell leads, Hill comps underneath, distinctly changing the feel of the piece five times with his chord voicings. Hill, a product of an era that had many virtuosos, may be able to the most with the least, which is probably why his take on the avant-garde seems less dated than many. While not his best album, and there may be other sessions more deserving of resuscitation, the moments where Hill stretches out and Farrell makes one strong contribution after another make one pine for the days when Blue Notes were the notes. ~ Andrey Henkin https://www.allaboutjazz.com/andrew-hill-passing-ships-by-andrey-henkin.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Andrew Hill - piano;  Ron Carter - bass;  Julian Priester - trombone;  Dizzy Reece - trumpet;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Lenny White - drums;  Joe Farrell - bass clarinet, alto flute, English horn, soprano sax, tenor sax;  Bob Northern - French horn;  Howard Johnson - tuba, bass clarinet

Passing Ships

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Dexter Gordon - Sophisticated Giant

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:59
Size: 128,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Laura
(6:39)  2. The Moontrane
(8:53)  3. Red Top
(7:55)  4. Fried Bananas
(9:52)  5. You're Blasé
(4:54)  6. How Insensitive
(4:51)  7. Diggin' In
(5:10)  8. It's Only a Paper Moon

This excellent Columbia album was recorded less than a year after Dexter Gordon's well-publicized tour of the United States following a dozen years spent living in Europe. With assistance from such other major players as trumpeters Woody Shaw and Benny Bailey, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson sounds in superlative form on Woody Shaw's "The Moontrane," four standards, and his own "Fried Bananas." In addition to the original program (which features Dexter with an all-star tentet), the 1997 CD reissue adds two 1979 features for vocalese singer Eddie Jefferson ("Diggin' It" and "It's Only a Paper Moon") that were originally released on Gordon's Great Encounters; trumpeter Shaw and trombonist Curtis Fuller co-star with Gordon. An excellent acquisition. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sophisticated-giant-mw0000674545

Personnel:  Dexter Gordon — tenor and soprano saxophone;  Frank Wess — alto saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Woody Shaw — trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Benny Bailey — lead trumpet, fluegelhorn;  Slide Hampton — trombone;  Wayne Andre — lead trombone;  Howard Johnson — tuba, baritone saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson — vibes;  George Cables — piano;  Rufus Reid — bass;  Victor Lewis — drums

Sophisticated Giant

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Andrew Hill - Grass Roots

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:07
Size: 160,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:41)  1. Grass Roots
(4:45)  2. Venture Inward
(6:19)  3. Mira
(8:22)  4. Soul Special
(7:45)  5. Bayou Red
(9:12)  6. MC (bonus track)
(4:36)  7. Venture Inward (first version) (bonus track)
(8:52)  8. Soul Special (first version) (bonus track)
(5:58)  9. Bayou Red (first version) (bonus track)
(7:33) 10. Love Nocturne (bonus track)

This reissue contains not only Hill’s original LP, but also a previously unreleased session from four months prior. On this earlier session, an entirely different lineup plays three of the tunes from Grass Roots, along with two numbers from deep within the vault  "MC," a tribal 12/8 blues, and "Love Nocturne," an angular quasi-ballad. Thanks to the juxtaposition of the two sessions, we are afforded a rare treat: a chance to listen closely to the stylistic contrasts between Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw, Booker Ervin and Frank Mitchell, Ron Carter and Reggie Workman, and Freddie Waits and Idris Muhammad. (Guitarist Jimmy Ponder also appears on three of the five new tracks.) We also get to hear what these different lineups bring out in Hill, both as a pianist and a composer. On the whole, Grass Roots is "inside" compared to Hill’s more representative Blue Note masterpiece, Point of Departure. "Venture Inward" and "Bayou Red" are the most advanced pieces, while the calypso "Mira" and the boogaloo "Soul Special" traverse more familiar Blue Note terrain. The title track, with its deliberately square melody, is an excellent sample of Hill’s fractured, fragmented style. The alternate takes and new tracks are less energetic, although Woody Shaw sounds more in his element than does Lee Morgan. And whereas Booker Ervin cooks a variegated stew containing traces of Trane, Dexter, and Johnny Griffin, Frank Mitchell sounds almost like a carbon copy of Wayne Shorter. Ponder’s tasty licks are in the style of early Pat Martino. ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/grass-roots-andrew-hill-blue-note-records-review-by-david-adler.php?width=1920

Personnel, 1-5: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Booker Ervin, tenor saxophone; Andrew Hill, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Freddie Waits, drums

Personnel, 6-10: Woody Shaw, trumpet; Frank Mitchell, tenor saxophone; Andrew Hill, piano; Jimmy Ponder, guitar; Reggie Workman, bass; Idris Muhammad, drums

Grass Roots

Friday, June 8, 2018

Woody Shaw - For Sure!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 111.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1980/2012
Art: Front

[5:41] 1. We'll Be Together Again
[5:21] 2. OPEC
[4:24] 3. Time Is Right
[5:27] 4. Ginseng People
[4:48] 5. Why
[7:08] 6. Joshua C
[8:26] 7. Isabel The Liberator
[7:13] 8. Teotihuacan

Bass – Stafford James; Drums – Victor Lewis; Piano – Larry Willis; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw.

One of five Woody Shaw albums on Columbia, this fine set finds the trumpeter's regular quartet (with pianist Larry Willis, bassist Stafford James, and drummer Victor Lewis) augmented by several horn players (Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano, trombonists Curtis Fuller and Steve Turre, altoist Gary Bartz, and flutist James Spaulding), the percussion of Naná Vasconcelos, and, on two tracks, up to six strings. In addition, Judi Singh adds eerie vocals to "Time Is Right" and "Why?" Six separate sessions were needed to complete the LP, and the personnel varies on each track. There are originals performed by Shaw, Singh, Willis, and Lewis, but it is the trumpeter's feature on "We'll Be Together Again" with the strings that ends up being most memorable. ~Scott Yanow

For Sure! mc
For Sure! zippy

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Sonny Fortune - Serengeti Minstrel

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:38
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. Bacchanal
(7:26)  2. The Afro-Americans
(6:50)  3. There’s Nothing Smart About Being Stupid
(5:55)  4. Not All Dreams Are Real
(6:16)  5. Never Again Is Such A Long Time
(9:23)  6. Serengeti Minstrel

A great one from Sonny Fortune  done with the fusiony sound he was working so well with at the time, and still filled with a tight conception and an incredible group of musicians who bring depth and deliver some really great solos! The title track is an incredible 10 minute cut that breaks into a beautiful modal groove about 4 minutes into it  and that groove is completely wonderful. It's far from the only high point of a set filled with them. Players include Kenny Barron on Fender Rhodes, Woody Shaw on coronet & flugelhorn, Gary King on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Sammy Figueroa on congas, Rafael Cruz on percussion, and Sonny doing his thing on flute, piccolo and sax. Other tracks include "Bacchanal", "Never Again Is Such A Long Time", "There's Nothing Smart About Being Stupid" and "The Afro-Americans". (Cover has a cutout hole, a promo sticker, light wear, and a bit of stuck-on paper on back.)  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/8745

Personnel: Sonny Fortune – saxes, flute;  Woody Shaw – cornet, flugelhorn;  Kenny Barron – Fender Rhodes;  Gary King – electric bass; Jack DeJohnette - drums,  Horacee Arnold – drums, celesta, marimba, gong, handclap;  Sammy Figueroa - congas;  Rafael Cruz - percussion

Serengeti Minstrel

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Azar Lawrence - Bridge Into The New Age

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:45
Size: 86,8 MB
Art:

( 6:46)  1. Bridge Into The New Age
( 4:07)  2. Fatisha
( 8:03)  3. Warriors Of Peace
( 8:40)  4. Forces Of Nature
(10:07)  5. The Beautiful And Omnipresent Love

An absolute masterwork from Azar Lawrence (tenor sax) recorded during a fertile period for adventurous jazz, Bridge Into The New Age is an expansive, forward-leaning, spiritual-tinged outlier in the Prestige Records catalog for its ambitious embrace of a large lineup, including heavyweights Julian Priester (tb), Woody Shaw (trumpet), Ray Straughter and Hadley Caliman (flute), Arthur Blythe (alto sax), Joe Bonner (piano), Clint Houston and John Heard (bass), Billy Hart (drums), Leon 'Ndugu' Chancler, Mtume, Guillerme Franco, and Kenneth Nash (percussion), Woody Murray (vibraphone), and the inimitable Jean Carn (vocals). Sonically the sound is close to a recording from the Black Jazz label richly textured, conversational, and powerfully intimate, with knotty unison lines bending and twisting around Carn's supple yet strident delivery, especially on the title track. Elsewhere, the group stretches out and explores the ethereal, free-flowing world of 'The Beautiful and Omnipresent Love,' and propels itself mightily through the modal-funk burner, 'Forces of Nature.' Long out of print, this landmark statement by saxophonist Azar Lawrence recorded in 1974 at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA, proudly displays its ancestral roots as a forbearer of the current jazz revival as embodied by Kamasi Washington and the West Coast Get Down.

Featuring 180-gram vinyl pressed at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) from lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original master tapes and housed in a one-pocket old-school style tip-on jacket, this is the first-ever vinyl reissue of Azar Lawrence's masterful statement, Bridge Into The New Age. An essential addition to any jazz collection, this landmark recording proudly displays its ancestral roots as a forbearer of the current jazz revival as embodied by Kamasi Washington and the West Coast Get Down. A transcendent and powerful statement. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Into-New-Age-LP/dp/B075MNTM62

Personnel:  Azar Lawrence – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone;  Woody Shaw – trumpet (tracks 1 & 5);  Julian Priester – trombone (track 4);  Black Arthur – alto saxophone (tracks 3 & 4);  Hadley Caliman – flute (track 4);  Ray Straughter – wood flute (track 5);  Joe Bonner – piano (tracks 2-4);  Woody Murray – vibraphone (tracks 1 & 5);  John Heard (tracks 3 & 4), Clint Houston (tracks 1 & 5) – bass;  Billy Hart (tracks 1 & 5), Ndugu (tracks 3 & 4) – drums;  Mtume – congas, percussion (tracks 3 & 4);  Guilherme Franco (tracks 1 & 5), Kenneth Nash (tracks 2 & 5) – percussion;  Jean Carn – vocals (tracks 1 & 5)

Bridge Into The New Age