Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:55
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:41)  1. Blues for J.P.
(5:16)  2. The Man I Love
(5:53)  3. Politely
(3:58)  4. It's You or No One
(5:22)  5. The Truth
(6:10)  6. Goose Grease
(6:34)  7. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
(5:58)  8. Way Down Upon the Swanee River

Sunny Side Up is closer to hard bop than the straight-ahead bop that characterized Lou Donaldson's '50s Blue Note records. There's a bit more soul to the songs here, which pianist Horace Parlan helps emphasize with his lightly swinging grooves. The pair help lead the group which also features trumpeter Bill Hardman, drummer Al Harewood and bassist Sam Jones (Laymon Jackson plays bass on two of the eight songs) through a mellow set of standards and bluesy originals from Donaldson and Parlan. Even the uptempo numbers sound relaxed, never fiery. Despite the general smoothness of the session, Donaldson stumbles a little the quotation of "Flight of the Bumblebee" on "Blues for J.P." is awkward, as is the snippet of "Pop Goes the Weasel" on "Politely," and "Way Down Upon the Swanee River" sounds lazy but there's enough solid material to make Sunny Side Up a worthwhile listen for fans of Donaldson and early-'60s hard bop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/sunny-side-up-mw0000176137

Personnel:  Lou Donaldson - alto saxophone; Horace Parlan - piano; Bill Hardman - trumpet;  Laymon Jackson - bass Sam Jones - bass;  Al Harewood - drums

Sunny Side Up

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Ella Fitzgerald - Ella

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:07
Size: 68,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Get Ready
(3:01)  2. The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
(2:20)  3. Yellow Man
(2:51)  4. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(3:06)  5. Got To Get You Into My Life
(3:11)  6. I Wonder Why
(2:43)  7. Ooo Baby Baby
(2:47)  8. Savoy Truffle
(2:49)  9. Open Your Window
(3:38) 10. Knock On Wood

Ella is a 1969 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and the first of two albums she recorded for the Warner Bros. owned Reprise label. This album continues the theme set on Fitzgerald's previous album, consisting in the main part of cover versions of popular songs from the late 1960s. The production of this recording was in the hands of Richard Perry, who had joined the Reprise label in 1967. Perry later went on the produce albums by Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. The album was re-issued on CD with alternative artwork, in 1989. Released together on one CD with Ella's final album recorded for Reprise label, Things Ain't What They Used to Be (And You Better Believe It).

The late 1960s saw Fitzgerald's recording career change greatly, the success of her Verve years (1956 to 1966) was never repeated. After the sale of Verve records to MGM Records in 1961, Norman Granz continued to manage live performances, bookings and produce Ella Fitzgerald's recordings for the label. Granz had semi-retired to Switzerland in 1960 and when Fitzgerald's contract at Verve-MGM ended in 1967 he actively sought a new label. John Hammond of Columbia Records showed interest in signing Fitzgerald, as did Capitol Records and in September 1967 Granz signed Fitzgerald with Capitol Records. The four albums recorded at Capitol Records are the most diverse albums of Fitzgerald's career, they included a country music album; Misty Blue and one of spiritual music; Brighten the Corner. Norman Granz was not involved in the production of these albums or the choice of material. Later in 1969 Granz again began producing Fitzgerald's albums, taking up this position on the live album Sunshine of Your Love recorded for the Prestige Records label, and distributed on the MPS Records label. In late 1969 Fitzgerald signed to Reprise Records and recorded two albums for the label, before returning to a Norman Granz owned label in 1972, when Granz began the Pablo Records label. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_(Ella_Fitzgerald_album)

Ella

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Kenny Burrell - Stormy Monday Blues

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:33
Size: 160,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:37)  1. Stormy Monday Blues
( 6:57)  2. Azure Te (Paris Blues)
( 5:41) 3. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
( 5:59)  4. (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over
( 1:55)  5. Why Did I Choose You?
( 9:46)  6. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
( 7:39)  7. Three Thousand Miles Back Home
(10:12)  8. Kim-den Strut
( 8:19)  9. Habiba
( 7:23) 10. Quiet Lady

Over the years Kenny Burrell has largely remained true to his roots. Ranked among the most revered jazz artists of his generation he’s waxed a wealth of sessions both as leader and sideman that approaches the countless. The two dates combined on this two-fer visit him in the lean years of the Seventies and suggest that even a bop disciple of Burrell’s relative purity was susceptible to encroaching trends and influences. Stormy Monday, the first in the pair of records reissued herein, hearkens back to Burrell’s Blue Note days with only Heard’s amplified bass tipping off its later vintage. The crisp cerulean single note lines remain intact and Burrell’s emotive blues-based figures make routine forays around the melodic signposts of the standards on hand. Wyand’s sensitive comping and the light traps reinforcement of McBrowne (and Goldberg on a pair of cuts) completes the portrait of jazz men in their element spinning off riffs like smoke rings from a leisurely lit cigarette. There’s not much room for chance-taking in the arrangements, but the players seem at ease with cultivating a mood than testing the boundaries of their adopted repertoire. Burrell recognizes the date as an ensemble affair and as such his sidemen garner substantial solo space as well. 

Heard’s corpulent walking improvisation on “Azure Te” is but one instance where the leader’s faith is repaid. Burrell’s Ellington appreciation, which was to become even more pronounced in later recordings, is accorded space in the choice of a lengthy take on “I Got It Bad” as a closer. As the companion date Sky Street is quite different both in terms of content and attitude. Trafficking in torpid grooves via Gilbert’s punchy bass lines and Marshall’s gentle syncopations the session is very much embroiled in fusion-tinged impulses. Burrell’s usually clean chords are dressed up in often largely submerged in Lightsey’s electric piano. Richardson, who was easily capable of injecting fervent emotion into his improvisations sounds in other settings sounds much of the time like he’s treating things as a by the numbers studio date. Despite these demerits on the jazz score card, the quintet still manages to rack up moments of musical intrigue as on the closing minutes of “Three Thousand Miles Back Home” where Richardson’s plaintive flute weaves with Burrell’s melancholy counterpoint. Lightsey’s opening on the Latin-flavored “Habiba” is likewise effective, but the piece eventually devolves into showy noodling on the part of the leader and overheated soprano excess on the part of Richardson. “Kim-Den Strut” attempts a balance between sections of contemplative reverie and fatback funk, but ultimately ends up crumpling under the collision of disparate elements. The two sessions together offer up Burrell both in his element and in the less flattering environs of more commercial fusion, but overall the music is strong enough to support recommendation.~  Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/stormy-monday-blues-kenny-burrell-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Kenny Burrell- guitar; Richard Wyands- piano; John Heard- bass; Lenny McBrowne- drums; Richie Goldberg- drums; Jerome Richardson- tenor & soprano saxophones, flute; Kirk Lightsey- acoustic & electric piano; Stanley Gilbert- acoustic & electric bass; Eddie Marshall- drums.

Stormy Monday Blues

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Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Ruler Rebel

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:44
Size: 81,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Ruler Rebel
(2:33)  2. New Orleanian Love Song
(4:56)  3. New Orleanian Love Song II (X. aTunde Adjuah Remix)
(4:15)  4. Phases (feat. Sarah Elizabeth Charles)
(3:42)  5. Rise Again (Allmos Remix)
(5:38)  6. Encryption (feat. Elena Pinderhughes)
(5:36)  7. The Coronation of X. aTunde Adjuah (feat. Elena Pinderhughes)
(3:16)  8. The Reckoning

Ruler Rebel is the first of a trilogy to be released this year by the imaginative and increasingly popular 33-year-old New Orleans trumpeter Christian Scott as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first jazz record in 1917, and a typical Scott genre mash with a undisguised socio-political subtext in African American history. Scott’s reverence for Miles Davis is soon plain in his softly exhaled, muted sounds against the silky orchestral synth textures on the title track opener. Two New Orleanian Love Songs embrace open-trumpet sweeps over keys loops and hip-hop grooves. 

The soul-jazz sound of vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles (for whom Scott has previously produced) mingles with ghostly brass tones on Phases, and the sensational young jazz flautist Elena Pinderhughes commandingly swoops through the handclap-driven Encryption and the church-bell synth mimicry and terse percussion of The Coronation of X aTunde Adjuah. 

It’s imaginative, studio-produced jazz in the tradition of Marcus Miller’s 1980s work with Miles Davis, but in its references it feels as contemporary as today’s date. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/20/christian-scott-ruler-rebel-review-edgy-reinventions-of-the-jazz-tradition

Personnel: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, Reverse Flugelhorn, SPD-SX, Sampling, Sonic Architecture; Elena Pinderhughes - Flute; Lawrence Fields - Piano, Fender Rhodes; Luques Curtis - Bass; Kris Funn - Bass; Joshua Crumbly - Bass; Cliff Hines - Guitar; Corey Fonville - Drums, SPD-SX; Joe Dyson Jr. - Pan African Drums, SPD-SX; Weedie Braimah - Djembe, Bata, Congas ; Chief Shaka Shaka - Dununba, Sangban, Kenikeni

Ruler Rebel

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The Liam Sillery Quintet - Minor Changes

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:38
Size: 114,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:42)  1. Minor Change
(7:45)  2. For Jane
(6:57)  3. Terry's Blues
(7:39)  4. Prana
(7:59)  5. Cecil's Bridge
(4:37)  6. You Are So Beautiful
(6:57)  7. Dial D For Dial

Trumpeter/flugelhornist Liam Sillery invites tenor saxophonist David Sills into the front line on this straight-ahead quintet outing for a sound reminiscent of Blue Note's heyday. The leader's musical mentors are Red Rodney, Ira Sullivan, and especially tenor man Joe Henderson. The influences show as the band opens with a lively Sillery original, "Minor Change," featuring some sparkling unison blowing to kick things off, leading into a freewheeling trumpet solo. Sillery's tone is warm and bright, and the rhythm section elevates the proceedings with a buoyant insistence. Then tenor saxophonist David Sills blows in, more intense than Sillery, smoldering, seemingly holding back a bit, sounding full of Blue Note-ish soul. "For Jane" follows the opener. It's a mid-tempo beauty with, again, some fine soling, and the rhythm team pianist Jesse Stacken, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Richard Huntley shines on an extended turn. For those who grew up on the sixties mainstream sounds by the likes of Joe Henderson, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, and a hundred other Blue Note artists, Sillery's approach sounds familiar yet fresh for example, the trumpeter trading solos with the tenor man, the bouncing rhythms. Sillery wrote all of the tunes except Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful" (made famous by Joe Cocker). His horn sounds a tad fragile here, achingly, and befittingly so. It's a beautiful tune, treated well by the band, with a pint-of-ale-in-the-hand, look-you-in-the-eye confessional feeling. Sillery and the quintet finish up with "Dial D For Dial," a bright romp, with the rhythm team kicking things forward behind the trumpeter; and again, Sills comes in with a relatively restrained but still burning turn of his own. A fine debut. ~ Dan McClenaghan  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/minor-changes-liam-sillery-oa2-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Liam Sillery: trumpet/flugelhorn; David Sills: tenor saxopone; Jesse Stacken: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; Richard Huntley: drums.

Minor Changes

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Charlie Palmieri - Latin Bugalu

Styles: Piano, Latin Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:03
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Mambo Show
(2:27)  2. Uptight (Everything's Alright)
(2:35)  3. Bugalu
(4:40)  4. Bitter Sweet
(5:33)  5. Cote Pa la Cola
(4:01)  6. Panama's Boogaloo
(4:12)  7. Clusters
(3:39)  8. A Night To Remember

Latin Bugalu suffers from the usual affliction of New York Latin albums. By the time the recording is made, times have changed and the artist has moved on to something new. The boogaloos here are better than average, and even first-rate in the case of Frank Ross' "Bugalu." But the star tracks, at least at a distance safe from the boogaloo fad, are the several Latin jazz instrumentals. 

The best of these all-out jams are mambos played at a frenetic pace. It is a top album, even by Palmieri and Ramirez standards, but one wishes there had been separate issues for both the boogaloos and the jams."A Night to Remember," a vocal ballad, really does not fit. But these are eight impressive tracks, and Charlie Palmieri is about as loose as he gets. ~ Tony Wilds https://www.allmusic.com/album/latin-bugalu-mw0000012052

Personnel:  Piano – Charlie Palmieri; Bass – Edward Rivera; Timbales – Louis Ramirez; Trombone – Julian Priester; Trumpet – Albert Demercado, David Lee Tucker, Louis M. Laurita

Latin Bugalu

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Sonny Clark - Blues Mambo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:56
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. Minor Meeting
(6:16)  2. Nica
(6:18)  3. Sonny's Crip
(5:08)  4. Blues Mambo
(4:24)  5. Blues Blue
(6:16)  6. Junka
(4:31)  7. My Conception
(5:15)  8. Sonja

Like Fats Navarro and Charlie Parker before him, Sonny Clark's life was short but it burned with musical intensity. Influenced deeply by Bud Powell, Clark nonetheless developed an intricate and hard-swinging harmonic sensibility that was full of nuance and detail. Regarded as the quintessential hard bop pianist, Clark never got his due before he passed away in 1963 at the age of 31, despite the fact that it can be argued that he never played a bad recording date either as a sideman or as a leader. Known mainly for seven records on the Blue Note label with a host of players including such luminaries as John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, Paul Chambers, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, and others, Clark actually made his recording debut with Teddy Charles and Wardell Gray, but left soon after to join Buddy DeFranco. His work with the great clarinetist has been documented in full in a Mosaic set that is now sadly out of print. Clark also backed Dinah Washington, Serge Chaloff, and Sonny Criss before assuming his role as a leader in 1957. Clark's classic is regarded as Cool Struttin' but each date he led on Blue Note qualifies as a classic, including his final date, Sonny's Crib with John Coltrane. And though commercial success always eluded him, he was in demand as a sideman and played dozens of Alfred Lion-produced dates, including Tina Brooks' Minor Move. Luckily, Clark's contribution is well documented by Alfred Lion; he has achieved far more critical, musical, and popular acclaim than he ever did in life. ~ Thom Jurek  https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-clark-mn0000036934/biography

Personnel: Sonny Clark (Piano); Max Roach (Drums); George Duvivier (Double Bass)

Blues Mambo

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Adrian Cunningham - Ain't That Right! The Music Of Neal Hefti

Styles: Flute, Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. The Odd Couple
(3:06)  2. Scoot
(5:30)  3. Girl Talk
(5:25)  4. Barefoot In The Park
(5:24)  5. Shanghaied
(5:29)  6. Its Awfully Nice To Be With You
(5:16)  7. Ain't That Right
(3:51)  8. Li'l Darling
(4:30)  9. How To Murder Your Wife
(4:34) 10. Zankie
(4:22) 11. Suspicion
(3:51) 12. I've Got Love
(4:28) 13. Cute

Here’s a great idea done right. Woodwinder Adrian Cunningham brings his breathy tenor, fluid clarinet and cirrus sounding flute along with the mix of Wycliffe Gordon/tb, Dan Nimmer/p Corcoran Holt/b and Chuck Redd/dr for an anthology of tunes from the penmeister and arranger Neal Hefti. Hefti made his name writing scores for Count Basie and then made a few bucks doing films like “Barefoot in the Park” and TV themes like “The Odd Couple.” He even married the babe Francis Wayne-whatta guy. Alas, I digress. Anyway…Gordon shows up with his trombone on a handful of the tracks, adding some nice texture to the strutting “Odd Couple” theme and adding fun ‘boney effects here and there while Cunningham’s tenor oozes warmth. Some blues strutting on “Shanghaid” has Gordon soloing with ferver, and the two horns hold back gloriously on the gentle blues “Li’l Darlin’”. Cunningham’s licorice stick is playful on the bopping “Scoot” and sleek on “Barefoot In The Park” while a gospel-grooved “I’ve Got Love” has him cruising over a testifying rhythm section. The latinish “Suspicion” features a gracious flute, and Nimmer is nimble and quick on the dreamy “It’s Awfully Nice To Be With You.” This session’s a winner! ~ George W. Harris https://www.jazzweekly.com/2014/09/adrian-cunningham-aint-that-right-the-music-of-neal-hefti/

Personnel:  Adrian Cunningham - flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Wycliffe Gordon - trombone; Chuck Redd - drums; Dan Nimmer - piano

Ain't That Right! The Music Of Neal Hefti

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Gros Pierre Trio - Ballades & Blues Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Ballades & Blues Disc 1

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:43
Size: 157,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:43)  1. Ordinaire
( 8:25)  2. Misty
( 7:11)  3. Angel Eyes
( 8:16)  4. The Nearest Of You
( 7:33)  5. My Funny Valentine
( 9:59)  6. What's New
(10:24)  7. There In A Dream
( 8:08)  8. 'Round Midnight

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Album: Ballades & Blues  Disc 2

Time: 51:36

Size: 118,6 MB

( 9:27)  1. Blue Pill Blues

( 8:55)  2. Lazy Boys

( 6:38)  3. Summertime

(11:41)  4. The Death Of Jazz

( 5:51)  5. One More Beer

( 5:13)  6. All Blues

( 3:48)  7. C Jam Blues

En une quarantaine d'années de carrière, le pianiste et compositeur Pierre Nadeau a touché à plusieurs styles musicaux et connu des milieux musicaux fort diversifiés, parfois sous les feux de la rampe, souvent de façon beaucoup plus discrète. Quand le nom de Gros Pierre passe à la légende, suite à sa mention dans le texte de Mouffe, "Ordinaire" interprété par Robert Charlebois en 1970, il y a déjà plusieurs années qu'il hante les clubs montréalais, accompagnant des artistes aussi différents que les jazzmen de passage ou les artistes de variétés, notamment La Poune, Rose Ouellet encore très active au début des années soixante. S'il joue en tant qu'organiste au Rainbow Bar, c'est surtout le piano qui l'attire et il se fait rapidement l'émule des Oscar Peterson ou Thelonius Monk. Il devient ensuite musicien à demeure au El Mocambo et y voir défiler le gratin de la colonie artistique de l'époque; puis il s'installe à l'Hôtel St-Maurice, à Grand-Mère, où il partage la scène avec le trompettiste Yves Charbonneau et le batteur André St-Jacques. Cette première mouture d'un Trio Pierre Nadeau est suivie, pendant une bonne partie de l'année 1967, d'une tournée de plusieurs mois avec un cirque ambulant, dans l'est du Québec et du côté des Maritimes. À son retour à Montréal, il se joint au Quatuor du Jazz Libre du Québec où officie son copain Charbonneau en compagnie du saxophoniste Jean Préfontaine, du batteur Guy Thouin et du bassiste Maurice Richard. Ils rejoignent bientôt le chansonnier Robert Charlebois qui, de retour d'un voyage en Californie, décide de donner une allure plus expérimentale à son tour de chant. 

En compagnie de Charlebois, Louise Forestier, Yvon Deschamps et quelques autres musiciens, dont le guitariste Michel Robidoux et le violoneux Philippe Gagnon, le Jazz Libre du Québec monte le fameux spectacle rapidement connu comme l'Osstidcho. Quand ses collègues du Quatuor du JLQ passent au sein du groupe l'Infonie, Pierre Nadeau demeure dans l'équipe de Charlebois avec qui il assume la direction musicale de son prochain album "Québec Love" et compose la musique de la chanson "Ordinaire" qui leur vaut une médaille d'or au Festival international de Sopot, en Pologne. 1970 est aussi l'année des grands festivals pop pour l'équipe Charlebois et Gros Pierre se retrouve avec lui dans l'aventure ferroviaire du Festival Express aux côtés Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, The Band, Grateful Dead et plusieurs autres vedettes de la scène rock internationale. Parallèlement à son implication dans la caravane charleboisienne, Pierre Nadeau grave un premier disque en formule trio, avec Michel Donato et Émile Normand pour le compte de la Société Radio-Canada, ainsi qu'un autre avec le QJLQ (Radio-Canada International). Par la suite, il se joint brièvement au groupe Guillotine avant de devenir un des membres du Ville Emard Blues Band avec qui il effectue une tournée pan-québécoise et remplit le Forum de Montréal, une première pour un groupe d'ici. L'aventure du VEBB dure de 1973 à 1976 et plusieurs des musiciens viennent prêter main forte au pianiste lors d'un spectacle en solo à l'Hôtel Nelson, à Montréal. L'événement donne lieu à un album commercialisé sur étiquette RCA "Extra-ordinaire" qui contient six pièces instrumentales dont "Extra-ordinaire" qui est une extrapolation sur le thème de la chanson de Mouffe et Charlebois. 

Un autre des titres, "Ode à une belle inconnue" avait déjà été enregistré par le groupe sur son album "Live à Montréal" deux ans auparavant. À la même époque, le pianiste participe à l'enregistrement d'un album de la chanteuse June Wallack, également sur RCA.De 1977 à 1987, Pierre se produit en solo ou en petite formation puis se retire de l'avant-scène musicale pour une longue période. Il donne alors des concerts privés au cours desquels il propose ses nouvelles compositions, en plus de participer à l'émission du samedi soir Le Club de minuit, sur les ondes de la chaîne culturelle de Radio-Canada. C'est en 1996 qu'il reprend goût à la complicité musicale et en novembre 1997, il fait la connaissance des frères Jean-François et Pierrot Paradis, respectivement batteur et bassiste, qui deviendront ses nouveaux partenaires. Le nouveau trio, baptisé Gros Pierre Trio, donne son premier concert le 31 décembre 1998 à Lac-Mégantic, en compagnie du guitariste Robert Roy. L'été suivant, se déroulent les premières sessions en vue d'un nouvel album. Le pianiste écrit aussi la musique de deux pièces sur l'album "Caser" qui marque le retour de Raôul Duguay, lui aussi absent des bacs des disquaires depuis plusieurs années. Le printemps 2000 est marqué par la sortie du double album "Ballades & blues" où le trio reprend quelques standards de Monk "'round Midnight", Davis "All Blues" ou Garner "Misty", des oeuvres moins connues, une relecture de plus de huit minutes de "Ordinaire" et des créations inédites comme "Blue Pill Blues" et "Lazy Boys". Un enregistrement du Addison Project, datant en 1995 et sur lequel le pianiste avait collaboré: "Controlled Freedom", apparaît bientôt sur l'album "Mood Swings" en 2003.Ce retour sous les feux de l'actualité est malheureusement de courte durée car le pianiste doit bientôt se battre contre un ennemi implacable: le cancer. La terrible maladie a raison de ses derniers efforts, le 16 avril 2004. http://www.qim.com/artistes/biographie.asp?artistid=294

Musiciens - Pierre Nadeau: piano;  Pierrot Paradis: basse;  Jean-François Paradis: batterie

Ballades & Blues Disc 1 And Disc 2

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The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Gone With The Wind

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:01
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Swanee River - Live
(7:37)  2. The Lonesome Road - Live
(6:36)  3. Georgia on My Mind - Live
(1:57)  4. Camptown Races - Live - Part 1
(2:07)  5. Camptown Races - Live - Part 2
(2:27)  6. Short'nin' Bread - Live
(4:31)  7. Basin Street Blues - Live
(2:27)  8. Ol' Man River - Live
(6:22)  9. Gone with the Wind - Live

This dynamic quartet, strongly influential during the cool jazz period, performed as a group from 1951 to 1967. Since the 1930s, leader Dave Brubeck received high praise and critical acclaim for his role as bandleader and for his stirring arrangements. At the piano, Brubeck plays along with the accompaniment of Paul Desmond, another timeless jazz legend in his own right. Joe Morello drives the rhythm of the group on drums and percussion with the help of Gene Wright, who shares his talent and pulsating beats on standup bass. Desmond is featured on this collection of standards, jamming along on the alto sax to tunes such as "Swanee River," "That Lonesome Road," and "Basin Street Blues." Brubeck shimmers with radiance and phenomenal craftiness in his piano improvisation at the end of "Georgia on My Mind." Morello gives it his creative all with a rich flair for rhythm during his strong solo performance on the tune "Short'nin' Bread." It is here that a superb call-and-response exchange between Morello's drums and Brubeck's piano is rendered. The song "Camptown Races" is featured here in two takes. Its mood and rhythmic power is intense and uplifting, pulling the listener into its dreamy percussive web. One can almost feel the crowd of thousands cheering a group of racehorses making their way around the turn to a photo finish. The album as a whole is filled with wonderful surprises and contains some of the best that the cool jazz style has to offer. It is written in the record notes that the foursome believed this would be a special session from the very first take. The group played several of these tunes for the first time in the studio, working out the final product spontaneously. This recording is masterful in scope and very stimulating in style and detail. The percussion of Morello and the bass playing of Wright are quite colorful and filled with texture and majestic rhythmic quality. Desmond's lead on the alto sax is compelling and passionate, filled with joyous melodies that would be perfect for a romantic date. His ability to surf up, down, and through scale passages with a sense of effortlessness is certainly full proof as to why he is regarded with such high esteem within the entire spectrum of jazz. Dave Brubeck's proficiency resonates throughout the record as he shows off his classically trained ear. Brubeck is one of the few pianists who, during his day, clearly avoided standard bop melodic conceptions and rhythmic feeling, and played within a unique style very much his own. Gone With the Wind is strongly recommended not only for the seasoned jazz fan, but also for first-time listeners who wish to be thoroughly captivated. ~ Shawn M. Haney https://www.allmusic.com/album/gone-with-the-wind-mw0000187774

Personnel:  Piano – Dave Brubeck; Alto Saxophone – Paul Desmond; Bass – Gene Wright; Drums – Joe Morello

Gone With The Wind

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Ella Fitzgerald - 30 By Ella

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:49
Size: 128,6 MB
Art: Front

(12:22)  1. Medley: My Mother's Eyes.....
( 6:21)  2. Medley: Four Or Five Times....
( 7:06)  3. Medley: On Green Dolphin Street.....
(11:09)  4. Medley: If I Give My Heart To You.....
( 6:41)  5. Medley: Candy....
( 9:49)  6. Medley: No Regrets.....
( 2:18)  7. Hawaiian War Chant

Included here are 30 standards arranged into six extended medleys, showcasing Fitzgerald's extraordinary interpretative powers. Benny Carter is in charge of the arrangements with his "Magnificent Seven" providing the faultless backing. Along the way we also hear some fine fills and solo work from Carter, George Auld, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and pianist Jimmy Jones. 

As for Ella, she navigates effortlessly through the material, always swinging and scatting in all the right places and sounding right at home no matter which way the music moves. One of the nicer entries to her latter-day recorded legacy. ~ Cub Koda https://www.allmusic.com/album/30-by-ella-mw0000691329

Personnel:  Ella Fitzgerald – vocals; Jimmy Jones – piano; Harry "Sweets" Edison – trumpet; Georgie Auld – tenor saxophone; John Collins – guitar; Panama Francis – drums (tracks 3 & 6); Louis Bellson  - drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7); Bob West – bass

30 By Ella

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Humphrey Lyttelton - I Play as I Please

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:22
Size: 119,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Dixie Theme
(2:44)  2. Blues at Dawn
(6:45)  3. Skid Row
(3:14)  4. Manhattan
(3:09)  5. La Paloma
(7:08)  6. Going out the Back Way
(4:15)  7. Mezzrow
(3:09)  8. Singing the Blues
(2:44)  9. Bodega
(6:50) 10. Looking for Turner
(3:17) 11. Sweethearts on Parade
(2:49) 12. Blues in the Afternoon
(2:11) 13. Buona Sera

Topped and tailed by four bonus tracks, this is an otherwise straightforward (and certainly long-awaited) reissue of Humphrey Lyttelton's best-known and most all-pervasively influential album, the 1957 set that he titled, fittingly, after the first volume of his own autobiography. Widely regarded among the most adventurous of all the players bound up in the British trad boom of the mid to late '50s, Lyttelton had already broken any number of seemingly inviolate rules by the time he teamed with producer Denis Preston to cut this set including the addition of a saxophone and the omission of the banjo. Now it was time to push even further. In terms of numerical strength, three bands appear on this album the seven-piece Humphrey Lyttelton Band, an expanded 12 man big band, and the so called Humphrey Lyttelton Paseo Band, a nine-piece that eschewed horns for flutes, then added a riot of percussion to the mix. It's a heady blend that had traditionalists wringing their hands in despair when the album first appeared, but time (and, of course, the eventual acceptance of many of the ideas Lyttelton first posited) readily vindicates the album's audacity. For collectors, meanwhile, the set is bolstered by both sides of two singles recorded by the regular Lyttelton Band around the same time as I Play As I Please came together, the self-explanatory "Dixie Theme" and the sultry "Blues in the Afternoon." ~ Dave Thompson https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-play-as-i-please-mw0001357881

I Play as I Please

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Stan Getz - Live in Paris 1959

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959/2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:22
Size: 179,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:00)  1. Cherokee
( 6:11)  2. All the Things You Are
( 4:08)  3. Lover Man
( 3:36)  4. Special Club
( 6:17)  5. Round 'Bout Midnight
(10:04)  6. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
( 5:08)  7. Tenderly
( 5:01)  8. The Squirrel
( 7:20)  9. Yardbird Suite
( 7:08) 10. Too Marvellous for Words
( 7:03) 11. Topsy
( 7:21) 12. Over the Rainbow

A fantastic live performance from Stan Getz recorded in Paris at the end of the 50s, and with maybe a bit more of an edge than some of his other European concerts! One of the key factors here is the budding modernist Martial Solal on piano who makes a nicely surprising partner for Stan  in a group that also features Jimmy Gourley on guitar, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums certainly something of a French pick-up group, but one that's top shelf all the way through! Stan's got a wonderful sharpness to his tone with that growing sense of fullness that would mature in the 60s, but still also this link that maybe goes a bit back towards Lester Young too  spun out on long takes of familiar tunes, very well-recorded as on other selections in this series. Titles include "The Squirrel", "Yardbird Suite", "All The Things You Are", "Topsy", "Tenderly", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Round Midnight", and "Special Club".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/889508/Stan-Getz:Stan-Getz-Live-In-Paris-1959

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone - Stan Getz; Bass – Pierre Michelot; Drums – Kenny Clarke; Guitar – Jimmy Gourley ; Piano – Martial Solal

Live in Paris 1959

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Liam Sillery - Outskirts

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:17
Size: 102,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Prana
(6:11)  2. An Arm's Length
(9:38)  3. Black Bag
(8:44)  4. Blues For Lifetime
(5:58)  5. Wrong Number
(8:34)  6. Minor Change

For Outskirts, his third release as a leader, New York-based trumpeter/composer Liam Sillery assembles a progressive-thinking quintet to explore six original compositions. Sharing the frontline with alto saxophonist Matt Blostein, Sillery flirts with a free jazz mentality, mixing pre-conceived ideas with wide-open solo sections. The opening "Prana" begins and ends with an interesting form reminiscent of vintage Wayne Shorter, replete with an airy free-form middle section with communicative blowing between trumpet and saxophone. Pianist Jesse Stacken stands out on "An Arm's Length" with expressively frantic runs over the laid-back, deep groove of bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza. Here, Sillery solos with swinging clarity, manipulating the warmth of the middle-register. Stacken takes control of the lengthy "Black Bag" with blunt, shape-shifting ideas. The bouncy, yet edgy "Blues for Lifetime" has a captivating theme that sets up inspired soloing by Sillery, Blostein, Stacken and Sperrazza. The angular "Wrong Number" is characteristic of the underlying urgency heard in Sillery's melodies. For as layered and rhythmically complex as they are, his themes are rather clear-cut and to the point. "Minor Change" the title track to a previous Sillery release comes out swinging and doesn't let up until all have had their say. The disc closer is a well-crafted, satisfying close to an extraordinary session of creative ensemble interplay and free-wheeling improvisations. ~ John Barron https://www.allaboutjazz.com/outskirts-liam-sillery-oa2-records-review-by-john-barron.php

Personnel: Liam Sillery: trumpet; Matt Blostein; Jesse Stacken: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; Vinnie Sperrazza: drums.

Outskirts

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Cecil Payne - Payne's Window

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:45
Size: 169,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:25)  1. Spiritus Parkus
(4:26)  2. Martin Luther King Jr.
(7:38)  3. James
(8:49)  4. That's It Blues
(7:38)  5. Payne's Window
(7:09)  6. Southside Samba
(4:38)  7. Lover Man
(8:46)  8. Tune Up
(7:06)  9. Delillah
(8:05) 10. Hold Tight

Cecil Payne turns seventy-seven this month. Most people who are lucky enough to reach such an advanced age have long since retired from their craft. Payne has chosen a different path and judging from the sturdy work on this disc he isn't showing many signs of slowing down in his twilight years. After over a half century in the jazz trenches he's still delivering his signature brand of versatility and style to his instrument. And as on his earlier Delmark releases he's shaped a band that effectively bridges the generations. My first exposure to Payne's playing was on Coltrane's "Dakar where he rounded out a formidable horn section alongside Pepper Adams in a baritone sax combo that was tough to beat when that classic record was released and still is. Ever since hearing that album harboring a lasting appreciation for his oeuvre has been easy. Throughout his lengthy career he has balanced an enviable agility on the weighty reed with a rustic affinity for the blues and a gracious willingness to shape his sound to the setting he's in. He could play scalding hot runs or just as effortlessly change up and blow a breezy blue-tinged ballad. Over the intervening years Payne has unavoidably slowed a little in his attack, but he's traded some of the quicksilver veracity of youth for a sureness of tone that is contagious among his compatriots. The bucolic bite of his sax delivers the perfect impetus for the group to take flight. Along for the ride is a solid crew of supporters. Alexander is no stranger to spirited blowing sessions and he delivers his usual high level of empathy and improvisational ingenuity. 

On many of the tunes he favors the lower registers of his horn and his lines fit snugly against Payne's own deep-toned musings. Mabern shares distinction along with Payne as another elder statesman of hard bop. His emotive accompaniment is frequently the common denominator in the relaxed approach the group takes on most of the numbers. Webber and Farnsworth fill in the rhythmic blanks with skill and sensitivity. As for the program of tunes, they are mainly basic blowing vehicles, but the emphasis here is rightfully on inspired playing, not on compositional complexity. The opening "Spiritus Parkus lights the flames with rollicking solos from everyone save Farnsworth and over the course of the next sixty minutes the sextet continually delivers the goods. Standouts include the gentle ballad "Martin Luther King, Jr. and a dusky quartet reading of "Loverman, which features Payne as the only horn. "That's It Blues is another winner thanks mainly to Davis' cobalt slurs which slither deftly against Farnsworth's light cymbals. Regrettably Payne's featherweight flute only crops up Gershwin's "Delilah and would have been well served by more exposure. All things considered though this disc is a treat from start to finish and is easily recommended. Take a leisurely look through Payne's propitious window and you're guaranteed to be pleased by what you see. 

~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paynes-window-cecil-payne-delmark-records-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone, flute; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone; Harold Mabern, piano; John Webber, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums.

Payne's Window

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Milt Jackson - That's The Way It Is

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz 
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:24
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Frankie And Johnny
(7:45)  2. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:32)  3. Wheelin' And Dealin'
(7:15)  4. Blues In The Bassment
(8:44)  5. Tenderly
(7:22)  6. That's The Way It Is

As the story goes, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown would meet up once a year for a run of gigs at Shelly's Manne-Hole, not because they couldn't find work elsewhere, but rather (as the liner notes put it) for "the pleasure of making music". That's The Way It Is comes from a pair of 1969 shows with a stellar quintet that featured three jazz masters (Teddy Edwards and the two headliners) along with the young up-and-comer Monty Alexander, who would go on to have an impressively long and varied career that is still going strong today. The somewhat obscure Dick Berk manned the drummer's chair, admirably laying down the tempo for this set of hard bop jazz that not surprisingly harkens back to a simpler time of blues-based jazz music. Jackson and Brown's friendship went way back, they first played together in the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's band from 1946 to 1951. The other members of the rhythm section, not coincidently, were John Lewis and Kenny Clarke, who would soon thereafter go on to form The Modern Jazz Quartet with Jackson, the group for which he is most often associated with. Brown is best known for his enduring work with the Oscar Peterson Trio, whom he played with for nearly fifteen years from 1951 until 1966. Apparently the two men remained close throughout the years, resulting in their yearly meetings at the famous Hollywood jazz club. In addition to this live LP, they would also record a couple of big band albums together for Impulse!, both of which remain pretty obscure. That's The Way It Is finds the pair playing a jazz style that by 1969 had fallen out of favor with the listeners of popular music (at least in terms of record sales), but that's the reason I love a record like this: it gives a sense of what you would find in smaller jazz clubs during this period when this music was supposedly a dying art form. This was a time when post bop, electric jazz and fusion were the stylistic watchwords of the day, so it's nice to see that Impulse! had the sense to record Jackson and Brown playing in a modern jazz style that they once helped to popularize. Even though the record is fairly mellow, the musician's love of the classic jazz sound shines through, and the subtle nature of the music seems a conscious choice against the more in-your-face electric jazz that was gaining momentum all around them. One can imagine the audience members kicking back with their cocktails, nodding their heads in appreciation at the calm and collected grooves being laid down in front of them.

No need to extoll the great talents of Jackson and Brown here, if you are unfamiliar with their work go check out the Modern Jazz Quartet and Oscar Peterson Trio, but a few quick words on Teddy Edwards seem appropriate. By the time of That's The Way It Is he had certainly fallen out of favor with the jazz mainstream, but in the late 1940s he was considered one of the best (if not the most influential) tenor saxophone players along with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray. In 1947 Edwards and Dexter Gordon released the "The Duel", a recording that would cement both men's legendary status in the jazz world. It seems Edwards didn't achieve the same level of fame as his counterparts from the '40s due to his decision to remain in Los Angeles rather than head east, but that would explain Jackson and Brown tapping him to play in their quintet at a Hollywood jazz club, and what better choice for this set of music than a cat like Edwards who by this time had presumably seen and played it all. While the quieter tracks on the album feature some outstanding bass work from Brown (particularly his solo work on "Tenderly"), I'm certainly more partial to the upbeat tracks, in particular "Wheelin' And Dealin'" and the title track that closes out the record. The band swings and there is an instant delight in the interplay between the musicians. Nothing fancy, just some great jazz music. I'll quote Morgan Ames' liner notes again, as he sums up the recording quite well: "This is not experimental jazz. It's beyond that, or as they say in New York, outside that. This is solid, rooted, sweet-smelling earth of an enduring style, as played by masters." Well said, and even if the record labels had already begun to abandon this "enduring style", it's reassuring in hindsight to know that it was still out there, almost underground perhaps, but like the best that art has to offer it was simply biding it's time until the world would be once again ready to embrace it. The Details: An original 1969 pressing on the first version of the "Impulse! ABC Records" label. It is easily dated as pre-1972 by "A Product of ABC Records, Inc. New York, N.Y. 10019 • Made in USA" along the bottom (this would be shortened to differing lengths starting in 1972 until the next label change in 1974). This label version is often considered to be the last if the "audiophile" sounding pressings, although I own some later "neon" and "green bullseye" repressed titles and they sound pretty darn good to my ears (especially at the nice price you can snag em at). http://www.thejazzrecord.com/records/2016/5/29/milt-jackson-quintet-featuring-ray-brown-thats-the-way-it-is

Milt Jackson - Vibes; Ray Brown - Bass; Teddy Edwards - Tenor Sax; Monty Alexander - Piano; Dick Berk - Drums

That's The Way It Is

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The George Shearing Trio - 500 Miles High

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:07
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. Cheryl
(4:48)  2. 500 Miles High
(5:29)  3. I Wished On The Moon
(4:32)  4. Old Folks
(5:13)  5. Jordu
(7:33)  6. P.S. I Love You
(3:54)  7. Everything Happens To Me
(5:40)  8. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:04)  9. Invitation

The most underrated recordings of George Shearing's career were his trio sets made in the mid-'70s for MPS after the breakup of his popular Quintet. This particular LP is one of three that feature the brilliant pianist in a drumless trio with guitarist Louis Stewart and bassist Niels Pedersen. The music is essentially bop-based with just one newer song (an interesting version of Chick Corea's "500 Miles High") included among the nine standards. The more memorable selections are "I Wished on the Moon," "Old Folks" and "Here's That Rainy Day." Tasteful performances with plenty of subtle surprises. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/500-miles-high-mw0000893509

Personnel: Piano – George Shearing; Bass – Niels Henning Ørsted-Pedersen; Guitar – Louis Stewart

500 Miles High

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Ted Nash Quartet - Out Of This World

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:59
Size: 176,5 MB
Art: Front

(14:05)  1. Out Of This World
(12:05)  2. Hope
(11:37)  3. City Hall
(12:16)  4. Sixteen And Eighteen
(16:04)  5. Sadness
(10:49)  6. Necessary Risks

Recorded live at the Carroboro Arts Center in Carroboro, NC in 1991, Out of This World finds Ted Nash's early 1990s quartet playing melodic and mostly "inside" hard bop and post-bop but going "outside" a few times with likable results. The performance marked the end of a three-week tour by the quartet, which included Nash on tenor sax, Frank Kimbrough on piano, Ben Allison on bass and Tim Horner on drums. Except for the opener, "Out of This World," this CD favors Nash and Kimbrough's own material over standards. The playing is mostly "inside" on "Out of This World," Kimbrough's pensive "Hope" and Nash's vibrant "City Hall," but more of an "inside/outside" approach is taken on Kimbrough's 15-minute "Sadness." Influenced by both Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, this angular piece finds the quartet alternating between bluesy testifying and dissonant "outside" playing. 

The set isn't as adventurous as some of the concerts that Allison's Jazz Composers Collective would hold in New York in the mid-to-late 1990s (some of which included Nash and Kimbrough). Still, this is a decent offering from a foursome that was cohesive and certainly swinging. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-this-world-mw0000625930

Personnel:  Saxophone – Ted Nash; Bass – Ben Allison; Drums – Tim Horner; Piano – Frank Kimbrough

Out Of This World

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Terry Gibbs Quartet - Take It From Me

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:50
Size: 73,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Take It From Me
(4:00)  2. El Fatso
(3:08)  3. Oge
(2:32)  4. Pauline's Place
(2:33)  5. 8 lbs., 10 ozs.
(6:11)  6. Gee, Dad, It's A Deagan
(4:21)  7. All The Things You Are
(4:37)  8. Honeysuckle Rose

This is a likable small-group date from vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, who welcomes guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes to his quartet. Gibbs contributed six originals, none of which are that catchy, but he also stretches out on "All the Things You Are" and "Honeysuckle Rose." 

Gibbs and Burrell work together quite well, and their improvisations and the upbeat mood of the set are superior to the newer melodies. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/take-it-from-me-mw0000871259

Personnel:  Terry Gibbs – vibes; Kenny Burrell – guitar; Sam Jones – bass; Louis Hayes – drums

Take It From Me

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Elmo Hope - Plays His Original Compositions

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

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

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

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

Plays His Original Compositions

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