Miles Davis - 'The Complete Columbia Studio Sessions 1965-68'

 

The Complete Studio Recordings of The Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968 is a box set of six CDs covering the work of Miles Davis and his second great quintet which featured Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.  This is my favorite band of any genre.

The box set includes all songs from the albums 'E.S.P.', 'Miles Smiles', 'Sorcerer', 'Nefertiti', 'Miles in the Sky', the quintet tracks from 'Filles de Kilimanjaro'; and 'Water Babies' as well as some rehearsal and alternative takes. The track list is sequenced in chronological order, with the alternative takes preceding the final album version.  A few of the tracks were previously unissued.

 By 1965, the world of jazz had changed almost unrecognizably from just five years ago, and Miles Davis was in danger of being left behind.  After the triumphs of his first few years with Columbia, it seems Miles had had enough.  His past few records and his live performances found him falling back on old habits, exploring standards and hard bop pieces that he'd been playing for the past several years.  Meanwhile, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler shook the foundations of jazz and John Coltrane in December 1964 had just aligned himself with them by recording his masterpiece "A Love Supreme".  All this time, Davis had been standing still, but he'd assembled a new quintet, completed by plucking Wayne Shorter from Art Blakey's band to add to his working band of pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drum protégée Tony Williams.  And while his band dutifully played the hard bop he was paying them for, they wanted to stretch out, to build on the innovations of Coleman, Taylor, Ayler and Coltrane, and remarkably, they inspired Miles to do so as well.  In January 1965, they went into the studio to record their first album together-- "E.S.P", and it was clear that, to steal an Ayler song title, change has come.

Granted, the music here isn't free jazz, but it's certainly a lot more adventurous than anything Miles had done since "Sketches of Spain".  Miles by and large let his sidemen stretch their wings.  Departing from the previous use of standards and compositions by contemporaries, virtually all the material by the quintet came from within the quintet (in fact, of the 45 or so compositions on this set, only two come from outside the quintet).  Early on, Wayne Shorter carried the lion's share of composition with Miles taking this role later (as he began experimenting with electric instruments, he began composing more), but everyone contributes. By and large, they're extraordinarily adventurous hard bop tunes, that in the vein of the kind of work Eric Dolphy was doing, or perhaps even a less detailed Mingus; who tended to use larger ensembles. The performances are vibrant and inventive, with dynamic interaction between the members of the band and the rhythm section stealing the performances from the soloists at times.

From the beginning, it is evident that the music was of an unmatched quality and power.  The outstanding musical talent of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams all gels into a cohesive symphony of sound under the guiding hand of the "Prince of Darkness", himself.  You can trace the development of each member's compositional talents and its effect on Miles' musical approach throughout the group's tenure.  Each successive disc demonstrates how the group explored uncharted musical territory with each session.  A few years later, Davis would take his art in a new, more electric direction, thus ending this important period of jazz history.

Sonically, the set is nothing short of superb.

Track Listing:
CD1
1. E.S.P.
2. R.J.
3. Eighty-One
4. Little One
5. Iris
6. Agitation
7. Mood
8. Circle
9. Orbits
10. Dolores
11. Freedom Jazz Dance

CD2
1. Ginger Bread Boy
2. Footprints
3. Limbo - (alternate take)
4. Limbo
5. Vonetta
6. Masqualero - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
7. Masqualero
8. Sorcerer, The
9. Prince of Darkness
10. Pee Wee
11. Water Babies

CD3
1. Nefertiti
2. Capricorn
3. Madness - (previously unreleased, rehearsal take)
4. Hand Jive - (previously unreleased, take 1)
5. Hand Jive - (previously unreleased, take 2)
6. Hand Jive $0.99
7. Madness - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
8. Madness
9. Sweet Pea
10. Fall
11. Pinocchio - (alternate take)

CD4
1. Pinocchio
2. Riot
3. Thisness - (previously unreleased)
4. Circle in the Round - (previously unreleased, 33-minute version)
5. Water on the Pond
6. Fun
7. Teo's Bag - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
8. Teo's Bag

CD5
1. Paraphernalia - (with George Benson)
2. I Have a Dream - (previously unreleased, rehearsal take)
3. Speak Like a Child - (previously unreleased, rehearsal take)
4. Sanctuary
5. Side Car I
6. Side Car II
7. Country Son
8. Country Son - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
9. Black Comedy - (previously unreleased, alternate take)

CD6
1. Black Comedy
2. Stuff
3. Petits Machins
4. Tout de Suite - (previously unreleased, alternate take)
5. Tout de Suite
6. Filles de Kilimanjaro

For the freeload, put any device you have that plays music on shuffle, and post the first five results.

Charlie Parker - 'The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes'

Charlie Parker, or "Bird" as he was known to his friends and fans, was in a league of his own.  He didn't really play music, as much as he intuited it from somewhere else.  Bird woodshedded to get the chops, and he was a technical master of the alto sax, but what he played didn't come from long hours of practice.  In so many ways, he was his own influence, he was also the greatest soloist to ever walk this earth.

The first thing you'll notice about 'The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes' is how modern this music on these 3CDs sounds.  Even the guitarist and the occasional vocals (for the most part) sound modern.  These tracks may be eighty years plus old, but it isn't campy old-timey nostalgic music, and it isn't music you listen to, to learn something.  This is the stuff he was putting out in his heyday, that was on the shelves of jazz fans and played for entertainment.  Dial and Savoy made lots of money off it.  Bird was a commercial artist, not an obscure player supported by a boutique label, known only to a few insiders.  He was never paid anything close to what he deserved, not even in the Norman Granz days.  Bird left the studio with a wad of cash, which was quickly shot into a vein.  That's how he chose to live, and how he died...

Bird is the subject of many a scholarly analysis, and rightly so.  Nevertheless, this music was made for you to enjoy, as much as Bird enjoyed making it.

For the freeload, tell us about your favorite "Monster Movie"

Kenny Garrett - 'Triology'

 

In the ’80s, Kenny Garrett was part of a group of young, talented musicians known as The Young Lions and were heralded as the “saviors” of “classic” jazz.  The Young Lions returned to the foundations of jazz, playing bebop and music from the Great American Songbook, classic swing in some cases, and even melding swing with modern styles to invigorate dance forms from the big band era.  The music was coined as neo-bop, post-bop and even neoclassical jazz.  The essential aspects of the music were rooted in the early parts of jazz language.  Since then, Kenny has also dabbled in hip-hop and world music, which sometimes (not always), at least to my ears, leaves much to be desired. But that's just my personal taste.

Kenny has an impressive professional resume, starting with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (under the leadership of Mercer Ellington), Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Woody Shaw, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. Kenny started leading his own groups in 1984.

'Trilogy' was released in 1995, and finds Kenny in a trio format that put the focus squarely on his playing to create all the harmonic and melodic tension. With Charnett Moffett and Kiyoshi Kitagawa alternating on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.

 

For the freeload tell us what's your favorite fictional world or place (from a book, movie, or video game).

Art Pepper - 'Unreleased Art, Vol.8: Live at the Winery September 6, 1976'

 

'Live At The Winery, September 6, 1976' is made up of six songs inner-dispersed with Pepper's grateful and sincere stage banter.  The disc opens with possibly Art's most passionate reading of the Juan Tizol classic "Caravan".  Written for the Duke Ellington orchestra, "Caravan" was composed with a Middle Eastern flavor in mind, but in the hands of Art and local pianist Smith Dobson, it is a samba bullet shot from a Latin jazz gun.  Art gives a long introduction before steering into the familiar theme, fighting a guerrilla war for the next ten minutes of exhilarating performance.

Art follows with an angular original composition, "Ophelia" from his 'Living Legend' album, that would show up many more times in his live performances.  Art, always the master of ballads, presents "Here's That Rainy Day" also from 'Living Legend' and earlier, displaying the complete command of the form that would reach its pinnacle on the 'Winter Moon' album from 1980. The band follows with "What Laurie Likes," a blues-funk piece suggesting Pepper's future masterpiece "Red Car" from his next studio recording.  Art closes with his be bop-infused "Straight Life" and "Saratoga Blues" demonstrating that he is a master of that idiom also.

Art Pepper on alto saxophone
Smith Dobson on piano
Jim Nichols on bass
Brad Bilhorn on drums

1. Caravan
2. Talk: Band Intros
3. Ophelia
4. Here's That Rainy Day
5. Talk: About Smith Dobson; Intro to What Laurie Likes
6. What Laurie Likes
7. Straight Life
8. Saratoga Blues
   

This recording was made from the soundboard at a jazz festival held at the Paul Masson Winery on the afternoon of September 6, 1976, and released by Laurie Pepper, on her label, Widow's Taste Records.

For the freeload, what was the hottest (spicy) thing you have ever eaten?

Thelonious Monk - 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses'

Every year (sometimes more often), we've come to expect new discoveries from the vaults by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, and Sonny Rollins.  But in 2017, who knew there were hidden gems by Monk, and from a professionally recorded studio session, no less!

This session had never been released to the public before; the tapes were thought lost for all these decades.  Usually, when recovered sessions are heralded as "long-lost," a quick listening reveals why.  But the result in this case is a surprisingly terrific Monk album.

Any occasion for unreleased Thelonious Monk recordings is one for celebration.  The discovery of his excellent soundtrack sessions for Roger Vadim's film 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' from 1960, an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th century novel, happened by accident.  Producers Zev Feldman, François Le Xuan, and Frederic Thomas found these tapes while searching French saxophonist Barney Wilen's manager's archives in search of unreleased material. What they found were the original soundtrack and full sessions cut in New York during a single day in 1959 – the same fertile year that yielded the Monk's At Town Hall; 5 by Monk by 5, and Thelonious Alone in San Francisco.  Like these recordings, this soundtrack showcases Monk at the very top of his game.

In 1959, Monk was commissioned to compose and play the score for a Roger Vadim film, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th century novel.  By the time of the recording date at Nola Penthouse Studio in Manhattan, he hadn't written anything new.  But after watching a print of the movie, he took several tunes from his catalog—"Rhythm-a-ning," "Crepuscule with Nellie," "Well You Needn't," "Pannonica," "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are," "Light Blue," and "By and By", and set them to breezier paces or moodier cadences than usual.

For various reasons, including health issues and legal troubles, Monk had no time to travel or compose original music for the film.  For this session he brought along tunes from his repertoire – as was his customary practice throughout his career – and reinvented them for the film with his working quartet of saxophonist Charlie Rouse, drummer Art Taylor, and bassist Sam Jones, with the addition of Barney Wilen (who should be far better known to American jazz fans). The album is one of the few occasions in the pianist's discography where he employed two tenor players, the other being "Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk", with Harold Land alongside Rouse.

CDs includes the actual soundtrack music as used in sequence, but never released. "Rhythm-a-Ning" is followed by "Crepuscule with Nellie" (his wife was in the studio), "Six in One," and "Well You Needn't," all of which are sprightly and at times even hot. There are two solo takes of "Pannonica" also used, along with a quintet version.  It is notable to note that Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, Monk's friend and patron, was also present. "Ba-Lue-Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" is followed by a brief "Light Blue" and the short gospel hymn "By and By," which makes its first-ever appearance here.

Disc two contains alternate takes, a pair of masters for a 45 rpm single, an edited version of "Well You Needn't," and the jewel: a 14-minute in-process recording of "Light Blue" complete with studio dialogue. It's a cousin to the making of "'Round Midnight" with Gerry Mulligan that showed up in the '80s: A one-of-a-kind revelatory document. This music was not only professionally recorded, but preserved with archival standards, making for an excellent fidelity reproduction.

CD1

1. Rhythm-A-Ning
2. Crepuscule With Nellie
3. Six In One
4. Well, You Needn't
5. Pannonica (Solo 1)
6. Pannonica (Solo 2)
7. Pannonica (Quartet)
8. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
9. Light Blue
10. By and By (We'll Understand It Better By And By)

CD2

1. Rhythm-A-Ning (Alternate)
2. Crepuscule With Nellie (Take 1)
3. Pannonica (45 rpm Master)
4. Light Blue (45 rpm Master)
5. Well, You Needn't (Unedited)
6. Light Blue (Making Of)

Recorded at Nola Penthouse Sound Studios, 111 W. 57th St., New York, N.Y., Monday, July 27, 1959.
Mastered from the original master tapes.

Musicians:
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Charlie Rouse - Tenor Saxophone
Barney Wilen - Tenor Saxophone on "1,2,8,11"
Sam Jones - Bass
Art Taylor - Drums

For the freeload, tell us about something you did that was dangerous.

Charles Mingus - 'Debut Rarities, Vols. 1 - 4'

Debut Records was an independent record label that was founded in 1952 by Charles Mingus, his wife Celia (Zaentz) Mingus, and drummer Max Roach.

Vol. 1 combines material recorded by the Charles Mingus Octet on October 28, 1953 (tracks one through six, five of which were originally released on a 10" LP as Jazz Workshop: Autobiography in Jazz), by the Jimmy Knepper Quintet on July 10, 1957 (tracks seven through 11, released on a 10" LP as New Faces), and three alternates from the Knepper date.

Vol. 2 reaches back toward the very beginnings of the Charles Mingus discography.  Although he had recorded as a sideman and leader during the late '40s, the April 1951 duets with pianist Spaulding Givens a.k.a. Nadi Qamar are remarkable glimpses of Mingus actively participating in recording sessions for a label that he co-founded.

Vol. 3 is from a session or sessions that took place in New York City during September 1957, and features the Shafi Hadi Sextet. Hadi (born Curtis Porter in Philadelphia in 1929) was an alto and tenor saxophonist who worked with Charles between the years 1956-1959.  He is heard in the company of trumpeter Clarence Shaw, baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, pianists Wade Legge or Wynton Kelly, bassists Charles Mingus or Henry Grimes, and drummer Dannie Richmond. What you get here is a progress report from innovative improvisers who were laying the groundwork for the stunning advancements in modern jazz that would take place over the next decade.

This is an intriguing chapter from Ming's adventuresome Jazz Workshop years. In the Mingus chronology, it lands right after his Tijuana Moods and East Coasting albums and just before A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry.

Vol. 4 is a rare slice of work featuring vocalists in the lead. Backing is by Mingus-led combos on all tracks, but the presence of singers makes for a great change in the music.  This is not a sleepy, torch jazz vocal style, but much more in the inventive style of singing that would crop up on a handful of Mingus dates from later years – heard here in much more experimental modes. Jackie Paris' work is an especially great revelation – as it's a real contrast to some of his straighter later stuff – but The Gordons are great too, the vocal group from which Honi Gordon sprang to do her solo album for Prestige. Bob Benton sings on a few numbers too – and other players include Lee Konitz on alto, Paige Brook on flute, Hank Jones on piano, and Max Roach on drums.

For the freeload tell us, what’s the best acting debut you’ve ever seen in a movie.

Bessie Smith - 'Chattanooga Gal'

 

 
Bessie Smith was the first major blues and jazz singer on record and one of the most powerful of all time, and rightly earned the title of "The Empress of the Blues."  Even on her first records in 1923, her passionate voice overcame the primitive recording quality of the day and still communicates easily to today's listeners.  At a time when the blues were in and most vocalists (particularly vaudevillians) were being dubbed "blues singers," Bessie Smith simply had no competition.

Back in 1912, Bessie Smith sang in the same show as Ma Rainey, who took her under her wing and coached her.  Although Rainey would achieve a measure of fame throughout her career, she was soon surpassed by her protégée.  In 1920, Smith had her own show in Atlantic City, New Jersey and, in 1923, she moved to New York.  She was soon signed by Columbia Records, and her first recording (Alberta Hunter's "Downhearted Blues") made her famous.  Bessie Smith worked and recorded steadily throughout the decade, using many top musicians as sidemen on sessions, including Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Joe Smith (her favorite cornetist), James P. Johnson, and Charlie Green.  Her summer tent show Harlem Frolics was a big success during 1925-1927, and Mississippi Days in 1928 kept the momentum going.

However, by 1929 her style became out of fashion and Bessie Smith's career was declining despite being at the peak of her powers (and still only 35).  She appeared in 'St. Louis Blues' that year (a low-budget movie short that contains the only footage of her), but her hit recording of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" predicted her leaner Depression years.  Although she was dropped by Columbia Records in 1931 and made her final recordings on a four-song session in 1933, Bessie Smith kept on working.  She played the Apollo in 1935 and substituted for Billie Holiday in the show 'Stars Over Broadway'.  The chances are very good that she would have made a comeback, starting with a Carnegie Hall appearance at John Hammond's upcoming From Spirituals to Swing concert, but she was killed in a car crash in Mississippi.

Bessie Smith's big, beautiful voice and emotionally naked interpretation made her into one of the all-time stars of the gramophone (78s) record, influencing talents as wide-ranging as Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson and Janis Joplin, and many others.  This 4CD set includes all of her best known songs, whose raw energy and emotion shine out across the decades and show just why she became such a star. Transcending the worlds of blues, gospel and popular song, Bessie is a seminal figure in modern music and this box is the ultimate overview of her career.

For the freeload, tell us about team sports you played in school.

Miles Davis - 'Live in Tokyo 1975'

This is Miles from the same Japanese tour that gave us the ‘Panagaea’ and ‘Agharta’ albums, and was recorded ten days before the concert that appeared on those records, but with different songs.  The music is a dark brew of funk, fusion, and some surprisingly exotic currents, thanks to wonderful work from Sonny Fortune on alto, soprano sax, and flute, working here alongside guitarist Pete Cosey, who provides plenty of the fuzzier, freakier moments of the set, as does keyboardist Reggie Lucas, Al Foster's drumming is wonderful, and Michael Henderson's bass will blow you away.  But as always, Miles is the star once he opens up his horn and steps into the darkness.

Live in Tokyo 1975' comes from a short time before Davis's retirement, at a point when the music was at its funkiest and angriest, when he would slap a wah-wah effect on any instrument in sight and no amount of fuzzy distortion was too much.  This is not recommended for the faint of heart.

This septet was well into the "deep African thing, a deep African-American groove, with a lot of emphasis on drums and rhythm" as Miles later described it, weaving earthy percussion and juiced-up rock into 80 minutes of primordial voodoo trance.  By this point he had the band running as a well-oiled machine, able to direct dynamic arrangements, segues and stop-on-a-dime changes all in the moment.  They spin out one dense churning groove after another, whether trading solos around loose structural frameworks or sometimes getting (again borrowing the Miles' words) "a lot of intricate shit … working off this one chord."  He picks and chooses spots to dart in with a simple trumpet line or the odd stray note, then punches at the organ as if trying to exorcise his osteoarthritis pain by sheer force of sound amid the haze of medication and drugs.

The ghost of Jimi Hendrix is alive and well in the wailing of Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas, while the drum/percussion team lays down a series of staggered rhythms.  There isn't really a set list so much as a contiguous series of song sketches to explore. "Maiysha" starts out cool and airy before turning into some kind of tropical-themed nightmare; "Ife" skips the modulating bass line of the studio version and explores the more abstract sections instead, blending light flute with menacing organ before giving everyone some free space to blow.

The Tokyo show is a close sibling to those abovementioned albums and ‘Dark Magus’, but of course each one has its own character.  To my ears, ‘Live in Tokyo 1975’ is a little more tight and lean, not quite as off-the-wall crazy as ‘Pangaea’ or as loud and crowded as ‘Dark Magus’, though not terribly far off either, and a most welcomed release for those of us who find this phase endlessly fresh all these decades later. 

Along with Miles’ trumpet and organ are:
Sonny Fortune - alto & soprano sax, flute
Pete Cosey - guitar, synthesizer, kalimba, table percussion
Reggie Lucas - guitar
Michael Henderson - bass
James “Mtume” Heath (aka Foreman) - percussion, rhythm box
Al Foster - drums

CD 1:

1. Prelude & Funk
2. Maiysha
3. Ife

CD 2:

1. Mtume
2. Turnaround Phrase
3. Tune In 5
4. Untitled



For the Freeload, tell us what you were doing in 1975.

Fats Navarro & Tadd Dameron - 'The Complete Blue Note And Capitol Recordings'

 

The Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings consists of 23 songs and 13 alternate takes, featuring the great trumpeter Fats Navarro in peak form with three groups headed by pianist/arranger Tadd Dameron, in trumpet battles with one of his major influences, Howard McGhee, and on a remarkable all-star quintet with pianist Bud Powell and the young tenor Sonny Rollins; among the other sidemen are altoist Ernie Henry; tenors Charlie Rouse, Allen Eager, Wardell Gray, and Dexter Gordon; and vibraphonist Milt Jackson.  In addition to such gems as "Our Delight," "Lady Bird," "Double Talk," "Bouncing With Bud," "Dance of the Infidels," and "52nd Street Theme," Fats is heard with the 1948 Benny Goodman septet ("Stealin' Apples") and Dameron leads a group with the 22-year-old Miles Davis. 

This double CD has more than its share of essential music that belongs in all jazz collections.

CD1

1. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'The Chase' (Alt. Take)
2. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'The Chase'
3. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'The Squirrel' (Alt. Take)
4. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'The Squirrel'
5. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Our Delight' (Alt. Take)
6. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Our Delight'
7. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro  - 'Dameronia' (Alt. Take)
8. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Dameronia'
9. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Jahbero' (Alt. Take)
10. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Jahbero'
11. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - Lady Bird
12. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Lady Bird' (Alt. Take)
13. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Symphonette'
14. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Symphonette' (Alt. Take)
15. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'I Think I'll Go Away'
16. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Sid's Delight'
17. Tadd Dameron / Fats Navarro - 'Casbah'
18. Tadd Dameron / Miles Davis - 'John's Delight'
19. Tadd Dameron / Miles Davis - 'What's New'
20. Tadd Dameron / Miles Davis - 'Heaven's Doors Are Wide Open'
21. Tadd Dameron / Miles Davis - 'Focus'

CD2

1. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'The Skunk' (LP Vers.)
2. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'Boperation'
3. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'Boperation' (Alt. Take)
4. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'The Skunk' (78 Vers.)
5. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'Double Talk'
6. Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Sextet - 'Double Talk' (Alt. Take)
7. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Bouncing With Bud' (Alt. #1)
8. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Bouncing With Bud' (Alt. #2)
9. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Bouncing With Bud'
10. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Wail' (Alt. Take)
11. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - Wail'
12. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Dance Of The Infidels' (Alt. Take)
13. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - 'Dance Of The Infidels'
14. Bud Powell / Fats Navarro - '52nd Street Theme'
15. Benny Goodman / Fats Navarro - 'Stealin' Apples'

 For the freeload, tell us what nickname you have or had, if you didn't have a nickname, tell of us what your favorite one is.

Tom Waits - 'Blue Valentine

 

Tom Waits is a consummate storyteller, able to fit a short story into three or four minutes, and ‘Blue Valentine’ contains some memorable tales that are vivid and can make you feel a range of emotions.  This is Tom’s patented mix of Jazz, Blues, Beat poetry, and anchored with those tales of dubious characters who don't normally get song lyrics.  He romanticizes and trivializes what Marx [no, not Groucho - Ed.] referred to as the Lumpenproletariat, whom are in precarious situations, that Tom is so adept at evocatively describing.


Opening the album is a cover of "Somewhere" from ‘West Side Story’, which in itself, was a brave move for Tom, it could easily have descended into parody in the hands of a lesser talent, but its hopeful/hopeless air is the perfect introduction and sets the tone for what follows on ‘Blue Valentine’.



If there's one track I would point to on the album that does so best, it would have to be ‘Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis’, which revolves around the contents of said Christmas card, and takes you on a rollercoaster ride before hitting you with an unexpected left turn.  Swaggering jazz numbers like the effortlessly cool ‘Romeo Is Bleeding’ are broken up with a few more tender moments, like the heartbreaking ‘Kentucky Avenue’ and the delicate title track.  "Wrong Side Of The Road" reads like the spirit of Macbeth's witches, have been relocated inside the pages of a pulp novel.

Tom & Rickie Lee

This album showcases Tom's exceptional ability to merge different musical styles, making it a standout work in his discography.  His gravelly voice adds a raw, emotional depth to each track, enhancing the overall impact of the album.  ‘Blue Valentine’ also marks the first appearance of the electric guitar in Tom's music, setting out the foundations for the more adventurous rock sound he would go on to pursue further on down the road.  'Blue Valentine' is so very classic Tom Waits material from start to finish.

The free load is a limited edition reissue, and part of Warner Music Japan's 40th anniversary reissue series, from 2010.   It was remastered by Isao Kikuchiuchi, and will make for a nice sonic upgrade if you already have 'Blue Valentine'.

For the freeload, post your favorite Tom Waits lyrics or quotes.

Billie Holiday - 'Perfect Complete Collection'

 

Billie Holiday's 'Perfect Complete Collection' is a 12CD boxed set, that had all of Billie's the known live recordings at the time of the set's release in 1993.  It was released by Sound Hills Records a Japanese bootleg/reissue/public domain label.

I picked this up at record fair here in Manhattan in 1995.  The box itself is beautiful, and is faux leather-bound, the audio ranges from very good to excellent, it has some very rare recordings, and a 28-page booklet (included in the freeload), in Japanese and English.

 

If you're a fan of Billie's, you need this in your collection.

For the freeload, tell us who are a few of your favorite female singers are.

Yusef Lateef - 'Eastern Sounds'

'Eastern Sounds' from 1962, is one of those albums that transcends its genre and becomes a timeless classic.  This is a stirring, meditative musical excursion of sound, that could be considered a precursor of the so-called "world music", or even a more nuanced, textured, and varied early new age recording, without the negative baggage of that now almost nearly forgotten musical genre.

Yusef had been exploring these kinds of sounds on previous albums as a leader, most notably on 'Prayer to the East' from 1957, but 'Eastern Sounds' brings together all the elements that make Lateef’s take on jazz sound work so well.  While the album starts off with the subtle swing of “The Plum Bossom” and readings of the love themes of the epic films 'Spartacus' composed by Alex North and 'The Robe' composed by Alfred Newman, it’s the other six tracks that reflect more of the contemplative side of this groundbreaking album.

Yusef is supported by the rhythm section of Barry Harris on piano, Lex Humphries on drums, and Ernie Farrow on bass. Farrow also plays rabat (spelled various other ways through history), which is a lute-like instrument that blends perfectly with Lateef’s work here on tenor saxophone, oboe, and especially the Chinese globular xun, which is a type of flute.

This is one of those jazz albums that can be appreciated by even non-jazz fans for its sheer beauty. It also is a must-have for any jazz fan.

For the freeload, tell us about an album you like that has multiple genres.

Sonny Rollins - 'The Complete RCA Victor Recordings'

 This 6CD set has all of Sonny's recordings for RCA, including the complete contents of 'The Bridge', 'What's New', 'Our Man In Jazz', 'Sonny Meets Hawk', 'Now's the Time' and 'The Standard Sonny Rollins', the three selections originally included in the sampler '3 for Jazz', and 11 alternate takes only previously released on the French album 'The Alternative Rollins'.

Less known than Rollins' earlier Prestige and Riverside records and the slightly later Impulse albums, his output for RCA was recorded right after he came back from an extended sabbatical. The music on 'The Bridge' (which co-stars guitarist Jim Hall) is the most famous of these dates.

Sonny became increasingly interested in the avant-garde during the era, and he used two of Ornette Coleman's sidemen (trumpeter Don Cherry and drummer Billy Higgins) in his group for a period.  On 'Sonny Meets Hawk', Sonny challenged his idol Coleman Hawkins by playing as outside as possible (Hawkins responded well).  

Other musicians heard on the recordings include bassists Bob Cranshaw, Ron Carter and Henry Grimes, drummers Ben Riley and Mickey Roker, pianists Paul Bley and Herbie Hancock and (on a couple of numbers) cornetist Thad Jones.  However, Sonny is the main star throughout the adventurous and sometimes eccentric performances, coming up with many remarkable ideas, often rollicking with a pianoless rhythm section and in two cases taking duets with the congas of Candido. 

 
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Charles Tolliver - 'Mosaic Select 20'

 

This is an interesting Mosaic set, in that these recordings were not owned by Blue Note or any of Capitol's subsidiaries; they are owned by Charles Tolliver, and originally appeared on the Strata East label which he co-founded with the pianist on these dates, Stanley Cowell.  Strata East was a musician's label that recorded some of the greatest jazz music of the 1970s and was well distributed. (Unfortunately, with very few exceptions -- and a real comment on the record industry here in the U.S. -- the only way to procure most Strata East recordings on CD these days is from Japan.)  Most of these sides were cut live at Slug's Saloon, a legendary, long gone spot on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in a space now occupied by a chic bakery.   Slug's Saloon was the go-to joint for musicians who were still developing the "new thing" after Coltrane, who played regularly and collaborated with one another.  Its audience was hip and sophisticated and deeply interested in music that was current.  Charles Tolliver himself went all out to find more of the music recorded on these dates, and there are six selections, roughly a full CD, of completely unreleased music from the Slug's gigs. 

This 3CD Mosaic box set features the music from two Charles Tolliver concerts. The first concert was recorded live at Sluggs Saloon, in New York on 5/1/70. This concert fetures, Tolliver (trumpet), Cecil McBee (bass) Stanley Cowell (piano), and Jimmy Hopps (drums). The second concert was recorded live in Tokyo 12/7/73.  This show features Tolliver, Cowell, Clifford Barbaro (drums), and Clint Houston (bass).  The sound quality is just phenomenal.  In particular, the bass could not sound better. The two concerts feature some of Tolliver's most creative and exciting songs, as well as some great songwriting by McBee and Cowell.  The first show features some of the best playing I've heard from bassist McBee.  Pianist Stanley Cowell, but he provides both some excellent songwriting and playing on these two shows.  The style of the music is 1960s post bop with a tinge of soul jazz, hard bop, and avant-garde.   It is fairly similar in style to the work Charles did on Jackie Mclean's blue note recordings.  To my ears, this is hands down the best recording, with Charles Tolliver listed as the leader.

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Thelonious Monk - 'The Complete Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection'

“The piano ain’t got no wrong notes.” – Thelonious Monk

In 2017, in honor of his centennial birthday, Craft Recordings released this limited-edition box set that includes all five of the 10-inch vinyl LPs Monk recorded for Prestige Records from 1952 to 1954.  Jacket design and LP labels have all been faithfully reproduced, while the original recordings have been carefully restored and remastered.  A new booklet contains a slew of liner notes courtesy of Monk biographer Robin D. G. Kelley.

In 1952 when Monk secured a contract with Prestige, he was living in dark times.  He had been arrested in August 1951 for dope possession, and took the rap for his friend Bud Powell, which resulted in the revoking of his cabaret card, which also resulted in a lack of any potential income-generating gigs in New York City.  The Prestige recordings offered him the opportunity to reach wider critical and commercial acceptance.

The simply titled 'Thelonious' was his first release for the label. It was recorded in October and December 1952, produced by Ira Gitler and featured Monk accompanied by bassist Gary Mapp and drummers Art Blakey (in the first session) and Max Roach (in the second session)
 

Track list:

1. Little Rootie Tootie
2. Sweet And Lovely
3. Bye-Ya
4. Monk's Dream
5. Trinkle, Tinkle
6. These Foolish Things
7. Bemsha Swing
8. Reflections

'Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows for LP' is the second LP. Accompanying Monk are, Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Julius Watkins on French horn, Percy Heath on Bass, and Willie Jones on drums.



Track list:

1. Friday The Thirteenth
2. Let's Call This
3. Think Of One

 

'Thelonious Monk Quintet' [Apparently Prestige didn’t seem interested in spending a lot of time on album titles - Ed.] is the third LP in the Prestige 10-inch set.  It was recorded in 1954 and features a lot more personnel shifts: Art Blakey is back behind the drum kit, Frank Foster replaces Rollins on tenor sax, Curly Russell plays bass, and Ray Copeland introduces the trumpet to the Monk Prestige sound.

Track list:

1. We See
2. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
3. Locomotive
4. Hackensack

'Thelonious Monk Plays' is the fourth LP, and it’s back to the trio format, with Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums.



Track list:

1. Work
2. Nutty
3. Blue Monk
4. Just A Gigolo

'Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk' is the final LP in the set. It was originally conceived as a Sonny Rollins album with bassist Tommy Potter, drummer Art Taylor and pianist Elmo Hope as sidemen, the situation quickly changed when Hope was arrested on dope charges and Monk was brought in to take his place.

Track list:

1. The Way You Look Tonight
2. I Want To Be Happy
3. More Than You Know

The entire five-LP set is one delightful treat after another, not just because you’re hearing an extremely innovative musician and composer like Thelonious Monk at one of his greatest creative peaks, but because this particular era – like so much of Monk’s output – has never quite been replicated by anyone since. 

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Jackie Mclean - 'One Step Beyond' (RVG Edition)

 

Jackie McLean was peaking in the mid-1960s when he recorded this scorching session.  In the liner notes to my original pressing, Jackie tells the charming story of mistaking Tony Williams for an enthusiastic young fan instead of the drummer on a pick-up gig he was playing in Boston.  Soon enough, Williams was under McLean's wing in New York, and, just as quickly, poached by Miles Davis.

Here, Tony Williams is spectacular; the intense interplay of cymbals and loosely tuned toms, the slowing of the beat (but not the rhythmic pulse) to comment on what the soloist is playing and the sheer forcefulness (like Elvin Jones or "Philly" Joe Jones) of his drumming.  His playing certainly inspires McLean, whose work is passionate, intense, brimming with ideas and characteristically economical.

It was also inspiring on McLean's part to substitute for a pianist, the vibraphone of Bobby Hutcherson, whom, not unlike Tony Williams, was also on the cusp of stardom.  The colors and timbres these two produce add enormously to this session.  This album also introduces trombonist Grachan Moncur, whose soloing, while technically limited, consists of punchy riffs and phrases.  McLean graciously ceded leadership of a companion date, 'Evolution', to Moncur. 

Though Jackie often said during this time period that he wanted to move in a freer direction, 'One Step Beyond' basically is hard bop, just with more reliance on blues derived scales and modes. Within this context, it's played brilliantly, and cooks.

'One Step Beyond' is rooted in the past, one foot in the present, and looking to a future that never fully came to be, it's one of the greats of the original run of post-bop albums.  Not really free, but there's a freedom here without a question.  McLean would see some surprise success off of this album, and for the next year worked extensively with Moncur and different variations of much the same band.  

Then Jackie was incarcerated for dope (once again), he served six months in prison and never quite re-captured the moment on his exceptional run of Blue Note's through 1967.  This was the one that broke it all and put it back together, though, and it belongs in every serious jazz collection.

Jackie McLean - Alto saxophone
Grachan Moncur III - Trombone
Bobby Hutcherson - Vibes
Eddie Khan - Bass
Tony Williams - Drums 

Produced by Alfred Lion, and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, on April 30, 1963

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