OUVIVER [014] "Eclipse", Freddie Hubbard

OUVIVER [022] Stan Kenton "Abstraction"

OUVIVER [023] Ornette Coleman “Abstraction"

OUVIVER [025] “Solitude” with Ella Fitzgerald

Charles Mingus, Passions Of A Man, 1956-1961 (2)

Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). album by Charles Mingus was released Oct 28, 1997 on the Rhino label. Full Title: Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). CD music is a 6-disc set with 41 songs.
PASSIONS OF A MAN includes every album Mingus made during his first tenure at Atlantic Records. Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). songs These recordings include PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS, THE CLOWN, BLUES AND ROOTS, MINGUS AT ANTIBES, OH YEAH and TONIGHT AT NOON, a compilation of 1957 and 1961 sessions making its first CD appearance. Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). album Of the 6 disc set, the last disc is a 75-minute interview with producer Nesuhi Ertegun. ~Release

Disc 2 [TT 56:21]
The Clown (12:29)
Passions Of A Woman Loved (9:43)
Blue Cee (7:48)
Tonight At Noon (5:58)
Reincarnation Of A Lovebird (8:31)
Haitian Fight Song (11:57)


Personnel
Charles Mingus - bass, Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) - tenor sax, Jimmy Knepper - trombone, Wade Legge - piano, Dannie Richmond - drums, Jean 
Shepherd - improvised narration on 'The Clown'

Disc

Charles Mingus, Passions Of A Man, 1956-1961 (1)

Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). album by Charles Mingus was released Oct 28, 1997 on the Rhino label. Full Title: Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). CD music is a 6-disc set with 41 songs.
PASSIONS OF A MAN includes every album Mingus made during his first tenure at Atlantic Records. Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). songs These recordings include PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS, THE CLOWN, BLUES AND ROOTS, MINGUS AT ANTIBES, OH YEAH and TONIGHT AT NOON, a compilation of 1957 and 1961 sessions making its first CD appearance. Passions Of A Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1956-1961). album Of the 6 disc set, the last disc is a 75-minute interview with producer Nesuhi Ertegun. ~Release


Disc 1 [TT 61:38]
Pithecanthropus Erectus (10:33)
A Foggy Day (7:47) (George Gershwin)
Love Chant (14:56)
Profile Of Jackie (3:07)
Laura (4:52) (David Raskin)
When Your Lover Has Gone (2:27) (Einar Aaron Swan)
Just One Of Those Things (6:06) (Cole Porter)
Blue Greens (11:42) (Teddy Charles)


Disc 1, 1-4:
Charles Mingus - bass. Jackie McLean - alto sax, J.R. Monterose - tenor sax, Mal Waldron - piano, Willie Jones - drums
Disc 1, 5-8:
Teddy Charles - vibes, Hall Overton - piano, Charles Mingus - bass, Ed Shaughnessy - drums

Disc

Barb Jungr, Man in the Long Black Coat, 2011 (is not jazz, but... it's Bob Dylan)

Barb Jungr's first album of Dylan has become a cult classic and this album celebrating Dylan's 70th birthday is likely to become one too.  Jungr's superb interpretations of her musical hero combined with her unique vocal style and arrangements deliver a gorgeous performance on this compilation of Dylan songs. ~Release

1. Man in the Long Black Coat [04:17]
2. The Times They Are a-Changin’ [03:15]
3. It Ain’t Me Babe [04:07]
4. Just Like a Woman [05:33]
5. Like a Rolling Stone [06:08]
6. Trouble in Mind [04:31]
7. Tomorrow Is a Long Time [05:57]
8. High Water (For Charlie Patton) [06:03]
9. Sara [05:06]
10. Ballad of Hollis Brown [04:56]
11. Blind Willie McTell [04:10]
12. With God On Our Side [04:05]
13. I Shall Be Released [05:32]

Disc

Geri Allen, The Life of a Song, 2004

Life of a Song is Geri Allen's first recording under her own name in six long years. She teams with the rhythm section of bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette, whom she worked with on the late Betty Carter's stellar live date Feed the Fire in 1993. Allen composed eight of the album's 11 cuts, and the covers include Bud Powell's "Dance of the Infidels," Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," and Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes." This last selection is augmented by the participation of Marcus Belgrave on flugelhorn, saxophonist Dwight Andrews, and trombonist Clifton Anderson. The album's title reflects the depth of commitment to the song forms inherent in jazz. ~ Thom Jurek

Personnel
Geri Allen (piano), Dwight Andrews (saxophone), Dave Holland (double bass), Marcus Belgrave (flugelhorn), Clifton Anderson (trombone), Jack DeJohnette (drums)

Disc

Billy Cobham, Spectrum, 1973

Back in 1973, while still in the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham made a really wise business decision. He had some compositions he wanted played. Feeling they would be better appreciated outside of Mahavishnu, Billy gathered Jan Hammer and some other fine players and recorded one of fusion music's classic albums, Spectrum. Cobham's decision led to a very lucrative decade for him as the success of his first release laid the groundwork for several other well-received albums and tours.~ Walter Kolosky

Personnel
Billy Cobham - Drums (1-6) & Drums, Electronics (solos on '#.a'), Tommy Bolin - Guitar (1, 3.b, 4, 6.b), Jan Hammer - Electric piano, Moog synthesizer, Acoustic piano (not on 2.b) (1, 2.b, 3.b, 4, 5.b, 6.b), Lee Sklar - Bass guitar (1, 3.b, 4, 6.b), Joe Farrell - Soprano sax (2.b) & Alto sax (5.b), Jimmy Owens - Flugelhorn (2.b, 5.b) & Trumpet (5.b), John Tropea - Guitar (5.b), Ron Carter - Acoustic bass (2.b, 5.b), Ray Barretto - Congas (2.b, 5.b)

Disc

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, 
"Dancing On The Tables", 1979

Famous for his work as a teenager in Europe playing with veteran American greats, and for his many recordings as a sidemen with the veteran straight-ahead jazz all-stars for the Pablo label (including Oscar Peterson), bassist Niels Pedersen's own projects tend to be more modern than bop-oriented. Dancing on the Tables songs For this set, Pedersen's quartet includes three rather notable sidemen: the then fairly unknown guitarist John Scofield; drummer Billy Hart; and Dave Liebman on tenor, soprano, and alto flute. Dancing on the Tables album The bassist contributed four compositions, which are joined by a Danish folk song. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel
Dave Liebman - Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Alto]
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Bass
Billy Hart - Drums
John Scofield - Guitar

Disc

Geri Allen, "The Gathering", 1998

Geri Allen, a brilliant jazz pianist since the '80s, wrote all 11 pieces on this moody and atmospheric CD. Although not a major composer, her arrangements, and her use of colors overall, make the music quite haunting. The personnel varies from track to track and includes Allen, trumpeter Wallace Roney, trombonist Robin Eubanks, Dwight Andrews on bass clarinet, flutes and piccolo, guitarist Vernon Reid, Ralphe Armstrong and Buster Williams on basses, drummer Lenny White and percussionist Mino Cinelu. Allen, whose playing on this date sometimes is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock, always records music that grows in interest with each listen. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel
Geri Allen (piano); Vernon Reid (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Dwight Andrews (alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, reeds); Wallace Roney (trumpet, flugelhorn); Robin Eubanks (trombone); Lenny White (drums); Mino Cinelu (percussion)

Disc

Ben Wolfe, "No strangers here", 2007

No Strangers Here album by Ben Wolfe was released May 20, 2008 on the Max Jazz label. Bassist Ben Wolfe's resume as a sideman is extensive, having recorded with Harry Connick, Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Carl Allen, and many others. No Strangers Here songs But he is also a valuable leader and composer, as heard on his fifth CD. ~ Ken Dryden

Personnel
Ben Wolfe -  bass
Branford Marsalis - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Jeff "Tain" Watts - drums
Cyrus Beroukhim & Jesse Mills - violin
Terell Stafford - trumpet
Victor Goines - bass clarinet
Gregory Hutchinson
Luis Perdomo - piano
Wolfram Koessel - cello
Marcus Strickland & Kenji Bunch - viola

Disc

Marc Copland & John Abercrombie, Speak To Me, 2011

“Speak to Me" is the CD premiere of a duo that has actually been in existence for some time. The recordings with pianist Marc Copland and guitarist John Abercrombie are classic examples of the quiet, calm art of communication practiced at the highest level. The musical meeting of these two contemporary jazz maestros has a wonderfully organic feel. It is comparable to the finest chamber music. The pieces shimmer with multifarious shades and meanings. They are small sound sculptures of artful transience. This is music from two of the most insightful players of jazz. ~ Release

                    #

"This is an album of sensitive touch and softly rippling atmosphere, but its core is durably clear." ~ Nate Chinen, New York Times

Personnel

Marc Copland piano, John Abercrombie guitar

Tracks

Left Behind (Marc Copland & John Abercrombi)

Speak to Me (Marc Copland & John Abercrombie)

Seven (Marc Copland & John Abercrombie)

If I Should Lose You (Ralph Rainger)

Blues Connotation (Ornette Coleman)

So Long (Marc Copland & John Abercrombie)

Falling Again (Marc Copland & John Abercrombie)

Talking Blues (Marc Copland & John Abercrombie)

Witchcraft (Cy Coleman)

Disc

Kenny Wheeler, The Widow In The Window, 1990

Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (born 14 January 1930, Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s. Most of his output is rooted in jazz, but he has also been active in free improvisation and has occasionally contributed to rock music recordings. Wheeler has written over one hundred compositions and is a skilled arranger for small groups and larger ensembles.

He has recorded twenty albums as a leader, and has recorded or performed with Paul Gonsalves, Dave Holland, John Taylor and Norma Winstone (as Azimuth), Anthony Braxton, Lee Konitz, Keith Jarrett, Theo Jörgensmann Quartet, David Sylvian, Bill Bruford, Steve Coleman, Don Thompson, Spiritualized and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, among others.


Personnel
Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Taylor (piano); John Abercrombie (guitar); Dave Holland (acoustic bass); Peter Erskine (drums)

Tracks

Aspire

Ma Belle Hélène

The Widow In The Window

Ana

Hotel Le Hot

Now, And Now Again

All compositions by Kenny Wheeler

Disc

Charlie Haden, "Not In Our Name", 2005

With a cover that directly references bassist Charlie Haden's first recording under his own name, 1969's LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA, this 2005 album features an updated version of the LMO ensemble. As on the earlier disc, the spirit here is one of peaceful protest; while the former outing was in reaction to the Vietnam War, this record takes the George W. Bush administration to task, especially regarding the war in Iraq. Pianist Carla Bley is the only returning member of the original LMO. As before, she proves to be a triple threat with her dexterous playing, intuitive conducting, and inventive arrangements. ~ Release


Arranger: Carla Bley. Personnel: Charlie Haden (bass instrument); Michael Rodriguez , Michael Rodriguez (trumpet); Steve Cardenas (guitar); Miguel Zenón (alto saxophone); Chris Cheek, Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone); Seneca Black (trumpet); Ahnee Sharon Freeman (French horn); Curtis Fowlkes (trombone); Joe Daley Trio (tuba); Carla Bley (piano); Matt Wilson (drums).

Tracks
1 Not In Our Name (Haden) 6:21
2 This Is Not America (Bowie, Mays, Metheny) 6:39
3 Blue Anthem (Bley) 7:49
4 America the Beautiful (Medley) (Bates, Ward) 16:54
5 Amazing Grace (Newton, Traditional) 7:12
6 Goin' Home (from Dvorak's New World Sym.) 7:49
7 Throughout (Frisell) 8:55
8 Adagio (from Barber's Adagio For Strings) 7:20

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 15

This is the last album of a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career of oneof the greatest jazz drummers

2011 Paul Motian - The Windmills Of Your Mind
“This is drums giant Paul Motian's 80th birthday album – though for a legend who helped reinvent ensemble improv with visionaries such as Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, it might sound like a pipe-and-slippers decision to hook it on such over-exercised tunes as the title, Tennessee Waltz and Let's Face the Music and Dance.
“But Motian enlists Bill Frisell on guitar and Thomas Morgan on bass to turn the usual glides and smooches of these songs into a lurching, spontaneously contrapuntal undertow, in which the rhythm lies as much in what's not being played as what is.
“But over that, Motian has cannily placed the limpid, quietly evocative voice of Charlie Haden's vocalist daughter Petra – an artist more usually associated with alt-rock and a capella work.
“Haden imaginatively inhabits these songs, delivering a definitively unvarnished version of the title track over Motian's snuffling brushwork and Morgan's huge bass sound, and unfolding tenderly revealing accounts of Easy Living and I Loves You Porgy. But hearing this inimitably eccentric instrumental trio chime, boom and lurch through Let's Face the Music and Dance is perhaps the real piece de resistance.” ~John Fordham, Guardian UK  4 stars
Personnel
Paul Motian: drums; Bill Frisell: electric guitar; Petra Haden: vocals; Thomas Morgan: bass.
Track listing
1. Introduction (1) [Paul Motian]
2. Tennessee Waltz [Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart]
3. The Windmills Of Your Mind [Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman]
4. Let’s Face The Music And Dance [Irving Berlin]
5. Lover Man [Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, James Sherman]
6. It’s Been A Long, Long Time [Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn]
7. Little Foot [Paul Motian]
8. Easy Living [Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin]
9. I’ve Got A Crush On You [George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin]
10. Backup [Paul Motian]
11. I Loves You Porgy [George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin]
12. Trieste [Paul Motian]
13. If I Could Be With You [James Johnson, Henry Creamer]
14. Wednesday’s Gone [Paul Motian]
15. I Remember You [Victor Schertzinger, Johnny Mercer]
16. Introduction (2) [Paul Motian ]
Recorded at Sear Sound, New York City, USA, September 2010. Paul Motian died two months later.
So Many Musicians Inspired by Paul Motian: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/arts/music/jazz-records-inspired-by-paul-motian.html
Disc

Elomar - Na Quadrada Das Águas Perdidas

Another unusual post here at the blog, but I find Elomar's work at the top of the cream. Its melodic lines are mindblogging, his harmonic cadences are constructed in a an almost baroque fashion with much joy, incredibly creative, just plain beautiful. One of the last safe guards of our cultural heritage. You don't need to understand what he is saying to get touched by it. Do not miss.


Vocals and classical guitar: Elomar
Flute: Elena Rodrigues
Classical guitar and Charango: Dércio Marques
Vocals: Dércio Marques, Xangai e Carlos Pita


Disc

Beethoven - Last Piano Sonatas with Friedrich Gulda

I had to post this here, because I want you to listen to the jazz inside Beethoven's last sonatas, specially in his last of the last. Comment if I'm wrong.

I must have heard all of Beethoven's piano sonatas (and yet have not found no match for Gulda's interpretation) at least 100 times, and I can say that it's all there. All of the sentiment in music, the power, the joy, the laugh, the suffering, the pause, the voices... it's all there. I think that if an alien came to earth and asked me: "show me what have you people created in terms of music", I would present Beethoven's piano sonatas. "Mr Alien, there are a lot of other good things, very fine things, but if you take this home you will be satisfied. All of our music is here, the rest is lesser."


Disc




(I strongly recommend you to get all of his piano sonatas, easily found on the internet. And take my word, there is no match for Gulda, don't even bother getting another one.)

Greg Osby & Andrew Hill - The Invisible Hand

& Jim Hall & Scott Colley! (plus Terri Lyne Carrington and Gary Thomas). !




This album gives me shivers. See it for yourself... 




Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 14

This album is the fourteenth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest jazz drummers

2011 Lee Konitz - Live at Birdland (with Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden & Paul Motion)

"A quartet of master musicians and a programme of jazz classics. “Live at Birdland” presents the finest moments from two inspired nights at New York’s legendary club, as Konitz, Mehldau, Haden and Motian play “Lover Man”, “Lullaby Of Birdland”, “Solar”, “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “You Stepped Out Of A Dream” and “Oleo” with freedom, tenderness, and a love of melody that only jazz’s greatest improvisers can propose." Release
"The older guys sound great, if ultra laid-back, wending their way dreamily through six standards..." Down Beat
"These masters couldn't be better suited philosophically....Mehldau shares the group's reverence for standards and the notion that 'free' can be soft, slow, smart, subtle and sophisticated." JazzTimes
"The quartet's set consists of six jazz standards, all beautifully rendered, benefitting from almost 300 years-worth of musical experience." Mojo, 4 stars out of 5

Personnel
Lee Konitz: alto saxphone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Charlie Haden: double-bass; Paul Motian: drums

Track listing
1 Lover Man - Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Sherman, Roger Ramirez 12:05
2 Lullaby Of Birdland - George Shearing - 10:16
3 Solar - Miles Davis 11:39
4 I Fall In Love Too Easily - Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn* 10:17
5 You Stepped Out Of A Dream - Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown 11:49
6 Oleo - Sonny Rollins

Disc

Modern Jazz Quartet, "Piramid"

This is a strong recording from the Modern Jazz Quartet, with inventive versions of John Lewis' "Vendome," Ray Brown's "Pyramid," Jim Hall's "Romaine," and Lewis' famous "Django," along with cooking jams on "How High the Moon" and "It Don't Mean a Thing." The MJQ had become a jazz institution by this time, but they never lost their creative edge, and their performances (even on the remakes) are quite stimulating, enthusiastic, and fresh. ~Scott Yanow

Modern Jazz Quartet, MJQ
Milt Jackson (vibraphone), John Lewis (piano, musical director), Percy Heath (double bass) and Connie Kay (drums)

Tracks
1 Vendome (John Lewis) 2:30
2 Pyramid (Blues for Junior) (Ray Brown) 10:46
3 It Don't Mean a Thing (If ItAin't Got That Swing) (Ellington, Mills) 5:02
4 Django (John Lewis) 5:23
5 How High the Moon (Hamilton, Lewis) 6:15
6 Romaine (Jim Hall) 7:28

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 13

This album is the thirteenth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career ofone of the greatest jazz drummers

2006 Marc Copland – Voices - Trio Recording (with Gary Peacock & Paul Motian)

"Peacock's Runner is one of the finest group performances I've heard in a long time. These are fine albums both, that will grow in stature." Jazzwise (UK), 2008"One of the most original pianists in jazz...harmonically he's unlike anyone else. This marvelous trio is fresh, assured and independently minded."/Irish Times, 2007"A trio of jazz heavyweights... Voices” goes a long way in cementing this musician's place in the jazz world as one of the best contemporary pianists of our time."/ejazznews.com 2008

Personnel
Marc Copland piano; Gary Peacock bass; Paul Motian drums

Track listing
1. Vignette (G. Peacock) 6:11
2. Albert (G. Peacock)  3:41
3. River's rum (M. Copland) 6:40
4. Voices (M. Copland)  7:41
5. Runner (G. Peacock)  7:25
6. That's it ? (G. Peacock)  2:49
7. All blues ((M. Davis)  5:35
8. At night (M. Copland) 8:43

Disc

The Trumpet Kings Meet Joe Turner

This album features a most unusual session. Veteran blues singer Joe Turner and his usual rhythm section of the mid-'70s (which includes guitarist Pee Wee Crayton) are joined by four notable trumpeters: Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Clark Terry. On three blues (including the 15-minute "I Know You Love Me Baby") and "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do," the group stretches out with each of the trumpeters getting ample solo space. It is not a classic outing (a little more planning and better material might have helped), but it is colorful and unique enough to be easily recommended to straight-ahead jazz and blues fans. ~ Scott Yanow


Personnel
Big Joe Turner (vocals); Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Clark Terry (trumpet); Jimmy Robbins (piano); Pee Wee Crayton (guitar); Charles Norris (bass); Washington Rucker (drums).


Tracks
1 Mornin', Noon and Night (Joe Turner)
2 I Know You Love Me Baby (Joe Turner)
3 T.V Momma (Joe Turner)
4 T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do (Grainger, Prince, Williams)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 12

This album is the twelfth in a series of 15, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

2005 Paul Motian -  I Have the Room Above Her 

"The sum total of the nuanced, elliptical lyricism at the heart of Paul Motian's compositional method can be heard in the opening seconds of "Osmosis Part III," the first track from I Have the Room Above Her. Recorded for ECM -- with producer Manfred Eicher, guitarist Bill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano -- this date is Motian's first as a leader for the label in more than 20 years. This is the same team that recorded the seminal album It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago in 1984. At that time, Lovano and Frisell were just beginning to establish themselves as bandleaders though they" ~ Thom Jurek

Personnel
Paul Motian: drums; Bill Frisell: guitar; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone.

Track listing
Osmosis Part III
Sketches
Odd Man Out
Shadows
I have the room above her - Hammerstein, Kern
Osmosis part I
Dance
Harmony
The Riot Act
The Bag Man
One In Thre
All compositons by Paul Motian, except as indicated

Disc

Paul Bley, "Introducing Paul Bley with Charles Mingus and Art Blakey"

Paul Bley was 21 years old when he recorded his first album in 1953. With Art Blakey on drums and Charles Mingus on bass (it was originally released on his Debut Records label), this finds Bley still working within the framework of bebop. This CD reissue adds four extra tracks and the alternate take it includes of Bley's own "Opus 1" is fascinating for what it reveals. In his soloing -- different on each of the two takes -- he can be heard using forceful but brief melodic fragments with little harmonic embellishment. He's continued to explore those possibilities on through the decades. However, it is remarkable to notice here, at the beginning of the young pianist's career, to hear Bley stepping out of the confines of the genre and to witness the development of his distinctive individual voice. ~ Release

Personnel
Paul Bley (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Art Blakey (drums)

Track listing
1. OPUS 1 (Paul Bley)
2. OPUS 1 (alternate taeke)
3. (Teapot) Walkin' (Richard Carpenter)
4. Like Someone in Love (Burke - Van Heusen)
5. Spontaneous Combustion (Paul Bley)
6. Split Kick (Horace Silver)
7. I Can't Get Started (Duke Gershwin)
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Gillespie - Coots)
9. The Theme (writer unknown)
10. This Time the Dream's on Me (Arlen - Mercer)
11. Zootcase (Jack Sims)

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 11

This is the eleventh album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz

2001 - Marilyn Crispell - Amaryllis (with Paul Motian & Gary Peacock)

“Breaking with free-jazz tradition that equates creativity with velocity, pianist Marilyn Crispell carves chords into silence on this trio session with the patient deliberation of a monk planting stones in a Zen garden. The pedigree of her bandmates is impeccable: drummer Paul Motian embarked on his career playing with Bill Evans, and Gary Peacock has held forth in the influential Keith Jarrett Trio since 1977. Majestic and quietly affirming, "Amaryllis" blends Crispell's interpretations of landmark Peacock and Motian tunes "Conception Vessel" and "Voice from the Past" with group improvisations so telepathic they sound composed. Crispell and her bandmates plumb the sacramental stillness of the classic Evans trios with an angularity and poise that is all their own.”  Stephen Silberman, writer, Wired Magazine

Personnel
Marilyn Crispell: piano; Gary Peacock: bass; Paul Motian: drums.

Track listing
1. Voice From the Past - Peacock - 5:56
2. Amaryllis -  Crispell 3:35
3. Requiem - Peacock 4:45
4. Conception Vessel/Circle Dance - Motian 5:38
5. Voices – Motian 4:32
6. December Greenwings - Peacock 4:11
7. Silence - Crispell 3:20
8. M.E. - Motian 5:18
9. Rounds - Crispell 4:08
10. Avatar - Crispell 4:18
11. Morpion - Motian 3:34
12. Prayer – Weiss  5:42

Disc

Dave Holland Octet, "Pathways", 2010

Pathways marks the recording debut of the Dave Holland Octet and the fourth album to be released on Dave's own Dare2 label.  The album was recorded live at New York City's Birdland jazz club. Holland returned to New York’s Birdland - the site ofExtended Play, his last live album - to record this latest effort. ~ Release

Personnel

Antonio Hart (Alto Sax and Flute), Chris Potter (Tenor Sax and Soprano Sax), Gary Smulyan (Baritone Sax), Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), Robin Eubanks (Trombone), Steve Nelson (Vibraphone and Marimba), Dave Holland (bass), Nate Smith (drums)

Tracks

1. Pathways (Dave Holland) 10:46

2. How's Never? (Dave Holland) 13:03

3. Sea of Marmara (Chris Potter) 9:02

4. Ebb and Flow (Dave Holland) 10:48

5. Blue Jean (Dave Holland) 7:28

6. Wind Dance (Alex Sipigian) 9:10

7. Shadow Dance (Dave Holland) 15:06

Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 10

This is the tenth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1994 Paul Motian - Reincarnation Of A Love Bird


The Electric Bebop Band is a very different ensemble on its second album than it was on the first. Apart from drummer and bandleader Paul Motian, the only member remaining from the debut is guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel; the place of his erstwhile counterpart Brad Schoeppach has been taken by Wolfgang Muthspiel, while saxman Joshua Redman has been replaced by two new players, Chris Potter and Chris Creek. Bassist Stomu Takeishi is gone, his slot occupied by new jazz elder statesman Steve Swallow. In addition to all of these changes, Don Alias is now supplementing the groove on percussion. But while these personnel changes have made a marked difference in the ensemble' s sound (which is a bit more refined this time out), Motian's approach remains the same: take familiar jazz standards and present them in the context of an electrified group in which guitars play a central role. In this case the songs include numbers by Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Charlie Parker, as well as originals from Motian and Muthspiel. On Monk's "Skippy," the guitars take the lead, playing an extended intro before everyone chimes in for the head proper; Swallow's astringent bass sound and creative walking line are especially noteworthy. The group's rendition of "Ornithology" seems strangely bloodless, but they do themselves proud on Miles Davis's "Half-Nelson" and on a joyfully headlong version of Gillespie's archetypal "Be-Bop." The element of surprise that charged the proceedings on the debut is missing this time, but this is still a very fine album overall. ~ Rick Anderson


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums, percussion); Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar, electric guitar); Wolfgang Muthspiel (guitar); Chris Potter (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone); Don Alias (percussion).


Track Listing
1 Split Decision (Paul Motian) 5:38
2 Half-nelson (Miles Davis) 3:52
3 Ask Me How (Thelonious Monk) 3:41
4 Reincarnation Of A Love Bird (Charles Mingus) 6:29
5 Skippy (Thelonious Monk) 3:38
6 2 Bass Hit (Dizzy Gillespie) 4:07
7 Waseenonet (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 7:00
8 Ornithology (Charlie Parker) 4:28
9 'Round Midnight (Bernie Hanighen, Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk) 6:55
10 Be-bop (Dizzy Gillespie) 3:58
11 Split Decision (Paul Motian) 5:38


Disc

The Mercury Records Jazz Story

Mercury's jazz division had two distinct and important fathers. John Hammond brought his expertise and connections when Mercury bought Keystone Records in the late 1940's. And Mercury was the issuing company and distributor for Norman Granz's pre-Norgran/Verve recordings. Although both Hammond and Granz had departed Mercury by the mid-50's, they established the company in the jazz world.
Mercury, under its Emarcy label, released LPs by many important post-swing and bebop artists including Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Clark Terry, Dinah Washington, Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughn, Maynard Ferguson, Jimmy Cleveland, Herb Geller and others. By the early 1960's, Mercury was releasing jazz under the flagship label and was an early leader in the new stereo sound releases.
Highlights of the early and mid-60's included albums by Quincy Jones, Buddy Rich, Cannonball Adderley, Charles (then called Charlie) Mingus, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Max Roach and others.
In the early 1950's, Norman Granz started his own record company, Norgran, which later became Verve. In an ironic twist, both Mercury and Verve are now owned by Universal Music Group and Mercury's jazz library falls under the Verve division. Since the early 1990's, Verve has reissued many Mercury jazz titles on CD, often taking care to use original master tapes and including session material not included on the original LPs.
In addition, Mosaic Records in Stamford CT has issued several box sets spotlighting the Mercury and Verve recordings of various artists including Max Roach, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Buddy Rich. (en.wikipedia.org)


Compilation supervised by Michael Lang; Selected and sequenced by Dan Morgenstern; Researched by Ben Young; Mastered by Steven Fallone at PolyGram Studios; Notes edited by Peter Pullman



Tracklist, CD.1
01. Idaho / Gene Ammons (2:51)
02. Feather Brain / Muggsy Spanier (2:52)
03. I Cried for You / Dinah Washington (2:27)
04. I'll Always Be in Love with You / Paul Quinichette (3:01)
05. The Iron Hat / Ben Webster (2:57)
06. Don't Blame Me / Paul Gonsalves (3:18)
07. Eleanor / Art Blakey (2:54)
08. Moroccan Blues / Art Mardigan (3:05)
09. 'S Wonderful / Helen Merrill (3:12)
10. I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter / Erroll Garner (2:20)
11. Demanton / Gerry Mulligan (5:36)
12. Flossie Lou / Clifford Brown & Max Roach (4:02)
13. Love Letters / Max Roach (8:55)
14. Hoppin' John / Cannonball Adderley (4:38)
15. My Old Flame / Max Roach (3:36)
16. Three Little Words / Sarah Vaughan (3:43)
17. I Hadn't Anyone till You / Eddie South (3:32)
18. Weaver of Dreams / John Coltrane (5:35)
19. Willow Weep for Me / Conte & Pete Candoli (4:30)
20. (Back Home Again in) Indiana / Buddy Rich (3:18)


Tracklist, CD.2
01. Take the "A" Train - Exactly Like You / Charles Mingus (3:36)
02. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set / Quincy Jones (4:34)
03. Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxophones / Al Cohn & Zoot Sims (2:26)
04. I Can't Get Started / Coleman Hawkins & Sol Yaged (4:30)
05. Struttin' with Some Barbecue / Pete Rugolo (2:25)
06. Sugar (That Sugar Baby o' Mine) / George Wein (4:37)
07. Scrapple from the Apple / Buddy DeFranco (4:47)
08. Mood Indigo / Julius Watkins (3:03)
09. The Big Cat / Terry Gibbs (4:28)
10. 3-in-1 Without the Oil / Roland Kirk (2:33)
11. Raincheck / Art Farmer (3:40)
12. Washboard Blues / Art Hodes & Truck Parham (2:38)
13. El Toro Grande / Woody Herman (4:59)
14. Squeaky's Blues / Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry (3:28)
15. Waltz for Ruth / Art Blakey (3:28)
16. Blues for Bird / Lee Konitz (5:41)
17. Groovin' High / Dizzy Gillespie (6:04)
18. Kid Dynamite / Paul Bley (3:13)
19. Sometimes I'm Happy / Jimmy Smith (4:47)


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 9

This is the ninth album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1992 Paul Motian - On Broadway, Vol. 3 


"Paul Motian's ON BROADWAY VOL. 3--which includes takes on standards like Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" and Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean"-- is sophisticated post-bop jazz. But that's a simplistic assessment, as the sensitivity, nuance, and subtle experimentalism of the musicianship make this a case study in contemporary jazz of the first order. While melody is often paramount, and there are none of the cacophonous squawks usually associated with avant jazz, the musicians play off each other with edgy precision, creating swirling rhythms within rhythms, upending harmonic possibilities, and rooting through phrases to find their hidden secrets.
"That the ensemble is able to balance these two extremes--the "straight" and the experimental--so perfectly is no surprise given that the musicians are giants in the genre. Guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden, and saxophonists Joe Lovano and Lee Konitz display such a deep structural understanding of this music and such a stunning group telepathy that they completely reinvent these old chestnuts. Motian's abstract conception of time (nicely heard in his ethereal cymbal patterns) and Frisell's shimmering guitar keeps this masterful set miles removed from a standard bop date, as do Lovano and Konitz's solos." Sigma Sounds


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums); Paul Motian; Charlie Haden (double bass); Bill Frisell (guitar); Lee Konitz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone).


Track listing
1 "How Deep Is the Ocean?" (Irving Berlin) - 6:49
2 "I Wish I Knew" (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) - 6:40
3 "Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter) - 6:12
4 "Crazy She Calls Me" (Bob Russell, Carl Sigman) - 4:15
5 "Tico Tico" (Zequinha de Abreu) - 2:44
6 "Weaver of Dreams" (Jack Elliott, Victor Young) - 6:56
7 "The Way You Look Tonight" (Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern) - 5:18
8 "Handful of Stars" (Jack Lawrence, Ted Shapiro) - 6:42
9 "Pennies From Heaven" (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke) - 5:20
10 "Skylark" (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) - 5:00
Attention to "Tico-Tico" by Zequinha de Abreu, Brazilian compositor


Disc

Andrew Hill - Black Fire

Andrew's.

All compositons by Andrew Hill

1. "Pumpkin'" – 5:24
2. "Subterfuge" – 8:04
3. "Black Fire" – 6:56
4. "Cantarnos" – 5:42
5. "Tired Trade" – 5:51
6. "McNeil Island" – 2:58
7. "Land of Nod" – 5:48

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

8. "Pumpkin'" [Alternate Take] - 5:16
9. "Black Fire" [Alternate Take] - 5:48

Andrew Hill – piano
Joe Henderson – saxophone
Richard Davis – bass
Roy Haynes – drums

DISC

Freddie Hubbard, "First Light"

Of the seminal recordings Hubbard made at Van Gelder studios for CTI in the early '70s, FIRST LIGHT was the trumpet player's favorite. Here it is, digitally re-mastered and re-released on CBS Associated. All the earmarks of Creed Taylor's production style are immediately apparent-the expanded instrumentation (including French horn, strings, and even harp), the jazz-fusion charged rhythm section, and the beautifully clean sound he achieved in the studio. FIRST LIGHT won a Grammy in '71 and solidified Hubbard's already formidable status among the greats of jazz trumpeting. ~ Release
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey from September 14-16, 1971. 


Personel
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Benson (guitar); Margaret Ross (harp); Tosha Samaroff, Harold Kohon, David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Gene Orloff, Irving Spice, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Joe Malin (violin); Alfred Brown , Emanuel Vardi (viola); Charles McCracken , George Ricci (cello); Romeo Penque (flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn); George Marge (flute, clarinet); Wally Kane (flute, bassoon); Hubert Laws (flute); Jane Taylor (bassoon); James Buffington, Ray Alonge (French horn); Richard Wyands (piano); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Airto Moreira (percussion)


Tracks
1.  First Light (Freddie Hubbard) 11:08 
2.  Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney) 8:19 
3.  Moment to Moment (Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer) 5:45 
4.  Yesterday's Dreams (Don Sebesky/Norman Martin) 3:58 
5.  Lonely Town (From 'On The Town') (Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden/Adolph Green) 7:02 
6.  Fantasy In D (Cedar Walton) 6:55 


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 8

This is the eighty album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1989 Paul Motian - On Broadway, Vol. 2 

"The quartet of tenorman Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian digs into nine show tunes from the 1930s and 40s, reinventing them in colorful fashion. The key to the rewarding project is Frisell, whose versatility and wide range of highly original sounds make the overall results sound quite unique. Among the highlights of the memorable set are unusual versions of "Liza," "They Didn't Believe Me" and "Last Night When We Were Young." ~ Scott Yanow / Wikipedia
Recorded at RPM Studios, New York, New York in November 1988.


Personnel
Paul Motian (drums);  Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); Bill Frisell (electric guitar); Charlie Haden (bass).


Track listing
1. "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" (Gershwin, Gershwin, Kahn) - 4:31
2. "Over the Rainbow" (Arlen, Harburg) - 3:14
3. "They Didn't Believe Me" (Kern, Reynolds, Rourke) - 4:20
4. "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Porter) - 4:55. 
5. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (Porter) - 4:54
6. "Last Night When We Were Young" (Arlen, Harburg) - 5:20
7. "I Concentrate on You" (Porter) - 3:14
8. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Gershwin, Gershwin) - 9:20
9. "So in Love" (Porter) - 4:05


Disc

Django Reinhardt, "All Star Sessions"

With the noted exception of Stephane Grappelli, Django was such a guitar marvel that he usually left his fellow musicians in the dust. Here, the Gypsy jazz giant is joined by an incredible roster of American talent who can keep up with him: Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, and a ream of Ellington sidemen are on board to frame Django beautifully. ~Release


Personnel
Django Reinhart (guitar); Benny Carter (alto saxophone, trumpet); Andre Ekyan, Fletcher Allen, Charles Lisee (alto saxophone); Bertie King (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Coleman Hawkins, Alix Combelle (tenor saxophone); Arthur Briggs, Noel Chiboust, Pierre Allier (trumpet); Rex Stewart (cornet); Guy Pacquinet (trombone); Barney Bigard (clarinet, drums); Stephane Grappelli, Yorke De Souza (piano); Billy Taylor, Eugene S'Hellemmes (bass); Tommy Benford, Maurice Chailloux (drums).


Track List
1. Montmartre (django's Jump) - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
2. Low Cotton -05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
3. Finesse - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
4. I Know That You Know - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
5. Solid Old Man - 05 Apr 1935, w/ Rex Stewart and His Feetwarmers
6. Honeysuckle Rose - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
7. Crazy Rhythm - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
8. Out Of Nowhere - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
9. Sweet Georgia Brown - 28 Apr 1937, w/ Coleman Hawkins and His All-Star Ja 6. m Band 
10. I'm Coming, Virginia - 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
11. Farewell Blues - 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
12. Blue Light Blues 07 Mar 1938, Benny Carter and His Orchestra
13. Blue Moon -  02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
14. Avalon - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
15. What A Difference A Day Makes - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra
16. Star Dust - 02 mar 1935, Coleman Hawkins w/ Michel Warlop and 13. His Orchestra


Disc

TRIBUTE TO PAUL MOTIAN (1931 - 2011) 7

This is the seventh album of a 15 series, giving a beautiful view of the career of one of the greatest drummers in jazz


1986 Paul Motian - Misterioso 


Misterioso is the third album by Paul Motian on the Italian Soul Note label. It was released in 1987 and features performances by Motian with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano, along with Ed Schuller and Jim Pepper.
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Although often overlooked, drummer Paul Motian led one of the most inventive jazz bands of the mid-1980s. His quintet, which featured the tenors of Joe Lovano and Jim Pepper, guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Ed Schuller, could play anything from swinging advanced hard bop and Ornette Coleman-type free bop to spacier improvising. An underrated composer, Motian contributed seven of the nine numbers for this date; the quintet also performs Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso" and "Pannonica." Frisell is featured on "Byablue" (which had earlier been recorded by Keith Jarrett); the two tenors (Pepper doubled on soprano) work together quite well, and the band definitely had its own sound. Of its three recordings, this is a strong one to start with. ~ Wikipedia


Personel
Paul Motian - drums; Bill Frisell - electric guitar; Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone; Jim Pepper - tenor and soprano saxophones; Ed Schuller - bass


Track listing
1."Misterioso" (Monk) - 6:50
2."Abacus" - 3:30
3."Once Around the Park" - 6:48
4."Gang of Five" - 4:28
5."Pannonica" (Monk) - 3:45
6."Folk Song for Rosie" - 5:08
7."Byablue" - 2:20
8."Dance" - 10:14
9."Johnny Broken Wing" - 2:12
All compositions by Paul Motian except as indicated


Disc