Listening Room – “Byrd In Flight”

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Jazz Sermon

From “Byrd in Flight” : 1960 : Blue Note BLP 4048

A great example of the classic Blue Note hard bop sound, “Byrd in Flight” features some of the labels finest players from the early 1960′s joining Donald Byrd including Hank Mobley and Duke Pearson. For some reason this album is currently out of print, it was issued on CD in 1996 as part of the Blue Note Connoisseur Series but is no longer available. Enjoy!!

Players:
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Duke Pearson – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Lex Humphries – Drums

Listening Room – “Mustang!”

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Donald Byrd – Mustang

Donald Byrd – On The Trail

From “Mustang!” : 1966 : Blue Note BLP 4238

“Mustang!” is a straight ahead jazz session featuring some of the top horn players in the Blue Note stables at the time. Donald Byrd is joined by Hank Mobley and Sonny Red and all three play together wonderfully. Also sitting in on the session is McCoy Tyner, who adds some great piano lines to the hard bop mix. A refreshing record from 1966 that stays in the pocket while much of the jazz world was straying into free jazz and the avant-garde.

Players:
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Sonny Red – Alto Sax
McCoy Tyner – Piano
Walter Booker – Bass
Freddie Waits – Drums

Listening Room: “New Soil”

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

“New Soil” was the first Jackie McLean album released on Blue Note (although it wasn’t the first session he recorded for the label) and it firmly shows the roots of the classic recordings that would soon follow. Mostly bluesy, the music also stretches out a bit and featured two McLean originals and four (very good) tracks penned by the pianist Walter Davis, Jr. Donald Byrd sits in on the trumpet as does Paul Chambers on bass. All of McLean’s Blue Note albums are worth owning, and “New Soil” is no exception.

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Released 1959 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BLP 4013

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Walter Davis, Jr. – Piano
Paul Chambers – Bass
Pete LaRoca – Drums

Jackie McLean – Minor Apprehension from “New Soil”

Jackie McLean – Greasy from “New Soil”

Listening Room – “Blue Impressions”

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Simon666 over at neverenoughrhodes turned me on to this album posted over at Musical Schizophrenia. It is by DJ Mitsu The Beats and is a great mix of classic Blue Note tracks from the 1970′s (the CD is only available as a very expensive import, if you can find it at all). I have previewed a few tracks below, including a nice Roots remix of Montara. For fans of 70′s Blue Note and/or hip-hop, the whole album can be found here.

Bobby Hutcherson – Montara (Roots Remix) from “Blue Impressions”

Ronnie Foster – Tuesday Heartbreak from “Blue Impressions”

Donald Byrd – Think Twice from “Blue Impressions”

Lou Donaldson – Ode To Billie Joe from “Blue Impressions”

Listening Room – “10 to 4 at The Five Spot”

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

This 1958 Riverside date was recorded during this group’s two month stint at The 5 Spot and features some fantastic interplay between a group of upcoming players including a young Donald Byrd and Elvin Jones. The Long Two/Four and Hastings Street Bounce are prime examples of the Hard Bop sound that would become one of the most enduring styles in jazz.

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Released 1958 : Riverside Records : Catalog # RLP 12-265

Players:
Pepper Adams – Baritone Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Bobby Timmons – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Elvin Jones – Drums

Pepper Adams – The Long Two/Four from “10 to 4 at The Five Spot”

Pepper Adams – Hastings Street Bounce from “10 to 4 at The Five Spot”

Listening Room – “All Mornin’ Long”

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Red Garland – All Mornin’ Long

Red Garland – Our Delight

From “All Mornin’ Long” : 1958 : Prestige PRP-7130

This is from the same session that resulted in Garland’s “Soul Junction” (featured earlier on JS here). Featuring a 20 minute take of Garland’s All Mornin’ Long and a shorter version of Tadd Dameron’s Our Delight, this album captures a young Donald Byrd and John Coltrane in peak early form.

Players:
John Coltrane – Tenor Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Red Garland – Piano
George Joyner – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums

Listening Room – “Johnny Griffin Sextet”

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Johnny Griffin Sextet

Johnny Griffin – Johnny G.G.

Johnny Griffin – Catharsis

From “Johnny Griffin Sextet“: 1958 : Riverside RLP 12-274

More great Hard Bop, this album was actually Tenor Sax player Johnny Griffin’s debut on the Riverside Records label. Joined by some great talent, including Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams (who would soon have their own fruitful partnership), Griffin tackles some obscure compositions as well as one of his original tunes (Catharsis).

Players:
Johnny Griffin – Tenor Sax
Pepper Adams – Baritone Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Kenny Drew – Piano
Wilbur Ware – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

Listening Room – “4, 5 and 6″

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

4, 5 and 6

Jackie McLean – Abstraction

Jackie McLean – Confirmation

From “4,5 and 6” : 1956 : Prestige PRLP 7048

A bit of pre-Blue Note Jackie McLean, “4, 5 and 6″ was released in 1956 on Prestige Records. The title refers to the fact that McLean performs with a quartet, quintet and on one track (Confirmation) is joined by Hank Mobley to make the group a sextet. A great early Hard Bop session that just starts to hints at the classic records McLean would head up only a few years later.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Mal Waldron – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Art Taylor – Bass

Listening Room – “Lush Life”

Posted on February 14, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Lush Life

John Coltrane – “Lush Life”

John Coltrane – “Like Someone in Love”

From “Lush Life” : 1958 : Prestige Records

This is early Coltrane from 1958 when he was recording for Prestige Records. His reading of Lush Life is considered a classic and the trio tracks that make up the rest of the records are just as strong.

Players:
John Coltrane – Tenor Sax
Earl May – Bass (Like Someone in Love)
Art Taylor – Drums (Like Someone in Love)
Red Garland – Piano
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Paul Chambers – Bass
Louis Hayes – Drums

Listening Room – “Soul Junction”

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Red Garland – “Birk’s Works”

Red Garland – “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)”

From “Soul Junction” : 1957 : Prestige Records

Red Garland was just finishing up his stint with Miles Davis’ first great quintet when he recorded this 1957 album on the Prestige Records label. Coltrane and Donald Byrd are in great form as is the rest of the group while performing one Garland original (the title track) as well as standards of the day including Dizzy Gillespie’s “Birks Works” and Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).

Players:
Red Garland – Piano
John Coltrane – Tenor Sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
George Joyner – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums