Listening Room – “Sunflower”
Milt Jackson - What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?
From "Sunflower" : 1972 : CTI 6024
Another CTI classic from the early 70's and although this one has a larger ensemble it still stays away from the over-produced commercialized sound the label would soon be putting out. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie Hancock are simply spectacular throughout, especially on the title track. Billy Cobham's drumming stays in the groove and the interplay between him and Milt Jackson is really happening. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life is a ballad shows off the skills that made Jackson a legend on the vibes and the string arrangements are for the most part tasteful and not over the top.
Players:
Milt Jackson - Vibes
Freddie Hubbard - Flugelhorn
George Marge - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, English Horn
Phil Bodner - Flute, Piccolo, English Horn
Romeo Penque - Oboe, English Horn
Herbie Hancock - Piano, Electric Piano
Jay Berliner - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Billy Cobham - Drums
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green,
Charles Libove, Joe Malin, David Nadien,
Gene Orloff & Elliot Rosoff - Violins
Charles McCracken, George Ricci
& Alan Shulman - Cellos
Margaret Ross - Harp
Don Sebesky - Arranger, Conductor
Listening Room (Repost) – “Keep Your Soul Together”
Freddie Hubbard -"Keep Your Soul Together"
Freddie Hubbard - "Destiny's Children"
From "Keep Your Soul Together" : 1973 : CTI Records 6036
Recently scored myself a pristine copy of this on vinyl and have been trying not to wear it out listening to it too much. Just an awesome album from start to finish, has to be counted among Hubbard's best moments in the studio.
Players:
Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet
Junior Cook - Tenor
George Cables - Keyboards
Aurell Ray - Guitar
Ron Carter - Bass
Kent Brinkley - Bass
Ralph Penland - Drums
Juno Lewis - Percussion
Listening Room – “Kenny Burrell (Prestige 7088)”
Kenny Burrell - "Don't Cry Baby"
Kenny Burrell - "Strictly Confidential"
From "Kenny Burrell" : 1957 : Prestige PRLP 7088
A nice early record from Kenny Burrell that showcases his laid-back style. The addition of Cecil Payne on Baritone Sax adds a nice unexpected flavor to the session and a young Elvin Jones shows why he would soon become one of the most revered drummers in the history of jazz. The opening track Don't Cry Baby is late 1950's cool jazz at its finest, while Bud Powell's Strictly Confidential and Burrell's own Perception allows the group to show off their impressive bop style chops.
Players:
Kenny Burrell - Guitar
Cecil Payne - Baritone Sax
Tommy Flanagan - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums
Listening Room – “Byrd In Flight”
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 – “Mind Transplant”
Alphonse Mouzon - "Mind Tranplant"
Alphonse Mouzon - "Happiness Is Loving You"
Alphonse Mouzon - "Golden Rainbows"
From "Mind Transplant" : 1974 : Blue Note BN-LA 398-G
This 1974 release from drummer Alphonse Mouzon is an undisputed classic of jazz-rock fusion. Mouzon was a founding member of two fusion monster groups: Weather Report in 1970 and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House a few years later. Besides Mouzon's revolutionary and highly influential jazz-rock drumming style, the other star from this session is the guitarist Tommy Bolin (who tragically died only a couple years later) whose guitar is on fire throughout the whole album. A must-own for any fan of jazz fusion when the genre was in its prime.
Players:
Jerry Peters - Electric Piano, Organ
Tommy Bolin - Guitar
Lee Ritenour - Guitar
Jay Graydon - Guitar
Henry Davis - Bass
Alphonse Mouzon - Drums, Vocoder, Synth, Electric Piano, Organ
Listening Room – “Mirage”
Art Farmer Quintet - "Barbados"
Art Farmer Quintet - "My Kinda Love"
From "Mirage" : 1982 : Soul Note 121046-2
A nice post-CTI recording from Art Farmer, who put together a killer group for the occasion. Clifford Jordan is in great form and a young Fred Hersch shows off the skills that would make him one of the great jazz pianists of his generation. The opening track Barbados and the title track nicely set up a hard bop tone for the rest of the album, while My Kind of Love throws in some stellar cool jazz to the proceedings.
Players:
Art Farmer - Flugelhorn
Clifford Jordan - Tenor Sax
Fred Hersch - Piano
Ray Drummond - Bass
Akira Tana - Drums
Listening Room – “Desperado”
From "Desperado" : 1970 : Prestige PR 7795
Joined by a group of relatively unknown players, Pat Martino brings his unique 12-string guitar sound to his final Prestige album. The album is an inventive mix of funk, post-bop and experimental jazz.
Players:
Pat Martino - 12 String Guitar
Eric Kloss - Alto Sax (on "Blackjack")
Eddie Greene - Electric Piano
Tyrone Brown - Electric Bass
Sherman Ferguson - Drums
Top Ten Jazz Albums of 2009
(#10) Charles Tolliver Big Band - "Emperor March" : 2009 : Halfnote
Charles Tolliver Big Band - "In The Trenches"
(#9) Joshua Redman - "Compass" : 2009 : Nonesuch
Joshua Redman - "Hutchhiker's Guide"
(#8) The Cory Weeds Quintet - "Everything's Coming Up Weeds" : 2009 : Cellar Live
The Cory Weeds Quintet - "Bailin' On Lou"
(#7) Gerald Clayton - "Two-Shade" : 2009 : Emarcy
Gerald Clayton - "One Two You"
(#6) Branford Marsalis Quartet - "Metamorphosen : 2009 : Marsalis Music
Branford Marsalis Quartet - "Sphere"
(#5) Denny Zeitlin Trio - "In Concert" : 2009 : Sunnyside
Denny Zeitlin Trio - "Prime Times"
(#4) Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets - "Echoes of Ethnicity" : 2009 : Owl Studios
Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets - "The Melting Pot"
(#3) Sean Jones - "The Search Within" : 2009 : Mack Avenue
(#2) Vijay Iyer Trio - "Historicity" : 2009 : ACT
Vijay Iyer Trio - "Smoke Stack"
(#1) Christian McBride & Inside Straight - "Kind of Brown" : 2009 : Mack Avenue
Listening Room – “Hells Bells”
From "Hells Bells" : 1980 (recorded 1975) : Strata-East SES 8002
A relatively obscure session from pianist John Hicks, this Strata-East recording was briefly released on CD before quickly going out of print. Besides Hicks' always amazing talent on the keys, the real star to me on this recording is bassist Clint Houston. Check out his virtuosity on the opening track Hell's Bell's as he weaves in and out of Hicks' and Barbaro's frenetic playing. On Yemenja, Houston begins by setting the melody of the track before the piano and drums come in and follow his lead. It's a shame that this trio didn't record together more.
Players:
John Hicks - Piano
Clint Houston - Bass
Cliff Barbaro - Drums
Listening Room – Expansions
From "Expansions" : 1968 : Blue Note BST 84338
A classic (but out-of-print) session from a post-Coltrane McCoy Tyner. With a group of all-star players - including Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, Gary Bartz and Ron Carter - this album deserves a wider audience. The album opens with Vision which fully showcases the soloing skills of all the players, with Carter's cello and Shaw's trumpet playing really standing out. Smitty's Place has a great enthusiastic feeling as the group bounces and swings with each other. Overall the record is a nice blend of the hard-bop and post-bop styles, with just the right amount of free-jazz and avant-garde elements to make the record a nice summation of Tyner's career up to this point and where it would soon be heading in just a few years with his outstanding albums of the 1970's.
Players:
McCoy Tyner - Piano
Woody Shaw - Trumpet
Gary Bartz - Alto Sax, Wooden Flute
Wayne Shorter - Tenor Sax, Clarinet
Ron Carter - Cello
Herbie Lewis - Bass
Freddie Waits - Drums
Top 5
- Listening Room - "Desperado"
- Listening Room - "Sunflower"
- Listening Room - "Byrd In Flight"
- Listening Room - "Mind Transplant"
- Gerald Clayton Trio at The Village Vanguard
Look Around
Recent Posts
- Listening Room – “Sunflower”
- Stan Getz – “Seven Steps to Heaven”
- Listening Room (Repost) – “Keep Your Soul Together”
- Miles Davis Quintet – “So What”
- New Gil Scott-Heron
- Listening Room – “Kenny Burrell (Prestige 7088)”
- Listening Room – “Byrd In Flight”
- Gerald Clayton Trio at The Village Vanguard
- Listening Room – “Mind Transplant”
- Listening Room – “Mirage”
Jazz Related Sites
- All Music Guide
- Dusty Groove
- emusic
- Jazz Discography Project
- My Favourite Sound
- My Jazz World
- Never Enough Rhodes
- The CTI Never Sleeps
Other Hip Sites
