Freddie Hubbard - Bolivia (1991)

1.Homegrown

2.Bolivia

3.God Bless The Child

4.Dear John

5.Managua

6.Third World.

Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Vicent Herring - Alto & Soprano Sax

Billy Higgins - Drums

Ralph Moore - Soprano & Tenor Sax

Cedar Walton - Piano

Giovanni Hidalgo - Congas

David Williams - Bass.

Freddie Hubbard is in decent but not quite prime form on this CD; his tone was starting to decline ever so gradually. His sidemen were quite strong (Ralph Moore on tenor, altoist Vincent Herring, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist David Williams and drummer Billy Higgins), the material is superior (highlighted by "Bolivia," Hubbard's "Dear John" and a few of his recent Latin-flavored originals) and overall the music is satisfying enough to make this a recommended disc to fans of the modern mainstream. ~ Scott Yanow.

Gary Burton - Like Minds (1997)

01.Question And Answer
02.Elucidation
03.Windows
04.Futures
05.Like Minds
06.Country Roads
07.Tears Of Rain
08.Soon
09.For A Thousand Years
10.Straight Up And Down.

Gary Burton (vibraphone)

Pat Metheny (guitar)

Chick Corea (piano)

Roy Haynes (drums)

Dave Holland (bass).

Avatar Studio A, New York, NY (12/15/1997-12/17/1997).

Gary Burton has assembled his "dream band" for LIKE MINDS. With his former protege Pat Metheny, duet partner Chick Corea, favorite drummer Roy Haynes and legendary bassist Dave Holland, Burton has formed an ensemble of staggering proportions. ... Full DescriptionGiants all, this is more than a collection of "all-stars;" it is a cohesive entity. The music is performed as if by one mind and soul with five equal divisions.

The recorded results are stupendous to say the least. Original compositions by Metheny and Corea abound, as do two from Burton himself. Metheny's "Question and Answer" gets the proceedings off to a nice start as the rich sonorities provide an elegant backdrop to some fine soloing. Corea's delightful "Windows" is a deceptively intricate waltz that makes for some nice interplay between Burton and Metheny. Although he's not a prolific composer, Burton's own "Country Roads" and the jumping title track provide evidence enough that he is a master in this area as well. As an added treat, Gershwin's "Soon" shows just what masters of this stature can do with a great old standard. Finally, Corea's racing "Straight Up And Down" is a burning ending to this dream of a session.

Billy Pierce - Epistrophy (1992)

1.I'm an Old Cowhand(From the Rio Grande)7:55
2.Bye-Ya ,Monk 5:47
3.Ugly Beauty ,Monk 7:09
4.In Walked Toot ,Brown 5:00
5.Strode Rode ,Rollins 4:24
6.Epistrophy ,Clarke, Monk 8:06
7.Mr. Glenn-Roy ,Pierce 6:10
8.Criss-Cross Monk 5:25
9.Pent-Up House ,Rollins 6:41.

Billy Pierce (tenor saxophone)

Donald Brown (piano)

Christian McBride (bass)

Billy Drummond (drums).

Recorded at Sound On Sound, New York, New York on December 22, 1992.

On this excellent album, tenor saxophonist Billy Pierce leads an all-star quartet through a challenging set dominated by the compositions of Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. Opening with "I'm an Old Cowhand" (a Johnny Mercer standard long associated with Rollins) and then diving into two Monk pieces, Pierce is in full control from the beginning, no mean feat with pieces this complex. You could argue that his gracefully Latinized take on Monk's "Bye-Ya" unduly tames the lurching charm of the melody, but his solo is so solid and assured that you end up agreeing with him by the end. Pianist Donald Brown contributes "In Walked Toot," a tribute piece based on "In Walked Bud" and dedicated to Monk's son, while bassist Christian McBride and drummer Billy Drummond have the most fun on "I'm an Old Cowhand." The quartet sounds bit tentative on "Criss Cross," an angular and forbidding Monk tune that is rarely recorded, but they explode spectacularly at the end of the disc with "Pent-Up House," a Sonny Rollins composition that they play with infectious joy. Highly recommended.(by Rick Anderson.)

Art Pepper, John Klemmer, Johnny Griffin, Joe Farrell And Joe Henderson - Ballads By Five (1978)

1.Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Take 2),J.Griffin 9:43

2.Over The Rainbow,A.Pepper 8:47

3.Body And Soul (Take 2A),J.Farrell 8:55

4.God Bless The Child (Take 1),J.Klemmer 12:44

5.Good Morning, Heartache (Tk2),J.Henderson 9:28

6.Confirmation,J.Farrell 5:59.

In the 1980s, a recording came out titled Ballads by Four, which had a ballad feature apiece for tenors Johnny Griffin ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"), Joe Henderson ("Good Morning Heartache"), John Klemmer ("God Bless the Child") and altoist Art Pepper ("Over the Rainbow"). All were recorded during a four-day period with fine support from pianist Stanley Cowell, either Cecil McBee or John Heard on bass, and drummer Roy Haynes. For the CD reissue, not only are second versions of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Over the Rainbow" from Griffin and Pepper included, but also tenorman Joe Farrell's exploration of "Body and Soul," which did not make it onto the original album. Despite the consistent slow tempo, there is a fair amount of variety on this collection, with Klemmer's passionate "God Bless the Child" and Pepper's two "Over the Rainbow"'s taking honors. ~ Scott Yanow.

Galapagos Duck - Endangered Species (1985)

Hindsight (Tasmanian Tiger)

Wombat Walk

Whale Song

Rhino Rag

China Bear

In The Wild (Part 1)

Living Planet

Greenpeace

Grizzly Bear

Poor Little Bustard

Save The Duck

In The Wild (Part 2)

Whale Song 2.

Mike Nock - Almanac (1967)

1.Specific Gravity One

2.Symbiosis

3.Emotivations

4.Almanac

5.Hallucinogen

6.Double Split

7.J.C. Dudley.

Eddie Marshall - Drums

Bennie Maupin - Flute, Composer, Sax (Tenor)

Cecil McBee - Bass

Mike Nock - Piano, Composer.

This quartet set was an unusual release for Paul Bley's Improvising Artists label in that the music was not comprised of free improvisations and the session was actually recorded independently and then bought by the company. The 1967 session was an early effort by pianist Mike Nock, Bennie Maupin (who doubles on tenor and flute and often sounds here a bit like Joe Henderson), bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Eddie Marshall. Together they perform seven of Nock's post bop originals and there is enough adventure in the music to hold on to one's interest. This set has been reissued on CD through Black Saint/Soul Note.(by Scott Yanow)

Dizzy Gillespie & The United Nations Orchestra Live at The Royal Hall Festival (1989)

01-Intro Manteca

02-Tin Tin Deo

03-Seresta

04-Samba for Carmen

05-And Then She Stopped

06-Moodys Mood For Love

07-Tanga

08-Equinas

09-Krush

10-Dizzy Shells

11-A Night In Tunisia

12-Ending Manteca.

Dizzy Gillespie-trumpet

Paquito D'Rivera-alto sax/clarinet

Slide Hampton-trombone

James Moody-alto & tenor sax/flute

Airto Moreira-percusión

Flora Purim-vocals

Arturo Sandoval-trumpet/piccolo trumpet/fluegelhorn

Ignacio Berroa-drums

Ed Cherry-guitar

Giovanni Hidalgo-congas/percusión

John Lee-bass

Danilo Perez-piano

Mario Rivera-tenor & soprano sax

Claudio Roditi-trumpet

Steve Turre-shells.

The United Nations Orchestra was created by jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie to "showcase the varied influences that he considers valuable to the development of jazz." The 15-member ensemble, comprised of famous Latin and black American musicians, is a true all-star orchestra, 10 of its members being bandleaders in their own right. On this 1990 recording, the orchestra was on its last date of a European tour, and it pulls out all the stops on this fiery big-band blowout. All the soloists saxophonists Paquito D'Rivera and James Moody, trumpeters Arturo Sandoval and Claudio Rodit, trombonists Slide Hampton and Steve Turre attempt to keep up with Gillespie and the turbulent percussive undercurrent. This leads to a lot of passionate soloing, along with some requisite grandstanding, but even that seems to fit into the all-star concept of the band. This is extroverted, aggressively confident big-band music meant to dazzle and delight. The driving rhythm section is given center stage on Gillespie's "Tanga," whereby a lengthy section of solos by drummer Ignacio Berroa, master percussionist Airto Moreira, and ace conga man Giovanni Hidalgo brings the house down once again.(Wally Shoup.)

Michael Shrieve - Two Doors (1995)

Former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve's 1995 release Two Doors is appropriately titled, for it is really two albums in one, with two different trios providing the music. The first half of the record, subtitled "Deep Umbra," features Shrieve with guitarist Shawn Lane and bassist Jonas Hellborg performing eight jazz-rock compositions full of catchy themes and fiery improvisations. Lane is, simply put, one of the most technically gifted guitarists ever to pick up the instrument, and he records far too obscurely and infrequently. It is to his great credit that he never displays his abilities gratuitously, but instead carefully measures them out for maximum impact. He is a consummate musician. The same could be said about Hellborg, who not only holds down the bottom end with his sensitive yet powerful bass, but also shares co-writing credits for seven of the eight songs that he appears on. The second half of the record, subtitled "Flying Polly," features Bill Frisell and Wayne Horvitz. This half of the record is jazzier and more avant-garde than the first half, and frankly doesn't work nearly as well. There are moments where some of the rockabilly jazz elements that Frisell and Horvitz explored in John Zorn's Naked City come to the foreground, but, besides that, most of this portion of the record sounds flat and uninspired. It is a shame that this had to be the case, especially considering how good the Lane-Hellborg trio is. However, Shrieve's drums are very nicely recorded, and he always plays the most appropriate thing for any given song, never showboating or otherwise distracting from the integrity of the composition. There is much merit in this frustratingly inconsistent album, and for fusion fans it is worth searching out. ~ Daniel Gioffre.

Jeremy Steig - Lend Me Your Ears (1978)

1.Testimonium

2.The Rite of the Lynx

3.Ria

4.Steam Shovel Steig

5.Electric Nipple

6.Lend Me Your Ears.

Joe Chambers - Drums, Percussion.

Eddie Gomez - Bass

Jeremy Steig - Flute.

Hubert Laws - Wild Flower (1972)

1.Wild Flower a/k/a Wild Flowers (LP Version)3:11

2.Pensativa (LP Version)4:03

3.Equinox (LP Version)6:22

4.Ashanti (LP Version)5:29

5.Motherless Child a/ka/ Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (LP Version)5:31

6.Yoruba (LP Version)6:03.

Hubert Laws (piccolo, flute, alto flute)

John Murtaugh (conductor)

Bernard Eichen,Paul Gershman,Harry Lookofsky (violin)

Julian Barber,Selwart Clarke,Harold Coletta (viola)

Seymour Barab,Richard Bock,George Ricci (cello)

Gary Burton (vibraphone)

Chick Corea (piano)

Ron Carter,Richard Davis (bass)

Bernard Purdie (drums)

Mongo Santamaria (congas)

Joe Chambers,Airto Moreira,Warren Smith (percussion).

Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, New York on January 27, 1972.

Flute, strings, and soul a wonderful counterpart to some of Hubert Laws' funkier albums of the time – and a record cut with some tremendous backings! The core group features Hubert on assorted flutes, Gary Burton on vibes, Chick Corea on piano, and Bernard Purdie on drums,all augmented by larger string backings arranged and conducted by John Murtaugh, with a dark-tinged style that's a bit in the mode of some of the work at the time by William S Fischer, but with a sound that's even moodier and more introspective. Laws' work on flute is a brilliant example of understatement.

Javier Vercher - Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio (2005)

1.Bird Food
2.Pollack Springs
3.Balada de Alfredo
4.Pollack Springs (Duet)
5.Norman
6.Orfeo
7.Entrance Door
8.L'Euridice.

Javier Vercher - tenor saxophone

Chris Higgins - bass

Brannen Temple - drums

Robert Glasper - piano (tracks 4 & 7)

Rakalam Bob Moses - drums (tracks 2 & 8).

Recording information: New York, NY (03/2004); New York, NY (11/2003).

Javier Vercher is a young, prodigiously gifted Spanish saxophonist who first made an impact as a member of the Oscar Penas Quintet on the 2004 CD Astronautus. Now, on Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio (also on Fresh Sound New Talent), Vercher justifies the promise he showed earlier. With an audacious mixture of swinging post bop and powerful free playing, Vercher has created a debut of considerable impact.

On the opening track, Ornette Coleman's hip tune "Bird Food," Vercher cooks with a strutting, swaggering swing, punctuated by unpredictable uses of devices drawn from free music. He utilizes a similar approach on the straight-ahead "Norman." On the rubato ballad "Balada de Alfredo," Vercher recalls the intensity of Coltrane and Ayler, yet never detracting from his warm, personal tone.

The rhythm section is tight and together, as is required on a trio venture like this one. On the other hand, perhaps because Vercher is young and adventurous, he falters now and then. On "Bird Food," it sounds like he bobbles the closing theme statement a little bit. On "L'Euridice," his entrance, built around a sub-tone, is so striking that he spends a little too much time trying to catch up with himself. (It's a good solo nonetheless.)

But these are minor considerations. Throughout, Vercher and his sidemen play consistantly rewarding music. Young, brilliant pianist Robert Glasper makes two fine guest appearances and is especially rewarding on the swinging waltz "L'Euridice." Javier Vercher is already a major new voice, and hopefully he'll continue to build on the foundation he has started with this fine introduction.By MARC MEYERS.

Javier Vercher BIO in allaboutjazz.com

David Becker & Joe Diorio - The Color of Sound (2005)

01.Blues for Brother Bru
02.Beautiful Love
03.Waltz for Lavignia
04.Dance of the Inner Valley
05.Al the Things You Are
06.How Old are You
07.The Color of Sound
08.Reflections of India
09.Stella by Starlight
10.How Old Do I Look
11.Summertime
12.In a Minute.

David Becker (Electric guitar, tabla guitar, nine-string guitar, synthesizer)
Joe Diorio (electric guitar)
Bruce Becker (Brushes on "Blues for Brother Bru").

Originally released in 2005, This recording was only available in Europe until now. It is the last recording made by Diorio before his Stroke in 2005. On The Color of Sound, Becker plays duos with his mentor, Joe Diorio. For the most part, they both play standard electric guitar, but Becker throws in some synthesizer, a "tabla" guitar (a guitar with a playing card woven between the strings, plus an acoustic pickup to produce a pitched percussive sound), and a nine-string acoustic guitar (an open-tuned acoustic twelve-string with only nine strings). The two players perform live on the recording, except for some overdubbing of strings on "The Color of Sound" and "In A Minute," the sitar sound on "Reflections Of India," and brushes by Bruce Becker on the intro "Blues For Brother Bru."

In terms of actual guitar sound, the two players are similar, using "hot" pickups with a bit of drive and reverb that allows one to hear the pick touch the string. Stylistically Becker and Diorio are clearly related, as expected, and their music has an abstract quality marked by unique chord voicings and lines that are often miles away from standard boppish guitar.

In the arrangements, Becker and Diorio have taken great care to maintain a distance from each other, so as to always present a clear picture to the listener. They stay out of each other's way and use different parts of the guitar's range. Also, Becker keeps to the left channel and Diorio to the right.

The tracks include a very nice mix of standards, Becker compositions, and extemporaneous compositions—a bit of something for everyone. On the standards, the emphasis is many times on the give and take of ideas, rather than merely trading places soloing and comping, thus providing much fascinating listening. The soloing does allow the listener to get a glimpse into each player's mind as they constantly flirt with the melody as well as the changes.

Becker states that the compositions he brought were written with Diorio in mind. "The Color of Sound" is a beautiful ballad, full of emotion, while "Waltz for Lavignia" has fun with the 3/4 time as it dances and swings.

On the five fully improvised tracks the degree of musical ESP can be heard, along with the most "modern" playing and stretching out. On these tracks, Becker and Diorio embark on a number of musical expeditions into different colors of sound and manage to create coherent, albeit abstract music that is a joy to listen to. The Color of Sound is a very fine record that should appeal to more than just guitarists. Becker and Diorio clearly had fun in the studio, and the fact that Becker could finally record with his mentor inspired him greatly.

John Coltrane - Timeless (1958)

John Coltrane – Dakar (1957)

John Coltrane - The Paris Concert (1963)

01.Mr. P.C. 26:31

02.The Inch Worm 10:20

03.Every Time We Say Goodbye 4:58.

John Coltrane - tenor & soprano sax

McCoy Tyner - piano

Jimmy Garrison - bass

Elvin Jones - drums.

Recorded in Paris, France in 1961 & 1962.

This excellent CD by the classic John Coltrane Quartet (with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones) is highlighted by a 26-minute version of "Mr. P.C." Also included on the album are "The Inch Worm" and the ballad "Every Time We Say Goodbye." Although the sound and passion of the group on this date will not surprise veteran listeners, it is always interesting to hear new variations of songs already definitively recorded in the studios. The Paris Concert is recommended to all true Coltrane fanatics. ~ Scott Yanow.

Latin Jazz Quintet - Caribe (1960)

1.Caribé 10:08
2.Blues In 6/8 5:47
3.First Bass Line 4:07
4.Mambo Ricci 6:57
5.Spring Is Here 5:08
6.Sunday Go Meetin'5:50.

Eric Dolphy (flute,clarinet,bass clarinet,alto saxophone)

Juan Amalbert (congas)

Gene Casey (piano)

Charlie Simons (vibraphone)

Manuel Ramos (drums,timbales).

Recording information: Englewood Cliffs, NJ (08/19/1960).

How this session got set up we may never know. The mainstream, Latin-oriented, mellow bebop of the Latin Jazz Quintet meets the iconoclastic Eric Dolphy, one of the first wave of 1960s avant-jazz players--and things work out very nicely for concerned.

Dolphy's saxophone, usually one of the most vocalized horn sounds of the '60s, is slightly restrained here. But his flute playing is always extremely lyrical even at its most abstract, and he fits in well with the Quintet's soul-jazz groove on "Sunday Go Meetin'." "Blues in 6/8" is another soul-jazz mid-tempo cooker, and Dolphy, indulging in some straight-ahead blues playing, sounds as if he's having a swell time. Gene Casey plays a direct, lyrical, sparkling piano in the vein of Horace Silver, and the percussionists keep everything percolating steadily throughout.

Diego Urcola - Soundances (2003)

01.Blues For Astor 7:10
02.Despedida 6:55
03.Artigas,Mano Izquierda 5:02
04.Lorena 7:16
05.Gato c/ Guantes 5:43
06.La Milonga 6:21
07.Naranjo En Flor 6:08
08.Maria Ciudad 6:25
09.Blue In Green 2:48
10.Nanas Para Santi 5:49
11.Cuando Yo No Este 3:59
12.Alfonsina Y El Mar 6:34
13.Final Waltz 5:51.

Acoustic Guitar - Pepe Luna (tracks: 2,3,5,6,10)

Bandoneon - Juan Dargenton (tracks: 1,3,5,6,9,11)

Bass - Hernan Merlo (tracks: 1,4,7,8,12,13)

Drums - Oscar Giunta (tracks: 1,4,7,8,12,13)

Drums / Percussion - Mario Gusso (tracks: 2,3,5,6,10)

Electric Bass - Willy Gonzalez (tracks: 2,3,5,6,10)

Piano - Guillermo Romero (tracks: 1,4,7,8,12,13) , Juan Dargenton (tracks: 2)

Piano / Keyboards - Juan "Pollo" Raffo (tracks: 3,5,11)

Producer - Juan "Pollo" Raffo

Trumpet / Fuglehorn - Diego Urcola.

SoundRec Studios, Buenos Aires, Argentina (06/14/2003-06/16/2003)

This promising debut showcases the prodigious talents of Argentinean trumpet player Diego Urcola to excellent effect. With his warm, even-handed tone and precise attack, Urcola's sound is unique, and he brings a sophisticated, contemporary flair to his take on Latin jazz with Argentine roots. The album opens with a nod to Argentine musical genius Astor Piazzolla on the Urcola-penned "Blues for Astor." Juan Dargenton's mournful bandoneon channels Piazzolla's avant-garde tangos perfectly before Urcola leads the ensemble into a heavily swinging session of straightforward blowing.

In fact, save a bandoneon-colored version of Miles Davis's "Blue in Green," all of the album's tunes were composed by Argentines, including native figureheads Virgilio Esposito and Ariel Ramirez (the latter's open, drifting "Alfonsina y el Mar" is one of the album's highlights). Juan Raffo's "Artigas, Mano Izquierda" combines Latin flavor with the surging funk of late-1970s fusion, and gives Urcola plenty of room to unfurl his chops. The trumpeter is flanked by fine personnel throughout, and SOUNDANCES gleams with a chemistry and cohesion that complements the superb choice of tunes.

Billy Pierce - Equilateral (1988)

01.Come Rain or Come Shine,Arlen, Mercer 5:30

02.Star Eyes,DePaul,Raye 6:00

03.The Eternal Triangle,Stitt 4:14

04.Alone Together,Dietz,Schwartz 7:10

05.You'd Be So Easy to Love ,Porter 4:58

06.Recuerdame,Henderson 4:05

07.You Don't Know What Love Is DePaul, Raye 6:52

08.Woody 'N You,Gillespie 4:29

09.What's New? Burke, Haggart 6:37

10.Softly,As in a Morning Sunrise,Hammerstein,Romberg 4:48

11.Home Stretch,Stitt 4:51.

Billy Pierce (tenor & soprano saxophones)

Hank Jones (piano)

Roy Haynes (drums).

Recorded at Skyline Studios, New York on January 2, 1988.

Kirk Lightsey Trio - From Kirk to Nat (1990)

1.You and the Night and the Music,Dietz,Schwartz 6:12

2.Sweet Lorraine ,Burwell,Parish 7:42

3.Never Let Me Go ,Evans,Livingstone 4:45

4.Bop Kick ,Cole 5:36

5.Sophisticated Lady ,Bigard,Ellington,Mills 8:05

6.The Best Is Yet to Come ,Oliver 6:24

7.Close Enough for Love ,Mandel 4:32

8.Little Old Lady ,Adams,Carmichael 5:56

9.Kirk's Blues ,Lightsey 5:35.

Kevin Eubanks - Guitar

Kirk Lightsey - Piano, Vocals

Rufus Reid - Bass.

Recorded November 28, 1990 in New York City, NY, USA by Max Bolleman.

One of the main reasons why this tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio by Kirk Lightsey is a success is that Lightsey (who is from a much later bop-influenced generation) sounds nothing like Cole. Featured in a trio with guitarist Kevin Eubanks and bassist Rufus Reid, Lightsey performs a set of music reminiscent of Cole but several of the songs (including his original "Kirk's Blues," "Never Let Me Go" and "Close Enough for Love") were never actually recorded by Cole; Lightsey takes surprisingly effective vocals on the latter two songs.by Scott Yanow.

Kevin Eubanks - Turning Point (1992)

1.Turning Point Part 1
2.Aftermath Part II
3.Initiation Part III
4.New World Order
5.Colors of One
6.Spiral Ways
7.Freedom Child
8.On My Way to Paradise
9.Lingering Destiny.

Kevin Eubanks (guitar)

Marlon Jordan (trumpet)

Kent Jordan (flute)

Dave Holland, Charnett Moffett (bass)

Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Mark Mondesir (drums).

Turning Point is a highly appropriate title for this album. After recording his share of commercial fluff for GRP, Kevin Eubanks switched to Blue Note with this heartfelt CD and strived for excellence instead of going out of his way to avoid. Creativity, personal improvising, and spontaneity are main ingredients of the album, which unites the talented electric and acoustic guitarist with bass explorer Dave Holland and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, among others. Like so much intellectual jazz, Point requires several listenings in order to be fully appreciated. ~ Alex Henderson.

White Orange (1978)

Recorded in Stookholm

22-25 november 1978.

One of the best bands I heard from Sweden