Artist - Horace Silver
     Album - Song For My Father
     Original Release Date: October 26, 1964
     Audio CD: April 20, 1999
     Label: Blue Note Records
     Quality: lossless (flac+cue+log+covers)
     Size: 321 MB
     Time: 61:07
          AMG Rating:

     Horace Silver, №60 в списке.


One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas -- the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?" Subtle touches like these alter Silver's core sound just enough to bring out its hidden class, which is why the album has become such a favorite source of upscale ambience. Song for My Father was actually far less focused in its origins than the typical Silver project; it dates from the period when Silver was disbanding his classic quintet and assembling a new group, and it features performances from both bands (and, on the CD reissue with bonus tracks, three different sessions). Still, it hangs together remarkably well, and Silver's writing is at its tightest and catchiest. The title cut became Silver's best-known composition, partly because it provided the musical basis for jazz-rock group Steely Dan's biggest pop hit "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." Another hard bop standard is introduced here in the lone non-Silver tune, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," covered often for the challenge of its stuttering phrases and intricate rhythms. Yet somehow it comes off as warm and inviting as the rest of the album, which is necessary for all jazz collections -- mainstream hard bop rarely comes as good as Song for My Father. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

     Artist: Eric Dolphy
     Album: Iron Man
     Label: Douglas International Recording Corporation
     Year: 1963
     Genre: Jazz, Avant-garde, Free Jazz
     Format, bitrate: 160 kbps (LP-rip)
     Size: 46,6 MB
     AMG Rating:

The companion piece to Conversations (recorded at the same mid-1963 sessions with producer Alan Douglas), Iron Man is every bit as essential and strikes a more consistent ambience than its widely varied twin. It also more clearly anticipates the detailed, abstract sound paintings of Dolphy's masterwork Out to Lunch, in large part because this time around the program is weighted toward Dolphy originals. "Iron Man," "Burning Spear," and the shorter "Mandrake" all have pretty outside themes, full of Dolphy's trademark wide interval leaps and playful sense of dissonance. Yet there's enough structure and swing to make their roots in hard bop perfectly clear, and once the front-line horns blast out the themes, the ensemble shifts into a more cerebral, exploratory mode. In the absence of a piano, Bobby Hutcherson's vibes are a crucial anchor, outlining dissonant harmonies that hang in the air almost spectrally behind the rest of the group. Most of the same musicians from Conversations appear here, including trumpeter Woody Shaw, flutist Prince Lasha, altoist Sonny Simmons, and soprano sax player Clifford Jordan. And once again, Dolphy duets with bassist Richard Davis, twice this time -- on bass clarinet for Ellington's "Come Sunday" and on flute for Jaki Byard's "Ode to C.P." Both are lovely, meditative pieces filled with conversational exchanges between the two players, illustrating what similar wavelengths they were on. Between Conversations and Iron Man, split up the way they are, one has to give a slight edge to the latter for its more cohesive presentation, yet these are classic sessions in any form and constitute some of the most brilliant work of the early-'60s avant-garde. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

     Artist - Jack Teagarden
     Album - Big Eight Blues
     Label - OJS/ZIX Music
     Years: 1938, 1940. Release - 2006
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 67,7 mb
     Total time - 31:17



Two unrelated small-group sessions from the swing era that were originally recorded for the H.R.S. (Hot Record Society) label are reissued in full on this enjoyable CD. Trombonist Jack Teagarden takes a vacation from his big band to play with an all-star octet that also includes cornetist Rex Stewart, clarinetist Barney Bigard and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. Teagarden sings "St. James Infirmary" and is quite fluent on "Shine." The other set has the unique clarinetist Pee Wee Russell and a different octet (which includes trumpeter Max Kaminsky, trombonist Dicky Wells, tenor saxophonist Al Gold and pianist James P. Johnson) romping on a blues and three Dixieland standards; in addition Russell, Johnson and drummer Zutty Singleton stretch out on "I Found a New Baby" and "Everybody Loves My Baby." Easily recommended to classic jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Jimmy Witherspoon
     Album: The 'Spoon Concerts
     Label: Fantasy
     Year: Oct 2, 1959-Dec 9, 1959
     Release: 2002
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Time: 71:28
     Size: 130MB
     AMG Rating:

     This single CD (which reissues all of the music from an earlier two-LP set) includes the high point of singer Jimmy Witherspoon's career. On October 2, 1959, he appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival and created such a sensation that it caused his career to go through a renaissance. Heard at the peak of his powers, Witherspoon holds his own with a mighty group of veterans (trumpeter Roy Eldridge, both Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins on tenors, clarinetist Woody Herman, pianist Earl Hines, bassist Vernon Alley, and drummer Mel Lewis). Although the five-song set only lasted 25 minutes, Witherspoon's performance was the hit of the festival. The other half of this CD features Witherspoon romping through ten mostly traditional blues songs two months later with Webster, baritonist Gerry Mulligan, pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Mel Lewis; the performance is equally exciting. Highly recommended, this CD is the one truly essential Jimmy Witherspoon release. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Zoot Sims
     Album: Zoot Sims Plays Tenor & 4 Altos (Zoot!/Zoot Sims Plays 4 Altos)
     Label: Fresh Sound
     Year: Dec 13, 1956-Jan 11, 1957
     Release: Jul 3, 2007
     Format, bitrate: mp3, 320kb/s
     Size: 154MB
     AMG rating:



     In 2007, as if to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its creation, the Fresh Sound label reissued Zoot Sims Plays 4 Altos. This album, masterminded by pianist, composer, and arranger George Handy, was recorded for ABC Paramount on January 11, 1957. It may now be enjoyed on the same disc with Zoot!, which was recorded for Riverside on December 13 and 18, 1956. Sims, an accomplished tenor saxophonist whose main influence was Lester Young, sounded a bit like Art Pepper when handling the alto sax. Throughout both albums he willingly submitted to the ideas of George Handy, whose talents were developed while working with bandleader Boyd Raeburn. All but three of the 14 tunes on this compilation were conceived and composed by Handy. Tracks eight through 14 feature four Zoots at once, or more specifically one Zoot in front backed by three overdubbed Zoots, deftly and dutifully following orchestrations scored by Handy. This experiment prefigured (and probably inspired) Pete Rugolo's multiple-instrument concept albums of 1960-1961. As a duple reissue, Fresh Sound's Zoot Sims Plays Tenor & 4 Altos works well as a double portrait of an ambitious composer/arranger and a skilled saxophonist who stayed cool as a cuke even when thrice cloned and pitted against himself. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide

     Artist - Benny Goodman
     Album: Benny Goodman 1949-1951
     Label - Classics
     Years: 1949-1951, release - 2007
     Quality - MP3@320 kbps
     Size - 120 mb
     Total time - 72:39
     AMG rating



This is the 34th volume in the Classics Benny Goodman chronology. It combines four titles from the Capitol records session of October 27, 1949 (Goodman's last for that label) with seven tunes recorded for Columbia on October 10 and November 24, 1950 and ten previously hard-to-find selections from a broadcast that aired April 1, 1951. Although the band on the Capitol date had Zoot Sims in the reed section, slick vocals by Dolly Houston, Buddy Greco and the Heathertones seem to use up all the air in the room. The Columbia sessions employed the Goodman Sextet, featuring pianist Teddy Wilson, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs and guitarist Johnny Smith, these last two helping to emphasize a contemporary bop-to-cool stylistic emphasis that was still playing a prominent role in Goodman's approach to music during this period. Vocalists on this leg of the journey include Nancy Reed, a carefully rehearsed, mixed vocal group known as the Pastels, and a deep-voiced male singer billed as "Rickey." This was none other than Jimmy Ricks, bass singer for the Ravens. Issued as Columbia 39121, the two instrumentals "Lullaby of the Leaves" b/w "Temptation Rag" are stunning examples of the Goodman/Gibbs collaboration at its finest. Yet the real gold in this compilation lies in the ten more traditional jazz melodies that were performed on the air, recorded and sold on a limited-edition LP in order to raise funds to benefit Fletcher Henderson, Goodman's greatest arranger as well as a pioneer of big-band jazz, who made his first jazz recordings in 1923. Henderson was ill and in serious need of cash. The fact that Goodman held this exciting jam session as a benefit for him adds considerable ethical ballast to an already superb bundle of live jazz. Teaming with Goodman in various combinations throughout the session were pianist Teddy Wilson, drummer Gene Krupa, bassist Eddie Safranski, guitarist Johnny Smith, trombonist Lou McGarity and trumpeter Buck Clayton. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide

     Artist: The Solsonics
     Album: Jazz In The Present Tense
     Label: Chrysalis Records
     Year: 1993
     Genre: Acid Jazz, Hip Hop, Electronic, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Latin, Reggae
     Format, bitrate: Mp3 Variable bitrate 230 kbps
     Time: 47 min
     Size: 90,7 MB

     The jazz/hip-hop and acid-jazz schools continue to generate interesting, if erratic projects. The Solsonics' instrumentals and reworkings and incorporation of such jazz classics as Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" and Ahmad Jamal's "Superstition" are intriguing, featuring fine solos from saxophonist Jim Akimoto, trumpeter Elliot Caine, keyboardist Mike Boito and special guests like guitarist Norman Brown. When lyrics and vocalists are included, the quality dips, mainly because they didn't find a lyricist whose contributions matched their playing skills. But their spirit, intensity and interaction are so good that it's easy to overlook the trite lines and lightweight vocals. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

     Artist: Bill Frisell
     Album: Blue Dream
     Label: Nonesuch
     Year: 2001
     Format, bitrate: MP3, 320Kbps
     Time: 62 Min
     Size: 140 MB

     For those who have been wondering where Mr. Bill's musical wanderings would lead him in the wake of his first solo CD, Ghost Town, Blues Dream provides
the ambitious answer. Nearly all Frisell's fascinations are here: the pastoralism of Have a Little Faith, a Nashville tinge, and the cinematic sounds of Quartet.
There's also the electronic loop atmospheres of his ECM and early Elektra years and the alternating Ellingtonian and Salvation Army horns of his quintet
period. All of this melded into 18 new compositions commissioned by the Walker Arts Center.

     Artists: Glenn Miller And The Andrews Sisters
     Album: The Chesterfild Broadcasts
     Label: BMG/ Heritage (Bluebird)
     Years: 1939-1940, release 2002
     Quality: MP3 @ 320 Kb/s
     Size: 122 Mb + 99 Mb
     Time: 51:12 + 57:11
     AMG rating:



Although Glenn Miller & His Orchestra get first billing on this two-CD set, 25 of the 35 selections are features for the Andrews Sisters. The music is taken from the earliest Glenn Miller Chesterfield Broadcasts, shows that had the always-cheerful Andrews Sisters as the regular guests. After March 1940, it was decided that Miller (whose band had become the most popular in the country) was too much of a big name to have to share his show with anyone. But before that happened, Miller's band often accompanied the Andrews Sisters, who are heard in prime form on such numbers as "Begin the Beguine," "Bei Mir Bust Du Schon," "Beer Barrel Polka," "Say 'Si Si,'" and "South of the Border." Of the ten Miller songs, four have vocals by Ray Eberle, Tex Beneke, and/or Marion Hutton, with the only instrumentals being "In the Mood," "Tuxedo Junction," "One O'Clock Jump," "Little Brown Jug," "Runnin' Wild," and "Farewell Blues." Clyde Hurley has some hot trumpet solos along the way, but this set is primarily recommended to fans of the Andrews Sisters. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

    Artist: Various Artist
    Album: One Night With The Blue Note, Preserved - Vol. 4
    Label: Blue Note
    Release: 1985
    Genre: Jazz/Post-Bop
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s (vinyl rip)
    Time: 36:49
    Size: 86,8 Mb
    AMG Rating:

The final set has five numbers by Charles Lloyd (on tenor and flute at the beginning of a successful comeback), pianist Michel Petrucciani, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jack Dejohnette but saves the best for last, two amazing guitar solos from Stanley Jordan. Obviously this music on a whole is highly recommended for all jazz collections. - Scott Yanow at AMG

    Artist: Various Artists
    Album: One Night With The Blue Note, Preserved - Vol. 3
    Label: Blue Note
    Release: 1985
    Genre: Jazz/Bop
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s (vinyl rip)
    Time: 45:52
    Size: 107 Mb
    AMG Rating:

The third album has an Art Blakey reunion band playing "Moanin'," numbers featuring either tenor Stanley Turrentine or altoist Lou Donaldson with organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Grady Tate, and two songs in which Grover Washington, Jr., (on soprano) plays with Burrell, Tate and bassist Reggie Workman. - Scott Yanow at AMG

    Artist: Various Artists
    Album: One Night With The Blue Note, Preserved - Vol. 2
    Label: Blue Note
    Release: 1985
    Genre: Jazz/Bop/Avant-Garde Jazz
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s (vinyl rip)
    Time: 48:23
    Size: 113 Mb
    AMG Rating:

Record executive Bruce Lundvall relaunched the defunct Blue Note Records label in 1985 under the parent label EMI Manhattan Records. To celebrate, Lundvall and Music Director Michael Cuscuna staged a concert on February 22, 1985 at Town Hall in New York City, bringing together some of the jazz legends associated with Blue Note over the years as well as some newly signed artists. The concert, featuring more than 30 of the world’s most revered jazz musicians in the form of all-star ensembles, is considered by many to be one of the most important nights in jazz history. - Wikipedia
The second set features strong advanced hard bop music from an all-star quintet (pianist McCoy Tyner, altoist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jack DeJohnette), a trio workout by tenor Bennie Wallace and a typically intense piano solo from Cecil Taylor.

    Artist: Various Artists
    Album: One Night With The Blue Note, Preserved - Vol. 1
    Label: Blue Note
    Release: 1985
    Genre: Jazz/Bop/Avant-Garde Jazz
    Format mp3, bitrate: 320 kb/s (vinyl rip)
    Time: 44:59
    Size: 105 Mb
    AMG Rating:

This four-LP set, whose material was also made available as single LPs and single CDs, not only extensively documented a historic concert that paid tribute to the Blue Note label's legacy but was the start of that important record company's comeback. Vol. 1 features veterans Herbie Hancock on piano, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor-saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Tony Williams and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson on remakes of "Canteloupe Island" and "Recorda Me" and a pair of Hutcherson pieces but flutist James Newton takes honors with his version of Eric Dolphy's "Hat and Beard." Obviously this music on a whole is highly recommended for all jazz collections. - Scott Yanow at AMG