Artist: Art Blakey
     Album: The Big Beat
     Year: rec. Mar 6, 1960
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 298 MB & 98 MB
     Time: 43:50

     Perhaps the best known and most loved of Art Blakey's works, The Big Beat is a testament to the creative progress of one of the best jazz drummers of all time. Now over 40 years old, The Big Beat is as thunderous as ever. Here, Blakey combines his rhythm with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter's brilliant composing to make what could only be termed a "structurally raw" album. Each track rips through bebop as quickly as Blakey ripped through drum heads. "Dat Dere" and "Lester Left Town" stand out as part of the true canons for hot jazz. Two alternate versions of "It's Only a Paper Moon" round out the album, both brimming with the fluid integrity of the song and the drive only Blakey could provide. As one of the few drummers to step out and lead, not just play backup, Blakey created a true jazz treasure in The Big Beat. Christopher Fielder, AMG

     Artist: Lou Donaldson
     Album: Sunny Side Up
     Label: Blue Note
     Year: 1960
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320 kbit/s
     Size: 246 MB & 87 MB
     Time: 38:44

     Sunny Side Up is closer to hard bop than the straight-ahead bop that characterized Lou Donaldson's '50s Blue Note records. There's a bit more soul to the songs here, which pianist Horace Parlan helps emphasize with his lightly swinging grooves. The pair help lead the group — which also features trumpeter Bill Hardman, drummer Al Harewood and bassist Sam Jones (Laymon Jackson plays bass on two of the eight songs) — through a mellow set of standards and bluesy originals from Donaldson and Parlan. Even the uptempo numbers sound relaxed, never fiery. Despite the general smoothness of the session, Donaldson stumbles a little — the quotation of "Flight of the Bumblebee" on "Blues for J.P." is awkward, as is the snippet of "Pop Goes the Weasel" on "Politely," and "Way Down Upon the Swanee River" sounds lazy — but there's enough solid material to make Sunny Side Up a worthwhile listen for fans of Donaldson and early-'60s hard bop. ~ Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG.

     Artist: Zoot Sims
     Album: Waiting Game
     Label: Impulse
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 260 MB & 98 MB
     Time: 43:28



     That quality of Zoot - a rare simplicity in a guarded time - is what makes this so personal a ballad collection. Instead of filigree work and overelaborate chord-conjugating, Zoot tried simply to let these songs become extensions of him - his memories, desires, regrets, anticipation. He is, as Gary McFarland says, a romantic. But it is not a Sturm und Drang kind of romanticism. His is more serene. Not entirely serene, because there is a sense of loss as well as of love in these performances. But basically Zoot is a romanticist who takes life pretty much as it is, not brooding too long over what's gone and being rather sanguine about what's ahead. ~ Nat Hentoff, AMG

     Artist: Art Pepper
     Album: Surf Ride
     Label: Savoy
     Year: rec.Feb 7, 1952-Dec 24, 1953/rel. 2005
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 183 MB & 80 MB
     Time: 37:16

Review by Scott Yanow

     The music on this Savoy CD (put out by Nippon Columbia) is quite brilliant, but the packaging leaves a lot to be desired. The recording dates are all incorrect, there are only 12 performances included (around 37 minutes) and none of the sessions are reissued in complete form. Two of the dates, quartet outings with either Russ Freeman or Hampton Hawes on piano, have just three of their four numbers reissued while only six of the eight songs from the altoist's classic session with tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose are here. Even if the four missing selections had been included, the program would have totaled around 49 minutes. The somewhat random nature of this set is unfortunate, for Pepper is in superior form throughout with highlights including "Tickle Toe," "The Way You Look Tonight" and his earliest recordings of such originals as "Susie the Poodle," "Straight Life" and "Surf Ride." Get the more definitive LP sets instead.

     Artist: Ella Fitzgerald with Count Basie
     Album: Ella & Basie
     Label: Verve
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 259 MB & 95 MB
     Time: 32:09


Review by Scott Yanow

     Surprisingly enough this 1963 LP was the first time (other than a couple songs) that Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie recorded together. The match-up was so logical that it would be repeated many times over the next 20 years. Fitzgerald sounds fine and, even if Quincy Jones' arrangements did not give the Basie musicians much space for solos (two songs do feature a bit of trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Urbie Green and Frank Foster on tenor), this is an enjoyable effort. High points include "Honeysuckle Rose," "Them There Eyes" and "Shiny Stockings." [Originally released in 1963, Ella and Basie! was reissued on CD in 2004.]

     Artist: Thad Jones
     Album: The Magnificent Vol. 3
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 124 MB & 61 MB
     Time: 35:33

     Artist: Art Blakey
     Album: The Freedom Rider
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 242 MB & 77 MB
     Time: 33:59




     The final recording by this edition of The Jazz Messengers (featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jymie Merritt and drummer/leader Art Blakey) finds the group consolidating their year-and-a-half of experience into yet another exciting document. Blakey's unaccompanied drum feature on "The Freedom Rider" is full of drama while the rest of the program (two compositions apiece by Morgan and Shorter) makes this last chapter for this particular band quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Jackie McLean
     Album: Capuchin Swing
     Label: Blue Note
     Year: Recorded: Apr. 17, 1960
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 286 MB & 91 MB
     Time: 40:38



     One of McLean's more underrated albums from a plethora of Blue Note releases, 1960's Capuchin Swing finds the bebop alto saxophonist in fine form on a mix of covers and originals. While McLean's future fascination with Ornette Coleman's free-form innovations can be sensed in some solos here, the majority of the album is in a classic hard bop vein. Like contemporaries Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, and Lee Morgan, though, McLean doesn't just churn out pat jam-session fare, but comes up with consistently provocative charts and solos. Eschewing any ballad cuts, McLean focuses on mid- to fast-tempo swingers and blues. Standouts include originals like "Francisco" and "Condition Blue" and choice renditions of "Just for Now" and "Don't Blame Me." McLean enlists a sparkling lineup of hard bop stars, including trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. Mitchell particularly impresses, matching many of McLean's own inspired flights with his supple and progressive playing. Along with other fine Blue Note titles like Jackie's Bag and Bluesnik, Capuchin Swing makes for a great introduction to McLean's extensive catalog, Review by Stephen Cook. AMG

     Artist: Makoto Deguchi
     Album: Will
     Label: A. E.
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 297 MB & 121 MB
     Time: 54:09

     Artist: Art Blakey
     Album: A Jazz Message
     Label: Impulse
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 231 MB & 79 MB
     Time: 35:08


Drummer Art Blakey took time off from his busy schedule as leader of The Jazz Messengers to participate in this quartet session with saxophonist Sonny Stitt, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Art Davis. Although this session was under Blakey's leadership, Stitt (on both tenor and alto) emerges as the main soloist, playing his trademark bebop lines with creativity and typical enthusiasm. [A 20-bit remaster of Jazz Message was released in the fall of 1999.] ~ Scott Yanow, AMG

     Artist: Jack Wilson
     Album: Easterly Winds
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 242 MB & 85 MB
     Time: 38:15


Easterly Winds provides an excellent contrast to Jack Wilson's first Blue Note album, Somethin' Personal. Where his label debut was cool and romantic, Easterly Winds is a brassy, funky collection of soul-jazz and hard bop with instant appealing. Wilson keeps the tone fairly diverse, both in his originals and covers. After hitting hard with the funky opening pair "Do It" and "On Children" (both of which illustrate that he was familiar with contemporary soul), he quiets the mood with a nice version of Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love." On the second half, he turns in soul-jazz ("Easterly Winds"), straight hard bop ("Frank's Tune") and the charmingly lyrical "Nirvanna." Throughout it all, Wilson is subtle and tasteful, allowing trumpeter Lee Morgan and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean their time in the spotlight; trombonist Garnett Brown has a couple of nice moments as well, while bassist Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins lend solid rhythmic support. It's another impressive, enjoyable effort from one of the most underrated pianists on Blue Note's '60s roster. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

     Artist: Serge Chaloff
     Album: Boston Blow-Up!
     Label: Capitol
     Year: 1955
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 194 MB & 76 MB
     Time: 34:03

     Baritonist Serge Chaloff, best known as a member of Woody Herman's Second Herd, made a comeback in the mid-'50s after years of drug abuse. Having kicked the habit in his native Boston, he recorded The Fable of Mable in 1954 and this excellent session the following year. Chaloff is heard on a variety of obscure originals plus a couple of standards (including a near-classic "Body and Soul") in a sextet with trumpeter Herb Pomeroy and altoist Boots Mussulli. The ironic part is that, once Chaloff cleaned up his act, he contracted spinal paralysis and died in 1957. However, the baritonist is very much in prime form on this set, which was once only available on CD as part of Mosaic's Serge Chaloff limited-edition box but was reissued by Capitol Jazz in 2006 with three extra tracks. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG

REPOST! Serge Chaloff - the premier baritone saxophonist of the bop era, was born today, 24 November!

     Artist: Sonny Criss
     Album: Up, Up and Away
     Label: Prestige
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 240 MB & 83 MB
     Time: 37:18

Altoist Sonny Criss' Prestige recordings of the late 1960s generally included a current pop tune or two along with some stronger jazz pieces. This 1998 CD reissue is of particular interest because the intense altoist is teamed with guitarist Tal Farlow (who had recently come out of retirement before slipping back into obscurity for a few more years), pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Lenny McBrowne. "Up, Up and Away" (the Fifth Dimension hit) has more challenging chord changes than one would think and, although "Sunny" is lightweight, Criss really digs in and uplifts it. In addition, the leader overflows "Willow Weep for Me" with soul, plays a strong solo on Horace Tapscott's "This Is for Benny" and displays his blues roots on "Paris Blues." However the highpoint is a burning rendition of "Scrapple from the Apple" that finds Criss and Farlow engaged in torrid trade-offs. So overall this CD is more rewarding than it might appear at first glance. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

     Artist: Art Blakey
     Album: At the Jazz Corner of the World Vol. 1
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 279 MB & 89 MB
     Time: 38:34



Review by Scott Yanow

     Artist: Art Blakey
     Album: At the Jazz Corner of the World Vol. 2
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 279 MB & 89 MB
     Time: 39:34     

     

Review by Scott Yanow

     Artist: Roy Haynes
     Album: Out of the Afternoon
     Label: Impulse
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 249 MB & 84 MB
     Time: 37:41


This splendid-sounding CD reissues a 1962 set from the Roy Haynes Quartet -- which, at the time, consisted of Haynes, Henry Grimes on bass, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Roland Kirk on saxes, manzello, stritch, and flutes. The album is a delightful mix of techniques in arrangement and performance, with all of the musicians delivering terrific work -- Haynes' drumming is absolutely wonderful here, lightly dancing around the other instruments, Flanagan's piano playing is equally light and delicate, Grimes' bass work is outstanding (during "Raoul" you have a chance to hear one of the few bowed bass solos on records of that era), and there's not much that can be said about Kirk's sax and flute work that hasn't already been said a hundred times, apart from the fact that the flute solos on "Snap Crackle" help this cut emerge as particularly outstanding.

     Artist: Claude Williamson
     Album: 'Round Midnight
     Label: Bethlehem
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 168 MB & 85 MB
     Time: 38:21

     Claude Williamson was one of the better bebop-oriented pianists to be active during the 1950s. This trio set with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Mel Lewis has been reissued on CD. With the exception of four-minute renditions of "Stella by Starlight" and Horace Silver's "Hippy," all of the numbers clock in around the three-minute mark. The repertoire (which includes such tunes as "Somebody Loves Me," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Just One of Those Things" and "The Song Is You") is typical for the time period and Williamson brings to the music his own approach to playing bop. The set is quite enjoyable and, even if the program (which is around 39 minute) is a bit brief, it should appeal to straightahead jazz fans. ~ Review by Scott Yanow, AMG.

     Artist: Yutaka Shiina
     Album: Hittin' the Spirit
     Label: NovusJ
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 298 MB & 110 MB
     Time: 49:06

     Eden Atwood - There Again
     Artist: Eden Atwood
     Album: There Again
     Label: Concord Jazz
     Year: 1994
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 283 MB & 128 MB
     Time: 56:30

     Artist: Fred Jackson
     Album: Hootin' 'n Tootin'
     Label: Blue Note
     Quality: FLAC & MP3@320
     Size: 250 MB & 85 MB
     Time: 74:35