Art Blakey - Oh-By The Way (1982) [vinyl]

Review by Scott Yanow:

When the Marsalis Brothers left The Jazz Messengers in early 1982, Wynton suggested that Art Blakey take a close listen to trumpeter Terence Blanchard (then 19) and 21-year old altoist Donald Harrison. The drummer took his advice, and after also adding young pianist Johnny O'Neal, Blakey soon had an exciting new version of The Jazz Messengers. Tenor saxophonist Bill Pierce and bassist Charles Fambrough were still present from the older band for this excellent LP. In the Blakey tradition, this set has five new compositions from bandmembers in addition to Wayne Shorter's "One by One" and the standard "My Funny Valentine"; the music is a fine example of high-quality hard bop.

Oh, By The Way
Duke Soup
Tropical Breeze
One By One
Sudan Blue
My Funny Valentine
Alicia

Terence Blanchard (trumpet) Donald Harrison (alto saxophone) Billy Pierce (tenor saxophone) Johnny O'Neal (piano) Charles Fambrough (bass) Art Blakey (drums)
Fendal Sound Studio, Loenan Aan De Vecht, Holland, May 20, 1982

Lou Donaldson - Sweet Poppa Lou (Muse) [vinyl]

Chris Sheridan Jazz Journal, July, 1982
“This is so close in spirit to the last Donaldson recording I reviewed ("Midnight Sun', Blue Note LT-1028) that the 20 years between the sessions melt into oblivion. Indeed, after two decades in the commercial boogaloo jungle, Lou has signified a return to straight-ahead blowing and, on this evidence, has picked up the traces as though nothing ever happened.
Though Parker remains in the background of his work, Lou has matured beyond the mantle, developing an essentially lightweight post-bop style with an individual, pleasantly reedy tone. It occasionally borders on the sentimental (You'll Never' Know), but, on vehicles with a strong melodic, harmonic or rhythmic base he can play extremely satisfyingly. If I Should Lose You is a case in point, generating tensile work from the altoist that approaches the standard of still the finest interpretation of the tune, by Hank Mobley.
The rhythmic shadings of the blues. Mo' Gravy and Shuckin', are a trifle obvious, but born of so long leading organ trios, and Foster's chordal style prolongs the organ trio atmosphere. It also perpetuates the illusion that the session could have been recorded any time in the fifties.
This is by no means an essential purchase, but it is certainly more rewarding than a generous proportion of today's output.”

01 - Mambo Inn
02 - You'll Never Know
03 - Mo' Gravy
04 - If I Should Lose You
05 - Shuckin' Blues
06 - Don't Take Your Love From Me

Lou Donaldson (as) Herman Foster (p) Calvin Hill (b) Idris Muhammad (d)
Ralph Dorsey (per -1/3)
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 7, 1981

Pepper Adams - Master Of Bari Disaster

Lest We Forget Vol. 6 / Pepper Adams: The Master Of Bari Disaster by Poppachubby on Mixcloud

Bud Shank - Girl In Love (1966) [vinyl]

Something a little different for the Crypt.
This is from a series of albums Shank made for World Pacific in the mid 60s. Most have had Japanese CD reissues, however this one seems only to be available in its original vinyl form?

This is Shank in a very commercial setting with appropriate arrangements by Oliver Nelson. Nothing profound happens here but, of its type, this is excellent and vastly superior to the Johnny Hodges Sandy's Gone, that I posted at the old Crypt while ago, and that would appear to have been aimed at a similar market.
Alan Zeffert writing in "Jazz On Record, A Critical Guide to the First 50 Years" remarked '...he has offered virtually straight offerings of current pop hits. Ephemeral though most of this material may be, mention must be made of the altoist's now exquisite, full, golden tone and perfect articulation...'

01 - Lady Jane
02 - Summer Wind
03 - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)
04 - Strangers In The Night
05 - When A Man Loves A Woman
06 - Girl In Love
07 - Don't Go Breaking My Heart
08 - Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
09 - Time
10 - The Shining Sea
11 - Lara's Theme From Dr. Zhivago
12 - Solitary Man

Bud Shank (as) Frank Rosolino (tb) Bob Florence (p) Herb Ellis, Dennis Budimir, John Pisano (g)
Bob West (b) Frank Capp (d) Victor Feldman (pc)
Arranged & Conducted By Oliver Nelson
Recorded Los Angeles in 1966

Eric Kloss - Doors/Now (1972/1978) [vinyl>flac]

New Links now available

Doors
Originally on Cobblestone this has been issued on a now out of print Japanese CD. However this is from the Muse LP.

Dusty Groove review:
"One of the grooviest Eric Kloss albums from the Muse years – thanks to some great keyboards from Neal Creque! Creque's presence always makes any date sparkle – and here, he brings a bit of a funky sound to the record – sliding in nicely behind Kloss on the solos, but also pushing the overall groove of the set with his rhythms."

01 - Doors
02 - Waves
03 - Quasar
04 - Sweatin' It
05 - Love
06 - Libra

Eric Kloss (as,ts) Neal Creque (kybds) Gene Taylor (b,el-b) Ron Krasinski (d,tamb)
NYC. January 1, 1972

Now
After a fine series of albums for Prestige and Muse, another who then disappeared from view. I think this is much better than Scottie's lukewarm review, as KingCake has remarked 'this grows on you'.

"Tenor/altoist Eric Kloss recorded often from 1965-1981 before disappearing from jazz. His sound was fairly original, he was technically skilled, and, even though his impact was fairly minor, he did record many worthwhile sessions, most of which are currently hard to find. On this LP, Kloss (joined by keyboardist Mike Nock, bassist Mike Richmond, and drummer Jimmy Madison) performs six of his originals, none of which caught on. The music is generally lyrical and the leader plays well, even if the rhythm section is fairly anonymous, but little all that memorable occurs."~AMG

01 - We Are Together
02 - Now
03 - Morning Song
04 - Hey, Hey, Whatta You Say
05 - Autumn Blue
06 - Booga Wooga Woman

Eric Kloss (as,ts) Mike Nock (kybds) Mike Richmond (b) Jimmy Madison (d) Efrain Toro (cowbell)
Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. January 4&5, 1978

Philly Cats

Philly Cats by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Ivan “Boogaloo Joe” Jones - Snake Rhythm Rock (1973) [vinyl>flac]

'Snake Rhythm Rock' is the seventh album by jazz-groove guitarist Ivan “Boogaloo Joe” Jones. It was recorded in 1972 and released in 1973 on the Prestige label; produced by Ozzie Cadena and engineered by the great Rudy van Gelder. “Boogaloo Joe” joins forces with Rusty Bryant on killer tenor and alto, Butch Cornell on pulsating organ, Jimmy Lewis on driving electric bass and Grady Tate banging away on drums. The album’s five funky jazz cuts are absolutely dominated by the tight guitar stylings of Jones, Cornell’s lively organ licks and Bryant’s gravelly voiced sax. Enjoy this short but wonderful LP.

Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones recorded a number of sides for Prestige Records during the early 70s. This is another great Boogaloo Joe Jones album. A monster set of work by one of the funkiest guitar players. ~ by dj fanis

Prestige Records, PR 10056, 1973

Recorded 24th November, 1972 at Rudy van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Ivan “Boogaloo Joe” Jones - Guitar

Butch Cornell - Organ

Rusty Bryant - Alto & Tenor Saxophones

Jimmy Lewis - Electric Bass

Grady Tate - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Hoochie Coo Chickie {Boogaloo Jones} (5:23)

A2. Snake Rhythm Rock {Boogaloo Jones} (5:27)

A3. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face {Ewan Maccoll} (5:46)

B1. He's So Fine {Ronald Mack} (6:28)

B2. Big Bad Midnight Roller {Boogaloo Jones} (9:49)

Credits:

Producer - Ozzie Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Clifford Jordan – Repetition (1984) [vinyl>flac]

Barry McRae, Jazz Journal, December, 1984:
This is a predictably good quartet record with the Chicago tenor man in the driving seat. He does not take the session by force, however, and the way in which he makes use of rests allows the Harris-led rhythm team to breath freely and is just right for the balance of the music. Jordan is a saxophonist who uses his fluency to serve his improvisational ends and he has especially inventive solos on Third Avenue, House Call and Quit 'N Time. He is very much a man concerned with his sound and in every solo he matches this with genuine content and a natural sense of formal organisation.
Harris is as immaculate as ever, his lines are firmly wrought and his ideas are concise and personal. Booker and Fournier are professional in the best sense of the word and the group is a well integrated unit. The final accolade must go to art director Sandy Jordan for a fine sleeve design. It completes a very pleasing package.

Review by Ken Dryden:
Clifford Jordan was in top form for this marathon, noon-to-midnight quartet studio session with Barry Harris, Walter Booker, and Vernel Fournier. The veteran hard bopper brought three potent originals to the date, and the group collaborated on the driving up-tempo "Fun." Neal Hefti's "Repetition" could be subtitled "Relaxation" for its easygoing tempo. The short but effective rendition of Monk's "Evidence" packs plenty of punch, while the medley of Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia" and Tadd Dameron's "Casbah" is also a masterful performance. The only downside to this release is the self-serving liner notes by the enormously egocentric Stanley Crouch.

01 - Third Avenue
02 - Fun
03 - Repetition
04 - Evidence
05 - Nostalgia~Casbah
06 - House Call
07 - Quit 'N Time

Clifford Jordan (ts); Barry Harris (p); Walter Booker (b); Vernel Fournier (d).
NYC. February 9, 1984

Eric Kloss - First Class Kloss - Grits And Gravy

 Two more from the Prestige years.

"First Class! collects two solid Eric Kloss albums from 1966 and 1967, the first titled Grits and Gravy, the latter First Class Kloss! Over the course of 16 pieces, however, saxophonist Kloss fronts three different groups: a quartet, quintet, and septet. While this never seems disjointed, it does occasionally feel like a best-of package, especially when the female vocal group joins in on pieces like "Slow Hot Wind." This is especially true on the first eight pieces from Grits and Gravy. Bizarre hodgepodges like the title track with its combination of background vocals, a large ensemble, and repetitive funky riffs remind one of a bad '60s movie soundtrack. These tracks are juxtaposed with incredibly edgy work by Kloss, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Alan Dawson. The intensity of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" still sounds fresh 20 years after the fact, and the chemistry among the players is explosive. Luckily, the two bonus tracks, "When I Fall" and "Psychedelicatessen Rag," come from these sessions. Kloss is joined by trumpeter Jimmy Owens, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Dawson for the last half-dozen tracks, and the work here is uniformly excellent. "The Chasin' Game" and "African Cookbook" take advantage of the duel-horn lineup, and the quintet stretches both of these pieces out for seven minutes. While the overall effect of First Class! is a bit scattered, there's a great deal of excellent music on the disc that's sure to please the Kloss fan." AMG

Ceasar Frazier - Hail Ceasar! (1972) [vinyl>flac]

Hail Ceasar! is the first album to feature organist Ceasar Frazier as a leader and it is very much a monster bit of funky jazz. The LP consists of a number of long tracks that all jam mightily, right up there with the best of the Soul Jazz grooves coming out of the early seventies. The album was released on the rare Eastbound label a jazz subsidiary of Westbound Records. It's overall success is contributed to highly by the recording maestro Rudy van Gelder. Ceasar pulls together a Prestige-styled combo with a group of players well-known and recorded by van Gelder. It includes Houston Person on soulful sax, Cecil Bridgewater blowing away on Trumpet, Melvin Sparks throwing in some heavy licks, Gordon Edwards ramping up the bass, Idris Muhammad smashing away on drums and Buddy Caldwell doing his bit on the congas. As a first this album truly showcases Ceasar grooving hard on the organ and the chosen tracks don't disappoint. Well recommended!

Eastbound Records, EB 9002, 1973

Personnel:

Ceasar Frazier - Organ

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone

Cecil Bridgewater - Trumpet

Melvin Sparks - Guitar

Gordon Edwards - Bass

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Buddy Caldwell - Congas

Track Listing:

A1. Hicky Burr {Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones} (8:07)

A2. Ellie's Love Theme {Isaac Hayes} (5:03)

A3. See-F {Ceasar Frazier} (4:42)

B1. Hail Ceasar! {Melvin Sparks} (6:27)

B2. Make It With You {David Gates} (4:01)

B3. Runnin' Away {Sylvester Stewart} (4:58)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Note:

Typo on file names: Hail Caesar! not Hail Ceasar!

Eric Kloss - One, Two, Free

This is very odd, the jpeg of my cover does not look like this at all, the strange apparent wear is only in the blogger upload! I'm baffled and it keeps doing it!

A quick word about our pal Grumpy - as someone whom has had his links deleted en-mass I can tell you it is quite a shock and no fun at all. Please give him a break and do not ask for restoral of any Hotfile links - it isn't going to happen any time soon.

"Pittsburgh native Eric Kloss (b. 1949) was one of the most distinctive, original voices to emerge on alto sax in the mid-60s. He was only 16 when the first of his eleven Prestige albums was released in 1965. These records featured the cream of the crop of New York musicians and the young Kloss more than held his own with heavyweights like Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard, Chick Corea, Cedar Walton, and most notably, guitarist Pat Martino.

Kloss switched to the Muse label in 1972 and debuted with this outstanding quartet recording, One, Two, Free ; which remains his finest achievement. In a group featuring Martino on guitar and Ron Thomas on electric piano as well as bassist Dave Holland and fellow Pittsburgher Ron Krasinski on drums, Kloss pushes and pulls his group to take chances that explore the outer edges of bop, fusion and even funky pop music.

The 18-minute, three-part title track is clearly influenced by Bitches Brew (on which bassist Holland also participated). But here, like on the surprisingly substantial funk of Carole King's "It Too Late," Kloss's arched sound and searing style move the ostinato vamp in a more avant-garde direction (the way Arthur Blythe later would). Martino gets a notable share of the solo spotlight and never ceases to amaze in his mixture of cool chordal comps and fleet runs up and down the fretboard.

Kloss's beautiful ballad, "Licea," guided by Dave Holland's moody, signature string work, is the jewel of this collection and probably deserves to be better known. Martino waxes lyrically before Kloss enters for a rueful countenance that's worth the price of admission. Even though there's 42 minutes of music here, one wishes creative interaction this good kept on going."

Songs:One, Two, Free Suite: Pt. 1, One, Two, Free; Pt. 2, Elegy; Pt. 3, The Wizard; It's Too Late; Licea.

Players:Eric Kloss: alto sax; Pat Martino: guitar; Ron Thomas: electric piano, tambourine; Dave Holland: bass, electric bass; Ron Krasinski: drums.

Leo Wright: Flute, Sax and Soul

Lest We Forget Vol. 5 / Leo Wright: Flute, Sax and Soul by Poppachubby on Mixcloud