Friday, April 29, 2016

Ornette Coleman - The Best Of Ornette Coleman (1970) [vinyl>flac]

A great compilation of various quartets led by Ornette Coleman from 1959-1960. Even though this LP is a random selection taken from Coleman’s classic Atlantic albums, the sound of the LP is outstanding, Enjoy!

Atlantic Records, SD 1558, 1970

Personnel:

#A1,B1
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone
Donald Cherry - Pocket Trumpet
Charlie Haden - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums

#A2,A3
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone
Donald Cherry - Pocket Trumpet
Charlie Haden - Bass
Ed Blackwell - Drums


#A4
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone
Donald Cherry - Cornet
Charlie Haden - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums

#B2
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone
Donald Cherry - Pocket Trumpet
Scott LaFaro - Bass
Ed Blackwell - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Una Muy Bonita {Ornette Coleman} (5:58)
Recorded 10th October, 1959 at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, California
Recording Engineer - Bones Howe
From Atlantic LP 1327

A2. Embraceable You {George & Ira Gershwin} (4:52)
Recorded 26th July, 1960 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York
Recording Engineer - Tom Dowd
From Atlantic LP 1353

A3. Blues Connotation {Ornette Coleman} (5:16)
Recorded 19th July, 1960 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York
Recording Engineer - Tom Dowd, Phil Iehle
From Atlantic LP 1353

A4. Lonely Woman {Ornette Coleman} (4:58)
Recorded 10th October, 1959 at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, California
Recording Engineer - Bones Howe
From Atlantic LP 1317

B1. Ramblin' {Ornette Coleman} (6:35)
Recorded 9th October, 1959 at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, California
Recording Engineer - Bones Howe
From Atlantic LP 1327

B2. C & D {Ornette Coleman} (13:11)
Recorded 26th July, 1960 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York
Recording Engineer - Tom Dowd
From Atlantic LP 1378

Credits:
Producer - Nesuhi Ertegun
Cover Photo - Lee Friedlander
Cover Design - Loring Eutemey
Liner Notes - Nat Hentoff

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Sam Most - Flute Flight (1976) [vinyl>flac]


Review by Chris Sheridan, Jazz Journal, October 1978:
Anyone who believes a flute-led quartet date is a cure for insomnia is certain to be caught napping by the ferocity of Most's attack on the opener. This most neglected of flautists leaps from the stop-time theme into a brisk solo of bristling clarity. And after Lou, Monty and Donald have had a say, Most wastes no time reminding us that the technique of humming along with a solo was pioneered by himself.
It Might As Well Be Spring is a pretty duet for Sam and Lou, while neither Flying Down To Rio nor Sagittarian Samba are ordinary bossas. Bailey's drums rustle trenchantly — indeed, the entire trio is rather more snappy than one might expect on a flute album.
This is a very good record, so, as Xanadu's gaffer is wont to say - enjoy!

01 The Humming Blues 5:31
02 It Might As Well Be Spring 6:35
03 Flying Down To Rio 7:44
04 Sagittarian Samba 6:16
05 Last Night When We Were Young 5:44
06 It Happened In Monterey 3:11
07 Am I Blue 5:55

Sam Most - flute; Lou Levy - piano; Monty Budwig - bass; Donald Bailey - drums
Recorded: December 28 1976
(Xanadu 141)

Sorry - link now in comments!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Eric Kloss - Life Force (1967) [vinyl>flac]

Much of this music is unconventional, avant-garde by the standards of anyone reared in the structural tradition of 12-bar blues, 16- and 32-bar pop standards, and infinite variations thereon. Here, other structures and idioms are freely borrowed and explored, and the listener can never be sure what avenue the boys will ramble down next. But experiment, free experiment, has ever been the soul of jazz (as of the Life Force itself, according to its admirers). At 18, Eric Kloss is a worthy representative of both conceptions, and a welcome newcomer to the ranks of those select pros who can usually be counted on for something fresh and exciting in almost any vein they choose. ~ Extract from Liner Notes by Ralph Berton.

Prestige Records, PRST 7535, 1968
Recorded 18th September, 1967

Musicians:
Eric Kloss - Alto Sax (#A2,B1,B3), Tenor Sax (#A1,A3,B2)
Jimmy Owens - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (except #B1)
Pat Martino - Guitar
Ben Tucker - Bass
Alan Dawson - Drums

Tracks:
A1. Soul Daddy {Charles Austin} (3:55)
A2. You're Turning My Dreams Around {Eric Kloss} (4:54)
A3. Life Force {Eric Kloss} (11:23)
B1. Nocturno {Bud Shank} (6:37)
B2. St. Thomas {Sonny Rollins} (5:23)
B3. My Heart Is In The Highlands {Eric Kloss} (8:28)

Credits:
Producer - Don Schlitten
Recording Engineer - Richard Alderson
Design - Don Schlitten
Artwork - Irving Riggs
Liner Notes - Ralph Berton (Jan. 1968)

Monday, April 11, 2016

Ornette Coleman - Twins (1959-1961) [vinyl>flac]

Ornette Coleman's Twins has been looked at as an afterthought in many respects. A collection of sessions from 1959, 1960, and 1961 with different bands, they are allegedly takes from vinyl LP sessions commercially limited at that time to 40 minutes on vinyl, and not initially released until many years later. Connoisseurs consider this one of his better recordings in that it offers an overview of what Coleman was thinking in those pivotal years of the free bop movement rather than the concentrated efforts of The Art of the Improvisers, Change of the Century, The Shape of Jazz to Come, This Is Our Music, and of course the pivotal Free Jazz. There are three most definitive selections that define Coleman's sound and concept. "Monk & the Nun" is angular like Thelonious Monk, soulful as spiritualism, and golden with the rhythm team of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins driving the sweet and sour alto sax of Coleman and piquant trumpeting of Don Cherry. "Check Up" is a wild roller coaster ride, mixing meters, tempos, and dynamics in a blender in an unforgettable display of sheer virtuosity, and featuring bassist Scott LaFaro. "Joy of a Toy" displays the playful Ornette Coleman in interval leaps, complicated bungee jumps, in many ways whimsical but not undecipherable. It is one of the most intriguing of all of Coleman's compositions. Less essential, "First Take" showcases his double quartet in a churning composition left off the original release This Is Our Music, loaded with interplay as a showcase for a precocious young trumpeter named Freddie Hubbard, the ribald bass clarinet of Eric Dolphy, and the first appearance with Coleman's groups for New Orleans drummer Ed Blackwell. "Little Symphony" has a great written line with room for solos in a joyful hard bop center with the quartet of Coleman, Cherry, Haden, and Blackwell. All in all an excellent outing for Coleman from a hodgepodge of recordings that gives a broader view of his vision and the music that would come later in the '60s. ~ by Michael G. Nastos, AMG.

Atlantic Records, SD 1588, 1971
"First Take" 21st December, 1960 at A&R Studios, New York City
"Little Symphony" 19th July, 1960, at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
"Monk And The Nun" 22nd May, 1959, at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California
"Check Up" 31st January, 1961, at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City
"Joy Of A Toy" 26th July, 1960, at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York City

Personnel:
Ornette Coleman - Alto Saxophone (#A1-B3)
Don Cherry - Pocket Trumpet (#A1,B2), Cornet (#B1), Trumpet (#A2,B3)
Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet (#A1)
Eric Dolphy - Bass Clarinet (#A1)
Scott LaFaro - Bass (#A1,B2)
Charlie Haden - Bass (#A1-B1,B3)
Ed Blackwell - Drums (#A1,A2,B2,B3)
Billy Higgins - Drums (#A1,B1)

Track Listing:
A1. First Take (16:56)
A2. Little Symphony (5:13)
B1. Monk And The Nun (5:52)
B2. Check Up (10:07)
B3. Joy Of A Toy (4:55)

Credits:
Producer - Nesuhi Ertegun
Recording Engineer - Tom Dowd (#A1,A2,B2,B3), Phil Iehle (#A2), Bones Howe (#B1)
Mastering Engineer - George Piros
Mixing [Re-Mix Engineer] - Geoffrey Haslam
Cover Design - Haig Adishian
Cover Photo - Omar Kharem
Liner Notes - Martin Williams

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Eric Kloss - We're Goin' Up (1968) [re-rip]

We're Goin' Up’ is the sixth album by saxophonist Eric Kloss which was recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label. ~ Wiki

The album finds the 18 year old Kloss in serious company with Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass and the great Alan Dawson on drums. The music is stunning post-bop. ~ KingCake

Personally, I just love this LP. Eric playing is brilliant and as KC said clearly supported by equally marvellous players. Enjoy!

Prestige Records, PR 7565, 1968?
Recorded 22nd December, 1967, New York City [Taken from Jazzdisco Discography]

Musicians:
Eric Kloss - Alto Saxophone
Jimmy Owens - Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Kenny Barron - Piano
Bob Cranshaw - Bass
Alan Dawson - Drums

Tracks:
1. Get The Money Bluze (2:28)
2. I Long To Belong To You (6:33)
3. Gentle Is My Lover (7:35)
4. We're Goin' Up (5:24)
5. Of Wine And You (5:53)
6. Blues Up Tight (5:48)

All Compositions by Eric Kloss

Credits:
Producer - Don Schlitten
Recording Engineer - Richard Alderson
Cover Design/Art - Irving Riggs