Sun Ra - Sleeping Beauty [vinyl to 24/48 flac]

It isn't often that I have something new to offer anymore, but today is an exception.

AllMusic Review by Sean Westergaard 

"This is the great late-night Sun Ra chillout album you never knew about. The band had been working in a more groove-oriented setting off and on for over a year, as evidenced by the albums Lanquidity and On Jupiter, with both featuring prominent electric bass and electric guitar. Sleeping Beauty picks up right where On Jupiter left off, with the gentle, swaying "Springtime Again" echoing the same mellow vibe of "Seductive Fantasy" from On Jupiter. A skittering intro coalesces as different instruments pick up bits of the melody, which is then fully expressed by the horn section and ensemble vocals. It's a simple two-chord vamp, with beautiful solos that seem to embody the reawakening and rebirth of springtime. "The Door of the Cosmos" starts with a gospel-like chant and handclaps, with comments from Ra's electric piano and electric guitar. A strong bassline enters, very reminiscent of "A Love Supreme, Pt. 1: Acknowledgement," but the accompanying chant celebrates the mysteries of the unknown rather than the universal truth of A Love Supreme. This track builds in intensity, but never loses its groove or becomes nearly as raucous as the Arkestra is sometimes known for. "Sleeping Beauty" is the album centerpiece, taking up all of side two. Ra's beautiful electric piano gets things rolling, and the band falls into a peaceful groove before the vocals enter, led by the wonderful June Tyson. These songs are all built on the simplest of structures, and the playing from everyone is understated and sublime. Sleeping Beauty is truly a high point in an unwieldy discography, and something of an anomaly at the same time. Outstanding."

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - You Talk That Talk! (1971) [vinyl>flac]

A good old-fashioned duet album by Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, longtime friends who recorded several albums together, 1971's You Talk That Talk lacks the can-you-top-this cutting contest duels that the tenor saxophonists could occasionally engage in on-stage. Instead, a relaxed, swinging vibe prevails, as Stitt and Ammons trade choruses over a loose, funky backdrop provided by organist Leon Spencer and Ammons' usual rhythm section of guitarist George Freeman and drummer Idris Muhammad. On side one of the album, Ammons plays his new toy, the Varitone electric sax, which basically sounds like a regular saxophone played through a guitarist's chorus and delay pedals. The thick, kind of muddy sound recalls Miles Davis' contemporaneous jazz-rock experiments and contrasts not unpleasantly with Stitt's fleet-fingered solos. On the less dated-sounding second side, Ammons and Stitt settle into a more familiar all-acoustic setting, culminating in a fine pair of solos on the ballad standard "Body and Soul," both men playing tribute to the great Coleman Hawkins while maintaining their own unique styles. ~ by Stewart Mason, AMG.

Prestige Records, PRST 10019, 1971

Recorded 8^th February, 1971 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Sonny Stitt - Tenor Saxophone

Leon Spencer - Organ

George Freeman - Guitar

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Tracks:

A1. You Talk That Talk! {Leon Spencer} (5:56)

A2. Body And Soul {Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour} (4:14)

A3. The People's Choice {Harold Ousley} (6:53)

B1. Katea's Dance {Sonny Stitt} (6:41)

B2. The Sun Died {Ray Charles, Hubert Giraud, André Gregory, Pierre Leroyer} (4:36)

B3. Out Of It {Harold Vick} (4:57)

Credits:

Supervision - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Art Direction - Tony Lane

Artwork [Lettering] - Bill Adams

Photography - Al Johnson

Liner Notes - Greg Hall

Houston Person - Soul Dance! (1968) [vinyl]

Soul Dance! is the fifth album led by saxophonist Houston Person, which was recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label.

With Billy Gardner on organ. Although not as well produced or engineered as his '70s and '80s Muse recordings, this late '60s date is vintage Houston Person. He's doing the same mix of blues, ballads, and soul jazz cuts as always, although with a little less confidence, edge, and control than he displays on later albums. ~ by Ron Wynn, AMG.

Prestige Records, PR 7621, 1969

Recorded 18^th November, 1968 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone

Billy Gardner - Organ

Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones - Guitar

Frankie Jones - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Snake Eyes {Houston Person} (5:22)

A2. Never Let Me Go {Jay Livingston, Ray Evans} (4:54)

A3. Groovin' And A-Groovin' {Houston Person} (5:02)

A4. What A Difference A Day Made {Stanley Adams, María Mendez Grever} (5:55)

B1. Soul Dance! {Houston Person} (4:12)

B2. Here's That Rainy Day {Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen} (6:01)

B3. Teardrops From My Eyes {Rudy Toombs} (4:56)

B4. Blue Seven {Sonny Rollins} (5:24)

Credits:

Supervisor - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Note:

Found crude/noisy rip on the web; decoded, cleaned-up, re-encoded and added some more artwork, Enjoy!

Cy Touff Quintet - Touff Assignment (1958) [vinyl]

Cy Touff played the bass trumpet as a lead instrument in several small jazz ensembles, though this LP, made for Argo in 1958, seems to be his final recording as a leader. His instrument sounds much like Sandy Mosse's trombone, so it is somewhat easy to confuse their respective solos, unless one is paying close attention. The strong rhythm section includes pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Marty Clausen. The music is a mix of cool originals by Al Cohn ("Soulsville") and Ernie Wilkins ("Tough Touff"), along with classic jazz compositions ("Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart") plus swinging takes of standards such as "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "The Lamp Is Low." Touff continued to record on occasion as a sideman following this date. The only disappointing part of this release is the abbreviated total time of less than 28 minutes. Long out of print, the original issue will likely only be found in auction lists. ~ by Ken Dryden, AMG.

Argo Records, LP 641, 1959

Recorded 28^th-29^th August, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois

Musicians:

Cy Touff - Bass Trumpet

Sandy Mosse - Saxophone

Ed Higgins - Piano

Bob Cranshaw - Bass

Marty Clausen - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Soulsville {Al Cohn} (3:11)

A2. Cyril's Dream {Al Cohn} (3:07)

A3. How Long Has This Been Going On {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (3:33)

A4. Kissin' Cousins {Ernie Wilkins} (3:01)

B1. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now {Andy Razaf, Fats Waller} (3:48)

B2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart {Ellington, Mills, Nemo, Redmond} (3:35)

B3. Lamp Is Low {Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter} (2:38)

B4. Tough Touff {Ernie Wilkins} (5:27)

Credits:

Producer - Dave Usher

Recording Engineer - Malcolm Chisholm

Photography [Cover] - Don Bronstein

Liner Notes - Ralph J. Gleason

Notes:

Stereo Recording made on an Ampex-3005

Sonny Stitt - Night Letter (1969) [vinyl>true flac]

A more soulful date, particularly on the gorgeous ballads When It's Sleepy Time Down South and Pretend. ~ Jazzwax.com

Fine, although a bit routine, soul jazz, blues, ballads, and standards session from saxophonist Sonny Stitt. He plays with the usual surging intensity, but the album doesn't have as much excitement as similar dates done before and after it. ~ by Ron Wynn, AMG.

The group may initially sound routine but on closer inspection with Pat Martino onboard the group excels; he puts in a fine performance. In the end the listener must conclude Stitt’s ability to deliver a rich ballad. A prestige classic that is much recommended.

Prestige Records, PR 7759, 1969

Recorded 27th October, 1969 at Rudy van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Track Listing:

A1. Night Letter {Sonny Stitt} (5:14)

A2. When It's Sleepy Time Down South {Clarence Muse, Otis Rene, Leon René} (4:06)

A3. Stringin' The Jug {Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Richard Carpenter} (5:23)

A4. Pretend {Dan Belloc, Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, Frank LaVere} (3:49)

B1. Blue String {Sonny Stitt} (6:21)

B2. You'll Never Know {Harry Warren, Mack Gordon} (4:03)

B3. Loose Walk [Stitts Tune] {Johnny Richards, Sonny Stitt} (5:58)

Personnel:

Sonny Stitt - Tenor Saxophone, Varitone

Gene Ludwig - Organ

Pat Martino - Guitar

Randy Gelispie - Drums

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Ralph Berton

Hank Crawford - It's A Funky Thing To Do (1971) [vinyl]

Hank Crawford slides into the electric 70s with this sweet little set of funky tracks - working in a tight small combo format with Richard Tee on electric piano and Cornell Dupree on electric guitar - and grooving in a laidback slinky funk mode that's perfect for his soulful tone on the alto sax! The groove ranges from mellow funk to gentle soul – and the album's title track is an excellent version of "It's A Funky Thing To Do", with Pee Wee Ellis joining the group on electric piano! Other tracks include "Hills Of Love", "You're The One", "Sophisticated Soul", "Kingsize Man", and "Parker's Mood". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

"It's A Funky Thing To Do" was Hank Crawford's final recording for Atlantic after a commercially successful ten-year run. The soulful altoist is backed by a funky rhythm section (either Eric Gale or Cornell Dupree on guitar, keyboardist Richard Tee, Chuck Rainey or Ron Carter on electric bass, and drummer Bernard Purdie), and Crawford as usual plays well.

Cotillion Records, SD 18003, 1971

Recorded 1971 at Regent Sound Studios, New York

Musicians:

Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone

Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis - Electric Piano (#A1)

Richard Tee - Piano, Electric Piano

Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale - Guitar

Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter - Electric Bass

Bernard Purdie - Drums

Tracks:

A1. It's A Funky Thing To Do {Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis} (3:29)

A2. If Ever I Should Leave You {Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe} (4:29)

A3. Hills Of Love {James Shaw, Carlos Malcolm} (5:13)

A4. Sophisticated Soul {Hank Crawford} (4:34)

B1. You're The One {Adolph Smith} (4:17)

B2. Parker's Mood {Charlie Parker} (6:17)

B3. Kingsize Man {Hank Crawford} (5:52)

Credits:

Producer - Joel Dorn

Recording Engineer - Bob Liftin

Remix Engineer - Lewis Hahn

Photography - Jim Cummins

Album Design - Loring Eutemey