Cat Anderson - Old Folks

Hey gang!!!  It's been a while, but I have a treat for you.  I'm not sure if it's Cat's final album, but it was recorded only a couple years before his passing.  In 70's Europe, his music and presence was in demand and as such, he recorded in Paris.  Most notable were his Black & Blue sides, but this All Life Records LP is just as excellent - in all ways.

Firstly, when you hear how great Anderson sounds, you will realize that he was infact taken too soon.  Even at the age of 62 he had much to say, and the physicality to execute.  On Old Folks, you will get everything you love about this Ellingtonian.  Playful plunger mutes, soulful balladry and even his infamous power in the freak register.

The backing band is of course made up of notable French players, and perform much beyond their "duty".  We hear a bit from Arvanitas while Michelot & Collier keep the groove locked and interesting.  The song selection makes for a really varied and fun album.  Even standards like Caravan come out sounding fresh, but who else could do that classic better justice than an Ellington man himself?!?!

In any case, Old Folks is a fun and enjoyable mainstream album.  A must have for Anderson/Ellingtonia fans, and definitely a nice jewel for any mainstream fan.  I have ripped this minty LP at 24/48 wav & transferred to 24/48 FLAC for your convenience.  A gorgeous recording which hopefully will help you to ring in the new year!!!  See you in 2017... enjoy!

__________________________________________________________

All Life Records AL-004
1980

Recorded April 17th, 1979 and mixed July 26th, 1979
at Studio des Champs-Elysées, Paris.
Bass – Pierre Michelot
Drums – George Collier
Piano – Georges Arvanitas
Trumpet – Cat Anderson

A1   Do You Know What It Means 4:56
A2   Buddy Bolden Blues 4:04
A3   Pennies From Heaven 3:48
A4   I'm Beginning To See The Light 5:50
B1   Old Folks 4:24
B2   Caravan 4:02
B3   Eye For You 5:51
B4   How Deep Is The Ocean 4:28

Willis Jackson - Blue Gator (1959,60) [vinyl]

Blue Gator is the third album led by saxophonist Willis Jackson featuring organist Jack McDuff and guitarist Bill Jennings which was recorded in 1959 and 1960 and released on the Prestige label. ~ Wikipedia.

Seminal early work from Willis Jackson. Blue Gator is a massive early Prestige set from tenorist Willis - and just the kind of record that set him firmly in the soul jazz camp for the 60s! By the time of the set, Jackson had already won plenty of fame for his R&B-tinged work - but here, he stretches out a bit more, and really gets creative on his solos - working with a very hip group that includes Jack McDuff on organ and Wild Bill Jennings on guitar - both players making a similar shift in their music at the time. The tracks are lively, recorded with a bold, loud tone, and have lots of those great open-mouthed tones from Jackson - quite possibly a good reason for his "Gator" nickname! Tracks include "Blue Gator", "East Breeze", "The Gator Jumps", and "Try A Little Tenderness". ~ Extract from Dusty Groove Inc.

Prestige Records, PRST 7850, 1972 [Reissue]

Recorded 25^th May (#A3,B3), 1959 at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey;

9^th November (#B2), 1959; 25^th February (#B1) & 16^th August (#A1,A2), 1960

at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Jack McDuff - Organ

Bill Jennings - Guitar

Wendell Marshall - Bass (#A1,A2,B2)

Tommy Potter - Bass (#A3,B3)

Milt Hinton - Bass (#B1)

Bill Elliot - Drums (#A1,A2)

Alvin Johnson - Drums (#A3-B3)

Buck Clarke - Congas (#B1)

Tracks:

A1. Blue Gator {Willis Jackson} (9:13)

A2. Try A Little Tenderness {Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Harry Woods} (5:59)

A3. The Gator Jumps {Willis Jackson} (3:40)

B1. This Nearly Was Mine {Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers} (4:32)

B2. East Breeze {Esmond Edwards} (10:02)

B3. She's Funny That Way {Neil Moret, Richard Whiting} (5:12)

Credits:

Supervisor - Esmond Edwards

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Tom Curry (January 1971)

Mose Allison - Ever Since The World Ended

When I stop and think about it, Mose Allison records were rarely something that I consciously pursued...they just kind of showed up on my shelves in all kinds of ways not normal for a collector; found in closets, left by roommates, random garage sale purchases, equally random gifts...you get it. Each one became a 'certain niche' favorite. I always felt just a little hipper when I'd finished listening to something from my Mose stash. The funny thing is...I snatched this one the moment I saw it, the only Mose thing I ever did that with. For whatever the reason, I knew it was meant for my ears...What's your movie?

Ted Curson & Co. - Ode To Booker Ervin (1970) [vinyl>flac]

A rare Finnish album from the great trumpeter Ted Curson - and easily one of his greatest albums ever! The Ted heard here is a bit like the Curson of the famous early 70s Paris sessions - soulful, soaring, and still every bit as modern as his initial moments in the 60s - yet somehow a bit more focused too - able to really hit a groove when he wanted to, but all without ever losing his edge! The lineup here features some excellent reeds from Eero Koivistoinen - who plays tenor, alto, and soprano sax in the lead - almost with an edge as sharp as Curson's frequent partner Bill Barron. The group also has some heavy Fender Rhodes from Pentti Hietanen, plus sharp rhythms from Pekka Sarmanto on bass and Reino Laine on drums - on titles that include "Ode To Booker Ervin", "LSD Takes Holiday", "Airi's Tune", "Montreux", "Festival Blue", and "Typical Ted". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Ode to Booker Ervin is an album by American trumpeter Ted Curson which was recorded in Helsinki and first released on the Finnish EMI Columbia label in 1970. The album features Curson with a band composed of local Finnish jazz musicians. All compositions by Ted Curson except "Montreux" and "Festival Blue" are penned by Finnish pianist Pentti Hietanen. ~ Extract Wikipedia

With Finnish sidemen, Curson eulogizes Booker Ervin. ~ by Ron Wynn, AMG.

Columbia Records, 5E 062-34201, 1970

Recorded 3^rd September, 1970 at Finnvox Studio, Helsinki, Finland

Musicians:

Ted Curson - Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet

Pentti Hietanen - Piano, Fender Jazz Piano

Eero Koivistoinen - Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxophones

Pekka Sarmanto - Bass

Reino Laine - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Ode To Booker Ervin {Ted Curson} (2:07)

A2. LSD Takes Holiday {Ted Curson} (5:43)

A3. Airi’s Tune {Ted Curson} (7:42)

A4. Montreux {Pentti Hietanen} (6:39)

B1. Festival Blue {Pentti Hietanen} (6:44)

B2. Typical Ted {Ted Curson} (7:06)

B3. The Leopard {Ted Curson} (8:33)

Credits:

Engineer - Antti Joki

Photo - Seppo Kosting, Sakari Parkkinen

Hank Marr - Sounds From The Marr-Ket Place 1964 (LP-24-48-flac)

For those that like the Hammond B3 and artists like Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Richard 'Groove' Holmes, Bill Doggett etc. you will like this album by Hank Marr. Plus, this marks the recording debut of future avant-gardists George Adams and James 'Blood' Ulmer. Soul Jazz at it's finest.

****There is some question about this being Rusty Bryant and not George Adams on tenor. From what I have read the consensus is that it is Adams. I do not particularly like avant-garde or free jazz or Adams later work so I cannot tell by listening, although avant-garde is not what he is playing here as this is his earliest work. Perhaps there may be a George Adams fan who reads this and DL's the music who may be able to shed some light on this question.

Hank Marr - Organ
George Adams - Tenor Sax
James Ulmer - Guitar
Taylor Orr - Drums

A1 - The Marr-Ket Place
A2 - Soup Spoon
A3 - Smothered Soul
A4 - I Remember Acapulco
A5 - Greens A-Go-Go
B1 - Down In The Bottom
B2 - My Dream Just Passed
B3 - Home Fries
B4 - Come And Get It
B5 - Get On Down

My LP > 24/48 flac > Full 600 dpi Scans > Properly Tagged Files > 4% Recovery Record = 449 MB

Mose Allison - Your Mind is on Vacation

Dedicated to our new Potus and Vice-Potus elect. I don't believe any explanation is needed.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

"It seems strange to realize that this was Mose Allison's only recording during the 1973-1981 period. In addition to his trio with bassist Jack Hannah and drummer Jerry Granelli, such guests as altoist David Sanborn, Al Cohn, and Joe Farrell on tenors and trumpeter Al Porcino pop up on a few selections. However, Mose Allison is easily the main star, performing ten of his originals (including a remake of the famous title cut, "What Do You Do After You Ruin Your Life," and "Swingin' Machine") plus renditions of the standards "Foolin' Myself" and "I Can't See for Lookin'."

I just noticed while listening that there is a lovely Monkish bounce to this Mississippi Be-Bop!

Carmen McRae - Carmen For Cool Ones (1957) [vinyl>flac]

Hip early work from Carmen McCrae - with jazzy arrangements by Fred Katz, featuring mostly west coast players running through some off-kilter backings that give Carmen a different sound than usual. The album's definitely got the "cool" in the title, but Carmen's sophisticated phrasing of the songs brings a lot of warmth to the tracks - in a kind of counterpoint that works really well with the music. Titles include "I Remember Clifford", "What's New", "Weak For The Man", "A Shoulder To Cry On", "Any Old Time", "Without A Word Of Warning", and "The Night We Called It A Day". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Decca Records, DL 8738, 1958

Recorded 1957

Personnel:

Carmen McRae - Vocals

Pete Candoli - Trumpet (#A6)

Ray Lion - Trumpet (#A6)

Milt Bernhart - Trombone (#A6)

Bob Enevoldsen - Trombone (#A6)

Tommy Johnson - Tuba (#A6)

Buddy Collette - Flute, Alto Saxophone (#A2,A4,B4,B6)

George W. Smith - Clarinet (#A1,A2,A4,B1,B3,B4,B6)

Justin Gordon - Bass Clarinet (#A1,A2,A4,B1,B3,B4,B6)

Mahlon Clark - Bass Clarinet (#A1,B1,B3)

Bill Green - Flute (#A1,B1,B3)

Harry Klee - Flute [Solo] (#A1,B1,B3)

Warren Webb - Oboe (#A2,A4,B4,B6)

Larry Bunker - Vibraphone (#A3,A5,B2,B5), Drums (#A6)

Frank Emilio Flynn - Vibraphone, Marimba (#A3,A5,B2,B5)

John T. Williams - Piano (#A3,A5,B2,B5)

Joe Marino - Piano (#A2,A4,B4,B6), Celeste (#A3,A5,B2,B5)

Calvin Jackson - Piano (#A6)

Joseph R. Gibbons - Guitar (#A2,A4,B4,B6)

Billy Bean - Guitar (#A6)

Fred Katz - Cello (#B5)

Ike Isaacs - Bass (#A1-A5,B1-B6)

Red Mitchell - Bass (#A6)

Specs Wright - Drums (#A1-A5,B1-B6)

Tracks:

A1. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (2:25)

A2. A Shoulder To Cry On {Chuck Darwin, Paulette Girard} (3:52)

A3. Any Old Time {Artie Shaw} (3:09)

A4. Weak For The Man {Jeanne Burns} (4:08)

A5. What's New {Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke} (2:29)

A6. I Get A Kick Out Of You {Cole Porter} (2:14)

B1. [What Can I Say] After I Say {Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman} (1:46)

B2. Without A Word Of Warning (Mack Gordon, Harry Revel} (3:19)

B3. You Are Mine {Frank Loesser} (3:26)

B4. If I Were A Bell {Ted Snyder, Sam Lewis, Joe Young} (1:54)

B5. The Night We Called It A Day {Matt Dennis, Tom Adair} (4:28)

B6. I Remember Clifford {Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks} (3:00)

Orchestra Director, Arranger - Fred Katz

Liner Notes - Burt Korall