Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen - Heavy Juice (2004)

This CD has been a recording waiting to happen for twenty years. Back then, highschooler Harry Allen joined Scott Hamilton on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival for a cameo performance with the George Wein-led Newport All-Stars. Allen grew up in Rhode Island, which also claims Hamilton as a native son. And Hamilton certainly was a role model as Allen blossomed then—and fast became a welcome young player on the New York swing jazz scene. They've had occasional chances to collaborate on the bandstand. And now, Heavy Juice enables them to join a line of great tenor summit session pairings that through the years have included Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon, Ammons and Sonny Stitt, and Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. This is a splendid session in which two good musical friends mine common musical ground with very similar sounds. Both favor a breathy, growling Webster tone at times. These days, Allen comes more out of a Stan Getz melodic bag, which Hamilton explored in an earlier phase. At times, when they're playing in unison or locked into the same tone, it helps to know that Hamilton is on the left stereo channel, Allen on the right. The crack rhythm section provides a strong cushion, with John Bunch's dancing hands providing some elegant twists and turns at the piano. Nothing here disappoints, but their bop-meets-R&B take on "Blues Up and Down" by Ammons and Stitt ranks as my clear favorite. It's filled with an exuberant spirit of one-upmanship until they blend together for the final shout chorus. In contrast, the Duke Ellington ballad "Warm Valley" enables them to share a Websterish blend. From start to finish, through all eight tracks, this blend of Heavy Juice is very, very good. ~ by Ken Franckling, AAJ.

Concord Jazz, CCD-2258-2, 2004

Recorded 11^th & 12^th February, 2004 At Sound On Sound Recording, New York

Musicians:

Scott Hamilton - Tenor Saxophone

Harry Allen - Tenor Saxophone

John Bunch - Piano

Dennis Irwin - Bass

Chuck Riggs - Drums

Tracks:

1. Heavy Juice {Leroy Bass, Wilburt Prysock, Tiny Bradshaw} (6:04)

2. Did You Call Her Today? {Ben Webster} (6:57)

3. Groovin' High {Dizzy Gillespie} (7:03)

4. If I Should Lose You {Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger} (6:48)

5. Blues Up And Down {Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt} (6:29)

6. If Dreams Come True {Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Irving Mills} (8:32)

7. Warm Valley {Duke Ellington} (5:47)

8. Ow! {Dizzy Gillespie} (9:06)

Total Time: 56:46

Credits:

Producer - Scott Hamilton

Executive-Producer - John Burk

Recording & Mixing Engineer - Josiah Gluck

Mastering Engineer - Seth Presant

Design [Package Design] – Kurt Sievert

Photography - Jay Andersen

Liner Notes - Ira Gitler

Kishi Mitsuaki Trio and Harry Allen (2017)

World renowned Japanese pianist Mitsuaki Kishi and his trio are joined by virtuoso tenorist Harry Allen on a fairly recent and remarkable date in Japan. Harry tours regularly in Japan and his following there is proof in this recording. Both musicians have no trouble blending together their unique skills. The choice of compositions certainly gives the listener an opportunity to hear these great players at their best. This wonderful meeting is exemplified by the cohesive interplay within Mitsuaki's own trio as they set about interpreting some well-known jazz standards and some modern pop songs. Included in the selection are a few tunes by Kiski and Harry manages to slip one of his own into the mix. This album was released in 2017 both on LP and CD in Japan on the unique Swing Brothers label. Presented here is the larger CD version giving the audiophile an hour plus of solid entertainment; any music lover won't be disappointed, Enjoy!

Swing Brothers Records, CMSB-28037, 2017

Recorded October, 2016 At Tago Studio, Takasaki City, ‎Gunma, Japan

Musicians:

Mitsuaki Kishi - Piano

Harry Allen - Tenor Saxophone

Yuhei Motokawa - Bass

Makoto Rikitake - Drums

Tracks:

01. I Won't Dance {Jerome Kern} (5:52)

02. Come Dance With Me {Jimmy Van Heusen} (5:25)

03. Let's Face The Music And Dance {Irving Berlin} (4:57)

04. By The Time I Get To Phoenix {Jimmy Webb} (5:21)

05. Let It Be {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (5:25)

06. Oh, Prez Be Great! {Mitsuaki Kishi} (4:43)

07. An Affair To Remember {Harry Allen} (6:01)

08. Firefly {Cy Coleman} (3:38)

09. Hearbeat Of The Bear {Mitsuaki Kishi} (6:05)

10. Time On My Hands {Vincent Youmans} (4:07)

11. On The Sunny Side Of The Street {Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields} (5:07)

12. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? {Frank Loesser} (5:40)

13. When You Wish Upon A Star {Leigh Harline} (2:40)

Total Time: 65:01

Don Patterson - The Best Of Don Patterson & The Jazz Giants (1969)

The term "jazz giants" is no overstatement for this selection of choice tracks from the brilliant organist's output for Prestige between 1964 and 1969. The various lineups on the LP's six tracks are made up of players who excel in playing Patterson's brand of smart, hard-bopping soul jazz: Sonny Stitt, Pat Martino, Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook among others. Cohesive pacing and sound put this release a few notches above most all-star/best-of sets. There's no awkward shoehorning guests in for celebrity cameos, rather the players all sound like members of tight, working units. It helps to have Patterson stalwarts guitarist Martino and drummer Billy James on board for most of the music, as they share the artist's ability to generate exciting, hard-driving music with their great blues feeling and outstanding chops. The three tracks with Martino are the high points: Stitt's "Ratio and Proportion," Billy James' "Little Shannon," and Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee." As he consistently does in his work with Patterson, Martino impresses with his stunning rhythm work, in addition to his more widely recognized role as a killer soloist. The version of "Donna Lee" here is also significant for the presence of veteran bebopper Howard McGhee, who is in excellent form on this feature for his trumpet. The mark of a strong best-of package is one that stands on its own as a coherent presentation of the artist's work, as well as one that prompts the listener to seek out the complete sessions that were drawn on for the compilation. On both these accounts, this survey of Patterson's work is a complete success. ~ by Jim Todd, AMG.

Prestige Records, PRST 7772, 1969

Recorded 24^th September, 1968 (#A1) in New York City

Recorded 2^nd June, 1969 (#A2) At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Recorded 22^nd February, 1968 (#A3) in New York City

Recorded 10^th May, 1967 (#B1) At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Recorded 19^th March, 1964 (#B2) At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Recorded 5^th June, 1968 (#B3) in New York City

Personnel:

Don Patterson - Organ

Virgil Jones - Trumpet (#A2)

Howard McGhee - Trumpet (#A3)

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet (#B3)

Charles McPherson - Tenor Saxophone (#A1)

Sonny Stitt - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,B2)

George Coleman - Tenor Saxophone (#A2)

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone (#A2)

David "Fathead" Newman - Tenor Saxophone (#B1)

Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone (#B3)

Pat Martino - Guitar (#A1-A3,B3)

Billy James - Drums (#A1,A3,B1,B2)

Frankie Jones - Drums (#A2)

Tracks:

A1. Ratio And Proportion {Sonny Stitt} (5:09)

A2. Perdido {Ervin Drake, Hans Lengsfelder, Juan Tizol} (8:50)

A3. Donna Lee {Charlie Parker} (6:16)

B1. Mellow Soul {Don Patterson} (6:35)

B2. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone {Sidney Clare, Sam H. Stept} (5:42)

B3. Little Shannon {Billy James} (6:56)

Total Time: 39:28

See Session Info [Personnel].txt for further details

Harry Allen Trio - I Know That You Know (1992)

Here we have an early Harry Allen CD released on a fairly obscure label in 1992. Harry is right at home in this trio setting. The listener truly gets to hear the richness of his playing as the trio perform a number of jazz standards. In many ways the individual qualities of each of the players are clearly heard in an uncomplicated manner, one of the benefits of a cohesive small grouping. Allen is joined on his tenor saxophone by John Coliani on piano and Michael Moore on bass. Together they produced a well-rounded album that is just right for multiple appraisals, overall a very pleasant and easy listening outing, Enjoy!

MasterMix Music Ltd., CHECD 00104, 1992

Recorded 18^th January, 1992 in London, England

Musicians:

Harry Allen - Tenor Saxophone

John Colianni - Piano

Michael Moore - Acoustic Double Bass

Tracks:

01. Call Me Irresponsible (6:38)

02. Legs (6:52)

03. I Want To Laugh You Right Out Of My Life (3:30)

04. Baby Won't You Please Come Home (4:14)

05. It Was Just One Of Those Things (9:44)

06. I Get Along Without You Very Well (4:09)

07. Drifting (5:31)

08. I Know That You Know (4:49)

09. Souriya (4:21)

10. Desafinado (7:19)

11. Sleep (4:31)

12. Ther'll Never Be Another Spring (3:05)

Total Time: 65:44

Producer - James Campbell

Aldo Bassi Quartet - Distanze (1999)

Bassi formed the Aldo Bassi Quartet in 1998 to develop original jazz compositions. The album covers a range of moods, from the attractive waltz od "Dear Tom", a tribute to New York trumpeter Tom Harrell, through the tense conversation between the two horns at the start of "Past Years", to the probing, bluesy trumpet over a funky backbeat on "Reprise", or the graceful melodicism of the title track, "Distanze". Throughout we are reminded of the breadth of Bassi's experience. Distanze's acoustic grooves and eloquent simplicity ensure that this release will consolidate Bassi's reputation as one of the finest trumpeters on the jazz scene. ~ Extract from JazzHead notes

Philology Records, W 164-2, 1999

JazzHead Records, HEAD035, 2003

Recorded and Mixed 30^th-31^st January &1^st-2^nd February, 1999
At Crocodile Studio, Latina, Italy

Musicians:

Aldo Bassi - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Enrico Bracco - Electric Guitar

Stefano Cantarano - Double Bass

Alessandro Svampa - Drums

Guest:

Mauro Panzieri - Oboe, English Horn

Tracks:

1. Dear Tom {Aldo Bassi} (6:39)

2. Waterfall {Stefano Cantarano} (7:01)

3. Past Years {Aldo Bassi} (7:14)

4. Nadir {Aldo Bassi} (6:49)

5. Reprise {Aldo Bassi} (7:47)

6. Distanze {Aldo Bassi} (7:08)

7. Zing {Aldo Bassi} (3:54)

8. Arabian Desire {Aldo Bassi} (7:00)

9. La Sagra Del Moscarino {Aldo Bassi} (8:23)

Total Time: 63:55

Credits:

Recording and Mixing - Claudio Olimpio, Mario Marcucci

It is with great regret that we learn that Aldo Bassi passed away on May 10, 2020. He suffered for a year from an incurable disease, dying at the age of 58. The family and all those who mourn him today, are offering their most sincere and heartfelt condolences. Among those who wanted to remember him were Paolo Fresu and Nicki Nicolai ~ Extract from JazzItalia.net.

Harry Allen Quartet - A Little Touch Of Harry (1997)

Much lauded by jazz critics, 32-year-old tenor saxophonist Harry Allen is an example of perfection in motion on this collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Al Foster. Throughout the 12 standards, Allen shows plenty of versatility, passion, precision, and panache. Working with one of the best New York rhythm sections, the saxophonist maintains a honey-toned sound at any tempo, not unlike performances on 17 earlier recordings. Allen is broadly talented. He capably refreshes bop-ish numbers ("From This Moment On" and "I Never Knew"), medium-swingers ("Luck Be A Lady Tonight" and "Easy To Love"), and a samba ("It Might as Well Be Spring"). Best, though, are his burnished, breathy tender tenorisms on ballads such as "Nobody’s Heart," "This Is All I Ask," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," and the finale, "I Get Along Without You Very Well." Indeed, a little touch of Harry goes a long way. Factor in the skills of Barron, Mraz, and Foster, and you have a welcome addition to any album collection. ~ Nancy Ann Lee, Jazztimes.com.

Sound Hills Records, SSCD8083, 1997

Recorded in 1997

Personnel:

Harry Allen - Tenor Saxophone

Kenny Barron - Piano

George Mraz - Bass

Al Foster - Drums

Tracks:

01. From This Moment On {Cole Porter} (6:26)

02. Luck Be A Lady Tonight {Frank Loesser} (5:28)

03. Nobody's Heart {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (4:48)

04. Just Like Another Dream {Harry Allen, Gloria Planner)} (4:45)

05. All God's Chillin' Got Rhythm {Walter Jurmann, Gus Kahn, Bronisław Kaper} (4:16)

06. I Wanna Be Around {Sadie Vimmerstedt, ‎Johnny Mercer} (6:36)

07. This Is All I Ask {Gordon Jenkins} (6:38)

08. I Never Knew {Gus Kahn, Ted FioRito} (4:28)

09. It Might As Well Be Spring {Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II} (6:35)

10. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most {Tommy Wolf, Fran Landesman} (6:19)

11. Easy To Love {Cole Porter} (6:16)

12. I Get Along Without You Very Well {Hoagy Carmichael} (4:07)

Total Time: 66:42

Susana Sheiman & Ignasi Terraza Trio - Swing Appeal (2011)

"The Sheiman-Terraza combination produces spectacular results, and this latest record, Swing appeal, is definitely one of the highlights of Spanish Jazz. Susana Sheiman gradually commands our respect and She is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best vocalist we have. In this programme they have specifically chosen lesser known themes by the best composers. They keep away from the more famous "war horses" but when it is all about well-known compositions, they are very good indeed, such as I don’t mean a thing, which Susana has transformed into something exceptional. Our singer takes risks and performs high-wire acrobatics, but she always ends up in the right place. Susana is superb. And what can I say about Ignasi? An iron fist in a velvet glove". ~ by Alfredo Papo.

Swit Records, SWIT10, 2011

Recorded 25^th & 26^th January, 2011 At Estudi Oido, Barcelona, Spain

Musicians:

Susana Sheiman - Vocals

Ignasi Terraza - Piano, Arranger

Giorgos Antoniou - Bass

Esteve Pi - Drums

Guests:

Damon Brown - Trumpet (#1,11)

Jesse Davis - Alto Saxophone (#5,7)

Oscar Alonso - Percussion (#6,12)

Tracks:

01. I'm Glad There Is You {Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Mertz} (5:35)

02. P.S. I Love You {Johnny Mercer, Gordon Jenkins} (4:15)

03. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most {Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf} (5:13)

04. Just One Of Those Things {Cole Porter} (3:02)

05. Good Morning Heartache {Dan Fisher, Ervin Drake, Irene Higginbotham} (6:03)

06. Where Or When {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (2:56)

07. Emotional Dance {Ignasi Terraza, Susan Sheiman} (4:19)

08. Glad To Be Unhappy {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (6:14)

09. Never Let Me Go {Ray Evans, Jay Livingston} (3:51)

10. Don't Ever Leave Me {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (2:42)

11. It Don't Mean A Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing] {Duke Ellington} (5:04)

12. There'll Be Another Spring {Peggy Lee, Edd Wheeler} (3:30)

Total Time: 52:14

Credits:

Producer - Ignasi Terraza

Executive Producer - Susana Sheiman

Recording & Mixing Engineer - David Casamitjana

Mastering Engineer - Pep Roig

Art Direction, Graphic Design - Natalia Cuadrado

Photography - Julio Cunill