Furio Di Castri - Unknown Voyage (1988, 2000)

Recorded in 1988, originally released by the label A Tempo, Unknown Voyage it is a very significant work. The musical result is particularly remarkable for the level of the band here presented and for the compositions, all originals by Furio Di Castri. A recording that is a perfect example of the possibility to be in the mainstream and at the same time to be modern and original. Music built around a clear compositional project. Joe Lovano, Paul Motian, Franco D'Andrea and Furio Di Castri, a real jazz all-stars band, give life to a music in perfect balance between the written parts and the improvised ones with rare technical and expressive skills. ~ italianjazz.bandcamp.com. 

A Témpo Records, ATCD 882, 1989
Felmay Records, 21750 7019 2, 2000
Recorded December, 1988 at Studio Emme, Firenze, Italy 

Musicians:
Furio Di Castri - Double Bass
Joe Lovano - Tenor Saxophone
Franco D'Andrea - Piano
Paul Motian - Drums
Flavio Boltro - Trumpet (#11)
Manu Roche - Drums (#11)

Tracks:
01. Unknown Voyage (5:31)
02. Luce E Ombra (8:26)
03. Colors (3:16)
04. The Ancient Wood (0:49)
05. Lichtung (5:58)
06. Waiting (4:49)
07. Life Song (3:20)
08. Elena's Slow Dance (5:18)
09. Way Out (3:40)
10. Mingus' Faces (5:40)
11. Zac [Bonus] (4:37) 

All compositions by Furio Di Castri

Total Time: 51:30 

Credits:
Producer - Marco Magrini, Furio Di Castri
Executive Producer - Piero Borri
Engineer - Daniele Trambusti, Ben Frasinelli
Cover Design - Lucio Diana
Art Production - Piero Sisti 

Unknown Voyage

Richard "Groove" Holmes - Good Vibrations (1977) [re-rip]

When you consider it, all jazz is created by good vibrations; bristled reeds, plucked strings, the ringing force of air trapped in brass. But if jazz organ players don't create good vibrations...well, they're just not jazz organ players. Because perhaps more than any other jazz hallmark, the organ sound must virtually rattle your teeth to get over: dig you into its moving bass line, assault you with its droning, gritty top, and set you nodding, popping, even...vibrating. 

Which is exactly where this new offering from one of organ's greats, Richard "Groove" Holmes, comes in. It's classic jazz brew, with all the right ingredients: the soulful tenor of Houston Person, one of organ's biggest champions (he features the B-3 in his own working group); the classic blues-funk guitar of Philly-based newcomer Bob DeVos; the crack rhythm team of Idris Muhammad and Buddy Caldwell, who probably hold the world's record for the most appearances on organ LPs; the sensitive production of Bob Porter, who may hold a similar mark (in a tie with Ozzie Cadena) for the most organ albums overseen; and the eternally invigorating presence of Rudy van Gelder, who's engineered every good organ record ever made. 

"It was a typical Groove Holmes date," sums up Bob Porter. "We did it in an afternoon, and Groove even brought along a good new guitarist player." and, we should add, GOOD VIBRATIONS aplenty. ~ Excerpts taken from Liner Notes by Michael Rozek. 

Muse Records, MR 5167, 1980
Recorded 19th December, 1977 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Richard "Groove" Holmes - Organ [Hammond B-3]
Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone (#A1-B1,B3)
Bob DeVos - Guitar
Idris Muhammad - Drums
Buddy Caldwell - Congas 

Tracks:
A1. Good Vibrations {Richard "Groove" Holmes} (8:47)
A2. Do It To It {Rogers Grant} (10:35)
B1. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me {Duke Ellington, Bob Russell} (8:51)
B2. My One And Only Love {Robert Mellin, Guy Wood} (4:51)
B3. Hackensack {Thelonious Monk} (5:47) 

Total Time: 38:51 

Credits:
Producer - Bob Porter
Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Cover Design - Ron Warwell/NJE
Liner Notes - Michael Rozek 

Hackensack

David Sanborn - Closer (2004)

Saxophonist and composer David Sanborn has always been a maverick. A top-notch technician, he has always imbued his playing with deep emotion -- indeed, that emotional element in his playing has been his signature since he began leading his own bands on record in the 1970s. He has wed modern jazz sophistication to the smooth jazz groove for many years now, and has followed his muse while remaining a commercially viable artist. Closer is another exercise in ambition for Sanborn and his sidemen. They include bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Russell Malone, Larry Goldings on electric piano and organ, vibist Mike Manieri, and drummer Steve Gadd, among others. The material is a fine collection of pop tunes, standards, and surprises from the jazz canon. First, the bad news: Sanborn and vocalist Liz Wright team up for a version of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" that is as bland as soy milk. That said, Sanborn's read of Abdullah Ibrahim's "Capetown Fringe" carries within it the joy and dignity of Ibrahim's original and proves to the public something Sanborn has been aware of all along -- that the composer's music is truly accessible to the masses. Underscore this for the album's opener, a smoking little groove read of Gil Fuller and Chano Pozo's "Tin Tin Deo." Horace Silver's "Enchantment" and "Señor" are given fine finger-popping treatments, as are the stellar standards "Ballad of the Sad Young Men," "You Must Believe in Spring," and the beautiful "Poinciana." There is a lovely version of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" here, given chamber orchestra treatment. Sanborn contributes a pair as well, in the silvery ballad "Another Time, Another Place" and the album's closer, the haunting "Sofia," with a fine string and horn treatment by Gil Goldstein. Once more, Sanborn has wed his commercial and creative aspirations into a thoroughly engaging whole. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG. 

Verve Records, 0602498631973, 2005
Recorded at Hiatus Studios, New York, NY;
Right Track Studios, New York, NY 

Musicians:
David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone, Rhythm Arranger
Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (#1,2,5-7,11)
Mike Davis - Trombone (#1,2,5-7,11)
Bob Sheppard - Flute D'Amour, C Flute (#1,2,5-7,11), Tenor & Soprano Sax (#8)
Sheryl Henze - Alto Flute, Bass Flute (#1,2,5-7,11)
Gil Goldstein - Electric Piano, , Accordion (#8), Rhythm Arranger, Orchestration
Larry Goldings - Electric Piano, Organ
Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone
Russell Malone - Guitar
Christian McBride - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums
Luis Quintero - Percussion
Lizz Wright - Vocals (#3)
+
Strings [#1,2,4,5,11]
Belinda Whitney, Joyce Hammann - Violin
Ron Lawrence - Viola
Dave Edgar - Cello 

Tracks:
01. Tin Tin Deo {Gil Fuller, Chano Pozo} (6:19)
02. Señor Blues {Horace Silver} (5:09)
03. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight {James Taylor} (6:08)
04. Smile {Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner} (3:52)
05. Enchantment {Horace Silver} (4:28)
06. Ballad Of The Sad Young Men {Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf} (4:01)
07. Another Time, Another Place {David Sanborn} (6:05)
08. Capetown Fringe {Abdullah Ibrahim} (3:25)
09. Poinciana {Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon} (6:03)
10. You Must Believe In Spring {Bergman, Demy, Legrand} (3:50)
11. Sofia {David Sanborn} (3:45) 

Total Time: 53:11 

Credits:
Producer - Stewart Levine
Audio Engineer, Engineer, Mixing - Joe Ferla
Engineer - Jonathan Duckett
Assistant Engineer - Bryan Pugh, Jason Spears, Jason Finkel
Digital Editing, Pro-Tools - Dean Sharenow
Mastering - Bernie Grundman
Coordinator - Heather Buchanan, Stephanie Pappas
Design - Isabelle Wong
Art Direction - Hollis King
Photography - Henry Leutwyler 

Enchantment

Joe Sample - The Hunter (1983)

Joe Sample returns to the smooth jazz style of his popular albums Rainbow Seeker, Carmel, and Voices in the Rain on 1983's The Hunter. The keyboardist fills up a studio with like-minded session musicians including trumpeter Tom Browne, horn players Chuck Findley, Jerry Hey, and Ernie Watts, guitarists Dean Parks, David Spinozza, and Phil Upchurch, bassists Abraham Laboriel and Marcus Miller, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, and drummer Steve Gadd, and sets them loose on some rhythmic tracks with a rock/R&B feel. The beat is paramount, a constant augmented by funky, popping basslines, with guitar solos and horn charts overlaid. And, weaving in and out is Sample, on either acoustic or electric piano, finding room to solo extensively. The solos are more of the rock variety than what a conventional jazz fan would recognize, since they are anchored to the relentless beats. But Sample is one of the more accomplished players in smooth jazz, and his sidemen are able to support him and, when given the chance, match him in their playing. ~ by William Ruhlmann, AMG. 

MCA Records, MCAD-1471, 1983
Recorded at Sound Recorders, Hollywood and Salty Dog Studios, L.A., CA;
Except ‘The Hunter’ at A & R Studios, New York, N.Y. 

Musicians:
Joe Sample - Keyboards [Acoustic], Electric Piano, Synthesizer
Tom Browne - Trumpet [Lead], Soloist (#1)
Bill Reichenbach, Chuck Findley, Dick Hyde, Ernie Watts,
Jerry Hey, Larry Williams, Steve Madaio - Horns (#1,3-6)
John Phillips - Woodwinds (#2), Bass Clarinet, Soloist (#6)
Rory Kaplan - Programming [Synthesizers]
Galen Senogles - Synthesizer [Overdubs]
David Spinozza - Guitar (#1)
Phil Upchurch - Guitar, Soloist (#3)
Dean Parks - Guitar (#2-4,6), Soloist (#5), Rhythm Guitar (#5)
Marcus Miller - Bass (#1)
Abraham Laboriel - Bass (#2-6)
Steve Gadd - Drums (#1)
Bob Wilson - Drums (#2-6)
Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Tracks:
1. The Hunter (5:48)
2. Blue Ballet (4:09)
3. Beauty And The Beast (6:29)
4. Wings Of Fire (5:25)
5. Just A Little Higher (5:32)
6. Night Flight (9:00) 

All compositions by Joe Sample 

Total Time: 36:26 

Credits:
Producer - Joe Sample, Wilton Felder
Executive Assistant - Tom Hooper
Recording Engineer - Jim Boyer (#1)
Recording & Mixing (#2) Engineer - Rik Pekkonen
Mixing - Galen Senogles, Wilton Felder (#1,3-6)
Mastering Engineer - Bernie Grundman [A&M Studios]
Coordinator - Pamela H. Lobue, Robin Howell
Art Direction - George Osaki
Painting [Cover] - Laddia Holly 

The Hunter

Lou Donaldson - Mr. Shing-A-Ling (1967)

Here we have a reissue of one of Blue Note's LPs to remain out of print. Essentially, it is a classic soul-jazz album by the great jazz saxophonist & band leader, Lou Donaldson whom was a predominant fixture throughout the sixties. Lou had his own tone and thrived on expressing the boogaloo style which many later artists attempted to mimic and sample in the eighties onwards. "Mr. Shing-A-Ling", the follow up album to Lou Donaldson's hit album "Alligator Boogaloo", has long been considered the best of Lou Donaldson's funk/soul-jazz albums from the late-60s. For this date Lou surrounds himself with a who's who of great soul jazz players, including legendary trumpeter Blue Mitchell, organist Lonnie Smith, guitarist Jimmy Ponder and drummer Leo Morris. Together they showcase four popular tunes with the addition of Lou's own composition "The Humpback". Recorded by the master engineer Rudy van Gelder at his home studio in New Jersey, and now this audiophile vinyl reissue produced by Joe Harley and features an all-analogue vinyl is available. A revitalised and worthy addition to any Lou Donaldson fan's collection. [DR14] 

Blue Note, BST 84271, 1967
Blue Note, BST 84271, 2019
Recorded 27th October, 1967 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Lou Donaldson - Alto Saxophone
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet
Lonnie Smith - Organ [Hammond B-3]
Jimmy "Fats" Ponder - Guitar
Leo Morris - Drums

Tracks:
A1. Ode To Billie Joe {Bobby Gentry} (6:30)
A2. The Humpback {Lou Donaldson} (5:27)
A3. The Shadow Of Your Smile {Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster} (6:23)
B1. Peepin' {Lonnie Smith} (8:18)
B2. The Kid {Harold Ousley} (10:57) 

Total Time: 37:35 

Credits:
Producer - Frank Wolff
Reissue Supervisor - Joe Harley
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Mastering, Lacquer Cut - Kevin Cray
Design [Cover], Photography [Cover] - Reid Miles
Liner Notes - Del Shields 

The Humpback

Joshua Redman - Timeless Tales: For Changing Times (1998)

Picking up on Herbie Hancock's "New Standards" idea, borrowing some old standards, and splitting the total down the middle, Joshua Redman lends his warm fatback tone, arching skyward passages and a post-bop quartet concept to ten popular songs of the 20th century. Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwins share space with the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and Prince -- distinguished songwriters all, yet the scorecard tells us that the oldsters' tunes consistently receive more interesting treatment than the rock/folk songs. "Yesterdays" is flexible enough to turn almost into an acoustic funk thing; "How Deep Is the Ocean" saunters along very soulfully; the near cha cha rhythm on "Love for Sale" pulls some inspired heat from Redman. On the other side of the divide, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" isn't very interesting, where even tricky rhythm changes and an Eddie Harris-like high note coda can't pump up an earthbound performance. "Eleanor Rigby" fragments under a jazz waltz treatment presumably planned with Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" in mind (Redman's soprano sounds desperately out of gas at the close). Oddly enough, a broadly funky Harris approach pays off on Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore," the sole exception to the pattern. This is not to say that the rock/folk material is intrinsically inferior to the Tin Pan Alley standards -- no way. They simply do not translate very well into the language of the young neo-boppers, or at least, these neo-boppers on this given day. Brad Mehldau (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass) and Brian Blade (drums) make up the technically faultless, flexible piano trio, and most of the selections are separated by short, untitled interludes that usually grow more or less out of the preceding pieces. ~ by Richard S. Ginell, AMG. 

Warner Bros. Records, 9362-47052-2, 1998
Recorded at Avatar Studios, Manhattan, New York City

Musicians:
Joshua Redman - Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxes
Brad Mehldau - Piano
Larry Grenadier - Bass
Brian Blade - Drums

Tracks:
01. Summertime {G. & I. Gershwin, Heyward} (6:16)
02. Interlude 1 {Joshua Redman} (0:45)
03. Visions {Stevie Wonder} (4:24)
04. Yesterdays {Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern} (7:19)
05. Interlude 2 {Joshua Redman} (0:34)
06. I Had A King {Joni Mitchell} (5:39)
07. The Times They Are A Changin' {Bob Dylan} (5:07)
08. Interlude 3 {Joshua Redman} (0:20)
09. It Might As Well Be Spring {Hammerstein II, Rodgers} (6:28)
10. Interlude 4 {Joshua Redman} (0:13)
11. How Deep Is The Ocean {Irving Berlin} (4:03)
12. Interlude 5 {Joshua Redman} (0:24)
13. Love For Sale {Cole Porter} (6:31)
14. Interlude 6 {Joshua Redman} (0:58)
15. Eleanor Rigby {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (8:46)
16. Interlude 7 {Joshua Redman} (0:34)
17. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore {Prince} (5:00) 

Total Time: 63:33 

Credits:
Producer, Liner Notes, Arranger - Joshua Redman
Producer, Engineer - James Farber
Assistant Engineer - Aya Takemura, Jay A. Ryan
Mastering Engineer - Greg Calbi
Photography - Robert M. Ascroft, II
Art Direction, Design - Robin Lynch 

Love For Sale

Ted Curson - Plenty Of Horn (1961)

Ted Curson, born in 1935 in Philadelphia, participated in some great Mingus albums such as Mingus At Antibes or Mysterious Blues; he is also featured on Archie Shepp's Fire Music and other albums. Ted Curson recorded this album in April 1961 in New York with some of his usual accomplices like tenor sax Bill Barron (Kenny's brother) or Roy Haynes on drums (on 4 tracks), Eric Dolphy on 2 tracks. Kenny Drew is on piano, Jimmy Garrison on double bass. Danny Richmond replaces Roy on 3 tracks and Pete La Roca on two. This is, I believe, his first album as a leader. After a very orientalist version of "Caravan" a little waltz from Ted “Nosruc Waltz”, then a beautiful ballad with guest Éric Dolphy on flute. Five original compositions by Ted follow, where "Flatted Fifth" stands out and the beautiful theme of "Bali-H'ai" (composed by Hammerstein and Rodgers) where Dolphy shines. A good disc to discover this musician. ~ Philippe A, AMG. [Translated from French] 

Old Town, OT LP 2003, 1961
Fresh Sounds Records, FSR 1622, 2004
Recorded April, 1961 in New York City 

Musicians:
Ted Curson - Trumpet
Bill Barron - Tenor Saxophone (#1,2,4-6,8,9)
Eric Dolphy - Flute (#3,7)
Kenny Drew - Piano
Jimmy Garrison - Bass
Roy Haynes - Drums (#1,3,6,7)
Dannie Richmond - Drums (#2,4,9)
Pete La Roca - Drums (#5,8) 

Tracks:
1. Caravan {Irving Mills, Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol} (2:53)
2. Nosruc {Ted Curson} (6:16)
3. The Things We Did Last Summer {Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne} (4:23)
4. Dem's Blues {Ted Curson} (3:41)
5. Ahma [See Ya] (Ted Curson} (4:21)
6. Flatted Fifth {Ted Curson} (3:34)
7. Bali-H'ai {Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern} (3:55)
8. Antibes {Ted Curson} (5:04)
9. Mr. Teddy {Teddy Curson} (5:10) 

Total Time: 39:21 

Credits:
Producer - Hy Weiss
Produce [Reissue] - Jordi Pujol
Post Production - Duncan Cowell
Mastering - Krieg Wunderlich
Package Design - Chris Popham
Liner Notes - John Crosby, Nat Hentoff 

Flatted Fifth