Charles McPherson - Live At The Five Spot (1966) [+ Bonus Tracks]

Charles On Fire
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This album is a must have for jazz alto players in particular, as well as the bebop connoisseur. The whole group is burn in', especially on Shaw ‘Nuff. You'll never hear it played this fast! The R-section is stellar, with a rare appearance by little known Detroit bassist, Ray McKinney who is rock solid throughout. ~ Paco, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

I happened to hear a single cut from this set ("Shaw 'Nuff") played one night by my local FM station here in Pittsburgh, and realized that I had to hear the rest. The intensity of McPherson's work here, as well as the other musicians on the set are a testament to the genuine timelessness of be-bop in the evolution of this music. ~ Old & Improved, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

A monster recording. ~ Boblyn Austin, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

Prestige Records, PRCD-24135-2, 1994
Recorded 13th October, 1966 Live at the Five Spot, New York City 

Musicians:
Charles McPherson - Alto Saxophone
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Barry Harris - Piano
Ray McKinney - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums 

Tracks:
1. The Viper {Charles McPherson} (4:22)
2. I Can't Get Started {Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin} (9:10)
3. Shaw 'Nuff {Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker} (10:24)
4. Here's That Rainy Day {James Van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (6:35)
5. Never Let Me Go {Jay Livingston, Ray Evans} (11:35)
6. Suddenly {Charles McPherson} (6:50)
7. I Believe In You {Frank Loesser} (8:13)
8. Epistrophy {Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke} (7:28)
9. Luminescence {Barry Harris}  (10:41) 

Total Time: 75:23 

Credits:
Producer - Don Schlitten
Engineer - Jerry Newman
Remastering - Phil De Lancie [Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, 1994]
Art Direction - Phil Carroll
Photography - Jim Marshall
Liner Notes - Ira Gitler 

Notes:
#1-6 originally released as Charles McPherson/The Quintet/Live! (Prestige 7480);
#7-9 previously unissued. 

The Viper

Barry Harris Quintet - Newer Than New (1961)

A quick listen to the lively bop on Newer Than New may enlist a perplexing question: Was this music really recorded 40 years ago? Apparently so, but the music still sounds fresh and exciting. If pianist Harris set out to show bop was still a vital force in 1961, he accomplished his task. Of course, he didn't do this alone. Trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer, alto Charles McPherson, bassist Ernie Farrow, and drummer Clifford Jarvis join him on eight tunes that would've made Parker and Gillespie proud. The influence of bop pioneers is evident on tunes like "The Last One" and "Anthropology," both giving the horns lots of room to soar against the backdrop of dynamic rhythm. "Mucho Dinero," one of several Harris originals, has an exuberant Latin feel. After the horns set the piece in motion, Harris takes the first solo, creating colorful textures with his keen sense of harmony. Newer Than New also places special emphasis on the young horn players, providing McPherson and Hillyer lots of room to show what they've got. Both echo Parker and Gillespie without copying them. Hillyer displays a fat rich tone on numbers like "Easy to Love," while McPherson's resonant pitch, no matter how quickly he's playing, always comes across. Farrow and Jarvis keep the shifting rhythms heavy in the mix, pushing each soloist to create something vital. The title Newer Than New perhaps mocks the obsession with the latest thing, as opposed to opting for the timelessness of high-octane improvising. Jazz styles, like all styles, come and go, but great music like Newer than New transcends styles. It's also fun (and illustrative) to listen to an album like this back-to-back with the latest retro jazz. Barry Harris and his colleagues make great jazz without the least bit of self-consciousness. ~ by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., AMG. 

Riverside Records, RLP-9413, 1961
OJC Records, OJCCD-1062-2, 2001
Recorded 28th September, 1961 at Plaza Sound Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Barry Harris - Piano
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Charles McPherson - Alto Saxophone
Ernie Farrow - Bass
Clifford Jarvis - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Mucho Dinero {Barry Harris} (3:44)
2. Easy To Love {Cole Porter} (4:50)
3. Burgundy {Barry Harris} (7:01)
4. The Last One {Barry Harris} (4:57)
5. Anthropology {Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker} (4:17)
6. I Didn't Know What Time It Was {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (4:12)
7. Make Haste {Barry Harris} (5:39)
8. Nightingale {Xavier Cugat, George Rosner, Fred Wise} (5:17) 

Total Time: 40:03 

Credits:
Producer - Orrin Keepnews
Recording Engineer - Ray Fowler
Remastering - Kirk Felton (2001)
Cover Design - Ken Deardoff
Photography [Cover] - Kenneth van Sickle
Photography [Inner] - Steve Schapiro

Yusef Lateef Quartet - Live At International Jazz Festival, Montreux (1970)

Here we have Yusef Lateef and his quartet captured live in concert at the Festival International De Jazz held in Montreux in 1970. For this date Yusef Lateef is joined by Barry Harris on piano, Bob Cunningham on bass and Al Heath on drums. Recently it has been featured in a broadcast by Radio Suisse Romande, Espace 2. Lateef was one of the first Jazz musicians to explore Eastern music and fold those influences into his own work. A pivotal and influential musician, Lateef's blending of Eastern and Western sounds made a huge impression on John Coltrane during Coltrane’s free jazz period. In addition to his pioneering work as a musician, the late Dr. Lateef in his later years became a widely respected educator and author, leaving his legacy of music and compositions to the jazz world for future generations to enjoy. (Yusef Lateef born William Emanuel Huddleston; 9th October, 1920 - 23rd December, 2013). 

Radio Suisse Romande, Espace 2 Broadcast
Recorded 20th July, 1970 at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland 

Musicians:
Yusef Lateef - Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Oboe
Barry Harris - Piano
Bob Cunningham - Bass
Albert "Tootie" Heath - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Yusef’s Mood {Yusef Lateef} (9:52)
2. These Foolish Things {Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey} (8:57)
3. Soul Flute {Yusef Lateef} (6:09)
4. The Road Back {Yusef Lateef} (6:57)
5. Stone Henge {Yusef Lateef} (11:37)
6. Off Minor {Thelonious Monk} (6:07)
7. A Blues {Yusef Lateef} (14:16)
8. Vibration {Yusef Lateef} (8:41) 

Total Time: 72:36

Sam Noto - Entrance!

For those of you who may not know, there is an amazing blog called Kubla's Crib (here).  It's part of our amazing network.  The sole purpose was to gather the entire Xanadu discography in FLAC format.  That goal was for the most part achieved - save a few albums which may remain in mp3.  However as time wore on, the links began to expire or disappear from failed server sites.

Entrance! was originally shared by legendary Crypt brother Alpax.  A couple years later it resurfaced in FLAC by none other than Kingcake himself.

So last week, during the same day, I was discussing Xanadu with my good friend Billy Batts, & also chatting about pianist Barry Harris with another friend, jgannon.  I decided that the time would be right for a re-rip of this great album.  And it truly is a great album.  The trumpet led quartet is not an easy gig for even the best of horn players.  Even with excellent support, the amount of creativity and physicality required is beyond the typical layman.  Not only does Noto deliver on those fronts, but also on the emotive aspect which is so important for making an album palpable.

Entrance! maintains a wonderful mood that has an upbeat feel.  Of course, the rhythm section lay it down and give Noto the creative juice needed to jump off each chorus.  I think something else worth mentioning is the incredible production.  The seperation always has a natural sound which keeps the band connected between channels.  It also serves to bring Noto into the forefront, accenting his glorious tone.  Between the music and the production, there's no doubt that Schlitten and his Xanadu imprint were at the forefront of the "tradition" during the 70's.

The cover for this album is well loved and as such has a lot of ring wear.  I used an image from the internet instead.  The back cover however, is from my sleeve.  It did it's job protecting the record, which is minty clean.  This album was ripped at 24/48 wav and transferred to 24/48 FLAC for your convenience.  Enjoy!!!

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Xanadu 103

Red Rodney - Home Free (1977) [vinyl>re-rip>flac]

From 1976-79, trumpeter Red Rodney recorded three LPs with altoist Richie Cole that otherwise mostly used different lineups of musicians. This excellent outing (which also includes tenor saxophonist David Schnitter, pianist Barry Harris, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Leroy Williams) has a bit of a jam session feel to it. Cole contributed "Starburst" and "Red Rodney Rides Again"; the trio plays Rodney's "Helene," and the full group romps on "Out of Nowhere," "All the Things You Are" and "Bluebird." By 1977, Rodney's chops were back in prime form, and his mastery of bebop (along with the colorful Cole's) is obvious in these recordings. Worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.

Muse Records, MR 5135, 1979

Recorded 19th December, 1977 at CI Recording Studio New York City

Musicians:

Red Rodney - Trumpet

Richie Cole - Alto Saxophone

David Schnitter - Tenor Saxophone

Barry Harris - Piano

George Duvivier - Bass

Leroy Williams - Drums

Tracks:

1. Starburst {Richie Cole} (5:41)

2. Out Of Nowhere {Johnny Green} (6:17)

3. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern} (9:16)

4. Red Rodney Rides Again {Richie Cole} (5:53)

5. Helene {Red Rodney} (5:35)

6. Bluebird {Charlie Parker} (9:35)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Engineer - Chuck Irwin

Album Design - Mark Kaplan

Barry Harris courtesy of Xanadu Records

Charles McPherson - Today's Man [24/48 vinyl rip]

A great document of the more soulful shift made by Charles McPherson in the 70s – and an album that features his moody alto work set amidst a slightly larger group – filled with great players that include Chris Woods on flute, Richard Williams and Cecil Bridewater on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor sax, Garnett Brown on trombone, and Barry Harris on piano. The tracks are deceptively easygoing, but swing with a nice spiritual soul jazz undercurrent – and McPherson blows in some warm, open modes that really grab us on the best tunes. Includes a great version of "Naima", plus the tracks "Bell Bottoms", "Cheryl", "Invitation", and "Charisma". © 1996-2015, Dusty Groove, Inc.

Coleman Hawkins - Wrapped Tight (1966)

Hawkins's last strong recording finds the veteran, 43 years after his recording debut with Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds, improvising creatively on a wide variety of material on this CD, ranging from "Intermezzo" and "Here's That Rainy Day" to "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" and "Indian Summer." Best is an adventurous version of "Out of Nowhere" that shows that the tenor-saxophonist was still coming up with new ideas in 1965. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.

As an In expression, “wrapped tight” can have a lot of meanings, all of them superlative. A girl abundantly endowed with Nature’s most attractive gifts is said to be “wrapped tight.” A jaguar swinging down the highway with Count Basie at the wheel is, in a special sense, wrapped is wrapped tight. And among musicians, because of his ability, imagination and universally recognized authority, Coleman Hawkins is assuredly wrapped tight.

The encomium can well be applied to this album, too, because it puts the great tenor saxophonist in contexts that fit him excellently. Wrapped Tight, a Manny Albam original, is one of six arrangements written by Manny that are extraordinarily successful in creating a snug, orchestral atmosphere, and this despite the limited instrumentation. More than mere points of arrival and departure, they serve to enhance the Hawkins improvisations. Enframing and supporting them, they also remove a measure of responsibility from the star’s shoulders, and his playing is in consequence the more relaxed. That he remains perfectly capable of fashioning entire performances himself is very adequately shown on Out of Nowhere and the five-minute Indian Summer, where he is accompanied by the rhythm section only.

In short, then titles wrapped tight by the man for whom the tenor saxophone was invented - Coleman Hawkins.
~ Stanley Dance, from Liner Notes.

Impulse! Records/GRP Records; AS-87/GRP 11092; 1966/1991

Recorded 22^nd February (#1-6), 1965 and 1^st March, 1965 (#7-12) at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Track Listing:

1. Marcheta {Victor Schartzinger} (3:06)

2. Intermezzo {Pietro Mascagni} (3:38)

3. Wrapped Tight {Manny Albam} (3:27)

4. Red Roses For A Blue Lady {Sid Tepper, Roy Brodsky} (2:25)

5. She's Fit {Coleman Hawkins} (2:44)

6. Beautiful Girl {Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown} (4:27)

7. And I Still Love You {Pauline Rivelli, Ruth Roberts, Stanley Clayton} (3:12)

8. Bean's Place {Bob Hammer, Buck Clayton} (2:54)

9. Here's That Rainy Day {Jimmy van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (5:22)

10. I Won't Dance {Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern} (3:21)

11. Indian Summer {Victor Herbert, Al Dubin} (5:02)

12. Out Of Nowhere {Edward Heyman, Johnny Green} (3:42)

Personnel:

Colemans Hawkins - Tenor Saxophone

Bill Berry - Trumpet (#1,2,3,7,8)

Snooky Young - Trumpet (#4,5,6)

Urbie Green - Trombone (#1,8)

Barry Harris - Piano

Buddy Catlett - Bass

Eddie Locke - Drums

Credits:

Producer - Bob Thiele

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder