Burt Collins, Joe Shepley Galaxy - Time, Space And The Blues (1970) [vinyl]

Sometime after March, 1969, trumpeters Burt Collins and Joe Shepley went into the studio and recorded a masterpiece. I’m betting you’ve never heard the album - Time, Space And The Blues - because it has never been released digitally and is rare on vinyl. Pianist Mike Abene wrote many of the songs and all of the arrangements except one - Soft Landing, which was arranged by Johnny Carisi. In fact, this is as much Abene’s album as it is Collins and Shepley’s. What makes this album special, in addition to Abene’s highly inventive charts, is the ability to hear Collins out in the open. The trumpeter was in some of the most exciting bands of the post-war years, including Woody Herman, Johnny Richards, Manny Albam, Elliot Lawrence, Urbie Green and Slide Hampton. But he was socked away in trumpet sections. Not until 1969 did Collins finally record as a leader on Time, Space And The Blues. Lennon/McCartney Live, his only other leadership date, was recorded a short time later with virtually the same band, except Herbie Hancock was on piano instead of Abene, who wrote all the arrangements. There's no recording date for Time, Space And The Blues in Tom Lord’s Jazz Discography or on the album or singles. I arrived at the post-March 1969 date by glancing at the songs on the album. One is Docking Maneuver and another is Module 3. Both are references to Apollo 9, which lifted off in March 1969 to work on aspects of the Apollo 11 flight to the moon scheduled for July. Shepley first recorded with Collins on Introducing Duke Pearson’s Big Band in 1967. They soon formed Collins/Shepley Galaxy and recorded Time, Space And The Blues for MTA Records, a division of Decca, at Columbia’s 30th St. studio. The session was produced by MTA head Bob Thompson. The band was impressive: The arrangements have a Gil Evans feel - heaving and sighing and creating an orchestral feel for Collins’s darting trumpet and Shepley’s moodier attack. In this regard, the album sounds like a cousin of the Evans-Miles Davis collaborations of the late 1950s and early 1960s. ~ by Marc Myers, www.jazzwax.com. 

MTA Records, NWS 2, 1970
Recorded after March, 1969 at Columbia 30th Street Studio "The Church", New York City 

Musicians:
Burt Collins, Joe Shepley - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Bernie Glow - Trumpet, Trumpet [Piccolo]
Garnett Brown - Trombone
Paul Faulise - Bass Trombone
Joe DeAngelis - French Horn
Tony Price - Tuba
Jerry Dodgion - Flute, Soprano Saxophone
Michael Abene - Piano, Arranger, Conductor
Bob Cranshaw - Bass
Mickey Roker - Drums
John Carisi - Arranger 

Tracks:
A1. Time, Space And The Blues {Joe Shepley, Michael Abene} (6:02)
A2. Apogee {Michael Abene} (3:37)
A3. Blue Interlude {Joe Shepley} (4:29)
A4. Docking Maneuver {Michael Abene} (4:23)
B1. Module 3 {Johnny Carisi} (5:00)
B2. Soft Landing {Michael Abene} (4:09)
B3. Susan Moon {Michael Abene} (3:27)
B4. Fourth Dimension {Joe Shepley} (4:45) 

Total Time: 35:52 

Credits:
Producer - Bob Thompson
Recording Engineer - Frank Laico, Paul Goodman
Artwork [Cover] - Frank Frezzo
Design [Cover] - Forlenza Venosa Associates
Photography [Back] - Robin Forbes
Photography [Front] - Bob Venosa 

Fourth Dimension

Click on the play button to play track:

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

 

Cy Touff throughout his career played the bass trumpet as a lead instrument in several small jazz ensembles, but unfortunately his discography as a leader is quite sparce. This LP, released on Argo records in 1958, seems to be his final recording as a leader. For this album he is joined by Sandy Mosse on tenor saxophone, and backed by a strong rhythm section that includes pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Marty Clausen. The compositions are a mixture of cool jazz originals by Al Cohn "Soulsville" & Cyril's Dream” and by Ernie Wilkins "Kissin' Cousins" & "Tough Touff". The remainder of the tunes performed are essentially well-known jazz standards including "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now" and "I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart", plus swinging renderings of "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "The Lamp Is Low." Touff’s proficiency and skill on the bass trumpet is something that not many players afterwards have matched. Overall, the album is smooth from start to finish, one quibble is that it is too short. This rip is taken from the stereo version of the original Argo vinyl, Enjoy! 

Argo Records, LP 641-S, 1958
Recorded 28^th-29^th August, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois 

Musicians:
Cy Touff - Bass Trumpet
Sandy Mosse - Tenor Saxophone
Ed Higgins - Piano
Bob Cranshaw - Bass
Marty Clausen - Drums 

Tracks:
A1. Soulsville {Al Cohn} (3:17)
A2. Cyril's Dream {Al Cohn} (3:12)
A3. How Long Has This Been Going On {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (3:39)
A4. Kissin' Cousins {Ernie Wilkins} (3:06)
B1. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now {Andy Razaf, Fats Waller} (3:53)
B2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart {Ellington, Mills, Nemo, Redmond} (3:42)
B3. Lamp Is Low {Maurice Ravel, Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter} (2:42)
B4. Tough Touff {Ernie Wilkins} (5:34) 

Total Time: 29:05 

Credits:
Producer - Dave Usher
Recording Engineer - Malcolm Chisholm
Photography [Cover] - Don Bronstein
Mastering Engineer - Douglas Brand
Liner Notes - Ralph J. Gleason

Willis Jackson - Headed And Gutted (1974) [vinyl>flac]

Willis "Gator" Jackson's series of albums for Muse during the 1970s helped keep alive the soulful, tough tenor tradition of Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons, and (later on) Houston Person. For this particular set, the participation of guitarist Pat Martino made the date more notable than it might have been. With Mickey Tucker on keyboards, electric bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer Freddie Waits, and Richard Landrum and Sonny Morgan on percussion, Jackson still sounds very much in his prime, particularly on the exciting "Gator Whale." The other selections tend to emphasize ballads "My One and Only Love" and funky jazz "The Way We Were". ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.

Headed And Gutted is basically a one-tracker. That comes in the form of the title track that is a real nice, mid-tempo funky Jazz piece. It has a driving rhythm and Jackson’s soloing over the top. The rest of the album is more straight-ahead Jazz splitting between the slow and mellow Blue Velvet and The Way We Were, and the more upbeat Miss Ann and Gator Whale. ~ Soulstrut.com.

Muse Records, MR 5048, 1974

Recorded 16^th May, 1974

Musicians:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Mickey Tucker - Piano, Electric Piano, Organ

Pat Martino - Guitar

Bob Cranshaw - Bass

Freddie Waits - Drums

Sonny Morgan - Percussion

Richard Landrum - Congas

Tracks:

A1. Headed And Gutted {Sonny Phillips} (5:21)

A2. Blue Velvet {Bernie Wayne, Lee Morris} (8:16)

A3. Miss Ann [Willis' Wife] {Willis Jackson} (6:28)

B1. The Way We Were {Marvin Hamlisch} (6:49)

B2. Gator Whale {Sonny Phillips} (6:06)

B3. My One And Only Love {Guy Wood, Robert Mellin} (5:44)

Credits:

Producer, Design, Photo - Don Schlitten

Recording Engineer - Paul Goodman [RCA]

Liner Notes - Ralph Berton

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

Eric Kloss - We're Goin' Up (1968) [re-rip]

‘We're Goin' Up’ is the sixth album by saxophonist Eric Kloss which was recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label. ~ Wiki

The album finds the 18 year old Kloss in serious company with Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass and the great Alan Dawson on drums. The music is stunning post-bop. ~ KingCake

Personally, I just love this LP. Eric playing is brilliant and as KC said clearly supported by equally marvellous players. Enjoy!

Prestige Records, PR 7565, 1968?

Recorded 22^nd December, 1967, New York City [Taken from Jazzdisco Discography]

Musicians:

Eric Kloss - Alto Saxophone

Jimmy Owens - Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Kenny Barron - Piano

Bob Cranshaw - Bass

Alan Dawson - Drums

Tracks:

1. Get The Money Bluze (2:28)

2. I Long To Belong To You (6:33)

3. Gentle Is My Lover (7:35)

4. We're Goin' Up (5:24)

5. Of Wine And You (5:53)

6. Blues Up Tight (5:48)

All Compositions by Eric Kloss

Credits:

Producer - Don Schlitten

Recording Engineer - Richard Alderson

Cover Design/Art - Irving Riggs

Kenny Barron - Sunset To Dawn (1973) [re-rip]

One of the series of very, very excellent soul jazz albums Barron cut for Muse in the early and mid 70s, with Kenny playing mostly electric piano. The vibe is spacious and totally grooving throughout, even on the more swing based bop numbers, and Barron gets complementary backing by Bob Cranshaw on bass, Freddy Waits on drums, Warren Smith on vibes, and Richard Landrum on percussion for a hornless but very full sounding group. The set includes the great groover "Swamp Demon" and the very well-sampled "Sunset", plus "Al-Kifha", "Delores St S.F.", and "Dawn". ~ Dusty Groove.

Muse Records, MR 5018, 1973

Recorded 2^nd April, 1973 at RCA Studio in New York City

Musicians:

Kenny Barron - Piano (#A2,B1,B2), Electric Piano (#A1,A3,B3), Percussion (#A3)

Warren Smith - Vibraphone (#B1,B3), Percussion (#A1,A3,B2,B3)

Bob Cranshaw - Electric Bass (#A1,A3-B3), Percussion (#A3)

Freddie Waits - Drums (#A1,A3-B3), Percussion (#A3), Flute (#A1)

Richard 'Pablo' Landrum - Conga (#A1,A3,B2,B3), Percussion (#A1,A3,B2,B3)

Track Listing:

A1. Sunset {Kenny Barron} (9:05)

A2. A Flower {Kenny Barron} (6:48)

A3. Swamp Demon {Kenny Barron} (4:40)

B1. Al-Kifha {Freddie Waits} (6:12)

B2. Delores Street, S.F. {Kenny Barron} (6:37)

B3. Dawn {Kenny Barron} (5:59)

Credits:

Producer - Don Schilitten

Engineer - Paul Goodman

Mastering Engineer - Joe Brescio {The Cutting Room, New York City}

Design - Signature Graphics

Shirley Scott - Latin Shadows (1965) [vinyl>flac]

A great album from Shirley Scott - with some excellent arrangements by Gary McFarland! We've always felt that Shirley plays best when she's not leading the group - when someone else is handling the arrangements, so that she can groove mightily on her own - and this album is a perfect illustration of that fact! The album has a sparkling bossa and 60s groove finish - similar to McFarland's albums for Verve at the time - and Shirley's light touch on the Hammond really makes the whole thing dance nicely! Tracks include a sweet version of "Soul Sauce", plus covers like "Can't Get Over the Bossa Nova", "Downtown", and "Dreamsville". Also includes "Latin Shadows", a great original by McFarland! © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Impulse! Records, AS-93, 1965

Recorded 21^st (#A2,A4,A5,B2-B4) & 22^nd (#A1,A3,A6,B1,B5), July, 1965 in New York City

Personnel:

Shirley Scott - Organ

Gary McFarland - Vibraphone

Jerome Richardson - Flute (#A1,A3,A6,B1,B5)

Jimmy Raney - Guitar

Bob Cranshaw - Bass (#A2,A4,A5,B2-B4)

Richard Davis - Bass (#A1,A3,A6,B1,B5)

Mel Lewis - Drums

Willie Rodriguez - Percussion

Strings: [#A1,A3,A6,B1,B5]

Charles McCracken, Edgardo Sodero, Joseph Tekula - Cello

Aaron Rosand, Arnold Eidus, Charles Libove, Harry Cykman, Leo Kruczek - Violin

Arranger, Conductor - Gary McFarland

Track Listing:

A1. Latin Shadows {Gary McFarland} (3:12)

A2. Downtown {Tony Hatch} (3:18)

A3. Who Can I Turn To? {Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley} (2:37)

A4. Can't Get Over The Bossa Nova {Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence} (2:42)

A5. This Love Of Mine {Sol Parker, Hank Sanicola, Frank Sinatra} (3:23)

A6. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps {Osvaldo Farrés} (2:39)

B1. Soul Sauce {Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo} (2:50)

B2. Hanky Panky {Gary McFarland} (4:16)

B3. Noche Azúl {Shirley Scott} (2:46)

B4. Dreamsville {Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Henry Mancini} (3:14)

B5. Feeling Good {Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley} (3:37)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Thiele

Recording Engineer - Bob Simpson

Front Cover Painting - Mel Cheren

Back Cover & Liner Photos - Charles Stewart

Liner Design - Joe Lebow

Liner Notes - George Hoefer, Jazz Magazine

Shirley Scott - Soul Song (1969) [vinyl.flac,24b/48k]

A nice late 60s effort by Shirley - and one that's been pretty hard to find over the years! Soul Song actually has a bit more of a funk groove than earlier work, and a little bit more of a soul jazz sound than some of her Prestige albums. The record features Eric Gale playing some nice guitar, plus Stanley Turrentine blowing tenor on a number of cuts, and Shirley on organ, and even singing on one track. The tracks are a bit longer than usual, too - and titles include a cover of "Think", plus "Soul Song", "Mr. Businessman", "When A Man Loves A Woman", and "Like A Lover". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

Atlantic Records, SD 1515, 1969

Recorded 9^th (#B2) & 10^th (#A2) September at Atlantic Studios, New York City;

6^th (#A3,B1) & 7^th (#A1,B3) November, 1968 at RCA Studios, New York City

Musicians:

Shirley Scott - Organ, Vocals (#B3)

Stanley Turrentine - Tenor Saxophone (#A1-B2)

Eric Gale - Guitar (#A1,A2,B2,B3)

Bob Cranshaw - Fender Bass (#A3,B1)

Roland Martinez - Fender Bass (#A2,B2)

Bernard Purdie - Drums (#A2,B2)

Ray Lucas - Drums (#A3,B1)

Specs Powell - Drums (#A1,B3)

Track Listing:

A1. Think {Lowman Pauling} (7:57)

A2. When A Man Loves A Woman {Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright} (6:51)

A3. Mr. Businessman {Ray Stevens} (3:08)

B1. Blowin' In The Wind {Bob Dylan} (6:17)

B2. Soul Song {Shirley Scott} (5:24)

B3. Like A Lover {Alan & M. Bergman, Danilo Caymmi, Nelson Motta} (4:00)

Credits:

Producer - Joel Dorn

Recording Engineers - Adrian Barber, Paul Goodman

Cover Illustration & Design - Stanislaw Zagorski

Liner Notes - Bernard Drayton

Shirley Scott - Now's The Time (1967) [vinyl>flac]

Now's the Time is an album by organist Shirley Scott compiling several tracks recorded between 1958 and 1964 and released on the Prestige label in 1967. "This is early Scott, several takes from different sessions for this Prestige release", Allmusic.

Yes once upon a time jazz was a man's world but with gals like Shirley Scott around some of the cats are beginning to get inferiority complexes. Like isn't a woman’s place in the kitchen! Not when she happens to be Shirley Scott. Her latest cooking is done on a Hammond, not a stove. ~ Extract from Liner Notes by Mark Gardner.

Prestige Records, PR 7440, 1967

Recorded 27th May, 1958 (#A3); 23rd October, 1958 (#B2-B4);
23rd June, 1960 (#B1); 22nd August, 1961 (#A2)
& 31st March, 1964 (#A1) at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Shirley Scott - Organ

Joe Newman - Trumpet (#A2)

Stanley Turrentine - Tenor Saxophone (#A1)

Oliver Nelson - Tenor Saxophone (#A2)

Lem Winchester - Vibraphone (#B1)

Bob Cranshaw - Bass (#A1)

George Tucker - Bass (#A2)

George Duvivier - Bass (#A3-B4)

Otis Finch - Drums (#A1)

Roy Brooks - Drums (#A2)

Arthur Edgehill - Drums (#A3-B4)

Track Listing:

A1. As It Was {Milt Jackson, Shirley Scott} (5:24)

A2. How Sweet {Shirley Scott} (7:22)

A3. Ebb Tide {Robert Maxwell, Carl Sigman} (4:11)

B1. Now's The Time {Charlie Parker} (4:26)

B2. That's Where It's At {Shirley Scott} (3:21)

B3. Cafe Style {Shirley Scott} (4:27)

B4. Out Of This World {Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer} (4:27)

Credits:

Producer - Ozzie Cadena (#A1)

Producer - Bob Weinstock (#A3)

Producer - Esmond Edwards (#A2,B1-B4)

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Mark Gardner (June 1967)

J.J. Johnson - J.J.!

This album is a 5 star gem.  Johnson figured out how to arrange and conduct a big band, while featuring himself as the star soloist.  Sounds a bit ego driven doesn't it, well who else but this master of jazz to pull it off?!?!  The band tear through bebop and hard bop tunes like no other.  Although Johnson's 'bone is the featured solo chair, we do infact hear from many other players.  The personnel reads like a who's who of bop, a real "dream band" if there was ever any.  Not a dud to be found in these 9 tracks.


Click For Personnel Details



I worked obsessively for hours on this to make it perfect, and to get it done for tonight.  I think the results speak for themselves, I was really happy with the final product.  My LP is a minty stereo RCA/Victor original, ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.

RCA Victor – LSP-3350
1965

Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City.