Dexter Gordon - The Sound Of Jazz: Dexter Gordon (1977)

One of many impromptu sessions staged in 1977 for Lionel Hampton's Who's Who in Jazz label, this recording features the basic band of Hampton on vibes, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Oliver Jackson on drums, and Candido Camero on congas that is common to many of the albums, plus, in this case, Dexter Gordon (an alumnus of the Hampton big band) on tenor and soprano saxophone. The songs are mostly standards like "They Say That Falling in Love Is Wonderful" and "I Should Care," and Hampton and Gordon are given extended solo time in the relaxed arrangements, with Pizzarelli and Jones also taking occasional turns. The charm of all the 1977 Who's Who sessions is their intimacy: they sound more like something overheard after the final set in a club than formal recordings. This is one of the better ones. ~ by William Ruhlmann, AMG. 

Masters Records, CLCD 5025, 1988
Recorded 11th November, 1977 at Studio 21 Sound, New York 

Musicians:
Dexter Gordon - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Lionel Hampton - Vibraphone [Vibes]
Hank Jones - Piano
Bucky Pizzarelli - Guitar
George Duvivier - Bass
Oliver Jackson - Drums
Candido - Percussion [Longa Drums] 

Tracks:
1. Cute {Neal Hefti, Stanley Styne} (7:01)
2. They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful {Irving Berlin} (7:56)
3. Lullaby Of Birdland {B. Y. Forster, George Shearing} (4:20)
4. I Should Care {Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn} (5:13)
5. Seven Come Eleven {Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman} (6:29)
6. Blues For Gates {Lionel Hampton} (8:05) 

Total Time: 39:06 

Credits:
Producer - Lionel Hampton
Executive Producer - Robert W. Schachner
Compilation - Emiel Kamzol 

Lullaby Of Birdland

Gene Ammons - Brother Jug! (1969) [vinyl>flac]

A swinging soul-jazz set from just before the point where soul-jazz turned once and for all into fusion, 1970's Brother Jug is very much an album of its time. (Note Billy Butler's funky-cheesy wah-wah guitar underpinning "Jungle Strut.") That said, while the album doesn't have the classic timelessness of Gene Ammons' best '50s and early-'60s work, Brother Jug is one of Ammons' better albums released soon after the tenor saxophonist's release from a seven-year prison sentence. Ammons' playing on this album has an unaccustomed grit; even on ballads like "Didn't We," there's an R&B-style honk to Ammons' tone that suits the funky, electric arrangements well. Brother Jug is not an all-time classic -- the closing take on "Son of a Preacher Man," with Sonny Phillips' in-your-face wah-wah organ, is hampered by a too-sluggish rhythm section and some unimaginative, braying solos by Ammons -- but even the weakest tunes have a certain historical interest. ~ by Stewart Mason, AMG.

Nice soul jazz vibes from Mr. Ammons featuring Bernard Purdie, Candido and Billy Butler amongst others. The track Jungle Strut is a stone cold B-boy throwdown. ~ Mista WARZ!!!

Prestige Records, PR 7792, 1969

Recorded 10th (#B3) & 11th (#A1-B2) November, 1969 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Sonny Phillips - Organ (#A1-B2)

Junior Mance - Piano (#B3)

Billy Butler - Guitar (#A1-B2)

Bob Bushnell - Electric Bass (#A1-B2)

Buster Williams - Bass (#B3)

Bernard Purdie - Drums (#A1-B2)

Frankie Jones - Drums (B3)

Candido - Congas (#B3)

Track Listing:

A1. Son Of A Preacher Man {John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins} (4:20)

A2. Didn't We {Jimmy Webb} (5:58)

A3. He's A Real Gone Guy {Nellie Lutcher} (4:59)

B1. Jungle Strut {Gene Ammons} (5:03)

B2. Blue Velvet {Lee Morris, Bernie Wayne} (4:02)

B3. Ger-Ru {Gene Ammons} (8:37)

Credits:

Supervisor - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Liner Notes - Dan Morgenstern (May 1970)

Note:

There is discrepancy in the session listing at the ‘Prestige Records Discography Project’.
Prince James not listed, but is on album cover. Also Billy Butler only seems to play on tracks A1, B1.