John Handy - New View! The New John Handy Quintet {New link to CD rip]

Well the holiday season is in full swing (no pun intended), and hopefully I can bring some cheer over the next few weeks.  I have posted the last of my 16 bit albums so starting with this post, everything going forward will be in 24 bit/ 48kbps.

John Handy belongs to a circle of jazz artists whom have, for the most part, been grossly overlooked by even the jazz buying community at large.  A musician's musician, he is joined by other sax players like Booker Ervin, Bunky Green, Nathan Davis & Curtis Amy (to name a few) who also belong to this tribe.

It turns out that I couldn't have picked a better recording for the nuanced detail of a higher resolution transfer.  New View! is a gorgeous offering from Handy, combining several styles to create an overall vibe of tremendous space and feeling.  With only three tunes, we are treated to what can only be described as a musical adventure.  Handy pulls the listener in gently, and before you know it, he has strapped you to your seat for a bumpy ride.

His style is best described as inside/outside but I feel that this album goes beyond just Handy himself.  The entire quintet create an atmosphere which is all at once soulful, melodic and at times, tense.  It's this tension and suspended moments of intensity which help set up Handy's voice and ultimately, his message. Wonderful and inspired soloing from all, but particularily Handy who is clearly motivated to get his message across.

This LP is infact a live recording, done at the infamous Village Gate.  The crowd are completely subdued and it's easy to forget the location and circumstances of the recording.  But the fact is, these musicians are truly in the moment and we are getting the best that jazz has to offer - the epitome of the craft.  My record is in great condition and cleaned up really nicely.  That combined with the wonderful fidelity of the recording itself makes for a fantastic listening experience.  The soundstage is surprisingly cavernous which really helps to convey that live atmosphere.  Ripped at 24bit/48kbps and converted to FLAC, this gift is ready for the most scrutinizing of ears... enjoy!!!!

Altoist John Handy's 1967 quintet included vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, the up and coming guitarist Pat Martino, bassist Albert Stinson and drummer Doug Sides. They really stretch out on three pieces (John Coltrane's "Naima" and an original), and New View is highlighted by Handy's emotional and episodic "Tears of Ole Miss (Anatomy of a Riot)," which clocks in at 23:45. The inside/outside music is quite picturesque, emotional, and ultimately logical. It is a pity that John Handy did not make more of an impact on the mainstream of jazz, but his three Columbia studio albums still sound fresh decades later. - Scott Yanow / AMG

Columbia CS9497
Recorded live at the Village Gate, New York City, June 28, 1967.

Alto Saxophone – John Handy
Bass – Albert Stinson
Drums – Doug Sides
Guitar – Pat Martino
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson

1. Naima (In Memory Of John Coltrane)  9:34

2. A Little Quiet  13:29

3. Tears Of Ole Miss (Anatomy Of A Riot)  31:00

Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson - The Two Of Us (1984)

Now this is a great album but, fact is this isn’t a full one duet album between Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson. It's primarily a Ramsey Lewis solo album with his regular band featuring a handful of songs featuring Nancy on vocals. After the generally more 70's styled production of ‘Les Fleurs’ it became time for Ramsey to start more heavily acknowledging the more electronic/synthesizer sounds of the mid 80's. For that he went to none other than Stanley Clarke who the same year was heading in the exact same direction with his ‘Time Exposure’. There are two numbers that really point to that concept better than anything else. Both are electro-funk/break dance type numbers that, while very modern for their time are still rooted strongly in 70's style jazz-funk arrangements and rhythms as opposed to more brittle hip-hop/electronica beats. "Ram" is the faster of the two tunes with some sparse vocals and Ramsey working his Chicago style soul-jazz piano anywhere he finds a place for it. "Breaker Beat”, being more midtempo is the funkier of the two and has some great 80's jazz-funk synthesizer swirls to boot. "Quiet Storm" has a more fluid Grover Washington Jr. style groove and relies heavy of Paul Jackson holding the trio rhythm section into place. "Closer Than Close" is a similarly styled vocal piece but the vocal is by the fine male singer Daryl Coley, not Nancy Wilson. She does show up on three elegantly produced and arranged urban R&B/pop/jazz tunes "Midnight Rendezvous","Slippin' Away”, “Never Wanna Say Goodnight" and the title song, all of which find a balance between the "retro nuevo" sound of Anita Baker and Will Downing later in the decade and what people like Patti Austin and James Ingram was doing around this same time. In that respect it captures urban contemporary vocal pop/jazz as it were in a state of transition. The final cut on the album is an original Ramsey composition "Song With Words [Remembering]” a swirling solo piano number that interestingly enough would've been just about perfect for Nancy's vocals but actually survives more than well on its own without it. As a Nancy Wilson duet album this isn't particularly complete though all of her contributions are strong additions to the album. As it stands this is an excellent Ramsey Lewis album and one of his very finest of the period. ~ Andre S. Grindle, Amazon.com. 

Columbia Records, FC 39326, 1984
Sony Records, SICP 20298, 2011
Recorded & Mixed at Mad Hatter Studio & Sound Castle Studio, Los Angeles, California 

Musicians:
Ramsey Lewis - Concert Grand Piano [Steinway]
Nancy Wilson - Vocals (#5), Lead Vocals (#2,4,7)
Don Freeman - Keyboards (#2,4,5,7,8)
Vassal Benford - Piano (#5,8)
Robert Brookins - Synthesizer (#1,3,6)
Rory Kaplan - Synthesizer (#7,8)
Paul Jackson Jr. - Guitar (#1-8)
Stanley Clarke - Bass (#2), Sitar (#5)
Freddie Washington - Bass (#2,4,7)
John Robinson - Drums (#2,4)
Ricky Lawson - Drums (#7,8)
Daryl Coley - Vocals (#5), Lead Vocals (#8)
Lynn Davis - Backing Vocals (#2,4,7)
Josie James - Backing Vocals (#4)
Frieda Woody, Backing Vocals (#7)
Marcy Levy - Backing Vocals (#7)
Celia Kitengeth - Narrator (#1)
George Del Barrio - Arranger [Strings]
Barbara Hunter, Bill Hughes, Bonnie Douglas, Brenton Banks, Catherine Gotthoffer,
Christine Ermacoff, James Getzoff,, Janet Lakatos, Karen Jones, Murray Adler,
Norman Carr, Paul, Roland Kato, Ronald Folsom - Strings (#1,5) 

Tracks:
1. Ram {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke} (5:15)
2. Midnight Rendezvous {David Roberts} (3:53)
3. Breaker Beat {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke, Robert Brookins} (4:17)
4. Slippin' Away {David Foster, David Paich, Leon Ware} (4:45)
5. The Two Of Us {Jeremy Lubbock, Vassal Benford} (4:32)
6. Quiet Storm {Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke} (4:14)
7. Never Wanna Say Goodnight {Ellen Schwartz, Franne Golde, Roger Bruno} (3:15)
8. Closer Than Close {Patrick Henderson, Vassal Benford} (4:56)
9. Song Without Words [Remembering] {Ramsey Lewis} (5:04) 

Total Time: 40:14 

Credits:
Producer - Stanley Clarke
Executive-Producer - Dr. George Butler
Engineer - Erik Zobler
Engineer [Assistant] - Duncan Aldrich, Gary Wagner, Jeff Vaughn, Mitch Gibson, Paul Erikson
Remixing Engineer - Don Hahn
Mastering - Bernie Grundman
Photography - Norman Seef
Design [Album] - John Berg
Liner Notes - Lawrence Tanter, Yvonne Daniels 

The Two Of Us

Terence Blanchard - The Heart Speaks (1996)

Although trumpeter Terence Blanchard gets first billing on this recording, it is very much a joint effort with singer-composer Ivan Lins. Not only are all 13 songs by Lins but he sings on all but the three instrumentals although sometimes just wordlessly in the background. Blanchard often harmonizes with Lins' voice, creating a melancholy and dreamy atmosphere. Most selections feature Blanchard's regular rhythm section of the time, augmented by Paulinho Da Costa's percussion and occasionally Oscar Castro-Neves' acoustic guitar. This CD, which is full of haunting ballads along with a few more jubilant numbers, serves as a superior introduction to Lins' music for jazz fans who might only be familiar with his "Love Dance." ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Columbia Records, CK 67415, 1996
Recorded 28th-31st August, 1995 at Conway Studios, Studio C, Hollywood, California 

Musicians:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Arranger [Cello]
Ivan Lins - Piano, Vocals (#1-4,6,8,9,11-13)
Edward Simon - Piano (#1,2,4-10,12,13)
Oscar Castro-Neves - Guitar (#1-3,9,13)
David Pulphus - Bass (#1-10,12,13)
David Bohanovich - Cello (#2)
Fred Zlotkin - Cello (#8,10)
Troy Davis - Drums (#1-7,9,10,12,13)
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion (#1-4,6,9,12,13)

Tracks:
01. Aparecida {Ivan Lins, Maurício Tapajós} (6:02)
02. Antes Que Seja Tarde {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:30)
03. Meu Pais [My Country] {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (3:57)
04. Valsa Mineira {Ivan Lins} (4:54)
05. The Heart Speaks {Ivan Lins} (5:28)
06. Congada Blues {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:37)
07. Nocturna {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:26)
08. Just For Nana {Ivan Lins} (5:04)
09. Orizimbo And Rosicler {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:31)
10. Choros Das Aguas {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (7:29)
11. Love Dance {Paul Williams, Ivan Lins, Gilson Peranzzetta, Vitor Martins}
/ Começar de Novo {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:26)
12. Menino {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:50)
13. Aparecida Reprise {Ivan Lins, Maurício Tapajós} (1:05) 

Total Time: 64:27 

Credits:
Producer - Miles Goodman
Executive Producer - Tony McAnany
Associate Producer - Robin Burgess
Engineer, Mixing - Joel Moss, James Nichols
Assistant Engineer - Sean O’Dwyer
Mastering - Vladimir Meller
Photography - Hans Neleman
Art Direction - Joel Zimmerman
Liner Notes - Ivan Lins

Terence Blanchard - Simply Stated (1992)

Terence Blanchard is in top form throughout this highly enjoyable outing. The trumpeter is most memorable on "Dear Old Stockholm" (a song from the 1950's that he helped revive), an emotional "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and a medley of his "Glass J," the theme from "Mo' Better Blues" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." Blanchard, who also plays "Detour Ahead" and four of his originals, is joined by tenor-saxophonist Sam Newsome, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Rodney Whitaker, either Troy Davis or Billy Kilson on drums and (on "Dear Old Stockholm") the up-and-coming altoist Antonio Hart. The music is tied to the hard bop tradition yet is quite fresh and open to more modern influences. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Columbia Records, CK 48903, 1992
Recorded 1992 at BMG Studios, New York, New York 

Personnel:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Piano [Solo] (#5)
Antonio Hart - Alto Saxophone (#4)
Sam Newsome - Tenor Saxophone
Bruce Barth - Piano
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Billy Kilson - Drums (#7)
Troy Davis - Drums, Cymbals 

Tracks:
1. Lil' Fawdy {Terence Blanchard} (5:23)
2. Central Focus {Terence Blanchard} (4:38)
3. Simply Stated {Terence Blanchard} (8:24)
4. Dear Old Stockholm {Traditional} (10:03)
5. Little Miss Olivia Ray {Terence Blanchard} (2:32)
6. Glass J {Terence Blanchard} / Mo' Better Blues {Bill Lee}
/ Lonely Woman {Ornette Coleman} (11:25)
7. Detour Ahead {Lou Carter, Herb Ellis, John Freigo} (11:41)
8. When It's Sleepy Time Down South {Clarence Muse, Otis & Leon René} (8:34) 

Total Time: 62:44

Credits:
Producer - Terence Blanchard
Executive Producer - Dr. George Butler
Recording, Mixing & Mastering - James P. Nichols
Studio Technician - Marian Conaty, Major Little
Art Direction, Design - Joel Zimmerman
Photography - Jim Galante

The Guitar Album (repost)

Apparently I have been ignoring a request to repost this for a long time... here ya go oldandintheway! 

I think I bought my first copy of this at 17 or 18 yeas old! I saw a clean copy of it a couple weeks ago and couldn't resist as I had never been satisfied with the rip of it that I had.

This Town Hall concert was similar in concept to one I saw in conjunction with Newport in NY. The double album open's with 3 Charlie Byrd tunes that are quite nice and three more from Joe Beck that are also pretty good. Sides B and C are absolute monsters, one whole side of Bucky Pizzarelli and George Barnes followed by one whole side of Tiny Grimes! Both are killer.

The final side begins with 3 nice tracks from Chuck Wayne. Chuck had just had a cast taken off of his arm the day before and was playing in some pain but it isn't evident in his playing. The final track of this set is sadly utter dreck! John McLaughlin and wife Eve do a version of Devotion that is just wretched! I don't know which is worse, the dreadful auto harp or the horrid vocals. A few years ago Ron (Jazzman) posted a rip in which he refused to even include this song but for what it is worth I choose to offer this complete.

Side 1

1. Introduction
2. It Don't Mean a Thing
3. You've Got A Friend
4. Jitterbug Waltz

 Charlie Byrd

5. All Blues

6. The Things We Did Last Summer
7. Down Under
 Joe Beck

Side 2

1. Blue Skies
2. Medlley Eleanor Rigby/Here There and Everywhere

3. Satin Doll
4. Rose Room

5. Theme From Love Story
6. Honeysuckle Rose
 Bucky Pizzarelli & George Barnes

Side 3

1. Frantic
2. Watermelon Man
3. Blues For Connie
4. Food For Thought
5. Three Quarter Moon
 Tiny Grimes

side 4

1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
2. What's New
3. All The Things You Are

 Chuck Wayne

4. Devotion

 Eve & John McLaughlin

Charles Mingus - Nostalgia In Times Square: The Immortal 1959 Sessions

Hey gang.  Been really busy this last couple of weeks, during which I have been mostly listening to soul music anyhow.  However I have a really amazing 2LP Mingus album for y'all to dig on.

There's not much point in me going on about this one.  If you know anything about jazz, all of the clues are here which point to an amazing set of tunes.  For those not so savvy, let me help you...  Mingus + 1959 + insane cast of talent = one hard swingin joint!!  This is certainly my favorite era of Mingus, one of his greatest collectives.

Not a dud on this 1979 reissue which collected a bunch of "throwaway" tunes from a few different sessions.  The fidelity is wonderful from a minty hunk of vinyl.  Ripped at 24/44.1 and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!!






Columbia JG-35717
1979

A1 Pedal Point Blues 6:29
A2 GG Train 4:38
A3 Girl Of My Dreams 4:08
A4 Strollin' 4:33
B1 Jelly Roll 6:15
B2 Boogie Stop Shuffle 5:00
B3 Open Letter To Duke 5:50
B4 New Now Know How 4:13

C1 Birdcalls 6:19
C2 Slop 6:43
C3 Things Ain't What They Used To Be 7:37
D1 Pussy Cat Dues 9:15
D2 Song With Orange 6:50
D3 Gunslinging Bird 5:12 

Bass – Charles Mingus
Cello – Maurice Brown (tracks: C2), Seymour Barab (tracks: C2)
Drums – Dannie Richmond
Flute – Jerome Richardson (tracks: B4,)
Piano – Horace Parlan, Nico Bunick (tracks: B4), Roland Hanna (tracks: C2, C3, D2, D3)
Saxophone [Alto] – John Handy, Shafi Hadi
Saxophone [Baritone] – Jerome Richardson (tracks: A4, B4, D2, D3)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Benny Golson (tracks: A4, D2), Booker Ervin
Trombone – Jimmy Knepper, Willie Dennis
Trumpet – Don Ellis (tracks: C2, C3), Richard Williams (tracks: B4, D2, D3)
Vibraphone – Teddy Charles (tracks: B4, D2, D3)