Roland Kirk - Gifts and Messages

 Roland Kirk - 1964 Gifts And Messages  (Mercury MG 20939)

01 The Things I Love  3:09
02 Petite Fleur  3:08
03 Hip Chops  3:29
04 Gifts And Messages   4:02
05 Vertigo Ro   4:03
06 March On, Swan Lake  3:56
07 My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice  3:22
08 Tears Sent By You   5:54
09 Where Does The Blame Lie?    2:48
10 Blues For C&T   3:06
 
Roland Kirk (ts, mzo, str, fl, siren, ob) Horace Parlan (p) Michael Fleming (b) Steve Ellington (d)

Los Angeles, CA, July 22, 1964

 Do not confuse with a posthumously issued live session from Ronnie Scott's Club, London, recorded in Oct and Sept, 1964

After Reeds and Deeds what else but Gifts and Messages? Another forgotten miracle from the man who was made of music. The version of 'Petite Fleur' is haunting and the tune 'Hip Chops' is just plain cool as hell (just try to picture how in the hell you play a flute and saxophone simultaneously). My only real complaint with this record is that the cuts are shorter than I'd like (somehow I think I'll survive).

Johnny Griffin & Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Ow! Live At The Penthouse (1962)

Ow! Live at The Penthouse is a collection of previously-unissued recordings by the supercharged saxophone duo of Johnny Griffin / Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis captured over 2 nights at the famous Penthouse jazz club in Seattle, WA in 1962. Though the tenor sax battle became a fixture of the hard bop era after Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray established the format with “The Chase” in 1947, no duo was as powerful or as prolific as Davis, a veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra and a popular trio with organist Shirley Scott, and Griffin, noted for his high-voltage work with Thelonious Monk. The pair who became known known as “the Tough Tenors” cut nine LPs – including four live albums caught at Minton’s in New York – for Prestige and Jazzland in 1960-62. This limited-edition deluxe CD set features the potent rhythm section of Horace Parlan on piano, Buddy Catlett on bass and Art Taylor on drums. ~ Bandcamp.com. 

Reel To Reel, RTR-CD-003, 2019
Recorded 30th May (#1-7) & 6th June (#8-15), 1962 Live at The Penthouse, Seattle, WA
Broadcast Live on KING-FM, Seattle, Washington, USA 

Musicians:
Johnny Griffin - Tenor Saxophone
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Tenor Saxophone
Horace Parlan - Piano
Buddy Catlett - Bass
Art Taylor - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Intermission Riff {Ray Wetzel} / Intro By Jim Wilkie (0:53)
02. Blues Up And Down {Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt} (6:48)
03. Ow! {Dizzy Gillespie} (8:20)
04. Spoken Introduction (0:09)
05. Bahia {Ary Barroso} (8:44)
06. Spoken Introduction (0:05)
07. Blue Lou {Edgar Sampson, Irving Mills} (4:11)
08. Second Balcony Jump {Billy Eckstine, Gerald Valentine} (7:13)
09. Spoken Outro (0:08)
10. How Am I To Know? {Jack King} (10:14)
11. Spoken Introduction (0:09)
12. Sophisticated Lady {Duke Ellington} (4:03)
13. Spoken Introduction (0:09)
14. Tickle Toe {Lester Young} (6:36)
15. Intermission Riff {Ray Wetzel} / Outro By Jim Wilkie (0:56) 

Total Time: 58:45 

Credits:
Producer, Executive Producer, Photo Research, Notes - Cory Weeds
Producer, Photo Research, Notes - Zev Feldman
Associate Producer, Notes - Jim Wilkie, Charlie Puzzo Jr.
Original Recording Engineer - Fred Stimson
Sound Restoration - Chris Gestrin
Mastering [LP] - Bernie Grundman [Hollywood, California]
Photography - Lee Tanner, Esmond Edwards, Burt Goldblatt
Photography [Cover] - Don Schlitten
Art Direction and Design - John Sellards
Album Package Design - Dan Forte
Liner Notes - Ted Panken, Michael Weiss

Booker Ervin - Lament For Booker Ervin (vinyl rip)

Also a repost of a 2014 rip 

"At an overbooked all-star saxophone concert held in 1965 Berlin, the musicians were supposed to only play for 15 minutes. Tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin protested against the restrictive situation by performing the intense and stirring "Blues for You" for 27½-minutes, tearing down the house. A decade later (after Ervin's 1970 death) the performance (with pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Neils Pedersen and drummer Alan Dawson) was released for the first time and its passion was worth waiting for. Also on this historic album is pianist Horace Parlan's somber solo tribute to Ervin ("Lament for Booker") which was recorded in 1975." AMG

The first rip on my new Pro-Ject carbon turntable!

Archie Shepp Quartet - Live In Stuttgart {MKV} (1990)

A recording taken from the 6th International Theaterhaus Jazz Days 1990 held in Stuttgart. A wonderful concert capturing the then Archie Shepp Quartet in action. The broadcast enables the quartet to showcase four great tunes, two Duke Ellington numbers, a Cal Massy piece and one of Shepp’s own tunes; included is a short interview giving some insight to Archie’s philosophy on Jazz and Black Music. He leads his quartet playing both soprano and tenor saxes as well as some singing on “Mama Rose”. He is joined by the fantastic pianist Horace Parlan who sets out some vibrant solos. On bass is Wayne Dockery again like Horace gets a few of opportunities to demonstrate his skills. Last but not least is the energetic drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith who clearly keeps the rhythm on a roll. The show was released on DVD which I converted to MKV for ease of upload, Enjoy! 

Recorded 14th April, 1990 At "Theaterhaus Jazztage", Stuttgart, Germany 

Musicians:
Archie Shepp - Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Vocals
Horace Parlan - Piano
Wayne Dockery - Bass
Marvin "Smitty" Smith - Drums 

Tracks:
1. TV Intro (0:30)
2. I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Ben Webster} (13:10)
3. Mama Rose {Calvin Massey} (11:45)
4. Dedication To Bessie Smith Blues {Archie Shepp} (13:26)
5. Interview with Archie Shepp [German subtitles] (3:22)
6. Sophisticated Lady {Duke Ellington} (10:40) 

Total Time: 55:16 

Notes:
Television Broadcast, 22nd December, 1990
Lineage: SW3 TV Broadcast > DVD > MKV
© Süddeutscher Rundfunk Stuttgart - SDR 1990

BOOKER ERVIN - BACK FROM THE GIG (1976 COMPILATION) 24~48 VINYL

1976
Blue Note BN-LA488-H2
MY Vinyl Rip
Front, Back, & Inside Covers
DR Value 13
WAVE
994 MB

 AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

This two-LP set consists of a pair of classic Blue Note sets that were not originally released until 1976. The great tenor Booker Ervin (whose hard passionate sound was always immediately recognizable) is well-showcased with the Horace Parlan Sextet in 1963 (a group also featuring pianist Parlan, trumpeter Johnny Coles and guitarist Grant Green) and with his own all-star quintet from 1968 (which also stars trumpeter Woody Shaw and pianist Kenny Barron). The stimulating group originals and advanced solos (which fall somewhere between hard bop and the avant-garde) still sound fresh and frequently exciting.

The Tracks:

01 Home In Africa / 02 A Tune For Richard / 03 Back From The Gig / 04 Dexi / 05 Kucheza Blues / 

06 Happy Frame Of Mind / 07 Gichi / 08 Den Tex / 09 In A Capicornian Way / 10 Lynn's Tune / 11 204

Bernt Rosengren - Surprise Party (1983) [vinyl>flac]

Sweden's top saxophonist/composer/arranger/bandleader Rosengren (b. 1937) gained wide recognition through his work with Krzysztof Komeda in Poland and his performance in the soundtrack of Polanski's film "Knife In The Water" in 1962. Later he played with George Russell, Don Cherry and Lars Gullin. In the late 70s he formed a group with Doug Raney, who is appearing in this recording on one track as a guest player. ~ steeplechase.dk

SteepleChase Records, SCS-1177, 1983

Recorded 8^th March, 1983 At Easy Sound Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark

Musicians:

Bernt Rosengren - Tenor Saxophone

Horace Parlan - Piano

Doug Raney - Guitar (#B2,B3)

Jesper Lundgaard - Bass

Aage Tanggaard - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Solar {Miles Davis} (5:46)

A2. I Should Care {Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston} (8:07)

A3. Dr. Jackle {Jackie McLean} (7:36)

B1. Hip Walk {Bernt Rosengren} (6:29)

B2. Embraceable You {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (8:02)

B3. Airegin {Sonny Rollins} (5:32)

Credits:

Producer, Photography - Nils Winther

Recording Engineer - Niels Erik Lund

Cover Design - Per Grunnet

Gene Ammons In Sweden

This is a re-up for Malaspina, originally posted at the "old" Crypt in 2012.

I hope everybody will have a look through our archive of Ammons - uploaded by our very own Chris!! http://kccryptredux.blogspot.ca/search/label/Gene%20Ammons

I am not a huge Ammons fan.  What I mean by that is, he's not an artist whom I have explored deeply.  I have several key sides like Boss Tenor and Happy Blues, but so do most self respecting jazz fans.

This LP takes us a bit deeper, of course because it's live, but also due to a certain charm.  We get a nice dose of Jugs on the mic, introducing songs and interacting with the crowd.  But it's his playing, well actually the whole band's playing, which grabs me unlike many of his other sides.  "Je ne sais quoi..."

The group is really relaxed and give each other all kinds of space.  The vibe really comes through as these guys stretch out on the uptempo numbers.  That would be reserved for side one, side two brings in the balladry and things get down right sublime.  Horace Parlan shows his gifts again and again, he really is a joy to listen to.  As for Ammons, he seems to know exactly what to bring...and how to bring it!  Overall we get a nice dose of his bag of tricks.

ENJA released this in 1981, but the date took place on July 14th, 1973.  There is almost a bootleg feel to this LP, both in presentation on the sleeve and in sound quality.  Sure, it's no Van Gelder, but far from unenjoyable.  I tend to over obsess about audio quality and I have no issues with this side.  It was released as part of a "two-fer", along with a Ben Webster live date, on CD but is OOP.

This album is a minty ENJA stereo LP, ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  It should be noted that there are infact 5 tracks on this album, but you are only receiving 4.  Polka Dots And Moonbeams has a seamless segueway into Lover Man, so I merged the two tracks and left them intact.  Taking liberties yes, but once you hear it I think you'll understand why.  A great way to end a gorgeous weekend, but it's always sunny at the Crypt no?  Enjoy!!

ENJA 3093
Produced by Inge Dahl
Recorded and Mixed by Berndt Berndtson
Recorded live at the Ahus Jazz Fest on July 14th, 1973 in Sweden

Gene Ammons (ts);  Horace Parlan (p);  Red Mitchell (b);  Ed Jones (d)

Archie Shepp - Black Ballads & Blue Ballads

Hmmmm....we don't seem to have spent any time here exploring the giant talent of Archie Shepp and I am more than a little stunned to have just now noticed this. REALLY?

I think a little journey into the Impulse recordings of Shepp AND Pharoah Sanders may be in the near future......

These two albums are such a logical pairing that I couldn't resist posting them together.

My first experience of Shepp was in the Impulse era and at that time I dismissed him quickly due to foolish prejudices and uneducated ears. Today I hear Ike Quebec and Ben Webster all over even his wildest work.

These two albums feature 2 entirely different, yet equally awesome awesome quartets, each is a deeply sensitive conversation over familiar and beloved ground. If you do not have these PLEASE don't pass them by.

Booker Ervin - That's It!

 That smoldering intensity that was kept largely under the covers in the previous two albums burns through the bed clothes on this date! For me, this is Booker's coming out party, that wonderful slightly unhinged wail is in full throat. It is that tone that first captured MY ear.

I think you would have to call this music pretty advanced for 1961. The four Ervin originals in particular are just glorious. These guys were a regular working unit at the time, they were communicating on a nearly magical level and pushing on into the post-bop frontier.

 "Booker Ervin, who always had a very unique sound on the tenor, is heard in prime form on his quartet set with pianist Horace Parlan, bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. In virtually all cases, the jazz and blues musicians who recorded for Candid in 1960-61 (during its original brief existence) were inspired and played more creatively than they did for other labels. That fact is true for Ervin, even if he never made an indifferent record. In addition to "Poinciana" and "Speak Low," Ervin's quartet (which was a regular if short-lived group) performs four of the leader's originals; best known is "Booker's Blues."

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)