Sonny Rollins - Sonny's Time (1957)

A great compilation of Sonny’s work heralding from 1957 and his time with Riverside. He surrounds himself with an exciting array of players all well-known contemporaries of equal status. An LP full of jazz standards and two of his own tunes. The majority of the tracks come from his album ‘The Sound Of Sonny’ and two from ‘Jazz Contrasts’ led by Kenny Dorham.

Jazzland Records, JLP 972, 1962

Recorded 19^th June, 1957 (#A1-A3); 12^th June 1957 (#A4,B1);

27^th May, 1957 (#B2) & 21^st May, 1957 (#B3)

At Reeves Sound Studios, New York City

Musicians:

Sonny Rollins - Tenor Saxophone

Kenny Dorham - Trumpet (#B2,B3)

Betty Glamann - Harp (#B2)

Sonny Clark - Piano (#A1,A3-B1)

Hank Jones - Piano (#B2,B3)

Paul Chambers - Bass (#A1-A3)

Percy Heath - Bass (#A4,B1)

Oscar Pettiford - Bass (#B2,B3)

Roy Haynes - Drums (#A1-B1)

Max Roach - Drums (#B2,B3)

Tracks:

A1. Funky Blues Hotel {Sonny Rollins} (6:00)

A2. The Last Time I Saw Paris {Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern} (2:55)

A3. What Is There To Say? {E.Y. Harburg, Vernon Duke} (4:54)

A4. Cutie {Sonny Rollins} (5:52)

B1. Mangoes {Sid Wayne, Dee Libbey} (5:32)

B2. My Old Flame {Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston} (5:22)

B3. La Villa {Kenny Dorham} (7:01)

Credits:

Producer - Orrin Keepnews

Recording & Remastering Engineer - Jack Higgins

Album Design - Ken Deardoff

Liner Notes - Joe Goldberg

Notes:

Compilation of tracks from Riverside albums:

Various - Blues For Tomorrow [RLP-243]

Sonny Rollins - The Sound Of Sonny [RLP-241]

Kenny Dorham - Jazz Contrasts [RLP-239]

Julian Priester - Spiritsville (1960)

Spiritsville is the second album led by American jazz trombonist Julian Priester which was recorded in 1960 for Riverside's subsidiary Jazzland label.

Smokin' Hard Bop

This hard bop set from 1960 didn't do too much for me at first. Largely, I think, because I have been listening to a lot of this stuff lately. Then something happened. I listened to this record with the headphones on and I'll be damned if I didn't experience it in a whole new way. Recorded in New York City in July 1960, Spiritsville features a cast of characters that I have not heard a lot from (except for the noteworthy piano player...). Priester was a trombone player. In fact, he's on Coltrane's Impulse debut, Africe Brass. In the manner of Curtis Fuller he does some great work on this record as a lead. Between those two I've come to enjoy that instrument far more than I ever have. Of the records McCoy Tyner played on leading up to this one, none foreshadowed exactly where his tone and style were going as much as this one. Dig his solo work on 'Blue Stride' and 'Excursion'. You'll hear it. ~ by Lawrence Peryeron, Amazon.com.

Jazzland Records, JLP 25, 1960

Recorded 12^th July, 1960 in New York City

Musicians:

Julian Priester - Trombone

Walter Benton - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2,A4-B3)

Charles Davis - Baritone Saxophone (#A1,A2,A4-B3)

McCoy Tyner - Piano

Sam Jones - Bass

Art Taylor - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Chi-Chi {Charlie Parker} (4:49)

A2. Blue Stride {Julian Priester} (5:58)

A3. It Might As Well Be Spring {Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II} (5:54)

A4. Excursion {Walter Benton} (5:48)

B1. Spiritsville {Julian Priester} (7:26)

B2. My Romance {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (5:57)

B3. Donna's Waltz {Julian Priester} (5:37)

Total Time: 41:29

Junior Mance - The Soul Of Hollywood (1962)

The Soul of Hollywood was an interesting departure for Junior Mance. Most of the time he has been heard in small-group settings, but on this album the pianist is backed by an orchestra arranged and conducted by trombonist Melba Liston. With Orrin Keepnews serving as producer, Mance and Liston turn their attention to film music -- and the films that they acknowledge range from musicals (West Side Story) to Westerns (One-Eyed Jacks). Because the material is heavily arranged, Mance doesn't have as much room to stretch out and improvise. Nonetheless, he manages to get in his share of noteworthy solos, and Liston's tasteful arrangements make The Soul of Hollywood well worth the price of admission. In some cases, albums of film music can become albums of background music, but that isn't a problem on this release (which was recorded in 1961 and early 1962). Liston's arrangements are always in good taste, and that is true whether the participants are tackling "Maria" from West Side Story, "Tara's Theme" from Gone With the Wind, or Greek star Manos Hadjidakis' charming theme from Never on Sunday. Meanwhile, "On Green Dolphin Street" and the haunting "Invitation" are both well-known Bronislaw Kaper standards from films that starred Lana Turner. The interesting thing is that, even though "Invitation" has been recorded countless times over the years, the movie that Kaper wrote it for was far from a box office smash; "Invitation" is from 1950's very underrated A Life of Her Own, which stars Turner as a supermodel who falls in love with a married man but ultimately decides against breaking up his marriage. The Soul of Hollywood isn't quite in a class with Gil Evans or Oliver Nelson's best work, but it's still a decent example of orchestral jazz. ~ by Alex Henderson, AMG.

Jazzland Records, JLP 63, 1962

Recorded October, December, 1961 and January, 1962 At Plaza Sound Studios, New York City

Personnel:

Junior Mance - Piano

Ernie Royal, Clark Terry - Trumpet

Jimmy Cleveland, Britt Woodman - Trombone

Romeo Penque - Flute

Jerome Richardson - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Danny Bank - Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet

George Duvivier - Bass

Osie Johnson - Drums

Melba Liston - Conductor, Arranger

+ Unidentified Orchestra

Tracks:

A1. Never On Sunday {Manos Hadjidakis} (2:48)

A2. Maria [From West Side Story] {Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim} (2:51)

A3. Tara's Theme [From Gone With The Wind] {Max Steiner} (4:00)

A4. Fanny {Harold Rome} (4:01)

A5. On Green Dolphin Street {Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington} (2:37)

A6. One-Eyed Jacks {Hugo Friedhofer} (2:33)

B1. Exodus {Ernest Gold, Miklós Rózsa} (2:30)

B2. Invitation {Bronislaw Kaper} (4:03)

B3. The Apartment {Charles Williams, John Moran} (3:36)

B4. Goodbye Again {Georges Auric, Dory Langdon} (4:09)

B5. Spellbound {Miklós Rózsa} (3:33)

Credits:

Producer - Orrin Keepnews

Recording Engineer - Ray Fowler

Mastering Engineer - Neal Ceppos, Plaza Sound, NYC

Album Design - Ken Deardoff

Photography - Steve Schapiro

Woody Herman - The Fourth Herd

As some of you may or may not know, I am a collector of the Jazzland label.  I began the project by firstly seeking out the sides which were issued under the labels imprint.  After acquiring the low hanging fruit, I still have a handful of sessions to find.

The Fourth Herd has crossed my path before, but in horrid condition so I was forced to pass.  My patience was rewarded when I found this copy through a local dealer.  The album is just fantastic - Herman at his best.  All of the tunes are hard swingin and uplifting, wonderfully positive vibes.  The featured players all play their asses off, particularily Adderley.

The idea of Woody's Fourth Herd was to have a band within a band.  So when the orchestra pulls back, there is a core octet to pick up the tune - this is where the featured guests really come in.  It worked out quite nicely, and of course when the full band comes in they hit hard.  Super tight, bright and brassy - a huge dynamic punch to the gut!!  The whole album is a winner, filled with excitement and interesting twists and turns.

As far as I know, this album was paired with another for a CD release by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MOFI) and is the only instance of a digital release.  I haven't heard it but we can assume it would be excellent.  Well I would put this transfer against anything that may be out there.  The mono vinyl is minty, ripped at 24bit / 48kHz wav and converted to FLAC.  It's wonderfully dynamic and open... enjoy!!!

This CD is quite a bit different than most audiophile releases for it contains rare rather than famous recordings. 1959's The Fourth Herd (which features an all-star group of studio musicians and Woody Herman alumni along with his octet of the time) was only put out briefly by Jazzland while the music on 1962's The New World of Woody Herman was never available commercially before; both were originally cut for the SESAC Transcribed Library and were available only to selected radio stations on a subscription basis. The earlier session has solo spots for tenors Zoot Sims, Al Cohn and Don Lanphere, trumpeters Nat Adderley and Red Rodney, vibraphonist Eddie Costa and Herman on clarinet, a bit of alto and two vocals; Cohn and pianist Nat Pierce wrote most of the colorful and diverse arrangements. By the later session (which has charts by Pierce, Gene Roland, Phil Wilson and Bill Chase), Woody Herman once again was leading an exciting big band of his own. Trombonist Phil Wilson, Duke Ellington's tenor Paul Gonsalves (filling in for the temporarily absent Sal Nistico) and Herman are the solo stars and (as with the first date) the music swings hard and contains its share of surprises. - Scott Yanow / AMG for CD release of The Fourth Herd & the New World of Woody Herman

Jazzland JLP-17
July 31 & Aug 1, 1959

A1 Panatela
A2 Lament For Linda
A3 Misery, Stay Away From My Door
A4 In A Misty Mood
A5 Catty' Corner
A6 The Thirteenth Instant
B1 The Magpie
B2 Blues For Indian Jim
B3 The Devil And The Stoker
B4 The Swing Machine
B5 Summer Nights
B6 Johnny On The Spot

Bass – Milt Hinton
Clarinet – Woody Herman (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B2, B4, B6)
Cornet – Nat Adderley (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B2, B4, B6)
Drums – Don Lamond
Guitar – Barry Galbraith
Piano – Nat Pierce
Reeds – Al Cohn (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Dick Hafer (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Don Lanphere (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Gene Allen (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Sam Markowitz* (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Zoot Sims (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5)
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B2, B4, B6)
Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Frank Rehak (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Jim Dahl* (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Jimmy Cleveland (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5)
Trumpet – Bernie Glow (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Burt Collins (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Ernie Royal (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Irvin Markowitz* (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Red Rodney (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5), Reunald Jones (tracks: A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B5)
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Eddie Costa (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B2, B4, B6)

The Soulful Piano Of Junior Mance

Junior Mance is one of those players who truly has been underated through the years.  People commonly make the mistake of confusing underated with underexposed - there is a huge difference.  Mance has had quite an incredible career, playing with some of jazzes elite, yet his skill as a player has always been overlooked.

As a fan of the Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis & Johnny Griffin quintet, I can tell you that the main ingredient of their sound was Mance's soulful and groovy playing.  No matter what gets thrown at him, JM has the ability to filter it and give us something that is undeniably rhythmic.

This was his first trio album for the Jazzland label, and a really nice showcase of tunes.  Mance strings a wonderfully upbeat theme throughout, and we get that classic groove which is so representative of the early 60's.  There is a real potpourri of songs on 'Soulful Piano' - gospel, blues, pop and jazz standards.  This combined with Junior Mance's inimitable style, keeps the entire side fresh and interesting.  Thomas and Tucker blend in perfectly and give the support needed to help Mance shine.

This was ripped from a NM record.  Only a handful of blemishes are audible, and the tonal quality is superb.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!!