Coleman Hawkins - Jazz Tones 1954 (24/48 vinyl rip)

A nice, clean 24/48 rip of the Xanadu Gold LP.

"This 1954 studio date by Coleman Hawkins finds the tenor saxophonist in great form, joined by a fine group that includes pianist Billy Taylor, bassist Milt Hinton, drummer Jo Jones, trombonist Eddie Bert, and trumpeter Emmett Berry. Hawkins' boppish take on "Cheek to Cheek" moves at a fast clip, though he never exhausts himself of ideas. The full sextet is heard on a portion of the session, including a lush but brisk take of "Lullaby of Birdland," a snappy run through "Get Happy," and the old swinger "Blue Lou." There are many strong solos by the supporting cast, but it's difficult to eclipse the sound of Hawkins' tenor when he is in top form." AMG

Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home

Without a doubt, "The Kid" was one of the greatest sax players to ever breath life on this great Earth of ours.  His sound was gritty, raw and soulful but never without subtlety when required.  Indeed, his voice is instantly recognizable by jazz fans - "Flying Home" is quite possibly the most famous sax solo of all time.

This CD covers alot of ground while bringing you some of Jacquet's best cuts.  Bluebird  originally recorded all of these as 78's, and they have been expertly remastered here.  The recordings range in date from 1947 - 1967 and in location from Hollywood to NYC.  There are some personnel changes throughout the album, but certainly nothing to disappoint - Shadow Wilson to Jo Jones!!??!  Considering that this is technically a compilation, it plays incredibly well as an album.

And with that said, the band absolutely smokes.  It helps when each member is a seasoned pro - JJ Johnson, Leo Parker, Joe Newman, etc, etc.  It varies in size from track to track, but overall the idea is a "little big band".  One thing you will notice straight away is the weight that this band can produce.  Jacquet has basically put together a small group which can operate as a big band when called upon.  I love it.  And having dual trumpet players is one unique aspect to a band of this size.  The whole thing swings hard and is overall a definite shade of blue.  We are treated to all kinds of fun as the members all get to express themselves here, including Illinois' brother Russ who puts in some vocals on Try Me One More Time.

Flying Home is essentially a "Cole's Notes" of the impeccable Mosaic boxset which captured all of Jacquet's recordings from this period.  For those of you who are fortunate enough to have the boxset, this CD is probably not for you.  However for everybody else, including anybody looking to discover Illinois Jacquet, this album is an absolute gem.  I will include the AMG review which is glowing but curiously only scored the album a 3/5 stars.  I would say this set of classic tunes is without a doubt 4/5.  I have included all the scans and ripped the disc using EAC for 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!!

This is a great selection of Jacquet's late-'40s/early-'50s work, hot on the heels of his success with Jazz At The Philharmonic and his tenure with the Lionel Hampton Band. There's lots of honking and squealing coupled to Jacquet's patented abrasive tone, one of the most exciting in jazz, heard to good effect on "Jet Propulsion." Jacquet's brother Russell vocalizes on "Try Me One More Time," making himself a worthy foil, and stalwarts like Leo Parker, Shadow Wilson and J.J. Johnson are counted up in the mix. The closing track is somewhat of a ringer; recorded live in 1967 at the Newport Folk Festival, it's a high voltage take on the the title cut with Illinois' old boss Hampton making a guest appearance. - Cub Koda/AMG

Bluebird / RCA 1992

1. Jet Propulsion 

2. Try Me One More Time 

3. Riffin' at 24th Street 

4. Symphony in Sid 

5. Jacquet for Jack the Bellboy 

6. Big Foot 

7. Black Velvet 

8. B-Yot 

9. Adam's Alley 

10. Hot Rod 

11. Flying Home

Dicky Wells - Bones For The King

What can I say??!??  This album is a must have for anyone who considers themself a mainstream fan.  A wonderful, swaggering swing topped with relaxed and inspired solos.  Lots of fun vocals.  Jazz at its finest.  As promised, the Felsteds kept-a-rollin.  Taken from the Felsted Mainstream Jazz Series boxset, remastered in 24 bit, ripped to FLAC... enjoy!!!

Felsted FAJ 7006
1958

Buck Clayton (trumpet) Dicky Wells (trombone) Rudy Rutherford (clarinet, baritone saxophone) Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone) Skip Hall (piano) Everett Barksdale (guitar) Major Holley (bass) Jo Jones (drums)

• Hello Smack! 
• Come And Get It 
• Stan's Dance

Vic Dickenson, George Matthews, Benny Morton, Dicky Wells (trombone) Skip Hall (piano) Major Holley (bass) Jo Jones (drums)

• Bones For The King 
• Sweet Daddy Spo-de-o 
• You Took My Hear

Budd Johnson - Blues A La Mode

I want to apologize for my absence.  I am sure that for those of you who are familiar with my personal blog, it's easy to think that my priorities lay elsewhere.  I won't lie, it would be easy for me to simply post everything at my own blog - but that will never happen.  The Crypt is where all this blogging stuff started for me, and it's really where my heart is - in spite of having my own spot.

I have the next round of Basie sides prepared so that we can continue down that road, but I wanted to share something that I am excited about.  I finally pulled the trigger on the Felsted box set, a decision I regret not making earlier.

For fans of Budd Johnson, this album is an absolute must have.  Gorgeous playing throughout with equally excellent contributions from all of his sidemen.  I find Johnson's playing to be really laid back and soulful.  He puts alot of focus into each note, rather than searching for witty phrasing or pulling out any tricks.  Tonally his horn is rich and thick - combined with his style, he is certainly the centerpiece on this session.

This was ripped from my Felsted box using EAC, and is in FLAC 16/44.1.  The tracks have been remastered using 24 bit technology, in stereo, and the results are superb.  The archives contain two Felsted sides already;  Buddy Tate and Billy Strayhorn.  I'm not sure if either is still active but if anybody wishes to have a reup just ask in the comments.  I will roll out the remaining Felsted sides and we can have this project running parallel to the Basiefest.  Enjoy!!!

Felsted FAJ 7007
1958

01. Foggy Nights (Johnson) 5:37
02. Leave Room in Your Heart for Me (Johnson-Dobson) 7:16
03. Destination Blues (Johnson) 5:19
04. À La Mode (Johnson) 7:31
05. Used Blues (Johnson) 7:05
06. Blues by Five (Johnson) 6:06

Tracks #1,3,5,7: The Septet
Charlie Savers (ts), Vic Dickenson (tb), Budd Johnson (ts), Al Sears (bs), Bert Keyes (p, org), Joe Benjamin (b), Jo Jones (d).

Recorded in New York City, on February 11, 1958.

Tracks #2,4,6: The Quintet
Charlie Savers (ts), Budd Johnson (ts), Ray Bryant (p), Joe Benjamin (b), Jo Jones (d).

Recorded in New York City, on February 14, 1958.

Vic Dickenson Septet

Well I hope everybody had a great New Years!!  Me?  Well I took my family downtown for the 'kids' New Years celebration, which included fireworks at 9:00pm.  We had a great time and with the kids in bed, my wife and I quietly brought in the New Year with some 20 year Scotch.

This album is something I am wildly excited to share.
Compilations/reissues of this kind are exactly what we need as jazz fans.  Taking really rare and pricy albums from the past, and making the music available for a reasonable price.

The liner notes are extremely well written, and tell the whole story behind this comp, so I won't go into too much detail.  What I will say is that there is no doubt this music represents Dickenson's greatest contribution to jazz.  This double LP set, released in 1972, was taken from 4 - 10" LPs recorded in the early 50's for the Vanguard imprint.  What we now call mainstream or small group swing, really got it's beginnings from the players on these tracks.  There was a time when the big band players were in a kind of limbo, in between bebop and Dixie.  They managed to carve a niche for themselves, and Dickenson's septet help lead the charge.

Musically, most of the tunes are laid back with a jam-like feel.  The soloing is top notch and inspired.  Luckily, the fidelity is incredible from vinyl which I would categorize as only being very good.  I cleaned it up and the results are excellent.  I think you'll find there's wonderful clarity and the soloists are up front with lots of immediacy.  From what I can tell, this collection was released to CD at some point but definitely appears to be OOP.  Perhaps somebody can shed some light on that for us.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC...enjoy the first post of 2013!!!

Vanguard VRS 8520/1
1972

Vol. 1

Vol. 2

Record 1 

Tracks 1 - 5

Vol. 3

Vol. 4

Record 2 

Tracks 6 - 12

The Buddy Tate All Stars - Swinging Like Tate

The Master Jazz Recordings label did a complete reissue of the Felsted catalogue, naming it the Felsted Series.  Although professional critics don't give this side alot of praise, the fact that it's been reissued several times over is testimony to it's greatness.

A wonderful cast of players including his Celebrity Club Orchestra on side one, and some old masters on side two.  The swingin doesn't stop and this one will make you feel warm inside.  Just a solid album overall... all of the Felsted albums are worth seeking out.  This album is minty with excellent fidelity, highly enjoyable...  enjoy!!

Master Jazz Recordings MJR8127
"Felsted Series"
1958

Benny Carter - The Complete Further Definitions

What a feast for the ears this is!!  Carter is a jazz legend, without a doubt.  A true stylist, which is what enabled him to walk the path of a master.  Composition, arrangment, unheralded sensitivity and a unique ability on his chosen instrument.

For some reason, the two albums contained on this CD - Further Definitions and Additions To Further Definitions - have gone undetected on many jazz fan's radar.  Impulse decided to release both on one disc in 1997, an excellent decision.  Frankly, I think this is some of his best work and shows ALL of his talents.

Of course, the supporting players help to define the sessions.  Anybody with reasonable knowledge of jazz should be salivating upon reading the list of personnel.  All of the players are in top form, making for an incredible listening experience.  There's a wonderful sense of romanticism that's tangible when listening to this music.  Carter and co. create a sonic wonderland,  filled with all the right elements to help the listener drift off to a sublime place...

This was ripped from my Impulse! CD using EAC, then to Trader's Little Helper to create FLAC 16/44.1.  Superb reissue and remastering using all of the modern resources which make these CDs sound incredible.  The CD is OOP for sometime now...  Enjoy!!!