Christmas with Houston Person & Etta Jones (1997) [re-rip]

Tired of those bland Christmas jazz records that fail to capture the emotion and fervor of the season? Looking for an album that puts heart and soul into this momentous holiday? Then look no further than this album by Etta Jones and Houston Person (neither of whom are on all cuts) and other musicians who also not only want to play these songs for their holiday value, but for their musical value as well. With Jones' blues- and R&B-inflected vocal delivery, coupled with the sensuous and passionate sax of Person, this CD turns out to be one of the more attractive jazz Christmas albums extant. Instead of a sugar-coated version of the king of all Christmas pop tunes, "White Christmas," Jones and the trio of Horace Ott, Wilbur Bascomb, and Cecil Brooks III take this tune down a gently swinging lane. Peter Martin Weiss' bass and Stan Hope's piano are featured on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and demonstrate that even a religious Christmas carol offers improvisational opportunities without detracting from the carol's solemn message. With Randy Johnson's rangy guitar kicking it off, Jones knocks the stuffings out of "Merry Christmas Baby" with her blues-soaked delivery, as the front line of Bill Easley and Johnny Coles make this a true jazz offering whose theme just happens to be a Yuletide one. But the album's pièce de résistance is Jones' rendition, complete with catch in the voice, of one of the saddest, most forlorn of all Christmas tunes, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from World War II. This is one of those albums where it's best to listen with heavily spiked egg nog or another favorite alcoholic bracer. ~ Dave Nathan, AMG.

32 Jazz, 32034, 1997
Jazz Heritage, 515591L, 1999

Recorded June, 1990 - August, 1994 at Englewood Cliffs, NJ and New York, NY

Personnel:

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone

Etta Jones - Vocals

Bill Easley - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Johnny Coles - Flugelhorn

George Devens - Vibraphone

Horace Ott - Keyboards

Stan Hope - Piano

Benny Green - Piano

Mike Renzi - Piano

Randy Johnston - Guitar

Jay Leonhart - Bass

Cecil Brooks, III - Drums

Grady Tate - Drums

Chip White - Drums

Sammy Figueroa - Percussion

Della Griffin - Vocals

Tracks:

1. Medley: I'll Be Home For Christmas/You're All I Want for Christmas (2:42)

2. Blue Christmas (6:48)

3. I'll Be Home For Christmas (3:09)

4. Merry Christmas, Baby (9:15)

5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (4:23)

6. Merry Christmas, Baby (5:29)

7. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (8:06)

8. Christmas Song (5:14)

9. [I'm Dreaming Of A] White Christmas (3:36)

Credits:

Producer - Houston Person, Joel Dorn

Arranger - Houston Person

Engineer - Rudy van Gelder, Tony Viamontes

Assistant Engineer - Roger Scheepers

Mastering - Gene Paul

Art Direction - Nancy Dwyer, Page Simon

Liner Notes - Joel Dorn

Charlie Earland - Whip Appeal (1990) [re-rip]

Here’s another great album by the ‘Mighty Burner’ Charles Earland; an excellent late CD produced by Houston Person and recorded by the master engineer Rudy van Gelder. For this album Earland assembles a fantastic crew of old and newer blood and without any doubt there are no dead spots. Half the tracks are his; the rest either well-known or ideally suited to Earland’s interpretation. Issued on the now defunct Muse label and not so easily found. The listener is in store for a pure ride of sheer entertainment. Highlights include the old school guys Person and Coles doing their stuff and the newer ones in particular Newell’s rich soprano sax and Block’s stunning guitar work. Of much importance is Killian’s conga playing, something that consistently drives the rhythm to enable Earland ‘s organ to soar. If you dug his previous work don’t miss this fine album.

A jazz version of Babyface's "Whip Appeal"? It's hard to believe, but then, Charles Earland has always had an impressive ability to recontextualize pop and R&B songs that seem the most unlikely vehicles for jazz improvisation. On this fine CD, which marked the end of his association with Muse Records, Earland transforms that urban contemporary number into hard-swingin' soul-jazz, successfully revisits the Spiral Starecase's "More Today Than Yesterday," and adds a lot of grit and spice to something not exactly known for those things: Kenny G's "Songbird." The latter does have a pretty melody, and it becomes quite soulful in the imaginative hands of Earland -- whose excellent support includes fellow Philadelphian Johnny Coles (flugelhorn) and longtime ally Houston Person (tenor sax). ~ by Alex Henderson, AMG.

Muse Records, MCD 5409, 1994

Recorded 23^rd May, 1990 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Charles Earland - Organ

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone

Johnny Coles - Flugelhorn

Jeff Newell - Soprano & Alto Saxophones

Robert Block - Guitar

Marvin Jones - Drums

Lawrence Killian - Percussion, Congas

Tracks:

1. Songbird {Kenny G, Kenny Gorelick, Jesse Colin Young} (6:31)

2. Whip Appeal {Babyface, Perri Arnette Smith} (8:43)

3. Burner's Desire {Charles Earland} (7:08)

4. No Brain, No Pain {Charles Earland} (3:47)

5. Eight After Ten {Charles Earland} (7:21)

6. More Today Than Yesterday {Pat Upton} (8:05)

Credits:

Producer - Houston Person

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design - Ron Warwell

Photography - Fred Salaff, Rick Laird

Liner Notes - Neil Tesser

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

Johnny Coles - Katumbo (Dance)

I must admit that I am not a big fan of the Mainstream "sound".  It more or less comes across like many CTI albums, and it's not for me.  But to paint the whole thing black would be foolish, as this album has proven.

I actually found this and two other Mainstream sides at a thrift, still sealed and only $1 each!!  My main idea was to simply trade them at the local record shop, but two ended up staying with me.

This album varies wildly in terms of style - and for the good I think.  Bop, fusion and avante garde can all be heard at one point or another.  The thing which really holds this session together, at least for my tastes, is Coles' clear and bold statement of a theme.  Tunes like 728 and Petit Machins really stand out as they open up with something groovy for the listener to take into the song.  This album won't be for everyone but I would suggest givin it a whirl if you enjoy Coles' playing at all.

Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!

Mainstream MRL 346
1971

Gregory Herbert (ts), Johnny Coles (t, fh), Astley Fennell (tb), Howard Johnson (tu), Cedar Walton (p, ep), Reggie Workman (b, eb), Bruce Ditmas (d)

1. Never Can Say Goodbye  (Clifton Davis) 
2.  September Of My Years  (Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn) 
3.  728  (Johnny Coles) 
4.  Eleven [aka Petits Machins]  (Miles Davis, Gil Evans) 
5.  Betty's Bossa  (Cecil Bridgewater) 
6.  Funk Dumplin'  (Johnny Coles