Willis Jackson - Gentle Gator (1995)

Gentle Gator is a compilation album by American jazz saxophonist Willis "Gator" Jackson, released in 1995 by Prestige Records. The album showcases the "mellow" side of Jackson, who was primarily known as a high-energy "honker" and rhythm and blues tenor man. The collection features recordings from 1961 and 1962, focusing on "deep soul ballads" and "caressing blue ballads". It includes tracks originally released on his Prestige albums like In My Solitude (Moodsville, Vol. 17), Really Groovin' (Prestige 7196), Neopolitan Nights (Prestige 7264) and Shuckin' (Prestige 7260). Jackson is joined by notable sidemen including pianists Tommy Flanagan and Richard Wyands, guitarists Kenny Burrell and Bucky Pizzarelli, bassists Peck Morrison and Wendell Marshall, Drummers Mickey Roker and Gus Johnson, conga player Juan Amalbert, along with a myriad of other fine musicians. Overall, this album captures Jackson's ability to render "ravishing" and "enchanted" balladry. 

Prestige Records, PRCD-24158-2, 1995
Recorded 11th April, 1961 (#1,2,4,10-12) [My Solitude]
Recorded 10th January, 1961 (#3,6-8) [Really Groovin']
Recorded 19th December, 1962 (#5) [Neopolitan Nights]
Recorded 30th October, 1962 (#9) [Shuckin'] 

Musicians:
Willis Jackson - Tenor Sax
Richard Wyands - Piano (#1,2,4,10-12)
Jimmy Neeley - Piano (#3,6-8)
Gildo Mahones - Piano (#5)
Tommy Flanagan - Piano (#9)
Bucky Pizzarelli - Guitar (#5)
Kenny Burrell - Guitar (#9)
Peck Morrison - Bass (#1,2,4,10-12)
Wendell Marshall - Bass (#3,6-8)
George Tucker - Bass (#5)
Eddie Calhoun - Bass (#9)
Mickey Roker - Drums (#1,2,4,10-12)
Gus Johnson - Drums (#3,6-8)
Bobby Donaldson - Drums (#5)
Roy Haynes - Drums (#9)
Juan Amalbert - Congas (#3,6-9)
Montego Joe - Congas (#5), Percussion (#9)
Jose Paulo - Percussion (#9) 

Tracks:
01. Solitude {Duke Ellington, Eddie Delange, Irving Mills} (5:04)
02. Estrellita {Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar} (4:10)
03. Girl Of My Dreams {Sunny Clapp} (6:36)
04. It Never Entered My Mind {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (4:01)
05. Al Di La {Carlo Donida} (4:46)
06. Careless Love {Traditional} (4:24)
07. I Remember Clifford {Benny Golson} (3:48)
08. Again {Dorcas Cochran, Lionel Newman} (4:05)
09. Amor {Gabriel Ruiz, Ricardo Lopez Mendez} (7:48)
10. Nancy [With The Laughing Face] {Jimmy Van Heusen, Phil Silvers} (5:22)
11. Home {Geoffrey Clarkson, Harry Clarkson, Peter Van Steeden} (5:10)
12. They Didn't Believe Me {Jerome Kern, Michael E. Rourke} (3:37) 

Total Time: 58:51 

Credits:
Supervisor - Esmond Edwards (#1-4,6-8,10-12)
Supervisor - Ozzie Cadena (#5,9)
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Digital Remastering - Phil De Lancie
Compilation, Liner Notes - Bob Porter
Art Direction - Phil Carroll
Liner Notes - Sidney Falco

LINK

It Never Entered My Mind

Gene Ammons - Bad! Bossa Nova (1962) [re-rip]

Bad! Bossa Nova is right – as Gene Ammons really hits a great groove here – one that's not exactly bossa, but which has lots of Latin and tropical touches! The session makes great use of 2 guitars at the same time – using that of Kenny Burrell for soulful rhythm, but also adding in Bucky Pizzarelli for some nice acoustic embellishments – in a mode that's similar to the soul jazz-com-bossa style used on records like Ike Quebec's Soul Samba or Charlie Rouse's Bossa Nova Bacchanal. The overall rhythms are a bit more complicated, and a bit more soul jazz based than those sets – with Hank Jones on piano, Oliver Jackson on percussion, and Al Hayes adding in some sweet extra bongo! Titles include the classic "Ca'Purange" – plus "Anna", "Yellow Bird", "Cae Cae", and "Moito Mato Grosso".  © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Prestige Records, PR 7257, 1962

Recorded 9^th September, 1962 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Musicians:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Hank Jones - Piano

Kenny Burrell - Rhythm Guitar

Bucky Pizzarelli - Spanish Guitar

Norman Edge - Bass

Oliver Jackson - Drums

Al Hayes - Bongos

Tracks:

A1. Pagan Love Song {Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed} (4:46)

A2. Ca'purange [Jungle Soul] {Mussapere} (9:34)

A3. Anna {Roman Vatro, Francesco Giordano, William Engvick} (3:20)

B1. Caé Caé {Roberto Martins, Pedro Berrios, John Latouche} (3:46)

B2. Moito Mato Grosso {Gene Ammons} (7:44)

B3. Yellow Bird {Alan Bergman, Michael Keith, Norman Luboff} (5:07)

Credits:

Producer - Ozzie Cadena

Recording & Mastering Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Cover Design - Don Schlitten

This was Ammons' final recording before "being made an example of" and getting a lengthy jail sentence for possession of heroin; his next record would be cut over seven years later. The music is surprisingly upbeat, with Ammons joined by two guitars (Bucky Pizzarelli and Kenny Burrell), a fine rhythm section (pianist Hank Jones, bassist Norman Edge, and drummer Oliver Jackson), and the bongos of Al Hayes for a set of Latin-flavored jazz that was masquerading as bossa nova. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Brother Jack McDuff - Screamin' (1962)

Great 'Duff quartet session circa '62 is anything but laid back. Opens with a great hot blowing session type blues in which the Captain launches out some of the slickest and most funky lines you'll ever hear on a B-3, backed by his trademark heavy swinging Basie'istic Basslines. - - Throughout the tune I'm impressed by the "coherence" and linearity of his lines... sharp as a knife, even as those slick changes blow by. Kenny Burrell is nice 'n bluesy... then Leo Wright, fresh from The Dizzy Gillespie Quintet comes at ya blowing with a virtuosic Charlie Parker bebopistic calibre you don't necessarily associate with the Blue Note sound of that era. Actually, it takes a while to get used. Next comes Soulful Drums, a laid-back Night Train-istic blues which gives Dukes and opportunity to show off and heat things up, followed by a sharp pianistic Shirley Scottish "take me down yonder, and bartender poor me another one while I go slow dance with my lady" type blues. Screamin’, the title track is hard to describe... a gospely up tempo Caribbean boogaloo "It’s Alright" type thing with some excellent work by Joe Dukes. After that, it’s time for a change of pace as Dukes gets out the brushes, Burrell strums light fully, and McDuff "Squabbles" A.K.A. the ol' time Leslie on fast 800008888 sound of Errol and Jimmy Smith... Duff is tasty and soulful on this one, and hits some nice changes. - - and the final cut of the night is One O'Clock Jump, a fine 12 bar blues wrap up to a great screamin' session by the late Brother Jack's true idol, the original Captain... or should I say "Count", Mr. Basie himself. I love Brother Jack's comping and immaculate bass lines behind Kenny Burrell's slick soloing... and again, the Bird-istic Leo Wright has a purrrrrty good time on this one too featuring a really cute vamp section that really conjures up the Count! Overall, this is a great, bluesy heavy swinging toe tapping McDuff session well worth digging. By the time the CD is over, you'll think it went all too quick! ~ Eddie Landsberg, Amazon.com.

Prestige Records, PR 7259, 1963

OJC Records, OJCCD-875-2, 1996

Recorded 23^rd October, 1962 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Jack McDuff - Organ [Hammond B-3]

Leo Wright - Alto Saxophone

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Joe Dukes - Drums

Tracks:

A1. He's A Real Gone Guy {Nellie Lutcher} (6:05)

A2. Soulful Drums {Jack McDuff, Joe Dukes} (4:16)

A3. After Hours {Avery Parrish} (4:31)

B1. Screamin´ {Jack McDuff} (7:24)

B2. I Cover The Waterfront {Edward Heyman, Johnny Green} (3:14)

B3. One O'Clock Jump {Count Basie} (5:48)

Total Time: 31:18

Credits:

Producer, Liner Notes - Ozzie Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Remastering - Joe Tarantino, 1996 (Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)

Design, Photo - Don Schlitten

Willis Jackson - Bossa Nova Plus (1963) [vinyl]

Bossa Nova Plus (also released as Shuckin') is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson which was recorded in 1962 and released on the Prestige label. ~ Wikipedia

On this studio album Jackson is joined with Tommy Flanagan on piano and Kenny Burrell on guitar along with a mighty rhythm section including Roy Haynes on drums, Eddie Calhoun on bass and a large contingent of Latin percussionists especially noted Juan Amalbert and Montego Joe driving a consistent and enthralling conga beat. The album provides enough room for most players to express some fine solos. Essentially it is an album that blends multiple styles and with Jackson great tenor sound to the fore the listener is in for an enjoyable ride. Disregarding the scintillating Latin-influenced tunes there are still some amazing Soul Jazz and Hard Bop drenched tracks for the die-hard Jackson fans. Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars stating "His second great album that year".

Prestige Records, PRST 7260, 1963

Recorded 30^th October, 1962 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Willis Jackson - Tenor Saxophone

Tommy Flanagan - Piano

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Eddie Calhoun - Bass

Roy Haynes – Drums

Juan Amalbert - Congas

Montego Joe - Congas

Jose Paulo - Congas, Timbales

Tracks:

A1. Cachita {Rafael Hernández} (3:46)

A2. I Left My Heart In San Francisco {George Cory, Douglass Cross} (3:20)

A3. Amor {Ricardo Lopez Mendez, Gabriel Ruíz} (7:47)

B1. Mama Inez {L. Wolfe Gilbert, Eliseo Grenet} (4:53)

B2. What Kind Of Fool Am I? {Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley} (5:08)

B3. Shuckin' {Willis "Gator" Jackson} (5:26)

Credits:

Supervisor - Ozzi Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Del Shields (December, 1963) WDAS FM Philadelphia
Design - Don Schlitten

Shirley Scott & Kenny Burrell - Travelin' Light (1964) [re-rip]

Kenny Burrell joins the trio of organist Shirley Scott for this sweet little album – a set that seems to burn a bit more than usual for Shirley, probably because of the cool-toned guitar lines from Kenny! The album's got the same laid back feel as other Scott albums of the time, but Burrell really digs in during his solos - adding a bit more bite, and inspiring Shirley to do the same on her own Hammond lines. Bass is by Eddie Khan and drums are by Otis Finch – and titles include "Solar", "The Kerry Dance", "They Call It Stormy Monday", "Nice N Easy", and "Baby It's Cold Outside". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

In February 1964 - sandwiched between two recording sessions with then husband and tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine - organist Shirley Scott recorded with guitarist Kenny Burrell. She had just wrapped Hustlin' with Turrentine at the end of January and would be back in the studio for Blue Flames at the end of March. Backing Scott and Burrell on this Ozzie Cadena-produced album for Prestige were bassist Eddie Khan and drummer Otis "Candy" Finch. What makes this album so exciting is what's missing - a boss. Turrentine's appeal on Scott dates was his soulful command and searing reed statements before and after Scott solos. Here, Scott and Burrell play off each other in tender ways. It's a hip rhythm-section date - with all the swinging, playful interchanges you find when the sax on an organ date sits out. After Scott's solos, instead of the Turrentine train roaring out of the tunnel, you get Burrell's ringing, single-note lines. The ear likes what it hears. The session's song choices also are perfect in every way. The track list features Travelin' Light, Solar, Nice 'n' Easy, They Call It Stormy Monday, Baby It's Cold Out There and The Kerry Dance. What's interesting is how Scott plays behind Burrrell. Fully aware of the guitar's sonic limitations, she offers huge support to fill the space - offering both texture and a frame for Burrell. Scott and Burrell played well together. For me, the title tune, Solar and Nice 'n' Easy say it all - a glorious pace, groovy ideas and earthy camaraderie. ~ Marc Myers, jazzwax.com.

Prestige Records, PRST 7328, 1964

Recorded 17th February, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

         

Musicians:

Shirley Scott - Organ

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Eddie Khan - Bass

Otis Finch - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Travelin' Light {Trummy Young, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy Mundy} (4:41)

A2. Solar {Miles Davis} (6:03)

A3. Nice 'N' Easy {Marilyn Keith, Alan Bergman, Lew Spence} (4:34)

B1. They Call It Stormy Monday {Aaron Walker} (11:08)

B2. Baby It's Cold Outside {Frank Loesser} (3:49)

B3. The Kerry Dance {Traditional} (3:04)

Credits:

Producer - Ozzie Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Design, Photo - Don Schlitten

Liner Notes - R. D. Harlan (May 1964) WNCN, New York City

Pat Bowie - Out Of Sight! (1965) [re-rip]

This LP is the first of two albums that Pat Bowie ever made. It was released on Prestige Records in 1965 and features a mighty line-up of jazz artists including: Seldon Powell on Tenor Sax & Flute; Guitarist Kenny Burrell; Ray Bryant on Piano; Milt Hinton on bass and drummer Osie Johnson. Pat performs a broad and vivid selection of tunes and the players get ample opportunity to showcase their talents whilst supporting her dynamic range of soulful vocalisations. Overall a lovely record; it's such a pity she didn't maintain her momentum and evolve her skills beyond just familiar ballads and standards, who knows how celebrated she could have become. Enjoy!

Prestige Records, PR 7385, 1965

Recorded 23^rd, 26^th & 27^th October, 1964 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Pat Bowie - Vocals

Seldon Powell - Tenor Saxophone, Flute

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Ray Bryant - Piano

Milt Hinton - Bass

Osie Johnson - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Get Out Of Town {Cole Porter} (1:59)

A2. Lilac Wine {James H. Shelton} (5:05)

A3. Don't Cha Go 'Way Mad {Al Stillman, Illinois Jacquet, James J. Munday} (2:30)

A4. Will I Find My Love Today {Alex Fogarty, Sydney Shaw} (4:02)

A5. Joey, Joey, Joey {Frank Loesser} (3:05)

B1. Moon And Sand {Alec Wilder, Morty Palitz, William Engvick} (2:29)

B2. The Music That Makes Me Dance {Bob Merrill, Jule Styne} (2:57)

B3. What Is This Thing Called Love {Cole Porter} (3:18)

B4. I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over {Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson} (4:26)

B5. The Sounds Of The Night {Gerald Fried, Johnny Mercer} (3:08)

B6. I've Got Your Number {Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman} (2:46)

Credits:

Producer - Cal Lampley

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Jack McKinney (Jan. 1965)

PAUL GONSALVES - CLEOPATRA FEELIN' JAZZY - 1963 VINYL

1963

Impulse AS-41

My Vinyl Rip + Front & Back Covers
DR Value 13

WAVE

Tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves casts the Egyptian queen's life in a jazz set of originals and Alex North movie themes. One of just two dates Gonsalves did for Impulse and part of an all-too-thin solo catalog, Cleopatra -- Feelin' Jazzy finds the famed Ellington soloist in the prime company of hard boppers like pianist Hank Jones, organist Dick Hyman, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes. The band shines throughout, with Hyman's organ adding exotic film theater ambience on the two North cuts that kick off the album. Switching over to more straightforward fare, Gonsalves and company stretch out on Burrell's "Bluz for Liz" (read Elizabeth Taylor, one of the leads in the movie) and Ellington's "Action in Alexandria." The album's conceptual framework is maintained on standouts like "Cleo's Asp," Burrell's second piece here, and the Manny Albam blues ballad "Cleopatra's Lament." Gonsalves impresses with both complexly swinging solos and breathy ballad statements. A very fine effort by one of the unsung giants of jazz....Stephen Cook All Music

The Tracks:

01 Caesar & Cleopatra / 02 Anthony & Cleopatra Theme / 03 Bluz For Liz / 04 Cleo's Blues / 05 Action In Alexanderia / 06 Cleo's Asp / 07 Cleopatra's Lament

FRANK WESS - with KENNY BURRELL - STEAMIN' - 1963 - WAVE

1963

Prestige PR 7278

MY Vinyl Rip

Front & Back Covers

WAVE

One of Frank Wess' strongest albums from the time – a harder-than-usual burner recorded with Kenny Burrell on guitar, plus Thad Jones trumpet, Mal Waldron piano, and rhythm by Paul Chambers and Art Taylor. Tracks are long and very jamming – almost in the mode of the Prestige blowing sessions of a few years hence, especially when Wess is playing tenor. Titles include "Count One", "Empty Street", "Steamin", and "Blue Jelly".

01 Steamin'

02 Blue Jelly

03 Count One

04 Empty Street

Jerome Richardson - Midnight Oil

If you come here with any regularity, you are likely a Jazz collector and, as such, I'm certain that the majority of you have some albums with this man as a sideman. His lovely flute work graces more than 75 albums from the mid 50's through the 60's and 70's and he appears in many a horn section from Mingus to Lionel Hampton to Thad Jones/Mel Lewis playing tenor, alto, baritone and clarinet, all with singular proficiency, but if you are anything like me, you probably haven't heard his work as a session leader. That isn't all that surprising since there there aren't even a full handful of albums to explore.

This 1958 Prestige/New Jazz and one the following year for the same label are the first two albums that I've explored and I've got to say they are first class! This one features frequent partner Kenny Burrell and trombonist Jimmy Cleveland as the other soloists and a terrific rhythm section lead by the great Hank Jones. Richardson plays tenor on the first track and flute and piccolo on the rest of this session on which features 3 originals, an Artie Shaw tune and the Ellington/Tizol warhorse Caravan. The whole session cooks with a cool fire much like that lamp on the front cover. I wish I could say this was a vinyl rip like most of what we feature here at the Crypt, but this comes from the now out of catalog CD.

Leo Wright - Suddenly The Blues (1962) [vinyl>flac]

A first-rate bop-oriented alto saxophonist, Wright was also one of the finest flutists jazz has known. He studied saxophone under the tutelage of his father. His first recording was made in 1958 with vibist Dave Pike; the next year, he played the Newport Festival with bassist Charles Mingus' group. Wright joined Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1959, remaining until 1962. In addition to his sideman work, Wright established himself as a leader in the early '60s, leading New York-based bands that included the likes of bassist Ron Carter, pianist Junior Mance, drummer Charlie Persip, and guitarist Kenny Burrell, among others. In 1960, he recorded the record for which he is perhaps best-known -- Blues Shout for the Atlantic label -- with a group consisting of himself, Mance, Persip, bassist Art Davis, and trumpeter Richard Williams. After leaving Gillespie's band, Wright went on to play and record with pianist/composer Lalo Schifrin and organist Jack McDuff ; with the latter he recorded Screamin' for the Prestige label. He also worked with composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, trumpeter Johnny Coles, and singer Jimmy Witherspoon before moving to Europe later in the decade. There he worked with pianist/composer George Gruntz and he also played with saxophonist Lee Konitz in an all-star group called Alto Summit and with trumpeter Carmell Jones. Wright eventually moved to Berlin, where he played in a studio band and worked freelance. In May 1978, Wright co-led a studio session in New York City with pianist Red Garland for Muse Records. He essentially retired from music around 1979, before re-emerging in the mid-'80s. In 1986, Wright played gigs with the Paris Reunion Band, which also included trombonist Grachan Moncur III, cornetist Nat Adderley, and pianist Kenny Drew Sr. In the years before his death, Wright worked and recorded with his wife, singer Elly Wright. His autobiography, God Is My Booking Agent, was published posthumously by Bayou Press in the fall of 1991. His last recording was made with his wife on her CD Listen to My Plea. ~ Chris Kelsey, AMG.

Atlantic Records, 1393, 1962

Atlantic Jazz LP, 29 [Japan], AMJY-1393, 1992

Recorded 23^rd April, 1962 in New York City

Personnel:

Leo Wright - Alto Sax (#A1,A3,A5,B2,B4), Flute (#A2,A4-B1,B3)

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Rudy Collins - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. A Felicidad {Antonio Jobim} (2:36)

A2. Greensleeves {Traditional} (2:45)

A3. Gensel's Message {Leo Wright} (4:10)

A4. The Wiggler {Leo Wright} (2:54)

A5. Tali {Tommy McIntosh} (4:43)

B1. Dionysos {Lalo Schiffrin} (3:09)

B2. Sassy Lady {Tommy McIntosh} (4:25)

B3. Willow Weep For Me {Ann Ronell} (4:23)

B4. Suddenly The Blues {Leo Wright} (5:05)

Credits:

Supervisor - Nesuhi Ertegun

Recording Engineer - Phil Iehle, Tom Dowd

Cover Design - Haig Adishian

Cover Photo - Jim Marshall

Liner Notes - Gary Kramer

Dicky Wells - Trombone Four-In-Hand

This is the second album that Wells recorded for Felsted, and the finer of the two in my opinion.  Lots more of what the people want - soloing and super killin ensemble work.  There are four trombone players on this date, so if you're not down with that nasally a-tonal sound, this album may not be for you.  That said, Skip Hall and the guitarists, Burrell/Barksdale, do a great job to counter the 'bone dominance.

Once again this comes from my Felsted boxset and is in FLAC.  If you are just joining us please check out the previous posts here.  Enjoy!!






Felsted FAJ7009
1959

Vic Dickenson, George Matthews, Benny Morton, Dicky Wells (trombone) Skip Hall (piano, organ) Kenny Burrell (guitar) Everett Barksdale (bass) Herbie Lovelle (drums)

NYC, April 21, 1959

Blue Moon
Air Lift
It's All Over Now
Wine-O Junction

Barksdale plays (guitar). Major Holley (bass) replaces Burrell

NYC, probably April 22, 1959

Heavy Duty
Short,Tall, Fat, Small
Girl Hunt

Jazz For Playboys

During the 50's, Savoy released quite a few mainstream jam sessions.  They generally revolved around the same batch of players, mostly culled from Basie's band.  The results were excellent and most importantly, consistent.  Jazz For Playboys is no exception and overall is a pleasant ride through jazzville.

You will find that this side gets listed under Frank Wess and Kenny Burrell's names... rightly so.  They appear on all of the tracks and definitely lead the charge as far as soloing is concerned.

I thought this would be a nice break from the Basie project, while still staying in a related sound.  This minty Savoy side is a 1985 reissue, ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!

Savoy Jazz MG-12095

Newport in New York '72 vol 5, The Jimmy Smith Jam

A look at the pictures on the cover would lead one to believe that this was a lovely outdoor event with everyone in good spirits and grooving on this dynamite band eh? Yeah, well that is not exactly how it went down; things may well have been pleasant and relaxed when these guys played that day but hardly ANYONE would have seen it!

Here is what happened: My buddy and I had popped the whole $7 for the floor of the stadium (see ticket ad below) and we arrived around 6:00 (as you can see it was scheduled for 7:00) only to find the doors already open and to our horror the music already started! We rushed in only to manage to catch the last 5 minutes of this set which ENDED at 6:25!!!!! When we and the others now filling the stadium realized what was happening we protested loudly - This Sucked! How could they possibly justify opening the doors and hour and a half to two hours early and have this act play for about 1000 people?

As more and more people poured in and were informed what had been done the mood turned ugly - people were shrieking obscenities at George Wein who made some lame apologies and a vague promise to bring them back later in the show (THAT never happened!). One particularly loud New Yorker must have harangued Wein for 2 hours minimum, following him everywhere, calling him a fat toad and demanding his money back. It got so bad Wein couldn't continue as MC over the waves of booing.

Sadly for us and seemingly everyone around us the evening had been poisoned beyond repair and the bad vibes continued, tempers were short, things got too crowded and the whole thing continued to go badly. Bad vibes, fights, Police taking on the bad mood too, it was a mess! I remember a few nice moments during Nina Simone but little else. We actually ended up leaving early and junking our plans to go back the following day; my first and last stadium show and only time in Yankee Stadium was an unmitigated disaster and we fled New York entirely the next morning. I went back the next year but nothing could ever temp me into a stadium show ever again.

Listening to this set now 40 years later, it is a shame that they couldn't have played for all of us because it is a lovely set and I'm sure that had it started at the proper time, the whole evening would have gone much better and some of the other music would be on these records too. You will notice that NOTHING else played that day has ever been published despite the big names - Hopefully the second day went a little better, it couldn't have been much worse.

Newport in NY '72 - The Jam Sessions 1 & 2

I recently picked up all six volumes in NM condition for $20! I confess I got lazy on the scans and used the ones that accompanied my old mp3 copies from the Cobblestone blog of a few years back.

Foolish and violent vandals nearly succeeded in putting an end to the Newport Jazz Festival in 1971. George Wein underestimated the draw of booking The Allman Brothers, 10's of thousands more people showed up than there were tickets or room on the grounds for and a mob of gate crashers boiled through the fences during Dione Warwick and rushed the stage, destroying everything in their path. The relationship with the city of Newport, always a rocky one, suffered such damage it would take nine years to recover from it.

As a result Wein moved his festival to New York City in 1972, using multiple venues like Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall and Wollman skating rink in Central Park for the next 9 years. I went for the first two and saw some of these shows. Newport has always been the home of the Jam Session; for better or worse George has always loved putting diverse groups of musicians on a stage and letting the sparks fly. These two jams were at the old Radio City Music Hall I am pretty sure I did not see either of these (it has been a looong time).

Volume One: Radio City Music Hall, July 6, 1972 

side a: Jumpin at Woodside
side b: Lo-Slo Blues

Cat Anderson, Jimmy Owens - trumpet; Charles McPherson alto sax; Buddy Tate tenor sax; Milt Buckner organ; Roland Hanna piano; Charles Mingus bass; Alan Dawson drums

Volume Two: Radio City Music Hall, July 3, 1972

side a: Bag's Groove
side b: Night in Tunisia

Dizzy Gillespie trumpet; Stan Getz tenor sax; Benny Green trombone, Milt Jackson vibes; John Blair violin; Kenny Burrell guitar; Mary Lou Williams piano; Percy Heath bass; Max Roach drums; Big Black congas

Were I looking at the program and trying to decide where to spend my money (and I suppose I was back then, I just don't remember) I would have chosen the July 3 show over the July 6 show....and I would have been wrong! For whatever reason the Volume One jam gels much more than the Volume Two show, the second show has some powerful moments no doubt, Diz, Kenny and John Blair all have some great solo moments, but there is a lot of indecision and differences of opinion on tempo and such too.