Leo Parker - Rollin' With Leo (1961) [vinyl>flac]

Drugs and addictions defined most of Leo Parker's adult life, finally claiming it entirely in February of 1962 when he was only 36 years old. Only months earlier in 1961, in two sessions held on October 12 and October 20, Parker had played his heart out in what would have been his second album for Blue Note Records that year, and it had appeared that the baritone saxophonist was well on his way to a much-deserved career comeback. The sessions, however, weren't released until almost 20 years later. Rollin' with Leo, presented here in remastered form, is a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders. The centerpiece of Rollin' with Leo is the fascinating "Talkin' the Blues," which unfolds, nearly themeless, like a late-night conversation, ebbing and flowing exactly the way a conversation does, with Parker's baritone swinging back to gather notes, but always moving and stretching forward, expanding the conversation until it seems like everything that could be said HAS been said. Parker's death was tragic because he had so much more to say, and that makes this fine set all that more of a treasure. ~ by Steve Leggett, AMG.

Blue Note Records, LT-1076, 1980
Recorded 12th (#A3,A4) and 20th (#A1,A2,B1-B4) October, 1961
At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:
Leo Parker - Baritone Saxophone
Dave Burns - Trumpet
Bill Swindell - Tenor Saxophone
Johnny Acea - Piano
Al Lucas - Bass (#A1,A2,B1-B4)
Stan Conover - Bass (#A3,A4)
Wilbert Hogan - Drums (#A1,A2,B1-B4)
Purnell Rice - Drums (#A3,A4)

Tracks:
A1. The Lion's Roar {Leo Parker} (4:51)
A2. Bad Girl {Stan Conover} (6:14)
A3. Rollin' With Leo {Leo Parker} (6:23)
A4. Music Hall Beat {Illinois Jacquet} (4:55)
B1. Jumpin' Leo {Leo Parker} (4:29)
B2. Talkin' The Blues {Leo Parker} (6:28)
B3. Stuffy {Coleman Hawkins, Livingstone, Evans} 5:39)
B4. Mad Lad Returns {Leo Parker} (4:35)

Credits:
Producer - Alfred Lion
Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Release Producer - Michael Cuscuna
Art Direction, Design - Bill Burks
Photography - Jed Wilcox
Liner Notes - Bob Porter

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