Charles McPherson - Live At The Five Spot (1966) [+ Bonus Tracks]

Charles On Fire
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This album is a must have for jazz alto players in particular, as well as the bebop connoisseur. The whole group is burn in', especially on Shaw ‘Nuff. You'll never hear it played this fast! The R-section is stellar, with a rare appearance by little known Detroit bassist, Ray McKinney who is rock solid throughout. ~ Paco, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

I happened to hear a single cut from this set ("Shaw 'Nuff") played one night by my local FM station here in Pittsburgh, and realized that I had to hear the rest. The intensity of McPherson's work here, as well as the other musicians on the set are a testament to the genuine timelessness of be-bop in the evolution of this music. ~ Old & Improved, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

A monster recording. ~ Boblyn Austin, 5 Stars, Amazon.com. 

Prestige Records, PRCD-24135-2, 1994
Recorded 13th October, 1966 Live at the Five Spot, New York City 

Musicians:
Charles McPherson - Alto Saxophone
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Barry Harris - Piano
Ray McKinney - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums 

Tracks:
1. The Viper {Charles McPherson} (4:22)
2. I Can't Get Started {Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin} (9:10)
3. Shaw 'Nuff {Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker} (10:24)
4. Here's That Rainy Day {James Van Heusen, Johnny Burke} (6:35)
5. Never Let Me Go {Jay Livingston, Ray Evans} (11:35)
6. Suddenly {Charles McPherson} (6:50)
7. I Believe In You {Frank Loesser} (8:13)
8. Epistrophy {Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke} (7:28)
9. Luminescence {Barry Harris}  (10:41) 

Total Time: 75:23 

Credits:
Producer - Don Schlitten
Engineer - Jerry Newman
Remastering - Phil De Lancie [Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, 1994]
Art Direction - Phil Carroll
Photography - Jim Marshall
Liner Notes - Ira Gitler 

Notes:
#1-6 originally released as Charles McPherson/The Quintet/Live! (Prestige 7480);
#7-9 previously unissued. 

The Viper

Barry Harris Quintet - Newer Than New (1961)

A quick listen to the lively bop on Newer Than New may enlist a perplexing question: Was this music really recorded 40 years ago? Apparently so, but the music still sounds fresh and exciting. If pianist Harris set out to show bop was still a vital force in 1961, he accomplished his task. Of course, he didn't do this alone. Trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer, alto Charles McPherson, bassist Ernie Farrow, and drummer Clifford Jarvis join him on eight tunes that would've made Parker and Gillespie proud. The influence of bop pioneers is evident on tunes like "The Last One" and "Anthropology," both giving the horns lots of room to soar against the backdrop of dynamic rhythm. "Mucho Dinero," one of several Harris originals, has an exuberant Latin feel. After the horns set the piece in motion, Harris takes the first solo, creating colorful textures with his keen sense of harmony. Newer Than New also places special emphasis on the young horn players, providing McPherson and Hillyer lots of room to show what they've got. Both echo Parker and Gillespie without copying them. Hillyer displays a fat rich tone on numbers like "Easy to Love," while McPherson's resonant pitch, no matter how quickly he's playing, always comes across. Farrow and Jarvis keep the shifting rhythms heavy in the mix, pushing each soloist to create something vital. The title Newer Than New perhaps mocks the obsession with the latest thing, as opposed to opting for the timelessness of high-octane improvising. Jazz styles, like all styles, come and go, but great music like Newer than New transcends styles. It's also fun (and illustrative) to listen to an album like this back-to-back with the latest retro jazz. Barry Harris and his colleagues make great jazz without the least bit of self-consciousness. ~ by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., AMG. 

Riverside Records, RLP-9413, 1961
OJC Records, OJCCD-1062-2, 2001
Recorded 28th September, 1961 at Plaza Sound Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Barry Harris - Piano
Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet
Charles McPherson - Alto Saxophone
Ernie Farrow - Bass
Clifford Jarvis - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Mucho Dinero {Barry Harris} (3:44)
2. Easy To Love {Cole Porter} (4:50)
3. Burgundy {Barry Harris} (7:01)
4. The Last One {Barry Harris} (4:57)
5. Anthropology {Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker} (4:17)
6. I Didn't Know What Time It Was {Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart} (4:12)
7. Make Haste {Barry Harris} (5:39)
8. Nightingale {Xavier Cugat, George Rosner, Fred Wise} (5:17) 

Total Time: 40:03 

Credits:
Producer - Orrin Keepnews
Recording Engineer - Ray Fowler
Remastering - Kirk Felton (2001)
Cover Design - Ken Deardoff
Photography [Cover] - Kenneth van Sickle
Photography [Inner] - Steve Schapiro