Roland Kirk - Gifts and Messages

 Roland Kirk - 1964 Gifts And Messages  (Mercury MG 20939)

01 The Things I Love  3:09
02 Petite Fleur  3:08
03 Hip Chops  3:29
04 Gifts And Messages   4:02
05 Vertigo Ro   4:03
06 March On, Swan Lake  3:56
07 My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice  3:22
08 Tears Sent By You   5:54
09 Where Does The Blame Lie?    2:48
10 Blues For C&T   3:06
 
Roland Kirk (ts, mzo, str, fl, siren, ob) Horace Parlan (p) Michael Fleming (b) Steve Ellington (d)

Los Angeles, CA, July 22, 1964

 Do not confuse with a posthumously issued live session from Ronnie Scott's Club, London, recorded in Oct and Sept, 1964

After Reeds and Deeds what else but Gifts and Messages? Another forgotten miracle from the man who was made of music. The version of 'Petite Fleur' is haunting and the tune 'Hip Chops' is just plain cool as hell (just try to picture how in the hell you play a flute and saxophone simultaneously). My only real complaint with this record is that the cuts are shorter than I'd like (somehow I think I'll survive).

CAT ANDERSON - CAT ON A HOT TIN HORN - 1959 - 24/48 VINYL

1958
Mercury SR 80008
My Vinyl Rip
DR Value 9
Front & Back Covers
WAVE

Cat Anderson, taking a day off from the Duke Ellington Orchestra, is heard on this out-of-print Lp playing on his first full album as a bandleader (he had previously cut eight selections during two sessions in 1947 and 1949). With arrangements by Anderson (who contributed six of the nine tunes) and (on two songs) Ernie Wilkins, the all-star big band has plenty of opportunities to blow even if only one piece exceeds four minutes. In addition to Cat's powerful trumpet, other soloists include tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, baritonist Sahib Shihab and trombonist Jimmy Cleveland. Hopefully this swinging session will get reissued on CD eventually by Polygram.
...AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

The Tracks:
01 Little Man / 02 Cat's In The Alley / 03 Blue Jean Beguine /
04 My Adorable 'D' / 05 June Bug / 06 Don't Get Around Much Anymore /
07 Birth Of The Blues / 08 You're The Cream In My Coffee / 09 Nina

Taft Jordan - The Moods Of Taft Jordan

Hello everybody!!!  Hope you've all had a great summer, I sure have.  Aside from summertime fun, my computer had some issues - both of which conspired to keep me away from blogging.  Well, I'm back and with a nice gem of an album on offer.

The only issue with "Moods" is that its too short.  If you enjoyed the Erskine Hawkins album, then you will enjoy this.  Overall I find it has that carefree and fun vibe to it.  The tunes cover a range of tempos, feels and styles.  That said, I wouldn't describe Jordan as an adventurous player.  He plays with lots of feeling and makes his notes count.  So yes, when I likened this to the Hawkins sides, I was referring to the soulful approach.

The supporting players don't display much in the way of fireworks (save a couple tunes), but the band is tight, tight, tight.  They show creativity in subtle ways that often help Jordan to sound better.  Lots of harmonizing and tons of fantastic rhythm.  If you're looking for something light, fun & swingin - then this is an album for you.  I captured this glorious, near-mint mono LP in 24/48 wav and then transferred it to 24/48 FLAC.  I hope it helps to kick up your weekend... enjoy!!!

Mercury MG-20249
1959

1. When Your Lover Has Gone 1:37
2. Night Boat 4:55
3. My Man (Cha Cha) 3:06
4. Do Anything 2:43
5. September Song 3:17
6. It's The Talk Of The Town 3:20
7. Smoky 4:55
8. Mariquita 3:47
9.Second Balcony Jump 3:55

Taft Jordan (tp), Dave Martin (p), Everett Barksdale (g), Joe Benjamin (b), Chick Martin (ds)

Pete Rugolo & His All-Stars - Out On A Limb

This is a really nice album of mostly originals by the west coast jazzman, Pete Rugolo.  It mostly serves as a vehicle for his compositions and arrangements which are of course, fantastic.  We hear some brief but gorgeous soloing from a nice cross section of west coast talent.

Rugolo was no Basie, but he certainly could put the band to great effect.  There are some stunning moments where he uses the whole brass section, or band itself to emphasize a note.  "Repetitious Riff" is hands down my favorite tune as he finds the best balance between putting down his own material while still allowing the band to shine individually.  There are definitely a few tunes with very little in the way of personal expression from his all stars.

Overall its a nice listen, but certainly not a classic.  The album cleaned up nicely and there was only one issue I couldn't clean up (a small pop for 4 rpm).  Brought to you in glorious mono, this was ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  There are some really nice notes on the back cover, which is of course included in hi rez.  Enjoy the golden days of the west coast jazz sound!!

Emarcy (MG 36115)
1957

Recorded in Los Angeles, CA
July 9 -11, 1956

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes:

Harry Klee (alto saxophone, alto flute, piccolo) Ronny Lang (alto saxophone, flute) Gene Cipriano, Dave Pell (tenor saxophone) Chuck Gentry (baritone saxophone) Russ Freeman (piano) Howard Roberts (guitar) Joe Mondragon (bass) Shelly Manne (drums) Pete Rugolo (arranger, conductor)

Don't Play The Melody;  The Boy Next Door:

Pete Candoli, Maynard Ferguson, Ray Linn, Don Paladino (trumpet) Milt Bernhart, Herbie Harper, Frank Rosolino (trombone) George Roberts (bass trombone) John Cave, Vince DeRosa (French horn) Clarence Karella (tuba) Harry Klee (alto saxophone, alto flute, piccolo) Ronny Lang (alto saxophone, flute) Gene Cipriano, Dave Pell (tenor saxophone) Chuck Gentry (baritone saxophone) Larry Bunker (vibraphone, xylophone, percussion, timpani) Russ Freeman (piano) Howard Roberts (guitar) Joe Mondragon (bass) Shelly Manne (drums) Pete Rugolo (arranger, conductor)

Cha-Lito Linda;  Early Duke;  In A Modal Tone:

Same as previous but Don Fagerquist (trumpet) replaces Paladino

Sunday, Monday Or Always;  Ballade For Drums; Nancy (With The Laughing Face);  Repetitious Riff:

Jay McAllister (tuba) Bud Shank (alto saxophone, flute) Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone) Jimmy Giuffre (baritone saxophone) Barney Kessel (guitar) replaces Karella, Lang, Cipriano, Gentry, Howard Roberts

A1 Don't Play The Melody
A2 In A Modal Tone
A3 Early Duke
A4 Nancy
A5 Sunday, Monday Or Always
B1 The Boy Next Door
B2 Cha-Lito Lindo
B3 Ballade For Drums
B4 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
B5 Repetitious Riff

Terry Gibbs And His Exciting Big Band - Explosion!

Who would have thought that Terry Gibbs could inspire such Olympian commenting??!!??  Why stop now??  Let's keep this party goin...

Here we find the exact same band, at the exact same venue, The Summit in Hollywood.  That's about where the similarities end.  Yes, Explosion is every bit as exciting, but everything has been elevated beyond where the last one left off.

When I say everything, I'm not exhagerating.  Firstly, the song times are longer which means more space for solos.  Gibbs takes a step back and we get to hear more from the trumpet section, as well as the saxes.  The solos themselves are much more pronounced and longer as well.  The arrangements are much more detailed and complex, but not to the detriment of the song.  Infact this complexity I'm speaking of finds the band jamming in more exciting grooves and feels.  Of course, with so much more in the pot, the level of intensity amongst the players is elevated as well.  This is heard through audible soul calls and shouts of joy.  When I say shouts, I am talkin about some of the fellas screaming in ecstacy - it's awesome!!

Finally, even the recording itself is a step above.  Aside from clarity, there's an immediacy from the music that simply wasn't there on the last post.  A wonderful tonal balance which is best defined by the horn section.  The ensemble work is powerful and punchy, but always warm and thick.  When soloing, we get that biting detail that gives emotional weight to the music.

Overall it's a great testimony to how incredible Gibbs was as a leader, able to get the best out of so many huge talents.  Where "The Exciting Big Band" LP seems more for dancing, on Explosion we get all that plus a show of pure technical prowess.  I know you guys are gonna dig it!!  Contemporary added this to their series, if anyone has it I would love to hear some thoughts on the comparison.  I'm sure the disc is much cleaner, but the music on this LP is really rich.

This Mercury (MG-20704) side is in excellent condition.  As we have discussed how everything is elevated, the noise is no exception.  As always, I have worked as closely as I can without disturbing the tunes.  Overall it comes and goes, mostly getting buried within the signal.  I think it's a real enjoyable listen regardless.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC, the Gibbs fest continues -  at the Crypt!!  Enjoy!!

__________________________________________________________

Mercury MG-20704

Recorded Live At The Summit, Hollywood, CA

1961

Bass – Buddy Clark
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Pat Moran
Saxophone – Bill Perkins, Charlie Kennedy, Jack Nimitz, Joe Maini, Richie Kamuca
Trombone – Bob Edmondson, Frank Rosolino, Vern Friley
Trumpet – Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Frank Huggins, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson
Vibraphone – Terry Gibbs

The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band 1959

Some of you old school Cryptheads will recall the series we ran on Terry Gibbs big band back at the old Crypt.  During the late 80's, Contemporary reissued several of these fantastic albums originally released on Mercury and Verve.  They dubbed the band the "Terry Gibbs Dream Band" and using new artwork, titled the albums by volume.  As great as their efforts were, they missed this great debut album - Launching A New Band.

This side sounds just as the others do and includes that amazing cast of all star west coast players.  Bill Holman provides the impeccable arrangements.  I would say that overall the band is a touch less frantic when it comes to their pace, but not Gibbs soloing!!!  The vibes are definitely the centerpiece here and Gibbs doesn't disapoint delivering high flying solos everywhere he can.  The tunes run short and yet he somehow still manages to get his chorus' in.

Along with this album, I am including the first volume of Contemporary's Dream Band series.  This album was not a reissue and was infact debuted to ring in this look at Gibbs' big band.  It's a live concert recorded at the Seville in Hollywood from 1959.  This is the same year that "Launching" was released and we find the band giving live treatments of several tunes from the album.  The two albums make a great pair.  Personally, I prefer the live album as the band feels much more loose.

Each album has been ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  Dream Band is absolute mint with wonderful recording while "Launching" is near mint with great fidelity as well.  If there is interest for me to re-up some of the older Gibbs posts, please let me know in your comments and I will consider it in the upcoming weeks.  Have fun listening to one of the greatest big bands ever assembled...  enjoy!!!

____________________________________________

Launching A New Band

Mercury SR60112
1959

Alto Saxophone – Charlie Kennedy, Joe Maini
Baritone Saxophone – Jack Schwartz
Bass – Joe Mondragon (tracks: A3, A4, B3, B4), Max Bennett (tracks: A1, A2, A5 to B2, B5, B6)
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Pete Jolly
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Holman, Med Flory
Trombone – Bob Enevoldsen, Frank Rosolino, Vern Friley
Trumpet – Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Phil Gilbert (tracks: A3, A4, B3, B4), Ray Triscari (tracks: A1, A2, A5 to B2, B5, B6), Stu Williamson
Vibraphone – Terry Gibbs

A1 Opus No.1 2:47 

A2 Moten Swing 3:01
A3 I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 2:37
A4 Let's Dance 3:29
A5 Stardust 3:30
A6 Cottontail 2:56
B1 Begin The Beguine 2:30
B2 Jumpin' At The Woodside 2:46
B3 Prelude To A Kiss 3:04
B4 Don't Be That Way 3:55
B5 Midnight Sun 3:28
B6 Flyin' Home 2:53

It is ironic that the Contemporary label came out with five CDs worth of unknown material by the Terry Gibbs Big Band while Polygram has completely neglected its studio sides by the same group. The music on this set, last available as a Trip LP, was the first by Gibbs' "Dream Band," a swinging outfit of top studio musicians who were based in L.A. at the time. This album is comprised of two arrangements apiece by Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, Manny Albam, Al Cohn, Med Flory and Marty Paich, which pay tribute to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Tommy Dorsey. The tunes are mostly overly familiar (including "Stardust," "Cotton Tail," "Begin the Beguine" and "Flying Home") and clock in around three minutes, meaning that the solos are quite concise, but there are some good individual moments from the vibraphonist/leader, trumpeter Conte Candoli, and trombonist Frank Rosolino. - Scott Yanow / AMG

____________________________________________________

The Terry Gibbs Dream Band Vol.1

Contemporary C-7647
1986
Recorded live at the Seville, Hollywood 1959

1 Begin The Beguine 2:28
2 Don't Be That Way 6:26
3 Cottontail 3:43
4 Stardust 3:12
5 Opus One 6:00
6 After You've Gone 3:42
7 You Go To My Head 5:17
8 Let's Dance 3:25
9 The Subtle Sermon 8:24
10 Kissin' Bug 4:45
11 Jumpin' At The Woodside 4:30

Alto Saxophone – Charlie Kennedy, Joe Maini
Baritone Saxophone – Jack Schwartz
Bass – Max Bennett
Drums – Mel Lewis
Piano – Pete Jolly
Tenor Saxophone – Bill Holman, Med Flory
Trombone – Bob Enevoldsen, Joe Cadena, Vern Friley
Trumpet – Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson
Vibraphone – Terry Gibbs

The music on this CD, not released for the first time until 1986, features the formerly little-known Terry Gibbs Big Band, an orchestra that worked fairly regularly in Los Angeles from 1959-1962. The repertoire is primarily swing-era standards, but the arrangements (by Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Marty Paich, and Manny Albam) are fairly modern for the time; the all-star group's ensembles are tight and such colorful soloists as vibraphonist Gibbs, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, trumpeters Stu Williamson and Conte Candoli, tenorman Bill Holman, pianist Pete Jolly, and altoist Joe Maini are heard from. There would be five CDs released by this band; this is an excellent set to start with. - 4.5/5.0 "Album Pick" Scott Yanow / AMG

Roland Kirk - The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets The Benny Golson Orchestra

The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra
Jun 11, 1964-Jun 12, 1963
Label: Mercury 20844

   1. Ecclusiastics
   2. By Myself
   3. Roland Speaks
   4. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
   5. Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
   6. I've Got Your Number
   7. Between the Fourth and the Fifth Step
   8. April Morning
   9. Get in the Basement
  10. Abstract Improvisation

Virgil Jones, Richard Williams-tpt (1-5)
Tom McIntosh, Charles Greenlea-tbn (1-5)
Don Butterfield-tu (1-5)
Harold Mabern-p (1-10)
Richard Davis-b (1-5)
Abdullah Rafik-b (6-10)
Albert Heath-d (1-5)
Sonny Brown-d (6-10)
Benny Golson-cond, arr (1-5)

Another wonder from Kirk's Mercury years that has spent far more time out of print than in print. Not for any failure of the music here, I'm surprised this album was never popular, side one is with a nonet arranged by Benny Golson with some very appealing music including the twisted Monk-like  'Ecclusiastics' and the lovely 'A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square' featuring Kirk on strich. Side two is a quartet set from a year later that is full of great moments too. 'Ive Got Your Number' is another strich piece that rivals any alto man, followed by one of those jaw dropping full horn chorus numbers that leave you speechless, and then two completely different tenor tour de force pieces that have Roland showing off a slightly Coltrane ballad sound on 'April Morning' and then pure Sonny Rollins trio voicing in 'Get in the Basement'. I don't recall exactly which piece it is now but on one of these you hear one of the first examples of Roland's circular breathing, a technique which only he ever made in the least bit interesting for my ear. (are you hearing me Irvin Mayfield?)

Kirk was the ultimate musical chameleon; he could play anything and sound any way he liked from Hawkins to Trane, and from Bechet to Lacey. He was a walking musical encyclopedia in much the same fashion that Jaki Byard was. No wonder that they enjoyed playing together! Mingus must have been in heaven to have the two of them in the band at the same time, it gave him a variety of tonal colors to play with that let him express his Duke-ness most effectively.

In my mind all these Mercury recording of Roland Kirk are essential for any jazz fan, so I will dig through all of them and bring those that still languish out of print to the Crypt. At least nowadays things like We Free Kings, Domino, Rip Rig and Panic and I Talk With The Spirits seem to stay in print so there is some evidence that the world is finally catching up to Roland. About damn time!

Roland Kirk - Reeds and Deeds

One of the guys whom I first focused on at The Crypt nearly 4 years ago now. I've always preferred the Mercury Kirk to the Atlantic Kirk and I'll never understand why certain of these albums are never in print.

Of all the forgotten Kirk albums, the failure to keep this one in print would have to be the most mystifying. A true lost gem that now days can only be reconstructed from the out of print Mercury Kirk box. The album features a larger ensemble than previous sessions but the many voices and colors of Kirk's axes are undiminished. Check out the wonderful trumpet work by Virgil Jones and the burning trombone solos by Charles Greenlea. A masterpiece start to finish that stands up to anything from the Mercury era.

Roland Kirk: Reeds and Deeds
Mercury 20800, 1963

01 Reeds and Deeds 5:20
02 Hay Ro 3.04
03 This Is Always 4:20
04 Song of the Countrymen 6.56
05 Limbo Boat 3:02
06 Lonesome August Child 4:36
07 Land of Peace 5:54
08 Waltz of the Friends 4.40


Recorded in New York, February 25-26, 1963


[track. 2, 5-8]
Roland Kirk (ts, manzello, stritch, fl, siren)
Virgil Jones (tp)
Charles Greenlea (tb)
Harold Mabern (p)
Abdullah Rafik (b)
Walter Perkins (ds)

[track 1,3,4]
Arranged & Conducted By: Benny Golson
Roland Kirk (ts, manzello, stritch, fl, siren)
Virgil Jones (tp)
Tom McIntosh (tb)
Harold Mabern (p)
Richard Davis (b)
Walter Perkins (ds)