Red Holloway - Red Holloway & Company (1987)

Underestimated as a bop or straight jazz player. This CD finds Red in a quartet setting where the group plays two originals and six others more or less familiar tunes. Highlights: "But Not For Me", which starts off with a mellow first chorus before Red displays his individualistic improvisation while still retaining the melody. The group really wrings out all the possibilities of "Caravan". "Passion Flower" sounds good as a tenor sax spotlight almost as well as the unforgettable alto treatment by Johnny Hodges. Holloway shows some break-neck chops on a burning "Well, You Needn't". "Summertime" has a real unusual treatment with the lead off beat and first few notes which had me thinking of "St. Louis Blues". On "What's New?" Red switched to alto sax and from what I heard, he's one of those few players that is equally adept at playing both tenor and alto. The rhythm section on this set is tremendous, led by pianist Cedar Walton. The best accolade for Cedar is a comment made by Sonny Stitt, "If you play with Cedar, be sure to solo first. He sure is a tough man to follow". Bassist Richard Reid and drummer Jimmie Smith are the other two members of this superb section. ~ Extract by Robert J. Ament, Amazon.com. 

Concord Jazz, CCD-4322, 1987
Recorded January, 1987 at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, California 

Musicians:
Red Holloway - Alto & Tenor Saxophones
Cedar Walton - Piano
Richard Reid - Bass
Jimmy Smith - Drums 

Tracks:
1. But Not For Me {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (6:14)
2. Caravan {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol} (5:37)
3. Passion Flowers {Billy Strayhorn} (5:02)
4. Blues For C.J. {Red Holloway} (5:38)
5. Well, You Needn't {Thelonious Monk} (4:21)
6. What's New? {Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart} (6:37)
7. Summertime {George & Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward} (5:46)
8. Tokyo Express {Red Holloway} (4:52) 

Total Time: 44:07 

Credits:
Producer - Carl E. Jefferson
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Phil Edwards
Cover Photograph - Don Saban
Art Direction - Tom Burgess

Red Holloway, Clark Terry Sextet - Locksmith Blues (1989)

Excellent Red Holloway/Clark Terry Collaboration.......on a straight-ahead sextet offering comprised of six jazz standards and three Holloway originals. Red has always been known as an excellent R&B player but the man also plays some fine jazz sax......an excellent alto as well as his tenor. Clark Terry, St. Louis jazz icon, also plays some extremely fine trumpet/flugelhorn, both muted and open, on this set. Both musicians seem to enjoy the interaction throughout and my personal favorites are "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" which is a relaxed showcase feature for Red, "Come Sunday", which likewise, is almost a signature for Clark since he has performed it so often over the years. "Hitting The Road Again" is a catchy medium tempo blues which also has a great but short bass solo by Rufus Reid. The title tune features some humorous vocals by both Red and Clark plus some exceptional guitar work by Phil Upchurch. "'Round Midnight" is taken at a usual sedate pace with Clark's solo which contrasts nicely with the double time alto solo by Red. Clark's muted and open solos nicely complement Red's excellent alto work on "I Got It Bad....." which , indeed, evokes memories of the great Johnny Hodges. This is an excellent straight ahead jazz sextet displaying the talents of two master horn men with an equally great supporting rhythm section in a very enjoyable program......one that would be welcome in any jazz library. ~ Robert J. Ament, Amazon.com. 

Concord Jazz, CCD-4390, 1989
Recorded June, 1989 at Sage & Sound Recording, Hollywood, California 

Musicians:
Red Holloway - Alto & Tenor Saxophones
Clark Terry - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Gerald Wiggins - Piano
Phil Upchurch - Guitar
Richard Reid - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass
Paul Humphrey - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Red Top {Lionel Hampton, Ben Kynard} (4:32)
2. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe {Harold Arlen} (4:48)
3. Hitting The Road Again {Red Holloway} (7:23)
4. Come Sunday {Duke Ellington} (4:30)
5. Locksmith Blues {Red Holloway} (5:44)
6. 'Round Midnight {Thelonious Monk} (4:35)
7. The Junk Man {Red Holloway} (5:18)
8. I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Ben Webster} (9:39)
9. Cotton Tail {Duke Ellington} (5:10) 

Total Time: 51:42 

Credits:
Producer - Carl E. Jefferson
Assistant Producer - Nick Phillips
Recording Engineer - Jim Mooney
Assistant Recording Engineer - Jerry Wood
Remixing Engineer - Phil Edwards
Mastering Engineer - George Horn
Art Direction - Paul Francis
Cover Photography - David Fischer
Liner Notes - Miles Jordan, JazzTimes

Locksmith Blues

Red Holloway - Go Red Go! (2009)

Like fine wine, saxophonist extraordinaire Red Holloway seems to get better with age. On Go Red Go!, the octogenarian plays with a fiery intensity that rivals his classic recordings from the 1960s with organist Jack McDuff. Holloway has always straddled the fence between jazz and blues, having worked with the likes of saxophonist Sonny Stitt and organist Jack McDuff, as well as blues legends Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. This infectious approach is demonstrated here on 12-bar riff tunes like "I Like it Funky" and the title track. The latter, taken at a blistering tempo, is a highlight of the disc. Here Holloway effortlessly lays out winding bebop phrases alongside charismatic honking and shouting. Another memorable moment is Holloway's lyrical alto playing on "Stardust." With eerie similarities to his contemporary Hank Crawford (1934-2009) in style and tone, Holloway snakes his way around the familiar Hoagy Carmichael theme with alluring charm. Organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham, both veterans of the Chicago scene and members of the acclaimed Deep Blue Organ Trio, provide the perfect foundation for Holloway's jazz-meets-blues approach. Foreman's manipulation of the draw bars harnesses the spirit of McDuff, especially on the walk-in-the-park tempos of "Deep Purple" and "Wave." Guitarist Henry Johnson's warm-tone and flawless technique is on full display throughout the disc. The Chicago native's greasy bop lines intensify the session. His groovy solos on "Bag's Groove" and "St. Thomas" are full of inventiveness and soul. Holloway toured with blues shouter Roosevelt Sykes in the late 1940s and here he closes the set with Sykes' jump blues "Keep Your Hands off Her," vocalizing with the same matter-of-fact delivery he displays with the horn. Add to that Rockingham's crackling backbeat and guest guitarist George Freeman's jabbing guitar licks and the feeling is that of wanting more and more. ~ by John Barron, AAJ. 

Delmark Records, DE 585, 2009
Recorded 16^th-18^th July, 2008 At Riverside Studio, Chicago, Illinois 

Musicians:
Red Holloway - Alto & Tenor Saxophones, Vocals (#9)
Chris Foreman - Organ [Hammond B-3]
Henry Johnson - Guitar (#3-8)
George Freeman - Guitar (#2,9)
Greg Rockingham - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Love Walked In {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (5:25)
2. I Like It Funky {Red Holloway} (6:42)
3. Go Red Go {Arnett Cobb} (3:20)
4. Deep Purple {Peter DeRose, Mitchell Parish} (11:07)
5. St. Thomas {Sonny Rollins} (4:58)
6. Stardust {Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish} (9:57)
7. Bag’s Groove {Milt Jackson} (8:18)
8. Wave {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (11:18)
9. Keep Your Hands Off Her {Roosevelt Sykes} (4:17) 

Total Time: 65:22

Credits:
Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Supervisor - Steve Wagner
Producer, Supervisor - Robert G. Koester
Mixing Assistant - Dave Katzman
Liner Notes, Photography - Michael Jackson

Gene Harris - Alley Cats (1999)

Too many artists have gone their entire careers without providing any live albums, but that hasn't been a problem for Gene Harris whose live recordings from the 1980s and 1990s ranged from unaccompanied solo piano to big-band dates. Arguably, the best live album he gave listeners in the 1990s was Alley Cats; recorded live at Jazz Alley in Seattle on December 11-12, 1998, this CD finds Harris' working quintet (Harris on piano, Frank Potenza on guitar, Luther Hughes on bass, and Paul Kreibich on drums) joined by such accomplished soloists as Red Holloway (tenor sax), Ernie Watts (alto and tenor sax), and Jack McDuff (organ). Many inspired moments occur, and a 65-year-old Harris really goes that extra mile on gems ranging from Nat Adderley's "Jive Samba" and Benny Golson's "Blues March" to Joe Sample's "Put It Where You Want It" (which, in the 1970s, was introduced by the Crusaders before being covered by the Average White Band). A talented but underexposed singer (underexposed in the 1990s, anyway) who has recorded R&B albums but is quite capable of handling jazz, Harris' daughter Niki Harris is featured on earthy performances of "You've Changed," "Please Send Me Someone to Love," and "Guess Who." McDuff, meanwhile, brings his gritty, down-home Hammond B-3 to two songs: Eddie Harris' "Listen Here" and Gene Harris' "Walkin' With Zach." Soul-jazz enthusiasts will definitely want this excellent CD. ~ by Alex Henderson, AMG. 

Concord Jazz, CCD-4859-2, 1999
Recorded 11^th & 12^th December, 1998 Live At Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle, Washington 

Personnel:
Gene Harris - Piano, Solo (#2)
Ernie Watts - Alto Saxophone (#1,6,7), Tenor Saxophone (#3-5)
Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone (#1,3,9,10)
Jack McDuff - Organ [Hammond B-3] (#5,10)
Frank Potenza - Guitar (#9)
Luther Hughes - Bass
Paul Kreibich - Drums
Niki Harris - Vocals (#7-9) 

Tracks:
01. Put It Where You Want It {Joe Sample} (5:49)
02. Magic Lady {Joe Sample} (4:17)
03. Blues March {Benny Golson} (11:09)
04. Bird's Idea {Ernie Watts} (4:54)
05. Walkin’ With Zach {Gene Harris} (6:58)
06. Jive Samba {Nat Adderley} (6:03)
07. You've Changed {Bill Carey, Carl Fischer} (6:19)
08. Guess Who {Jesse Belvin, Joanne Belvin} (5:36)
09. Listen Here {Eddie Harris} (11:51)
10. Please Send Me Someone To Love {Percy Mayfield} (5:09) 

Total Time: 68:05 

Credits:
Producer - John Burk
Executive-Producer - Glen Barros
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Phil Edwards
Assistant Engineer - Ryan Kallis
Assembly & Mastering Engineer - Ron Davis
Product Development - Alexis Davis
Production Manager - David Miller
Art Direction - Scott Crawford
Cover Photography - Pam Benham

Red Holloway - Sax, Strings & Soul (1965)

A rare captured outing whereby Tenorist Red Holloway in a European setting is backed by a full orchestra.  He chooses to play a contemporary array of tunes from the mid 60’s. His tone as always is majestic and well pronounced alongside a cleverly arranged set of charts by none other than Benny Golson. A time honoured classic not easily found, Enjoy!

Prestige Records, PRST 7390, 1965

Recorded August, 1964 in Stockholm, Sweden

Personnel:

Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone

with Swedish Orchestra

Benny Golson - Arranger, Conductor

Tracks:

A1. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling {Olcott, Graff, Jr., Ball} (3:58)

A2. Bossa In Blue {Kahle} (2:59)

A3. Where Have All The Flowers Gone {Seeger, Hickerson} (3:07)

A4. Nights With Lora {Wallin} (3:34)

B1. If I Had A Hammer {Seeger, Hays} (3:31)

B2. I Wish You Love {Chauliac, Trenet} (4:20)

B3. Star Of David {Mason} (4:07)

B4. The Girls In The Park {Wallin} (3:09)

Total Time: 28:45

Credits:

Producer - Lew Futterman

Design - Don Schlitten

Photo - Gai Terrell

Liner Notes - Irv Lichtman

Red Holloway - In The Red (1997)

Red Holloway is joined by a set of veteran jazz performers for a no-nonsense, down-to-earth blowing session recalling those magnificent Prestige and Blue Note recordings of the 1950s and '60s by Johnny Griffin, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, and others. The first cut, "The Chase," was the vehicle for the seminal Dexter Gordon/Wardell Gray tenor sax battle recorded in 1947, which set the ground rules for all such battles to come. On this cut, Holloway shows he has lost little, if any, of the fingering dexterity that characterized his playing in earlier days with such notables as "Brother" Jack McDuff, Bill Doggett, and Lloyd Price. Holloway continues to be equally adroit on alto as he is on tenor, bringing out the smaller sax on "The Gypsy" and "A Tear in My Heart" (the latter a composition by piano player Norman Simmons). A highlight of the album is the very poignant rendition of Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude," played in soulful, long musical lines. HighNote Records, the successor to the old Muse label, became a home for several veteran saxophonists. In addition to Holloway, the stable includes Houston Person and Teddy Edwards. HighNote deserves considerable kudos for providing a forum for this hard driving saxophone playing, done with soul, which otherwise might be lost. ~ by Dave Nathan, AMG.

HighNote Records, HCD 7022, 1998

Recorded 27^th November, 1997 At Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Red Holloway - Tenor Sax, Alto Sax (#4,7)

Norman Simmons - Piano

Peter Washington - Bass

Kenny Washington - Drums

Tracks:

1. The Chase {Dexter Gordon} (4:36)

2. In My Solitude {Eddie DeLange, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills} (7:33)

3. Snu-Fu {Norman Simmons} (7:36)

4. The Gypsy {Billy Reid} (8:58)

5. Claudia {Red Holloway} (6:05)

6. Watermelon Man {Herbie Hancock} (6:49)

7. A Tear In My Heart {Norman Simmons} (5:48)

8. Rapture {Harold Land} (8:30)

Total Time: 55:35

Credits:

Producer - Houston Person

Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Cover Photo - Ken Franckling

Tray Card Photo - J. Flint

Art Direction - Dick Smith

Joe Dukes with The Jack McDuff Quartet - The Soulful Drums Of Joe Dukes (1964)

Brother Jack McDuff Puts His Drummer in Front

====================================

For a while now I have been tracking down anything, I can find featuring the (Brother) Jack McDuff Quartet. For a period in the late 50's and early 60's it seems they were in great demand to back a string of major players from Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt to Rahsaan Roland Kirk among others. Although the personnel changed, the classic lineup was McDuff (O.B-3), Red Holloway (ts), George Benson (g) and Joe Dukes drums. In the course of this run, McDuff also did sessions featuring his own regulars and this album is one; George Benson - New Boss Guitar another. Dukes drumming on this outing can only be described as extraordinary and he holds down the center of attention throughout with his bandmates giving him plenty of tasteful room to shine. If you're a jazz fan who likes something rare and a little out of the ordinary, you'll want this in your collection. ~ M. Anders, Amazon.com.

Prestige Records, PRST 7324, 1964

Recorded 14^th May, 1964 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Joe Dukes - Drums

Brother Jack McDuff - Organ [Hammond B-3]

Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone

George Benson - Guitar

Tracks:

A1. Soulful Drums {Joe Dukes, Jack McDuff} (6:02)

A2. Two Bass Hit {Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis} (7:10)

A3. Greasy Drums {Joe Dukes, Jack McDuff} (4:20)

B1. Moohah The D.J. {Joe Dukes, Jack McDuff} (7:25)

B2. Moanin' Bench {Joe Dukes, Jack McDuff} (3:00)

B3. My Three Sons {Joe Dukes, Jack McDuff} (5:37)

Total Time: 35:00

Credits:

Producer - Lew Futterman

Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design, Photography - Don Schlitten

Liner Notes - Robert Levin

Gene Ammons - Velvet Soul (1960,61,62)

Classic mellow Jug - from a time when Prestige discovered that Gene Ammons would sell equally well to the mellow jazz crowd as to the jukebox jumpers. Most of the cuts feature Gene with a deep soulful tone that could qualify as "velvet",  but which still has enough of a rough edge to remain soulful. One track is played by a larger group, and the rest are with small combos that either feature organ or piano. Tracks include "Salome's Tune", "Velvet Soul", "Stranger In Town", and "Light N Up". © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.

No Matter in what context we hear Gene Ammons, his characteristic directness and passion can easily be heard. As this set closes we can feel Ammons' concern with all that he plays and the passion with which he invests his music. Ammons has had his outing and he has, once again proven himself worthy of our attention. ~ Extracts from Liner Notes by Michael Gold (Feb. 1964).

Prestige Records, PRST 7320, 1964

Recorded 17^th June, 1960 (#A1,A2); 13^th June, 1961 (#B2);

& 5^th September, 1962 (#A3,B1,B3)

At Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:
Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone
Frank Wess - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2)

Hobart Dotson, Clark Terry - Trumpet (#B2)

Oliver Nelson - Alto Saxophone (#B2)

George Barrow, Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone (#B2)

Bob Ashton - Baritone Saxophone (#B2)

Richard Wyands - Piano (#B2)

Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ (#A1,A2)

Mal Waldron - Piano (#A3,B1,B3)

Doug Watkins - Bass (#A1,A2)

Wendell Marshall - Bass (#A3-B3)

Arthur Taylor - Drums (#A1,A2)

Ed Thigpen - Drums (#A3,B1,B3)

Bill English - Drums (#B2)

Tracks:

A1. Velvet Soul {Johnny "Hammond" Smith} (8:54)

A2. In Sid's Thing {Gene Ammons} (5:26)

A3. Salome's Tune {Mal Waldron} (4:13)

B1. Light'n Up {Mal Waldron} (3:59)

B2. The Song Is You {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (9:41)

B3. A Stranger In Town {Mel Tormé} (5:58)

Credits:

Supervision - Esmond Edwards

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Photography - Gai Terrell

Liner Notes - Michael Gold (Feb. 1964)

Red Holloway - The Burner (1963)

This is first of four albums that Red Holloway recorded for Prestige during 1963-65. On this LP Holloway is heard in fine form as a powerful bluesy tenor sax soloist. He is notably joined by trumpeters Paul Serrano & Hobart Dotson, guitarist Eric Gale, hammond organist John Patton, bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Herbie Lovelle. The majority of the tunes are written by Holloway with exception of "Crib Theme" and "Moonlight In Vermont". The compositions are played in a very compelling mode of soul-jazz verging on bop with some exceptional solos by many of these gifted players. As his first on Prestige this in many ways is his best and not to be missed.

Prestige Records, PRST 7299, 1963

Recorded 27^th August (#B3) and 10^th October (#A1-B2), 1963 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

#A1-B2

Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone

Paul Serrano - Trumpet

John Patton - Organ

Eric Gale - Guitar

Leonard Gaskin - Bass

Herbie Lovelle - Drums

#B3 Only

Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone

Hobart Dotson - Trumpet

George Butchka [aka John Patton] - Organ

Bobby Durham - Guitar

Thomas Palmer - Bass

Charles Lindsey - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Monkey Sho Can Talk {Red Holloway} (3:37)

A2. Brethren {Red Holloway} (5:06)

A3. Crib Theme {Ozzie Cadena} (10:12)

B1. The Burner {Red Holloway} (10:36)

B2. Miss Judie Mae {Red Holloway} (3:13)

B3. Moonlight In Vermont {John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf} (6:00)

Credits:

Supervision - Ozzie Cadena

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Liner Notes - Francis Squibb (Nov. 1963)

Red Holloway with Brother Jack McDuff Quartet - Cookin' Together (1964) [vinyl]

Groovy session that features this star tenorist of the Jack McDuff group as the leader, but which also has the same group backing him up - including McDuff on organ, George Benson on guitar, and Joe Dukes on drums. The set list has a good batch of originals, with the same sort of groove and strong sense of humor as the best McDuff recordings from the time. Tracks include "Brother Red", "No Tears", "Shout Brother", and "Something Funny".  © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars stating "The material is comprised of Burt Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers," "This Can't Be Love," and five Holloway originals, which have more diversity than one might expect. An interesting aspect to the soulful and swinging set is that McDuff made his debut on piano for two songs". ~ Wikipedia

Prestige Records, PR 7325, 1972

Recorded 6^th February, 1964 in Los Angeles, California

Musicians:

Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone

Jack McDuff - Organ (#A1,A3-B1, B4), Piano (#A2,B3)

George Benson - Guitar

Wilfred Middlebrooks - Bass

Joe Dukes - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Wives And Lovers {Burt Bacharach, Hal David} (8:01)

A2. This Can't Be Love {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (5:24)

A3. Something Funny {Red Holloway} (7:05)

B1. Brother Red {Red Holloway} (3:27)

B2. Denise {Red Holloway} (6:26)

B3. No Tears {Red Holloway} (7:55)

B4. Shout Brother {Red Holloway} (4:28)

Credits:

Producer - Lew Futterman, Peter Paul

Design, Photography - Don Schlitten

Liner Notes - Michael Gold

The 20th Concord Festival All Stars

Here's a little gem to get your weekend movin the right way.  Some of you will remember the wonderful posts we had at the original Crypt, all taken from the first 300 Concord Jazz sides.  Infact, I had made it a regular feature of the blog - a look at Concord Jazz.  Perhaps with enough positive response and some input from you all, I could be prompted to put that project back on its tracks.  There were scores of titles I never got to, including this one here today.

This album is damn near perfect.  A blowing session of epic proportions, from some real legends.  There's not a single wasted note.  For me, Sweets takes first prize but Gene Harris was in a really amazing stage of his career here.  The fact is that they are all undeniably excellent on this album.

Matching the music is the excellent fidelity - typical Concord.  My copy is in absolute mint condition creating a perfect listening experience.  This is where being a vinyl fan pays off in spades.  We are treated to superb dynamics and tonally splendid analog.  I have never heard the CD but I would be interested if the vinyl egdes it at all.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC, this is a post not to be missed!!!  Enjoy!!


___________________________________________________

To celebrate the 20th Concord Jazz Festival, an all-star quintet of veterans was gathered together to play swinging jazz. With trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, Red Holloway on tenor, pianist Gene Harris, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jeff Hamilton comprising the group, it is not a surprise that this session is quite successful. Standards and ballads (along with a Ray Brown blues) make up the program and the results are satisfying. - 4.5 / 5.0 - Scott Yanow / AMG

Concord Jazz CJ-366
1989

1 Blues For Sam Nassi
2 Sophisticated Lady
3 Time After Time
4 Bye Bye Blackbird
5 I Wish I Knew
6 I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
7 Just a Closer Walk With Thee

Red Holloway (tenor saxophone), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Gene Harris (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums)