Milt Jackson - Sunflower (1972) [vinyl]

Recorded over two days in December of 1972 at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood, New Jersey home studio, vibraphonist Milt Jackson's Sunflower is the first -- and best -- of his three albums for Creed Taylor's CTI imprint. (And one of the finest offerings on the label.) With a core band consisting of Herbie Hancock (playing electric and acoustic piano), bassist Ron Carter, drummer Billy Cobham, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, drummer/percussionist Ralph McDonald, and guitarist Jay Berliner. A chamber orchestra exquisitely arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky adorns the session as well. Jackson's "For Someone I Love," opens the five-tune set, with Berliner playing solo flamenco guitar before the vibes, trumpet, and elements from the chamber orchestra delicately, impressionistically color the background. It gradually moves into a languid, bluesy ballad that slowly gains in both texture and dynamic until the strings trill tensely. Hubbard and Hancock engage them in solos that gently swing out the tune. The reading of Michel Legrand's "What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life" is a gorgeous showcase for Jackson; his solo dominates the arrangement. Carter gets downright funky on his upright to introduce Thom Bell's "People Make the World Go Round," and Hancock follows him on Rhodes. Jackson takes the melody, striking a layered contrast as Hubbard slips around all three playing an extension of the melody with requisite taste, fluidity, and taut phrasing. Hancock gets funky to the bone in his brief solo, as the vibes soar around and through his phrases. The title track is a Hubbard composition that floats and hovers with a Latin backbeat before shifting tempos as the solos begin. The expanded harmonic palette of trumpet with the reeds, woodwinds, and strings on the melody add an exotic textural palette for his solo. While Sunflower sometimes feels more like a group session rather than a Jackson-led one, that's part of its exquisite beauty. ~ Thom Jurek, AMG.

CTI Records, CTI 6024, 1973

Recorded 12^th & 13^th December, 1972 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Milt Jackson - Vibraphone

Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Herbie Hancock - Piano

Jay Berliner - Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Bill Cobham - Drums

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Plus Reeds & Strings:

George Marge - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute, English Horn

Romeo Penque - Alto Flute, Oboe, English Horn

Phil Bodner - Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo Flute, English Horn

Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, George Ricci - Cello

Margaret Ross - Harp

Charles Libove, David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff,

Irving Spice, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman - Violin

Tracks:

A1. For Someone I Love {Milt Jackson} (10:21)

A2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? {Michel Legrand, Alan & Marilyn Bergman} (6:57)

B1. People Make The World Go Round {Thomas Bell, Linda Creed} (8:29)

B2. Sunflower {Freddie Hubbard} (11:01)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger & Conductor - Don Sebesky

Album Photograph - Pete Turner

Liner Photograph - K. Abe

Album Design - Bob Ciano

Nat Adderley - You, Baby (1968) [re-rip>true flac]

As Cannonball Adderley moved with the times in the late '60s, so did brother Nat on his own. While Adderley generally buys into Creed Taylor's A&M mixture of top-flight jazz talent, pop tunes and originals, and orchestrations packaged in bite-sized tracks, this album has its own pleasingly veiled yet soulful sound quite apart from its neighbors in the A&M/CTI series. Give credit to Adderley's successful use of a Varitone electronic attachment on his cornet, giving the horn an "electric blue" sound which he handles with marvelous rhythmic dexterity. Add Joe Zawinul's lively, funky electric piano from Cannonball's quintet, as well as the brooding, genuinely classically-inspired orchestrations of Bill Fischer that only use violas, cellos and flutes. While not always technically perfect, Adderley's solos have soul and substance; his brief, catchy bop licks on "Halftime" are some of the best he ever played and on Zawinul's "Early Minor," he evokes a sense of loneliness that Miles would have admired. A lovely intensely musical album, well worth seeking out. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide.

A&M/CTI Records, LP 2005; SP 3005, 1968

Recorded on 26^th-28^th March & 4^th April, 1968 at Van Gelder Studio, New Jersey

Personnel:

Nat Adderley - Cornet

Joe Zawinul - Piano

Jerome Richardson - Flute, Soprano Saxophone

George Marge - Flute, Oboe

Romeo Penque - Flute

Harvey Estrin - Flute

Joe Soldo - Flute

Stewart Clarke - Viola

Bernard Zaslav - Viola

Al Brown - Viola

Charles McCracken - Cello

George Ricci - Cello

Alan Shulman - Cello

Ron Carter - Bass

Grady Tate - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. You, Baby {Ivy Hunter, Jack Goga, Jeffrey Bowen} (2:44)

A2. By The Time I Get To Phoenix {Jimmy Webb} (3:19)

A3. Electric Eel {Nat Adderley} (4:55)

A4. Early Chanson {Joe Zawinul} (2:23)

A5. Denise {Earl Turbinton} (3:56)

B1. Early Minor {Joe Zawinul} (3:43)

B2. My Son {Caiphus Semenya} (4:27)

B3. New Orleans {Nat Adderley} (4:18)

B3. Hang On In {Eric Knight} (3:30)

B4. Halftime {Julian Adderley, Nat Adderley} (2:36)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Arranger, Conductor - Bill Fischer

Photography - Pete Turner

Album Design - Sam Antupit

Liner Notes - Ira Gitler

Junior Mance - The Soul Of Hollywood (1962)

The Soul of Hollywood was an interesting departure for Junior Mance. Most of the time he has been heard in small-group settings, but on this album the pianist is backed by an orchestra arranged and conducted by trombonist Melba Liston. With Orrin Keepnews serving as producer, Mance and Liston turn their attention to film music -- and the films that they acknowledge range from musicals (West Side Story) to Westerns (One-Eyed Jacks). Because the material is heavily arranged, Mance doesn't have as much room to stretch out and improvise. Nonetheless, he manages to get in his share of noteworthy solos, and Liston's tasteful arrangements make The Soul of Hollywood well worth the price of admission. In some cases, albums of film music can become albums of background music, but that isn't a problem on this release (which was recorded in 1961 and early 1962). Liston's arrangements are always in good taste, and that is true whether the participants are tackling "Maria" from West Side Story, "Tara's Theme" from Gone With the Wind, or Greek star Manos Hadjidakis' charming theme from Never on Sunday. Meanwhile, "On Green Dolphin Street" and the haunting "Invitation" are both well-known Bronislaw Kaper standards from films that starred Lana Turner. The interesting thing is that, even though "Invitation" has been recorded countless times over the years, the movie that Kaper wrote it for was far from a box office smash; "Invitation" is from 1950's very underrated A Life of Her Own, which stars Turner as a supermodel who falls in love with a married man but ultimately decides against breaking up his marriage. The Soul of Hollywood isn't quite in a class with Gil Evans or Oliver Nelson's best work, but it's still a decent example of orchestral jazz. ~ by Alex Henderson, AMG.

Jazzland Records, JLP 63, 1962

Recorded October, December, 1961 and January, 1962 At Plaza Sound Studios, New York City

Personnel:

Junior Mance - Piano

Ernie Royal, Clark Terry - Trumpet

Jimmy Cleveland, Britt Woodman - Trombone

Romeo Penque - Flute

Jerome Richardson - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Danny Bank - Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet

George Duvivier - Bass

Osie Johnson - Drums

Melba Liston - Conductor, Arranger

+ Unidentified Orchestra

Tracks:

A1. Never On Sunday {Manos Hadjidakis} (2:48)

A2. Maria [From West Side Story] {Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim} (2:51)

A3. Tara's Theme [From Gone With The Wind] {Max Steiner} (4:00)

A4. Fanny {Harold Rome} (4:01)

A5. On Green Dolphin Street {Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington} (2:37)

A6. One-Eyed Jacks {Hugo Friedhofer} (2:33)

B1. Exodus {Ernest Gold, Miklós Rózsa} (2:30)

B2. Invitation {Bronislaw Kaper} (4:03)

B3. The Apartment {Charles Williams, John Moran} (3:36)

B4. Goodbye Again {Georges Auric, Dory Langdon} (4:09)

B5. Spellbound {Miklós Rózsa} (3:33)

Credits:

Producer - Orrin Keepnews

Recording Engineer - Ray Fowler

Mastering Engineer - Neal Ceppos, Plaza Sound, NYC

Album Design - Ken Deardoff

Photography - Steve Schapiro

Hank Crawford - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (1974) [vinyl>flac]

"Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" by Hank Crawford was released in 1974 on Kudu Records, a subsidiary of the CTI label. On this his fourth Kudu release, Crawford showcases three original compositions alongside two Stevie Wonder tunes; "Don’t You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and “All In Love Is Fair.” Bob James handles the string arrangements and also shares electric keyboards with Richard Tee. James' arrangements don't smother Hank but instead instill a light touch of classiness, perfectly blending Crawford’s rhythm & blues phrasing. Joining him on this date is quite an impressive array of soul-jazz and modern jazz performers, including Pepper Adams, Randy Brecker, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Joe Farrell, Jon Faddis, Bernard Purdie, and Hugh McCracken. As usual it is beautifully engineered by van Gelder; another significant slice of Hank’s discography to immerse even the most discerning jazz aficionado, Enjoy!

Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford - one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s - all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full - put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial - and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone - and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet - and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.

Kudu Records, KU 19 S1, 1974

Recorded June, 1974 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone

Alan Rubin, Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Pepper Adams, Romeo Penque - Baritone Saxophone

Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell - Flute, Tenor Saxophone

Dave Taylor - Bass Trombone

Bob James, Richard Tee - Keyboards

Hugh McCracken - Electric Guitar

Gary King - Bass (#A1-A3,B1)

Ron Carter - Bass (#B2)

Bernard Purdie - Drums (#A1,A3)

Idris Muhammad - Drums (#A2,B1,B2)

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Strings:

Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Alexander Cores, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green,
Matthew Raimondi, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, David Nadien - Violin

Charles McCracken, George Ricci - Cello

Al Brown, Manny Vardi - Viola

Track Listing:

A1. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing {Stevie Wonder} (8:49)

A2. Jana {Hank Crawford} (5:08)

A3. All In Love Is Fair {Stevie Wonder} (4:46)

B1. Sho Is Funky {Hank Crawford, Bob James} (12:41)

B2. Groove Junction {Hank Crawford} (3:32)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Arranger - Bob James

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Design - Bob Ciano

Illustration - Pierre Le-Tan

Freddie Hubbard - Polar AC (1975) [vinyl>flac]

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's sixth and final CTI studio recording has its moments although it is not on the same level as his first three. Hubbard, backed on four of the five songs by a string section arranged by either Don Sebesky or Bob James, is assisted on songs such as "People Make the World Go Round" and "Betcha By Golly, Wow" by flutist Hubert Laws and guitarist George Benson. "Son of Sky Dive" showcases his trumpet with a sextet including Laws and tenor-saxophonist Junior Cook. The music is enjoyable but not essential and this LP has yet to appear on CD. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Released in 1975, this was Hubbard's final release for Creed Taylor's CTI Records. It's a luxuriant, strongly orchestrated, but very accessible piece of jazz. Don Sebesky and Bob James alternate the orchestrations and arrangements. Hubbard's playing is outstanding, at the same time much solo space is allocated to flautist Hubert Laws; added to the mix is guitarist George Benson and George Cables on the Rhodes. A genuine highlight is "People Make the World Go Round" arranged by Bob James. It begins with Airto performing some unusual animal noises and percussion sounds contrasted with flourishes on the Rhodes by Cables. On the title track "Polar AC", Ron Carter throws in some vivacious bass playing whilst Jack DeJohnette is heard working the snares and cymbals against the rich the orchestral arrangements of Don Sebesky; which Hubbard weaves in and around with some amazing solos. There is a lot of pleasure to be found on this LP with further spins. Well Recommended.

CTI Records, CTI 6056, 1975

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet

Hubert Laws - Flute

George Benson - Guitar (#A1-B1)

Junior Cook - Tenor Saxophone (#B2)

George Cables - Piano (#A2,B2)

Ron Carter - Bass

Alan Rubin, Garnett Brown, Marvin Stamm, Paul Faulise,
Tony Price, Wayne Andre - Brass (#B1)

George Marge, Phil Bodner, Romeo Penque, Wally Kane - Woodwind (#B1)

Billy Cobham - Drums (#B1)

Jack DeJohnette - Drums (#A1)

Lenny White - Drums (#A2, B2)

Airto - Percussion (#A2, A3)

Strings:

Al Brown, Charles McCracken, Harold Kohon, Irving Spice, Matthew Raimondi, Tosha Samaroff (#A1)

David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Manny Vardi, George Ricci, Joe Malin, Paul Gershman (#A1-A3)

Tony Sophos, Charles Libove, Gene Orloff, Harry Lookofsky, Max Ellen, Theodore Israel (#A2,A3)

Track Listing:

A1. Polar AC {Cedar Walton} (6:52)

A2. People Make The World Go Round {Linda Creed, Thomas Bell} (5:48)

A3. Betcha By Golly, Wow {Linda Creed, Thomas Bell} (8:10)

B1. Naturally {Nat Adderley} (5:53)

B2. Son Of Sky Dive {Freddie Hubbard} (13:17)

Credits:

Producer - Creed Taylor

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Arranger - Bob James (#A2,A3), Don Sebesky (#A1, B1)