Nick Brignola - Burn Brigade

Amazingly enough, the 16 month old links [now 7 years! ~ grumpy] on this are still alive and well! These two belong together so I felt compelled to roll this one forward too! 

WARNING, WARNING! Do you feel the earth trembling? Your eyes do not deceive you, THREE baritones! You thought Baritone Madness was big, look out for the Burn Brigade! This is a gift once again from the amazing Wid and he dedicates it to Grumpy since it is on his beloved Bee-Hive label.

Nick Brignola - Burn Brigade 
(1980 BeeHive-7010)

01 - Nick Who's Blues
02 - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
03 - Busy B's
04 - Groovin' High
05 - Our Delight

Nick Brignola - Baritone Sax
Ronnie Cuber - Baritone Sax
Cecil Payne - Baritone Sax
Walter Davis Jr - Piano
Walter Booker Jr - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums

Recorded NYC, June 19, 1979

The big dogs are barking on this one! Normally I'd start out by pointing to that killer rhythm section and spend some time extolling their virtues (they ARE great) but the big boys step up with those bari's and somehow it is all your brain can manage to absorb what you are hearing, three of them just tearing it up! I don't think Brignola, Payne or Cuber need any introductions here at The Crypt, all three are in fine form here and the rhythm section is so good that they do occasionally manage to shine as well. It's just that the lights keep reflecting off of that impossible mass of brass up there.

I'm listening while writing and this is no gimmick album, it is in fact a dynamite very enjoyable bari-bop (my term) journey. They manage to find plenty of room to operate in, out and around each other with great dexterity and when they start trading.....Whew! Another no-brain-er here, just get it! Da Bee Hive stings again!

Thanks Wid!

Dom Um Romão - Hotmosphere (1976)

More pop than hot, this mixed bag from Brazilian drummer and percussionist Dom Um Romão ranges from singalong Carnival tunes to more substantial tracks featuring superior arranging and solo work. A veteran of the Latin, pop, and jazz scenes, Romao's extensive CV includes work with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 and an early edition of Weather Report. Hotmosphere is in the Latin pop vein of the Mendes group, rather than a missing chapter from the days of Weather Report's I Sing the Body Electric. While Romao is the titular leader, his role on this 1976 release is more of an ensemble member than featured artist. It's Célia Vaz's arrangements for a crack lineup of session players that are the main interest. The high points are the four or five arrangements that gracefully interweave the horns with the sensuously pulsing voices of Sivuca, Julie Janeiro, and Gloria Oliveira. The charts also work in some intriguing Oregon-like passages for cello and soprano sax, and set up strong solos from Mauricio Smith on soprano sax and flute, Dom Salvador on piano, and from trumpeter Claudio Roditi, who brings some hard bop fire to the date. Sivuca's several solos where he vocalizes in unison with his uncredited accordion will be, at best, an acquired taste for listeners. Many, though, will find his piercing nasal tone annoying. ~ by Jim Todd, AMG.

Pablo Records, 2310-777, 1976
Original Jazz Classics, OJCCD-977-2, 1998
Recorded 12^th, 13^th January and 17^th & 23^rd February, 1976 At RCA Recording Studios, New York City 

Musicians:
Dom Um Romão - Drums
Alan Rubin, Claudio Roditi - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Jack Jeffries, Tom Malone - Trombone
Ronnie Cuber, Sonny Fortune - Saxophone
Mauricio Smith - Soprano Saxophone
Lou Del Gatto, Mauricio Smith - Clarinet, Flute
Dom Salvador - Piano
Ricardo Peixoto, Sivuca - Acoustic Guitar
Ron Carter - Acoustic Bass
Juan "Tito" Russo - Electric Bass
Pat Dixon, Ulysses Kirksey - Cello
Steve Kroon - Percussion, Congas
Glória Oliveira, Julie Janiero, Sivuca - Backing Vocals
Célia Vaz - Conductor, Arranger 

Tracks:
A1. Escravos De Jo {Milton Nascimento} (4:06)
A2. Mistura Fina {Luiz Bandeira} (3:10)
A3. Caravan {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol} (5:14)
A4. Spring {Ricardo Peixoto} (3:33)
A5. Pra Que Chorar {Baden Powell} (4:44)
B1. Amor Em Jacuma {Dom Um Romão, Luiz Ramalho} (5:28)
B2. Cisco Two {Célia Vaz} (4:10)
B3. Tumbalelê {Francisco Neto, Jarbas Reis, Milton Neves} (3:21)
B4. Piparapara {Claudio Roditi} (3:53)
B5. Chovendo Na Roseira {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (3:16) 

Total Time: 40:55

Credits:
Producer - Dom Um Romão
Engineer - Bob Simpson
Remastering - Kirk Felton
Cover, Design, Layout - Norman Granz
Photography - Monica Botkay
Liner Notes - Christine Jacobsen

Idris Muhammad - House Of The Rising Sun (1976) [vinyl>flac]

Idris Muhammad's House of the Rising Sun is a legendary soul-jazz album, and for good reason. First there's the fact that, Grady Tate notwithstanding, Idris Muhammad is easily the greatest of all soul-jazz drummers. Next, it is revealed that label boss and producer Creed Taylor was at his most inspired here, and wasn't afraid to err on the rhythm and blues side of the jazz equation. The material is top-notch, and David Matthews, who orchestrated and arranged this date with the exception of one track -- "Sudan" was written by Muhammad and Tom Harrell, and Harrell arranged it -- was on fire. As a bandleader, Muhammad is shockingly effective. Not because one could ever doubt his ability, but because of his reputation as one of the great studio drummers in jazz. Finally, this is the single greatest lineup in Kudu's history, and features the talents of Don Grolnick, Eric Gale, Will Lee, Roland Hanna, Joe Beck, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Hugh McCracken, Bob Berg, Fred Wesley, Patti Austin, and a dozen others playing their asses off. From the title track which opens the album, with Austin reaching the breaking point in her delivery, to the stunningly funky groove in Ashford and Simpson's "Hard to Face the Music," to the minor key funk of the Chopin-adapted theme in "Theme for New York City," to "Sudan"'s triple-timed drums and killer Eastern-tinged hooks, and a read of the Meters' "Hey Pocky A-Way," with Eric Gale's dirty finger poppin' bass atop McCracken's bluesed-out slide work, this is a steaming, no let-up album. Add to this a gorgeous version of the Ary Barroso Brazilian jazz classic "Bahia," and you have the set for a classic jazz album. But the complete disregard for the political correctness of "Jazz" itself, in order to get the deeply funky and soulful grooves across, is what makes this set so damn special and even spiritual in its inspiration. Jazz purists lost all credibility when they slagged this one off, caught as they were in tainted, even racist views of the past that made no allowances for jazz musicians to actually follow their time-honored tradition of mining the pop music of the day to extend the breadth and reach of jazz itself. Anybody who wants to believe that George Gershwin is somehow more important than George Porter Jr. is already lost in his own cultural fascism. Muhammad, who understands this better than anyone, pulled out all the stops here and blasted out one amazingly tough, funky slab. Brilliant. ~ Thom Jurek, AMG.

Kudu Records, KUDU 27, KU-27S1, 1976
Recorded 18th-27th June; 23rd September-8th October, 1975
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:
Idris Muhammad - Drums, Percussion [Log Drum] (#A1)
Tom Harrell - Trumpet
Fred Wesley - Trombone
Barry Rogers - Trombone (#B1)
David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - Baritone Saxophone
George Young - Tenor Saxophone (#A2)
Mike Brecker - Tenor Saxophone (#A2)
Bob Berg - Tenor Saxophone (#B1)
Leon Pendarvis - Piano (#A1)
Don Grolnick - Piano (#A2,A3,B2)
Roland Hanna - Piano (#B1,A4)
Eric Gale - Bass (#A3,B2), Guitar (#B2)
Hugh McCracken - Guitar (#B2)
Joe Beck - Guitar (#A3)
Will Lee - Bass (#A1)
Wilbur Bascomb - Bass (#A2,A4,B1)
Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, Seymour Barab - Cello
George Devens - Percussion
Charles Libove, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Joe Malin, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman - Violin
Frank Loyd - Vocals (#A1,B2)
Debbie McDuffie, Hilda Harris, Patti Austin - Vocals (#A2)

Track Listing:
A1. House Of The Rising Sun {Traditional} (4:45)
A2. Baia [Boogie Bump] {Ary Barroso, Ray Gilbert} (4:40)
A3. Hard To Face The Music {Valerie Simpson, Nickolas Ashford} (4:52)
A4. Theme For New York City [Based On Prelude No. 4] {Frederic Chopin} (3:29)
B1. Sudan {Idris Muhammad, Tom Harrell} (10:54)
B2. Hey Pocky A-Way {Ziggy Modeliste, Art Neville, Leo Nocenteli, George Porter, Jr.} (6:07)

Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Arranger - David Matthews, Tom Harrell (#B1)
Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder
Design - Rene Schumacher
Photography - Alen Mac Weeney

Eddie Palmieri - Salsa-Jazz-Descarga "Exploration" (1978) [vinyl>flac]

One of Eddie Palmieri's greatest albums - and certainly one of the most mindblowingly creative! The album encompasses all the grooves stated in the title, and then some - as Eddie works with a mix of acoustic and electric instruments, crafting tunes that are long and exploratory, tightly jazzy but also free, and with more than a bit of funk in the mix on the best numbers. And far from confusing, the whole thing comes together with a really cohesive sound - the kind of broad vision in one fell stroke that only Palmieri could pull off! Titles include "Cobarde", "Chocolate Ice Cream", "The Mod Scene", "Random Thoughts", "Resemblance", and "Condiciones Que Existen". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

And to prove Palmieri's Latin-jazz chops go way back, here's a compilation of earlier excursions, as varied as they come. In case you're all Eddied up already and shun duplication, the fine, very varied tracks in question are "Cobarde," "Chocolate Ice Cream," "Resemblance," "The Mod Scene," "Condiciones Que Existen" and "Random Thoughts." ~ by John Storm Roberts, AMG.

Coco Records, CLP 151X, 1978

Personnel:

Eddie Palmieri - Piano, Electric Piano

Charlie Palmieri - Organ (#A2,B1)

Victor Paz - Trumpets

Ronnie Cuber - Baritone & Soprano Saxes, Flute

Mario Rivera - Baritone & Tenor Saxophones

Barry Rogers - Trombone

Jose Rodriguez - Trombone

Harry Viggiano - Electric Guitar

Alfredo De La Fe - Violin

Andy Gonzalez - Bass

Nicky Marrero - Timbales & Percussion

Tommy 'Chuckie' Lopez, Jr. - Bongo

Eledio Perez - Conga

Ismael Quintana, Jimmy Sabater, Willie Torres - Coro

Track Listing:

A1. Cobarde {Eddie Palmieri} (10:42)

A2. Chocolate Ice Cream {Alfredo Armenteros, Eddie Palmieri} (10:43)

A3. Ressemblance {Eddie Palmieri} (4:48)

B1. The Mod Scene {Eddie Palmieri} (12:28)

B2. Condiciones Que Existen {Eddie Palmieri} (3:59)

B3. Random Thoughts {Eddie Palmieri} (6:20)

Credits:

Producer - Harry Averne, Eddie Palmieri

Album Design & Illustration - Jorge Vargas

Mickey Tucker - Sojourn

When we made the move to our new home I tried an experiment in creating false history by backdating posts to before we actually came here. I thought it might provide some continuity....yeah, okay THAT didn't work out so well so I am saving these one by one by bringing them forward.

This comes once again from Wid and I'm putting it both here and at Kublah's Crib mostly because I don't think anyone will notice the upgraded links over there since they don't expect any new postings anymore. We had an mp3 link previously that is now replaced with a FLAC lp rip!

Mickey Tucker - Sojourn
Xanadu 143, 1977

1: Fast Train To Zurich
2: Norwegian Nights - Norwegian Days
3: Tunisian Festival
4: The Silent Mind of Fraulen Stein
5: French Fables
6: Dusseldorf Dance

Bill Hardman tp
Junior Cook ts
Ronnie Cuber bs
Mickey Tucker p
Cecil McBee b
Eddie Gladden d

RCA Studios, NYC, March 28, 1977
Engineer: Paul Goodman

Whoever said it is under-rehearsed never listened to that album. All tracks were composed and arranged by Tucker and are his impressions of a European tour with the Jazz Messengers - his quotes in Bob Blumenthal's notes are much fun to read, and the music is full of Tucker's own take on humour in music - if I had but one album to pick as Tucker's most impressive, I'd probably choose Sojourn! Great playing from all involved. Highly recommended!

"One of the greatest sessions – if not the best – cut as a leader by pianist Mickey Tucker, and a soaring set of spiritual tunes that best shows his talents as a player and arranger! The group's a sextet, with Junior Cook on tenor, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone – and most tracks have a fast comping sound that's part Horace Silver Blue Note and part Strata East post-Coltrane grooving. Titles include "Dusseldorf Dance", "Fast Train To Zurich", "Tunisian Festival", and "The Silent Mind Of Fraulein Stein"." © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc.