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A Heavy Dose of Duke Ellington

December 22, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

I compiled a “Heavy” duty dose of Duke Ellington to make you feel better than ever. A potent mixture of the highest quality with that hardcore effect so you can enjoy Duke Ellington further more. But in reality, this is just a minute sedative compared to all his achievements. After all, experts cannot even determine how many songs Duke Ellington composed, they estimate over 4,000. Not to mention, he co-wrote, arranged and rearranged many, many more with Billy Strayhorn, another giant Jazz composer.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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1st Set:

1. “Track 360 2. “C Jam Blues” 3. “The Swinger’s Jump” 4. Three J’s Blues” 5. “Pie Eye’s Blues” From the Duke Ellington “Blues in Orbit” CD Album.

More on Album:

BLUES IN ORBIT is a spectacular, well-rounded assembly of early and latter-day Ellington material. Most of these recordings were made in 1959, when the popularity of the LP was changing the ways in which music was conceived and made. While Ellington is known for his “extended works,” most of the tracks here resemble–in form, length, and feel–the style of the musician’s early catalog. Spacious, conversational pieces (such as the title track) and the slinky exotica of “Smada” fit nicely alongside such favorites and standards as “C Jam Blues,” “Sentimental Lady,” and “In A Mellotone.”

Pacing and tone vary according to the standard Ellington program scheme. Wailing up-tempo blues (“Pie Eye’s Blues,” “Three J’s Blues”-in which instrumentalists Jimmy Hamilton and Ray Nance get to stretch a bit) alternate with tracks such as the meltingly beautiful “Brown Penny,” this last number featuring an incomparable solo by Johnny Hodges. Ellington delivers with grace, prowess, and supreme creativity, and BLUES IN ORBIT, with its superb playing and diverse, wonderful track list, is a keeper…….Read More

2nd Set:

6. “One O’Clock Jump” 7. “Bonga” 8. “Tricky’s List” 9. “Blues in C” 10. “Take the A Train” 11. “Fly me to the Moon” 12. ” More” 13. “Never on Sunday” 14. “Pretty Little One” 15. “Rhapsody in Blue” From the Duke Ellington “The Reprise Studio Recording” CD Set.

More on this Box Set:

When Frank Sinatra started his Reprise label in the early ’60s, one of the first artists he approached was Duke Ellington. Nearly 40 years later, as part of the 1999 celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Ellington’s birth, Warner Brothers, which had long since bought and absorbed Reprise, finally released a complete retrospective box set, THE REPRISE STUDIO RECORDINGS.

This five-disc, 101-track collection is fascinating, as Ellington’s Reprise recordings feature probably his greatest stylistic range. This tracks are all over the map, from re-recordings of old Ellington classics, to sometimes-radical rearrangements of gospel and blues standards, to the three-part “Night Monster” suite, to jams with titles like “Non-Violent Integration,” to versions of then-current pop tunes like “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” Yet somehow, each track is unmistakably Ellington. The box set also includes a full sessionography and extensive liner notes…….Read More

16. “Happy go lucky’ 17. “Paris Blues” 18. “Ready Go” From the “Duke Ellington And His Orchestra Featuring Paul Gonsalves” CD Album.

More on the Album:

This is a wonderful and rather unusual Ellington outing. Eschewing the revolving-spotlight ethic usually favored by the Duke, this disc features tenor-sax icon Paul Gonsalves fronting the Orchestra in a run-through of some of their best-known tunes. As usual, Gonsalves is in fine form, and his chops and imaginative improvisations are shown off to splendid effect. Relaxed, laid-back versions of “C-Jam Blues” and “Take The ‘A’ Train” frame the saxophonist’s statement of themes with slow, lyrical passages and-at the end of “‘A’ Train”-blazing jams and unaccompanied codas.

Gonsalves blows both hot and cool on such blues numbers as “Happy-Go-Lucky Local” and the jump-up “Ready, Go” (from Ellington’s RED CARPET SUITE.) With Ellington leading at the ivories and the Orchestra providing solid, dynamically fluctuating backing, Gonsalves turns in an album full of worthwhile performances. He acquits himself as one of the ensemble’s deftest, most versatile, and most powerful players…..Read More

And Again:

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Louis Armstrong live in Concert

December 11, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Videos / No Comments

Louis Armstrong was a major influence on the development of Jazz but many have forgotten him. Not in the sense that they don’t recognize him at all but more on how much of a great musician he was. Not to mention, his unique style of singing voice, seemed to be misinterpreted. “Satchmo” was a great entertainer and a great American. He was known as the “Ambassador of Jazz.” There are so many biographies on him, this one is about the complete one:

(Born August 4, 1901, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.—died July 6, 1971, New York, New York) the leading trumpeter and one of the most influential artists in jazz history.

Armstrong grew up in dire poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana, when jazz was very young. As a child he worked at odd jobs and sang in a boys’ quartet. In 1913 he was sent to the Colored Waifs Home as a juvenile delinquent. There he learned to play cornet in the home’s band, and playing music quickly became a passion; in his teens he learned music by listening to the pioneer jazz artists of the day, including the leading New Orleans cornetist, King Oliver. Armstrong developed rapidly: he played in marching and jazz bands, becoming skillful enough to replace Oliver in the important Kid Ory band about 1918, and in the early 1920s he played in Mississippi riverboat dance bands…..Learn More

Note: Just think, if he wasn’t placed in the special school, would have never learned to play the Cornet.

It is very hard to find footage Louis Armstrong playing in concert but there is a great series of DVD’s named the “Jazz Icons Series.” Visit this link and learn more. You can find all these high grade video there “Louis Armstrong LIVE in 1959″ The videos on this post can be found there.

“When it’s sleepy time down South”:

“Now you has Jazz”:

“Mack the Knife”:

“When the Saints come Marching in“:

Most people alive now and for some time already, fail to realize that his golden days were when he was young. It seems that many people identify him and “picture” him as someone who made it later on in life. It’s really not their fault because of the lack of technology in the early years of Jazz but now Louis Armstrong’s music is being remastered and reissued. This DVD went through the process and look at how great it is.

Jazz without Horns

November 18, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

Who said that Jazz music had to consist of wind instruments to be considered “Jazz.” No Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Clarinet and so on found here but great innovative stuff. Jazz is Jazz to me and that’s why I prepared this 4 set podcast here and to further prove that Jazz sounds great, no matter what instrument it’s played with, as long as it’s played right. The Piano has to be there, that’s for sure but I’m sure someone has already played Jazz without having a Pianist present, it’s possible. I particularly love the 2nd set, wow! Duke Ellington, Mingus and Max Roach, talk about improvising. Enjoy!

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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1st Set:

1. “D-Natural Blues” 2. “Four on Six” and 3. “Mr. Walker” From “The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery” CD Album.

More on Album:

John “Wes” Montgomery taught himself to play at the age of nineteen and created a style as influential to jazz guitar as was Charlie Christian’s to an earlier generation. Recorded in the early part of his solo career, THE INCREDIBLE JAZZ GUITAR OF WES MONTGOMERY defined standards for hard bop guitar which are as cogent today as they were in 1960.

The album jumps out with the quartet hustling through Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin,” where Wes performs his often imitated licks with grace and agility. His extended phrases, thematic development, harmonic and melodic embellishment come together in a formidable technique with a heavy swing. An impressive use of octaves and chords coupled with the rejection of a guitar pick in favor of his own thumb allowed Wes’ guitar to sing with warmth and with beauty. The lyrical rendition of “Polka Dots And Moonbeams” and his own “D-Natural Blues” are prime examples of the fullness of his lines. To this day, whenever a guitarist uses octaves he runs the risk of comparison to Wes, such was his mastery of this technique. Another aspect of his legacy is the compositions. Since their appearance on this album, “Four On Six” and “West Coast Blues” have become standard jazz repertoire. Yet to remain in awe merely of his approach is to miss the point of what he has to say……Learn More

Biography of Wes Montgomery:

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (where he also died of a heart attack in 1968), Montgomery came from a musical family, in which his brothers, Monk (string bass and electric bass) and Buddy (vibraphone, and piano), were jazz performers. Although Wes was not skilled at reading music, he could learn complex melodies and riffs by ear. Montgomery started learning guitar in his late teens, listening to and learning recordings of his idol, the guitarist Charlie Christian.

Along with the use of octaves (playing the same note on two strings one octave apart) for which he is widely known, Montgomery was also an excellent “single-line” or “single-note” player, and was very influential in the use of block chords in his solos. His playing on the jazz standard “Lover Man” is an example of his single-note, octave and block chord soloing. (”Lover Man” appears on the Fantasy album THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS.)

Instead of using a guitar pick, Montgomery plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb, using downstrokes for single notes and a combination of upstrokes and downstrokes for chords and octaves. This technique enabled him to get a mellow, expressive tone from his guitar. George Benson, in the liner notes of the Ultimate Wes Montgomery album, wrote that “Wes had a corn on his thumb, which gave his sound that point. He would get one sound for the soft parts, and then that point by using the corn. That’s why no one will ever match Wes. And his thumb was double-jointed. He could bend it all the way back to touch his wrist, which he would do to shock people.”

He generally played a Gibson L-5CES guitar. In his later years he played one of two guitars that Gibson custom made for him. In his early years, Montgomery had a tube amp, often a Fender. In his later years he played a Standel.

Montgomery toured with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton’s orchestra from July

1948 to January 1950, and can be heard on recordings from this period. Montgomery then returned to Indianapolis and did not record again until December 1957 (save for one session in 1955), when he took part in a session that included his brothers Monk and Buddy, as well as trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who made his recording debut with Montgomery. Most of the recordings made by Montgomery and his brothers from 1957-1959 were released on the Pacific Jazz label……Learn More

2nd Set:

4. “Money Jungle” 5. “Very Special” 6. “Caravan” 7. “Switch Blade” from the Duke Ellington “Money Jungle” CD Album.

About the Album:

Although this excellent album is listed as a Duke Ellington, equal billing should be given to the participation of Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The remastered CD is outstanding, having been cleaned up from the original master tape. The CD also has the addition of six extra tracks, including four unheard Ellington originals: “Very Special,” “Rem Blues,” “Switch Blade,” and “Backward Country Boy Blues.” He is as at home in the setting of a trio as he is with a wailing big-band, and as usual, he allows the other musicians to play. The trio version of “Caravan” is exceptional, raucous and swinging…..Learn More

3rd Set:

8. “Sweet and Sue, Just You” 9. Solemn Meditation 10. I’ve got you under my skin” From the Randy Weston “Solo, Duo and Trio” CD Album.

About Album:

Recorded in New York, New York in April 27, 1954. Originally released on Riverside (2508).

Some of pianist Randy Weston’s earliest recordings are represented on this CD, which combine the contents of a 10″ release with a full LP, both of which appeared originally on Riverside. His drastically different style of playing got critics talking about the influence of Thelonious Monk. The first five tracks feature Weston with bassist Sam Gill and drummer Art Blakey; the somewhat somber interpretation of “Sweet Sue, Just You” almost makes it humorous, but the highlights of the trio session are Weston’s original works. “Pam’s Waltz” is a gently gliding yet unpredictable piece with minimal accompaniment by Gill and Blakey sticking to brushes. “Zulu” is an infectious mid-tempo bop composition that has plenty of twists and turns……Learn More

4th Set:

11. “Fugue de Blues” 12. “Takeela” From the “Introducing Kenny Burrell” 2CD Album.

From Album:

Contains tracks from the sessions that resulted in INTRODUCING KENNY BURRELL (1956) and KENNY BURRELL VOL. 2 (1957), as well as tracks recorded in a 1958 session that had limited release.

Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Ron McMaster.

Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell made his recording debut as a leader on Blue Note Records in 1956 at age 24, and forever changed the state of jazz guitar. This epic two-disc collection gathers that first session and two others from the same year. Burrell displays all the full-bodied, soulful swing for which he would become legendary, and a skillful hand at both standards and his own original tunes. These early sessions show a fully formed stylist who would soon take the jazz world by storm with his smooth, clear sound and unlimited creative virtuosity.

No one session stands out above the rest, although Burrell’s debut, covering all of Disc One, has a special energy. Disc Two, however, is stimulating in its pairing of Burrell in two sessions with either Frank Foster or Hank Mobley. Kenny Burrell’s first recorded chapter is a stellar beginning…..Read More

13. “Take the A Train” From the “Cat on a hot Fiddle” CD Album.

14. “Round Midnight” 15. Ruby my Dear” From “The Essential Thelonious Monk ” CD Album.

And Again:

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A Mini-Jazz special with variety in mind

October 18, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

I’ve been concentrating all my effort on my tribute to Lee Morgan and the “Lee Morgan Project” and veered off my Jazz specials. So to get the listeners back on track, I made a quick mini-Jazz special. I am featuring FOUR Sets of different styles to sort of satisfy everyone and more importantly, to prove that there is a place for those who feel Jazz is not really their kind of music. These are just 4 different sounds but I will feature more variations in the future.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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1st Set:

Start: Charles Mingus “Blue Cee” 1. “Fuji” 2. “Picadillo” 3. “Unidos” From the CD Album “El Sonido Nuevo- The New Sound.”

More on Album:

Latin jazz titans Eddie Palmieri (piano) and Cal Tjader (vibraphone) join forces on this thoroughly enjoyable session of south-of-the-border post-bop. Entitled EL SONIDO NUEVO, this 1966 release finds Tjader and Palmieri blending hot Latin styles (there are echoes of mambo, and foretastes of salsa) with the cool timbres and feel then popular in West Coast jazz. Despite relentless Latin grooves by the percussionists, and Palmieri’s fiery playing–in which he incorporates guajira (a meter-shifting Cuban folk dance) and compasa (Cuban hill chants), among other styles–the proceedings have a smooth, almost lounge-like feel.

This is attributable largely to the languid, shimmering sound of Tjader’s vibes, and the slick, focused production. Still, the band swings intently on such rhythmically complex numbers as “Ritmo Uni” and Tito Puente’s “Picadillo.” The title track, which has Tjader and Palmieri building luminous lines while the percussion creates a net of dense rhythms, sounds like something Bill Evans might have dreamed while on vacation in Havana. The Verve reissue of EL SONIDO NUEVO includes six bonus tracks from BREEZE FROM THE EAST and ALONG COMES CAL, two other ’60s Tjader dates, making this classic Latin jazz package an especially good bet……Read More

2nd Set:

4. “Everything Happens to Me” 5. “Kary’s Trance” 6. “Sweet and Lovely” From the “Inside Hi-Fi ” CD Album.

About Album:

This excellent recording (part of their 1987 Jazzlore series) features altoist Lee Konitz with two separate quartets during 1956. Either guitarist Billy Bauer or pianist Sal Mosca are the main supporting voices in groups also including either Arnold Fishkind or Peter Ind on bass and Dick Scott on drums. The most unusual aspect to the set is that on the four selections with Mosca, Konitz switches to tenor, playing quite effectively in a recognizable cool style……Read More

Biography on Lee Konitz:

Born :

October 13, 1927 in Chicago, IllinoisSaxophonist Lee Konitz rose to fame in the 1940s by being the only alto saxophonist who played in a style that wasn’t strongly influenced by the bebop of Charlie Parker. But Konitz’ reputation was not limited that of a contrarian. From his early days with pianist Lennie Tristano and saxophonist Warne Marsh, he proved himself as an innovator who sought new ways to approach harmony, melody, and rhythm in his improvisation. He has performed actively since, and now in his 80s, he remains one of the foremost jazz saxophonists.

Swinging Influences:

As a child, Lee Konitz was drawn to the sounds of clarinetist Benny Goodman’s big band, whose swing music filled the radio waves in the 1930s. Konitz began playing the clarinet, but later switched to tenor saxophone. At age 18, he began playing in a Chicago dance band led by clarinetist Jerry Wald, who offered him the job on the condition that he would switch to alto saxophone.

To Bop or Not to Bop:

Around this time, Konitz also met Lennie Tristano, the pianist who would later help propel the young alto player’s career. He also played a briefly in Claude Thornhill’s big band, in which he was exposed to the harmonies of arranger Gil Evans. Tristano, Thornhill, and Evans each played a part in the development of “cool jazz,” which was defined by its subtlety and introspectiveness, setting it apart from bebop.

New York:

In 1949, before his 22nd birthday, Konitz moved to New York to pursue a performance career. At this point, bebop was reaching its peak, with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and others playing breakneck tempos and melodic lines brimming with intensity. Konitz performed music of a different sort……Learn More

3rd Set:

7. “Tenderly” 8. “And I Love Him” 9. “Round Midnight” From the “Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival” CD Album.

About Album:

Sarah Vaughan was approximately three decades into her career when she stepped onto the stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 1971 and still at the top of her game. Her voice swoops, sways and swings; it’s a veritable roller coaster of pitch, tone and tempo, and Vaughan is in complete control of her instrument at all times. The voice is weightier than it was during her early days, but having recently taken a few years off from recording it was primed and ready for the remarkable push Vaughan was prepared to give it. Backed by the very capable trio of Bill Mays on piano (Vaughan introduces him as Willie Mays), Bob Magnusson on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, Vaughan wastes no time showing why she always appears on the short list of jazz’s greatest singers: On “I Remember You” she takes command of the rhythm and bends it to her will; it’s impossible not to fall within her spell instantaneously. Vaughan must know she’s on a roll because midway through the song she lets out a “Whoo!” that one might expect to hear from an audience member rather than the singer herself. “There Will Never Be Another You,” taken at a breakneck pace, gives the band ample opportunity to blow, and Vaughan stays just far enough ahead to lead the way — at times it sounds as if she will leave them in the dust………Read More

Sarah Vaughan Biography:

Synopsis

Sarah Vaughan was a jazz vocalist who sang in her church choir and then won an amateur contest at the famed Apollo Theatre in 1942. By the mid-1940s, she was appearing on television variety show, soon known by the nickname “Sassy.” She had a three octave range and is regarded as one of the greatest of all jazz singers. She was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame the same year she died, 1990.

Profile

(born March 27, 1924, Newark, N.J., U.S.—died April 3, 1990, Hidden Hills, Calif.) American jazz vocalist and pianist known for her rich voice, with an unusually wide range, and for the inventiveness and virtuosity of her improvisations.

Vaughan was the daughter of amateur musicians. She began studying piano and organ at age seven and sang in the church choir. After winning an amateur contest at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theatre in 1942, she was hired as a singer and second pianist by the Earl Hines Orchestra. A year later she joined the singer Billy Eckstine‘s band, where she met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Vaughan’s singing style was influenced by their instruments—“I always wanted to imitate the horns.” Gillespie, Parker, and Vaughan recorded “Lover Man” together in 1945…….Learn More

10. “Empty Pockets” 11. “Alone and I.” From the “Takin’ Off” CD Album.

About Album:

TAKIN’ OFF was Herbie Hancock’s first album as a leader. The 1996 reissue of TAKIN’ OFF adds alternate takes of “Watermelon Man,” “Three Bags Full” and “Empty Pockets.”

TAKIN’ OFF (1962), Herbie Hancock’s debut as a leader, holds up exceptionally well decades after its release, even in light of the vast, eclectic, and excellent solo catalogue that followed. Still in the thick of his groundbreaking work with Miles Davis, Hancock had already established himself as a pianist and composer of the first order, and those qualities shine on TAKIN’ OFF. Flanked by superb personnel….Read More

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Highlights of Charles Mingus “Epitaph”

September 28, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Videos / No Comments

Charles Mingus, one of the most influential jazz composers of our time, died before he could see his magnum opus performed in its entirety. That’s precisely why he called it Epitaph; he says he wrote it for his tombstone.

Mingus passed in 1979, leaving behind not only a remarkable legacy but a mess of compositions, recording, and notes. When Andrew Homzy went in to archive and catalogue everything, he discovered a massive 500-page score that featured 19 movements for 31 musicians. Epitaph was the largest jazz composition ever written at the time, and was finally performed live in 1989 at the Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Eagle Vision presents that 1989 performance, which was recorded live for British television, in its original, retro glory. The concert, which lasts over two hours, begins with an introduction by Sue Mingus, Charles’ wife. Once conductor Gunther Schuller takes the stage, however, Epitaph is played straight through with incredible skill and creativity by an orchestra filled with jazz veterans—including a very young Winton Marsalis.

The music itself is incredibly moving and brilliant. If you’re a fan of Mingus, then you’ll instantly recognize his contrapuntal orchestrations, the gospel hymns, swelling low brass sections, and the occasional spoken word segment. While his music can at times be very challenging and chaotic, Mingus’ tunes can also be very accessible. Epitaph is like a history lesson, not only through Mingus’ personal career, but through jazz itself. He weaves in references to other jazz greats (like in the piece “Monk, Bunk & Vice Versa (Osmotin)”) and even does a full-on cover (he tears apart a version of Jelly Roll Morton’s “Wolverine Blues”). Because there were some large gaps in Mingus’ weathered and confusing composition notes, Schuller tried to fill in the blanks a bit. He works in the Mingus classic “Freedom,” which features the entire orchestra chanting behind the recitation of free verse poetry. The individual compositions, much like Mingus’ music in general, are varied and energetic, yet create a cohesive masterpiece. The performance ends with a three-part improvisation by the entire 31-piece orchestra. Risky stuff, but they pull it off beautifully.

Epitaph has only been performed live a handful of times since it was discovered, and this is the first time that its premiere has ever been released on video. If you’re a fan of Charles Mingus, or jazz in general, this is not to be missed………Learn More

Peggy’s Blue Sky:

Wolverine Blues:

Better Get It In Your Soul:

You can Buy the Two-CD Version of Epitaph here

The Lee Morgan Project (Part Four-Final)

September 23, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

Well, I’ve reached the end of my personal tribute to trumpeter Lee Morgan. This is Part Four and the Final Part of the “Lee Morgan Project.” A chronological presentation of all the albums he produced as a front man. It is an abruptly sad ending and unjustly similar to the sudden end of his life, at the age of 33. Although it was a grueling project with a strong emphasis on detail, the idea that nobody would read the posts and listen to the podcasts, never crossed my mind. All this personal satisfaction on my part and I’m still rather upset with it ending in this manner. I wish I could have produced a part five, six, seven, ect. Lee Morgan has brought meaning to my life and will to anyone else, by just taking one minute to listen. That’s all it took for me.

Lee Morgan was a hard working musician who gave it all he had. He experimented within the innovative boundaries of Jazz and brought out the real meaning to music. Nobody can possibly ignore the monumental effort he gave to improve himself and the ones who jammed with him. He never veered away from the traditional Jazz format but took complete advantage of the improvising allowed and encouraged, by this musical art form. This is the beauty of Jazz and in which Lee Morgan proudly represented. He continued the tradition of all the greats before him and never let them down. This is not only the mark of a great musician but also of a great man. He clearly remained loyal to all Jazz fans with every single note he played. I’m glad I’ve had the golden opportunity to listen to Lee Morgan and wished I would have met him. I would most likely repeat everything I am writing here. I will always continue to expose the magical sounds that Lee Morgan produced with his trumpet and will continue to promote him and the music he presented known as JAZZ.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window

1st Set:(1967) 1. “God Bless The Child” and 2. “Somewhere” From the “Standards” CD Album.

About the CD:

It’s hard to picture Lee Morgan daintily stepping through the changes to cocktail-hour versions of “My Funny Valentine” or “Misty.” Fortunately, that’s not what he’s doing here. A lot of thought went into this session, which nevertheless remained in the Blue Note vaults from the time of its recording in 1967 until 1998. Duke Pearson’s arrangements play Morgan’s trumpet off of a reed section of James Spaulding, Wayne Shorter and Pepper Adams, which is in turn supported by the no-slouch rhythm section of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Mickey Roker.

Morgan and Pearson may not have had Miles Davis’ capacity to bring Broadway tunes into the jazz repertoire for good, but they did succeed in choosing songs of various vintages……Read More

3. “The Mercenary” and 4. “The Stroker” From the “Sonic Boom” CD Album.

About this Album:

Sonic Boom was not released until 1979 and then remained in print only for a brief time before eventually being reissued years later. In addition to the great trumpeter Lee Morgan and a fine rhythm section (pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Higgins), the well-rounded set is a bit special for it allows the often R&B-associated tenor David “Fathead” Newman an opportunity to stretch out in a more challenging setting than usual. Highlights include the funky “Fathead,” the complex “Sneaky Pete,” Morgan’s lyricism on “I’ll Never Be the Same,” and the infectious rhythms on “Mumbo Jumbo.” This is an undeservedly obscure session…….Learn More

5. “Dear Sir” and 6. “Soft Touch” From the “Procrastinator” CD Album.

About the Album:

This is part of Blue Note’s Limited Edition Connoisseur series.

The fact that THE PROCRASTINATOR is a shade more atmospheric than other Morgan recordings from this period can be attributed to several factors. For one, the presence of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes gives Morgan new colors to work with as a composer, which he does to great effect on the title cut. The title cut features an elegiac opening statement reminiscent of the Modern Jazz Quartet; the tune ultimately yields to a sort of long-form variation on the blues. Another factor is the continued involvement of Wayne Shorter as a composer on Morgan’s dates. Shorter’s two contributions, the ballad “Dear Sir” and the bossa “Rio” share a questioning, ambiguous quality that draws the trumpeter into a more introspective zone.

Elsewhere, however, Morgan is still his confident and exuberant self…..Read More

2nd Set:7. “Psychedelic” and 8. “Anti Climax” From the “Sixth Sense” CD Album.

About this Album:

This rare Lee Morgan Blue Note date from 1968 is one of the few discs by the legendary trumpeter that didn’t see a large following when it was originally released. Unlike the colossal THE SIDEWINDER, this session is subtler in its approach to the funky sounds that Morgan had ushered into existence a few years earlier. Still, the masterful playing of stars like Morgan, Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, and Billy Higgins, coupled with some exceptionally creative tunes, make this a worthwhile jewel in the Lee Morgan treasure chest. Also significant is the rare appearance of tenor man Frank Mitchell, who had appeared briefly with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.

Morgan and company set the groove early with the bossa nova-tinged title track. Higgins swings hard on Morgan’s “Short Count,” which gives the trumpeter and his guests plenty of breathing room for some healthy solos……Read More

(1968) 9. “Haeschen” and 10. “Taru, what’s wrong with you” From the “Taru” CD Album.

About Album (Limited Info):

Trumpeter Lee Morgan performs two funky boogaloos, a ballad, and three complex group originals on this album whose music was first released in 1980. This is a transitional date with the hard bop stylist leaning in the direction of modal music and even anticipating aspects of fusion. His sextet (which includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, guitarist George Benson, pianist John Hicks, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Higgins) is quite advanced for the period and inspires Morgan to some fiery and explorative playing….Read More

11. “Caramba” and 12. Helen’s Ritual”

About Album:

Lee Morgan is regarded as one of the great trumpet players of his era, with a style that combined the dexterity and precision of Gillespie with the minimalism of Miles Davis. Having started playing professionally at the tender age of 15, Morgan spent the rest of his short life playing hard bop with the best in the business. During his two tenures with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Morgan refined his playing style and composing prowess even further, and when they parted in 1965, Morgan was free to blaze his own trails.

These six songs were recorded by a 29-year-old Morgan in May 1968, one month after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Four years later, Morgan’s life was also cut short by a bullet. Backed by a prodigiously talented, intuitive band, whose work shines on CARAMBA, Morgan shows his mastery as a soloist. The title track is an extended vamp that showcases the marvelous interplay between Morgan and his band…..Read More

3rd Set:(1970) Introduction 13. “Speedball” 14. “Neophilia” and 15. “Aon” From the “Live at the Lighthouse” 3CD Album.

About Album:

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California in 1970.

As Lee himself points out in his on–tape introduction to these three nights of live recording for Blue Note Records, the band had no plans to play anything Lee had already recorded, because, as Morgan mutters, “It just wouldn’t make any sense.” This sprawling three-CD set does, in the end, include a version of “The Sidewinder,” as well as “Speedball,” an uptempo blues from Lee’s album THE GIGOLO, with Jack DeJohnette guesting. But even these tunes are rendered in a more abstract fashion than the way they were originally recorded, and on the balance of the material here you can feel the effects of the decade loud and clear.

Solos lean towards the exploratory and the cathartic, with the result that no tune clocks in under eleven minutes, and bassist Jymie Merritt’s “Absolutions” pushes well past the twenty minute mark……..Read More

About the Album:

The Last Session is the fascinating final chapter in the recording career of Lee Morgan (1938-1972). Formerly a double album set known simply as Lee Morgan, this September 1971 date captures the trumpeter in a most unusual octet setting with seemingly opposing personalities. Morgan and company tackle five long, modally-based songs here and while it’s not always satisfying, compelling sounds and styles are explored throughout (most memorably from tenor man Billy Harper). Harper’s “Capra Black” opens the disc in a Coltrane-like modal/free context. Morgan, tenor man Billy Harper and trombonist Grachan Moncur III solo individually and collectively, while pianist Harold Mabern lays down Tyneresque chordal vamps. Harper shines brightest here, but Morgan fans will welcome the familiarity of the trumpeter’s and pianist’s solos. Morgan returns to more familiar modal ground on Mabern’s 16-minute “In What Direction Are You Headed?,” the album’s best track. Flautist Bobbi Humphrey, sounding a little too much like Hubert Laws with less personality, is introduced here and Mabern does his thing appealingly on electric piano. Here, Morgan is in his element and plays well to prove it. Moncur and Harper also take long, worthwhile solos……Read More

Listen to the Podcast Here, Enjoy!

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Part One:

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Part Two:

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Part Three:

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The Lee Morgan Project (Part Three)

September 2, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

In just two years, 1965 and 1966, Lee Morgan recorded 7 albums and of course, they were all great. Having Billy Higgins as his drummer more frequently improved and propelled him further. Wayne Shorter and Jackie Mclean also helped with this new sound which combined with many others helped listeners to focus more on the mid 60′s movement. Times were changing and Lee Morgan along with his ensembles were a big part of it. The transformation from Hard Bop had begun just a couple of years earlier and Lee Morgan’s influence popularize and propelled this new hip sound further on to permanently iron it into music history. There were other great musicians involved also but Lee Morgan was a great component, he helped keep Jazz on its feet and with superior dignity through the rest of the decade.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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1st Set:

( 1965) 1. “Edda” and 2. “Venus di Mildew” From the “The Rumproller” CD Album.

About Album:

Hardbop trumpet doyen Lee Morgan knew a good thing when it hit him over the head, so when the title track from his 1963 album THE SIDEWINDER became a sleeper smash inaugurating a whole wave of soul jazz boogaloo, he was smart enough to come up with an album along the same lines, thus releasing THE RUMPROLLER.

Picking up right where its famed predecessor left off, RUMPROLLER offers a similar blend of percolating, hard-driving, R&B-derived grooves, occasional Latin rhythmic touches, and harmonically straightforward riffing. A thousand jazzers got on board the SIDEWINDER gravy train in the ’60s, but nobody did it better than the originator, which becomes clear upon listening to him lay into the steady-cooking title track as well as the poignant Billie Holiday homage “The Lady.”….Read More

3. “Yes I can, No you can’t” and 4. “you go to my head” From “The Gigolo” CD Album.

About the Album:

More quintessential hard bop from one of the genre’s leading figures at the height of his considerable powers as a composer and trumpeter. Morgan had just returned to solo work a year earlier after his second stint with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers; in 1965 the trumpeter also released CORNBREAD and THE RUMPROLLER and did numerous sessions as a sideman. Morgan composed the title track, and three others including the Coots/Gillespie ballad “You Go To My Head” round things out.

“Yes I Can, No You Can’t” opens with the rhythm section laying down a churning vamp; the horns enter with a typical Morgan statement, funky, swaggering and confident. “Speedball” is a bebop-style blues, but more relaxed, with a secondary theme appearing in the third chorus of the head. “Trapped,” a modified minor blues, is more urgent, while “The Gigolo” is a brooding and majestic jazz waltz more evocative of a bullfight than of the ballroom. Throughout, the ensemble work is tight and the solos crackle with passion and joy……Read More

2nd Set:

5. “Cornbread” and 6. “Ceora” From the “Cornbread” CD Album.

About Album:

CORNBREAD offers a typical mid-’60s Morgan set of four originals and a standard. “Most Like Lee” is a straight-ahead minor blues swinger, while the title cut is a swaggering 20-bar blues workout for the three horns that owes as much to Horace Silver’s down-home gospel-inflected composing as it does to tunes like Morgan’s own hit “The Sidewinder.” Altoist Jackie McLean lays out for “Ceora,” a bossa nova with a bop-inflected melody and a beautifully stealthy set of changes. “Our Man Higgins” is, not surprisingly, a drum feature for Billy Higgins that splits the difference between modal blowing and the blues when it comes to the solos.

The band’s take on Koehler and Arlen’s “Ill Wind” is an artful piece of laziness, a bluesy yet carefully arranged ballad with Morgan blowing muted trumpet throughout. The amazing thing about the Blue Note era is that it produced recordings like CORNBREAD as a matter of course. …...Read More

7. “Miss Nettie B.” and 8. “Zip Code” From the “Infinity” CD Album.

Unlike some labels, Blue Note doesn’t need to cobble together alternate takes, false starts or second-rate sessions to put out previously unheard material. With prolific artists like Morgan, the label recorded more than they could ever practically issue in any given year. As a result, over thirty years later, sessions like INFINITY surface. Like many other Morgan albums from the same period, it features Jackie McLean on alto and Billy Higgins on drums, compositions by Morgan (and one by McLean), and was recorded in one day at Van Gelder studios. In other words, it was conceived as a real release from the outset.

In addition to Reggie Workman on bass, INFINITY also features the lesser-known Larry Willis on piano, who injects a healthy dose of down-home stylings into the alternately funky and cerebral writing. There are no forced efforts at another radio hit here: “Miss Nettie B.” is the blues as drifting summer wind and “Infinity” provides room to stretch out, freed, in the words of Roy Chernus’ liner notes, “from the fearsome melodic saturation and often maze-like harmonic complexity epitomized by Charlie Parker…”……Read More

3rd Set:

(1966) 9. “Zambia” and 10. “Nite-Flite” From the “Delightfulee” CD Album.

About the Album:

As Lee Morgan’s career moved from hard and post-bop to soul-jazz, Delightfulee serves as a further bridge in a half-and-half fashion. Four of the seven cuts feature his potent quintet with a young and emerging tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson, as his front line mate, McCoy Tyner ever brilliant on piano, and Billy Higgins firing up the rhythm as only the drummer could. The remainder of the date consists of tracks orchestrated by Oliver Nelson featuring an 11-piece ensemble. There are two selections that feature versions of compositions with both configurations. “Zambia” is a post-bop classic in Morgan’s repertoire, sporting a memorable, concise, no-nonsense melody line punctuated by Tyner’s piano chords, but in big-band style, it is full and rich, maybe too much so. The easy, deep waltz “Delightful Deggie,” may benefit from the orchestration. Wayne Shorter is the featured tenor on the larger group tracks, while saxophonists Danny Bank and Phil Woods (both doubling on flute, a rarity for Woods),trombonist Tom McIntosh, tuba player Don Butterfield,and French Horn icon James Buffington supply the depth. The drummer for the big-and cuts is Philly Joe Jones, and again, is quite a contrast to the smoother Higgins…..Read More

11. “Somethin’ Cute” and 12. “Sweet Honey Bee” From the “Charisma” CD Album.

About Album:

Yet another mid-’60s Blue Note album that makes a coherent artistic statement despite personnel that reads like an all-star blowing date. Jackie McLean (alto), Hank Mobley (tenor) and Cedar Walton (piano) were all bandleaders in their own right; bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins were as in demand as any sidemen of the day (for that matter, Morgan played on countless record dates as a sideman himself, including several of Mobley’s sessions). Nevertheless, this sextet hangs together like a veteran unit, playing with wit, fire and enthusiasm throughout.

CHARISMA features four of the trumpeter’s tunes, all solid, but the two standout cuts are Walton’s ballad “Rainy Night” and “Sweet Honey Bee,” composed by Blue Note pianist and sometime A&R man Duke Pearson. Morgan lays back and leans forward, stuttering and double-timing his way through the serpentine chord progression of Pearson’s tightly-knit, bluesy little gem, while Higgins’ creativity provides a shimmering, ever-shifting context for all three soloists…..Read More

13. “A Pilgrim’s funny Farm” and “What now my love?” From “The Rajah” CD Album.

About Album:

This long-lost Lee Morgan session was not released for the first time until it was discovered in the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna in 1984; it has still not been reissued on CD. Originals by Cal Massey, Duke Pearson (“Is That So”) and Walter Davis, in addition to a couple of surprising pop tunes (“What Not My Love” and “Once in My Lifetime”) and Morgan’s title cut, are well-played by the quintet (which includes the trumpeter/leader, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Billy Higgins). Much of the music is reminiscent of The Jazz Messengers and that may have been the reason that it was lost in the shuffle for Morgan was soon investigating modal-oriented tunes…..Read More

Here’s the Podcast ENJOY!

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Here’s Part Four:

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Part Two:

…….this podcast here will deal with the seven albums he recorded from 1960 to 1964. There are three sets in total and all the information is below…….Go to Link

And Part One:

……….. I have named it “The Lee Morgan Project.” This here particular post and podcast will be Part One and concentrates on his first 8 albums. It ranges from 1956 to 1958. He was very talented, as Blue Note records took a chance on him at the ripe age of 18……Go to Link

The Irene Tropical Storm Music Special

August 28, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / Comments Off

It is a little after 5 A.M and Hurricane Irene will be landing on top of New York City in about 4 to 6 hours. It has been losing speed and will be considered a Tropical Storm when it enters New York harbor. Nevertheless, it is packing a big punch and will have a strong storm surge, so flooding is inevitable. The streets of “the city that never sleeps” are completely empty now and will remain like this for about 24 hours more. Meanwhile, I have prepared a podcast for everyone, in the path of this monster and also for those that have been fortunate enough to avoid it. Let’s hope there is minimal damage for all that have been affected. Good Luck to all! Here’s the podcast, a compilation of Classic Jazz, Classic Afro-Cuban Jazz and Pure Cuban Music:

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“Con Alma” with “Manteca” from Denmark 1970

August 20, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Videos / Comments Off

These two videos are from a 1970 Dizzy Gillespie concert in Denmark. It’s one of many great DVD’s of “Live” performances from Jazz Icons. This one is split into two separate recordings, 1958 and 1970. Purchase it here

Sample Liner Notes by Ira Gitler: I started listening to jazz as a pre-teen in the Swing era, schooled by my older brother and surrounded by the sounds (through records and radio) and images (through movies and theater stage shows) of the big bands. I remember the buzz Benny Goodman’s band created with their appearance at the New York Paramount in March of 1937. It was the talk of our dinner table. I was 8 years old.

By the end of 1938, at 10, my favorite was Count Basie, with Jimmie Lunceford a close second. Our record collection continued to grow and we had recordings from Harry James and Charlie Barnet to Erskine Hawkins and Edgar Hayes, as well as the very popular Cab Calloway. Two of those Calloway recordings, “Bye Bye Blues” and “A Bee Gezindt” had solos by Dizzy Gillespie, but I didn’t become aware of this until after I discovered him in 1945.

As I was already heavily involved with jazz by this time, I can’t say that Dizzy Gillespie radically changed my life, but he strongly reinforced the direction I was going. Like many young musicians and fans of my generation, I embraced the music of Gillespie and Charlie Parker. I had already planned on a career as a writer, but this new passion brought it all into focus—I wanted to write about jazz. In 1946 my first jazz piece for my high school newspaper was centered on Gillespie’s appearance at the Spotlite Club on West 52nd Street.

Dizzy had already announced himself to the jazz world at large in 1945 at the Three Deuces on that very same 52nd Street when he and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker led a quintet that changed the course not only of jazz, but music around the world. The recordings they made together in that time spread the message beyond the audiences of New York……Learn More

“Con Alma” which means “With Soul” was composed by Dizzy Gillespie

“Con Alma” 1970:

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“Manteca” was co-written by Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo in 1947. It was one of the first examples of world music and Afro-Cuban influences being incorporated into mainstream jazz.

“Manteca” 1970:

The Lee Morgan Project (Part Two)

August 4, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

Welcome back, I hope you enjoyed Part one of this “The Lee Morgan Project.” If you missed it here is the link. Please remember, this multi-part project is being done in chronological order and this podcast here will deal with the seven albums he recorded from 1960 to 1964. There are three sets in total and all the information is below. The podcast is an extension to this post itself. The purpose of the podcast is to give you a taste of the music in these albums. All the information about the albums is located below and go in conjuntion with the podcast. Thank you for visiting the Cubanology Media Blog and enjoy!

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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1st set

(1960) 1. “Terrible T “(Take 6) and 2. “Mogie” (Take 2) From the “Here’s Lee Morgan” 2 CD Album.

More on Album:

This CD reissue has its original six songs expanded to 11 with the inclusion of five alternate takes. The music is good solid hard bop that finds Lee Morgan (already a veteran at age 21) coming out of the Clifford Brown tradition to display his own rapidly developing style. Matched with Clifford Jordan on tenor, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey, Morgan‘s album could pass for a Jazz Messengers set….Visit Link

(1960) 3. “These Are Soulful Days” and 4. “Nakatini Suite” From the “Lee-Way” CD Album.

More on Album:

In the 1960′s hard-bop sweepstakes, one of Freddie Hubbard’s true rivals was Lee Morgan. The late Morgan was known for his brassy, searing style, but he could be tender and lyrical as well. Recorded in 1960 (significantly before Morgan’s success with THE SIDEWINDER), LEE-WAY is in many ways one of the most quintessential hard bop discs ever recorded. The band is incredible, practically an edition of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: Blakey on drums, Bobby Timmons’s earthy piano, Jackie McLean’s acidic, fluid alto saxophone, and Miles Davis’s bassist Paul Chambers. This is primo, driving hard bop, with slight overtones of the era’s soul-jazz sound…..Visit Link

(1960) 5. “Easy Living” and 6. “The Hearing” From the “Expoobident” CD Album.

More on Album:

This reissue contains only the second session of the two that were previously issued as the Le Jazz/Charly (39) release of EXPOOBIDENT. This edition lists that session as being recorded on October 14, 1960 whereas the previous release states that it was recorded on October 13.

Recorded in New York, New York on February 2, 1960 and in Chicago, Illinois on October 13, 1960. Includes liner notes by Brian Priestley.

Although not one of his better known albums, Lee Morgan’s EXPOOBIDENT is a strong outing in the still-early stages of the trumpeter’s career. The oddly titled session, originally recorded for the Vee Jay label, is an excellent showcase for Morgan’s developing style as one of the premier hard bop trumpeters. Also on the date are other heavy-duty boppers like the big-toned tenor man Clifford Jordan, bassist Art Davis, the great Art Blakey on drums, and the underrated pianist Eddie Higgins. The young Morgan is the central figure, however, and smartly displays his wares in swinging fashion.

Morgan sports a tighter focus to his approach on this date, reigning in his usual over-the-top blowing reserved for Blakey’s Jazz Messenger sessions. His soloing is melodic, crisp, and neatly controlled for the most part. This makes for some shining passages that clearly illustrate the trumpeter’s major contribution………Read More

2nd Set:

(1962) 7. “Raggedy Ann” 8. “A Waltz for Fran” From the “Take Twelve” CD Album.

More on Album:

Get this recording just for Louis Hayes’ cooking hi-hat work on the opening cut “Raggedy Ann.” Following the head, Morgan prowls around the confines of the groove, poking this way and that, then finally releasing into a straight-ahead swing feel after four taut choruses. “Lee-Sure Time” has a similar brooding quality, with stark trumpet and tenor harmonies that evoke the Jazz Messengers–no surprise, considering this is the first album Morgan made after a stint with Blakey that ran from 1958 to 1961.

Saxophonist Clifford Jordan contributes “Little Spain,” a jazz waltz with a sunny disposition that gets propulsive treatment, particularly during pianist Barry Harris’ solo. Morgan’s 3/4-time contribution, “A Waltz For Fran,” is decidedly moodier, with brushwork from Hayes coloring the trumpeter’s melancholy throughout. With Elmo Hope’s serpentine title track and the closer, Morgan’s “Second’s Best” both swinging hard in minor keys, TAKE TWELVE qualifies as vintage early-’60s hard bop…..Read More

(1963) 9. “The Sidewinder” and 10. “Hocus Pocus” From “The Sidewinder” CD Album.

More on Album:

Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track, The Sidewinder helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan’s compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on “Totem Pole,” where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow…….Link

This album could be the separation and the beginning of a new era for Jazz. Because it was recorded in 1963, I don’t know of any other Jazz Band that was playing anything like this. Sidewinder opened up a new avenue for Jazz musician to take but it it doesn’t divert from the pass. It simply added another element to Hard Bop. It is clearly there and is not overshadowed. Joe Henderson and Billy Higgins should receive as much credit as Lee Morgan, who composed the whole record. The unselfish ingenuity and complete cooperation between them all to work together as one, made it possible for their success in creating a classic album.

(1964) 11. “Melancholee” and “Morgan the Pirate” From the “The Search for a New Land” CD Album.

More on the Album:

This is not one of Lee Morgan’s best known records but it is one of hisbest. Such was the commercial success of ‘The Sidewinder’ that Blue Notewanted more of the same, and this set, the next chronologically, wasshelved for nearly two years, while a ‘Sidewinder sequel’ entitled ‘TheRumproller’ was hurried through to capitilise on the former’s success withanother danceable funky opener to grab commercial notoriety.Unfortunately, although ‘The Rumproller’ is quite good, it was toocontrived to ever be in the same league as its predecessor, In some ways,Morgan was always plagued by ‘The Sidewinders’ success and the desire torepeat it in years to come.
‘Search For The New land’ on the other handwas a departure for Morgan, and all the more refreshing for it. The albumsees him expanding his repetoire in terms of both writing and soloingbeyond the big brash catchy hard bop soloing he was known for on his bestwork with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and ‘The Sidewinder’ What it lacksin immediacy and excitement, is made up for in more creative and variedmaterial and great musicianship.
Morgan clearly benefitted also herefrom a great line up supporting him. The sound is immediately differentfrom previous recordings, most obviously because of the inclusion of aguitarist in Grant Green, who excels throughout; while the combination ofthe more eclectic Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock avoids any hint of hardbop cliche or predictibilty……Learn More

(1964) 13. “Tom Cat” and 14. “Twilight Mist” From the “Tom Cat” CD Album.

More on Album:

Tom Cat continues Music Matter’s program of re-releasing generally unavailable Blue Note sessions from the 1950s and 1960s on 45-rpm vinyl double albums. As Michael Cuscuna explains in the liner notes from the original 1980 release, Tom Cat was the victim of trumpeter Lee Morgan’s unexpected crossover hit with The Sidewinder (Blue Note, 1964), which made the pop 100 charts. In the wake of this success, Tom Cat, recorded in August 1964, was shelved in favor of returning to the studio in hopes of replicating The Sidewinder‘s popular soul- and blues-tinged formula. As so often happened at Blue Note, Tom Cat didn’t see the light of day until nearly two decades later.

The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD labels Tom Cat and many other post-The Sidewinder efforts by Morgan as little more than knockoffs—formulaic productions meant only to score another pop smash. The fact that this album was recorded before The Sidewinder‘s unforeseen success is enough to make that critique something less than credible. But if doubt remains, jazz lovers need only listen to the music. For not only can it be argued that Tom Cat beats its more famous older sibling at its own groove-steady game (“Twice Around,” the album’s third track, is a hard bop blower as powerful as anything Morgan ever put on record), but it’s also more varied, most notably in the inclusion of pianist McCoy Tyner‘s ballad “Twilight Mist.” For all its glory, The Sidewinder has but one, hard-blowing mode.

Tom Cat kicks off with the title track, a masculine musical prowl laid out in deep register by Tyner. Its insistent stair-step pattern could serve as the underpinnings of a collegiate fight song, which it nearly becomes when Tyner is joined by a chorus of horns. Morgan then takes the lead, blowing a typically lively trumpet that takes the cat out of his cadence and into more playful abandon, while never losing the forceful, testosterone drive. And with each new soloist, the creature relocates his strut, then takes it into some new, open playground…..Read More

Here’s the Podcast:

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Back to Part One:Click on Image to the Lee Morgan Project “Part One or go here

Part Three:

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Part Four-Final:

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The Lee Morgan Project (Part One)

July 17, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

Since Lee Morgan is my favorite Jazz Trumpet player, I have organized a multi-part series of podcasts.This is my personal tribute to him and I have named it “The Lee Morgan Project.” This here particular post and podcast will be Part One and concentrates on his first 8 albums. It ranges from 1956 to 1958. He was very talented, as Blue Note records took a chance on him at the ripe age of 18. He died at the young age of 33 in New York City when he was shot dead in a club where he was performing. It was the beginning of a new era in music when we lost him, the 70′s were here and he was making his transformation into a new sound. We only were able to get a tiny taste of it and it was strong. One thing is for sure, he was a traditionalist and he would had never abandoned his roots like many other artist did. He did manage to record 30 albums in his short career and this the “Lee Morgan Project” will serve as an introduction to all. I hope everyone will realize how great he was but I’m sure you will.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window

Here’s Lee Morgan’s biography:

Lee Morgan was a stalwart of the driving jazz-meets-funk-meets-blues grooves produced by Blue Note in the 1960′s. A flashy player of enormous technique and invention, he became the natural successor to Clifford Brown, emerging on the jazz scene shortly after Brownie’s death in 1956. Morgan quickly developed his own style, fusing classic bebop motifs with more modern rhythms, harmonies and melodies. Born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1938, he began his trumpet studies with a private instructor, and continued them at Mastbaum High School for the Arts, where he also played the alto horn. A fan of jazz from an early age, he was exposed to a wide variety of live music in the vibrant Philadelphia music scene, which had produced such notables as John Coltrane, Benny Golson, the Heath brothers, and many others……. Read More

1st Set (6 Songs):
(1956) 1. ” Reggie of Chester” and 2. “The Lady” From the Lee Morgan “Indeed!” CD Album

More on this Album:

A gem of an early album from Lee Morgan – quite different than his work as a leader for the Savoy label during the same period! Although Morgan’s only a wee lad at the time, the album’s got an incredible sense of warmth and imagination – one that’s steeped in lessons learned from Horace Silver and Art Blakey, and played with a style that’s as richly expressive as it is soulful – a no-nonsense, no-tricks approach to the trumpet…..Read More

(1956) 3. “Bet” and 4. “P.S. I Love You” From the “Introducing Lee Morgan” CD Album

Young upstart Lee Morgan was earning his chops in Dizzy Gillespie’s big band (the cover shows Morgan playing the famous “tilted trumpet”) at the time of this recording. While his style was not yet fully formed here, Morgan dazzles with his stream of inventive ideas. On uptempo numbers, such as the opener “Hank’s Shout,” he alternates staccato bursts with eighth-note runs, and punctuates with subtle swing figures and mild shifts in dynamics. On slower numbers, like “P.S. , I Love You,” “That’s All” and “Easy Living,” he displays a rich, open tone and a gentle handling of melody…..Learn More

(1957) 5. “Whisper Not” and 6. “Where Am I” From “The Lee Morgan Sextet Vol 2” CD Album

More from the CD:

Recorded in 1956, LEE MORGAN VOL. 2 was one of the trumpeter’s first dates for Blue Note, and shows off plenty of the musician’s chops (which were especially formidable given Morgan’s tender age at the time). The hard-swinging personnel includes Horace Silver on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Hank Mobley on tenor, Charlie Persip on drums, and Kenny Rodgers on alto, and the compositions, penned primarily by Benny Golson, are engaging, accessible post-bop of the first rank. The Rudy Van Gelder remastering on the CD reissue makes it especially sweet…..Learn More

7.“I Remember Clifford” and 8.“Tip-Toeing” From the Lee Morgan “Vol 3” CD Album.

About the CD:

This 1957 session from trumpeter Lee Morgan, which dates among his earliest recordings for Blue Note, is an excellent post-bop album. The compositions by Benny Golson (who also plays tenor on the date) are streamlined and accessible, yet are still complex and full of challenging ideas. Morgan shows off his nimble technique, and is ably assisted by Gigi Gryce on alto, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums. The CD reissue of this solid disc, complete with Rudy Van Gelder remastering, is very welcome……Learn More

About the song “I Remember Clifford” (From by Paula Edelstein, All Music.com):

“I Remember Clifford” is a tender ballad written by Benny Golson in 1956 and is a homage to the hard bop jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown. The song pays the composer’s respect to “Brownie” who was killed in a car crash in June 1956 along with pianist Richie Powell, a member of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet. The song appears on over 100 albums and CDs and has been recorded by such jazz luminaries as Stan Getz, Dinah Washington — former bandmember of Clifford Brown — the tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, pianist Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman, Quincy Jones, Arturo Sandoval, and Ernestine Anderson. There are actually two different versions of the song: one an instrumental and one with lyrics added by noted songwriter Jon Hendricks. The latter has been included on at least seven albums since 1959 and tells the story of the warmth of Clifford Brown’s trumpet tones, his phrasings, and the songs he played. The song ends with the composer/lyricist thinking he cannot fathom the trumpeter as departed and will always remember him. The version with lyrics features two verses with chorus and a section for improvising instrumental solos. The instrumental version features sections for an emotive woodwind, brass, or piano and is underscored by a sensitive rhythm section. It is written in standard jazz compositional structure: head in, solo, head out. Later versions of the song include one by Sonny Rollins, an instrumental, included on his 2000 compilation entitled The Best of Sonny Rollins: The Complete RCA Recordings, as well as a vocal rendition by Ernestine Anderson on her 2000 compilation for Concord Jazz entitled Ballad Essentials.

13. “C.T.A” and 14. “Personality” From the “Candy” CD Album

More on the CD:

Recorded on November 18, 1957 & February 2, 1958. Includes liner notes by Robert Levin & Michael Cuscuna.

A seminal figure in the golden age of Blue Note records, Lee Morgan was the definition of the ’50s post-bop trumpet style and sound. His album CANDY from 1958 is a quintissential document of the easy swing and tight ensemble work that was prominant before the onset of hard-bop and free-jazz of the ’60s. Morgan’s nimble lines and smooth sound contrast perfectly with drummer Art Taylor’s jumping solo spots in the opening title track. The bluesy ballad “Since I Fell For You” is just smokey and subtle enough to melt even the coldest heart. Jimmy Heath’s “C.T.A.” and Irving Berlin’s “Who Do You Love, I Hope” are nice-and-quick workouts that find pianist Sonny Clarke and bassist Doug Watkins in perfect sync with Taylor in support of their agil leader. For Sinatra fans, Morgan’s reading of the classic “All The Way” is a beautiful interpretation that would make Old Blue Eyes smile. Overall, this is a golden snapshot of one of the most stylish trumpeters in jazz……Read More

15. “Speak Low” and 16. “Git Go Blues” From the “Peckin’ Time” CD Album

About this Album:

Hank Mobley’s PECKIN’ TIME is a classic bop date featuring heavyweight talent. Besides the obvious abilities of the leader, most notable here is a still very young Lee Morgan on trumpet. The jubilant Morgan, at this time a rising star yet to hit his stride, makes an exquisite partner for the bluesy Mobley, one of the most underrated tenor men in jazz. Rounding out the quintet is the rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and the often-overlooked drummer Charlie Persip.

As the title suggests, PECKIN’ has the spirit of a blowing session with a hefty amount of up-tempo rousers. The bopping opener “High and Flighty” gets things kicking with frenzied ensemble work and hard-blowing solos. The only standard of the set is the classic “Speak Low,” here presented as a bouncing rhumba with exceptionally lyrical contributions by Morgan. The swinging title track and the aptly titled burner “Stretchin’ Out” both offer more opportunities for all to display their wares with plenty of hard bop gusto. Finally, “Git-Go Blues” closes the session with a long, rolling groove that swings hard and deep. Also included are three alternate takes that offer even more blowing and swinging…..Read More

Here’s the Podcast:

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Lee Morgan PART TWOClick on Image and go to “Part Two” or go here

Part Three:

Click on Image

Part Four-Final:

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Herbie and Chick (Video)

July 15, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Videos / No Comments

Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea are two masters of piano and Jazz. Here are three great Duos, one from 1974 and two from 1989. Here are bios of both.

Chick Corea:

From Miles Davis to Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea has collaborated with an amazing amount of talents from the modern era. Born in Massachusetts on June 12, 1941, he began playing the piano at the age of six. By the time he turned 21 he was involved with well known leaders such as Herbie Mann and Blue Mitchell. But it was with Miles, in the late ’60s, that Corea found his most influential early gig. He was part of the Davis unit that created the electric jazz-rock opus, Bitches Brew. Davis’s liberal mind-set regarding jazz’s stylistic parameters gave Corea a green light to follow a multitude of subsequent moves. In the progressive acoustic quartet called Circle he investigated classical influences while still improvising; during this time, he also made superb, meditative solo piano discs. At the start of 1972 he plugged into electric music again, founding Return To Forever, one of fusion’s most popular ensembles. With bassist Stanley Clark and guitarist Al Dimeola, he wooed pop fans with rock rhythms and flashy soloing. His name became known well beyond the usual jazz turf. By the start of the ’80s there was virtually no setting in which the pianist hadn’t worked. Duets with Herbie Hancock and vibist Gary Burton were backed up with the recording of a Mozart concerto. The pianist found himself with a new cadre of players who were on his wavelength, and varied back and forth between his Akoustic and Elektric Bands……Learn More

Herbie Hancock:

Herbie Hancock’s 40-year career as a recording artist is graced by a series of astonishing musical landmarks. Few other musicians of the 20th century have exhibited the wide range of interests and mastery of various genres that this jazz legend has brought to his remarkable body of work. Nonetheless, at the age of 58, Hancock still expresses the kinds of irrepressible curiosity and restless creativity that keep him pushing at the boundaries of modern music.

“At this point in my career,” Hancock says, “I’m much more interested in projects that have the potential to be events, not just records. I want to do something broad-based that has the potential to reach into the life of people in more ways than just their ears.” The wedding of that ambitious artistic vision to his extraordinary musical versatility put Hancock in the perfect position to approach his new Verve recording, Gershwin’s World, a far-reaching tribute to the life and times of the great composer who did so much to popularize the jazz and blues idioms.

“I have always loved Gershwin’s music,” Hancock says. “I want to give respect and tribute to all of George Gershwin’s musical origins. The particular genres that Gershwin chose — classical music, jazz, and pop — are ones that I’ve explored, too.” Featuring performances by vocal superstars Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and Kathleen Battle, and the instrumental contributions of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, pianist Chick Corea, saxophonists Wayne Shorter, James Carter, and Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and bassist Ira Coleman, Gershwin’s World finds Hancock applying his unique piano genius not only to classic songs by Gershwin, but to pieces by contemporaries closely associated with Gershwin — stride piano master James P. Johnson, blues popularizer W. C. Handy, classical composer Maurice Ravel, and jazz giant Duke Ellington…..Read More

1989 Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival.

“Lisa”:

“Leap In”:

This video is from 1974.

“Someday My Prince Will Come”:

A Mini Jazz-Rock Set

June 28, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Podcasts / No Comments

And it’s not totally “All Jazzy”, two songs are more “Bluesy” but then, again, Jazz is the Blues. The other five songs contain much Jazz and coordinate it just right with Rock n’ Roll. They are not heavy metal at all but were performed by rock bands from the 60′s. This 50 plus minute set will bring you memories if you are in your 50′s and 60′s but will help the younger listeners here, with a great insight and blend that has not been duplicated and/or matched, since then. I’m surprised that nobody followed the sound that was created and in which I feature in this set, which are from Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago. There’s a song from a great Rock Band, Traffic that I added also with a plenty of Jazz involved. The other songs have a minimal Jazz in it and are by the Allman Brothers and Janis Joplin. Here are the songs in this mini Jazz-Rock Set Podcast.

Note to all new readers of the Cubanology MediaBlog: All the podcasts are located in the beginning and end of the post. I suggest opening up the podcast by clicking on “Play in new window” so you can scroll through the post itself and visit the links and/or go on with your business and listen in the background. Thank you and enjoy!

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Songs selected for this podcast:

1. “God Bless the Child” From the “Blood Sweat & Tears” CD Album

Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as “BS&T“) is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles. What the band is most known for, from its start, is the fusing of rock, blues, pop music, horn arrangements and jazz improvisation into a hybrid that came to be known as “jazz-rock”. Unlike “jazz fusion” bands, which tend toward virtuostic displays of instrumental facility and some experimentation with electric instruments, the songs of Blood, Sweat & Tears merged the stylings of rock, pop and R&B/soul music with big band, while also adding elements of 20th Century Classical and small combo jazz traditions.

The Al Kooper era

Al Kooper, Jim Fielder, Fred Lipsius, Randy Brecker, Jerry Weiss, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz, and Bobby Colomby formed the original band. The creation of the group was inspired by the “brass-rock” ideas of The Buckinghams and its producer, James William Guercio, as well as the early 1960s Roulette-era Maynard Ferguson Orchestra (according to Kooper’s autobiography).

“Blood, Sweat & Tears” was the name chosen by Al Kooper, inspired after a late-night gig in which Kooper played with a bloody hand.^[1] Kooper was the group’s initial bandleader, having insisted on that position based on his experiences with The Blues Project, his previous band with Steve Katz, which had been organized as an egalitarian collective. Jim Fielder was from Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention and had played briefly with Buffalo Springfield. But undoubtedly, Kooper’s fame as a high-profile contributor to various historic sessions of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and others was the catalyst for the prominent debut of Blood, Sweat & Tears in the musical counterculture of the mid-sixties.^{[citation needed]}

Al, Bobby, Steve & Jim did a few shows as a quartet at the Cafe Au Go Go in New York City in September 1967 opening for Moby Grape . Fred Lipsius then joined the others two months later. A few more shows were played as a quintet, including one at the Fillmore East in New York. Lipsius then recruited the other three, who were New York jazz horn players he knew. The final lineup debuted late November ’67 at The Scene in NYC. The band was a hit with the audience, who liked the innovative fusion of jazz with acid rock and psychedelia. After signing to Columbia Records, the group released perhaps one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the late 1960s, Child Is Father to the Man, featuring the Harry Nilsson song, “Without Her”, and perhaps Kooper’s most memorable blues number, “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”. The album cover was considered quite innovative showing the band members sitting and standing with child-sized versions of themselves. Characterized by Kooper’s penchant for studio gimmickry, the album slowly picked up in sales amidst growing artistic differences between the founding members. Colomby and Katz wanted to move Kooper exclusively to keyboard and composing duties, while hiring a stronger vocalist for the group.^[1]

The music of Blood, Sweat & Tears slowly achieved commercial success alongside similarly configured ensembles such as Chicago and the Electric Flag. Kooper was forced out of the group and became a record producer for the Columbia label, but not before arranging some songs that would be on the next BS&T album. The group’s trumpeters, Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss, also left after the album was released, and were replaced by Lew Soloff and Chuck Winfield. Brecker joined Horace Silver’s band with his brother Michael, and together they eventually formed their own horn-dominated musical outfits, Dreams and The Brecker Brothers. Jerry Weiss went on to start the similarly-styled group Ambergris.

The David Clayton-Thomas era

Colomby and Katz then started looking for singers, considering Stephen Stills and Laura Nyro before deciding upon David Clayton-Thomas, a Canadian singer, born in Surrey, England. Reportedly, folk singer Judy Collins had seen him perform at a New York City club and was so taken and moved by his performance that she told her friends Bobby Colomby and Steve Katz about him (knowing that they were looking for a new lead singer to front the band).^[1] With her prodding, they came to see him perform and were so impressed with him that Clayton-Thomas was offered the role of lead singer in a re-constituted Blood Sweat & Tears. Halligan took up the organ chores and Jerry Hyman joined on trombone. New trumpeters Lew Soloff and Chuck Winfield brought the band up to nine total members……Learn More

2. “Summertime” (Live) Janis Joplin You can find the song (Not Live) here also. Here’s the video of this song:

Biography of Janis Joplin:

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American blues-influenced rock singer and occasional songwriter with a distinctive voice. Joplin released four albums as the front woman for several bands from 1967 to a posthumous release in 1971.

Joplin was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur, Texas. The daughter of Seth Joplin, a worker of Texaco, she had two younger siblings, Michael and Laura. She grew up listening to blues musicians such as Bessie Smith, Odetta, and Big Mama Thornton and singing in the local choir. Joplin graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur in 1960 and went to college at the University of Texas in Austin, though she never completed a degree. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, she was mostly shunned, but found a group of boys who allowed her to tag along. One of those boys, a football player named Grant Lyons, played her the blues for the first time, an old Leadbelly record. Primarily a painter, it was in high school that she first began singing blues and folk music with friends.

Cultivating a rebellious manner that could be viewed as “liberated” – the women’s liberation movement was still in its infancy at this time – Joplin styled herself in part after her female blues heroines, and in part after the beat poets. She left Texas for San Francisco in 1963….Learn More

3. “Introduction” 4. “Does anybody know what time it is” 5. “Question 67 and 68″ From the “Chicago Transit Authority” Album.

Three Legends Together and Live Broadcast

June 2, 2011 / Jose Reyes posted in Live Recordings / No Comments

I thought it was necessary to make a quick live broadcast on my Cubanology Blogtalkradio link of three Jazz legends who managed to play together and live in 1962. They were already in their 60′s but sounded like they were 20 years younger. I suggest everyone to purchase this great CD Album of the “Live” recording they did on August 13th and 15th, here’s more (CDUniverse.com):

From the mid-’50s until Coleman Hawkins’s death in 1969, the tenor-saxophonist frequently teamed up with trumpeter Roy Eldridge to form a potent team. However, Hawkins rarely met altoist Johnny Hodges on the bandstand, making this encounter a special event. Long versions of “Satin Doll,” “Perdido” and “The Rabbit in Jazz” give these three classic jazzmen (who are ably assisted by the Tommy Flanagan Trio) chances to stretch out and inspire each other. The remainder of this CD has Eldridge and Hodges absent while Coleman Hawkins (on “new” versions of “Mack the Knife,” “It’s the Talk of the Town,” “Bean and the Boys” and “Caravan”) heads the quartet for some excellent playing. Timeless music played by some of the top veteran stylists of the swing era. ~ Scott Yanow

Includes 4 tracks from a companion LP, “Hawkins! Alive!”.

Full title: Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At The Village Gate.

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Major Holley (bass), Eddie Locke (drums).

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone, drums); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Eddie Locke (drums)…..Purchase CD Album or Download Version

Learn more about these “Pioneers” of Jazz and listen here to the first three songs:

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