Vinnie Burke - The Vinnie Burke All Stars Year: 1956
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz
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Vinnie Burke - Vinnie Burke's String Jazz Quartet Year: 1957
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz
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I recall as a young heavy metal fan reading about how Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi lost two fingertips in a sheet metal accident. Well, the Godfather of Heavy Metal's got nothing on Vinnie Burke. Burke lost an entire pinky in a munitions factory accident. Originally a violinist, the missing digit directed Burke to switch to double bass. Well, his loss is our gain as he's a mighty fine bassist as evidenced on these albums. He also sometimes plays with unusually instrumented ensembles, which helps keep this mostly cool jazz from being too run of the mill. A couple rather enjoyable albums which were ultimately combined into a single CD.
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (from The Vinnie Burke All Stars)
Grant Green - Gooden's Corner Recording Date: 1961
Release Date: 1980
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
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Grant Green - Oleo Recording Date: 1962
Release Date: 1980
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
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Today is Grant Green's birthday, and that was all the prodding I needed to pull out some GG and let fly. For today, I grabbed the two albums cut with pianist Sonny Clark, and I couldn't imagine a better pair to journey me through some awesome early 60s hard bop/soul jazz. These cats totally swing and I gotta' give some swinging props also to drummer Louis Hayes who helps make these albums among the livelier of Green's sessions. Really, there's nothing but unadulterated musical splendor across these two albums.
Paul Quinchette - The Vice 'Pres' Recording Date: 1951-1952
Release Date: 1954
Style or Subgenre: Mainstream Jazz
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Paul Quinchette - Sequel Year: 1954
Style or Subgenre: Mainstream Jazz
What's in a (nick)name? It was amusing to learn that Paul Quinchette is dubbed "The Vice President" as a sort or musical mini-Me to his more famous contemporary, Lester Young, more well known as "The President". There's not doubt Quinchette is cut from Young cloth as a tenor of his time, but there's also no doubt the cat can swing. This was a nicely mood lifting listen for a hump day afternoon.
Carter Jefferson - The Rise of Atlantis Year: 1979
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Post Bop, Soul Jazz
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Carter Jefferson gained visibility when chosen by Woody Shaw to be the sax man in his working quintet. This 1979 effort (produced by Shaw) appears to be his only outing as a leader, which I found rather sad after listening to it. There is much to love here. Sure, some cuts come off like standard issue mainstream neo-bop of the day, but the tunes are catchy and Jefferson is a very enjoyable soloist.... but that's just some cuts.... the rest are seriously hot! There's a lot of soul in them there songs, and when combined with catchy melodicism, swinging rhythm, and engaging solos, this thing ends up being a great ride. Seriously, that rhythm section (Victor Lewis on drums and Clint Houston on bass) scorching. Piano duties are split between Harry Whitaker on side one and a wicked hot John Hicks on side 2, while trumpet duties are also split by side with Shunzu Ono delivering on side two and Terumasa Hino really nailing it on side one. A marvelous find for me that further enhances my love for 1970s Jazz.
Clifford Brown - Jam Session Year: 1954
Style or Subgenre: Bop, Hard Bop
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Clifford Brown is one bad cat! Really, just Clifford himself is all the wicked hot brass one need on an album, but here, we also get Clark Terry and Maynard Ferguson... jam session indeed! Somehow all these cats (including Harold Land on sax and Max Roach on drums) take some standards at positively breakneck speed, but still ooze feel and fluidity throughout. Anybody who only knows Maynard Ferguson from his later forays into commercial territory needs to hear this album; his trademark shredding-so-high-only-dogs-can-hear is there in full, but he's soloing like a total hard bop ninja.
Clark Terry - Swahili Year: 1955
Style or Subgenre: Bop
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So after the Clifford Brown All Star Jam Session, I was really grooving with all that shredding brass and decided it was more. Not knowing Clark Terry's catalog quite as well as Brown or Fergusons, I decided to go there, specifically grabbing this, his first as leader. Alternatively released as "Introducing Clark Terry" or just "Clark Terry," this turned out to be a rather thrilling set! The opening title, while loaded with great soloing from Terry, really stands out for its incredible percussion courtesy of Art Blakey who sounds as though he's prepping for his later "Orgy in Rhythm" session.... dude is fire! Not a lot of folks could keep up with that, but Terry does, bringing a Dizzy-esque vibe and hanging note for note with mad man Blakey! You know that old cliche "the most fun you can have with your clothes on"? Well, this is it in spades right here. I dunno', maybe you could do Swahili with your clothes off, too. I can't imagine it not being king size fun in any context.
The fun continues throughout the entire album, although not as much so as in that delightfully raucous opener. Quincy Jones's arrangements are always totally on point, Horace Silver provides the perfect foundation with his creative and engaging vamping, and the rest of the front line keeps the pace. Nary a weak cut to be had, but there's an especially strong streak in the latter half of the album with "Co-Op," "Kitten" (where slide man Jimmy Cleveland and baritonist Cecil Payne really shine), and the gloriously melodious "Countess."
Barney Kessel/Shelly Manne/Ray Brown - The Poll Winners Year: 1957
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz, West Coast Jazz, Guitar Jazz
Barney Kessel/Shelly Manne/Ray Brown - The Poll Winners Ride Again! Year: 1959
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz, West Coast Jazz, Guitar Jazz
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I've been a huge Barney Kessel fan since the first time I heard him. These discs have unfairly sat idle more than they should while I listen to other Kessel discs. I say unfairly because not only is Kessel his usual marvelous self, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne are equally at the top of their game here. What could have been no more than a cheap marketing ploy comes out as three masters all at the height of their musical powers. I'm really not sure why I've never honed in on Manne's delightfully creative cymbal work before. The man is a wizard with a basic kit! For his part, Brown is lively as can be. But most importantly, while we've got three fantastic individual performances, they are also perfeclty integrated; everything is so balanced! These guys are real pros, but not just mercenaries; they swing hard, have fun, and are genuinely into the music making. What a fun set of discs!
Miles Davis - Seven Steps to Heaven Year: 1963
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Modal Jazz, Jazz Blues
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I never fail to really get into this album. It sits between Miles's two "great" quintets, and the personnel isn't even consistent throughout the album, but these are all pros in sharing a musical vision and the outcome is consistently outstanding. I have especially soft spots for the opening "Basin Street Blues" which sounds much like what the title would indicate, the joyous "So Near, So Far," in which Miles trades delightful counterpoint with tenor George Coleman and pianist Herbie Hancock brings just a little extra spice, and the closing "Joshua" with it's bouncy bass intro and some of Miles's most upbeat melodicism. This one seems to get lost in the shuffle next to Miles's more famous outings; it shouldn't.
Renato D'Aiello - Introducing Year: 2001
Style or Subgenre: Mainstream Jazz
This is a nice bit of current century mainstream jazz takes on a mostly standards program. Saxman Renato D'Aiello (on both tenor and alto) and his ensemble jam nicely throughout. Special mention for some particularly tasty solos and licks from guitarist Phil Lee, and slide man Mark Bassey also makes good use of his air time. The rhythm section of Bass Muresu (bass) and Sebastian de Krom* (drums) know just what to do to keep everyone swinging along. A great listen while going nuts in the kitchen preparing a gourmet meal.
Louis Smith - Here Comes Louis Smith Year: 1957
Style or Subgenre: Bop, Hard Bop
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Louis Smith positively rips on his 1957 debut with Blue Note. And with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Cannonball Adderley on alto, Doug Watkins on bass and Art Taylor on drums, there's no way this album isn't going to be excellent all the way through; it is, and how! I might just say this is my favorite new-to-me old album discovery of 2021 (so far).
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