Art Farmer Quartet - A Work Of Art

Not to be confused with Farmer's very first session as a leader. That was titled Work of Art. This much later session later session finds Farmer working exclusively with the flugelhorn. I generally shy away from the flugelhorn as it always seems to lack the fire, the sharpness I have come to associate with the trumpet. As I have grown older I have come to appreciate the fluidness and lyrical nature that the masters coax out of this horn.

This session from 1982, is on a label that I usually connected with an almost third stream sensibility. That and the completely horrid cover caused me to pass this record over several times.

I know now that Concord has a nice reputation and has released many fine records, but no one is getting let off the hook for that cover.

The Art Farmer Quartet
A Work Of Art

1. Red Cross
2. You Know I Care
3. (I Got A Woman Crazy For Me) She's Funny That Way
4. Change Partners
5. Summersong
6. Love Walked In
7. One For Sam

Art Farmer - flugelhorn
Fred Hersch - piano
Bob Bodley - bass
Billy Hart - drums

recorded Sept. 1981, NYC

CJ-179

Art Pepper - Among Friends

I had never heard of Art Pepper when I was in high school. Hell, I was just learning to dig Miles and Trane. Couple of years later, it was Monk, Mingus and Duke. But never Art Pepper. Shame really as he was going to be turning out some exceptional records over the next few years. Completely oblivious.

Lets hope these posts can save some poor soul from the same fate.

This a great Pepper date where he hooks up with a few former compatriots. No matter how fucked up he must have been at the time, he rarely laid down a bad track.

You may notice that the sidemen on this date have already worked with Pepper on previous dates. Apparently he (or somebody) gathered them together for this session. It seems to have worked out well.

You don't see this one around much.

Art Pepper - Among Friends

1. Among Friends
2. 'Round About Midnight
3. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
4. Blue Bossa
5. What Is This Thing Called Love?
6. What's New?
7. Besame Mucho
8. I'll Remember April

Art Pepper - alto sax
Russ Freeman - piano
Bob Magnusson - bass
Frank Butler - drums


Recorded from Discovery lp DS-837

Dizzy Gillespie - Have Trumpet.../ The Ebulliant...

Tonight, a pair of overlooked Dizzy lps on the Verve label.
The first one is covers, mostly standards, with the exception of his own Woody'n You which has found its way into the bop standards in it's own right. Full of grace and lyricism and no less tha a dash of humor and you'll find this recording can hold its own against any middle period Gillespie lp. Upon archiving these, the one thing that took me by surprise was Les Spann's flute and guitar work. I have long considered those to be some of my least favorite instruments in the jazz idiom. The guitar I had come to accept as a necessary evil but the flute I still avoided like the plague. Turns out the flute is like cold beets. I don't mind at all, and even enjoy them in medium doses. Surely wouldn't want a steady diet of beets (or flute, for that matter) but damn if I didn't find myself digging it way beyond what I had ever thought I would. I guess growing older does open the possibilities for new things. Who knew?

The second lp, finds Dizzy sporting the same band but with the inclusion of Chino Pozo on congas, it takes a decidedly more percussive flair. While nothing will top the Cole Porter cover on the last record, over all I find this lp more interesting.
Since he takes great liberties with Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac; Always, and Willow Weep For Me are the only straight forward standards on this lp.

As Dizzy had been working this combo in the clubs for awhile, I'm assuming these songs were comfortable for all, and so the recording sessions were very relaxed and highly entertaining.

For the record, Chino Pozo was said to be the nephew of the more famous Chano Pozo.

I have not been able to listen to one of these records without pulling out the other immediately for many years now. I hope you enjoy this pair together as I have.

Dizzy Gillespie
Have Trumpet, Will Excite

1. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
2. My Man
3. Moonglow
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Woody'n You
6. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
7. There Is No Greater Love
8. I Found A Million Dollar Baby In The Five And Ten Cent Store

Dizzy Gillespie
The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie

1. Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac
2. Always
3. Willow Weep For Me
4. Ungawa
5. Lorraine
6. Girl Of My Dreams
7. Constantinople
8. The Umbrella Man

Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet. vocals
Junior Mance - piano
Les Spann - flute, guitar
Sam Jones - bass
Lex Humphries - drums
Francisco "Chino" Pozo - conga drums


MG V-8313

MG V-8328

Once again - my apologies as these were taken from my less than perfect vinyl copies.

Sonicphonics - Exploded Views

And now for something completely different....

This is just about the farthest reaches of jazz I can go. Not really free jazz, but a eclectic cross of jazz, electronica and no wave, as the label implies.

This disc is mesmerizing in places and damn near danceable in others. The fact that this was performed live only adds to my fascination.

It was Bang's presence that drew me to this record. His contributions are in no small part why I dig it. But truly his is but one facet of one of these recordings where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

C'mon, give it a try, I dare you!

Sonicphonics
Exploded Views

1. Off Land
2. Freight Connections
3. Thin Ice
4. Altered State Transmission
5. Cryptics
6. Exploded Views
7. Deranger
8. Data Change
9. Mesmerize

Geoff Serle - drums, programming, keyboards, congas
Jon Dobie - guitars, saxophones
Adrian Northover - saxophones, wind synthesizer, theremin
Billy Bang - violin
Colin McLean - dub effects

all compositions by Sonicphonics
produced by Geoff Serle & Sonicphonics
live sound mix by Gunter Seiser (Salzburg) & Colin McLean (Poitiers)
recorded live at Jazz im Theatre Festival, Salzburg, February 1999 & Confort Moderne, Poitiers, February 1997

This time it was taken from disc...NMCD10

Tommy Flanagan - It's Magic

As promised, here is a nice recording by Tommy Flanagan. This dude was a workhorse playing om some of the finest lps ever recorded by many many artists. But he didn't really come into his won as a leader until later into his career. I really wish I would have held onto some of those later Muse lps i had at one time. I bet I would appreciate them much more now.

This is a pretty straight ahead bop session from 57. The standards medley may be the highlight.

Flanagan may not have set the world on fire but he certainly should be remembered. I am glad to contribute one of his own efforts here.

Of course, not to be missed is his work on the previous post of Wilbur Harden Quartet's "King and I" set.

Tommy Flanagan
It's Magic

1. Two Ton
2. Medley:
It's Magic
My One and Only Love
They Didn't Believe me
3. Soul Station
4. Club Car
5. Upper Berth

Tommy Flanagan - piano
Sonny Redd - alto sax
Curtis Fuller - trombone
George Tucker - bass
Louis Hayes - drums

recorded 9/5/57 at Van Gelder studios

Savoy 12209

the usual disclaimer of late; recorded from a vinyl version of SJL 1158

Wilbur Harden - The King and I

Somehow I have always been a sucker for this musical, and these takes on the songs are some of my favorite versions. Wilbur Harden is always so lyrical in his playing so this rendition of the soundtrack seems natural.

Later on this was to be credited often to Tommy Flanagan who seems to have claimed larger fame than Harden, although mostly through longevity. Not to say Flanagan was a slouch, far from it as my next post will show.

There is such a joyful quality about this whole lp that it always leaves me smiling at the end. And generally befuddled as what to play next. Later versions of the lp included alternate versions of "Getting To Know You" and "Something Wonderful". Very nice recordings that languished in the Savoy faults for 30 years but unessiantal and therefore left off of this post. I can provide them upon request.

And once again, a great record to play just after an intimate dinner, but before dessert. Who can resist the charms of a beautiful companion and the wonderful strains of "Shall We Dance"? Not me.

The Wilbur Harden Quartet
Plays the Music of Rogers and Hammerstein

1. Getting To Know You
2. My Lord and Master
3. Shall we Dance
4. We Kiss In A Shadow
5. I Have Dreamed
6. I Whistle A Happy Tune
6. Hello Young Lovers
7. Something Wonderful

Wilbur Harden - trumpet, flugelhorn
Tommy Flanagan - piano, celeste
George Duvivier - bass
Granville T. Hogan - drums

recorded 9/23 and 9/30, 1958 at Van Gelder studios.

Savoy 12134

disclaimer: recorded from a vinyl copy of SJL 1189

Shirley Horn Trio - A Lazy Afternoon

Ah, absolutely one of my favorite overlooked lps. What a perfect way to end summer. Sure lounging in a hammock on a hot Sunday mid afternoon may have been more appropriate but this unusually warm night, the roar of stock cars faintly in the distance, and this record have me fondly reminiscing of the the last few months gone by.

Shirley Horn's voice is an instrument unto itself and reminiscent of the best horn players. Never overshadowing her piano work, there are few who can who mesh so completely.

Her piano work is perfect for this low key outing, as is the accompaniment by a couple of Muse regulars.

This record was made for relaxing not dancing. Pour an after dinner single malt, and cue this up, await sparks.

The Shirley Horn Trio
A Lazy Afternoon

1. I'm Old Fashioned
2. There's No You
3. New York's My Home
4. Why Did I Choose You
5. Take A Little Time To Smile
6. Lazy Afternoon
7. Gentle Rain
8. Gra'ma's Hands
9. I'll Go My Way By Myself

Shirley Horn - vocal, piano
Buster Williams - bass
Billy Hart - drums

Recorded July9, 1978

Steeplechase SCS-1111

Elmo Hope - Trio

Once again an image of my actual lp escapes me, so the photo of Mr Hope at the piano will have to suffice. (edit: Thanks to farlac for the cover and stating the obvious.)

Elmo Hope seems to some how have slipped into a position slightly behind Monk and Powell and just ahead of Herbie Nichols. In other words, everyone I know has at least heard of Monk, and quite a few more may be aware of Bud Powell, but only my friends who are at least somewhat involved with jazz have heard of Elmo Hope. 'Tis a shame.

I have always perceived Elmo Hope as a leader, not a sideman even though he has appeared on many records in that role. It is on his own songs that Hope really tends to shine. This record splits the songs evenly between his own and covers. Of course Night In Tunisia is familiar to most but he really brings it on the introspective I Love You by Porter, and again on the final Gershwin cover.

The songs on this lp are some of his last, I suspect, as he ODed early the next year. But these recordings are far from a man that is wasting away. I have always found these songs full of joy, an artist at his peak. Of course I may be wrong, what do I know? But this is a record have chosen not to part with over the years, and I am happy to share it here.

Undoubtedly these songs have appeared elsewhere but here they are, from a vinyl lp (again) that appears to be a Japanese issue of earlier release under the RCA imprint.

Elmo Hope Trio

1. Night In Tunisia
2. Stellations
3. Elmo's Blues
4. I Love You
5. Bertha, My Dear*
6. Somebody Loves Me*

Elmo Hope - piano
John Orr - bass
Philly Joe Jones - drums
Clifford Jarvis - drums*

Recorded march 8/may 9*-1966

RVJ-6019

Shirley Scott / Stanley Turrentine

Another absolute classic. Unfortunately short as hell also.

Clocking in at less than 35 minutes, this lp smolders like its name and front cover imply. Sadly it also leaves you wanting more.

In keeping with that theme (or maybe not , depending on how you enjoy my reviews), I'm gonna just bow out and let this record speak for itself.

Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine - Blue Flames

1. The Funky Fox
2. Hip Knees an' Legs
3. Five Spot After dark
4. Grand Street
5. Flamingo

Shirley Scott - organ
Stanley Turrentine - tenor sax
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Otis Finch - drums

Prestige P-7338

disclaimer - recorded from OJC-328

Coleman Hawkins - hawk in germany

Although Hawk gets top billing on this lp, he only appears on half of the program. And so it is when you have successfully made the transition from big band to bop.

This session features four ex-pats, all incredible in their own right. And sadly for 3 of them, recording would end shortly.

Hawk and Powell were far from their peak, but somehow this recording of old friends seems to generate a spark. Pettiford would have passed within 6 mos., Powell within 3 years, which is also when Hawkins quit recording and just took to the bottle. He hung on for another 3 years. Only Klook managed to survive the ravages of fame, quietly passing at 81.

But so much for back story, the lp is classic Black Lion production. Lots of standards, with the Powell Trio taking the mostly upbeat tracks with Bean joining for the second half, mostly ballads.

I often wonder if this has not been released as the Essen Concert.

Anyway for your enjoyment, another vinyl rip...

Coleman Hawkins/Bud Powell - hawk in germany
1. Shaw Nuff
2. Blues In The Closet
3. Willow Weep For Me
4. John's Abbey
5. Salt Peanuts
6. All The Things You Are
7. Yesterdays
8. Stuffy
9. Just You, Just Me

Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax
Bud Powell - piano
Oscar Pettiford - bass
Kenny Clarke - drums

recorded April 2, 1960
stereo

BL - 159