Pianist Harold Mabern “Greasy Kid Stuff”   Prestige Records Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 26, 1970

Lee Morgan (tp) Hubert Laws (fl, ts) Harold Mabern (p) Ivan “Boogaloo Joe” Jones (g -1) Buster Williams (b, el-b) Idris Muhammad (d)

(40 votes, average: 2.78 out of 5)

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Keith Jarrett Trio   “Somewhere Before”   Vortex Records Recorded live in 1968 at Shelly’s Manne-Hole in Hollywood, CA. with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian.   Here’s a pretty take on Dylan’s “My Back Pages” :

Anybody know what city this is?   Looks like Pittsburgh to me.

(41 votes, average: 3.29 out of 5)

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“The Rites of Diablo”   Johnny Richards Orchestra with the Dave Lambert Singers   Esquire Records (UK)   Cool English cover variation on this classic US jazz exotica record from 1958.   Here’s that original:

Johnny Richards put together this lp after studying the rituals of the Bantu,the family of tribes which inhabits southern Africa. Intrigued by the rhythmic possibilities he composed the six part Rites of Diablo which has been described as a sort of Black Mass during which the participants vilify, insult and by every means possible degrade the gods of evil. Augmenting his regular orchestra with SEVEN percussionists, including Sabu Martinez ,Potato Valdez and Jose Mangual, brought in to to emulate the sounds of the authentic drums used in the genuine ritual, plus the eight voiced Dave Lambert Singers, Richards took over New York’s Webster Hall for four sessions in march and april 1958. The flaring excitement of the band ,the superlative solo work of men such as Gene Quill, Seldon Powell and Jimmy Cleveland and the meshing of the huge percussion section gives the music a unique quality.   This is another great example of jazz exotica which had been long deleted until recently when it was reissued as part of the wonderful Mosaic Select series. — this from a great site called Orgy In Rhythm

(53 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)

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A cool Bethlehem Records compilation of the label’s recording artists including Nina Simone, Howard McGhee, Herb Jeffries, Ruby Braff and others.   “Double Barrel Jazz (No Blanks Here)” (1955)

(49 votes, average: 2.92 out of 5)

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In honor of Ray’s 80th Birthday and John Coltrane’s 84th Birthday on September 23rd!  

Ray Charles At Newport Atlantic Records.   Newport, Rhode Island, July, 1958   — The Newport Jazz Festival was Ray’s initiation into the jazz circuit.   Even though he was slated to play on the Festival’s first “Blues Night,” the concert was recorded “live” on July 8, 1958.   The young boppers flocked to Ray who started out the set with jazz, moved onto his R&B hits and closed with the rockin’ “I’ve Got A Woman.” Many felt that Ray’s Newport appearance helped move jazz towards a “back to roots” movement. At the end of 1958, Downbeat Magazine named Ray Charles their “Best Male Star – New Singer”.

Ray Charles – keyboards, vocals, alto saxophone; Marcus Belgrave – trumpet; Lee Harper – trumpet; David Newman – tenor saxophone; Bennie (Hank) Crawford – baritone saxophone; Edgar Wills – bass; Richie Goldberg – drums; Marjorie Hendricks – vocals; The Raelettes – vocal group

(Night Time Is) The Right Time; In A Little Spanish Town; I’ve Got A Woman; Blues Waltz; Hot Rod (The Spirit – Feel); Talkin’ ‘Bout You; Sherry; A Fool For You

“New Thing at Newport”   Impulse Records (1965)   John Coltrane at the Newport Jazz Festival.   The title, “New Thing at Newport” refers to the avante garde style of jazz Coltrane and Shepp unleash throughout their sets.   The first two tracks “One Down, One Up” and “My Favorite Things” features Coltrane’s “classic” quartet of McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass.   The second section features Archie Shepp, who managed to do something few tenors of the era did, develop his own sound outside of Coltrane’s influence.   The group Shepp fronts consists of the distinctive vibeist, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Chambers on drums, and Barre Phillips on bass.

(55 votes, average: 3.82 out of 5)

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Another one taken off my kitchen wall.   Bill Doggett   “Hot Doggett”   King Records

(45 votes, average: 3.44 out of 5)

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The Ararat Rockers play Kansas City Jazz

(44 votes, average: 2.57 out of 5)

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“Someday My Prince Will Come” Miles Davis Sextet   (1961)   With John Coltrane! Hank Mobley! Wynton Kelly!   Paul Chambers!   Jimmy Cobb!   Alternate cover on Fontana Records (Columbia in the U.S.)   The model is Davis’ wife Francis.   While the liner notes credit the Miles Davis Sextet, only the title track featured six players, with Coltrane joining the quintet. It marked the last time Davis would record with Coltrane and was the only Davis Quintet studio session to feature saxophonist Hank Mobley.   Teo Maceo produced!   Originally, the big song from Disney’s “Snow White”, those who grew up in NYC will recognize this Miles recording as the theme to Hal Jackson’s Sunday morning radio show on WBLS (the world’s best looking sound)

(50 votes, average: 3.78 out of 5)

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“The Thing To Do”   Blue Mitchell with Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor and Al Foster   Blue Note Records 4178     (1964) What a beautiful cover!   Classic Blue Note aesthetic.   The running type.   The cropping, the elegant light and a monochromatic blue help capture the expression of the music in Mitchell’s taut hands.   When Horace Silver disbanded his quintet of six years in 1964, Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook and Gene Taylor decided to stay together and form the nucleus of the Blue Mitchell Quintet.   The band took shape that summer with newcomers Chick Corea (only his second recording and first Blue Note session) and Al Foster. Mitchell learned well from his former employer – check the groove on the title track!

(82 votes, average: 4.05 out of 5)

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“Hot Dog”   Lou Donaldson   Blue Note Records   (1969)   One of the funkiest Blue Note albums ever with Lou on electrified alto sax, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Charles Earland on organ,   Ed Williams on trumpet and the super-tight drumming of a young Idris Muhammad (still billed under his birth name of Leo Morris) “who hits the kit with a snapping, post-Popcorn style!   A hard and heavy groove from the very first note with killer remakes of “It’s Your Thing” and “Who’s Making Love” – plus Donaldson originals “Hot Dog” and “Turtle Walk”.”

(51 votes, average: 3.61 out of 5)

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