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Reuben Wilson “Blue Mode” Blue Note Records (1969) Bambu; Knock on Wood; Bus Ride; Orange Peel; Twenty-Five Miles; Blue Mode. John Manning – Tenor saxophone; Melvin Sparks – Guitar; Reuben Wilson – Organ; Tommy Derrick – Drums
(50 votes, average: 3.64 out of 5)
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Ken Nordine and the Fred Katz Group. “My Baby” Dot Records (1959) Ken Nordine is a voice-over and recording artist whose deep, resonant voice was featured in many commercials and movie trailers. He attracted much wider attention when he recorded the aural vignettes on Word Jazz (Dot, 1957) and Son of Word Jazz (Dot, 1958). His other albums in this vein feature Nordine’s narration over cool jazz by the Chico Hamilton jazz group, recording under the alias of Fred Katz, who was then the cellist with Hamilton’s quintet.
(44 votes, average: 2.64 out of 5) Loading ...
“Laughin’ to Keep From Cryin'” Lester Young, Roy Eldridge and Harry Edison Verve Records (1958) What a great candid shot of Eldridge and Young in a private, unguarded moment of comradery. The title says a lot for these brilliant musicians who suffered through segregation and humiliation their whole lives. Especially Young who as a sensitive young artist felt the heartbreaking brunt of racism in the army and never quite recovered. This lp is one of Young’s final recordings. The title is shared by a Langston Hughes novel from 1952.
(55 votes, average: 4.05 out of 5) Loading ...
“Blow Man Blow” Jesse Powell Jubilee Records Calvin Boze does a great R&B version of this song.
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(55 votes, average: 4.04 out of 5) Loading ...
I had this album as a kid. A great example of how a pretty girl can sell a cover and how a cover can sell an lp. The music is great and I would never have known at 14 if not for those “angel eyes” Dave Brubeck Quartet “Angel Eyes” Columbia Records
(68 votes, average: 3.78 out of 5) Loading ...
Sun Ra and his Arkestra featurig John Gilmore on Tenor Sax I don’t have any information about this as I don’t have the disc, just the cover, which is “homemade.” The back is all pasted over with gold foil and the front has hand-coloring and some stickers. I think that this covered one of Sun Ra’s records on Saturn. Any Sun Ra followers out there that can shine some light here?
(56 votes, average: 3.91 out of 5) Loading ...
“Stretching Out” Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, United Artists (1958) The rest of the superb band includes Harry “Sweets” Edison, Hank Jones, bassist Eddie Jones, guitarist Freddie Green, and drummer Charlie Persip.
1. Stretching Out (Bob Brookmeyer) 6:09
2. Now Will You Be Good? (Jentes-Pease-Terker) 5:27
3. Pennies From Heaven (Johnston-Burke) 6:14
4. King Porter Stomp (Morton-Burke-Robbins) 4:38
5. Aint Misbehavin (Waller-Razaf-Brooks) 6:53
6. Bee Kay (Bill potts) 6:39
(73 votes, average: 4.27 out of 5) Loading ...
“Mad Thad” Leonard Feather presents Thad Jones Period Records NYC, January 6, 1957
Thad Jones (tp) Henry Coker (tb -2,3) Frank Wess (ts, fl) Tommy Flanagan (p) Eddie Jones (b) Elvin Jones (d) with Frank Foster, Jimmy Jones, Doug Watkins, Jo Jones, Quincy Jones
Bird Song, Cat Meets Chick, Quiet Sip
Late 1956 and early 1957 found Thad Jones in the midst of a rewarding flurry of recording activity. During time off from Basie, however, Jones poured his energy into composing, arranging, and playing with fires of creativity that led Charles Mingus to call him “the greatest trumpet that I’ve heard in this life.” For Mad Thad, Jones recruited a few of his favorite Basie colleagues and a Basie veteran, drummer Jo Jones. For one session, he brought in his brother Elvin on drums and another fellow Detroiter, pianist Tommy Flanagan. Fully justifying Mingus’s enthusiasm, Jones played at the top of his game of melodic and harmonic invention. His compositions included a blues line that quickly became a jazz standard, “Bird Song.” – Concord Records
(42 votes, average: 4.24 out of 5) Loading ...
Illustration by New Yorker cartoonist William Steig who did others in the Epic In Jazz Series. Here’s “Lester Leaps In” and other swing classics by The Count Basie Orchestra with “the Pres” Lester Young.
(50 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5) Loading ...
