"Miles Smiles" by The Miles Davis Quintet on Columbia CL 2601

June 26, 2024

Been after the second great quintet albums for a long time, but it´s been a struggle for sure. I managed to secure “E.S.P.” earlier this year and last month I secured the title on display. Very happy about that. Original mono pressings of these albums are difficult to find, at least it has been for me. “Sorcerer” and “Nefertiti” remains high on my want list.

The music on “Miles Smiles” is beautiful, explorative and most definitely my kind of jazz. This group was one of a kind and their achievements transcends time. They play in perfect harmony and everything they do is performed with seamless execution. The interplay between these guys is on a different plane. Tony Williams really makes this group tick. His drumming is always a joy to behold. So tasteful, progressive and unique. For me, this quintet is one of the absolute best jazz groups ever assembled.

Hard to pick favorite tunes on this one, but “Dolores” is probably my favorite, and that’s not just because it’s my daughters name. :-) “Footprints” is lovely as well.

Essential stuff.

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"A Swingin' Affair" by Dexter Gordon on Blue Note BLP 4133

June 20, 2024

My favorite Long Tall Dexter albums to date are ”One Flight Up”, ”Go” and this one. It sounds so good. The cymbals are very bright and the overall detail is superb. The volume is off the charts on this one as well, so I had to turn it down a bit, and that’s a good thing. Cut very hot I can imagine. This kind of sound on a jazz record just makes the whole experience so much sweeter, and you get really engaged when listening. Compared to when an album is poorly recorded or in not so great shape, the difference is staggering.

Great personell on this one with Dexter joined by Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins.

I love that Billie Holidays ”Don’t Explain” is featured here cause it’s one of my favorite jazz ballads and Dexter was such a master of playing the ballad. His interpretation is so beautiful, sad, bittersweet and it’s probably my favorite tune on the album. Another one I enjoy a lot is the infectious Butch Warren penned ”The Backbone”.

All in all a lovely album which you should check out if you haven’t already.

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"Harold in the Land of Jazz" by Harold Land on Contemporary C3550

June 18, 2024

This is a fine example of how great original Contemporary titles often sound. The sound is so pleasing with great detail and bass which you would expect when Roy DuNann is involved.

Harold Land was of course a member of the legendary Brown/Roach group. I have not explored his dates as a leader in depth but I really dig this one and The Fox. He was a great tenor player with a beautiful tone and this session showcases this fact in a great way. I will try and find The Fox as well and any other great stuff on which he is present. Very happy to have acquired this title and I’m sure it will see plenty of time on the platter.

Trumpeter Rolf Ericson, a fellow Swede, is on this one as well which makes it extra special for me. I truly enjoy his style and I have plenty of Metronome EP’s with him. Great to hear him here with Land. I think they complement each other nicely. The other cats are Carl Perkins on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on double bass and Contemporary stalwart Frank Butler on drums.

The music, which was arranged by Elmo Hope and Land, is relaxed and cohesive and is highly enjoyable. The whole feel of the album is down to earth and deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, just like the playing of Land himself.

The cover art features Land playing in front of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles.

Favorite picks are ”Nieta” which was penned by Elmo Hope, the lovely ballad ”Lydias Lament” penned by Land, named for his wife, and the slow paced ”Grooveyard”, a blues dripping piece penned by Carl Perkins (his last composition), who died just a few months after the recording of this album.

Highly recommended.

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"Interplay" by the Bill Evans Quintet on Riverside RM 445

June 12, 2024

Evans, Hubbard, Hall, Heath, Philly Joe… you know it’s gonna be good.

When it comes to Bill Evans as a leader I have listened mostly to his trio work. This session has a larger group and he his joined by Freddie Hubbard, Jim Hall, Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. With that line-up you know it’s gonna be good. I especially enjoy the presence of Hubbard and Hall. Hubbard is his usual flamboyant self but also displays more introvert passages and a softer touch. Hall provides his smooth and tastefully crafted guitar lines. I really enjoy Evans in this larger format, even though I have a soft spot for his trio work, especially with LaFaro and Motian.

I’ve been after this title for a long time, bought another copy a couple of years ago, but it didn’t make the grade, so I returned it. This copy though plays fantastic. Quite an organic and natural sound on this.

Favorite tune is probably the 8 minute title track, which is an Evans original.

For me, this is a must have in any jazz collection. Do you feel the same? Have your say…

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Live Stream Premiere on YouTube on June 8th at 20:00 (CEST)

June 8, 2024

I figured I’d try a live stream. Ask me anything…

Link to the live stream »

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"The Cry!" by the Prince Lasha Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons on Contemporary M3610

June 7, 2024

Beautiful, suggestive and rhythmic jazz created with some lovely compositional skills by Prince Lasha (flute) and Sonny Simmons (alto). Both cats are making their debut here. The influence of Ornette shines through and Lasha was a boyhood companion of his. They learned music together and played together for a period of eight to nine years. Simmons was first influenced by Bird and then along came Ornette and changed his perspective on how to express music - free, flowing naturally through you.

Gary Peacock is on this as well which is a huge plus cause he was one of the absolute best bassists in jazz. He had a big, fat and natural sound and lovely technique. I have far too little stuff on which he his present in the collection. But he is not the only bassist here. Introducing Mark Proctor, who is the second bassist and a cat I haven’t heard of before. There are plenty of great bass lines on this record to enjoy for sure. Gene Stone rounds out the line-up on drums and I really like him. He seems to have a great sense of what the tunes need. Playing very rhythmically and natural. Not sure if I’ve listened to him before either. Great drummer, playing for the tune but standing out at the same time with tasteful rhythmic patterns.

I can highly recommend this 1962 recording, which stands out for me as one of the absolute highlights of the entire Contemporary catalogue.

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"The Soul of Ben Webster" by Ben Webster on Verve MG V-8359

June 2, 2024

Top title by Webster with a great line-up.

Another great Ben Webster album and the second title by him in the collection. Looking for more. Webster was a great tenor player of course and I really enjoy his approach. On this title I’m happy to hear Art Farmer as well who slots in wonderfully together with Webster and Harold Ashby, who is the second tenorist. A great combination. Another great addition to this session is drummer Dave Bailey.

Original pressings of Webster on Verve seems to be quite hard to find in top shape. This copy plays with some pops and tics in spots, but the sound is very nice and clear. The recording quality is great. So I’m keeping this one unless I find an even better copy. But that is probably not easy I can imagine.

Check this one out if you haven’t already cause it’s lovely music, very soulful. A mix of romantic ballads, uptempo bop and blues-forward stuff.

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"The Quintet/Live!" by Charles McPherson on Prestige PR 7480

May 28, 2024

The music is great, the sound could be better.

The Five Spot Café in New York hosted some great groups and this is no exception. Alto player Charles McPherson is another one of those cats I haven’t explored much. I’ve listened to “Con Alma” which is great, but other than that not much more. So this title is a nice addition and a good starting point in my explorations into his work.

All is revealed live and McPherson is a great player for sure. He has got a great band backing him, consisting of Lonnie Hillyer on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Ray McKinney on double bass and the great Billy Higgins on drums.

Live jazz albums are always interesting to me, cause they capture much of the core of what jazz is about. The spontaneous improvisation in front of a live audience. There are no retakes. What you do there and then is the final expression. It is what it is, there on the spot, and that nerve is very appealing to me.

One of the highlights of the album is Barry Harris’ solo on “Shaw ‘Nuff”. The fast paced waltz ”Suddenly” is a favorite with it’s dark undertones. Another great one is the mellow and calming 11 minute long ballad ”Never Let Me Go”.

This live recording could be a lot better for sure. Not the same quality as the Dolphy albums from the same club, far from it, but it’s ok. I’ve heard worse. That can be the drawback with live recordings from this era. Also, it’s not recorded by Van Gelder who recorded the Dolphy albums. I have the second volume and it sounds unbelievable.

Enjoyable album which you should check out if you enjoy live jazz captured on tape from the era.

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"Bossa Nova Soul Samba" by Ike Quebec on Blue Note BLP 4114

May 24, 2024

It’s hot and exotic, mellow and moody, sensual and calming, rhythmic and joyful. When I listen to this album I close my eyes and dream away. I’m walking the streets of Havana sipping on a rum and coke and puffing on a cigar. Or maybe I’m in Brazil where the bossa nova and samba was born.

It’s not your average hard bop Blue Note date. It’s very focused on the music of Brazil. This is my first Ike Quebec title. His tone and phrasing is so smooth, warm and breathy. It fits perfectly with this kind of music. It warms the soul. I’ve come to really love this kind of approach to the tenor. It’s such a beautiful instrument, especially when it’s played in this way.

I’ve strayed a bit from my new approach to collecting when buying this title. It’s a sought after Blue Note, so the price is gonna be higher. But I figured that since this was a title I love and one I’ve been after for quite a while I felt it was worth it. The vinyl plays like new, amazing. Very happy to have been able to acquire this one.

Favorite picks from this lovely session are ”Loie”, ”Me ’n You”, ”Shu Shu” and ”Favela”, with the latter taking top spot.

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"This is Hampton Hawes Vol. 2 The Trio" by Hampton Hawes on Contemporary C3515

May 21, 2024

Acquired my first Hawes title late last year and got a great taste of his playing. This is a new addition and it’s a lovely album. It’s a trio with Hawes joined by Red Mitchell on double bass and Chuck Thompson on drums. Now I’m looking for Vol. 1.

Hawes was a wonderful pianist with a great sense of lyricism and he was definitely a top technical player as well. But it’s the melodic part of his playing that shines the brightest. I’m aiming to acquire more of his stuff.

Favorite pick for me is the wonderful ”Yesterdays”, and that one the leader himself had as a favorite tune on this album.

I love the cover art on this one with the black and white photo of Hawes by William Claxton, looking ever so cool.

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"Out Front!" by Jaki Byard on Prestige PR 7397

May 17, 2024

Jaki is a favorite as I’ve mentioned before. He was quite unique. He incorporated many different styles into his playing which makes his albums very interesting, and it lends itself to wanting to explore them over and over again. This album was recorded in May of 1964 except one track which was recorded in 1961. A few tunes have horns, with Booker Ervin and Richard Williams joining in on tenor and trumpet. Jaki also plays alto on the last tune and it sounds great. Very cool. It’s a diverse set for sure.

Favorite pick on this album is ”European Episode” which is a 12 minute dance suite in 6 parts (Jaki was apparently a dancer himself according to the liner notes), which he hoped to choreograph and present in concert with 12 dancers and a 17-piece orchestra. Don’t know if he ever did get to do that. Now, to have been able to attend such a concert would have been some experience I’m sure.

Jaki was a terrific pianist and composer and was always full of surprises and that’s why I love him.

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"In the Bag" by The Nat Adderley Sextet on Jazzland JLP 75

May 14, 2024

Great session here by Nat Adderley recorded in New Orleans which is quite unusual for a modern jazz recording. The Big Easy was of course the ancestral home of traditional jazz which makes it cool that this recording was made there.

The personell consists of three very familiar names in modern jazz and three younger local cats from New Orleans. It’s Nat Adderley on cornet, Cannonball on alto, Nat Perrilliat on tenor, Ellis Marsalis on piano, Sam Jones on double bass and James Black on drums. Very unique group with the local talent, which makes it very interesting. The New Orleans cats hold their own for sure and I especially enjoy Perrilliat on tenor who is a wonderful player. So satisfying to discover a great but totally unknown player to me this late in my jazz explorations.

Favorite picks on this date is the moody ballad ”R.S.V.P”. Reminds me a bit of something from Johnny Coles. Lovely stuff. Also ”New Arrival”, an uptempo waltz, penned by the drummer on this date, James Black.

I dig the whole concept of this album, except maybe the recording quality, and urge anyone who haven’t heard this before to give it a shot.

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"Fantastic Frank Strozier" by Frank Strozier on Vee-Jay VJLP 3005

May 11, 2024

Fantastic Strozier title featuring the great Booker Little.

My first title on the Vee-Jay label and it’s a banger. Really enjoy Strozier. And the band backing him are top notch. One cat in particular. Namely Booker Little, my favorite trumpeter, which makes this session all the more engaging. Great to hear him on this date which is more in the hard bop idiom, compared to the brilliant albums he recorded with Eric Dolphy and his own sessions on Candid and Bethlehem, which were more post bop.

The other cats are Paul Chambers on double bass, Wynton Kelly on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Pretty stellar personell, right? I really dig Cobb. He always played very tasteful and elegant and had a great sounding, delicate ride cymbal sound. This is a lovely recording. I’m very impressed. Will be keeping my eye out for more stuff on this label.

Strozier is perhaps a bit underrated among the great altoists in jazz. He shouldn’t be though, he was a brilliant player. Have two titles now with him as a leader and I’m looking for more.

Favorite tune has to be the Booker Little original ”Waltz of the Demons” and the Strozier original ”Runnin’”, which is an excercise in high speed virtuosity. Booker Littles solo on this is simply amazing. Then again, all of his solos are out of this world.

On a side note, I truly dig the label design on these old Vee-Jay titles. Looks a bit like an old 78 to me.

This album is highly recommended.

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The Jaki Byard Quartet "Live! Vol. 2" on Prestige PRLP 7477

May 10, 2024

Jaki Byard is a favorite and here he plays live with his band at the legendary jazz club Lennie’s on the Turnpike. A couple of other live titles with this band from the same club were released as well on Prestige, and this the second volume. This live performance is quite special as it features master drummer Alan Dawson on the vibes on one tune and tenor player Joe Farrell on drums (he also plays the flute) .Very unusal and very cool. We also have the great George Tucker on double bass. He has a couple of wonderful solos.

I think this a interesting example of Jaki Byard live, where he can really use his ecletic style to great effect. Byard mixed a lot of different styles into his playing. On ”Bass-ment Blues” for example it feels like you just walked into a saloon in the old west. The music is special. Not your average live jazz date. It contains so many different styles and aspects that it’s difficult to write down what I’m experiencing. It’s vintage Jaki Byard, full stop.

The sound of this live recording is ok, but not great. If it had been Van Gelder recording this it probably would have been another experience. No matter, it’s a special band captured live during a brief moment in time, which I find really interesting.

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"Warming Up!" by The Billy Taylor Trio on Riverside RLP 339

May 8, 2024

I noted from Wikipedia that: ”Billy Taylor was jazz activist and educator, who lectured in colleges, served on panels and travelled worldwide as a jazz ambassador. Critic Leonard Feather once said, "It is almost indisputable that Dr. Billy Taylor is the world's foremost spokesman for jazz." Taylor sat on the Honorary Founders Board of The Jazz Foundation of America, an organisation he founded in 1989, to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, later including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.”

Taylor is cat I haven’t listened to before, which is nuts considering his amazing pedigree in the world of jazz. The well of jazz is a deep one. Will be a life long exploration for me. Very pleased that I came across this lovely title. Not one I have seen a lot before, if ever, from what I can remember. This trio plays some good stuff. The highlight for me and a big reason why I acquired this one is the presence of Henry Grimes. He has been one of my favorite bassists ever since I fell in love with jazz, in that moment back in 2007, when I saw him, Rollins and Joe Harris live from Södra Teatern in Stockholm on TV. I haven’t got many original LP’s though with him on double bass. So I’m very happy to have this beautiful example of his playing on the shelf. Another great example that I have with him is McCoy Tyner’s ”Reaching Fourth”, a piano trio session as well, on Impulse. Superb album.

The music is very enjoyable. Nothing groundbreaking, just great piano trio jazz. The sound is amazing on this original pressing. The double bass really shines through with plenty of backbone and the drums comes across earthy and detailed. Great piano sound as well. Clear and engaging.

I enjoy the leader’s approach and I’m looking to explore more of his work and see what I can find. Grimes plays beautiful with his big, warm, round and steady tone on the bass. Ray Mosca plays the drums and I really enjoy his playing as well. He does some lovely work with the brushes.

Do you have any other Billy Taylor titles you can recommend? Cheers!

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"Boss Guitar" by Wes Montgomery on Riverside RM 459

May 3, 2024

In jazz, guitar is an instrument I haven’t dived into properly. I’ve been enjoying Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall and so on through the years, but haven’t got many albums with a guitarist as a leader. One of the very best jazz guitarists was of course Wes Montgomery and I’m a rookie when it comes to him. Why? Well, I haven’t focused on jazz guitarists a lot and I have for some reason neglected his work. Shame on me. He was brilliant. This album is brilliant. Looking to try and find more of his stuff for sure. He was such a smooth player. Had a wonderful tone on the guitar and he played with so much lyricism and his technique was second to none.

This session features Montgomery together with Mel Rhyne on organ and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Rhyne is a cat who I haven’t heard before. He plays some great stuff on this one. Jimmy Cobb is always great, with his tight playing, pinging away on the ride cymbal in a beautiful way.

Impossible to pick favorite tunes cause each time you listen to this album you end up with different favorites. Stellar music all the way through.

I love this trio format with only guitar, organ and drums. It creates a sparse vibe and it really highlights Montgomerys mastery. Highly recommended.

Do you have some favorite Montgomery titles you’d like to share?

New titles coming in a steady flow now, stay tuned.

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"What´s New" by Sonny Rollins & Co on RCA Victor LPM 2572

April 30, 2024

This album is so good. Filled with latin percussion and bossa nova flavors. As much as I love Sonny I hadn’t listened to this title until I bought it some months ago. I’m very pleased that I discovered this, albeit late.

Sonny really thrives in this setting and the music is to die for. He really shows his multifaceted talent here and he creates the sense that this is his primary style of jazz. It feels that it’s so natural for him to play this style. He just breezes through these infectious and groovy tunes with playful yet highly sophisticated ease.

The band backing him are Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on double bass, Ben Riley on drums and Denis Charles, Frank Charles, Willie Rodriguez and Candido all on percussion. Top notch band.

Love the percussion element throughout this album. It provides great texture and really makes the session stand out. As a drummer myself I appreciate that stuff. Feels like being on an island in the Caribbean or on the beach in Copacabana, sipping on a drink.

This copy plays superb. Truly amazing. It’s quite a special thing to play a record from the 50’s or 60’s (like this one) and it plays so lovely.

The weather is starting to get a lot warmer here in Stockholm now, so this album was a perfect choice on this day which is the last day of April, called Valborg here in Sweden, with bonfires being lit all across the country.

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Conte Candoli Quartet on Mode Mod-LP 109

April 26, 2024

Conte Candoli was a West Coast cat that played a mean trumpet. As a true trumpet fan I really enjoy his playing. He was a virtuosic player that perhaps is a bit underrated today.

This title is my first on the Mode label, which was based in California. There are several others that I’m looking for as well, all with front cover paintings by Eva Diana. For example titles by Richie Kamuca and Marty Paich.

This copy sounds absolutely fantastic, like new, which is amazing considering that it was released in 1957. It’s on a smaller label as well which sometimes means the quality can be hit or miss, especially from that era, but this one sounds unbelievable.

The band on this are Candoli on trumpet, Vince Guaraldi on piano, Monty Budwig on double bass and Stan Levey on drums. Lovely group. Very happy to finally have an album that features Guaraldi as well.

Three of the originals on this session was a collaboration between Conte and his brother Pete, also a trumpeter. Favorite pick on this album is probably the Al Cohn-penned “Something for Liza”.

Check this one out if you haven’t already. If you enjoy West Coast jazz from the 50’s then this should dazzle you. Highly recommended.

Now the search for some more Mode titles with these front cover portrait paintings continues.

Happy Friday!

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"Ellington Indigos" by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra on Columbia CL 1085

April 23, 2024

For me it’s interesting to explore the cats that came before modern jazz, to get a deeper sense of where stuff came from. For example, when listening to this lovely album you’ll hear very clearly where Mingus got a lot of his stuff from. I think to fully understand what you are listening to you have to go back to the source and appreciate where it all came from.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, my grandfather on my mothers side was a big Ellington fan, so it’s quite special to discover the music he enjoyed.

This music is outstanding and this copy sounds great. The cats backing Ellington consists largely of unknown names for me at this point, but some of them are very familiar. For example Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges, Britt Woodman (who Mingus used on some of his sessions) and Sam Woodyard.

The highlights for me on the first side is the wonderfully moody ”Where or When” and also the very moody classic ”Autumn Leaves”, that on this original pressing features vocals on only half of the tune by singer Ozzie Bailey. The violin improvisation here by Roy Nance completes the haunting mood here perfectly.

On the second side we have the beautiful ballad ”Prelude to a Kiss”, composed by Ellington in 1938, covered in fantastic fashion by Archie Shepp on his album ”Fire Music” as well as the second tune ”Willow Weep for Me”.

I recommend this one with all my heart.

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"Tate-A-Tate" by Buddy Tate with Clark Terry on Swingville SVLP 2014

April 19, 2024

Buddy Tate has been completely unknown to me until I came across this album a couple of months ago. At least from what I can remember. Maybe I’ve seen his name, I don’t know, but I’ve never heard him play. This is the beautiful thing about the approach I have know, to explore new labels and artists, in search for more affordable titles.

This album boasts a great lineup, with tenorist Tate joined by Clark Terry on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Larry Gales on double bass and Art Taylor on drums.

Basie alumni Tate was born in Texas in 1913 and began his career as early as the late 1920’s. He started on the alto but switched to the tenor a bit later. He joined the Count Basie band in 1939 and stayed with him until 1948. After Basie he found success on his own starting in 1953, when his group worked at the Celebrity Club in Harlem from 1953 to 1974.

Tate plays in a bluesy style and his tone is round and pleasing. This album is very accessible and contains numbers very much infused with the blues. I’ve always loved when the blues is very prominent in jazz. It feels very genuine and connected with the past in so many ways.

The band is very well-rounded and no surprise there, considering the personnel. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys jazz with plenty of blues aspects and to those who enjoy a good dose of classic tenor playing which is round, warm, lyrical and deeply connected with the blues and the Kansas City style which was Tate’s tradition.

Favorite pick on this album for me is the classic jazz standard ”Take the ”A” Train”, composed by Billy Strayhorn and was the signature tune of the Ellington orchestra.

Happy Friday!

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