"The Soft Swing" by The Stan Getz Quartet on Verve MG V-8321

March 27, 2024

Laid back, lyrical and mellow. Three ways to describe this album and Getz’s style. Perfect stuff for a lazy afternoon when you just want to relax a bit. Haven’t got many titles on the Verve label, but I’ve been getting in a couple of more these last few days. Plenty to enjoy on that label for sure, for very reasonable prices.

Stan Getz is a cat I’ve enjoyed for a long time but never really focused on. Thereby I haven’t collected a lot of his stuff, just several EP’s. So this is my first original LP with him. His catalogue is vast, so I will be searching for more of the good stuff. I guess Verve is a good place to look.

The personell on this are Getz on the tenor, Mose Allison on piano, Addison Farmer on double bass and Jerry Segal on drums. Favorite pick of the album has to be the Pres-esque ”To the Ends of the Earth”.

If you enjoy a soft swing from time to time, then this album is one that you should pick up.

What’s your favorite Getz album on Verve?

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"Boss Tenor" by Gene Ammons on Prestige PRLP 7180

March 25, 2024

I have always loved this cover art. But the cat leading this session I haven’t explored much, until recently. He is one of those jazz artists that have been there on the periphery of what I have been focusing on. Shame on me. This is a fantastic session by a great tenor player. I love his deep and warm tone. He plays with a lot of soul and the fabrics of the blues is ever present. A very lyrical player.

This album sports a great cast of players: Ammons on tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on double bass, Art Taylor on drums and Ray Barretto on congas. They breeze through seven selections, two of them Ammons originals. The overall feel of the album is very pleasant and very much focused on Ammons tenor. Love the texture the congas bring as well. They are not overpowering at all, just the right amount so they blend with the rest of the music, Tastefully played by Barretto. This title is highly recommended if you haven’t listened to it.

I’ve been eying my next Ammons title called “Jug”, also on Prestige. Hoping to find that one. Been getting several packages in the last couple of days with plenty of new arrivals. The beauty of finding affordable gems is there will be a lot more of them to add to the shelves. Looking forward to put them on the turntable during the next several days. Easter is this week and I will have some days off so I can maybe get some quality listening time then.

Do you have a favorite Ammons title that you’d like to share? Have a great Monday. Cheers!

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"E.S.P." by Miles Davis on Columbia CL 2350

March 22, 2024

Posted the birth of the first great quintet a month ago and this album is the birth of the second great quintet. While I love the first quintet this second quintet is on another level for me. It was a brilliant group consisting of Miles, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock. All of them were masters. As a drummer myself I adore Tony Williams and his extremely tasteful and unique approach. His kit and touch always sounds amazing and in a top 5 list of favorite drummers he will be at the very top.

E.S.P. stands for Extra-Sensory Perception and the members truly are communicating on a different plane here as it was through telepathy. But E.S.P. could just as well stand for Ever So Perfect, as the music is as good as it gets in the modal/post bop style. This copy sounds as new with a lush and organic sound. All the tunes are beautiful originals, played with such feeling and sophistication. I have struggled to find these Columbia recordings of this group in their 1st issue form. Columbia is tricky when it comes to determining what a 1st issue is, but thanks to the one and only Dottorjazz and his research I have a clear view of what to look for. A 1st issue of E.S.P. for example should have the two eyes and “Guaranteed High Fidelity” printed in black at the bottom of the labels and not the MONO 360 sound with two arrows, which is the second issue. I hope to find some of the other titles by this great group as well, such as “Miles Smiles”, “Sorcerer” and “Nefertiti”. But it’s not easy let me tell you.

I have found that my new approach to collecting is a beautiful path where I’ve been exploring a lot of different labels, titles and artists that I hadn’t experienced much before. And the amount of great albums one can acquire instead of an original Blue Note is very satisfying. I’m very happy to have been able to collect some of the top Blue Notes in lovely condition through the years but this new approach is letting me get so much more music into the collection. The way the prices on eBay for the original Blue Notes have been going as of late is jaw dropping. Absolutely insane. I have packages coming in now with plenty of new titles and this package was the first to arrive. Stay tuned for the other stuff coming up.

Cheers!

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"Bags & Trane" by Milt Jackson & John Coltrane on Atlantic 1368

February 27, 2024

Wonderful album here with Milt Jackson and Coltrane on Atlantic. The rest of the group consists of Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on double bass and Connie Kay on drums.

The music is classy and the combination of Bags and Trane really works superbly. Is this the only time Trane recorded with a vibraphonist? Can’t think of any other album with that setting. Please correct me if I’m mistaken.

The sound on this session is not top tier. I put on Donald Byrds “The Cat Walk” on Blue Note straight after and what a striking difference. Such amazing punch, power and a clear distinctive sound. The sound of Philly Joe Jones drums knocks you out compared to the meager, closed in and tinny sound of Connie Kays drums. Not overly impressive session from him overall. I think this is very interesting, how big the difference is between different titles on different labels with different sound engineers. You wonder sometimes what some of them were doing.

At the moment I’m searching high and low for original mono pressings within my very tight budget. It’s very stimulating to explore and discover titles on several labels which I haven’t given much attention to before, like Verve, Mercury, Mode, Dawn and so on. Plenty of less expensive stuff there to try and find.

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"The New Miles Davis Quintet" on Prestige PRLP 7014

February 20, 2024

Classic stuff and the birth of one of the most famous groups in jazz. The music is lovely as you would expect. A great early taste of this classic quintet and a milestone in the history of jazz.

This is a second issue with NYC labels from 1957, the first being pressed in 1956. The only things that differs between the two is that the first has a different Prestige logotype on the front, frame jacket, is non-laminated and has a blank spine. This second issue has a laminated cover, printed spine and the more modern typeface logotype. The typeface on the labels differs a bit as well. The third pressing has a blue tint front cover with NYC labels. There is a blue tint version with NJ labels as well I believe.

I’ve been after the first issue forever, but I’ve relaxed a lot towards the notion of having the absolute 1st art cover. This has NYC labels, green tint, sounds good and I’ve now settled on keeping this one as my forever copy. I’ve had it for a long time, probably something like 12 years and never posted it. Have a few other Prestige titles which are early as well, but not absolute 1st pressings.

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"Meet Oliver Nelson" by Oliver Nelson on New Jazz NLJP 8224

February 16, 2024

Highly enjoyable jazz with a great bunch of players. This is Oliver Nelson’s debut album. I have a couple of other titles with him as a leader and both are great, as is this.

It’s blues drenched at times, melancholy at times, up-tempo and energetic at times. In other words a nice mix of different flavors.

I truly dig Nelson’s tenor. It’s smooth and has a pleasant tone. He plays really good. Love that Dorham and Taylor are on this as well, they are always great.

There’s quite a few original compositions by Nelson on this and it’s a nice taste of what was to come later. My favorite tune on this album is not a Nelson original though. It’s called “What’s New” (originally titled “I’m Free”, an instrumental from 1938), composed in 1939 by Bob Haggart, a dixieland double bassist.

This title is worth checking out if you haven’t before.

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Shelly Manne & His Men at the Black Hawk Vol. 1-4 on Contemporary M3577-80

February 9, 2024

For me, these four volumes by Shelly Manne, recorded live at The Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco between the 22nd and the 24th of September 1959, are among the absolute best jazz albums ever released. It’s so beautifully recorded and the performances of all five musicians individually and collectively are stunning. Jazz is an art form best experienced live in my opinion, and here we get a glimpse of what it was like to sit there at a table and soak all this magic in. Good lord, I wish I could have been there and experience these five cats performing at the top of their game.

It’s Manne on drums, Richie Kamuca on tenor sax, Joe Gordon on trumpet, Victor Feldman on piano and Monty Budwig on double bass. Wonderful group, one of the very best of the era. I feel it cannot be overstated how great these players were. And the music is to die for. All the tunes are exceptional and played with such posture and feeling. It’s amazing how tight this band was.

I was lucky beyond belief in finding all four volumes for sale as a complete set a few weeks back. And you really need all four to be completely satisfied, at least that’s what I think.

If you haven’t heard this music, or you have but haven’t got the albums, search high and low for these. Make it a top priority. You won’t be sorry, I promise. They can be had for a very reasonable price as well, which is key.

These albums will have a very special place in my collection. I will cherish them forever.

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"Three Waves" by the Steve Kuhn Trio on Contact CM-5

February 3, 2024

Delightful piano trio music here with the Basra rhythm section. Kuhn was a genius and his style was elegant and powerful. On this recording he incorporates some sweet touches as well on the beautiful ”Why Did I Choose You” which is a favorite. The more uptempo tunes, which are ”Today I Am A Man”, ”Three Waves” and ”Bits and Pieces”, are a joy to listen to and where the trio really comes into it’s own, releasing tons of energy which really captivates.

This album flies a bit under the radar maybe, which is just fine, making it more reasonably priced I’d assume. Perfect, considering my new approach to collecting.

All in all this is a lovely trio outing which you should check out if you haven’t already.

There are some real gems to enjoy in the Kuhn catalogue, and I will continue to explore his output as a leader. Been listening a bit to “The October Suite” on Impulse and “Watch What Happens!” on MPS and both are great. Do you have some favorite albums by him?

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"The Space Book" by Booker Ervin on Prestige PR 7386

January 25, 2024

All the titles in the Book-series are great and this one is no exception. The band on this is exceptional, with Ervin joined by Jaki Byard, Richard Davis and Alan Dawson. They play in total harmony throughout and the result is brilliant music played with fire and soul. Richard Davis’ work on the double bass is lovely and he really shows here how creative he was in his approach. Jaki Byard is one of my favorite pianists and his style makes it’s presence known in a beautiful way. Alan Dawson’s drumming is distinct, technical and tasteful. Very underrated drummer. A clear favorite of mine.

Booker Ervin was a great tenor player and his style was very unique and instantly recognizable. I have managed to collect a few of his titles on Prestige and I’m looking for more. Some of them are not easy to find but I hope to run across a few of the ones I’m missing in the future. Happy to have been able to find the ones I have though. These are albums that always feel fresh and gives me something new each time I put them on the turntable.

Do you have a favorite Ervin album? Please share. Cheers!

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"The Cat Walk" by Donald Byrd on Blue Note 4075

December 24, 2023

Byrd and Pepper Adams was a superb combo. This is a great album which I come back to often. It sounds amazing. The cover art has to be one of the most iconic, bad ass and at the same time beautiful in the Blue Note catalogue.

Posting on this Christmas Eve when here in Sweden we have our main celebration. I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I hope you’ll have a lovely time with friends and family.

🎄

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New York Art Quartet on ESP-Disk 1004

December 22, 2023

A meditative, contemplative debut album here, recorded in 1964 and released in 1965, by the New York Art Quartet, which consists of Roswell Rudd on trombone, John Tchicai on alto sax, Lewis Worrell on double bass and Milford Graves on percussion. Poet and writer Leroi Jones (now named Amiri Baraka) also recites his poem “Black Dada Nihilismus” which is some heavy stuff.

This album exemplifies the kind of avant-garde music that I can meditate to. You just sit there and take it all in. Every little detail. No toe-tapping, no flamboyant solos to marvel at, no boundaries, just freedom. It relaxes me. I really dig the drumming of Milford Graves. It’s sparse, delicate and also intricate and whirly. Always very tasteful. Lewis Worrell plays with a wonderful warm tone and his bowed bass playing is also lovely. John Tchicai’s alto is quite accessible and he plays lyrical even. Roswell Rudd on trombone is providing a solemn harshness which is never abrasive but instead a great compliment to Tchicai’s round, mellow tone. Amazing is the way he plays and he makes the trombone feel urgent and the clarity he produces on this usually quite muffled instrument is very nice.

You should check out this music if you haven’t heard it already.

It’s my first album on the ESP-Disk label and it’s in mono which is great. Hoping to explore the label a bit more than I already have.

Do you have a favorite ESP title? Please share.

Cheers!

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"Blues & Roots" by Charles Mingus on Atlantic 1305

December 20, 2023

Mingus is one of my favorite jazz musicians and composers. He was a master of blending old and new and always had the roots of the blues very much in focus in his music. Some of the very best jazz albums of all time for me is credited to him. My favorites are The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Mingus Ah Um, Mingus Dynasty and this one on display, Blues & Roots.

His double bass mastery is evident as always on this session, and I hold him in very high regard in terms of thinking of my favorite double bassists. If I was to choose my top 5 bassists in jazz now, without thinking too much, they will probably be, in no particular order, Scott La Faro, Richard Davis, Charlie Haden, Henry Grimes and Mingus.

This album is another highlight of 2023 which I’ve been looking for for a long time. It’s definitely not easy to find an original issue in mono with the beautiful bulls eye labels. I really dig those labels and I have always loved the cover art as well. The session is top notch and features a stellar cast, with Jackie McLean, Booker Ervin, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Dannie Richmond among others.

Happy to have checked this one off of the want list this year and I’m anticipating it will get plenty of time on the turntable.

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"Eastern Sounds" by Yusef Lateef on Moodsville MVLP 22

December 17, 2023

A definitive highlight of a prosperous year in collecting for me. This one has really amazed me plenty since I started exploring it. One of the rarest vintage jazz albums in it’s original form, with the misprinted labels, DG and Abbey ring. Almost impossible to find it seems, but here it is. I strayed from my new approach of focusing on cheaper titles, but it was worth it of course. I actually have strayed a bit more recently, but I’m planning to get back on track next year. A New Year’s resolution perhaps?

The first track is quite special as Lateef plays a very unusual instrument called the ”xun”. A globular flute, which is 1200 years old and made of clay. It is one of the oldest musical instruments in China and has been in use for approximately 7000 years. He found it in New York’s Chinatown after he had become interested enough to look for one after reading about it in a book on Chinese music, according to the liner notes. Love it! The sound of the instrument fits perfectly with the tune. The other thing that is special about this tune is that Cat Stevens used it as inspiration for writing his first hit single ”I Love My Dog”. He covered it so to speak, wrote lyrics to it, but didn’t credit Lateef until later when he told him about it and gave him a big check and also started to pay him royalties.

The album blends oriental flavors with the blues and the result is lovely. Besides the old Chinese instrument Lateef plays the tenor, flute and oboe. The oboe sounds absolutely lovely when he plays it. Not a very common occurrence in jazz.

Favorite pick of the album is the dreamy and haunting ”Love Theme from Spartacus” on which Lateef plays the oboe absolutely beautifully. Every tune offers something special and the whole album is very engaging and interesting throughout.

This is actually a title I would consider adding to #my5mostlovedjazzalbums. It’s that good. Lovely stuff, a masterpiece. The best Yusef Lateef album for me. Which is yours?

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"For Real!" by Hampton Hawes on Contemporary M3589

December 7, 2023

This title contains smooth hard bop spiced up with Scott La Faro’s virtuosic double bass playing. He is one of my absolute favorite double bassists in jazz. Perhaps THE favorite. Even though his life was cut short and he recorded a limited amount of albums he still made a huge mark, and from those few recordings he became one of the greatest double bassists in jazz of all time. So this album is special, just for the mere fact that he plays on it.

The music is lovely and accessible. But it’s that La Faro magic that makes it stand out for me. Harold Land is on this as well and he was a wonderful tenor player, who of course played with Brownie & Roach early in his career. I have much material by him to try and acquire. The other cats are Frank Butler on drums who displays a great style and plays quite smooth and sophisticated. And of course the leader Hawes, a great pianist who influenced many other pianists around him. He plays very lyrical and tasteful on this recording. He recorded plenty for Contemporary and I’ll try and add some more of that stuff to the collection.

This album is highly recommended and a must have if you love La Faro and enjoy smooth and tasteful hard bop.

Cheers!

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"Out to Lunch" by Eric Dolphy on Blue Note BLP 4163

November 25, 2023

A true classic and a milestone in modern jazz.

Otherworldly. Plain and simple. That’s what this music is. And the sound of this original pressing is otherworldly as well. It sounds so good. Just like you would imagine a pristine old Blue Note to sound if you haven’t experienced listening to one before. This is exactly why I collect these vintage records. The experience is unbeatable.

This is for many Eric Dolphy’s Magnum opus. I agree with that. It’s so full of virtuosity from all the players, and the compositions (all Dolphy originals) are otherworldly. Now I’ve written that word three times and that’s maybe enough. But that word is perfect to describe this music. Historically this album has not come to me easily in terms of enjoying it 100%. I’ve tried it on through the years and been intrigued by both the music and the recording quality, but haven’t pulled the trigger on copies in the past. But for the last several years I’ve been leaning towards post bop and the avant-garde so this was the right time to secure it. It’s an easy listen for me now as my taste has evolved and my mind and ears have grown a lot since I first heard it. I now enjoy it to the full and I’m mesmerized by the intricate compositions and all the little details that these cats deliver.

A superb constellation of musicians grace this session, with Dolphy on alto, flute and bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Richard Davis on double bass and the brilliant Tony Williams on drums. Couldn’t ask for a better group performing this music.

I guess everyone is familiar with this milestone album, but what’s your thoughts on it? Please share.

Have a great Saturday, cheers!

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"Solarius" by The Rolf Kühn Quintet on Amiga 8 50 046

November 24, 2023

Very nice German jazz lead by Rolf Kühn.

Rolf Kühn was a German clarenetist that I hadn’t listened to before I got interested in this album. I’ve been missing out. He was a wonderful musician and the cats backing him are a formidable bunch. Haven’t heard of any of them but they all play lovely and contribute something great to this session in their own individual way. I especially enjoy the playing of double bassist Klaus Koch. Rolfs younger brother Joachim plays the piano on this album.

The material is a wonderful mix of tunes that feels both moody, bluesy, dreamy and delicate at different points.

The label I haven’t heard of either. It’s called Amiga. Once an organ of the East German state-owned music publisher VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, Amiga became a label of the Bertelsmann Music Group in 1994.

I will continue to explore Rolf Kühn’s catalogue. cause if the other stuff he did is this good then I’m in for a real treat. Highly recommended.

(this copy is signed by Kühn, which is quite cool)

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The Roland Kirk Quartet meets the Benny Golson Orchestra on Mercury MG 20844

November 20, 2023

Under the radar stuff perhaps but highly recommended.

So, Roland Kirk is a cat I haven’t explored much. He was a blind multi-instrumentalist capable of playing several instruments at the same time. On this album his quartet is merged with the Benny Golson Orchestra, with Golson serving as a conductor and arranger.

The result is very interesting, with big band vibes on side 1 (here the Golson Orchestra is featured) but in a good way, with very nice arrangements and individual solos. Favorite pick on this side is the last tune ”Variation on a Theme”.

On side 2 we only have the Roland Kirk Quartet and the vibe is definitely different here. It’s stripped back, smoother and less bombastic. Some lovely arrangements. The mix here seems better as well with more detail, a cohesive, natural sound with plenty of air and the double bass is very prominent, which I enjoy. All tunes on this side are wonderful but I enjoy ”Get in the Basement” in particular a lot. The bass sound on this is so heavy. Roland Kirk plays the tenor so good and his sound is big, warm and deep.

This album flies a bit under the radar perhaps but it’s highly recommended.

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"Blue Jubilee" by the Joe Alexander Quintet on Jazzland JLP 23

November 16, 2023

Hadn’t heard anything from Joe Alexander or John Hunt before I heard this album, from what I can remember anyway. The rhythm section is a more familiar bunch though.

This is a highly enjoyable album. Quite straight forward and bluesy. Joe Alexander plays with a round, appealing tone which is steady and grounded. John Hunt is the perfect complement to that with his fragile, searching approach on his fluegelhorn. I wanna mention Bobby Timmons as well. He plays some excellent stuff on this. A constant stream of lovely assembled notes, soul and undeniable lyricism characterizes his playing.

I love diversity when listening to jazz. To put on some bluesy hard bop, then some post bop/modal stuff, some west coast stuff, a bit of bebop and then maybe some avant-garde. That is what makes jazz so great, it’s all connected in a special and beautiful way.

Favorite pick off of this album at the moment is “Weird Beard”, a 9 minute long excursion into the fabrics of hard bop improvisation with plenty of space for the soloists to stretch out.

This is actually my first title on the Jazzland label. There are some gems to be found on this label and I will be looking for more.

Stay tuned for more vintage jazz vinyl. Have a great Thursday, cheers!

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"Into Somethin'" by Larry Young on Blue Note 4187

November 12, 2023

Just like “Unity” this is one of the best Blue Notes in the later Blue Note catalogue for me. The organ provides a special kind of vibe to a jazz setting. But it all depends who plays it and Larry Young plays with such an interesting approach and his style really resonates with me. It feels modern.

The line-up on this session is a great one, with the brilliant Sam Rivers on tenor sax, Grant Green on guitar and Elvin Jones on drums. Sam Rivers stands out for me, with his raw, free-thinking style. I have one album with him as a leader which is one of my favorite albums. I really need to try and get some more of his stuff into the collection. This group really gels together beautifully and the results is a lovely album with lots of melodies getting stuck if your mind long after the needle has left the grooves.

A couple of favorite picks are “Plaza de Toros”, on which Sam Rivers plays an outstanding solo which reminds me a lot of Joe Henderson, and “Paris Eyes” which is a laid back piece with a rememberable theme. All tunes are superb though.

The cover art is one of my favorites by Reid Miles, love the typography, the image and the colour. Really adds to the overall appeal of this album.

Have added quite a few albums to the collection of late, so stay tuned for more great titles. Cheers!

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"Homecoming!" by the Elmo Hope Sextet and Trio on Riverside RLP 381

October 22, 2023

Helt otroligt (absolutely amazing, in Swedish). That’s what I said to myself after playing this album that I just got in. Listened to it a few times digitally before I acquired it and put it on the turntable for the first time today and listened to it, and it’s already one of my favorite albums in the Riverside catalogue, and favorite albums overall in my collection.

Elmo Hope had an extended stay in Los Angeles before he was welcomed back to New York a refreshed man, after personal problems and a withdrawn New York City Cabaret Card. This album is a testament to what a lovely musician and composer Hope was. He composed all the tunes here except for one. Truly beautiful, smoothly performed tunes which sounds absolutely immense on this original mono pressing. On the slow paced tunes he plays so profoundly engaging with such lyricism and the lightest of touches, and always some interesting choices of notes. Like the somber “Imagination” and the moody “Eyes So Beautiful As Yours”.

Four of the tunes are played in a trio format and three in a sextet, which I absolutely love. The personnel on this are Hope on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Jimmy Heath and Frank Foster on tenor sax, Percy Heath on double bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Lovely band. I really dig the sound of the bass and drums on this recording. Philly Joe is one of the best drummers in jazz, no doubt. His touch on the drums is very special. No wonder Bill Evans and Miles Davis held him in such high regard.

This title maybe flies a bit under the radar. It shouldn’t. It’s wonderful jazz that is so enjoyable. And an original can be had for a very reasonable price.

Cheers!

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