Amazing film/documentary about Jazz saxophonist and Blue Note Records artist Jackie McLean. Pieced in between footage of him playing is footage of him teaching at Hartford as well as more interview type footage. Just listening to Jackie break down his philosophies on playing, drugs, race and everything else is captivating in itself. His 'On Mars' [...]
By C. MICHAEL BAILEY, Published: February 26, 2008
"Blue Note was not the only jazz label recording America's indigenous music from the '30s through the 1960s, but it may be the only one that mattered. The title Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz is not an idle boast. In the 1950s and '60s, Blue Note [...]
Well, this is an old, old, oldie, but goody. Although it claims to be Sonny with the Modern Jazz Quartet, only 4 of the songs feature those players (Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Percy Heath,Connie Kay). The rest of the album was recorded with Kenny Drew and Art Blakey, with Heath remaining to perform on all tracks. The one and only Miles [...]
Jimmy Smith – Any Number Can Win
Jimmy Smith, hailed as king of the Hammond electric organ, has a plenitude of enthusiasts. He is loved and hated for his incomparable musical ability. He has enjoyed the many fruits of fame here and abroad (his recent trip to Brussels proved the latter). Exciting. . .exciting is the [...]
Louis Smith Quintet – Prancin'
Reunions are apt to be risky affairs. For the unlucky host there is the risk either that the star guests no longer have anything in common, so that the event is stifled by boredom; or that, ice broken, they are all so busy hogging the limelight to demonstrate their prowess that [...]
Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers – Jazz At The Corner Of The World Vol 2
ART BLAKEY and his various but unvaryingly persuasive quintets have brought their message to the millions, these past five years, through an impressive variety of channels: at jazz concerts and festivals, in night clubs from Birdland to the Club St. [...]
Lee Morgan – Charisma
Wherever the jazz winds blow, you'll find Lee Morgan blowing straight ahead and swinging. He blows with an unflagging zest tempered with superb control. Add to this a few more Lee Morgan fundamentals such as a sense of good taste and perception, and you have clues to his charismatic powers.
From his debut [...]
Nathan Davis – Makatuka LP
When you have been in radio for Twenty-Six years playing all kinds of music, you kind of get an "ear" for something distinct. This is exactly what my ears grasped when I listened to Nathan Davis playing three instruments (bass clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax) along with some very fine side-men [...]
Clifford Jordan & The Magic Triangle – On Stage Vol. 1
This is one of three LP's pressed by SteepleChase Records that were born from a 1975 European tour by Clifford Jordan and the Magic Triangle (Cedar Walton-piano, Sam Jones-bass, Billy Higgins-drums).The first LP was recorded live in the BIM house in Amsterdam.
Great players covering great [...]
Art Blakey – Drum Suite
Drum Suite
As preparations for a test run for the Drum Suite began, the air in Columbia’s studios was filled with excitement. Jo Jones and Art Blakey moved over to their respective drums, Candido and Sabu picked up their bongos, Ray Bryant sat down at the piano and Oscar Pettiford got set [...]
