Birdland 1953

Barney Kessel - Easy Like (1953) {Contemporary Japan VICJ-41688 Mini LP rel 2006}
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© 1953, 1956, 2006 Contemporary / Victor Japan | VICJ-41688 | Mini LP | 20bit K2
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Guitar

The first album in a brilliant run of work that Barney Kessel did for Contemporary Records in the 1950s – material that forever went onto shape the sound of jazz guitar, and which stands right up there with some of the best of his generation! In a way, the Kessel heard here is even fresher than in later years – as he's playing in a small group mode that breaks down new territory for his instrument – often with reeds from Bud Shank or Buddy Collette – in styles that have some of the slight spaciousness of the Chico Hamilton group, but a bit more straight swing overall. Other players include Arnold Ross or Claude Williamson on piano, Harry Babasin or Red Mitchell on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums – and the full length album compiles material from earlier 10" LP releases on Contemporary, plus a few more tracks – to make a full set of 12 songs that include "Easy Like", "Bernardo", "Vicky's Dream", "Salute To Charlie Christian", and "North Of The Border".

This album features trio performances by pianist Bud Powell, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Roy Haynes that were recorded live at a Washington D.C. club; they were released for the first time in 1982. Powell is in consistently exciting form (this was one of his good nights) and the musicians sound inspired and creative during the set of bop-oriented standards. This recording concludes with a couple of excerpts from Bud Powell interviews held in 1963, giving listeners a rare chance to hear his voice.

Erroll Garner - Soliloquy & At The Piano (1989) {CBS–Jazzotheque CBS4656312 rec 1953-1957}
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© 1953-57, 1989 CBS Inc. / Jazzotheque France | CBS 465631 2
Jazz / Bop / Swing / Piano

From the Columbia Records vaults comes a straight reissue of two LPs by Erroll Garner, Soliloquy being a solo piano date from 1957, and Erroll Garner with a trio circa 1953. Unbelievably, the solo piano sides are muddier in their digital reproduction, while the older trio date sounds crisp and clean. The solo piano session yields four standards and two Garner originals, in many instances saturated with stride, with the trio session being all standards, including the boppish "Caravan" and "Lullaby of Birdland." Either one of these recordings can easily stand alone as some of the better Garner from this time period, but together, with a total running time of about 75 minutes, it's a hard compilation to pass up.

This double-disc set features all of the studio performances between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist Jimmy Raney recorded between October of 1948 and April of 1953. The sheer number of labels the pair recorded for is staggering, from Sittin' in With to Roost, Savoy, Sesco, Clef, Prestige, and others. And while Getz, particularly on the early sides, is still deeply entrenched in his worship of Charlie Parker, the cool elegance of Raney's own playing is already asserting itself on the early sides, so that by 1951, Getz has moved toward the center from strictly bebop. Some of the other players on these sessions include Duke Jordan, Curly Russell, Blossom Dearie, Horace Silver, Roy Haynes, Frank Isola, and many others. There are 41 performances in all, giving a striking portrait of the era, and of Getz's development as a soloist and bandleader in particular…