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Thelonious Monk - Live In Paris (1964) {2CD Set, France's Concert FCD 132/2 rel 1989}
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© 1964, 1989 France's Concert | FCD 132/2
Jazz / Bop / Modal Music / Piano

The first of two separate CDs from concerts done in Paris during the winter of 1964, Monk's quartet with Butch Warren (bass), Ben Riley (drums) and Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), showcases one standard and four of the pianist's originals. Only "Epistrophy," the closer, is in short form. Noticeable from the opening refrains of "Four in One" is Rouse, bending notes, extrapolating and modifying the melody, challenging Monk to do the same. The pianist then does a retort before laying completely out as Rouse solos. The band follows the same easy swinging mid-tempo ritual for the next two pieces; "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" and "Straight, No Chaser," as tenor sax, piano, bass and drum solos line up before heading back to the melody. A stride-ish intro by Monk sets up "Sentimental" and "Epistrophy," while solos are concise.

Chet Baker - This Time The Dream's On Me, Chet Baker Quartet Live, Volume 1 (1954) {Pacific Jazz 7243 5 25248 2 2 rel 2000}
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© 1953-54, 2000 Pacific Jazz / Capitol Records | 7243 5 25248 2 2
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

3 great Pacific Jazz CD's chronicling Chet Baker and Russ Freeman's live performances. This is where you really start to hear Chet find his own sound. He starts branching out on the two My Funny Valentine's found here, and his recordings of Stella By Starlight sound like the one's he did in the 1980's. The recording quality is pretty average in Volume 1, but it improves in Volume 2 and 3, especially considering how noisy American Jazz clubs used to be. Zing Went The Strings of My Heart is amazing, and it's one the fastest tempo tune Baker ever recorded. On several cuts, he plays the "Boo-bams", a bongo-type instrument invented by his friend Bill Loughborough.

George Russell - The Stratus Seekers (1962) {Riverside OJCCD-365-2 rel 1989} (featuring Don Ellis)
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© 1962, 1989 Riverside Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-365-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano / Trumpet

George Russell was clearly one of the leading forces in expanding the jazz vocabulary from the early-modern language of bebop to the aggressively free-form expression of the avant-garde. He has been important as an arranger, composer, educator, and creator of the Lydian tonal concept, and in the early Sixties led small groups that presented his own writing, as well as that of Carla Bley and others, and featured such notable players as Eric Dolphy, David Baker, and Don Ellis. The latter two appear prominently on The Stratus Seekers, the third of his four albums for Riverside.

Virgil Gonsalves and Steve White - Jazz In Hollywood (1954) {Nocturne OJCCD-1889-2 rel 1997}
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© 1954, 1997 Nocturne Records / Fantasy / OJC | OJCCD-1889-2
Jazz / Cool / Bop / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

The two obscure sets reissued on this single CD from Original Jazz Classics were originally released as 10" LPs by the Nocturne label. The first six numbers are West Coast cool jazz by a sextet featuring baritonist Virgil Gonsalves, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, and tenor saxophonist Buddy Wise. These concise renditions of five standards and the obscure "Bounce" find the musicians in excellent form, making the most of each note. The second half of the CD is an unrelated quartet date by the eccentric tenor saxophonist Steve White, who is joined by pianist Jimmie Rowles, bassist Harry Babasin, and drummer Roy Harte; trombonist Herbie Harper is a big asset on "Topsy." White's sound was quite influenced by Lester Young, while his odd singing (heard on "My New Jet Plane") is certainly unique. An interesting if not essential reissue.

Coleman Hawkins - Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At The Village Gate! (1962) {Verve 513 755-2 rel 1992}
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© 1962, 1992 Verve / PolyGram | 513 755-2
Jazz / Mainstream Jazz / Hard Bop / Swing / Saxophone / Trumpet

From the mid-'50s until Coleman Hawkins's death in 1969, the tenor-saxophonist frequently teamed up with trumpeter Roy Eldridge to form a potent team. However, Hawkins rarely met altoist Johnny Hodges on the bandstand, making this encounter a special event. Long versions of "Satin Doll," "Perdido" and "The Rabbit in Jazz" give these three classic jazzmen (who are ably assisted by the Tommy Flanagan Trio) chances to stretch out and inspire each other. The remainder of this CD has Eldridge and Hodges absent while Coleman Hawkins (on "new" versions of "Mack the Knife," "It's the Talk of the Town," "Bean and the Boys" and "Caravan") heads the quartet for some excellent playing. Timeless music played by some of the top veteran stylists of the swing era.

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XX - - Llibre Vermell de Montserrat (1979) {EMI Electrola CDM 7 63071 2 rel 1989}
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© 1979, 1989 EMI Electrola | CDM 7 63071 2
Classical / Early Music / Medieval

"By the end of Middle Ages the monks of Montserrat had assembled a distiguished library. Unfortunately this was largely destroyed in 1811 during the Napoleonic wars. The most precious surviving medieval manuscript in the Scriptorium at Montserrat is undoubtedly the famous Ms. No. 1, known as the Llibre Vermell or Red Book of Montserrat, from the colour of the late 19th century velvet which covers the binding of the codex. The manuscript completed in 1399, originally contained about 172 double pages, or folios, of which 35 have been lost. Included in the Llibre Vermell are ten musical works - possibly more originally - by a number of unknown composers."

Bob Mover, Paul Bley, John Abercrombie - The Night Bathers (1986) {Justin Time JUST 14-2 rel 1991}
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© 1986, 1991 Justin Time Records | JUST 14-2
Jazz / Neo Bop / Modern Jazz / Progressive Jazz / Saxophone / Piano / Guitar

When one considers the instrumentation (alto, piano and guitar) and the personnel (Bob Mover, Paul Bley and John Abercrombie), it is not surprising that this date is full of thoughtful, chance-taking and often lyrical improvisations. Most of the selections are either duets or unaccompanied solos, and although there are some melodies, the music was pretty much all improvised on the spot. An intriguing set.

Stan Getz - Reflections (1963) {Verve 523 322-2 rel 2003}
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© 1963, 2003 Verve / Universal | 523 322-2
Jazz / Cool / Saxophone

Though in 1963 some purists considered Reflections to be certain evidence that Stan Getz had sold out and abandoned "real jazz" completely, the album is actually, while perhaps not a masterpiece, an artful and intriguing sidebar to the tenor saxophonist's now celebrated bossa nova period. Getz was always a sublimely smooth and lyrical player who had already recorded in an orchestral setting on the groundbreaking Focus, and had a number one pop hit with Jazz Samba. It was only natural, then, that he would want to combine the two concepts.