C.& e European Legal Mater. Sup.2 Rel.4

Miles Davis - Big Fun (1974) {2CD Set Columbia Japan Mini LP, Master Sound, SRCS 9321~2 rel 1997}
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© 1969-72, 1997 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SRCS 9321/2
Jazz / Fusion / Jazz Funk / Trumpet

A collection of material recorded between 1969 and 1972, the period just after Bitches Brew, Big Fun was not issued until 1974. By then, Davis had moved on in other directions, so it became a much-neglected album. The compositions are too scattered to maintain a focus, but there is much to hear within. For example, this was the album that introduced "Ife," a piece recorded during the On the Corner sessions. Built on the simplest of bass vamps and the skimpiest of melodies, it nonetheless was enough to incite Miles's playing. It stayed in his performance book for years, and turned up on other recordings, such as Dark Magus, Agharta, Pangaea, and In Concert. "Go Ahead, John," from the Jack Johnson period in 1970, has a sublimely nasty (and sonically infuriating) guitar solo from John McLaughlin.

Sonny Criss - Intermission Riff (1951) {Pablo OJCCD-961-2 rel 1998}
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© 1951, 1998 Pablo / Fantasy | OJCCD-961-2
Jazz / Bop / Straight-ahead Jazz / Saxophone

Because of his extraordinary ability as a teenager, Sonny Criss was accepted into a circle of Los Angeles musicians that included Dexter Gordon, Teddy Edwards, Big Jay McNeely, Wardell Gray, and Charles Mingus. At 20, he was touring in Jazz At The Philharmonic with Howard McGhee and his idol, Charlie Parker. In a later J.A.T.P. tour, he teamed with Coleman Hawkins and Fats Navarro. In these 1951 J.A.T.P. recordings, not discovered until 1987, Criss made it plain that he deserved to be in fast company.

Terry Gibbs - Dream Band (1959) {Contemporary CCD-7647-2 rel 1986}
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© 1959, 1986 Contemporary / Fantasy | CCD-7647-2
Jazz / West Coast Jazz / Big Band / Vibes

The first of a wonderful series of recordings that he made with The Dream Band in the late 50s and early 60s which still sound fresh today. The band contained 'anyone who was anyone' playing in the West Coast at that time. The music on this CD, not released for the first time until 1986, features the formerly little-known Terry Gibbs Big Band, an orchestra that worked fairly regularly in Los Angeles from 1959-1962. The repertoire is primarily swing-era standards, but the arrangements (by Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Marty Paich, and Manny Albam) are fairly modern for the time; the all-star group's ensembles are tight and such colorful soloists as vibraphonist Gibbs, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, trumpeters Stu Williamson and Conte Candoli, tenorman Bill Holman, pianist Pete Jolly, and altoist Joe Maini are heard from.

Mark Murphy - Rah! (1961) {Riverside OJCCD-141-2 rel 1994} (featuring Bill Evans)
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© 1961, 1994 Riverside / Fantasy | OJCCD-141-2
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Post Bop / Standards

This early-'60s effort, not Murphy's first but still pretty early in his discographical canon, has worn well over the years. Credit of course can be lavished on the vocalist himself, who didn't sound like this 20 years later, although every stage of his developing vocal chops has been interesting to be sure. On tracks such as "Green Dolphin Street," he dives into the rhythm with the relaxed calm of an expert. And when the result can be the harebrained complexity of "Twisted" or the funky timing of "Doodlin'," the wisdom of letting the experts handle the hard work has never been more apparent. But this is not just Murphy's display.

George Cables - Cables' Vision (1979) {Contemporary OJCCD-725-2 rel 1992}
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© 1979, 1992 Contemporary / Fantasy | OJCCD-725-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

One of the most satisfying recordings to be released in 1980 (and since reissued on CD in the OJC series), this date by pianist George Cables (who contributed four of the six group originals) features trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (who brought in "Byrdlike") and tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts in fiery form; the two horn players took time off from their much more commercial efforts for other labels. Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson is also in the sextet/septet with bassist Tony Dumas, drummer Peter Erskine, and sometimes percussionist Vince Charles; the one departure is "The Stroll," which is an adventurous piano-vibes duet by Cables and Hutcherson.

Terry Gibbs Dream Band - Volume Two: The Sundown Sessions (1959) {Contemporary CCD-7652-2 rel 1987}
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© 1959, 1987 Contemporary Records | CCD-7652-2
Jazz / West Coast Jazz / Big Band / Vibes

The legendary Terry Gibbs Dream Band, a notable unit that from 1959-62 made a few albums for Mercury and Verve, was well served by the five CDs of previously unreleased material released by Contemporary in the late 1980s. Vol. 2 has charts by Bill Holman, Al Cohn, Manny Albam, Lennie Niehaus and Med Flory on six swing-era songs and four later tunes, including Gibbs' "The Fat Man." Of the soloists featured during this live set, which also resulted in part of Vol. 3, vibraphonist Gibbs, trumpeter Conte Candoli, altoists Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy, Bill Perkins on tenor and pianist Lou Levy are most notable. Recommended for fans of swinging big bands.

Mose Allison - Creek Bank (1958) {Prestige ‎PCD-24055-2 rel 1994}
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© 1958, 1994 Prestige / ZYX Music | PCD-24055-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Blues / Piano / Vocal Jazz

This Prestige collection combines two 1958 sessions that feature Mose Allison on many cherished standards, and a few early originals. Here the pianist/vocalist divides his time between instrumental piano trio numbers and those that feature his bluesy Southern vocals. Listening to many of these familiar tunes, it is easy to see how Allison was influenced by everyone from Sonny Boy Williamson and Nat King Cole to Bud Powell.

Shirley Scott - Like Cozy (1960) {Prestige PRCD-24258-2 rel 2001}
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© 1960, 2001 Prestige / Fantasy | PRCD-24258-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Hammond Organ / Piano

Shirley Scott was one of the Prestige family's most widely recorded artists, and for good reason: the organ's popularity was peaking during her years at the label and Scott handled what could be an overbearing instrument with sure-handed tastefulness and a jaunty sense of swing. Less well known, though, is her work on piano, which shares the spotlight on the two LPs joined herein. Both were made in 1960 for the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville, whose specialties were warming ballads and medium-bounce standards that placed a premium on melodic content. On these 16 trio tracks, widely familiar tunes, for the most part, Scott sustains Moodsville's trademark relaxed, after-hours groove, whether she's at the organ or piano (her stylings on the latter evince strong ties to Erroll Garner)–or, via overdubbing, performing on both simultaneously.

Dave Pike - Jazz For The Jet Set (1965) {Atlantic Masters-Warner Jazz 8122-73527-2 rel 2001 with Herbie Hancock}
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© 1965, 2001 Atlantic / Warner Jazz | Atlantic Masters Series | 8122-73527-2
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Groove

This disc is a bit unusual in a few ways. Vibraphonist Dave Pike sticks here exclusively to the marimba, while pianist Herbie Hancock is heard throughout on organ, an instrument he rarely played again. The band also includes two trumpeters (most notably Clark Terry who has a few short solos) and a rhythm section with guitarist Billy Butler. Most of the music consists of obscurities and is open to the influences of the boogaloo and pop rhythms of the era; highlights include Hancock's "Blind Man, Blind Man," "Sunny" and "Devilette." An interesting effort.