Chet Baker Live in Japan 1986 Sendai Vol.1

Chet Baker’s Quartet with Russ Freeman was one of the best combos of its time. The May 9, 1954 concert at Ann Arbor took place at the city’s Masonic Temple, and was originally issued as Jazz at Ann Arbor. Presented here is the Ann Arbor concert in its entirety, along with, as a bonus, five quartet sides recorded by Chet in a Paris studio in 1955 during his first European tour, among them another version of the classic "Lover Man".

“His performance brought a veritable roar of approval from the audience,” wrote the Irish Times, after Pavel Nersessian received the 1st Prize in the GPA Dublin International Piano Competition in 1991. Being one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation in Russia, he is known for his ability to play equally convincingly in the whole palette of the piano repertoire. He won prizes in the Beethoven Competition in Vienna in 1985, the Paloma O’Shea Competition in Santander, and the Tokyo Competition.

This series of live discs mark the first recordings of what became the regular working quintet of the criminally underrated saxophonist, composer and bandleader Billy Harper. With bassist Louie Spears the new addition to the line-up, three distinct concerts were recorded on Harper's spring, 1991 tour of the Far East and released separately without any duplication of material. Volume One comes from Pusan, Korea on April 27 and while the sound isn't the best – the bass and drums are muted and lack crispness – the extremely high quality of the music and interaction between the players more than compensates.

John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol.1 (1966) {Impulse! Japan, 55XD-573~574, Early Press, 2CD}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 654 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 306 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 162 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1966, 1987 Impulse! / MCA Records Japan | 55XD-573~574
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

This very interesting four-CD set contains two sets of music by the 1966 John Coltrane Quintet, recorded in Tokyo, Japan. Most of the music had not been released in the United States until 1991. Coltrane (heard on tenor, soprano, and alto) engages in some ferocious interplay with Pharoah Sanders (on tenor, alto, and bass clarinet), pianist Alice Coltrane, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Rashied Ali; fans of Trane's earlier records may not like these atonal flights. However, listeners who enjoy avant-garde jazz will find many stirring moments among the very lengthy performances. The shortest piece is the 25-minute version of "Peace on Earth," and "My Favorite Things" goes on for over 57 minutes.

The date is March 14, 1984, and it's one of the more interesting twists and turns of the convoluted "Deep Purple Family Tree" saga, a majestic rock soap opera that has been unfolding since the early sixties and is still going strong to the present day. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow are playing live for the second night in a row at Tokyo's prestigious, 14500-capacity Budokan hall, scene of some of rock's most memorable live engagements (and recordings) over the decades, starting with the Beatles' first (and only) Japanese dates in 1966…