Classic American From June 2015

John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 - March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano. He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims, and grew up in a performing family. Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age. His father was a vaudeville hoofer and Sims prided himself on remembering many of the steps he taught him. Sims acquired the nickname "Zoot" early in his career while he was in the Kenny Baker band in California.

Continuing the very successful From The Vault series of classic, previously unreleased Rolling Stones live shows this release is taken from their performance at the Tokyo Dome in 1990, one of ten shows from the 14th to the 27th February at the venue which were the culmination of the Steel Wheels World Tour. These were the first concerts The Rolling Stones ever performed in Japan, their previous attempt to tour there in the early seventies having fallen through…

A belated sequel to Rhino's 2012 box set The Studio Albums 1969-1978, 2015's The Studio Albums: 1979-2008 rounds up the expanded remasters of Chicago's next ten studio albums, beginning with 1979's Chicago 13 and ending with 2008's Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus (which was actually recorded in 1994 but shelved for 14 years)…

Curtis Fuller - South American Cookin' (1961) {2014 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICP 3974}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 262 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 93 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 185 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1961, 2014 Epic / Sony Music Japan | SICP 3974
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Trombone

Reissue with latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. Not Curtis Fuller in South America, but a record that picks up a very slight Latin vibe in the rhythm – which makes for a nice change from Fuller's sessions for Blue Note! The date was recorded during that great short run of soul jazz cookers on early 60s Epic Records – and is a perfect talent for the well-voiced solo talents of Fuller – which really take great fire in a group that also includes Zoot Sims on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Dave Bailey on drums. The record's got some of the gutbuckety energy of Bailey's classic sets for Epic at the same time – a strong recommendation from us – and titles include "One Note Samba", "Besame Mucho", and "Wee Dot".

Grant Green & Baby Face Willette - Trio/Quartet - Complete Recordings (2014) {2CD American Jazz Classics 99103 rec 1961-62}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 916 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 367 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 274 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24bit remaster
© 1961-62, 2014 Blue Note / American Jazz Classics | 99103
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Guitar / Organ

This release presnts all of Grant Green and Baby Face Willette's collaborative albums as leaders. Recorded in 1961-62, they consist of the LP "Grant's First Stand" (Blue Note BST-84064), issued under the guitarist's name, and “Baby Face” Willette's albums "Face to Face" (Blue Note BST-84068) and "Stop and Listen" (Blue Note BST-84084). Other than their three LPs as leaders, Green and Willette only recorded together on Lou Donaldson's album Here ‘Tis, from which it has been added the title song, a long blues, as a bonus.

Recorded and filmed over two (sold-out, of course) evenings at Toronto's Air Canada Centre in the midst of the band's 35-date North American R40 tour, the aptly named R40 Live finds Rush at a crossroads. On the one hand, it's a festive affair that sees the stalwart trio performing a lethal mix of classics, deep cuts, and recent triumphs with the gusto of men many years younger, but that carnival atmosphere is tempered by the fact that after 41 years, the band may be finally exiting stage left. Neil Peart's chronic tendonitis may be the biggest contributing factor to the band's retirement from the road, but one would be hard-pressed to find any flaws in his performance. In fact, R40 Live may be the band's most dynamic live LP to date.