Counterpoint (1967)

Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique (1967) {2014 Japan SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster UCCQ-5016}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 246 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 97 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 232 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24bit 192kHz remaster
© 1967, 2014 Universal Japan / Blue Note | BN 75th The Masterworks | UCCQ-5016
Jazz / Post Bop / Vibraphone

Reissue. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (fully compatible with standard CD player) and the latest remastering (24bit 192kHz). Bobby Hutcherson's second quartet session, Oblique, shares both pianist Herbie Hancock and drummer Joe Chambers with his first, Happenings (bassist Albert Stinson is a newcomer). However, the approach is somewhat different this time around. For starters, there's less emphasis on Hutcherson originals; he contributes only three of the six pieces, with one from Hancock and two from the typically free-thinking Chambers. And compared to the relatively simple compositions and reflective soloing on Happenings, Oblique is often more complex in its post-bop style and more emotionally direct (despite what the title may suggest).

This 1967 session is notable for the presence of Ornette Coleman in the role of sideman, on trumpet no less. There are only three tunes on New and Old Gospel, one side-long piece by McLean, a four-part suite entitled "Lifeline," and two works by Coleman, including the title track and "Strange As It Seems." As a trumpet player, Coleman understands the psychology of McLean's playing and composing, in that they both come directly from the blues and it haunts everything they do. The other players on the session that make up the rhythm section - drummer Billy Higgins, pianist Lamont Johnson and Scott Holt on bass - understand this implicitly…

Stanley Turrentine is generally pegged as a soul-jazz man but also has proven quite adept in several other styles of modern jazz, as heard on this diverse compilation of tunes from three initially unreleased Blue Note dates with a larger ensemble. While hitting up a handful of the pop tunes of the day, Turrentine shows he is interested in and capable of tackling more modern compositions, with the vibrant and exciting assistance of pianist McCoy Tyner, also not a slouch when soul-jazz is placed in front of him. That Turrentine plays a most enjoyable fluid, tuneful, and tonic tenor saxophone has never been questioned, but what he adds in value as a leader on these tracks further cements his estimable reputation…

Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique (1967) [2005 RVG Remaster]
EAC+LOG+CUE | Flac (image) | 1 CD | 239 MB | scans @ 600dpi | Time: 41:04 | 3% recovery | HF + RS
Jazz, Post Bop | Blue Note/ Capitol Records | EMI Catalog # 7 2435 63835 2

This album, recorded in 1967, had to wait 13 years to be released. But when it was, it was hailed as one of the greatest albums in this great vibist's long career. The quartet tackles both attractive and challenging material contributed by Hancock and Chambers as well as the leader.

Miles Davis - Miles Smiles (1967) [1998 Issue]
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© 1998 Sony Music / Columbia / Legacy | CK 65682
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music

Miles Davis' restless curiosity would never allow him to look back, and as a result, he sought out new blood and fresh … Full Descriptionchallenges over the course of six decades of innovation. When modernists such as Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane began stretching the parameters of form and improvisation in the early '60s, Davis was leery, even hostile at first.

But as the saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em–and by 1964 Miles had assembled his own dream team of innovative young turks, who began to vivisect the entire Davis book, before moving confidently into uncharted waters. MILES SMILES marks a sea change in which the Miles Davis Quintet really begins to stretch out and confront the avant-garde with a modern thrust of their own–resulting in one of the greatest jazz recordings of all time.

Performances such as "Orbits" and "Ginger Bread Boy" redefine all notions of swing, as Ron Carter and Tony Williams treat the beat in a free-flowing manner, superimposing new chords and meters over a fulminating 4/4 pulse. Pianist Hancock veers away from traditional block chord accompaniments, often providing spare polytonal counterpoint or laying out altogether. Tenor saxophonist Shorter's harmonic and melodic abandon inspire Davis to explore bold new vocal nuances in his phrasing, even as his classic compositions–such as "Footprints"–alter the harmonic language of jazz forever. And from the joyous hyper-funk of "Freedom Jazz Dance" to the serene misterioso of the trumpeter's remarkable ballad "Circles," MILES SMILES defines a new performance standard for collective improvisation.

Rafael Kubelik was one of the 20th century's most brilliant and charismatic conductors, yet under-appreciated because of his reluctance to embrace the "star" system. Here he is seen working with the great orchestras of Berlin, Vienna and Amsterdam, and featured in a bonus biographical documentary acclaimed for "stylish camera-work and a counterpoint of image, word and music reflecting Kubelik's spontaneity, exuberance, trust in emotion, and ability, even in tailcoat, to retain his warmth and humanity" (Süddeutsche Zeitung).

Soli I is the first of a series of four works by the Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, each called Soli and each featuring a succession of instrumental solos. Three of these compositions are chamber music, and the remaining one is a sort of concerto grosso for four soloists and orchestra. This first work of the series is a quartet for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and trumpet.