Grachan Moncur Iii New Africa

Trombonist Grachan Moncur III, who was a member of the Jazztet in the early 1960s, gained his greatest fame for his two Blue Note albums (Evolution and Some Other Stuff) which were quite adventurous. He also worked with Archie Shepp, became involved in free jazz and spent much of the 1970s and '80s as a music educator.

Archie Shepp - For Losers & Kwanza (2011) {Impulse! 2-on-1 Series Remaster rec 1970-1974}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 486 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 188 Mb
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© 1970-74, 2011 Impulse! / Verve / Universal Music | 06007 5334722
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Spiritual Jazz / Modal Music / Saxophone

Archie Shepp started his career as a new thing firebrand, an acolyte of John Coltrane and a fierce advocate for civil rights. By the time these sessions were recorded in the late 60's and early 70's, Shepp had changed—developing a funky style of R&B tinged jazz that wasn't exactly fusion, but definitely showed an awareness of what people like James Brown and Sly Stone were up to. The first album on this 2-fer, is the rare disc For Losers, and it surprises you right from the jump with a straight up R&B tune called “Stick 'em Up," which wouldn't have sounded out of place on the AM radio of the time.

Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz, Vol. 4: Americans In Europe 1963-1979 (2013) {2CD Set Jazzman ‎JMANCD 057}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 792 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 302 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 25 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1963-79, 2013 Jazzman Records | ‎JMANCD 057
Jazz / Spiritual Jazz / Modal Jazz / Progressive Jazz

It's well known that throughout the 20th century, fed up with poor working conditions and racism in their home country, many American jazz musicians chose to leave the US in order to live and work in Europe. What's less well known is how their music developed and evolved during their time on the continent, and how the experience of being a musician in Europe was to shape their lives.

The Way Ahead was a turning point for Archie Shepp. For starters, he had looked all over the jazz/improv arena for the proper combination of players - without a piano. One can speculate that this was because he cut his first teeth with pianist Cecil Taylor, and that could ruin anybody for life. Recorded in 1968, The Way Ahead featured Ron Carter on bass, Grachan Moncur III's trombone, Jimmy Owens' trumpet, and drums by either Beaver Harris or Roy Haynes, with Walter Davis, Jr. on piano. The set is a glorious stretch of the old and new, with deep blues, gospel, and plenty of guttersnipe swing in the mix. From the post-bop blues opener "Damn If I Know (The Stroller)," the set takes its Ellington-Webster cue and goes looking for the other side of Mingus…