Guy C. Brown

This 1954 studio date, a self-titled album recorded for Emarcy, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown to denote the involvement of one of the top trumpeters of the day. Vaughan sings nine intimate standards with a band including Brown on trumpet, Herbie Mann on flute, and Paul Quinichette on tenor, each of which have plenty of space for solos (most of the songs are close to the five-minute mark). Vaughan is arguably in the best voice of her career here, pausing and lingering over notes on the standards "April in Paris," "Jim," and "Lullaby of Birdland." As touching as Vaughan is, however, Brown almost equals her with his solos on "Lullaby of Birdland," "Jim," and "September Song," displaying his incredible bop virtuosity in a restrained setting without sacrificing either the simple feeling of his notes or the extraordinary flair of his choices…

Recorded on Halloween night in 1979, this pairs up Wells and Guy in a fashion that hasn't been heard since Hoodoo Man Blues, their first, and best collaboration. Solid backing by the Philip Guy band (Buddy's brother) makes this album a rare treat.

No matter the title of this Ruf Records outing, Kim Simmonds, founder, guitarist, and eternal frontman for Savoy Brown, is going straight for its Chicago mojo to deliver this set of scorching electric blues. Aided and abetted by his now longstanding road band – comprising bassist Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm – Simmonds' Savoy Brown comes full circle from its 1965 roots as a British band won over to the loud, gritty sounds coming across the ocean from Chess Records. Opener "Laura Lee," is in the classic Windy City tradition, as inspired by Hound Dog Taylor's house rockin' style as they are Muddy Waters', while "Just a Dream" recalls the moody, slow burning attack of Son Seals.

2017 release from the veteran blues outfit. Blues is not for the faint-hearted. Since the genre first drew breath, it's greatest practitioners have embraced the darkness, spinning tales of hardship and death, hellhounds and devilry. If the sleeve of Witchy Feelin' suggests that Kim Simmonds, too, has a tendency towards the macabre, then Savoy Brown's iconic leader is happy to confirm it. "Blues has always dealt with themes of the Devil, witchcraft and so forth, and I've always written along those lines. At least three of the songs on Witchy Feelin' have that hoodoo vibe…" Witchy Feelin' proves the Devil still has all the best tunes.

Clifford Brown - The Complete Paris Sessions (1953) {3CD Set, Vogue 668 001 rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.15 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 470 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 56 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1953, 1991 Vogue | 668 001
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trumpet

While in Paris, Brown recorded a series of sides with mostly French rhythm sections for the Vogue label, several of which are reissued here. Half the cuts feature Brown as a featured soloist with a big band comprised of Hampton's bandmembers and led by alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce. Gryce's tunes are solid, but the date would be unmemorable without Brown, whose flair for spontaneous invention elevates the banality of the context.

Clifford Brown - The Complete Paris Collection (1953) {3CD Set Vogue Japan, K30Y-6184~6, Early Press rel 1987}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 930 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 463 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 250 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1953, 1987 Disques Vogue / King Records Japan | K30Y-6184~6
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trumpet

In a way, Brown was the Wynton Marsalis of his time; like Marsalis, Brown came on the jazz scene following a period of significant stylistic change. However, unlike Marsalis (who rejected the free jazz made famous by the generation just preceding his own), Brown chose to embrace the innovations of his immediate elders. In the process, Brown became one of the great post-Gillespie trumpeters, developing a voice that spoke the language of bebop with a distinct, personal inflection. In September 1953 – having just recorded his first dates as a leader for Blue Note – Brown went to Europe with Lionel Hampton.