Jazz Play Along Volume

This 1998 OJC CD reissues a very elusive item, the first 10" LP released by Contemporary. The six selections by the Lighthouse All-Stars (actually their fourth recording and third for Contemporary) were recorded live at the Lighthouse. At the time, the band had quite a notable lineup (trumpeter Shorty Rogers, trombonist Milt Bernhart, both Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper on tenors, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Howard Rumsey, and drummer Shelly Manne). The recording quality is not as good as studio records of the era, but the musicians all play well; Teddy Edwards' "Sunset Eyes" is a highlight. Shortly after, Rogers and Manne would depart to lead their own bands and Giuffre would join Rogers. This CD concludes with three previously unreleased numbers from September 1953…

Progression was recorded in September of 2000 at the Village Vanguard. It is a double CD set of the trio with Mehldau, Grenadier and Rossy, and spans a wide range of material. There are the ballads: ‘The Folks Who Live on the Hill,’ and ‘Secret Love’ build on the lyrical approach that the trio has taken so far, while ‘Cry Me A River,’ and ‘How Long Has This Been Going On’ have a torch-like, slow-swinging quality, with more of a focus on the blues feeling in the interpretation.

It's regrettable that Stan Getz and Chet Baker disliked one another personally, for they had so much in common musically. Both came out of jazz's Cool School, had delightful tones, favored subtlety and restraint, and both could be incredibly lyrical - no jazzman has played ballads more beautifully than Getz or Baker. Recorded live in Norway in 1983 but not released commercially until 2000, Quintessence, Vol. 2 offers a rare chance to hear them co-leading a quintet. One wishes that Getz and Baker (who are joined by pianist Jim McNeely, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis) had been able to put their personal differences aside and play together more often, for the two are a highly appealing combination on standards that range from "It's You or No One" and "I'll Remember April" to Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count," Gerry Mulligan's "Line for Lyons," and Sonny Rollins' "Airegin"…

The Painted Lady Suite, the debut album by the Michael Leonhart Orchestra (MLO) is inspired by the butterfly of the same name. While Leonhart was initially attracted to its flamboyant coloration and wing ornamentation, it was the butterfly’s incredible migration, which spans over six generations and 9,000 miles — twice that of the Monarch butterfly, that inspired the trumpeter/composer/bandleader to write his “Painted Lady Suite.”

Ultra-Lounge is a series of compilation CDs released by Capitol Records, featuring music predominantly from the 1950s and 1960s in genres such as exotica, space age pop, mambo, television theme songs, and lounge. Many of the volumes have since been made available for purchase via digital download. Each CD featured detailed liner notes along with two related drink recipes, tips on how to serve drinks to guests, and often photographs of sculptures made out of bartender items and other objects.

During the last few years of his life, guitarist Joe Pass enjoyed having reunions with the same musicians who played with him 25 years earlier for the classic For Django recording: rhythm guitarist John Pisano, bassist Jim Hughart and drummer Colin Bailey. This 1989 recording could almost be called For Django 2, for it is the same vein as the original. Pass takes his remake of "For Django" unaccompanied and performs four of Django's tunes, along with five standards from the 1930s and three originals. Pisano, who was instrumental in organizing the session and the repertoire, sticks to acoustic guitar, while Pass alternates between acoustic and electric. Although Joe Pass' main influence was Charlie Christian and he really does not sound like Reinhardt, he manages to evoke the spirit of Django while swinging in his own fashion. It is particularly nice hearing such tunes as "Belleville," the haunting "Tears" and "For Django" in newer versions.