Jeepers Creepers 4

“Bennett’s ability to straddle jazz and popular music was one he shared with few others. He managed to retain more of a jazz feel than either, and that’sN what Basie senses in him: a kindred spirit who is devoted to the not so very taxing business of s(w)inging the song with minimum distraction.”

Bernard Peiffer was a popular pianist on the French jazz scene throughout a good part of the 1950s. This compilation collects a series of sessions (including both solo and trio dates) recorded in 1952 and 1953. Peiffer's approach to the piano is obviously influenced by Erroll Garner to a certain extent, especially on standards like "Jeepers Creepers" and "Lady Be Good." But he's also a compelling bop pianist, offering an impressive performance of Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase." His inventive approach to "Caravan" (heard in two separate takes) incorporates a dramatic shift in the bassline, adding a bit of stride piano in spots…

This album is part of a series of budget imports from Warner that pulls from their huge archives to highlight some of jazz's most classic musicians. Compilations, especially budget-line collections, tend to be either boring greatest-hits lists that any fan would already own or poorly recorded live tracks that sound like they were issued from the inside of somebody's bathtub. This series is neither, combining quality live tracks with the truly classic studio recordings from each artist. A nice version of "Take Five" is included from the Newport Jazz Festival, as well as other classic Fantasy recordings like "Jeepers Creepers" and "I'll Never Smile Again."

'Just One Mo' Time' is Jasmine's second volume of classic recordings by the Isley Brothers. The first release back in 2010 was 'You Make Me Want To Shout' (JASCD561) which contained 23 recordings from the very beginning of their career. This new set kicks off with the self-penned, 'Open Up Your Heart' and a bizarre, but fun, doo wop styled rendition of Victor Herbert's 'Gypsy Love Song' from his operetta 'The Fortune Teller'. The song is also well known via Mario Lanza.

One of his best LPs from a very creative and innovative period, In Stockholm is wonderful almost in spite of itself. Getz recorded this date for Norman Granz in December of 1955, after returning from a several-months-long period of recuperation in North Africa due to a crippling illness - the combination of pleurisy and pneumonia. Getz is in the company of three Swedish jazzmen: pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Gunnar Johnson, and drummer Anders Burman. The program is made up of standards and a mix of ballads and faster bop-flavored tunes. The bluesy "Indiana" kicks the date off with a brief solo tenor intro. Getz's trademark tone is warm, rich, and full. His real foil on the track is Johnson, whose bop playing is on the money…

This excellent CD reissues the LP Brubeck Time plus half of Red Hot and Cool. One of the few early studio (as opposed to club) recordings by the early Dave Brubeck Quartet (this version has bassist Bob Bates and drummer Joe Dodge in addition to pianist Brubeck and altoist Paul Desmond), the fine unit performs nine standards plus three new compositions: "Stompin' for Mili," "Audrey" (dedicated to Audrey Hepburn) and Brubeck's classic, "The Duke."