Lafayette Escadrille (1958)

«L'insurrection est le plus sacré des devoirs.» Personnalité de la Révolution française, acteur majeur de la monarchie de Juillet, celui qui avait joué un rôle décisif dans la guerre d'Indépendance des États-Unis, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette (1757-1834) fut autant controversé de son vivant qu'après sa mort. Du côté français on le qualifia volontiers de «cavalier de la chimère», de «statue en quête de piédestal», voire de «plus jobard des libéraux»…

Back before the electric guitar became the primary focal instrument of the blues, two-fisted piano players dominated the genre, and record companies flocked to record them. Chess Records was no exception, and this two-disc, 45-track anthology shines the spotlight on four of the best who ever sat on the piano stool at the Chess studios. The first disc begins with 20 tracks from Eddie Boyd (eight of them previously unissued in the U.S.), full of introspective reflection and the darkest of moods. Kicking off with one of his big hits, "24 Hours," and the dourness of Boyd's work reaches epic proportions on tunes like "I Began to Sing the Blues," "Third Degree," and "Blues for Baby," the latter featuring stellar jazz guitar runs and chordal work from Robert Jr. Lockwood…

This release presents the complete October 22, 1958 concert by the Donald Byrd Quintet with Bobby Jaspar, performed at the famous Olympia Theatre. It contains both volumes of Byrd in Paris in their entirety, plus a rare version of “More of the Same” that is from the same performance but was only previously available on a long out of print compilation. Further tunes by the same group recorded at a Paris club a few days later (including three versions of songs that were also performed at the Olympia) have been added as a bonus.

While not the first male or female jazz harp player (Casper Reardon of Jack Teagarden's bands, Adele Girard performing with her husband Joe Marsala, or Corky Hale set precedents), Dorothy Ashby was the very best and most swinging performer on the multi-stringed instrument associated with the gates of heaven. Here on Earth, Ashby adeptly plucked and strummed the harp like nobody else, as evidenced on a single reissue containing her two best LPs for the Prestige and Prestige/New Jazz labels from 1958 - Hip Harp and In a Minor Groove. Alongside her prior efforts for the Savoy label, they collectively represent a small but substantive discography for the Detroit native in small group settings. With the exceptional flute sounds produced by Frank Wess, the combo plays music that is oriented via a unique sonic palate, further enhanced by the principals in the standards and originals they have chosen…

Although he plays guitar exclusively on two of the eight selections included on this CD reissue, it is Toots Thielemans' harmonica playing that is most unique. He holds his own on a hard bop blowing date with baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Art Taylor, jamming on such songs as "East of the Sun," "Struttin' with Some Barbeque" and "Isn't It Romantic." Even four decades later, no jazz harmonica player has dethroned the great Toots.