Love Serenade 1996

Follow-up volumes appeared in 1993 and 1996, extending the time period to 1979 and with additional songs from the 1972-76 period, available on cassette or CD (ALL 25 volumes were issued in both formats). Each volume has twelve songs. Despite the greater capacity of compact discs, the running time of each of the volumes is no longer than the limit of vinyl records in the 1970s, from 38 to 45 minutes long.

This CD from the European Classics label has the entire recorded legacy of the Three Peppers (other than obscure sets in 1947 and 1949), 24 selections in all from six recording sessions. Consisting of Oliver "Toy" Wilson on piano, guitarist Bob Bell and bassist Walter Williams, the Three Peppers (which had Wilson, Bell and maybe Williams indulging in group vocals) preceded the Nat King Cole Trio and played hot swing and novelties with plenty of spirit. This CD includes a previously unreleased recording of "The Sheik of Araby" and is highlighted by such tunes as "Swingin' at the Cotton Club," "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" (one of four numbers with singer Sally Gooding, trumpet, clarinet and drums added), two versions of "Swing Out, Uncle Wilson" and "Pepperism." Recommended for lovers of small-group swing.

Dexter Gordon - The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions [6 CD Set] (1996) {Blue Note}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 2.82 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.05 Gb
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© 1996 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 8 34200 2 5
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions is an attractive six-disc box set featuring all of Dexter Gordon's '60s recordings for the label in chronological order. Such classic albums as Dexter Calling and Go! were recorded during these years, and they are presented in their entirety, as are two complete sessions that have been previously unavailable on CD and several unreleased alternate takes. For serious Gordon fans and musicologists, it's an essential collection, but its very thoroughness makes it less appealing to casual fans, who would be better off acquiring the individual albums.

This disc reissues Dianne Reeves' entire 1982 LP "Welcome to My Love", plus three tracks from 1985's "For Every Heart" and one selection from her days as a vocalist with the band Caldera.

Randy Weston - With These Hands (1956) {Riverside OJCCD-1883-2 rel 1996}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 155 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 90 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956, 1996 Riverside Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1883-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

With These Hands is one of pianist Randy Weston's lesser-known sets. Weston, who already had a fairly distinctive style, mostly sticks to standards (which is quite unusual for him), including "The Man I Love," "This Can't Be Love," and "Do Nothing Til You Hear from Me." A quartet is featured that also includes baritonist Cecil Payne (who would be a longtime associate), bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and drummer Wilbert Hogan. However, the date does include two of Weston's originals and is actually highlighted by the debut of his famous "Little Niles."

Pianist Oscar Peterson has made a remarkable number of records through the years and his two songbook series for Verve (each recording features the songs of a different composer) were extensive, to say the least. During 1952-54 he cut ten albums (113 songs) and in 1959 he added nine more records (108 songs), in addition to his regular busy activities. Because these were essentially easy-listening sets with concise interpretations that always kept the melodies of the composers close by, they are not considered Peterson's greatest work but they are enjoyable in their own right. This particular two-CD set has some of the highlights from these marathon projects, most of which (the Gershwin songbooks excepted) had never been out on CD before. Peterson teams up with guitarist Barney Kessel and bassist Ray Brown on nine numbers from 1952, features Herb Ellis in Kessel's place on 13 other songs…