Monster Walter

Big Walter Horton was one of the key architects of modern blues harmonica. Blues legend Willie Dixon referred to him as "the best harmonica player I ever heard." Along with Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II, he is considered to be one of the most influential harpists ever. He was capable of both intense power and fragile delicacy, often in the same song. He was endlessly melodically adventurous, and always unpredictable. His only Alligator Records album, - "Big Walter Horton With Carey Bell", came out in 1972. It paired him with his young protégé, who had played under Walter's tutelage since Bell's arrival in Chicago. Walter's long-time partner Eddie Taylor joined them on guitar. It was Alligator's second-ever release, and received widespread critical acclaim, especially for the fiery harp duets that pitted the two harmonica masters against one another.

The notes for this CD ask, "What issue is more topical than the Brazilian rain forest? So what reissue would be more topical than Walter Wanderley's Rain Forest?" Politically, this may be true, but musically, this collection is anything but topical. From the first tune - the monster hit "Summer Samba," the listener is catapulted straight back to the '60s when bossa nova was new in the U.S. and everyone wanted a piece of it. Organist Wanderley made a big splash with this CD, which went platinum in two years - and it does evoke strong water images, like "poolside" and "ice skating rink." The jazzmen are underutilized, since most of the tracks are less than three minutes long and leave little room to stretch out. One exception is the pretty Ferreira/Marconi ballad "Rain," the only track where Wanderley plays piano rather than organ and which features a fine solo by Urbie Green on trombone…

Walter Bishop, Jr. & The Charlie Parker Memorial Band - Bird Still Lives! (1993) {Timeless SJP373 rec 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 337 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 134 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1993 Timeless Records | CD SJP 373
Jazz / Bebop / Post Bop / Piano

When Charlie Parker died unexpectedly on March 12, 1955, at the age of 34, the jazz world was devastated. Almost immediately, "Bird Lives!" graffiti began to appear around New York City, while musicians paid tribute, through live performances of his music, to the man who had done so much to revolutionize jazz. A memorial live performed in 1991 in memory of Parker by a bop pianist loved by both Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Harold Jeffta from South Africa played the role of Parker. (From the CD journal database).