Earl Klugh Trio, Vol. 1 gives listeners a rare chance to hear the guitarist playing straight-ahead jazz. Some bebop musicians contend that playing dull background music year after year means you can kiss your bebop chops goodbye, but there's no evidence of that on this rewarding CD. With Klugh sticking to acoustic guitar and employing Ralph Armstrong on upright bass and Gene Dunlap on drums, someone who is best known for recording schlock offers tasteful and lyrical interpretations of such well known standards as "I'll Remember April," "Night and Day" and "One Note Samba." Klugh also excels on "Lonely Girl" (a beautiful but underexposed Neal Hefti piece) and pleasantly surprises by demonstrating that the theme from the '60s sitcom Bewitched and the Aretha Franklin hit "I Say a Little Prayer" (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) can work in an acoustic bebop setting.
This exciting CD has 20 diverse performances that were originally produced by Leonard Feather for the Victor label during 1946-47. The first eight selections feature various versions of Esquire's All-American Award Winners and have some unique combinations of musicians. "Long Long Journey" was the first record to match together Duke Ellington (who verbally introduces the song) and Louis Armstrong, and on "Snafu" Armstrong takes a surprisingly modern solo that hints at bebop. Trumpeter Charlie Shavers creates a remarkable improvisation on "The One That Got Away," ltoist Johnny Hodges plays beautifully on "Gone with the Wind" and other key players include tenor saxophonist Don Byas, trumpeter Buck Clayton, trombonist J.J. Johnson and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. In addition, there are selections featuring trombonist Jack Teagarden, the 52nd Street All-Stars (with Shavers, Hawkins and tenorman Allan Eager), the tenor of Lucky Thompson, trumpeter Neal Hefti, altoist Benny Carter, singer Mildred Bailey and solo piano records by Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. The mid-to-late '40s were a particularly rich period for jazz and this highly recommended CD is filled with gems.
Born in San Francisco in 1925, Eddie Duran is an unfairly neglected jazz guitarist and a soloist full of imagination and heart who was already playing professionally at 15. To this day he considers himself an “ear player,” despite having played and recorded with Vince Guaraldi, Red Norvo, Cal Tjader, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, George Shearing, Earl “Fatha” Hines and Benny Goodman, in the heyday of the San Francisco bebop scene.
The absolute jazz collection. All the "classics" are here with the legendary performers. Ideal 3CDs for initiation to the magical world of jazz. Enjoy Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Stephane Grappelli, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz and many more, all in one collection.
If Mostly Other People Do the Killing seems to be all about cleverness –mysterious band name, calling their fourth album Forty Fort, Impulse!-like cover art, pseudo-brainiac liner notes by "Leonardo Featherweight," a goof on jazz critic of renown Leonard Feather – well, there is that. Even those who profess to disdain jazz's avant-garde, into which school this certainly falls, may very well be sucked in by the sheer fun of it all. From the first track, "Pen Argyl," the quartet – Moppa Elliott (bass), Peter Evans (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto and tenor saxophone), and Kevin Shea (drums, elecronics) – makes it clear that as serious as they are, they're not all that serious.
This 1994 recording was McBride's debut as a leader, and it consolidated his place as the most eminent bassist of the mainstream youth movement. His big sound, relaxed time-feel, and keen harmonic sense all hearken back to the great bass players of the '50s, and his adroit bowed solos can recall the work of Paul Chambers. McBride has assembled some of his most talented peers here in various permutations, forming a tight rhythm unit with drummer Lewis Nash and inspiring strong contributions from trumpeter Roy Hargrove, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, trombonist Steve Turre, and pianist Cyrus Chestnut.