Nee Port Jazz Festival

Modern Jazz Quartet - Together Again: Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival '82 (1985) {Pablo Japan, J33J 20005, Early Press)
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© 1982, 1985 Pablo Live / Polydor Japan | J33J 20005
Jazz / Third Stream / Cool / Bop

Japanese edition with 1 more track (Traveling), different running order and track durations. This CD features the revived Modern Jazz Quartet during their 30th year (counting a seven-year "vacation"), playing some of their usual repertoire – such as "Django," "The Cylinder," and "Bags' Groove," which for some reason was renamed "Bags' New Groove" – before an appreciative audience at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival. In reality, this release adds little to the MJQ's legacy, since all of the songs but vibraphonist Milt Jackson's "Monterey Mist" had been recorded before (some of them many times), but it does show that the band still had its enthusiasm and the ability to make the veteran material sound fresh and swinging.

Various Artists - Deutsches Jazz Festival, Frankfurt 1954-1955 (1990) {8CD Box Set Bear Family BCD 15430}
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© 1954-55, 1990 Brunswick / Bear Family Records | BCD 15430
Jazz / Traditional Jazz / Cool / Continental Jazz / Jump / Swing / Big Band / Third Stream

8-CD box (LP-size) with 47-page book, 137 tracks. Playing time approx. 725 mns. The third German Jazz Festival in 1955 was a four-day event that featured nearly 30 groups and soloists. It was recorded by Deutsche Grammophon for release on Brunswick, but only parts of it were released on long-deleted EPs. The complete tapes survived though. The 1954 festival was also recorded, but only the portion issued on an EP was saved. Now the surviving portion of the 1954 festival and the entire 1955 festival are issued complete by Bear Family on eight CDs.

This two-CD set (a reissue of an earlier two-LP set plus six previously unreleased numbers) brings back a memorable Carnegie Hall concert that both features and pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. The great singer is joined on a few numbers by a Chick Webb reunion band that has a few of the original members (plus an uncredited Panama Francis on drums). Although the musicians do not get much solo space (why wasn't trumpeter Taft Jordan featured?), the music is pleasing. Fitzgerald performs three exquisite duets with pianist Ellis Larkins and then sits out while the Jazz at the Philharmonic All-Stars romp on a few jams and a ballad medley. Trumpeter Roy Eldridge's emotional flights take honors, although tenorman Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and trombonist Al Grey are also in good form. Fitzgerald comes out for the second half of the show and sings 14 numbers with guitarist Joe Pass (including a pair of tender duets) and the Tommy Flanagan trio.

Phil Woods And His European Rhythm Machine - At The Frankfurt Jazz Festival (1970) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27060}
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© 1970, 2012 Embryo / Warner Japan / WEA / Rhino | WPCR-27060 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Progressive Jazz / Saxophone

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Altoist Phil Woods' European Rhythm Machine was the most adventurous group he ever led, bordering on the avant-garde at times. The 1970 version (which includes pianist Gordon Beck, bassist Henri Texier and drummer Daniel Humair) is showcased on this 1986 reissue performing two group originals, Victor Feldman's "Joshua" and "Freedom Jazz Dance."

Dexter Gordon - Live at The Playboy Jazz Festival (2018) {RSD Limited Exclusive, LP ROGV-063 rec 1982}
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© 1982, 2018 Elektra / Warner / Run Out Groove | ROGV-063
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone / Vibes

Black Friday/Record Store Day Exclusive. Limited to 2000 copies worldwide. Live At The Playboy Jazz Festival features the entire set that Dexter Gordon and his working band recorded at the Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1982, with guest vibes on two tracks by Milt Jackson. This Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive features two previously unreleased tracks (Bag's Groove & The Blues) and two tracks ("Fried Bananas" and "You've Changed") in their complete unedited form to round out the full set.

Bill Evans and Orchestra - Brandeis Jazz Festival (1957) {Gambit Records 69214 rel 2005}
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© 1957, 2005 Gambit Records | 69214
Jazz / Post Bop / Experimental Big Band / Progressive Jazz / Piano

The 1957 Brandeis Jazz Festival featured the work of 6 of the finest composers from the jazz and 20th Century Classical avant-garde. George Russell, Charles Mingus and Jimmy Giuffre represented the jazz contingency. These outstanding concerts featured the finest musicians of the day performing some extremely difficult and highly rewarding charts that tested theirs mettle as both improvisers and sight readers. Among the brightest stars of the concerts was pianist Bill Evans, whose considerable talents were tested in a variety of styles to great results. His excellent performances here gained him a reputation as a top-notch pianist which would directly lead to an invitation to join Miles Davis' legendary sextet. The 3 rare bonus tracks of Bill Evans with Don Elliott at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival showcase the pianist's fluid versatility in an unusual quartet setting featuring Elliot alternating between the mellophone and vibraphone.

The Cees Slinger Octet - Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival (1982) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series}
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© 1982, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6399
Jazz / Post Bop / Hard Bop / Modern Post Bebop / Piano

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. A mighty nice set from pianist Cees Slinger – a live performance from a very hip octet – a group who can come on with ensemble fury one minute, then play like a small combo the next! Slinger's choice of musicians is wonderful – and includes Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Fredinand Povel on alto and soprano, and Ruud Brink on tenor – all musicians who really make the sound sparkle with their solos, but can also slide nicely into the context of the rest of the group, too – in the manner that Povel and Goykovich were so good at on performances for MPS. There's a great sense of color throughout – really showing off Slinger's skill as an arranger – and titles include "Never Forever", "From Way Back", "Changing Colours", "Fee Fi Fo Fum", and "Killer Joe".