Nostalgia in Times Square

This two-LP set from 1979 restored solos that were edited out of the two albums Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Dynasty, and includes some newly issued material from those dates…

Jemeel Moondoc Quintet - Nostalgia In Times Square (1985) {Soul Note 121141-2 rel 1993}
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© 1985, 1993 Soul Note | 121141-2
Jazz / Modern Creative / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

Alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, an open thinking veteran of the 1970's jazz loft scene, cut this forward thinking, yet swinging album for the Italian Soul Note label in 1985. Joining him were a powerful crew of William Parker on bass, Dennis Charles on drums, Rahn Burton on piano and Bern Nix on guitar. Despite just being a quintet, the group was able to achieve a much bigger sound than their size indicated, allowing them to perform a beautiful version of the Charles Mingus composition “Nostalgia in Times Square” which loses nothing of the lushness and longing of the Mingus original.

This CD, a straight reissue of Wonderland, finds bassist/leader Charles Mingus really pushing altoist John Handy and tenor-saxophonist Booker Ervin on four lengthy selections, highlighted by "Nostalgia in Times Square" and "No Private Income Blues." The music is advanced bop that looks toward the upcoming innovations of the avant-garde and is frequently quite exciting.

Dannie Richmond & The Last Mingus Band - Plays Charles Mingus (1980) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series CDSOL-6383}
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© 1980, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6383
Jazz / Post Bop / Drums

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. The music of Charles Mingus – played by a great small combo headed up by Dannie Richmond, Mingus' drummer for over 20 years! The group on the set features members from Charles' last band – and is a quintet with Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, Bob Neloms on piano, and Cameron Brown on bass. Tunes are taken in a gentler, and more open-handed version than used on the original recordings – a style that's a nice contrast to that of Mingus, replacing the strength of his vision with a warmth and sensitivity that makes the tunes sparkle nicely. Titles include "Fables Of Faubus", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", "Nostalgia In Times Square", and "Duke Ellington Sound Of Love".

One of the top jazz singers of the 1990s, Roseanna Vitro is a versatile vocalist who is not afraid to take chances. On her Telarc debut, the personnel changes on many of the ten selections with the stars among the sidemen including pianist Ken Werner (Vitro's musical director), altoist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Tim Hagans, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Elvin Jones.Among the highpoints of the diverse repertoire are an adventurous "Freedom Jazz Dance," "Out of This World," "Long as You're Livin '," McCoy Tyner's "Passion Dance" and "Strollin"' (an adaptation of Charles Mingus' "Nostalgia in Times Square").The only number that does not work is an over-the-top rendition of "More than You Know" that is overly complex; simplicity would have been much more effective. Otherwise this is a superior set by a very appealing singer.

John Lindberg Ensemble - The Catbird Sings (2000) {Black Saint 120198-2 rec 1999}
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© 2000 Black Saint | 120198-2
Jazz / Modern Creative / Post Bop / Progressive Jazz / Bass

And here is another winner from John Lindberg, in an ensemble with Andrew Cyrille on drums, Larry Ochs on sax and Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet. Not all tracks are played by all four musicians. The first piece is a wonderful slow meditative duet between trumpet and bass. The second, "Waltz Four", starts with a strong two-minute long bass intro, after which the three other musicians join, with a staggeringly beautiful melody in the high tones by Ochs, with solid thematic counterpoint by Smith.

We love Jeff Goldblum for his iconic roles in things like Jurassic Park and Thor: Ragnarok, but there’s more to the man than halting line delivery and quirky characters. An accomplished pianist, he’s been performing at jazz clubs around Los Angeles and New York City with his band, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, since the ’90s. Now, he’s finally ready to share his debut album, The Capitol Studios Sessions, on November 9th.