Paradise For Three (1938) Edward Buzzell, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Mary Astor, Romance, Comedy

After nearly 30 years off the scene, altoist Frank Morgan made a remarkable comeback. Despite his years in prison and obscurity, he had not lost anything in his playing; in fact, he had grown as an individual. Teamed with pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Billy Higgins, Morgan (still just 51) digs into songs by Walton, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter and Antonio Carlos Jobim that had not been written when he had last recorded; in addition, he plays versions of three standards that recall his main inspiration, Charlie Parker.

If you want to hear how Frank Morgan sounded during his youth, the first album to purchase is the 1955 gem Introducing Frank Morgan. After that, look for Bird Calls, Vol. 2, a reissue spotlighting Morgan in 1954 and fellow alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce in 1955. The main things that the two bop sessions have in common are the presence of drummer Kenny Clarke and the influence of Charlie Parker - Morgan and Gryce were both greatly influenced by Bird's playing yet had attractive tones of their own. Morgan was only 21 when the 1954 session was recorded, and the altoist forms a sextet with tenor saxman Walter Benton and pianist Gerald Wiggins as well as three-fourths of the Modern Jazz Quartet's original pre-Connie Kay lineup: Clarke, vibist Milt Jackson, and bassist Percy Heath…

Although all eight selections on this CD have been played many times before (the only song not a boppish warhorse is John Lewis' "Milano"), altoist Frank Morgan makes each of the pieces sound fresh. As producer John Snyder is quoted in the liner notes, this is bop without cliches. Morgan, who is assisted by pianist Rodney Kendrick, drummer Leroy Williams and either Curtis Lundy or Ray Drummond on bass, digs into such songs as "Well You Needn't," "A Night In Tunisia" and an 11 ½ minute version of "Half Nelson," coming up with some surprising twists and plenty of viable ideas. A fine effort.

Both John Hicks and Frank Morgan passed away shortly after making the recordings gathered here: pianist Hicks in May 2006 and alto saxophonist Morgan in December 2007. They had both spent the preceding decades living very different lives: Morgan, as is well known within the jazz community, was a heroin addict to whom incarceration was no stranger. He disappeared from the scene for an interminably long 30 years before finding his way back from his problems and into the music world in 1985. Hicks, meanwhile, was prolific throughout his multi-decade career, recording many albums as a leader and working alongside many of the genre's greats as a sideman. This set of seven tracks does not consist entirely of duets: Morgan appears on only four of them and Hicks plays solo piano on the others (there are no other musicians involved)…

Frank Morgan moved from Antilles to Telarc with Love, Lost and Found, which emphasizes the altoist's romantic side and boasts Cedar Walton on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Those who had been following Morgan's career knew that he was a magnificent ballad player, and ballads are a very high priority on this CD. Most of the standards that he embraces had been recorded time and time again over the years, including "Skylark," "I Can't Get Started," "My One and Only Love," and "Don't Blame Me." But Morgan's playing is so personal and so darn soulful that one doesn't mind hearing yet another version of "What Is This Thing Called Love" or "All The Things You Are." It's best for musicians to stay away from such warhorses unless they have something really personal to bring to them, and thankfully, Morgan does…

Innovative string trio Time For Three (TF3) – praised by Simon Rattle as “benevolent monsters, monsters of ability and technique surely. But also conveyors of an infectious joy that I find both touching and moving”– releases the new album Letters for the Future with the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Xian Zhang on Deutsche Grammophon on June 10. The album comprises world premiere recordings of two technically demanding and musically virtuosic concerti for trio and orchestra by two Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, written fifteen years apart but both commissioned for the group: Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Concerto 4–3 and Kevin Puts’s brand-new Contact, the first track of which is available May 20.

At the Circus - by Edward Buzzell (1939)

The Marx Brothers try to help the owner of a circus recover some stolen funds before he finds himself out of a job.