Smoke Session

There is a long tradition of "saxophone battles" in jazz with duos such as Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray or Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane performing together in a kind of sporting joust of abilities, a gentleman's contest for who is the better player. On the 2012 concert album Friendly Fire: Live at Smoke, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and alto saxophonist Vincent Herring join in this tradition with a swinging, passionate set of standards recorded live at the respected N.Y.C. venue. The album is actually a re-pairing of the duo, who first sparred on 2005's Battle: Live at Smoke. This time around they spar over such numbers as Hank Mobley's "Pat 'N' Chat," McCoy Tyner's "Inception," the standard "You've Changed," as well as Herring's own "Timothy," among others. Backing the saxophonists here are pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist John Webber, and drummer Carl Allen. This is a lively and exciting session of adventurous and old-school straight-ahead jazz.

Andrew Hill - Smoke Stack (1963) {2006 BN Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
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© 2006 Blue Note | 0946 3 37777 2 9 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

This 1963 trio session was only the avant-garde pianist and composer Andrew Hill's second release for Blue Note, with whom he would enjoy a fruitful association throughout the decade. Already, on the previous BLACK FIRE, Hill had established himself as a worthy, somewhat more mainstream alternative to the radical Cecil Taylor. His musical style is heavily chromatic, both dense and angular, similar in part to McCoy Tyner's equally muscular explorations. For the most part however, SMOKE STACK takes things at a ruminative, deceptively leisurely pace. Still, the venerable drummer Roy Haynes remains energetic, supple. and busy throughout the set, much like the fiery Elvin Jones with the John Coltrane Quartet. One highlight: Richard Davis's arco bass stylings, moaning and keening throughout the exotic "Wailing Wall."

Andrew Hill - Smoke Stack (1963) {Blue Note Japan TOCJ-4160 rel 1994}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 237 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 98 Mb
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© 1963, 1994 Blue Note / Toshiba-EMI Japan | TOCJ-4160
Jazz / Post Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz / Piano

A fantastic session by this groundbreaking modernist – essentially a piano trio album, but recorded with two bass players – Richard Davis & Eddie Kahn – one of whom plays rhythm, the other who solos along with Hill. The result is one of Hill's darkest piano outings, brought even deeper by the bass accompaniment, and the lack of any other horns to support the set. The album includes Hill's brilliant "Ode to Von", dedicated to Von Freeman, one of his early teachers – plus the tracks "Verne", "Not So", "Wailing Wall", and "The Day After".

A Blowin' Session is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin, recorded and released in 1957 on Blue Note Records. It was remastered and reissued in 1999, featuring an alternate take of "Smoke Stack". A Blowin' Session is one of the greatest hard bop jam sessions ever recorded; it is filled with infectious passion and camaraderie. It's also the only time tenor saxophonists Johnny Griffin and John Coltrane would play together on record.

Deluxe two disc (CD + PAL/Region 2 DVD) edition of this reissue of the 1989 benefit CD EP now expanded and including a bonus documentary DVD. The Rock Aid Armenia version of Smoke on the Water was recorded in 1989 at the historic Metropolis Studios, London. The recordings were completed over five different sessions, produced by Gary Langan and Geoff Downes. Features musical appearances from Bryan Adams, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Keith Emerson, Bruce Dickinson, Brian May, Roger Taylor, David Gilmore, Tony Iommi, Paul Rodgers, Chris Squire, Alex Lifeson, Geoff Beaucchamp and others.

A Blowin' Session is one of the greatest hard bop jam sessions ever recorded; it is filled with infectious passion and camaraderie. It's also the only time tenor saxophonists Johnny Griffin and John Coltrane would play together on record. Initially Coltrane wasn't scheduled to be on this date, but Griffin saw him on his way to Rudy Van Gelder's studio and asked him to join the remaining musicians, third tenor Hank Mobley, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey. These musicians were all associates within the same East Coast hard bop scene of the time; they came from the Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis' quintet, and many had played with Dizzy Gillespie's big band…