Shelly Manne & His Men — At The Black Hawk, Vol. 1

Jazz from The Pacific Northwest combines two previously unissued concert recordings from one of the greatest jazz drummers of all-time, Shelly Manne. The first recording features Monty Budwig on bass, Russ Freeman on piano, Stu Williamson on trumpet, and Herb Geller on flute and alto saxophone recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival on October 4, 1958. The second recording features Hampton Hawes on piano, Frank Strozier on flute and alto saxophone, Conte Condoli on trumpet and guest vocalist Ruth Price on two tracks recorded at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle on September 7 and 15, 1966.

Shelly Manne scored big with a jazz version of the Peter Gunn soundtrack in the 50s - and he does it again in this 60s version of Henry Mancini's music for the full-length Gunn movie! The style here is a bit more far-reaching and looser than before - showing not just Manne's development as an artist, but also his ear for some of the best styles of the younger generation - as evidenced by his inclusion of Frank Strozier on alto and flute, and Mike Wofford on piano - alongside more familiar faces Monte Budwig on bass and Conte Candoli on trumpet.

Mongo Santamaria - At The Black Hawk (1962) {Fantasy}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 482 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 172 Mb
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© 1962, 2006 Fantasy / Universal | 00025218243421
Jazz / Afro-Cuban Jazz / Latin Jazz / Percussion

Applying their famous two-fer philosophy to the digital era, Fantasy combines Mighty Mongo and Viva Mongo! on a single CD, showcasing two somewhat different slants on Mongo Santamaria's music during a period of exploration. Mighty Mongo leans more to Mongo's jazz side without sacrificing his Afro-Cuban rhythmic base, while Viva Mongo has a more distinctly ethnic Cuban sound with Rudy Calzado's solo vocals and the band's group chanting, Rolando Lozano's wooden flute riding playfully above the ensemble, and the traditional Cuban use of string counterlines.

Steve Coleman - Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets) (2018) {Pi Recordings Digital Download}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/48kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 0.99 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 362 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2018 Pi Recordings | PI76
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

Alto saxophonist Steve Coleman’s Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. I (The Embedded Sets) is his first live release in over 15 years. It captures his band Five Elements in two joyous sets at the historic New York venue where some of the most famous jazz recording from the likes of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Bill Evans have been made.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - At the Cafe Bohemia Vol.1 (1955) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5242, Early Press}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 402 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 156 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 182 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1955, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | CP32-5242 | Mono
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Drums

This is Art Blakey's early period Jazz Messengers featuring trumpeter Kenny Dorham, saxophonist Hank Mobley, bassist Doug Watkins, and pianist Horace Silver. This first volume of live performance from the Cafe Bohemia in New York City circa late 1955 is a rousing set of hard bop by the masters who signified its sound, and expanded on the language of modern jazz.