Straight Ahead Samples Jazz Drums

Part of the Bele Belle Jazz Club series, this collection of three Gonzalo Rubalcaba sessions from 1986 and 1987 finds the pianist in three different settings: electric septet, trio, and solo. The two electric septet session are great in so far as they showcase Rubalcaba's gloriously extended harmonic style with a group., but the electric bass and synths on these two cuts sound just awful. The trio accounts for one selection, and it is full of the fluid, high melodic style Rubalcaba is known for with a rhythm section. It is on the solo cuts where Rubalcaba's now-trademark rhythmic invention is showcased brilliantly; his use of space, and dynamic and harmonic invention, is singular here, playing the jazz tradition against the folk music of his native Cuba on eight selections. It is for these – with their deep lyricism, and contrapuntal engagements – that the album is worth the price.

Dave 'Fathead' Newman - Straight Ahead (1960) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series 24bit WPCR-27067}
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© 1960, 2012 Atlantic / Rhino / Warner Japan / WEA | WPCR-27067 | Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Saxophone

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. The title of this 1961 release best sums up this quartet album. There is nothing particularly innovative about this recording, but the level of expertise and musical maturity displayed here is truly astonishing. This is simply straight-ahead hard bop performed by some of the finest musicians in 1960s jazz, including saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and pianist Wynton Kelly.

Barbara Dennerlein - Straight Ahead! (1989) {Enja 50772}
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© 1989 Enja Records | 5077 2
Jazz / Third Stream / Jazz Funk / Post Bop / Hammond B3 Organ

After several recordings on her own Bebap label and for a few tiny German companies, organist Barbara Dennerlein came to the attention of a larger public with the release of this superior effort for Enja. Teamed up with eccentric trombonist Ray Anderson, fiery guitarist Mitch Watkins, and drummer Ronnie Burrage, Dennerlein performs six of her swinging originals, one apiece by Anderson and Burrage plus "Opus de Funk" and "A Night in Tunisia." The colorful voices of these musicians constantly inspire each other, and Dennerlein (whose sound with the use of MIDI had become quite original) quickly emerged as one of the brightest new stars of the organ in the late '80s.

Reissued several times since it originally came out on a Candid LP, this is one of Abbey Lincoln's greatest recordings. It is a testament to the credibility of her very honest music (and her talents) that Lincoln's sidemen on this date include the immortal tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins (who takes a memorable solo on "Blue Monk"), Eric Dolphy on flute and alto, trumpeter Booker Little (whose melancholy tone is very important in the ensembles), pianist Mal Waldron, and drummer Max Roach. Highpoints include "When Malindy Sings," "Blue Monk," Billie Holiday's "Left Alone," and "African Lady".

Oliver Nelson with Eric Dolphy - Straight Ahead (1961) {Prestige OJC 099 rel 1989}
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© 1961, 1989 Prestige New Jazz / Fantasy | OJC 099 / 025218609920
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone / Clarinet

A very interesting quintet set, Straight Ahead matches together Oliver Nelson (on alto and tenor) and Eric Dolphy (tripling on alto, flute, and bass clarinet). With the assistance of pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Roy Haynes, the two reedmen battle it out on six compositions (five of Nelson's originals plus Milt Jackson's "Ralph's New Blues." Although none of Nelson's tunes caught on, this is a pretty memorable date. It certainly took a lot of courage for Oliver Nelson to share the front line with the colorful Eric Dolphy, but his own strong musical personality holds its own on this straight-ahead date.

One might assume that bassist Christian McBride's CD Kind of Brown would be a tribute to Ray Brown. Au contraire – in fact, it would be appropriate for this recording to own up to the title Kind of Blue Note, because this music bears a strong resemblance to the late-'60s to mid-'70s recordings of the legendary Bobby Hutcherson-Harold Land quintet. That seminal post-bop ensemble defined the mid-period Blue Note label sound, and created resonant sonic signposts that remained unequaled, until now. A new discovery in vibraphonist Warren Wolf, Jr., teamed with veteran saxophonist Steve Wilson, the wonderful pianist Eric Reed, and drummer Carl Allen makes McBride's quintet dubbed Inside Straight into one of the more melodically tuneful and harmonically focused contemporary ensembles combining past tradition with a fresh new approach to this potent style of jazz.