Sweet Mal Waldron

Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison continued their homage to the Eric Dolphy/Booker Little duo with a second set of performances recorded at Sweet Basil. They featured "Fire Waltz" and "Bee Vamp," two more tunes the duo immortalized during their Five Spot performances. Their versions are well-intentioned, frequently exciting, and superbly played. But they are not transcendent for the simple reason that Harrison lacks Dolphy's fluency on either alto sax or bass clarinet, and Blanchard does not possess Little's command of the upper register or his embouchure. That is not a knock; they certainly clicked with the rhythm section of pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Ed Blackwell, who did play on the originals. Both of these volumes are highly recommended, but if you have not heard the originals, do whatever it takes to get them.

Import 25 CD boxset containing 25 of the finest Jazz albums ever released. Each album is packaged in a card wallet, and the box set includes a 40 page booklet in both English and French. The collection contains the following albums: Duke Ellington - Ellington Uptown; Dave Brubeck - Jazz Goes To College; Louis Armstrong - Satch Plays Fats; Miles Davis - Round About Midnight; Various Artists - The Sound Of Jazz; Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um; Sonny Rollins - The Bridge; Paul Desmond - Desmond Blue; Thelonious Monk - Underground; Freddie Hubbard - Straight Life; Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire…

Steve Lacy - Reflections - Plays Thelonious Monk (1958) {Prestige–New Jazz Japan VICJ-2186 rel 1996}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 212 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 88 Mb
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© 1958, 1996 Prestige-New Jazz / Victor Japan | VICJ-2186 | 20bitK2
Jazz / Post Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

All of soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's early recordings are quite fascinating, for during 1957-1964, aspects of his style at times hinted at Dixieland, swing, Monk, and Cecil Taylor, sometimes at the same time. For this CD reissue (a straight reproduction of the original New Jazz LP), Lacy teams up with pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Buell Neidlinger, and drummer Elvin Jones for seven Thelonious Monk compositions. The typical standbys (such as "'Round Midnight," "Straight No Chaser," and "Blue Monk") are avoided in favor of more complex works such as "Four in One," "Bye-Ya," and "Skippy"; the sweet ballad "Ask Me Now" is a highpoint. Lacy always had an affinity for Monk's music and, even nearly 40 years later, this set is a delight.

Ed Cherry Special Trio - Szósta po Południu (2015) {ForTune 0064 041}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 285 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 123 Mb
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© 2015 ForTune LLC | 0064 041
Jazz / Post Bop / Jazz Funk / Guitar

Considering that jazz guitarist Ed Cherry has worked with a number of well known leaders like Dizzy Gillespie, Big John Patton and Dr. Lonnie Smith, his records as a leader are few. A couple of months ago (April, 2015), I reviewed an amazing CD from Pheeroan AkLaff which featured Ed Cherry on guitar and we've sold more than fifty copies so far. This month (July, 2015) the ForTune label has released a rare trio effort from Mr. Cherry, backed by two fine Polish musicians, neither of whom I was previously familiar with.

Kenny Burrell's discography for the Fantasy label encompasses the middle period of his career, and though well played, it leaves one wanting. His Blue Note material from his earlier days is better, and his interpretations of Duke Ellington's music from that era are definitive. There are only two Ellington numbers here, so this collection only scratches the surface.