Sweet November (2001)

Sweet Smoke Live is the third release from the progressive jazz rock band Sweet Smoke. Released in 1974 it was their second record to feature only two tracks, the first being their debut effort Just a Poke. It showcases the band's live talents with extended jamming, the guitar solos are the showcase. It was recorded live in Berlin, Musikhochschule. The last track is actually two songs that were combined during the LP engineering. The tracks were later listed separately when three additional tracks were added to the 2001 CD re-release. After the 1997 CD re-issue had already used a different cover than the original LP, the cover for the 2001 re-release was changed again, re-using the typographical design of the LP cover.

The title of this compilation is a bit misleading, as Louis Armstrong only appears on seven of the CD's 20 tracks. All of them were recorded during a visit by the trumpeter to France in 1934 and were made on the sly, since he was under an exclusive contract to another label. The all-stars were primarily European musicians assembled for the session, though pianist Herman Chittison, a fellow American, makes his mark in "Super Tiger Rag," along with the leader's crisp, high-note solo. They compare favorably with some of Armstrong's later work back home with larger orchestras, but for the most part, the music is of minimal interest aside from his contributions. The other selections are a mixed bag…

This performance is a revelation. Philip Reed, in his authoritative note, points out that, unbeknown to many, Britten and Giulini had a mutual respect for and an admiration of each other’s work. Here they combine to give a performance that is a true Legend, as this BBC series has it. Giulini’s reading is as dramatic and viscerally exciting as any I have heard. The music leaps from the page new-minted in his thoroughgoing, histrionically taut hands, the rhythmic tension at times quite astonishing. For instance, the sixth movement, ‘Libera me’, is simply earth-shattering in its effect, every bar, every word, every instrument sung and played to the hilt – and so it is throughout, with the live occasion added to the peculiar, and in this case peculiarly right, acoustics of the Albert Hall adding its own measure of verite to the inspired occasion.

A powerful vocalist in the Big Joe Turner mold and a pretty solid drummer, too, Jimmy Morello has been singing his brand of vintage West Coast blues for over three decades now, and while his retro style isn't about to take over the modern R&B charts anytime soon, his allegiance to the real deal makes him more than just a nostalgia act. This set collects key tracks from his two JSP albums, 1997's Can't Be Denied and 1998's The Road I Travel, along with tracks Morello produced for the likes of Roy Gaines and Carol Fran, to make what amounts to a quick introduction to this road-tested blues veteran.

Sonny Stitt - The Complete Roost Sonny Stitt Studio Sessions (1952-65) {9CD Box Set Mosaic MD9-208 rel 2001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 3.05 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.37 Gb
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© 1952-65, 2001 Mosaic Records / Capitol / EMI | MD9-208 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Bop / Saxophone

Under the watchful eye of famed producer Michael Cuscuna, this nine-CD set serves as a compilation of Stitt's 1950s and 1960s Roost LPs. This release also features a 28-page booklet consisting of comprehensively annotated liners. Moreover, the record label does its best to convey the artistic element via a series of black-and-white photos of Stitt and his sidemen amid anecdotes by many of the late saxophonist's affiliates. Interestingly enough, seven of the original LPs did not list personnel. In some instances, guesses were made, although most of these tracks are well-documented, thanks to the producer's diligence and painstaking research. Artists such as drummer Roy Haynes, bassist/composer Charles Mingus, and pianist Harold Maber represent but a few of Stitt's accompanists.

Frank Rosolino - Thinking About You (1976) {2CD Sackville SK2CD-5007 rel 2001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 645 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 312 Mb
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© 1976, 2001 Sackville Recordings | SK2CD-5007
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Trombone

Frank Rosolino, one of the most fluent of the bop trombonists to emerge during the 1950s, is heard really stretching out on this live double-CD, recorded two years before his death. Originally, this was a four-song LP, but in this reissue, the set has been expanded to a 12-song double-CD. Rosolino is joined by Canada's best (guitarist Ed Bickert, bassist Don Thompson, and drummer Terry Clarke) for a variety of veteran jazz standards including "Sweet and Lovely," "I Thought About You," "I Should Care," and Charlie Parker's "Bluebird." Although the tempos are mostly slower, the music has its fiery moments and Rosolino is heard throughout in excellent form.

Flora Purim and Airto - Wings Of Imagination (2001) {2CD Set, Concord CCD2-4973-2 rec 1986-1987}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 561 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 194 Mb
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© 1986-87, 2001 Concord Crossover / Concord Vista | CCD2-4973-2
Jazz / Fusion / Brazilian Jazz

This two-disc set by vocalist Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira includes the Grammy-nominated album The Magicians and the rhythmically vibrant The Sun Is Out. The albums, originally released in 1986 and 1989 respectively, give listeners the full benefit of authentic Brazilian jazz and rhythms sung and played by two of the country's most innovative and imaginative artists. Among the favorites are "Esquinas," written by Djavan, and Purim's own "Midday Sun" – both passionate accounts of the Brazilian world and jazz styles.

As the main songwriter for Chicago's Chess label, bassist/singer Willie Dixon was one of the most influential and prolific figures in blues. Although he often served as a session player for other well-known musicians, his soulful presence was always felt, as revealed on this excellent 18-track collection which features Dixon performing with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and other blues luminaries.