The Happy Leader

Osie Johnson - The Happy Jazz Of Osie Johnson (1955) {2014 Japanese Bethlehem Album Collection 1000}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 143 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 99 Mb
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© 1955, 2014 Solid Records / Bethlehem | CDSOL-6136 | LP BCP-66
Jazz / Bop / Bebop / Drums

Reissue. Features the latest remastering. Includes a Japanese description, lyrics. Features original cover artwork. Osie Johnson looks a bit blurry on the cover, but the music on the record is razor-sharp – a great demonstration not only of Johnson's skill on the drums, but also his rare talents as a leader! Osie graced countless top-shelf sessions in the 50s, but only got a rare few chances to work up front – and he does a great job here with a shifting lineup that includes Thad Jones on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, Henry Coker on trombone, and Ernie Watkins on alto – all players used in differently-sized groups throughout the length of the set. Most tunes have a nice groove – a bounce that might refer to the "happy" in the title – and Johnson also sings at a few points, with this great raspy R&B style. Titles include "Osmosis", "Cat Walk", "Johnson's Whacks", "The Desert Song", "Osie's Oasis", and "Flute To Boot".

Clark Terry - The Happy Horns of Clark Terry & It's What's Happenin' (1965, 1967) {2011 Impulse! Edition}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 417 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 163 Mb
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© 2011 Impulse! / Verve | 06025 2780957
Jazz / Bop / Trumpet

This two-fer combines two of trumpeter/flügelhornist Clark Terry's albums for the Impulse! label: 1964's The Happy Horns of Clark Terry and 1967's It's What's Happenin'. Generally considered one of Terry's best '60s outings, The Happy Horns of Clark Terry is a jaunty, swinging affair that finds Terry joined by such names as saxophonists Phil Woods and Ben Webster, bassist Milt Hinton, and others. Featuring a lively take on Duke Ellington's "Rockin' in Rhythm," Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist," and even an Ellington medley, the album is a must-hear for Terry fanatics.