Thursday 1998

Benny Golson - And The Philadelphians (1958) {Blue Note 724349410428 rel 1998}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 318 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 136 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1958, 1998 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 4 94104 2 8 | SBM
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

The title of this 1998 CD reissue is a little inaccurate. This set does have a six-song session with the all-Philadelphia crew of tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Philly Joe Jones. But there are also four numbers from a month later in which Golson and pianist Bobby Timmons are joined by a trio of Frenchmen: trumpeter Roger Guerin (who was actually the date's leader), bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Christian Garros. Ironically, the previous Swing LP had the equally inaccurate title of Benny Golson In Paris; the first date was actually cut in New York. In any case, the music is quite enjoyable, and the two dates match well together.

During an engagement at the Blue Note in New York, pianist Chick Corea had an opportunity to stretch out with his new group, Origin, a sextet also including Steve Wilson on alto, soprano, flute and clarinet, Bob Sheppard on tenor, bass clarinet, flute and soprano, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist Avishai Cohen, and drummer Adam Cruz. A single disc was released by Stretch late in 1998. This six-CD set has all of the other music recorded on January 1, 3 and 4, 1998 during a total of six sets. Although most of the songs are repeated along the way, none of this music duplicates the single CD.

Eartha Kitt is at home in cabaret, on the Broadway stage, and in film and television. The versatile performer has done it all in her prolific career, highlighted in this superb collection of studio-recordings from Camden, entitled "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". This collection is highlighted by her legendary signature-standard "C'est Si Bon", which she made famous in the Broadway show New Faces Of 1952. Other highlights in this must-own collection are "I Want to be Evil", "Just an Old-Fashioned Girl", "Careless Love", "Lilac Wine", "Lullaby of Birdland" and "Lazy Afternoon".

For those who believe in Original Sin, Predestination or, for that matter, Karma, here's a two disc set of the complete "Penitential Psalms" of Orlandus Lassus fabulously performed by Henry's Eight and marvelously recorded by Hyperion. Gloomy but glorious works that hope for the best while assuming for the worst, Lassus' setting of seven fuliginously serious but spiritually salubrious Psalms of David are sure to send shivers down the spine of anyone with a pessimistic cast of mind. The acapella performances of the all-male – two countertenors, three tenors and three basses – Henry's Eight is darkly hued, strongly rhythmic, deeply soulful, very expressive and absolutely true to the late Renaissance agony of Lassus's music. While not perhaps the first place to start with for Lassus in a melancholy mood – try "The Tears of Peter" for the peak of harmonic anguish – Henry's Eight's recording Penitential Psalms belongs in every Lassus collection, especially as preserved in Hyperion's intimate and evocative sound.

The first of 100 tunes in this collection is a 1937 recording of tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and guitarist Django Reinhardt playing Out Of Nowhere. It was recorded two years before Blue Note Records was founded. The taping was done for EMI’s Capitol label’s French division. This is an ominous hint as to the content of the 10-disc “100 Best of Blue Note” box set, which at first glance appears to have all the trimmings of a slick 21st century collection.

The Russian Orthodox music presented here comes from the music for Great Lent, which is a meditation on the meaning of Holy Week. Great Lent or Velikiy Post, is the most important and one of the longest of the four Lenten periods in the year. It opens with a powerfully meditative chant 'Let all mortal flesh keep silent' which is specially sung only once a year along with the Old Testament lamentation 'By the rivers of Babylon'. The music here is, as usual with Orthodox chant, profoundly solemn and deeply meditative - some would say even mystical.