Carmell Jones

Considered one of Nathan Davis’ best albums, and long a collector’s item, The Hip Walk was recorded in1965, a time when the Afro-American Davis lived in Europe, working with such legends as Kenny Clarke, Eric Dolphy, and Art Blakey. Nathan’s Kansas City school mate, trumpeter Carmell Jones comes along for the ride. Jones played trumpet on Horace Silver’s classic 1965 Song for My Father – ‘nuff said about his credentials!

Carmell Jones - Mosaic Select 2 (2003) {3CD Set Mosaic MS-002 rec 1961-1963}
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© 1961-63, 2003 EMI Music / Mosaic Records | MS-002
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

Trumpeter Carmell Jones is best known as a sideman (especially Horace Silver's Song for My Father), but he made several valuable recordings as a leader, though most have long languished out of print. To correct this oversight, Mosaic Select released this three-CD set in early 2003, including all three of his earliest Pacific Jazz albums (The Remarkable Carmell Jones, Business Meetin' , and Brass Bag), as well as a long unavailable Harold Land disc and a previously unreleased date led by pianist Frank Strazzeri. The quintet with Land and Strazzeri works wonders with Jones' jazz waltz "That's Good" and a similar treatment of "Beautiful Love," but the high point of their various sets is the 11-minute workout of Duke Ellington's "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'."

Harold Land & Carmell Jones Quintets - Complete Studio Recordings (2007) {2CD Lone Hill Jazz LHJ10268 rec 1961-1963}
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© 1961-63, 2007 Lone Hill Jazz | LHJ1026
Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone / Trumpet

One of the hippest jazz pairings on the LA scene in the early 60s – presented here in a 2CD set with nearly 4 albums' worth of material! First up is the well-titled Remarkable Carmell Jones – one of the few sessions cut as a leader by trumpeter Carmell Jones – a wonderfully talented player from LA, who was one of the leading lights in that city's hardbop scene during the early 60s! The set grooves like the best Blue Note sessions of the time – Jones leading a combo that features Harold Land on tenor, Frank Strazzeri on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Leon Pettis on drums – all working with a careful blend of soul jazz and modern influences, on a wonderful batch of well-written tunes.

Nathan Davis - Two Originals: Happy Girl & The Hip Walk (1965) {MPS–Motor Music 539082-2 rel 1998}
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© 1965, 1998 MPS Records / Motor Music | 539 082-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Jazz / Soul Jazz / Saxophone

Nathan Davis spent some time living and working in Europe in the mid-'60s before returning to the United States to serve in jazz education. His recordings as a leader have been hard to find, so this compilation of two 1965 studio sessions, Happy Girl and Hip Walk, (both originally issued by MPS) will be a welcome discovery for collectors who can find it. In the earlier date he is joined by trumpeter Woody Shaw, Larry Young (on piano rather than organ), bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Billy Brooks.

Bud Shank - The Pacific Jazz Bud Shank Studio Sessions (1998) {5CD Box Set Mosaic MD5-180 rec 1956-1961}
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© 1956-61, 1998 Pacific Jazz / Mosaic Records / Blue Note / EMI-Capitol | MD5-180 | 20-bit Super Bit Mapping
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

When one thinks of altoist/flutist Bud Shank's recordings of the 1950s, it is normally of his work with Stan Kenton's orchestra or collaborations with Laurindo Almeida or Bob Cooper. However, Shank led a superior quartet from 1956-1958 that also included pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Don Prell, and either Chuck Flores or Jimmy Pratt on drums. This typically magnificent five-CD limited-edition box set from Mosaic has the quartet's four albums (including a set that was recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa), a selection by Shank with a sextet that includes vibraphonist Larry Bunker, and three slightly later sets.

Charles McPherson - Bebop Revisited! (1964) {Prestige OJCCD-710-2 rel 1992}
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© 1964, 1992 Prestige / Fantasy | OJCCD-710-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Straight-ahead Jazz / Saxophone

Bebop is the thing on this excellent outing as altoist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris do their interpretations of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. With trumpeter Carmell Jones, bassist Nelson Boyd and drummer Al "Tootie" Heath completing the quintet, the band romps through such bop classics as "Hot House," "Nostalgia," "Wail" and "Si Si" along with an original blues and "Embraceable You." A previously unissued "If I Love You" is added to the CD reissue. McPherson and Jones make for a potent frontline on these spirited performances, easily recommended to fans of straightahead jazz.

Jean-Luc Ponty made a strong impression with his appearance at the 1967 Monterey Jazz Festival. Just barely 26 at the time of this obscure but worthy album (his first to appear on an American label), Ponty is teamed with pianist George Gruntz, trumpeter Carmell Jones, altoist Leo Wright, drummer Daniel Humair and an unidentified bassist. In addition to five originals by either Ponty or Gruntz, they perform a pair of pop songs (including Miriam Makeba's "Pata Pata") and the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends." Already a very original player, Ponty's style at this early point was far beyond hard bop and looked a little toward both pop and John Coltrane. Unfortunately, this fine effort will be difficult to find and has yet to be reissued on CD.