Curtis Counce

Curtis Counce Quintet - Complete Studio Recordings. The Master Takes (1956-58) [2CD] {2007 Gambit}
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 877 MB | Scans JPG - 18 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.98) - 380 MB
Genre: jazz, hard bop | RAR 5% Rec. | Label: Gambit Records | CAT # 69258 | 2007

Two CD set containing the complete masters by one of the greatest Jazz quintets ever: Curtis Counce, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Carl Perkins and Frank Butler. Celebrated American Jazz bassist Curtis Counce was born in Kansas City on 23, 1926 and died prematurely of a heart attack on July 31,1963. He recorded prolifically as a sideman accompanying figures like Clifford Brown, and before creating his famous quintet in 1956, featuring Harold Land, Jack Sheldon, Frank Butler and another ill-fated musician, pianist Carl Perkins. All of the master take recordings by the original Curtis Counce Quintet are included on this release.

Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Curtis Counce, complete with original artwork and liner notes. Tedddy Charles - ”Collaboration West”; “You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce”; “Exploring The Future” and “Carl’s Blues”. Perhaps not as widely known as some of his contemporary bassist’s like Mingus (only last name required!), Red Callender, Oscar Pettiford, Art Davis, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers or Milt Hinton, our featured artist Curtis Counce was a very highly regarded bassist who played with amongst others Lester Young, Shelly Manne, Teddy Charles, Clifford Brown, Wardell Gray, Shorty Rogers and Stan Kenton as well as making his own albums. Three fine examples of which we feature here alongside Counce’s excellent contribution to the Teddy Charles led album “Collaboration West”.

The Curtis Counce Quintet - Exploring The Future (1958) {Boplicity CDBOP 007 rel 1996}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 211 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 112 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 29 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1958, 1996 Dooto / Ace Records / Boplicity | CDBOP 007
Jazz / Hard Bop / West Coast Jazz / Bass

Although he lived for another five years after this session, this seems to be bassist Curtis Counce's last date as a leader. His quintet was in fine form playing originals by band member Elmo Hope and tenor saxophonist Harold Land, also playing standards like "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Angel Eyes" with convincing chops. Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who became better known to jazz fans while with Duke Ellington in the '60s, fits in beautifully with the cool-sounding hard bop style of this tight unit. Originally released on the long-defunct Dootone label, this highly sought-after record was finally reissued as a CD on the English label Boplicity in 1996.

The Curtis Counce Group - Sonority (1958) {Contemporary CCD-7655-2 rel 1989}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 289 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 122 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 8 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-58, 1989 Contemporary Records / Fantasy | CCD-7655-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / West Coast Jazz / Bass

This CD, which adds "Drum Conversation" (a Frank Butler feature) to the earlier LP, contains material taken from bassist Curtis Counce's Contemporary sessions which resulted in three other albums but these particular performances were not released until 1989. Half of the program features Counce's 1956 quintet (which includes trumpeter Jack Sheldon, tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Carl Perkins and drummer Frank Butler) while the remainding selections are from 1958 when the group had Gerald Wilson on trumpet and pianist Elmo Hope (who contributed three originals). "Sonor" and "Landslide" are heard in alternate versions and "Woody'n You" has also been since reissued as a "bonus" cut on the CD You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce. The playing is quite rewarding, and all four of the Counce reissues are easily recommended to hard bop collectors.

Curtis Counce - Landslide (1956) {Contemporary OJCCD-606-2 rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 270 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 112 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 22 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956, 1991 Contemporary / Fantasy | OJCCD-606-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / West Coast Jazz / Bass

During 1956-1957, bassist Curtis Counce led an excellent Los Angeles-based hard bop quintet comprised of trumpeter Jack Sheldon, tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Carl Perkins, bassist Curtis Counce, and drummer Frank Butler. They recorded four albums' worth of material for Contemporary, all of which have been reissued on CD (three as part of the Original Jazz Classics series). For their debut album, the group performs selections by Land ("Landslide"), Perkins, Sheldon, and two by Gerald Wiggins (including "Sonar"), plus the lone standard "Time After Time." All of Counce's recordings (which include a slightly later album for Dootone) are well-worth getting by collectors interested in 1950s straight-ahead jazz. This disc is an excellent place to start.

3-CD Box set, 60-page booklet including comprehensive biography, original liner notes and cover art, rare photos, unseen memorabilia and extensive discography. Shelly Manne (1920-1984) was one of the most important drummers in jazz history. Opening with his first recordings as a leader for Dee Gee Records in 1951 (Chicago) and 1952 (Los Angeles), this collection covers both these septet sessions and the great series of all-star septet and quintet recordings made for Contemporary by Shelly Manne and His Men between 1953 and 1958. Here’s that Manne.

Shorty Rogers - West Coast Sounds: Shorty Rogers and His Orchestra, featuring the Giants 1950-1956 (2006) {Fresh Sound Records}
XLD rip | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 808 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 347 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 45 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1950-56, 2006 Capitol / RCA / Fresh Sound Records | FSR 2231
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

This 2-CD set truly demonstrates what was defined as the "West Coast style of jazz" but, in fact, was the Shorty Rogers style. We can hear arrangements of a loose variety, played by the most outstanding group of musicians of the Los Angeles jazz scene. The music presented here is a major example of Shorty Rogers' great talent, and a milestone in the orchestral idiom of modern jazz. Shorty's writing and playing were a pretty honest reflection of his own personality. If there was ever an individual to be selected as the head of the West Coast school, it definitely would have been Shorty Rogers.