Dizzie Gillespie Shaw 'nuff

Spectacular 10 cd box set of the great jazz musicians of the genre, instrumental and vocal, highly recommended!

This is a true classic. Altoist Art Pepper is joined by an 11-piece band playing Marty Paich arrangements of a dozen jazz standards from the bop and cool jazz era. Trumpeter Jack Sheldon has a few solos, but the focus is very much on the altoist who is in peak form for this period. Throughout, Pepper sounds quite inspired by Paich's charts which feature the band as an active part of the music rather than just in the background. Highlights of this highly enjoyable set include "Move," "Four Brothers," "Shaw Nuff," "Anthropology," and "Donna Lee," but there is not a single throwaway track to be heard. Essential music for all serious jazz collections. This edition add two additional versions of "Walkin'" and one of "Donna Lee" to the original program.

Chasin' The Bird (1977). For their fourth album, Supersax continued its practice of recreating recorded Charlie Parker solos harmonized for a full saxophone section. What was different this time around was that with one exception, all of the solos were taken from concerts rather than studio dates. The result is that the ensembles sound fresher (since Bird's live improvisations are generally not that well-known) and longer. Trumpeters Blue Mitchell and Conte Candoli, trombonist Frank Rosolino and pianist Lou Levy get solo space, and highlights include "Shaw Nuff," "Drifting on a Reed," "Dizzy Atmosphere" and a six-minute rendition of "Night In Tunisia"…

Philly Joe Jones (1923-1985) carried his birthplace as part of his name throughout most of his jazz career in order to avoid confusion with the former Basie drummer star, Jo Jones, who was his first influence.

This 1997 CD reissues a former LP by bassist Curtis Lundy that was recorded in 1985. Although the bassist is the leader, he does not take much more solo space than if he had been a sideman, instead featuring altoist Bobby Watson, pianist Hank Jones (who takes "Shaw 'Nuff" with just the trio) and vibraphonist Steve Nelson (who contributes the memorable "Just Be Yourself") on various selections. Curtis' sister Carmen Lundy is in the spotlight on a pair of early performances ("Funny [Not Much]" and her own "Never Gonna Let You Go"), showing that she already had more than her share of talent. The personnel differs from track to track but the music is consistently rewarding. This obscurity is worth acquiring by modern straight-ahead jazz collectors.