Hank Jones Essence

Verve's Ultimate Art Tatum may not live up to its billing, but the budget-priced collection is nevertheless a terrific introductory sampler. Hank Jones selected the 16 tracks on the compilation and he also wrote the liner notes. He did an excellent job balancing acknowledged classics with choices that illustrate Tatum's range. Some listeners will undoubtedly find a favorite or two missing, but these 16 tracks - including "Tenderly," "I Cover the Waterfront," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Yesterdays," "Willow Weep for Me," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)," "Sweet Lorraine," "There Will Never Be Another You," and "Too Marvelous for Words" - capture the essence of Tatum's Verve recordings, which is enough to make this a worthwhile sampler.

After both John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley left Miles Davis' quintet, he was caught in the web of seeking suitable replacements. It was a period of trial and error for him that nonetheless yielded some legendary recordings (Sketches of Spain, for one). One of those is Someday My Prince Will Come. The lineup is Davis, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and alternating drummers Jimmy Cobb and Philly Jo Jones. The saxophonist was Hank Mobley on all but two tracks. John Coltrane returns for the title track and "Teo." The set opens with the title, a lilting waltz that nonetheless gets an original treatment here, despite having been recorded by Dave Brubeck. Kelly is in keen form, playing a bit sprightlier than the tempo would allow, and slips flourishes in the high register inside the melody for an "elfin" feel. Davis waxes light and lyrical with his Harmon mute, playing glissando throughout. Mobley plays a strictly journeyman solo, and then Coltrane blows the pack away with a solo so deep inside the harmony it sounds like it's coming from somewhere else.

Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk In Hi-Fi (1956) {Bluebird First Editions rel 2001}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 243 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 163 Mb
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© 1956, 2001 RCA Victor / Bluebird | 09026-63842-2
Jazz / Bop / Saxophone

In January 1956, veteran tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded a dozen songs, eight with a string orchestra and four accompanied by a big band, all arranged by Billy Byers. Hawkins is the main soloist throughout, and he was still very much in his prime 33 years after he first joined Fletcher Henderson's orchestra; in fact, the upcoming year of 1957 would be one of his finest. However, Byers' arrangements are more functional than inspired, and some of these selections are more easy listening than they are swinging. Still, there are some strong moments (particularly on "The Bean Stalks Again" and "His Very Own Blues") and, although not classic, this is a pleasing release.

Tenor saxophonist Coleman "The Hawk" Hawkins (1904- 1969) was one of the most important instrumental soloists in jazz. The "father of the saxophone" conquered this previously unpopular instrument for jazz and influenced generations after him. He also possessed a strong personality, enormous presence and a pronounced musical adventurousness, so that he always remained stylistically on the cutting edge until the sixties…

Stan Getz - The Complete Savoy Recordings (2002) {Savoy Jazz ‎SVY17121 rec 1946-1949}
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© 1946-49, 2002 Savoy Jazz / SLG | ‎SVY 17121
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Saxophone

Ask a Stan Getz fan to describe his Lester Young-influenced tenor sax playing, and the sort of words that one typically hears include sublime, caressing, gentle, lyrical, and even ethereal. Words like tough, hard, and aggressive usually don't come to mind – that is, unless someone is describing his earliest recordings. In 1945 and 1946, Getz did in fact display a harder tone at times. But by the end of the '40s, he was the epitome of subtle, understated cool jazz. Spanning 1945-1949, The Complete Savoy Recordings takes a look at the saxman's early work and shows how much he evolved during the '40s.

Cyrus Chestnut covers a wide range of hymns, carols and spirituals on this outstanding solo piano CD. A very dramatic "Holy, Holy, Holy" would inspire any congregation, while the rich voicings in "We Three Kings" are subtle yet moving. "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" is the most compelling track, with a thought-provoking arrangement that makes great use of space.

Bob Brookmeyer - Mosaic Select 9 (2004) {3CD Set, Mosaic Records MS-009 rec 1954-1958}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 937 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 482 Mb
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© 1954-58, 2004 Mosaic Records / EMI Music | MS-009
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trombone

The Bob Brookmeyer volume in the Mosaic Select series is one of the more enlightening issues in that it not only includes his little-known debut quartet sides for Pacific Jazz in 1954, featuring Red Mitchell, but more importantly, brings back into print his classic Traditionalism Revisited, Street Swingers, and Kansas City Revisited albums from 1957 and 1958. These sides in particular showcased Brookmeyer's fantastic compositional and arrangement skills even better than his work with Gerry Mulligan. Some of the players on these sessions include Jimmy Giuffre, Jim Hall, Ralph Pena, Jimmy Raney, Paul Quinichette, and Dave Bailey. Brookmeyer was a complete traditionalist, but an unusual harmonist.