Hubert Laws Rite

Mango Santamaria utilizes a colorful cast of musicians on this CD. Flutists Hubert Laws and Dave Valentin are featured on two songs apiece (although unfortunately not together) and the nonet has trumpeter Eddie Allen, altoist Jimmy Cozier, and Craig Rivers on tenor and soprano, along with three percussionists. There are a lot of percussion features including the closing nine-and-a-half minute "La Mogolla," making this an excellent if not quite essential recording.

Alexandra Jackson's debut project: "Alexandra Jackson: Legacy & Alchemy" channels her 4 primary musical loves and experiences: Brazilian Music, American Jazz & Soul, NeoSoul, and London Soul Jazz ! into a music alchemy intended for contemporary audiences worldwide.

Herbie Hancock - The Prisoner (1969) {Blue Note Japan TOCJ-4321 rel 1998}
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© 1969, 1998 Blue Note / Toshiba-EMI Japan | TOCJ-4321 | The BN Works 4300 Series
Jazz / Post Bop / Modal Music / Piano

A nice late Blue Note change from Herbie Hancock – a very different album than his previous sets for the label – in that it features a slightly larger group, and a sound that really points the way towards his directions in the 70s! There's a slightly ambitious feel to some of these cuts – not in a way that's over-arranged, but just a new sort of thinking for Herbie's kind of groove – a mode that's partially informed by the seriousness of 60s jazz soundtracks, but which also has the beginnings of some more righteous modes of expression too. Players are all great – and include Joe Henderson on tenor and flute, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Jerome Richardson on bass clarinet, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Herbie plays both acoustic and electric piano – using the latter here in one of his first recordings on the instrument.

Harold Mabern - Greasy Kid Stuff! (1970) {2014 Japan Prestige Masters Collection 1000 Series UCCO-90285}
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© 1970, 2014 Prestige / Concord / Universal Music Japan | UCCO-90285
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Jazz Funk / Hard Bop / Piano

One of the most hard-wailing albums that Harold Mabern ever cut – a bit of a shift from some of his more lyrical modes, and a soul jazz smoker that's almost in a Prestige jazz funk mode! The combo here is great, and a bit of a shift for Harold – with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Hubert Laws on tenor and flute, Buster Williams on bass, and the mighty Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a way that's slightly more open than his hard-bumping grooves on other Prestige albums of the time. The whole thing's got a gritty energy that definitely lives up to the title – and which makes the album one of the best that Mabern ever cut as a leader. Boogaloo Joe Jones plays guitar on one track – a great version of "I Want You Back" – and other titles include "Alex The Great", "John Neely-Beautiful People", and "XKE".

George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road (1969) {A&M 8283930282}
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© 1969 A&M Records / PolyGram | 82839 3028 2
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Crossover Jazz / Jazz Pop / Guitar

Just three weeks after the U.S. release of the Beatles' swan song, Abbey Road, Creed Taylor ushered George Benson into the studio to begin a remarkably successful pop-jazz translation of the record (complete with a parody of the famous cover, showing Benson with guitar crossing an Eastern urban street). It is a lyrical album, with a hint of the mystery and a lot of the cohesive concept of the Beatles' original despite the scrambled order of the tunes.

Kenny Burrell's guitaristry is well-documented in his years with Oscar Peterson and on his first dates as a leader on the Blue Note label, but God Bless the Child, his only date for CTI in 1971, is an under-heard masterpiece in his catalog. Burrell's band for the set includes bassist Ron Carter, percussionist Ray Barretto, Richard Wyands on piano, flutist Hubert Laws, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and drummer Billy Cobham. CTI's house arranger, Don Sebesky, assembled and conducted the strings in a manner that stands strangely and beautifully apart from his other work on the label. Sebesky understood Burrell's understated approach to playing guitar.

David Friedman - Winter Love, April Joy (1975) {2015 DSD Japan East Wind Masters Collection 1000 UCCJ-9149}
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© 1975, 2015 East Wind Music / Universal Japan | UCCJ-9149
Jazz / Post Bop / Cool / Modern Creative / Vibes

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. A fantastic record from vibist David Friedman – spare, hip, modern, and very moody! Friedman's playing vibes and marimba alongside David Samuels, who plays the same – and this twin-vibes approach sounds fantastic – especially as the record has no drums, just additional bass, plus flute by Hubert Laws – a very loose, open style that comes across with a completely unique sound! The approach is super-dope for any fan of laidback 70s vibes – and the tracks are never too free or way out, just gliding with this airy quality that's really wonderful – one of the best demonstrations of Friedman's great talents on record. Titles include "Truce", "Nyack", "Brite Piece", "Island", and "Saraband".

Bob James' most enduring recording is perhaps one of his least adventurous. Full of simple laid-back melodies, light, airy grooves, and quiet backdrops, it's a smooth jazz "masterpiece." It's an enduring part of his catalog and was the launch pad for many movie and television projects, and for a string of hit recordings for the Warner label in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. In effect, it insured his financial security for the future. The set is notable for its heavyweight cast including David Sanborn, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Hubert Laws, and Earl Klugh. It also netted the monster hit "Angela (Theme from Taxi)," which continued to get airplay on smooth jazz stations into the 21st century. James is a highly developed pianist, arranger, and composer, and while the music here is as safe as milk, it nonetheless spoke to millions.

Easily the greatest album ever by funky drummer Harvey Mason – and quite possibly the only one to live up to the rhythmic complexity that Mason brought to countless other fusion sessions for other groups in the 70s! The tracks are all spacious and snapping with brilliantly funky touches – a sound that resonates with Mason's contributions to Johnny Hammond's Gears album, but which comes off slightly differently here, thanks to a stronger focus on the drums. Keyboards are still a prime element of the set – played here by Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, and Jerry Peters – the latter 2 of whom helped out on arrangements for the record – and other players include an all-star lineup of 70s jazz funk legends such as Blue Mitchell, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Hubert Laws, and others.