Jimmy Ponder

Called by Mozart "The King of the Instruments," the organ went from sacred to salacious when it left the church and began turning up in jazz clubs in the 1950s. It was at that time that the model B-3 organ was assimilated into the jazz line-up and became a sought-after solo instrument. It's hipper-than-hip tone color and thumping bass pedals defined an instrumental sound that mesmerizes the instrument's aficionados to this very day. Pittsburgh-born Bill Heid knows the B-3's history well and his playing ranges from the boppish to the bodacious.

Wes Montgomery With Strings - Fusion! (1963) {Riverside Japan VDJ-1671, Early Press, rel 1989}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 233 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 100 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 108 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1963, 1989 Riverside / Victor Japan | VDJ-1671 | Early Press
Jazz / Hard Bop / Guitar

Although most Wes Montgomery fans associate his playing with strings with his later A&M and Verve recordings, the influential guitarist actually fronted a string section for the first time on this Riverside date from 1963, which had the ironic name of Fusion. As with his later albums, Montgomery's guitar solos here are brief and melodic but the jazz content is fairly high even if the emphasis is (with the exception of "Tune Up") on ballads.

Andrew Hill - Grass Roots (1968) {Blue Note Japan SHM-CD TYCJ-81063 rel 2014} (24-192 remaster)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 451 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 162 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 314 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit 192 kHz remaster
© 1968, 2014 Universal Japan / Blue Note | BN 75th The Masterworks | TYCJ-81063
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and the latest 24bit 192kHz remastering. A real stroke of genius from pianist Andrew Hill – and a surprising one too! After an initial legacy of groundbreaking experimental sides for Blue Note, Hill returns to his "grass roots" on this excellent session of straight ahead, fairly funky, soul jazz piano tunes! In the notes, Hill claims a desire to get back to the people – and in a really unusual turn, he shakes off his previous modernist trappings and goes for territory that's much more in the mode of Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, or Hank Mobley on Blue Note!

Clifford Jordan - Highest Mountain (1999) {2CD Set, Muse–Camden Deluxe 74321610752 rec 1976-1978}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 804 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 302 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 30 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976-78, 1999 Muse Records / Camden Deluxe / BMG | 74321 610752
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Saxophone

An excellent compilation containing all his four Muse albums less the vocal tracks from "Remembering Me-Me". Clifford Jordan really has not received the credit to which he is due , being very much in the shadow of other tenor titans of his generation - but that is a great shame,given the man's undoubted talent and ability. He first came to prominence under the inspired leadership of Charles Mingus in that great man's quintets/sextets of the mid-60's with no lesser band-mates than Eric Dolphy,Johnny Coles and Jaki Byard,and to my mind he certainly more than held his own in that exhalted company.