Johnny Coles

This quintet date by guitarist Grant Green was one of the last of his Blue Note albums to be reissued on CD, and it is somewhat clear why. The musicians (Green, trumpeter Johnny Coles, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, organist John Patton, and drummer Ben Dixon) play well enough, but there are few inspiring moments. The material is not all that exciting, and the laid-back feeling sometimes leads to dull moments. Most of the fire is provided by Henderson, but such songs as "Am I Blue," "I Wanna Be Loved," and a nearly 14-minute version of "For All We Know" are a bit sleepy. Although certainly listenable enough, this is one of Grant Green's lesser efforts from the 1960s.

Be the envy of all your Mile Davis-loving friends by adding this 5-piece set to your already-fantastic collection. Don't hesitate - order this awesome, amazing Miles Davis keepsake now. Because this set is so limited, supplies are extremely limited, so order online or give us a call today to snag yours before this precious time-capsule of a great musician's greatest musical masterpieces escapes your grasp forever.

Donald Byrd - Groovin' For Nat (1962) {Black Lion BLCD760134 rel 1989}
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© 1962, 1989 Black Lion / Phonoco | BLCD760134
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

On this somewhat obscure Black Lion release (which has been reissued on CD), Donald Byrd teams up with fellow trumpeter Johnny Coles, pianist Duke Pearson, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Walter Perkins for a set of music dominated by hard bop originals; "Angel Eyes" and "Out Of This World" are the only standards. Augmented by three previously unreleased alternate takes, this straightahead session finds Cole's brittle tone sounding more distinctive than Byrd's (who is in more of a Lee Morgan vein) but everyone plays well. Recommended.

During the 1960s and early '70s, Duke Ellington toured his orchestra all over the world, widening and broadening the scope of his travels to include as many nations as humanly possible. BGO's 1999 release, The English Concert contains music that was actually recorded at three different concerts. The first occurred at the Odeon Theatre in Bristol England on October 22, 1971; the other two performances, presumably a matinee and evening show, both took place at the Birmingham Theatre in Birmingham on October 24, 1971.

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.

Charles Mingus - Live In '64. Jazz Icons (2007) [DVD9] {Reelin' In The Years}
DVD9 -> 7.64 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | English (LinearPCM, 2 ch) | ~ 120 m | ISO Image
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© 2007 Reelin' In The Years / Naxos | 2.119006
Jazz / Post Bop / Bass

Jazz Icons: Charles Mingus showcases three exceptional concerts performed in April 1964 featuring his most celebrated lineup–Jaki Byard (piano), Dannie Richmond (drums), Johnny Coles (trumpet), Clifford Jordan (tenor sax) and the great Eric Dolphy (alto sax, flute and bass clarinet). Recorded within an eight-day span, less than three months before Dolphy's death, the three concerts showcase Mingus's visionary leadership and the band's incredible depth and diversity with unique performances and arrangements of classics including "So Long Eric" and the groundbreaking "Meditations On Integration".

Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1994) [2CD] {Warner Bros.}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 757 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 297 Mb
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© 1994 Warner Bros. / Warner Archives | 9 45732-2
Jazz / Jazz-Funk / Fusion / Post Bop / Piano

While no one can argue that Herbie Hancock's early Blue Note recordings aren't milestones in his career and some are as enduring as any other jazzman's in history, the mostly overlooked Warner Bros. period remains one of his most adventurous, creatively satisfying, and amazingly enduring. The three albums presented here all offer wildly different sides of Hancock after he left Miles Davis. All of them are presented here in their entirety, with copious notes by Bob Blumenthal, who interviewed Hancock for the package. The set begins with the wildly joyous, deep, funky groove of Fat Albert's Groove, the music Hancock recorded for Bill Cosby's Saturday morning cartoon show.

Although Gil Evans had gained a lot of acclaim for his three collaborations with Miles Davis in the 1950s and his own albums, this CD contains (with the exception of two tracks purposely left off), Evans's only dates as a leader during 1961-68. The personnel varies on the six sessions that comprise the CD (which adds five numbers including two previously unreleased to the original Lp) with such major soloists featured as tenorman Wayne Shorter, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, trumpeter Johnny Coles and guitarist Kenny Burrell. ~ AllMusic