Moncur

The Way Ahead was a turning point for Archie Shepp. For starters, he had looked all over the jazz/improv arena for the proper combination of players - without a piano. One can speculate that this was because he cut his first teeth with pianist Cecil Taylor, and that could ruin anybody for life. Recorded in 1968, The Way Ahead featured Ron Carter on bass, Grachan Moncur III's trombone, Jimmy Owens' trumpet, and drums by either Beaver Harris or Roy Haynes, with Walter Davis, Jr. on piano. The set is a glorious stretch of the old and new, with deep blues, gospel, and plenty of guttersnipe swing in the mix. From the post-bop blues opener "Damn If I Know (The Stroller)," the set takes its Ellington-Webster cue and goes looking for the other side of Mingus…

In 1963, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was well aware of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. He assembled a band with vibist Bobby Hutcherson, who had already played with Eric Dolphy, drummer Tony Williams, bassist Eddie Khan, and trombonist/composer Grachan Moncur III. While still adhering to the hard bop principle, One Step Beyond's title is literal. The introduction of space as an element in the twin-horn front line is consistent with what would come later that year on Destination Out! McLean is clearly hearing the Eastern modalism and intervallic invention in Coltrane's sound at this point, but still moves in his own direction, sticking very close to the blues and the hard, even relentless, swing provided by Williams on the kit…

Herbie Hancock - My Point Of View (1963) {1999 Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 224 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 14 Mb
© 1999 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 5 21226 2 2 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music / Piano

After the phenomenal success of TAKIN' OFF, Herbie Hancock's second release for Blue Note was constructed in the mold of its predecessor. The tantalizing MY POINT OF VIEW offers many of the same early Hancock signature moments, but with an expanded palette that reflects the pianist's growing experience. A larger ensemble helped to broaden the range of this release as Blue Note regulars Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Grant Green add to Hancock's sonic textures. Also on board are the advanced trombonist Grachan Moncur III, Bill Evans' bassist Chuck Israels, and the young drum wonder Tony Williams.

Jackie McLean - One Step Beyond (1963) {2009 BN Rudy Van Gelder Remaster}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 316 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 114 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 11 Mb
© 2009 Blue Note / Capitol | 50999 2 65139 2 8 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Saxophone

A standout in Jackie McLean's discography, and one of the gems in the wave of early-'60s jazz that blended post-bop with the avant garde, ONE STEP BEYOND is an album that stands the test of time. Reflecting McLean's blues-drenched roots, but versed in the then-new innovations of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, this 1963 date looks forward and backward at once, stepping outside tradition while still swinging intensely.

Trombonist Dicky Wells once said that Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans were "…a living headache to everyone. They could swing and make most bands happy to play 'Home Sweet Home.' When a band like that's on your tail, the night seems to never end. They didn't seem to know the meaning of letting up." As the house band at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom, this group undoubtedly knew how to keep a large crowd entertained with music for dancing purposes. In person they must have been tight and right in order to warrant such praise from other musicians and to hold down their gig at the Savoy for nine years…