Ray Brown

Other than a Prestige date in 1969, this was guitarist Tal Farlow's first recording in nearly 17 years. He is heard at a reunion with vibraphonist Red Norvo and matching wits with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna. Recorded at the 1976 Concord Jazz Festival, this was Farlow's first of six Concord albums, and it led to a slightly higher profile for him than during the past decade. Highlights of the joyous occasion include Norvo's feature on "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else," a heated "Lullaby of Birdland" and a colorful rendition of "My Shining Hour." Highly recommended to straight-ahead jazz fans.

The title of this CD certainly fits the players. Pianist Oscar Peterson (who switches to organ on two of the eight selections), guitarist Joe Pass, and bassist Ray Brown would each be on literally dozens of recordings for Norman Granz's Pablo label; all are worth acquiring by fans of straightahead jazz. This particular set has three Peterson originals (including one called "Jobim"), a few veteran standards, and Quincy Jones's "Eyes of Love."

Guitarist Herb Ellis was the leader of six of the first dozen Concord releases. This lesser-known set has some fine playing from Ellis, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson, bassist Ray Brown, drummer Jake Hanna and keyboardist Mike Melvoin although Melvoin's electric piano sounds a bit dated today. As usual the music is uncomplicated, straightahead, swinging and tasteful. Six of the songs are originals by group members which are performed along with Johnny Hodges' "Squatty Roo" and the ballad "But Beautiful."

Norman Granz is one of the most important non-musicians in the history of Jazz and no one has made a greater contribution to the staging, recording and filming of Jazz concerts. This series of performances from the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival now makes a part of this legacy available on DVD for the first time.Milt Jackson is recognized as one of the finest vibraphone players ever to grace a Jazz stage, whether with the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet of collaborating with other great musicians.

The very first release by the Concord label was a quartet set featuring guitarists Herb Ellis and Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jake Hanna. Ellis and Pass (the latter was just beginning to be discovered) always made for a perfectly complementary team, constantly challenging each other. The boppish music (which mixes together standards with "originals" based on the blues and a standard) is quite enjoyable with the more memorable tunes including "Look for the Silver Lining," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Georgia," "Good News Blues," and "Bad News Blues." This was a strong start for what would become the definitive mainstream jazz label.

The quartet that went by the name "Quadrant" (guitarist Joe Pass, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Mickey Roker) recorded two albums for Pablo; this one has not been reissued on CD yet. For this project, the group plays nine Duke Ellington compositions, Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train," and Juan Tizol's "Caravan." The four masterful musicians play up to their potential; the interplay and blend between Jackson and Pass is appealing, and there are a fair share of exciting moments on the respectful and swinging set. Highlights include "Caravan," "Mood Indigo," "Main Stem" and "Rocks In My Bed."

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (15 August 1925-23 December 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist, vocalist and composer. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Peterson is said to be one of the most technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianists of all time, with a career that lasted more than 65 years. Some of his musical associates have included Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Milt Jackson, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz.

Pianist Hank Jones teams up with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jimmie Smith for this trio set which has been reissued on CD. An unusual aspect to the music is that on half of the eight standards Jones switches to electric piano; although he does not display as strong a musical personality on that instrument, he plays quite well. Highlights of the boppish set include "My Ship," "Rockin' in Rhythm," "Bag's Groove" and an effective instrumental version of "Your Feet's Too Big."

The very first release by the Concord label was a quartet set featuring guitarists Herb Ellis and Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jake Hanna. Ellis and Pass (the latter was just beginning to be discovered) always made for a perfectly complementary team, constantly challenging each other. The boppish music (which mixes together standards with "originals" based on the blues and a standard) is quite enjoyable with the more memorable tunes including "Look for the Silver Lining," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Georgia," "Good News Blues," and "Bad News Blues." This was a strong start for what would become the definitive mainstream jazz label.