Satin Doll

Jaco Pastorius was a meteor who blazed on to the scene in the 1970s, only to flame out tragically in the 1980s. With a brilliantly fleet technique and fertile melodic imagination, Pastorius made his fretless electric bass leap out from the depths of the rhythm section into the front line with fluid machine-gun-like passages that demanded attention. He also sported a strutting, dancing, flamboyant performing style and posed a further triple-threat as a talented composer, arranger and producer. He and Stanley Clarke were the towering influences on their instrument in the 1970s. Collection includes 'Broadway Blues' & 'Teresa', 'Heavy'n Jazz' & 'Stuttgart Aria', 'Live In Italy' & 'Honestly'.

Duke Ellington's music has long excited Oscar Peterson. So when Pablo, in 1999, decided to assemble a collection of Peterson's interpretations of Ellington favorites, the label had a lot to choose from. Spanning 1967-1986, this collection of Norman Granz-produced Pablo sides reminds us how rewarding a combination Peterson's pianism and the Duke's compositions can be. The most obscure piece on the CD is "Lady of the Lavender Mist," which Ellington recorded in 1947 and quit playing altogether in 1952. But most of the gems that Peterson interprets are well-known standards; even those with only a casual interest in jazz are likely to be familiar with "Cotton Tail," "Satin Doll," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "In a Sentimental Mood," and "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good."

Two things stand out on this previously unreleased concert recording from 1970: first, Ella's irrepressible energy and girlish sense of humor, which she indulges at every opportunity; second, her eclectic tastes, which allow her to follow Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" with "Spinning Wheel," a Blood, Sweat & Tears song. And that's not to mention the Harry Nilsson number and the three Bacharach songs. There are the standard Ella showpieces that no audience would have let her leave out - "Mack the Knife," "The Girl from Ipanema," "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" - and she sings all of them with her typical flawless intonation and freewheeling allusiveness (only Ella could have figured out how to quote "Hello Dolly" in the middle of "Cabaret," or would have wanted to)…

The Paul Smith Trio - He Sells Jazz By The Sea Shore (1965) {2013 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27329}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 216 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 88 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1965, 2013 Warner Bros. / Warner Japan / WEA / Rhino | WPCR-27329
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Piano Trio

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. Paul Smith is well-known to jazz fans for his sterling accompaniment on a number of Ella Fitzgerald's best albums, particularly Ella in Berlin. But the veteran pianist has recorded quite a bit on his own, though few of his LPs (like this Warner Bros. album from the 1960s) have been reissued on CD. Joining him on this trio date are bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks (who worked alongside Smith with Ella) and drummer Frank Capp.

Collaboration is the third CD to be issued from a pair of 2002 sessions by the Great Jazz Trio, featuring Elvin Jones and Richard Davis with leader Hank Jones. The pianist previously worked alongside Davis on numerous sessions led by other musicians, including Elvin's Dear John C., though the Jones brothers worked together only sporadically during their long careers. ~ CDUniverse

This modest, single-CD compilation remains an excellent introduction to Duke Ellngton's work as composer and bandleader, two indistinguishable roles. It includes many of the original recordings of his most familiar songs, reaching back to the 1930s for the swinging "It Don't Mean a Thing" and the exotic "Caravan" and forward to the 1950s for "Satin Doll." The first 10 tracks appear here in their original monaural sound, and they're an authentic account of the early years of Ellington's marvelous band–with the rich, smooth saxophone textures of Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney, the soaring muted trumpets of Cootie Williams and Rex Stewart, and the unadorned musicality of Ivie Anderson's voice. If you want a CD with just the most famous tunes, or if you want to introduce someone to Ellington's music in all its regal brilliance, this is a good place to start.