Sicj 17

The J. J. Johnson Quintet - J Is For Jazz (1956) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 79}
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© 1956, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 79
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trombone

Reissue with the latest 2015 remastering. Comes with liner notes. Nicely sharp sounds from the great JJ Johnson – a set that has the trombonist really honing his edge on a host of tight, short tracks – with a vibe that almost recalls his initial bop recordings on Blue Note and Prestige! The style here is a bit more sophisticated – definitely with an ear towards the modern directions that JJ was exploring in the 50s – but the sound is also nicely spontaneous, with more focus on improvisation between group members than larger arrangements – quite nice, given that the group features excellent tenor from Bobby Jaspar on tenor – and either Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones on piano, Percy Heath or Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are short, and titles include "Overdrive", "Cube Steak", "Chasin The Bird", and "Solar".

Terumasa Hino - Double Rainbow (1981) {2016 Japan Crossover & Fusion Collection 1000 Series SICJ 218}
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© 1981, 2016 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 218
Jazz / Fusion / Jazz Funk / Cornet

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. Beautiful work from trumpeter Terumasa Hino – an early 80s date that was issued in the US, but one that's got as much bold power and freewheeling soul as his Japanese releases from a decade before! The album's surprisingly open for the time – not in the slicker mode that Columbia was hitting as they crossed over some of their 70s fusion players, but in spacious territory that has Hino blowing cornet, in larger arrangements from keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi and Gil Evans – the latter of whom seems to contribute a strong sense of color and tone to the album! The lineup is great, too – and features both Herbie Hancock and Kenny Kirkland on keyboards, Steve Grossman on reeds, Harvey Mason and Lenny White on drums, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Airto on percussion.

The J. J. Johnson Quintet - Dial J. J. 5 (1957) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 22}
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© 1957, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 22
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trombone

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. One of JJ's best from the late 50s – a tightly crackling hardbop set, recorded very much in the manner of his classic JJ Inc album! The sound here is a bit more compact overall – with some shorter tracks that really allow Johnson to display his keen sense of economy on his horn, while working in a burning mode that recalls some of his best bop sides from the early years – particularly his work on Blue Note.

Charles Earland - Coming To You Live (1980) {2016 Japan Crossover & Fusion Collection 1000 Series SICJ 141}
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© 1980, 2016 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 141
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Groove / Organ

Reissue with the latest 2016 remastering. Comes with liner notes. One of Charles Earland's sweet albums from his years at Columbia Records – done in a mode that's much more R&B than his earliest work, but in a style that's still A-OK with us! The groove here is greatly helped out by arrangements from Tom Washington, Weldon Irvine, and Marcus Miller – all great talents for mixing soul into Earland's jazzier keyboards – yet in a way that still keeps all of the best elements intact! Many of the tracks feature vocals, but in a gently soulful way that glides in nicely alongside the keys – and speaking of keys, Charles plays Fender Rhodes and Arp here in addition to his usual organ.

The J. J. Johnson Sextet - Really Livin' (1959) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 78}
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© 1959, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 78
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trombone

Reissue with the latest 2015 remastering. Comes with liner notes. One of the hippest, hardest albums that trombonist JJ Johnson ever cut for Columbia – a session we'd rank right up there with his amazing JJ Inc record, and like that one a really cooking hardbop record that maybe even rivals the best on Blue Note and Prestige at the time! As with that gem, the strength here is really the group – not just tremendous trombone from JJ, but great work from Nat Adderley on trumpet, Bobby Jaspar on tenor and flute, Cedar Walton on piano, Spanky DeBrest on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – all working with a soaring, soulful energy that's a lot more hardbop heavy than you might expect from JJ Johnson on some of his other projects for the label.

Phil Woods - Floresta Canto (1975) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 95}
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© 1975, 2015 RCA / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 95
Jazz / Fusion / Hard Bop / Modern Big Band / Latin Jazz / Saxophone

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. One of those great records from the 70s that makes you say "man, Phil Woods was hip!" The session was cut in London with an electrified big band led by Chris Gunning, and featuring keyboards by the groovy Gordon Beck – kind of a blend of strings, keys, and woodwinds – providing some lush backdrops that allow Phil to really open up on some great solos. The style is similar to Phil's album Images, done with Michel Legrand – but with some more electric touches – and like that album, it's got a wonderfully fluid, lyrical approach that's quite different from the harder-jamming fusion albums Woods cut in Europe. Titles include "Canto De Ossanha", "Sails", "Roses", "Without You", "Jesse", and "O Morro".

Denny Zeitlin - Zeitgeist (1967) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 81}
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© 1967, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 81
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Piano Trio

Reissue with the latest 2015 DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. Pianist Denny Zeitlin is sporting a beard on the cover of this fourth album for Columbia Records – and his music here definitely reflects a bit of a change from his earlier cleaner-cut image! Denny steps a bit outside at times – never to much so to make the album a session of avant jazz, but definitely showing the listener at the start that he's able to stretch out in the same way as some of the more adventurous pianists of his generation – yet really sound best as a master of lyrical understatement, as on his previous few records! Zeitlin's command of chords is wonderful – these blocks of color and subtle sound in his hands – inspired by Bill Evans, but taken in a whole new direction – and set up here in two different trios, with either Charlie Haden or Joe Halpin on bass, and Oliver Johnson or Jerry Granelli on drums. The real star of the show is always Denny.

Sadao Watanabe - Sadao Watanabe At Montreux Jazz Festival (1970) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 64}
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© 1970, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan / CBS | SICJ 64
Jazz / Post Bop / Neo Bop / Saxopohone

Reissue with the latest DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. A searing performance from Japanese jazz giant Sadao Watanabe – and key proof that he was a hell of a player in the years before he softened things up! There's a blissful post-Coltrane post-Miles sort of vibe going on here with Watanabe really jamming things up on the main track on the album – "Round Trip Going & Coming", which features incredible work on soprano sax, and eventually rolls into a kicked-up electric groove that has Sadao playing electric keys, alongside guitar, bass, and drums. Side two features slightly shorter tracks, but still with a great degree of exploratory freedom and fresh improvisation from Sadao – and titles include "Lament" and "Tokyo Suite: Sunset".

George Benson - It's Uptown (1966) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 33} (ft. Dr. Lonnie Smith)
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© 1966, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 33
Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Pop / Soul Jazz / Guitar / Organ Hammond B-3

Reissue with the latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)".

J. J. Johnson - First Place (1957) {2015 Japan Jazz Collection 1000 Columbia-RCA Series SICJ 21}
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© 1957, 2015 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | SICJ 21 | Mono
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trombone

Reissue with the latest 2015 DSD remastering. Comes with liner notes. Not J.J. Johnson's initial public offering by any means, First Place was done with only a quartet in 1957 for Columbia Records, where other efforts by the legendary jazz trombonist were set in a larger ensemble format. Long out of print, this is now on CD with bonus tracks from 1954 featuring Charles Mingus. Playing standards and originals, Johnson assembled a mighty band with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Paul Chambers, and especially on-fire drummer Max Roach, a group you'd be hard-pressed to top.