Terry Allen

A rarity LP with a cult following. In talking about the LP, Houser states, “In the late 1960's I was playing trumpet in a Latin Jazz band let by Julio Miranda and directed, musically, by Maria Rodriguez. We played local clubs, dances, embassy parties, and gave concerts. Twice we recorded albums in New York. These albums were never released. I decided I had to produce my own music. I called tenor man Buck Hill, whose last recording was with Charlie Byrd in the mid-1950's. Steve Novosel agreed to play bass. Besides recording and touring with Rashaan Roland Kirk, his playing credits range from Red Norvo to Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison to Charles Toliver. Al Gray & Cedar Walton. He recommended that I contact Andrew White (of Coltrane Legacy fame and independent producer, today, of over 40 recordings)…

Expanded reissue of the 2006 release from co-founders of NRBQ.

Swing-to-boppers Gibbs (vibes) and DeFranco (clarinet) love playing unison melodies, and the sonorities of those two instruments coming together provides the springboard for this swinging music. It's all based on the witty compositions of Steve Allen, songs the general public have rarely heard. The combination fits all of the participants to a T.
This is mainstream jazz at its current best, but unless you're a hard core fan (or Steve Allen himself, ) you'd be hard pressed to say you know this material intimately. There are some familiar sounds, "Until I Left Chicago (I Never Had The Blues)" is similar to Louis Jordan's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby," while "Alabama Baby" strikes a pose akin to "Comin' Home Baby"…

Terry Gibbs - A Jazz Band Ball, Second Set (1957) {V.S.O.P. Records #40 rel 1998}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 245 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 52 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1998 V.S.O.P. Records / Mode Records | #40 / Mode 123
Jazz / Bop / Cool / Vibes

This reissue is unrelated to another V.S.O.P. set simply titled A Jazz Band Ball. Terry Gibbs on vibes and marimba matches wits and creativity with Victor Feldman and Larry Bunker, both of whom double on vibes and xylophone. Assisted by pianist Lou Levy, bassist Max Bennett and drummer Mel Lewis, the intriguing frontline essentially plays bop, but with a great deal of color. The interaction between the vibraphonists, who are all featured and occasionally trade off, is the main reason to acquire this very interesting set.

Right in the middle of celebrating his 79th birthday, Clark Terry went into the studio for several days to record 14 duets with a different pianist on each track, with many of them being veterans of many record dates and/or concerts with him. Terry remains one of the most easily identifiable trumpeters and flügelhorn players in jazz, so much so that more than one critic has claimed the ability to identify him after just one note. Each track is dedicated to a great performer of the past, though no attempt is made to copy famous recordings, of course. Terry's brilliant flügelhorn swings mightily along with Monty Alexander on the surprising dedication to Nat King Cole of "L.O.V.E.," which was a hit for him after Cole had all but quit playing piano and enjoyed even greater success as a popular singer.

Subtitled Live at the Mistake in Cleveland and released as volumes eight and nine of Voiceprint's Bananamoon Obscura series, this is not the original Divided Alien Playbax LP released in 1982, but a crudely recorded live performance from August 7, 1980. The sound is thin (audience recording, probably), but the good mastering job makes the album enjoyable, albeit a fan-only item (and a collector's item, too, since all volumes in this series are limited to 1,000 copies). In 1980, Daevid Allen toured America solo, singing, reciting and playing guitar over pre-recorded tapes. These playback tracks were put together from the 1980 New York Gong album About Time (featuring a completely revamped Gong lineup that included Fred Maher and Bill Laswell).