The Art of Bop Drumming

3-CD Box set, 60-page booklet including comprehensive biography, original liner notes and cover art, rare photos, unseen memorabilia and extensive discography. Shelly Manne (1920-1984) was one of the most important drummers in jazz history. Opening with his first recordings as a leader for Dee Gee Records in 1951 (Chicago) and 1952 (Los Angeles), this collection covers both these septet sessions and the great series of all-star septet and quintet recordings made for Contemporary by Shelly Manne and His Men between 1953 and 1958. Here’s that Manne.

Lester Bowie's projects apart from the Art Ensemble of Chicago tread a high wire between challenging improvised music and R&B-pop. This seeming dichotomy purports a universally appealing sound close to selling out, but speaks more to the whimsy and farcical elements Bowie sees in the hypocrisy of life. The Great Pretender is a perfect title for this effort, a mix of funk and humor, gospel and jazz, with no small points of reference to Dizzy Gillespie, early doo wop, Mahalia Jackson, James Brown, and Sun Ra. The lengthy title track modernizes the Buck Ram hit on many levels, as Bowie's sly, ribald, and comedic trumpet playing hits every nerve over a head nodding church hued backbeat, accented by the ooh-ooh vocals of Fontella Bass and David Peaston…

Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls - Seize The Time (2008) {Naim Jazz NAIMCD115}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 446 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 171 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Naim Jazz | NAIMCD115
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Neo-Bop / Post Bop / Modern Creative

The fifth recording for Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls continues on the path of celebrating freedom fighters the drummer/leader is inspired by and admires. This version of the band retains saxophonist Geof Bradfield and welcomes new members Greg Ward on alto sax (from Broken Things), guitarist Dave Miller (taking over for Jeff Parker), and bassist Jake Vinsel (in for Noel Kupersmith). The multi-cultural jazz concept of Sirota remains, using African-based ideas merged within a progressive jazz and modern creative framework, while also paying tribute to two late pop music icons – Bob Marley and Joe Strummer. Sirota's drumming itself is self-assured and melodic, working off precepts from jazz greats like Art Blakey and Max Roach, while also taking into account a communal tribal village concept that makes the Rebel Souls a tight-knit unit.

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers - Live At Umbria Jazz 1976 (2002) {TDK} [DVD5 PAL]
DVD5 -> 4.04 Gb | All Regions | PAL 4:3 | 01:01:18 | ISO Image
Audio: LinearPCM, 2 ch / Dolby AC3, 6 ch / DTS, 6 ch
© 2002 TDK Recording / Polivideo
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop

Orginally recorded in 1976, this production features a live performance from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The usual suspects make up the band – Bill Hardman on Trumpet, Mickey Tucker on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Blakey on his signature drums – and songs include "Backgammon," "Along Came Betty," "Uranus," "Blues March," "All the Things You Are," and "Gipsy Folk Tales." Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers on disc has trailers for other TDK jazz releases and a text biography of Art Blakey. The 4:3 picture is sometimes slightly soft and displays the usual faults of live concert footage shot on video, but is generally much better than expected for its age. The sound defaults to good stereo but the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 remixes add considerably to the sense of a occasion. The DTS track is particularly weighty and almost tangible in its presence.

Lester Bowie's projects apart from the Art Ensemble of Chicago tread a high wire between challenging improvised music and R&B-pop. This seeming dichotomy purports a universally appealing sound close to selling out, but speaks more to the whimsy and farcical elements Bowie sees in the hypocrisy of life. The Great Pretender is a perfect title for this effort, a mix of funk and humor, gospel and jazz, with no small points of reference to Dizzy Gillespie, early doo wop, Mahalia Jackson, James Brown, and Sun Ra. The lengthy title track modernizes the Buck Ram hit on many levels, as Bowie's sly, ribald, and comedic trumpet playing hits every nerve over a head nodding church hued backbeat, accented by the ooh-ooh vocals of Fontella Bass and David Peaston…