West Coast Live

A little less than eight years after it occurred, Concord Records issued this concert, originally broadcast on German radio, from Gerry Mulligan's last European tour, performed less than a year before his death. Mulligan appears with his regular band of the time – pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Dean Johnson, and drummer Ron Vincent – playing a group of originals that serve as springboards for his lyrical style of baritone saxophone playing. The group, which had been together for several years at this point, plays smoothly, offering excellent support to the leader. A special treat is the final track, a version of "These Foolish Things" on which Mulligan duets with guest star Dave Brubeck. The album demonstrates that, in his maturity, Mulligan continued to live up to the standards he had set for himself across a career stretching back 45 years. There are no real revelations this late in the game, but Mulligan and the band play with the assurance of veterans.

Larry Bunker Quartette featuring Gary Burton - Live at Shelly's Manne-Hole (1963) {Vault–EMG remastered, rel 2011}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 207 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 102 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 13 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1963, 2011 Vault / Essential Media Group
Jazz / Cool / Post Bop / Drums / Vibes

The versatile West Coast jazz drummer, vibraphonist and percussionist Larry Bunker is featured here leading an amazing quartet featuring world renowned vibraphonist Gary Burton; Mike Wofford (piano) and Bob West (bass); recorded live in 1967 at the famous West Coast jazz club, Shelly's Manne-Hole, founded by the legendary jazz drummer Shelly Manne, featuring compositions by Mike Gibbs, Cole Porter, Phil Woods, Jerome Kern and others. All selections newly remastered.

For years, Led Zeppelin fans complained that there was one missing item in the group's catalog: a good live album. It's not that there weren't live albums to be had. The Song Remains the Same, of course, was a soundtrack of a live performance, but it was a choppy, uneven performance, lacking the majesty of the group at its peak. BBC Sessions was an excellent, comprehensive double-disc set of their live radio sessions, necessary for any Zeppelin collection (particularly because it contained three songs, all covers, never recorded anywhere else), but some carped that the music suffered from not being taped in front of a large audience, which is how they built their legacy – or, in the parlance of this triple-disc collection of previously unreleased live recordings compiled by Jimmy Page, How the West Was Won…