Nat ADDERLEY - Introducing Nat Adderley 1955

Nat ADDERLEY - Introducing Nat Adderley 1955
Label: EmArcy / Verve
Audio CD (February 6, 2001)

Jazz

Altoist Cannonball and cornetist Nat Adderley arrived in New York from Florida without fanfare in 1955, but they rapidly established their credentials, sitting in with bassist Oscar Pettiford's group at Café Bohemia. Within days they were recording as leaders for Savoy, and a few months later they were both appearing on Norman Granz's family of labels. Originally issued on Mercury's Wing subsidiary, this session from November 1955 has been one of the rarest of modern jazz recordings, never previously reissued in either LP or CD format. It's a delight, from the flag-waving "Watermelon" on, an early essay in the emerging hard-bop idiom that's rich in swing, blues inflections, and the Adderleys' gift for lyricism. Nat's style was already a distinctive mix of Gillespie and Miles Davis, while Cannonball tempered the influence of Charlie Parker with the sweeter, earlier sound of Benny Carter. They get tremendous support from an all-star rhythm section of Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes, and the compositions, co-credited to the brothers and executed with fraternal familiarity, are already distinctive, including the playful "Little Joanie Walks" and the contrapuntal "Two Brothers." "I Should Care," the only standard, is a fine feature for Nat's burnished cornet sound, while Cannonball's liquid alto stands out on "New Arrivals."
By Stuart Broomer. AMG.
**
Ironically, I found the standard I SHOULD CARE, featuring Mr Nat Adderley's cornet, the most affecting music on this disc. The other nine were originals by brothers Mr Julian and Nat Adderley.
To my ear, this was a walk through for these outstanding musicians, some of them, like Mr Haynes and Mr Silver, and Mr Chambers, among the greatest in modern jazz. But if you like the standard bebop unit of trumpet, sax and rhythm, go for it. Nifty packaging and high quality remastering.
By  Ian Muldoon.
**
The debut recording session of the Adderley brothers, saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and trumpeter Nat. Given the shining star of recognition that Cannonball achieved in his short life, it's amazing that the brothers' first date would be with Nat as leader. And the band on this record is, well, stellar, even for that time in 1955: Paul Chambers on bass, Horace Silver on piano, and Roy Haynes on drums. Issued in the Desert Island Discs series by Verve, this is truly one of them. It's a hard, post-bop date that features a quintet of excellent players having a good old time in the studio. All tunes are by the Adderley brothers, who, at this time, were free to exploit their own identities (Cannonball had yet to be saddled with his "new Bird" status, since Charlie Parker had been dead less than six months). They were undiscovered and under-heard, playing only a smattering of dates in New York clubs after their exodus from Florida. Many of the tunes here, "Watermelon," "Little Joanie Walks," "Two Brothers," "Crazy Baby," and "Blues for Bohemia," would be in both men's sets for decades to come. And whether ballad or bebop, the rhythm section kept the front line in check. The exuberance is allowed by the trio of Silver, Chambers, and Haynes, rather than dictated by the Adderleys. It's gorgeous to hear all the Benny Carter in Cannonball's playing, and the Roy Eldridge in Nat's. Going track for track or looking for standouts here would be fruitless. This is a day in 1955, top to bottom, when some of the finest musicians in the world didn't know it yet. They got together for a good time and a blowing session that became a legendary moment in the history of jazz. Enough said.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
Nat Adderley- Trumpet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley- Alto sax
Horace Silver- Piano
Roy Haynes- Drums
Paul Chambers- Bass
**
01. Watermelon (2:44)
02. Little Joanie Walks (4:01)
03. Two Brothers (3:29)
04. I Should Care (4:25)
05. Crazy Baby (5:59)
06. New Arrivals (6:38)
07. Sun Dance (3:48)
08. Fort Lauderdale (3:18)
09. Friday Nite (3:11)
10. Blues For Bohemia (5:21)
**
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Miles DAVIS - Kind Of Blue 1954 (REPOST)

Miles DAVIS - Kind Of Blue 1954
Label: Columbia Legacy-Sony
Release Date: 03/25/1997

Jazz

Perhaps the most influential & best-selling jazz record ever made. If this is your first encounter with Kind of Blue, be forewarned that it’s likely to become an indispensable part of your life.
More than a milestone in jazz, Kind Of Blue is a defining moment of twentieth century music, one of those incredibly rare works of art that achieve equal popularity among musicians, critics, and public at large. The rest of us might tend to agree with Jimmy Cobb, the drummer on the album, who commented on Kind of Blue that it “must have been made in heaven.” Don’t we all enjoy taste of heaven now and then?
If this is your first encounter with Kind of Blue, be forewarned that it’s likely to become an indispensable part of your life. But chances are you’ve encountered Kind of Blue before, and are wondering why you need another edition. Apart from the addition of a bonus track, one reason is much improved sound. Early digital remasterings sounded thin and piping to connoisseur’s ears; this reissue was remixed on an all-tube three track machine, an old Presto much like the one used for the original recordings. Now the instruments sound rich and full, like real instruments rather than tinny simulacra. Another reason, if you happen to be a musician, you may have already noticed another problem when you tried tried to play along with earlier versions of Kind Of Blue. Three tunes were in the wrong key, which means that the original album and all subsequent reissues were recorded at the wrong speed – making all the pitches slightly sharper than in “real life.” Here, for the first time, is Kind Of Blue complete, sounding big and rich and true to life and right on key. If you are going to heaven, might as well go first-class all the way.
**
With BIRTH OF THE COOL, Miles Davis distilled a new tonal palette for jazz. As early as 1954, Miles reacted to the escalating chordal complexity of hard bop by fashioning an evocative blues based on a simple scalar pattern ("Swing Spring"). KIND OF BLUE was the ultimate fulfilment of this approach,with Miles providing his collaborators little more than outlines for melodies and simple scales for improvisation. By emphasising the blues and the improvisor's melodic gifts, KIND OF BLUE precipitated a major stylistic development--modal jazz.
Charles Mingus had experimented with pedal points throughout the 1950s, and the melodic freedom of Ornette Coleman's Atlantic sides was also predicated on freedom from chord changes. But KIND OF BLUE was to prove the most influential, enduring work of its kind. There was just such a vibe about these 1959 sessions--Miles' lyric genius and burgeoning stardom, the innovative voicings and rarefied touch of pianist Bill Evans, the electrifying presence of Coltrane and Cannonball--that some thirty-plus years after its initial release, KIND OF BLUE is still recognised as Davis' point of departure towards jazz's less-explored regions.
Bill Evans' translucent chords and Paul Chambers' famous bass line heraldthe revolution that is "So What": Davis and Evans' taut, coiled lyricism stands in sharp relief to the saxophonists' labyrinthine elation. The fat, shimmering beat of the classic Evans/Chambers/Cobb rhythm team is an oasis of calm throughout the childish blues "Freddie Freeloader". Often credited to Davis, "Blue In Green" is an Evans masterpiece, in which the rhythmic oasis becomes a smoky mirage for Davis' minor reveries on muted horn. The waltzing "All Blues" is one of thesmoothest, most swinging grooves in the history of jazz, while "Flamenco Sketches" reflects Miles fascination with the earthy melodies and brooding metaphors of the Iberian peninsula...a harbinger of his next masterpiece, SKETCHES OF SPAIN. KIND OF BLUE remains Miles Davis' most evocative piece of musical haiku.
**
Paul Chambers- Double bass
Miles Davis- Trumpet
John Coltrane- Tenor Saxophone
Wynton Kelly- Piano
Bill Evans- Piano
Jimmy Cobb- Drums
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley- Alto Saxophone
**
01. So What   9.22
02. Freddie Freeloader   9.46
03. Blue In Green   5.37
04. All Blues   11.33
05. Flamenco Sketches   9.26
06. Flamenco Sketches (Alternate Take)   9.32
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Tab BENOIT - Brother To The Blues 2006 (REPOST)

Tab BENOIT - Brother To The Blues 2006
Label: Telarc

Blues

Louisiana native Tab Benoit has been slinging his swamp-R&B-blues-rock concoction for the better part of 15 years, and from the sound of this disc's opening two tunes, it seems that little besides his backing band has changed. But when the title track kicks in with sorrowful fiddle, crying pedal steel (also played by Benoit), and a lovely, lonely honky-tonk melody, it's clear the singer/guitarist has decided to visit some unique territory. Country stalwarts Jim Lauderdale and Billy Joe Shaver swing by to provide duet vocals for Benoit's versions of their songs. Even Hank Williams Sr.'s "I Heard That Lonesome Whistle" gets covered as Benoit finds the blues at the heart of the country standard. Those who are not county lovers need not be concerned that Benoit has gone all George Jones on them. He still grinds out slabs of tough bayou rocking in the crackling "So High" and the opening "Pack It Up." There's also a heartbreaking, loungey, slow blues ("Somehow") and a soul-seared cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" that shows how effective Benoit is as an interpretive vocalist. The funky Little Feat/Neville Brothers-styled "Can't Do One More Two-Step" truly brings it home on a diverse outing that stretches boundaries and adds depth to Benoit's already impressive roots.
By Hal Horowitz.
**
Tab Benoit- Vocals, guitar, pedal steel guitar;
Tony Haselden- Guitar, banjo;
Nelson Blanchard- Organ, piano, electric piano;
Leon Medica- bass;
David Peters- Drums, percussion;
Waylon Thibodeaux- Fiddle;
Jim Lauderdale, Billy Joe Shaver- Vocal.
**
01. Pack It Up   3.53
02. Bring It On Home To Me   5.03
03. Brother To The Blues   4.04
04. Why Are People Like That?   3.01
05. I'm On Your Side   2.44
06. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle   4.29
07. If You Love Me Like You Say   5.49
08. Comin' On Strong   3.29
09. So High   4.56
10. Grace's Song   4.01
11. Moon Coming Over The Hill   3.11
12. Somehow   5.56
13. Can't Do One More Two-Step   4.22
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Scott HENDERSON - Well To The Bone 2002 (REPOST)

Scott HENDERSON - Well To The Bone 2002
Label: Blues Bureau Int'l
Recorded at Tommy Tedesco Studio, Hollywood, California.

Blues

Scott Henderson is nothing if not unpredictable. In Tribal Tech and Vital Tech Tones he has distinguished himself as an endlessly creative performer with impeccable musicianship. Well to the Bone also bears a heavy dose of creativity, to be sure, yet many of the selections come off as oddly disconcerting. Despite its label, the disc has been filed away here at AAJ under Fusion instead of Blues because even adamant blues non-purists might shake their heads in confusion.
“Lady P” typifies the experimental side of Henderson’s mutant blues, its constant rhythmic shifts making it nearly impossible to pin down the meter from one bar to the next. Wade Durham’s vocals recall Corey Glover of Living Colour as much as anyone else, and the vocal reverb on “Devil Boy” seems a misguided attempt to pass him off as Jimi Hendrix. Durham sounds like he takes himself too seriously. Thelma Houston fares much better on the straightforward title blues and “Lola Fay.”

Not everything is hot and heavy. “Ashes” is pretty in an off-kilter way, and “Rituals” ends the album on a pleasant note. Of course, there is a good deal of humor involved as well, never more so than on the fun-paced “Hillbilly in the Band,” where the sound of a barking dog keeps interrupting Henderson’s solo. Kicked off by a chant sample, “Sultan’s Boogie” is just about what you’d expect, a hard groove laid over a Middle Eastern mode.

The big problem here might be the sameness of tempo and Henderson’s guitar timbre, which makes much of the disc sound like it’s all cut from the same cloth. It’s the same sort of problem that John Scofield used to have before he expanded his horizons. Odd for Henderson to seem stuck in a rut since he doesn’t evince that problem within his other bands, but it certainly holds him back here. Not a bad album by any means, but not as rich in variety as we’ve grown to expect from him.
By Todd S. Jenkins. AAJ.
**
Scott Henderson is one of those guitar players that makes you want to skip practice because, what's the point? You'll never be that damn good on the guitar. His latest CD "Well to the Bone," is the evolutionary follow up to 1997's "Tore Down House." While "Tore Down House" was a marriage of Blues and Fusion, "Well to the Bone" is Fusion-Blues. Imagine Stevie Ray Vaughn jamming with Weather Report.
Blues purists look elsewhere. This recording is flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet right over their heads. It's Incendiary! Earthy blues concepts. Rubbery whammy bar phrasing. Playing inside, outside, over a cerebral hot bed of progressions that take you on a journey. Twisted, soulful, sometimes dreamy songs full of humor, longing, and even incest. Maximum strength liquid Strat tones caress as well as scream throughout.

One song in particular "Ashes," a somber ballad that erupts into a psychotropic gospel dirge at a wake, blends Hendrix/Mayfield style rhythms with the kind of soloing that could only come from a supreme being.

The divine and utterly soulful Thelma Houston returns along with new comer Wade Durham to more than deliver the vocal goods. Kirk Covington on drums, John Humphrey on bass, and Scott Kinsey on percussion, swing with soul and precision without ever sounding metronomic. For those with an open mind who like a lot of adventure and unpredictability in their blues, this CD is a must own.
By Oscar Jordan.
**
Scott Henderson- Guitar
Kirk Covington- Drums
John Humphrey- Bass
With special guests:
Thelma Houston- Vocals (selected tracks)
Scott Kinsey- Electronic percussion

01. Lady P (7:14)
02. Hillbilly in the Sand (5:06)
03. Devil Boy (6:41)
04. Lola Fay (6:24)
05. Well to the Bone (4:50)
06. Ashes (6:53)
07. Sultan's Boogie (6:30)
08. Day's Da Way it go (6:54)
09. That Hurts (6:16)
10. Rituals (8:01)
**
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Shuggie OTIS - Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight 1971-72 (REPOST)

Shuggie OTIS - Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight 1971-72
Label: Raven
Release Date: Oct 14, 2003

Blues

It's staggering to consider that Shuggie Otis had virtually been forgotten by the time his delightfully idiosyncratic 1974 album Inspiration Information resurfaced in 2001. The precociously talented guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist ...    Full Description(and son of band leader Johnny Otis) had been no stranger to success. In 1977 the Brothers Johnson took their cover version of Shuggie's sublime "Strawberry Letter 23" to #5 on the US Billboard Pop chart, selling a million copies in the process. The original version appeared on his 1971 album "Freedom Flight", a stunning work that mixed virtuoso electric blues with gentle psychedelic soul/R&B ballads. 1970's "Here Comes Shuggie Otis" saw the guitarist attack a selection of uniquely swampy blues shuffles and Hendrix-styled rockers. Both albums were ahead of their time and sound fresh and vibrant today.
**
John Otis Jnr., 30 November 1953, Los Angeles, California, USA. A precociously talented guitarist, Otis was encouraged by his dance band father, Johnny Otis, who had him playing bass and lead guitar onstage in his early teens. Johnny Otis featured him on his 1969 Kent album, Cold Shot!, and through that Al Kooper espoused his cause and recorded his debut album for CBS Records. Father and son then both signed to Epic, and Shuggie appeared on his father's albums, Cuttin' Up (1970) and The Johnny Otis Show Live At Monterey! (1971), as well as doing session work for Don "Sugarcane" Harris and playing bass on one track on Frank Zappa's Hot Rats. Four solo albums of indifferent quality were issued by Epic before Otis retired at the grand old age of 22. In the years that followed, he continued to do session work for his father but drug problems hampered his efforts at reviving his own career, although he continued to remain active with a live band. "Strawberry Letter 23', originally featured on 1971"s Freedom Flight, was a big US hit for the Brothers Johnson in 1977.
**
Shuggie Otis- Organ, Piano, Percussion, Celeste, Harpsichord,
Slide Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Arranger, Bass, Guitar
Harris Singers Robinson- Vocals
Richard MacKay- French Horn
Aynsley Dunbar- Drums
Abe Mills- Drums
Stix Hooper- Drums
Wells Kelly- Drums
Mike Kowalski- Drums
Paul Lagos- Drums
Melvin Moore- Trumpet
Isadore Roman- Violin
Eunice Wennermark- Violin
Stu Woods- Bass
Hank Jernigan- Flute, Saxophone
Joe Lichter- Violin
Irving Lipshultz- Celli
Hyman Gold- Celli
Ginger Smock- Violin
Bob Mitchell- Trumpet
Jim "Supe" Bradshaw- Harmonica, Vocals (Background)
Ray Johnson- Piano
Sherlie Matthews- Vocals (Background)
Clydie King- Vocals (Background)
Venetta Fields- Vocals (Background)
Leon Haywood- Organ
Preston Love- Flute, Saxophone
Marilyn Baker- Viola
Al McKibbon- Bass
Willie Ruff- French Horn
Richard Aplanalp- Flute, Oboe, Sax (Tenor)
Gene "Mighty Flea" Conners- Trombone
Rollice Dale- Viola
Wilton Felder- Bass, Bass (Electric), Harpsichord, Celeste
Jackie Kelso- Flute, Saxophone
Al Kooper- Organ, Piano
George Duke- Organ, Piano (Electric), Celeste
Plas Johnson- Saxophone
Johnny Otis- Percussion, Tympani, Harpsichord, Piano, Vocals (Background), Producer, Celeste,
**
01.Oxford Gray: Felder, Hooper, Otis, Otis 6:55
02.Jennie Lee: Felder, Otis, Otis 2:11
03.Bootie Cooler: Otis, Otis 2:41
04.Knowing (That You Want Him) Aldrich, Otis 2:31
05.Funky Thithee: Otis, Otis 3:13
06.Shuggie's Boogie: Otis, Otis 5:34
07.Hurricane: Felder, Otis, Otis 2:18
08.Gospel Groove: Otis, Otis 4:15
09.Baby, I Needed You: Otis, Otis 3:43
10.The Hawks: Otis, Otis 2:28
11.Ice Cold Daydream: Otis 2:20
12.Strawberry Letter 23: Otis 3:57
13.Sweet Thang: Otis, Otis 4:11
14.Me and My Woman: Barge, G. Barge 4:16
15.Someone's Always Singing: Kahn, Otis 3:22
16.Purple: Otis 7:07
17.Freedom Flight Otis: 12:57
18.One Room Country Shack [*] Walton 3:35
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Junior WELLS – On Tap 1991 (REPOST)

Junior WELLS – On Tap 1991

Blues

Junior Wells- Vocals, Harmonica
Sammy Lawhorn- Guitar/left channel
Phillip Guy- Guitar/right channel
Johnny “Big Moose” Walker- Piano and Organ
A.C. Reed- Tenor sax
Charles Miles- Alto sax
Herman Applewhite- Bass
Roosevelr “Snake” Shaw- Drums
**
Underrated mid-'70s collection boasting a contemporary, funky edge driven by guitarists Phil Guy and Sammy Lawhorn, keyboardist Big Moose Walker, and saxman A.C. Reed. Especially potent is the crackling "The Train I Ride," a kissin' cousin to Little Junior Parker's "Mystery Train."
By Bill Dahl.
**
This is an excellent Jr. Wells cd. It is blues with a touch (and sometimes a slap !!!) of funk. The personnel on this cd, Jr. Wells and virtouso guitarist Sammy Lawhorn (formerly of Muddy Water's band)used to rule the roost at the Legendary Theresa's club at 4801 S. Indiana on Chicago's South Side in the 70's and early 80's. The cover p[ic is Jr. behind the bar at Theresa's. This cd is a pretty good example of what you could hear for a $1 on any given night Jr. wasn't on the road in those days. That is not a misprint. the cover was $1. Blues with a touch of funk was Jr's trademark and he goes a little extra funky sometimes, but when he got down to straight blues, he was the man (he learned it right from his musical father (Muddy). If you went to Theresa's to see Jr., it was wise not to get too riled up on liquor though because everybody (especially the band) in the place was packing heat-lol. James Cotton and Jr. used to trade sets on Wed. If we invented time travel, this era would be on my top 5 list (along with seeing Muddy in the 50's and the blues and rock of the late 60's). Put this cd in and go back in time to when the blues legends roamed the clubs of Chicago.
By  Bob Condon.
**
01. What My Mama Told Me 4:04
02. So Long 5:37
03. Key To The Highway 4:38
04. You Gotta Love Her With A Feeling 5:24
05. The Train I Ride 5:02
06. Watch Me Move 4:02
07. Someday Baby 4:46
08. Junior's Thing 5:05
09. Goin' Down Slow5:53
**
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Gene AMMONS - Goodbye 1974

Gene AMMONS - Goodbye 1974
Label: Prestige / Ojc
Cd Released: 2005 (Ojc)
Jazz

It is ironic that on tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons' final recording date, the last song he performed was the standard "Goodbye." That emotional rendition is the high point of this session, a septet date with cornetist Nat Adderley, altoist Gary Bartz, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Louis Hayes, and Ray Barretto on congas. In contrast to the somewhat commercial studio albums he had recorded during the past couple of years, this set was much more freewheeling, for Ammons was clearly happy to perform the material (which included "It Don't Mean a Thing," "Alone Again (Naturally)," and "Jeannine") without any tight arrangements, in the spirit of his Prestige jam sessions of the 1950s. It's a fine ending to a colorful career.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Gene Ammons- (Tenor Sax);
Gary Bartz- (Alto SaxS);
Nat Adderley- (Cornet);
Kenny Drew- (Piano);
Sam Jones- (Bass);
Louis Hayes- (Drums);
Ray Barretto- (Conga).
**
A1   Out In The Sticks (6:27)
A2   Alone Again (Naturally) (5:55)
A3   It Doesn't Mean A Thing (5:38)
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B1   Jeannine (6:27)
B2   Geru's Blues (7:34)
B3   Goodbye (4:32)
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