Jack Wilson Easterly Winds (1967)

Easterly Winds provides an excellent contrast to Jack Wilson's first Blue Note album, Somethin' Personal. Where his label debut was cool and romantic, Easterly Winds is a brassy, funky collection of soul-jazz and hard bop with instant appealing. Wilson keeps the tone fairly diverse, both in his originals and covers. After hitting hard with the funky opening pair "Do It" and "On Children" (both of which illustrate that he was familiar with contemporary soul), he quiets the mood with a nice version of Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love." On the second half, he turns in soul-jazz ("Easterly Winds"), straight hard bop ("Frank's Tune") and the charmingly lyrical "Nirvanna." Throughout it all, Wilson is subtle and tasteful, allowing trumpeter Lee Morgan and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean their time in the spotlight; trombonist Garnett Brown has a couple of nice moments as well, while bassist Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins lend solid rhythmic support. It's another impressive, enjoyable effort from one of the most underrated pianists on Blue Note's '60s roster.

1. Do It

1. On Children

3. A Time For Love

4. Easterly Winds

5. Nirvanna

6. Frank's Tune

Jack Wilson (p) Lee Morgan (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Garnett Brown (tb) 

Bob Cranshaw (b) Billy Higgins (d)

Ray Draper Quintet Tuba Sounds (1957)

One of the first tuba players to lead his own recording session in a bebop setting, Ray Draper was only 16 when he recorded the music on this CD reissue, his debut. Teamed in a sextet with trumpeter Webster Young (also making his recording debut), altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Spanky DeBrest, and drummer Ben Dixon, Draper fits in pretty well. His solos are sometimes a touch awkward rhythmically and it takes one a little while to get used to his sound in this setting but, overall, this is a successful effort. The fairly modern sextet performs straight-ahead originals by Draper, Young, and Waldron in addition to the standard "You're My Thrill." 

Review by Scott Yanow - Allmusic.com

1. Terry Anne

2. You're My Thrill

3. Pivot

4. Jackie's Dolly

5. Mimi's Interlude

6. House Of Davis

Ray Draper (tuba) Webster Young (tp) Jackie McLean (as) Mal Waldron (p) 

Spanky DeBrest (b) Ben Dixon (d)

Barney Wilen Jazz Sur Seine (1958)

Tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen was not quite 21 years old at the time of this meeting withMilt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, three veterans of the Modern Jazz Quartet. But the young man is surprising mature and confident throughout the session, interpreting several of Django Reinhardt's compositions, along with a few by his French contemporaries and a pair of his own works. What's surprising about this session is the rare opportunity to hear Jackson exclusively as a pianist, as his playing is a bit more reserved than on vibes. The leader digs into his rhythm section's element with his original "B.B.B. (Bag's Barney Blues)," giving them a full chorus before making a convincing statement himself. The quartet's fluid arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" swings. Percussionist Gana M'Bow is added for both "Swing 39" and "Minor Swing" to add an exotic touch. Wilen easily holds his own on his first major meeting on a record date with major American jazz stars.

Ken Dryden

http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-in-paris-jazz-sur-seine-r537868

Barney Wilen (ts) Milt Jackson (p) Percy Heath (b) Kenny Clarke (d) 

Gana M'Bow (perc)

1. Swing 39

2.Vamp

3. Menilmontant

4. John's Groove

5. B.B.B. (Bag's Barney Blues)

6. Swingin' Paris Rhythm (Jazz Sur Seine)

7. J'ai Ta Main

8. Nuages

9. La Route Enchantee

10. Que Reste T'il De Nos Amour

11. Minor Swing

12. Epistrophy

Yusef Lateef Live at Pep's Vol.1 (1964)

This mid-'60s concert was one of Lateef's finest, as it perfectly displayed his multiple influences and interests. There were hard bop originals, covers of jazz classics like Oscar Pettiford's "Oscarlypso" (a CD bonus track) and Leonard Feather's "Twelve Tone Blues," as well as an unorthodox but effective version of Ma Rainey's "See See Rider." On "Sister Mamie," "Number 7," and drummer James Black's "The Magnolia Triangle," Lateef moved away from strict jazz, although he retained his improvisational flair

. Lateef played meaty tenor sax solos and entrancing flute and bamboo flute offerings, and also had impressive stints on oboe, shenai, and argol. This was a pivotal date in his career, and those unaware of it will get a treat with this disc.

Ron Wynn

http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-peps-r142570 

1. Sister Mamie

2. Number 7

3. Twelve Tone Blues

4. Oscarlypso

5. Gee Sam Gee

6. Rogi

7. See See Rider

8. The Magnolia Triangle

9. The Weaver

10. Slippin' and Slidin'

Yusef Lateef (ts) Richard Gene Williams (tp) Michael Noch (p) 

Ernie Farrow (b) James Black (d)

Steve Kuhn & Gary McFarland The October Suite (1966)

Composer and arranger Gary McFarland was well known in the 1960s for his film-scoring abilities and his charting skills with midsized bands. McFarland was also, however, a jazz fan, and particularly one of scalar pianist Steve Kuhn. This project features Kuhn in the center of a program made up entirely of McFarland compositions, all but two of which were written specifically for the album. Recorded in 1966, it is an anomaly in the Impulse catalog of the time in that it did not pursue the free jazz realms with the vengeance that most of the label's other acts did during that year. It is also significant that it caught the attention of a young Manfred Eicher, who later signed Kuhn to his ECM label based on the strengths of this recording. Like Keith Jarrett, Kuhn is in the pointillistic school of jazz pianists of the era. Unlike Jarrett, Kuhn does not consider force in his attack as necessary as his labelmate does. Instrumentally, Kuhn's customary trio situation -- which is dutifully performed with zeal by Ron Carter and drummer Marty Morell -- is augmented with a string quartet on half the record and with a wind trio with harp on the other half. The tracks on side one are in some ways less revolutionary, yet more fulfilling because Kuhn is clearly at home with the sonorities afforded by the strings. They don't swing, even on "One I Could Have Loved" from the film 13 or "St. Tropez Shuttle," a strangely metered bossa tune (in 3/4 instead of 4/4). Kuhn's cautious, contemplative improvising concerns itself with scalar explorations of melody, color, and harmony rather than rhythm or modal considerations. His touch is light and airy and therefore most pronouncedly visible against the strings. The interplay between Carter and Morell is almost instinctual; they couldn't have moved any closer together on this set if the charts had been written for them -- and they were not. With the wind trio and harp, Kuhn's approach is more physical, but nonetheless strives to create a palette for the very instruments that are trying to create one for him. There is some tension in this approach, but it works to the record's advantage. In sum, The October Suite.

Thom Jurek

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-october-suite-r261237/review

1. Once I could Have Loved

2. Saint Tropez Shuttle

3. Remember When

4. Traffic Pattern

5. Childhood Dreams

6. Open Highway


Steve Kuhn (p) Ron Carter (b) Marty Morell (d) Gary McFarland (arr. comp.)

Har-You Percussion Group - Sounds of the Ghetto Youth

1. Feed Me Good
2. Ngoma
3. Oua-Train
4. Welcome To The Party
5. Santa Cruz
6. Tico

MPEG-4

Henry Guedon Early Latin & Boobaloo Recordings

1. Guajira Contestacion
2. Shiga Sing
3. An Ti Fi
4. Faut Pas Pousser
5. Brujeria
6. Los Antillanos De Paris
7. Vulcano
8. Ritmo Moderno
9. Machapia
10. Sainte Marie
11. Concierto De Mi Bongo
12. Marcel Song
13. Carnaval Nou
14. Negro Lucumi
15. Descaguajira

MPEG-4

The Cabildo's Three - Yuxtaposicion (1972)

Cabildo (keyboards) Bobby Fares (bass) Max Ronnie (percussions)

1- Yuxtaposition

2- Don't put me in the shades

3- Collection Samba

4- Two types of complexion

5- Hierro forjado

6- Jesus Maria District

7- Africa penta song

8- El sonido soul

9- Castanada drive

10- Akorin

MPEG-4

Lou Blackburn - Complete Imperial Sessions (1963)

 

1 -   New Frontier

2 -  Perception

3 - I Cover the Waterfront

4 - 17 Richmond Park

5 -  Harlem Bossa Nova

6 -  Luze Blues

7 - The Clan

8 - Scorpio

9 -  Jazz-A-Nova

10 -Stella By Starlight

11 -Manha de Carnaval

12 -Jean-Bleu

13 -Blues for Eurydice

14 -Secret Love

15 -Two Note Samba

16 -Gran Prix

17 -Song of Delilah

18 -Dear Stockholm

19 -Ode to Taras

Freddie Hill (tp) Lou Blackburn (tb) Horace Tapscott (p) John Duke (b) Leroy Henderson (d)

MPEG-4

Kora Jazz Trio Part II (2005)

Djeli Moussa Diawara - Kora

Abdoulaye Diabate - Piano

Moussa Cissoko - Percussions

1 - Djame

2 - Folly

3 - Sunugal

4 - Dadiou

5 - Rythm'ning

6 - Sindi

7 - N'na

8 - Seyo

9 - Teranga

10 - La Mer

11 - Yakar

12 - Djanya