Booker Ervin – The Blues Book (1964) – CD

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Booker Ervin — The Blues Book · CD

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Booker Ervin’s tenor sound is immediately recognisable: muscular, grainy and charged with feeling. On The Blues Book, recorded in 1964, that voice finds a particularly natural setting. The blues provides a foundation for playing that can be earthy and direct, yet restless enough to push a familiar phrase into unexpected territory.

Carmell Jones’s trumpet makes an engaging partner for Ervin, offering a contrasting tone and a clear melodic presence. Pianist Gildo Mahones, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson give the quintet a firm but flexible foundation, supporting the soloists without smoothing away the music’s tension. The interplay keeps the extended performances moving with purpose.

Across “Eerie Dearie,” “One for Mort,” “No Booze Blooze” and “True Blue,” the group explores different shades of the blues. Changes of pace and atmosphere reveal how much expressive variety can grow from a shared musical language. Ervin’s phrasing is the thread connecting it all: urgent, personal and capable of making a single held note speak as strongly as a rapid passage.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

This is a rewarding choice for listeners who enjoy jazz with a strong blues feeling and room for adventurous improvisation. It offers an excellent introduction to Ervin’s distinctive personality and a compelling chapter in his Prestige recordings. The quintet’s balance of drive, space and individual character gives the album lasting appeal beyond its first impact.

Personnel:
Booker Ervin — tenor saxophone
Carmell Jones — trumpet
Gildo Mahones — piano
Richard Davis — bass
Alan Dawson — drums

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Hampton Hawes – For Real! (1958) – LP

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Hampton Hawes — For Real! · LP

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For Real! brings Hampton Hawes together with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Frank Butler in a quartet of considerable character. Recorded in 1958, the session combines the pianist’s fluent bebop language with a deep feeling for the blues and the rhythmic lift that makes his playing so immediately engaging.

Land is an ideal partner, his rounded tenor sound providing a warm contrast to Hawes’s crisp, flowing lines. Their exchanges give the music an easy conversational quality, while LaFaro and Butler keep the rhythm alert and mobile. There is plenty of technique on display, but the strongest impression is of four musicians listening closely and enjoying the possibilities of the material.

The programme balances originals such as “Hip,” “Numbers Game” and the extended title track with standards including “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” and “I Love You.” The changes of pace allow both the quartet’s drive and its melodic sensitivity to emerge. LaFaro’s presence adds particular interest, offering an opportunity to hear him in a different setting from the Bill Evans recordings for which he is best known.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

For admirers of swinging piano, expressive tenor playing and responsive small-group jazz, For Real! has lasting appeal. Hawes and Land make a compelling partnership, and the rhythm section gives their improvisations both stability and freedom. It is a rewarding addition to a Contemporary Records collection and an excellent reason to explore more of Hawes’s work.

Personnel:
Hampton Hawes — piano
Harold Land — tenor saxophone
Scott LaFaro — bass
Frank Butler — drums

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Victor Feldman All Stars – Soviet Jazz Themes (1962) – LP

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Victor Feldman All Stars — Soviet Jazz Themes · LP

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Soviet Jazz Themes grew out of Victor Feldman’s encounters with Soviet jazz musicians during Benny Goodman’s 1962 tour. Back in California, he brought music by Soviet composers into the studio with a distinguished group of colleagues. The result is an unusual meeting of repertoire and performers, rooted in the shared language of modern jazz.

Across two sessions, Feldman works with musicians including Nat Adderley, Harold Land, Joe Zawinul, Carmell Jones and Herb Ellis, with Bob Whitlock and Frank Butler providing the rhythmic foundation. The changing combinations of horns, piano, vibraphone and guitar give the programme variety without sacrificing the cohesion of a small-group recording.

Its appeal extends beyond the historical setting. The material gives these resourceful improvisers fresh themes to explore, and the performances balance ensemble clarity with space for individual voices. Feldman’s rhythmic assurance and ear for instrumental colour help make the unfamiliar repertoire approachable, while the contrast between the soloists keeps the music engaging.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

For listeners who enjoy discovering less familiar corners of early-1960s jazz, this is a particularly intriguing choice. It brings together an excellent cast in a project with a story of its own: musical curiosity crossing political boundaries during the Cold War. A rewarding addition for admirers of Feldman, Harold Land and the broader West Coast jazz scene.

Musicians featured across the sessions:
Victor Feldman — piano and vibraphone
Nat Adderley — cornet
Carmell Jones — trumpet
Harold Land — tenor saxophone
Joe Zawinul — piano
Herb Ellis — guitar
Bob Whitlock — bass
Frank Butler — drums

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J.R. Monterose – Complete Studio Recordings (2008) – 2CD

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J.R. Monterose — Complete Studio Recordings · 2CD

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J.R. Monterose is one of those tenor saxophonists whose recordings invite the question: why is he not better known? His playing combines a firm, grainy tone with agile phrasing and a strong rhythmic imagination. He can sound direct and earthy, then turn a line in an unexpected direction without losing its momentum.

This two-disc collection offers a rewarding introduction to his early work, bringing together quartet and quintet recordings alongside appearances with pianist George Wallington. The changing settings reveal different aspects of his personality, from the compact energy of a horn-led group to the greater exposure of a quartet.

The musicians heard across the collection include Horace Silver, Ira Sullivan, Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe Jones, as well as Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Garrison and Pete La Roca. Such company provides more than distinguished names: the contrasting approaches to accompaniment and rhythm help bring Monterose’s resourceful improvising into focus.

Why this collection deserves a place in your collection

For listeners who enjoy exploring beyond the most familiar names in modern jazz, Monterose offers a distinctive voice worth spending time with. These performances have the swing and immediacy of classic small-group jazz, with enough individuality in the phrasing to keep them fresh. A rewarding discovery for newcomers, and an opportunity for established admirers to hear several facets of his early playing together.

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Jackie McLean - One Step Beyond (1963) - CD

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Jackie McLean — One Step Beyond · CD

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Recorded in 1963, One Step Beyond finds Jackie McLean exploring a strikingly open ensemble sound. His incisive alto saxophone is joined by Grachan Moncur III’s trombone and Bobby Hutcherson’s vibraphone, with Eddie Khan on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Without a piano, the music has space for the instruments to suggest harmonies, exchange ideas and let a phrase hang in the air.

The contrast between the three leading voices is central to the album’s appeal. McLean brings urgency and emotional bite, Moncur a darker, measured presence, and Hutcherson a shimmering sound that can be both delicate and unsettling. Khan and Williams give these conversations momentum while leaving room for sudden changes of emphasis.

Across “Saturday and Sunday,” “Frankenstein,” “Blue Rondo” and “Ghost Town,” the quintet moves between rhythmic drive and more mysterious, suspended moods. The compositions give the players distinctive settings to explore, and the sense of discovery comes as much from their responses to one another as from the individual solos.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

One Step Beyond is a rewarding choice for anyone interested in Blue Note’s more adventurous 1960s sessions. Its unusual instrumentation and strong musical personalities give it an identity of its own, while McLean’s expressive playing keeps the exploration grounded in feeling. Listen for the spaces between the notes as well as the bursts of energy: both are essential to the atmosphere of this remarkable group.

Personnel:
Jackie McLean — alto saxophone
Grachan Moncur III — trombone
Bobby Hutcherson — vibraphone
Eddie Khan — bass
Tony Williams — drums

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Sonny Rollins - Contemporary Leaders +3 - (1958) - CD

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Sonny Rollins — Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders · CD

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Recorded in Los Angeles in October 1958, Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders brings Rollins together with an exceptional group of musicians associated with Contemporary Records. Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Leroy Vinnegar and Shelly Manne provide a supple, swinging setting for a tenor voice that is unmistakably his own, with Victor Feldman adding vibraphone to the session’s palette.

The pleasure lies in hearing Rollins turn familiar songs into fresh musical conversations. He can pull apart a melody, linger over a small rhythmic idea and then rebuild it into a solo full of unexpected turns. His robust sound and playful phrasing give even the lighter material considerable character, without losing sight of the tune.

The programme ranges from “I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star” and “How High the Moon” to “Alone Together” and “The Song Is You.” Kessel’s guitar adds a different texture to the ensemble, while the rhythm section balances precision with an easy sense of movement. There is warmth and wit here, alongside the concentration and invention that make Rollins such a rewarding improviser.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

This is an inviting example of Rollins’s ability to make a standards session sound personal and unpredictable. Listeners who enjoy melodic improvisation, an expressive tenor sound and relaxed but attentive ensemble playing will find plenty to return to. It also offers a rewarding meeting between Rollins’s musical personality and some of the finest players in Contemporary’s catalogue.

Personnel:
Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
Hampton Hawes — piano
Barney Kessel — guitar
Leroy Vinnegar — bass
Shelly Manne — drums
Victor Feldman — vibraphone on “You”

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Jackie McLean – Right Now! (1965) – CD

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Jackie McLean — Right Now! · CD

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Recorded in 1965, Right Now! presents Jackie McLean in a lean quartet setting that puts his alto saxophone firmly in the foreground. His tone has its familiar bite, but the attraction goes beyond sheer intensity: there is purpose in the way he shapes a phrase, builds tension and finds a melodic thread through more adventurous passages.

Pianist Larry Willis, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Clifford Jarvis give the music both support and room to breathe. Willis brings harmonic colour and a strong compositional presence, while Cranshaw and Jarvis keep the performances moving with a flexible, responsive pulse. The quartet can sound forceful without becoming crowded.

McLean’s “Eco” and Charles Tolliver’s title composition bring urgency and forward motion. Willis’s “Poor Eric” provides a particularly affecting contrast, allowing McLean’s sound to become reflective and vulnerable. The shift between these moods gives the album an emotional range that makes its more demanding moments feel inviting rather than remote.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

Right Now! is a compelling choice for listeners who enjoy the exploratory side of Blue Note’s 1960s catalogue. It combines the directness of a small group with musicians willing to stretch their material, offering plenty to discover in the interplay as well as in McLean’s distinctive solos. Alongside Let Freedom Ring, it makes a rewarding listen to an artist continually expanding his expressive language.

Personnel:
Jackie McLean — alto saxophone
Larry Willis — piano
Bob Cranshaw — bass
Clifford Jarvis — drums

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Jackie McLean – Let Freedom Ring (1962) – CD

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Jackie McLean — Let Freedom Ring · CD

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Let Freedom Ring captures Jackie McLean embracing a wider musical vocabulary while keeping the blues at the heart of his playing. Recorded in 1962, this quartet session finds his unmistakably sharp-edged alto sound in an ideal setting: exposed, expressive and free to push against the boundaries of familiar jazz forms.

Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass and Billy Higgins on drums provide a flexible foundation. Their playing gives McLean room to stretch, with a rhythmic assurance that holds the music together even when his phrases become more urgent and searching. The result has both the momentum of hard bop and an appetite for discovery.

The programme balances extended exploration with lyrical restraint. “Melody for Melonae” offers space for McLean’s restless imagination, while “Rene” and “Omega” reveal the strength of his writing. Bud Powell’s “I’ll Keep Loving You” brings a tender contrast, showing how moving that penetrating alto tone can be at a slower pace.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

This is a rewarding meeting point between Blue Note’s hard-bop tradition and the new possibilities opening up in early-1960s jazz. For listeners drawn to strong individual voices, responsive quartet playing and music that rewards repeated listening, Let Freedom Ring offers a compelling introduction to McLean’s adventurous side.

Personnel:
Jackie McLean — alto saxophone
Walter Davis Jr. — piano
Herbie Lewis — bass
Billy Higgins — drums

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Howard McGhee – Music from The Connection (1960) – LP

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Freddie Redd’s music for Jack Gelber’s play The Connection has a character that extends well beyond its theatrical setting. Its memorable themes, blues feeling and shifting moods provide fertile ground for improvisation. On this recording, Howard McGhee leads a quintet that gives the score a distinctive voice, with Tina Brooks on tenor saxophone, Redd at the piano, Milt Hinton on bass and Osie Johnson on drums.

The partnership between McGhee and Brooks is a central attraction. McGhee’s incisive trumpet phrasing meets Brooks’s supple, expressive tenor, creating a rewarding contrast in the ensemble passages and individual solos. Redd’s piano keeps the compositions firmly in focus, while Hinton and Johnson supply a buoyant rhythmic foundation. The group brings an easy sense of movement to music whose melodic detail deserves as much attention as the improvising.

The theatrical origins give the programme a natural sense of drama: reflective passages sit beside brighter, more urgent exchanges. Redd’s writing holds these changes together, allowing the musicians to develop their own ideas without losing the identity of each piece. The result is an engaging small-group session, rich in personality, that rewards attention to both the compositions and the interplay.

Why this album deserves a place in your collection

For admirers of Howard McGhee, Tina Brooks or Freddie Redd, this recording brings three distinctive voices together in a particularly appealing setting. Listeners familiar with Redd’s Blue Note recording of the same score will find a fresh perspective in the trumpet-and-tenor combination. It is also a rewarding discovery for anyone drawn to melodic hard bop and the less familiar corners of its history.

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