Stanley Turrentine is the featured artist in this big band session with an all-star orchestra arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. While Nelson’s charts are funky and easygoing (without providing any solo space for the likes of Phil Woods, Clark Terry, and Jay Jay Johnson), they serve the purpose to inspire the tenor saxophonist. Turrentine is quite soulful on Percy Mayfield’s “River’s Invitation,” and his huge tone carries the day in a waltzing chart of the 1960s hit “A Taste of Honey.” The artist also contributed some originals to the date, including the easygoing “Little Sheri,” which features the unison flutes of Danny Bank and Jerry Dodgion, and “Mattie T,” a gospel-like song that almost seems like a march. ~ Ken Dryden

Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Stanley Turrentine; Bob Cranshaw (upright bass); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Herbie Hancock (piano); Grady Tate (drums).

Tracklist

01. River’s Invitation
02. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone
03. Little Sheri
04. Mattie T.
05. Bayou
06. A Tast Of Honey
07. Gravy Train
08. A Kettle Of Fish

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Hank Mobley’s later Blue Note sessions took on a much harder edge than his earlier efforts. The saxophonist’s round tone became funkier as he delved deeper into the popular soul-jazz style that had been introduced with Lee Morgan’s hit “The Sidewinder.” The Turnaround is one of Mobley’s best releases of this period, offering many unforgettable solo moments as well as some intense small group workouts.

Personnel: Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd (trumpet); Barry Harris, Herbie Hancock (piano); Butch Warren, Paul Chambers (bass); Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Tracklist

01. The Turnaround
02. East Of The Village
03. The Good Life
04. Straight Ahead
05. My Sin
06. Pat ‘N’ Chat

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Big John Patton’s Let ‘Em Roll combines a standard organ trio (organ, guitar and drums) with Hutcherson’s vibraphone. It’s no coincidence that this album was released as part of Blue Note’s “Rare Groove” series. Most of the tracks are rooted in soul-jazz, and “groove” is precisely the right word to describe it.

Personnel: Big John Patton (organ); Grant Green (guitar, organ); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Otis Finch (drums).

Tracklist

01. Let ‘Em Roll
02. Latona
03. The Shadow Of Your Smile
04. The Turnaround
05. Jakey
06. One Step Ahead

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If ever there was a golden period in British jazz it was the 1960s, with Don Rendell and Ian Carr, 2 of the most innovative musicians around, with the albums their quintet produced now legendary, and still fresh and stunning in their simplicity and power. This comes not only from the exquisite playing of Ian Carr on flugelhorn and trumpet, and Don Rendell’s tough tenor and soprano excursions, but equally from the thought that had gone into the writing and arranging.

The dynamics of the quintet members are beautifully balanced, with the lyrical playing of pianist Michael Garrick an often wistful counter to the searching bass of Dave Green, and the ever changing, explosive patterns from drummer Trevor Tomkins. There had never been such concise small ensemble playing since Miles Davis and John Coltrane came together in the 1950s.

little preview:

Tracklist

01. Blue Mosque
02. Latin Blue
03. Just Blue
04. Sailin’
05. Garrison ’64
06. Blue Doom
07. Shades Of Blue
08. Big City Strut

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After two Blue Note LPs recorded in Europe (his adopted home since 1962), Gordon finally made it back to the States to record this mid-Sixties release. Curiously, the two previously unreleased tunes seem slightly out of place with the rest of the record, and feel more akin to the kind of work Gordon’s labelmates were releasing at the time. “Flick of a Trick” is a sultry, walking eight-bar blues, while “Very Saxily Yours,” distinguishes itself from the standards here by virtue of its riffing melody and use of hits during the head.

Having said that, part of the appeal of Gordon’s approach is the way this album is built from standards. There’s a sense of getting down to basics, from the passion and depths that can come out in a ballad to the sheer joy of swinging hard on the uptempo tunes. “Le Coiffeur” now sounds a little dated (like the theme from a lost Sixties sitcom), but there’s something charming about that, as there is about the loping exuberance of “Shiny Stockings” and the presence of “Manha de Carnaval,” a recent movie theme at the time.

Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Dexter Gordon; Bob Cranshaw (upright bass); Barry Harris (piano); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Billy Higgins (drums).

Tracklist

01. Manha De Carnaval
02. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
03. Heartaches
04. Shiny Stockings
05. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool
06. Le Coiffeur
07. Very Saxily Yours
08. Flick Of A Trick

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Down With It is a fairly standard bop and soul-jazz session from Blue Mitchell. Leading a quintet that features a young Chick Corea on piano, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Al Foster, Mitchell creates a laid-back atmosphere which makes R&B covers like “Hi-Heel Sneakers” or the lite bossa nova of “Samba De Stacy” roll along nicely. Just as often, the record is so relaxed that it fails to generate much spark, but each the soloists have fine moments that makes the session worthwhile for jazz purists.

Personnel: Blue Mitchell (trumpet); Junior Cook (tenor saxophone); Chick Corea (piano); Gene Taylor (double bass); Al Foster (drums).

Tracklist

01. Hi-Heel Sneakers
02. Perception
03. Alone, Alone and Alone
04. March On Selma
05. One Shirt
06. Samba De Stacy

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The third of three sessions Grant Green co-led with modal organist Larry Young and Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones, I Want to Hold Your Hand continues in the soft, easy style of its predecessor, Street of Dreams. This time, however — as one might guess from the title and cover photo — the flavor is less reflective and more romantic and outwardly engaging. Part of the reason is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, who takes Bobby Hutcherson’s place accompanying the core trio. His breathy, sensuous warmth keeps the album simmering at a low boil, and some of the repertoire helps as well, mixing romantic ballad standards (often associated with vocalists) and gently undulating bossa novas. The title track — yes, the Beatles tune — is one of the latter, cleverly adapted and arranged into perfectly viable jazz that suits Green’s elegant touch with pop standards; the other bossa nova, Jobim’s “Corcovado,” is given a wonderfully caressing treatment. Even with all the straightforward pop overtones of much of the material, the quartet’s playing is still very subtly advanced, both in its rhythmic interaction and the soloists’ harmonic choices. Whether augmented by an extra voice or sticking to the basic trio format, the Green/Young/Jones team produced some of the most sophisticated organ/guitar combo music ever waxed, and I Want to Hold Your Hand is the loveliest of the bunch.

Personnel: Grant Green (guitar); Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Larry Young (organ); Elvin Jones (drums).

Tracklist

01. i Want To Hold Your Hand
02. Speak Low
03. Stella By Starlight
04. Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
05. This Could Be The Start Of Something
06. At Long Last Love

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Kulu Se Mama is a somewhat neglected LP recorded by John Coltrane in 1965 during a key transitional stage in his career. Two of the album’s three lengthy tracks (“Vigil” and “Welcome”) feature the legendary saxophonist with his classic quartet (including bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Elvin Jones, and pianist McCoy Tyner). And these pieces have the open, exploratory, modal feel familiar to fans of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme period. “Kulu Se Mama” itself features an expanded line-up that includes saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, drummer Frank Butler, bassist and bass clarinetist Donald Garrett, and percussionist/singer Juno Lewis (who wrote the piece), with an African feel that includes layered polyrhythms and chanted vocals.

Personnel: John Coltrane (tenor saxophone, percussion, bells); Juno Lewis (vocals, conch shell, percussion); Donald Rafael Garrett (bass clarinet, percussion); Pharoah Sanders (tenor saxophone, kalimba, percussion); McCoy Tyner (piano); Frank Butler (drums, percussion, background vocals); Elvin Jones (drums).

Tracklist

01. Kulu Se Mama (Juno Se Mama)
02. Vigil
03. Welcome
04. Selflessness
05. Dust Dawn
06. Dust Dawn (Alternate Take)

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Trumpeter Kenny Dorham was one of a select few jazz musicians whose career spanned the big band era, the emergence of bebop (he played with Charlie Parker), the institution of hard bop, and the 1960s “New Thing” or avant-garde (on the Andrew Hill classic Point Of Departure). His trumpet sound was unparalleled, a melodious middle ground between Freddie Hubbard hot and Chet Baker cool. Trompeta Toccata, from 1964, presents him at the height of his powers as a player, composer (three of the four tunes here are originals), and bandleader (with Richard Davis, young Joe Henderson, and pianist-for-all-seasons Tommy Flanagan).

Tracklist

01. Trompet Toccata
02. Night Watch
03. Mamacita
04. The Fox

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Along with Gene Krupa and Max Roach, one of the most popular and influential jazz drummers ever is the late Art Blakey. Blakey wasn’t only a powerful drummer and hard-bop standard-bearer–his many editions of the Jazz Messengers were a finishing school for a few generations of players (including Freddie Hubbard and Chuck Mangione). Originally issued in 1965, Soul Finger finds the Messengers in transition. Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard make farewell appearances here, and the fine, underrated saxophonist Lucky Thompson gets a guest shot. Then up-and-comer Gary Bartz is on alto; the super-fine inside-outside pianist is John Hicks. While not exactly a mellow affair, Soul Finger is a bit more relaxed, less furious, than usual.

Personnel: Lucky Thompson (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan (trumpet); John Hicks (piano); Victor Sproles (bass instrument); Art Blakey (drums).

Tracklist

01. Soul Finger
02. Buh’s Bossa
03. Spot Session
04. Freedom Monday
05. A Quiet Thing (From Flora The Red Menace)
06. The Hub

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