During his final months with Miles Davis’ group, John Coltrane participated in a number of recording sessions for Prestige independently of Davis. This album is but one such recording. In 1958, when this recording was made, Coltrane may have been at his creative peak. During this period, his work began to transcend “bebop” and “cool,” anticipating even more modern developments in jazz-changes that would affect a whole generation of musicians. On Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane, we hear the two jazz masters creating time-honored renditions of tunes such as “Why Was I Born,” a duet that highlights the musicians’ ability to not only savor each note, but to take a rather plaintive composition and develop it organically. Burrell, Coltrane, and company swing “Freight Trane” with great authority, thanks to the drumming acumen of Jimmy Cobb. On this tune, Coltrane uses a variety of sudden flourishes and lyrical lines, while Burrell comps chords in simpatico. Most importantly, this album represents the one-time chemistry of Burrell and Coltrane.

(cduniverse)

Personnel: Kenny Burrell (guitar); John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Paul Chambers (upright bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Tracklist

01. Freight Trane
02. I Never Knew
03. Lyresto
04. Why Was I Born
05. Big Paul

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Master jazz drummer Max Roach pretty much put the “be” in bebop, playing with practically every major figure in jazz, from Bird to Dizzy to Miles to Mingus and more. It’s a tribute to his own musical vision that his numerous solo recordings are just as worthy as his famous sessions. Roach’s first solo date for Riverside, 1958′s DEEDS, NOT WORDS, nevertheless finds the drumming doyen in grand company. Listening to the fleet-fingered musical dialogue between Roach and saxophonist George Coleman on “It’s You or No One,” or the way trumpet demon Booker Little blows the roof off of “Jodie’s Cha-Cha,” it’s immediately clear that a major part of Roach’s genius lies in surrounding himself with jazz giants who can bend notes, beats, and phrases to their desires in just as seamless a manner as the man on the skins. (cduniverse)

Personnel: Max Roach (drums); Max Roach; Oscar Pettiford, Art Davis (upright bass); George Coleman (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Booker Little (trumpet); Ray Draper (tuba).

Tracklist

01. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
02. Filide
03. It’s You Or No One
04. Jodie’s Cha-Cha
05. Deeds, Not Words
06. Larry-Larue
07. Conversation
08. There Will Never Be Another You

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Most jazz-meets-hip-hop collaborations suffer from stiff beats plastered over abstract, high-minded solos. Not so with this collection from the ’70s-bred, Texan-born trumpet wunderkind. Sure, he knows the musical language and lineages of Clifford Brown and Miles Davis. But he’s also down with contemporaries like D’Angelo, Q-Tip, and homegirl Erykah Badu, who appear on this star-studded CD. Hargrove is backed by an in-the-pocket assemblage of jazz-honed phenoms featuring keyboardist Marc Cary, alto saxophonist Steve Coleman, bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, and flautist Karl Denson. They all put their grooves where their guts are, and the music evokes tinges of Donald Byrd’s back-in-the-day waxworks. D’Angelo’s down-home delivery lights up Funkadelic’s psychedelic slow drag, “I’ll Stay,” while ebullient Common kicks up the verbal virtuosity on “Common Free Style.” The Q-Tip/Erykah Badu cut “Poetry” could be a summer anthem. Throughout this tasty and tasteful project Roy Hargroove’s cool and clarion trumpet tones provide the right sonic seasoning for this dancing and delectable disc. –Eugene Holley, Jr.

Tracklist

01. Hardgroove
02. Common Free Style feat. Common
03 .I’ll Stay feat. D’Angelo
04. Interlude
05. Pastor T
06. Poetry feat. Q-Tip & Erykah Badu
07. The Joint
08. Forget Regret feat. Stephanie Mckay
09. Out Of Town
10. Liquid Streets
11. Kwah/Home feat. Anthony Hamilton
12. How I Know feat. Shelby Johnson
13. Juicy feat. Renee Neufville
14. The Stroke

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Formed in Osaka, Japan, in 2005 indigo jam unit consists of Yoshichika Tarue (piano), Katsuhiko Sasai (double bass) Isao Wasano (percussion & drums), and Takehiro Shimizu (drums). Indigo jam unit’s full length releases as of April 2011 includes six full length CD albums, starting with “DEMONSTRATION” in 2006, all selling more than 10,000 copies each in Japan. Other releases include the 2009 “Vintage Black” collaboration with label mates Flexlife, and from the same year, “re:common from indigo jam unit”, the band’s remixes of some of hip hop star Common’s songs behind his original voice tracks and cover album, “ROSE”, featuring vocalist Alicia Saldenha released on Sep 2, 2011.

indigo jam unit’s unique sound truly rests on the combination of the four members. Tarue’s melodic classical-latin-jazz piano up front intertwined with Sasai’s solid and groove driven basslines, all standing on the explosive and versatile rhythm section formed by Shimizu and Wasano. Being devoted live musicians, indigo jam unit records all their work in single takes. No overdubs, no click tracks, minimum post processing. (allaboutjazz.com)

For more info and buy check: www.basisrecords.com

Tracklist

01. Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter (feat. Alicia Saldenha)
02. Power And Glory (feat. Alicia Saldenha)
03. Never Did I Stop Loving You (feat. Alicia Saldenha)
04. The One Who Needs You (feat. Alicia Saldenha)
05. Fuel For The Fire (feat. Alicia Saldenha)
06. Magic Wand Of Love (feat. Alicia Saldenha)

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Nancy Wilson was only 23 years old when this superb album was recorded, yet her soulful, distinctive alto voice sounds as seasoned and sensitive to nuance as a singer twice her age. Overshadowed by the simultaneous release of The Swingin’s Mutual (one of Wilson’s most popular jazz recordings), and overlooked in her subsequent move to the pop and R&B markets, Something Wonderful is a quintessential slice of Wilson’s early–and arguably most significant–work. There is a laid-back, subtle swing to the orchestral work here (courtesy of celebrated big-band arranger Billy May), and Wilson’s readings of the tunes are never overpowered by bombastic playing. Even better is the inclusion of several small-ensemble cuts–like the gently grooving “I Wish You Love,” and the heartbreaking story-song “Guess Who I Saw Today”–which feature Ben Webster on tenor and Jack Marshall on guitar. Through all of this, of course, Wilson’s charming, seemingly off-handed delivery and blues-steeped timbre make each tune float and shimmy with grace. (cduniverse)

Tracklist

01. Teach Me Tonight
02. This Time The Dream’s On Me
03. I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out My Life
04. I Wish You Love
05. Guess Who I Saw Today
06. If Dreams Come True
07. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
08. The Great City
09. He’s My Guy
10. Something Happens To Me
11. (They Call It) Stormy Monday
12. Something Wonderful Happens

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This superb 1961 date matches Dexter Gordon’s booming tenor sax with a dynamite rhythm section of Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Like all his early ’60s Blue Note recordings, this is Gordon at his absolute best. It’s a nice mix of originals and standards, including an up-tempo take on Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.” There are no surprises here, just straight-ahead bluesy bebop by some of the masters of the genre. (cduniverse)

Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Kenny Drew (piano); Paul Chambers (bass instrument); Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Tracklist

01. Soul Sister
02. Modal Mood
03. I Want More
04. End of a Love Affair
05. Clear the Dex
06. Ernie’s Tune
07. Smile
08. Landslide

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Jackie McLean, an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator, who recorded with such Jazz greats as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins is joined on this album Swing, Swang, Swingin’ with Art Taylor on drums, Walter Bishop Jr. on piano, and Jimmy Garrison on bass and delivers a great session of tunes. Recorded in 1959, this was Jackie’s 2nd album with Blue Note. Includes a swinging version of Cole Porter’s I Love You and a refreshing & lively take on Irving Berlin’s Let’s Face the Music and Dance.

Personnel: Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Walter Bishop Jr. (piano); Jimmy Garrison (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Tracklist

01. What’s New
02. Let’s Face The Music And Dance
03. Stablemates
04. I Remember You
05. I Love You
06. I’ll Take Romance
07. 116th And Lenox

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One of many fine EmArcy titles Dinah Washington recorded in the ’50s, Dinah! includes a very enjoyable mix of medium-tempo and after-hours vocal numbers. On a handful of cuts, Washington gets into the kind of smoldering and declamatory blues mode she excelled at, especially on “All of Me” and “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.” Showing her versatility, Washington also shines on relatively tame pop numbers, like the album’s waltz-tempo version of “Look to the Rainbow” and an easy strolling “Accent on Youth.” Even here, her vocal power comes through, albeit with the blues phrasing mostly kept under wraps. On “A Cottage for Sale,” Washington seems to harness all her vocal talents, creating a dazzling mix of jazz phrases, dramatic tonal shifts, and bluesy exclamations, all enveloped in a weary and melancholic tone befitting a breakup song. Besides this gem, other standout selections include “More Than You Know” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Hal Mooney provides solid, if not terribly provocative big-band and strings arrangements, with fine solos and obbligato passages coming from former Benny Goodman tenorman George Auld and West Coast jazz luminaries like trombonist Frankie Rosolino and alto saxophonist Herb Geller. Washington’s rhythm section at the time, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Keeter Betts, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, provide stellar rhythmic accompaniment throughout. A top Dinah Washington date, and a fine place to start for newcomers to the singer’s catalog. (allmusic)

Personnel: Etta James (vocals); George Morrow (bass); Keter Betts (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums); Max Roach (drums); Barry Galbratih (guitar); Junior Mance (piano); Richie Powell (piano); Wynton Kelly (piano); Herb Geller (saxophone alto); Cecil Payne (saxophone baritone); Harold Land (saxophone tenor); Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); Clark Terry (trumpet); Clifford Brown (trumpet); Maynard Ferguson (trumpet).

Tracklist

01. Look to the Rainbow
02. Ill Wind
03. A Cottage for Sale
04. All of Me
05. More Than You Know
06. There’ll Be Some Changes Made
07. Goodbye
08. Willow Weep For Me
09. Make Me a Present of You
10. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
11. I Could Have Told You
12. Accent on Youth
13. What Is This Thing Called Love
14. The Show Must Go On
15. Birth of the Blues

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Offspring of a world-renowned skateboarder, a multi-skilled child pianist prodigy, Austin Peralta has already released a handful of records, he is only 20 years of age… a wild talent is upon us. Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder saw the potential and lets him indulge in a strain of cosmic free-jazz in the mould of Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman. A sound updated with a little help from crew such as The Cinematic Orchestra, Strangeloop amongst others to dizzying effect. (bleep.com)

For more info and buy check: www.brainfeedersite.com

Tracklist

01. Introduction: The Lotus Flower
02. Capricornus
03. The Underwater Mountain Odyssey
04. Ode To Love
05. Interlude
06. Algiers
07. Epilogue: Renaissance Bubbles

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Don’t Go to Strangers was Etta Jones’ first album for the independent jazz label Prestige when it was released in 1960 (having been recorded in a single session on June 21 of that year), and although Jones had been releasing records since 1944, including a dozen sides for RCA in 1946 and an album for King Records in 1957, she was treated as an overnight sensation when the title tune from the album went gold, hitting the Top 40 on the pop charts and reaching number five on the R&B charts. An elegant ballad on an album that had several of them, including the masterful “If I Had You” and a marvelous reading of “All the Way,” a song usually identified with Frank Sinatra, “Don’t Go to Strangers” featured Jones’ airy, bluesy phrasing and uncanny sense of spacing, and was very much a jazz performance, making its success on the pop charts all the more amazing. Listen to Jones’ restructuring of the melody to the opening track, the old chestnut “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” to hear a gifted jazz singer sliding and shifting the tone center of a song like a veteran horn player, all the while leaving the melody still recognizable, but refreshing it until it stands revealed anew. Apparently there were no additional tracks cut at the session, since bonus material has never surfaced on any of the album’s subsequent reissues, although that’s hardly a problem, because as is, Don’t Go to Strangers is a perfect gem of a recording. ~ Steve Leggett

Personnel: Etta Jones (vocals); Etta Jones; George Duvivier (upright bass); Skeeter Best (guitar); Frank Wess (flute, tenor saxophone); Richard Wyands (piano); Roy Haynes (drums).

Tracklist

01. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby
02. Don’t Go to Strangers
03. I Love Paris
04. Fine and Mellow
05. Where or When
06. If I Had You
07. On the Street Where You Live
08. Something to Remember You By
09. Bye Bye Blackbird
10. All the Way

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