Record Store Day Delights (Part 1)

What does a writer do when he fractures his arm?  I can't answer for anyone but myself and tell you the writer listens to myriad of Historical Jazz albums released by Resonance Records, Cellar Live/Reel to Reel, and Jazz Detective Records.  2024's Record Store Day welcomes 12 (!) new recordings all touched by the genius that is Zev Feldman. Here's a quick look at three of those albums.

In February of 1959, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins went on a European tour bringing bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Pete LaRoca Sims along. "Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings" (Resonance Records) is a four-

LP/3-CD package that presents music from radio concerts and live dates in Sweden, Switzerland, France, and Germany. Along the way, Sims is replaced by Joe Harris (new name to me) and, in France, by Kenny Clarke.  Some of this music has shown up on bootlegs over the decades; however, the sound quality was spotty and here it's downright stunning.  Grimes and Sims are perfect accompanists who are attuned to Mr. Rollins every move, every zig and zag. Harris, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, was a first-call drummer in New York City in the late 1940s and early 50s but moved to Sweden in 1956 and to Germany in 1961.  He fits in perfectly with the Trio on the nine tracks – interestingly, he and Sims switch seats on the Radio Zurich date and several of the club/concert dates.

If you're a fan of Sonny Rollins, buying this set is a no-brainer. For new arrivals, "live" Sonny is a good place to start. His solos are most often delightful stream-of-conscious explorations Several of the songs are repeated but, of course, each version has its charms and highlights.  The saxophonist is three-to-four months away from his self-imposed sabbatical but never sounds as if he's struggling.  The three side-long tracks with Clarke and Grimes, recorded March 11 in Aix-en-Provence, France, are notable for the long sax solos, for the veteran Clarke's interplay with Rollins, for Grimes' solid foundational work, and for the playfulness of the Trio.  

Three hours of Sonny Rollins is a gift that keeps on giving. It's great to hear his voice on the radio broadcasts, his musical "quotes" on the long interactions with Clarke and during many of the solos, The booklet that accompanies has great interviews. never before seen photos, and more.  "Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings" is certainly worth your time and attention!

For more information and to purchase the CD release (on 4/26), go to either https://resonancerecords.org/product/sonny-rollins-freedom-weaver-the-1959-european-tour-recordings-cd/ or https://sonnyrollins.bandcamp.com/album/freedom-weaver-the-1959-european-tour-recordings (where you can also purchase the digital release).

Here's the title track:

When one mentions Art Tatum to a jazz aficionado, chances they'll remember his amazing facility, the speed of his lines, his ability to transform all kinds of material into party. If one really sits and listens, his creativity and wit come shining through. Resonance Records has just issued "Art Tatum: Jewels 
In The Treasure Box – The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings", a three LP/three CD set that features the great pianist with guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart.  

This is a delightfully formulaic program.  The pianist introduces the song, the bassist enters sometimes with the guitarist, sometimes a chorus later.  What makes it so easy to take is that Messrs. Tatum, Barksdale, and Stewart are such good musicians – Tatum's virtuosity can often be overwhelming but his Trio mates are more than up to the task. Especially Stewart, whose foundational lines and swing are so strong, the pianist's left hand is free to help create dazzling solos.  Many of Stewart's solo are bowed with him "buzzing" right along and every one is pretty impressive.  The guitarist is also a strong rhythm player and he digs right into each solo – Barksdale does not worry about overshadowing the leader (as if anyone could) so he swings with glee every opportunity he gets. 

The sound quality is quite good with Stewart's bass high in the mix. Barksdale's solos come through loud and clear but pay attention to how closely the pianist listens and responds.  Just about every tune they present features "quotes" liberally sprinkled through the solos. There are several ballads in each set (the program is built from tapes made by the club's owner Frank Holzfeind over the two-week run of shows) yet even those tunes have a playful edge.

"Art Tatum: Jewels In The Treasure Box – The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings" is most definitely a "treasure". Art Tatum's milieu was the performance space. That's not to say his studio recordings don't shine but there's something about an audience, about the smells and sounds of the nightclub that brings the best of the pianist.  The booklet features an excellent essay from Brent Hayes Edwards plus interviews with Ahmad Jamal, Spike Wilner, Sonny Rollins, and others.  Great music is timeless as are the artists who create the music. Search out and enjoy!

For more a link to purchase the CD, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/art-tatum-jewels-in-the-treasure-box-cd/.  For the digital download, go to  https://arttatumresonance.bandcamp.com/album/jewels-in-the-treasure-box.  

Here's a taste of the Tatum Trio in flight:

If drummer Shelly Manne had so chosen, he could have made a very good living in the 1950s as a session player and in the film studios.  Instead, he did all that plus owned a nightclub ("The Manne-Hole") and led an acclaimed band ("His Men"). The son of a drummer, Manne was known to all as a consummate musician, generous with his time and praise. He also write the scores for several movies and television shows. "Live From the Pacific Northwest' (Reel-to-Reel) is a bit of a misnomer in that one of the two Lps/CDs is from the inaugural edition (1958) of the Monterey Jazz Festival based in California. The second disk does come from the band's September 1966 extended stay at The Penthouse in Seattle, Washington. No need when the music is as solid, swinging, and witty as the nine tracks in the program.

The Monterey session features Manne with his constant bassist Monty Budwig plus pianist Russ Freeman, tenor saxophonist Herb Geller, and trumpeter Stu Williamson.  The highlight of the three-song set is the 18-minute "Quartet (Suite in Four Movements)". Composed by Bill Holman, whom Manne met when both played in the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the late 1940s, the piece offers smart melodies, fine solos from all involved including a long drum solo interrupted near its close by a low flying plane.  Overall, a pleasing journey of hard bop, blues, swing, and more. Geller is a facile tenor player while Williamson leans more to the Clifford Brown school of clean, clear lines. Pianist Freeman, whose long career included stints with Chat Baker, Art Pepper, and the Manne "Men", also recorded great albums with Andre Previn. Here, he shows how, like Budwig, is a stalwart of the rhythm section plus he's a fine soloist.

Disc two was recorded live by Seattle radio station KING-FM, featuring half of the songs recorded on September 7th 1966 and the other three on September 15th.  Besides Budwig, the Men now consist of pianist Hampton Hawes, flutist and alto saxophonist Frank Strozier, trumpeter Conte Candoli - vocalist Ruth Price appears on two songs. Like the 1958 band, this group really swings and often shines. That said, they also create unique takes on several standards.  "Summertime" is introduced by a fascinating drum pattern before moving into a swinging blues. Strozier's flute is out front for the first third of the 12-minute tune followed by a sweet muted trumpet solo from Candoli (sounding a lot like Miles Davis). Hawes' "Funny" leads off the later date – it, too is a blues but has a funkier edge. Candoli dances along with the drums until Strozier jumps in alto sax here. His Memphis, TN, roots come flowing through his rapid-fire phrases. The composer creates a joyful solo that is gritty as well as smooth.  

As stated above, Ruth Price, who sang with for better part of the 1950s through the late 1960s, is featured on two songs. First, she and Hawes swing through Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer's "Dearly Beloved".   he horns sit this one out allowing for a rippling solo from the pianist. The album closes with Ms. Price leading the rhythm section through "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" – note how Manne plays the edge of his snare in the same fashion as he opens Sonny Rollins take of "I'm An Old Cowhand" on 1957's "Way Out West".   

Overall, 'Live From the Pacific Northwest" is a treat from beginning to end. If you think that Shelly Manne & His Men played lightweight Pacific Coast jazz, just listen.  This music is alive from start to finish. Sound quality is downright pristine; it feels like you're sitting right next to the bandstand! Classy album and you should dig right in! Enjoy the interviews in the booklet with Ruth Price, Bill Holman, Joe LaBarbera, Peter Erskine and Jim Keltner

For more information and to purchase the CD and the digital version, go to https://shellymannehismen.bandcamp.com/album/jazz-from-the-pacific-northwest. 

Here's Mr. Manne & His Men swinging:

Record Store Day Spring 2022 & Resonance Records

 Saturday April 23 2022 marks the 14th Annual Record Store Day, a day to celebrate the "brick-and-mortar" stores where one can go and browse albums from all styles of music.  With vinyl making a comeback over the past decade, many labels use the day to introduce new recordings, holding off on digital or CD releases so that the platters get to be celebrated. As one who grew up listening to 45 rpm "singles" and to full-length albums (and whose younger daughter learned to read by reading album jackets and lyric sheets while the music was playing), this day is more than a trip down Nostalgia Lane.  There is something indescribable about the smell of an unwrapped album and the joy of liner notes.

For the past decade, Resonance Records has issued some great albums on Record Store Day and 2022 is no exception.  To celebrate the 100th Birth anniversary of bassist, composer, author, and activist Charles Mingus (4/22/1922-1/05/1979), label co-President and album co-Producer Zev Feldman (trumpeter David Weiss is the other co-Producer) is issuing the three-Lp "Mingus: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's", a document of the mercurial artist and his sextet at the close of a very successful 1972 European tour. Mingus was enjoying a career renaissance thanks to receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1971; the same year, choreographer Alvin Ailey had adapted several of the bassist's compositions for his ground-breaking dance troupe. In early 1972, Mingus's auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" was published and Columbia Records issued his large jazz orchestra album "Let My Children Hear Music" (before dumping him and many of their jazz artists the following year). 

In usual Resonance style, there is a great booklet with numerous photos and interviews but you're going want to hear this music.  The ensemble includes Charles McPherson (alto sax), Bobby Jones (tenor sax, clarinet), 19-year old Jon Faddis (trumpet), Roy Brooks (drums, musical saw), and the relatively unknown John Foster (piano, vocals––he would stay in Europe as did Jones but the pianist died relatively young in 1976). Of the nine tracks, two are over 30 minutes and one, "Mind Readers Convention in Milano", just three seconds shy of that mark.  Two more pieces are over 18 minutes so you get the idea––each song is a concert in its own right with long solos, numerous tempo changes, and fascinating interaction.  "Fables of Faubus" stretches out to 35 minutes (!) yet is so fascinating that it's tough to tear one's self away. Definitely pay attention to the bass solo as Mingus inserts a number of lines from such American songs like "The Star-Spangled Banner", "Dixie", "Short'nin' Bread", and others.

Foster, who joined the band at the beginning of the tour, is quite a treat to listen to. His piano style is very much like the person he replaced, Jaki Byard, and on "Pops" (a.k.a "When The Saints Go Marchin' In"), he does a credible imitation of Louis Armstrong's inimitable vocalizations. Foster drops the imitation for a soulful vocal on "Noddin' Ya Head Blues" that is notable for the powerful bass work and several fine sax solos.  Faddis, who turned 19 a few weeks before the tour, is in great form––he may have been nervous working for the combative Mingus but there is no evidence of shyness in his playing.  Brooks fits right in; if anything, he's more "exciting"a player than Mingus's long-time companion Danny Richmond.  Bobby Jones, who also stayed in Europe and enjoyed a long career, wasn't as bluesy a tenor as, say, Booker Ervin, or fiery as George Adams (who played with Mingus before and after this ensemble, but he was an intelligent, intuitive, player on tenor and pretty good on clarinet. Charles McPherson, 23 at the time of this recordings, play with abandon, at times, on these tracks but, to his credit, does not try to be Eric Dolphy or Jackie McLean

The enclosed booklet includes two interviews with McPherson (one alongside Mingus, another just last year), as well as conversations with Eddie Gomez, Christian McBride, the writer Fran Lebowitz (a close friend of Susan Graham Mingus), British critic and historian Brian Priestley, and more. There are great pictures but the best part of the package (besides the music), is how good the music sounds. Mingus's bass work is impressive throughout and he truly seems to be enjoying himself and his band. Most of this music sounds contemporary as if it coul have been recorded in the last several years. Pieces such as "Pops" and Charlie Christian's "Air Mail Special" sound somewhat dated but serve to fill out the portrait of an artist who was restless and creative until his untimely passing.  "Mingus: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott's" is the perfect gift for Charles Mingus's 100th Birth Anniversary year and well worth checking out.

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/charles-mingus-the-lost-album-from-ronnie-scotts-cd/ or to https://charlesmingusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-lost-album-from-ronnie-scotts.  

Give a listen to "The Man Who Never Sleeps":

Over the past 10 years, no one has done more to fill in the gaps of pianist Bill Evans live recordings than Resonance Records.  The first release, "Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of the Gate", came in 2012 followed by 2016's "Some Other Time: The Lost Sessions From The Black Forest", the first of two albums recorded in the Summer of 1968 when drummer Jack DeJohnette was a member before he went off to join Miles Davis. 2019 brought "Evans in England" recorded live at Ronnie Scott's London club inDecember of 1969 while 2020's "Live at Ronnie Scott's" was recorded 17 months earlier with bassist Eddie Gomez and DeJohnette.

For Record Store Day 2022, Resonance is releasing two 2-CD sets recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one in 1973 (with Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell who is on two of the earlier releases listed above) and another in 1979 (see below).  The earlier recording came at a particularly good, stable, time in Evans' life. Having been addicted to heroin for almost two decades, he was on Methadone, gigs were plentiful, the Trio had been together for five years, and his recordings were selling well.  From start to finish, the music on "Morning Glory": The 1973 Concert at The Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires" flows easily. The album takes its name from the fact the performance took place at 10 a.m. (!!) on a very cold Sunday morning in June. Yet, the Trio sounds great buoyed by an audience excited for this artistic respite from the political tensions that rocked the country. 

The material will be familiar to aficionados of the Evans ensemble. Pieces such as "Who Can I Turn To, "Re: Person I Knew", "T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Blues)", "Emily", songs this Trio had played hundreds of time sound fresh and the interplay, especially, of Evans and Gomez, is outstanding.  The pianist also liked to incorporate the occasional "pop" tune into his repertoire; the title track (originally spelled without the "g" at the end of the first word) was composed by Bobby Gentry for her 1968 "The Delta Sweete" Lp. Listen below to "Waltz for Debby" and you'll hear music that exemplifies why Bill Evans, despite all his baggage, became the model for many piano trios that followed. The lyricism and the intimacy, the articulated phrases plus the occasional bluesy swing, all this and more make "Morning Glory" a splendid document.

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/bill-evans-inner-spirit-2cd/ or to https://billevansjazz.bandcamp.com/album/morning-glory-the-1973-concert-at-the-teatro-gran-rex-buenos-aires.

Hear's the afore-mentioned "Waltz For Debby":

The political tensions that swirled around the 1973 Buenos Aires concert had only gotten worse six years later when Bill Evans returned. Evans had changed as well. He divorced his wife, married and had a son, finally kicked heroin but when his brother Harry committed suicide earlier in 1979, he started getting deeper into cocaine. Eddie Gomez left in 1977 and the pianist went through two bassists (Chuck Israels and Michael Moore) before 25-year old Marc Johnson joined him and drummer Joe LaBarbera (who replaced Marty Morell in 1975). By the time the band got to Argentina, they were firing on all cylinders and the fact that they continue the Trio's commitments kept Evans alive (he would eventually die 50 weeks after this concert).  

In the midst of a vicious military dictatorship came the three musicians and the audiences were more than ready.  "Inner Spirit: the 1979 Concert at The Teatro General San Martin Buenos Aires" documents two sets played on September 27.  The pianist often sequestered himself before concerts and often needed help getting to the piano; once there, his superb musicianship took over (most nights).  The first set opens with "Stella by Starlight", a surprise to the rhythm section but after the long solo piano introduction, the bass and drums fall right into place.  Johnson's bass tone is quick thick but his regular forays into the higher register and his delightful counterpoint inspire Evans to continue his adventurous playing. Melody still remains the most important of the Trio's mission; still, on the uptempo tracks, this trio really smokes.

Photo: David Redfern

I find it quite ironic that Evans chooses to play the "Theme From M*A*S*H" considering its subtitle is "Suicide is Painless" (considering his brother's recent death but the music becomes very exciting as the trio builds the intensity of the tune–listen below.  Paul Simon's "I Do It For Your Love" starts with a short solo piano reading of the theme before the eloquent bass lines and soft brushes work lay down a gentle cushion for the long piano improvisation. "Letter To Evan" closes the first disc, a lovely song dedicated to his son (who was 4 at the time), a lovely solo piano lament for time spent away from each other.

Disk #2 opens with one more piano solo, a fascinating journey through George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" that shows how percussive the pianist's playing was becoming. The concert picks up steam with two powerful tracks in a row, "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "If You Could See Me Now". The former begins to cook after the opening featuring solos from all three.  The Tadd Dameron piece that is a ballad yet listen to how the trio interacts, respecting the melody even as the de-construct the piece.  The album closes with a 17+ minute take on Miles Davis "Nardis" and what a version this is. The piano solo opens the piece lasts nearly eight minutes and it's a true joy to hear Evans deconstruct the melody and set the framework for Johnson and LaBarbera to join him.  The bass solo calms the piece down for several minutes as Johnson for four minutes so he can explore numerous melodic avenues. After a quick abstract on the main melody, the drummer picks up his mallets and dances around his kit. After an explosive climax, the pianist and bassist join the drummer to bring the track to its close.

"Inner Spirit" is an appropriate title for an album recorded in a tough political environment by an artist pursued by his vices and sorrows.  Yet Bill Evans had always been able to marshal his resources once he sat down to play.  He was in the midst of killing himself but the beauty of his music is undeniable. He does not sound theatrical playing with artifice; instead, he seems to get stronger from the first notes forward.  Mark Johnson and Joe LaBarbera are excellent partners––this is music that should be heard!

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/bill-evans-inner-spirit-2cd/ or  https://billevansjazz.bandcamp.com/album/inner-spirit-the-1979-concert-at-the-teatro-general-san-mart-n-buenos-aires. 

Here's "Theme from M*A*S*H":

Historical Recordings That Bring Joy & Generate Excitement

Photo: Mark Sheldon

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove (1969-2018) and pianist Mulgrew Miller (1955-2013) are both Southern musicians who died far too young.  Hargrove, a native of Waco, TX, who came of musical age in Dallas, and Miller, a native of Greenwood, MI, who moved to Memphis, TN, to attend college, were both considered masters of their respective instruments. The trumpeter was still a teenager when he came to the attention of Wynton Marsalis who had him come onstage at a concert. He attended Berklee College of Music then transferred to the New School in New York City.  He was soon signed to a recording contract with his debut album released on Novus in 1990. Like many creative jazz musicians, Hargrove's musical world spanned numerous genres including jazz, Latin jazz, r'n'b, Hip Hop, and more – he played on genre-bending albums by Common and D'Angelo plus led and recorded with the Rh Factor, whose funk albums were great for dancing.

Photo: Jean-Francois Laberine

Early in his career, Miller played in bands led by Mercer Ellington, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey, Tony Williams, and Betty Carter – talk about learning the history of Black Music from the inside and the innovators.  He went to lead several different sized ensembles, from his Trio to Wingspan, a quintet that released several albums of original material, to his great duos with fellow pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.  Miller was also Director of Jazz Studies and Performance at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, a position he led up until his passing on May 29, 2013.  

Now, the world is blessed with the arrival "Roy Hargrove Mulgrew Miller - In Harmony" (Resonance Records), a two-Lp, Two-CD, set that features selections from two duo concerts: the first, recorded in New York City on January 25, 2006, and the second at Lafayette College in Easton, PA in November 9, 2007.   All but one of the 13 tracks are "standards" from composers and performers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blue Mitchell, plus five more that come from movies and Broadway. Both sets on the album were unrehearsed, the New York City show due to a blizzard that only left time for the musicians to reach the venue before stepping on stage. But, the duo's professionalism and love for playing stands out, making the set a true joy. 

This music should be savored. Yes, I understand that many of these songs have been recorded hundreds, perhaps thousands, of time, yet Miller and Hargrove make them shiny and new. CD One opens with Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love" – taken at a brisk tempo, the duo brings the song onto the dance floor (go ahead, listen to the pianist's left hand and try to sit still).  Same for Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation"; there are so many versions of this song yet notice how the two musicians bring it to life with the dazzling rhythm work of Miller and Hargrove's far-ranging solo. Miller's Memphis roots show up best in his left hand.  "Monk's Dream" opens in a "straight-ahead" vein but during the trumpet solo, the pianist momentarily moves into a stride mode which shows up again during the duo's give-and-take in the last two minutes.  

The ballads really stand out.  The Mack Gordon/Harry Warren-penned "This Is Always" finds Hargrove on flugelhorn. He absolutely caresses the melody and at the end, produces a show-stopping coda (how he utilizes silence to make the listener hang on every note is so impressive). He takes a similar approach on "I Remember Clifford" with a coda that's lovely not sappy, and just the right length. 

The final two tracks, "Blues for Mr. Hill" (composed by Hargrove) and Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow!" close the program in a splendid fashion.  On the former, the trumpeter gets "down" and raises back up again while the pianist's accompaniment is solid "Gospel". When Miller steps out on his own, one can hear traces of Otis Spann, Memphis Slim, and Phineas Newborn, Jr.  Not surprisingly, the final track is a playful "bopper". Miller's piano beneath the trumpet solo (which is playful as can be) is a Jazz "history" lesson. And his solo – you will say "Ow!" as the pianist dances up and down the keys.

Resonance Records does its usual great job on the notes with a history of the two musicians written by Ted Panken plus appreciations from Sonny Rollins, Christian McBride, Common, Jon Batiste, Karriem

Riggins, Ambrose Akinmusire, Keyon Harrold, Chris Botti, Eddie Henderson, Robert Glasper, Victor Lewis, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, and George Cables.  Pull over a chair, dim the lights, turn up the volume (but don't blast it), and let this music transport you.  "Roy Hargrove Mulgrew Miller - In Harmony" is a gem that shines with creativity and the sheer joy of playing music! 

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/roy-hargrove-and-mulgrew-miller-in-harmony/. 

Listen and enjoy "Blues For Mr. Hill":

:

Photo: Francis Woolf/Blue Note

Drummer, composer, and conceptualist Roy Brooks (1938-2005) hailed from Detroit, MI, a city that produced numerous jazz greats. He had an career which, in his early days, found him on the bandstand with Yusef Lateef and Horace Silver. The drummer moved to New York City in his Silver days and once he left that group, freelanced with numerous artists such as Charles McPherson, Dexter Gordon, and Charles Mingus (among others). In the late 1960s, Brooks led several groups and recorded several albums; a few years later, he joined Max Roach's drum ensemble M'Boom, remaining a member until 1986.  Due to erratic behavior caused by bi-polar disorder, Brook's career came to a standstill as he was arrested on several occasions, spending time in prison.  Yet, at the height of his creative life, his music and vision pushed the envelope of creative music.

Reel-to-Real Recordings has just issued "Understanding", a two-CD recorded live at The Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, MD, on November 1, 1970.  Besides the leader (drums, percussion, saw), the Quintet included Carlos Garnett (tenor saxophone), Harold Mabern (piano), Cecil McBee (bass), and the fiery trumpet of Woody Shaw. The two+ hours program includes two originals by Brooks plus one each by Shaw, Garnett, Miles Davis, and "Billie's Bounce" from Charlie Parker. The first things you'll notice while listening to "Prelude to Understanding" which is the second track on CD one (the first is a short "Introduction"), is Brook's percussive "toys" and Shaw's blistering trumpet. Shaw, seven weeks shy of his 26th birthday, is on fire throughout the program; the first time you hear his "sound", he's tearing the speakers apart. Brooks is spurred by Shaw's approach so, during the lengthy solo, he's keeping right up with the trumpeter.  McBee holds down the fort while Mabern "comps" a la McCoy Tyner.  Shaw's solo lasts over 11 minutes, has several climaxes, and is a stunning show of his creativity.  Mabern follows with a delightful romp, very much influenced by the afore-mentioned Tyner with a few blues-influenced phrases that display his Memphis, TN, upbringing.  Garnett sits this one out but both McBee and the leader solo, the latter beginning playing a bowed saw!

Photo: Tom Copi

After "Prelude..." comes Brooks's "Understanding", a tune whose rhythm and melody is comparable to that of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage".  The first solo goes to Shaw (pictured left) and he starts as if he's aiming to blow the roof of the Ballroom off. He does take it down a notch or two for the majority of his spot. Garnett is next and one can't help but hear his sonic resemblance to John Coltrane (in the latter saxophonist's Impulse! days).  The Panamanian-born saxophonist moves easily from flowing melodic lines to raucous roars.  The band then tears into a fast-paced rendition of the Parker tune.  Garnett's gets the first solo, proceeding like a getaway car as the drummer chases him around the bandstand.  Shaw follows flying high over the crashing cymbals (Brooks keeps the time perfectly throughout on his ride cymbal). After Mabern's rollicking solo, the trumpet and sax "trade 4s" then "2s" with the leader for several minutes before everyone steps back and gives the drummer spotlight until the fiery close to the first set and disc.  

Photo: H Nolan

CD 2 contains three tracks: the 23-minute Shaw composition "Zoltan", the 32:26 Garnett song "Taurus Woman", and Miles Davis "The Theme", the shortest song in the program at 4:32. The energy does not flag on these tracks and the music continues to jump out of the speakers.  For those of you who love high-energy live music, "Understanding" will make you smile.  You can hear the influence of Max Roach and Elvin Jones in leader Roy Brooks's thunderous performance.  Kudos to co-producers Cory Weeds (Cellar Live Records) and Zev Feldman (Resonance Records) plus a standing ovation to Chris Gestrin for the sound restoration.  You'll learn a lot from the 36-page booklet which features an overview of Roy Brooks story by the great Detroit journalist Mark Stryker plus interviews with Carlos Garnett, Cecil McBee, Reggie Workman, and Louis Hayes as well as remembrances written by Jahra Michelle McKinley, Executive Director of the Detroit Sound Conservancy and journalist Herb Boyd, a lifetime friend of Roy Brooks. All proceeds from the sale of the albums will go to the Sound Conservancy in honor of the drummer.  

For more information, go to https://cellarlive.com/products/roy-brooks-understanding-cd-preorder.  To buy the album, go to https://roybrooksband.bandcamp.com/. 

Hear "Prelude to Understanding":  

Looking Back, Thinking Forward

 I usually use this space on Thanksgiving Day to write about the state of the world and how music can help us through hard times, giving us hope for a better world.  This year, I am going to forgo my editorializing––chances are good you're talking about the world at your dinner table and/or on ZOOM calls with the family.  You don't need me to go through that.  I just wish you the best and hope that this is a time of good health and quiet reflection.

In the meantime, this month brings a number of fascinating "historical" albums, some with music not released before by Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans Trio 1968, and Wolfgang Lackerschmid/ Chet Baker Quintet with Larry Coryell, Buster Williams, and Tony Williams––let us take a look.

Not surprisingly, there are two new releases from those inquisitive and quite thorough folks at Resonance Records (both vinyl packages will be available on Record Store Day/ Black Friday November 27).  The story behind "Sonny Rollins: Rollins In Holland" is smartly recounted in the 100-page booklet included in the two-CD and three-Lp Vinyl packages which include interviews with the three musicians who create the musical magic. There are great interviews with the person who uncovered the Dutch radio recordings that are the first four tracks on the program. There are also two tracks from a gig at the Go-Go Club in Loosdrecht in The Netherlands on May 5, 1967 (the same day that the radio program was recorded at lunch time).  The largest chunk of playing time belongs to five tracks recorded two days earlier in Arnheim, The Netherlands.

Mr. Rollins is in fine form throughout although he seems reined on the 30-minute radio program. He gives equal time to his rhythm section––bassist Ruud Jacobs and drummer Han Bennink––none of the four tracks are longer than seven minutes. Both of the sidemen were considered the finest players on their instruments in the country and were thrilled to be working with the saxophone legend. Bennink, 25 years old at the time, had already joined the Instant Composers Pool but had absorbed the playing of Kenny Clarke and Max Roach before falling under the spell of Sunny Murray.  The drummer, along with the 29-year old Jacobs, had worked together as a unit numerous backing American musicians such as Wes Montgomery, Johnny Griffin, and Ben Webster. Both loved the records that Mr. Rollins had made in the 1950s, especially the trio sessions for Blue Note and Riverside Records. 

Photo courtesy of Michael Maggid

Fans of this recordings, especially "Freedom Suite" and "Live at The Village Vanguard", will love the Arnheim tracks. The sound under headphones is quite good (kudos go to label head George Klabin and Fran Gala for their splendid sound restoration) as you can really hear riding the powerful work on the rhythm section on pieces such as "Four" and "Three Little Words".  There are moments where the sound fades but the trio never does. Mr. Rollins, two months away from losing his good friend John Coltrane and a year away from a six-year recording sabbatical, sounds as if he's having great fun, especially on the live cuts. Jacobs, whose 29th birthday fell on the first day of recording, and Bennink plays with abandon, which is just what Dr. Rollins hoped for. .

There have been bootleg recordings from these live dates circulating around the world for over five decades.  Zev Feldman and Resonance Records have put together a splendid package with plenty of photographs from the days was in The Netherlands plus the interviews are a true pleasure to read.  And, much of this music is sublime. "Live In Holland" adds yet another shining example of how great Sonny Rollins sounds in concert––have fun counting all the quotes from other songs he throws in, especially in the last 10 minutes of "Four". 

For more information, go to https://resonancerecords.org/product/sonny-rollins-rollins-in-holland/. 

Check out this overview from Resonance:

 

Up until 2016, the only recorded instance of the Bill Evans Trio with Eddie Gomez (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) was the GRAMMY Award-winning Verve Lp "Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival."  Four years ago, Resonance Records released "Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest", a studio album the Trio recorded the same week as their Montreux Festival appearance. One year later, the label released "Another Time: The Hilversum Concert", a live concert recorded in the studios of the Netherlands Radio Union (NRU) a week after Montreux.  Both albums showed the Trio at the height of their creative abilities. The group then spent a month in residence at Ronnie Scott's in London.  DeJohnette told Zev Feldman at Resonance Records he had recordings he had made at the time but the sound was fair at best.  Feldman initially passed on the tapes, hoping to find other enthusiasts who may have taped a show or two.

The story of how the drummer and the label executive discovered a glitch in the playback, fixed it, and the magic of the music was revealed is told in the 44-page booklet that accompanies "Bill Evans: Live at Ronnie Scott's".  The 2-CD, 2-Lp, arrives just in time for Record Store Day November 27 and if this 20-song program (in the form of two sets) doesn't warm your tired bones, nothing will. The band sounds so together, so relaxed, and so ready to stretch out that their musicality shines through.  There are few surprises in the choice of repertoire but pieces such as "Alfie", "Waltz for Debby", the two versions of "Emily" (from the pen of Johnny Mandel), "Someday My Prince Will Come", and "'Round Midnight" sparkle with delightful solos and interactions, smart harmonies and delicate musicianship.  The one rarity is "For Heaven's Sake", a song composed by Don Meyers, Elise Bretton and Sherman Edwards for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra in 1948 but made famous by Billie Holiday in 1958 on her "Lady In Satin" album (the last released in her lifetime).  Evans first recorded the piece on "Evans 64" with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian and once again in December 1968 at The Village Vanguard with DeJohnette's replacement Marty Morell (released on "The Secret Sessions 1966-1975" assembled from tapes recorded without permission by Evans super-fan Mike Harris.  

To my ears, "Live at Ronnie Scott's" is the best representation of the creative work of bassist Eddie Gomez of the now-four albums from this Trio. His amazing melodic sense stands out and you can really hear how he inspires the pianist and drummer.  Yes, I know that there seems to be several thousand Bill Evans albums on the market but you do not need to be a completist to enjoy "Bill Evans: Live at Ronnie Scott's"; you need to love music that is emotional and melodically rich with many moments of rhythmic swing.  Thanks go to Jack DeJohnette for preserving the tapes and Resonance Records for persevering to bring this splendid music to light!

For more information, go to  https://resonancerecords.org/product/bill-evans-live-at-ronnie-scotts/.  

Here's the mini-documentary from Resonance featuring Zev Feldman, Brian Priestley, Jack DeJohnette (interviewed by Chick Corea), and Chevy Chase: 

Photo: Hans Kumpf

Vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid and trumpeter/ vocalist Chet Baker first began playing in the late 1970s.  They recorded a duo album for the vibraphonist's own Sandra label and, in the aftermath, Baker invited Lackerschmid to be a member of the trumpeter's touring group.  Guitarist Larry Coryell saw the duo play at a Festival in Austria (where Coryell was playing with saxophonist Sonny Rollins) and suggested they play together.  Baker's agent liked the idea and floated the idea of adding a rhythm section which turned out to be the brothers in name only, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Tony Williams. 

The five musicians went into a Stuttgart, Germany, studio and created "Quintet Sessions 1979" to be released on Sandra.  Thanks to D.O.T. Time Records, the album has a new life in the 21st Century.  The six pieces (the seventh and eighth tracks are a rehearsal and the other an alternate take) include two composed by the guitarist, one each from the Williamses and Lackersachmid plus a lovely take of Jimmy Van Heusen's "Here's That Rainy Day."  Everyone respects Baker's limited technique; still he rises to the occasion throughout with a handsome tone and his fine sense of melody. He only sings on one track, a sweet wordless vocal on Lackerschmid's "Balzwaltz" (but not on the alternate take).  Bassist Williams stands out in the mix, his melodic solos and intelligent counterpoint meshes well with the rest of the group. Listen to how the bassist wraps his thick notes around the lighter trumpet tones without overwhelming Baker.  

The quintet creates a pleasing swing on Buster William's "Toku Do" with solid solos from Baker, Coryell (who is a stalwart throughout the program), the composer, and strong work from the drum set.  There's a funky feel to the opening of Tony Williams's "Mr. Biko" which then drops into a loping swing. The drummer rarely lets loose but his cymbal work is delightful.  The Caribbean/ French feel of the guitarist's "Rue Gregoire Du Tour" shows the influence of Burt Bacharach; one half-expects Dionne Warwick to step out and vocalize.  Instead, we get melodic solos from Baker, the composer (his trademark blazing solos replaced by a fine melodic sense), Lackerschmid, and the bassist.

"Wolfgang Lackerschmid/ Chet Baker: Quintet Sessions 1979" sounds a bit undercooked at times––perhaps it's the addition of two extra tracks that helps to create that illusion. Yet, there is enough good playing on this album, especially from Buster Williams and Larry Coryell, to recommend that you give it a listen.  You can do just that by going to https://dottimerecords.bandcamp.com/album/quintet-sessions-1979 where you can also get more information and purchase the recording.  

Here's a track to check out while you're reading:

Resonating Through The Decades

Over the past seven years, Resonance Records has done a excellent job of rejuvenating the jazz career of guitarist Wes Montgomery. Not that his more famous CTI records demeaned him but this slew of albums serves as a reminder of just how good a soloist he could be, how adventurous he and the various musicians he played with could be, and, in several cases, serves as a history lesson for present-day listeners. Several of the albums comes from the period just before (or immediately after) the guitarist signed with Riverside Records.

The new two-CD set, "Back on Indiana Avenue: The Carroll deCamp Collection", is the sixth release from Resonance and hearkens back to their 2012 album "Echoes of Indiana Avenue."  As in many of the label's releases, there is a great back story to his the tapes were made and how they came into the hands of Zev Feldman at Resonance - watch the video below for more information.   As for the sessions, they are broken into three different sections, including "piano quartets with guitar, piano, bass, and drums plus organ trio and two tracks of piano sextet all on disk one while the overwhelming majority of disk two is "Nat "King" Cole-style trios with piano, bass, and guitar.  Because Mr deCamp did not keep notes (or they were never discovered), no-one is positive of who plays on what track (save for organist Melvin Rhyne, trombonist David Baker, and tenor saxophonist David Young.  Bass players include Wes's brother Monk and Mingo Jones while drummers are identified as Paul Parker and Sonny Johnson.   Pianists are a bit harder to pin down but the ones that are listed include Earl Van Riper, John Bunch, Carl Perkins, and another Montgomery brother Monk (who just may be the pianist on the two horn sextet tracks

Photo: Franklin Daily Journal

For those of us who grew up in the 1960s and later, many do not how about the myriad clubs in African American communities around the US.  Cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and elsewhere had a street or streets dedicated to bars that presented live music, often seven days a week.  Musicians were able to hone their skills, work on new material, entertain and educate audiences night after night.  Indianapolis, Indiana, the city in which the Montgomery Brothers were born and where they returned after the family moved to Columbus, Ohio, had several clubs in the Indiana Avenue area that catered to jazz and late night sessions.

"Back on Indiana Avenue" features music recorded from the mid-to-late 1960s (and, perhaps some tracks from the early 60s).  Wes's signature octave playing is in full bloom but so are his rapid-fire single-note runs and delightful rhythm work. One can hear the influence of Charlie Christian on his attack as well as the horn-like solo style of Les Paul. Check out the piano quartet on "Stompin' At The Savoy"for the Christian influence but make sure to dig brother Monk romping on the piano.  Dr. Lewis Porter's excellent notes state a number of these tracks may have recorded at Montgomery's home.  Dr. Porter, who is an excellent pianist and educator, theorizes that Buch appears on several cuts on these recordings plus Carl Perkins, another fine Indianapolis native, swings lustily on the final cut, "The Song Is You."  No matter who's playing, the music really turn on the audience (someone or ones is clapping in rhythm in the piano solo).

If you're a Wes Montgomery fan, you'll want "Back on Indiana Avenue - the Carroll deCamp Recordings" for many reasons.  If you're new to his music, perhaps the studio recordings on Riversde and Verve are the place to start.  Nevertheless, this is music that is filled with spirit and joy as well as a numerous splendid solos.  Dig it!

Photo: Steinway & Sons

Pianist and composer Bill Evans (1929-1980) is another artist whom Resonance Records has shown in a new light.  Two albums, "Some Other Time: The Lost Session from The Black Forest" (2016) and "Another Time: The Hilversum Concert" (2017), added to the mystique created by 1968's "Live at The Montreux Jazz Festival" (Verve Records), hitherto the only recording to feature Evans and bassist Eddie Gomez with drummer Jack DeJohnette. The more recent albums were both recorded within five days of the Verve release and show the Trio in full flight, the pianist truly enjoying the experience, especially on the "The Hilversum...." session.

DeJohnette was gone by the end of that summer. Marty Morell joined the group, staying for nearly seven years. The first Evans release on Resonance was 2012's "Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of The Gate" - that album, recorded in October of 1968, just weeks after the Morell entered the scene, comes from tapes made by label owner George Klabin, then 18 years old.  Now, the label presents "Evans in England", an 18-song two CD recorded when the Trio spent four weeks (basically the month of December) in residence at Ronnie Scotts in London.  The musicians are in sync throughout, having not only spent the past year playing together but also having the luxury of playing the same venue for an extended period of time. 

You can really hear the camaraderie of the three musicians on these songs.  How much they swing together, how both Gomez and Morell play quietly on the ballads, and how much the rhythm section pushes the pianist during his solos.  There are several Evans classics, such as "Re: Person I Knew", "Waltz For Debby", and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" that closes the second disk.  "Waltz..." has a delightful unaccompanied piano opening that leads to a more spirited reading of the tune.  When Gomez steps out to solo, the song speeds up appreciably.  It's a treat to hear Morell's brushes dancing on the snare and cymbals before he returns to hs sticks.  It's fun to hear the trio play Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" - the pianist had great respect for Monk's piano work as well as his compositions. Evans plays up the melodic and harmonic sides of the song while the bass and drums play with the rhythms, making the song flow and swing.

Two previously unrecorded Evans compositions made their debut during the Trio's residency.  Both "Sugar Plum" and "The Two Lonely People" are featured on Evans 1091 Columbia Records Lp, "The Bill Evans Album".  The unaccompanied piano opening  on the former tune followed by a delightful conversation between the piano and bass shows just locked in the musicians are.  Gomez plays counterpoint to Evans lovely thematic material and swings mightily during the lively solo.  The opening moments of "...Lonely People" are breathtaking in its lyricism - when the bass and drums enter, the music begins to swing but the pianist maintains his more introspective approach. Evans expands upon his solo near its close, picking up on the energy that his bandmates are sending his way.  If you listened or have listened to much of the music this trio made over its time together (1968-74), you'll know they pushed each other constantly while respecting each other's space yet honoring the music and spirit of jazz.

"Evans in England" is a worthy addition to the Bill Evans legacy.  Now that there are three albums of material from 1968 and 69, you can really hear that the pianist was fully in creative flight during that time, that he had finally recovered from the untimely death of bassist Scott LaFaro in 1961.  Eddie Gomez not only plays with great verve but is so delightfully melodic that his frequent solos unfailingly stand out.  Marty Morell is the consummate accompanist, rarely "showing off" but always into the music. Absolutely recommended!



If you want to learn more about Bill Evans, blogger and author Marc Myers is the person to read (he adds much to the album liner notes). Go to www.jazzwax.com and search for the numerous postings he's done on the pianist!

Looking Back Yet Sounding Like Today

If one subscribes to the belief that you learn something new everyday then the life of a reviewer can be very exciting.  I have known about the duo of Jeanne Lee (1939-2000, vocal) and Ran Blake (piano) but never really sat down to listen.  They first met in the mid-1950s and started performing together several years later.  Their debut album, "The Newest Sound Around" (RCA Victor), was issued in early 1962, a fascinating combination of standards, blues, and jazz. The Lp earned positive reviews but did not sell well in the United States.

Europe was another matter, especially Sweden and the Netherlands. Ms. Lee and Mr. Blake made several trips to perform there during the mid-1960s. Now A-Sides Records has issued "The Newest Sound You Never Heard", a double-CD collection recorded both in the studio and live in 1966 and 1967 while the duo was in Belgium. 33 never-before heard songs, some familiar to fans but many quite surprising. The 1966 sessions, a combination of a radio concert and "in-person" tracks, is a fascinating collection of songs, from Thelonious Monk's"Misterioso" (with lyrics by Gertrude Stein) to The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" to standards such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Night and Day", and "Take The A-Train" to gospel, Broadway and even a funky reading of Ray Charles' "Hallelujah, I Love Him So."  Scattered among the tracks are several originals by Blake including an impressionistic instrumental titled "Birmingham U.S.A."  Ms. Lee, who said she was influenced by Abbey Lincoln, does some impressive scat singing on a number of tracks but don't ignore the lovely ballads. Included  in that list is Cole Porter's "Night and Day" - note how Ms. Lee caresses the words while Blake provides such a sympathetic background.  Disc One is quite the hour of music.

A year later, the duo returned to the VRT Studios and recorded the 14 tracks that appear on disc #2.  There's only one repeat from a year earlier (Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's "Caravan") and more adventures in creativity.  Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" gets a gospel-flavored accompaniment while Ms. Lee stays close to the original melody; in the middle of the the song, the rhythm disappears and the duo move in and around each other Asia in a dream.  Ms. Lee's unaccompanied reading of Billie Holiday's "Billie's Blues" is an absolute stunner as is the duo's performance on Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman."  Listen to the spare piano backing to the highly emotional vocals, the essence of describing loneliness in music.  The final three tracks, "The Man I Love", Billy Strayhorn's "Something To Live For", and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", make for an intimate and poetic close to the program.

There are moments on the 1967 sessions that remind this listener of the interplay between Cecile McLorin Salvant and pianist Sullivan Fortner on the former's latest album "The Window."  I hear it in the the playfulness and the intimacy, in how both participants interpret the music and the lyrics, making the songs their own.  Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake only made two studio recordings together Fresh Sounds issued a recording in 2013 of the duo from their 1966 visit to Stockholm, Sweden and, now with the release of "The Newest Sound You Never Heard", listeners get an even fuller picture of the magic these two created whenever they convened to make music.  And, it's amazing how contemporary these recordings, made over five decades ago, sound today.  Highly recommended!

For more information, go to ranblake.com.

Here's the Monk tune from 1966:

Eric Dolphy (1928-1964) had a short professional career as a musician but that career was quite full.  From the time he joined drummer Chico Hamilton's group in 1958, he rarely went without work. He hooked up with bassist and composer Charles Mingus in 1959 with whom he recorded the extremely impressive Candid album "Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus." Even after he left Mingus's employ in 1960, Dolphy hooked up with the bassist for tours.  In 1960, the multi-instrumentalist (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet) recorded his debut as a leader and in the next few years, recorded with Oliver Nelson ("Blues and The Abstract Truth") and began an exciting if short-lived relationship with tenor saxophonist John Coltrane.  Dolphy's own group, featuring trumpeter Booker Little, made an historic album "Live at The Five Spot" in 1961.

In February of 1964, Dolphy recorded his classic "Out to Lunch" for Blue Note Records but seven months prior to those sessions, he went in the studios with producer Alan Douglas the nine tracks that were split into two Lps, "Conversations" and "Iron Man".  Notable for the debut of 18-year old trumpeter Woody Shaw and the amazing bass work of Richard Davis, the tapes were released numerous times by different labels; along the way, the stereo master tapes disappeared and it turns out that the Dolphy family actually had documents, scores, and several reels of tapes which they gave to flutist James Newton for safekeeping. He, in turn, donated the documents to the Library of Congress.

In 2016, James Newton visited Resonance Records studios with the tapes in tow. Over the course of listening with producer Zev Feldman and executive producer George Klabin, they decided to release an album that featured a newly re-mastered versions of the two Douglas albums plus 80+ minutes of outtakes from the session - one notable exception is the 15-minute "A Personal Statement",  composed by pianist Bob James, from March of 1964. The resulting package, "Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions",  as issued in Fall of 2018 as a three-Lp set which is why you may seen the album on many "Best-of" lists.  The CDs have just been issued with an impressive booklet that features interviews with bassist Davis, saxophonist Sonny Simmons (who appears on four of the original Lp tracks and four of the alternate takes), Sonny Rollins, Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake, Nicole Mitchell, Marty Ehrlich, Henry Threadgill, Joe Chambers, Han Bennink, Bill Laswell, a former manager of the Douglas Record label Michael Lehman, and Dolphy's close friend Juanita Smith.

Photo: Blue Note Records

The two "official" releases continue the artist's explorations into expanding his musical range.  Four of the tracks feature Simmons, Shaw, Prince Lasha (flute), Clifford Jordan (soprano saxophone), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), and J. C. Moses (drums) while three add Garvin Bushell (bassoon), and Eddie Khan (who shares the bass parts with Davis). Drummer Charles Moffett appears on one track.  Dolphy is generous sharing the solo spotlight therefore the group tracks feature plenty of solos all around.  There are a pair of short unaccompanied alto sax takes of the standard "Love Me" in which you can hear how Dolphy expanded the language that Charlie Parker created for the instrument.  Perhaps the most fascinating outtakes are the two versions of Roland Hanna's "Muses for Richard Davis." Davis on bowed bass and Dolphy on bass clarinet explore the handsome melody with deep bass sounds and chords providing a strong foundation for the lower reed instrument.  Coming after the classic "Alone Together" (also a duet for bass - plucked here - and bass clarinet), the "Muses..." blend the expressive the reed sounds with the more formal sounding bass (Davis has such a wonderful sound and the mix here shows him in his best light.

Eric Dolphy may not have had a long life but his influence can still be felt 55 years after his passing. His willingness to experiment, his tart yet refreshing alto saxophone playing, his lovely flute, and his championing of the bass clarinet as a lead instrument, make him a role model for musicians around the world. "Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions" restores two albums that sorely needed someone's attention - how delightful and intelligent that James Newton brought the tapes to Resonance Records and what a splendid package.  The "limited edition" three-Lp set sold out quickly but, thanks to the sound restoration of George Klabin and Fran Gala (who also mastered the albums and CDs), the music steps out of the speakers and fills the room.  Highly recommended!!

For more information about this recording, go to resonancerecords.org/artists/eric-dolphy/.

Here's the exciting alternate version of "Mandrake":