First Two Woody Herman Albums On Cadet

FILES ARE NOW GOOD
APOLOGIES TO ALL WHO
DOWNLOADED BAD FILES
Out of print LPs. Ripped @ 320.

The third (Woody, 1970) will have to wait -- my copy sounds like hell. I'll get it cleaned and see how it goes...



Light My Fire, 1968

Arranged by RICHARD EVANS -- one of the greatest of the great -- that's recommendation enough for me! Some storming solos here (Sal Nistico!), and a nice soul-jazz feel on many of the tracks. The gorgeous, Ellington/Strayhorn-tinged ballad Impressions of Strayhorn and the straight-ahead swinger Keep On Keepin' On display Evans' superfine composer's chops.

DUSTY GROOVE SAYS: "A masterpiece -- one of 2 crazy albums in which Woody Herman's late band meets the Cadet arrangements of RICHARD EVANS. You might think the combination wouldn't work -- Woody's big band flourishes meeting up with Evans' compressed soulful grooves -- but gosh, the record is simply incredible, and it's one that we'd never part with in a million billion years! Worth it alone for the version of Edu Lobo's "Ponteio", but there's lots of other nice stuff -- like "I Say A Little Prayer", "Hush", "Keep On Keepin On", and "Light My Fire"."

01. Ponteio (Edu Lobo)
solos: Vicari, Pavone
02. Here I Am Baby (Smokey Robinson)
solo: Vicari
03. Hard To Keep My Mind On You (Jake Holmes)
solo: Herman
04. Macarthur Park (Jim Webb)
solos Pt. 1: Herman, Burgess
solos Pt. 2: Lederer, Hicks, Hall, Marquez, Grant, Pavone, Bossert
05. Light My Fire (Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger, Densmore)
solos: Marquez, Hall, Burgess
06. I Say A Little Prayer (Bacharach & David)
solos: Vicari, Hall
07. Hush (Joe South)
solos: Nistico, Hall
08. For Love Of Ivy (Quincy Jones & Bob Russell)
solos: Vicari, Grant
09. Impressions Of Strayhorn (Richard Evans)
solo: Herman
10. Keep On Keepin' On (Richard Evans)
solos: Nistico, Hall

Produced by RICHARD EVANS

Woody Herman, cl, as, ss
Gary Grant, Nat Pavone, Henry Hall, Sal Marquez, James Bossert, tp
Frank Vicari, Sal Nistico, Steve Lederer, Thomas Boras, reeds
Robert Burgess, Henry Southall, Vincent Prudente, tb
Phil Upchurch, g
John Hicks, p
Arthur Harper, b
Edward Soph, d
Morris Jennings, perc

Recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, Illinois, October 1968

LINK

* * * * *



Heavy Exposure, 1969

Also arranged by RICHARD EVANS - enough said!

DUSTY GROOVE SAYS: "Excellent stuff! We used to pass this one by all the time, thinking that it was some sort of fake jazz album -- but these days, we love it to death, and listen to it all the time! Woody Herman's band meets the soulful arrangements of RICHARD EVANS, and the whole thing cooks nicely in the Chess studios in Chicago. The result is a tasty blend of soulful big band tracks, with a strident groove that Woody never duplicated, and with the kind of baroque arrangements that Evans was bringing to some of the best soul work on Cadet at the time. Donny Hathaway plays organ, and the group does a killer version of his own "Flying Easy". Other titles include "The Hut", "Sex Machine", and "It's Your Thing" -- but it's all great!"

Nope, there's nothing fake about this album! Nothing to add to the above, except to note that Lancaster Gate and The Hut were composed by Evans.

01. Flying Easy (Donny Hathaway)
solos: Vicari, Burgess, Herman
02. I Can't Get Next To You (Whitfield & Strong)*
solo: Nistico
03. Aquarius (J. Rado, G. Ragni, G. MacDermot)*
solo: Herman
04. Memphis Underground (Herbie Mann)*
solos: Herman, Vicari, Chase
05. High School Hero (Jake Holmes)
solo: Gauvin
06. Lancaster Gate (Richard Evans)*
solos: Herman, Hall, Burgess
07. The Hut (Richard Evans)
solos: Nistico, Hall, Burgess, Chase
08. My Cheri Amour (Cosby, Wonder & May)
solos: Herman, Burgess
09. It's Your Thing (R. Isley, O. Isley & R. Isley)*
solos: Nistico, Chase
10. Catch That Bird (Loonis McGlohan)
solos: Vicari, Burgess, Chase
11. Sex Machine (Sylvester Stewart)
solos: Chase, Burgess, Gauvin, Upchurch

Produced by RICHARD EVANS

Woody Herman, cl, as, ss
William Byrne, Henry Hall, Richard Murphy, Rigby Powell, Bill Chase, tp
Frank Vicari, Sal Nistico, Steve Lederer, Alan Gauvin, reeds
Robert Burgess, Pete Dalbis, Tom Malone, tb
Phil Upchurch, g
John Hicks, p
Donny Hathaway, org
Gene Perla, b
Morris Jennings(*), Edward Soph, d
Richard Powell, Marshall Thompson, perc

Recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, Illinois, September 2,3, 1969

LINK

BUY THESE ALBUMS AT DUSTY GROOVE

In harmony,
Chris

The Time To Be Free Is Now

Hi, folks -

One day, we'll win. I don't know when, maybe not in any of our lifetimes, but love, respect, radical generosity, solidarity and simple human decency must win in the end, or else...

I don't much like labels. I hate stereotypes. We need to learn to live without that nasty shit.

Here's something that transcends all categories and gives a beautiful example of the immense heights people can reach when they come together to create in collective freedom.



Richard Davis - Epistrophy & Now's The Time
Muse LP, 1972

Ripped @ 320 from a fairly clean LP. There's a sealed copy HERE for 50 bucks. THE CD REISSUE has a bonus track: The Highest Mountain (Clifford Jordan). I'm gonna buy it very soon. Normally, I won't post things that are in print (with occasional lapses, as earlier), but this album is so earth-shattering, I have to turn folks on to it and I hope you'll buy the reissue.

1. Epistrophy (Monk) 22:56
2. Now's The Time (Parker) 22:31

Richard Davis, b
Clifford Jordan, ts
Hannibal Marvin Peterson, tp
Joe Bonner, p
Freddie Waits, d

Recorded live at Jazz City, NYC, September 7, 1972.

From the liner notes:

"I liked the idea. There was no discussion about what we were going to play. I picked Monk's tune, just got into it and then everybody joined in. Monk is one of my favorite composers. Epistrophy is from the late 40s so it just shows that good compositions are perennial. I was crazy about that group and that night. Everybody was into everybody else's vibrations. Now's The Time is the be-bop thing. I think Clifford Jordan sets the theme on that one. The idea was just to play sounds and music."
    - Richard Davis

"America can't create our music - or destroy it."
    - Clifford Jordan

"What does it matter the man's age as long as he can lift the weight and bear the pain."
    - Hannibal Marvin Peterson

"I'm constantly striving for inner peace and self-improvement determined by the mere survival of daily living as well as my musical experiences. Hopefully, my truest and most pure feelings are expressed through my work. However, if I have accomplished relating truth and purity to the audience at the best of my ability at any given time, I have but the creator, my family and my fellow artists to thank. This particular album with Richard Davis was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. There was a consistent joint interchange of music, love and understanding expressed by all the musicians which I felt was dynamic."
    - Freddie Waits

***

I'm not sure how to describe this music, but some folks call it free bop. Another great bassist, Gary Peacock, when asked how he could feel comfortable playing with both Albert Ayler and Bill Evans, said (I paraphrase): "When you have 2,000 standards under your belt, know the music and have your chops together, you can't help but play free." This album says the same thing.

LINK

In harmony,
Chris

Gerald Wilson 1

Gerald Wilson (born 1918) played trumpet and wrote arrangements for Jimmie Lunceford from 1939 to 1941, led an under-recorded bebop big band (1944-1947) and played and arranged for Basie and Ellington. He arranged for Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson and many others. His most famous composition is probably Viva Tirado, which was a big hit for El Chicano. He made 10 albums for Pacific Jazz and World Pacific in the 60's. With one exception, they're all first-rate; the one exception is by no means bad! I'll be posting them over the next couple of months.

I have all the LPs, but I'll rip from the Mosaic set, which you can buy HERE and support Mr. Wilson, who is still alive, still a grand master.



Gerald Wilson Orchestra - Eternal Equinox
World Pacific, 1969

Ripped @ 320 from the 5-CD Mosaic Gerald Wilson box set and retagged.

Out of print, but not hard to find. I've seen it on ebay for 5 bucks.

This is one of hell of a big band album. Richard "Groove" Holmes plays his ass off on the first track, Bobby Hutcherson solos beautifully on a couple of other tracks, Jen-Luc Ponty, who I usually can't listen to at all, tears it up on Scorpio Rising and, I mean, HAROLD LAND!? You gotta check out this fantastic album.

1. Equinox (Coltrane)
2. Aquarius (Rado, Ragni, MacDermot)
3. Pisces (Wilson)
4. Scorpio Rising (Wilson)
5. Celestial Soul (Wilson)
6. Baby, Baby Don't Cry (Robinson, Cleveland, Johnson)
7. You, Me and Now (Wilson)
8. Bluesnee (Wilson)

Gerald Wilson (arr); Larry McGuire, Jay Daversa, Paul Hubinon, Tony Rusch, William Peterson (tp); Lester Robinson, Frank Strong, Thurman Green (tb); Alexander Thomas, Mike Wimberley (bass tb); Arthur Maebe (fhr); Henry DeVega, Anthony Ortega, Bud Shank (as); William Green (fl, pic); Ernie Watts (ts, fl, pic); Hadley Caliman, Harold Land (ts); Richard Alplanalp (bari); Jean-Luc Ponty (v); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); Wilbert Longmire (g); Richard "Groove" Holmes (org); George Duke (p); Bob West (el-b); Carl Lott, Paul Humphrey (d)

Recorded in LA, early June, 1969.

I don't have a scanner yet, but when I do, I'll provide scans for this and every other album I've posted.

LINK

All About Jazz: Article | Interview

In harmony,
Chris

Goddam!

Hi, folks -

Here's an enormous amount of heart, soul and overwhelming talent: all of Nina Simone's albums on Philips (1964-1966), ripped @ 192 from the Four Women box set and retagged. Posted January 2008 at On the Outside Looking In as a New Year's gift.

No extras, unfortunately, but, just like everything is everything, Nina Simone is Nina Simone!



Nina Simone in Concert (1964)
Broadway-Blues-Ballads (1964)
I Put a Spell on You (1965)
Pastel Blues (1965)
Let It All Out (1965)
Wild Is the Wind (1965)
High Priestess of Soul (1966)

My mom and I played these albums over and over when they came out, so my LPs are all completely wrecked, which is why I bought the box set. I couldn't get enough then and I still can't. People say these albums represent Nina Simone at her absolute peak and I guess I agree, but her Bethlehem album (Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club, 1958), the Colpix albums (1959-1964) and everything after Philips, hell, Nina on a bad day was better than most folks at their very best, it's all damn good and Nina Simone was one of the great masters.

In harmony,
Chris

Why Don't You Stop And Ask Her How She Feels About The Life She's Living

Cassandra Wilson, Jump World, JMT CD, 1989

If you like Blood Ulmer, you'll probably like this. Not as wild as Ulmer, but still pretty wild, and so funky it hurts. I love Cassandra Wilson, own a bunch of her CDs, but I sure do wish she'd make an album like this again...

01. Woman on the Edge
02. Domination Switch
03. Phase Jump
04. Lies
05. Grand System Masters
06. Jump World
07. Love Phases Dimensions
08. Whirlwind Soldier
09. Warm Spot
10. Dancing in Dream Time
11. Rock This Calling

Steve Coleman, Greg Osby or Gary Thomas - as
Graham Haynes - tpt
Rod Williams - keyb
David Gilmore - g
Lonnie Plaxico - b
Kevin Bruce Harris - eb
Mark Johnson - d

Ripped @ 192. Reissue in print, can be bought everywhere. Support this genius!

LINK

In harmony,
Chris