duaneiac

That is a very good set!

Marking the Erroll Garner centennial today!

Disc 2 of 4. I love the sound of Jo Stafford's voice. While I would not consider her a "jazz singer", she did record this very boppish Dave Lambert number in 1949 -- I wish she had explored a little more along that pathway.

The trio in this case included Reggie Workman and Joe Chambers.

More importantly, what other musicians wore bowlers? None better than Fats, I'm sure!

Vocalist Jimmy Grissom is featured throughout this series. I happen to like his singing style, but I can understand how others may not. On "She Moved", he slips in a nice "I say what did I say this time baaaaaaa-bee!" Also given a feature spot on this disc is one of the overlooked Ellingtonians, Rick Henderson. He certainly brought more Charlie Parker than Johnny Hodges to the alto sax chair in the band. I couldn't find the same version on YouTube, but here's Mr. Henderson in another performance of "All The Things You Are".

Just because they were released on the cheapo LaserLight label, there's no reason to ignore the enjoyable performances found on these 5 volumes. Wally Heider captured the band at just another gig on the road (McElroy's Ballroom in Portland, OR) and the band sounds fine. No Johnny Hodges, but there are plenty of other stars (Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Juan Tizol, Paul Gonsalves) to pick up the slack, so one really doesn't miss him (much).

Some very enjoyable Ellington here. These recordings are from 1971, a period I think of -- due to the presence of Wild Bill Davis -- as Ellington's Electric Era. The title suite contains many beautiful moments, although i think in the hands of a lesser group of musicians it might come across as mere exotica. There is also a nice version of "Checkered Hat", Norris Turney's tribute to Johnny Hodges, an Ellington version of "Lover Man" and a softly swinging version of "Perdido" featuring Money Johnson. This music is well worth seeking out.

Disc 2 of 2.

I think Concord Records did quite well for themselves while Carl Jefferson was alive. It was after his passing that things went the way they did. He sold the label just a year before he died. It's ridiculous to call the company which exists today "Concord Records". According to wikipedia, "On March 25, 2013, Wood Creek Capital Management, (now Barings LLC, an affiliate of MassMutual Financial Group), purchased Concord Music Group". Perhaps there is an actual jazz fan to be found somewhere in the decision-making management level at Mass Capital Mutual Financial Management Group LLC, but it's unlikely.

I've always really enjoyed this disc, perhaps my favorite among the "late period" Horace Silver albums. There are several good songs here including the lovely ballad "Soul Mates, his tribute to Louis Armstrong called "Red Beans And Rice" and the funky and danceable "Let It All Hang Out". It features a superb lineup of saxophonists and it was great to hear O.C. Smith, who had long ago dropped off my radar screen by the time this CD came out in 1994, sing again.

It is the Third of June, a date immortalized in ode by the great (and greatly missed) Bobbie Gentry, so it seemed natural to give this disc a spin

A very good concert recording with a band which included Mark Isham and Pee Wee Ellis. I wish an "expanded version" with more material from these March 11 & 12, 1983 concerts would be issued someday.

While browsing in a local Goodwill store today, I noticed they had about half a dozen copies of this -- Like all Kenny G products, you will note that this game has been "Safety Tested". But hey-- let's all work together to overcome uncool events, m'kay? Ciao, baby!

"One On One" is the greatest Smokey Robinson song not actually written by Smokey Robinson. This is the only CD I have by these gentlemen. I don't listen to it often, so it has probably been 2 or 3 years since I played it last. It's easy to forget in that time just how gorgeously seductive this ear candy is.

Some feelgood disco soul