What LPs have you listened to recently?

neobop · « **Reply #7660 on:** 3 Nov 2016, 01:05 pm »

1986 SteepleChase

Tom Harrell - trumpet, flugelhorn
Bob Rockwell - tenor saxophone
Hal Galper - keyboards
Steve Gilmore - bass
Bill Goodwin - drums

These are excellent musicians and the LP has some great playing, but ultimately the session falls a little flat. A couple of cuts (six in total) drag a little and seem lifeless. I think the tempos were too slow for those tunes and it doesn't work. Parts of this seem like a flugelhorn practice session and the rhythm section (Phil Wood's band) reflects that.

Harrell has some great albums and it's not that this is so bad, but you can do better. More Tom Harrell to come.
neo

Bob2 · « **Reply #7661 on:** 3 Nov 2016, 01:12 pm »

Toni Rambold · « **Reply #7662 on:** 4 Nov 2016, 10:50 pm »

Freddie Hubbard: Ready For Freddie

neobop · « **Reply #7663 on:** 6 Nov 2016, 12:12 pm »

1985 Criss Cross

Tom Harrell - trumpet, flugelhorn
Kenny Garrett - alto sax, flute
Kenny Barron - piano
Ray Drummond - bass
Ralph Peterson - drums

Ready for Freddie is a tough act to follow. Moon Alley isn't quite such a classic, but a good album in it's own right. Although separated by 24 years, these two have one thing in common. Both were recorded by Rudy Van Gelder. However, the sound is different. The Freddie LP has the classic Blue Note sound while Harrell's album has that great digital snap to the drums and the L/R mix is more modern. It doesn't say digital recording on the jacket, and the sound is appealing. The bass has a big fat bottom and is a bit leaner in it's upper register, as if the bass pickup was plugged directly into the board without a mike.

Moon Alley starts out as a hard bop masterpiece and with a couple of softer cuts mixed in, is an excellent album. These are top notch players, a great band. Kenny Barron does a excellent job playing behind an authoritative front line. This LP might be hard to find, but it's worthwhile. Ready for Freddie is must-have.
neo

neobop · « **Reply #7664 on:** 12 Nov 2016, 03:11 pm »

Tom Harrell - Aurora

1976 Adamo

Ton Harrell - trumpet and flugelhorn
Bob Berg - tenor sax
Barry Finnerty - guitar
Mike Wolff - piano and electric piano
Mike Richmond - bass and electric bass
Lenny White - drums
Muhammad Abdullah - percussion

This is a cool album. It's 1976 and Tom's first LP as a leader. It starts out with a straight ahead jazz feel, then takes off with a unique blend of up tempo funk and fusion. Bob Berg and Mile Richmond are outstanding and the band is perfect for this - all great at jazz, funk, and fusion. Mike Richmond gives a Weather Report feel on his electric and Barry Finnerty has a great guitar solo. This one left me wanting more.

This album was reissued under the title Total.
neo

neobop · « **Reply #7665 on:** 20 Nov 2016, 03:01 pm »

Tom Harrell - Play of Light

1986 Black Hawk

Tom Harrell - trumpet
Ricky Ford - tenor sax
Bruce Foreman - guitar
Albert Dailey - piano
Eddie Gomez - bass
Billy Hart - drums

Although released in '86, this was recorded in '82 by Rudy Van Gelder and mastered by Roger Seibel. This is a wonderful album and attests to Tom's considerable abilities both as a musician and arranger/composer. The rhythm section is top notch. Eddie Gomez and Billy Hart are superb throughout. Foreman and Dailey each have an excellent solo. It's great to hear Ricky Ford in this context. At the time he was playing in Lionel Hampton's band and flew in to make this recording date.

On the back cover there's a quote of Tom:
"Music is a religion and it can structure your life and provide order in the universe. If my music makes people feel better and hopeful, then it gives me meaning and hope."
neo

Bob2 · « **Reply #7666 on:** 20 Nov 2016, 03:42 pm »

neobop · « **Reply #7667 on:** 26 Nov 2016, 02:06 pm »

Sphere - On Tour

1986 Red Records

Charlie Rouse - tenor
Kenny Barron - piano
Buster Williams - bass
Ben Riley - drums

This is a great live LP. Both performance and recording are first rate. Recorded in Bologna Italy in '85 most of the applause is edited out so it's like listening to a studio recording in that respect. I always loved Charlie Rouse's style and tone when playing with Monk. Both he and Ben Riley fit right into this post Monk quartet. Kenny Barron plays in a kind of Tommy Flanagan vein only more intricate and with great improvisation. Kenny and the great Buster Williams were often a duet in the NY jazz scene, and the end result is very satisfying music.
neo

Bob2 · « **Reply #7668 on:** 26 Nov 2016, 02:25 pm »

neobop · « **Reply #7669 on:** 30 Nov 2016, 08:27 pm »

Lee Morgan Volume 3

1957 Blue Note

Lee Morgan - trumpet
Benny Golson - tenor
Gigi Gryce - alto sax, flute
Wynton Kelly - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Charlie Persip - drums

Super classic bop LP. Benny Golson wrote and arranged all the tunes.
neo

neobop · « **Reply #7670 on:** 2 Dec 2016, 02:29 am »

Tom Harrell - Stories

1988 Contemporary

Tom Harrell - flugelhorn
Bob Berg - tenor
Niels Lan Doky - piano
John Scofield guitar
Ray Drummond bass
Billy Hart - drums

Tom plays flugelhorn exclusively and wrote all the tunes on this LP. I wish he would have thrown in a couple of standards. They're called standards for a reason. In one sense a tune is just a vehicle for improvisation, but some of these have a ho hum mechanical quality. Bob Berg comes to the rescue near the beginning of the album and breathes some life into this. John Scofield adds a fusion/rock feel to 3 tunes and the whole affair has a nice groove on the last third of the LP.

If you're a bop fan don't expect Lee Morgan bugaloo or Freddie Hubbard fire. Tom was playing in Phil Woods' band when this was recorded and maybe the dark sounding flugelhorn was a break from that gig, but it doesn't always work.
neo

S Clark · « **Reply #7671 on:** 3 Dec 2016, 07:28 pm »

Wife is gone for the day, rainy outside, fire in the fireplace, listening to Dexter Gordon's "One Flight Up" which I picked up on Neo's recommendation. Thanks Neo!

hifi12002 · « **Reply #7672 on:** 4 Dec 2016, 12:27 am »

neobop · « **Reply #7673 on:** 14 Dec 2016, 04:03 am »

Quote from: S Clark on 3 Dec 2016, 07:28 pm

Wife is gone for the day, rainy outside, fire in the fireplace, listening to Dexter Gordon's "One Flight Up" which I picked up on Neo's recommendation. Thanks Neo!

Hi SC, my pleasure. Love that LP. Here's another one I like -

1982 Prestige

Dexter - tenor
Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
Cedar Walton - piano
Buster Williams - bass
Billy Higgins

Look at that line up. On first listen you might not realize how just how good they play. The guys are killing it and it's so effortless,
not sure what else to say.
neo

Toni Rambold · « **Reply #7674 on:** 15 Dec 2016, 09:14 pm »

Tina Brooks: True Blue

jsaliga · « **Reply #7675 on:** 20 Dec 2016, 11:27 pm »

Mobile Fidelity Sounds Labs 180g cut at 45RPM. To be honest I have had a love/hate relationship with MoFi over the years. Their releases are either excellent or awful, with very little middle ground in my experience. Thankfully they have shown great respect for the Miles Davis reissues they've been putting out on 180g vinyl. I've bought them all and haven't been disappointed yet.

--Jerome