[Asimov]

Count Basie : Atomic Basie

[Asimov]

Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington : Cote d'Azur Concerts On Verve
This is an eight-CD set more for Duke Ellington fanatics than for general listeners. Originally, some of the music came out as a two-LP set (Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur) and a single album (Ellington's Soul Call), but the great majority of the material was previously unreleased when this box came out in 1998. It contains all of the existing music from four concerts performed in France in 1966. Although Ella Fitzgerald gets first billing, she is only on 28 selections and is completely absent from discs one, three, four and eight, having just three songs on disc two. The 1966 Duke Ellington Orchestra included trumpeters Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson, trombonist Lawrence Brown and the remarkable reed section of Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves and Harry Carney; they are fortunately in fine form throughout, playing some standards but also plenty of lesser-known concert material including selections from "Such Sweet Thunder." Two of Ellington's alumni, cornetist Ray Nance and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, make notable guest appearances on the July 29 concert. The first seven discs are from four concerts, many selections are repeated, and even the verbal introductions by Duke tend to be similar -- but Ellington scholars will love comparing the different versions. The eighth disc has a rehearsal by the Ellington band from July 28 as the musicians run through "The Old Circus Train Turn-Around Blues," "Blue Fuse No. 1 and 2" and "The Shepherd." Ellington, producer Norman Granz and some of the musicians are heard commenting along the way. All of the music (except for a final version of "The Old Circus Train") is just excerpts from the arrangements. This disc is worth listening to closely once, but it is for the multiple live performances that Duke's fans will most want the box; pity that Ellington received second billing!
Review by Scott Yanow

[Asimov]

Art Pepper : The Intimate Art Pepper

[Asimov]

Count Basie : Count Basie's Finest Hour

[Asimov]

James Spaulding : The Smile of the Snake

[Asimov]

Jimmy Smith : Got My Mojo Working - Hoochie Cooche Man

[Asimov]

Art Pepper - Winter Moon

[Asimov]

Kenny Burrell - Generation

[Asimov]

Art Pepper & Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics

[Asimov]

Kenny Burrell : Kenny Burrell

[Asimov]

Milt Buckner & Andre Persiani : Pianistically Yours

[Asimov]

Milt Buckner & Hal Singer : Milt & Hal

[Asimov]

Cécile McLorin Salvant & Le Jean-Françoise Bonnel Paris Quintet
Album: Cecile

[CactusBob]

Stanley Turrentine  ~  New Time Shuffle

Blue Note Reissue, 1979



Baritone Saxophone – Mario Rivera, Pepper Adams
Bass – Bob Cranshaw, Ron Carter
Bass Clarinet – Al Gibbons
Clarinet – Pepper Adams
Drums – Mickey Roker, Ray Lucas
Flute – Al Gibbons, Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell
Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli, Julian Priester
Piano – Kenny Barron, McCoy Tyner
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell, Stanley Turrentine
Trombone – Garnett Brown, Julian Priester
Trumpet – Donald Byrd, Marvin Stamm

Recorded 1967

[Asimov]

Takuya Kuroda : Bitter and High

[CactusBob]

Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet

Prestige

[CactusBob]

Abbey Lincoln  ~  Straight Ahead

Jazzman, 1980 reissue



Vocals – Abbey Lincoln
Reeds – Eric Dolphy
Tenor Saxophone – Coleman Hawkins, Walter Benton
Trombone – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Booker Little
Piano – Mal Waldron
Bass – Art Davis
Drums - Max Roach

Recorded on February 22, 1961, N.Y.C.

[Asimov]

Art Pepper: Chili Pepper

[CactusBob]

Dave Holland Quintet  ~  Jumpin' In

ECM

[CactusBob]

Terje Rypdal  ~  Whenever I Seem to Be Far Away

ECM