Album of the Evening

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Eddie Harris - There Was Time - Echo of Harlem

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Here's something that may appeal to a wide group: Charles Brown. He was active for a long time. Was very popular in the 40s. Big influence on Ray Charles, for example. One of his later albums I particularly like is "Just A Lucky So And So":

- relaxed but groovy atmosphere (as always with him) 

- fine players in fine sound

- good song selection

 

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Liked this album so much that I ripped a song and posted it on youtube to share it. Unfortunately, I don't think it is available on CD/Streaming. More about Durham here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Durham

 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

On 11/8/2020 at 8:04 AM, AudioDoctor said:

I love this album. Thanks to whoever recommended it. 
 

 

 

In his  biography "Song of the Hawk", John Chilton mentions this as one of Hawkins' favorite "latterday" recordings. 

 

Here's the relevant passage:

 

 

"The most relaxed performances from Hawkins during this period occur on the Impulse album "Today and Now" (recorded in September 1962); the quartet share an identical mood and Tommy Flanagan follows every nuance of Hawk's flowing improvisations to perfection. Hawk's tone is as cavernous as ever, but there isn't a dreg of harshness in his delivery on this album, and the ballads "Quintessence" and "Don't Love Me" contain superior performances. Hawkins projects the haunting and sophisticated theme of "Love Song From Apache" superbly, making it the outstanding track. The faster tunes are swinging versions of old 'sing-along' numbers. Hawk's technique seems at its most effortless on "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree", and his long, involved phrases sound seamless, but "Swingin' Scotch" seems a little contrived and the rocking send-off for "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" gradually palls during the overlong (ten minutes) version. This was an album that Hawkins enjoyed making and, for years afterwards, he cited it as one of his favorite latterday recordings. "

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Here's another nice Hawkins album, from 1958, with an all-star "modern" cast

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean_Bags?wprov=sfla1

 

 

 

 

Another which may have wider appeal, and which I like a lot but may be lesser known, is his collaboration with Red Allen on "High Standards", showing that these old timers, who started playing before music was even recorded (!) aged quite well.  It dates from around the same time. If you have never heard Henry "Red" Allen, its worth a listen. 

 

https://www.discogs.com/Coleman-Hawkins-Red-Allen-Volume-Two-High-Standards/release/5587036

 

 

The album was reissued and is available on streaming sites (ex: Spotify), packaged with an earlier collaboration ("Warhorses") which is more dixieland oriented. 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Swing's The Thing - Illinois Jacquet

 

https://link.tospotify.com/r9f0TqAzGbb

 

Recorded in 1956. Sound is very good. 

 

Illinois Jacquet - tenor saxophone

Roy Eldridge - trumpet

Jimmy Jones - piano

Herb Ellis - guitar

Ray Brown - bass

Jo Jones - drums

 

 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Here's a fun album to listen to: Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis - Con Soul & Sax. Recorded in 1965. Good Sound, good music. It is available on Spotify, so should also be on other streaming services. Johnny Hodges needs no introduction. The two of them collaborated on a number of albums in the 60s. Wild Bill Davis also played with Duke Ellington (on "New Orleans Suite") and has quite a lot of albums on his own, which I have not yet listened to. Here's his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Davis

 

Groovy track:

 

 

• Wild Bill Davis - Organ
• Johnny Hodges - Alto Saxophone
• Mundell Lowe, Dickie Thompson - Guitar
• Milt Hinton - Bass
• Osie Johnson - Drums

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernestine_Anderson

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

 

Starts off very slowly and picks up after a minute and a half, so make sure to listen to it all :)

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Tiny Grimes !

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Grimes

 

 

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Ugh... What's the deal with these modern singers who cannot sing? 

 

Here's an oldie but goodie (one of her best albums) 

 

 

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Alberta Hunter - Amtrak Blues

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Hunter?wprov=sfla1

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

 

Every song on the album is good! 

AllMusic review:

"It is hard to believe that Ernestine Anderson was within a few months of her eightieth birthday at the time of this 2008 session, but she shows the wisdom of a veteran vocalist in her interpretations of this collection of standards, ballads, and pop songs, often proving that less is indeed more. Well complemented by tenor saxophonist Houston Person (who was an important presence on so many of the late vocalist Etta Jones' albums), pianist LaFayette Harris, bassist Chip Jackson, and drummer Willie Jones, Anderson sings with a confidence that makes each song sound like a first take. She masters the catchy midtempo setting of "Make Someone Happy," a piece often played painfully slow in order to get a sense of drama, but her upbeat treatment is a fine alternative. She knows how to sing a ballad, demonstrated in her richly textured and soulful rendition of the timeless "Skylark." She is equally at home with pop material like Leon Russell's "A Song for You" and her superb, very deliberate take of "Candy," with soulful fills inserted by Person. This is a potent effort by a singer who remains very much in her prime."

 

Her previous album is also very good. 

 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

"An Evening with Earl Hines" is a club date of the Earl Hines Trio (with Tiny Grimes on guitar on some tracks) recorded in 1972. 

 

Amazing to think that Hines started recording in 1923, so 50 years earlier. 

 

This is a really good set, fun to listen to, with Hines giving some lengthy and "rocking" interpretation of classics that should get your feet tapping and your fingers snapping. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The album is available on Qobuz:

https://open.qobuz.com/album/zs0i3k14luuhc

 

Sound quality is good (for a club recording). 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Forgot to mention that Hines is also acommpanied on some tracks by the singer Marva Josie. I don't know anything about her, but she certainly can sing. It seems most of her recordings were done with Hines in the 70s

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marva_Josie?wprov=sfla1

 

There are only two titles of hers available on YouTube. I wonder what her story is. 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

Here's another old timer, associated to Earl Hines early on in his career, but who did not record much:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Smalls?wprov=sfla1

 

His last two albums, recorded in the 70s in France, are available on Qobuz and are worth checking out. 

 

 

https://open.qobuz.com/album/3448961093520

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7 hours ago, JoeWhip said:

If you like Nancy Harrow, check out Kay Starr, another under appreciated gem.

 

 

Recorded in October 1961. Personnel is:

 

Ben Webster - tenor saxophone

Manny Klein - trumpet

Gerald Wiggins - piano

Al Hendrickson - guitar

Joe Comfort - bass

Lee Young - drums

 

Solos are very brief. You can hear Webster on "I Cry By Night" and "More Than You Know", for example. The music is nice, but not terribly exciting. All the tracks have a similar "mood".

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

53 minutes ago, JoeWhip said:

Sorry you didn’t like it. No money back guarantees though.

 

LOL. I like it, the singing is very nice just that the music has that mellow cocktail party mood :) 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

12 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

This is just good music! It's a shame she never became very popular.

 

 

 

Her Wikipedia page explains that she took a break from 1963 to 1975 to raise her children, after having recorded only two albums. In 1975 the music scene was very different than when she left it. If you were not already a big name in jazz by then it would have been close to impossible to make it big as a jazz singer by the mid seventies. 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

On Qobuz there are multiple releases available. The "Craft Recordings" release of 2021 sounds better, to my years, than the others: 

 

https://play.qobuz.com/album/peuka852xgcdc

 

Avoid this one at all cost:

 

https://play.qobuz.com/album/so73msqhzv75a

 

 

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7 hours ago, EuroChamp said:

The Ben Webster Quintet

Soulville [24_192]

Verve

Qobuz

 

 

 

 

You can hear Ben Webster playing piano on this album (tracks 8 to 10) !

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

French rapper MC Solaar is best appreciated for his lyrics, but the music and rap flow is excellent as well: https://play.qobuz.com/album/ha029b80ux67b

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC_Solaar

 

 

 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

 

Album is well recorded.

 

Qobuz:  https://play.qobuz.com/album/ndgq79proir3b

 

Liner notes on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/cd_nat-king-cole-sings-george-shearing-plays_nat-king-cole-george-shearing

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Shirley Horn - Live at Monterey

 

https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-1994-monterey-jazz-festival-mw0000581075

 

AllMusic review is spot on. In addition the quality of the recording is very good.

 

 

It is unfortunately not available on streaming services (though it is listed on Spotify, the tracks are in fact unavailable). You'll have to purchase the CD, which is what I did. 

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

In the news... NATO's Jens Stoltenberg's daughter is one half of this two person effort. Not my cup of tea, but perhaps someone else will git it