Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Chet Baker (trumpet); Jodie Christian (piano); Victor Sproles (bass); Marshall Thompson (drums). Reissue producer: Michael Lang. Recorded at Robert Oaks Jordan And Associates Recorders, Chicago, Illinois on February 16, 1958. Originally released on Verve (MGV 8263). Includes liner notes by James Isaacs and original release liner notes by Nat Hentoff.

Full title: Sings The Gershwin Song Book. Personnel includes: Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Nelson Riddle (conductor); Benny Carter (alsto saxophone); Plas Johnson (tenor saxophone); Buddy Collette (woodwinds); Paul Smith, Loe Levy (piano); Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel (guitar); Joe Mondragon (bass); Mel Lewis, Alvin Stoller (drums); Larry Bunker (percussion). All tracks have been digitally remastered using 20-bit technology from the original master tapes. This is part of the Verve Master Edition series. The paradox of Ella Fitzgerald's prominence in the history of jazz singing and her lack of emotional intensity is much less apparent on this album. George Gershwin's affinity with jazz, and the corresponding delight jazz musicians take in performing his material, allow the singer to fly with the music. As for brother Ira's lyrics, they receive their due as cheerful, tender and always delightful examples of the lyricist's art. The Songbook series remains one of Ella Fitzgerald's major contributions - among many - to American popular music and this in particular is one of the best of the sizeable bunch.

The man with the golden lips and the soul full of pain is back with his idiosyncratic style of music. Originally released in the late '60s, Bitches Brew has been remastered and re-released. In addition, the rare track "Feio" is included as a bonus song. The original fusion sound that typified Miles Davis' work is alive and well on this collectible album. Along with a booklet stuffed full of hard-to-find photos, you'll also uncover the truth about the making of the legendary album.

Volume 1 of the two-volume Genius of Modern Music set comprises the first sessions Thelonious Monk recorded as a leader, on October 15 and 24 and November 21 of 1947. It's impossible to overstate the importance of these sessions. They include some of the earliest recordings of Monk compositions that would become standards, despite their angularity and technical difficulty: the strange, sideways chord progression of "Thelonious"; the bouncy and cheerful but melodically cockeyed "Well, You Needn't"; the post-bop Bud Powell tribute "In Walked Bud"; and, of course, "'Round Midnight," which is now one of the most frequently recorded jazz compositions ever. There are kinks to be worked out: Art Blakey's drumming is fine, but he obviously hasn't quite taken the measure of Monk's compositional genius, and on the November session, alto saxophonist Sahib Shihab employs a fat, warbly tone that sounds out of place. But the excitement of discovery permeates every measure, and Monk himself is in top form, his solos jagged and strange, yet utterly beautiful. This first volume of Genius of Modern Music, along with the second, belongs in every jazz collection. ~ Rick Anderson

Although never formally signed, an oral agreement between John Coltrane and Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion was indeed honored on Blue Train -- Coltrane's only collection of sides as a principal artist for the venerable label. The disc is packed solid with sonic evidence of Coltrane's innate leadership abilities. He not only addresses the tunes at hand, but also simultaneously reinvents himself as a multifaceted interpreter of both hard bop as well as sensitive balladry -- touching upon all forms in between. The personnel on Blue Train is arguably as impressive as what they're playing. Joining Coltrane (tenor sax) are Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Kenny Drew (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). The triple horn arrangements incorporate an additional sonic density that remains a trademark unique to both this band and album. Of particular note is Fuller's even-toned trombone, which bops throughout the title track as well as the frenetic "Moments Notice." Other solos include Paul Chambers' subtly understated riffs on "Blue Train" as well as the high energy and impact from contributions by Lee Morgan and Kenny Drew during "Locomotion." The track likewise features some brief but vital contributions from Philly Joe Jones -- whose efforts throughout the record stand among his personal best. Of the five sides that comprise the original Blue Train, the Jerome Kern/Johnny Mercer ballad "I'm Old Fashioned" is the only standard; in terms of unadulterated sentiment, this version is arguably untouchable. Fuller's rich tones and Drew's tastefully executed solos cleanly wrap around Jones' steadily languid rhythms. Without reservation, Blue Train can easily be considered in and among the most important and influential entries not only of John Coltrane's career, but of the entire genre of jazz music as well. [In 2003, an expanded edition of Blue Train was released, boasting marginally better sound than previous issues, plus the alternate takes issued on the 1997 version. It failed, however, to include another feature of the 1997 Ultimate Blue Train release, "At Least Listen," an interactive CD-ROM program featuring video clips and interview clips with Fuller circa 1995, as well as many brilliant photographs taken during the recording sessions.] ~ Lindsay Planer

Personnel: Max Roach (drums), Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute), Clifford Jordan (tenor saxophone), Booker Little (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone), Mal Waldron (piano), Art Davis (bass). Additional personnel: Carlos Valdez (congas), Carlos Eugenio (cowbell). Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna. Recorded in New York in August 1961. Includes liner notes by Margo Guryan. Digitally remastered by Paul Elmore. All music written by Max Roach except "Mendacity" (Max Roach/C. Bayen). PERCUSSION BITTER SWEET is one of drummer/composer Max Roach's great musical-cultural statements, featuring wife Abbey Lincoln's powerful vocals on the tumultuous "Garvey's Ghost" (with its powerful Afro-Cuban percussive airs), and the prickly, straight shooting protest of "Mendacity." Roach's musical dream team band features several innovative players, such as the legendary reedman Eric Dolphy and the extraordinary young trumpeter Booker Little, both of whom died untimely deaths in the early '60s. Roach and bassist Art Davis redefine the jazz beat in their own image, a truly unique rhythm section, and their 7-beat swing on "Man From South Africa" inspires some of the best playing on the session--as vivid and modern sounding today as it was 30 years ago.

Full performer name: Dizzy Gillespie/Sonny Rollins/Sonny Stitt. Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet, vocals); Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt (tenor saxophone); Ray Bryant (piano); Tommy Bryant (bass); Charlie Persip (drums). Recorded at Nola Recording Studio, New York, New York on December 19, 1957. Includes liner notes by Loren Schoenberg and Nat Hentoff. All tracks have been digitally remasterd. This is part of the Verve Master Editions series. Recorded a little over a week after the sessions which produced DUETS, SONNY SIDE UP brings tenor saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt together on the same bandstand so to speak, with trumpeter Gillespie acting as the brass referee. The chemistry between these two saxophone giants is most keenly felt on Stitt's swift, jabbing composition "The Eternal Triangle," where a series of Parkerish changes and melodic ideas forms the basis for one fiery solo after another. Gillespie is in a particularly feisty mood, concluding his racehorse solo with some melodic fireworks before giving way to pianist Bryant and engaging drummer Charlie Persip in a rhythmic duel. The standard "I Know That You Know" is a given a similarly rigorous workout, enlivened by Stitt's stop time intro, and Gillespie's upper-register flurries. The opening ballad "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" is the kind of relaxed vehicle that whets a jazzman's appetite to blow, while Avery Parish's classic "After Hours" provides a wonderful opportunity for great blues players to really dig down deep and strut their stuff. Dizzy's solo here is a stunning example of his blues mastery.

 

Throwing time signatures around as though they are loose change, The Dave Brubeck Quartet is one of the most challenging - and fun - jazz bands to listen to. For that reason alone it is a blessing that Time Out is re-mastered and ready for another generation of eager ears. And besides being innovators when it came to writing their songs, these cats can flat-out play. "Strange Meadow Lark" is a bright and moving ballad, while "Take Five" is simply hypnotic. This band seems to get forgotten when discussing the best jazz of the '50s; something this reissue will surely change.

This classic jazz album embodies the romantic side of the genre. Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto, his wife and singer Astrud Gilberto and fellow countryman, pianist and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, gathered with tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, as well as other musicians, in New York to record this album in 1963. Aptly titled Getz/Gilberto, the guitar and saxophone seem to reflect the city at night - a gentle backdrop punctuated by distant yet comforting sounds. Add Jobim's keyboard flourishes and Astrud Gilberto's silken voice on wonderful songs like "Corcovado (Quiet Night of Quiet Stars)" and you've got the ultimate collection for "floating on the silence that surrounds..." you.

Personnel: John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor, Lex Humphries, Jimmy Cobb (drums).Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York, New York on April 1, May 4 and December 2, 1959. Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff.John Coltrane's maiden voyage for Atlantic Records was the fulfillment of all the potential he'd demonstrated with Miles, Monk and on his own Prestige recordings. Recorded in May 1959 (one month after completing Davis' KIND OF BLUE), GIANT STEPS is Coltrane's first recital to feature nothing but his own original compositions, and is the culmination of his obsessive foray into harmony. By taking all of the notes in a chord--and trying to find every possible inversion and relevant substitution--the saxophonist was forced to develop a complex new form of melodic phrasing that enabled him to rhythmically crowd every permutation into a single phrase.The effect is not only technically impressive, but an emotional marvel as well. On equestrian events such as the up-tempo title tune and "Countdown," Coltrane blazes through the changes with a torrential effusion of ideas, each phrase connected to the next with unerring logic and a sublime sense of symmetry. Every note in the lower, middle and upper register of his horn is articulated with power, precision and a variety of expressive timbres. His manipulation of overtones and multiphonics imparts a hair-raising vocal immediacy to his cry, and each solo culminates in a stirring emotional catharsis. This is bebop to the tenth power.But the joy of Coltrane's art is not predicated on its intellectual dexterity. The charming stop-time cadences of "Syeeda's Song Flute" depict an upbeat, child-like disposition, inspiring a particularly celebratory Coltrane solo. The vamping figures of "Cousin Mary" and "Mr. P.C." lead to solos permeated with blues fervor. And of course, there's "Naima" (written for John's first wife), one of the saxophonist's tenderest, most enduring themes, with a melody that floats above Tommy Flanagan's serene chordal colors like a solitary cloud at dusk.

The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of MOANIN' includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Art Blakey (drums); Benny Golson (tenor saxophone); Lee Morgan (trumpet); Bobby Timmons (piano); Jymie Merritt (bass). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna. Recorded on October 30, 1958. All tracks have been digitally remastered using 24-bit technology. If you simply can only have one Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers disc (and why would you stop there?), it absolutely must be MOANIN'. This 1958 Blue Note date is the cream of the early Messengers' studio sessions. The group of this period featured the wailing Lee Morgan (trumpet), the swinging Benny Golson (sax) and the soulful Bobby Timmons (piano) with longtime bassist Jymie Merritt by Blakey's side. All of the pieces fell into place here to create one of the most hard-swinging, blues-inflected records in jazz history. Timmons' classic title cut sets the pace as it's laid-back call-and-response chorus and swinging bridge will get in your soul and start your head bobbing. Golson's bouncing "Are You Real" and the subtle "Along Came Betty" feature that golden Messengers ensemble sound that can't be matched as Blakey drives his men mercilessly. The most dynamic tracks, of course, are the drum feature "The Drum Thunder Suite," a Blakey tour-de-force, and the powerful "Blues March" featuring Art's signature shuffle groove. A delightful reading of the standard "Come Rain Or Come Shine" caps it all off. This is the one to get first.

Personnel: Chet Baker (vocals, trumpet); Russ Freeman (piano); Joe Mondragon, Carson Smith, Jimmy Bond (bass); Shelly Manne, Bob Neel, Peter Littman, Lawrence Marable (drums). Producer: Richard Bock. Compilation producer: Michael Cuscuna. Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California on October 27, 1953; Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California on February 15, 1954 and March 7, 1955; The Forum Theatre, Los Angeles, California on July 23 and July 30, 1956. Includes liner notes by Will Friedwald.