The Bebop Shop : New Releases
The Very Thought Of You features a stellar quartet ideal for a session that calls for a light touch combined with the soul-stirring depth of feeling that Turre brings to everything that he plays. Turre is joined by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Willie Jones III, supplemented on four of the pieces by a string octet conducted by veteran arranger Marty Sheller. An outstanding pair of guests, legendary tenor saxophonist George Coleman and guitar great Russell Malone, both lend their breathtaking mastery to the music as well. (Proper Music) Price: £17.99
Houston Person's tenor tone is smooth, warm and easy-going, and the duo format brings out his romantic side. Ron Carter, meanwhile, is in complete charge of the music's harmony and rhythm, well aware of the manifold accompaniment possibilities each tune presents, and able to move seamlessly between an astounding number of those possibilities. So if you want to hear two masters at work, playing off and for each other, this is the place to be. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
The jazz piano trio, a specialism with its own lineage and admirers, is currently alive and well thanks to the artists such as those here on 'Kaleidoscope'. A keyboard master such as Cyrus Chestnut can imbue this tried-and-true format - whose practitioners range from Jelly Roll Morton to Robert Glasper - with a relevance for today's listeners and expand its parameters without losing sight of its historic past.
Through it all Cyrus Chestnut emerges as a multi-faceted artist who, using the venerable jazz piano trio format, can refract the past through his own imagination and create something new which is always fresh and exciting. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
Trumpeter Alex Ridout is already making heads turn, winning the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 2016 when just 17 years old. 18 year old alto player Sean Payne was a finalist in the first of those awards when he was 14. Both musicians were heard by Clark at the Purcell School of Music some years ago and are currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music. On piano is Elliott Sansom, who recently graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire where Clark regularly teaches and he was also a finalist in the BBC jazz awards. Bassist James Owston is still studying at Birmingham where he is tutored by Arnie Somogyi and Mark Hodgson.
Recorded in April of 2018, this recording, which is Clark's 15th under his own name, has two original tunes by the horn players and three tunes which allow the musicians to stretch out. In their first year, under Clark's guidance, the quintet have performed at a number of major venues including Ronnie Scott's Club and the Pizza Express, along with festivals such as Swanage and the South Coast Jazz Festival. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
“This is the chill-out as a state of grace, and it can go as deep as you like. Sublime,” wrote the Independent on Sunday of the Gustavsen’s trio’s Being There, released in 2007. Over the last decade Tord has explored other ensemble forms and formats, but on The Other Side - recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in January 2018 – he opens a new chapter in his piano trio story, with faithful drummer Jarle Vespestad, and excellent new bassist Sigurd Hole. Hole’s approach to his instrument, drawing on folk influences as well as modern jazz, is ideally suited to Gustavsen’s slowly-developing, deeply melodic pieces. (ECM Records) Price: £14.99
The suite is a textured, measured and deeply layered work for trumpet and vocal that also features SNJO improvisers stepping out from the orchestra to take the spotlight. It quickly develops from an understated introduction into an expansive essay in complex jazz, and it epitomizes Wheeler's mastery of harmonic contrast, rhythmic changes and melodic clarity.
Wheeler often composed by noting down ideas and fragments whenever and wherever they occurred to him; a method that he was seen to employ while recording and touring with Tommy Smith and his group. These fragments grew into interconnecting pieces, lovingly shaped into layers of light, colour, tone and texture. If there is any stitching in the unhurried arrangement then it is nevertheless quite invisible to the naked ear.
There is a subtle sense adventure in Wheeler's writing, and Laura Jurd is a gifted player who brings her own compass to this reading of Kenny Wheeler's sonic map. The piece also features voice parts, which featured prominently throughout Wheeler's long composing career. Irini Arabatzi fully embraces the sympathetic, almost reassuring intent in Wheeler's writing. It is soul searching without bitterness or melancholy, and there is, if anything, the suggestion of a certain kind of joi de vivre that is often inwardly, yet intensely felt by quiet people. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
New York composer, trombonist & alto flugelhornist Scott Reeves' Jazz Orchestra has been hard at work since 2008, but it was only in 2016 with the release of the group's debut recording, "Portraits and Places," that a wider audience was offered a peek at Reeves' broad and sophisticated talents. With outstanding New York musicians, including saxophonists Steve Wilson and Tim Armacost, pianist Jim Ridl and vocalist Carolyn Leonhart, Scott's music offers an inspired approach to big band writing, combining a contemporary harmonic palette and non-traditional forms with infectious, swinging grooves and great soloing by world-class jazz artists. "Without a Trace" features arrangements of standards such as Kurt Weill's "Speak Low," and "All or Nothing At All," along with Wayne Shorter's "Juju", and then four Reeves originals, including "Something for Thad," a tribute to the great Thad Jones.
"...a keen ear for melody, harmony and counterpoint...his compositions are sophisticated yet accessible, his arrangements scrupulously burnished and invariably engaging." - ALL ABOUT JAZZ. (Proper Music) Price: £14.99
On this recording, the orchestra was on its last date of a European tour and it pulled out all the stops in a fiery big-band blowout. This is extroverted, aggressively confident big band music, meant to dazzle and delight. The driving rhythm section was given centre stage on Gillespie's "Tanga" whereby a lengthy section of solos by drummer Ignacio Berroa, master percussionist Airto Moreira and ace conga man Giovanni Hidalgo brought the house down once again. This CD/DVD digipack includes a booklet with detailed liner notes of the concert. (Wienerworld) Price: £13.99
Over a quarter of a century later, 'Symphony Hall, Birmingham 1991' offers up music still astonishingly fresh and contemporary, full of rich colours and textures, vibrant rhythms and inspired solos. This double album represents an essential addition to the catalogues of both Mike Gibbs and John Scofield.
1000 copies limited edition pressing. High quality digipack packaging, including an 8-page booklet with notes by Ian Mann and archive images. (Proper Music) Price: £15.99
The concert recording, over 90 minutes long, captures the Gary Burton Quartet performing classic original compositions by Gibbs, Burton and the Quartet's Steve Swallow at the mainstream music festival held in Belfast, November 1969 (1967's headliner was Jimi Hendrix)..Gibbs' band for the festival featured Chris Pyne, Kenny Wheeler, Trevor Barber, Alan Skidmore, Ray Warleigh, Tony Roberts and Chris Spedding..As a bonus Turtle Records is able to offer from Gibbs' own archive a 55 - minute recording of his Big Band earlier the same year at Lancaster University. Here, the band line-up comprised John Surman , Mike Osborne, Alan Skidmore, Henry Lowther, Roderick Toal, Chris Pyne, Dick Hart, Frank Ricotti, Mike Pyne, Phillip Lee, Jack Bruce and John Marshall..While the Lancaster recording circulated online in MP3 form in the 90s, this audio has been carefully mastered from non-compressed files and restored for the first time, under Mike Gibbs' supervision, to its original speed and at the original pitch..This package further boasts a major essay on Gibbs' early career, by John McLaughlin biographer Colin Harper, with fresh interview material from Gibbs enhanced with photos from Gibbs' own archive and contemporary cuttings. (Proper Music) Price: £19.99
Audiophile grade 180g vinyl. Price: £22.99
It feels like AVID Jazz are moving into the modern era with our latest release by David "Fathead" Newman. Don't let the nickname fool you, it was given to him while messing about at school and stuck ever since! He was a great jazz musician with a beautiful bluesy tone. Newman began his musical career primarily as a sideman in rhythm and blues bands in the 1950s. His playing style comes from the Texas tenor school of big bluesy toned blowing similar to Don Wilkerson (AMSC 1285 Classic Tenors). It was when Wilkerson left the Lowell Fulson band in which Newman was playing baritone sax, that he took up the tenor. Newman also met his long-time friend and major collaborator Ray Charles (AMSC798, 1233 and 1276) in 1951 while the two men were playing with Fulson. David Newman's solos can be heard all over the work of Ray Charles during the 1950s and early 1960s, in fact he became crucial to the Ray Charles sound. Although maybe not as innovative a player as some others, our four selections show off the fabulous blues rich sound of the Newman tenor. He can be heard with many great names from the era including Ray Charles himself on piano, James Clay, Hank Crawford, Marcus Belgrave, Milton Turner, Wynton Kelly, Arthur Taylor, Paul Chambers and Charlie Persip. (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
Finally and not before time (you might say), AVID welcomes one of the true giants of jazz to its catalogue, Mr Lester Young, or "Pres" (as named by his long-time friend and musical collaborator, Billie Holiday), as he was known to fellow musicians and fans alike. There is not much to say about Lester Young that has not been said before, he was certainly one of the most influential jazz musicians who ever lived and he really did exemplify the image of the cool jazz musician with his heavy lidded appearance, his famed pork pie hat and the ever present, fag smoke wafting into view. His playing was cool and mellow and brilliant and we have chosen to highlight it in our four albums where he can be heard in collaboration with other great musicians including Oscar Peterson, Buddy Rich, Nat King Cole, Teddy Wilson and Harry "Sweets" Edison. The list of players he has influenced would have to include Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Al Cohn and Paul Quinichette.(AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
Shirley Luster, Sharon Leslie and finally using the name that would bring her world-wide renown, June Christy, began her singing career at age just thirteen when she joined the local Illinois orchestra of Bill Oetzel. In 1945 after hearing that Anita O'Day would be leaving the Stan Kenton Orchestra she auditioned and successfully got the gig that would lead her to jazz stardom. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s she played, toured and recorded with the Kenton orchestra and it was while she was still with the outfit that she began her solo recording career. The high regard she was held in can be seen by the incredible line up of jazz musicians who are featured on our four fine selections. The first three are arranged and conducted by her long-time collaborator, the mighty Pete Rugolo (AMSC1176) and the fourth "Ballads For Night People" by her husband Bob Cooper (AMSC1180) who is also heard playing tenor sax and clarinet. Perhaps not surprisingly after her classic album "Something Cool" became a great success, June Christy became known as the singer from the "cool school" which was taking hold on the U.S. West Coast. Musicians you will hear on our selections include the following... Pete Rugolo, Bob Cooper, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Jimmy Giuffre, Conte Candoli, Russ Freeman, Shelly Manne, Buddy Collette, Frank Rosolino, Maynard Ferguson, John Graas, Red Callender, Stan Levey and Mel Lewis. (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
We love the sound of the vibes here at AVID Acres! There is a very small and very elite list of classic vibes players and Cal Tjader is certainly high up on that list. Primarily known as a Latin jazz musician, Cal was however a fine straight ahead cool jazz musician as our four fine selections will show. Take a listen to Tjader Plays Tjazz where the great man switches from vibes to drums on a cooled out straight ahead jazz set. For more cool, fun sounds try San Francisco Moods where Cal and gang capture the special atmosphere of his adopted city, San Francisco on an excellent, mostly Tjader composed set. And live, he was something else, as the double album set Concert By The Sea Volumes 1 & 2, considerd by many to be one of the high points of Cal's career will show. Here Cal returns to his Latin influenced jazz to fabulously exhilarating effect, alongside such fine Latin musicians as Eddie Duran, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo. (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
This, in turn, piqued the interest of the Versailles label, which asked René to record a new trio album, which he led with hard swinging imagination. There is a free-wheeling, coasting sort of feeling to his playing that is, still today, truly exhilarating. He was described by André Hodeir as “one of the European musicians who swings the best.” Listening to these recordings, there’s little doubt why René Urtreger was the favorite accompanist of most of the American stars who visited Paris in the prolific jazz scene of the Fifties and early Sixties. A true living legend. (Discovery Records) Price: £12.99
This great-value 49-track collection focuses on her early years as she established her reputation performing with various orchestras and bandleaders, as well as making her first solo recordings and having her first chart successes, before she joined Columbia Records in early 1949.
It features performances with some of the greats of the era, including Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Teddy Wilson, Dickie Wells Tadd Dameron, Lester Young and others, as she recorded for several different labels – Continental, Guild, Musicraft, Crown, Gotham and Hot Record Society – plus ‘live’ recordings. (Discovery Records) Price: £12.99
This recording was originally broadcast on CHQM-FM and has been transferred from the original 10" reels to reveal a sterling sonic experience. Aside from Resonance's companion piece, Funk in France, being released simultaneously with this recording, this is only the 4th live recording released of the under-appreciated jazz guitar hero. Captured 3 years after the classic Live at the Lighthouse album released on Blue Note in 1972, this also marks the latest known official live Grant Green recording available. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
The first week of March in 1963 was busy for John Coltrane. He was in the midst of a two-week run at Birdland and was gearing up to record the famed John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album, which he did on March 7. But there was a session the day before that was the stuff of legend, until now. On Wednesday, March 6, Coltrane and the quartet went to Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, NJ and cut a complete album's worth of material, including several original compositions that were never recorded elsewhere. They spent the day committing these to tape, taking time with some, rehearsing them two, three times, playing them in different ways and in different configurations.
At the end of the day, Coltrane left Van Gelder Studios with a reference tape and brought it to the home in Queens that he shared with his wife, Naima. These tapes remained untouched for the next 54 years until Impulse! approached the family about finally releasing this lost album. Though the master tape was never found-Rudy Van Gelder wasn't one for clutter-the reference tape was discovered to be in excellent condition.
As the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins so rightly put it, "This is like finding a new room in the Great Pyramid." The musical implications of this album, the original compositions, the arrangements, the band, the year it was recorded, all amount to a rediscovery and re-contextualization of one of the most important musicians of our time.
Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album is a major addition to the Coltrane catalogue and the most important jazz discovery in recent memory. (Universal Music) Price: £13.99
On this album, there are two completely unknown and never-before-heard originals. "Untitled Original 11383" and "Untitled Original 11386," both played on soprano sax. "11383" features an arco bass solo by Jimmy Garrison, a relative rarity, and "11386" marks a significant structural change for the quartet, in that they keep returning to the theme between solos, not typical in the quartet's repertoire (heard in additional takes on this deluxe edition).
In addition to the two unheard originals, "One Up, One Down" - released previously only on a bootleg recording from Birdland - is heard here as a studio recording for the first and only time. It contains a fascinating exchange between Elvin Jones and Coltrane.
"Impressions", one of Coltrane's most famous and oft-recorded compositions, is played here in a piano-less trio. In fact, McCoy Tyner lays out a number of times during this recording session. It's one of the more interesting aspects of this session and reflects the harmonic possibilities that Coltrane was known to be discussing regularly with Ornette Coleman around this time (also heard in additional takes on this deluxe edition).
This studio session also yielded Coltrane's first recording of "Nature Boy," which he would record again in 1965, and the two versions differ greatly. The one we know is exploratory, meandering. This version is tight, solo-less and clocking in at just over three minutes. The other non-original composition on the album is "Vilia," from Franz Lehár's operetta "The Merry Widow". The soprano version on the Deluxe Edition is the only track from this session to have been previously released.
This incredible, once-in-a-lifetime discovery reveals a number of creative balances at work, like developing original melodies while rethinking familiar standards. Like trying out some tunes first on tenor saxophone, then on soprano. Using older techniques like the arpeggio runs of his "sheets of sound" while experimenting with false fingerings and other newer sounds. This session was pivotal, though to call it such overlooks the fact Coltrane was ever on pivot, always pushing the pedal down while still calling on older, tested ideas and devices. (Universal Music) Price: £17.99
The Still Dreaming ensemble performed a series of critically praised international dates in 2017. The Columbus Dispatch said, 'Whether exploring the limits of improvisation or establishing an emotional tone, the group… relied on a dialogue based on listening, respect, and generosity… Its emotional travel was the result of the intuition shared by all four musicians. That dialogue, after all, was at the center of Coleman's innovations.' (Warner Music) Price: £13.99
As on their live debut recording, Sound Prints features pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Joey Baron. The super group heads off into swinging, heartfelt and sophisticated new territory inspired by saxophonist giant Wayne Shorter. Two of Shorter's pieces receive special treatment. A truly fantastic and original group playing new originals and music by Shorter. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
All the compositions on Music IS were composed by Frisell, some are brand-new - Change in the Air, Thankful, What Do You Want, Miss You and Go Happy Lucky - others are solo adaptions of now classic original compositions Frisell has previously recorded - In Line, Rambler, Ron Carter, Pretty Stars, Monica Jane, and The Pioneers. The focus of Music IS is on the telling of musical stories from Frisell’s original and inimitable perspective. The end result is Frisell at his most distilled and fully realised. (Sony Music) Price: £13.99
Pelt's group is that rarest of all things in jazz, a working band, and the communication that comes from extensive time spent playing together is evident. All the players are among the foremost 30-something neo-bop players in jazz today giving the group an all-star-type reputation with a well-rehearsed sound that comes only with familiarity and countless gigs.
Pelt's own playing has earned accolades for his staggering virtuosity, which has elicited comparisons to trumpet icons like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, as well as for his studious, cerebral approach to the music. On this particular night in Paris, Pelt focused all his attention on creating the perfect phrase to fit each musical moment, sculpting long lines that let the music breathe and while building spontaneous ideas into finely-crafted miniatures.(Proper Music) Price: £13.99
Consisting of six Hersch originals and two significant compositions apiece from Thelonious Monk ("We See," "Blue Monk") and Wayne Shorter ("Miyako," "Black Nile"), Live in Europe demonstrates how a working trio breathes as one. Live in Europe finds the trio in near telepathic communion. While each band member is a virtuoso player, individual bravura is always subordinate to group interplay. Lyricism, open-eared interaction and a respect for the power of space are all invaluable components of the trio's identity. In such performances as the frisky "Skipping," the affecting ballad, "Bristol Fog" (dedicated to the late British pianist John Taylor), the joyous "Newklypso (dedicated to Hersch's hero Sonny Rollins) and the bluesy tribute to New Orleans "The Big Easy," Hersch, Hébert and McPherson give a master class in ensemble communication, uniting as one yet allowing each other to freely react with spontaneous invention. A masterful solo encore of "Blue Monk" spotlights the depth of Hersch's undiminished improvisational skills and expressive powers. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
Taking its title from Hindu philosophy, the Sanskrit Moksha refers to emancipation from the cycle of death and rebirth - to ultimate freedom from earthbound cares and ignorance leading to self-realization and self-knowledge - a form of release recognisable in great music too.
Ivo's own music has been somewhat in the shade of his other successful and better known projects. Moksha allows him to step into the full sun with a bright and beautiful new work. Ivo's sound is contemporary and modern and undeniably his. With Moksha, he has produced an album of sheer brilliance and class. (Edition Records) Price: £13.99
“Awase”, a term from martial arts, means “moving together” in the sense of matching energies, a fitting metaphor for the dynamic precision, tessellated grooves and balletic minimalism of Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. Six years have passed since the last release from the Swiss group. In the interim, trimmed from quintet to quartet size and with new bassist Thomy Jordi fully integrated, Ronin has become a subtly different band. Bärtsch speaks of a new-found freedom and flexibility in the approach to the material, with “greater transparency, more interaction, more joy in every performance”. The freedom here extends to revisiting early Bärtsch modules alongside new compositions including, for the first time on a Ronin record, a piece by reedman Sha. Awase was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the south of France in October 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher. (ECM Records) Price: £14.99
The setting for the recording was quite exceptional and is worth mentioning. On the first day of their recording session in mid-April of 1989 the six jazz musicians performed the pieces highly focused and without disturbance at the Clinton Studios in New York. However, on the second day they invited friends and acquaintances and played some of the same pieces as the day before, but now under more difficult conditions, live on stage in front of an audience. The result is a double album of historical significance for the world of jazz. A must-have for your collection! (Proper Music) Price: £17.99
After hitting a career low point in 1968 as a result of his heroin addiction, he was rebuilding his health and career and had thrown himself into a punishing round of ‘live’ work and recording, and was looking for new musical challenges, as the music landscape was evolving rapidly around him, and contemporary musicians were pushing boundaries of their own with psychedelia and progressive rock. He was still in vibrant form and still a master of the kind of hard bop tear-up exhibited in parts of these performances, and still able top find a new way of approaching a standard like “What Is This Thing Called Love?”, as well as introduce his own compositions like “For Members Only”. However, this was one of the final performances of this kind by the quartet, as it was only a month later that he collapsed was hospitalised – the beginning of the health issues which would bring about his demise in 1973. As such it is an important musical landmark, as he saw out the ‘60s in typical style. (Acrobat Music) Price: £19.99
Digitally remastered and slipcased with extensive new liner notes. (Proper Music) Price: £14.99
The recording of Body & Soul was a particular milestone as well-a true gold plated jazz classic which is of course included here. This collection charts his progress through the decade, when he dazzled audiences and fellow musicians alike. This set is superbly remastered and packaged. (Proper Music) Price: £20.99
Jeri Southern started her musical career as a pianist having been classically trained from an early age. During her musical training she had become interested in jazz and during the 1940s duly took off to begin her musical life playing the clubs. It was in these clubs that she began singing and was eventually signed to Decca in 1951. During the 1950s Jeri made a string of outstanding albums of which we have chosen what we consider to be four of her best. Her singing style was quintessentially what became known as the 'torch' style of jazz singing, world weary and somewhat downbeat, it was perhaps overlooked by some listeners because of it. However we think she was fabulous, as did many of the great names in jazz who had the privilege of accompanying her. That list would include the following... Marty Paich, Herb Geller, Georgie Auld, Don Fagerquist, Bud Clark and Mel Lewis. (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
At last, the wait is over, we hear you cry! AVID have finally inducted Miss Peggy Lee into the 4 Classic Albums 'hall of fame'! Ok so we have taken our time in paying tribute to the great lady, but we wanted to get it right, we wanted to select the best albums that truly captured Miss Lee's huge vocal talents. Peggy Lee spent most of her recording career at Capitol Records which she joined in 1947. She had a short break between 1952-56 where she recorded for Decca, and ironically made one of her greatest albums 'Black Coffee' (AVC876). We feature three albums for her Capitol years, a couple of classics arranged by the legendary Nelson Riddle, 'Jump For Joy' and 'The Man I Love' which also features conducting duties by that other rather famous Capitol Records artist, Mr Frank Sinatra! These two are joined by another classic 'concept' album 'Blues Cross Country' arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones. To round off our selections we feature the extraordinarily intimate 'Dream Street' recorded by Peggy for Decca in 1956. And if you need any further proof of the regard Peggy Lee was held in by the jazz fraternity, take a look at some of the names that appear on our selections. Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Pete Condoli, Mel Lewis, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Bill Perkins, Lou Levy, Max Bennett, Benny Carter and Buddy Collette. Oh and did we mention Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra and Quincy Jones?! (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
