The Bebop Shop : New Releases
The original RCA recording of 'Citadel/Room 315' is an hour-long suite of eleven tracks, beautifully composed and arranged by Mike Westbrook that is rightly considered to be one of the high-points of Brit-jazz from that era. Mike was commissioned by Sveriges (Swedish) Radio to write the work with Surman as lead soloist. He then travelled to Sweden to perform and conduct it for the first time, live in concert. This recording has never been released until now and presents a wildly different recording to the later LP, the rawness and freedom of the playing contrasting strongly with the more polished studio album.
Surman - playing baritone and soprano saxophone, plus bass clarinet - is in sumptuously freewheeling form throughout, soaring between wild expression and wonderfully controlled playing, perfectly complimenting Mike's compositions that gracefully move from jazz-rock, ballads, to tightly composed orchestral themes and more avant-garde moments.
Backed by the 16-piece Swedish Radio Jazz Group led by saxophonist Arne Domnérus and Argentinian trumpeter Americo Bellotto, the group comprised the finest players on the Swedish scene, including trumpeters Jan Allan and Bertil Lövgren, guitarist Rune Gustafsson, pianist Bengt Hallberg and drummer Egil Johansen. Between them they had worked with everyone from George Russell and Stan Getz, to Monica Zetterlund and Jan Johansson. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
John was a 20-year-old student at Berklee when he first met and played with the bassist, and they have continued ever since. "I love these songs", says Scofield of the selection of Swallow compositions explored here a broad range including classics such as "Hullo Bolinas", "Eiderdown", "Falling Grace" and "Radio", as well as lesser-known works. The rapport between Scofield and Swallow is evident in every moment. John: "Sometimes when we play it's like one big guitar, the bass part and my part together."
Behind the drum kit, Bill Stewart, a close associate of Scofield's since the early 90s, is alert to all the implications of the interaction. "What Bill does is more than 'playing the drums,'" Scofield says. "He's a melodic voice in the music, while also swinging really hard." (Proper Music) Price: £14.99
Now comes the first documentation of a new endeavour, with guitarist Kevin Seddiki, whose far-reaching musical imagination matches Matinier's own. Sedikki, who makes his ECM debut here, studied classical guitar with Pablo Márquez and has also worked with many improvisers across the idioms, from jazz to transcultural projects. The range of music addressed on Rivages runs from the traditional "Greensleeves" to Gabriel Fauré's "Les Berceaux" to compositions and improvisations by both of the protagonists. (Proper Music) Price: £14.99
'Portrait' is a journey from Wallen's sumptuous experiences of decades of extensive travelling, studying contemporary and indigenous cultures and connecting with people from all over the world, to realigning himself with the colourful kaleidoscope that is his own local community. He explains: "This album is a meditation and reflection on the powerful impact that music has had on my life. It was conceived whilst sitting in the central square in Woolwich, an area of South East London. I was struck by the community around me with its mixture of cultures and nationalities, from Nepalese elders to young Nigerian men, Somali mothers with their children, a new Eastern European contingent and descendants of families who used to work in the docks and at the Arsenal. Music paved my way to travel and see the world, meeting people from all different cultures and walks of life. The study of music and the process of striving to become a better musician furnished me with a deeper knowledge of self and a gift I could share on so many different levels." (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
Limited edition 180g vinyl. Price: £21.99
Whereas the first volume was recorded at the legendary Copenhagen Jazz Club Slukefter on June 6th 1983, this recording is from the day after, June 7th. As on the earlier release, Jones is joined by Mads Vinding who worked together on several other visits to Europe.
The chosen songs on these recordings are very diverse, and support image of Jones as a musician with a huge knowledge of songs, both from within the Jazz world as well as contemporary pop music. The result of the 1983 Slukefter session Vol. 2 is an enjoyable hour of music that, after sitting unheard for over 30 years, sounds as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday.. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
This great-value 57-track 3-CD set comprises recordings from The Pershing Lounge, Chicago in January 1958, The Spotlite Club in Washington DC in September 1958, Nola’s Penthouse Studio, New York, in February 1959 and the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1959. These recordings represent the complete contents of the albums “At The Pershing: But Not For Me”, “At The Pershing Vol. 2”, “Ahmad Jamal Trio Volume IV”, “Portfolio Of Ahmad Jamal” and “Jamal At The Penthouse”, along with selected titles from the Newport performance. It’s an entertaining collection of some of his most renowned recordings, and a great showcase for a highly distinctive jazz stylist. (Acrobat Music) Price: £14.99
As a bonus, this set presents two additional complete Charlie Parker sessions recorded for Guild in 1945, as well as an extremely rare date from that same year with trombonist Clyde Bernhardt and pianist Jay McShann from which only the original broken glass-based (and thus rather noisy) test pressings survive. Bird plays solos on all four sides. (Proper Music) Price: £17.99
The masters from a 1945 Red Norvo date (Bird's only existing encounter with pianist Teddy Wilson, reissued on Dial) are also contained here. Also issued on Dial was the so-called "Home- Cooking" date, an amateur recording made right after Bird left the Camarillo psychiatric hospital (the session is presented here in its entirety, including the complete version of "I Got Rhythm".
As a bonus, we have added two additional complete Charlie Parker sessions from the same period, which were originally issued under the names of Sir Charles Thompson and Sarah Vaughan. (Proper Music) Price: £17.99
Price: £8.99
This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. (Blue Note Records) Price: £23.99
180g vinyl pressing. Price: £23.99
Born May 26, 1920 in North Dakota, Peggy Lee went on to become one of the most revered and beloved entertainers of her age, selling millions of records, and winning a host of industry awards. As a salute to the music legend, and celebrating Peggy’s landmark 100th birthday, comes a brand new career-spanning collection, Ultimate Peggy Lee.
The album features hits and signature songs, including “Fever,” “It’s a Good Day,” “He’s A Tramp,” “Big Spender,” “I’m A Woman” and the previously unreleased “Try A Little Tenderness.” (Universal Music) Price: £13.99
Peggy Lee was one of the finest interpreters of popular songs, whether performing in the big band idiom, in small group jazz environments or with solo piano accompaniment, or in the sophisticated pop style which brought her many chart hits. Her repertoire ranged effortlessly from Great American Songbook classics to the latest pop songs, and included many of her own fine compositions. This great-value101-track 4-CD set comprises selected A and B sides from her single releases on the Capitol and Decca labels from the early years of her solo career through to 1962 (her recordings with the Benny Goodman Orchestra can be found on the Acrobat release “Peggy Lee With The Benny Goodman Orchestra 1941-47” (ADDCD3216). It features more than 40 US & UK chart hits, including the No. 1 “Manana” and the Top 10 classics “Fever”, “Mr. Wonderful”, “Golden Earrings”, “Waitin' for the Train to Come In”, “Riders In The Sky”, “I Don't Know Enough About You”, “It's All Over Now” and “Chi-Baba Chi-Baba”. It’s a substantial and hugely entertaining tribute to one of the most illustrious singers of her era and a marvellous showcase for her unique style and versatility. (Acrobat Music) Price: £19.99
Peggy Lee was one of the finest interpreters of popular songs, whether performing in the big band idiom, in small group jazz environments or with solo piano accompaniment, or in the sophisticated pop style which brought her many chart hits. Her repertoire ranged effortlessly from Great American Songbook classics to the latest pop songs, and included many of her own fine compositions. This great-value 109-track 4-CD set comprises selected titles from 25 of her albums released on Capitol and Decca during this era - “My Best To You”, “Rendezvous with Peggy Lee”, “Lover”, “Black Coffee”, “Songs In An Intimate Style”, “Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues”, “Dream Street”, “Songs from Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp”, “Sea Shells”, “Miss Wonderful”, “The Fabulous Peggy Lee”, “The Man I Love”, “Jump For Joy”, “Things Are Swingin'”, “I Like Men! ” ,“Beauty and the Beat!”, “Latin ala Lee!”, “All Aglow Again!”, “Pretty Eyes”, “Christmas Carousel”, “Olé ala Lee”, “Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee”, “If You Go”, “Blues Cross Country” and “Sugar 'N' Spice”. It features performances with Nelson Riddle, Billy May, George Shearing, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Dave Barbour, Benny Carter, Gordon Jenkins, Hal Mooney, Victor Young, Sy Oliver, Joseph Lilley and Jack Marshall. It’s a marvellous showcase for her talent and versatility working across a range of musical styles and concepts. (Acrobat Music) Price: £19.99
This great-value 48-track 2-CD set consists entirely of such records, all of which featured in charts like the Your Hit Parade chart in the years before the Billboard record sales chart was introduced in 1940, or in one or other version of the Billboard charts after that, all of them reaching the Top 25 places. Alongside those “featured vocalist” and duet hits, pride of place goes to her 1944 solo No. 2 “Time Waits For No One”. It includes seven No. 1s - “They Say” and “Thanks For Ev'rything” with Artie Shaw, “I Don't Want To Walk Without You”, “Mister Five By Five”, “I Had The Craziest Dream” and “I've Heard That Song Before” with Harry James and “Taking A Chance On Love” with Benny Goodman. It also features a continuous run of seven Top 10 hits with Dick Haymes. It’s not only a fine and varied showcase for Helen’s talent and versatility as a popular performer with the top bands of the day, but it’s an evocative trawl across the popular music of a significant era in both music and what was going on in the wider world. (Acrobat Music) Price: £12.99
Buddy’s first stay in Europe is, fortunately, well-documented by his frequent visits to the recording studios in Milan. Ten sessions made between March 10 and March 25, 1961, present him in a number of different settings, featuring some of the pillars of the Italian jazz scene of the sixties, such as Gianni Basso, Oscar Valdambrini, Renato Sellani, Amadeo Tommasi, Sergio Fanni, as well as other well-known jazzmen, including Serbian Dusco Gojkovic, Belgian Jacques Pelzer, and Americans George Joyner and Jimmy Pratt.
These sessions resulted in three albums, initially released in Italy by the labels Music and Ricordi. The unissued tracks here were recorded in two sessions from March 23 and 25, organised by Collette’s friend George Moran, and except for Kelly and Jake, which appeared on two Ampex 8-track stereo cartridges, this is the first time they have been released. (Fresh Sound Records) Price: £19.99
Metheny is joined on the album by drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda May Han Oh, pianist Gwilym Simcock, the Hollywood Studio Symphony led by Joel McNeely, and special guests Meshell Ndegeocello, Gregoire Maret, and Luis Conte. (Nonesuch Records) Price: £13.99
The soul-stirring Bird at 100 traces a direct lineage from Parker’s birthplace in Kansas City to the stage of Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, where these three influential acolytes look back from the vantage point of jazz in 2019, with a combination of reverence, respect and adventure. The program offers a buoyant mix of classic Parker tunes, familiar standards once recorded by Bird (and the generations since) and new compositions written in honor of the master. (Smoke Sessions) Price: £14.99
All but one tune on the setlist are slow numbers but this is not your father's ballad record. Each member of the trio is able to pour some old wine into new bottles, aware of and perhaps shaped by the past but operating very much in the moment. Together with Cables' lush voicings and solid tone and Washinton's always-inspired bass lines and solos, Pelt's new recording sets a high bar for all trio recordings that follow in the remainder of 2020. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
Individual associations among the players go back much further: bassist Swallow first recorded music by Carla in 1961. So when Bley says "Life Goes On", a lot of life is alluded to. Following two other trio albums for ECM, Trios (2013) and Andando el Tiempo (2016), this recording, realized in the Auditorio Stelio Molo Studio in Lugano in May 2019, with Manfred Eicher producing, takes the form of three suites.
The title piece begins as a stoical blues, at first melancholic then hopeful. "Beautiful Telephones", inspired by a US president's first observation on entering the Oval Office, has plenty of Bley's dark wit. And "Copycat" explores the notion of call-and-response in fresh ways as the improvisers continue each other's thoughts. Throughout, Carla's distinctive piano, with its hints of Monk and Satie, is beautifully framed by Swallow's eloquent, elegant bass guitar and Sheppard's yearning saxes. This trio has a unique collective sound, reflecting - as The Telegraph recently noted "musical mastery of a rare order". (Proper Music) Price: £14.99
John McLaughlin, Shankar Mahadevan & Zakir Hussain: Is That So? (CD: Abstract Logix)
This great value 69-track 3-CD collection follows directly on in her career from our earlier release “The Early Years 1944-48” Sarah Vaughan (Acrobat ADDCD3251), and comprises the A and B sides of her releases on Columbia during her time with the label from 1948 through to 1953.
It naturally includes all her eleven Billboard Top 30 entries in these years including the Top 10 hit “I Love The Guy”, and features performances with Miles Davis, Bennie Green, Jimmy Jones and Budd Johnson, and the orchestras of Joe Lippman, Hugo Winterhalter, Norman Leyden, Percy Faith, Paul Weston and George Treadwell. In addition, the collection includes bonus tracks comprising ‘live’ recordings from this era with Jimmy Jones, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie, plus her 1950 MGM singles with Billy Eckstine. It’s a comprehensive overview of this important period in her career and a thoroughly enjoyable showcase for her peerless talent as she effortlessly spans the world of jazz and commercial pop. (Discovery Records) Price: £14.99
180g vinyl pressing. Price: £29.99
Reissue of the 5th studio album by Brazilian jazz legend Antônio Carlos Jobim. Considered one of Jobim's best albums, this masterpiece peaked at #5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. It features a plethora of star sidemen, such as Dom Um Romão, Claudio Slon, Jerome Richardson, Ron Carter & Urbie Green, among others, as well as superb arrangements by Claus Ogerman. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios by Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Creed Taylor, CTI Records. May & June 1967. (Proper Music) Price: £23.99
His photographer's eye for composition and subject matter is much in evidence in Stern's series of unforgettable images of the performers which include Thelonious Monk, Anita O'Day, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, Chuck Berry, Big Maybelle ,Gerry Mulligan and peerless gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, the audience and the picturesque setting of Rhode Island that 4th July week-end. In 1999, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Presented as a 2-disc brilliant jewel case set with a 16-page booklet. DVD extras include an interview with Bert Stern, an introduction to Jazz On A Summer's Day, artist biographies and photo gallery. This soundtrack CD was recently chosen as one of the all-time classic albums by Mojo magazine in its compendium, The Mojo Collection. (Proper Music) Price: £13.99
