William Bolcom's four violin sonatas span 50 years of compositional activity. The First dates from 1956 (his freshman year at the University of Washington in Seattle), the Second was written 22 years later, while Nos. 3 and 4 respectively appeared in 1993 and 1994. Play the First's energetic concluding Quasi-Variations movement first and you'll realize that the 18-year-old composer already could embrace and manipulate many moods, shifting from sweet tunefulness and thorny dissonance as he pleased. His ability to do this, of course, would develop to more blatant extremes once hard-core jazz, pop, and world music idioms gained unreserved admission to his expressive kingdom.


The husband and wife team of violinist Solomia Soroka and pianist Arthur Greene simply eat up this music like starving artists getting their first substantial grub in ages. Examples: their gutsy delivery of the Fourth's Arabic-influenced Arabesque, their impassioned, flame-throwing dialogue at the Third's outset, and dagger-like articulation of the Second's terse second movement. Perhaps a quicker, suppler approach to the Second's "Joe Venuti meets Salsa" finale, in the manner of Maria Bachmann'a 1994 Catalyst recording, would be more stylistically apt, but the music bears up well when articulated in "longhair" accents (will Nonesuch ever reissue the still-unsurpassed Sergiu Luca recording with the composer tearing up the keyboard?). Bolcom provides his own informative, entertaining booklet notes to a lovingly executed and beautifully engineered release that does all participants proud. [2/27/2006]
--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Trombonist Bennie Green made his Blue Note debut with his delightful 1958 album, Back On The Scene, featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Joe Knight, bassist George Tucker and drummer Louis Hayes. From buoyant swing to Latin grooves to tender ballads the band delivers a thoroughly enjoyable program. This mono Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Vinyl LP repressing. Recorded in 1964, American jazz guitarist, Grant Green's Blue Note album, STREET OF DREAMS is reissued as part of an overall Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl initiative spearheaded by current Blue Note Records President, Don Was.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Grant Green's 1962 album Born To Be Blue featuring Ike Quebec is often thought of as the sister album to Quebec's classic Blue and Sentimental, which was recorded for Blue Note just three months prior and also showcased the deep chemistry between the soulful guitarist and tenor saxophonist. Quebec's deep, soul-drenched tenor sound matches beautifully with hard bop masters Green and pianist Sonny Clark, along with the tried-and-true rhythm section team of Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.

Grant Green was Feelin' The Spirit on this deeply soulful 1962 date that found the great guitarist interpreting a set of spirituals with a state of the art modern jazz line-up featuring Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, Billy Higgins on drums plus Garvin Masseaux on tambourine. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Drawing from a musical well that included the soul of James Brown, the slink of Sly Stone and the blues of St. Louis, Grant Green came back to Blue Note in 1968 with a funky vengeance. Tracks on this Blue Break Beats CD, compiled by NYC DJ Smash Hunter, include "Ain't It Funky Now" and "Sookie Sookie" (which also helped launch Us3).

With this 1961 album, Grant Green moved away from the organ format to present himself as mature, well-rounded guitarist backed by a trio headed by pianist Kenny Drew. In addition to his own originals, he crafts beautiful versions of Billie Holiday's 'God Bless the Child' and Miles Davis's 'So What'. Includes bonus track 'Tracin' Tracey'. Rudy Van Gelder remastered edition. Blue Note. 2005.

Music by Jule Styne, lyrics by E. Y. Harburg.

Principal cast includes: Vincent Price (Priam Farll), Patricia Routledge (Alice Challice), Brenda Forbes (Lady Vale), Peter Woodthorpe (Oxford), Teddy Green (Alf), and Charles Welch (Henry Leek).

Producers: George R. Marek, Andy Wiswell.

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York, New York in 1968. Includes liner notes by Steven Suskin.

Digitally remastered by Bill Rosenfield and Marian Conaty.

"This is one of the most witty, melodic and underrated Broadway scores ever, and those who love big, well-built musical comedies are in for a real treat with this beautifully remastered recording. . . . If you want to hear the latest 're-discovered' musical, grab a copy of this recording ASAP!" -- John Kenrick, Musicals101.com

Tracks:
1. Overture
2. He's A Genius Performer: Vincent Price (Singer), Peter Woodthorpe (Singer), Charles Welch (Singer)
3. To Get Out Of This World Alive Performer: Vincent Price (Singer)
4. It's Enough To Make A Lady Fall In Love Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer), Teddy Green (Singer), Marc Jordan (Singer)
5. A Gentleman's Gentleman Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer), Vincent Price (Singer), Teddy Green (Singer), Marc Jordan (Singer), Mitchell Jason (Singer)
6. Let's See What Happens Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer)
7. Panache Performer: Peter Woodthorpe (Singer), Brenda Forbes (Singer)
8. I've Got A Rainbow Working For Me Performer: Vincent Price (Singer)
9. Money, Money, Money Performer: Teddy Green (Singer), Marc Jordan (Singer), Reid Klein (Singer)
10. That Something Extra Special Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer)
11. What Makes A Marriage Merry Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer), Vincent Price (Singer), Joy Nichols (Singer), Beth Howland (Singer), Teddy Green (Singer), Marc Jordan (Singer)
12. Not On Your Nellie Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer), Teddy Green (Singer), Marc Jordan (Singer)
13. Sunset Tree Performer: Patricia Routledge (Singer), Vincent Price (Singer)
14. Butler In The Abbey Performer: Vincent Price (Singer)
15. Finale

This album from Naxos' acclaimed Wind Band Classics series presents three highly contrasting new works. David Maslanka' Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble is a heartfelt memorial to the late Christine Nield Capote, flutist, teacher and friend.

This release is a new live recording from the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre in the heart of Copenhagen, this time with Rodney Green Quartet and Warren Wolf on vibraphone. The recordings on this release are chosen from three terrific evenings at Montmartre in February 2016. Christian Brorsen, Music Director at Montmartre 2011-2016, says: “Dexter Gordon said it himself when he returned to the United States after 14 years in Copenhagen: “I miss the American drummers.” If you have been lucky enough to experience one of them live, you know why. Among the masterful drummers who have visited Montmartre in the course of time, we find the likes of Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Ed Thigpen and Billy Higgins. Rodney Green belongs to a new generation of great drummers. Brought up by elite musicians such as Mulgrew Miller and Charlie Haden, he knows something about the nature of jazz and what it takes to perform on a level so few others are capable of. Rodney’s got it all: good taste, a dazzling technique, and a formidable beat”. For Rodney Green, the music always comes first. It all looks so simple when he’s sitting there, behind the drum set. There’s no showing off, but it always sounds incredibly good, so there’s a good reason why he is so much in demand. Simplicity and authenticity also underpinned these three terrific evenings at Montmartre, where he was asked to put together a quartet of musicians who, like himself, are capable of being present in the moment, doing away with long rehearsals. “As far as I’m concerned, real jazz musicians must be able to meet and play without discussions or long rehearsals, and just let their instruments speak,” says Green. And that is how these sessions unfolded at Montmartre, to the delight of an enthusiastic audience who couldn’t get enough of this ardent quartet of musicians that, besides Rodney Green, comprised Danish pianist Jacob Christoffersen and American bassist David Wong. Together the three laid a hard-swinging foundation for Warren Wolf´, also from the U.S. and possibly the greatest vibraphone virtuoso ever.

"•Intensive studies of the autographs of Mozart's works have influenced the Vienna-born violinist Daniel Auner in his interpretation of Mozart’s chamber music. • With the pianist Robin Green, Auner performs research on the operatic element in this really ‘absolute’ music: special libretti were written for the individual sonatas, stories and situations related and arias sung, resulting in a recording focusing on the dialogue between the musicians and the dialogue with Mozart."

Lil Green was one of leading female American blues and R&B singers and songwriters of the 1940s, with a sensuous and sinuous soprano voice, and a fine sense of phrasing and timing that made her one of the most distinctive blues song stylists of her day. Born in Mississippi, she was brought up with the music of the Delta, and performed in the juke joints there in her teens before heading to Chicago where she did all her recording. This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises just about all the A & B sides of her career releases on Bluebird, Victor, Aladdin and Atlantic labels. It includes her Top 10 R&B hit "Let's Be Friends" and her classic songs "Romance In The Dark" and "Why Don't You Do Right", with compositions from Big Bill Broonzy, Joe McCoy and other writers alongside her self-penned material and her versions of many well-known blues and jazz standards. It features performances with Champion Jack Dupree, Big Bill Broonzy, Ransom Knowling, Simeon Henry, Budd Johnson and other noted musicians from the Chicago scene. While not being an absolutely complete or definitive anthology, this collection offers a substantial proportion of here career recordings, and is a fine showcase for her highly individual style. This collection offers a substantial proportion of here career recordings

Drummer Al Green played his first job with Willie Dixon in 1955. He has played with Eddie Harris, Wes Montgomery and Nancy Wilson. Co-leader, alto saxophonist Othello Anderson has played with Joe Diorio and at the Downbeat Jazz Festival. Other members are trumpeter Dr. Odies Williams III who appears on Delmark CDs with Jodie Christian, Ed Petersen and Cecil Payne. Bassist John Whitfield recorded on Delmark with Jodie Christian and Malachi Thompson. And pianist Leandro Lopez Varady has worked with Eldee Young and has toured extensively. This is straight ahead bebop in the style of Art Blakey or Max Roach/Clifford Brown groups.

Grant Green - "Visions (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" [180gram Heavy Vinyl LP] Grant Green embraced R&B and jazz-funk on his 1971 album, Visions, featuring Billy Wooten, Emmanuel Riggins, Chuck Rainey, Idris Muhammad, Ray Armando and Harold Caldwell. The guitarist's distinctive tone and melodicism elevate songs by The Jackson 5, Chicago, The Carpenters, Mozart and Quincy Jones' "Maybe Tomorrow," which was later sampled by Kendrick Lamar. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series stereo edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL (BLUE NOTE CLASSIC VNYL SERIES) 180gram Heavy Vinyl - Grant Green's musical style evolved to embrace jazz-funk as the decade turned to 1970. The guitarist's vibrant album Green Is Beautiful is a highlight of the era. With his distinctive tone, he shines on a set that includes covers of James Brown ("Ain't It Funky Now"), The Beatles ("A Day In The Life") and Burt Bacharach ("I'll Never Fall In Love Again"). Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optima.