A jazz tenor saxophonist of huge merit, Stanley Turrentine, often fondly nicknamed "The Sugar Man", pursued an illustrious career in jazz and R&B which spanned an impressive five decades. Finding his inspiration in blues, his eclectic use of style and form earned this gifted musician four Grammy nominations, and a back catalogue that boasts 30 records on which he is credited a leader, and numerous more as sideman. This 4CD boxset collates Stanley Turrentine's albums as leader - all released on the Blue Note label - across the earliest part of his lengthy musical career. Remaining revered to this day among jazz and soul, this collection serves as both a welcome reminder of the man's enormous talent, and complex yet approachable music, and as a fine starting point for those eager to discover arguably the best music the esteemed musical Mr. T ever produced
Remastered 180-gram vinyl. The wonderful Post-Bop album Miles Smiles (1967) was recorded by Davis's second great quintet, which featured saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams. The album showcases Davis' deeper exploration of modal performance with looser forms, tempos, and meters. Although it did not follow the conventions of Bop, the album did not follow the formlessness of Free Jazz.
He may not have known it before, but Toronto-born, New York-based guitarist Matthew Stevens, prized for his forceful, distinctive electric sound was an ideal candidate to make an album fully devoted to solo acoustic guitar: the intimate, unadorned, straightforwardly titled 'Pittsburgh'. September 2020, Stevens was hunkering down in his wife's family's hometown of Pittsburgh, while navigating his way through the crisis. He had with him a vintage Martin 00-17, a small-body mahogany guitar. Practicing daily on the Martin, he began generating a series of short song "starts" - ideas and sketches he thought might lead somewhere. Then one rainy Pittsburgh day, Stevens' bike slid out from under him and he broke his right elbow. Rather than getting derailed musically, he became immersed in a creative process that led straight to 'Pittsburgh': a document of those short song "starts" from the notebook, now hatched as completed compositions. "Playing this music became a big part of my rehab," Stevens recalls. As the album took shape, it became clear to Stevens that he was headed in the direction of a wholly unaccompanied recital, with no overdubs or sound layering of any kind. Just him and this special Martin, two Neumann U89 mics and enough peace of mind across two separate sessions to make 'Pittsburgh' the triumph that it is. 1. Ambler 2. Purpose Of A Machine 3. Buckets 4. Can Am 5. Foreign Ghosts 6. Northern Touch 7. Cocoon 8. Ending Is Beginning 9. Blue Blues 10. Broke 11. Miserere
Among the most inspirational and innovative composers and musicians of the 20th Century, Charles Mingus remains perhaps jazz music's most accomplished bass player and amongst it's most formidable pianists. His extensive back catalogue of recordings set a new standard in experimentation, blending as it does hard bop with elements of gospel, blues, classical and avant-garde. With a fearsome reputation as a bandleader too, Mingus' guidance resulted in some of the finest performances from the best musicians ever to grace the jazz genre, and his long-standing influence is as potent today as ever it was. This 4CD Set brings together eight of Charles Mingus' lesser known albums, all released during his glory years, between 1952 and 1964. Each LP featured remains a classic in it's own right despite their commercial scarcity and often underrated status. With full original release details and complete musician lists for each record, this set provides over 5 hours of Charles Mingus' musical genius. Available here once again in perfect remastered sound, this collection will prove a delight for long term fans and Mingus beginners alike, offering as it does the chance of completing collections of this legendary jazz maestro universally.
(4-LP set) Ranked time after time as one of the best live jazz recording sessions in history, and yielding two of Evans' most classic albums (Waltz for Debby, Sunday at the Village Vanguard), The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 represents the pinnacle of spontaneous musical communication: three men breathing as one on a tiny bandstand. This box set is the ultimate collectable item for any jazz fan. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl, this four-LP set comes with a 12-page booklet, complete with new liner notes by reissue producer Bill Belmont, as well as the original liner notes by the producer of the original recordings, Orrin Keepnews. Reproductions of session notes and photographer Steve Schapiro's proof sheets from the performances add vintage context to the packaging. Also included in the box is a stunning metallic and black poster of the famous cover - Evans, in profile, deep in concentration at his piano.
Matthew Shipp takes an introspective turn on his latest solo piano album, continuing to discover new territory for his singular cosmic pianism. Codebreaker encrypts rich harmonies, cloud-like clusters, and the unlikely confluence of Bill Evans and Bud Powell
Jimmy Smith is widely regarded as one of the premier Jazz keyboardists of all time, specializing on the organ. He has had loads of charting albums, a rare thing for a Jazz artist. This reissue of his 1983 album features seven tracks including 'Be Yourself', 'Summertime' and more.. Featured players on this CD are Kenny Burrell & Johnny Griffin. Wounded Bird. 2006.
Zoot Sims had an extraordinary recording career which began in the late 1940s and which continued until the mid-1980s, shortly before his death. This 4 CD collection features eight albums from his heyday, on which he performed as leader or co-leader, and which best illustrate Zoot's majestic approach to music and his quite stunning musicianship. Coming from the period 1953 - 1960, among it's features are the finest albums Sims made with Al Cohn, the quite stunning Tenor Conclave, made with John Coltrane, Hank Mobley and Al Cohn, and - among several other masterpieces - A Gasser, made with vocalist Ann Ross. Certain to delight both newcomers to the great man's work, and those already smitten by this celebrated Jazz-man, this compilation works on just about every level and is certain to become one of the most popular compilations of Zoot Sims' finest music.
Among the most celebrated and respected saxophonists of the post-bop age, Wayne Shorter's influence on the entire jazz spectrum remains as potent and relevant today as ever it did. Having come to prominence with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the late 1950s, and played in Miles Davis' 'second great quintet' from the mid-60s, Shorter is remembered best as one of the founding members of the legendary Weather Report. However, the albums on which he served as leader, released between 1959 and 1964, best represent the output of this iconic musician, bandleader and composer. This 4CD boxset highlights the early, albeit crucial, years of Wayne Shorter's solo career, both as bandleader and as contributor. A true pioneer in jazz, this collection serves as both the ideal starting place for those new to the great man's work, and as a delightful reminder of it's depth and colour, for those already familiar.
Vinyl LP pressing. Within the voluminous catalog that pianist Matthew Shipp has created over the last three and a half decades, his solo piano work has charted a unique and compelling pathway for the evolution of the instrument's vocabulary. On Codebreaker, that path turns yet another unexpected corner, continuing to venture further while taking a surprising turn inward. Codebreaker finds Shipp in an uncharacteristically meditative state of mind. Though the language is unmistakably his own, the usual violent attacks, dense clusters and insistent circularity are in short supply, replaced by harmonic nebulae that luxuriate in the mysterious resonances that Shipp conjures from the keyboard. As ever with the work of this consummate improviser, intention had very little to do with it.
'Cool Jazz' personified, Dave Brubeck is one of few post-bop bandleaders to remain a household name well into the third millennium. With his favoured use of unconventional time-signatures, meters, rhythms and tonalities, which all together made for a unique style of jazz that incorporated elements of classical and other traditional musical forms, Brubeck was a commercial oddity in the late 1950s and early 1960s; a serious jazz performer who had hit singles. The early 1960s witnessed The Dave Brubeck Quartet garner even more commercial and critical success. Recorded in 1962, Bossa Nova U.S.A (Columbia, 1963) found the group flirt with 'the cool wave of Brazil', for which, with one eye on the pop chart, Brubeck composed a set in-keeping with current trends. It's follow-up, Brubeck In Amsterdam (Columbia, 1963), a live album recorded in the Dutch capital in late '62, was a more traditional affair, and found the Quartet in fine form on a number of Brubeck classics. The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall (Columbia, 1963), an undeniable milestone in the group's career, is often hailed as Brubeck's greatest live album, with critic Jim Santella commenting; this is timeless music from a classic ensemble.' On the 5th of December 2012, one day before his 92nd birthday, Dave Brubeck died following a cardiac arrest, many years after his legacy had been cemented. Named a Kennedy Center honouree in 2009 for contributions to American jazz, Dave Brubeck remains in memoriam as one of the greatest jazz composers and musicians of all time, becoming what the Los Angeles Times described as 'one of jazz's first pop stars.' This 4 CD Box Set serves to highlight some of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's greatest and oft-overlooked albums, all faithfully remastered and presented here as both a perfect introduction to the great man's music, and as a welcome collection for those already versed in this extraordinary body of work.
Digitally remastered and expanded edition includes seven bonus tracks. The album was produced by Herbie Hancock, David Rubinson and friends. Liner Notes by Alex Henderson. Remastered from the original mastertTapes by Sean Brennan at Battery Studios, New York.
Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist, Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius and tortured melancholy. In this epic documentary, director Liz Garbus interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with Nina's most memorable songs, to create an unforgettable portrait of one of the least understood, yet most beloved, artists of our time. WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? is a Netflix original, using recently unearthed audiotapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, the film weaves together Nina's narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th century's greatest recording artists. What Happened, Miss Simone includes an exclusive bonus CD, which features the classics: I Loves You Porgy, Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out, I Put A Spell On You, and many more!
The most famous of drummers in Big Band jazz and Swing, Gene Krupa's reputation continues today nearly 30 years after his death. Only the late Buddy Rich has an equal fame. Krupa without doubt established the drum solo as an integral part of Jazz and later rock. In 1938 he formed his own orchestra. Amongst his band's best known recordings are the vocals with Anita O'Day, featured here. Tracks include; "Let Me Off Uptown","Ball of Fire","Jungle Madness", "Drummin' Man", "Drum Boogie".
This 13 track CD contains never before released live recordings from Duke Ellington. Recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on July 8th, 1972 and Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, Canada on May 25th, 1973, the CD features Cootie Williams, Mercer Ellington, Johnny Coles, Money Johnson, Eddie Preston, Tyree Glenn, Norris Turney, Harry Carney and others.
Beegie Adair - Jazz Pianist - encompasses virtually all aspects of the music business: working musician, recording artist, performer, clinician, lecturer, and radio host. She's performed with some of music's biggest names on television and radio programs, movie soundtracks, commercials, and live performances. Beegie currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, Billy, and their three dogs.
In celebration of Lateef's 80th birthday, Meta presents the latest collaboration between Grammy winner & acclaimed percussionist/composer Adam Rudolph - the music, written for 8 musicians, was premiered at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in honor of Lateef's 60 years of performing; this album was recorded the following day & features Joseph Bowie & Mark Helais.
Satchmo's adventures in the 1940's are dealt with in this four CD box set. From big bands sides, via duets Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Jordan and the Mills Brothers to the classic live recordings from the Town Hall and Symphony Hall with the All Stars. Includes over 86 tracks, four hours of music and a 48 page fully illustrated booklet.
Every once in a great while, the stars align and the music visit a recording studio to smile beneficently on the musicians assembled there. How else to account for the ineffable chemistry that infuses the best jazz albums? Well, the muses were working between pianist Chick Corea and guitarist Pat Metheny and recruited an impeccable rhythm section staffed by bassist Dave Holland the drum legend Roy Haynes. Like Minds captures the quintet playing their own adventurous compositions at a superlative level of intuitive interplay. Profound and playful, sophisticated and emotionally direct, the music is mirror of these five personalities.
Oregon is a jazz group formed in 1971 who performed and made recordings for the next 40 years. The members of Oregon were Ralph Tower (guitar, piano, French horn, flugelhorn) Collin Walcott (sitar, tabla, tympani) Glen Moore (bass, violin, flute, piano) & Paul McCandless (oboe, flute, English horn soprano sax, bass clarinet). They made many, many albums over the years, their early works being recorded for the Vanguard label. In Performance was originally released on Elektra Records in 1980. At 74 minutes, this two record set fits nicely onto one compact disc. Due to popular demand we are making this CD available again.
Tenor player Richard Torres was the premier solo voice in the Stan Kenton Orchestra for many years with a sound that is visceral, gutsy, modern, yet rooted in tradition, swing, boppin' humorous and playful, serious and soulful. This album features Richard and drummer Peter Erskine playing a collection of originals with a standard or two for good measure accompanied by Alan Pasqua on piano and Dave Carpenter on bass.
Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy: the young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she's joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy's reputation as one of America's most promising young jazz vocalists. Joy's interpretations balance the breezy-fresh feel of a relative newcomer with a reverence for a tradition she is now undoubtably part of. "But Beautiful", "Let's Dream in the Moonlight" and "Jim" pay homage to Billie Holiday's original versions, and she acknowledges the great Nat King Cole with versions of "It Only Happens Once" and "The Trouble with Me is You". "Stardust" is another nod to Cole, showcasing a talent for storytelling well beyond her years. As she says, "There's nothing like hearing someone who understands sing it to you." Moods range from the happy-go-lucky simplicity of "Everything Happens to Me" to the longing of "Lover Man". Winning the Vaughan award was transformational for Joy. "I was suddenly on the jazz radar. It's still bizarre to think of how fast things have progressed." Since then, Joy has dug deep to discover her jazz roots, without losing sight of the innate simplicity that makes her sound shine. Her first album announces the arrival of a young artist destined for greatness. 1. Stardust 2. Everything Happens To Me 3. If You Never Fall In Love With Me 4. Let's Dream In The Moonlight 5. It Only Happens Once 6. Jim 7. The Trouble With Me Is You 8. If You'd Stay The Way I Dream 9. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) 10. Only A Moment Ago 11. Moonglow 12. But Beautiful
