Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues CD

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues songs Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island on July 7, 1956. Includes liner notes by George Avakian and Phil Schaap. Digitally remastered by Phil Schaap (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York). What makes this classic recording endure is the monumental level of intensity the band brings to each number. Ellington, in speaking of the band's competitive nature, recalled that they were all in a particularly fesity mode for this performance. That crackling energy translates to every number, and even extended to Count Basie's original drummer Jo Jones, who sat grinning from ear to ear in the front row, so moved by the swing of it all that he beat time for the band with a rolled up copy of The Christian Science Monitor. From Johnny Hodges' ultra-suave "Jeep's Blues," to Paul Gonsalves' epic tenor marathon on "Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue" (which set the crowd to dancing and screaming), ELLINGTON AT NEWPORT is one of the really great big band recordings. 2 Cds-Complete Reissue producer: Phil Schaap. Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Ray Nance (vocals, trumpet); Jimmy Grisson (vocals); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); John Cook, Clark Terry, William "Cat" Anderson (trumpet); John Sanders, Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (trombone); Jimmy Woode (bass); Sam Woodyard (drums). Producer: George Avakian.

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues buy CD music The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of SONG FOR MY FATHER includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series. Yet another jazz steal; this time, Steely Dan borrowed the title track for "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." Horace Silver should take heart, this is his most successful album and one that finds its way onto many recommended lists, not just for the jazz fraternity. Its strength is its accessibility, and in keeping with many piano leader albums Silver does not seek to dominate. The reissued CD version contains four extra tracks from the same 1963/4 sessions. Digitally remastered by Rudy Van Gelder. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey on October 31, 1963, January 28, 1964 and October 26, 1964. Includes liner notes by Leonard Feather. Personnel: Horace Silver (piano); Carmell Jones, Blue Mitchell (trumpet); Joe Henderson, Junior Cook (tenor saxophone); Teddy Smith, Gene Taylor (bass); Roger Humphries, Roy Brooks (drums).

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues CD music The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of COOL STRUTTIN' includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered using 24-bit technology by Rudy Van Gelder (1998, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey). This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series. Recorded in 1958, this legendary date with the still-undersung Sonny Clark in the leader's chair also featured a young Jackie McLean on alto (playing with a smoother tone than he had before or ever did again), trumpeter Art Farmer, and the legendary rhythm section of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, both from the Miles Davis band. The set begins with one of the preeminent "swinging medium blues" pieces in jazz history: the title track with its leveraged fours and eights shoved smoothly up against the walking bass of Chambers and the backbeat shuffle of Jones. Clark's solo, with its grouped fifths and sevenths, is a wonder of both understatement and groove, while Chambers' arco solo turns the blues in on itself. While there isn't a weak note on this record, there are some other tracks that stand out, most notably Miles' "Sippin' at Bells," with its loping Latin rhythm. When McLean takes his solo against a handful of Clark's shaded minor chords, he sounds as if he may blow it -- he comes out a little quick -- but he recovers nicely and reaches for a handful of Broadway show tunes to counter the minor mood of the piece. He shifts to both Ben Webster and Lester Young before moving through Bird, and finally to McLean himself, riding the margin of the changes to slip just outside enough to add some depth in the middle register. The LP closes with Henderson and Vallée's "Deep Night," the only number in the batch not rooted in the blues. It's a classic hard bop jamming tune and features wonderful solos by Farmer, who plays weird flatted notes all over the horn against the changes, and McLean, who thinks he's playing a kind of snake charmer blues in swing tune. This set deserves its reputation for its soul appeal alone. [The CD version includes two bonus tracks: "Royal Flush" and "Lover"].~ Thom Jurek Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jerey on January 5, 1958. Originally released on Blue Note (81588). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff and Bob Blumenthal. Personnel: Sonny Clark (piano); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Art Farmer (trumpet); Paul Chambers (acoustic bass); Philly Joe Jones (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna. Personnel: Sonny Clark (piano); Jackie McLean (alto saxophone); Art Farmer (trumpet); Philly Joe Jones (drums). Liner Note Author: Michael Cuscuna. Recording information: New York, NY (01/05/1958).

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues album for sale The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of POINT OF DEPARTURE includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered using 24-bit resolution by Rudy Van Gelder (1998, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey). This is part of Blue Note Records "Rudy Van Gelder" Editions series. Trying to describe Andrew Hill's POINT OF DEPARTURE in words is like trying to explain the pictures made by a kaleidoscope--it's impossible to be completely articulate about something so magically unique. Of course, with an assembled cast that includes Kenny Dorham, Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, Richard Davis, and Tony Williams all in their creative prime, Hill would have been hard-pressed not to come up with a masterpiece of these proportions. The result is, indeed, a record that is a beacon of the New Thing movement, which was coming to the foreground in the early '60s. From oddly swinging cuts like "New Monastery" to the intricately mesmerizing "Flight 19," Hill proves to be a both a pianist and composer of incomparable range as he and his legendary sidemen explore the furthest reaches of group improvisation. The churning waltz "Refuge" offers intense ensemble passages that constantly shift colors and textures as Williams drives the group with hurricane-like waves of cymbals. The closing ballad, "Dedication," is a beautifully esoteric piece that, like the kaleidoscope, must be experienced to truly capture its true nature. For most, this will be a DEPARTURE that will take listeners on an indescribable journey. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 21, 1964. Originally released on Blue Note (4167). Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff. Personnel: Andrew Hill (piano); Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Richard Davis (bass); Tony Williams (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues CD music The Rudy Van Gelder Edition of A NEW PERSPECTIVE includes an essay by Bob Blumenthal. Digitally remastered by Rudy Van Gelder (1998, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey). This is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Editions series. A NEW PERSPECTIVE stands out from most other Blue Note releases of the era. A groundbreaking record in its use of a gospel choir in a jazz setting, it's unlike anything Blue Note had released before. In addition to the eight-person choir and arrangements by Duke Pearson, Donald Byrd works with a septet that includes pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and saxophonist Hank Mobley. Pearson contributes two compositions, the easily swinging "Chant" and "Cristo Redentor," a stately, ghostly tune that became a hit on the album's release. In the arrangements, the choir functions as an instrument, with voices closely recorded, making its presence intimate and palpable. The septet performs beautifully, with Burrell's guitar and Donald Best's vibes providing shimmering contrast to the horns on the aforementioned tunes, and on the Byrd originals "Elijah" and "The Black Disciple." Distinctive and inventive, A NEW PERSPECTIVE is a high watermark in Byrd's discography. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on January 12, 1963. Includes liner notes by Nat Hentoff and Bob Blumenthal. Personnel includes: Donald Byrd (trumpet); Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Donald Best (vibraphone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Butch Warren (bass); Lex Humphries (drums). Producer: Alfred Lion. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.

Bix Beiderbecke, Vol. 1: Singin' the Blues buy CD music Includes all the known takes from the Chicago Looper's session, originally released on the Pathe label. Also featured are the first sides Beiderbecke recorded with musicians from Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, plus a previously unknown session lead by Lou Raderman. Whitney Balliet, one of jazz's most poetic and respected writers, has notably remarked on trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke's distinctive three-dimensional sound, achieved despite the limitations of recordings from the 1920s. Indeed, a certain amount of dedication on behalf of a 21st-century listener is handy when dealing with the sound quality of transferred 78s. But, in the case of Beiderbecke, the payoff from close listening is well rewarded. He was a legend in his own time, and, by the end of his short career, Beiderbecke had worked his way up to the highest-paying band in the land--Paul Whiteman's Orchestra. Flashes of Beiderbecke's melodic brilliance and inventiveness abound on AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL, both on dates led by himself and others. On "Jazz Me Blues," one can hear a solo that, for a long time, was considered the only way to play the tune. "Cryin' All Day" features Bix matched with his saxophone-pioneer partner Frank Trumbauer. Willard Robinson's charming, Gershwin-esque "Jubilee," while not offering any Bix soloing, is a wonderfully succinct, early-jazz tone poem. And though the hijinks on "Mississippi Mud" are not politically correct by later standards, the song does present a very young Bing Crosby in a cameo appearance.