Curtis Fuller
Soul Trombone
November 15-17, 1961
A13
Personnel:
Curtis Fuller (trb), Freddie Hubbard (t), Jimmy Heath (ts), Cedar Walton (p), Jymie Merritt (b), Jimmy Cobb, G.T. Hogan (d)
Listened via:
Spotify (premium)
Date listened:
January 17, 2012
Notes:
Excellent line-up churns out solid hard bop. Hubbard sounds amazing.
Benny Carter
Further Definitions
November 1961
A12
Personnel:
Benny Carter, Phil Woods, Bud Shank (as), Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Rouse, Buddy Collette, Bill Perkins, Teddy Edwards, Bill Hood (ts), John Collins, Barney Kessel, Mundell Lowe (g), Dick Katz, Don Abney (p), Jimmy Garrison, Ray Brown (b), Jo Jones, Alvin Stoller (d)
Listened via:
MOG (Roku)
Date listened:
November 2, 2011
Notes:
I waited too long to write up commentary, so now I’ve completely forgotten my opinion of the album.
Quincy Jones
The Quintessence
November 29, December 18, December 22, 1961
A11
Personnel:
Jerome Richardson, Oliver Nelson, Phil Woods, Eric Dixon, Frank Wess (s), Billy Byers, Curtis Fuller, Thomas Mitchell, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Rodney Levitt (trb), Ernie Royal, Snooky Young, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Al Delrisi, Clark Terry, Clyde Reasinger, Jerome Kail (tr), Earl Chapin, James Buffington, Julius Watkins, Ray Alonge (fh), Patricia Bown, Bobby Scott (p), Gloria Agostini (h), Harvey Phillips (tb), Milt Hinton, George Catlett (b), James Johnson, Bill English, Stu Martin (d)
Listened via:
MOG (Roku)
Date listened:
October 27, 2011
Notes:
Thoroughly enjoyable.
John Coltrane
The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings
November 1, 2, 3, 5, 1961
A10
Personnel:
John Coltrane (ss, ts) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl) McCoy Tyner (p) Ahmed Abdul-Malik (oud) Jimmy Garrison, Reggie Workman (b) Elvin Jones (d) Garvin Bushell (ob, cbasn)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Date listened:
July 22, 2011
Notes:
An intense, phenomenal album. Essential listening, a classic set of dates in every sense. Coltrane, Dolphy, Tyner, Workman, Jones, etc.? C’mon now.
(Wish I could write a more coherent review of this, but it’s tricky to do it justice. So instead, I’m falling way short.)
The Gil Evans Orchestra
Into the Hot
September 14-October 31, 1961
A9
Personnel:
John Carisi, Johnny Glasel, Doc Severinsen, Clark Terry, Ted Curson, Joe Wilder (tp) Urbie Green, Roswell Rudd (tb) Jim Buffington (frh) Harvey Phillips (tu) Phil Woods (as) Gene Quill, Jimmy Lyons (as, ts) Archie Shepp (ts) Eddie Costa (vib, p) Cecil Taylor (p) Barry Galbraith (g) Art Davis, Milt Hinton, Henry Grimes (b) Osie Johnson, Jimmy Murray (d) Gil Evans (arr, cond)
Listened via:
MOG (Roku)
Date listened:
June 25-26, 2011
Notes:
Evans phoned it in, in a way, lending his name to the album, but allowing Cecil Taylor and John Carisi arranging/conducting duties (despite Evans’ liner notes credit). Taylor’s entries “Pots,” “Bulbs,” and “Mixed” are the most intriguing. The first two are surprisingly subdued while Taylor goes all in on “Mixed.” One of the earliest recorded appearances by Shepp (on the three Taylor contributions).
Max Roach
Percussion, Bitter Sweet
August 1-9, 1961
A8
Personnel:
Booker Little (tp) Julian Priester (tb) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl, fl) Clifford Jordan (ts) Mal Waldron (p) Art Davis (b) Max Roach (d) Carlos “Patato” Valdes (cga) Carlos “Totico” Eugenio (cowbell) Abbey Lincoln (vo)
Listened via:
MOG (Chrome)
Date listened:
June 15, 2011
Notes:
Amazing line-up and a great listen, top to bottom.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
June 13 & 14, 1961
A7
Personnel:
Lee Morgan (tp) Curtis Fuller (tb) Wayne Shorter (ts) Bobby Timmons (p) Jymie Merritt (b) Art Blakey (d)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Date listened:
June 2, 2011
Notes:
Had a tough time figuring out what the actual title of this album is. Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers? Art Blakey and His Jazz Messengers? Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers? A bunch of exclamation points?
A great Blakey album, if not his most distinctive. I mean, c’mon… it’s Blakey, so it’s good, right?
The John Coltrane Quartet
Africa/Brass
May 23 & June 7, 1961
A6
Personnel:
Freddie Hubbard, Booker Little (tp) Jim Buffington, Donald Carrado, Bob Northern, Robert Swisshelm, Julius Watkins (frh) Charles Greenlee, Julian Priester, Carl Bowman (euph) Bill Barber (tu) John Coltrane (ss, ts) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl, fl, arr, cond) Pat Patrick (bars) Garvin Bushell (reeds) McCoy Tyner (p, arr) Reggie Workman, Art Davis (b) Elvin Jones (d) Cal Massey (arr) Romulus Franceschini (cond)
Listened via:
320k mp3
Date listened:
May 10, 2011
Notes:
This was one of the first few Impulse albums I heard, found on the shelves of my college radio station WMWC. It was the first (?) re-release of the full Africa/Brass sessions and it was pretty mind-blowing for someone who really hadn’t dug too deeply into jazz at that point. This was Trane’s first recording for Impulse and featured a pretty amazing line-up including the young prodigy Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, and Elvin Jones. Coltrane was able to work with a 15-piece brass section, which gave his work a large, somewhat chaotic, orchestral sound. The original album clocked in at just over 33 minutes, but the full sessions nearly triple the playtime.
Oliver Nelson
The Blues And The Abstract Truth
February 23, 1961
A5
Personnel:
Freddie Hubbard (tp -1/4,6) Eric Dolphy (as, fl) Oliver Nelson (as, ts, arr) George Barrow (bars -1/4,6) Bill Evans (p) Paul Chambers (b) Roy Haynes (d)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Notes:
Fantastic album. I mean, “Stolen Moments”… c’mon! Great lineup, too, with Dolphy, Hubbard, Evans, et al.
The Gil Evans Orchestra
Out of the Cool
November 18-December 15, 1960
A4
Personnel:
Johnny Coles, Phil Sunkel (tp) Keg Johnson, Jimmy Knepper (tb) Tony Studd (btb) Bill Barber (tu) Bob Tricarico (basn, fl, picc) Eddie Caine, Ray Beckenstein (as, fl, picc) Budd Johnson (ts, ss) Gil Evans (p, arr, cond) Ray Crawford (g) Ron Carter (b) Elvin Jones, Charlie Persip (d, per)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Notes:
I was a late comer to Gil Evans’ work as a leader, for some reason, but everything I’ve heard thusfar, including this album is just fantastic. This one’s great for a number of reasons. First, it feels like a natural extension of Evans’ work with Miles Davis in the late 50s. Secondly, while it’s an “orchestra,” it doesn’t feel like one. I’ve always been wary of jazz in an orchestra setting, but Out of the Cool manages to be large while feeling small. There are a lot of players involved, sure, but with only a few active at a time, it feels like a smaller group much of the time. Lastly, there’s some serious variety in terms of tone, atmosphere, and rhythm.
I’m looking forward to revisiting this one.
Kai Winding
The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones
November 17-December 13, 1960
A3
Personnel:
Ephie Resnick, Kai Winding, Johnny Messner, Jimmy Knepper (tb) Paul Faulise, Tony Studd, Dick Lieb (btb) Ross Tompkins, Bill Evans (p) Bob Cranshaw, Ron Carter (b) Al Beldini, Sticks Evans (d) Ray Starling (mel) Olatunji (cga)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Notes:
The album starts off with “Speak Low,” which clearly inspired the theme to The Price is Right, though from what I can tell, the two are not connected. I also dig “Black Coffee.”
Ray Charles
Genius + Soul = Jazz
December 26 & 27, 1960
A2
Personnel:
Phil Guilbeau, Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Clark Terry, Snooky Young (tp) Henry Coker, Urbie Green, Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb) Marshall Royal, Frank Wess (as) Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts) Charlie Fowlkes (bars) Freddie Green (g) Eddie Jones (b) Sonny Payne (d) Ray Charles (vo, org) Ralph Burns, Quincy Jones (arr)
John Frosk, Phil Guilbeau, Jimmy Nottingham, Clark Terry, Joe Wilder (tp) Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Keg Johnson, George Matthews (tb) George Dorsey, Earl Warren (as) Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell (ts) Haywood Henry (bars) Sam Herman (g) Joe Benjamin (b) Roy Haynes (d) Ray Charles (vo, org) Ralph Burns, Quincy Jones (arr)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
Notes:
Liked his take on Lee Morgan’s “Sidewinder” and was surprised to hear a sample Diamond Shell used (“Booty Butt”).
Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson
The Great Kai & J. J.
October 3-November 8, 1960
A1
Personnel:
J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (tb) Bill Evans (p) Paul Chambers, Tommy Williams (b) Roy Haynes, Art Taylor (d)
Listened via:
MOG (web)
In late April, I started reading The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. A few days later, on a whim, I decided to work my way through the entire Impulse! catalog one album at a time.
I’m a big fan of what I’ve heard of Impulse’s catalog, from Coltrane to Shepp to Sanders, and look forward to discovering new some favorites over the coming months (and years? Who knows how long this will take.).
