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Booker Ervin – Exultation! (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartBoth are gorgeous impressions of soul, jazz and blues, brought together through the legacy of standards and new compositions. The tonality of Gene Ammons in particular is transfixing and it is with the stereo reissues from Prestige that Gene will get a lot of love with multiple titles scheduled for release. Booker Ervin was another great tenor sax player and his contributions to the Prestige vaults are timeless with Exultation!." — Erik Otis, Sound Colour Vibration, May 9, 2015. Intensity marked everything that Booker Ervin played. In his harmonic concept, slashing attack, and broad Texas sound, Ervin demanded attention and constantly built improvisations of searing drama and epic sweep. His primary legacy is a series of albums recorded for Prestige in the 1960s, of which this was his first, a riveting quintet recital where the alto saxophone of Frank Strozier supplies an urgent complement and the rhythm section is piloted by Horace Parlan, Ervin’s longtime compatriot from their days together in the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop and in a cooperative quartet that worked at Minton’s Playhouse. In addition to four inspiring originals by Ervin and drummer Walter Perkins, the session features an eloquent reading of Fats Waller’s immortal "Black and Blue" and an exploration of the show tune "Just in Time." Both the latter and "No Land’s Man" are included in two versions, the shorter of which were cut for release as a 45 single.
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Jimmy Witherspoon – Evenin’ Blues (Stereo)
58,00 €Show itemThis relaxed, rather informal August 15, 1963, session is one of Jimmy Witherspoon’s rarest and was the only time that the great Arkansas shouter recorded with T-Bone Walker, the Texas-born father of electric blues guitar. In an unusual appearance as a sideman, Walker contributed his trademark brittle-toned solos, obbligatos, and “from the five” intros to a set of tunes that included such standards as “Money’s Gettin’ Cheaper” (a ’Spoon favorite since he borrowed it from Charles Brown in the late Forties), “How Long Blues,” “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Kansas City,” and “Don’t Let Go.” And adding further Texas seasoning was San Antonio saxophonist Clifford Scott, best known for his distinctive solos on “Honky Tonk” and other Bill Doggett hits, who not only played tenor (as the original credits indicate), but blew searing alto on “Grab Me a Freight” and flute on ’Spoon’s reading of the haunting title track, a blues ballad previously associated with both Jimmy Rushing and Walker. With Clifford Scott, Bert Kendrix, T-Bone Walker, Clarence Jones and Wayne Robertson.
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Kenny Dorham – Quiet Kenny (Stereo)
58,00 €Show item"I've never heard an original pressing, but this reissue by Chad Kassem's Analogue Productions — a 200-gram QRP pressing, mastered at 33 1/3 RPM by Kevin Gray — is every bit the equal of Van Gelder's Blue Note LPs from the same era: the trumpet's brash brass and bushels of air, the pluck and wood of the bass, the sizzling hi-hat and smashing snare of the trap set. ... Listen to 'Blue Friday,' and you'll be reminded of the trumpet-led passages on 'Stolen Moments,' the high point of Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth. There's a similar sound, and it's no accident." — Fred Kaplan, Stereophile, Feb. 8, 2017. Read the whole review here. Quiet Kenny is yet another reminder of what a trumpet giant Kenny Dorham was. Whether limning ballads such as "My Ideal," "Alone Together," "I Had the Craziest Dream," and "Old Folks," or investigating the timelessness and intricacies of the blues (his originals in this set with "Blue" in their titles), the former Charlie Parker cohort and ex-Jazz Messenger exhibits his subtle swing, personal sound, and finely-honed harmonic sense. Along the way these reflections and connections with Bird, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Harry James, and Louis Armstrong make for a rich legacy. With Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Arthur Taylor
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Sonny Rollins – Tenor Madness (Mono)
58,00 €Show itemTenor Madness was the recording that, once and for all, established Rollins as one of the premier tenor saxophonists, an accolade that in retrospect, has continued through six full decades and gives an indication why as a young player, Rollins was so well liked, as his fluency, whimsical nature, and solid construct of melodies and solos gave him the title of the next Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young of mainstream jazz. Tenor Madness, using Miles Davis’ group – pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, is the only recording of Rollins with John Coltrane, who was also in Davis’ group. Rollins and John Coltrane met in 1956 and went on to largely define the state of jazz tenor saxophone in the mid-Fifties. Their playing set a standard that has been a benchmark of excellence for saxophonists—and others—ever since. By the time this LP was released, Rollins already had such albums to his name as Worktime and Sonny Rollins Plus 4 in addition to his sideman exploits with the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet. As well as the celebrated title track, Tenor Madness includes an intriguing original, “Paul’s Pal,” and the mining of unusual material such as “My Reverie,” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” Originally released in 1956
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John Coltrane – With The Red Garland Trio (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cartFor his second long player, John Coltrane (tenor saxophone) joined forces with his Prestige labelmate Red Garland (piano) to command a quartet through a five-song outing supported by a rhythm section of Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). The absence of any unessential instrumentalists encouraged a decidedly concerted focus from Coltrane, who plays with equal measures of confidence and freedom. The Coltrane original “Traneing In” Is a rousing blues that exemplifies the musical singularity between Coltrane and Garland. Even though Garland, the pianist, takes charge from the start, the structure of the arrangement permits the tenor to construct his solo seamlessly out of Garland’s while incrementally increasing in intensity, yet never losing the song’s underlying swinging bop.
Chambers gets in on the action with an effervescent run that quotes the seasonal favorite “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” The poignant “Slow Dance” is a dark ballad with a simple, refined tune that is established by Coltrane, then turned over to Chambers, then Garland, before the tenor brings it home with one final verse. Coltrane’s second original composition “Bass Blues” showcases Chambers’ ability to mirror even the most intricate or seemingly improvised lines from Coltrane. And “You Leave Me Breathless” provides everything that a love song should with long, languid runs by Coltrane, Garland and what is arguably Paul Chambers at his absolute finest. The album draws to a close on a bebop lover’s dream — a fast and furious interpretation of the Irving Berlin classic “Soft Lights and Sweet Music.” The original album title and cover with its abstract painting was changed in later pressings to “Tranein’ In,” and revised to show a monochrome portrait of John Coltrane. -
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John Coltrane – Coltrane (Prestige) (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cart“…they attempt to be as faithful to the original LPs as possible. They are remastered from the original mono or stereo tapes, come in authentic glossy ‘tip-on’ jackets, retain the flat edge of original pressings … What they don’t have is the cost of original pressings. So many of the titles in the series fall into the several-hundred-dollar range in near-mint condition, a few topping out in the thousands, making the $30 price of each Analogue Productions LP seem like a bargain if they deliver sonically, which they do in abundance. … both (this title andColtrane were pressed at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and continue the excellence for which this newest pressing plant has become known: nonexistent surface and groove noise and the sharp delineation of musical detail. — Music = 4.5/5; Sound = 4.5/5 — Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat, Feb. 12, 2013. “Another fine-sounding Prestige mono, Coltrane crackles with spontaneous intensity. Al Heath’s drum triplets spark “Bakai,” as Coltrane’s throaty tenor introduces the repetitive, Arabic-influenced theme. “Violets For Your Furs” is sort of precursor to Coltrane’s fine Ballads album (1963), whlle a string of mostly up-tempo tunes follow.” Sonics = 4/5; Music = 3.5/5 — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, January 2013 “Kevin Gray’s mastering is superb. This first effort makes my mouth water for a few of the truly rare titles in the series that have always eluded my reach and my grasp as a collector. I’ve owned original yellow label originals and later blue label versions of this album and the fabulous sound of this new version should make any jazz enthusiast ecstatic.” Recording = 9.5/10; Music = 9.5/10 — Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 91 John Coltrane, is in a sense, as Ira Gitler wrote in the liner notes to Coltrane’s 1957 self-titled album — featuring his first session as a band leader — a new star, “but he has not arrived through high-pressure press agentry. He has been building on more solid ground.” From the time of his joining the Miles Davis quintet in late 1955 through to his brilliant work with Thelonious Monk at the Five Spot Cafe in the summer of 1957, Coltrane steadily increased his accomplishments on his instrument and gained new admirers for his playing among his fellow musicians and the serious listening public. For this date Coltrane chose his musicians, he contributed several compositions and he also wrote some of the arrangements. “Bakai” (meaning “cry” in Arabic), by Cal Massey, opens side one. Its handsome minor theme is expounded by pianist Red Garland, Coltrane (who’s horn really cries), and baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab. The rest of side one is handled by the quartet featuring Coltrane and Garland. Two ballad standards, “Violet for Your Furs,” and “Time Was,” are the subjects; the former receives a sensitive ballad treatment while the latter is done in bright medium time. Side two opens on “Straight Street,” a Coltrane composition and arrangement featuring solos by Coltrane, trumpeter Johnnie Splawn and pianist Mal Waldron. An interestingly different Coltrane interpretation of the seldom-done “While My Lady Sleeps” is Coltrane’s alone until Splawn joins him for a final errie note. Coltrane’s “Chronic Blues” is the closer and gives all the horns and Waldron solo room.
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Benny Golson – Groovin’ with Golson (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartBenny Golson, who came to the attention of the jazz public with Tadd Dameron's band and Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra, was a member of the Jazztet — the group he had formed with Art Farmer — at the time of this recording. Farmer is not with him in this recording but another Jazztet-mate, trombonist Curtis Fuller, is. Although this session is not as structured as the three-horn efforts of the Jazztet, there is a balance between blowing and Golson's writing that makes for a felicitous blend, whether on Golson's own "My Blues House," Gene Krupa's old burner, "Drum/Boogie," or Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays." And with Art Blakey on drums things cook when they have to, and simmer at the right moments. With Curtis Fuller, Ray Bryant, Paul Chambers and Art Blakey.
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Elmo Hope – Informal Jazz (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cartOvershadowed throughout his life by his friends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, Elmo Hope was a talented pianist and composer in his own right. He recorded in New York as a band leader (starting in 1953), and with greats Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown and Jackie McLean. But the loss of his cabaret card due to drug use made it difficult for him to make a living in New York. After touring with Chet Baker in 1957, Hope relocated to Los Angeles. He performed with Lionel Hampton in 1959, recorded with Harold Land and Curtis Counce, and returned to New York in 1961. A short prison sentence did little to help his drug problem; he died in May 1967. Although the album is titled Informal Jazz, reality dictates that a good deal of thought and care went into the recording session. The dynamic drum and bass team of Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers is "hardly the kind of rhythm section playing heard at a jam session, except possibly in heaven," All Music Guide notes. And Hope’s solo spots are the best part of the record — "It is a stretch to imagine an ’informal’ recording session where even material as complicated as this is played." Lastly, some of the most well-known and influential horn artists of the time make their presence known — tenor sax greats John Coltrane and Hank Mobley, as well as trumpeter Donald Byrd. Originally released in 1956. Elmo Hope, piano Philly Joe Jones, drums Paul Chambers, bass John Coltrane, tenor sax Donald Byrd, trumpet Hank Mobley, tenor sax
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Tommy Flanagan – Overseas (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cart"Overseas is very well recorded and the trio is well defined in a space with stereo-like width and depth. Kevin Gray's remastering of the mono LP is exceptional." — Recording = 8.5/10; Music = 9/10 — Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 95 When Jay Jay Johnson toured Sweden in the summer of 1957, his pianist, Tommy Flanagan, drew accolades. Flanagan’s playing on Miles Davis’ tunes such as "Vierd Blues," and "In Your Own Sweet Way" had made hipper Swedes already aware of his abilities. Among these were executives for Metronome Records, and the result was Flanagan’s first recording date under his own name, in Stockholm on Aug. 15, 1957. Flanagan later in his career became known as the "Jazz Poet," an artist whose consummate lyricism and remarkably smooth swing feel have long captivated listeners. Happily, the complex, pliant lines, the rhythmic snap, and that great taste in tunes were already in place when the Detroit-born, Bud Powell-influenced Flanagan arrived in New York in the late 1950s. No wonder he soon played and/or recorded with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, and others. This choice album — Flanagan’s first — was made in Sweden while the pianist was touring with Johnson’s quintet, which included bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Elvin Jones. The appealing program boasts Billy Strayhorn’s lulling "Chelsea Bridge," Charlie Parker’s lively "Relaxin’ at Camarillo," the crafty original "Eclypso" — part calypso, part swing — a blues, and two numbers dedicated to Swedish climes
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Arnett Cobb – Party Time (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartAt the time he recorded this album in 1957, Arnett Cobb was in the process of rebounding from a serious automobile accident that broke both his legs. Cobb's indomitable spirit shines through in these tracks, whether he is calmly preaching on "When My Dream Boat Comes Home," grooving down the "Lonesome Road," or roaring through the song that is almost as closely associated with him as it is with Illinois Jacquet — "Flying Home." There are plenty of good blues, too, and pianist Ray Bryant's eloquence in this idiom is well exposed. Ray Barretto's conga adds another flavor to the rhythm section, especially on "Cocktails for Two." With Ray Bryant, Wendell Marshall, Arthur Taylor and Ray Barretto.
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Booker Ervin – The Freedom Book (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cart"Rudy Van Gelder captured this Prestige title in stereo, and it reflects his consistently fine work. Tonally it's a touch on the light side, but otherwise the band's energy is clearly and dynamically captured, with a decent sense of air and focus. Kevin Gray did the mastering of this excellent QRP platter, so the quality of this welcome reissue is as good as it gets." — Music = 4/5; Sonics = 3.5/5 - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, September 2016. Booker Ervin's recordings with Charles Mingus and Randy Weston brought him good reviews and a bit of notoriety. But it was his series of Song Books for Prestige Records that broadcast the stentorian announcement that a jazz orator of gigantic stature had arrived. Ervin's tenor saxophone sound was haunted by the loneliness and spaciousness of the Texas plains where he was raised. The Southwest moan was an integral part of his playing. But his style went beyond the classic Texas tenor tradition to incorporate the intricacies of bebop and suggestions of the free jazz that was initiating one of the periods of self-renewal that keeps jazz fresh and interesting. The Freedom Book, recorded at the end of 1963, was one of Ervin's masterpieces. He is abetted by the power and drive of Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, and Alan Dawson.
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Gene Ammons – Nice An’ Cool (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartA 1961 set of standards heavy on the ballads, Nice An' Cool is prime Gene Ammons. In front of a sympathetic piano-bass-drums trio (Richard Wyands, Doug Watkins, and the great J.C. Heard, respectively), Ammons' brilliantly soulful tenor saxophone really stretches out on the familiar melodies, but the relatively concise arrangements (all of the eight tracks are between three and eight minutes, with most hovering around the five-minute mark) don't allow him to wander too far afield as he occasionally does on less structured sessions. Nice An' Cool is first and foremost a mood album, with the unity of sound more important than the individual performances, but Ammons particularly shines on the extended opener, a tender, restrained version of The Music Man's "Til There Was You" that sidesteps the mawkishness of many interpretations in favor of a dignified grace. The backing trio is excellent throughout.
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Jimmy Forrest – Out Of The Forrest (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartFrom the time Coleman Hawkins firmly established the tenor saxophone on the jazz map, it has been one of the most potent forces in the music, its best practitioners able to raise the roof with a jumping blues, soothe the savage beast with a tender love ballad, and do just about anything in between. At the time of this recording (1961), Jimmy Forrest, the St. Louis-born reedman, was a veteran of the Fate Marable, Jay McShann, Andy Kirk, and Duke Ellington bands. Later in his career he starred with Count Basie. Here he leads a quartet of teammates from the combo of "Sweets" Edison, including the young Austrian pianist Joe Zawinul, through a gamut of the aforementioned moods from "Crash Program" to the caressing "That's All," with a few tips of the cap to Ben Webster along the way. With Joe Zawinul, Tommy Potter and Clarence Johnston.
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Oliver Nelson – Screamin’ the Blues (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartPosterity remembers Oliver Nelson (1932-1975) primarily as an arranger/conductor. When he first began to attract attention with a series of albums for Prestige and its subsidiaries, however, Nelson was hailed as a versatile leader of small groups and a composer/instrumentalist who could refresh the music's traditional verities while also looking ahead. There is no better showcase for these skills among his initial sessions than Screamin' the Blues, a rousing set of funky modernism interpreted by a sextet of players who shared Nelson's allegiance to both virtuosity and vision. The pairing of saxophonist Eric Dolphy with Nelson was particularly inspired as both men were adept on more than one instrument, and allowed this sextet to create an uncommon diversity of colors. Nelson and Dolphy would reunite a year later on both the classic Blues and the Abstract Truth and (with the band heard here minus trumpeter Richard Williams) on the looser yet intense Straight Ahead. With Richard Williams, Eric Dolphy, Richard Wyands, George Duvivier and Roy Haynes.
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Gene Ammons – The Soulful Moods Of Gene Ammons (Stereo)
58,00 €Show item“One of the best efforts from Ammons' extensive catalog. A fat, warm, rich sax tone — you know, the one you immediately identify as Jug — is on display in all its glory on this great Moodsville release. Feeling tired and stressed out? Give Uncle Gene a spin. Besides perfect pitch, Ammons' other special gift was a melodic sense that allowed him to effectively convey feelings at slow tempos. Here is a great jazz ballad player given full scope to spin his charms." — Stereophile, February 1995.
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Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis & Johnny Griffin Quintet – The Tenor Scene (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartDuring the two-year existence of their "Tough Tenors" quintet, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (a Prestige artist) and Johnny Griffin (under contract to Riverside/Jazzland) satisfied their contractual obligations by recording five albums for each company. This was the pair’s first for Prestige, and the first of a four-album series taped over the course of an extremely productive evening at the legendary Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem. The album, also known as The Breakfast Show in an earlier reissue, gives the rhythm section several opportunities to shine, with Ben Riley’s drums dominant on "Woody’n You," "Bingo Domingo" featuring Larry Gale’s bass, and Junior Mance’s piano solo almost stealing the show on "Light and Lovely." It is the leaders, though, who consistently deliver with their complimentary brand of intensity, which is heard at the boil throughout and reaches a particular peak when they exchange ideas on "Straight, No Chaser."
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Lightnin’ Hopkins – Goin’ Away (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cart"At times the guitar seems a bit low in the mix, but on this remastered Analogue Productions LP, cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray, it sounds warm and natural while the boisterous vocals have have a commanding presence; the recording also does a fine job of capturing Leonard Gaskin's deep bass tones and the timbre of Herbie Lovelle's brushes." — Music = 4.5/5; Sonics = 4/5 - Jeff Wilson, The Absolute Sound, September 2016. Read more here. Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins, a true poet who invented most of his lyrics on the spot and never seemed to run out of new ideas, was a blues giant of post-war blues whose style was rooted in pre-war Texas traditions. While he cranked up his amp to fierce proportions when performing for his friends at Houston juke joints, producers who recorded him for the so-called folk-blues market usually insisted that he use an acoustic guitar for more “authentic” results. Either way, Lightnin’ seldom made a bad record, and this June 4, 1963, session on which he played acoustic was among his finest, thanks much to the sensitive support of bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Herbie Lovelle, who did a remarkable job of following his irregular bar patterns and abrupt song endings.
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Miles Davis – Bags Groove (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cart“Analogue Productions has continued to push its own already high bar higher still. Its Quality Record Pressings plant is delivering the best vinyl discs to be found, its jackets and cover reproduction quality have hit new levels, and it continues to have the best in the biz — such as Kevin Gray for this series (25 mono LPs from the Prestige label’s exceptional late-50s run) cut lacquers from original analog master tapes. … The set crackles with energy and the sound is rather cool, yet it’s very clean and — like looking through a mountain stream — transparent. I also have AP’s 2002 45 RPM set, and this new release makes that one sound a bit thick and veiled by comparison.” — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, December 2015 There are a multitude of reasons why Bags’ Groove remains a cornerstone of the post-bop genre. Of course, says All Music Guide, there will always be the lure of the urban myth surrounding the Christmas Eve 1954 session — featuring Thelonious Monk — which is documented on the two takes of the title track. There are obviously more tangible elements, such as Davis’ practically telepathic runs with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax). Or Horace Silver’s (piano) uncanny ability to provide a stream of chord progressions that supply a second inconspicuous lead without ever overpowering. Indeed, Davis’ choice of former Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra and concurrent Modern Jazz Quartet members Milt Jackson (vibes), Kenny Clarke (drums), and Percy Heath (bass) is obviously well-informed. This combo became synonymous with the ability to tastefully improvise and provide bluesy bop lines in varied settings. The up-tempo and Latin-infused syncopation featured during the opening of “Airegin” flows into lines and minor-chord phrasings that would reappear several years later throughout Davis’ Sketches of Spain epic. The fun and slightly maniacally toned “Oleo” features one of Heath’s most impressive displays on Bags’ Groove. His staccato accompaniment exhibits the effortless nature with which these jazz giants are able to incorporate round after round of solos onto the larger unit. Bags’ Groove belongs as a cornerstone of all jazz collections.
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Sonny Rollins – Rollins Plays For Bird (Mono)
58,00 €Add to cartAs the tenor sax is not in the same key as an alto, Sonny Rollins would have to transpose a lot of music to take a tribute to Charlie Parker to a high level. Instead Rollins has chosen standards associated with Parker, and recorded them within a year after Bird’s passing. The music certainly has its moments, as on the inexhaustible 27-minute medley of seven tunes seamlessly stitched together. Rollins plays the melody on alternating songs "I Remember You" and "They Can’t Take That Away from Me," Kenny Dorham has at it for "My Melancholy Baby" and "Just Friends," with Wade Legge getting his two cents in on trio only versions of "Old Folks" and "My Little Suede Shoes." Finally the whole band joins in on the ten-minute medley finale "Star Eyes." Two independent selections accompany the medley: Rollins does the ballad "I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your (Her) Face," from the musical "My Fair Lady" and the horns finally play together for the nearly 12-minute cool waltz "Kids Know.
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Gene Ammons – Boss Tenor (Stereo)
58,00 €Show item"Both are gorgeous impressions of soul, jazz and blues, brought together through the legacy of standards and new compositions. The tonality of Gene Ammons in particular is transfixing and it is with the stereo reissues from Prestige that Gene will get a lot of love with multiple titles scheduled for release. Booker Ervin was another great tenor sax player and his contributions to the Prestige vaults are timeless with Exultation!." — Erik Otis, Sound Colour Vibration, May 9, 2015. For nearly a quarter-century, beginning in 1950, tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons (1925-1974) was among the brightest stars in the Prestige Records firmament. Whether leading, or partaking in, one of Prestige’s jam sessions, immersing himself in the organ-dominated blues and gospel grooves that in the 1950s came to be called “soul jazz,” or digging deep for heart-rending ballads, Ammons was multiply masterful. And in 1960, leading a quintet featuring the impeccable pianist Tommy Flanagan, plus Ray Barretto’s piquant congas, he produced the insuperable Boss Tenor. From the blues that drips from “Hittin’ the Jug” and “Blue Ammons” to the infectious medium bounce of the standards “Close Your Eyes” and “Canadian Sunset,” and from the sophisticated swing of “Stompin’ at the Savoy” to the finger-poppin’ bop of “Confirmation” and the after-hours balladry of “My Romance,” Boss Tenor has something for everyone claiming to be a fan of modern jazz.
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Lightnin’ Hopkins – Soul Blues (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartThis release of Lightnin' Hopkins Soul Blues completes the series of 25 Prestige label stereo reissues from Analogue Productions. Of the 50 titles (25 stereo, 25 mono) in this reissue series, 49 of them were mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog tape. For Soul Blues Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound created a 24/192K hi-res file from a needle drop on a clean original LP. This was done because the tape supplied for mastering proved to be from a needle drop itself, not the original, which has been lost since the early 1970s. Smith took the original LP, did a new needle drop and meticulously worked to eliminate the minimal tics and pops that remained. Then he mastered the album for LP and SACD from the hi-res file. "We are amazed by the quality," says Chad Kassem, Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions CEO. "Now that the tape is lost, an original LP copy is now the master. Only in cases where the original master tape is lost or damaged and where we feel that we have no other choice, do we consider using the best source that remains. But we'd only do that if that source was sonically worth it. In this case, it most definitely is." This is a needle drop from the original Stereo LP. While the sound does not have the wide pan that you'd typically associate with Stereo, meaning that it sounds very much like Mono, this is in fact what was on the original Stereo release of this title. A true poet of the blues, Lightnin' Hopkins was a master of tall, tongue-in-cheek tales, often made up on the spot in the recording studio. The first song on this album "I'm Going to Build Me a Heaven of My Own," describes an encounter with a bearded man claiming to be Jesus Christ. Hopkins also puts his personal stamp on Willie Dixon's "My Babe" and Smokey Hogg's "Too Many Drivers," among others.
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Arnett Cobb – Ballads By Cobb (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartOriginally released in November 1960, Ballads by Cobb, as its title suggests, is all slow ballads, putting the emphasis on the Texas tenor’s warm tone. A Texas tenor player in the tradition of Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb's accessible playing was between swing and early rhythm & blues. His stomping, robust style earned him the title "Wild Man of the Tenor Sax." Cobb spent most of the 1960s playing back in his native Texas but he returned to the national scene in 1973 and during his final 15 years engaged in many exciting tenor battles, showing that there were few tougher Texas tenors than the legendary Arnett Cobb. Here, the Wild Man takes a smoother, more emotional approach. The album was recorded Nov. 1, 1960 by Rudy Van Gelder at his studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.. It was produced by Esmond Edwards.
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Hank Mobley – Mobley’s Message (Mono Version)
58,00 €Add to cart"...hard-bop devotees shouldn't overlook Mobley's Message, especially when they can savor this superb vinyl reissue." Sonics = 5/5; Music = 3.5/5 — Duck Baker, The Absolute Sound, October 2013 Critic Leonard Feather asserted that Hank Mobley was “the middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone,” meaning that his tone wasn’t as aggressive and thick as John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins, but neither was it as soft and cool as Stan Getz or Lester Young. Mobley helped inaugurate the hard bop movement: Jazz that balanced sophistication and soulfulness, complexity and earthy swing, and whose loose structure allowed for extended improvisations. Born in Eastman, Georgia, in 1930, but raised in New Jersey, Hank’s long-lined tenor offerings became a staple for pianist Horace Silver’s group, which evolved into the ‘50s super quintet co-led by Art Blakley, dubbed the Jazz Messengers. Their groundbreaking first album for Blue Note, 1955’s Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, was a hard bop landmark, featuring sophisticated solos and bright, almost funky rhythms. Mobley hit his peak in the first half of the 1960s with hard bop cornerstones like Soul Station, No Room for Squares, and A Caddy for Daddy.On this Prestige offering, Mobley delivers his signature swinging style in three different variations. Four numbers are by the quintet in which Hank is helped by telegrapher Donald Byrd and his “sending” trumpet. They disseminate the information of two pronouncements from bop’s palmy days, Bud Powell’s “Bouncin’ With Bud” and Thelonious Monk’s “52nd Street Theme,” plus two more numbers, Hank’s “Minor Disturbance” and the group’s “Alternating Current.” For Charlie Parker’s blues, “Au Privave,” the group becomes a sextet with the addition of a young turk of the alto sax, Jackie McLean. Hank is the sole horn on “Little Girl Blue.”
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Gil Evans – Gil Evans and Ten (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cart“Part of Analogue Productions’ series of 25 of the rarest and best sounding Prestige titles recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, this important reissue dates to 1957 and presents for the first time on vinyl in stereo Gil Evans’ debut as both the leader of his own recording session as well as the pianist. … Remastered by Kevin Gray and impeccably pressed at QRP, the sound is excellent. Tonally rich and warm, but not overly fat or golden, with an airy and expansive soundstage in which the main instruments occupy the front section, layering back to the supporting players, with the drums and bass (mostly) at rear. The horns, especially, are creamy-lush, drums have plenty of snap, and there’s a terrific sense of balance and completeness to the whole.” — Music = 4/5; Sonics = 4/5 – Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, May-June 2017 “I was so pleased with the job Analogue Productions did with their reissue of Out of the Cool, Evans’s 1960 Impulse! album, that I immediately ordered their vinyl edition of Gil Evans & Ten when it became available. This is the recording’s first release on vinyl in stereo … The new LP more sharply presents Steve Lacy’s soprano sax in Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things,” and the instrument plays better against Evans’s percussive piano lines. I could hear the band easing in behind Evans in the early moments of the track, and it sounded more dynamic as the arrangement built. Evans’s high notes about two-thirds of the way through sound fuller, rounder toned, and more emphatic on the Analogue Productions LP. … this new pressing reveals more depth and warmth in the sound, and lets me feel as if I’m closer to the band, and able to hear more of what’s going on in the music.” Musical Performance = 4 1/2 Stars; Sound Quality = 4 1/2 Stars; Overall Enjoyment = 4 1/2 Stars — Joseph Taylor, SoundStageUltra.com. Read the whole review here. In 1957, Miles Davis, high on the success of his recent collaborations with his old friend Gil Evans, persuaded Prestige Records to give Evans his own record date. Evans packed the resulting album with the brilliance that music insiders had recognized since his days as an arranger for Claude Thornhill in the 1940s and his work on Davis’ Birth of the Cool recordings. Writing for only 11 instruments, Evans used his wizardry with dynamics, motion and harmonic voicings to create orchestral effects suggesting a substantially larger orchestra. His settings stimulated his musicians to inspired improvisation. Among the soloists are trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, saxophonists Steve Lacy and Lee Konitz, and Evans himself, making his first recorded appearance as a pianist.
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Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet (mono)
58,00 €Add to cart"Analogue Productions has continued to push its own already high bar higher still. Its Quality Record Pressings plant is delivering the best vinyl discs to be found, its jackets and cover reproduction quality have hit new levels, and it continues to have the best in the biz - such as Kevin Gray for this series (25 mono LPs from the Prestige label's exceptional late-50s run) cut lacquers from original analog master tapes. ... the sound has a great sense of 'jump' or energy, and it's warmly textured yet precise and well detailed, with nice body. Coltrane's sax was very nicely recorded, plus this was when he was really coming into his own as a player." — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, December 2015
Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet is in every way a masterpiece. When Davis the trumpeter (1926-1991) had formed the band in 1955, his colleagues — tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones — were not considered jazz-world A-listers. And before conquering his narcotics addiction earlier in the ’50s, Davis had seen his once-promising career go into eclipse. By 1956, however, his sound, especially when muted, was an achingly personal counterpart to the vocals of Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Relaxin’ (plus its Prestige companions, Miles, Cookin’, Workin’, and Steamin’) reestablished Davis, and elevated his quintet as the gold standard of small groups.This set is called Relaxin’ because of the ballad performances in several different bright tempos. From medium-bounce to crisply up, Relaxin’ remains one of Davis’s sunniest outings, a prime example of one of the outstanding ensembles of the 20th century reaching the summit of their artistry.Originally released in 1957.Miles Davis, trumpetRed Garland, pianoJohn Coltrane, tenor saxophone Paul Chambers, bass Philly Joe Jones, drums