John Patton - Latona (1965)
Good gravy, this one’s a burner. John Patton builds a fire with his undulating organ-tronics, coaxing Grant Green and Bobby Hutcherson into memorable solos.
Blue Mitchell - Samba De Stacy (1965)
Currently on repeat on the car stereo, this lilting bossa nova is reminiscent of Dexter Gordon’s Manha De Carnaval and recalls elements of Lee Morgan’s Ceora, but what’s special here is listening to a quintet that spent much of the intervening year between their 1964 The Thing To Do session and this recording becoming an absolutely airtight unit. Phyl Garland’s liner notes quote Mitchell:
“We’re more together,” he readily comments, “and have a stronger sense of unity in performance.”
Much of this has come about as a result of the experience they’ve gained in polishing their numbers before audiences at Minton’s in Manhattan, Lennie’s on the Turnpike in Boston, the Crawford Grill in Pittsburgh, and other standard jazz houses. So, it is, that everything on this disc is tried, tested, and certain to satisfy. Furthermore, the material is rich in melody, rhythm, and imagination.”
Dexter Gordon and Barry Harris during Gordon’s Clubhouse session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, May 27 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
Wayne Shorter - The Soothsayer (note the different cover)
Sounds to accompany the new sleeve art Atane kindly shared with us.
Bobby Hutcherson and Dexter Gordon at Gordon’s Gettin’ Around session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, May 28 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
Jackie McLean - Climax (1965)
Certain solos are so ferocious they literally take your breath away. JMac’s solo on this tune is, in my humble opinion, one of his top five moments on record. You can really hear how much drummer Jack DeJohnette and the rhythm section—made up of Larry Willis and Larry Ridley—drive him upward, outward and into the stratosphere on this cut. Sensational stuff.
Grassella Oliphant Quartette - Uptown Hours (1965)
Labor day calls for deep cuts and ol’ dusties.
Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Ousley groove it up in support on drummer Grassella Oliphant’s first of two records as a leader. Listen to a cut from the other one here.
Hank Mobley with his tenor sax at the recording session A Caddy For Daddy at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs, in 1965. Photo by Francis Wolff.
Great shot. Nice find.
Horace Silver - African Queen (1965)
This was the first Blue Note CD I bought with my own money, back in 1989. My pops had made a passing remark about Silver’s music being groovy, so I (randomly) chose this one from the stack. It turned out to be a good choice.
Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw’s modernist stylings make up a dream front line on this recording, and Roger Humphries’ drum work on this cut illustrates why he became Silver’s go-to drummer in the mid-60s.
Freddie Hubbard: Cunga Black - from Blue Spirits (1965)
Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; James Spaulding: alto saxophone; Joe Henderson: tenor saxophone; Harold Mabern, Jr.: piano; Larry Ridley: bass; Clifford Jarvis: drums; Big Black: conga; Kiane Zawadi: euphonium
(via bainer)
Happy birthday Freddie.
I love Ordinary Finds.
Alfred Lion and Dexter Gordon during Gordon’s Clubhouse session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, May 27 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
Jackie McLean and Larry Willis during the recording of McLean’s Jacknife session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, September 24 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
Wayne Shorter during his Et Cetera session, Englewood Cliffs NJ, June 14 1965 (photo by Francis Wolff)
Grant Green - Speak Low (1965)
From Ira Gitler’s liner notes:
Hank [Mobley] is very much with it on Speak Low, the only up-tempo of the date. After Green spins out the line, Mobley takes off into a lean, declarative solo in which he speaks neither low nor loud but with confidence and authority. (As a measure of his growth, it is interesting to compare this version with a slower Speak Low he did with Lee Morgan on Peckin’ Time (Blue Note 1574) back in the ’50s.) Green is next with his incisive single line; his rhythmic alternations are marvelous as he manipulates the beat. [Elvin] Jones manages to cram many trenchant thoughts into a relatively short solo before Green returns to punch to a fitting climax and fade.
Mobley is ON.
