Retro Reviews

Recorded in 1972, Dave Hollland’s “Conference of the Birds” featured six outstanding Holland originals–some left unrecorded by the maverick quartet Circle–played by three Circle alumni (Holland, Barry Altschul, and Anthony Braxton) and a new collaborator, Sam Rivers. In this special Retro Review, Dave Holland provides an elegant history of the album’s creation, and Thomas Cunniffe offers a track-by-track analysis of the album. The article also includes a link to a rare live YouTube video of the quartet live in France, and discussion of a unique vocal recording of the title tune.

There is no shortage of live albums by John Coltrane, but a newly-discovered set “Evenings at the Village Gate” reveals a crucial step in the development of the iconic saxophonist’s Great Quartet. With the added presence of Eric Dolphy, the new album offers a unique look at Coltrane’s group in August 1961, just a few months before their historic engagement at the Village Vanguard. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe puts the album in historical perspective.

This issue’s Retro Review spotlights two collections of historic bebop recordings. Savoy’s “The Birth of Bop” was originally issued in 1952 and consists solely of commercial recordings made for Savoy, while Verve’s “Bird in LA” collects rare private recordings which document three of Parker’s visits to the City of Angels. Thomas Cunniffe evaluates each set.

With the exception of Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard was the hottest jazz trumpeter during the early to mid-1960s. Prior to leading his own group, he was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and he appeared on many landmark albums of the time. A new Mosaic box collects the first 10 LPs Hubbard recorded under his own name, in stunning fidelity with outstanding liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. Thomas Cunniffe offers a track-by-track summary of this set in this Retro Review.

Of the hundreds of concerts we may attend in our lifetimes, the ones we remember best are the ones with stories attached. Usually, the stories are exaggerated over time…unless the concert was recorded. In this month’s Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe reviews newly issued vintage concerts by Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Oscar Peterson, each attached to a unique story.

Roy Eldridge and Norman Granz first met in 1942. Eldridge was already a star but Granz was still living on limited means. A few years later, Granz bolstered Eldridge’s stature by featuring him in concerts and recordings. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe examines a seminal collection of 4 collaborations between Eldridge and Oscar Peterson, produced by Granz, from a classic double-LP compilation, “Dale’s Wail”.

This issue’s Retro Review covers three new discoveries, including a pair of highly interactive duo concerts by Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller, three Seattle nightclub sets from the 1960s by Harold Land, and the recording debut of Sheila Jordan. Thomas Cunniffe reviews these instant classics.

The four albums spotlighted in this month’s Retro Review offer new insights into the music of Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins. Each recording adds previously unissued music which help to fill gaps in their legacy. Thomas Cunniffe highlights these important recordings.

It was hot in the summer of 1960, but it wasn’t all due to the weather. Civil Rights was a regular topic on the evening news. With racial inequality still part of our daily lives in 2020, Thomas Cunniffe felt that it was appropriate to re-examine Charles Mingus’ explosive concert at Antibes from July 1960, featuring Ted Curson, Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Dannie Richmond and special guest Bud Powell.

Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz were constantly grouped together because of their decades-long association: first as teacher and pupil, then as leader and sideman. It may seem surprising that they never made a duet recording together, but soon after their last gig together, both men started an album of duets…with other musicians. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses the classic “Lee Konitz Duets” and the new Tristano release “Duo Sessions”.

While most of Tubby Hayes’ recordings have been reissued in recent years, his important recordings for the Fontana label have been in and out of print since their original issues. With the success of the recently rediscovered “Grits, Beans and Greens” sessions, Universal Music has finally reissued all of Hayes’ Fontana albums as deluxe CD and LP box sets. Thomas Cunniffe offers a detailed summation of the 13-CD set in this extended Retro Review.