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Phil Woods: “I Remember…” (Gryphon 788)
In 1978, Phil Woods composed and arranged I Remember…, an album-long suite which memorialized eight jazz masters: Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond, Oscar Pettiford, Oliver Nelson, Charlie Parker, Willie Rodriguez, Willie Dennis and Gary McFarland. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that the album is also a memorial for Dr. Herb Wong, whose liner notes…
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Ella Fitzgerald & Ellis Larkins: “Pure Ella” (Decca/GRP CD 636)
In 1950, Ella Fitzgerald had the good sense to partner with pianist Ellis Larkins for the LP Ella Sings Gershwin. That classic album and its followup Songs in a Mellow Mood were reissued on CD several years ago on a disc appropriately titled Pure Ella. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe details why these recordings…
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Quincy Jones: “This Is How I Feel About Jazz” (ABC-Paramount 149)
In September 1956, 23-year old Quncy Jones assembled a truly all-star band for his first LP as a leader, This Is How I Feel About Jazz. In ensembles ranging from nine to fifteen pieces, Jones provided brilliant showcases for Art Farmer, Jimmy Cleveland, Phil Woods, Lucky Thompson, Milt Jackson, Billy Taylor and Charles Mingus. Thomas…
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Red Garland: “Swingin’ on the Korner” (Elemental 5990426)
When Red Garland left the Miles Davis Sextet in 1958, his career continued on with recordings for Prestige and a busy schedule of sideman appearances. But in 1962, Garland moved to Dallas to care for his ailing mother, and he didn’t return to active playing for nearly a decade. Elemental’s new 2-CD set. Swingin’ on…
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Sarah Vaughan: “Sophisticated Lady: The Duke Ellington Songbook Collection” (Pablo 34608)
In 1979, Sarah Vaughan was a newlywed. Her husband was trumpeter Waymon Reed, a competent but hardly original soloist. Vaughan insisted on featuring Reed on her recordings, including her 2-LP Duke Ellington Songbook. Concord has now reissued the set on CD with a previously unissued session conducted by Benny Carter. In his review of the…
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Sarah Vaughan featuring Clifford Brown (LP: EmArcy 36004; CD: EmArcy 814 641)
When Sarah Vaughan first heard Clifford Brown in 1951, she wanted to make a record with him, even though he was unknown and had not recorded. Three years later, with Brown established as a rising trumpet star, the collaboration became a reality. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses that album, rightly acknowledged as a…
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Louis Armstrong: “Satchmo at Symphony Hall” (Decca 16891)
Satchmo at Symphony Hall has long been considered one of Louis Armstrong’s greatest concert recordings. In commemoration of the 65th anniversary of this recording, Universal Music has released the concert complete for the first time. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the new version in this Retro Review.
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Shirley Horn: “Here’s To Life” (Verve 314 511 879)
One of jazz’s greatest storytellers, Shirley Horn created a masterpiece for the ages with her 1992 CD, Here’s To Life. The album was her first collaboration with Johnny Mandel, and it features three of Mandel’s best songs. However, as Thomas Cunniffe writes, it is the title song–written especially for Horn–that ties this album together..
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The Smithsonian and “Classic Jazz”
The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz has undergone several transformations since its initial release in 1973. Thomas Cunniffe evaluates the various editions of the set as one of this month’s Retro Reviews.
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Sonny Rollins: “There Will Never Be Another You” (LP: Impulse 9349; CD: Impulse 5334723)
When Sonny Rollins signed with Impulse Records in 1965, his first recording project was a live outdoor concert at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. During the concert, Rollins wandered all around the performing space as he improvised, and the off-mike recording was shelved for 13 years, when it was issued as There Will Never…