Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall (2005)

Recorded at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall from the Novermber 29th, 1957 show as part of their Thanksgiving Jazz series; these tapes sat in the Library of Congress' archives for almost 48 years until they were found and restored (by Monk's son T.S. Monk and producer Michael Cuscuna).

This version of Thelonious' quartet would feature Coltrane on tenor, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Shadow Wilson on the drums; it was right after Trane finished recording his first "solo" record Blue Train and would mark the final collaboration with Monk as John headed back for another stint with Miles' sextet.

One of the best examples of hard bop out there; this one's for my buddy Timmy Burke. Enjoy!

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall (2005; Blue Note Records)

Harold Land - Choma (Burn) 1971

"Harold Land was one of the major contributors in the history of the jazz saxophone..." says Kenny Burrell, renowned jazz guitarist and head of the UCLA Jazz Studies Program, of which he gave Land a position teaching one of his instrumental jazz combo classes in 1996. And there you have it; one legend speaking about another with reverence and humility, but most importantly truth. Harold Land was another one of the many "figures in the shadows" of jazz that never fully got their due.

Land made an album under his own name for a 1949 Savoy session that now seem to be lost to eternity; his earliest recordings to gain notoriety (as well as survive) were with the Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet (he preceded a more famous sax player in Sonny Rollins) and was featured prominently on their first three records. He then left to explore some other things with Curtis Counce, Red Mitchell and releasing records as a leader himself, but he wouldn't find a true creative equal until he started making music (actually, some of the best jazz albums of the late 1960's) with the one and only Mr. Bobby Hutcherson. They would make 11 records together in an eight-year span, from 1968 on through until the mid-70's.

So this record, Choma (Burn) would feature only one Hutcherson composition, and would lean towards a more fusion-y direction- which would of course mean funky and accessible. This was never released as a CD, so you're gonna have to hunt this down at your favorite local record store...

Harold Land - Choma (Burn) 1971; Mainstream Records
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Hank Mobley - Soul Station (1960)

Just one look at this album cover and I thought: night. Yep, this is one of those night time jazz records; upon the first few listens it jumps out as an album that evokes neon lights reflected off the sheen of soggy city streets, cigarette smoke slowly rising up to the ceiling of a dark nightclub, maybe a shady figure standing in the shadow of a doorway. Hank Mobley's presence in the jazz stratosphere can be likened to exactly that- a figure standing in the shadows, never really gaining full notoriety for his tenor sax exploits.

Of course, the premier tenormen of the day, Coltrane and Rollins, have cast such a huge shadow over all of jazz (not just Mobley) it's no wonder he's been lost in the mix. Undervalued, under appreciated- he's really one of the quintessential hard bop saxophonists; never choppy or percussive, always fluid and relaxed. Starting with this record, Mobley would be at the start of a string of four really great hard bop records; Roll Call, Workout and No Room For Squares. 

This session, from February 7th, 1960, was cut at Rudy Van Gelder's studio and features none other than Art Blakey on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and Wynton Kelly on piano.

Hank Mobley - Soul Station (1960; Blue Note Records)

Jackie McLean - Destination... Out! (1964)

Saxophonist Jackie McLean did three albums with vibes player Bobby Hutcherson and trombonist Grachan Moncur III all together in the same line-up, 1963's One Step Beyond, Moncur's 1964 record Evolution as well as this gem from '64 credited to McLean. Only the bass and drums were interchangeable; these three played so well off each other that they effectively changed the hard bop landscape into something more freeing- it was a known fact that McLean was enamored with the sounds Ornette Coleman crafted a few years before and the eventual full-on change in John Coltrane's music right around this time would only cement his idea that bop had to change in order to survive.

McLean could be considered one of the major supporting players in the scene; albeit he lived in the shadows behind some of the giants- his teenage friendships with both Kenny Drew and Sonny Rollins; his adoration of Charlie Parker and subsequent meetings with Bird; his lessons with pianist Bud Powell, it seems as if young Jackie was always right on the verge of making it and... He would get his break in the early 1950s, playing with Miles Davis for a few years, then moving on to play with Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Sonny Clark and Hank Mobley before settling into his role as band leader. Drugs and arrests would also plague McLean through these years as well.

The session that produced this record is from September 20th, 1963, from none other than the Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ with Larry Ridley on the bass and Roy Haynes on the skins; it's one of the last vestiges of a true hard bop classic before energy music would fully take jazz by storm.

Jackie McLean - Destination... Out! (1964; Blue Note Records)

Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach - Money Jungle (1962)

Instead of Charlie Mingus and Max Roach being at the beck-and-call of a then already legendary Duke Ellington; it's sort of the other way around, and you can hear that right off the bat with the opening (and title) track on this awesome collaboration album. Mingus and Roach both had tremendous egos, as they were the young, hot-shot composers/band leaders on the scene, just coming into their prime at the time of this recording. And nobody ever second-guessed the Duke, so for all three to put their egos aside and let creativity take over makes for an amazing listen right here.

Ellington has been primarily known for his swinging big band music, so for him to join up with two hard bop legends was certainly a stretch for him; he actually shows his chops, and he's really an under-rated pianist (he let Billy Strayhorn do most of the work for the 30 years they played together in his orchestra). Let's face it, as a ballad writer The Duke was unrivaled for decades, likewise with swing and that big band Cotton Club stuff; but as bebop and eventually hard bop would take over the jazz-scape, he was more or less pushed aside. This was his way of catching up with the pack, and it's a creative high point for the man.

I've already posted a Mingus album (1963's The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady) and I'll eventually get around to posting a Max Roach-Clifford Brown album in the near future, but for now, here's the 2002 re-mastered edition with alternate takes...

Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach - Money Jungle (1962; United Artists)

Arnie Lawrence - Unobstructed Universe (1976)

I found this a few weeks ago on a blog I like to frequent (Prog Not Frog), and all I can say is that it's absolutely amazing. Funky-ass rhythms that melt away into some free jazz/space jam stuff and then back again- and that's just during the 30-minute title track.

I don't know a whole lot about this release except that it's listed under both Arnie Lawrence as leader and credited to Unobstructed Universe as the band. I read in an interview with Lawrence that it was his intention to call the band and record Unobstructed Universe but for contractual reasons it's listed under him. Go figure.

Either way, it's some funky ass fusion shit from the mid-1970's...

Arnie Lawrence - Unobstructed Universe (1976; Adamo Records)
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Paul Bley - Open, to Love (1973)

This 1973 record is a collection of solo piano improv pieces from Paul Bley; it's cold and stark, spare, expansive and chilling. It's like a cross between free jazz and Erik Satie; you ever see a horror movie and just as the main character starts their descent into madness and chops up the town with an axe? Yeah, this is like that- the fragmentary piano runs scattered about in the air, sounding like someone actually losing their marbles...

Except Bley knew exactly what he was doing on this album. Enjoy!

Paul Bley - Open, to Love (1973; ECM Records)

Albert Heath - Kawaida (1970)

This is one of those records that drives OCD completist/collectors like me insane; there are three different versions of this album floating around- all three have different track listings, different running orders and list different personnel. The only definite thing I know about this record is that it's one of the few perfect examples of the melding between modal jazz and African rhythms, sort of like the ideas Coltrane had on Africa/Brass.

Why this "lost" album caught my eye was the inclusion of both Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry, with the Heath brothers (Jimmy & Albert, listed here as leader for contractual reasons) and Jimmy's son Mtume, who actually should be listed as leader, it was said he arranged the whole thing under the concept of spreading the teachings of Maulana Karenga's Kawaida philosophy.

Here's the actual transcription of the line-up from the 1969 O'Be Records release:

Ed Blackwell - Bells & Percussion

Billy Bonner (Fundi) - Flute, Percussion (track 5 only)

Don Cherry (Msafari) - Trumpet

Herbie Hancock (Mwandishi) - Piano

Albert "Toudie" Heath (Kuumba)- Drums & Percussion

Jimmy Heath (Tayari) - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)

Mtume - Conga, Voice

Buster Williams (Mchezaji) - Bass

Recorded December 11, 1969. Produced by O'Be Productions. Recorded at The Universe, and Mastered at Town Sound Studios. Released 1970 on O'Be Records, catalogue number OB-301. Trip Records release is catalogue number TLP-5032. Liner notes on the O'Be Records edition written by Amiri Baraka.

Albert Heath - Kawaida (1970; O'Be Records)
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Madlib - Shades Of Blue (2003)

After all the great shit that Premier, Pete Rock and the D.I.T.C. Crew did with marrying jazz to hip-hop in the early 90s, it's a wonder anything was left over for anyone else to do. Taking the expansive Blue Note Records back catalog and rendering it for a new set of listeners is an amazingly tall task, and Madlib stepped up and does it better than anybody (actually, I bet Dilla could've done it too, maybe better).

So here's Shades of Blue, with Madlib invading Blue Note and taking all the best stuff from the collection; samples of pianists Andrew Hill, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver, vibraphonists Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson, trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Wayne Shorter as well as faeturing some original compositions and cover versions of some old favorites from Madlib's own jazz group Yesterday's New Quintet.

Listen to this one today!

Madlib - Shades Of Blue (2003; Blue Note Records)

Bill Evans Trio - Explorations (1961)

This album by Bill Evans and his trio (Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums) is my favorite jazz record that doesn't have a big name soloist (no trumpets or saxes here) because this unit works like lock and key without anything else. Bill Evans certainly was never considered the best jazz pianist of his day but he's definitely one of the most copied. Something about the way he blocked out his chords, and the voicings he used- an entire generation that came after owes this guy a huge debt.

Perfect music for cocktail hour or reading by the fire...

Bill Evans Trio - Explorations (1961; Riverside Records)

Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit (1975)

This is some serious funk straight from the Motherland. Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a pioneer in what we now call "world music" (a term I always thought sounded a bit exclusionary; after all, don't we all live in the same world?), bridging the gap between western jazz and funk and West African highlife music (a form of horn and guitar driven pop).

Although it's only about twenty-four minutes long, Kuti and his band Africa 70 cut a wide swath in the decade's ever-growing field of funk; if this doesn't make you get up and dance you just might not have a soul...

Fela Kuti - Expensive Shit (1975; Editions Makossa)

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)

Probably my favorite jazz record of all-time; either this or A Love Supreme depending on what kind of mood I'm in. This is actually a lot more than just straight jazz, and if you've never heard this one your ears probably hate you in advance. It's an album that sits at the crossroads between the avant-garde, big band music and that whole Third Stream movement that incorporated classical elements into free jazz by using traditional classical instrumentation (an eleven-piece "orchestra" performed this record) by experimenting and improvising, definitely not trademarks of classical music.

Charles Mingus was at the forefront of this school of thought, his friend Gunther Schuller coined the term after Mingus' 1955 record Jazzical Moods. Here on The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charlie took it a step further than ever before; re-imagining this suite as a free jazz-classical ballet piece to actually be performed by dancers (it never was because it was considered too emotionally intense!).

This is why Mingus is the greatest composer in the history of modern music; he could swing like Bird and Ellington, but he had Mozart and Beethoven in his blood...

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963; Impulse! Records) 

Stéphane Grappelli / David Grisman - Live (1981)

This album was my introduction to violinist Stéphane Grappelli; I learned later that he made his name playing with Django Reinhardt, opening their famous Quintette du Hot Club de France together in 1934. About this same time I learned about mandolin-player extraordinaire David Grisman from his association with Jerry Garcia from their Old And In The Way project.

So there's the back story on how this album came into my consciousness; this laid back affair recorded at Boston's Berklee Center in 1979, simply titled Live- a wonderful collection of traditional jazz tunes done in a bluegrass, down-home style. Rob Wasserman (of Ratdog and Lou Reed's bands of the early '90s) plays bass, Mike Marshall on guitar and second mandolin, Mark O'Connor (guitar and second violin) and Tiny Moore on electric mando.

Stéphane Grappelli / David Grisman - Live (1981; Warner Bros. Records)

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity (1964)

This album sounds like how Gumby feels. I don't mean how he feels emotionally, I mean how Gumby would feel if you touched his green skin.

The tone of Albert Ayler's saxophone has that Gumby-esque texture, it squeaks and squonks and blurts its way into your brain. If you dig free jazz, then this may be one of the crowning achievements of the genre.

...and to answer your question; yes- I used to do a lot of LSD.

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity (1964; ESP-Disk)

Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell (1951)

Bud Powell was the first truly great jazz pianist (along with his friend Thelonious Monk) and got the chance to see jazz grow from swing to bebop to hard bop to avant-garde and free jazz; working across three decades- the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

This record was the result of two separate sessions; the first is notable because it featured a young Sonny Rollins on tenor sax and Fats Navarro on trumpet (also included were Tommy Potter on bass and Roy Haynes on the drum kit; he also recorded tunes with these two gentleman as a trio here; dated August 9th, 1949) and another trio session; May 1st, 1951 with bassist Curley Russell and the one and only Max Roach manning the skins.

This album has some historical significance in that it was one of the first records to fully synthesize African and Cuban rhythms successfully; before this the two genres were sort of dabbled in and poked around by Dizzy Gillespie, but Powell's interest in these funkier art forms are explored more deeply here.

This is the Rudy Van Gelder 2001 re-master (with bonus tracks and alternate takes- there are re-issued versions of this from 1955 titled The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1); a must-have for any fans of jazz piano...

Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell (1951; Blue Note Records)

Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan (1955)

When it comes to female jazz vocalists, to me, there are only two- Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. But what do I know about vocal jazz? I don't listen to all that much, I think that the lead instruments in jazz provide more than enough of a voice to the music itself- but Sarah Vaughan...

This is one of those rare albums that I can click play on (that sounds antithetical to the listening process, it should read, "drop the needle on...") anytime of day or any mood, because of the timelessness of not only Vaughan's voice but Clifford Brown's trumpeting, (this album is also known as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown) it somehow manages to soothe my mind.

I read somewhere that Vaughan said this was her favorite album of hers, and it's my favorite of hers, too.

Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan (1955; EmArcy Records)

Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue (1965)

The best thing about record shopping for jazz albums is that you have plenty of elbow room; no one listens to it anymore. Well, old dudes and guys like Jimmy Mac do. So, every once in a while I find something that I shouldn't in there, some rare out-of-print limited edition original copy of something, but mostly I'm a listener- I'll leave the collecting to the nerds, I need these records to actually listen to.

You might find a Bobby Hutcherson record, or a record he played on every now and again. Buy it. Even this record, his under-rated debut solo outing. It features no numbers written by Hutch, but just take a look at that line-up! Andrew Hill (composed four of these pieces) on piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Rivers on sax, Joe Chambers on drums and Richard Davis on bass.

I wish more people listened to jazz...

Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue (1965; Blue Note Records)

John Scofield - A Go Go (1998)

Jazz guitarist John Scofield with John Medeski, Billy Martin & Chris Wood; one of the best studio jazz records of the '90s- there's some really funky shit on this album (everything revolves around the "groove", kids...). 

Medeski Martin & Wood bring their avant-garde background to Sco's modal and hard bop leanings to create one of the most rewarding listens from a jazz guitarist ever.

A must-have for any fans of fusion and/or funk...

John Scofield - A Go Go (1998; Verve Records)

Oliver Nelson - The Blues and The Abstract Truth (1961)

This album is another one of those overlooked gems that people should be kicking themselves when they hear it and say, "Damn, where's this been?" That was pretty much my reaction when I first heard it a few months ago. The line-up, for one, is one the most spectacular ever assembled; it's like the intersection of four different distinct styles. Let's take a look at the players: George Barrow on baritone sax, Paul Chambers on bass, Eric Dolphy on flute and alto sax, Bill Evans on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and then the leader, Oliver Nelson as arranger and on alto and tenor saxes.

We can discuss each musicians respective resumés; everyone should know about Bill Evans, more for his trio work with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian (check out their 1961 album Explorations), but also for his contributions to the Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue sessions.

Next, Paul Chambers; known as Mr. P.C., and probably the second most influential jazz bassist after Charles Mingus, period. He's literally played with everybody and anybody between 1954 until his death in 1969 at age 33.

Freddie Hubbard? Probably my second favorite trumpeter (after Lee Morgan and miles ahead of Miles); another guy with a list of credentials that go on and on- started in 1960 with Eric Dolphy, then recorded his debut as a leader then went on to play on Ornette's landmark Free Jazz album. That's just in his first year of recording, the man went hard right up until he passed in 2008.

I'll skip Roy Jones and George Barrow (they aren't credited on the album cover!) and get to Eric Dolphy. If Dolphy didn't die at 36, he'd be mentioned alongside Coltrane as the two best saxmen ever; his Out To Lunch is not only one of my favorite records of all time, it's the artwork I'm using behind this very website's main banner and the inspiration for the site's name as well. He's also one of the best jazz flautists ever, and did I mention he also played clarinet? C'mon, the man was an absolute virtuoso. I'd post Out To Lunch on here, but that's an album you better have if you're into jazz, no ifs ands or buts around that.

Oliver Nelson gained notoriety playing alongside Quincy Jones in the late '50s and made a big splash with this record. He found plenty of work as a highly sought after arranger, eventually working with James Brown and Diana Ross, but Nelson would get his biggest paychecks from composing music for TV and film (The Six Million Dollar Man, Columbo, The Bionic Woman and Last Tango In Paris).

So there you go. An album that features some of the best performers at various stages of their careers, all coming together to create a marvelous, almost forgotten record...

Oliver Nelson - The Blues and The Abstract Truth (1961; Impulse! Records)

John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958)

I'm going to make some startling claims and speak in hyperbole when talking about John Coltrane, so bear with me. First, this record was Coltrane's first album where he got to choose the tunes (and writing four) and also got to choose the personnel (going with a rhythm section of Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and Kenny Drew on piano; Curtis Fuller on trombone and a 19-year old Lee Morgan on trumpet). This album is notable also because it's Coltrane's only "real" album for Blue Note Records (he'd record the bulk of his early oeuvre on Prestige, his "middle" period for Atlantic and his later years went on to Impulse!).

Now on to the startling claims; I'm going to say some things that although they might offend, they aren't intended to. First; Lee Morgan on trumpet- I think as far as his tone, expressiveness and sheer talent he's the best trumpeter, ever. Now all you Miles Davis fans can get all hissy and shit, but Miles' main and most important contributions to jazz music have been his outstanding compositions, his ear for talent and the fact that he didn't die in his forties. Morgan's virtuosity is unparalleled- I'll be posting a few of his albums very soon, rest assured.

Second startling claim; this record is the quintessential hard bop album- Coltrane had just come off of stints playing in the Miles Davis Quintet and a year with Thelonious Monk, so there's two of the main guys at the forefront of the hard bop scene. This record is the best example of the marriage between bop and the blues; a few other ones I like are Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus, Cannonball Adderley's Something Else and Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' Moanin'. But this is the best of the best.

Okay, you judge for yourself. This version is the re-issued one from 2003, re-mastered by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder.

John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958; Blue Note Records)