Jazz Archives

Although a four-LP Mosaic box set purportedly includes every recording led by the obscure but talented tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, this 1994 CD has previously unreleased alternate takes of "True Blue" and "Good Old Soul" that Mosaic overlooked. Brooks is teamed with the young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard(on one of his earliest sessions), pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor for a set dominated by Brooks' originals. None of the themes may be all that memorable ("Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You" comes the closest), but the hard bop solos are consistently excellent.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Tina Brooks - True Blue (1960)

01. Good Old Soul

02. Up Tight’s Creek

03. Theme For Doris

04. True Blue

05. Miss Hazel

06. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You

Credits

Bass – Sam Jones

Drums – Art Taylor

Piano – Duke Jordan

Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder

Tenor Saxophone – Tina Brooks

Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard

Unlike Ornette Coleman—who wanted to blow orthodox jazz form out of the water—John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy initially worked to change the system from within, making music that fit the jazz standards of the time while injecting their own unique spin. This is why Outward Bound, Dolphy's first recording as a leader, is a not-so-distant relative of Coltrane's My Favorite Things(Atlantic, 1960).

On balance, both discs have a conventional base. While Coltrane stuck to the Great American Songbook, Dolphy penned over half the tunes on Outward Bound; even so, those originals mesh perfectly with classics like "On Green Dolphin Street and Charles Greenlea's "Miss Toni. It's the respective opening tracks that separate both discs from the norm. As Coltrane used an innocuous song from The Sound of Music to launch us into space, so does Dolphy use "G.W. to prove Coleman's theory that "you could play sharp or flat in tune.

A fast 4/4 beat drives borderline-dissonant opening salvos from the front line. While the rest of the band lays down beats and fills that would not be out of place on any bop date, Dolphy steps out of the head to blister us with a mind-boggling, lightning-fingered alto solo that threatens to go over a cliff at any moment. Dolphy and his partners maintain this unorthodox balancing act throughout the 1960 session.

At the time, the bass clarinet was nearly unheard of as a lead instrument, but Dolphy uses it to great atonal effect on the zippy "Miss Toni. It also applies a noir-like patina to the opening of "Green Dolphin Street. Dolphy's flute on Rodgers and Hart's "Glad To Be Unhappy is flat and mournful one second, jumping and dancing (and sometimes screaming) the next, but rarely following a predictable path. Jaki Byard is Dolphy's faithful wingman, contributing Monk-laced lines that stay within "acceptable guidelines while tipping the reality a little bit further out.

George Tucker's foundation on bass is key, rooting the music so the other players can create in space. Roy Haynes displays a range as big as all outdoors, playing drums like a machine gun on the blasting "Les one minute, using brushes like an artist on "Green Dolphin Street the next. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet is as empirical as Dolphy's reedwork is existential; the 21-year old Hubbard's solos (particularly on "Les and the bluesy "245 ) show power and control beyond his years. One wonders what would have happened if he'd stayed with Dolphy and not gone off with Art Blakey.

It makes sad sense we lost Coltrane and Dolphy too soon—Trane from cancer, Dolphy of complications from diabetes. Stars burn out, meteors crash... but while they live, they burn oh so bright. Outward Bound is Dolphy's first burst of light, a beautiful and frightening glow that must be experienced.

:::Review by J Hunter:::

Eric Dolphy Quintet - Outward Bound (1960)

1. G.W.

2. On Green Dolphin Street

3. Les

4. 245

5. Glad to Be Unhappy

6. Miss Toni

Credits

Eric Dolphy - alto sax, bass clarinet & flute

Freddie Hubbard - trumpet

Jaki Byard - piano

George Tucker - bass

Roy Haynes - drums

Ted Curson - trumpet

Kenny Drew - piano

Jimmy Garrison - bass

Dannie Richmond - drums

High Energy (1974): Freddie Hubbard left CTI Records in 1973, having become a much bigger star than most jazz players could ever hope to be, to sign a million-dollar contract with Columbia Records, long the home of Hubbard's hero and fellow trumpeter Miles Davis. In addition to the money, Hubbard sought more control of his music than CTI allowed him, and the opportunity to record with his own band rather than the all-star studio assemblages CTI forced upon him. For his first Columbia album, High Energy (1974), Hubbard did use his own band, a quintet that featured George Cables on piano and Junior Cook on tenor sax (both were also heard on Hubbard's final CTI album, Keep Your Soul Together), plus a collective sweetening of L.A. studio musicians, arranged with surprisingly minimal impact by Dale Oehler. There are two strong Hubbard originals here ("Baraka Sasa" and the album's single, "Crisis"), two excellent Cables originals (the Hubbard-like "Camel Rise," also arranged by Oehler for Bobby Hutcherson's 1975 album Montara, and the slightly well-known "Ebony Moonbeams," which Hubbard also covered on his Japanese-only live LP, Gleam, and Cables also performed on his 1975 solo debut as well as with Hutcherson on the vibist's 1979 album Un Poco Loco) and two Stevie Wonder tunes ("Too High" and the little-known "Black Maybe"). While the arrangements are more minimal than even those that Don Sebesky provided Hubbard at CTI, the electronics quotient is a little higher than usual here with Ian Underwood adding Headhunters-like synth effects (ala Patrick Gleeson), Hubbard employing echo effects and Cables on electric piano throughout. While Hubbard sounds especially strong here, very much in his element, the album never really rises above a genuinely engaging listening experience. But, in praise of the thing, it is a genuinely engaging listening experience.

:::Review by Douglas Payne:::

Freddie Hubbard - High Energy (1974)

A1. Camel Rise
Flute [Bass Flute] – Ernie Watts
Written-By – G. Cables 6:23
A2. Black Maybe
Drums – Harvey Mason
Written-By – S. Wonder 4:58
A3. Baraka Sasa
Written-By – F. Hubbard 10:29
B1. Crisis
Trombone – Dick Hyde
Drums – Harvey Mason
Written-By – F. Hubbard 5:44
B2. Ebony Moonbeams
Bass Clarinet – Pete Christleib
Soprano Saxophone – Ernie Watts
Written-By – G. Cables 6:55
B3. Too High
Tenor Saxophone – Junior Cook, Pete Christleib
Flute – Ernie Watts
Written-By – S. Wonder 6:37

Credits
Bass – Kent Brinkley
Clavinet, Organ – Joe Sample
Conductor, Arranged By – Dale Oehler
Congas – King Errisson
Drums – Ralph Penland
Electric Piano – George Cables
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Junior Cook
Guitar – Dean Parks
Percussion – Victor Feldman
Synthesizer [Arp] – Ian Underwood
Timbales – Carmello Garcia
Trombone – Dick Hyde, George Bohanon
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Freddie Hubbard

Perhaps the single album that best sums up Bobby Hutcherson's early musical personality, Components is appropriately split into two very distinct halves. The first features four Hutcherson originals in a melodic but still advanced hard bop style, while the latter half has four free-leaning avant-garde pieces by drummer Joe Chambers. Hutcherson allots himself more solo space than on Dialogue, but that's no knock on the excellent supporting cast, which includes Herbie Hancock on piano, James Spaulding on alto sax and flute, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Ron Carter on bass. It's just more Hutcherson's date, and he helps unite the disparate halves with a cool-toned control that's apparent regardless of whether the material is way outside or more conventionally swinging. In the latter case, Hutcherson's originals are fairly diverse, encompassing rhythmically complex hard bop (the title track), pensive balladry ("Tranquillity," which features a lovely solo by Hancock), down-and-dirty swing ("West 22nd Street Theme"), and the gaily innocent "Little B's Poem," which went on to become one of Hutcherson's signature tunes and contains some lyrical flute work from Spaulding. The Chambers pieces tend to be deliberate explorations that emphasize texture and group interaction in the manner of Dialogue, except that there's even more freedom in terms of both structure and tonal center. (The exception is the brief but beautiful closing number, "Pastoral," an accurate title if ever there was one.) Components illustrated that Hutcherson was not only the most adventurous vibes player on the scene, but that he was also capable of playing more straightforward music with intelligence and feeling.

:::Review by Steve Huey:::

Bobby Hutcherson - Components (1965)

1. Components 6:23
2. Tranquillity 5:01
3. Little B's Poem 5:08
4. West 22nd Street Theme 4:42
5. Movement 7:29
6. Juba Dance 5:21
7. Air 4:45
8. Pastoral 2:02

Credits
Bass - Ron Carter
Composed By - Bobby Hutcherson (tracks: 1 to 4) , Joe Chambers (tracks: 5 to 8)
Drums - Joe Chambers
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Saxophone [Alto], Flute - James Spaulding
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
Vibraphone [Vibes], Marimba - Bobby Hutcherson

The first of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's three Atlantic albums (reissued on a Koch CD in 2000), this excellent set falls between hard bop and the avant-garde, often hinting at both. Hubbard's regular group of the time (with James Spaulding on alto and flute, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist Bob Cunningham, and drummer Otis Ray Appleton, plus guest conga player Ray Barretto) performs the debut version of his famous "Little Sunflower," an excellent remake of "Up Jumped Spring," and four lesser-known pieces. Hubbard and Spaulding made for an excellent team and there are plenty of exciting moments on this brief but potent set.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Freddie Hubbard – Backlash (1966)

1. Backlash 4:10
2. The Return Of The Prodigal Son 5:37
3. Little Sunflower 7:50
4. On The Que-Tee 5:43
5. Up Jumped Spring 6:39
6. Echos Of Blue 9:44

Credits
Bass - Bob Cunningham
Drums - Otis Ray Appleton
Flute, Saxophone [Alto] - James Spaulding
Percussion - Ray Barretto (tracks: 1 to 3)
Piano - Albert Dailey
Trumpet, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard

Randy Weston's most popular record, this Lp (which he had mixed feelings about) features Weston not only on piano but electric keyboards. Backed by Don Sebesky arrangements and assisted by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and tenor-saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., Weston plays quite well on four of his compositions; best-known are "Ganawa (Blue Moses)" and "Marrakesh Blues." The music retains the African feel of most of Weston's latter-day playing but also has some commercial touches that do not hurt the performances. This rewarding date has not yet been reissued on CD.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Randy Weston - Blue Moses (1972)

1. Ifrane 5:12
2. Ganawa (Blue Moses) 13:25
3. Night In Medina 6:30
4. Marrakesh Blues 12:18

Credits
Arranged By - Don Sebesky
Bass - Bill Wood (2) (tracks: 3) , Ron Carter
Drums - Bill Cobham
English Horn, Clarinet, Flute - George Marge
Flugelhorn - Alan Rubin , John Frosk , Marvin Stamm
Flute - Hubert Laws
French Horn - Brooks Tillotson , James Buffington
Oboe, Clarinet, Flute - Romeo Penque
Piano - Randy Weston
Saxophone [Tenor] - Grover Washington Jr.
Synthesizer [Moog] - David Horowitz
Trombone - Garnett Brown , Warren Covington , Wayne Andre
Trombone [Bass] - Paul Faulise
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
Vocals - Madame Meddah

As jazz's first extended, continuous free improvisation LP, Free Jazz practically defies superlatives in its historical importance. Ornette Coleman's music had already been tagged "free," but this album took the term to a whole new level. Aside from a predetermined order of featured soloists and several brief transition signals cued by Coleman, the entire piece was created spontaneously, right on the spot. The lineup was expanded to a double-quartet format, split into one quartet for each stereo channel: Ornette, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Billy Higgins on the left; trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Ed Blackwell on the right. The rhythm sections all play at once, anchoring the whole improvisation with a steady, driving pulse. The six spotlight sections feature each horn in turn, plus a bass duet and drum duet; the "soloists" are really leading dialogues, where the other instruments are free to support, push, or punctuate the featured player's lines. Since there was no road map for this kind of recording, each player simply brought his already established style to the table. That means there are still elements of convention and melody in the individual voices, which makes Free Jazz far more accessible than the efforts that followed once more of the jazz world caught up. Still, the album was enormously controversial in its bare-bones structure and lack of repeated themes. Despite resembling the abstract painting on the cover, it wasn't quite as radical as it seemed; the concept of collective improvisation actually had deep roots in jazz history, going all the way back to the freewheeling early Dixieland ensembles of New Orleans. Jazz had long prided itself on reflecting American freedom and democracy and, with Free Jazz, Coleman simply took those ideals to the next level. A staggering achievement.

:::Review by Steve Huey:::

Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz (1961)

1. Free Jazz 37:03
2. First Take 17:00

Credits
Bass - Charlie Haden , Scott LaFaro
Clarinet [Bass] - Eric Dolphy
Drums - Billy Higgins , Ed Blackwell
Engineer - Tom Dowd
Producer - Nesuhi Ertegun
Saxophone [Alto] - Ornette Coleman
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
Trumpet [Pocket] - Don Cherry

Though some will argue about whether Wayne Shorter's primary impact on jazz has been as a composer or as a saxophonist, hardly anyone will dispute his overall importance as one of jazz's leading figures over a long span of time. Though indebted to a great extent to John Coltrane, with whom he practiced in the mid-'50s while still an undergraduate, Shorter eventually developed his own more succinct manner on tenor sax, retaining the tough tone quality and intensity and, in later years, adding an element of funk. On soprano, Shorter is almost another player entirely, his lovely tone shining like a light beam, his sensibilities attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes becoming more spare as his career unfolded. Shorter's influence as a player, stemming mainly from his achievements in the 1960s and '70s, has been tremendous upon the neo-bop brigade who emerged in the early '80s, most notably Branford Marsalis. As a composer, he is best known for carefully conceived, complex, long-limbed, endlessly winding tunes, many of which have become jazz standards yet have spawned few imitators.

:::www.allmusic.com:::

:::Review Scott Yanow@allmusic.com:::

Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye (1965)

1.The All Seeing Eye (10:30)

2. Genesis (11:42)

3. Chaos (6:54)

4. Face Of The Deep (5:27)

5. Mephistopheles (9:39)

Credits

Bass - Ron Carter

Drums - Joe Chambers

Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard

Piano - Herbie Hancock

Producer - Rudy Van Gelder

Saxophone [Alto] - James Spaulding

Saxophone [Tenor] - Wayne Shorter

Trombone - Grachan Moncur III

Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard really came into his own during this Blue Note session. He is matched with quite an all-star group (tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Art Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones in addition to Bernard McKinney on euphonium), introduces two of his finest compositions ("Birdlike" and "Crisis"), and is quite lyrical on his ballad feature, "Weaver of Dreams." Hubbard's sidemen all play up to par and this memorable session is highly recommended; it's one of the trumpeter's most rewarding Blue Note albums.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Freddie Hubbard - Ready For Freddie (1961)

1. Arietis 6:39
2. Weaver of Dreams 6:34
3. Marie Antoinette 6:37
4. Birdlike 10:34
5. Crisis 11:42
6. Arietis [alternate take] 5:50
7. Marie Antoinette [alternate take] 6:14

Credits
Bass - Art Davis
Drums - Elvin Jones
Euphonium - Bernard McKinney
Piano - McCoy Tyner
Tenor Sax - Wayne Shorter
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard

After years on the road with the Modern Jazz Quartet and a series of sterling solo and all-star jazz performances, vibist Milt Jackson decided it was time to see some green. Watching kids half his age, possessing half his talent, earn millions playing rock, he insisted he could earn more without the restraints of the MJQ. He sought out Creed Taylor in 1972 and Sunflower became his first (and best) of three CTI albums. The album is significant in many ways, not the least of which is Pete Turner's lovely ostriches-in-the-morning cover photo and a peerless version of Freddie Hubbard's classic ode, "Little Sunflower."

Jackson is joined here by an outstanding aggregate of younger all-star musicians including Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn, Herbie Hancock, swapping chores on piano and Fender Rhodes, Ron Carter (of course) on bass and Billy Cobham on drums. Don Sebesky provides the subtle, and quite complimentary, string and horn arrangements. Acoustic guitarist Jay Berliner is also heard to enchanting effect on Jackson's "For Someone I Love." In addition to the alluring beauty of Hubbard's title track, Sunflower also includes one of the best instrumental versions of the popular "People Make The World Go Round." Hubbard carries the tune (as he did on the 1972 Hollywood Bowl record issued by CTI in 1977). Jackson scores one clever lick after another off the changes. Hancock comps seductively on Rhodes but gives one of his baddest-ever all-piano funk solos (his piano solo on "Sunflower" is a jazz beauty to behold too). Carter, as you'd expect, churns the groove like it boils in his blood. This quintet sounds so good together that it's a shame "SKJ" (which stuck out originally on the vibist's 1973 CTI follow-up, Goodbye ) is the only bonus track available. I don't know if Milt Jackson made any money from Sunflower. But despite all the great music he's made over the years, Sunflower is certainly one of his most memorable.

:::Review by Douglas Payne:::

Milt Jackson – Sunflower (1972)

1. For Someone I Love 10:20
2. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? 7:06
3. People Make the World Go Round 8:28
4. Sunflower 10:01
5. SKJ 6:47

Credits
Alto Flute, English Horn, Oboe - Romeo Penque
Bass - Ron Carter
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute, English Horn - George Marge
Drums - Billy Cobham
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo, English Horn - Phil Bodner
Guitar - Jay Berliner
Harp - Margaret Ross
Percussion - Ralph MacDonald
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Trumpet, Flugelhorn - Freddie Hubbard
Vibes - Milt Jackson

Less overtly adventurous than its predecessor, Empyrean Isles, Maiden Voyage nevertheless finds Herbie Hancock at a creative peak. In fact, it's arguably his finest record of the '60s, reaching a perfect balance between accessible, lyrical jazz and chance-taking hard bop. By this point, the pianist had been with Miles Davis for two years, and it's clear that Miles' subdued yet challenging modal experiments had been fully integrated by Hancock. Not only that, but through Davis, Hancock became part of the exceptional rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, who are both featured on Maiden Voyage, along with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and tenor saxophonist George Coleman. The quintet plays a selection of five Hancock originals, many of which are simply superb showcases for the group's provocative, unpredictable solos, tonal textures, and harmonies. While the quintet takes risks, the music is lovely and accessible, thanks to Hancock's understated, melodic compositions and the tasteful group interplay. All of the elements blend together to make Maiden Voyage a shimmering, beautiful album that captures Hancock at his finest as a leader, soloist, and composer.

:::Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:::

Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (1969)

1. Maiden Voyage (7:58)
2. The Eye Of The Hurricane (6:02)
3. Little One (8:50)
4. Survival Of The Fittest (10:08)
5. Dolphin Dance (9:18)

Credits
Bass - Ron Carter
Drums - Tony Williams*
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Producer - Alfred Lion
Recorded By - Rudy Van Gelder
Saxophone [Tenor] - George Coleman
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard

Freddie Hubbard's fourth CTI recording (and the second one with Don Sebesky arrangements) certainly has a diverse repertoire. In addition to his originals "Povo" and "Sky Dive" (both of which are superior jam tunes), the trumpeter stretches out on the theme from The Godfather and Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist." The charts for the brass and woodwinds are colorful; there is a fine supporting cast that includes guitarist George Benson, Keith Jarrett on keyboards, and flutist Hubert Laws; and Hubbard takes several outstanding trumpet solos.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Freddie Hubbard - Sky Dive (1972)

1. Povo (12:33)
2. In A Mist (7:04)
3. The Godfather (7:21)
4. Sky Dive (7:40)

Credits
Arranged By - Don Sebesky
Bass - Ron Carter
Clarinet - George Marge , Romeo Penque
Clarinet [Bass] - Phil Bodner
Conductor - Don Sebesky
Drums - Billy Cobham
Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder
Flugelhorn - Marvin Stamm
Flute - Hubert Laws
Flute [Alto] - Hubert Laws , Romeo Penque
Flute [Bass] - Hubert Laws
Guitar - George Benson
Oboe - Romeo Penque
Percussion - Airto , Ray Barretto
Piano - Keith Jarrett
Piano [Electric] - Keith Jarrett
Producer - Creed Taylor
Trombone - Garnett Brown , Wayne Andre
Trombone [Bass] - Paul Faulise
Trumpet - Alan Rubin , Freddie Hubbard
Tuba - Tony Price

Ascension is the single recording that placed John Coltrane firmly into the avant-garde. Whereas, prior to 1965, Coltrane could be heard playing in an avant vein with stretched out solos, atonality, and a seemingly free design to the beat, Ascension throws most rules right out the window with complete freedom from the groove and strikingly abrasive sheets of horn interplay. Recorded with three tenors (Trane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp), two altos (Marion Brown, John Tchicai), two trumpet players (Freddie Hubbard, Dewey Johnson), two bassists (Art Davis, Jimmy Garrison), the lone McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on the drums, this large group is both relentless and soulful simultaneously. While there are segments where the ensemble plays discordant and abrasive skronks, these are usually segues into intriguing blues-based solos from each member. The comparison that is immediately realized is Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz of five years previous. However, it should be known that Ascension certainly carries it own weight, and in a strange sense makes Coleman's foray a passive adventure -- mostly due to an updated sonic quality (à la Bob Thiele) and also Trane's greater sense of passionate spiritualism. Timed at around forty minutes, this can be a difficult listen at first, but with a patient ear and an appreciation for the finer things in life, the reward is a greater understanding of the personal path that the artist was on at that particular time in his development. Coltrane was always on an unceasing mission for personal expansion through the mouthpiece of his horn, but by the time of this recording he had begun to reach the level of "elder statesman" and began to find other voices (Shepp, Sanders, and Marion Brown) to propel and expand his sounds and emotions. Therefore, Ascension reflects more of an event rather than just a jazz record and should be sought out by either experienced jazz appreciators or other open minded listeners, but not by unsuspecting bystanders.

:::Review by Jack LV Isles:::

John Coltrane – Ascension (1965)

1. Ascension - Edition II (40:23)
2. Ascension - Edition I (38:31)

Credits
Bass - Art Davis , Jimmy Garrison
Drums - Elvin Jones
Mastered By - Kevin "Mirabile Dictu" Reeves*
Other [Original Liner Notes] - A. B. Spellman
Other [Reissue Liner Notes] - Lewis Porter
Photography [Original-lp Photographs] - Chuck Stewart
Piano - McCoy Tyner
Producer [Original Recordings] - Bob Thiele
Recorded By - Rudy Van Gelder
Saxophone [Alto] - John Tchicai , Marion Brown
Saxophone [Tenor] - Archie Shepp , John Coltrane , Pharoah Sanders
Trumpet - Dewey Johnson , Freddie Hubbard

Notes
Recorded June 28, 1965 at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

On Contours, his second Blue Note album, tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers fully embraced the avant-garde, but presented his music in a way that wouldn't be upsetting or confusing to hard bop loyalists. Rivers leads a quintet featuring trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Joe Chambers through a set of originals that walk a fine line between probing, contemplative post-bop and densely dissonant avant-jazz. Each musician is able to play the extremes equally well while remaining sensitive to the compositional subtleties. Rarely is Contours anything less than enthralling, and it remains one of the high watermarks of the mid-'60s avant-garde movement.

1. Point Of Many Returns (9:20)

2. Dance Of The Tripedal (10:07)

3. Euterpe (11:43)

4. Mellifluous Cacophony (8:58)

Bass - Ron Carter

Drums - Joe Chambers

Piano - Herbie Hancock

Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano], Flute, Written-by - Sam Rivers

Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard

Originally released as Blue Note BST 84206, recorded on May 21, 1965

With the cheers and huzzahs from their 1976 one-off reunion still resounding, the reconstituted Miles Davis Quintet minus Miles went on the road in 1977, spreading their 1965-vintage gospel according to the Prince of Darkness to audiences in Berkeley and San Diego, CA. In doing so, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams, plus interloper Freddie Hubbard seem to pick up where they left off, with a repertoire mostly new to the five collectively and developed from there. It isn't exactly the same -- you miss Miles' brooding presence and sense of space in Hubbard's busy, fiery playing, and Hancock is a more harmonically daring, assertive player than he was with Miles -- but the interlocking telepathy and individual virtuosity of the musicians is pretty amazing. This also isn't the best tape from the tour; they were even tighter and more volatile in Japan five days later on Sony's Tempest in the Colosseum. The V.S.O.P. tours amount to a pit stop in the general shape of Hancock's evolution, but their influence upon the direction of jazz as a whole in the '80s and '90s would be staggering.

 

1. One Of A Kind

2. Third Plane

3, Jessica

4, Lawra

5. Introduction Of Players, Darts

6. Dolores

7. Little Waltz

8. Byrdlike

Ron Carter (Bass), Herbie Hancock (Synthesizer), Herbie Hancock (Piano), Herbie Hancock (Keyboards), Herbie Hancock (Vocals), Herbie Hancock (Main Performer), Bennie Maupin (Percussion), Bennie Maupin (Wind), Julian Priester (Trombone), Wayne Shorter (Saxophone), Wayne Shorter (Sax (Soprano)), Wayne Shorter (Sax (Tenor)), Tony Williams (Drums), Eddie Henderson (Percussion), Eddie Henderson (Trumpet), V.S.O.P. (Performer), Conrad Silvert (Liner Notes), Bryan Bell (Engineer), Bryan Bell (Audio Engineer), Fred Catero (Engineer), Jeffrey Cohen (Associate Producer), Freddie Hubbard (Trumpet), Freddie Hubbard (Flugelhorn), Paul Jackson (Bass), James Levi, Chris Minto (Assistant Engineer), Shawn Murphy (Remote Recording Crew), David Rubinson (Producer), Ray Thompson (Remote Recording Crew), Wah Wah Watson (Guitar), Buster Williams (Bass), Buster Williams (Percussion), Herbie Green (Design), Paul Sandweiss (Remote Recording Crew), Bruce Talamon (Photography), Dennis Mays (Remote Recording Crew), Russ Anderson (Design), Les D. Cooper (Remote Recording Crew)

Recorded live at: The Greek Theatre University of California, Berkeley, July 16, 1977 and The San Diego Civic Theatre, July 18, 1977.

Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and its five Dolphy originals -- the jarring Monk tribute "Hat and Beard," the aptly titled "Something Sweet, Something Tender," the weirdly jaunty flute showcase "Gazzelloni," the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of "Straight Up and Down" -- were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom. Much has been written about Dolphy's odd time signatures, wide-interval leaps, and flirtations with atonality. And those preoccupations reach their peak on Out to Lunch, which is less rooted in bop tradition than anything Dolphy had ever done. But that sort of analytical description simply doesn't do justice to the utterly alien effect of the album's jagged soundscapes. Dolphy uses those pet devices for their evocative power and unnerving hints of dementia, not some abstract intellectual exercise. His solos and themes aren't just angular and dissonant -- they're hugely so, with a definite playfulness that becomes more apparent with every listen. The whole ensemble -- trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Tony Williams -- takes full advantage of the freedom Dolphy offers, but special mention has to be made of Hutcherson, who has fully perfected his pianoless accompaniment technique. His creepy, floating chords and quick stabs of dissonance anchor the album's texture, and he punctuates the soloists' lines at the least expected times, suggesting completely different pulses. Meanwhile, Dolphy's stuttering vocal-like effects and oddly placed pauses often make his bass clarinet lines sound like they're tripping over themselves. Just as the title Out to Lunch suggests, this is music that sounds like nothing so much as a mad gleam in its creator's eyes.

Notes

Recorded on February 25, 1964.

Recorded between trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's better-known classics Red Clay and First Light, Straight Life is actually arguably Hubbard's greatest recording. Hubbard, joined by an all-star group that includes tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, keyboardist Herbie Hancock, guitarist George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Jack DeJohnette, is frequently astounding on "Straight Life" (check out that introduction) and "Mr. Clean," constructing classic solos. The very memorable set is rounded off by the trumpeter's duet with Benson on a lyrical version of the ballad "Here's That Rainy Day." This exciting CD is essential for all serious jazz collections.

 

Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, November 16, 1970