“

Sonny Rollins issued only three albums on the Impulse! label, all of them recorded between 1965 and 1966. This volume in The Impulse Story series features three tracks each from Sonny Rollins on Impulse!, Alfie (the music included consists of re-recorded titles he wrote for the score), and East Broadway Run Down. These three albums feature Rollins in a number of settings. The numbers from Alfie were recorded with a ten-piece band arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson. The On Impulse! tunes were recorded with ace drummer Mickey Roker, pianist Ray Bryant, and bassist Walter Booker. East Broadway Run Down features the great saxophonist in the company of Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison, and Freddie Hubbard on the title track. What they all reveal is an artist at the absolute top of his game as an improviser and as a composer. Rollins' star may have shone differently from Coltrane's during these years, but just as brightly. The standout cuts on this set are the the standard "On Green Dolphin Street," "Alfie's Theme," and the stunning 20-plus-minute "East Broadway Run Down," with Rollins blowing further out than he ever had on one of his own records. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

”

All I can say is that the box sets of Blue Note are hard to find. This one can be a fine complement of the one posted by yako few months ago. There are 15 songs of 58 overlapping this box set and yako's Blue Box.

“

Active for nearly three decades, Kenny Werner has earned a reputation as one of the most inventive pianists and composers in jazz. With Lawn Chair Society, he joins the illustrious roster of Blue Note Records and unveils the most thrilling and unorthodox statement of his career thus far. He is joined by some of the best players in the world- Dave Douglas, in a rare sideman appearance, on trumpet and cornet; Chris Potter on tenor sax and bass clarinet; Scott Colley on bass; and Brian Blade on drums. With the aide of producer Lenny Pickett, Werner and the band conjure a subtle blend of acoustic and electronic elements. The results are melodically rich, sonically futuristic, offhandedly virtuosic, and politically resonant.

”

“

Amongst Wayne Shorter's consistently excellent Blue Note recordings of the mid to late '60's, Speak No Evil gets the nod from most critics as the best record of the period, but I have always preferred the stripped down quartet sessions of Juju and this wonderful album. Joining Shorter (tenor sax only, no soprano) on this disc are Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass and Joe Chambers on drums. This session followed the classic Blue Note blueprint of the period, mixing the blues and ballads of hard bop with some of the emerging freedom of the period. There's some burning saxophone on the driving title track, abstract balladering of "501 Blues" and the epic soon-to-be-standard "Footprints" which would go on to be one of the most memorable jazz compositions of the post-war period.

”

“

This album reminds me of the early days of Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett because of the weird poppy song mixed with some very spacy and psychedelical moments. Plus, the lyrics are always strange.

”

“

Änglagård’s sound is rich in mellotron, Hammond and piano, and a brooding wash of guitars and bass/bass pedal accented by Holmgren’s moody and precise flute. The band’s compositions are characterized by long, often instrumental tracks with significant tempo shifts and sometimes intense guitar flourishes. The Epilog album is instrumental in its entirety, and many of the tracks are distinguished by striking passages from Johnson’s grand piano. Early Porcupine Tree also comes to mind, particularly when listening to Epilog. Änglagård deserves a place in the Archives for their admirable effort in carrying the banner of large, expansive symphonic music well into the nineties, with a sound that both pays homage to the great progressive giants of the seventies, and advances that sound with virtuoso accompaniment and expansive, layered compositions.

”