Trumpeter Blue Mitchell is well featured on this CD reissue with a nonet arranged by Jimmy Heath. The music is straightahead but, thanks to Heath's arrangements, sometimes unpredictable. Best is Mitchell's solo on "I Can't Get Started," "Hootie's Blues" and a quintet workout (with Heath, pianist Wynton Kelly bassist Sam Jones and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath) on "Gone with the Wind."

Though Gerry Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history - playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz - he was also a notable arranger, working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. Mulligan's pianoless quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the more important cool jazz groups. This compilation is a cross-section of cuts matching Mulligan with most of the great sax players, among them Ben Webster, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Johnny Hodges, and Zoot Sims.

On what was probably Gerry Mulligan's last studio album (recorded less than a year before his death), the great baritonist is heard still in prime form. He contributed all ten compositions and the emphasis is on lyricism and slower tempoes; only three songs are taken above a medium pace. There are fine cameos by Grover Washington Jr. on tenor and soprano (during the first two numbers), cornetist Warren Vache and trumpeter Ryan Kisor. In addition, guitarist John Scofield and vibraphonist Dave Samuels (who both played with Jeru in the 1970's) are on many of the tracks and pianist Dave Grusin is on some although there is no identification as to which songs. A five-piece brass section was overdubbed on a later occasion. But even with the guests, the focus is generally on Gerry Mulligan and his longtime quartet. The music is thoughtful and tasteful although it is doubtful if any of the tunes will ever catch on as standards. This is a tasteful if not quite essential final effort by Mulligan, who seems to have ended his very important career quite peacefully.

THE NEW STANDARD is a collection of reinterpretations of modern pop songs by Nirvana, Prince, The Beatles, Sade and others... The voices are instantly recognizable. Jack DeJohnette's percussive timekeeping has an unmistakable feel to it--full, tight, busy. John Scofield's bright and warm guitar always slides right into the groove. And Herbie Hancock's mastery of the piano--exquisite voicings, inventive lines and precise time--combines with his and Bob Belden's insightful arrangements. The songs are standards, but not like you've ever heard them before.

Alongside the forward thinking post bop released on Blue Note in the early 1960s was a strain of funkier, simpler, and more blues-based jazz exemplified by the likes of organist Jimmy Smith and saxophonist Lou Donaldson. Donaldson's 1961 effort, GRAVY TRAIN, re-released in 2007 complete with Rudy Van Gelder remastering, is a strong example of the style. Donaldson takes on standards ("Polka Dots and Moonbeams") as well as originals, but infuses everything with a deep, bluesy flavor. The conga-driven groove of the title cut, and the Latin-tinged "South of the Border" are standouts.

If one were to believe the clichés and stereotypes common in some jazz history books, this matchup should not have worked. By 1955, Lionel Hampton was a veteran swing vibraphonist while Stan Getz was the leader of the "cool school" of young tenors. But what these two masters had in common (in addition to a healthy respect for each other's talents) was the ability to swing as hard as possible. Joined by a fine trio, the duo really rips into "Cherokee" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (listen to their blistering tradeoffs) and, even with a fine ballad medley, it is these torrid jams that make this a highly recommended disc.

The post-Clifford Brown quintet that drummer Max Roach led tends to get overlooked, but it actually ranked up there with the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet in the late '50s. With tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins becoming a stronger soloist month by month (he was arguably the top tenor in jazz at the time) and veteran trumpeter Kenny Dorham in prime form, Roach was able to stretch himself; the obscure pianist Billy Wallace and bassist George Morrow completed the group. On this LP, Roach explores six songs in waltz time, an innovation for the period (predating Dave Brubeck's recording of "Take Five" by two years). Roach contributed two originals and the group played 3/4 versions of three standards, but it was Rollins' "Valse Hot" (which clocks in on this Mercury album at over 14 minutes in length) that was the hit of the date. These excellent performances show that jazz does not always have to be in 4/4 time in order to swing.

Not A Through Street (Deleted 1990 Japanese 7-track 2-CD set) featuring a set recorded live at YBC TV Hall, Yamagata, Japan on March 14th 1978 and featuring Milcho Leviev on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass and Carl Burnett on drums... Art Pepper concluded a very successful tour of Japan with a concert in Yamagata that was recorded and released on two Storyville CDs. The first CD has just 38 minutes of music, but the quality is quite high. Pepper (with pianist Milcho Leviev, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Carl Burnett) performs lengthy versions of two originals ("Ophelia," "My Laurie") and "Besame Mucho"; the latter was a request from his Japanese friends that was very well received and became a permanent part of his repertoire. The recording quality is excellent and Pepper is in explorative and somewhat inspired form. The second of two CDs taken from the final night...

A really unique little small group effort from the team of Thad Jones and Pepper Adams -- one that predates Jones' bigger band work with Mel Lewis (also part of the group here), and offers one of the few chances to hear him in a small group in the late 60s! The record's got a care and charm that reminds us both of Adams' excellent late 50s sides as a leader, and of some of Thad's few records for Blue Note -- an approach to jazz that's soulful, but always slightly thoughtful -- yet never too pensive to swing, nor too overly complex. Jones and Adams both get in plenty of long solos, and the record also features some wonderful piano by Duke Pearson, as well as bass by Ron Carter and drums from Mel Lewis. A really special little record, and one we totally love -- with titles that include "Mean What You Say", "H & T Blues", "Bossa Nova Ova", "No Refill", and "Chant".

The classic Messengers lineup with Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton and Reggie Workman are captured by master engineer Rudy Van Gelder on this spirited and energetic platter. From the opening fanfare of Shorter's "Free For All," the band is petal-to-the-metal and swinging with an unrelenting intensity and focus that is consistent from start to finish. It's worth the price of admission alone just for Blakey's drum fills on the 11-minute title track. Someone (presumably Blakey) is in the spirit, and you can hear shouts of excitement, encouraging Shorter during an wonderfully charged solo; the shouts don't stop with this tune, either, as you can hear shouting and chattering throughout each song. "Free For All" sets the tempo for the rest of the album, and the intensity does not wane in the least, as Blakey feeds off the soloists and in turn ratchets up the intensity of his backbeat even more, dispatching his patented press rolls with power and authority.

Hampton Hawes made many of his finest records for Lester Koenig's Contemporary label. His final sessions before choosing to freelance (he would rejoin Koenig during his last year) resulted in two live albums, both reissued on CD. Teamed up with bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Donald Bailey, Hawes displays the influence of the avant-garde in places, stretching out his improvisations a bit while still showing off his roots in bop. Both CDs are equal in value, and this particular set includes such highlights as "Oleo," "Easy Street" and "My Romance."

This CD is often magical. Sonny Rollins, one of jazz's great tenors, is heard at his peak with a pair of piano-less trios (either Wilbur Ware or Donald Bailey on bass and Elvin Jones or Pete La Roca on drums) stretching out on particularly creative versions of "Old Devil Moon," "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," "Sonnymoon for Two," and "A Night in Tunisia," among others. Not only did Rollins have a very distinctive sound but his use of time, his sly wit, and his boppish but unpredictable style were completely his own by 1957. [Originally released as separate albums, A Night at the Village Vanguard was reissued in its entirety, complete with alternate takes, as a two-disc set in 1999; it was part of Blue Note's acclaimed Rudy VanGelder reissue series.]

Voted “Musician of the year” in the “Musica Jazz” critics poll in 1989, Enrico Pieranunzi was born in Rome on December 5, 1949. When he was only five and a half years old he began studying piano. At the same time his father, a guitarist, started introducing him to the wonders and challenges of jazz improvisation as well. From then on Enrico kept on following a double road in music. In fact he developed his jazz style while studying classical piano. When he was 19 he began his professional career in Italy and since then he has worked with an abundance of bands, both Italian units and groups led by Americans. His remarkably wide-ranging experiences include collaborations with jazz luminaries such as Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Lee Koonitz, Jim Hall, and this set, recorded with Chet Baker by the Italian Phililogy label in 1988.

An indispensable recording for admirers of Coltrane's ballad playing, STANDARD COLTRANE emphasizes this moving, stirring aspect of Coltrane's career. The four long tracks serve as a reminder that the tenor saxophonist's skill does not lie exclusively in his faster, more energetic work, but that he is capable of great tenderness and romanticism. "Invitation" and "Don't Take Your Love From Me" are replete with the kind of singing solos Coltrane excels in, with his sax assuming all the tones and pitches of a human voice.

Recorded in 1957 for Bluebird but inexplicably shelved until 1962, New Tijuana Moods is one of Charles Mingus' most raucous and exciting sessions, an aural souvenir of his Mexican vacation with drummer Dannie Richmond. As Mingus recounts in the liner notes, his marriage had just broken up, and he was looking to drown his sorrows in as much debauchery as he could endure. That background definitely comes through in the music, which combines south-of-the-border rhythms and folk melodies with Mingus' meaty, adventurous modernist jazz. The five selections cover a great deal of the city's landscape and tell the story of the trip: the cautious optimism of opener "Dizzy Moods," which Mingus adapted from a Gillespie tune while riding in the car; the frenetic, lusty nightclub scene of "Ysabel's Table Dance"; a visit to a "Tijuana Gift Shop"; "Los Mariachis," a tribute to street musicians; and finally the warmly nostalgic, Ellington-associated "Flamingo" closing things out. "Ysabel's Table Dance" in particular sets the tone for the album, using a flamenco motif and clacking castanets to depict a mad striptease, building to several frenzied climaxes in between the upbeat swinging sections. The other lengthy, multi-sectioned highlight, "Los Mariachis," shows how street performers would follow tourists, playing whatever style of music they hoped would get them tips. Accordingly, there are several different feels and themes (one a whimsical folk ditty that pops up now and again), with the whole meant to resemble a Mexican approximation of the blues. Mingus coaxes tremendous performances from an underrated ensemble featuring trumpeter Clarence Shaw, altoist Shafi Hadi, pianist Bill Triglia, and trombonist Jimmy Knepper, making the whole project an utter delight. [The original title was simply Tijuana Moods; RCA's retitled CD reissue added four lengthy alternate takes that restored several edited solos.]