Sunday, April 27, 2008

Bennie Maupin Quartet - Early Reflections

CryptogramophoneRelease date: April 22nd 2008Availability: CD, MP3 Download, iTunes Bennie Maupin's rediscovery gathers pace with this fine follow up to his memorable 2006 album "Penumbra". It is no longer enough to talk about the talented multi-instrumentalist who featured on Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew", "Big Fun" and "Jack Johnson", appeared with Herbie Hancock in "Headhunters" and then

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Bill Evans - Portrait In Jazz

Riverside/ConcordRecording date: December 28th 1959Re-release date (Keepnews Remaster): March 4th 2008Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunes Bill Evans refused producer Orrin Keepnews' invitation to record a follow up album to his 1956 debut "New Jazz Conceptions" for over two years, stating that he had nothing new to say. He joined the Miles Davis quintet, participating in "Kind Of Blue",

Sunday, April 13, 2008

John Coltrane - Settin' The Pace

Prestige/ConcordRelease date: March 1958Re-release date (RVG Remaster): April 1st 2008Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunes In one sense, "Settin' The Pace" is not much more than a throwaway session from 1958 in which John Coltrane delivered on his contract with Prestige, sufferring, as with most of their musicians at this time, from no paid time for rehearsals. The band - John Coltrane (tenor

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Brad Mehldau Trio - Live

NonesuchRelease date: March 25th 2008Availability: CD, MP3 Download, iTunes The first album for three years with the reformed trio (Jeff Ballard having replaced Jorge Rossy on drums) follows Brad Mehldau's now well established pattern of alternating studio and 'live' albums. Returning to the Village Vanguard for four nights in October 2006 for his fourth 'live' recording there, he once again