Wynton Marsalis - He And She

album review – album review – album review – album review

Blue Note

Recorded on August 24th and 25th, 2007 at Legacy Recording Studios, New York

Release date: March 24th 2009

Availability: CD, MP3 Download



"He And She" is an ambitious jazz concept album that really works. A long poem, written and spoken by Wynton Marsalis in the style of a 'toast', is interspersed in sections between

Horace Parlan - Up & Down

album review – album review – album review – album reviewBlue NoteRelease Date: June 18th 1961Re-release date: February 10th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 downloadLike many albums by Horace Parlan, "Up & Down" has not been available on CD or MP3 until the release of this RVG remaster. The rhythm section - Horace Parlan (piano), George Tucker (bass) and Al Harewood (drums) – was the house band at

Charles McPherson - First Flight Out

Arabesque JazzRelease Date: December 13th 1994Re-release date: March 5th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 downloadThere are jazz albums and then there are jazz albums that are exceptional. "First Flight Out", almost unknown and just re-released by Arabesque, is very much in the latter category.Charles McPherson's alto sax playing is almost good enough to make you think that Charlie Parker is still with

The Very Best Of Prestige Records

PrestigeRecorded 1949 - 1969Release date: March 24th 2009Availability: CD, MP3 Download When Bob Weinstock launched the indy jazz label New Jazz in 1948 from his 48th Street New York store "The Record Corner" few would have guessed that this was the first step in the creation of what was to become Prestige Records. In the next thirty years (the last Prestige album appeared in 1978) the label

Art Farmer - The Meaning Of Art

Arabesque JazzRecorded at Manhattan Beach Recording, New York on May 9th and 10th, 1995Release Date: October 17th, 1995 Re-release date: March 5th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 downloadThe Meaning of Art", the third of the Arabesque Jazz re-releases of Art Farmer's work for the label in the 90's, was originally issued in 1995, between "The Company I Keep" and "Silk Road". It is the same band as "The

Art Farmer & Tom Harrell- The Company I Keep

Arabesque JazzRecorded at Hip Pocket Recording Studios, New York, on January 11th and 12th, 1994Release Date: July 14th, 1994 Re-release date: March 5th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 download"The Company I Keep" brought together two of the great exponents of melodic Coltrane-influenced trumpet playing – Art Farmer and Tom Harrell – placed them in a tight sextet that included the excellent Ron Blake

Art Farmer - Silk Road

Arabesque Jazz Original release date: June 11th, 1996Re-release date: March 5th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunes Before 1992, the small Arabesque Recordings label was devoted mainly to classical piano and chamber music. The launch of Arabesque Jazz in that year was based around the signing of Art Farmer and Charles MacPherson who went on to produce a string of great albums for the

Jackie McLean - Bluesnik

Blue NoteRecording Date: Van Gelder Studio. Englewood Cliffs, January 8th, 1961 Re-release date (RVG Edition): February 24th 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunesA year before "Let Freedom Ring" and two years before 'Destination Out!" and "One Step Beyond", Jackie Mclean was here with "Bluesnik" playing blues based bop with a still discernable influence of Charlie Parker. The band - Jackie

John Coltrane - Standard Coltrane

Prestige /OJCOriginal Release Date: July 11th 1958Re-release date (RVG Remaster): March 3rd 2009Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunesPrestige in the 50s, along with other labels, was notorious in allowing no rehearsal time, leaving busy on-the-road musicians to make do as best they could in the studio itself. That meant that a strategy that could deliver and yet still offer quality of performance

Grachan Moncur - Some Other Stuff

Blue Note

Original Release Date: July 6th, 1964

Re-release date (RVG Edition): February 24th 2009

Availabilty: CD, MP3 download, iTunes



Following the re-release of Jackie McLean's "One Step Beyond" earlier in February, "Some Other Stuff" goes further in revealing the radical departures in jazz being pioneered by trombonist Grachan Moncur III in 1964, a seminal year for his music and the

March 2009 - Jazz New Releases

March brings some interesting releases and re-releases. Tuesday March 3rd, Prestige/Fantasy re-release:Sonny Rollins "Worktime" (Fantasy)Miles Davis "Collectors' Items" (Prestige) John Coltrane "Standard Coltrane" (Prestige) Tuesday March 10th brings:Lee Konitz "Round And Round" (Nimbus)Ben Webster "Centennial Celebration" (Concord/OJC)Tuesday March 17th brings two releases

March 2009 - Focus On Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny is as important to jazz as he is to progressive rock. Here is a summary of where his work appears in our reviews: "Bright Size Life" "Day Trip""Tokyo Day Trip""Metheny Mehldau"Metheny Mehladu "Quartet" "The Way Up - Live" (DVD)Earlier:September 2008: Focus on Hank MobleyOctober 2008: Focus on Miles DavisNovember 2008: Focus on John ColtraneDecember 2008: Focus on Lee MorganJanuary