Someday My Prince Will Come
Artist: Miles Davis
Community Score: 8.75

After both John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley left Miles Davis' quintet, he was caught in the web of seeking suitable replacements. It was a period of trial and error for him that nonetheless yielded some legendary recordings (Sketches of Spain, for one). One of those is Someday My Prince Will Come. The lineup is Davis, pianist Wynton Kelly,... Read More

Alternatives
Artist: Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins's RCA recordings of 1962-64 found him really stretching out his style, listening to and learning from Ornette Coleman without losing his own musical personality. This CD, in addition to two numbers with bassist Bob Cranshaw and the congos of Candido ("Jungoso" and "Bluesongo") that were originally on the album What's New, has four... Read More

Sonny Meets Hawk!
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This is a truly strange (but, ultimately, pretty great) conglomeration of material: tracks one through six comprise a tenor saxophone summit meeting of sorts between bebop master Sonny Rollins and pre-bop elder statesman Coleman Hawkins, with Paul Bley on piano, drummer Roy McCurdy and the bass chair alternating between Henry Grimes and Bob... Read More

What's New?
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This excellent album deserves to be reissued in full on CD but some of its music remains out-of-print. Many of these songs find Sonny Rollins utilizing the Latin rhythms of Candido in addition to his regular quartet members (guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Ben Riley) and, on the calypso "Brownskin Girl," a vocal chorus... Read More

The Best of Wayne Shorter
Artist: Wayne Shorter

Although one can't lose with any of Shorter's classic Blue Note titles from the '60s, this sampler is perfect for newcomers just wanting to get their feet wet. Covering the period 1964-1969, the nine tracks include highlights from Night Dreamer ("Virgo"), Speak No Evil (the title track and "Infant Eyes"), and Adam's Apple ("Footprints"). There's... Read More

Two Hours with Thelonious Monk, Vol. 1
Artist: Thelonious Monk
Sonny Clark Trio: High Fidelity
Artist: Max Roach

This was really more of a Sonny Clark (piano) recording, and served to show how tragic his death at such an early age was. All eight selections were Clark originals showcasing his formidable composing talents. With its trio format (George Duvivier was the bassist) the music took on a lean and intimate quality drawing the listener into the... Read More

The Complete Concert: 1964 (My Funny Valentine & "Four More"
Artist: Miles Davis

This two-CD set, which completely reissues the two lengthy LPs My Funny Valentine (a set of lyrical ballads) and Four & More (which is filled with very rapid versions of Davis's standard repertoire), features the 1963-64 Quintet at its best. This particular unit consisted of the greatly underrated tenor-saxophonist George Coleman and the young... Read More

The Centaur and the Phoenix
Artist: Yusef Lateef

From his first explosion of recordings in the mid-'50s, Yusuf Lateef was a player who was always gently stretching the boundaries of his music to absorb techniques, new rhythms, and new influences from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Centaur and The Phoenix, however, takes the risk-taking and innovation that Lateef was known for, and... Read More

Lookin' at Monk
Artist: Johnny Griffin

Originally recorded in 1961, this tribute program features two of the best tenor saxophonists of the period along with pianist Junior Mance and a rhythm section composed of bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley (both of whom would later work as Thelonious Monk sidemen). If the program seems a bit obvious ("'Round Midnight," "Epistrophy,"... Read More

Sonny Rollins & Co. 1964
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This CD from the Bluebird reissue series fills a lot of gaps in Sonny Rollins' discography. The 13 selections are taken from six different sessions from 1964. The personnel changes from date to date, with either Ron Carter or Bob Cranshaw on bass and Roy McCurdy or Mickey Roker on drums, along with pianist Herbie Hancock on five songs and... Read More

The Classic Ellis Marsalis
Artist: Ellis Marsalis

When one thinks of New Orleans jazz, it is of Dixieland, but in the early '60s there were several talented local modern jazzmen (many of whom eventually went into teaching) who were open to the influence of the more advanced New York jazz. Pianist Ellis Marsalis (the future father of the Marsalis clan but at the time fairly unknown) heads a... Read More

Happy Days
Artist: Lucky Thompson

This CD has the full contents of two of Lucky Thompson's LPs. The earlier session, since it was originally released on the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville, emphasizes ballads, as Thompson interprets eight Jerome Kern melodies (none of the obvious ones) plus his own moody original "No More." One of the first "modern" jazz musicians to start... Read More

All the Things You Are
Artist: Sonny Rollins

Half of this CD contains the famous session on which Sonny Rollins teamed up with his idol, the great tenor Coleman Hawkins. Actually the competitive Rollins did everything he could during these performances to throw Hawk off with plenty of sound explorations and free playing but Hawkins keeps from getting lost and battles Rollins to a tie;... Read More

We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite
Artist: Max Roach
Community Score: 10.00

This is a classic. At a time when the civil rights movement was starting to heat up, drummer Max Roach performed and recorded a seven-part suite dealing with black history (particularly slavery) and racism. "Driva' Man" has a powerful statement by veteran tenor Coleman Hawkins and there is valuable solo space elsewhere for trumpeter Booker... Read More

The Max Roach Trio, Featuring the Legendary Hasaan
Artist: Max Roach

Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali only made one recording in his life, this trio set with drummer Max Roach and bassist Art Davis. A very advanced player whose style fell somewhere between Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor (with hints of Herbie Nichols), Hasaan actually had a rather original sound. His performances of his seven originals on this set (a... Read More

My Funny Valentine
Artist: Miles Davis

Miles Davis' concert of February 12, 1964, was originally divided into two LPs, with all of the ballads put on My Funny Valentine. These five lengthy tracks (which include "All of You," "Stella by Starlight," "All Blues," "I Thought About You," and the title cut) put the emphasis on the lyricism of Davis, along with some strong statements from... Read More

Four & More
Artist: Miles Davis
Community Score: 9.00

In an odd bit of programming, Columbia placed the ballads from Miles Davis' February 12, 1964, concert on My Funny Valentine and the uptempo romps on this LP; all of the music has since been reissued on CD. Davis, probably a bit bored by some of his repertoire and energized by the teenage Tony Williams' drumming, performed many of his standards... Read More

Byrd in Flight
Artist: Donald Byrd

Two separate dates are combined on this Blue Note album. Trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Duke Pearson and drummer Lex Humphries are heard in both quintets with either tenorman Hank Mobley or altoist Jackie McLean and Doug Watkins or Reggie Workman on bass. The consistently strong originals by Pearson and Byrd ("Little Boy Blue" is the lone... Read More

In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk
Artist: Miles Davis

The first of two sets recorded during a weekend in 1961 features the Miles Davis Quintet at a period of time when Hank Mobley was on tenor and the rhythm section was comprised of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Davis is in particularly strong form on "Walkin'," "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "No Blues" and Kelly... Read More

Trompeta Toccata
Artist: Kenny Dorham

It seems strange and somewhat tragic that this was trumpeter Kenny Dorham's last full album as a leader for he was only 40 at the time and still in his prime. Dorham contributed three of the four selections to the session (Joe Henderson's catchy "Mamacita" also receives its debut), and his very underrated abilities as a writer, trumpeter, and... Read More

Whistle Stop
Artist: Kenny Dorham

Kenny Dorham was always underrated throughout his career, not only as a trumpeter but as a composer. This CD reissue features seven of his compositions, none of which have been picked up by any of the "Young Lions" of the 1990s despite their high quality and the many fresh melodies. Dorham teams up with tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley (who he had... Read More

Good Gravy!
Artist: Teddy Edwards Quartet

Teddy Edwards has long been one of the most underrated of the bop tenors, due in large part to his decision to settle in Los Angeles. Edwards is in typically swinging form on this quartet date with either Phineas Newborn, Jr., or Danny Horton on piano, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Milt Turner. The tenor contributed four originals and also... Read More

Together Again!
Artist: Teddy Edwards

Tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards and trumpeter Howard McGhee had played together regularly during 1945-47. For their recorded reunion, they are assisted by the masterful pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen. Edwards, McGhee and Brown contributed one new song apiece which alternates with a trio of standards ("You... Read More

Dexter Calling...
Artist: Dexter Gordon

Tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon recorded seven Blue Note albums during 1960-1964, and all are easily recommended. The power and creativity he showed during those performances led to his first successful comeback and display him in prime form. Dexter Calling. . . showcases the distinctive tenor with a quartet that also includes pianist Kenny... Read More

Inventions & Dimensions
Artist: Herbie Hancock
Community Score: 10.00
Hear Ye!
Artist: Red Mitchell

In the early '60s, bassist Red Mitchell and tenor saxophonist Harold Land co-led a quintet in Los Angeles. The group did not catch on but they did record one Atlantic set that has been reissued on CD. In addition to the co-leaders, the quintet included trumpeter Carmell Jones, pianist Frank Strazzeri, and drummer Leon Pettis, and, although their... Read More

It's Time
Artist: Max Roach

This Max Roach date had been out-of-print for around 30 years when it was finally reissued on CD by Impulse in 1996. An unusual set, this outing featured the drummer's all-star sextet (which consisted of trumpeter Richard Williams, tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan, trombonist Julian Priester, pianist Mal Waldron and bassist Art Davis) joined by... Read More

The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions
Artist: Herbie Hancock