A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1-3
Artist: Art Blakey Quintet

Art Blakey Quintet. 1987 CD reissue of early editions of the group. How can you overlook the sets with Horace Silver (p) and others? Many feel they are his best live dates. I agree. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read More

Taking Care of Business
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This fine two-LP set contains all of Tenor Madness and most of Work Time and Tour De Force. The 1955-56 period found Rollins quickly becoming one of the most important and influential young saxophonists in jazz. Among the highlights of this two-fer are his transformations of such unlikely songs as "There's No Business like Show Business," "The... Read More

Silver's Blue
Artist: Horace Silver

Two sessions in the mid-'50s produced the material for this album, which despite or perhaps because of being one of the historical early recordings of the Horace Silver Quintet, was later treated to a confusing mess of reissues, some of which never really mentioned what was so historic about the material in the first place. Maybe there was no... Read More

The Stylings of Silver
Artist: Horace Silver

The 1957 Horace Silver Quintet (featuring trumpeter Art Farmer and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley) is in top form on this date, particularly on "My One and Only Love" and their famous version of "Home Cookin'." All of Silver's Blue Note quintet recordings are consistently superb and swinging and, although not essential, this is a very enjoyable... Read More

At Basin Street
Artist: Clifford Brown
Community Score: 10.00

The last official album by the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet is the only one that featured the great Sonny Rollins on tenor. With pianist Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow completing the group, this CD reissue is a hard bop classic. Brownie and Rollins fit together perfectly on memorable versions of "What Is This Thing Called Love,"... Read More

A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1
Artist: Art Blakey Quintet

Just prior to forming the first edition of the Jazz Messengers, drummer Art Blakey led a superb quintet at Birdland for a brief gig in 1954. The band featured the great trumpeter Clifford Brown, altoist Lou Donaldson, pianist Horace Silver, and bassist Curly Russell in addition to the leader/drummer. All of the music has since been reissued as... Read More

The Freedom Suite Plus
Artist: Sonny Rollins
Community Score: 10.00

Sonny Rollins was at one of the peaks of his career during 1956-1958, recording one classic after another. This two-LP set is highlighted by the great tenor's monumental 19-minute "The Freedom Suite," an exploration with bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Max Roach that hints at free jazz and Ornette Coleman (who had not yet emerged) even... Read More

The Best of Kenny Dorham: Blue Note Years
Artist: Kenny Dorham

Often lost in the shadows of A-team players like Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, trumpeter Kenny Dorham quietly made a name for himself throughout both the bebop and hard bop years from the mid-'40s to the mid-'60s. His tart tone and mercurial phrasing ideally framed here, The Best of Kenny Dorham offers newcomers a perfect way to get... Read More

Jazz Profile
Artist: Horace Silver

While there is no substitution for picking up a good handful of Silver's classic LPs for Blue Note, this introductory disc will fit the bill for listeners just looking for a sampler collection. Taken from a period covering the mid-'50s up through the '70s, Silver's Jazz Profile disc touches on both hits ("Song for My Father," "Finger Poppin'")... Read More

Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass
Artist: Sonny Rollins

Big Brass is an appropiate name for the large ensemble arranged and conducted by Ernie Wilkins that accompanies the huge sound of Sonny Rollins. The energy within the leader's gospel-flavored shout "Grand Street" is considerable, while a swinging but no less powerful version of George & Ira Gershwin's "Who Cares" features a choice solo by... Read More

In Stockholm (1959)
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This radio broadcast is taken from one of Sonny Rollins's final concerts before going into an unexpected three-year retirement. Joined by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Pete LaRoca, Rollins explores seven songs that he had previously recorded including "St. Thomas," "There Will Never Be Another You," "Oleo" and "Paul's Pal." The music is quite... Read More

The Art of John Coltrane: The Atlantic Years
Artist: John Coltrane

Good anthology collecting several good tracks from Coltrane's Atlantic period, among them the earliest "My Favorite Things" and other standards and originals. Although these songs weren't as transcendent as the Impulse period, they were an important indicator of future directions. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

Blue Train
Artist: John Coltrane
Community Score: 9.27

Although never formally signed, an oral agreement between John Coltrane and Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion was indeed honored on Blue Train -- Coltrane's only collection of sides as a principal artist for the venerable label. The disc is packed solid with sonic evidence of Coltrane's innate leadership abilities. He not only addresses the... Read More

Giant Steps
Artist: John Coltrane
Community Score: 8.10

History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and... Read More

Johnny Griffin Sextet
Artist: Johnny Griffin

The great tenor Johnny Griffin made his debut on Riverside with this sextet set which has been reissued on CD in the OJC series. Griffin is teamed with trumpeter Donald Byrd, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Philly Joe Jones for three obscure tunes, the ballad "What's New" and a cooking version of... Read More

Moody's Mood for Love
Artist: James Moody

A strong version of the "Moody's Mood for Love," with a vocal by the late Eddie Jefferson (v). ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

Wail, Moody, Wail
Artist: James Moody

James Moody's mid-'50s band was a septet featuring four horns including the leader's tenor and alto. The bop-based group had plenty of spirit (as best shown here on the 14-minute title cut) if not necessarily a strong personality of its own. This CD (a straight reissue of the original LP plus two additional titles from the same session) is... Read More

Night at the Five Spot
Artist: Cecil Payne
Alternate Takes
Artist: Sonny Rollins

This LP contains alternate versions of selections from two famous Sonny Rollins albums: Way out West and Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders. These "new" renditions of "I'm an Old Cowhand," "Come, Gone," "Way out West" "The Song Is You," "You" and "I've Found a New Baby" (released for the first time in the mid-'80s) hold their own against... Read More

It's Mister Fathead
Artist: David "Fathead" Newman

Although best known as a tenor saxophonist, David "Fathead" Newman is an equally talented altoist and flutist. This 1998 double CD brings back Newman's first four sets as a leader (originally made for the Atlantic label), and the dates give one a definitive portrait of Newman in a variety of jazz settings. Ray Charles Presents David Newman... Read More