Hangin' With Smooth
Artist: Cecil Brooks III

Drummer Cecil Brooks III's hard bop set is primarily straight-ahead, with some of the selections reminiscent of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. The originals (four by Brooks and two from pianist Radam Schwartz) are excellent, trumpeter Philip Harper sounds quite lyrical on "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," and a three-song ballad medley... Read More

Rain or Shine
Artist: Jodie Christian

This set by Chicago pianist Jodie Christian has both strong and weak moments. Easily the low point is the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Roscoe Mitchell's playing on oboe during "Song for Atala" (way out-of-tune) although his work on soprano ("Coltrane's View") and alto ("Mr. Freddie") is better. Christian has a couple trio numbers ("Yardbird Suite"... Read More

The Tokyo Sessions
Artist: Roy Hargrove

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove and alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, two of the finest contemporary hard boppers, made a potent team on this CD featuring sessions recorded in Tokyo during 1991. Hargrove's fierce trumpet solos and Hart's bluesy, equally energetic and accomplished answering alto statements fueled nine excellent reworkings of standards and... Read More

Straight Up
Artist: Eric Alexander

Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander finished second in the 1991 Thelonious Monk sax competition, and shows why throughout these eight tracks. He has a full, bright, impressive tone, excellent facility and command of the instrument and is steadily developing a personal sound. While the tracks vary in quality, most are at worst competent and at best... Read More

Let's Hang Out
Artist: J.J. Johnson

Forty-nine years after his recording debut, trombonist J.J. Johnson is still in peak form on this disc. Most of the numbers on his Verve CD find him accompanied by either Stanley Cowell or Renee Roenes on piano, bassist Rutus Reid and Victor Lewis or Lewis Nash on drums with occasional contributions from trumpeter Terence Blanchard (whose chops... Read More

Split Second Timing
Artist: Craig Handy

Tenor saxophonist Craig Handy's debut as a leader is an impressive effort. The advanced hard bop music (which also features Handy doubling on alto, pianist Ed Simon, bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Ralph Peterson and three guest appearances by trombonist Robin Eubanks) has fine arrangements by Handy, who also contributed five of the nine pieces.... Read More

Youngblood
Artist: Elvin Jones

Although this superior set features three of the top Young Lions (tenors Joshua Redman and Javon Jackson and trumpeter Nicholas Payton), along with the fine bassist George Mraz, drummer Elvin Jones, 64 at the time, sounds like the youngest member of the group. The well-rounded CD has individual features for Redman ("Angel Eyes"), Payton ("Body... Read More

Live at the Knitting Factory
Artist: Jazz Passengers

The Jazz Passengers blend collective improvisation, outside arrangements, free playing, and cohesive intragroup interplay better than most hard bop and mainstream jazz groups. They also include other non-jazz elements in their music, from funk to rock and blues. This melange of styles and idioms was on display throughout the 1991 concert... Read More

The Standard Joe
Artist: Joe Henderson

For at least his fourth recording in six years heading a pianoless trio, the great tenor Joe Henderson (along with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Al Foster) is heard on his own "Inner Urge," an original blues, two lengthy versions of "Body and Soul" and three other jazz standards. This Italian import is particularly recommended to listeners not... Read More

Present Tense
Artist: Bobby Watson
Community Score: 10.00

After a period of time, Bobby Watson's Horizon became one of the top hard bop-oriented regular bands of the early '90s. Comprised of the leader on alto and occasional soprano, trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Victor Lewis, Horizon performs "I Got It Bad," "Minority," and ten originals by group... Read More

Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
Artist: Joe Henderson

With the release of this CD, the executives at Verve and their marketing staff proved that yes, indeed, jazz can sell. The veteran tenor Joe Henderson has had a distinctive sound and style of his own ever since he first entered the jazz major leagues yet he has spent long periods in relative obscurity before reaching his current status as a jazz... Read More

Arroyo
Artist: Chico Hamilton

Throughout his career, drummer Chico Hamilton has had an impressive track record as a talent scout. During 1988-92, he recorded four CDs with the up and coming altoist Eric Person, an inventive post-bop player who would have a short stint with the World Saxophone Quartet. Hamilton called this particular group (which also featured guitarist Cary... Read More

The Proper Angle
Artist: Charles Fambrough

Bassist Charles Fambrough gathered together a rather impressive lineup of young greats (including on various cuts trumpeters Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove, saxophonists Branford Marsalis and Joe Ford, keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, drummer Jeff Watts, and three percussionists) for a set of tricky hard bop originals. The interplay between the two... Read More

Lester Leaps In
Artist: Von Freeman

Although Von Freeman's unusual, very recognizable tone has been admired by jazz's avant-garde, the tenorman has always been a hard bopper/post-bopper first and foremost. And that's what makes a Freeman recording jump right out at you -- his tone sounds like it belongs on an AACM recording, but he tackles swift bop chord changes with such... Read More