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JAZZ

  • Old School Swing
    Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins
  • Bop, Soul, and Beyond
    Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Art Blakey, Return to Forever, David Murray
Delivers Jazz. This month, we're highlighting some of our best offers and classic gems for your summer listening pleasure. We hope you'll enjoy these selections while entertaining, traveling, or just lounging in the sun.


OLD SCHOOL SWING
"Blues in Orbit"
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington loved innovation. He was intrigued by the human venture into space and titled "Blues in Orbit" at least in part because of the increasing cultural fascination with space in the late 1950s. This set of tunes, recorded in 1959, are classic Ellington, so deliberate in their conversational swing that it's still surprising how offhand these late-night recordings were. Weird band lineups and impromptu musical workouts mark this as a fascinating look at Ellington's revving band. Read more

Our Price: $6.99    


"Live at the Village Vanguard"
Earl Hines
"Live at the Village Vanguard" catches pianist Earl Hines in 1965, fronting a trio of bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Eddie Locke with saxophonist Budd Johnson sitting in on five tunes. The energy is high, the playing spotless, and the audience wowed. Perhaps a typical night for Hines, this recording is still killer decades later. Johnson and Hines make fire out of "Moten's Swing" to close the night. Read more

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"Little Jazz"
Roy Eldridge
Here's trumpeter Roy Eldridge, nicknamed "Little Jazz," appearing with a variety of lesser-known bands (including those of Teddy Hill, Putney Dandridge, and Mildred Bailey), along with a gaggle of Duke Ellington's men--and other well-known bandleaders, such as Teddy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson, and Billie Holiday. The sessions were recorded between 1935 and 1940, all of them imbued with spry swing. Read more

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"Illinois Jacquet"
Illinois Jacquet
Thank tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet for helping usher in a brawny, chugging swing solo style that he pioneered while touring with the Jazz at the Philharmonic series in the 1940s. Here he is in 1962 booting vigorously with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Sir Charles Thompson, and a variety of others. Start to finish, this is a get-up-and-go affair that rockets by. Read more

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"Roll 'Em, Volume 1"
Benny Goodman
At the height of his popularity, clarinetist (and "King of Swing") Benny Goodman recorded these 16 live tunes with Harry James, Gene Krupa, Fletcher Henderson, Mildred Bailey, and others. The title track features Mary Lou Williams in a justly celebrated performance that many liken to a perfect digest of swing. This is the music of the late 1930s reaching a series of zeniths. Read more

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"In the Groove: 1926-39"
Coleman Hawkins
Present at the flowering of trad jazz, swing, bebop, and an alphabet of other styles, tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins gets rolling on this anthology with Fletcher Henderson's orchestra on the aptly named "Stampede." Afterward, he bolts with Glenn Miller and Pee Wee Russell on "One Hour," digs in on a pair of tracks with Django Reinhardt, and, toward the end of the set, with his own bands. Celebrating the first decades of Hawkins's long career, it's a generous sampling. Read more

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BOP, SOUL, AND BEYOND
"Jazz at the Philharmonic 1949"
Charlie Parker
With alto saxophonist and bebop pioneer Charlie Parker in the nominal driver's seat, "Jazz at the Philharmonic 1949" is a lively, star-studded affair. Like many of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Phil productions, this one is loose and spirited--with tunes leaping by and solos cooking. It also features Roy Eldridge and Lester Young, two of Parker's favorites. Read more

Our Price: $9.99 | You Save: $1.98 (17%)    


"Carnegie Hall Concert"
Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan
Here's a deal: a gold CD of a memorable concert at a bargain price. Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan hadn't played together for a decade when they reunited to play at Carnegie Hall in a band that included guitarist John Scofield. It's a session redolent of Mulligan and Baker's classic cool recordings--with a few key twists. Read more

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"Moanin'"
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Undoubtedly one of drummer Art Blakey's most blazing sessions, "Moanin" scores points on every level. Pianist Bobby Timmons's title track is worth the price of the session, with its strutting vibe and peerless piano shape. Read more

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"Live"
Return to Forever
Return to Forever simply blew away crowds in 1977, when they recorded the 2-CD "Live." With the bombastic bass of Stanley Clark and irrepressible keyboard curiosities of Chick Corea, RTF played intricate music that helped define the fusion phenomenon. Here's one of the genre's magnum opuses. Read more

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"Shakill's Warrior"
David Murray
Tenor great David Murray's always had a deep grasp of jazz's many roads. Blues, bop, soul, free blowing--all are nearby when Murray blows open his solos. Here he fronts a fantastic organ-guitar-sax-drums combo, with the late Don Pullen on Hammond and Andrew Cyrille on drums. Read more

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HEADING OUT
"Conducted by Lawrence 'Butch' Morris"
David Murray Big Band
With a master of "conduction" sporting the leadership wand, the David Murray big band always amazes. This self-titled session has the large ensemble paying homage to Paul Gonsalves, Ben Webster, Lester Young, and drummer Steve McCall. It's alternately touching and raucous--always in fine balance. Read more

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"Odyssey"
James "Blood" Ulmer
Here's famed guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer at his best, with a band stripped down to its threadbare essence. Violinist Charlie Burnham and Ulmer create bluesy, soulful yarns over Warren Bernbow's timely, tight drumming--all of which amounts to a great, gritty work of genius. Read more

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"Makin' a Move"
Henry Threadgill
There hasn't been an instrumental configuration built that could contain the imagination of Henry Threadgill. For "Makin' a Move," the maverick alto saxist, bandleader, and composer brings along a guitar and piano quintet, a trio of cellists, and his unconventional (two tubas! two French horns!) Very Very Circus. Urban funk, concert hall chamber music, postmodern blues--all of it falls into Threadgill's viewfinder. Read more

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SMOOTH DIRECTIONS
"Floppy Disk"
Kirk Whalum
Saxophonist Kirk Whalum's 1985 debut was an auspicious event. It came before smooth jazz was widely recognized and kept a soulful undercurrent constant. Keyboardist Bob James helped give "Floppy Disk" a satiny feel, which it retains even today. Read more

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"Bigger and Better/The Many Facets of David Newman"
David "Fathead" Newman
By no means synonymous with today's "smooth" formats, tenor saxist David "Fathead" Newman's "Bigger and Better" is nonetheless a velvety display of mood and intimacy. He plays atop a large string section, creating a romantic aura that's at once vivid and eminently relaxing. Read more

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BARGAIN BOX SET
"Hot Fives and Sevens"
Louis Armstrong
This four-CD set is a textbook study in early jazz. Louis Armstrong was blazing trails with his ebullient solos, while the Hot Fives and Sevens were redefining jazz ensemble performance. Remastering by John R.T. Davies makes this a nugget of sheer joy that tells jazz's early story. Read more

Our Price: $22.47 | You Save: $2.50 (10%)   

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