Chico Hamilton • Complete Studio Sessions [1956-1957]

 

Review by Michael G. Nastos  
This is the fourth Fresh Sound CD reissuing drummer Chico Hamilton's early ensembles to come out, and it is perhaps his most important grouping. The quintet played originals and standard covers that combined elements of Eastern and Western strains of mainstream and chamber jazz with instruments like flute, cello, and guitar. Hamilton created new music that some scratched their heads at, but most understood and enjoyed its softer tones and rounded edges. These studio works from four Los Angeles based sessions released on the Pacific Jazz, World Pacific, and Decca labels stem from the second version of Hamilton's quintet, which originally included Jim Hall and Buddy Collette. When Hall joined the Jimmy Giuffre trio, the tasteful guitarist John Pisano was recruited, then original woodwind player Buddy Collette left for greener pastures, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Horn was asked to join. Cellist Fred Katz and bassist Carson Smith remained, retaining the classical spirit of the group, but the addition of Pisano and Horn did nothing to diminish what the ensemble sound had attained, and would embellish. And it is their compositions that distinguish this music from any other group of the era, save that of Dave Brubeck. Smith's "Chanel #5" is a fluid, sprightly flute/cello waltz with Horn's Paul Desmond style alto sax added on. "Beanstalk" is an easy swinger merging melodies of "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," while "Mr. Smith Goes to Town" takes off with Smith's witty bass leading the charge. Of the classically oriented compositions of Katz, the beautiful ballad "Lillian" is as romantic as can be with Horn's alto singing his heart out, while "Reflections" has Horn's evocative and pristine flute countering a pristine cello from the author. Hall's tunes remained in the repertoire, especially the extraordinary "Siete-Cuatro" in 7/8 with ostinato bass, Horn's wonderful textures on alto, repeat guitar lines, legato cello, and tambourine accents. There are three abbreviated versions of Hall's band theme "I Know," a classic read of "Satin Doll," an intriguing calypso infused "Soft Winds," an outstanding take of "September Song" where Horn's clarinet and the cello of Katz weep mournfully about the change of season and lost love, and a fine flute front loaded Latin snake charmer style identifying the classic "Caravan." Collette also left behind "Blue Sands" and "The Ghost," performed on the Stars of Jazz ABC television program on Christmas Eve of 1956. The former is an exotic discourse in mysterious notions, the latter using very clever interplay between the five instrumentalists. Hamilton plays brushes and little instruments for the most part, composed two tracks where he is the featured soloist, and co-composed another four with Katz that appeared in the film of Sweet Smell of Success. There is a full CD of that movie soundtrack available on a separate CD that is the fifth reissued Fresh Sound CD featuring this ensemble. While this is not absolutely the complete studio recordings of this legendary ensemble, it is ultimately substantive, representing a marvelous sound that is as appealing as any in the modern post-bop idiom, and ranks favorably with any chamber jazz attempts of any era.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-studio-sessions-1956-57-mw0001685367

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Reseña de Michael G. Nastos  
Este es el cuarto CD de Fresh Sound que reedita los primeros conjuntos del baterista Chico Hamilton, y es quizás su agrupación más importante. El quinteto tocó versiones originales y estándar que combinaban elementos de las cepas orientales y occidentales del jazz convencional y de cámara con instrumentos como flauta, violonchelo y guitarra. Hamilton creó nueva música que algunos se rascaron la cabeza, pero la mayoría entendió y disfrutó de sus tonos más suaves y bordes redondeados. Estos trabajos de estudio de cuatro sesiones con sede en Los Ángeles lanzados en los sellos Pacific Jazz, World Pacific y Decca provienen de la segunda versión del quinteto de Hamilton, que originalmente incluía a Jim Hall y Buddy Collette. Cuando Hall se unió al Jimmy Giuffre trio, se reclutó al guitarrista de buen gusto John Pisano, luego el músico de viento de madera original Buddy Collette se fue a pastos más verdes, y se le pidió al multiinstrumentista Paul Horn que se uniera. El violonchelista Fred Katz y el bajista Carson Smith permanecieron, conservando el espíritu clásico del grupo, pero la adición de Pisano y Horn no hizo nada para disminuir lo que el sonido del conjunto había logrado, y embellecería. Y son sus composiciones las que distinguen a esta música de cualquier otro grupo de la época, salvo la de Dave Brubeck. "Chanel #5" de Smith es un vals fluido y vivaz para flauta/violonchelo con saxo alto estilo Paul Desmond de Horn agregado. "Beanstalk" es un intercambio de parejas fácil que fusiona melodías de "Love Me or Leave Me" y "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise", mientras que " Mr. Smith Goes to Town " despega con el ingenioso bajo de Smith liderando la carga. De las composiciones de orientación clásica de Katz, la hermosa balada "Lillian" es tan romántica como puede serlo con el alto de Horn cantando con todo su corazón, mientras que "Reflections" tiene la flauta evocadora y prístina de Horn contrarrestando un violonchelo prístino del autor. Las melodías de Hall permanecieron en el repertorio, especialmente el extraordinario "Siete-Cuatro" en 7/8 con bajo ostinato, maravillosas texturas de Cuerno en alto, líneas de guitarra repetidas, violonchelo legato y acentos de pandereta. Hay tres versiones abreviadas del tema de la banda de Hall, "I Know", una lectura clásica de "Satin Doll", un intrigante calipso infundido con "Soft Winds", una toma sobresaliente de" September Song "donde el clarinete de Horn y el violonchelo de Katz lloran tristemente por el cambio de estación y el amor perdido, y una flauta fina cargada de estilo encantador de serpientes latinas que identifica el clásico "Caravan". Collette también dejó atrás "Blue Sands" y "The Ghost", interpretadas en el programa de televisión Stars of Jazz ABC en la víspera de Navidad de 1956 .  El primero es un discurso exótico en nociones misteriosas, el segundo utiliza una interacción muy inteligente entre los cinco instrumentistas. Hamilton toca pinceles y pequeños instrumentos en su mayor parte, compuso dos temas en los que es el solista destacado, y co-compuso otros cuatro con Katz que aparecieron en la película de Sweet Smell of Success. Hay un CD completo de la banda sonora de esa película disponible en un CD separado que es el quinto CD de Sonido fresco reeditado con este conjunto. Si bien estas no son absolutamente las grabaciones de estudio completas de este legendario conjunto, en última instancia son sustantivas, representan un sonido maravilloso que es tan atractivo como cualquier otro en el lenguaje moderno post-bop, y se clasifica favorablemente con cualquier intento de jazz de cámara de cualquier época.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-studio-sessions-1956-57-mw0001685367

Never a Dull Moment 1971, The Year That Rock Exploded

 

A rollicking look at 1971, rock’s golden year, the year that saw the release of the indelible recordings of Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Who, Rod Stewart, Carole King, the Rolling Stones, and others and produced more classics than any other year in rock history

The Sixties ended a year late. On New Year’s Eve 1970 Paul McCartney instructed his lawyers to issue the writ at the High Court in London that effectively ended the Beatles. You might say this was the last day of the pop era.

1971 started the following day and with it the rock era. The new releases of that hectic year―Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Sly Stone’s “Family Affair,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Joni Mitchell’s “Blue,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven,” the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” and many others―are the standards of today.

David Hepworth was twenty-one in 1971, and has been writing and broadcasting about music ever since. In this entertaining and provocative book, he argues that 1971 saw an unrepeatable surge of musical creativity, technological innovation, naked ambition and outrageous good fortune that combined to produce music that still crackles with relevance today. There’s a story behind every note of that music. From the electric blue fur coat David Bowie wore when he first arrived in America in February to Bianca’s neckline when she married Mick Jagger in Saint-Tropez in May, from the death of Jim Morrison in Paris in July to the reemergence of Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden in August, from the soft launch of Carole King’s Tapestry in California in February to the sensational arrival of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” in London in November, Hepworth’s forensic sweep takes in all the people, places and events that helped make 1971 rock’s unrepeatable year.

 

 

 

 

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Ike Quebec • With A Song In My Heart

 

A jazz album by tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec compiled around material from his later Blue Note sessions.  

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Un álbum de jazz del saxofonista tenor Ike Quebec compilado en torno a material de sus últimas sesiones de Blue Note. 

Herbie Mann • London Underground

During the 1960s and '70s, Herbie Mann continually searched for new playing contexts in which to place his flute.  In December 1973, he traveled to London for five days of recording with a group of British rock musicians.  The result was London Underground, an album tilted much more in a rock direction than the soul and R&B-drenched recordings he had been making for the previous five years.  Highlights on this album include the Rolling Stones' "Bitch" ( then-Stone Mick Taylor played guitar on this album ), Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air," and "Paper Sun," from the Traffic canon.  The real highlight, however, came about with the addition of Stephane Grappelli on the Donovan pop hit "Mellow Yellow."  With guitarist Albert Lee adopting a Django Reinhardt stance, the cut is reminiscent of the old Hot Club of France recordings in the '30s.  There are a couple of clunkers here ( "Layla" doesn't work ), but for fans of late-'60s/early-'70s rock, not a bad ride. - AMG

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Durante las décadas de 1960 y 1970, Herbie Mann buscó continuamente nuevos contextos de interpretación en los que colocar su flauta.  En diciembre de 1973, viajó a Londres para grabar durante cinco días con un grupo de músicos de rock británicos.  El resultado fue London Underground, un álbum que se inclinaba mucho más en una dirección de rock que las grabaciones de soul y R&B que había estado haciendo durante los cinco años anteriores.  Entre los aspectos más destacados de este álbum se encuentran "Bitch" de los Rolling Stones (en este álbum el entonces cantante Mick Taylor tocó la guitarra), "Something in the Air" de Thunderclap Newman y "Paper Sun", del canon Traffic.  El verdadero punto culminante, sin embargo, se produjo con la adición de Stéphane Grappelli en el éxito pop de Donovan "Mellow Yellow".  Con el guitarrista Albert Lee adoptando una postura de Django Reinhardt, el corte recuerda a las viejas grabaciones de Hot Club of France en los años 30.  Hay un par de clunkers aquí ("Layla" no funciona), pero para los fans del rock de finales de los 60 y principios de los 70, no es un mal paseo. - AMG

 

 

VA • A Blue Butterfly