Eddie Henderson – A Tribute To Lee Morgan (1995 – NYC)

Unlike many of the other recent tribute albums, this program of the music of the late trumpeter Lee Morgan casts his compositions in familiar surroundings not all that different from the original recordings. Trumpeter Eddie Henderson, who was influenced by Morgan but found his own voice, is a good choice for the lead role and his muted outing on the one non-Morgan piece, “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” is a strong feature. Tenorman Joe Lovano, who can sound like Joe Henderson at times and hints at the passion of Coltrane on the date’s most advanced piece “Search for the New Land,” has a strong personality of his own and matches well with Eddie Henderson. The solid rhythm section (pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Billy Higgins) is a major asset while Grover Washington, Jr., makes a pair of guest appearances on soprano and shows once again that he can play swinging soulful jazz; pity that he never seems to play tenor in this type of setting. The eight Lee Morgan songs heard on this album are interpreted in the same basic hard bop style that the trumpeter spent most of his career playing, an idiom that serves as the modern jazz mainstream of today. Highlights include “Sidewinder,” “Ceora,” “Speedball” (which has some heated tradeoffs by the horns) and the infectious “Ca-Lee-So.” 
Scott Yanow

Tracklist:
01.The Lion And The Wolff
02.Sidewinder
03.Ceora
04.Speedball
05.You Don’t Know What Love Is
06.Kozo’s Waltz
07.Yama
08.Ca-Lee-So
09.Search For The New Land

Personnel:
Eddie Henderson (trumpet)
Grover Washington, Jr. (op sax)
Joe Lovano (Tenor Sax)
Cedar Walton (piano);
Peter Washington (Bass)
Billy Higgins (drums).

Release Date:  Apr 24th, 1995 – Label: NYC
Recording information: Sound on Sound, New York, NY (From March, 12th 1994 to , April, 12th 1994)

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Benny Golson: The Best Of Benny Golson (2009 – Concord Music)

The seductive charm that makes Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not” so appealing has not diminished in half a century, as is evident when listening to the two performances found here, one recorded in 1956, the other just last year. The latter, with Al Jarreau singing the Leonard Feather lyrics with surprising sensitivity, comes from Golson’s latest version of the sextet he originally formed with the late Art Farmer in 1959. The 1956 instrumental recording, by a nonet, is an opulent rendering with heraldic flourishes by Julius Watkins’ French horn plus solos from Farmer’s trumpet, Gigi Gryce’s alto and Golson’s rococo climactic tenor sax.
“Whisper Not” is one of many tunes that have made Golson one of jazz’ leading composers. He has displayed an unfailing gift for suave melodies combined with elaborate and sophisticated harmonies, all spiced with rhythms ranging from sultry saunters to high-stepping marches. And his playing, like his compositions, never relinquishes melody, no matter how baroque or extravagant his bebop-inspired harmonic flights may soar.
“The Best Of” album concentrates as much on presenting Golson the improviser as it does the composer, with his early work represented by tracks featuring mostly quintets with trombonist Curtis Fuller. His solos reflect the influence of Lucky Thompson with intimations of John Coltrane’s explorations, especially on an aggressive “Are You Real?” The heavy, breathy vibrato of Thompson, most prominent on a very slow “April in Paris” from 1959, became much less pronounced over the years, as tracks from the ’80s on confirm, but Golson never lost that edge of velvet in his tone, nor that commitment to melody that make his solos on “Five Spot After Dark” (1997) and “Killer Joe” (2004) so warmly engaging.
George Kanzler (All About Jazz)

Track List:

1. Whisper Not

2. Reunion

3. Are You Real?

4. Blues After Dark

5. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

6. April in Paris (5:11)

7. Along Came Betty (Live)

8. Five Spot After Dark

9. Killer Joe

Personnel: Art Blakey, Ray Bryant, Paul Chambers, Kenny Dorham, Ray Drummond, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Curtis Fuller, Gigi Gryce, Barry Harris, Eddie Henderson, J.J. Johnson, Wynton Kelly, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Arthur Taylor, and others.

Original Release Date: January 20, 2009 – Label: Concord Music Group
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