Archive for the ‘Paul Chambers’ Category
Hank Mobley: Workout (1961 – Blue Note Records)
Miles Davis dissed him, Leonard Feather called him the middleweight champion, and most people thought that John Coltrane outshone him. Because of these and a few other real or imagined slings and arrows, a kind of victim support group vibe has gathered around Hank Mobley in recent years. He’s in danger of going down in history as a tragic figure.
But hey! Here’s another perspective to consider. Mobley recorded an astonishing 25 albums as a leader or co-leader for Blue Note (not even Grant Green comes close), was featured on around another 35 Blue Notes as a sideman, and made his mark on Columbia and a few other labels too. Where’s the victim?
Mobley had some good times outside the studio as well. He was married twice, by all accounts on both occasions to stunningly beautiful women, and lived until he was 56—not a massive span, true, but for a black hard bop saxophonist born in 1930 who had intermittent heroin problems, longer than many. Mobley did alright, as history should record.
Fact is, Mobley wasn’t one of the all-time greats. His style was an amalgam of others before and around him, and his technique was no better than average. His tone was thin more often than it was fat, and he squeaked on fast passages or when negotiating tricky intervals. He was, though, an exhilaratingly ragged and abandoned tenor saxophonist and a solid blues-based composer who made one all-time great album, Soul Station, and half a dozen very good ones.
Workout, from 1961, is one of the very good ones, and it’s now being released with a lethal Rudy Van Gelder remaster. The headlong charges which are “Workout” (pure bop) and “Smokin'” (pure hard bop) showcase Mobley at his best: passionate, wild and 100% in the moment. “Workout” is further distinguished by Philly Joe Jones’ door-rattling presence and Grant Green’s straight out of Minton’s, more Christian than Christian, jetstream of a solo. “Uh Huh” (brisk soul-jazz, in which Mobley acknowledges and recalibrates his R&B roots) and “Greasin’ Easy” (moderato hard bop blues) are almost as good. Mobley wrote all four of these tracks. (The two standards, “The Best Things In Life Are Free” and “Three Coins In A Fountain,” are by comparison merely pleasant).
Chris May (All About Jazz)
1. Workout
2. Uh Huh
3. Smokin’
4. The Best Things In Life Are Free
5. Greasin’ Easy
6. Three Coins In The Fountain
Personnel:
Hank Mobley: (tenor saxophone)
Grant Green: (guitar)
Wynton Kelly: (piano)
Paul Chambers: (bass)
Philly Joe Jones: (drums)
Original Release Date: March 26, 1961 – Label: Blue Note Records
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)
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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Lee Morgan: Charisma (1966 – Blue Note)
Douglas Payne (All About Jazz)
1. Hey Chico
2. Somethin’ Cute
3. Rainy Night
4. Sweet Honey Bee
5. The Murphy Man
6. The Double Up
Personnel
Lee Morgan (trumpet)
Jackie McLean (alto sax)
Hank Mobley (tenor sax)
Cedar Walton (piano)
Paul Chambers (bass)
Billy Higgins (drums)
Original Release Date: September 29, 1966 – Label: Blue Note Records
Oliver Nelson "The Blues And The Abstract Truth" (1961 – GRP)
As Oliver Nelson is known primarily as a big band leader and arranger, he is lesser known as a saxophonist and organizer of small ensembles. Blues and the Abstract Truth is his triumph as a musician for the aspects of not only defining the sound of an era with his all-time classic “Stolen Moments,” but on this recording, assembling one of the most potent modern jazz sextets ever. Lead trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is at his peak of performance, while alto saxophonists Nelson and Eric Dolphy (Nelson doubling on tenor) team to form an unlikely union that was simmered to perfection. Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums) can do no wrong as a rhythm section. “Stolen Moments” really needs no comments, as its undisputable beauty shines through in a three-part horn harmony fronting Hubbard’s lead melody. It’s a thing of beauty that is more timeless as the years pass. The “Blues” aspect is best heard on “Yearnin’,” a stylish, swinging, and swaying downhearted piece that is a bluesy as Evans would ever be. Both “Blues” and “Abstract Truth” combine for the darker “Teenie’s Blues,” a feature for Nelson and Dolphy’s alto saxes, Dolphy assertive in stepping forth with his distinctive, angular, dramatic, fractured, brittle voice that marks him a maverick. Then there’s “Hoedown,” which has always been the black sheep of this collection with its country flavor and stereo separated upper and lower horn in snappy call-and-response barking. As surging and searing hard boppers respectively, “Cascades” and “Butch & Butch” again remind you of the era of the early ’60s when this music was king, and why Hubbard was so revered as a young master of the idiom. This CD is a must buy for all jazz collectors, and a Top Ten-Fifty favorite for many.
Michael G. Nastos (All Music Guide)
1. Stolen Moments
2. Hoe-Down
3. Cascades
4. Yearnin’
5. Butch and Butch
6. Teenie’s Blues
(All tracks composed by Nelson.)
Personnel:
Oliver Nelson – Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone
Eric Dolphy – Alto Saxophone, Flute
George Barrow – Baritone Saxophone
Freddie Hubbard – Trumpet
Bill Evans – Piano
Paul Chambers – Bass
Roy Haynes – Drums
Original Release Date: February 23, 1961 – Label: GRP Records
Hank Mobley – Soul Station (1960 – Blue Note)
Often overlooked, perhaps because he wasn’t a great innovator in jazz but merely a stellar performer, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers on Soul Station. Recorded with a superstar quartet including Art Blakey on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and Wynton Kelly on piano, it was the first album since Mobley’s 1955 debut to feature him as a leader without any other accompanying horns. The clean, uncomplicated sound that resulted from that grouping helps make it the best among his albums and a peak moment during a particularly strong period in his career. Mobley has no problem running the show here, and he does it without being flashy or burying the strong work of his sidemen. The solidness of his technique means that he can handle material that is occasionally rhythmically intricate, while still maintaining the kind of easy roundness and warmth displayed by the best players of the swing era. Two carefully chosen standards, “Remember” and “If I Should Lose You,” help to reinforce that impression by casting an eye back to the classic jazz era. They bookend four Mobley originals that, in contrast, reflect the best of small-group composition with their lightness and tight dynamics. Overall, this is a stellar set from one of the more underrated musicians of the bop era. ~ Stacia Proefrock, All Music Guide
Original Release Date: February 7, 1960 – Label: Blue Note Records
Miles Davis – Milestones (1958) (Original recording remastered, Extra tracks – Sony)
The caliber of personnel Miles Davis enlisted for his Sextet was the very best. Davis knew he couldn’t keep this unit together for long. It was obvious to him that each was developing into a sensation. This was 1958, and history was being made with the emergence of Davis’ modal sound. His sweet, open trumpet tone reflects what Davis stood for and explains why he’s still the top vote getter in jazz polls around the world. The way he, Cannonball Adderley, Red Garland, and John Coltrane weave melodic lines together has set a standard for those who have followed. The pianist demonstrates his well-developed bebop chops on “Billy Boy,” a popular folk tune that Davis included to let the rhythm section shine. Paul Chambers’ arco bass and Philly Joe Jones’ proud fours lend credence to the theory that this album represents the very peak of bebop. There are three alternate takes on this reissue. Each possesses a full, rich sound quality. It’s interesting to compare, as the solo order changes from track to track. Typically, Coltrane starts it off, Davis bares his intended aim, and Adderley draws inspiration from both. For this milestone album, Davis used no mutes, no electronics, and no echo. Milestones is a seminal album that helped shape jazz history. (Jim Santella)
Track List:
4. “Milestones” – (Davis)
Original Release Date: 1958 Label: Sony
Curtis Fuller – The Opener ( 1957 – Blue Note Records)
Track List:
01 A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
Personnel:
Original Release Date: June 16, 1957 (Label: Blue Note Records)
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John Coltrane – Blue Train (2003 – Blue Note Records)
Blue Train gives a taste of what that might have been like, as well as a taste of what was to come. This reissue of the 1957 album finds Trane blowing hard on one of his first albums as a band leader. With one foot still in the Charlie Parker catalog and one ear turned toward hard bop, the album sounds like a typical club set. The album is best known for the title track, Coltrane’s first notable composition. His solo starts off with an announcement that he has something to say, but quickly moves toward Birdland. “Moment’s Notice” and “Locomotion” also demonstrate that, even before his work was informed by his eventual stylistic uniqueness and spiritual depth, Trane could write a compelling, well-organized tune.
The group’s rendering of the Kern/Mercer ballad “I’m Old Fashioned” and Trane’s “Lazy Bird” are a let down after the first three, although each has some nice playing by various band members.
The album benefits from Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones from Miles’ band laying down the bass and drums. Kenny Drew’s plays bluesy piano completes the excellent rhythm section. A young Lee Morgan contributes to the boppish flavor of the album with his Gillespie-ish licks (he even played a bent up horn). Curtis Fuller passes up the rapid fire riffing trombonists sometimes employ in trying to keep up with their more nimble bandmates in favor of a more nuanced, rhythmic variety. And he burns when he has to.
07 Lazy Bird (alternate take)
Personnel:
Across Rhythm 