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Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
September
Year
1975
OCR Text

BLUE NOTE

"Re-Issue" Series

Cecil Tayor, In Transition, BN LA-458-H2

Gil Evans Orchestras, Pacific Standard Time, BN LA-461-H2

John Coltrane/Paul Chambers, High Step BNLA-451-H2

Jackie McLean, Jacknife, BN LA-457-H2

Sam Rivers, Involution, BN LA-453-H2

Andrew Hill, One For One, BN LA-459-H2

Let us take these six 2-record albums as a whole, just as Blue Note has released them; as "re-issues," although fully half of the music represented here has never before been released; and as "historical," rather than "contemporary" or "commercial" recordings. even though they are fresher and deeper and more stimulating finally again. as a whole as well as singly- than most of the records cut today.

But first, before we fulfill the promise of that 1st paragraph. please let me say that each of these albums is worth owning, and that each will return hours of straight-out musical pleasure to its possessors. That is to say these records are not only "historically interesting,"' to scholars and such others, but very high musical trips now easily accessible to modern-day listeners of current music. Viz., they are fun to listen to, interesting, and exciting. Period. Each of them is more thrilling than, say nine of the ten top selling LPs on this week's charts, is what I mean to say here, and more worth your time and money. Please buy one or more of them the next time you go by the record store.

Now, with that business out of the way, I would like to identify some of the personnel, recording dates, original issues, etc, for those readers who can use such information. The CECIL TAYLOR contains his first recordings (1955), originally issued on Transition Records, with Steve Lacy (the original modern-day soprano saxophonist), Buell Neidlinger (bass), and Dennis Charles (drums). Also, the 1959 date for United Artists Records, with Bill Barron (tenor), Ted Curson (tpt), Chris White (bass) & Rudy Collins (dms), originally titled Love For Sale.The Cecil Taylor Trio & Quintet. Brilliant, swinging, delightful early CT recordings, both produced by the young Torn Wilson (who went on to produce Bob Dylan's early rock & roll sessions for Columbia and Frank Zappa's Freak Out for MGM, in 1965).

The GIL EVANS masterworks were originally issued on the World Pacific label as Old Wine New Bottles (featuring soloist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley) (1958) and America 's #1 Arranger ( 1959). For . these sessions, Gil, in the middle of his collaborations with Miles Davis at the time (Porgy & Bess, Sketches of Spain), assembled an all-star orchestra of 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, french horn, tuba, reeds (but only two), guitar, bass, & drums, plus his own piano, to perform his uniquely personal arrangements of the works of the great jazz composers. With Cannonball featured as solist on half, and Johnny Coles (tpt), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Steve Lacy, Budd Johnson (tenor), Ray Crawford (guitar), and Gil (piano) spotlighted otherwise, these are some irreplaceable recordings which can very happily be heard once again, and by a lot more people than the first time around.

JOHN COLTRANE (tenor sax) and PAUL CHAMBERS (bass) are featured in three re-issued sessions: tor Transition Records, again, in the company of Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Roland Alexander (piano), Philly. Joe Jones (dms), & Curtis Fuller (tmb), recorded in Detroit, November 1955; for "Jazz West" Records, recorded March 1956 while the Miles Davis Quintet was on the west coast, and featuring Kenny Drew (piano) plus the irrepressible, Mr. Hipness himself, Philly Joe Jones on drums; and for Blue Note Records, recorded Sept. 1956, with Detroiters Donald Byrd & Kenny Burrell, Horace Silver on piano, and Philly Joe once again knocking some sense into the proceedings. The latter session was originally issued by Blue Note as Whims of Chambers back in 1957. If you've heard and dug the Classic Miles Davis Quintet (Miles, Trane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe) of 1955-57, you should not miss hearing these sets. Nor should any of the rest of you. State-of-the-Art playing of 20 years ago, f'or music lovers of all ages.

The last three records are from ten years later, the mid-60's. and by three major musicians of the period who have so far eluded mass recognition. The JACKIE McLEAN album stands by itself in this setting, yet in a row with his great recordings of the 60's: The Connection, New Soil, Swing Swang Swinging, Jackie's Bag, let Freedom Ring, One Step Beyond, Destination - Out, etc. (all on Blue Note, by the way). Jackie. one of the strongest and most moving alto saxophonists of all time, is just now beginning to make a performing "comeback" after teaching tor five years, and nothing could be more timely than the release of these two excellent sides by Jackie Mac. One session is a quartet with pianist Larry Willis, while the other side adds trumpet stars Lee Morgan and Charles Tolliver-together! Great stuff.

Pianist ANDREW HILL heads four of the five sessions that make up the last two LPs, including two sides of the SAM RIVERS package, while saxophonist Rivers fronts a sextet comprised of Julian Priester (tmb), James Spaulding (alto sax). Donald Byrd (tpt), Cecil McBee, bass, and Steve Ellington, drums. Involutions features six compositions each from Sam and Andrew. with eleven more Hill originals performed on One For One in three separate sessions: February 1965 with Freddie Hubbard & Joe Henderson Richard Davis& Joe Chambers; August 1969 with Bennie Maupin, Ron Carter Freddie Waits; and January 1970 with Maupin. Pat Patrick, Chas. Tolliver.  Ron Carter and Ben Riley.

ANDREW HILL is still pretty much known, both as a composer and a pianist/ improvisor; he has a current release or two on Arista Records, but his mid-60's Note recordings remain exciting and superd. These include Judgment, Dialogue, and some others. One For One is similarly interesting.

This is almost where I carne in, except I didn't say yet that SAM RIVERS on these dates is much closer in conception and execution to his brilliant Blue Note recordings of that period (Fuchsia Swing Song, Tony Wms. 'Spring, etc.) than to his recent, less satisfying work for ABC-Impulse (Streams, etc.) You will like his playing on this record.

There is much more I would like to say about these thrilling records, but I have gone on twice as far as I was given already, and I must stop. This is the kind of music (musics) one would like to hear everywhere these days, yet rarely does hear, and I must recommend these LPs without reservation. Please try them.

And thanks to Michael Cuscuna (producer) and Blue Note Records in general for putting these albums on the market.

-John Sinclair