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Thelonious Monk: It's Monk's Time

by Jerry D'Souza
The restoration campaign of the Monk catalog is as welcome as any such endeavor could be. Here is the opening of the doors to the music, the way it was and the way it transpired before it took the shape that first came out on record. Amendments have been made by restoring the edited portions, the prime factor that gives one the impetus to revisit the music. Add unreleased takes and remastered sound, and the lure is complete. ...
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk: It's Monk's Time

by David Rickert
It's Monk's Time is in many ways the least compromising of Monk's Columbia records and the polar opposite of a record like Criss Cross (1962) due to the variety ' lengthy renditions of tunes, a couple of solo performances, and a few obscure originals dusted off for the occasion. The session kicks off with what appears to be a solo recording of 'Lulu's Back in Town,' only to evolve from clunky stride into a full-blown quartet version after three minutes, ...
Continue ReadingDonald Byrd: Byrd in Hand (RVG Edition)

by Robert Gilbert
Of the jazz trumpeters who blazed a trail during the 1950s and '60s, Donald Byrd has never really gotten his due. He came into his own at the same time as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Chet Baker, Kenny Dorham, etc. were on the scene, unjustly diverting some attention away from Byrd. Yet a listen to a small part of his recorded output reveals a trumpeter with a well-developed penchant for lyricism and who, over time, learned to use space as ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Blue Note Connoisseur Series: The Lost Sessions

by C. Andrew Hovan
When it came to the music that he put out on record, Blue Note producer Alfred Lion was a stickler for tight ensembles, inspired performances, and musically appealing content. This sometimes meant, added to the sheer prolific nature of the label, that many decent sessions ended up accumulating in the vaults over the years. Of course, Blue Note began mining these resources back in the late '70s and early '80s, carrying on in some degree through the label's resurrection in ...
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