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Red Garland: Red Garland's Piano
by David Rickert
Red Garland's career got a boost with a stint in Miles Davis's first great quintet, where his laid-back, bluesy style perfectly suited the small group swing of the classic Prestige dates. But Garland was also capable of holding the spotlight all on his own and crafted a series of appealing trio recordings for the same label. Red Garland's Piano (1957) showcases what made the pianist a man worthy of admiration: a firm left hand provided a punchy rhythm while the ...
Continue ReadingPaul Chambers: Mosaic Select 5: Paul Chambers
by C. Andrew Hovan
Aside from Ray Brown and Dave Holland, few bass players over the years have chosen to put their instruments up front as a leading voice. Lest we forget the efforts in this area by the legendary Paul Chambers, a recent Mosaic Select collection sets the record straight on the bassist's own sessions as a leader. While just about all the music included on this three disc set has been available on CD before in one form or the other, currently ...
Continue ReadingMiles Davis and Sonny Stitt: Jazz Time: Olympia
by Samuel Chell
On page 249 of his autobiography, Miles Davis recounts driving around Philly with Jimmy Heath, recalling that he “probably was complaining to him about Sonny Stitt playing the wrong [stuff] on 'So What,' because he would always [mess] up on that tune."The marvel is that Miles called on Stitt to replace Coltrane in the first place. But Wayne Shorter wanted to stay on with Art Blakey, so the most complete and polished bebop player of them all, a ...
Continue ReadingArt Pepper: Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
by C. Michael Bailey
Making a classic better and affordable? Man, being reasonable, must get drunk; The best of life is but intoxication: Glory, the grape, love, gold, in these are sunk The hopes of all men, and of every nation; Without their sap, how branchless were the trunk Of life's strange tree, so fruitful on occasion: But to return,—Get very drunk; and when You wake with headache, you shall see what then. —George Gordon, Lord Byron, from Don Juan
Continue ReadingSonny Clark: Sonny's Crib
by Reid Thompson
Sonny's Crib is a very pleasing recording from the sadly overlooked pianist Sonny Clark that works very well as a representative piece of the Blue Note catalogue at the time, framing all the characteristics that made that label so successful. It is essentially a blowing session, and to some extent, a preparation for Coltrane's seminal Blue Train, which was recorded several weeks after Sonny's Crib and featured the same ensemble with Lee Morgan subbing for Donald Byrd and Kenny Drew ...
Continue ReadingPaul Chambers/Wynton Kelly: The Complete Vee Jay Paul Chambers/Wynton Kelly Sessions 1959-61
by C. Andrew Hovan
Following hard on the heels of Mosaic’s already acclaimed Vee-Jay set collecting early works from Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan, we get The Complete Vee Jay Paul Chambers-Wynton Kelly Sessions, a superlative companion piece that sets straight material that has been issued and reissued in haphazard form for many years now. In addition to a pair of original releases from bassist Paul Chambers and another three from pianist Wynton Kelly, we get the full output of the Fabulous Frank Strozier ...
Continue ReadingRed Garland Trio: Groovy
by Douglas Payne
This trio was known as the rhythm section when Groovy was made. Pianist Red Garland (1923-84), bassist Paul Chambers (1935-69) and drummer Art Taylor (1929-95) were in the midst of a long tenure with Miles Davis and stayed busy in studios backing one horn player after another. The unit's simpatico refinement never wavers in doubt. They were made for each other, honed in night-after-night of performances in a variety of settings. Consider the way Garland balances his chunky block chords ...
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