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Charlie Byrd: Byrd Song
by David Rickert
Byrd Song is a peculiar album, even from a man whose career was always hard to pigeonhole. Although not as well-known or perhaps as highly regarded as Wes Mongomery or Kenny Burrell, Byrd was an accomplished guitarist who fused classical technique and jazz licks on everything from standards to Brazilian folk music. On Byrd Song (recorded ...
Shelley Manne and his Friends: Modern Jazz Performances of Songs From Li'l Abner
by David Rickert
Sometimes mediocre albums can be more frustrating than lousy albums, simply because one can see the possibility of a great performance lurking behind the clouds. Shelley Manne certainly could have followed his best-selling jazz adaptation of My Fair Lady with a better choice than Li’l Abner, a lackluster musical with a Broadway run shorter than the ...
Bluebird's Best: Ellington, Goodman, & Shaw
by David Rickert
Here are three more compilations from the “Bluebird’s Best” series. The Legendary Small Groups Benny Goodman The Benny Goodman Small Groups were born at a party thrown for Mildred Bailey, where Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa (on telephone book) improvised a few numbers for the benefit of the party goers. The ...
Bill Evans Trio: Explorations
by David Rickert
An article in a men’s magazine once suggested an exercise regimen that consisted of a walk to the local record store to buy one Bill Evans CD every day. That way you would not only be in better shape, but you would also have a great collection of piano jazz as well. It’s an established fact ...
Cal Tjader: Concerts In the Sun
by David Rickert
Concerts in the Sun languished in the vaults for 42 years, but it's now finally available on CD. The recording finds Cal Tjader in a state of transition between the West Coast cool jazz he helmed with Dave Brubeck and a full-blown commitment to integrating Afro-Cuban rhythms into jazz. Culled from two concerts, one in Honolulu ...
Charlie Byrd: Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros
by David Rickert
Few Americans approached bossa nova with the commitment and understanding of Charlie Byrd. His classically influenced, unamplified style was perfectly suited to the Brazilian music that quickly became his forte after the success of Jazz Samba, after which he never looked back. Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros is his finest hour, a record’s worth of bossa nova ...
More Unusual Reissues from Verve: Mini-LPs
by David Rickert
At Newport The Gigi Gryce/Donald Byrd Jazz Laboratory & The Cecil Taylor Quartet 1957 A strange pairing, to be sure, but also a reminder of how diverse and exciting the Newport Jazz Festival used to be. One could go to hear Louis Armstrong, for instance, yet get turned on to the unknown ...
Cannonball Adderley/George Shearing: Quintets At Newport
by David Rickert
The 1957 Newport Jazz Festival must have been hopping; this is the second reissue in a year to pair two performances from that event (Verve released a Cecil Taylor/ Gigi Gryce & Donald Byrd set as part of their mini-LP series). The first performance comes courtesy of Cannonball Adderley, who had yet to make a name ...
Chet Baker: It Could Happen To You: Chet Baker Sings
by David Rickert
Chet Baker had a distinctive trumpet style that even Miles admired, but many may not know he was also quite accomplished as a singer. Judging by the cover (Baker’s good looks were always prominently featured on his releases), the A&R people at Riverside saw an opportunity to market Baker as a romantic crooner along the lines ...
When the Sun Goes Down: The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll
by David Rickert
A few decades ago in England a bunch of ambitious youth influenced by American blues music created records that took the world by storm and which served as testimony to the rich musical heritage of the United States. After the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, popular music was never the same again. A few years later, ...
