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John LaPorta: Theme and Variations
by David Rickert
Despite having played with Gillespie, Parker, and Mingus during his career, John LaPorta remains a largely unknown figure. Perhaps his biggest contribution is in the study of music--he was on the faculty of Berklee for 38 years and presumably can count scores of jazz musicians as his former students. This CD, which collects two of LaPorta’s ...
Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics
by David Rickert
Due to lengthy stints in drug rehab and jail, it is a remarkable feat that Art Pepper managed to put out any records at all. However, the few that he did put out were often exceptional. In his early days Pepper had spent time as a successful soloist in Stan Kenton’s band, and Marty Paich conceived ...
Shelley Manne: Plays Checkmate
by David Rickert
One would hardly think that music for television would form a solid basis for improvisation, being largely incidental music meant to set scenes rather than draw in the ear. However, Johnny Williams (the same John Williams who later created memorable music for Star Wars and the Harry Potter movies) was a composer who was able to ...
Roy Haynes: Cymbalism
by David Rickert
Roy Haynes is an astonishingly prolific drummer who has played on more albums than most people will ever own in their entire life. Given his demand as a sideman, it comes as no surprise that his work as a leader has been relatively sparse. Cymbalism is one of the few projects he helmed in the sixties ...
Herbie Mann/Bobby Jaspar: Flute Flight
by David Rickert
Flautists are the 98 pound weaklings in the jazz musician crowd, constantly working hard to prove that their chosen instrument has serious jazz credentials. Herbie Mann and Bobby Jaspar were two of the few who made the flute their primary instrument, and both had their moments, Mann as a leader and Jaspar with JJ Johnson. However, ...
Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas
by David Rickert
Most people don’t expect much from Christmas albums, other than a host of familiar songs with a hint of nostalgia to play while decorating the tree. What a treat it is, then, to discover one that raises the bar and doesn’t seem like a half-hearted effort to make a quick buck for the holidays. One could ...
Dave Brubeck: Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Vol. 2
by David Rickert
Before he took a predilection with odd time signatures to the bank, Dave Brubeck worked the college circuit, playing to packed audiences at places such as The College of the Pacific. Even at this early stage Brubeck showed a fascination with rhythmic invention which, when coupled with Paul Desmond’s feathery alto, produced an entirely listenable sound. ...
Charlie Earland: Black Drops
by David Rickert
Charlie Earland was one of the few jazz artists able to make a living once rock’n’roll took hold over popular taste. Many musicians tried to court the new rock audience to earn a living, but Earland was one of the few truly successful ones, finding a common ground between his soul jazz roots and rock ‘n’ ...
Eric Dolphy: Far Cry
by David Rickert
In the early sixties, Eric Dolphy was one of the young rebels responsible for moving jazz forward in giant strides, advancements that led some to call his music “anti-jazz”. Although not quite as deliberately bizarre as Out to Lunch, Far Cry is still exactly that: a far cry from what virtually everyone considered jazz to be. ...
Ronnie Mathews/Roland Alexander/Freddie Hubbard: Ronnie Mathews/Roland Alexander/Freddie Hubbard
by David Rickert
The early sixties were filled with musicians who gigged constantly at clubs, enjoyed infrequent work as sidemen, and managed to put out an album or two on a major label. This two-fer from Fantasy highlights Ronnie Mathews and Roland Alexander, two obscure musicians who nevertheless were afforded the opportunity to record as leaders in a market ...
