New Year, New Sounds, and Old Souls
Recaps, Deep Tracks, Format Snobs, and a Phish Fable Comes to Life
I wish everyone a very happy, healthy new year! I hope 2024 brings good things.
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Many jazz fans saw their longtime dream of acquiring trumpeter Woody Shaw’s notoriously scarce Blackstone Legacy come true in 2023, thanks to a stellar reissue via Craft Recordings. One of the heroes of that early Shaw session is saxophonist Gary Bartz, who would return to collaborate with Shaw during his Columbia years and continued collaborating with him in the 80s. This little-known recording is from Bartz’s residency at Baltimore’s The Closet, where Shaw joined him one evening in 1986, resulting in a 45+ minute throwdown available via Bartz’s Bandcamp page and is a MUST for Shaw fans.
The great Dr. Nathan Davis deserves—and will be a feature of—a longer piece soon. But this tune is stuck in my head RIGHT NOW, so I’m compelled to share the joy. “B’s Blues” first appeared in Dr. Davis’s excellent, must-hear 1965 masterpiece The Hip Walk. If tracking down a good copy of that record proves challenging, this Best of ‘65-76 is a reasonable option as it provides a decent overview of Davis’s catalog, much of which is elusive and pricey. Still, each of his original albums has a character and vibe worth hearing in context, so if you see a Nathan Davis title in the bin that’s in reasonable shape and affordable, go for it!
I’m enamored of how beautifully pianist Geri Allen and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel listen to one another. This is gorgeous music recorded so well that you feel like you’re there.
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Late arrival is the only thing keeping it from Top Ten of 2023, and as it’s a limited edition of 3000, get it while you can. In the 1940s and 50s, an early wave of Black American Jazz players sought refuge in Europe, frustrated with the bigotry, disrespect, and institutional racism prevalent in the USA. Dexter Gordon, Eric Dolphy, Bud Powell, Kenny Drew, and many others found a better life as a working player in places like France and Denmark, some for several years, others permanently. Among them was pioneer Sahib Shihab, one of the earliest converts to Islam and one of the first jazzmen to incorporate flute as a lead voice in his ensembles. In 1959, Shihab settled in Copenhagen, initially joining drummer and fellow ex-pat Kenny Clarke and his music partner Francis Boland in their big band. The dynamics of the large combo were clearly to Shihab’s liking, as after some years touring and recording with the Clarke-Boland Big Band, Shihab led this extraordinary (but obscure) 1965 session with the Danish Radio Jazz Group. The musicianship is stellar, making the most of the varied moods/tempos of the compositions and producing an incredibly compelling album. Shihab crushes it on baritone sax and flute, reworking some of his older pieces and introducing some new ones. Do not fear boredom as the tracks tackle a broad spectrum of styles, from swing to ballads to complex post-bop—sometimes all within a single track! Kudos to Sam Records for one of their best reissues to date, and this Kevin Gray cut sounds SUPERB, easily besting my 2001 Japanese reissue. You’ll need to sell a kidney if you want an original pressing, so this new edition is the way to go. Sahib Shihab-baritone sax/flute, Palle Mikkelborg-trumpet/flugelhorn, Ib Renard-baritone sax, Niels Husum-tenor & soprano sax/bass clarinet, Louis Hjulmand-vibes, Fritz von Bulow-guitar, Bent Nielsen-baritone sax/flute/clarinet, Poul Hindberg-also sax/clarinet, Bent Jaedig-tenor sax/flute, Bent Axen-piano, NHOP-bass, and Alex Riel-drums. All killer, no filler.
While it’s clear that “hidden gem” is an overused expression in reviewing jazz records (guilty as charged), it’s an apt moniker for Star Bright by Jamaican trumpeter Dizzy Reece. Reece recorded three sessions for Blue Note, including the excellent ‘Blues for Trinity,’ which features a rare appearance by UK jazz legend Tubby Hayes. I’ve enjoyed that one for years while ignoring this one—a mistake I’ve now corrected with the Blue Note Classic reissue that dropped earlier this year. It’s hard to go wrong with a band that includes Hank Mobley-tenor sax, Wynton Kelly-piano, Paul Chambers-bass, and Art Davis-drums. Together, they nail two standards and four Reece originals, including the fantastic opener, “The Rake,” my favorite tune on the album. The musicians had gathered several days prior for a session that yielded no usable takes. However, it’s clear that the “dress rehearsal” gave everyone a chance to consider the material and each other’s styles before taking another swing. ‘Star Bright’ is also beautifully recorded, and Team Blue Note has delivered another fantastic pressing. If you passed on this due to a lack of familiarity or a belief that other records were a high priority (I’m guilty of both), that’s a mistake. This hard-bop fiesta could be the best use for that $25 Amazon gift card you received from Aunt Edna.
The deck was stacked against Reece, with