jazzinbooks:

George Benson

So What

Beyond the Blue Horizon 

CTI, 1973 

Having taken Benson along with him when he founded CTI, Creed Taylor merely leaves the guitarist alone with a small group on his first release. The payoff is a superb jazz session where Benson rises to the challenge of the turbulent rhythm section of Jack DeJohnette and Ron Carter, with Clarence Palmer ably manning the organ. Benson is clearly as much at home with DeJohnette’s advanced playing as he was in soul/jazz (after all, he did play on some Miles Davis sessions a few years before), and his tone is edgier, with more bite, than it had been for awhile. 

"Inner Journey " - Inside Straight - The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Sextet

jazzinbooks:

The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Sextet 

Inner Journey 

Inside Straight 

Fantasy 1973

Special dedication to Lady Lexx   Sending Happy Birthday Love to you!!! Peace & Blessings, and enjoy this cut from our guy Cannonball! 

jazzinbooks:

Miles Davis 

Filles De Kilimanjaro

Filles De Kilimanjaro

Columbia 1968

"Cannon Ball" - Black Market - Weather Report

jazzinbooks:

Weather Report

Cannonball

Black Market

Columbia 1976

"Summer In Central Park (Rudy Van Gelder 24-Bit Mastering) (2" - In Pursuit Of The 27th Man - Horace Silver

jazzinbooks:

Horace Silver

Summer In Central Park

In Pursuit Of The 27th Man

 Blue Note 1972

enjoy 

"Epilog" - Sorcery - Jack DeJohnette

jazzinbooks:

Jack Dejohnette

Epilog

Sorcery 

Original Jazz Classics, 1974

Drummer Jack DeJohnette(doubling on keyboards) performs three songs with a group featuring bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin and the guitars of John Abercrombie and Mick Goodrick, music that shows the influence of jazz/rock fusion. The second half of this release, trios by DeJohnette, bassist Dave Holland and Michael Fellerman on metaphone. 

jazzinbooks:

Chick Corea

Bossa

Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (CD)

Blue Note, 1968

The original LP only had five selections, but the CD contains 13, with the added eight (from the same sessions) having first been released on the double-LP Circling In. Age 26 at the time, and on the brink of gaining major recognition in the jazz world, pianist Chick Corea is featured with a very strong trio that also includes bassist Miroslav Vitous and drummer Roy Haynes.

"Mirror Image" - The Jack DeJohnette Complex - Jack DeJohnette

jazzinbooks:

Jack DeJohnette 

Mirror Image 

The DeJohnette Complex 

Milestone, 1969 

Drummer Jack DeJohnette’s debut as a leader (which has been reissued on CD) has quite a bit of variety. The music ranges from advanced swinging to brief free improvisations and some avant-funk. DeJohnette(who doubles on melodica) is joined by Bennie Maupin (on tenor and flute), keyboardist Stanley Cowell, bassists Miroslav Vitous and Eddie Gomez, and drummer Roy Haynes. He uses six different combinations of musicians on the eight songs (five of his originals, John Coltrane’s ”Miles’ Mode,” Cowell’s ”Equipoise” and Vitous’ ”Mirror Image”). Intriguing and generally successful music.

"Water Babies" - Super Nova - Wayne Shorter

jazzinbooks:

Wayne Shorter

Water Babies  

Super Nova 

Blue Note, 1969

This album was an important transitional album for tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Doubling on soprano (which he had recently begun playing), Shorter interprets five of his originals (including “Water Babies” which had been recorded previously by Miles Davis) and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ”Dindi.” He definitely used a forward-looking group of sidemen for his “backup band” includes guitarists John McLaughlin and Sonny Sharrock, Walter Booker (normally a bassist) on classical guitar for “Dindi,” bassist Miroslav Vitous, both Jack DeJohnette and Chick Corea (!) on drums and percussionist Airto; Maria Booker takes a vocal on the touching version of “Dindi.” The influence of Miles Davis’ early fusion period is felt throughout the music but there is nothing derivative about the often-surprising results. As with Wayne Shorter’s best albums, this set rewards repeated listenings.

Favorite Tracks : Super Nova, Water Babies, Capricorn 

jazzinbooks:

Idris Muhammad 

Piece of Mind 

Power of Soul

Epic, 1974 

This album is one of the reasons that Idris Muhammad is regarded as the drumming king of groove. Featuring the arrangements and keyboards of Bob James, the saxophone punch of Grover Washington, Jr., guitarist Joe Beck, trumpeter Randy Brecker, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, and the knife-edge slick production of Creed Taylor, this 1974 issue is a burning piece of deep, jazzy soul and grooved-out bliss. The funk flies fast and heavy, particularly on the title track (Jimi Hendrix’s tune), with soaring solos by Grover and James, who fall down in the groove to Muhammad’s powerful pace, setting from the heart of the pocket. Beck’s own solo is special in that he moves against the tempo just a bit, but that only increases the listener’s dependence on the groove of Muhammad. Clocking in at only 34 minutes it’s a perfect slice of the raw-onion emotion Muhammad was pulling down at the time. While there isn’t a weak track in the four, it’s Washington’s “Loran’s Dance” that takes the cake, even over Hendrix. While the former is dark and heavy, and the immediately preceding tracks by James and Beck, respectively, are light, fancy, free nods to Creed Taylor’s hoping for a jazz radio single, it’s “Loran’s Dance” that showcases not only Washington as an aspiring writer in his own right (this is only a year before Feels So Good and Mr. Magic appeared), but also as a talented interpreter of the edges where jazz and soul come together.James’ arrangements are tight, and everybody gets to solo with a little more freedom and grace.Muhammad keeps the pocket wide and Brecker and Washington dance all around in it as James plays the accents furtively. This is some easy-moving, yet musically complex jazz. There is great power in these four tracks to make you move or reflect or just tap your foot while nodding “yeah” at your speakers imperceptibly.

jazzinbooks:

Donald Byrd 

Miss Kane 

Street Lady

Blue Note, 1973

“All you jazz purist are going to love me for this one”

everyone else, enjoy!!