Plein Jazz

Here's one of the too much rare albums recorded by composer/leader Claude Cagnasso and his big band. This one is ripped from a rendition on Palm Vendémiaire label released in 1982. The album was originally released in 1977.
Tunes vary from modal, classy, latin, up-tempo swing to some jazz funk cuts as the groovy number The Mover.

Credits :
Tony Russo, Michel Barrot, Tony Brenes, Freddy Ovzepian, Michel Bos: trumpet - Jacques Bologonesi, Christian Guizen, Luis Fuentes: trombone - Maurice Sevrero, Bernard Camus: trombone bass - Francis Cournet: alto sax - Alain Hatot: alto tenor sax - Claude Thirifays, Jean-Michel Hervé: tenor sax - Gilbert Dal'Anese: bass - George Arvanitas: piano - Frédéric Sylvestre: guitar - Tony Bonfils: clarinet bass - Jean-Paul Batailley: drums - Jean Schulteis: percussions - Claude Cagnasso: leader - Pierre Goasguen, Guy Arbion: trombone - Patrick Bourgoin: alto sax - Maurice Vander: piano - Patrice Caratini: bass - Guy Bardet: trumpet - Benny Vasseur: trombone - Robert Castagne: trumpet - Gérard Massot: trombone - Gérard Berioz: percussions - Alex Perdigon: trombone - Christian Lete: drums - Teddy Hameline: alto sax - JF Leroux: conga - Didier Sutton: guiro

The Mover

Warmth II (70s)

Very rare private press jazz LP recorded in the 70s by several Santa Cruz musicians. This seems to be the second album by this group. It includes covers of standards like "Laura", "I Only Haves Eyes For You" and "I'll Never Smile Again".

Musicians :
Don McCaslin: vibes, piano - Gary Grifith: piano - Stan Poplin, Bob Boeme, Steve Berman: bass - Con Moto: drums - John Thomson: congas - Franck E. Castellanos: congas, trombone - Wesley Braxton: tenor sax - Wayne Goodwin: violin, viola - Larry Scale: guitar - Ron Williams, Harry Woodward: vocal

Here a cover of Lennon/McCartney standard

Fool On The Hill


Peace

Grant Green - Visions (1971)

Just one of my favorite jazz albums : soulful, mellow, intimist, groovy. It includes some standards as "We've Only Just Begun" and "Never Can Say Goodbye". And of course the sweet introspective and melancholic ballad "Maybe Tomorrow".

French writer Victor Hugo said : "Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad". And according to me, that's exactly what this tune deals with.

Musicians are :
Grant Green: guitar - Emanuel Riggins: electric piano - Chuck Rainey: electric bass - Billy Wooten: vibes - Harold Cardwell: drums & percussion - Idris Muhammed: drums - Ray Armando: conga.
Recorded on Blue Note label in 1971.

Maybe Tomorrow

Steve Grossman - Born At The Same Time (1977)

This one is a very nice spiritual jazz album released on OWL records label in 1977 and recorded by tenor/soprano saxophonist Steve Grossman with a solid quartet featuring Daniel Humair on drums, Patrice Caratini on bass, and Michel Graillier on piano.
It seems that the CD reissue included "Lord Jesus Thinks On me" not available on the original vinyle edition.
Here's on preview one of the 9 tracks ripped from the LP.

March Nineteen

Chris Hinze - Vivat Vivaldi (1970)

Dutch flautist Chris Hinze is well known by jazz funk diggers for Bamboo Magic, an album recorded in 1978 with the Chris Hinze Combination formation.
In Vivat Vivaldi released for CBS records in Netherlands in 1970, he provides a beautiful work by paying tribute to classic composer and virtuoso violonist Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741). He shows in seven cuts choosen among the compositions of the baroque italian genius a nice ability to give them a natural jazz flavour. For each piece, the theme is exposed then musicians deeply appropriate themselves its spirit.
"Vivace from Sonata n° 6" is a long groovy 10 minutes piece with Hammond organ and hypnotic bass that spreads a sweet bluesy atmosphere.
"Allegro from Sonata n° 1 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 1)" is an uptempo swinging cut. "Largo From Concerto in C Major" is played as a nice introspective ballad. "Minuetto I/II Sonata n° 5 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)" has a nice spiritual touch.
"Allegro From Sonata n° 5" closes the album with a piece that begins like a chamber music theme with spinet in background and ends on an uptempo jazz cut played with bongos and an oriental-style flute.
The original Chris Hinze Quartet is accompanied with some other studio musicians.

Musicians :
Chris Hinze, Hutÿra Ferenc & Govert Jurrianse: flute, Henk Alkema: piano / spinet, Rob Langereis: bass, Peter Ypma: drums, Rien de Reede: alto flute, Wouler Möller: cello, Cor Willems: Hammond organ, Wim Vanderbeek: bongos

But let the music speak with the first cut of the album.

Vivace from Sonata n° 5 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)


A1 - Vivace from Sonata n° 5 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)
A2 - Vivace from Sonata n° 6 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)
A3 - Allegro from Sonata n° 1 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 1)
B1 - Largo From Concerto in C Major
B2 - Minuetto I/II Sonata n° 5 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)
B3 - Largo From Part IV (The Winter) Of "The Four Seasons"
B4 - Allegro From Sonata n° 5 ("II Pastor Fido" Vol. 2)

Unity - Blow Thru Your Mind (1974)

Here a nice ballad retrieved from this legendary spiritual jazz album leaded by saxophonist Byron Morris and his Unity band (Tony Waters on percussion, conga and maracas, Mike Kull on piano, Abdush Shahid on drums, Vince McEwan on trumpet, Milton Suggs on bass, Jay Clayton on vocals). It was recorded in 1974 and reissued some years ago. Just a sparkling fragment of a timeless lyrical meditation.

Transcendental Lullaby

Claude Thomain Et Son Orchestre Vol. 1 (1971)

Musicians as french Marcel Azzola or Richard Galliano gave the accordion a chance to have a place into jazz sphere, bringing a true nostalgia and authenticity proper to its sound. Such as Claude Thomain. This jazz accordion player was born in 1940 and played with many great french musicians of the 60's area. He recorded this LP on Epervier label. Maybe you already know the title "Un Soir De Blanco" recorded on "Dusty Fingers" compilations. This album brings you into a 60's detective movie atmosphere, sometimes dark, gloomy or passionate.
Antoher great mellow album.

Un Soir De Blanco


bass: A. Masselier - drums: A. Ceccarelli - guitar: M. Gesina - perscusion: M. Lorin - bass trombone: G. Vilain - trombones: B. Vasseur - C. Verstraete, F. Lusiez

A1 - Route Sans Tunnel
A2 - Flash Color
A3 - Un Soir De Blanco
A4 - Notes Vagabondes
A5 - Week-End Danse
A6 - Major Flash
B1 - Shaker Man
B2 - Deux Phares Dans La Nuit
B3 - Du Soleil A Gogo
B4 - Sorti De L'Ombre
B5 - La Caravane Rouge
B6 - Flirtissimo Blues

Audio Directions Presents The Grab Bag (1976)

This LP is a direct-to-disk recording released in 1976 on Direct Disc label. As it can be assumed each side was directly recorded to disk in one shot "from start to finish".
As explained in the liner notes, this kind of recording makes the task more difficult both for the musicians of course but also for the mastering and studio engineers who must take quick and good decisions on the cutting electronics in order to not screw up the artists' live studio performance and give the recording its deserved rendering. And the result is pretty nice.

Musicians :
Ron Oates: Acoustic piano, clavinette - Randy Goodrum: fender rhodes - Jack Williams: Bass - Kenny Malone: drums - Pete Bordonali: guitars - Farrell Morris & Billy Wiggins: percussion - Barry McDonald & George Tidwell: trumpet & fluegelhorn - Dennis Good: tenor & bass trombone - Dennis Solee: Soprano, alto, tenor & baritone sax, flute, bass clarinet - Billy Puet: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone sax, flute - Buddy Skipper: alto & tenor sax, flute, clarinet - Sheri Kramer & Diane Tidwell: vocals

Itutu


A1. Peace-Piece
A2. Itutu
A3. Can You Stand It
B1. We Can Fly
B2. And I Learned It From A Princess
B3. Emergence

Billy Foster - Reflections (1989)

Here is a solid and fresh jazz trio LP (with some nice vocals and trumpet on some tracks) recorded by pianist Billy Foster for Equistar label in 1989. That kind of disc that sounds so obvious at first listening. My favorite is the beautiful ballad "Dedication" sung by Sharmaine Congress but the whole album has a very cool flavour to me.

Musicians:
Billy Foster: piano - Bruce Evans: bass - Jeff Brown: drums - Glenda Eskew :vocal on B2 - Sharmaine Congress : vocal on A3 - Dr. Odies Williams III: trumpet on A4

Sunrise



1. A Swing Thing
2. Sunrise
3. Dedication
4. Straight Strut
5. Prism
6. Dreams
7. Just Now
8. Steps

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Willie Bobo - Hell Of An Act To Follow (1978)

Late nicely arranged latin jazz album by percussionist Willie Bobo, recorded in 1978 for Columbia records and produced by Wayne Henderson.
It includes some groovy numbers as "Always There", "Snort Of Green" or "Sixty-Two Fifty" and a sweet cover of "Dindi".

Pisces


see credits here.

1. Always There
2. Keep That Same Old Feeling
3. Together
4. Pisces
5. Dindi
6. Snort Of Green
7. Fairy Tales For Two
8. Sixty-Two Fifty

you can buy it here

George Muribus - Brazilian Tapestry (1976)

This nice brazilian jazz lp was recorded by pianist George Muribus in 1976 for Catalyst records.
Actually, as the liner notes say, it can be separated into 2 parts: first side is more oriented to brazilian electric sounds while side B is accoustic and played on a very inspired piano / bass / drums jazz mode. To me, kind of a classic.

Musicians:
George Muribus: electric piano (side A) / accoustic piano (side B) - Michael Howell: guitar - Vince Denham: saxophone - Vince Lateano: drums - Willie Colon: conga - Dave Dunaway: bass (side A) - Len Lasher: bass (side B)

The Dolphin


1. Brazilian Tapestry
2. I Won't Last A Day Without You
3. The Dolphin
4. Pocrasni
5. Diminishing Returns
6. Night Flower
7. Alon

Roland Kirk - Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith (1967)

One among the less adventurous and by consequence more "conventional" recordings by the great "showman" and multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk (Aug. 7, 1935 - Dec. 5, 1977), this album was released in 1967 for Verve label. Roland Kirk had the particularity to be able to play together several brass instruments including tenor saxophone, flute, manzello, stritch, castanets and some others.
But on the opposite of his habit, on this one he plays many instruments at the same time only sporadically. And this shows even more how outstanding his talent was and that he could be compared with many other great saxophonists.
Indeed it confirms that his playing was not only a batch of demonstrations about his ability to play several instruments even though he was one of the best (maybe the best) to possess this particular artistry to push back the frontiers of music.

The album contains two ballads, the Burth Bacharach's "Alfie" and the beautifully sad eponymous title, and also two blues, "Blue Rol" and the hot "Fallout". The bossa "Why Don't They Know", and more post-bop oriented "Stompin' Ground" or "It's A Grand Night For Swinging" are also part of these nice numbers.

Somehow, it is maybe one of the more "classic" albums by Roland Kirk and also certainly one of the more overlooked ones.
But of course be sure to dig out also "I Talk with The Spirits" or also "The Inflated Tear", etc. among all the quality albums this exceptional musician recorded.
Note the young Lonnie Liston Smith, then aged 27 and some years before his spacey electric sets, was on piano.

Musicians :
Roland Kirk: tenor saxophone, flute, stritch, manzello - Lonnie Liston Smith: piano - Ronald Boykins: bass - Grady Tate: drums

Alfie - Why Don't They Know - It's A Grand Night For Swinging


1. BLue Rol
2. Alfie
3. Why Don't They Know
4. Silverization
5. Fallout
6. Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith
7. Stompin' Ground
8. It's A Grand Night For Swinging

This album has been reissued in Lp format and also in a 2 albums CD package including the album "Rip, Rig and Panic".

Tony Williams (Dec. 12, 1945 - Feb. 23, 1997)

Anthony Williams. Better known as Tony Williams. This great jazzman drummer (one of my some favourite ones with Elvin Jones and Ed Blackwell) played with so many other monsters like Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson, Ron Carter, formed in the 70's V.S.O.P. with his old Miles' Quintet fellows (with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet) and later in a more jazz-rock oriented mode with John McLaughlin and Larry Young (with whom he formed his excellent "Lifetime" band), then still with Miles during his jazz-pop-rock experiences, also participated to Weather Report albums, and again and again ...
His fine, percussive, colourful, open playing, always in search of perfection was unique but has also influenced many generations of musicians and will do so still for many decades to come.
I just wanted to pay tribute to this great musician through one of my favourite songs from his 60's period : "Love song", a beautiful waltz, released on "Spring" album in 1965 for Blue Note label and recorded by sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder, of course.

Musicians :
Tony Williams : drums - Gary Peacock : bass - Herbie Hancock: piano - Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers : tenor sax

Love Song

Johnny Pate - Outrageous (1970)

Outrageously great soul jazz session by composer & arranger Johnny Pate, who also released some blaxploitation movie soundtracks like "Shaft In Africa" (plus other Shaft OSTs) and "Brother On The Run".
Great all-stars combo. Recorded in 1970 for MGM records.

Musicians:
Snooky Young: trumpet - Montegro Joe: Conga - Al grey: trombone - Bernard Purdie: drums - Marky Markowitz - Chuck Rainey: bass - Cornell Dupree: guitar - Joe Beck: guitar - George Devens: percussion - Jerome Richardson: flute - Thomas Mitchell: trombone - Richard Tee: organ - Ernie Royal: trumpet

Constant Wind - That Ain't Too Cool


1. Outrageous
2. Constant Wind
3. That Ain't Too Cool
4. Frustrating Disappointment
5. Bound To Happen
6. No Hang Ups
7. Patience
8. You're Starting Too Fast
9. Totally Unexpected
10. Sangria

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Jackie McLean - Music From The Connection (1959)

Pianist Freddie Redd composed this music for the Jack Gelber's "The Connection" play and recorded it for the mythical BLue Note jazz label with saxophonist Jackie McLean in 1959. One word about the play : it deals with a jazz band of junkies that are waiting for their "fix". The atmosphere, actor's play and of course music describe the despair of their condition and show the steps of excitment, sadness and excess.
Jackie McLean's playing is warm and reaches a full and deep inspiration thanksfull to the melancholic melodies of the album and clean rhythm section where Freddie Redd takes nice solos.

"Time To Smile" is the optimistic tune of the album, showing the excitment for an addict to get what he wants.
Time To Smile


"Theme For Sister Salvation" begins on a march rhythm and quickly gets into a sad but beautiful ballad.
Theme For Sister Salvation


Musicians :
Jackie Mc Lean: alto sax - Freddie Redd: Piano - Michael Mattos: bass - Larry Richie: drums

1. Who Killed Cock Robin
2. Wigglin'
3. Music Forever
4. Time To Smile
5. Theme For Sister Salvation
6. Jim dunn's Dilemma
7. O.D.

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Yusef Lateef - Cry! Tender (1959)

Very soulful and lyrical jazz album to me. Recorded by Yusef Lateef playing various instruments (flute, saxophone, oboe, etc) in 1959.

Musicians :
Yusef Lateef : tenor sax, flute, oboe - Lonnie Hilyer : trumpet - Hugh Lawson : piano - Herman Wright : bass - Franck Gant : drums - Wilbur Harden : fluegelhorn - Ernie Farrow : bass - Oliver Jackson : drums

Cry! Tender


1. Sea Breeze
2. Dopolous
3. Cry! Tender
4. Butter's Blues
5. Yesterdays
6. The Snow Is Green
7. If You Could See Me Now
8. Ecaps

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The Franck Cunimondo Trio - Introducing Lynn Marino (1971)

Jazz gem recorded by pianist Franck Cunimondo Trio with singer Lynn Marino in 1971.
Including the classical "Feelin' Good" and some other good dreamy original compositions as "Love So Fine" or "Beyond The Clouds".

Musicians :
Lynn Marino : Vocals - Franck Cunimondo : Piano - Mike Taylor : Bass - Roger Humphries : Drums

Love So fine


1. Love So fine
2. Beyond The Clouds
3. A House Is Not A Home
4. Animal Cackers In My Soup
5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
6. Feelin' Good
7. Until It's Time
8. Pretty Pretty
9. Soon It's Gonna Rain
10. We've Only Just Begun

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