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From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Reissues: On the Blue Note Trail (2 of 6)
Message-ID: <348@mhuxr.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Jun-85 13:21:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxr.348
Posted: Sat Jun 15 13:21:38 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Jun-85 00:53:53 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 46

Ornette Coleman: LIVE AT THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, STOCKHOLM Volumes 1 and 2 (1965)
It was tough for Ornette to find work during the mid-sixties and the few LPs
he made during that period show extreme urgency, as if he felt he had to get
it all in quickly. Here, he had been playing for a week, before a sympathetic
audience, and had time to relax a bit. He takes time to explore his ideas,
rather than throwing them out for us to choke on, and triumphs in the process.
On "Faces and Places" he goes on with some astonishing playing; he locks
on the gutbucket sound of the blues, without ever hinting at blues forms.
On "Antiques" he expresses a ragged lyricism that shines through his
anguished, raw tone. Drummer Charles Moffett is not as flexible as, say,
Elvin Jones or Billy Higgins but does not get in the way. Bassis David
Izenzon more than makes up for him with a masterful job of support and
rhythmic counterpoint.

Eric Dolphy: OUT TO LUNCH (1962)
This is one of the rare LPs where Dolphy had total control: of the personel,
the recording conditions, the music... Not coincidentally, it is one of
his best. Eschewing the piano, he uses Bobby Hutcherson's airy vibes tone
as chordal instrument, giving himself and Freddie Hubbanr plenty of space
to stretch. The tunes are challenging: "Hat and Beard" is a 5/4 theme
that shifts abruptly to 9/4 at the bridge, and stays there for the theme
recap. 17 year old Tony Williams spreads his wings here for the first time.

Duke Ellington: MONEY JUNGLE (1963)
This records would be notable if only becasue it is a rare Ellington
piano session. The two other members of the trio, Charles Mingus and Max
Roach, lift to classic rank. Mingus had some feud going with Roach at
the time, and the tension is at times electric. Ellington was a master
composer and arranger, but his piano work gets little respect. Those
who hear this will wonder why. He attacks "Caravan" in the extreme low
register, then punctuates in the extreme high, finding his way into the
middle for the bridge, and the blues. The other two lock behind him, and
off we go, for five choruses of powerhouse piano. His influence on
Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor is evident.

Dexter Gordon: DOIN' ALLRIGHT (1961), GO (1962) and A SWINGIN' AFFAIR (1963)
Dex made these records during visits from Europe. His satisfaction
at escaping the enthusiastic but plodding European drummers is evident.
Having Billy Higgins to work with also did not hurt. GO may well be
his best album ever.

Johnny Griffin: A BLOWING SESSION (1957) and THE CONGREGATION (1957)
Two solid hard bop sessions from the Little Giant of the tenor sax.
The first album gets the nod by virtue of the cutting contest between
the leader and fellow tenor gunners John Coltrane and Hank Mobley,
all above the drumming of Art Blakey.