"Het verhaal is bekend. Begin 1957 wordt John Coltrane uit de band van Miles Davis gezet vanwege zijn heroïneverslaving. Het zet de saxofonist aan het denken. Hij vertrekt naar zijn ouderlijk huis waar hij zich een paar weken laat opsluiten om af te kicken. Een herboren Coltrane keert terug naar New York waar hij, tot zijn dood 10 jaar later, een gedisciplineerde en spirituele muzikale reis begint. Blue Train, dat in september 1957 wordt opgenomen en begin 1958 verschijnt, is zijn eerste belangrijke album. Het is het enige album dat hij opneemt voor Blue Note, met een fantastische gelegenheidsband, bestaande uit o.a. de ritmesectie van Miles Davis. Blue Train is nog diepgeworteld in de hard bop en klinkt 65 jaar later onverminderd fris en geïnspireerd. De extra cd met afgekeurde takes voegt daar weinig aan toe, maar Blue Train blijft een essentieel fundament van het invloedrijke en onuitwisbare oeuvre dat Coltrane opbouwde gedurende de veel te korte tijd die hem nog gegund was." (Muziekweb)
"On this strictly instrumental penultimate Chet Baker session for Riverside, the trumpeter was supported by an all star cast, including Pepper Adams, Bill Evans, and Kenny Burrell. Each of them makes important contributions. Adams' baritone sax solo on "Alone Together" is one of the high points, while Herbie Mann and Bill Evans make their presence known on several cuts. Baker possessed one of the most melodious trumpets in jazz, compelling in its simplicity. Rarely extending his range above a single octave, he nonetheless had few peers when it came to slow, romantic ballads, which make up the playlist here. His characteristically soft approach is heard to good effect on "It Never Entered My Mind," where he works with the guitar of Kenny Burrell. Burrell and Baker also collaborate on a moving rendition of "September Song." This album is a good place to hear Baker's special way with the horn, and is made even more attractive with the contributions of top jazz artists." (Dave Nathan, Allmusic; 4 uit 5 sterren)
Eerste plaat met ververst sextet met pianist Bill Evans naast de saxofonisten Cannonbal Adderley en John Coltrane, net voor de all-time classic "Kind Of Blue". Een plaat met nadruk op peinzende, contemplatieve stemmingen. Met genoemde album vormt "Milestones" het startpunt van de zogenoemde 'modale jazz'. Davis verruilt hierop het 'klassieke' akkoordenschema voor meer abstracte klankcombinaties als basis voor de improvisatie en markeert zo de overgang naar de free jazz die in de jaren '60 vorm zou krijgen.
"Miles Davis was in the process of forming his first classic quintet when he recorded this date, a Prestige set reissued in 2008. The trumpeter is featured on a quartet outing with pianist Red Garland, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, playing four standards plus a blues ("Green Haze") and "I Didn't," his answer to Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't." Garland and Jones would soon be in Miles' group, although the fiery Pettiford proved too difficult for the trumpeter to handle and was quickly succeeded by Paul Chambers. The interpretations are generally lyrical and melodic; even "A Night in Tunisia" sounds a bit mellow. Likable if not essential music." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic; 3 uit 5 sterren)
"Ike Quebec's early sixties comeback albums were all pretty rewarding, but this one is his signature statement, a superbly sensuous blend of lusty blues swagger and achingly romantic ballads. True, there's no shortage of that on Quebec's other Blue Note dates, but "Blue & Sentimental" is the most exquisitely perfected. Quebec was a master of mood and atmosphere, and the well-paced program here sustains his smoky, late-night magic with the greatest consistency of tone. Part of the reason is that Quebec's caressing tenor saxophone sound is given a sparer backing than usual, with no pianist among the quartet of guitarist Grant Green, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. It's no surprise that Green solos with tremendous taste and elegance, and there are plenty of open spaces in the ensemble for Quebec to shine through. He's the quintessential seducer, striking just the right balance between sophistication and earthiness, confidence and vulnerability, joy and longing." (Steve Huey, Allmusic)
"Why any critic would think that Hank Mobley was at the end of his creative spark in 1963 is ridiculous, as this fine session proves. By 1963, Mobley had undergone a transformation of tone. Replacing the scintillating airiness of his late-'50s sides was a harder, more strident, almost honking one, due in part to the influence of John Coltrane and in part to Mobley's deeper concentration on the expressing blues feeling in his trademark hard bop tunes. Mobley assembled a crack band for this blues-drenched hard-rollicking set made up of material written by either him or trumpeter Lee Morgan. Other members of the ensemble were pianist Andrew Hill, drummer Philly Joe Jones, and bassist John Ore. All eight cuts here move with similar fluidity and offer a very gritty and realist approach to the roots of hard bop. Highly recommended." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
Derde van vier platen die de trompettist midden jaren '50 maakte met John Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b) en Philly Joe Jones (d). De toen pas ontwikkelde hardbopstijl (minder freaky, lyrischer en toegankelijker dan op zo spetterend mogelijke soli gerichte bebop) wordt toegepast op een aantal Davis-originals, een Great American Songbook -musicallied ("It Never Entered My Mind") en bekende stukken van tijdgenoten (o.a. "Ahmad's Blues" van Ahmad Jamal). In de jaren voor de modale- en freejazzrevoluties zouden plaatsvinden, mede-geïnitieerd door leden van dit kwintet, laat dit een volstrekt uitgekristalliseerde stijl horen, vertolkt door een groep op de top van z'n kunnen.
"Milt Jackson was 38 when, in December 1961, he co-led this superb hard-bop date with the distinctive guitarist Wes Montgomery. A jazzman who was as opinionated as he was gifted, Jackson wouldn't hesitate to tell you exactly what he thought of a musician -- so when he praised Montgomery, you knew his praise was genuine. Not surprisingly, the boppers prove to be quite compatible on Bags Meets Wes, which finds them co-leading an all star-quintet that also includes pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. (...) Although Jackson and Montgomery prove what lyrical ballad players they could be on the standard "Stairway to the Stars," ballads aren't a high priority on this album. Instead, the improvisers put more of their energy into the blues -- and the 12-bar format serves them well on "Sam Sack," "Blue Roz," and "S.K.J." Equally strong are hard-swinging versions of Montgomery's "Jingles" and Benny Golson's "Stablemates." (Alex Henderson, Allmusic).
"This is one of the best-known Hank Mobley recordings, and for good reason. Although none of his four originals ("Workout," "Uh Huh," "Smokin'," "Greasin' Easy") caught on, the fine saxophonist is in top form. He jams on the four tunes, plus "The Best Things in Life Are Free," with an all-star quintet of young modernists -- guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones -- and shows that he was a much stronger player than his then-current boss Miles Davis seemed to think. This recommended CD reissue adds a version of "Three Coins in the Fountain" from the same date, originally released on "Another Workout", to the original LP program." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
"Of the seven songs on this Blue Note CD reissue, four are more common than the other three because they contain solos by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and have therefore been reissued more often. Actually there are quite a few solos in the all-star sextet (which includes the bassist-leader, Coltrane, trumpeter Donald Byrd, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver and drummer Philly Joe Jones) and all of the players get their chances to shine on this fairly spontaneous hard bop set. Coltrane's two obscure compositions ("Nita" and "Just for the Love") are among the more memorable tunes and are worth reviving. "Tale of the Fingers" features the quintet without Coltrane, the rhythm section stretches out on "Whims of Chambers" and "Tale of the Fingers" is a showcase for Chambers bowed bass. This is a fine effort and would be worth picking up by straightahead jazz fans even if John Coltrane had not participated." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
"During 1955, trumpeter Art Farmer had a short-lived quintet with altoist Gigi Gryce, but because neither of the co-leaders were big names at the time, the band did not last long. Fortunately, they did record two albums of material, of which this CD reissue (originally known as "Evening in Casablanca") was the second. In addition to Farmer and Gryce, the unit includes pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Addison Farmer, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. With the exception of Duke Jordan's "Forecast," the cool-toned hard bop date consists entirely of Gryce compositions, of which "Evening in Casablanca" and "Nice's Tempo" are best known. Excellent music well deserving a close listen." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
"Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained: Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, and Carmell Jones were among the many trumpet titans who were heavily influenced by Brown. In the early to mid-'50s, Brown kept getting more and more exciting, year by year. That means that when it comes to Brown's CDs, excellent doesn't necessarily mean essential. Recorded in 1953, the material on this 18-track CD isn't quite as essential as some of Brown's work with drummer Max Roach in 1954 and 1955, but is still superb. The trumpet icon is heard at two different sessions. Brown's solos are consistently expressive; he swings unapologetically hard on up-tempo fare, but is quite lyrical on the ballads. One thing all of the performances have in common is a strong Fats Navarro influence." (Alex Henderson, Allmusic)
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