MAY 8

             HORACE SILVER
         The Stylings of Silver

                   Recording Date:
                       May 8, 1957
              
                   Personnel:
                       Art Farmer      TP 
                       Louis Hayes      D 
                       Teddy Kotick    B
                       Hank Mobley    TS
                       Horace Silver   P 

               

Review by Scott Yanow
The 1957 Horace Silver Quintet (featuring trumpeter Art Farmer and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley) is in top form on this date, particularly on "My One and Only Love" and their famous version of "Home Cookin'." All of Silver's Blue Note quintet recordings are consistently superb and swinging and, although not essential, this is a very enjoyable set
 

MAY 7

               DONALD BYRD
          Blows at Beacon Hill

                    Recording Date:
                        May 7, 1956

                    Personnel:
                        Donald Byrd     TP
                        Ray Santisi       P
                        Doug Watkins   B
                       Jimmy Zitano    D

              

Review by Thom Jurek
This 1956 (released in 1957) session is Donald Byrd's quartet session. Utilizing a rhythm section of Beacon Hill's finest — bassist Doug Watkins, pianist Ray Santisi, and drummer Jim Zitano — Byrd establishes himself here as an individual voice on the trumpet and as a leader as well. The material is comprised of well-known standards and catalog jazz tunes such as "Stella by Starlight," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "People Will Say We're in Love," "If I Love Again," and "What's New"; it's hardly the high-flying hard bop material that became his signature during his early years at Blue Note. Mostly the pace is slow, easy, and swinging, with enough of the funky blues Byrd would blow later to make these nuggets sound interesting. Byrd's interpretation of older material like this was one of both observance and phrasing. He never overplays either on the vamping lyric or in his solos. Likewise, his rhythm section keeps things spare, if not necessarily simple. Nowhere is this more evident than in "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," where the melody is inverted after the first three choruses have been played, but it is never overstated or broken apart, just observed and actively pursued for its chromatic richness. Byrd's tone is not quite as biting as it would become in later years, though it is imbued with the same ghostly timbral grace that distinguished him as a soloist. While this date may not be of interest to Byrd's soul-jazz fans, it will no doubt enlighten those who are partial to Byrd's early Blue Note material. 



MAY 6

                AL HAIG
             Duke & Bird

                     Recording Date:
                        May 6, 1976

                     Personnel:
                        Al Haig   P

                

This unique solo piano album by Al Haig was recorded on May 6th 1976 at New York's Vanguard Studios. It is being released now on CD for the first time in the U.S. Al Haig was born in Newark, New Jersey on July 22, 1924. Starting early as a boy, he played piano, harp and clarinet. He started concentrating on the piano when he entered Oberlin College in 1940. He then joined the Coast Guard. After his service, he headed to Boston to play with Rudy Williams. When he heard Dizzy Gillespie on the radio from New York, he became drawn to New York and arrived in 1944. He polished his craft at the jazz clubs on 52nd Street. At age 20, he joined Charlie Parker's group. By May of 1945, his performances were being singled out in Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker's all-star quintet. Later, he became beloved as an excellent sideman to Charlie Parker as well as to Stan Getz. He was one of the top bop pianists of his time, but never really achieved widespread fame. He went through much personal turmoil when he came under suspicion of murdering his wife in 1969, but was later acquitted. During the 70s, he continued to perform, mostly solo piano, in New York. His achievements were finally recognized during the last decade of his life. He passed away in 1982. Side 1 consists of a medley made up of four songs made famous by Duke Ellington Prelude To A Kiss , I Got It Bad And That Ain t Good , Sophisticated Lady and In A Sentimental Mood. Side 2 consists of a medley made up of four songs made famous by or were favorites of Charlie Parker Yardbird Suite , Lover Man , I Remember You and Embraceable You. Al Haig was a unique individual as was his music.

MAY 5

               STAN GETZ
             & BILL EVANS

                   Recording Date:
                       May 5, 1964

                   Personnel:
                       Stan Getz       TS
                       Bill Evans        P
                       Richard Davis  B
                       Ron Carter      B
                       Elvin Jones     D

             

Review by Ken Dryden
The only studio meeting between Stan Getz and Bill Evans took place over two days in 1964, with the aggressive drummer Elvin Jones and either Richard Davis or Ron Carter on bass. It is peculiar that Verve shelved the results for over a decade before issuing any of the music, though it may have been felt that Getz and Evans hadn't had enough time to achieve the desired chemistry, though there are memorable moments. The punchy take of "My Heart Stood Still," the elegant interpretation of "Grandfather's Waltz," and the lush setting of the show tune "Melinda" all came from the first day's session, with Davis on bass. Evidently he was unavailable the following day, so Carter replaced him. Evans' driving, challenging "Funkallero" is the obvious highlight from day two, though the gorgeous "But Beautiful" and the breezy setting of "Night and Day" are also enjoyable. Only the brief version of "Carpetbagger's Theme," which seems badly out of place and suggestive of the label's interference with the session, is a bit of a disappointment. Obviously neither Getz nor Evans liked the tune, as they go through the motions in a very brief performance. This reissue, which came out in the late '80s, adds three unissued alternate takes, though additional material from the sessions was included in the box set The Complete Bill Evans on Verve.

MAY 4

            ART BLAKEY
       The Jazz Messengers

            Recording Date:
                May 4, 1956 tk 4-8

            Personnel:
                Art Blakey           D
                Donald Byrd        TP
                Curtis Fuller       TB
                Jymie Merritt      B
                Hank Mobley       TS
                Lee Morgan         TP
                Wayne Shorter    TS
                Horace Silver       P
                Bobby Timmons   P
                Doug Watkins      B

Review by Scott Yanow
This CD reissue brings back the music on the earlier LP titled Art Blakey with the Original Jazz Messengers, plus five other selections (just one of which is an alternate) from the same two sessions that were formerly out on imported sets; "Deciphering the Message" was previously unreleased altogether. These were the last recordings by the Art Blakey-Horace Silver Jazz Messengers before pianist Silver went out on his own and the first edition disbanded. Trumpeter Donald Byrd, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, and bassist Doug Watkins (along with Silver and Blakey) are in excellent form. Silver's "Nica's Dream" is heard here in the original version, and the band is typically hard-swinging throughout the 76-minute-plus program.

MAY 2

            DONALD BYRD
            The Cat Walk

              Recording Date:
                  May 2, 1961

              Personnel:
                  Pepper Adams     BS
                  Donald Byrd        TP
                  Laymon Jackson  B
                  Philly Joe Jones   D
                  Duke Pearson      P

            

Review by Steve Leggett
Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams worked together on several recordings between 1958 and 1961, and The Cat Walk (released on LP in 1962) is among the best. A quintet setting, with pianist Duke Pearson (another longtime Byrd collaborator), bassist Laymon Jackson, and a lively Philly Joe Jones on drums joining the front line of Byrd and Adams, the sessions for The Cat Walk benefited from the writing and arrangement skills of Pearson, who contributes three compositions here, the impressive opener "Say You're Mine," "Duke's Mixture," and "Hello Bright Sunflower," which borrows its melodic structure from the opening bars of "Lullaby of Broadway" and features Byrd using a muted trumpet. Byrd contributed the title track, which attempts to capture the coiled, taut, but somehow still relaxed and assured gait of a tomcat, thanks in no small part to Jones' inspired drumming which hits the mark with stops and turns and smooth run-outs that are indeed very feline in nature. Byrd's playing throughout is typically sleek and lyrical, and Adams' sturdy, husky baritone sound is the perfect counterbalance, making The Cat Walk an essential Byrd purchase.

MAY 1

             BUD POWELL
           Amazing Bud Powell session

                 Recording Date:
                     May 1, 1951

                 Personnel:
                      Bud Powell     P
                      Curly Russell   B
                      Max Roach     D

                

Review by Scott Yanow
The CD reissues of the two albums titled The Amazing Bud Powell put the important recordings in chronological order (which they weren't in the LP versions) and add some alternate takes; all of the music has also been included in a definitive four-CD box set. Although the latter is the best way to acquire the important performances, this CD gives one a strong sampling of pianist Bud Powell at his best. Powell is heard in a classic session with trumpeter Fats Navarro and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins (which is highlighted by exciting versions of "Dance of the Infidels," "52nd Street Theme," and "Bouncing With Bud") and in a trio performing "Over the Rainbow" and three versions of his intense "Un Poco Loco."