JUNE 8

                       SIDNEY BECHET
               Dear Old Southland
      
                     Recording Date:
                          June 8, 1939

                     Personnel:
                          Sidney Bechet     SS
                          Meade  Lewis      P
                          Teddy Bunn         G
                          Johnny Williams   B
                          Sidney Catlett      D







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Review by arwulf arwulf
Sidney Bechet's first Blue Note period was tapped for this Definitive Classics compilation released in the year 2000. Summertime was not only Bechet's first Blue Note record — it was among the first Blue Note recordings ever made by anybody. This album is a solid core sample of Bechet's best Blue Note sessions, recorded between June 1939 and February 1946. Apparently Bechet's 1949 Blue Notes were deemed unworthy of inclusion here. The magnificent lineup of musicians who did find their way onto this compilation includes trumpeters Sidney de Paris, Max Kaminsky and Bunk Johnson; trombonists Vic Dickenson and George Lugg; clarinetist Albert Nicholas; bassists Pops Foster and Wilson Myers; guitarist Teddy Bunn; pianists Art Hodes and Meade "Lux" Lewis; drummers Danny Alvin, Manzie Johnson and Sid Catlett, and singing guitarist Josh White. True to their name, Definitive Classics has given the world an excellent introduction to the music of Sidney Bechet and traditional jazz in general. 

 

JUNE 6

          CHARLIE PARKER
               Bird N Diz

               Recording Date:
                     June 6, 1950

               Personnel:
                    Dizzy Gillespie    TP
                    Charlie Parker     AS
                    Thelonious Monk  P
                    Curly Russell        B
                    Buddy Rich          D

             






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Review by Rick Anderson

This collection of 78 rpm singles, all recorded on June 6, 1950, was originally issued in album format in 1956. Several things distinguish this from numerous other quintet recordings featuring these two bebop pioneers. It was recorded during the period that Parker was working under the aegis of producer Norman Granz, whose preference for large and unusual ensembles was notorious. The end result in this case is a date that sounds very much like those that Parker and Gillespie recorded for Savoy and Dial, except with top-of-the-line production quality. Even more interesting, though, is Parker's choice of Thelonious Monk as pianist. Unfortunately, Monk is buried in the mix and gets very little solo space, so his highly idiosyncratic genius doesn't get much exposure here. Still, this is an outstanding album -- there are fine versions of Parker standards like "Leap Frog," "Mohawk," and "Relaxin' with Lee," as well as a burning performance of "Bloomdido" and an interesting (if not entirely thrilling) rendition of the chestnut "My Melancholy Baby." [The CD reissue adds three alternate takes to make what was originally a very skimpy program slightly more generous.]

JUNE 5

                      MILES DAVIS
          'Round About Midnight

                Recording Date:
                    October 26, 1955  tk ,7
                    June 5, 1956   tk4-6
                    September 10, 1956   tk3

                Personnel:
                    Miles Davis          TP 
                    John Coltrane      TS
                    Red Garland         P
                    Paul Chambers      B
                    Philly Joe Jones    D





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Review by Thom Jurek
Given that Round About Midnight was Miles Davis' debut Columbia recording, it was both a beginning and an ending. Certainly the beginning of his recording career with the label that issued most if not all of his important recordings; and the recording debut of an exciting new band that had within its ranks Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, pianist Red Garland, and an all but unknown tenor player named John Coltrane. The title track was chosen because of its unique rendition with a muted trumpet, debuted at the Newport Jazz Festival the summer before to a thunderous reception. The date was also an ending of sorts because by the time of the album's release, Davis had already broken up the band, which re-formed with Cannonball Adderley a year later as a sextet, but it was a tense year. Musically, this sound is as unusual and as beautiful as it was when issued in 1956. Davis had already led the charge through two changes in jazz — both cool jazz and hard bop — and was beginning to move in another direction here that wouldn't be defined for another two years. Besides the obvious lyrical and harmonic beauty of "Round About Midnight" that is arguably its definitive version even over Monk's own, there are the edges of Charlie Parker's "Au Leu-Cha" with its Bluesology leaping from every chord change in Red Garland's left hand. Coltrane's solo here too is notable for its stark contrast to Davis' own: he chooses an angular tack where he finds the heart of the mode and plays a melody in harmonic counterpoint to the changes but never sounds outside. Cole Porter's "All of You" has Davis quoting from Louis Armstrong's "Basin Street Blues" in his solo that takes out the tune, and Coltrane has never respected a melody so much. But it's in "Bye-Bye Blackbird" that we get to hear the band gel as a unit, beginning with Davis playing through the melody, muted and sweet, slightly flatted out until he reaches the harmony on the refrain and begins his solo on a high note. Garland is doing more than comping in the background; he's slipping chord shapes into those interval cracks and shifting them as the rhythm section keeps "soft time." When Coltrane moves in for his break, rather than Davis' spare method, he smatters notes quickly all though the melodic body of the tune and Garland has to compensate harmonically, moving the mode and tempo up a notch until his own solo can bring it back down again. Which he does with a gorgeous all-blues read of the tune utilizing first one hand and then both hands to create fat harmonic chords to bring Davis back in to close it out. It's breathtaking how seamless it all is. There's little else to say except that Round About Midnight is among the most essential of Davis' Columbia recordings.

JUNE 4

               DONALD BYRD
                   Mustang!
            
                  Recording Date:
                       June 4, 1966

                  Personnel:
                      Walter Booker    B 
                      Donald Byrd        TP 
                      Joe Chambers     D 
                      Jimmy Heath      TS 
                      Hank Mobley       TS 
                      Sonny Red           AS 
                      McCoy Tyner       P 
                      Fred Waits          D 




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Review by Scott Yanow
Donald Byrd, a talented hard bop trumpeter during his prime (although rarely reaching the technical heights of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard), performs a varied repertoire on Mustang!. "Dixie Lee" has dated rhythms, and "Mustang" was an attempt to achieve a hit on the level of Morgan's "The Sidewinder." However, Byrd sounds fine on those numbers; he digs into the complex chord changes of "Fly Little Bird Fly," is sensitive on "I Got It Bad," swings on his "I'm So Excited by You," and performs his memorable countermelody to "On the Trail," which had been recorded earlier by several other musicians. Teamed with a typically impressive Blue Note crew (altoist Sonny Red, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Freddie Waits), Byrd performs high-quality straight-ahead jazz that fits the modern mainstream of the era. Also on the CD reissue are a pair of selections ("Gingerbread Boy" and "I'm So Excited by You") from an earlier quintet date (with tenorman Jimmy Heath, Tyner, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Joe Chambers) that, despite being excellent, went unissued until 1997.
 

JUNE 3

                ART TAYLOR
              Taylor's Tenors

           
                  Recording Date:
                     June 3, 1959

                  Personnel:
                     Walter Davis, Jr. P
                     Frank Foster       TS
                     Sam Jones          B
                     Charlie Rouse     TS
                     Art Taylor           D

          





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Reviewby Al Campbell

Legendary drummer Art Taylor played on a multitude of classic jazz sessions, but only managed to release a few dates as a leader before he passed away in 1995. His second, Taylor's Tenors, from mid-1959, features two straight-ahead tenor saxophonists, Charlie Rouse and Frank Foster, engaging in an insightful yet swinging hard bop conversation. Rouse would shortly become Thelonious Monk's tenor of choice, while Foster continued his tenure with Count Basie's band for another five years. These six hard bop pieces include two by Monk, Jackie McLean's "Fidel," and originals each from Rouse, pianist Walter Davis, and Taylor.

JUNE 2

                     JOE  LOVANO
            Celebrating Sinatra
           
                  Recording Date: 
                       June 2-3, 1996

                   Personnel:
                       Al Foster           
                       Erik Friedlander CE
                       Joe Lovano       TS 

                       George Mraz      B

                       Kenny Werner    P
                       Manny Albam Orchestra

        

       





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Review by Scott Yanow
Although this project may not seem to have much potential at first glance, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano's tribute to Frank Sinatra is consistently brilliant and inventive. Since Sinatra recorded countless songs, Lovano had plenty to choose from, and he came up with 13 superior standards. Rather than just play the tunes in conventional swing fashion, Lovano is featured in quite a few different settings, caressing and bending the melodies a la Sonny Rollins. "Chicago" is taken as a duet with drummer Al Foster, eight songs have Judi Silvano's haunting voice mostly singing wordlessly as part of the ensemble, Manny Albam orchestrated eight songs (some of which use woodwinds and a few strings), and other key players include pianist Kenny Werner, bassist George Mraz and Billy Drewes on soprano sax and bass clarinet. No matter how familiar the song (including "I'll Never Smile Again," "I've Got the World on a String," a rollicking "South of the Border" and "One For My Baby"), each performance has plenty of surprising moments. A real gem.
 

JUNE 1

                 BILLIE HOLIDAY
           Holiday and Lester Young Session

                   Recording Date:
                         June 1, 1937
                   
                   Personnel: 
                         Buck Clayton     TP
                         Buster Bailey     CL
                         Lester Young     TS
                         Teddy Wilson     P
                         Freddie Green    G
                         Walter Page       B
                         Jo Jones            D
                         Billie Holiday     Vo



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This one goes straight in a medium tempo. Very pleasant. It is always a pleasure listen to Lester and Buck together.   Wilson & His Orchestra.

(MT 60) Foolin’ Myself Å Lester Young opens in a brilliant way then Wilson and Buck close the long introduction; Billie carries well this marvelous song by Tinturin, lyrics by Jack Lawrence (who also wrote Tenderly, years later)
(MT 61) Easy Living ÅÅ a delightful rendering.
(MT 62) I’ll Never Be the Same Å Wilson opens with a long solo and Billie takes over with Lester’s obbligati.