MAY 23

             ALEX SIPIAGIN
               Hindsight

                 Recording Date:
                     May 23, 2001

                 Personnel:
                     Alex Sipiagin    TP,FG
                     Chris Potter     TS
                     Adam Rogers    G
                     Boris Kozlov      B
                     Gene Jackson    D

                

Review by David R. Adler
Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin sticks with a quintet lineup on his second Criss Cross outing, but this time opts for guitar over piano. Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter remains in place from the first session; Adam Rogers, who is finally gaining wider exposure, ably fills the chair previously occupied by Dave Kikoski; and a new rhythm section appears, with Boris Kozlov on bass and Gene Jackson on drums. The music is magnificent, and thankfully the takes are nice and long, giving the soloists more than enough room to push the envelope. In addition to four strong originals, Sipiagin offers an elevated reading of Mingus' "Reincarnation of a Lovebird," two equally stirring takes of Bill Evans' "Very Early," and a priceless flügelhorn/acoustic guitar duet on Monk's "Light Blue." Sipiagin's orchestrations are ceaselessly probing and imaginative; there are times, like on the out-blues title track, when the harmonized lines he plays with Potter sound like three horns. Combining the rigors of painstaking composition with the frenzied inspiration of the hottest blowing date, Sipiagin gives listeners some of the most potent and engaging mainstream jazz of the era.

MAY 21

          ORNETTE COLEMAN
       Shape of Jazz to Come

                    Recording Date: 
                        May 22, 1959
         
                    Personnel:
                        Don Cherry         CT
                        Ornette Coleman AS 
                        Charlie Haden     B
                        Billy Higgins        D 

Review by Steve Huey
Ornette Coleman's Atlantic debut, The Shape of Jazz to Come, was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz, profoundly steering its future course and throwing down a gauntlet that some still haven't come to grips with. The record shattered traditional concepts of harmony in jazz, getting rid of not only the piano player but the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The pieces here follow almost no predetermined harmonic structure, which allows Coleman and partner Don Cherry an unprecedented freedom to take the melodies of their solo lines wherever they felt like going in the moment, regardless of what the piece's tonal center had seemed to be. Plus, this was the first time Coleman recorded with a rhythm section — bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins — that was loose and open-eared enough to follow his already controversial conception. Coleman's ideals of freedom in jazz made him a feared radical in some quarters; there was much carping about his music flying off in all directions, with little direct relation to the original theme statements. If only those critics could have known how far out things would get in just a few short years; in hindsight, it's hard to see just what the fuss was about, since this is an accessible, frequently swinging record. It's true that Coleman's piercing, wailing alto squeals and vocalized effects weren't much beholden to conventional technique, and that his themes often followed unpredictable courses, and that the group's improvisations were very free-associative. But at this point, Coleman's desire for freedom was directly related to his sense of melody — which was free-flowing, yes, but still very melodic. Of the individual pieces, the haunting "Lonely Woman" is a stone-cold classic, and "Congeniality" and "Peace" aren't far behind. Any understanding of jazz's avant-garde should begin here.
 

MAY 20

              THE THREE SOUNDS
                   Good Deal
     
                         Recording Date: 
                             May 20, 1959

                         Personnel:
                             Bill Dowdy         D
                             Gene Harris       P,Cel
                             Andy Simpkins   B


                   

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Good Deal is a typically fine record from the Three Sounds, who were beginning to hit their stride when this session was recorded in May of 1959. Like most of their records, it's laidback — even when the group works a swinging tempo, there's a sense of ease that keeps the mood friendly, relaxed and mellow. Balancing standards like "Satin Doll," "Soft Winds" and "That's All" with bop ("Robbin's Nest"), calypso ("St. Thomas") and originals, the Three Sounds cover a lot of stylistic territory, putting their distinctive stamp on each song. It's very accessible, pleasant soul-jazz and mainstream hard bop, but Gene Harris' masterful technique means that Good Deal rewards close listening as well.

MAY 19

            NICK BRIGNOLA
            Like Old  Times 
           
               Recording Date:
                   May 19, 1994

                Personnel:
                   Nick Brignola    CL,BS,SS 
                   Claudio Roditi   TP,FG
                   John Hicks        P
                   George Mraz     B 
                   Dick Berk          D 

               

Review by Scott Yanow
Some jazz recordings take pages to explain and analyze. Such is not the case with Nick Brignola's Reservoir release, for the great baritonist (who ranks up with Gerry Mulligan, Hamiet Bluiett, and Ronnie Cuber as pacesetters on the instrument in the mid-'90s) jams four standards and three straight-ahead originals with an all-star quintet also featuring trumpeter Claudio Roditi and pianist John Hicks. In addition to his many robust baritone solos, Brignola has excellent outings on clarinet ("More Than You Know") and soprano. With bassist George Mraz and drummer Dick Berk ably supporting the group and both Roditi and Hicks heard at the peak of their powers, Brignola's album is a strong set of bop-oriented music.

MAY 18

           RICHARD GALLIANO
                   Blow Up
             
                   Recording Date:
                        May 18-19, 1996

                   Personnel:
                        Richard Galliano P, ACC
                        Michel Portal    CL,BC, AS, SS

            

Review by Tim Sheridan
The unique textures created by this duo, combining Galliano's masterful accordion with Portal's moody reeds, makes for a fascinating journey. Brilliant original works are interspersed with gems by Astor Piazzola and Hermeto Pascoal, making the rich tradition of accordion jazz that much richer. The crisp, 20-bit mastering rounds out the package as a delightful listening experience.

MAY 17

                BOOKER LITTLE
              Out Front

             Recording Date:
                 April  4, 1961 tk 2,4,6
                 March 17, 1961 tk 1,3,7

             Personnel:
                 Booker Little    TP
                 Julian Priester  TB
                 Eric Dolphy      AS,BCL,FL
                 Don Friedman   P
                 Art Davis          B  tk 1,3,7
                 Ron Carter       B 
                 Max Roach       D,Tim,VB

                                       

Review by Scott Yanow
Booker Little was the first trumpet soloist to emerge in jazz after the death of Clifford Brown to have his own sound. His tragically brief life (he died at age 23 later in 1961) cut short what would have certainly been a major career. Little, on this sextet date with multi-reedist Eric Dolphy, trombonist Julian Priester, and drummer Max Roach, shows that his playing was really beyond bebop. His seven now-obscure originals (several of which deserve to be revived) are challenging for the soloists and there are many strong moments during these consistently challenging and satisfying performances.

MAY 16

               CHARLIE PARKER
              At Birdland

                 Recording Date:
                     May 15-16, 1950

                 Personnel:
                    Fats Navarro    TP
                    Charlie Parker  AS
                    Bud Powell       P
                    Curly Russell     B
                    Art Blakey        D


                  





Review by Scott Yanow

The recording date may be suspect (trumpeter Fats Navarro died of tuberculosis only a week later) and the recording quality is not state of the art but the music on this two-LP set is often quite brilliant. Charlie Parker is teamed with Navarro, pianist Bud Powell, bassist Curley Russell and drummer Art Blakey for extended (usually six- to ten-minute) versions of 13 songs including "'Round Midnight" (the only time that Bird ever recorded a Thelonious Monk tune), "Move," "Out of Nowhere" and "Ornithology." The all-star lineup clearly inspired each other, making this two-fer well worth searching for.