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| New Jazz Compilation From Riverside Records On November 7, Riverside Records, an imprint of the Concord Music Group, will release a compilation series of original recordings from its Fifties and Sixties all-star roster of jazz innovators, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery. Co-founded by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews, the New York-based Riverside existed from 1952-64 and was one of the triumvirates of independent jazz labels, along with Blue Note and Prestige, recording the young and vital jazz talent of the day that was destined for greatness. The label began leasing vintage jazz recordings from the 1920s, and soon became a force to be reckoned with when in 1955, Monk approached Keepnews, who had written the first national review of the young pianist. The producer recalls, "We had been in the business for a few years when we heard the fateful news that Monk was unhappy at Prestige and wanted to get out of his contract. We found out through insider information that all he had to do was pay back what the company had over-advanced him. That turned out to be $128 and some change. I gave Monk $130 from my pocket so he could buy himself out of the contract. He never did give me the change, but I figured I got it back many times over in the long run." In his liner notes to the 4-CD boxed set The Riverside Records Story, released in 1997 by Fantasy Records, Keepnews reflected on the early days of jazz recording and how musicians came to his attention after his initial successes with Monk: "We had a great chain-reaction talent scout system; the example I like to cite starts with Thelonious (who told me about Johnny Griffin and Wilbur Ware when they were still in Chicago) bringing Clark Terry to my attention. Then Terry introduced me to his friends the Adderley brothers, and of course it was Cannonball who made me aware of Wes Montgomery." The collections in the Riverside Profiles compilation series are produced by Nick Phillips. "Riverside was the home to many of the most important jazz artists of the '50s and '60s--and arguably of all time. It was especially thrilling for me to delve into the masterworks of these jazz giants in compiling the Riverside Profiles collections, " says Phillips who has been an in-house producer with Concord since 1987. All the recordings were originally produced by Keepnews, who says that Riverside was "the feisty kid brother" of the trio of indies that dominated jazz recordings in the '50s and early '60s. While the label was short-lived, lasting less than a decade, it has become renowned as being a wellspring of classic jazz. Thelonious Monk: Ironically, in 1964, the year that Riverside's doors closed, Thelonious Monk appeared on the cover of Time magazine. By then, he was recording for major label Columbia, even though he had made the rounds of the jazz indie world with stints at Blue Note, Prestige, and finally Riverside, where he recorded the most original and important work of his career. Time's Barry Farrell wrote of Monk: "It is his high philosophy to be different, and having steadily ignored all advice and all the fads and vogues of jazz that made lesser musicians grow rich around him, he now reaps the rewards of his conviction gladly but without surprise." By the end of the decade, Monk was among the most famous and best-selling jazz musicians in the world. In this 10-track compilation, a sampling of Monk's Riverside oeuvre, recorded between 1955 and 1959, feature! s such classics as "'Round Midnight, " "Ruby, My Dear, " "Epistrophy, " and "Rhythm-a-ning, " as well as the pianist covering Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." Bill Evans: Chris Albertson says in the liner notes: "In 1956, when guitarist Mundell Lowe recommended Bill Evans to Riverside, neither had yet made an impact on jazz, but that would soon change. Bill had been on the scene for a few years and played with some impressive musicians, but he was still largely unknown; Riverside was a fledgling, barely three-years-old label running on little more than its founders' love for the music, which was huge, though somewhat retro. That, too, would change." The pianist went on to record for Riverside until 1963, making a name for himself and the label (the label issued a comprehensive 12-CD overview was released several years ago). This 10-song collection compiles Evans' top-tier work for Riverside, including such classics as "Waltz for Debby" and the pianist's version of "Blue in Green, " which he also famously recorded on Kind of Blue, Miles Davis's masterwork. Chet Baker: Trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker had already achieved a high degree of success prior to his association with Riverside, beginning in 1958 and continuing for six albums through 1959. However, by then, his chemical dependence had tarnished both his musicianship and reputation. But, as shown in this 11-song compilation, Baker staged a comeback of sorts. "Baker may not be moving toward new eminence in jazz, " commented Down Beat writer Gilbert Erskine in his review of Baker's In Milan LP on Riverside, "but, happily, as this date of October 1959 shows, neither is there a sign of a wasted, frittered talent. He plays with warmth and assurance, his gift of melodic inventiveness is paraded clearly and unmistakably, and his sensitivity to luminous tone beauty has not dimmed." Highlight tra! cks from the lyrical trumpeter and cool-toned singer's Riverside era include "Look for the Silver Lining, " "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and "Alone Together." Cannonball Adderley: During his 16-album tenure with Riverside from 1958-63, Cannonball Adderley was given free rein to record whatever he wanted (a far cry from his previous dictatorial recording experience with EmArcy Records). He was even deployed by Keepnews as an A&R scout who brought to the label Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Heath, and Blue Mitchell, among others. The tunes on this compilation represent only a drop in the bucket of the prolific recording the alto saxophonist did for Riverside. Highlights include "Work Song, " "African Waltz, " "Things Are Getting Better, " "Jive Samba, " and "Star Eyes." Wes Montgomery: Journalist Bill Milkowksi writes in his liner notes to the Riverside profile compilation of guitarist Wes Montgomery, "There are few joys in jazz as immediate and rewarding as hearing [him] swinging in full stride in a small group setting. A remarkably intuitive, self-taught player who didn't purchase his own first guitar until he was 20 years old, Montgomery exuded an uncanny sense of naturalness and soulfulness in every aspect of his playing that every jazz musician should aspire to. He was a true genius, a guitar hero for the ages." This 11-song collection features Montgomery at his creative peak in recordings that stretch from 1959 to 1963, including his composition "Four on Six" and his rousing cover of Carl Perkins' "Groove Yard." write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |