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| Concord Releases 5th Installment of Keepnews Collection Series On June 6, 2008 the Concord Music Group will release part four of its historic reissues series, Keepnews Collection, which spotlights classic albums by jazz titans put on the map by the legendary producer Orrin Keepnews. An icon of the jazz world who continues to be actively involved, Keepnews provides insider insight into the music's history through this reissue series. The Keepnews Collection serves jazz aficionados who are looking to add to their collections as well as jazz neophytes who have caught the jazz bug and long to delve deeper into the music that truly captures the American spirit of freedom. Four titles of this edition were originally released on the Keepnews-helmed label, Riverside Records, which recorded seminal jazz albums in the '50s and early '60s, and one recording was released on his important '70s label, Milestone Records. The collection, remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes, allows Keepnews to revisit some of his significant accomplishments as a producer. Riverside reissues: · Coleman Hawkins: The Hawk Flies High (1957) · Sonny Rollins: Freedom Suite (1958) · Nat Adderley: Work Song (1960) · Wes Montgomery: Incredible Jazz Guitar (1960) Milestone reissue: · McCoy Tyner: Gone With the Wind (1976) In his written introduction to the series, Keepnews notes, "For more than a half-century. I have frequently succeeded in finding, recognizing, coddling, arguing and collaborating with a great variety of talented and occasionally difficult people. On the whole, I am unreasonably and unshakably proud of the results." He adds that the Keepnews Collection spotlights albums of special importance-"some because of the initial impact they made, others because they have particular personal meaning or may present a performer whose value has not been fully appreciated." Following are snapshots of the fifth edition of the Keepnews Collection. Coleman Hawkins: The Hawk Flies High (1957) · Orrin's commentary (from his new liner notes): "Before [Coleman] Hawkins, the tenor saxophone-which has come to be one of the basic instruments of jazz-simply did not exist, a fact that would be disputed by neither Lester Young nor Ben Webster-his most prominent immediate successors-nor by Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane or anyone you might choose to put near the head of the line thereafter. This was not my only studio experience with Hawkins, although it was the only opportunity to deal with him strictly on his own terms, which is certainly the only appropriate way to approach a great artist." · Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Hank Jones (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bassist), Jo Jones (drums), others · Key songs: "Chant, " "Juicy Fruit, " "Laura" Sonny Rollins: Freedom Suite (1958) · Orrin's commentary (from his original liner notes): "Because Sonny Rollins is as passionate, talented, multifaceted and variable as this album (and many others over his many years of activity) would lead you to believe, I am glad to be able to say that this remarkable artist remains one of the greatest and most creative of all tenor saxophone players and improvisers, and that he also happens to remain a valued friend." · Personnel: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Max Roach (drums) · Key songs: "The Freedom Suite, " "Shadow Waltz, " plus 3 bonus tracks Nat Adderley: Work Song (1960) · Orrin's commentary (from his original liner notes): "There are two very good reasons why this album, which at this writing is just a couple of years short of being a half-century old, remains one of my warmest recording memories. Undoubtedly the more important reason is that this really represents the coming of age of Nat Adderley, a man I will always consider among the most adventurous and intelligent players and leaders I have ever worked with. But to step back and evaluate this album in a very personal way, it is half of what must be one of the most complicated and most rewarding weeks of recording activity I have ever experienced." · Personnel: Nat Adderley (cornet), Bobby Timmons (piano), Wes Montgomery (guitar), Sam Jones (cello), Percy Heath (bass), Louis Hayes (drums), and others. · Key songs: "Work Song, " "Sack of Woe" Wes Montgomery: Incredible Jazz Guitar (1960) · Orrin's commentary (from his new liner notes): "I began constructing the 1960 definitive presentation of [Wes] Montgomery by recognizing the need to keep things as clear-cut and uncomplicated as possible. There were at least three unique aspects to his performing style: he played with his thumb, never using a pick. And his solos almost invariably included two elements routinely referred to as 'impossible'-his use of octaves and of pianistic block chords. Self-taught (his first 'lesson' had involved heavy listening to Charlie Christian records) and never able to read music notation of any kind, he somehow possessed an unfailing command of the blues and of ballad tempo and was an impressive composer." · Personnel: Wes Montgomery (guitar), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Albert "Tootie" Heath (drummer) · Key songs: "Airegin, " "Four on Six, "Gone With the Wind" McCoy Tyner: Gone With the Wind (1976) · Orrin's commentary (from his new liner notes): "Although I had been very much impressed by his work with [John Coltrane], listening to [McCoy Tyner] in New York clubs in the years that followed made me aware of how remarkably he was developing. He was, and still remains, one of the most powerful pianists I have ever heard; many years ago having learned to merge that strength with a very personal form of lyricism-an unusual, unique combination. To me, it is this linking of power and beauty-in both the writing and the playing here-that distinguishes Fly With the Wind and makes it possibly my personal favorite among the 17 albums that I worked on with this extraordinary artist during our eight years together at Milestone." · Personnel: McCoy Tyner (piano), Hubert Laws (flute), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (drums) · Key songs: "Fly With the Wind, "You Stepped Out of a Dream, " plus 2 bonus tracks write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |