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| 2 Classic Albums on 1 CD From Legendary Impulse Jazz Artists Impulse!/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) recently introduced the second batch of its 2-On-1 series. Each CD features two classic albums from some of Impulse! Records' legendary jazz and blues artists. Included in this first batch are releases from Alice Coltrane, Blue Mitchell, Charles Mingus, Chico Hamilton, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Howard Roberts, John Handy, Keith Jarrett, Marion Brown, Mel Brown, Michael White, Sonny Criss, Sonny Stitt and a jazz supergroup featuring arranger Oliver Nelson working with pianists Hank Jones and Steve Allen. The series includes many worldwide CD premieres. Alice Coltrane - Huntington Ashram Monastery / World Galaxy (2-On-1 CD) The uncompromising American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, composer and bandleader Alice Coltrane was married to jazz legend John Coltrane and played in his band until his death in 1967. She then embarked on a solo career and recorded some of her finest works for Impulse! Records. Featured on a single disc are her 1969 release Huntington Ashram Monastery and her 1972 classic World Galaxy. Huntington Ashram Monastery features all original compositions and showcases her incredible skills on the harp and piano. Tracks such as "Turiya, " "Paramahansa Lake" and the title track demonstrate her virtuosity on the harp while "Jaya Jaya Rama" and "Ihs" displays her brilliance and virtuosity on the piano. Considered one of the finest moments in jazz, Coltrane's 1972 release World Galaxy reached No. 12 on the Jazz Album charts and is considered one of her strongest releases. World Galaxy features beautiful and dynamic tracks such as "Galaxy in Turiya" and "Galaxy in Satchidananda, " plus her bold rendition of John Coltrane's signature song "My Favorite Things, " adding her own unique twist on the timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Blue Mitchell - African Violet / Summer Soft (2-On-1 CD) American jazz, soul and blues trumpeter Blue Mitchell recorded two classic records for Impulse!, African Violet and Summer Soft. Both albums are now available for the first time on one single disc. African Violet was released in 1977 and reached No. 23 on the Jazz Album charts. Featured are infectious tracks such as "Sand Castles, " "Forget" and the Stevie Wonder top-50 hit "As." The following year Blue Mitchell released the album Summer Soft, titled after his rendition of "Summer Soft, " a track originally written and recorded by Stevie Wonder. Other songs include covers of the Barbara Streisand staple "Evergreen" and "Funkthesizer, " which was written by jazz great and Blue Mitchell band member Eddie Harris. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady / Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (2-On-1 CD) Charles Mingus was one of the most important figures in 20th century American music. He was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, composer and extremely demanding bandleader who found himself at the forefront of the avant-garde. Mingus' style was a mix of everything from modern classical music and jazz avant-garde to gospel, blues, New Orleans jazz, swing, bop and Latin music. Featured is his 1963 classic The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, an album written as one continuous composition consisting of four tracks and six movements and is considered his masterpiece as well as being ranked as one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. The album's orchestral style is described by Mingus as "ethnic folk-dance music." Coupled with The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady is the highly regarded Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus which was also released in 1963 and mainly features reworked and retitled recordings based on some of his classics. Mingus also introduces his new composition "Celia" and an inspired version of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo." To this day Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is considered one of the finest moments of his career. Chico Hamilton - El Chico / The Further Adventures Of El Chico (2-On-1 CD) Jazz drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton played with the likes of Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Count Basie and Illinois Jacquet. His 1965 album El Chico is a unique blend of Latin jazz, bossa nova and avant-garde jazz. It features Hamilton originals "El Moors, " "Helena" and his own unique take on "People, " from the Broadway musical Funny Girl. Released in 1966, The Further Adventures of El Chico features renditions of "Got My Mojo Working" and the pop hits "Monday, Monday" recorded by the Mamas and the Papas and "Daydream" by the Lovin' Spoonful. Both albums are now available for the first time on one single-disc collection. Clark Terry - The Happy Horns of Clark Terry / It's What's Happenin' (2-On-1 CD) Born in St. Louis, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Clark Terry is a world-class trumpeter, flugelhorn player, educator, composer, writer, trumpet/flugelhorn designer, teacher and NEA Jazz Master. In 1964, Clark Terry released The Happy Horns of Clark Terry featuring altoist Phil Woods, who doubles on clarinet, tenor great Ben Webster, pianist Roger Kellaway, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Walter Perkins for a varied program that includes a rollicking version of "Rockin' in Rhythm, " Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist" and a Duke Ellington medley, "Ellington Rides Again." Also featured is Terry's 1967 release It's What's Happenin'. This recording marked the first time a trumpeter recorded with Selmer's Varitone attachment allowing a horn player to play octaves. Songs include "Electric Mumbles, " in which Terry talks back and forth to his horn, "Take Me Back to Elkhart" and "Take the 'A' Train" featuring Terry's signature singing, scatting and mumbling vocal style throughout. Freddie Hubbard - The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard / The Body & The Soul (2-On-1 CD) Freddie Hubbard was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop. Hubbard played and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz including Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, Wes and Monk Montgomery and John Coltrane. Featured on one CD is Hubbard's 1962 hard bebop classic The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard and his 1963 release The Body & the Soul, both considered among Hubbard's finest works. The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard was his first Impulse! release and featured the original compositions "Bob's Place, " "Happy Times" and "The 7th Day, " plus his unique interpretations of "Caravan" and "Summertime." Released the following year, The Body & the Soul is considered one of Hubbard's career-crowning achievements. Featured are jazz treasures such as "Clarence's Place, " "Dedicated To You, " the hard-bop show-stopper "Aries" and two Duke Ellington compositions, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" and "Chocolate Shake." Howard Roberts - Antelope Freeway / Equinox Express Elevator (2-On-1 CD) Howard Roberts was an accomplished jazz guitarist, educator and a highly sought-after session player who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Nat "King" Cole to Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys and the Jackson Five. He released two pinnacle recordings through Impulse!, 1971's Antelope Freeway featuring "Dark Ominous Clouds, " the explosive "Roadwork" and the deep grooves of "That's America Fer Ya" and 1972's Equinox Express Elevator featuring "Timelaps, " "Growin' National Concern" and "Slam." John Handy - Hard Work / Carnival (2-On-1 CD) Grammy (R)-nominated jazz musician and singer John Handy is an alto saxophonist who also plays tenor and baritone saxophone, clarinet and oboe. His soulful and fiery saxophone style is instantly recognizable to generations of jazz fans worldwide. For the first time both of his Impulse! recordings, Hard Work and Carnival, can be found on one CD. Hard Work was released in 1976 and hit No. 4 on the Jazz Album charts, No. 10 on the R&B Album charts and top 50 on the Billboard 200. The album features the upbeat number "Afro Wiggle" and "Blues for Louis Jordan, " Handy's tribute to saxophonist Louis Jordan. After the success of Hard Work, Handy went back in the studio and recorded 1977's Carnival also featuring Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour. Carnival includes the tracks "Watch Your Money Go, " "I Will Leave You" and the musical duet "All Things You Are" with pianist Sonny Burke. Keith Jarrett - Mysteries / Shades (2-On-1 CD) Jazz and classical pianist Keith Jarrett is a natural talent who emerged in the 1960s and is widely known for spontaneously improvising all of the music without planning. He has played with some of jazz's greatest artists such as Art Blakey, Miles Davis and Chick Corea. In 1975 he released Mysteries featuring performances by Jarrett's American Quartet, which also included Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian and Guilherme Franco. Mysteries reached the top 30 on the Jazz Album charts when released and includes the tracks "Rotation, " "Everything That Lives Laments, " "Flame" and the Coltrane-esque 15-minute title track. Also featured on this release is his critically acclaimed, 1975 release Shades. Previously only available as a Japanese import, Shades is regarded as Jarrett's finest and most rewarding recording. Featured are "Shades Of Jazz, " the gospelish "Southern Smiles, " "Rose Petals" and the experimental and complex, upbeat track "Diatribe." Marion Brown - Geechee Recollections / Sweet Earth Flying (2-On-1 CD) Jazz musician Marion Brown was an alto saxophonist who was one of the unsung heroes of the jazz avant-garde playing alongside greats such as John Coltrane and Archie Shepp. His 1973 recording Geechee Recollections was the first release in a trilogy of recordings by Brown as tribute to the work of American poet Jean Toomer. While retaining its experimental edge, Geechee Recollections also has a traditional Southern folk and blues influence, apparent in such songs as the funky "Buttermilk Bottom, " "Once Upon A Time" and the track "Karintha, " which write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |