Artist: Various Artists

Impeccable Lester, 2009-09-29
On the 3rd. December 1956 Lester Young started a six night residency at Olivia Davis`s Patio Lounge in Washington DC, accompanied by the Bill Potts Trio. Fortunately, Potts recorded the proceedings, which were released in 1980 by Norman Grantz`s Pablo label. The recording is surprisingly good, as not only the saxophone and piano but also the bass and drums can be heard very clearly. The recordings also disprove, once and for all, that Lester wasn`t playing very well in the 1950s. On these recordings I think that he plays as well as at any time in his career, and that these cds rank alongside his best recordings with Basie, the 1952 session with Oscar Peterson, and the Aladdin sessions. Furthermore,here is Lester Young playing "live",to an audience,not at a studio session. Lester`s phrases are smooth, and they flow effortlessly from one to the next. His sound is impeccable, with some very nice, clear, low notes. All of the tunes on vol.1 are worth hearing, but the particularly outstanding tracks are: "When You`re Smiling", "I Can`t Get Started", on which he repeats a middle eight phrase from the Oscar Peterson session, and "DB Blues". The trio accompany Lester with a nice relaxed, swinging, style; as exemplified by pianist Bill Potts, who, at times,when playing block chords, sounds a little like Dave Brubeck. My only complaint about these recordings is that, for my taste, there are, perhaps, too many bass and drum solos.

Artist: Johnny Hodges, Billy Strayhorn

This album is virtually a showcase for the alto saxophone of Johnny Hodges. The only other soloist on most of the numbers is trombonist Lawrence Brown who is wonderful on "Stardust". He's accompanied by the Duke Ellington band with Billy Strayhorn replacing Ellington at the piano and the crisp drumming throughout is by Sam Woodyard. But half a dozen of the Ellingtonians including Harry Carney and Paul Gonsalves solo on Hodges's own tune, "Tailor Made". All the arrangements were written by Strayhorn and most of the tunes are his or Ellington's, including fine lesser-played pieces like "The Gal From Joe's" and "Azure". Hodges always contrived to be impeccable and inspired at the same time. He was one of the great originals, instantly identifiable by his superb sound, impeccable poise and instinctive feeling for jazz. He was remarkable for many things, not least his ability to play romantic music without ever sounding sentimental or banal. A perfect example of this is on "Your Love Has Faded" where the listener is treated to the sort of playing that caused Charlie Parker to speak of "Johnny Lily Pons Hodges". --Steve Voce--
The Finest Possible Showpiece for a Legend, 2002-11-13
The more snide critic that this album barely qualifies as jazz, but it is the firm framework of Billy Strayhorn's specially commissioned new arrangements (ranging from the reworking of the 1940's hit 'Azure' to the tweaking of the introduction and ensemble passages on 'Jeep's Blues'), that allows Hodges to shine as a soloist comletely unhindered.
The results are spectacular - no man in history has achieved such liquid purity, such languid poise and elegance as Hodges on this album. From the falling first notes of 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' he is at his best, glissing, bending and swelling as only he could.
He may be superb, but he is run close by the majesty of his old compatriot in the Ellington Band, Laurence Brown, whose trombone lights up Hoagy Carmichael's classic 'Stardust'.
It is the very quality of Strayhorns arrangements that make this album so approachable - many of the classic Ellingtonian discords have disappeared, and the modern idioms that interested Hodges in the mid 1960's have yet to appear. The result is perfect, easy-listening Jazz majesty - this album is certainly one of the jewels of the known World.

Artist: Hamilton

Artist: Woody Herman

Definitely a Winner, 2003-07-01
I first had a copy on vinyl of the Woody's Winners album about
twenty years ago. I then made the fatal error of lending it to
someone and have not seen it or him since! To finally find the
album re released on CD is fantastic and listening to it again it
still remains in my opinion one of the best and most exciting Big
Band albums ever recorded.
As a trumpet player myself I may be a bit biased but the stars of
the recording are the trumpet section led by the late great Bill
Chase. The opening track,23 Red is a phenomenal chase (no pun)
with three of the trumpet players trying to blow each other off the stand,and that pace never lets up throughout the album.
There is excitement in every number,all the sections sound really
tight and together and as well as all the fantastic trumpet solos
the sax soloists Sal Nistico and Gary Klein are on top form.
This is a live recording and the feeling conveyed throughout is of a band who are really enjoying themselves. The same band recorded much of the same material in a concert Live from Antibes a year or so later and whilst that album is very good it doesn't quite convey the same sense of excitement as Woodys Winners and the trumpets don't quite hit their solos with the same precision and swing.
As far as the Jazz Hoot album is concerned, The Duck and Boopsie are particularly naff. Sidewinder could do without the vocal from the leader and Mardis Gras sounds a bit like a sequence dance for Come Dancing! Apart from that the rest of the album is
okay with more great trumpet work from Bill Chase on I Can't Get
Started and good versions of Satin Doll,Watermelon Man and Jazz
Hoot. I am not convinced,from the sound quality of these last tracks, that they were recorded at the same time as the Woody's Winners tracks. The trumpet section sounds more distant and with
more reverb.
I would have been quite happy paying the same money for the Woody's Winners CD without Jazz Hoot. As both albums are on the
one CD I shall just programme the CD player to start at track 11. The one album alone is good enough to give the whole package a five star rating.

Artist: Various Artists

Artist: Coleman Hawkins, Henry Allen

Artist: Ben Webster

Historic, 2007-07-12
This is a great CD in many ways. First and foremost Ben Webster was one of the great Tenor Sax players in Jazz history so any recording of him is worth listening to. Here in December 1964 at Ronnie Scotts he is in great form, whether its burning up the stage on a blues or his beautiful breathy ballad playing on tracks like 'Stardust'. What is surprising is that he plays 'Confirmation' and 'A Night in Tunisia', which are both be-bop classics.

The other reason to get this recording is because Stan Tracey was the house Pianist at Ronnie Scotts at the time. It has to be said that the Piano on some tracks does not sound that great, and that sadly the balance on this recording is pretty poor. The Sax sound is fabulous, but is to high in the mix, so the rhythm section is a little quieter than ideal. Stan Tracey is in sparkling form. On bass is Rick Laird and on drums is Jackie Dougan.

For the various sound problems I have docked it one star. In truth the recordings may have just been documentary and never planned for release. Be grateful they were though, because despite the dodgy sound this recording is well worth getting.

Artist: Ben Webster

Artist: Various Artists

Artist: Various Artists

Must-have Lester, 2009-09-29
This is the second of five cds of Lester Young at the Patio Lounge, Washington DC in 1956. If you only want to buy one of the cds then this is the one to buy. From the opening "Lester Leaps In" to the final "Lullabye of Birdland" every tune is brilliant. Lester, accompanied by the Bill Potts trio, plays with smooth, flowing, phrases, and with an inspired, intense swing. At times his solos have an almost abstract quality which must have influenced Dexter Gordon and the more idiosyncratic Sonny Rollins. This being a "live" recording, Lester plays "I`m Confessin` That I love You" and "Jumpin` With Symphony Sid" at faster tempos than on his studio recordings; and it is noticeable how he emphasizes the melodic minor scale in the relative minor key sections of "Lullabye of Birdland". With the melodic invention of the ballad "These Foolish Things" this is a must have cd for anyone who is interested in the giants of the tenor saxophone.