Gil Evans - Priestess (1977) {Antilles Japan J33D-20001 rel 1985}
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© 1977, 1985 Antilles / Polystar Japan | J33D-20001
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Big Band / Progressive Jazz

Gil Evans never stopped growing as the years went on – a leader who was always open to new ideas and new modes of expression – which he reached for strongly, even as his older "modern" contemporaries started to sound out of date! This excellent late 70s session is a key illustration of Evans' continual drive – as he works in modes that equally embrace acoustic and electric elements, but never like a funky big band record, or some of the electrification added to older groups – instead with this richly visionary way that brings all the elements together at a level that's completely sublime!

Hank Crawford's fifth in his long string of Milestone recordings was the first of several to team the soulful altoist with organist Jimmy McGriff. Guitarists George Benson and the lesser-known Jim Pittsburgh are on three songs apice while Bernard Purdie is on drums except on "Frim Fram Sauce" where Mel Lewis takes his spot. The superior material and the infectious swing supplied by McGriff and his rhythm mates inspire Hank Crawford to some of his best playing of the era.

Elmo Hope - Hope Meets Foster (1955) {Prestige OJCCD-1703-2 rel 1991}
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© 1955, 1991 Prestige Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1703-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano

This session featuring pianist Elmo Hope and tenor saxophonist Frank Foster was originally recorded on October 4, 1955 in Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack Studio for Bob Weinstock and Prestige Records. Rounding out the quintet are Freeman Lee on trumpet, John Ore on bass and Art Taylor on drums. The group tackles three Hope originals, two Foster originals and a solid rendition of "Georgia On My Mind." Hope had a very unique piano style which to me was a perfect synthesis of Monk and Bud, but his career was ultimately stunted due to drug addiction, incarceration, overall poor health, and ultimately his premature death in 1967 at the age of 44. The music should please bop fans.

Preston Love - Omaha Bar-B-Q (1969) {Kent–BGP Records CDBGPM138 rel 2001}
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© 1969, 2001 Kent / BGP Records / Ace Records | CDBGPM 138
Jazz / Funk / Soul Jazz / Soul Funk / Saxophone

Saxophonist Preston Love was far more associated with the early sounds of West Coast R&B in the 1940s and 1950s than he was with modern soul-funk. However, he, like numerous other R&B vets, actually did make some recordings in a much more modern style that have been relatively ignored. By the time this CD came out in 2001 early funk was undergoing a renaissance among collectors, spurring the reissue of Love's rare 1969 LP. Helping Love out on this collection of instrumental soul-funk tunes were the legendary Johnny Otis on piano and vibraphone, Clifford Soloman on tenor sax, and, on one of his earliest recordings, legendary guitarist (and son of Johnny Otis) Shuggie Otis, just 14 years of age when this was made.

On their second release, Rainbow not only avoid the sophomore jinx; they hit a home run. After replacing the entire band (except Ronnie James Dio) immediately following the recording of the first album, Ritchie Blackmore and the Rising lineup (Blackmore; Dio; Tony Carey, keys; Jimmy Bain, bass; and the late, great Cozy Powell, drums) had plenty of time on the road touring the first album to get the chops and material together for their second…

Too Mean to Die is the sixteenth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released on 29 January 2021. It is the first Accept album to feature Martin Motnik, who replaced original bassist Peter Baltes in 2019, and rhythm guitarist Philip Shouse, who joined the band that same year. Speaking of heavy metal kingpins, when ACCEPT first launched at the end of the 70s, the metal genre didn’t even exist - at first the band could only be labelled with the (quality) seal “crazy loud and crazy wild”. Today we know that this was (and is) metal par excellence. And we also know that ACCEPT opened the door to thrash metal, inspiring giants such as Metallica. Guitarist Kirk Hammett recently stated in the German magazine “Gitarre & Bass”: “Wolf Hoffmann has a huge influence on me.“

Phineas Newborn, Jr. - A World of Piano! (1961) {Contemporary OJCCD-175-2 rel 1991}
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© 1961, 1991 Contemporary Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-175-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Mainstream Jazz / Piano

Phineas Newborn's Contemporary debut (he would record six albums over a 15-year period for the label) was made just before physical problems began to interrupt his career. This CD reissue has two trio sessions, and finds Newborn joined by either bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones or bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. Actually, the accompaniment is not that significant, for the virtuosic Newborn is essentially the whole show anyway. He performs five jazz standards and three obscurities by jazz composers on this superb recital; highlights include "Cheryl," "Manteca," "Daahoud," and "Oleo."

Sonny Rollins - What's New (1962) {RCA Victor 74321796262 rel 2000}
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© 1962, 2000 RCA Victor / BMG France | 74321796262
Jazz / Hard Bop / Tenor Saxophone

A very unique album from Sonny Rollins – one that features him blowing tenor over some Latin-based rhythms that have a tight uptempo feel. The core group on the album features Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Ben Riley on drums – but they're augmented by larger arrangements that mix together bossa nova and calypso rhythms, which forge a surprisingly great background for Rollins' gutsy tenor. Although it's easy to dismiss the record as a throwaway cash-in affair on the Latin boom of the early 60s – Rollins actually handles himself wonderfully, and the longer-than-usual tracks on the album show a whole new side of his talents that were later reprised on Latin sessions during the 70s.

Roel Dieltiens is a Baroque cellist par excellence and the modest size of Ensemble Explorations (seven players including continuo) suits these works admirably. Vivaldi poured some of his finest music into his numerous concertos for bassoon and cello‚ both dualregister instruments for which he had obvious affection – to which the affecting slow movements richly testify. Dieltiens’ superb bow control and his natural empathy with style and emotional aura make these memorable musical experiences.

Vivaldi's many cello concertos are performed here with consummate taste and superb musicality by Roel Dieltiens and the Ensemble Explorations. Dieltiens plays with a rich tone and a light touch and his robust virtuosity and enthusiastic sympathy for the music are irresistible. The seven members of the Ensemble Explorations – five strings plus lute or guitar and organ or harpsichord – play with a sense of cooperation, which leaves this music sounding as concertos from the period should, which is to say more like chamber music.