Tag: 1960s
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Big John Patton, Let ‘Em Roll, 1966 on Blue Note
Patton joined by Otis Finch (drums), Grant Green (guitar), and Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Fantastic Hammond B3 driven mid-sixties Blue Note jazz – can’t go wrong. My copy—direct from Amazon, which often has deals on these—is the Blue Note Tone Poet series reissue from 2023, with…
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Lou Donaldson, Midnight Creeper, 1968 on Blue Note
Donaldson joined here by Leo Morris (drums), George Benson (guitar), Lonnie Smith (organ) and Blue Mitchell (trumpet). Very groovy soul-jazz LP from late sixties Blue Note. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs and produced by Francis Wolff. My copy—via Amazon—is the Blue Note Tone Poet reissue from 2024, mastered by Kevin Gray and…
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The Grateful Dead, Aoxomoxoa, 1969 on Warner Bros
This was the third studio LP from The Grateful Dead, and was one of the first albums recorded in 16 tracks on an Ampex MM-1000. It was remixed by Garcia and Lesh in 1971. “China Cat Sunflower” and “St. Stephen” remain among my favorite Dead tunes, though I find it hard to get through “What’s…
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The Beatles, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, 1977 on Capitol
Recorded in 1964 and 1965, restored by George Martin for release in 1977, and then re-released in 2016 with four additional tracks and fully remastered by Giles Martin as Live At The Hollywood Bowl. It’s been out of print for a long time so I was happy to find a copy in the used market.…
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Sarah Vaughan, Live at the Berlin Philharmonie 1969, 2021 on The Lost Recordings
Recorded in 1969, with Vaughan backed by Johnny Veith (piano), Gus Mancuso (bass), and Eddy Pucci (drums). The Berliner Philharmonie is used here as the name of the hall, not the orchestra – built in the 1960s. The Lost Recordings is a French label that, in their own words, “travel[s] the world in search of…
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Bill Evans Trio, Bill Evans at Town Hall Volume One, 1967 on Verve
Recorded at Town Hall on February 21st, 1966. The trio here includes Chuck Isreals and Arnold Wise – this being the only commercial recording with Wise on drums. The second side includes the 13 minute “Solo -In Memory of His Father, Harry L. Evans” who had died in 1966. My copy—via private sale—is the 2022…
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Bill Evans, Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top Of the Gate, 2012 on Resonance
Another Sunday, another Bill Evan’s live LP from Resonance. This one was recorded October 23, 1968 in Greenwich Village. This time Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell join Evans. This was recorded by Geoge Klabin himself, founder of the Rising Jazz Stars foundation and Resonance Records, as a 22 year old college student. My copy—via a…
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Booker Ervin, The Freedom Book, 1964 on Prestige
Sixth full-length with Ervin as leader, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1963, for Prestige. Ervin is joined here by Jaki Byard (piano), Richard Davis (bass), and Alan Dawson (who was a drum instructor at Berklee in Boston) (drums). My copy—via a private sale—is the 2023 Analogue Productions / Craft Recordings reissue, in the Prestige…
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Milt Jackson & John Coltrane, Bags & Trane, 1961 on Atlantic
Jackson and Coltrane are joined by Hank Jones (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Connie Kay (drums). Recording supervised by Nesuhi Ertegun, engineered by Tom Dowd. Great LP, bringing together Milt Jackson (Bags) of The Modern Jazz Quartet and John Coltrane (Trane) who had a year earlier put out Giant Steps. I’m not always a fan…
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Bill Evans, At The Montreux Jazz Festival, 1968 on Verve
Second 1968 Bill Evans performance I’ve posted this week, this one has the trio (again with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette) at Casino de Montreux in Switzerland, and was recorded by the technical department of Radio Suisse Romande. My copy (via a private sale) is the 2020 Analogue Productions reissue on two 45rpm 200g records,…
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Blue Mitchell, Down With It, 1966 on Blue Note
Another fantastic Blue Note jazz LP, this came out originally in 1966. It features Mitchell (trumpet) with Junior Cook (tenor sax), Chick Corea (piano), Gene Taylor (bass), and Aloysius Foster (drums), and was recorded at Van Gelder Studios in New Jersey. My copy- via a private sale – is the Blue Note Tone Poet reissue…
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Bill Evans, Live at Ronnie Scott’s, 2020 on Resonance
Recorded back in July of 1968, this is Evans with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette at London’s landmark Ronnie Scott’s club. Resonance Records itself is part of the non-profit Rising Jazz Stars Foundation. The trio in this form had a month long residency in 1968 at the club. The recording here was made by DeJohnette…
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Herbie Hancock, Inventions and Dimensions, 1964 on Blue Note
Hancock is joined by Paul Chambers, Willie Bobo and Chihuahua Martinez—though it’s not really what you’d call a Latin jazz album so much as post-bop or modal. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs studio. My copy—direct from Blue Note—is the 2019 Blue Note 80 Vinyl Series reissue mastered for vinyl by Kevin…
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Lou Donaldson, The Natural Soul, 1963 on Blue Note
Another album from the excellent Story of Blue Note Records VMP Anthology, this came five years after Blues Walk, and features Grant Green, John Patton, Ben Dixon, and Tommy Turrentine (brother of Stanley). Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in his Englewood Cliffs NJ studio and produced by Alfred Lion. My copy is part of the…
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Harold Vick, Steppin’ Out!, 1963 on Blue Note
Debut album from Harold Vick (as a leader), recorded Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with a wonderful supporting cast: Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, John Patton, and Ben Dixon. Vick would also go on to play with folks like King Curtis and Aretha Franklin, and passed in 1987. Great album of early…
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Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Midnight Special, 1977 on Fantasy
This 2xLP release is a reissue of two earlier albums: 1960’s Blues & Folk (sides 1 and 2) and 1961’s Blues All Around My Head (sides 3 and 4). Fantasy often put out these reissues as double LPs, as the earlier blues artists were being rediscovered again – good way to get the earlier material.…
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B.B. King, Live at the Regal, 1965 on ABC Paramount
Recorded live at the Regal Theater in Chicago in 1964, and released by ABC Paramount (in the US) in 1965. Fantastic live blues album and a must have. It was a cold, raw day in traditionally windy Chicago on November 21, 1964, but hundreds of people found a quick way to warm up! There were…
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Stan Getz & Bill Evans, Previously Unreleased Recordings, 1974 on Verve
Sometimes just referred to as Stan Getz & Bill Evans, this was recorded in 1964 but not released until 1974. Ron Carter (A side) and Richard Davis (B side) on bass, with Elvin Jones on drums. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ and produced by Creed Taylor. There’s a whole series…
