Requisites

Black Christ of the andes is a 1963 recording from Mary Lou Williams on the MPS label. Photographer Charles “Chuck” Stewart provided the original cover image for designer Gigi Berendt, however, there was a second image provided for the 2004 reissue. In the mid-to-late 1950s, the jazz composer and pianist retired from public performance for nearly four years. During her hiatus she converted to Catholicism, and the first record she made after her return was a marked departure from her previous work: it was a mass.

In 1962, the Catholic Church canonized a new saint: A Peruvian brother of the Dominican Order named Martin de Porres, the son of a freed slave named Ana Velazquez and a Spanish gentleman who refused to recognize him because he was born with his mother’s dark features. St. Martin de Porres was a gifted healer who was dedicated to the poor — today, he is the patron saint of those who seek racial harmony.

The fourteen tracks on the album are St. Martin de Porres, It Ain’t Necessarily So, The Devil, Miss D. D., Anima Christi, A Grand Night For Swinging, My Blue Heaven, Dirge Blues, A Fungus Amungus, Koolbonga, Forty-Five Degree Angle, Nicole, Chunka Lunka and Praise The Lord.

The opening hymn, “St. Martin de Porres,” begins with a choir singing a cappella. The chords — dense and full of satisfying tensions — showcase Williams’ previously underutilized aptitude for vocal arrangement. As they sing the saint’s name, the choir slows down, masterfully swelling on the vowels as if to prove their devotion. When Williams finally enters on the keys, she does so with an Afro-Latin groove, perhaps a nod to the heritage of the hymn’s subject.

Williams, a leading exponent of stride piano, a difficult style of playing similar to ragtime, was developed in New York City’s Harlem during World War I. As one of the most influential women in jazz, she was a mentor to the likes of Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk.

Mary Lou Williams’ Black Christ of the andes is jazz for the soul and an overlooked choral masterpiece that should be a part of every collection.

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Maurice Vander is the self-titled album recorded in 1955 by Maurice Camille Gustave Vanderschueren, better known as his stage sir name Vander. This bop session was recorded in Paris, France on the Disques Vega label and the cover art/photography was designed by Roberlus Tervueren. The band, unfortunately, is uncredited on this session.

Eight standards were set for this recording session that included Pennies From Heaven, I’ll Remember April, The Nearness Of You, Strike Up The Band, How About You, There’ll Never Be Another You, Everything Happens To Me and Get Happy.

To my dismay and probably to that of others, I can find no audio version of this album and this album is out of print but there are a few used copies on the market that one may be able to claim and make a part of their collection.

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Constellation is a contemporary jazz album by violinist Michal Urbaniak that was released on the Polskie Nagrania Muza label in May 1973. ‎

The music was composed by Michał Urbaniak and was joined by drummer Czesław Bartkowski, Hammond B3 and Farfisa organist Wojciech Karolak, Fender pianist and bassist Adam Makowicz, and on vocals and percussion was Urszula Dudziak,

The tracks on the album consisted of only five songs –  Bengal, Spokój, Lato, Seresta and Theme with two on side A and three on the B side for a total time of 41:56.

The design and photography were by M. Karewicz, recorded by W. Piętowski, and the engineer was H. Jastrzębska-Marciszewska for the live recording at the Warsaw Philharmonic.

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Hard Driving Jazz by the Cecil Taylor Quintet ‎was recorded in New York City on October 13, 1958 at United Artists Records. This hard bop and modal session was licensed by United to Dillard et Cie, Imp. and released in 1959 on La Voix De Son Maître in Paris, France.

The cover photography was taken by Tom Burnside and the design of the cover was made by Griner/Lewis, the recording engineer was Fernando Vargas, Tom Wilson was the session producer and the liner notes were written by François Postif.

Four tunes made up this session composed by Chuck Israels, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke, Kenny Dorham, John Klenner and Sam Lewis. Double Clutching, Like Someone In Love,Shifting Down and Just Friends for a short 33:14.

The players were Chuck Israels on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, Cecil Taylor on piano, Kenny Dorham on trumpet and on tenor saxophone was Blue Train (John Coltrane).

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Saudade is an album by Brazilian composer Moacir Santos recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was recorded at United Artists Studios in West Hollywood, California on March 5, 6 & 12, 1974.

The compositions that make up the album are Early Morning Love (Santos, Yanna Cotti) – 3:25, A Saudade Matta a Gente (Antonio Almeida, J. de Barro) – 6:10, Off and On (Santos, Cotti) – 3:37, The City of LA (Mark Levine) – 3:38, Suk Cha (Santos) – 4:06, Kathy (Santos, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) – 3:37, Haply-Happy (Santos, Petsye Powell) – 2:59, Amphibious (Santos, Assis) – 3:25, This Life (Santos, Cotti) – 2:33 and lastly What’s My Name (Santos, Evans, Livingston) – 3:07.

The players were Moacir Santos – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, conductor, arranger, Steve Huffsteter – trumpet, flugelhorn, Benny Powell – trombone, Morris Repass – bass trombone, Sidney Muldrow – french horn, Ray Pizzi – bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo, Jerome Richardson – soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute, Mark Levine – piano, electric piano, arranger, Lee Ritenour – guitar, electric guitar, John Heard – bass, electric bass, Harvey Mason – drums, Mayuto Correa, Carmelo Garcia – conga, percussion, and Donald Alves, Mike Campbell, Jose Marino, Petsye Powell, Carmen Saveiros, Regina Werneck on background vocals.

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