Requisites

Lighthouse ’68 is a live album by The Jazz Crusaders recorded on November 10-13, 1967 at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California and released the following year on the Pacific Jazz label. Lighthouse ’68 documents the group performing live at one of the premier West Coast clubs, The Lighthouse Café, opened in 1949.

The producer on the date was Richard Bock. The cover design was created by Gabor Halmos, the engineer was Dino Lappas, the liner notes were written by Howard Rumsey, and the liner photography was taken by Fred Seligo.

1. Ooga-Boo-Ga-Loo (Stix Hooper) – 6:39
2. Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 7:32
3. Native Dancer (Buster Williams) – 8:52
4. Never Had It So Good (Joe Sample) – 7:15
5. The Emperor (Buster Williams) – 8:50
6. Impressions (John Coltrane) – 6:12

• Wayne Henderson – trombone
• Wilton Felder – tenor saxophone
• Joe Sample – piano
• Buster Williams – bass
• Stix Hooper – drums

Review by Eddie Carter

Four friends from Houston, Texas who began performing locally in 1956 were Wayne Henderson, Wilton Felder, Joe Sample, and Stix Hooper. They were originally known as The Swingsters, then The Nite Hawks, but after moving to Los Angeles, California in 1961, they changed their name and became one of the best West Coast ensembles of the sixties, The Jazz Crusaders.

The set opens with Oogo-Boo-Ga-Loo, an infectiously danceable audience grabber by Stix Hooper which begins with a lovely introduction by the trio, then blossoms into a sanctified styled theme treatment. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby allows their midtempo rendition to explore the melody collectively. The tempo moves up for Native Dancer, the first of two contributions by Buster Williams which gets off to a roaring start with an aggressive opening statement and nimble melodic presentation.

Sample’s Never Had It So Good starts the second side with an easy spirited beat that leads us back to church with a bit of boogaloo in the imaginative display of harmony during the group’s opening melody. The Emperor, is Williams’ second offering to the session that takes us back to straightforward bop with the solos in the same order as the previous tune.

The album ends with John Coltrane’s Impressions, takes an invigorating introduction by the trio and theme statement led by the horns followed with a jet-propelled interpretation infused with searing fire for an energetic workout and effervescent ending.

Source: Jazztracks by Eddie Carter | Excerpt: 12/2018 | atlantaaudioclub.org

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Requisites

The Yuko Mabuchi Trio, Volume 1 is a 2017 live recording by the trio at The Brain and Creativity Institute’s Cammilleri Hall in Los Angeles, California on March 31, 2017. It was recorded in honor of the 25th Anniversary of The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, and their President, Bob Levi who was celebrating his 70th Birthday and released on the Yarlung Records label. The executive producer was Randy Bellous.

1. What Is This Thing Called Love?
2. Valse Noire
3. On Green Dolphin Street
4. Seriously

• Yuko Mabuchi ~ piano
• Del Atkins ~ bass
• Bobby Breton ~ drums

Review by Eddie Carter

On the stage, a beautiful young woman sits at a baby grand piano unleashing an aggressive flood of sound into the audience. Behind her are two elegantly dressed gentlemen, Del Atkins on bass and Bobby Breton on drums, who match her creativity, precise timing, and articulation with their own musical artistry note-for-note. Her name is Yuko Mabuchi.

The four-song album opens with one of Cole Porter’s most recorded compositions, the 1929 classic, What Is This Thing Called Love?, composed for the Broadway musical, Wake Up and Dream. It is followed by the very pretty ballad Valse Noire by Cincinnati, Ohio composer Mark Lehman who originally wrote the tune for solo piano. The pace slows down as the second side begins with the 1947 popular song On Green Dolphin Street by Bronislaw Kaper and Ned Washington. It was composed for the film Green Dolphin Street released that year and became a jazz standard after Miles Davis recorded it on his 1958 Columbia album, Jazz Track. The album closes with Seriously by singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles who wrote it for fellow singer Leslie Odom, Jr., who appeared on the weekly public radio program and podcast, This American Life.

Source: Jazztracks by Eddie Carter | Excerpt: 12/2018 | atlantaaudioclub.org

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Requisites

Jam Session is the first of two albums that comprised a two-part EmArcy Jazz Series recorded in front of a live audience on August 14, 1954, in Los Angeles, California.

1. What Is This Thing Called Love? (Cole Porter) – 14:56
2. Darn That Dream (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 5:16
3. Move (Denzil Best) – 14:28
4. My Funny Valentine/Don’t Worry ’bout Me/Bess, You Is My Woman Now/It Might as Well Be Spring (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers/Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler/George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin/Oscar Hammerstein II, Rogers) – 11:29

• Clifford Brown, Maynard Ferguson, Clark Terry ~ trumpet Herb Geller ~ alto saxophone (1,3,4)
• Harold Land ~ tenor saxophone
• Junior Mance (1,3,4), Richie Powell (2) ~ piano
• Keter Betts, George Morrow ~ bass
• Max Roach ~ drums
• Dinah Washington ~ vocal (2)

The album is opened with a spirited introduction by Roach preceding the ensemble presenting the melody collectively of Cole Porter’s 1929 classic What Is This Thing Called Love? written for the Broadway musical, Wake Up and Dream. Clifford is up first, revealing a musical maturity far beyond his years on the opening statement with a solo of dynamic energy. Land endows the next solo with long, flowing lines as Terry strolls in with his third performance for an impressive and entertaining interpretation.

Geller demonstrates the smooth, melodic quality of his playing with a light, fluid tone on the fourth reading and Morrow takes over illustrating his agility and potent endurance. Ferguson maintains the interpretative intensity and fullness of tone with Roach’s tower of strength swinging relentlessly. Powell takes the final bow hitting a perfect groove with plenty of incandescent heat. This is how the album flows.

Dinah Washington makes her only appearance on the album with the 1939 Jimmy Van Heusen and Eddie DeLange popular ballad, Darn That Dream. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical, Swingin’ The Dream, also released in 1939. Dinah’s luscious lyric delivery is with exquisite softness and elegant phrasing into a gorgeous finale to end the first side. Though only appearing once on this album, Washington recorded its companion Dinah Jams the following night as part of the same series. Both are enjoyable at any time of the day or evening with something to offer most jazz tastes.

Source: Jazztracks by Eddie Carter | Excerpt: 12/2018 | atlantaaudioclub.org

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Three Wishes

When she asked Ram Ramirez what he would say his three wishes were he replied to Nica:

1. “To be rich.”
2. “To be richer.”
3. “To find the Fountain of Youth, lay claim, and own it! With all that equipment, how dare you? How can you possibly compete with me? If I’m going to be sick, let me be young and sick. Not ‘like’ young and sick, but young and sick.”

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Requisites

Some Other Spring is an album by Norwegian vocalist Karin Krog with American saxophonist Dexter Gordon recorded in Norway in 1970 and originally released on the Sonet label in Europe. The session was produced by Hallvard Kvale and Johs Berg on May 10, 1970, in Oslo, Norway.

Tracks | 61:54

1. Some Other Spring (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Irene Kitchings) – 5:00
2. Blue Monk (Abbey Lincoln, Thelonious Monk) – 3:55
3. How Insensitive (Antônio Carlos Jobim, Norman Gimbel) – 4:30
4. Blue Eyes (Berndt Egerbladh, Karin Krog) – 4:50
5. Jelly, Jelly (Billy Eckstein, Earl Hines) – 4:55
6. I Wish I Knew (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) – 5:25
7. Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (Ace Adams, Lionel Hampton) – 4:35
8. Shiny Stockings (Frank Foster, Ella Fitzgerald) – 3:40

• Karin Krog – vocals
• Dexter Gordon – tenor saxophone, vocals
• Kenny Drew – piano
• Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen – bass
• Espen Rud – drums

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