Requisites

Speak No Evil: This 1964 release by Wayne Shorter has been considered as one of his finer works and a “must have” for the serious collector. As he was in Miles Davis’ band at the time, this album did not receive the welcome it so deserved.

Personnel: Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, Herbie Hancock – piano, Ron Carter – bass, Elvin Jones – drums

Recorded by: Rudy Van Gelder

Record Date: Blue Note – December 24, 1964

Cover: Photograph of Wayne Shorter and his first wife, Teruka Nakagami

Songs: Witch Hunt, Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, Dance Cadaverous, Speak No Evil, Infant Eyes, Wild Flower

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Forest Flower & Soundtrack: This 1967 release was recorded when Charles Lloyd brought his band to Monterey for an unprecedented performance. A set of far-reaching, sophisticated progressive jazz that was rich and accessible was what a floored audience heard that day. The hippie and college-aged audience were witness to superb interplay, melodic gifts that skirted the edges of what was going on at the time, pushed the boundaries and the talents of this young band. This is decidedly one requisite for the budding initiate of jazz.

Personnel: Charles Lloyd – saxophone, Keith Jarrett – piano, Jack DeJohnette – drums, Cecil McBee – bass

Record Date: September 8, 1966

Songs: Forest Flower – Sunrise, Forest Flower – Sunset, Sorcery, Song Of Her, East Of The Sun, Sombrero Sam, Voice In The Night, Pre-Dawn, Forest Flower ‘69

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SOULTRANE: This album continues the reinforcement of Trane’s importance as a stylist. As in Coltrane and John Coltrane and the Red Garland Trio, his first two albums as a leader for Prestige, the material in SOULTRANE is away from the ordinary. The rhythm section is a perfect accompanying unit for Trane who, by this time, was acknowledged to be – along with Sonny Rollins – one of the two most influential tenor saxophonists in jazz.

Personnel: John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, Red Garland – piano, Paul Chambers – bassArthur Taylor – drums

Supervised by: Bob Weinstock

Record Date: Hackensack, New Jersey / February 7, 1958

Cover: Esmond Edwards

Songs: Good Bait, I Want To Talk About You, You Say You Care, Theme For Ernie, Russian Lullaby

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The Cats: In the Fifties, Tommy Flanagan was one of the most highly valued pianists in jazz. His appearance on record was primarily as a sideman, well appreciated by his fellow musicians but not recognized for their display of his superior abilities by a wider audience.

This album contains a Flanagan trio track “How Long Has This Been Going On?” surrounded with the choice, empathetic soloists as Coltrane, Burrell and Sulieman. It is still a delight to hear their interaction to this day with Tommy and the all-Detroit rhythm section of Doug Watkins and Louis Hayes. Flanagan penned all of the originals on this album.

Personnel: Tommy Flanagan – piano, John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, Idrees Sulieman – trumpet, Kenny Burrell – guitar, Doug Watkins – bass, Louis Hayes – drums

Record date: Hackensack, New Jersey – April 18, 1957

Supervised by: Bob Weinstock

Songs: Minor Mishap; How Long Has This Been Going On; Eclypso; Solacium; Tommy’s Tune

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It’s the late 1950s and early ’60s in Los Angeles, California and Jazz, that quintessentially American art form, is struggling to find its footing. Gigs are drying up, and even titans like tenor saxophonist Ben Webster are fighting for recognition in their own country. But here’s the beautiful part: when the spotlight dims, sometimes the most honest music emerges.

At The Renaissance captures one of those magical nights when Webster and a group of sympathetic, deeply inspired colleagues came together at a Hollywood club and created something essential. This wasn’t about fame or fortune—this was about survival, about keeping the music alive when nobody seemed to be listening.

Recorded live on October 14, 1960, Webster is surrounded by the perfect ensemble: the sensitive touch of pianist Jimmy Rowles, the elegant guitar work of Jim Hall, Red Mitchell’s solid bass foundation, and Frank Butler’s impeccable drumming. Producer Lester Koenig had the wisdom to simply press record and let them do what they do best.

What unfolds across eight tracks—from the haunting “Gone With The Wind” to the classic “Stardust,” from Ellington’s “Caravan” to the blues-soaked originals—is pure empathy translated into sound. Webster’s tone is unmistakable: warm, breathy, deeply human. You can hear everything he’s feeling in every note.

This is the kind of recording that belongs in every collection not because it’s flashy or groundbreaking, but because it reminds us what jazz is really about—musicians speaking truth to each other and to us, even when the world isn’t paying attention.


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