Riveting 1965 review of his own staggering classics like Death Letter and John The Revelator, rinsed by everyone from Captain Beefheart to Jack White.
At Fillmore West in 1970 with Airto, Steve Grossman, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette (just before Keith Jarrett joined). The Bitches Brew sound.
From 1964, with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams on drums; and young Sam Rivers replacing George Coleman (pushing the sound further out, and spiking Davis’ signature cool).
‘High-energy live versions of songs by Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, and Richard Carpenter, as well as a restlessly fast-paced take on the Davis staple So What.’
Fourth and last of the classic quintet albums with Shorter, Hancock, Carter and Williams. Mostly written by Herbie and Wayne Shorter — a valediction to hard bop, without the old-school machismo.
LP from Music On Vinyl.
Plenty of thrills and spills in this soundtrack to Otto Preminger’s 1959 film. Steeply evocative dynamic and rhythmic contrasts and quick changes in orchestral density get the job done — with a repeated strain of melody — and make for highly entertaining listening, with numerous rollicking brass passages in amongst the piano-threaded impressionism, plus terrific soloing by Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance and co. Highlights include the suspenseful opener, the moody Midnight Indigo, the sublimely sad Almost Cried, and the band hard-rocking out-the-door with Upper And Outest, culminating in an amazing stratospheric passage by Cat Anderson, playing for a moment as if the needle is stuck.
Check out the opening of the film, with its title sequence by Saul Bass, and Duke’s music. Class.
With Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Larry Gales (bass), Ben Riley (drums). And Jon Hendricks with a great vocal version of In Walked Bud.
Leaving Sussex for Columbia, this 1976 classic presents a mellower Withers, notwithstanding the rough rare groove killer Make Love To Your Mind. Hello Like Before and I Wish You Well are both here, too.