Jazz Studio 1 - Decca DL 8058, Brunswick(E) LAT 8036

Now available on CD as part of Ocium OCM 0045 "Jam Session Two".
Whereas Decca's Jazz Studios 2 - 5 recorded the music of arrangers Ralph Burns, John Graas and Jack Millman, the first in the series was a simple jam session. As such it was rather overshadowed by the series led by Buck Clayton for Columbia.

The personnel is paired:
Joe Newman's trumpet and Benny Green's trombone
Frank Foster's and Paul Quinichette's tenors
Hank Jones's piano and Johnny Smith's guitar
encouraged by Ed Jones's bass and Kenny Clarke's drums.

Everyone gets space to stretch out on Tenderly, taken first at ballad tempo, then at a loping swing. Let's split is devoted to choruses split between the pairs mentioned, some especially witty music arising from the Johnny Smith/ Hank Jones interplay.

Eastern Rebellion 2 Timeless(NL) SJP 106

Although the first in this series, with the ever-reliable George Coleman joining the Cedar Walton trio, is a good enough hard-bop album, its successor, and indeed numbers 3 and 4, gave Bob Berg one of the best settings he ever enjoyed. This was whilst he was still digesting the Coltrane influence, but before his disappointing spell with Miles Davis. His later partnership with Mike Stern produced robust inventive music, and seldom did he produce a bad record, but for me this is Bob in his early prime, and the support from Cedar, Sam Jones and Billly Higgins makes this a superb album

Dave Holland Trio - Triplicate - ECM 1373

Steve Coleman's work under his own name has often challenged those ready to draw boundaries too closely around what they consider jazz. The M-Base period especially seemed to many a step too close to hip-hop.

His work with Dave Holland reveals what a good improviser he is, when that is what is called for. Jack DeJohnette makes up the trio here. Three other ECM albums using larger forces, Seeds of Time, The Razor's Edge and Jumping In (all with Kenny Wheeler) are almost equally good.

Chet Baker - The Italian Sessions - RCA 09026 68590

This 1962 session made shortly after his release from prison brought him support from the cream of Europe's musicians ( Bobby Jaspar, Rene Thomas, Benoit Quersin and Daniel Humair ) and they play an enterprising mix of standards and jazz classics.The surprise is the least known of those present: Amadeo Tommasi plays delicious piano, whether comping or soloing, and contributes the only original to the date. Chet is on top form and this date stands amongst his very best.

Patricia Barber - Nightclub - Blue Note 72435 27290 2

The is a great chill-out album. The voice is voluptuous, the choice of songs could remind you of Chet Baker's, the interpretations make you listen to the words, even of the more familiar songs. Her versions of Bye bye, blackbird and All or nothing at all redefine the songs. The surprise is perhaps her strong piano solos, (and comping): I wish she would make a piano album.

Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis - Blue Hodge - Verve V-8406

This is Hodges well away from Ellington, and some distance from Parker's admiring designation as the "Lily Pons of the saxophone".

This is the first of a series pairing him with Davis's Hammond (including Sandy's gone, Mess of blues, Blue Rabbit, Joe's Blues, Blue Pyramid, Wings and Things, Con-soul and Sax) which must count as another of Norman Granz's successes.

Bob Brookemeyer - Complete 1953-54 Quintet studio recordings with Stan Getz

Although first issued under Getz's name, these recordings benefit enormously from the presence of Brookmeyer, his hand detectable in the 6 originals, the ingenious head arrangements, and the improvised counterpoint that enliven several tunes. Getz is in fine melodic form. The songs include some unusual choices (e.g. "Varsity drag", "Give me the simple life") the tempos are varied, with a majority at an easy loping swing. Then there is the splendind Johnny Williams, whose percussive piano seems so well to blend with Brookmeyer.

Credit where it is due: Definitive have been much criticised for misleadingly titled issues, but although this too suffers from that fault, it is a helpful set, bringing toegther for the first time all the studio recordings of this working band (which was also recorded in concert from The Shrine Auditorium).