Category: Jazz (Page 8 of 12)

For the late West Coast vibraphone master Cal Tjader’s entry in the series of live discs issued by the Monterey Jazz Festival’s archival record label, performances from his dates at the annual event have been cherry-picked, spanning five dates between 1958 and 1980. Aside from the gloriously consistent fidelity of all the recordings – the ’58 sessions sound just as crystal clear as the ‘70s and ‘80s recordings – the voice he developed apart from peers like Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson comes through loud and clear. Though his bop tunes from ’58 with pianist Vince Guaraldi, bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Willie Bobo are fine and dandy, it’s the Latin tracks that really put this disc over the top. Especially of note is the conga- and timbale-infused ’72 performance of “Mateca,” which stretches out for over 12 minutes and features fetching cameos from Dizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry, not to mention Mitchell Wolf’s awesome electric piano comping. Add a stately ballad from ’77 (“If You Could See Me Now”) and a little bossa nova (“Speak Low”), and Cal’s bases are pretty much covered here. (Monterey Jazz Festival 2008)

Monterey Jazz Festival Records MySpace page

Packaged in a cool mini-LP sleeve replica, complete with gatefold cover, liner note insert and a CD that looks like a tiny vinyl record (even the plastic is black), Promising Music’s MPS reissue series takes some cues from those collectible (and pricey) Japanese LP-sleeve reissues in feting the catalog of the German jazz label. Dutch keyboardist Jasper van’t Hof has one of the more obscure titles in the series, with his Pork Pie group’s Transitory album, though any ‘70s fusion head will be glad to hear it. Recorded and released in 1974, the music reflects much of what was going on in jazz at the time – the rock and world rhythms that supplanted the swing of old, the appropriation of rock guitars and funky electric pianos, and compositions that defied categorization. The “world rhythms” truly are international here – each member of the collective hails from a different country (the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, the United States, and a guest percussionist from Brazil round out the collective), culminating in a sound that, when not venturing into ambient territory, provides an interesting window into a time when “fusion” was not yet a dirty word. (MPS/Promising Music 2008)

Jasper van’t Hof MySpace page

It’s all too easy to forget what someone like Wes Montgomery meant to the guitar itself, and not just jazz guitar specifically. Concord’s Keepnews Collection, spotlighting milestones in the career of jazz producer Orrin Keepnews with 24-bit remastered sound and new liner notes from Keepnews himself, slips out a reminder with the series’ entry for The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. Traditionally cited as Montgomery’s best studio album, it’s easy to hear why. Unlike his later recordings for Verve and A&M, which were often bloated by strings and other extraneous elements for a more pop-friendly sound, this landmark 1960 session finds Montgomery backed by a crack rhythm section – pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath – and nothing more. The quartet storms through six originals and two standards, and Montgomery’s trademark flying octaves are all over the place. His leads always sound effortless and simple, but just try playing them yourself with the style and grace with which Montgomery applies. He was one of a kind, and an inspiration to countless jazz guitarists for reasons that Incredible Jazz Guitar articulates clearly, succinctly and enjoyably. (Riverside/Concord 2008)