The following albums are four recent audiophile vinyl jazz reissues from the Acoustic Sounds Series.
The New Stan Getz Quartet featuring Astrid Gilberto, Getz Au Go Go It’s hard to explain to pop music fans today how much of a phenomenon the Brazilian music craze of the early-to-mid-’60s was at that time. Not even the explosion of The Beatles and the British Invasion could slow down the musical juggernaut.
While there were many people involved in popularizing the sound, perhaps the four most important figures were Brazilian artists Antonio Carlos Jobim, husband and wife Joao and Astrid Gilberto, and American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. The albums that launched and solidified the popularity of the sound were those that Getz recorded on Verve, that included the Gilbertos and others in various combinations.
These studio albums, particularly Getz/Gilberto, released in 1964, often receive the audiophile treatment, but the live album that was part of the series, Getz Au Go Go, hasn’t until now. It was produced by Creed Taylor and primarily recorded at the long-shuttered and legendary music venue that featured a wide variety of music during its heyday in the 1960s, the Café Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. The tiny club was the perfect venue for the gentle and sultry intimacy of this music.
What makes this album featuring Getz and Astrid Gilberto even more than a live celebration of the bossa nova craze was the addition of the rest of the band, bassist Gene Cherico, drummer Joe Hunt, bassist Chuck Israels, drummer Helcio Milton, and Kenny Burrell on guitar on four tracks. But the real bonus to all those great players was the addition of Gary Burton on vibes. While Antonio Carlos Jobim did sit in with the band during its long run at the club, he is not on the album.
The dates and venue information for this recording have long been in dispute, and over the years, what is clear is that these recordings were taken from the Café Au Go Go and Carnegie Hall. Along with the breakthrough hit “Corcovado,” included here, is the bossa nova staple “One Note Samba.” Standards such as “It Might As Well Be Spring,” “Summertime” and “Here’s That Rainy Day” are also given bossa flavored workouts.
It’s hard to really sum up in a review the romantic beauty of this music and the ease with which these musical masters interweave such magic. More than 60 years later, the music here sounds as fresh as a cool breeze on Ipanema beach on a summer night.
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges, Side By Side Along with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington must be considered one of the most important artists to create the sound of American jazz. Ellington himself would admit that several of his collaborators were also largely responsible for his success.
While there are many, the two that stand out the most are songwriter Billy Strayhorn and saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Ellington and Hodges recorded and released Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues in 1959. Side By Side, released later that same year, included three tracks from the Back to Back sessions and six new recordings.
Oddly, although Side By Side only includes Ellington on three tracks, it has become a jazz classic and one of the most popular recordings in the Ellington catalog. This really is a Hodges-led session and includes such jazz heavyweights as Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Jo Jones. Webster is also a veteran of Ellington’s bands.
Produced by Norman Granz in New York in 1958, the album eschews the classic Ellington big-band approach for a more stripped-down, relaxed feel. It is the musical equivalent of old friends enjoying a busman’s holiday, though, on an album that is considered a jazz classic.
Kai Winding/J.J. Johnson, The Great Kai & J.J.: Brand New, Swinging Together Again The Impulse! Jazz label is one of the most celebrated record labels of all time. It would become the home of some of the most groundbreaking jazz recordings of the ’60s, including key works by Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, and most significantly John Coltrane.
Oddly enough, its first release in 1960 was a reunion of sorts of two trombone players, Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson. The two were persuaded by producer Creed Taylor to reunite so Impulse! could mark their recording birth with a commercial bang. To assist in making a big splash, jazz giants Art Taylor, Roy Haynes, Tommy Williams, Paul Chambers, and, often the star of this show, Bill Evans were enlisted.
The accessible and highly listenable set is highlighted by performances of such popular tunes as “This Could Be the Start of Something,” one of the thousands of songs written by Steve Allen, better known as the first host of The Tonight Show and a television veteran. “The Theme from Picnic,” an Allen co-write, is also included here with a jazzy update. There’s also a bluesy take on “Georgia on My Mind” and interpretations of early jazz songbook faves “Alone Together” and “I Concentrate on You.”
It’s great to see this album given the full audiophile treatment and its rightful due, as it often becomes forgotten in Impulse!’s history and overshadowed by the more avant-jazz to come.
Roland Kirk, Now please don’t cry, beautiful Edith Known as Rahsaan Roland Kirk, this musician was well known for his ability to play multiple wind instruments at the same time. He recorded early on mostly for Mercury but spent the bulk of his career in the ‘60s and ’70s on Atlantic.
Coming from this one-and-only Verve outing from 1967, which came out during his Atlantic years, is more conventional than the bulk of his later Atlantic years but offered more than a hint of the experimentations and bold musicianship to come. With deft support by bassist Ronald Boykins, drummer Grady Tate, and pianist Lonnie Smith, Kirk remained more grounded than usual with the just-right anchor of this tasteful rhythm section and the sure-handed guidance of producer Creed Taylor.
After a tender reading of the theme song from the film Alfie, Kirk stretches out on “Why Don’t They Know” and “Silverlization.” Like most of these Verve recordings that featured adventurous and roots players, the lush sound, precision recording, and overall label supervision by Norman Granz make for recordings that don’t so much tame the players as focus them to make timeless and accessible music that doesn’t just appeal to the most hardcore jazz heads.
These reissues are mastered from the original analog tapes and pressed at QRP on 180-gram vinyl. Each release is in a sturdy gatefold package with photos and liner notes and comes in an outer sealed plastic bag that can easily be opened by tearing away the perforated top.
Other than the Getz Au Go Go release, these reissues show a later traditional jazz sound transition to the experimental and the birth of one of the most important avant-garde jazz labels. Yet, like the Getz release, they offer well-recorded music with a lush and inviting sound. These jazz reissues are as good as it gets and provide historic, classic, somewhat overlooked, and singular jazz albums that are must-have releases for the serious audiophile and jazz connoisseur.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
The New Stan Getz Quartet featuring Astrid Gilberto, Getz Au Go Go
A
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges, Side By Side
B+
Kai Winding/J.J. Johnson, The Great Kai & J.J.: Brand New, Swinging Together Again
B
Roland Kirk, Now please don’t cry, beautiful Edith
B
