January 11, 2016

Back To The Future: Dexter Gordon - "Homecoming"

January 11, 2016/ Eric

By 1976 Dexter Gordon had all but become a forgotten figure in the mainstream jazz world. His style of jazz had fallen out of fashion, pushed to the fringe as the more commercial leanings of fusion and smooth jazz became the flavors of the day. His successful return to the United States - after years in a self-imposed exile -was wonderfully documented on the double-LP Homecoming an album made even better with the presence of Woody Shaw blowing his tail off on the trumpet.

February 06, 2015

Tubby Hayes And The All Stars - "Tubby's Back In Town"

February 06, 2015/ The Jazz Record

What's the deal with Tubby Hayes? In this internet age of rediscovery and reevaluation, Hayes has continued to remain extremely under-appreciated. I'm speaking from a U.S. perspective, of course, I can only suppose that he is much better known in the U.K. where he recorded most of his work and was one of the finest tenor players to come from those shores. In the States his discography is a messy affair...

January 09, 2015

Horace Silver Quintet - "6 Pieces Of Silver"

January 09, 2015/ The Jazz Record

This album is an early hard bop lovers dream, with Horace Silver leading a group that includes Hank Mobley and Donald Byrd, two fellow musicians who also helped shape the sound of Blue Note heading into the next decade. Silver is often cited as one of the originators of the hard bop style, and listening to this early recording it is easy to see why.