Jazz — All Formats  

Two albums that really show why we love Benny Golson so much! Turning Point is an incredible, and oft-overlooked album from the great Benny Golson – and one of the few early albums that really point the way to his huge run of work for decades to come! The style here is a bit looser, and more open than some of Golson's previous albums – less of a focus on arrangements, and more on the spontaneous interplay between his tenor and the crack rhythm section – which features Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – a dream lineup who really make the record sparkle. But the real star of the show is Golson – who's hitting this raspy, soulful tone he never had before – much freer of soul jazz formalities, and with a modern edge that's wonderful – as you'll hear on titles that include "Alone Together", "Turning Point", "Stella By Starlight", and "Dear Kathy". On Free, things aren't as tightly structured as on some of Benny's more arranged albums of the period – and he opens up wonderfully in a small group setting – playing in a beautifully confident tone, but with a slightly raspy edge – cutting, changing, and swinging perfectly in lines that are masterfully crafted, yet full of raw emotion. The group's a thoughtful quartet, and includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and tracks that inlcude "Sock Cha", "Shades Of Stein", "Just By Myself", and "Just In Time".

One of the few albums ever cut as a leader by crack drummer Charlie Persip – and a great record that you might have missed because Howard Rumsey's name is bigger on the cover than Charlie's! The album's one of Rumsey's "Lighthouse Series" sides of the 50s – but it's a lot harder-driving and more energy-filled than most of the other Lighthouse-related sides coming out of LA at the time. Half the record features Charlie's group – a set of east coasters that includes Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Wynton Kelly – and the other part features some of the players from that ensemble mixing it up with drummer Stan Levey and other LA talents that include Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, and others. In all, the album's a great meeting of east and west coast hardbop styles – with short driving tracks that include "Reggie Of Chester", "Celedia", "Moto", "The Champ", and "Wildwood".

One of the best albums ever in Verve's classic set of recordings from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival – a set that captures the Dizzy Gillespie group of the decade in top live formation! The ensemble here is plenty hip – with a young Lee Morgan joining Dizzy on trumpet, and a host of other great players who include Melba Liston and Al Grey on trombones, Benny Golson and Billy Mitchell on saxes, and rhythm from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul West on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums! Although big, the band often had the sharper groove of a small combo – and even when hitting some older moments from Gillespie's earlier years, they still kept a modern edge in their approach – thanks to arrangements by AK Salim, Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, and Dizzy himself. Titles include "School Days", "I Remember Clifford", "Manteca", "Dizzy's Blues", "Cool Breeze", and "Doodlin".

One of the hardest to find of the early Lee Morgan albums on Blue Note – and a very lyrical batch of hardbop tracks, played with a slightly exotic flair! Morgan's group on the date features melodic modernists Benny Golson on tenor and Gigi Gryce on alto sax – both of whom push Morgan past his youthful bop approach into more sensitive areas – especially Golson, who wrote and arranged the tunes on the date with a sublime mix of hardbop and deeper musical ideals! Rhythm is from the trio of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Charlie Persip on drums – and titles include a great reading of Golson's "I Remember Clifford", plus four other originals by Benny – "Hasaan's Dream", "Domingo", "Mesabi Chant", and "Tip Toeing".

A pair of corkers from Roland Kirk – back to back on a single CD! Domino is a key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too – mixing up work on tenor sax, manzello, stritch, flute, and even nose flute – instruments often played at the same time, with this amazing multi-reed style that's really mindblowing – and which follows the soaring sheets of sound of the Coltrane generation, yet completely in its own way too! There's a sharp modern edge to most of the rhythms – thanks in part to the presence of Andrew Hill on piano and celeste on a few cuts – alongside from Vernon Martin on bass and Roy Haynes and Henry Duncan on drums – and a bit of additional piano from Wynton Kelly. The whole thing's amazing – one of those records that never fails to delight us – and titles include "3 In 1 Without The Oil", "ED", "Domino", "Meeting On Termini's Corner", and "A Stritch In Time". Reeds & Deeds is a hauntingly beautiful album from the great Roland Kirk – and a perfect illustration of why his music means so much to us! The set sparkles with warmth and imagination right from the start – a subtle balance between swing, soul, and searching reedwork from the leader – bold on tenor, but also completely creative on flute, stritch, manzello, and even siren too. Benny Golson adds in a bit of tenor, and also helps with the arrangements – and the record also features key contributions from other fresh talents of the 60s – including Charles Greenlee and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Harold Mabern on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Walter Perkins on drums – the last of whom really seems to get the right sort of rhythms for Kirk's playful swing. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Reeds & Deeds", "Waltz Of The Friends", "Hay Ro", "Limbo Boat", "This Is Always", and "Song Of The Countrymen".