Tag Archives: Down Beat

Frank Rehak, Al Cohn, Donald Byrd, Oscar Pettiford, John Coltrane, Freddie Green, Gene Quill, Rolf Kühn, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer, Eddie Costa, Philly Joe Jones, Ed Thigpen & Harry Tubbs: Winner’s Circle

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In January 1958, “Bethlehem” label released “Winner’s Circle”, album by Frank Rehak, Al Cohn, Donald Byrd, Oscar Pettiford, John Coltrane, Freddie Green, Gene Quill, Rolf Kühn, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer, Eddie Costa, Philly Joe Jones, Ed Thigpen and Harry Tubbs (musicians who came first or second in “Down Beat’s” critics’ poll of 1957). It was recorded September – October 1957, in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Gene Quill – alto saxophone
  • John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
  • Al Cohn – baritone saxophone
  • Art Farmer – trumpet
  • Donald Byrd – trumpet
  • Frank Rehak – trombone
  • Rolf Kühn – clarinet
  • Eddie Costa – piano, vibraphone
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Freddie Green – rhythm guitar
  • Oscar Pettiford – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums
  • Harry Tubbs – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Lazy Afternoon
  2. Not So Sleepy
  3. Seabreeze
  4. Love and the Weather
  5. She Didn’t Say Yes
  6. If I’m Lucky (I’ll Be the One)
  7. At Home with the Blues
  8. Turtle Walk

Charlie Haden And The Liberation Music Orchestra: Dream Keeper

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In October 1990, “Blue Note” label released “Dream Keeper”, the fourth Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra album. It was recorded in April 1990, at “Clinton Studios” in New York City. “Dream Keeper” was voted “Jazz album of the year” in “Down Beat” magazine’s 1991 critics’ poll.

Personnel:

  • Charlie Haden – double bass
  • Carla Bley – arranger, conductor
  • Ken McIntyre – alto saxophone
  • Dewey Redman – tenor saxophone
  • Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Branford Marsalis – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Tom Harrell – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Earl Gardner – trumpet
  • Ray Anderson – trombone
  • Sharon Freeman – French horn
  • Joseph Daley – tuba
  • Juan Lazaro Mendolas – wood flute, pan flute
  • Amina Claudine Myers – piano
  • Mick Goodrick – guitar
  • Paul Motian – drums
  • Don Alias – percussion
  • The Oakland Youth Chorus, Elizabeth Min – director

Track listing:

  1. Dream Keeper – Carla Bley, Langston Hughes, traditional
  2. Dream Keeper Part 1 – Carla Bley
  3. Feliciano Ama – traditional from El Salvador
  4. Dream Keeper Part II – Carla Bley
  5. Canto del Pilon (I) – traditional from Venezuela
  6. Dream Keeper Part III – Carla Bley
  7. Canto del Pilon (II) – traditional from Venezuela
  8. Hymn of the Anarchist Women’s Movement – traditional from Spanish Civil War
  9. Dream Keeper Part IV – Carla Bley
  10. Rabo de Nube – Silvio Rodríguez
  11. Nkosi Sikelel’i Afrika – Enoch Sontonga
  12. Sandino – Charlie Haden
  13. Spiritual – Charlie Haden

Sheila Jordan: Portrait of Sheila

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In January 1963, Blue Note” label released “Portrait of Sheila”, the debut Sheila Jordan album. It was recorded September – October 1962, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion. In the 1963 “Down Beat” magazine “Critics Poll”, Sheila Jordan was ranked first in the vocal category for “Talent Deserving Wider Recognition”.

Personnel:

  • Sheila Jordan – vocal
  • Barry Galbraith – guitar
  • Steve Swallow – bass
  • Denzil Best – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Ziggy Willmann – photography
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Falling in Love with Love – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  2. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
  3. Am I Blue – Grant Clarke, Harry Akst
  4. Dat Dere – Bobby Timmons
  5. When the World Was Young – M. Philippe-Gérard, Johnny Mercer
  6. Let’s Face the Music and Dance – Irving Berlin
  7. Laugh, Clown, Laugh – Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Ted Fiorito
  8. Who Can I Turn To Now – Alec Wilder, William Engvick
  9. Baltimore Oriole – Hoagy Carmichael, Paul Francis Webster
  10. I’m a Fool to Want You – Jack Wolf, Joel Herron, Frank Sinatra
  11. Hum Drum Blues – Oscar Brown Jr.
  12. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell

Wayne Shorter

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On March 2, 2023, Wayne Shorter died aged 89. He was musician (saxophone) and composer. He was member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and  Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the band Weather Report. Many of the Shorter’s compositions have become jazz standards and his work earned critical praise worldwide. In 1970, he won “Down Beat’s” annual poll-winner, winning the critics’ poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers’ poll for 18 consecutive years. Shorter recorded and performed with Donald Byrd, Billy Childs, Pino Daniele, Lou Donaldson, Benny Golson, Gil Evans, Toninho Horta, Norah Jones, J. J. Johnson, Don Henley, Wynton Kelly, Michael Landau, Lionel Loueke, Grachan Moncur III, Milton Nascimento, Michel Petrucciani, The Rolling Stones, Masahiko Satoh, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Steely Dan, Bobby Timmons, Kazumi Watanabe, Buster Williams, Herbie Hacock, Tony Williams, Joe Zawinul, Freddie Hubbard, Joni Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana and McCoy Tyner. In 2008, “The New York Times” described Shorter as “probably jazz’s greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser”. In 2017, he was awarded the “Polar Music Prize”. As leader, Shorter released 28 albums.

Jaco Pastorius

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On September 21, 1987, John Francis Anthony “Jaco” Pastorius III died aged 35. He was a musician (bass), a member of Weather Report (1976 – 1981). Regarded as one of the best world bass players, he worked and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Randy Bernsen, Little Beaver, Ira Sullivan,  Albert Mangelsdorff, Ian Hunter, Airto Moreira, Tom Scott, Flora Purim,  Cockrell & Santos, Michel Colombier, Manolo Badrena, Michel Polnareff, Bob Mintzer, Brian Melvin, Jimmy Cliff, Brian Melvin Trio, and Mike Stern. In 2006 Pastorius was voted “The Greatest Bass Player Who Has Ever Lived” by readers in Bass Guitar magazine, and was inducted in the Down Beat “Hall of Fame”. During his lifetime Pastorius released four albums as a leader.

Paul Batterfield: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

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In October 1965, “Elektra” label released “The Paul Butterfield Blues Band”, the debut Paul Butterfield album. It was recorded in September 1965, and was produced by Paul Rothchild and Mark Abramson. In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 468 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Down Beat” magazine ranked it at number 11 on its list of the “Top 50 Blues Albums”.

Personnel:

  • Paul Butterfield– lead vocals, harmonica
  • Mike Bloomfield– guitars
  • Elvin Bishop– guitars
  • Mark Naftalin– organ
  • Jerome Arnold– bass
  • Sam Lay– lead vocals, drums

Track listing:

  1. Born in Chicago – Nick Gravenites
  2. Shake Your Money-Maker – Elmore James
  3. Blues with a Feeling – Walter Jacobs
  4. Thank You Mr. Poobah – Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Mark Naftalin
  5. Mellow Down Easy – Willie Dixon
  6. Screamin – Mike Bloomfield
  7. Our Love Is Drifting – Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop
  8. Mystery Train – Junior Parker, Sam Phillips
  9. Last Night – Walter Jacobs
  10. Look Over Yonders Wall – James Clark

Weather Report: Same

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Weather_Report

On May 12, 1971, “Columbia” label released the self-titled, debut Weather Report album. It was recorded February – March 1971, and was produced by Shoviza Productions. The album was voted “Jazz Album of the Year” in “Down Beat Readers Poll”, and it won “Swing Journal” magazine “Grand Prix Award” in the “Journal’s Readers’ and Critics” polls.

Personnel:

  • Joe Zawinul– electric and acoustic piano
  • Wayne Shorter– soprano saxophone
  • Miroslav Vitouš– acoustic and electric bass
  • Alphonse Mouzon– voice, drums
  • Airto Moreira– percussion
  • Barbara Burton – percussion
  • Don Alias– percussion

Track listing:

  1. Milky Way – Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul
  2. Umbrellas – Wayne Shorter, Miroslav Vitous, Joe Zawinul
  3. Seventh Arrow – Miroslav Vitous
  4. Orange Lady – Joe Zawinul
  5. Morning Lake – Miroslav Vitous
  6. Waterfall – Joe Zawinul
  7. Tears – Wayne Shorter
  8. Eurydice – Wayne Shorter

Weather Report: Mysterious Traveller

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mysterious traveler

On March 24, 1974, “Columbia” label released “Mysterious Traveller”, the fifth Weather Report album. It was recorded February 1974 – May 1974 in “Devonshire Sound” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. In 1974, readers of “Down Beat” magazine voted “Mysterious Traveller” album of the year.

Personnel:

  • Joe Zawinul- electric and acoustic piano, synthesizer, guitar, kalimba, organ, tamboura, clay drum, tack piano, melodica
  • Wayne Shorter- soprano and tenor saxophone, tack piano
  • Miroslav Vitouš- upright bass
  • Alphonso Johnson- bass guitar
  • Ishmael Wilburn- drums
  • Skip Hadden- drums
  • Dom Um Romão- percussion, drums
  • Ray Barretto– percussion
  • Meruga – percussion
  • Steve Little -timpani
  • Don Ashworth -ocarinas and woodwinds
  • Isacoff -tabla, finger cymbals
  • Edna Wright – vocals
  • Marti McCall – vocals
  • Jessica Smith – vocals
  • James Gilstrad – vocals
  • Billie Barnum – vocals

Track listing:

  1. Nubian Sundance – Joe Zawinul
  2. American Tango – Miroslav Vitouš, Zawinul
  3. Cucumber Slumber – Alphonso Johnson, Joe Zawinul
  4. Mysterious Traveller – Wayne Shorter
  5. Blackthorn Rose – Wayne Shorter
  6. Scarlet Woman – Alphonso Johnson, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul
  7. Jungle Book – Joe Zawinul

 

Gil Evans

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On March 20, 1988, Ian Ernest Gilmore “Gil” Evans died aged 75. He was musician (piano), arranger, composer and bandleader, had important role in the development of free jazz, cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion. Evans performed and recorded with many important jazz musicians including: Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Glen Hall, Steve Lacy, Claude Thornhill, Johnny Mathis, Hal McKusick, Marcy Lutes, Helen Merill, Don Elliot, Astrud Gilberto and Kenny Burrell. In 1986, Evans was inducted into the “Down Beat”  “Jazz Hall of Fame”. He won two “Grammy Awards” – in1960: “Sketches of Spain”, “Grammy Award for Best Original  Jazz Composition” with Miles Davis; in 1986: “Bud and Bird”, “Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band”.

Dave Brubeck

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On December 5, 2012, David Warren “Dave” Brubeck died aged 91. He was musician (piano), bandleader and composer, regarded as one of the great post-bop jazz innovators and one of the most influential and popular artists in the jazz history. Brubeck was author of numerous jazz standards, including “In Your Own Sweet Way”, “The Duke”. “Pick Up Sticks”, “Unsquare Dance” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk”. “The Dave Brubeck Quartet” album “Time Out” released in 1959, was based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz such as 9/8 and 5/4. The album featured Paul Desmond’s track “Take Five”, peaked at #2 on the “Billboard” pop albums chart, has been certified platinum by the “RIAA”, and became one of the best selling jazz albums of all time. As a recognition for his work, Brubeck received many awards, including:

  • Connecticut Arts Award (1987)
  • National Medal of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts (1994)
  • Down Beat Hall of Fame (1994)
  • Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
  • Doctor of Sacred Theology, Doctorate honoris causa, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2004)
  • Laetare Medal(University of Notre Dame) (2006)
  • BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
  • Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy (2008)
  • Inducted into California Hall of Fame (2008)
  • Eastman School of MusicHonorary Degree (2008)
  • Kennedy Center Honor (2009)
  • George Washington University Honorary Degree (2010)
  • Honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey (2011)

Additionally, the main-belt asteroid “5079 Brubeck” was named after Brubeck.