I’ve only heard a couple of these albums from the Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series, but if the other 38 are like this, I want them all, and I want them all NOW!
The Montreux Jazz Label is releasing broadcasts from the halcyon days of jazz, ranging from 1949-78. Just naming a few of the volumes such as Miles Davis 1960, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra 1969 or Ben Webster-Dexter Gordon 1972 should send shivers up your spine.
This latest volume, number 40 pairs the classic Sonny Rollins Trio with Horace Silver’s Quintet. Of the former, Rollins is teamed with Henry Grimes/b and Pete La Roca/dr and the tenor titan is in inspired form, with a tone that roars like the king of the forest on his molasses rich “I Remember You” and his Spartan aria of “It Could Happen To You.” He clucks and slurs with delight with the team on a bouncy take of “I’ve Told Every Star” and has more angles than an isosceles triangle during “Oleo.” Simply timeless.
As is the vintage hard bop quintet of Horace Silver with his longest standing team of Blue Mitchell/tp, Junior Cook/ts, Gene Taylor/b and Louis Hayes/dr. The team sizzles on toe tappers like “Nica’s Dream” and “Ecaroh” while the exotic minor blues “Senor Blues” with Hayes’ incessant ride cymbal still excites over half a century later. Silver shines on his trio delivery of “Shirl” while the entire half hour sounds is still more inspiring than 95% of today’s current output. A voice from the past that shames the present.