The latest cache of reissues by Avid Records has a few surprises, along with some essential hard bop.
The bright toned alto saxist Jackie McLean was one of the leading left of 
center hard bop advocates. 1957’s Lights Out has him in a swinging mood with Donald Byrd/tp, Elmo Hope/p, Doug Watkins/b and Art Taylor/dr for some straightahead pieces like “A Foggy Day” and a 
snapping “Kerplunk.” From the early sixties, Capuchin Swing has him with Blue Note for his greatest era, teaming with Blue Mitchell/tp, Walter Bishop/p, Paul Chambers/b and Art Taylor/dr and the team gets hot and heavy on “Condition Blue” as well as the title track. A Fickle Sonance from ’61 mixes Bop with the Blues as he teams with sidemen Tommy Turrentine/tp, Sonny Clark/p, Butch Warren/b and Billy Higgins/dr for infectious pieces like “Five Will Get You Ten” the title piece and the thoughtful “Subdued.” The same year finds him with a lineup of Freddie Hubbard, Doug Watkins/b, Kenny Drew/p and Pete La Roca/dr for a heavy hitting collection of extroverted blowing as on “Cool Green,” “Drew’s Blues” and the incendiary “Torchin’.” No one ever played the alto with McLean’s fire.
It could easily be argued that pianist/composer Horace Silver invented and perfected the hard bop quintet. These four albums are perfect cases in his defense. His 1952 debut, however, has him in a trio format with Gene Ramey-Curley Russell/b and Art Blakey/dr mixing standards like “Thou Swell” and “Prelude To A Kiss” with his own soul tunes like “Horoscope” and “Ecorah.” His 1955 Jazz Messenger album is an absolute classic, starting the “Soul Jazz” craze with funky tunes like “The Preacher” and “Doodlin’” with Blakey, Hank Mobley/ts, Doug Watkins/b and Kenny Dorham/tp. His team of Roy Brooks/dr, Billy Mitchell/tp, Junior Cook/ts and Gene Taylor started forming his most famous band, and their 1960 album includes catchy pieces such as “Strollin’” and the absolute essential “Nica’s Dream.” Essentially the same team lays down tracks for some Japanese-influenced tunes such as the funky “Tokyo Blues,” “Sayonara Blues” and the fun loving “Too Much Sake.” Vintage hard bop at its timeless best.
Avid puts together a new theme of reissues, focusing on one instrument at a time. The Tenor Sax set features classic hard bop and soul jazz albums. Fred Jackson’s is a greasy delight with Willie Jones/g, Earl Vandyke/org and Wilbert Hogan/dr being members of Lloyd Price’s R&B band, and you can feel it on tunes such as “Preach Brother,” “That’s Where It’s At” and “Dippin’ in the Bag.” J.R. Monterose was an advanced hard bopper who’s 1956 debut with Horace Silver/p, Ira Sullivan/tp, Wilbur Ware/b and Philly Joe Jones/dr is a hard swinging classic. Lots of bluesy grooves on pieces like “Wee-Jay” and flexed muscles on “Bobbie Pin” with Monterose’s mix of tradition and the next thing sounding exciting. Gruff toned Charlie Rouse teams with Lester Young-inspired Paul Quinichette for a swinging set with some Count Basie alumni and Wynton Kelly at the piano. The locked horns are a gas on “The Chase is On” and ooze with delight on “Tender Trap” but there isn’t a weak nanosecond here. Last but not least is smoke-toned Don Wilkerson who gives Texas Tenors a good name with Nat Adderley/ct, Barry Harris/p and Sam Jones-Billy Higgins/dr on V8 cruisers like “The Twister,” “Jelly Roll” and the fog rolling in on “ Where Or When.”
The two cd set of hard bopping pianists is a real treat. Jutta Hipp was a Horace Silver-styled artists who put out a handful of swinging sessions. This one with tenor saxist Zoot Sims and Chet Baker-influenced Jerry Lloyd is her best, and while the trumpeter sounds tentative at times, the grooves on this 1956 Blue Note session as on “Wee Dot” and “Down Home” never disappoint. Walter Davis’ 1959 Blue Note debut has him in hard bop heaven with Jackie McLean/as, Donald Byrd/tp, Sam Jones/b and Art Taylor/dr. The team tears it up on the uptempo “Rhumba Number” and gets exotic for “Minor Mood.” Keeping with the debut album theme, McCoy Tyner’s 1962 “Inception” takes him out of the modal world of John Coltrane, and in a trio setting with Art Davis/b and Elvin Jones/dr gets lyrical and understated for pieces like the sublime “Speak Low” and “There is No Greater Love.” Last but not least is Herbie Hancock’s rookie release from the same year, an impressively mature affair with Freddie Hubbard/tp, Dexter Gordon/ts, Butch Warren/b and the effervescent Billy Higgins/dr. The debut version of “Watermelon” is presented here, and it’s a thing of timeless beauty, while “Three Bags Full” and “Empty Pockets” aren’t far behind. Exciting sounds from artists in their youth.
Depending on whom you talk to, either Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry or Lloyd Price is the “Father of Rock and Roll.” These early albums by Richard Penniman and his sax team of Lee Allen/ts and Red Tyler/bs make for some of the deepest tap roots of the genre, mixing New Orleans styled R&B with youthful mayhem. His 1957 debut is 30 minutes of maniacal mayhem, from the opening “Wop-bop-a-loo-mop alop-bom-bom” of “Tutti Frutti” through the stomping “Reddy Teddi” to the rolling “Long Tall Sally,” as Little Richard sears like a Nike Missile. His Little Richard album was not far behind, with the steamroller “Lucille” as well as the torrid “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey” while “The Girl Can’t Help It” is filled with fun and sass. The Fabulous Little Richard and second album entitled Little Richard have their swinging moments such as “Kansas City” and “Shake a Hand,” but the gist is that the world was never the same after Little Richard took to the piano and started stomping on the 88s.