The early 1960s were an extraordinarily exciting time in jazz, and traditional, mainstream and advanced jazz were all calling for attention, and all sounding fresh. Candid Records was completely ecumenical in what they release, as these five latest reissues from that fertile period exemplify.
Jazz pioneers Pee Wee Russell on clarinet and tenor inventor Coleman Hawkins get back together in 1961 after recording a 1929 “If I Could Be With You” and returning to the scene and sound of the crime with Milt 
Hinton/b, Jo Jones/dr, Bob Brookmeyer/vtb, Nat Pierce/p and Emmett Berry/tp. Hawkins is masterful on Ellingtonian pieces “All Too Soon” and “What Am I Hear For” while Russell oozes out “28th and 8th” and swings on “Mariooch”. Sine quo non voices that still inspire.
Clark Terry’s 1960 album has the flugelhornist forming an octet with Yusef Lateef/wwinds, Julius Watkins/fhorn, Ed Shaunessy/dr, Sheldon Powell/fl-ts, Jimmy Knepper/tb, Budd Johnson/p, Joe Benjaim/b and Tommy Flanagan/p delivering clever charts on “Blue Waltz (La 
Valse Bleue)” while the woodwinds float on “Flutin’ and Flugin’”. The team sounds fresh and creative on the charts of “La Rive Gauche” and Terry is mellifluous throughout, particularly on the fun “Nahstyle Blues”. Ethereal joys of sound.
Even the opening drums by Denis Charles tells you that Cecil Taylor’s 1960 album is a creative gem. Throw in the tenor sax of Archie Shepp and Buell Neidlinger’s bass, and you get a wondrous torrent on the quartet pieces “Air” and “Lazy Afternoon”. In trio format, the standard “This Nearly Was Mine” is drop dead gorgeous, with Taylor displaying digital slight of hand on “Port of Call” and “Eb” with one foot in the blues and the other falling down an airshaft. Hold on tight!
Known as a sideman for Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, Max Roach and Charles Mingus, the left of center trumpeter Booker Little hit a high water mark as a leader on his 1961, unfortunately dying all too soon after this stellar session. He’s joined by Dolphy on reeds, Julian Priester/tb and Max Roach/dr for exciting pieces like “Strength and Sanity” and “Man Of Words” while sounding both traditional and adventurous on the dark “Hazy Blues”. Another brilliant trumpeter lost before his time, but still leaving an impressive catalogue.
Also on the left of center side of the blues, tenor saxist Booker Ervin was on scores of sessions as a sideman with Charles Mingus and Horace Parlan while also creating a strong catalogue of his own material as a leader. Besides his “Book” albums, Ervin released an album in 1961 with Parlan/p, George Tucker/b and AL Harewood/dr deliver loose ad creative reads of standards “Ponciana” and “Speak Low” while Erving blows smoke rings on “Booker’s Blues” and grooves deeply on the soulful “Mojo”. Noir’d shadows.