These latest 2cd reissue packages from UK based Avid Group not only answers the question “where did we come from” but implies another question , “Where did we go wrong?” as everything here exudes the apotheosis of 20th Century civilization.
Speaking of highlights of Western Civ, Duke Ellington’s 1940-42 band with 
revolutionary bassist Jimmy Blanton and smoky tenor Ben Webster is up there with Mozart’s operas and Beethoven’s symphonies. How he got that unique sound from the orchestra is still as unknowable as they mystery of the Trinity, but there it is for us to observe and appreciate in its glorious existence. The Ellington band was together for over 50 years but everyone agrees that this was the best one. You get Johnny Hodges on “Warm Valley” and “Never No Lament”, Webster on “Cotton Tail” and the exotic “Conga Brava,” Blanton on “Ko-Ko” some hip duets between Duke and Blanton on “Pitter Panther Patter” and “Body and Soul” Cootie Williams on “Concerto For Cootie” and the whole gorgeous sax section on “In A Mellotone.” I’m not sure what you’re looking for in music, but if you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist, cause it just doesn’t get any better.
One of the real giants of bringing third world sounds into jazz, Yusef Lateef is found here in the early stages of his career, but these albums have no sense of sounding dated; in fact they make modern discs sound stale. The 1957 Sounds of Lateef have him with Wilbur Harden-fl, Hugh Lawson/p, Ernie Farrow/b and Oliver Jackson/dr but they all double and triple on things like the rabat, argol, and even belss balloons and 7-up bottles on “Love and Humor” and a cooking “Take the A Train” with Lateef on flute. The 1958 Lateef at Cranbrook has a band with Frank Morelli/bs, Terry P ollard/b, William Austin/b and Frank Gant/dr along the customary Pier One Imports instruments on a drawn out and contemplative “Morning” and a swinging “Woody N You.” Two albums from 1960, The Three Faces of Lateef and The Centaur and the Phoenix have two completely different bands. The former, with Ron Carter/cel, Hugh Lawson/p, Herman Wright/b and Lex Humphries is less world musicy than usual, but Lateef does a lot of work on the oboe here, most gloriously on the melancholy “Salt Water Blues.” The latter album, on the other hand goes for the proverbial “it” for Middle Eastern, Asian and African sounds and moods. Lateef’s flute does some wonders with drummer Humphries on “Apathy.” Timeless wonders.
Blues pianist and vocalist Memphis Slim is probably best known for his composition “Ev’ry Day I Have The Blues” (as if anyone really WRITES the blues). This 2 cd set has him in a concert trio setting in London from has famous tour in 1960 with Alexis Korner/g and Stan Greig/g. He shows off his stride skills on “Pineton’s Blues” and does a nice earthy cover of “In The Evening” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” while most of the rest of the material is his own, highlighted by “We’re Two of the Same Kind” and “Don’t Think You’re So Smart.” The cooking “The Real Boogie Woogie” features his big booming voice along with the piano on “Crowing Rooster” and “Woman Blues Boogie,” but for the rest you get ten hard hitting fingers attacking the ivories on “88 Boogie” and a rich and swaying “Trouble in Mind.” The Real Honkytonk which follows does a ME109 attack on “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” and “Boogie After Midnight” and the reading here of “Whiskey Drinking Blues” is a perfect match for “The Lord Have Mercy On Me” showing both sides of the blues. Hot dang!
The true disciple of Charlie Parker was and still is Phil Woods, who on these mid 50 dates carries Bird’s torch like Diogenes looking for an honest bebopper. He teams up with fellow altoist Gene Qull on all four albums. The first one is also with Sol Schlinger/bs, Dave McKenna/p, Buddy Jones/b and Shadow Wilson/dr for an inspiring session of 11 concise yet finger snapping tunes most of them fairly obscure like “Cabeza” and “Ready Rudy,” but it works like a four leaf clover here. They pare it down to just their horns pluse George Syran/p, Teddy Kotick/b and Nick Stabulas/dr for Woods compositions that are a hot like “Crème de Funk” and “A Night At Nicks.” The rhythm section changes a tad for Phil Talks with Quill as Bob Corwin/p, Sonny Dallas/b and Nick Stabulas/dr lean more towards jazz standards with “Night In Tunisia” and “Scrapple From The Apple” and two takes of “Doxie” are pure guilty pleasure. Woods and Quill add two more horns with Hal Stein and Sahib Shihab as well as a hip section of Mal Waldron/p, Tommy Potter/b and Louis Hayes/dr. A pair of Waldron tunes, “Staggers” and “Pedal Eyes” let the altos air out, while “Don’t Blame Me” is a velvety delight. Bebop is definitively spoken here.
Avid Group