Back in the 1970s, the only way a jazz artist made a living was by plugging in, going electric and mixing jazz with elements of rock. Bands like Weather Report, Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra were selling out big arenas and selling lots of albums while guys that were boppers and swingers were scrounging for pennies. One of the guys who saved and preserved the mainstream side of jazz was Don Schlitten, who formed the Xanadu label. Here, some vintage stuff has been reissued by Zev Feldman (who’s also given us a ton of previously unreleased stuff by Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Freddie Hubbard) and remastered to excellent standards. Each disc has an accompanying hefty booklet which includes the original liner notes and present day observations. Each record still sounds fresher than 90% of what is presently being released.
Here’s the first set of releases…
Detroit protobopper Barry Harris teamed up in 1975 with Gene Taylor/b and Leroy Willims/dr for a tribute to the great composer and arranger Tadd Dameron. While Dameron is now revered, he was mostly forgotten by the 70s; this collection of eight pieces serves as a reminder of how joyful bebop could be and still is. Harris and company bounce like a Superball on “Hot House” and “Our Delight” and glide with aplomb on ”Ladybird” while lyrical delight glows on ”If You Could See Me Now.” Williams and Taylor get delightfully exotic on “Casbah” and cruse on “Soultrain.” Find this one and cherish it!
Albert “Tootie” Heath brings in a touch of electricity with Kenny Barron playing the electric paino on a couple of tracks, but even so, the band still swings with brother Jimmy’s soprano sax on “Dr. Jeh.” The band stay away from jazz standards, deiving more into the feel of Africa on “Tafadhali” and “A Notion” as flute teams with Ted Dunbar’s guitar and third brother Percy’s bass. Brother Percy brings his bop vibe along with Jimmy’s flute on “Oops!” as his tenor croons on the bluesy “Sub-Set.” Barron closes the set with a full handed piano solo with “Wazuri Blues,” making this one a rich keeper.
Jimmy Heath teams up with an inspired trio of Barry Harris/p, Sam Jones/b and Billy Higgins/dr, and the team cruises like a V8 Chevy on “For Minors Only” and the assertive “CTA.” His tenor sounds rich on these tracks, and he uses it with his soprano on a rich read of “Body and Soul” while going all soprano on “All Members.” The trio has fun changing grooves on “Bru’Slim” which includes a hip solo by Jones and when he states the theme of “Picture of Heath” with the leader on tenor, you feel like you might be at the end of the rainbow.
Sam Most had an excellent career as a studio musician with the tenor sax and flute. Here in 1978, he stays with the flute on this collection of self-penned tunes with a lyrical team of Kenny Barron/p, George Mraz/b, Warren Smith/perc and Walter Bolden/dr. He blow the blues on “Out of Sight, In Mind” and “Blue Hue” while sounding like a portend of world music on the upbeat “ What Is, Is” and “Child of the Forest.” He teams up with Barron on the deeper alto flute on a wondrous duet “One Forgotten Yesterday,” and the team bounces brightly on “Keep Moving.” An overlooked gem.
If you like the tenor sax, you’re going to go crazy with the two cd set that catches a 1980 concert collection from Senegal. The two horns of AL Cohn and Billy Mitchell are driven by Dolo Coker/p, Leroy Vinnegar/b and Frank Butler/dr, and the front line creates a creamy fog on the gentle bopper “Robbins Nest” and the toe tapping “Night Flight to Kadar.” Cokor gets his place in the sun and he takes advantage of his spotlight on the serenading “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” and the team has a gas of a time with the winsome and tongue in cheek “Sweet Senegelese Brown.” These guys make it sound so easy and sounding so good!