CiTR -- The Jazz Show

Compositions that Sonny Rollins wrote for the great Michael Caine movie "Alfie" and played in the studio with arrangements for small band by Oliver Nelson. Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone with Kenny Burrell(guitar),Roger Kellaway(piano),Walter Booker(bass) and Frankie Dunlop(drums).Classic Rollins!!!!

A full summary of this year's Jazz Festival with Gavin Walker and co-host John Orysik who is Media Director for The Coastal Jazz and Blues Society....the producers of the Jazz Festival.

Gene Ammons live in concert in Sweden. The great tenor saxophonist a year before his passing with an amazing pick-up band with ex-pat Horace Parlan(piano),Red Mitchell(bass) and a swinging unknown Ed Jones(drums). Ammons with his huge sound and bluesy concept is still an influence today and was much admired by Sonny Stitt,Sonny Rollins and all the greats."Jug" forever!

A cooking set recorded live in Baltimore for the Left Bank Jazz Society. Superb Freddie Hubbard and Jimmy Heath on tenor saxophone proving that he is one of the masters.

A real concert big band led by one of the finest big band drummers;Mel Lewis. The band contains such stellar players and soloists like Joe Lovano(tenor saxophone),Dennis Irwin(bass),Dick Oatts(lead alto saxophone),Kenny Werner(piano)and as they say many more. A truly GREAT band!!

The final recording by this group co-led by trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophone master Pepper Adams. This is this band's finest outing and it's made even better because of the dynamic drumming of "Philly Joe" Jones. Nice tunes by Byrd and pianist Duke Pearson and Neal Hefti make this album the group's finest recording.

Duke Jordan's only album for Blue Note is a great one with Duke's original compositions played by a swinging quintet with Duke on piano,Jamaican born Dizzy Reece(trumpet),the incomparable Stanley Turrentine(tenor saxophone), Reginald(Reggie)Workman(bass)and A.T.aka Art Taylor(drums).Worthy of re-issue!!.

This album called "The Total J.J.Johnson" presents all the facets of his musical personality,Modern Jazz pioneer J.J.Johnson was to the trombone what Charlie Parker was to the alto saxophone but also J.J. was a major writer and arranger. You hear it all tonight!!!!

Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond organ with his working trio with Paul Bollenback(guitar)and Byron Lanham(drums)playing music associated with the great late master of the organ.....Don Patterson.

Blakey's favourite edition of the Jazz Messengers sounding at their very best. Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Tommons on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass and of course, Art Blakey stoking the fires on drums. Some of the very best of this edition, live and in concert.

A live recording from Yoshi's in Oakland with Joey DeFrancesco and his working trio with Canadian Jake Langley on guitar and Byron Landham on drums and guest artist on tenor saxophone George Coleman.

A rare albums for Blue Note only issued in Japan is a minor classic by Bobby Hutcherson with some tracks augmented by a horn section that includes the great Harold Land on tenor saxophone and flute and other tracks with a quartet with Bobby on vibes and marimba with piano,bass and drums.

A great little band of Chicago based musicians co led by bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Walter Perkins(The MJT)the plus 3 were Willie Thomas(trumpet),Frank Strozier(alto saxophone)and Harold Mabern(piano)recorded in 1960 on an album called "Make Everybody Happy".

The Mingus Big Band commemorating and playing the music of the great Charles Mingus. Happy New Year!!!!

Some great examples of classic Charlie Parker with his working band recorded in the Savoy studios in the mid to late 1940's. Bird with pianist Bud Powell, trumpeter Miles Davis, drummer Max Roach and others performing inspired tunes that laid the groundwork for Modern Jazz. Bird lives!!!!

The one and only meeting on record with Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge and the great alto saxophonist Sonny Stitt brought out the best in both on four long tunes. Stitt and Eldridge are backed by Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis, guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Stan Levey on drums. Fire and swing,,,,Roy and Sonny!!!

Pianist Les McCann and his trio called "Les McCann Ltd." with Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums augmented by three boss horns:Blue Mitchell(trumpet),Stanley Turrentine and the underrated Frank Haynes on tenor saxophones and recorded at the Village Gate in New York. One of McCann's best! Les McCann in New York.

The Magic Triangle was a great band that played melody,harmony and rhythm hence the name. Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone,Cedar Walton on piano,Sam Jones on bass and Billy Higgins on drums was one of the finest Jazz groups of all time. The Magic Triangle tonight!!!!

Opposites attract with Oliver Nelson(tenor and alto) and Eric Dolphy(alto\flute and bass clarinet) with compositions and arrangements by Nelson. "Straight Ahead" is on the same level as the more famous "Blues and The Abstract Truth" Proof? Check it out!!!!

One of the great piano stylists in Jazz was Erroll Garner. His bassist, Wyatt "Bull" Ruther has passed on but always maintained that his association with Garner was the happiest in his long career. Today, February 5 would have been Wyatt's birthday so tonight we pay tribute to Mr. Ruther and Mr. Garner all backed very swingingly by Eugene "Fats" Heard on drums.

Jazz Feature: The Jamaican-born tenor saxophonist Wilton"Bogey"Gaynair. His debut album recorded in London in 1959 with a fine British rhythm section with pianist Terry Shannon. Bogey had his own beautifully soulful sound and concept and should have become more of a household word on the Jazz scene everywhere.

The Jazz Feature displayed the talents of the underrated trombonist Carl Fontana.

Mingus with his great working band of August 1957: Mingus on bass, Dannie Richmond, drums with Bill Evans on piano and three wonderful horn players on the front line: Clarence 'Gene' Shaw on trumpet, Shafi Hadi (aka Curtis Porter) alto and tenor saxophones and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. One of Mingus' most overlooked gems.

Trombonist/composer/arranger augments his regular band with some great stars such as Freddie Hubbard(trumpet), Yusef Lateef(flute and tenor saxophone), George Coleman (tenor saxophone) and Max Roach on drums. Rare and superb!.

Alphonso Son "Dizzy" Reece on trumpet with Walter Bishop Jr.(piano), Doug Watkins (bass) and Arthur Taylor on drums in a fine quartet date recorded by Blue Note in 1960. Dizzy Reece was born in Kingston, Jamaica on January 5, 1931 and began playing trumpet in his teens in Jazz groups and Ska bands. Dizzy, who was not nicknamed for Dizzy Gillespie, left Jamaica because of the paucity of Jazz opport...