‘Maximum Swing: The Unissued 1965 Half Note Recordings’ with the Wynton Kelly Trio only bolsters the case that Wes Montgomery is the greatest jazz guitarist of all time.
‘Smokin’ in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse (1966)’ will quench the thirst of anyone wanting more of Wes Montgomery with Wynton Kelly.
For all the times that “all-star” dates have let us down, the fault of a basic incompatibility that transcends anyone’s inherent fame, Things Are Getting Better features a pairing that utterly works. You May Also Like: Ornette Coleman – ‘Genesis of Genius: The Contemporary Albums’ (1958-59; 2022 reissue) Michael GregoryRead More
by Nick DeRiso Miles Ahead was initially billed by Columbia Records, in the flatly obvious tone of the day, as “Miles Davis plus 19, with Gil Evans.” Right. Still, it was that last guy, the 20th man, who was the important one. After a burst of creativity in the lateRead More
by Nick DeRiso Billie Holiday’s voice, fragile and thin at the end, belied the strong-willed fighter she always was. This record, dotted with tunes she’d once owned two decades before as a bubbly bird in front of big bands, makes the argument for her. By the mid-1950s, the hard-living HolidayRead More
Richard “Blue” Mitchell may not have been the best trumpeter in straight-ahead jazz but he’s among the best who didn’t become a household name. Mitchell didn’t display the the sharp timbre and fanciful trips up and down scales like contemporaries such as Freddie Hubbard or Booker Little. He never developedRead More
by Nick DeRiso The last time Miles Davis and John Coltrane played together, as best I can tell. Recorded in Holland in April 1960, the stirring song cycle was later issued stateside by the little-known Natasha Imports. One version, from the 9th, had just So What, ‘Round Midnight, On GreenRead More
by S. Victor Aaron Some favorite jazz albums of mine that don’t come up at the top of anyone else’s top records list, but I thought were outstanding despite the lack of publicity about them. … You May Also Like: Jazz’s Best Last Records by John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy +Read More
