Two recordings have always stayed in my heart for years...
1. Gary Bartz - Ju Ju Man. This is a very rare Japanese import...if you can find it (no matter what medium) buy it. His recording of "Chelsea Bridge" is just amazing...he starts on clarinet and switches to soprano sax half way through...one of the most soulful and emotional readings of a chart I have ever heard.
2. Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays. Recorded in the 70s...I have so much respect for Bob Mintzer as an incredible saxophonist and also a composer/arranger. I had this on vinyl, but couldn't find it for years...I finally met Mintzer and asked him about it...he told me it's available on a cd reissue titled "No Jive."
Honorable mentions...
1. Herb Ellis/Ray Brown - Soft Shoe (Concord label). Although we think of George Duke as a funk/hip hop/fusion kind of electronic keyboardist, he was in reality a very fine jazz pianist...this is one of the few jazz recordings where we can hear him playing straight jazz on an acoustic piano...just buy the recording to hear his performance...he is just amazing.
2. Monty Alexander in Tokyo. (Pablo label). This has to be one of the hardest swinging recording sessions I have ever heard. The young Monty Alexander just plays with an intensity that never lets up until the record is over. The rhythm section has a hard time keeping up with him.
1. Gary Bartz - Ju Ju Man. This is a very rare Japanese import...if you can find it (no matter what medium) buy it. His recording of "Chelsea Bridge" is just amazing...he starts on clarinet and switches to soprano sax half way through...one of the most soulful and emotional readings of a chart I have ever heard.
2. Buddy Rich Plays and Plays and Plays. Recorded in the 70s...I have so much respect for Bob Mintzer as an incredible saxophonist and also a composer/arranger. I had this on vinyl, but couldn't find it for years...I finally met Mintzer and asked him about it...he told me it's available on a cd reissue titled "No Jive."
Honorable mentions...
1. Herb Ellis/Ray Brown - Soft Shoe (Concord label). Although we think of George Duke as a funk/hip hop/fusion kind of electronic keyboardist, he was in reality a very fine jazz pianist...this is one of the few jazz recordings where we can hear him playing straight jazz on an acoustic piano...just buy the recording to hear his performance...he is just amazing.
2. Monty Alexander in Tokyo. (Pablo label). This has to be one of the hardest swinging recording sessions I have ever heard. The young Monty Alexander just plays with an intensity that never lets up until the record is over. The rhythm section has a hard time keeping up with him.