Stephanie Mills ”Home”

Stephanie Mills

”Home”
( LP MCA Records, 1989 )
Catalog # MCA 6312

Tracklisting:
A1 Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel) (5:27)
A2 Real Love (6:47)
A3 Home (5:25)
Backing Vocals – Take 6
A4 So Good, So Right (6:03)
A5 Comfort Of A Man (5:49)
B1 I Come To You (4:30)
Producer, Written-By – Eddie Levert, Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon
B2 Good Girl Gone Bad (4:46)
Producer, Written-By – Eddie Levert, Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon
B3 Ain’t No Cookin’ (5:08)
Producer, Written-By – Teddy Riley
B4 Fast Talk (5:07)
Producer, Written-By – Teddy Riley

Credits:
Producer, Written-By – Angela Winbush (tracks: A1, A4, A5)

Notes:
Sides are marked as Lovin’ Side (A) and Partyin’ Side (B)
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: Jun 1989

Review:
Stephanie Mills’ majestic voice warrants quality material and production, and Home meets those terms. The first single, if not a ballad then a quiet storm regular, was “Something in the Way You Make Me Feel.” While the single is funky and sleek, Mills sultry delivery gives the track that sexy appeal. It landed at the number one spot on the Billboard R&B charts. The second single was the title track, “Home.” Originally featured in the hit Broadway show The Wiz, which Mills starred in for five years, “Home” has a warm, intimate charm. Mills exhibits superb vocality, augmented by a dynamic arrangement and the harmonious background vocals of Take 6. The song is simply chilling. It, too, made its home the top spot on the charts. The third single was the soulfully arranged “Comfort of a Man.” Mills ringing vocals carried this single to the Top Ten, where it came to rest at number eight. “Real Love” was the fourth single. It too has that soulful arrangement. It managed only to peak at number 53. However, it’s still a beautiful song.
By Craig Lytle (AMG)

By Pier

Splendor ”Splendor”

Splendor

”Splendor”
( LP Columbia/CBS Records, 1979 )
Catalog # JC35798

Tracklisting:
Side A
1. All Night Long
2. Special Lady
3. Always On Your Side
4. Splendorland
Side B
1. Take Me To Your Disco
2. Sunny Side Up
3. Follow Your Dream
4. A Brighter Day
5. Carnival

Personnel & Credits:
Lead vocals: Sascha Meeks, Robertt Nunn, Richard Shaw, Philip Bailey, Carl Carwell, Dianne Reeves, Maxine Willard Waters, Julia Tillman Waters and Clydene Jackson
Produced by Philip Bailey, Tommy Vicari and Robertt Nunn for Holy Sound Productions.
Executive producer: Gerry Griffith
Mixed by Tommy Vicari, Philip Bailey and Robertt Nunn

Brilliant and sought after disco LP, which features (amongst others) the talents of Earth Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey. The front cover also has great artwork, showing shoes in the shape of animals falling from the sky over the countryside. Every track is great. Philip’s soaring vocals grace “All night long”, a great uptempo track. “Take me to your disco” follows the theme of many records of that era, with a story of aliens landing and wanting to be taken to a disco rather than “Take me to your leader”.
(From Discomusic.com)

Also on Fullundie Blog.

By Pier

Busta Jones ”Busta Jones!”

Busta Jones

”Busta Jones!”
( LP Spring Records, 1980 )
Catalog # SP 1 6728

Tracklisting:
A1 Impulse Reaction (5:25)
A2 Superstar (4:08)
A3 I Put A Rush On You (4:30)
A4 Loose Change (4:49)
B1 (Everybody’s) Dancing All Over The World (8:02)
B2 Just A Little Misunderstanding (3:34)
( Producer – Bobby Eli )
B3 (You) Keep Making Me Hot (3:48)
B4 Take Me Back Now (3:52)

Profile:
Bass guitarist (Funk/Disco/Avant Garde) from Memphis, USA. His most well know work is for the likes of Brian Eno / David Byrne / Talking Heads and associated spin offs.
From Discogs

By Pier

Arpeggio ”Love & Desire”

Arpeggio

”Love & Desire”
( LP Polydor Records, 1978 )
Catalog # PD-1-6180

Tracklisting:
A1 Let The Music Play (Medley) (12:40)
Play The Music
I Wanna Tango
A2 Runaway (6:00)
B1 Love And Desire (Medley) (8:57)
Desire
B2 Spellbound (6:44)

Credits:
Arranged By [Horns] – Don Hockett , Simon Soussan
Arranged By [Rhythm] – Don Hockett, Gregg Phillinghanes, John Barnes, Simon Soussan
Arranged By [Strings] – Don Hockett, Simon Soussan
Arranged By [Vocal] – Jessie Williams, Mona Lisa Young, Simon Soussan, Terry Young
Artwork By – Mike Doud , Philip Chiang
Backing Vocals – Anita Anderson, Fred Sawyers, Janice Singleton, Jason Reed,
Jerry Dalane , Jessie Williams , Kevin Bard , Mona Lisa Young , Oma Drake , Terry Young
Engineer – Bob Stone , Mick Gusauski
Engineer [Assistant] – Eric Breekha, Paul Aiello
Executive Producer – Simon Soussan
Mixed By [Disco Mix] – A.J. Miller (tracks: B1), Brad Blair (tracks: B2), Elton Ahi (tracks: A1),
Mario Gonzales (tracks: A2) , Pete Sosa (tracks: A2)
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Simon Soussan
Synthesizer – Bryce Robbley, Simon Soussan

''Love & Desire'' 12'' Remix here.

Notes:
Recorded at Star Track Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
Manufactured and marketed Polydor Incorporated
Distributed by Polygram Distribution
Previously released as “Let The Music Play”,
Re-released to better promote LP using their disco hit for title of LP.
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1978

Profile:
Disco group Arpeggio was the brainchild of producer Simon Soussan.
The vocals were handled by Jason Reed, Jerry Scott, Jessica Williams and Fred Sawyers.
From Discogs

By Pier

Clifford Brown "Memorial"

Clifford Brown

"Memorial"
( LP Prestige Records, 1953 )
Catalog # PRLP 7055)

Personnel & Tracklisting :
Clifford Brown, Idrees Sulieman (tp)
Herb Mullins (tb)
Gigi Gryce (as)
Benny Golson (ts)
Oscar Estell (bars)
Tadd Dameron (p, arr)
Percy Heath (b)
Philly Joe Jones (d)
NYC, June 11, 1953
490 Philly J.J.
491-1 Choose Now (#1)
491-2 Choose Now (#2)
492 Dial "B" For Beauty
493 Theme Of No Repeat

Clifford Brown, Art Farmer (tp)
Ake Persson (tb)
Arne Domnerus (as, cl)
Lars Gullin (bars)
Bengt Hallberg (p)
Gunnar Johnson (b)
Jack Naren (d)
Quincy Jones (arr, dir)
Stockholm, Sweden, September 15, 1953
MR524 Stockholm Sweetnin'
MR525-1 'Scuse These Blues ('Cuse These Blues)
MR526 Falling In Love With Love
MR527-1 Lover Come Back To Me

Notes:
** Originally intended as New Jazz NJLP 8301.
** Also issued on Prestige PR 7662 entitled "The Clifford Brown Memorial Album". Prestige PR 16008; Fantasy OJC 017, OJCCD 017-2

Review:
Trumpeter Clifford Brown is heard here in two unusual and unrelated sessions. On four selections, Brown is featured with arranger/pianist Tadd Dameron's Orchestra; other soloists include Benny Golson on tenor and altoist Gigi Gryce. The other date was recorded in Sweden while Brown was touring with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra. Clifford Brown and fellow trumpeter Art Farmer play four Quincy Jones arrangements with a Swedish group that includes altoist Arne Domnerus, baritonist Lars Gullin, and pianist Bengt Hallberg. "Lover Come Back to Me" really cooks and Brownie and Farmer get to trade off in exciting fashion during "'Scuse These Blues."
By Scott Yanow (AMG)

By Rob

Clifford Brown “Clifford Brown Memorial Album”

Clifford Brown

“Clifford Brown Memorial Album”
( LP Blue Note Records, 1953 )
Catalog # BLP 1526
** Also issued on Blue Note BST 81526 (pseudo stereo).
** Part of Mosaic MR5-104; Blue Note CDP 7243 8 34195-2

Tracklisting:
01 Bellarosa [*] [Hope] 4:14
02 Carvin’ the Rock [Hope, Rollins] 3:56
03 Cookin’ [Donaldson] 3:14
04 Brownie Speaks [Brown] 3:46
05 De-Dah [Hope] 4:51
06 You Go to My Head [Coots, Gillespie] 4:19
07 Carvin’ the Rock [alternate take/*] [Hope, Rollins] 3:51
08 Cookin’ [alternate take/*] [Donaldson] 3:08
09 Carvin’ the Rock [*] [Hope, Rollins] 4:05
10 Wail Bait [Jones] 4:02
11 Hymn of the Orient [Gryce] 4:07
12 Brownie Eyes [*] [Jones] 3:56
13 Cherokee [Noble] 3:27
14 Easy Living [Rainger, Robin] 3:44
15 Minor Mood [Brown] 4:34
16 Wail Bait [alternate take/*] [Jones] 4:07
17 Cherokee [alternate take/*] [Noble] 3:42
18 Hymn of the Orient [alternate take/*] [Gryce] 4:01

Personnel:
Clifford Brown (tp)
Lou Donaldson (as)
Elmo Hope (p)
Percy Heath (b)
Philly Joe Jones (d)
At WOR Studios, NYC, June 9, 1953

Clifford Brown (tp)
Gigi Gryce (as, fl)
Charlie Rouse (ts)
John Lewis (p)
Percy Heath (b)
Art Blakey (d)
At Audio-Video Studios, NYC, August 28, 1953

Review:
Like swing guitarist Charlie Christian, Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained long after his death — Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, and Carmell Jones were among the many trumpet titans who were heavily influenced by Brown. In the early to mid-’50s, Brown kept getting more and more exciting; those who found him impressive in 1952 found even more reason to be impressed in 1955. That means that when it comes to Brown’s recordss, excellent doesn’t necessarily mean essential. Recorded in 1953, the material on this 18-track issue isn’t quite as essential as some of Brown’s work with drummer Max Roach in 1954 and 1955, but is still superb. The trumpet icon is heard at two different sessions — one with saxmen Gigi Gryce and Charlie Rouse, pianist John Lewis, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Art Blakey, the other with Heath, alto saxman Lou Donaldson, pianist Elmo Hope, and drummer Philly Joe Jones (who in 1953 was two years away from joining Miles Davis’ quintet). Brown’s solos are consistently expressive; he swings unapologetically hard on up-tempo fare like “Carvin’ the Rock,” “Cherokee,” and Quincy Jones’ “Wail Bait,” but is quite lyrical on the ballads “You Go to My Head” and “Easy Living.” One thing all of the performances have in common is a strong Fats Navarro influence; Navarro was Brown’s primary influence, although Brown became quite distinctive himself at an early age. Casual listeners would be better off starting out with some of Brown’s recordings with Max Roach; nonetheless, seasoned fans will find that this set is a treasure chest. [The 2001 Blue Note reissue features a different track sequencing than the original and also includes several alternate takes as bonus tracks. These alternate takes had appeared on the 1989 reissue, but Blue Note shuffles the sequencing here to ensure that the music is presented as it was recorded, session by session.]
By Alex Henderson (adapted) (AMG)

By Rob

Quartetto Gianni Basso ''Quartetto Gianni Basso''

Quartetto Gianni Basso

''Quartetto Gianni Basso''
( LP Vedette Records, 1981 )
Catalog # VPA 8476
Reissue on Rearward/Schema Records, 2009
Catalog # RW133

Tracklisting:
01 Four Brothers
02 Stormy Weather
03 Vichy
04 Cheek To Cheek
05 My Wife
06 Red & Green

Personnel:
Gianni Basso - Tenor Sax
Mario Rusca - Piano
Lucio Terzano - Double Bass
Giancarlo Pillot - Drums

Review:
European jazz sweetness from Gianni Basso and his excellent quartet of Italian scene players -- a masterful early 80s set with real warmth, and a timeless elegance! Basso's ear for classic small combo jazz serves him incredible well on these recordings, with an easy going, but no less accomplished groove that could have been recorded any time in the couple decades it -- Basso feeling no obligation cater to the neon lit, dawn of digital 80s styles. and grooving with grace and beauty. The leader's deep toned tenor is in excellent form out front, with Mario Rusca's piano complimenting it wonderfully, Lucio Terzano on double bass and Giancarlo Pillot on the drums. It's an album of subtle genius that's a huge compliment to all the players, and their impeccable standards for playing jazz.
© 1996-2009, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

By Rob

Basso Valdambrini Quintet “Basso Valdambrini Quintet Plus Dino Piana”

Basso Valdambrini Quintet

“Basso Valdambrini Quintet Plus Dino Piana”
( LP Jolly Records, 1960 )
Catalog # LPJ5010
Also issued on Dejavù Rec. DJV 200029 – 49348 – eulp

Tracklisting:
1. Crazy Rhythm
2. But Not for Me
3. Guess Who
4. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
5. Ciau Turin
6. Il grimmo
7. Topsy
8. I Should Are
9. Lucy ed io
10. Autumn Leaves

Personnel:
Gianni Basso (TenorSax)
Osacr Valdambrini (Trumpet)
Dino Piana (Trombone)
Renato Sellani (Piano)
Giorgio Azzolini (Bass)
Gianni Cazzola (Drums)

Review:
Questo è il secondo disco del Basso-Valdambrini Quintet ed il primo con la partecipazione di Dino Piana che si era rivelato poche settimane prima al concorso radiofonico La Coppa del Jazz. Piana è stato il primo e per molti anni il miglior trombonista italiano di jazz moderno. Questo disco fu inciso dal sestetto a Milano il 29 aprile e fra il 2 e 10 maggio 1960; comprende quattro noti standard (Crazy Rhythm, But not for Me, Polka Dots and Moonbeans, I Should Care), tre originali (Il Grimmo di Valdambrini, Lucy ed io di Attilio Donadio, Guess Who? del trombonista e compositore americano Bill Russo), due canzoni europee (Les feuilles mortes e Ciao Turin del pianista piemontese Carlo Prato) e un classico del Jazz (Topsy, scritto dalla tromba Edgard Battle e dal trombone Eddie Durham). Fra i brani emergono il travolgente Crazy Rhythm, con i superbi assolo di Valdambrini, Basso e Piana; il lirico But not for Me con Basso particolarmente ispirato; il semplice ma efficace tema di Guess Who? con un impetuoso Gianni Basso, un altrettanto veemente Valdambrini con la tromba chiusa e altri momenti riusciti, come l’arrangiamento a tre voci del tema di Polka Dots and Moonbeans, fanno di questo disco uno dei migliori del periodo iniziale del Sestetto.
(A cura di Audioglobe)

By Rob

Eddie Harris ”Instant Death”

Eddie Harris

”Instant Death”
( LP Atlantic Records, 1972 )
Catalog # SD 1611

Tracklisting:
A1 Instant Death (5:45)
A2 A Little Wes (7:30)
A3 Zambezi Dance (4:09)
B1 Summer’s On Its Way (7:46)
B2 Nightcap (5:08)
B3 Superfluous (3:18)
B4 Tampion (2:47)

Personnel & Credits:
Bass, Electric Bass – Rufus Reid
Conga, Talking Drums – Henry Gibson
Drums, Kilimba – Billy James
Electric Guitar – Ronald Muldrow
Electric Piano, African Whistle – Richard Abrams
Electric Sax, Trumpet, Cowbell, Shaker, Horn Vocals – Eddie Harris

Notes:
Produced by Eddie Harris & Marvin Lagunoff
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1972

Review:
Eddie Harris makes a radical turn toward electronic R&B on this popping, enterprising LP of grooves, humorous one-off vignettes, and other eclectic pursuits. Driven by a standard drum kit and tacky-sounding electric bongos, some of Harris’ most irresistible grooves (”Funkaroma,” “Look Ahere”) can be found here. The title track, a Ronald Muldrow/Harris collaboration, is an ingenious self-contained little piece, a chugging machine-driven rhythm, a catchy guitar riff, and a great brief repeated chorus. Harris resurfaces as a competent piano player (with overdubbed electric sax) on the down-home “House Party Blues” and as usual, he plugs another electronic innovation into his sax on “Space Commercial,” an eerie pitch-tracking device designed by Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer.
By Richard S. Ginell (AMG)

By Pier

Lou Donaldson ”Hot Dog”

Lou Donaldson

”Hot Dog”
( LP Blue Note Records, 1969 )
Catalog # BST 84318
Also reissued on Blue Note Rec., 1994, Cat.#4318

Tracklisting:
1 Who’s Making Love? (6:46)
2 Turtle Walk (7:56)
3 Bonnie (4:56)
4 Hot Dog (10:45)
5 It’s Your Thing (8:59)

Personnel:
The Lou Donaldson Quintet
Ed Williams (tp)
Lou Donaldson (el-as, vo)
Charles Earland (org)
Melvin Sparks (g)
Leo Morris (d)

Notes:
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 25, 1969
Original vinyl rip from the Blue Note LP Reissue, 1994,
Catalog # 28267, by JP.

Review:
A wildly erratic slice of funky soul-jazz in keeping with Lou Donaldson’s late-’60s commercial accessibility, Hot Dog isn’t a total washout, but it’s just as hit-and-miss as many of Donaldson’s albums from the era (even if you are a fan of the style). The main sticking points are the contemporary R&B covers that open and close the album. “Who’s Making Love” has an out-of-tune group vocal that fails to be charming in its amateurishness, and the funk of “It’s Your Thing” sounds leaden and lifeless despite the best efforts of breakbeat legend Leo Morris (later Idris Muhammad) on drums. Take those away and Hot Dog would be a fairly decent effort. Also featuring guitarist Melvin Sparks, organist Charles Earland, and trumpeter Ed Williams, the ensemble really catches fire on “Turtle Walk,” a Donaldson original where the groove sounds natural and helps push the soloists. The Donaldson-penned title cut also gets pretty funky, though the underlying vamp is a little insubstantial to stretch out over ten minutes. The Tommy Turrentine ballad “Bonnie” returns Donaldson to the sweet, romantic territory he’s mined so well over the years. So Hot Dog does have some worthwhile moments; it’s just a pity the overall finished product isn’t more consistent — the cover photo is great.
By Steve Huey (AMG)

Pier’s Note:
Disco bellissimo e fondamentale. Tutti i brani sono superlativi, e con questo quintetto Poppa Lou non poteva sbagliare di certo! L’ho avuto in vinile originale, poi venduto, ma lo ritrovai una quindicina di anni fa ristampato. Certo, non è come avere un originale della magica Blue Note, ma è meglio di niente. Bellissime poi le cantatine in ”Who’s Making Love?” del fantastico quintetto.
Da non perdere!

By Pier