By the late 1950s, many of jazz’s best sight-readers in New York were dividing their time between the city’s recording studios, Broadway pits and television bands. One of the big bands that served as an oasis for those musicians eager to kick back and swing was Larry Sonn and His Orchestra.

Starting in the mid-1950s, Sonn formed a band specifically to in…

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In August 1984, pianist Tommy Flanagan performed in Dublin, Ireland, with Lindsey Horner on bass and John Wadham on drums. Horner was from New York and Wadham was from Ireland.

When the gig was over, their groove was so together that Wadham suggested they re-group to continue playing. Now, the result of that after-gig session has been released by Irelan…

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Pianist Red Garland’s heyday was in the 1950s, when he was a member of the first Miles Davis Quintet from 1955 to 1958 and was recorded as a trio leader and sideman for Prestige. In the 1960s, his popularity waned as his straight-ahead style of piano was sidelined by the changing pop and jazz landscape.

Mid-decade, he returned home to Dallas, Texas, and …

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It’s the last weekday of the month, which brings us to my monthly roundup of fabulous new jazz recordings. Here are 15 spectacular new albums:

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A year before the Brecker Brothers launched their band in 1974, Michael and Randy made up the front line of the Horace Silver Quintet. Trumpeter Randy Brecker had been playing with Silver since 1968 and Michael Brecker since 1972.

On March 27, 1973, the quintet performed at Boston’s Jazz Workshop at 733 Boylston Street. The Jazz Workshop was a wonderful…

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For many listeners, jazz is seasonal. Some albums sound better in the winter than the summer or spring v. fall. It’s a mood thing. In warmer weather, we’re on the go to get outside. In cold weather, we nest, and our minds are a little more open.

One of the albums that has always been on my autumn list is The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, a Verve recordin…

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Starting in 1952, drummer and percussionist Larry Bunker recorded on more than 1,000 sessions over the course of his career. Half of them were jazz dates, the rest were pop sessions. Yet he recorded only one album as a leader—Live at Shelly’s Manne-Hole in November and December 1963..

Three albums in all were released in all from the gig. The one recorde…

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Touring in Europe in the fall of 1967, pianist Thelonious Monk performed at the Salle Pleyel concert hall on November 3. Monk fronted his working quartet—Charlie Rouse (ts), Larry Gales (b) and Ben Riley (d). He also featured Ray Copeland (tp) on multiple tracks and Clark Terry (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Phil Woods (as) and Johnny Griffin (ts) on others. [Photo above of Thelonious Monk in Paris in

The lineup was odd for Monk, who was accustomed to touring with his working quartet. On this tour, he was a participant in a series of concerts produced by George Wein, who suggested Monk expand his group to to pull in a wider audience. As Bill Kirchner notes in the comments below, the arrangements were by Phil Woods.

Monk at first wasn’t happy but gave in, provided he had artistic control, could choose the guest players. The concert was captured live by France’s ORTF (Radio France) and later preserved and released as Thelonious Monk Nonet Live in Paris 1967 by France’s Concert Records and by bootleggers over the years.

In 2002, the Thelonious Monk Estate’s Rhythm-A-Ning Entertainment acquired the archival reels and had them restored and digitally remastered by engineer Rudy Van Gelder. The masters then remained unreleased for over two decades due to label legacy issues, industry barriers and the Monk Estate’s insistence on managing independent rights.

In April of this year, the first half was finally released as Monk: Live in Paris 1967, Vol. 1, curated by T.S. Monk (Thelonious Sphere Monk III). A few days ago Monk: Live in Paris 1967, Vol. 2 was issued.

What makes these two releases special are the inclusion of Ray Copeland, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cleveland, Phil Woods and Johnny Griffin and the perky tempo of the performances. The sound is marvelously clean.

Copeland’s experience with Monk dates back to 1954; Terry played with him several times, as early as 1956; Woods first played with Monk at the Town Hall concert in 1959; Griffin worked with Monk in 1958; and this tour was Cleveland’s first encounter with Monk.

The tracks:

Vol. 1

• A1 Intro

• A2 Epistrophy

• A3 Evidence

• B1 Ruby My Dear

• B2 We See

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk — piano (all tracks)

Ray Copeland — trumpet (A2, A3, B2)

Phil Woods — alto saxophone (A2, A3)

Johnny Griffin — tenor saxophone (A2, A3)

Charlie Rouse — tenor saxophone (all tracks)

Jimmy Cleveland — trombone (A2, A3)

Larry Gales — bass (all tracks)

Ben Riley — drums (all tracks)

Vol. 2

• A1 Intro

• A2 Blue Monk

• A3 Epistrophy (reprise)

• B1 Oska-T

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk — piano (all tracks)

Clark Terry — trumpet (A2, A3)

Ray Copeland — trumpet (A2, A3, B1)

Phil Woods — alto saxophone (A2, B1)

Johnny Griffin — tenor saxophone (A2, A3, B1)

Charlie Rouse — tenor saxophone (all tracks)

Jimmy Cleveland — trombone (A2, A3, B1)

Larry Gales — bass (all tracks)

Ben Riley — drums (all tracks)

The push and pull between the horns and Monk’s quartet creates wonderful creative tension. Each of the special guests had a distinct style and sound that they retained as they slipped into Monk’s groove. Not only does it work, this colliding of approaches results in highly charged Monk. George Wein had the vision and Monk figured out how to pull off the merger with spectacular results.

Monk: Live in Paris, 1967 Volumes 1 and 2 are available on 180-gram vinyl and digital platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

To buy Vol. 1, go here. To buy Vol. 2, go here.

Here’s Oska-T…

Only two musicians had the brass to name their orchestras “dream bands.” The first was Maynard Ferguson on the East Coast in 1956 at Birdland, though it’s uncertain whether the name was Ferguson’s idea or the club’s co-founder Morris Levy. His albums were for RCA’s Vik label. The second was Terry Gibbs on the West Coast, who embraced the moniker starting in 1959 with Mercury and Verve. Ferguson had the power but Gibbs had the swing.

Today I want to focus on the four Dream Band albums released originally by Terry Gibbs between 1959 and 1961. Their musicians and arrangements were top-notch, under the leadership of Terry on vibes.

Terry will turn 102 on October 13. Despite his lifetime of service as an exceptional jazz musician and leader, he still hasn’t been honored by the National Endowment of the Arts as a Jazz Master.

The first album was Launching a New Band: Terry Gibbs and His Orchestra, recorded on February 17 and 19, 1959. The top studio players on the 17th included Terry Gibbs (vib,p,ldr); Conte Candoli, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari and Stu Williamson (tp); Bob Enevoldsen, Vern Friley and Frank Rosolino (tb); Charlie Kennedy and Joe Maini (as); Med Flory and Bill Holman (ts); Jack Schwartz (bar); Pete Jolly (p); Max Bennett (b); Mel Lewis (d). This personnel is notated with the letter A below.

On the 19th, Phil Gilbert (tp) and Joe Mondragon (b) replaced Ray Triscari and Max Bennett. This band is notated with the letter B below.

The tracks:

• Opus No.1 (arr. Marty Paich); solos by Bob Enevoldsen, Mel Lewis and Terry Gibbs, and Al Porcino on lead trumpet (A)

• Moten Swing (arr. Manny Albam) (A)

• I’m Getting Sentimental Over You (arr. Paich); solo: Terry Gibbs (B)

• Let’s Dance (arr. Bob Brookmeyer; solos by Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino and Gibbs (B)

• Stardust (arr. Bill Holman); solo by Candoli (A)

• Cotton Tail (arr. Al Cohn); solo by Joe Maini (A)

• Begin the Beguine (arr. Holman); solos by Frank Rosolino and Gibbs (A)

• Jumpin’ at the Woodside (arr. Manny Albam); solos by Med Flory and Gibbs (A)

• Prelude to a Kiss (arr. Cohn); solo by Porcino (B)

• Don’t Be That Way (arr. Brookmeyer); solos by Candoli, Joe Mondragon and Terry Gibbs (B)

• Midnight Sun (arr. Med Flory) solo by Gibbs (A)

• Flyin’ Home (arr. Flory); solo vibes and two-finger piano by Gibbs (A)

The second album was Swing Is Here!, recorded for Verve on Feb. 23 and 24, 1960. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, and John Audino (tp); Bob Enevoldsen and Frank Rosolino (tb) or Tom Shepard, Bobby Pring (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Bill Perkins and Med Flory (ts); Jack Schwartz (bar); Lou Levy (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).

The tracks:

• The Song Is You (arr. Bill Holman)

• It Might as Well Be Swing (arr. Holman)

• Dancing in the Dark (arr. Holman)

• Moonglow (arr. Al Cohn)

• Bright Eyes (arr. Holman)

• The Fat Man (arr. Manny Albam)

• My Reverie (arr. Holman)

• Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (arr. Paich)

• Evil Eyes (arr. Holman)

• Back Bay Shuffle (arr. Med Flory)

The third was The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band for Verve, recorded live at the Summit nightclub on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on Jan. 20, 21 and 22, 1961. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson and Frank Huggins (tp); Frank Rosolino, Vern Friley and Bob Edmondson (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins (ts); Jack Nimitz (bar); Pat Moran (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).

The tracks:

• Day In, Day Out (arr. Bill Holman)

• Summit Blues (arr. Shorty Rogers)

• Limerick Waltz (arr. Holman)

• You Don’t Know What Love Is (arr. Al Cohn)

• Sweet Georgia Brown (arr. Manny Albam)

• Nose Cone (arr. Cohn)

• Too Close for Comfort (arr. Holman)

• Main Stem (arr. Albam)

• Ja-da (arr. Holman)

• T. and S. (arr. Rogers)

The fourth was Terry Gibbs and His Exciting Big Band: Explosion!, recorded live for Mercury at the Summit nightclub on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on April 6 and 7, 1962. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, Conte Candoli and Frank Huggins (tp); Frank Rosolino, Bob Edmondson and Vern Friley (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins (ts); Jack Nimitz (bar); Pat Moran (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).

The tracks:

• Tico Tico (arr. Bill Holman), with solos by Terry Gibbs, Conte Candoli and Frank Rosolino

• Big Bad Bob (arr. Manny Albam), with solos by Candoli, Gibbs and Joe Maini

• The Big Cat (arr. Al Cohn) with solos by Gibbs, Maini and Candoli

• Soft Eyes (arr. Holman), with solos by Candoli, Bill Perkins and Gibbs

• Billie’s Bounce (arr. Holman), with solos by Pat Moran, Charlie Kennedy, Candoli, Perkins, Gibbs and Buddy Clark

• Pretty Blue Eyes (arr. Holman), with solos by Gibbs and Rosolino

• I’ll Take Romance (arr. Holman), with solos by Gibbs, Candoli and Richie Kamuca

• Do You Wanna Jump Children? (arr. Al Cohn), with solos by Gibbs and Maini

• Nature Boy (arr. Albam), with a solo by Gibbs

• Jump the Blues Away (arr. Al Cohn), with solos by Gibbs and Kamuca

• Sleep (arr. Albam), with solos by Moran, Gibbs and Candoli

And here are all the rest of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band recordings released or re-issued in later years:

• Volume 1: Terry Gibbs Dream Band (Contemporary, released 1986)

• Volume 2: The Sundown Sessions (Contemporary, released 1987)

• Volume 3: Flying Home (Contemporary, released 1988)

• Volume 4: Main Stem (Contemporary, released 1990) (a reissue of The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!)

• Volume 5: The Big Cat (Contemporary, released 1991) (a reissue of Explosion!)

• Volume 6: One More Time (Contemporary, released 2002)

• Volume 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 (Whaling City Sound, released 2024)

Here’s the complete Launching a New Sound in Music (1959)…

Here’s the complete Swing Is Here (1960)…

Here’s The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!, live at the Summit in Hollywood (1961)…

And here’s Explosion! (1962), track by track…

Bonus: Finally, here’s Terry’s Dream Band in 1982. The band: Bill Berry, Pete Candoli, John Audino and Conte Candoli (tp); Benny Powell, Charlie Loper and Dick "Slide" Hyde (tb); Med Flory and Gus Bivona (as), Bob Cooper and Terry Harrington (ts); Jack Nimitz (bs); Paul Smith (p); Jim Hughart (b); Frank Capp (d) and Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr)…

You’ll find Terry Gibbs’ recordings at Fresh Sound here.

Shelly Manne was the West Coast’s most prominent and prolific jazz drummer. A veteran of several major New York ensembles in the early and mid-1940s, Manne was best known for his work with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton in the late 1940s and early 1950s. As a leader, Manne fronted a band known as Shelly Manne and His Men.

Like Shorty Rogers and His Giants…

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One of the smartest and most swinging sax-section albums is Gerry Mulligan’s The Gerry Mulligan Songbook, recorded in New York in December 1957 for World Pacific Records. Arranged by Bill Holman, the album paired five leading saxophonists accompanied by a solid rhythm section on Mulligan-composed songs.

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There are just four songs on Grant Green’s Street of Dreams (Blue Note), recorded in November 1964. All were standards brightly covered by a spectacular quartet: Grant Green (g), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Larry Young (org) and Elvin Jones (d). On average, each song runs 8 1/2 minutes.

The album has now been re-issued by Blue Note on its Audiophile Vinyl Reissue series, remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram LP.

I Wish You Love has a light Latin rhythm; Lazy Afternoon is taken in 5/4 time (think Take Five by the Dave Brubeck Quartet); Street of Dreams has a walking pace; and Somewhere in the Night is a straight-ahead swinger.

This is one of those rare albums where all four musicians play as one, yet each does so with a distinct personality. Green’s guitar picking has a trumpet-like attack—notes played sharply without bending to bridge gaps; Hutcherson has a cool sound on the vibes, like ice cubes in a crystal glass; Young’s organ has a rich groove as his fingers run around on the two keyboards like a saxophone player, building to chords; and Jones is a textured drummer who never overwhelms or eclipses the other players.

This one was released in August 1967, three years after it was recorded. The delay was likely due to the large number of Blue Note albums Green had appeared on. The gap prevented one album from cannibalizing the other.

To buy Grant Green: Street of Dreams, go here.

Here’s Somewhere in the Night…

Bonus: Somewhere in the Night was composed by Billy May and Milton Raskin and arranged by May for the 1960-1962 seasons of the TV crime series Naked City…

The best-known recording of the song is an instrumental arranged by Nelson Riddle…

Also popular was Sam “the Man” Taylor’s recording of the song…

In 1962, Riddle, who scored the series’ incidental music, was asked to write a fresh theme for the show’s final season. In my opinion, it’s on par with Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn theme...

Here’s Terri Thornton’s hit vocal in 1963…

Wish you could hear both of Nelson Riddle’s themes, one after the other? You can…

What do Smalls, Mezzrow and the newly opened Jazzcultural have in common? All are leading jazz clubs that operate in New York City, thanks to the grit and determination of owner Spike Wilner. Not only is Spike a shrewd entrepreneur and passionate jazz fan, he also is one heck of a jazz pianist. Now, the storied Danish label SteepleChase has released Bir…

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Ray Charles’s recording career can be divided into three parts–his R&B singles and albums for Atlantic in the 1950s, his jazzy and pop albums for ABC Paramount starting in 1960 and his “little bit of everything” releases for assorted labels starting in 1973.

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The first time I saw French pianist Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999) was in 1985, when I was at Barry Harris’s Jazz Cultural Theater (1982–1987), on Eighth Ave. between 28th and 29th Streets. I knew nothing about Michel, but the struggle he underwent to get up on the piano bench was both shocking and poetic.

Once perched on a phone book or a heavy pillow (I can’t recall), the visual made me think his inclusion that night with a formidable lineup of leading jazz pianists sitting in for a few numbers was either a novelty or a cruel favor being repaid.

Then Michel started playing. The quality of his music was indisputable. I later learned he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, left him topping out at 3 feet and very little neck. Despite his condition and the pain he must have endured, not to mention overcoming shyness and developing his skill and self-confidence, he clearly was a highly accomplished player. [Photo above of Michel Petrucianni]

That night, Michel had achieved the impossible. He couldn’t compete on height but he was on par with or surpassed the talents of other leading keyboardists.

One of his finest live recordings is a performance he gave at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986. There, he played four duets with guitarist Jim Hall and three with Wayne Shorter joining him and Jim.

Now, this elegant concert has been reissued as part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet series—a single LP cut directly from the original analog tapes, mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The sound is much more distinct than the original while the fidelity is deeper and warmer.

The music is both gentle and invigorating, as you will hear from the audience’s unrestrained reaction following solos. Much of the recording can be compared to Hall’s two duet albums with Bill Evans—Undercurrent (1962) and Intermodulation (1966). The same level of care and freedom are at play here. Only Jim could pull off the jagged lines, rich texture and swing on his guitar to fill the space.

Remember, Jim also had to take the place of a bassist and drummer, keeping time and tempo while soloing and accompanying Michel. The tracks with Shorter dovetail neatly with Michel’s graceful and busy style.

The LP tracks:

Side 1

1. Limbo (Wayne Shorter)

2. Careful (Jim Hall)

3. Morning Blues (Michel Petrucciani)

Side 2

4. In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)

5. Bimini (Jim Hall)

Note: Wayne plays tenor saxophone on tracks 1 and 5, and soprano saxophone on track 3.

What you’ll notice is the exceptionalism of these three jazz artists who were considered among the finest and most inventive players on their instruments.

The only drawback is that Waltz New (Jim Hall) and Beautiful Love (King, Young, Alstyne, Gillespie), both performed at the concert and included on the CD reissue in 1987, did not fit on the new vinyl release, which adheres strictly to the original release.

To buy Michel Petrucciani: Power of Three (Blue Note Tone Poet) go here.

Here’s Limbo, with Michel, Jim and Wayne…

Bonus: Here’s a video of their entire Montreux Jazz Festival performance…

Now that September is wrapping up, it’s time once again for me to share exceptional jazz albums that arrived by mail and email. Here are eight that are great [photo above of Turntable, © Brian Eno, above, by Luke Walker/courtesy the artist and Paul Stolper Gallery London]…

Benny Green—Renovation (Sunnyside). Benny Green is one of today’s most exceptional jazz pianists. His new solo album is further evidence of his prowess. Recorded live in December 2025 and April 2026 at the Piedmont Piano Co., in Oakland, Ca., and at New York’s Dizzy’s Club, the album shows off Benny’s rich technique, his boundless improvisational ideas and his own compositions. Eight of the 13 tracks are originals. The rest are jazz standards. To listen and buy, go here.

Here’s Benny Green’s Cedar Would…

Sir Roland Hanna—Songs of Hope, Inspiration and Joy (IPO). Pianist Roland Hanna (1932-2002) picked up the Sir in 1970 after being awarded an honorary knighthood by William Tubman, Liberia’s president at the time. All 14 tracks were compiled from Hanna’s solo albums in the early 2000s (Everything I Love, Colors From a Giant’s Kit and Tributaries, Reflections on Tommy Flanagan). It’s hard to think of a more majestic player than Hanna, and his solo works here have heart and tenderness. To access the Spotify stream, go here.

Here’s A Child Is Born, a Thad Jones composition based on a song improvised by Hanna while he was in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. It’s easily one of the finest versions of the jazz standard…

John Scofield/Dave Holland–Memories of Home (ECM). This album technically came out last November, but John just turned me onto it so I’m including the record here. It’s the first-ever duo album by two free-spirits I admire a great deal. John employs a singular, engaging metallic sound on guitar that always makes me think and feel. The feel aspect is partly due to having spent five years in Boston, arriving just months after John left. Boston is the birthplace of exceptional fusion, thanks to Berklee College of Music, so John’s sound instantly transports me back to the city. Dave’s round, fleshy bass is a perfect foil for John’s fingerboard adventures. This one is perfect for the fall. Listen at Spotify or YouTube here. To buy on CD or vinyl, go here.

Here’s Mine Are Blues…

Stanley Cowell—Illusion Suite (ECM). Pianist Stanley Cowell (1941-2020) has never been given his due. Co-founder of the Strata-East Records label, Cowell had a terrific sound during jazz’s modal and avant-garde movements of the mid-1960s and ‘70s. ECM has just reissued one of my favorites—Illusion Suite, his 1972 masterpiece featuring Stanley Cowell (p,el-p,thumb-p), Stanley Clarke (b) and Jimmy Hopps (d). The sound is earthy, moody and so early ‘70s. A rare gem. To listen, visit Spotify or YouTube, here. To buy, go here.

Here’s Maimoun…

Andy Sheppard—Salt Catchers (ECM). British jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard has worked with Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow. On this one, his 19th as a leader, Andy (on tenor and soprano saxophones) is accompanied by Rita Marcotulli (p) and Michel Benita (b). It’s a soft, gentle work with enormous tenderness and superb playing. To listen, visit Spotlfy or YouTube. To buy, go here.

Here’s Lawns…

Zeju Zheng—A Mind in Motion (Shifting Paradigm). Guitarist Zeju Zheng has some wicked chops. This album’s songs were written during his first years living in New York after moving from California in 2021. He’s joined here by Arnie Sainz (p), Drew Gress (b) and Chidiebere Emmanuel (d). All of the fabulous compositions are by Zeju. To listen and buy, go here.

Here’s At the Corner…

Donald Vega—Play It Forward (Imagery). This gorgeous Latin jazz album is a solid find. All of the songs are composed and arranged by Donald, a pianist known best for playing most recently with bassist Ron Carter. There isn’t a bad track on the album. The music is terrific and the sextet’s playing is superb. In a fair world, this one would receive a Latin Grammy. To listen, go to Spotify. To buy, go here.

Here’s a segment of Habla Conmigo…

Francesca Tandoi—Songbook Vol. 1 (Fresh Sound). You have to love an artist with the courage to call her album Songbook (Volume 1, no less) when all of the tracks are originals. But hey, the Italian pianist and vocalist isn’t bragging. Her nine songs are beautiful, accompanied by strings arranged by Cristiano Arcelli. Francesca’s pieces are emotional winners, and the tracks on which she adds her vocals also are heartfelt. Congrats to Jordi Pujol for executive producing. I first posted about Francesca in 2022 here. To listen, go here or here. To buy, go here.

Here’s I’ll See You in My Dreams…

Bill Evans and Sonny Clark were close friends. Evans admired Clark’s swing, his touch and the elegance of his two hands working together. Both pianists came up in New York in the late 1950s and early ’60s—Evans as a modal player and Clark as a hard bopper. Both admired Bud Powell.

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On Nov. 16, 1984, singer-pianist Shirley Horn performed live with her bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams at Florida Memorial College in Miami. The concert was devoted to the wistful and pensive compositions of Curtis Lewis, who died in 1969. Fortunately, Nils Winther, owner of Denmark’s SteepleChase Records, and engineer David Glasser, had arranged to be there to record the concert.

Horn had been introduced to Lewis by her manager, John Levy, during her first recording session in 1960. She then frequently performed and recorded his yearning compositions. As a lyricist, Lewis had a wonderfully soulful way of spinning tales of romantic dilemmas. [Photo above of Shirley Horn]

At the time, Florida Memorial wasn’t exactly a hot spot for hosting concerts by celebrated jazz artists. The college was a religious institution, but that didn’t stop the campus director, Rev. Jefferson Rogers, from lobbying for the event. He was a champion of black culture and a Horn fan. The LP was released a year later, in 1985, by SteepleChase.

Now, the label has reissued the The Garden of the Blues: Shirley Horn Sings Curtis Lewis remastered and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The result sounds fetching and intimate. What made this Horn performance and recording special was how she treated the material. The playlist is ordered so that each song is another chapter in the album’s ruminative concept, including a four-part suite. Horn segues from one song to the next by adding a little narration of her own to tie them together. [Photo above of Curtis Lewis]

The singer is at her peak here in the trio format—seven years before her triumphant 1992 album Here’s to Life, arranged by Johnny Mandel and recorded in 1991.

As you listen to The Garden of the Blues, you’ll be struck by how effortlessly Horn accompanies herself on piano as she sings the sophisticated Lewis songbook. Several times along the way, I forgot and wondered who was playing behind her. Nope, no accompanist. That was Horn, bringing her two creative sides together effortlessly in a single, elegant expression.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1918, Lewis grew up in Chicago and moved to New York in the 1940s. He was among the first black composer-lyricists who owned a music publishing company on Broadway in the early 1950s. His most recorded songs include All Night Long, He Never Mentioned Love and Today I Sing the Blues. He died in 1969.

The tracks:

• He’s Gone Again (Curtis Lewis/Curley Hamner/Gladys Hampton)

• Old Country (Curtis Lewis/Nat Adderley)

• Roaming Lover (Curtis Lewis)

• The Garden of the Blues Suite: Blue City (Curtis Lewis)

• The Garden of the Blues Suite: What Would a Woman Do? (Curtis Lewis)

• The Garden of the Blues Suite: He Never Mentioned Love (Curtis Lewis)

• The Garden of the Blues Suite: The Great City (Curtis Lewis)

For many, this album will be an introduction to the Curtis Lewis songbook. It’s also a prime example of Horn’s vocal sensitivity, singular talents and command of jazz, on both piano and voice.

Shirley Horn died in 2005 at age 71 from complications of diabetes.

To buy the new vinyl recording of Shirley Horn: The Garden of the Blues (SteepleChase), go here. Or you can buy the digital download at Amazon.

Here’s The Garden of the Blues: The Great City, using an intro tagging Benny Golson’s Killer Joe…

And here’s He’s Gone Again…

In 1978, Irish drummer John Wadham recorded his sole studio album as a leader—Drums and Friends. Captured at Pat Hayes Studio for the Livia label in Dublin, the LP featured several of Ireland’s giants of jazz in two different intimate groupings.

On three tracks, Wadham was joined by guitarist Louis Stewart; bassist Martin Walsh was added on one of the tracks. On four other tracks, the trio featured Wadham with flutist Brian Dunning and bassist Frank Hess. [Photo abov, from left, of Frank Hess, Brian Dunning and John Wadham courtesy of Livia Records]

Now, Livia has remastered and reissued the album for streaming and as a download and CD, with two bonus tracks tacked on.

The new release is a revelation. On a broader level, we are given insight into the Dublin jazz movement of the 1970s—its direction and level of excellence. On a more micro level, we hear how a freer form of jazz was synthesized and interpreted by some of Dublin’s finest players. [Photo above of Louis Stewart courtesy of Livia]

By the 1970s, the jazz fusion movement had spread worldwide thanks to albums and touring American and British musicians. It’s most interesting to hear how these Dublin musicians interpreted that style, adding a poetic overlay and keeping the articulation lyrical and spare. By doing so, Wadham and his colleagues allow you to hear all of the music along with the precious quality of their graceful attack rather than the bombast on many fusion recordings. [Photo above of Martin Walsh courtesy of Livia]

Born in England in 1936, Wadham moved with his family to Dublin in 1953 when his father, a Royal Air Force vet, became manager of a leading insurance company. Self-taught, Wadham studied engineering but left college early in the late 1950s to play jazz. Versatile and able to deliver in both small groups and big bands, he eventually became a first-call drummer when American musicians toured in Ireland. He also played behind nearly every Irish jazz group. For an excellent and a more detailed Wadham biography, go here.

The tracks:

1. Clarence’s Place (Freddie Hubbard)

2. Floatin’ (Gerry Niewood)

3. Winter Song (John Surman)

4. Pompeiian (Bobby Hutcherson)

5. Improvisation for Guitar and Drums (Louis Stewart/John Wadham)

6. Lazy Afternoon (Jerome Moross/John La Touche)

7. Footprints (Wayne Shorter)

8. Seven Steps to Heaven (Miles Davis/Victor Feldman) (bonus track, with Dunning and Hess)

9. Naima (John Coltrane) (bonus track, with Wadham and Stewart)

Note: Tracks 1-4 feature Wadham with Dunning and Hess; tracks 5-6 with Louis Stewart; track 7 with Stewart and Walsh; track 8 with Dunning and Hess; and track 9 with Stewart.

Having given the album six continuous listens, I find it excellent on every level—from the sterling sonic quality of the remastering to the dialogues between musicians on their instruments. The music is cerebral, exciting and swings.

John Wadham died in 2003, Louis Stewart (an ardent JazzWax reader) in 2016, Brian Dunning in 2022 and Martin Walsh in 2018. I couldn’t find much on Frank Hess.

To listen and/or buy John Wadham: Drums and Friends, go here.

Here’s a promo…

Here’s Clarence’s Place, with Wadham, Dunning and Hess…

And here’s Footprints, with Wadham, Stewart and Walsh…

We began the work week with a post on arranger Gene Roland and we’re ending it that way, too. In May 1963, over two days, Roland recorded an album in New York for Brunswick with a slam-bang octet. It would be his sole jazz leadership release.

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