Podcast 1: Early 60s saxophone greats

Early 1960’s Saxophone Greats
Welcome to ACE Jazz Library - Podcast no.1
This weeks podcast features some of this eras most characteristic saxophone players in stellar album performances. Click on the title above to listen.  
[Click on the text links to hear more samples (US); or the selection box below the post (UK)]

Dexter Gordon - Three O’Clock in the Morning (Go! 1962)
Dexter Gordon starts us off with a cheerful romp at Three O’Clock in the Morning from this seminal album backed by a star quartet featuring the quintessential hard bop pianist Sonny Clark, heard here at the peak of his all too short career. Drums are in the capable hands of the intuitive mastermind Billy Higgins, on short term loan from the legendary Ornette Coleman quartet (also featured on this podcast) and on bass is Butch Warren. This track is a great example of Gordon’s straight ahead style with trademark flourishes and ditty’s, which sometimes quirky, never fail to satisfy the ear.

Hank Mobley - Soul Station (Soul Station, 1960)
Hank Mobley’s star lit up in 1955 when he solidified his rounded style in the fledgling hard bop outfit of Horace Silver’s Jazz Messengers. But it was in the years 1958-1960 he really hit his stride as a leader with Soul Station. The Messengers master drummer Art Blakey lends the backbeat to Mobley’s rounded style which is displayed here with such mastery and finesse that this album washes over you like a warm bath of honey. Backed up by Miles Davis’ favourites Paul Chambers on bass and Wynton Kelly on piano and at just over 37 minutes it is all over far too soon. Hit that play button again!


John Coltrane – Lonnie’s Lament (Crescent, 1964)
This album clearly showed Coltrane was ahead of the pack. Having learnt the ropes in Miles Davis’ 1950’s quintet, from which he was sacked, Coltrane not only got his act together by kicking heroin, but by 1964 had formed this superlative quartet with McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums). At the start of the 1960’s Coltrane was famous for his take on jazz standards, but with the fully self penned and almost meditative Crescent he began to touch new dimensions in sound. Followed later that year by the blistering heights of Love Supreme this gem of an album is an accessible and rewarding introduction to a genius of modern music.

Yusef Lateef – Blues for the Orient (Eastern Sounds, 1961)
Yusef Lateef is a multi-instrumentalist par-excellence, not limiting himself to genre or instrument. Playing flute, bamboo flute, oboe, and sax Lateef invented world music and broke the mould long before anyone else. This album blends Hollywood film themes with oriental modes and intervals, yet still presents a singularly compelling listening experience. A master musician at work ably supported by Barry Harris (piano), Lex Humphries (drums) and Ernie Farrow (bass).

Sonny Rollins – Without a Song (The Bridge, 1962)
Sonny Rollins, sometimes sidelined as “the other great saxophonist” (after Charlie Parker and John Coltrane), took 3 years sabbatical before returning to the studio with this incredibly confident and defining set. “I am Sonny Rollins” he says, displaying his trademark effortless manner and rich tone. His remarkable interplay with Jim Hall’s guitar on this quartet album, featuring bassist Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Ben Riley (drums) showcases Rollins trademark panache, which placed his star high in the jazz patheon.

Ornette Coleman – Ramblin’ (Change of the Century, 1960)
In this second album from Ornette Coleman the legendary quartet of  Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins, display the confidence and maturity which insured their long and successful careers. This album catches them at their prime in a set with an astonishing amount of free improvisation, yet throughout it remains a colourful and focused account of Coleman’s melodic themes and trademark exuberance, featured well in the rollicking blues of Ramblin’. While some of Coleman’s freer sounding albums can be a struggle, the freedom/restraint shown here make this a pure delight.

Wayne Shorter – Yes or No (Juju, 1964)
Wayne Shorter made a huge contribution to jazz, both as a composer and performer. University trained in music education he formulated his style in the 1950’s, practicing with Coltrane, Horace Silver and the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, until landing a job in 1964 with Miles Davis’ quintet, where as its most prolific composer, he conceived standards such as "E.S.P.," "Pinocchio," "Nefertiti," "Sanctuary," "Footprints," and Miles signature tune, "Prince of Darkness.". Famous for his beautifully contrived, sinuous and meandering tunes this self penned track, “Yes or No” is a magnificent example from a top class album of Shorter’s engaging style, which though some say is reminiscent of Coltrane, is uniquely identifiable as his own. And who would be better suited to accompany him than Coltrane’s rhythm section? Elvin Jones (drums), Reggie Workman (bass), and McCoy Tyner (piano). Just compare this with Coltranes Giant Steps.

Joe Henderson - Blue Bossa (Page One, 1963)
The young tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s debut is a latin tinged classic, exemplified on the podcast by Dorham’s delightful arrangement of Blue Bossa. Ably supported by Blue Note stalwarts Kenny Dorham (trumpet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Butch Warren (bassist), and Pete La Roca (drums), this is another of those albums which hooks you in to its sublime soundscape and leaves you gasping for more.

Stan Getz – Desafinado (Getz/Gilberto, 1963)
This is one of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time, named for the Getz/Gilberto pairing, though credit also goes to composer and pianist Antonio Carlos Jobim, whose classics The Girl From Ipanema, Desafinado and Corcovado are all here. This album quite literally set the bossa nova standard, topping Getz’s earlier “Jazz Samba” collaboration with Charlie Byrd, by teaming his unmistakable tone with the effortless grace and stylistic passion of two of bossa’s most enduring originators, Gilberto and Jobim. Every moment of music on this recording, which also launched the international singing career of Astrud Gilberto, is simply superlative. Absolutely essential.

Track listing
0.00 Three O’Clock in The Morning: Dexter Gordon
5.35 Soul Station: Hank Mobley
14.38 Lonnie’s Lament: John Coltrane
26.22 Blues for the Orient: Yusef Lateef
31.58 Without a Song: Sonny Rollins
39.22 Ramblin’: Ornette Coleman
45.56 Yes or No: Wayne Shorter
52.28 Blue Bossa: JoeHenderson
60.18 Desafinado: Stand Getz