By Charles Farrell, eMusic ContributorCan there be any argument that (aside from possibly John Coltrane's classic quartet) this is the greatest small jazz band ever? With Miles Davis's band, you had five deeply individual players, all of whom were… more »
By Kevin Whitehead, eMusic ContributorAfter Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn!, the Byrds amped up their wingy eclecticism for 1966's inspired 5D, which includes the old ballad "John Riley" and old-sounding "Wild Mountain Thyme," both with admirably tasteful… more »
By John Schaefer, eMusic ContributorThis is the piece that started it all. And by "it," I mean not only the style of music known (for better or worse) as Minimalism, but also the careers of a generation of groundbreaking… more »
By Dan Epstein, eMusic ContributorA tragically unsung (and just plain tragic) hero of Memphis soul, sax-swinging hipster Charles "Packy" Axton helped put Satellite Records — soon to be re-named Stax — on the map with "Last Night," the million-selling… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorIn the early 1960s, as the manic improvisations of bebop gave way to bluesy hard bop, a group of young players showed up on the roster of legendary jazz label Blue Note Records, making music… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorIn 1963, trumpeter Lee Morgan had a major breakthrough hit with the funky hard bop anthem "The Sidewinder"; a year later, he made possibly his most adventurous album. The band includes Wayne Shorter, Grant Green,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorEven as Wayne Shorter established himself as a leader, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers provided him steady work, and on this record, he's in blazing form. The band roars through three intense, hard-driving tracks — "Free… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorTenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter came to Blue Note in the mid '60s fulfilling two roles. With Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, he contributed bluesy, hard-grooving hard bop tunes and gutsy solos; meanwhile, on his own albums,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorOn his own albums, organist Larry Young took the instrument far from its hard-grooving soul jazz base, frequently launching into abstract zones of near-Sun Ra-esque exploration. On this, his Blue Note debut as a leader,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorThe organ trio (organ, guitar and drums) is the bedrock of soul jazz, but in the hands of particularly talented players, it can become much more than a vehicle for funky grooves. On this album,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorSaxophonist Sam Rivers first came to broad public attention via a short stint with Miles Davis's quintet, and two of that group's members — pianist Herbie Hancock and bassist Ron Carter — appear on this… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorOf the five albums Joe Henderson made for Blue Note in the '60s, only this one features him as the sole horn. It's also the most forceful and aggressive of the bunch; backed by Coltrane… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorOne of two albums alto saxophonist McLean made in partnership with Grachan Moncur III, this one (which gave a terrific jazz blog its name) is really the trombonist's disc — he wrote three of the… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorThis trombonist made two albums for Blue Note, and appeared on several more with creative partner Jackie McLean. Evolution kicks off with "Air Raid," a piece with a title implying uptempo blare; it's actually a… more »
By Douglas Wolk, eMusic ContributorBob Dylan didn't get to be the greatest living songwriter by repeating himself. He's reinvented his style and technique with nearly every record he's made in the course of his half-century career; he's been the… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorIn 1963, trumpeter Lee Morgan had a major breakthrough hit with the funky hard bop anthem "The Sidewinder"; a year later, he made possibly his most adventurous album. The band includes Wayne Shorter, Grant Green,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorEven as Wayne Shorter established himself as a leader, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers provided him steady work, and on this record, he's in blazing form. The band roars through three intense, hard-driving tracks — "Free… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorTenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter came to Blue Note in the mid '60s fulfilling two roles. With Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, he contributed bluesy, hard-grooving hard bop tunes and gutsy solos; meanwhile, on his own albums,… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorOf the five albums Joe Henderson made for Blue Note in the '60s, only this one features him as the sole horn. It's also the most forceful and aggressive of the bunch; backed by Coltrane… more »
By Phil Freeman, eMusic ContributorOne of two albums alto saxophonist McLean made in partnership with Grachan Moncur III, this one (which gave a terrific jazz blog its name) is really the trombonist's disc — he wrote three of the… more »