Wynton Kelly: Super Keyboard Guy

Wynton Kelly is a jazz soul who has musical style that really engages you. I wanted to hear terrific and so linear jazz lines this good Saturday so I said I needed to listen to the man on keyboard who is like tasty wine. The man is smooth. His 'On The Trail' is a delight of a clever jazz composition. On this particular set he had Paul Chambers, one of the best jazz bass men ever. Yes...Paul Chambers has a brilliant, creative style on the bass. The fella can knock you out with his dexterity and meaningful concepts of delightful bass comping and good solo work, too. It is a tickling, good delight of a true Jazz Saturday. It is a vigorous pleasure to be alive.

Sonny Rollins, a superior saxophonist!

Sonny Rollins is a tenor saxophone giant. The big sound with the vivid soaring solos just overwhelms the listener. Needed a gigantic pick-me-up today so I listened to two fantastic Sonny Rollins numbers....'The Bridge' and 'St. Thomas.' The exuberant, passionate playing of Rollins packed a quite inventive jazz musical punch. One of my favorite thrills about Sonny Rollins is the fact he surrounds himself with clever sidemen. Superb in this regard is the bass man Bob Cranshaw. The high-impact style of Bob Cranshaw is somewhat akin to the remarkable bass work of the famed Paul Chambers. Superior bass men can help jazz leaders out so much and of course Bob Cranshaw and Paul Chambers represent good evidence of this. Enjoy the tremendous big tenor sounds of Sonny Rollins today. Have a so remarkable Saturday!

Art Pepper's Saxophone Spices Up Saturday

Listened to some great jazz on this Saturday before the beautiful day that is Easter. I enjoyed the great, inspiring saxophone work of the fine performer, Art Pepper. The man can coax some splendid sounds out of the alto saxophone. This set that I dug was the exciting 'Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section.' On this group of selections Pepper was joined by Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on the bass and the feisty Philly Joe Jones on drums. Plenty of good compositions in this batch but my favorite was a smokin' tune called 'Red Pepper Blues' which the guys really swung hard. I find the clever, bit edgy style of Art Pepper so satisfying. Also, there are very few folks who vamp it up real good like the masterful Red Garland on piano. Potent jazz sounds can be so refreshing and they also can rejuvenate one from head to toe. What a great day this has been in the beautiful world that is metro Atlanta.

Hank Mobley kicks 'Soul' into Gear

Jazz artists on the Blue Note label have always been among the tops in the business. One of my favorites in this coterie of jazz fellas is the superb Tenor Saxophonist, Hank Mobley. I feel one of the best albums Hank Mobley made was the strong one called, 'Soul Station.' Listened to it again this wintry Monday and was blown away by its delightful, smokin' bluesy approach. Also the backup piano guy on this set is the man of gigantic jazz finesse, the one and only Wynton Kelly. The man knows how to make those "ivories" really sing. Also on this shiny set is the power drums soulful man, the percussion star, Art Blakey. In the stylin' of Art Blakey, the drums come resoundingly alive. My favorite bass player, Paul Chambers, does fine work in this set, too. I read somewhere that the sophisticated bassist Charlie Haden was so impressed with the work of Paul Chambers. I, too, am a person who much appreciates the sensitive and mysterious bass work Of Paul Chambers. This Hank Mobley and guys workout on 'Soul Station' is still fresh and true dynamic jazz. Very satisfying!