Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis: Trane Whistle (1960) Esquire/ Prestige

This gallery contains 14 photos.

Eric Dolphy: At The Five Spot Vol1 (1961) New Jazz/ Esquire RVG

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Selection: Fire Waltz .  .  . Track List 1. Fire Waltz (Waldron) – 13:442. Bee Vamp (Little) – 12:303. The Prophet (Dolphy) – 21:22  Artists Booker Little, trumpet; Eric Dolphy, alto sax, bass clarinet, flute; Mal Waldron, piano; Richard Davis, … Continue reading →

EFG London Jazz Festival: Esquire Covers Club Event

This gallery contains 13 photos.

A special feature of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival (13-22 November 2020), is an Esquire Covers Club event, celebrating the great British jazz label Esquire (1947 – 64). I thought this might be of interest to LJC readers. In … Continue reading →

Frank Foster/Elmo Hope: Wail, Frank, Wail (1955) Prestige/Esquire

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Former phantom post, now ready. WordPress thinks this is only an update, so I have had to repost it afresh. Apologies. . Selection : Fosterity (Foster)     Christmas Bonus Selection: Shutout (Foster) . Artists Freeman Lee (trumpet) Frank Foster … Continue reading →

Jackie Mclean: Jackie’s Scene (1956-7) Esquire

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Selection: Outburst (McLean) . Artists: Album recorded in two sessions over 1956/7, but not released until 1959, on Prestige’s New Jazz label.. December 14, 1956 session: Bill Hardman (trumpet) Jackie McLean (alto saxophone) Red Garland (piano) Paul Chambers (bass) Art … Continue reading →

Musical Interpretation: “Pent Up House” (Rollins)

This gallery contains 7 photos.

Subject:  classic jazz tunes Sometimes I think I should write more about the music and less about the etchings in the wax. Then I quickly return to my senses and poke the macro in closer, but to capture the thought, this post … Continue reading →

Art of The Saxophone, Two for One.

This gallery contains 16 photos.

On occasional post, about music, of all things. Music. Who’d have thought it? LJC, LJC, it’s always the same: always something different… Enough of comparing vinyl reissues, all that commercial  competitive chest-beating stuff,  lets get “musical” and what could be more … Continue reading →

Gigi Gryce: The Rat Race Blues (1960) Esquire

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Selection: Blues in Bloom (Norman Mapp) Artists Richard Williams (trumpet) Gigi Gryce (alto saxophone) Richard Wyands (piano) Julian Euell (bass) Mickey Roker (drums) recorded  at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 7, 1960 Music L’expression française du jour … Continue reading →

Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus (1956) Esquire

This gallery contains 3 photos.

Selection: Strode Rode (Esquire press from original Prestige metal (AB)) Artists Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Tommy Flanagan (piano) Doug Watkins (bass) Max Roach (drums) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, June 22, 1956 Music: I guess there are may … Continue reading →

Miles Davis: Dig / Diggin’ (1951) Esquire/Prestige

This gallery contains 10 photos.

All this attention given to Prestige covers, it is time to “dig in” to some of the music inside those covers. We take a closer look at what is inside 7012 Miles Davis Dig, but with a few “LJC twists … Continue reading →

Back-to-Back Part Two: the complete New Jazz Esquire

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Hot on the heels of the Prestige Esquire pairs, Prestige’s other label New Jazz, whose artists and covers alike include some of the most iconic work in the genre. Think Eric Dolphy, Roy Haynes, Oliver Nelson, Dizzy Reece… Esquire deliver … Continue reading →

Potayto, pottato: two nations, Prestige and Esquire, back to back

This gallery contains 2 photos.

An occasional post, on the subject of US Prestige and UK Esquire records Prestige is one of the treasure chests of audiophile quality vintage Modern Jazz recordings, along with Blue Note, Riverside, Contemporary, Impulse, without which our lives would be considerably poorer. … Continue reading →

Sonny Rollins: Plus Four (1956) Esquire

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Selection 1: Pent Up House . . . Selection 2: Kiss and Run . . . Artists: Clifford Brown (trumpet) Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Richie Powell (piano) George Morrow (bass) Max Roach (drums) recorded NYC, March 22, 1956 Music: The … Continue reading →

Sonny Rollins: Tour de Force (1956) Esquire (updated)

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Selection: B Quick (Rollins) (Update: Bonus track –  featuring Earl Coleman vocals) My Ideal (Whiting) Artists: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone) Kenny Drew (piano) George Morrow (bass) Max Roach (drums) Earl Coleman (vocals) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 7, … Continue reading →

Phil Woods: Phil and Quill (1957) Prestige/ Esquire

This gallery contains 6 photos.

  Selection: Altology (Woods) Artists Gene Quill, Phil Woods (alto saxophone) George Syran (piano) Teddy Kotick (bass) Nick Stabulas (drums) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 29, 1957 Music In the shadow of Charlie Parker, dazzling technique, blistering … Continue reading →

Sonny Stitt – Bud Powell – JJ Johnson (1949) Prestige

This gallery contains 8 photos.

To kick off, I have two vintage pressings for you to compare. One an original Prestige, the other, one of my native Esquire pressings, from US metalwork. Except there are a few twists along the way. Selection: Fine and Dandy Take 1 … Continue reading →

Hal McKusick: Triple Exposure (1957) Esquire

This gallery contains 6 photos.

  Selection: The Settlers and the Indians Artists Billy Byers (trb) Hal McKusick (as, ts, clar) Eddie Costa (p) Paul Chambers (b) Charlie Persip (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 27, 1957 Music A very obscure recording made … Continue reading →

Miles Davis: Modern Jazz Giants (1954 / 56) Esquire UK

This gallery contains 14 photos.

Selection 1: ‘Round About Midnight (Monk) – with Coltrane A while back LJC featured a post of different versions of the jazz anthem ‘Round about Midnight, in response to which one poster recommended this version. And they are right. The Coltrane … Continue reading →

Red Garland: Groovy (1956-7) UK Esquire

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Selection: C Jam Blues Artists Red Garland (p) Paul Chambers (b) Art Taylor (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 14, 1956 and August 9, 1957 Music Enter stage left, the Miles Davis Quintet rhythm section, Red Garland and … Continue reading →

Eric Dolphy: Outward Bound (1960) Esquire

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Selection 1 : GW (dedicated to Dolphy’s mentor Gerald Wilson) .  .  . The track closest in lineage to Out to Lunch Selection 2: On Green Dolphin Street .  .  . Hubbard’s muted introduction gives a false sense of reassurance.  One reviewer … Continue reading →

Roy Haynes: We Three (1958) UK Esquire

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Selection 1: Reflection (Bryant) .  .  . Selection 2: Sneakin’ Around (Bryant) .  .  . Artists Phineas Newborn, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Roy Haynes, drums;  recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 14, 1958 Year: 1958, The Cold War … Continue reading →

Phil Woods The Young Bloods (1956) Esquire

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Selection 1: Lover Man (Ramirez Davies Sherman) Selection 2: House of Chan Artists Phil Woods (as) Donald Byrd (t)  Al Haig (p) Teddy Kotick (b) Charlie Persip (d) Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, November 2, 1956 (Despite the presence … Continue reading →

Miles Davis Steamin’ (1956) Esquire

This gallery contains 4 photos.

  Track selection 1: Well You Needn’t  (Monk) .  .  . Thelonious Monk gets kudos on “Well, You Needn’t.” The quintet makes short work of the intricacies of the arrangement, adding the double horn lead on the choruses, redefining this … Continue reading →

Changing times: Sonny Stitt, 1950 and 1970

This gallery contains 7 photos.

It’s Time Travel Time, again Welcome on board this 24-7 Rolex Time Cruiser, bound for 1950. The crew will shortly be passing through the cabin with cocktails, cigarettes and bubblegum. Don’t forget, smoking is permitted on board, at any time. If you need a … Continue reading →

Lem Winchester Lem’s Beat (1960) Esquire

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Track Selection: Lem & Aide Artists Oliver Nelson, Curtis Peagler (as, ts) Lem Winchester (vib) Billy Brown or Roy Johnson (p ) Wendell Marshall (b) Art Taylor (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 19, 1960 Music: A serving policeman … Continue reading →