Miles Davis – Shhh / Peaceful (1969)

Shhh / Peaceful is side one on In a Silent Way, a studio album by Miles Davis, released July 30, 1969 on Columbia Records. The album was recorded on February 18, 1969 in New York. Incorporating elements of classical sonata form, Macero edited and arranged Davis’s recordings from the session to produce the album. In a Silent Way has been regarded by music writers as Davis’s first fusion recording, following a stylistic shift toward the genre in his previous records and live performances.

Recording in February 1969, Miles Davis seemed to pick up the vibe of what was going to go down that crazy summer. It was a tumultuous time as the sixties came to a close. First came the Manson Family, then the murder during the Stones’ Altamont show overshadowing the na’ve utopia of Woodstock. With In a Silent Way Davis seemed to sum up the dying of the light as the war and violence took over from love and peace. Certainly his most somber record since Kind of Blue , it was a reflective record that would bridge the gap from one of the greatest quintets in jazz history to the most controversial era of Miles Davis’ work. [source]

Miles Davis – Trumpet

Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone

John McLaughlin – Electric guitar

Chick Corea – Electric Piano

Herbie Hancock – Electric piano

Joe Zawinul – Organ

Dave Holland – Double bass

Tony Williams – Drums

And here is side two of In a Silent Way; “In a Silent Way / It’s About That Time” (Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis)

Dave Burrell – Echo (1969)

Echo is one of the two tracks on Dave Burrels album Echo, recorded August 13, 1969 in Paris, at Studio Saravah. Released on BYG Records, 1969. Track two is Peace.

Burrell had been part of an all-star group led by Archie Shepp that played during the 1969 Pan-African Festival in Algiers. While there, French journalists from Paris were on hand and mentioned to Burrell the possibility recording in the city. Deciding on such a venture, Burrell remarked that he “remembered the sound of the ambulances and the police cars in Algiers and that unstable interval of an augmented fourth and thought that was the interval that I wanted to put into ‘Echo’.” The recording was Burrell’s way of honouring the group, since all were involved in the album.

It has been said that the album as a whole “is [a] monster of an LP” and “a curiously schizophrenic set. [source]

Alan Silva – Bass

Clifford Thornton – Cornet

Sunny Marray – Drums

Dave Burrel – Piano

Arthur Jones – Alto Saxophone

Archie Shepp – Tenor Saxophone

Grachan Moncur III – Trombone

John Coltrane – Love (1965)

John Coltranes Love is from his album First Meditations (for quartet), recorded September 2, 1965, New Jersey. It was the last recording made by the classic John Coltrane Quartet; Later on the group were playing with additional musicians. Coltrane sticks here exclusively to tenor saxophone, passionately and lyrical. The album was released in 1977.

The five movements:

1 – Love, 2 – Compassion, 3 – Joy, 4 – Consequences, 5 – Serenity

The Lineup:

John Coltrane – tenor saxophone

Jimmy Garrison – double bass

Elvin Jones – drums

McCoy Tyner – piano

Archie Shepp – Malcolm, Malcolm – Semper Malcolm (1965)

The spoken word piece Malcolm, Malcolm – Semper Malcolm is a tribute to Malcom X. It is the third track on Archie Shepp´s Fire Music, recorded on February 16 & March 9, 1965.

Some of the most exciting jazz albums to listen to are those that try to strike a middle ground between the mainstream and the Avant-garde. One such example is Archie Shepp’s Fire Music : an often-fascinating album, rich in compositional and improvisational prowess. Employing a sextet including drummer Joe Chambers and alto saxophonist Marion Brown, Shepp puts together a record that is both challenging and accessible to most listeners. [source]

Marion Brown – Alto Saxophone

Archie Shepp – Tenor Saxophone

Joseph Orange – Trombone

Ted Curson – Trumpet

David Izenzon – Bass

J. C. Moses – Drums

Annie Ross – Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You (1959)

Energetic, happy, nonchalant. Annie Ross sings Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You on her Album A Gasser ! , released on World Pacific Records in 1959. Annie Ross is a Scottish jazz singer, charnteuse and actress, born 25 July 1930.

Most of this Album contains one of singer Annie Ross’ finest sessions away from the premiere jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. She is joined by either Zoot Sims or (on two numbers) Bill Perkins on tenor, pianist Russ Freeman, Billy Bean or Jim Hall on guitar, bassist Monty Budwig and Mel Lewis or Frankie Capp on drums. Ross’ renditions of such tunes as “I’m Nobody’s Baby,” “Invitation To The Blues,” “I Didn’t Know About You” and “You Took Advantage Of Me” are highlights. Also on this set are five instrumentals taken from samplers that showcase the talents of Zoot Sims and Russ Freeman. Recommended. [source]

Everything I´ve Got Belongs To You (written by Rodgers/Hart and Lucky Day) is track 1 on A Gasser ! . After that follows here track 5. Lucky Day (written by DeSylvia/ Brown/Henderson)

Monte Budwig – Bass

Russ Freeman – Piano

Mel Lewis – Drums on Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You

Jimmy Hall – Guitar on Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You

Zoot Sims – Tenor Saxophone on Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You

Frank Capp – Drums on Lucky Day

Billy Bean – Guitar on Lucky Day

Bill Perkins – Tenor Saxophone on Lucky Day

Annie Ross – Vocals

Ornette Coleman Quartet – The Art of Love is Happiness (1987)

This liverecording of The Art of Love is Happiness played by Ornette Coleman Quartet is from The 1987 Hamburg Concert. The CD, released in 2011, contains a previously unreleased live performance by the original Ornette Coleman quartet, in a reunion concert that took place in Hamburg, Germany, the 29th of October 1987. The performance was taped nearly 30 years after the quartet’s first album, the wonderful The Shape Of Jazz to Come.

CD 1 (42:33): 1: Chanting, 2: Africa Is The Mirror Of All Colors, 3: Word For Bird, 4: Lonely Woman, 5: The Art Of Love Is Happiness

CD 2 (60:00): 1: Story Tellers, 2: Peace Warriors, 3: The Sphinx, 4: Latin Genetics, 5: Today, Yesterday And Tomorrow, 6: City Living, 7: Turnaround

The Ornette Coleman Quartet:

Ornette Coleman – sax
Don Cherry – pocket trumpet
Charlie Haden – double bass
Billy Higgins – drums

Ornette Coleman – String Quartet Of The Chamber Symphony Of Philadelphia – Space Flight (1967)

Space Flight is composed by Ornette Coleman and played by The String Quartet Of The Chamber Symphony Of Phildelphia. It is recorded live at Webster Hall, NYC on March 31, 1967 and is the last, third track on the album The Music Of Ornette Coleman: Form & Sounds.

The String Quartet Of The Chamber Symphony Of Phildelphia:

Willem Stokking – Cello

Carlton Cooley – Viola

Stuart Canin – Violin

William Steck – Violin