On a trip to San Francisco back in the early 1980s I was fortunate enough to catch an outdoor concert by the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band in a eucalyptus grove. Wonderful concert in a great setting. Lew Tabackin was in excellent form that day.
I donât believe that the very talented Moutin twins have been mentioned as yet. This recording is one of their best and itâs available on Tidal. Highly recommended and it sounds great!
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This one was recorded on September 21, 22 & 23 2001 at the Village Vanguard, NYC, USA, the week after September 11thâŚ
Martial Solal, François Moutin & Bill Stewart
The Village Vanguard is all of two miles from ground zero of the 9/11 attacks so the effects of the event would have been felt very deeply by anyone at the Vanguard at the time of this recording. I will give it a listen since I was working in NYC on 9/11 and was about 3 miles from ground zero. A nightmarish day that I will never forget.
Each year in the 80s, 90s and 2000s I used to come to NYC if possible during the Indian summer to go listen to my favorite musicians in Jazz clubs, discover new musicians, shop for CDs, vinyls, guitar strings, etc ⌠Sometimes for professional reasons, and not at all to participate in the NY marathon 
All these moments were great.
The year 2001 was a kind of break for me.
If you can listen to this Martial Solal NY-1 album, you will feel this whole post 9/11 atmosphere ⌠This is how I felt it and I still feel it.
Jump starting this conversation just becauseâŚ
Wonderful recording not ver easy to find but so rewarding. Mix of non-edgy cool avant-garde jazz and west African musicians. Quite unique in a good way: very listenable. Highly recommended
AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow
Bill Holmanâs exploration of ten Thelonious Monk tunes is purposely a lot more Holman than Monk. Rather than trying to re-create the great pianist/composerâs piano solos or small-group renditions of his songs, Holman picked out numbers that interested him and then avoided listening to Theloniousâ versions. The one trait of Thelonious Monkâs that is present throughout these dynamic big-band reinterpretations is the dominance of the themes, which are never far away; otherwise, the music is pure Bill Holman. The charts are sometimes (like Bob Brookmeyerâs) influenced by modern classical music; the ensembles are often quite dense, with numerous different activities going on at once â a well-planned traffic jam. Many soloists are heard from, including all five saxophonists (with Perkins on alto and soprano and tenor great Christlieb making the strongest impressions), trumpeters Bob Summers and Ron Stout, and trombonists Andy Martin and Bob Enevoldsen. The individual improvisations are generally backed by complex ensembles and end up very much a part of the arrangements. The overall results (which include such highlights as âStraight No Chaser,â âThelonious,â âFriday the 13th,â and âBrilliant Cornersâ) end up giving listeners a very different look at the music of Thelonious Monk, and are on the whole a major milestone in the career of Bill Holman.
Not avail on tidal/qobuz
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AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden
Tito Puente played the Monterey Jazz Festival for the first time in 1977, leading a big band that immediately ignited the crowd with his rousing âPara Los Rumberos.â Before the conga player even gave the audience a chance to cool off, he immediately launches into âOye Como Va,â a huge hit for Latin rocker Carlos Santana, a piece that Fillmore East impresario Bill Graham introduced to the guitarist by playing Puenteâs early record of it. The fire is often present throughout the set, with the punch of the horn section and infectious percussion, though ballads like âDelirioâ prove just as effective. One of the surprises is Puenteâs effective cha cha arrangement of Stevie Wonderâs âDonât You Worry 'Bout a Thing,â demonstrating that he always was interested in any good melody regardless of its stylistic origin. Vibraphonist and Latin jazz bandleader Cal Tjader is an added guest for the closing number âPicadillo.â This never dull Monterey set is a reminder as to why Tito Puente was one of the true giants of Latin Jazz.
Not available on tidal/qobuz
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Can I ask a stupid question? Doesnât matter . . Iâm asking it anyway. How do you get the images that you are posting? I have an iMac. Are you just taking a simple screenshot of the Roon interface?
On your ânow playingâ screen youâll notice the 3 dotsâŚclick that and then scroll down to âshareâ. It will then save your picture which youâll upload here to share.
Hope that helpsâŚ
Cheers.
Thanks! Simple!
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The new Sam Rivers release is classic early 1970s Rivers - beautiful! And the Bill Holman recommendation is exactly what this thread is all about - an absolute hidden gem.
Hereâs a long forgotten and very well hidden gem. Classic 1970s jazz with the ageless Roy Haynes and an on fire very young Hannibal Peterson. Well worth seeking out. There are a few other very good Mainstream releases from the early 1970s which I will try to post in the coming weeks.
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Here are two more from Mainstream Records :
Both from highly underrated and mostly overlooked Hal Galper
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Ralph_Pantuso @seaharp1
Thanks so much for the terrific additions. I have ordered Roy, Tito, & Bill. Good thing for Tidal/Qobuz or I would be filing bankruptcy. Ray Crawford was new to me (thanks to Marc Myers JazzWax post yesterday). I was not familiar with Ahmad Jamal pre-Pershing circa 1955, the two albums Crawford played on sound quite lively to me. This early effort is quite engaging. Please keep the gems coming!
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Just picked up this new recording via Bandcamp JAF Trio and even though itâs a little short at 34 minutes itâs all good. Too new to be a hidden gem but worth mentioning nonetheless.
I like the Discover tab in Roon as it can throw up a hidden gem, as is the case with this Benny Golson album titled âFreeâ. While the title might misled those who like their jazz at the freer end of the spectrum, I think all jazz lovers would enjoy this album. Its available on Tidal (includes a number of tracks from another album). Also, for those who have not yet taken up @ RHGâs suggestion, do yourself a favor and give âJazz Sabbathâ a spin.
Ralph_Pantuso
Good evening all. Thanks for this lovely addition. A terrific, very musical addition. Now available on Tidal.
1960 Gene Ammons. Maybe not hidden to anyone but me?
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AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos
This recording properly acknowledges Coryellâs main influences, swings nicely, delves into his under-appreciated mellow side, and reaffirms his status as an enduring jazz guitarist who still has plenty to say. Gone are the flash and the kamikaze riffs in favor of lean chords and structured, sensible, slightly gritty linear improvisations. Tributes to his heroes fall along standard company lines. Still, thereâs a lingering trace of the steely, hair-trigger old days of fusion in his interpretation of Thelonious Monkâs spastic âTrinkle Tinkleâ with tenor saxophonist Willie Williams. For contrast is the warm, spiritual blanket of John Coltraneâs âNaimaâ and the forthright reading of the 12-bar blues âUp 'Gainst the Wallâ featuring Williams. The elongated lines of Miles Davisâs âAll Bluesâ almost lull you into a false sense of security, so beautifully subtle, understated and cool are they. Coryell always chooses extraordinary sidemen, and when you pick pianist John Hicks (on four cuts, including the gorgeous âNaimaâ) bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Yoron Israel, youâve got a winning team. Itâs also great that Coryell introduces new material, like the soulful, swinging âFairfield County Blues,â Hicks and Coryell in complete accord, with a tip of the chordal-and-single-line-combo hat to Wes Montgomery. âAlmost a Waltz,â also written by the leader, is molasses slow, in 4/4, and a calm ending to this fulfilling disc. Coryellâs virtuosity is evident; harnessed, and sounding better than ever, utilizing a prototype Cort LCS-1 model he designed. Several recent efforts can also be easily recommended, but this finely crafted recording ranks with any of his many better-to-best dates.
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