SPECIAL TWO WEEKS OF REISSUE REVIEWS. HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!

Ahmad Jamal
Poinciana Revisited/Freeflight
Impulse! Records
www.umusic.com

Albert Ayler
Love Cry/The Last Album
Impulse! Records
www.umusic.com

Coleman Hawkins
Desifinado/Today And Now
Impulse! Records
www.umusic.com

Duke Ellington
Meets Coleman Hawkins/…And John Coltrane
Impulse! Records
www.umusic.com
By George W. Harris

Impulse! records is reissuing fantastic 2-fers right now, and it’s a great way to get some essential music into your library or ipod. Some of this stuff has been out of circulation for awhile, so start salivating!

Of all the artists on these releases, only pianist Ahmad Jamal is a live, and WELL. He’s STILL putting out great and fresh material. These two sessions have Jamal leading his trio with Frank Grant/dr and Jamil Nasser/b. The 69 Revisited features not only a fresh and arid take of his hit tune, but he feels the contemporary musical pulse with a slick take of “Call Me,” as well as a wonderfully brooding take of JJ Johnson’s “Lament.” The other session is from a 71 Montreux Jazz Fest, and has Jamal doubling on electric keyboards at times on songs that mostly stretch out more than you’re used for this artist on taciturnity. “Dolphin Dance” and “Effendi” are quite intriguing, but the take here of “Poinciana” is a shade lackluster. A definite blip on Jamal’s meter.

Albert Ayler…Albert Ayler. He’s a lot like the Three Stooges: you either love him or hate him, there’s just no middle ground for this avant gard saxophone player. His 1968 Love Cry just might be his most accessible disc, as it’s made up of a bunch of tunes around the 4-5 minute mark with Donald Ayler/tp, Milford Graves/dr and Alan Silva/b. Some of it, like “Bells” and “Universal Indians” actually have an exotic allure, while other tunes sound like a New Orleans Parade that just fell off a cliff. His misnamed Last Album from 1969 is about as quizzical as you’re going to get, ranging from a cacophonous duet with fuzz guitarist Henry Vistine to a vocal by Mary Marias, as well as his own vocals. Ouch!

Coleman Hawkins, on the other hand, was in his second (or was it third) resurgence. Having defined swing, bebop and hard bop, he seems inspired on the avant garde label, and puts out smoky sessions. Both sessions feature Tommy Flanagan/p, Major Holley/b and Eddie Locke/dr, with Today and Now having Hawkins sounding absolutely stunning on deep ballads like “Don’t Love Me” and “Love Song From ‘Apache’.” Even more rewarding is his better-late-than-never delve into bossa nova, with Barry Galbraith/g entering into the fold. Takes of “Desifinado” and “One Note Samba” more than hold their own against more popular versions, while his own “Samba Para Bean” is a real kick. After listening to these tunes, you’ll understand why bassist Percy Heath told me, “The Selmer Company had Hawkins in mind when they invented their tenor sax.” Nuff said!

There are classic discs, and there are classic discs. Duke Ellington’s two summit meetings are the latter. Both 1962 sessions are small group efforts, with Coleman Hawkins joining up with a group that includes Harry Carney/bs and Johnny Hodges. When these guys go for the proverbial “it” on “The Jeep Is Jumpin’” music just doesn’t get any better. Hawkins’ reading of “Mood Indigo” is one of the most moving takes you’ll ever experience, while the debut of “Self Portrait” reverberates with subtones. Everyone’s inspired here, while the mixing and matching of Duke’s small group with Coltrane’s quartet make a classic out of “In A Sentimental Mood.” Ellington shows he’s timelessly modern with some very hip comping on “Take The Coltrane.” An absolute delight. What generation gap?!?