It’s Time For Dave Pike (1961)

Dave Pike was never an innovator, but his best albums are definitely solid. A perfect example is 1961’s It’s Time for Dave Pike, which was recorded when the vibist was only 22. By 1961 standards, this album isn’t experimental or forward-thinking—certainly not compared to some of the adventurous, challenging sounds that were coming from modal and avant-garde improvisers in the early ‘60s. But it’s easy to enjoy if you appreciate swinging, inspired bop along the lines of Milt Jackson, who is one of Pike’s primary influences. In fact, this album favors the same vibes/piano/bass/drums format that Jackson embraced during his years with the Modern Jazz Quartet—Pike is joined by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Billy Higgins. But It’s Time for Dave Pike doesn’t sound like an MJQ date and doesn’t contain any third stream experiments; it has more in common with Jackson’s work outside the MJQ. Hard bop is the name of the game on this album, which includes a few Pike originals as well as inspired versions of jazz standards like Miles Davis’ “Solar,” Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl,” and Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House.” The only time Pike doesn’t lead a quartet on this album is when he tackles Rodgers & Hart’s “Little Girl Blue” and performs an unaccompanied vibes solo. Produced by Orrin Keepnews for Riverside, It’s Time for Dave Pike was out of print for many years. But that changed in 2001, when Fantasy finally reissued this pleasing album on CD on its Original Jazz Classics imprint.

Tracklist:
1 Cheryl
2 On Green Dolphin Street
3 It’s Time
4 Hot House
5 Forward
6 Solar
7 Little Girl Blue
8 Tendin’ to Business

pw: itsartolie

N.B.: Material posted on this site is for information purposes only. You must delete it after listening and/or viewing and buy the original CDs.

Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (1963)

The Sidewinder, Lee Morgan’s 24-bar blues with an infectious bass line and backbeat, instantly became one of the most popular pieces in modern jazz history. Every track on this classic album is a gem.

The Philadelphia-born trumpeter and superb bop stylist Lee Morgan apprenticed with Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey before emerging as a leader in his own right in the early ‘’60s for Blue Note Records. Although Morgan owed a stylistic debt to both Gillespie and Clifford Brown, he quickly developed a voice of his own that combined half-valve effects, Latin inflections, and full, fluid melodies. While many of Morgan’s later sessions for Blue Note would find him paired with saxophonist Hank Mobley, The Sidewinder features then up-and-coming tenor player Joe Henderson, plus Detroit pianist Barry Harris, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. Along with the title track, an unconventional 24-bar blues, the album’’s compositional standout is “Totem Pole,” a minor Latin groove featuring an outstanding solo by Henderson. This is the kind of relaxed blowing date, invigorated by thoughtful performances, that forms the backbone of the Blue Note catalog. --Fred Goodman

Tracklist:
1 The Sidewinder
2 Totem Pole
3 Gary’s Notebook
4 Boy, What a Night
5 Hocus Pocus
6 Totem Pole [alternate take]

pw: itsartolie

N.B.: Material posted on this site is for information purposes only. You must delete it after listening and/or viewing and buy the original CDs.