Betty Davis - The Columbia Years 1968-1969

Year : 2016
Label : Light In The Attic
Genre : Jazz, Rock, Soul
Style : Jazz Rock, Funk/Soul

Betty "Davis" Marbry presents her recordings sessions for Columbia, during the 1968-1969 period featuring Miles Davis as arranger and Teo Macero as producer. The first six songs were recorded in 1969 at Columbia Studios, New York with the famous Jimi Hendrix musicians Billy Cox from Band of Gypsys) & Mitch Mitchell from Jimi Hendrix Experience, Harvey Brooks from Super Session and the giants of Jazz : Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Larry Young and Wayne Shorter. The last three tracks were recorded in 1968 at Columbia Studios, Hollywood, with Hugh Masekela and featuring The Crusaders. Titles include unrealeased tracks, demos and alternate takes, written by Betty Davis except "Born On The Bayou" by John Forgety and  "Politician Man" by Jack Bruce.

MUSICIANS : Betty Davis - vocal - Billy Cox - drums - Mitch Mitchell & Harvey Brooks - bass - Herbie Hancock - keyboard - Larry Young - organ - John McLaughlin - guitar - Wayne Shorter & Wilton Felder - saxophone - Joe Sample - piano - Wayne Henderson - trombone

TRACKLIST : Hangin' Out (demo) - Politician Man (demo) - Down Home Girl (take 4) - Born On The Bayou (demo) - I'm Ready, Willing & Able (take 1) - I'm Ready, Willing & Able (take 9) - It's My Life (take 8) - Live, Love, Learn (take 12) - My Soul Is Tired - (take 9)

Teruo Nakamura And The Rising Sun - Song Of The Birds

Year : 1977
Label : Kitty
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

Also known as the U.S. issue "Manhattan Special" with different cover, "Song Of The Birds" is the third solo album by japanese bassist & multi-instrumentalist Teruo Nakamura. Settled in New York since 1964, Teruo has already worked for the greatest like Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Roy Haynes, Grover Washington Jr, Helen Merrill, Steve Grossman and many more. Recorded  in New York, featuring "The Rising Sun Band", formed by Teruo &guitarist/keyboardist Shiro Mori from the previous album "Rising Sun" in 1976, it includes also some prestigious guests such as Herbie Hancock or trumpeter John Mosley from the Roy Ayers Ubiquity. Titles include pure Jazz Funk tracks to the Headhunters' style (Wiggle Worm, Firefly, Mr. Cherry And Mr. T) and Afro-Latin fusion (Rainbow, Sequoia Forest, Mosquito, Sunrise In Africa). The music of Teruo transcends musical borders of jazz, as evidenced several of his songs which have been sampled by US Hip-Hop artists as such The Roots with "The Cat" (1976) for "Ital (The Universal Side)" or P.M. Dawn with "Firefly" for "Filthy Rich (I Don't Wanna Be)".

THE RISING SUN BAND : Teruo Nakamura - bass, harmonica, synthesizer, percussion - Shiro Mori - guitar, synthesizer - Mark Gray - piano, electric piano, synthesizer, organ - Harry Whitaker - piano, electric piano - Carter Jefferson - tenor, soprano saxophone - Keiji Kishida - drums - Nobu Urushiyama - percussion

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Kenny Dorham - Una Mas (One More Time)

Year : 1963

Label : Blue Note
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Modal, Latin Jazz

"Una Mas (One More Time)" is the most famous album from the be-bop trumpeter Kenny Dorham supported by an explosive quartet featuring among the greatest players of their generation, pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Tony Williams. Kenny Dorham explores the latin beat in two compositions including the bossa nova genre (Una Mas, Sao Paulo), interspersed by "Straight Ahead", another of his own composition rather fits into the Hard Bop/Modal style. Recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder.

Herbie Hancock - Fat Albert Rotunda (Original Soundtrack)

Year : 1969
Label : Warner
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk

First album after left Blue Note of Herbie Hancock where he turned to Soul Music and started his Jazz Funk style period. A part of this album was done for special episode Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert from the cartoon Fat Albert and Cosby Kids broadcast TV show. Ten years after, he recorded another version of Tell Me A Bedtime Story for Kimko Kasai on Butterfly. The formation features notable musicians as Joe Henderson, Buster Williams, Albert "Tootie" Heath or Garnett Brown. All selections written & arranged by Herbie Hancock and recorded at sudio Rudy Van Gelder.

Herbie Hancock_piano, electric piano
Buster Williams_bass
Albert "Tootie" Heath_drums
Joe Henderson_flute, tenor saxophone
Garnett Brown_trombone
Johnny Coles_trumpet, flugelhorn

01. Wiggle Waggle
02. Fat Mama
03. Tell Me A Bedtime Story
04. Oh! Oh! Here He Comes
05. Jessica
06. Fat Albert Rotunda
07. Lil' Brother

George Benson - White Rabbit

Year : 1971
Label : CTI
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Fusion

A 'Gypsy' project with heavy orchestration conducted & arranged by Don Sebesky as on The Other Side Of Abbey Road. Titles include some Andalusian tunes (White Rabbit, El Mar) coupled with Straight Ahead Jazz, the trademark of CTI records. Great reprises of the standards pop' White Rabbit & California Dreaming. Earl Klugh & Jay Berliner are associated to george on accoustic guitar. The rest of the band including the finest Fusion Jazz players such as Ron Carter (bass), Herbie Hancock (electric piano), Billy Cobham (drums), Airto Moreira (percussions, vocals), Hubert Laws (flute).

01. White Rabbit
02. Theme from Summer of '42
03. Little Train (from Bachianas Brasileiras No.2)
04. California Dreaming
05. El Mar

Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay

Year : 1970
Label : CTI
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Soul Jazz

Essential album in the Freddie Hubbard discography, the first release for CTI records. "Red Clay" is an Hard Bop album including Funk/Soul expressions performed in quintet featuring outstanding musicians, Joe Henderson (saxophone, flute), Herbie Hancock (electric piano, organ), Ron Carter (bass) & Lenny White (drums), all former member of the legendary Miles Davis Second Great Quintet (1964-1969). Titles include heavy grooves ( The Intrepid Fox), Soul Jazz (Delphia) and modal forms (Red Clay). All tracks composed & arranged by Freddie Hubbard, recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder, produced by Creed Taylor.

George Benson - The Other Side Of Abbey Road

Year : 1969

Label : A&M

Genre : Jazz

Style : Jazz Funk, Fusion

George Benson revisits some iconic songs from The Beatles' last album, arranged & directed by master Don Sebesky, produced by Creed Taylor for CTI and recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder. George Benson (eg, vo) is surrounded by a golden sextet including regular CTI session musicians featuring Herbie Hancock (org, p), Bob James (el-p), Idris Muhammad (ds), Freddie Hubbard (tp), Hubert Laws (fl), Ron Carter (b, el-b) & Ray Barretto (perc), supported by strings orchestra. Titles include four medley (Golden Slumbers~You Never Give Me Your Money, Because~Come Together, Here Comes The Sun~I Want You (She's So Heavy), Something~Octopus's Garden~The End) and "Oh! Darling".

Kimiko Kasai - Butterfly

Year : 1979
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

Japanese jazz songstress Kimiko Kasai meets Herbie Hancock (keyboards, vocoder) in joint project featuring members from the first incarnation of The Headhunters. The band is formed by bassist Paul Jackson, drummer Alphonse Mouzon, percussionist Bill Summers, saxophonist Benny Maupin and Webster Lewis in addition on keyboards. "Butterfly" consists of six compositions by Herbie Hancock, including two songs from his "Sunlight" album released previously (I Thought It Was You, Sunlight), "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" from "Fat Albert Rotunda" (1969), his jazz standard "Maiden Voyage" and the cover song "As" composed by Stevie Wonder. All tracks produced, mixed and recorded by David Robinson & Herbie Hancock at CBS studio in Tokyo.

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Harvey Mason - Marching In The Street

Year : 1975

Label : Arista

Genre : Jazz, Soul

Style : Jazz Funk

Debut album solo of american studio jazz drummer, Harvey Mason. He collaborated with many jazz and fusion musicians such as George Benson or The Brecker Brothers, almost present in all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd or Bobbi Humphrey and played for several japanese artists as Hiroshi Fukumura on Hunt Up Wind (1978). He best known as in group The Headhunters and sideman for Herbie Hancock on Head Hunters (1973), Man-Child (1975), Mr. Hands (1980). Titles include featurings with guests musicians as Melvin 'Wah Wah' Ragin (guitar & talkbox on Fair Thee Well), Hubert Laws (flute on Modaji) George Bohannon (trombone on Hop Scotch) and Blue Mitchell (solo trumpet on Marching In The Street). All tracks composed by Harvey Mason except Modaji by Dave Grusin and Wild Rice by Lee Ritenour. Arranged & produced by Harvey Mason.

Harvey Mason_drums, vocal

Chuck Rainey & Paul Jackson_bass

Lee Ritenour_guitar

Herbie Hancock & Dave Grusin_keyboards

Oscar Brashear & Bobby Bryant_trumpet

Ernie Watts & Bennie Maupin_saxophone

01. Marching In The Street

02. Modaji

03. Hop Scotch

04. Wild Rice

05. Ballad For Heather

06. Fair Thee Well

07. Building Love