BENNY GOLSON QUARTET - Free (1962-1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1998 CD reissues tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson's excellent Free album of 1962 plus seven of the ten selections from his Take A Number From 1 To 10 project of 1960. Although one wishes that both sets could have been reissued in full (the CD is just 62 minutes long), it is a joy to have Free available again. Golson's last album as a leader in which he plays in his Don Byas/Lucky Thompson style (he would soon become a fulltime arranger and, by the time he led his next playing date in 1977, Golson's sound was quite a bit different) finds him in top form. Joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Art Taylor, Golson performs two originals, Will Davis' catchy "Sock Cha" and three standards with "Mad About The Boy" and "Just In Time" (during which he sounds a bit like Sonny Rollins) being among the highlights. The other session found the tenorman playing unaccompanied on a brief "You're My Thrill" and adding an instrument to each song, up to a tentet on the original album, and a septet here. The duet rendition of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" is excellent and trombonist Curtis Fuller makes a strong impression on the speedy "Swing It." Despite the three missing tracks, this CD is recommended. by Scott Yanow  
Tracklist:
1 Sock Cha 7:10
Will Davis
2 Mad About the Boy 7:15
Noël Coward
3 Just by Myself 5:45
Benny Golson
4 Shades of Stein 4:30
Benny Golson

5 My Romance 7:30

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6 Just in Time 5:55
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
7 You're My Thrill 1:34
Burton Lane / Ned Washington
8 My Heart Belongs to Daddy 4:08
Cole Porter
9 The Best Thing for You Is Me 2:46
Clifford Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson
10 Impromptune 3:00
Benny Golson
11 Little Karin 3:33
Benny Golson
12 Swing It 4:24
Benny Golson
13 I Fall in Love Too Easily 4:46
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
Credits:
Baritone Saxophone – Sahib Shihab
Bass – Ron Carter (tracks: 1 to 6), Tommy Williams (tracks: 8 to 13)
Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath (tracks: 9 to 13), Art Taylor (tracks: 1 to 6)
Piano – Cedar Walton (tracks: 10 to 13), Tommy Flanagan (tracks: 1 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson
Trombone – Curtis Fuller (tracks: 12 to 13)
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard (tracks: 11 to 13)

CECIL PAYNE - Patterns of Jazz (1956-1991) RM / MONO / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1956 set partners baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne with the superb rhythm section of pianist Duke Jordan, drummer Art Taylor, and bassist Tommy Potter. Their performances of originals, standards, and a pair of Randy Weston compositions are unpretentious bop artistry of a high caliber. Jordan and Potter played together in Charlie Parker's quintet of the late '40s and are well-equipped to meet the demands of bebop. The pianist's economical, swinging style falls somewhere between Count Basie's and Thelonious Monk's. Like them, Jordan is supremely skilled at saying a lot with a little. His open approach leaves plenty of space for the unassuming virtuosity of Potter and Taylor. Potter, in particular, merits close attention. He is a master of the walking bass, spilling out a relentless four to the bar with the precision of a Swiss timepiece and the obsession of one whose calling is, above all, to swing and to swing righteously. Payne's conception is the opposite of the big-throated, baritone sax roar of his Savoy labelmate Pepper Adams. Rather, his light tone calls to mind Lester Young's tenor sax, a parallel that is most apparent on Payne's extended solo on his ballad treatment of "How Deep Is the Ocean." On four of the eight tracks on this 1991 CD reissue the quartet is joined by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, who is in excellent form, adding a high-energy second voice to the frontline and a fearless chorus on the quintet's version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High." For listeners who have yet to become acquainted with Cecil Payne, this classic mid-'50s Savoy recording would make a good introduction. by Jim Todd 
Tracklist:
1 This Time The Dream's On Me 3:46
2 How Deep Is The Ocean? 7:47
3 Chessman's Delight 5:27
4 Arnetta 3:38
5 Saucer Eyes 6:38
6 Man Of Moods 5:33
7 Bringing Up Father 6:19
8 Groovin' High 4:22
Credits:
Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne
Bass – Tommy Potter
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Duke Jordan
Recorded By – Rudy Van Gelder
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham (tracks: 5 to 8)