Johnny Griffin – The Little Giant (1959)

Riverside – RLP 12-304Rec. Dates : August 4 & 5, 1959Stream this Album Tenor Sax : Johnny GriffinBass : Sam JonesDrums : Albert HeathPiano : Wynton KellyTrombone : Julian PriesterTrumpet : Blue Mitchell Billboard : 12/07/1959Three stars Johnny Griffin‘s strong blowing has won him a sizable following. In this set, his tenor sax leads a sextet in efforts which are also

Ornette Coleman – Tomorrow is the Question! (1959)

Contemporary – M3569Rec. Dates : January 16, 1959, February 23, 1959, March 9 & 10, 1959Stream this Album Alto Sax : Ornette ColemanBass : Percy Heath, Red MitchellDrums : Shelly ManneTrumpet, Pocket Trumpet : Don Cherry Billboard : 11/16/1959Three stars Ornette Coleman, hailed by some critics as an important new jazz artist and derided by others as much less important,

Sonny Rollins – And the Contemporary Leaders (1959)

Contemporary – M3564Rec. Dates: October 20, 21 & 22, 1958Stream this Album Tenor Sax : Sonny RollinsBass : Leroy VinnegarDrums : Shelly ManneGuitar : Barney KesselPiano : Hampton HawesVibraharp : Victor Feldman Billboard : 11/23/1959Four stars This album captures Sonny Rollins at his most impressive, in fact it is one of his best performances in a long time. It was cut in October

Curtis Fuller – Sliding Easy (1959)

United Artists – UAS 4041Rec. Date : March 9, 1959Stream this Album Trombone : Curtis FullerArranger : Gigi Gryce, Benny GolsonBass : Paul ChambersDrums : Elvin JonesPiano : Tommy FlanaganTenor Sax : Hank MobleyTrumpet : Lee Morgan   Cashbox : 11/07/1959Jazz Pick of the Week The sextet is comprise of several important new star jazzmen – Fuller (trombone), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). They

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)

Columbia – CL 1355Rec. Dates : March 2, 1959, April 22, 1959Stream this Album Trumpet : Miles DavisAlto Sax : Cannonball AdderleyBass : Paul ChambersDrums : Jimmy CobbPiano : Wynton Kelly, Bill EvansTenor Sax : John Coltrane   Billboard : 08/31/1959Spotlight Winner of the Week Miles Davis, with his almost-regular group, composed of Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, James Cobb, Johnny (!?) Coltrane, Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans, turns in

A.K. Salim – Blues Suite (1959)

Savoy MG-12132Rec. Dates : September 26, 1958, October 6, 1958Stream this Album (YT only) Composer/Arranger : A.K. SalimAlto Sax : Phil WoodsBaritone Sax : Sahib ShihabBass : George DuvivierDrums : Wilbur HoganFlute : Seldon PowellPiano : Eddie Costa, Oscar DennardTenor Sax : Seldon PowellTrombone : Buster CooperTrumpet : Nat Adderley, Paul Cohen, Joe Wilder   Cashbox : 03/28/1959 Composer-conductor-arranger Salim has surrounded himself with an impressive aggregation of jazz names

Miles Davis – And The Modern Jazz Giants (1959)

Prestige – PRLP 7150Rec. Dates : December 24, 1954, October 26, 1956 Trumpet : Miles DavisBass : Percy Heath, Paul ChambersDrums : Kenny Clarke, Philly Joe JonesPiano : Thelonious Monk, Red GarlandTenor Sax : John ColtraneVibes : Milt Jackson Listening to Prestige : #131, #191Stream this AlbumSee more about 12/24/1954: PRLP 7109, PRLP 7650 Billboard : 06/15/1959Jazz Spotlight Winner of the Week This album could easily

Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um (1959)

Columbia – CL 1370Rec. Dates : May 5, 1959, May 12, 1959Stream this Album Bass : Charles MingusAlto Sax : John Handy, Shafi HadiClarinet : John HandyDrums : Dannie RichmondPiano : Horace ParlanTenor Sax : Booker Ervin, Shafi HadiTrombone : Jimmy Knepper, Willie Dennis Billboard : 10/05/1959Four Stars What Charlie Mingus says in jazz is never unimportant, and he has a lot to say on

Lou Donaldson – Blues Walk (1959)

Blue Note – BLP 1593Rec. Date : July 28, 1958 Alto Sax : Lou DonaldsonBass : Peck MorrisonCongas : Ray BarrettoDrums : Dave BaileyPiano : Herman Foster Strictlyheadies : 05/13/2019Stream this Album Cashbox : 01/24/1959 Donaldson, who has had an alto sax say in seven Blue Note issues, mixes tempos up nicely under a quintet format here. Digging into a program