It has been a while since I have seen an interesting album cover. Then this morning I happened across Atlantic Jazz: Saxophones, a compilation recording of some of the 20th century’s best jazz sax players.
Source: amazon.com
Atlantic Jazz: Saxophones was originally released by Rhino Records in 1993. It includes the following tracks and artists…
Track Listing
| Title/Composer | Performer | Time | |||
| 1 | If I Loved You
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers |
Rahsaan Roland Kirk | 8:50 | ||
| 2 | Freedom Jazz Dance
Eddie Harris |
Eddie Harris | 9:39 | ||
| 3 | Willow Weep for Me
Ann Ronell |
David “Fathead” Newman | 4:56 | ||
| 4 | Russell and Eliot
Yusef Lateef |
Yusef Lateef | 4:47 | ||
| 5 | Lorelei’s Lament
Hank Crawford |
Hank Crawford | 5:36 | ||
| 6 | Confirmation
Charlie Parker |
Sonny Stitt | 4:35 | ||
| 7 | Giant Steps
John Coltrane |
John Coltrane | 4:43 | ||
| 8 | Lonely Woman
Ornette Coleman |
Ornette Coleman | 4:59 | ||
| 9 | Forest Flower: Sunrise
Charles Lloyd |
Charles Lloyd | 7:17 | ||
| 10 | Forest Flower: Sunset
Charles Lloyd |
Charles Lloyd | 10:19 |
The following is the AllMusic Review by Heather Phares:
Atlantic Jazz: Saxophones gathers some of the label’s most memorable sax performances, including a live version of Rahsaan Roland Kirk‘s “If I Loved You,” John Coltrane‘s “Giant Steps,” Ornette Coleman‘s “Lonely Woman,” Yusef Lateef‘s “Russell and Eliot,” and Hank Crawford‘s “Lorelei’s Lament.” Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, Charles Lloyd, and David “Fathead” Newman. Atlantic Jazz: Saxophones works as a fine companion piece to Rhino’s Atlantic reissues, featuring definitive cuts from the trad jazz, bop, and free jazz saxophonists that defined the label’s historic roster.
If this compilation is something that you’d like to add to your collection, you can find both new and used CDs on Amazon.com. If you like to download your music, you might be able to find a site to do so. I didn’t really look into it. The sites I was on didn’t offer any download options.
In any event, Atlantic Jazz: Saxophones has a really interesting retro album cover that reminds us of the time when many of the tunes were first hip, and didn’t speak to the masses. While our instrument might have been the king of cool, the music it was often used to play spoke to intellectuals or to free thinkers, who hadn’t been swayed by the pablum-serving mass music market.
