LP VG+

 

Jacket  NM

Artist Biography by Steve Huey

A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise,  was one of hard bop's greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the '60s. An all-around master of his instrument modeled after ,  boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads. In his early days as a teen prodigy,  was a busy soloist with a taste for long, graceful lines, and honed his personal style while serving an apprenticeship in 's . As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense. He also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects. Toward the end of his career,  was increasingly moving into modal music and free bop, hinting at the avant-garde but remaining grounded in tradition. He had already overcome a severe drug addiction, but sadly, he would not live to continue his musical growth; he was shot to death by his common-law wife in 1972.

 was born in Philadelphia on July 10, 1938. He grew up a jazz lover, and his sister apparently gave him his first trumpet at age 14. He took private lessons, developing rapidly, and continued his studies at Mastbaum High School. By the time he was 15, he was already performing professionally on the weekends, co-leading a group with bassist .  also participated in weekly workshops that gave him the chance to meet the likes of , , and his idol . After graduating from high school in 1956,  -- along with -- got the chance to perform with 's when they swung through Philadelphia. Not long after,  hired to replace  in his big band, and afforded the talented youngster plenty of opportunities to solo, often spotlighting him on the  signature piece "A Night in Tunisia."'s death in a car crash in June 1956 sparked a search for his heir apparent, and the precocious seemed a likely candidate to many; accordingly, he soon found himself in great demand as a recording artist. His first session as a leader was cut for Blue Note in November 1956, and over the next few months he recorded for Savoy and Specialty as well, often working closely with  or . Later in 1957, he performed as a sideman on 's classic , as well as with .

's early sessions showed him to be a gifted technician who had his influences down pat, but subsequent dates found him coming into his own as a distinctive, original stylist. That was most apparent on the Blue Note classic , a warm standards album completed in 1958 and released to great acclaim. Still only 19, 's playing was still imbued with youthful enthusiasm, but he was also synthesizing his influences into an original sound of his own. Also in 1958, 's big band broke up, and soon joined the third version of 's , which debuted on the classic  album later that year. As a leader, recorded a pair of albums for Vee Jay in 1960,  and, and cut another for Blue Note that year, Leeway, with backing by many of . None managed to measure up to , and , grappling with heroin addiction, wound up leaving  in 1961. He returned to his hometown of Philadelphia to kick the habit, and spent most of the next two years away from music, working occasionally with saxophonist  on a local basis. His replacement in  was , who would also become one of the top hard bop trumpeters of the '60s.

 returned to New York in late 1963, and recorded with Blue Note avant-gardist  on the trombonist's debut . He then recorded a comeback LP for Blue Note called , prominently featuring the up-and-coming . The -composed title track was a funky, danceable groover that drew from soul-jazz, Latin boogaloo, blues, and R&B in addition to 's trademark hard bop. It was rather unlike anything else he'd cut, and it became a left-field hit in 1964; edited down to a 45 rpm single, it inched onto the lower reaches of the pop charts, and was licensed for use in a high-profile automobile ad campaign. Its success helped push  into the Top 25 of the pop LP charts, and the Top Ten on the R&B listing. Sales were brisk enough to revive the financially struggling Blue Note label, and likely kept it from bankruptcy; it also led to numerous "Sidewinder"-style grooves popping up on other Blue Note artists' albums. By the time "The Sidewinder" became a phenomenon, had rejoined , where he would remain until 1965; there he solidified a long-standing partnership with saxophonist .

 followed the most crucial recording of his career with the excellent, more abstract , which was cut in early 1964, before "The Sidewinder" hit. An advanced modal bop session called  was also recorded shortly thereafter, but both were shelved in hopes of scoring another "Sidewinder." Accordingly,  re-entered the studio in early 1965 to cut , whose -penned title cut worked territory that was highly similar to 's breakout hit. Commercial lightning didn't strike twice, but  continued to record prolifically through 1965, cutting excellent sessions like , , and the unissued .  introduced one of 's best-known originals, the bluesy "Speedball," while the classic  featured his ballad masterpiece "Ceora."  was finally issued in 1966, and it achieved highly respectable sales, reaching the Top 20 of the R&B album charts; both  and  would sell well among jazz audiences when they were released in 1967 and 1968, respectively.

By the time  completed those albums, he had left  to begin leading his own groups outside the studio. He was also appearing frequently as a sideman on other Blue Note releases, working most often with tenorman .  was extraordinarily prolific over 1966-1968, cutting around eight albums' worth of material (though not all of it was released at the time). Highlights included, , and the decent-selling , which nearly made the Top 40 of the R&B album chart. His compositions were increasingly modal and free-form, stretching the boundaries of hard bop; however, his funkier instincts were still evident as well, shifting gradually from boogaloo to early electrified fusion. 's recording pace tailed off at the end of the '60s, but he continued to tour with a regular working group that prominently featured saxophonist . This band's lengthy modal explorations were documented on the double LP , recorded in Los Angeles in July 1970; it was later reissued as a three-CD set with a generous amount of extra material.

 led what turned out to be the last session of his life in September 1971. On February 19, 1972,  was performing at the New York club Slug's when he was shot and killed by his common-law wife, Helen More. Accounts of exactly what happened vary; whether they argued over drugs or 's fidelity, whether she shot him outside the club or up on the bandstand in front of the audience, jazz lost a major talent. Despite his extensive recorded legacy, was only 33 years old. Many of his unreleased Blue Note sessions began to appear in the early '80s, and his critical standing has hardly diminished a whit.

All Lps are sight graded   Note: I Do Not Grade inner sleeves, If these are Important to you then you may e-mail me)

 

RECORD GRADING

Based On Goldmine Grading Standards:

Near Mint (NM): A nearly perfect record. There may be one or two small inaudible defects. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other sights of slight handling. An LP jacket should have no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes, either.

Near Mint Minus (NM-): A record that should play mint but has a few slight visible marks. The album will have as much luster as an NM, there just may be some superficial scuffs from the sleeve or very light hairlines that shouldn't be audible. An NM- album cover subjectively fits somewhere in between VG+ and NM.

Very Good Plus (VG+): A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don t significantly affect play. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. 45 Picture sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned-up corners, or a slight seam-split. An LP jacket may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.

Very Good (VG): Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song s intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, just two or three of them.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+): Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play though without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear. A jacket or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the subject.

Poor (P), Fair (F): Below good. imperfections will be described.

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SHIPPING TO CANADA Multiple LP Shipping Rates In USD

1 LP 11.50

2. Lps 13.00

3 Lps 15.00

4 Lps 17.00

5 Lps 26.00

6 Lps 29.00

Multiple Shipping Rates SHIPPING TO Rest Of The World Outside USA in USD

Note: Gatefold Lps Count as 2 Lps

1 LP 17.25

2 LP 20.00

3. Lps 26.50

4 Lps 30.00

5 Lps 48.00 (price jump becuse weight usually takes it to priority mail rate)

6 Lps 51.00

7 Lps 54.00

8 LPs 58.00

9 Lps 61.00

10 Lps 64.00

11 Lps 67.00

12 Lps 70.00

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