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Tonight's Jazz Feature is by a fine pianist/composer who literally played with everyone of importance from Charles Mingus, Max Roach, John Coltrane to Billie Holiday and many more. Mal was the "house pianist" for Prestige Records in the mid and late 50's and recorded prolifically as a sideman and leader. Tonight's album is arguably his finest as a leader up to the time yet it is unfairly overlooked. It was done on March 20, 1958 at RVG Studios. His trio has Addison Farmer on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums and it's a very cohesive date. The album was called "Im...

Tonight's Jazz Feature honors one of the most productive and influential musicians in Canadian Jazz and that is Phillip Rista Nimmons, who was born in Kamloops B.C. June 3,1923 and he just celebrated his 100th Birthday. He is alive and well and healthy. Tonight's Jazz Feature spotlights Phil Nimmons' JUNO Award winning "Atlantic Suite". A suite in 5 movements featuring his great band "Nimmons 'n' Nine Plus Six" . It was recorded in Toronto in June of 1975 and won one of the first JUNO Awards for Jazz in 1976. Following the Atlantic Suite will be the work called "Suite ...

Sonny Rollins needs no introduction here but this incredible album that is tonight's Jazz Feature is often overlooked in favor of some others yet it represents an early milestone in Sonny's life and career. He had recovered from his drug addiction and a healthy Sonny joined the famous Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet which was one of the finest Jazz groups at that time in the mid 50's. This was his first album after his rehab and it presents a new and stronger Sonny and is considered his first "great' record. It was Sonny's first 12' LP and issued on Prestige Records as "Work Time&qu...

Tonight's Jazz Feature is an unearthed recording, one of the many by pianist composer Andrew Hill. In an interview with Mr. Hill with Blue Note Records archivist, Michael Cuscuna, Andrew mentioned the many unreleased sessions he recorded for Blue Note naming all the personnel. Hill said some were good and some were just okay. All were eventually released except for one which he said he was very happy with. Cuscuna as soon as he left Hill went into the Blue Note archives looking for this session that Hill mentioned but alas the tape was out of phase and unuseable. Cuscuna persisted and in a few...

Tonight's Jazz Feature is one of the many that alto saxophonist Jackie McLean did for Blue Note Records during his early years with the label from 1959 to 1967. Jackie reached musical maturity during his Blue Note years and his playing progressed by leaps and bounds. This album seems unjustly neglected and deserves a hearing as the music is superb. It marks the recorded debut of trumpeter/composer Charles Tolliver. Charles contributes 3 compositions to the set which was recorded at Rudy van Gelder's Studio on August 5, 1964. Jackie McLean picked the great rhythm section with Herbie Hancock pl...