Ray Blue Work

Ray Blue
Work
Jazzheads

Tenor saxophonist Ray Blue is based out of New York who has been leading his own groups and recorded several CDs. He also has worked with such artists as Art Davis, Benny Powell, Eddie Henderson, the Charlie Persip Big Band, Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Ted Curson, and the Sun Ra Orchestra. The core band backing him on "Work" is Sharp Radway on piano, Jeff Barone on guitar, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass, and Steve Johns on drums. Also appearing are pianists Kirk Lightsey and Benito Gonzalez (each on two tracks), trombonist Ron Wilkins (on three selections), Belden Bullock on bass (one song), and Neil Clark on percussion (on three tracks).

Ray Blue is a straight-ahead saxophonist who has a warm tone and swings hard while wonderfully supported by a superior studio band. The title track is a lively Caribbean-spiced evocative of some of Sonny Rollins' compositions like "St. Thomas." As the group provides an infectious groove (aided by Clark's percussion), Blue introduces us to his velvety tone and fluid improvisation. Radway's sparkling solo follows this. There is a spirited, brief rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," with Barone's horn-like guitar echoing Blue's tenor at times. Cannonball Adderly's "Sweet Emma" is taken at an appealing, lazy tempo with Wilkins adding his gruff trombone before Blue's brawny solo. Wilkins also adds his insistent trombone to the swinging interpretations of Jimmy Smith's "Mellow Mond," and George Coleman's "Amsterdam After Dark,"

Blues ballad playing is sublime as displayed his own "My Friend and I Took a Walk," with Benito Gonzalez on piano with John's brushwork exemplary. Gonzalez is also on one of two versions of "That's All," where Blue's cottony, measured playing would have brought a smile to Ben Webster. An equally marvelous rendition of this song done as a duo with Kirk Lightsey is the closing track. Lightsey and Bullock are present on a melodious ballad performance of "Teach Me Tonight."

Among other numbers here is a jaunty rendition of the old pop hit, "Our Day Will Come," and a swinging version of "Everything Happens To Me," that starts as a duet with Johns before the full band joins in. "Work" is an outstanding recording that showcases Ray Blue's marvelous, straight-ahead tenor saxophone.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the November-December 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 387). Here is Ray Blue from 2012 performing "Work."

Red Holloway Go Red Go!

Red Holloway

Go Red Go!

Delmark Records

Delmark has just issued the label’s debut recording by the veteran tenor saxophonist, Red Holloway, “Go Red Go!” A contemporary of Von Freeman and the late Johnny Griffin at Chicago’s fabled Du Sable High, he came up under the tutelage of Captain Walter Dyett who advised his students to practice outside to develop their sound. Particularly important influences on Holloway were Ben Webster and Sonny Stitt, leading to his big, rich tone and fleet agility which certainly did not inhibit his ability to straddle the blues and jazz worlds growing up. He played on some classic Chicago blues sessions as well as jazz dates. His career has run the gamut to backing Charles Brown in the studio in the late sixties (with Charles calling out Red by name on a choice tenor solo) to the 1989 “Locksmith Blues,” date for Concord co-led with Clark Terry. 

“Go Red Go!” finds him blowing with vitality backed by organist Chris Foreman and his trio (guitarist Henry Johnson and drummer Greg Rockingham). Its a buoyant swinging date opening with a lively “Love Walked In.” Legendary guitarist George Freeman takes over the chair for Holloway's late night blues, “I Like It Funky.” The title track is a retitled rendition of an Arnett Cobb sax sender as he takes off at rug-burning tempo, followed by the more romantic feeling of the standard “Deep Purple,” a prime vehicle to display his sensuous ballad playing with his vibrato evoking Webster. 

Holloway also provides his own take on “Stardust,” one of the ballads Webster was most associated with. Sonny Rollins classic calypso “St. Thomas,” is an unusual choice perhaps but Foreman’s solid unison playing and chording underneath his dancing solo adds to its charm and Johnson takes a nice solo here as well. There are strong interpretations of “Bags Groove,” and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa nova classic, “Wave." Guitarist Freeman rejoins him for the delightful reworking of Roosevelt Sykes', “Keep Your Hands Off Yourself,” that closes this album as he enthusiastically delivers the vocal with Foreman anchoring the performance and getting greasy during his solo that precedes the solos by Holloway and Freeman. Holloway used to play with Sykes. 

Holloway may not be a great singer, but the entire performance is simply too much fun and ends a finger-snapping, toe-tapping recording of first-rate jazz for lovers of tenor sax and organ jazz. He ain’t getting older, he’s just aging marvelously.

I received this review copy from Delmark, but am uncertain whether this 2009 review was ever published. (Correction, It was published in the July 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 318)). Here is Red Holloway from a decade singing and playing "Cleanhead Blues."  

Jordon Dixon On!

Jordon Dixon
On!
Self-produced

"On!" is the second recording by Washington DC area tenor saxophonist Jordon Dixon. Dixon, a graduate of the jazz program of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), today is no young prodigy although when he was 15 sitting in at bars and clubs in his native Baton Rouge, he may have been considered as such. He came to DC after serving as a musician in the US Marine Corps. Graduating from UDC, he released the self-produced "Conversation Among Friends" which was issued in conjunction with his senior recital.

Dixon composed the nine compositions heard here (one in two takes) and backed by a superb band of some of the DC area's finest musicians. The remarkable Allyn Johnson, who is the head of Jazz Studies as UDC, plays piano here. He also engineered, mixed, and mastered this recording. On bass is Herman Burney who like Johnson is a respected educator and mentor to many local jazz artists and played with Freddie Cole, Terrell Stafford, Rene Marie, and others. On drums is Carroll V (CV) Dashiell who has played with Benny Golson, Bobby Watson, the late Geri Allen, and others.JS Williams adds trumpet to two tracks.

The material ranges from blues, hard bop and ballads and Dixon impress the listener with his big tone and the repertoire. On the opening track, "Notes From the Nook," Dixon displays his full sound and the authority with which he plays the blues. Johnson, who is also heard on organ, follows with a terrific solo before Burney takes an arco bass solo. The tempo picks up with the brisk pace of "Way too Serious," with the leader navigating the tempo with ease. "What You've Done For Me" is a lovely ballad where Dixon's warmth is complemented by Johnson's excellent accompaniment and solo. Dashiell's crisply kicks off "We Kin," a lively hard bop performance.

The title track opens with some rhapsodic piano before shifting to some hot swing with Burney and Dashiell driving this spirited number with Burney and Johnson also contributing cogent solos. "Flame and Friction" is a late-night blues with JS Williams adding his trumpet on this first-rate selection. "Lee Lee Dee" is a robustly played swinger followed by a precious ballad "She Meant It When She Said It," with Burney's solo giving this performance deep roots. Williams returns for "Fake Flowers," a tune that hints at a New Orleans parade as well as the church music all these artists grew up with. Dashiell takes a strong, crisp solo here.

An alternate take of "Notes From the Nook," closes this recording. Jordon Dixon impresses with the invention and passion he brings. One can hear the influences of Coltrane and Sonny Rollins at times, but also with his big tone and warmth, and affinity for blues and ballads will especially appeal to fans of Houston Person and the late Stanley Turrentine and Gene Ammons. Simply stated, this is a fabulous recording.

Jordon Dixon will be celebrating a CD Release Show Monday, June 10th 7:00 pm, JAZZ Alive@UDC, part of the DC Jazz Fest's Jazz in the 'Hoods.' For more information on this performance, check www.dcjazzfest.org. This looks like a show not to miss, although I will be unable to attend because of travel.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of Jordan at a student recital performing "Lee Lee Dee."

Flip Phillips Your Place Or Mine

Flip Phillips
Your Place Or Mine
Jump/Delmark Records

Best remembered for his stint on the Jazz at the Philharmonic tours with his barn-burning solos in the company of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker and others, tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips had moved to south Florida after those days, playing locally but otherwise in semi-retirement. He got together with guitarist Dell Staton and would jammed for the fun of it at either's home. in 1963 they went to a recording studio for the kicks of it and this is one of the only two Flip made in the twenty years after leaving JATP. Staton in addition to his guitar, adds bass using a foot organ attachment.

From the opening moments of "Come Rain Or Shine," Phillips impresses with the warmth and rhapsodic quality of his playing whether on tenor sax or on bass clarinet (for example the tenderness heard on "Just Say I Loved Her"). Listening to "It's the Talk of the Town," the airy, breathy quality of his playing evokes the great Ben Webster, while Staton, who chords his simple accompaniment, shows a similar attention to tone in his solo interlude. Phillips returns to the bass clarinet for a lovely "Summertime," while against Staton's chording brings his romanticism to Django Reinhardt's "Nuages."

A nicely swinging "Jada" provides a change in pace from ballads that predominate here along with the driving "Scatterbrain," with some marvelous chording and single note guitar along with Phillips here. Then there is the bass clarinet on "Chloe," with some exquisite playing evocative of Webster and clarinetist Barney Bigard on this number that was also part of the Ellington repertoire. Brisk takes on "Jazz Me Blues" and "Gone With the Wind" (with Staton superb here) are among other performances on a marvelously, delightful recording.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review originally appeared in the September-October Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374). Here is Filp Phillips at his 80th Birthday Party.