"Urge" by The Ted Curson Quartet on Fontana 883 910

November 2, 2024

This is a session featuring Curson and Booker Ervin released on the Dutch Fontana label in 1966. It’s a little avant-garde in nature but still connected with post-bop and quite accessible. The recording quality is nothing to write home about, but at the same time it fits in well with the music.

I love both Curson and Ervin so this album is a hit for me. Great to hear them in a bit more free setting. They are joined by Jimmy Woode on double bass and Edgar Bateman on drums. Can’t remember if I’ve heard of those cats before, but nonetheless they are both great.

All tunes except for one are written by Curson. He was a really accomplished composer.

If you’re a fan of a little bit more free stuff than post-bop then this one might be for you.

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"That's It!" by Booker Ervin on Candid CJM 8014

September 23, 2024

Like every other Ervin album I’ve heard this one is lovely. I’ve been after it for a long time. It’s quite difficult to find in great shape so I’m happy to have found this copy which is in top shape for sure.

Ervin had a very unique style and one that is immediately recognizable. Like I’ve mentioned before, his approach is fiery and very skilful. Always connected with the blues, always soulful, whether it’s a beautiful ballad or a real cooker.

I’m aiming to collect plenty more by Ervin and I’ve managed to find several of his titles on Prestige already. I really dig those later groups.

This album is of course highly recommended.

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"Exultation!" by Booker Ervin on Prestige PRLP 7293

August 29, 2024

Booker Ervin was such a beast on the tenor. A highly skilled and fiery player with plenty to say on the sax. In short; a bad ass cat.

I have slowly collected his work on Prestige and this is another great session that I’ve been after for a long while, but it has proven to be a difficult one to find. So very happy to have found it in a local store. I’ve been acquiring several albums now in the past week from local stores. I feel quite fortunate to live in Stockholm where we have such a great supply of lovely stores when it comes to original jazz vinyl.

It’s great to have Frank Strozier present on this session. A wonderful player that I have been exploring a bit during this year. Found a couple of great titles by him as a leader some months ago. Horace Parlan is on piano and his contribution is fantastic. Really dig his style. I haven’t explored his work in depth but I’m aiming to do so, and maybe end up with a title or two featuring him. We also have Butch Warren on double bass and Walter Perkins on drums. A great group.

All tunes on this album are highly enjoyable and they all offer something different. If I am to name a few favorites it would be the beautiful ballad ”Black & Blue” and the Walter Perkins penned blues ”No Land’s Man”.

Exultation is what the title suggests and more. Great stuff!

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"The Space Book" by Booker Ervin on Prestige PR 7386

January 25, 2024

All the titles in the Book-series are great and this one is no exception. The band on this is exceptional, with Ervin joined by Jaki Byard, Richard Davis and Alan Dawson. They play in total harmony throughout and the result is brilliant music played with fire and soul. Richard Davis’ work on the double bass is lovely and he really shows here how creative he was in his approach. Jaki Byard is one of my favorite pianists and his style makes it’s presence known in a beautiful way. Alan Dawson’s drumming is distinct, technical and tasteful. Very underrated drummer. A clear favorite of mine.

Booker Ervin was a great tenor player and his style was very unique and instantly recognizable. I have managed to collect a few of his titles on Prestige and I’m looking for more. Some of them are not easy to find but I hope to run across a few of the ones I’m missing in the future. Happy to have been able to find the ones I have though. These are albums that always feel fresh and gives me something new each time I put them on the turntable.

Do you have a favorite Ervin album? Please share. Cheers!

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"The Quest" by Mal Waldron with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin on New Jazz NJLP 8269

August 11, 2023

Took a while but now this beauty is on the shelf.

At long last. The quest for The Quest is finally at an end. I’ve searched for this one for a long time. It’s an extremely hard album to find as a true 1st pressing in top shape, with the Abbey ring on one side and the wide deep grooves. I can’t believe it’s on my shelf now. Got it yesterday and listened to it today. It sounded fantastic. I truly hold it in very high regard. If I had to make a list right now today of my top 5 jazz albums this would be on it, together with Basra, Far Cry etc.

The Quest is a beautiful album with so much soul, superb musicianship and outstanding compositions. Waldron wrote all the tunes which says a lot about his level as a musician. He is one of my favorite piano players, if not THE favorite. He plays with such sparse, dark delicate beauty. He was a unique player with his own voice. Love his choice of notes, always chosen with care. Always very interesting to see where he goes with his ideas. I tend to focus more on the piano when he plays. Not your regular hard bop pianist. The rest of the group is top notch, with the brilliant Dolphy on alto and clarinet, Booker Ervin on tenor, who I really have been growing very fond of through exploring his various releases for Prestige, Ron Carter who plays cello on this which I love, Joe Benjamin on double bass who I actually haven’t heard a lot from previously, and the wonderful Charlie Persip on drums who plays absolutely outstanding throughout. Been diggin’ him since I first heard BLP 1540.

Regarding favorite picks, the beautiful “Warm Canto” is the stand out tune, with it’s mellow, moody and reflective nature. It has to be one of the greatest jazz tunes ever written. I never get tired of it. It always puts me in a mellow state, which is good. Love the propulsive “Status Seeking” as well, full of energy and impressive solos. All the tunes have their very own highly enjoyable quality. It’s a very complete album with plenty there that you want to revisit and explore again. Couldn’t recommend this album more.

Stay tuned for more vintage beauties from the collection. Cheers!

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Booker Ervin "Groovin' High" on Prestige PRLP 7417

March 17, 2023

Booker Ervin on Prestige = always great stuff.

This is one of those lovely Booker Ervin titles on Prestige. There are plenty of other titles on Prestige by Ervin that I enjoy very much as well. I’ve been on the lookout for them all. So far I’ve been able to secure 4 of them. Very happy about that. I’ve found that this particular album “Groovin’ High” seems quite scarce, at least in mono. An album consisting of tunes from 3 different recording dates from 1963 and 1964 and then released in 1966. Great music as always when it comes to Ervin. He delivers a special brand of jazz, filled with plenty of energy and fire. He surrounds himself with top cats, namely Carmell Jones on trumpet (only on track 2), the great Jaki Byard on piano, Gildo Mahones on piano (only on track 2), the wonderful Richard Davis on double bass and drummer Alan Dawson. I dig it!

If you’re unfamiliar with Ervin and his work, then I suggest you look him up, and for me, these albums for Prestige that he did are a truly great way to get into his stuff.

Update: We have just bought a house and we’re in the process of selling our apartment right now. I will get a dedicated listening room in the house and I’m very excited about that. We’re moving in the beginning of July. Will be fun to share some images from the new space later. :-)

Hope you guys will have a nice weekend and that you’ll find the time to listen to some great albums. Maybe put on some Booker Ervin? Cheers!

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"The Freedom Book" by Booker Ervin on Prestige PRLP 7295

February 3, 2023

Brilliant album by Booker Ervin, who has grown on me tremendously during the last few years. For me, him and Joe Henderson has really cemented their place high up on my list of favourite tenor players. “The Freedom Book” has to be one of my absolute favourite jazz albums at the moment. It will probably stay that way forever. What a lovely group that flanks Ervin on this session as well, with Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on double bass and Alan Dawson on drums. Has to be one of my favourite groups actually. Byard is a clear favourite since a good while back. Beautiful player, full of surprises. Davis was an amazing double bassist (his solos are very special) and was part of another favourite ensemble of mine, the one with Dolphy at the Five Spot. Dawson on drums reminds me a bit of Ed Blackwell in his playing from time to time, which is a very, very good thing. He is is own man though and adds great energy and tasteful details with his inspiring playing.

The whole album is pure bliss, but if I had to pick a favourite tune is has to be the beautiful Ervin-penned (what a composer he was) “A Day to Mourn”, where I can’t help but draw some comparisons with Coltrane. A slice of Byard’s playing located deep into the tune is like a dream. Absolute beauty. Overall a very diverse tune with plenty of different passages.

I’ve managed to acquire three fresh Ervin titles on Prestige to accompany my previous sole Ervin title as a leader, “The Blues Book”. Very happy about that. Looking for some other ones still though.

Do you have a favourite Booker Ervin title? So far, The Freedom Book is my favourite.

Have a great weekend and enjoy some jazz on vinyl. Cheers!

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"The Blues Book" by Booker Ervin on Prestige PRLP 7340

June 23, 2022

Some cracking tenor playing on this one…

This is my first title by tenor maestro Booker Ervin as a leader. I love his style. I’m after plenty more albums by him, but this one is a great first title to add to the shelves. The music is passionate, engaging and full of high quality tenor chops delivered by the leader. He’s got a great band backing him as well, with Carmell Jones on trumpet, superb player whose work I need to explore more, pianist Gildo Mahones, who was unknown to me up until hearing him here and on another album I bought at the same time, Richard Davis on double bass and Alan Dawson on drums. Wonderful group. This is a clear favorite of mine, and it’s highly recommended for anyone who enjoys, among other things, some robust and brilliant tenor playing.

I’m hoping to secure some more Booker Ervin stuff before long. He recorded a lot more on Prestige that I’m trying to find. These albums aren’t costing an arm and a leg, which of course is a plus. Overall, I’m leaning towards trying to find more inexpensive titles on various labels to get more stuff on to the shelves, cause there is so much great music out there for more reasonable amounts.

A summer vacation to California is just around the corner now, which I’m looking forward to a lot. Hope you guys are enjoying the summer so far. Cheers!

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