Bass on Top is another thoroughly engaging set of straight-ahead, mainstream jazz from Paul Chambers. The bassist leads a quartet comprised of guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Art Taylor through a selection of standards, including "Yesterdays," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," and "Dear Old Stockholm," as well as a handful of contemporary jazz numbers and originals. There's a relaxed, friendly atmosphere to the music, both in its tone and in the fact that Chambers lets Jones and Burrell have some time in the spotlight. The result is a warm, entertaining collection of mainstream jazz that nevertheless rewards close listening.

The first half of this album features a remarkable assembly of top flight players whose efforts are admirably anchored by the rock-solid drumming of another small group veteran, Panama Francis. The undeniable highlight is an eight minute tour de force entitled "Story Of The Jazz Trumpet," and it is difficult to imagine anyone else pulling it off as effectively as Shavers. His musical mimicry is dead on and infused with sly humor. The narration was provided by legendary disc jockey Al "Jazzbo" Collins, who invited his radio listeners to join him in a whimsical world he dubbed the "Purple Grotto." He retained a devoted following until his death in 1997. The album's second half shifts gears as the old Kirby sextet is recreated and the marvelous Maxine Sullivan is welcomed aboard to reprise two signature tunes…

Aaron Sachs was an American jazz saxophone and clarinet player. He released a few LPs in the '50s and worked with a number of well-known jazz artists such as Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Earl Hines, Red Norvo, Anita O'Day and Dizzy Gillespie.
Aaron Sachs: "I wanted to bring to this album a new kind of spirit, a combination of moods, a contrast of arrangements. The first two recording dates were comprised of eight men. Two trumpets, one trombone, two saxophones and three rhythm, drum, bass and piano. The third recording date had five men, using guitar, clarinet, piano, bass and drums. The last date included all of my original compositions with the exception of "Nancy", which Frank Sinatra takes credit for…

Trumpeter Clark Terry and some of the top Ellington sidemen of the period (trombonist Britt Woodman, altoist Johnny Hodges, tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, Tyree Glenn on vibes, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Sam Woodyard) perform eight songs associated with Duke, but with fresh arrangements. There is plenty of solo space for Terry, Gonsalves, and Hodges, and the arrangements by Terry and Mercer Ellington cast a new light on some of the warhorses; highlights include "C Jam Blues," "Cotton Tail," "Mood Indigo," and "Come Sunday."

Before becoming an expatriate in 1965 and eventually settling in Munich, pianist Mal Waldron cut several stateside hard bop albums full of his idiosyncratic and Monk-ish piano work, and featuring choice contributions by some of the music's finest. For this 1957 date, Waldron worked with a stellar sextet interchangeably manned by John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Idrees Sulieman, Art Taylor, and others. Bookended by the pianist's ebullient "Potpourri" and the avant-noir blues "One by One," the set also includes a fetching cover of Cole Porter's "From This Moment On" and a beautifully complex arrangement of Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain." (Waldron was Holiday's accompanist for the last two years of the singer's life until her death in 1959)…

Eddie Higgins has headed his own trio at several leading Chicago night clubs for many months. Some of the best musicians of the area have played with him (Junior Mance, Johnnie Pate, Bob Cranshaw). He recorded with Coleman Hawkins, Don Goldie, Al Grey, Lee Morgan, Bill Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Jack Teagarden, Sergio Mendes. "Prelude to a Kiss" is is first work as leader….

Altoists Jackie McLean and John Jenkins previously shared equal billing with Phil Woods, Gene Quill, and Hal McKusick for the album Bird Feathers, on which the saxophonists paid tribute to Charlie Parker on Parker's blues "Bird Feathers" supported by the fine boppish rhythm section of pianist Wade Legge, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. McLean, Jenkins, Legge, Watkins, and Taylor also recorded the five tracks here heard on Alto Madness at the same May 3, 1957 session that produced "Bird Feathers," and they continued the tribute to Parker in practically every phrase they played. McLean became much more individual within a few years, while Jenkins would fade from the scene altogether. This likable jam session features plenty of tradeoffs by the two altoists.

Three years after Gerry Mulligan initially sat in with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the baritone saxophonist arrived at a point where he could perform alongside Brubeck's alto saxophonist, Paul Desmond, for this much anticipated session. When legal issues, wranglings with producer Norman Granz, and the question of which record label would subsidize and release this album were resolved, the two saxophonists went ahead to produce a delightful program of standards and originals where their more playful sides could fully blossom…

Of the seven songs on this Blue Note date, four are more common than the other three because they contain solos by tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and have therefore been reissued more often. Actually there are quite a few solos in the all-star sextet (which includes the bassist-leader, Coltrane, trumpeter Donald Byrd, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Philly Joe Jones) and all of the players get their chances to shine on this fairly spontaneous hard bop set. Coltrane's two obscure compositions ("Nita" and "Just for the Love") are among the more memorable tunes and are worth reviving. "Tale of the Fingers" features the quintet without Coltrane, the rhythm section stretches out on "Whims of Chambers," and "Tale of the Fingers" is a showcase for Chambers' bowed bass. This is a fine effort and would be worth picking up by straight-ahead jazz fans even if John Coltrane had not participated.

This release presents the complete original album Whatever Julie Wants (1961) by the amazing Julie London. It features a wonderful array of popular songs conducted and arranged by Felix Slatkin.
The LP is complemented here by singer's complete thematic allbum, About The Blues (1957), in which she devotes her sensuous voice to a variety of blues and blues-inspired tunes. This second LP was conducted and arranged by the well-known Russell Garsia. To round out this CD, we have also added four extra Julie London performances from the latter album's sessions, which were originally issued by the Liberty label as singles.