The Octet - Gold Coast Jazz - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Founded in 1977 by Lionel Hampton, the Who's Who in Jazz tag existed as a means to present to the world the best musicians that the jazz world had to offer. With Lionel chairing the recording sessions (and also featuring on several of the sessions himself), these recordings have truly earned their title featuring jazz greats such as Buddy Rich, Charles Mingus, Terumasa Hino, Sonny Stitt, Teddy Wilson, Stéphane Grappelli and Dave Brubeck, amidst the many others. Lionel Hampton Presents Gerry Mulligan is a studio album recorded October 25, 1977 at Sound Book Studio, N.Y.C. and sees Mulligan team up with George Duvivier (bass), Grady Tate (drums), Vinnie Bell (guitar), Hank Jones (piano), Candido (congas) and Lionel Hampton (vibraphone) to showcase an array of well-loved compositions including 'Song for Johnny Hodges' and 'Blight of the Fumble Bee'.

The best way to describe Aaron Diehl's new recording, The Vagabond, is that it is a quiet masterpiece. While this is thoroughly a jazz recording rooted in precedents set by Diehl's forbearers such as Art Tatum, Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal, Roland Hanna and John Lewis, it will come as no surprise to fans of Diehl's previous two Mack Avenue recordings that clear references are made to his background and simultaneous career as a classical music performer. The Vagabond also features Diehl's interpretation of works InchMarch from Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 12Inch written by Russian great Sergei Prokofiev and InchPiano Etude No. 16Inch by Philip Glass.

Schubert' works conceived for domestic music making cover a wide emotional range. The Fantasy in F minor is a late work of great stature, demanding of it's players a more than usual sensitivity and pianistic capability.