Abbey Lincoln - That's him!

barabara sounds sez:

Abbey's work from the 60s and on is probably better known, but this is a lovely early side notable for the stellar cast of musicians backing her, billed here as the Riverside Jazz Stars. I never heard Rollins sound so lyrical! At this point in her career the Billie Holiday comparisons are inevitable — but that's the finest kind of recommendation in my book.

cduniverse sez:

Abbey's first early peak [is] a wonderful and confident set with a stunning ensemble... Lincoln opens with Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Strong Man" — she was one of the performers who regularly recorded his songs prior to his own debut as a recording artist in the early '60s... The gorgeous and dramatic "Tender as a Rose" is presented acapella. Throughout, Lincoln's singing easily mingles jazz, blues and folk influences and phrasings. This strong album pointed the way to her ABBEY IS BLUE, her essential work recorded two years later.

AMG (Scott Yawno) sez: 

[On] Abbey Lincoln's second recording and first for Riverside, [she] is accompanied by quite an all-star roster... and, even this early, she was already a major jazz singer with a style of her own. Lincoln was careful from this point on to only interpret lyrics that she believed in. Her repertoire has a few superior standards (including several songs such as "I Must Have That Man!" and "Don't Explain" that are closely associated with Billie Holiday) plus Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Strong Man" and Phil Moore's "Tender as a Rose"; she takes the latter unaccompanied. "Don't Explain" is slightly unusual in that Paul Chambers is absent and Wynton Kelly makes an extremely rare appearance on bass.

personnel: 

Abbey Lincoln vocals; Kenny Dorham trumpet; Sonny Rollins tenor saxophone; Wynton Kelly piano; Max Roach drums.

Don Friedman - Circle Waltz

barabara sounds sez:

I recently dusted this gem off again and was reminded h

ow excellent it is. Friedman's bad luck was to follow and forever be in the shadow of Bill Evans. But this set on Riverside was well received over this side of the pond (it got a record of the year award here back in 1962), and he still visits from time to time. With Israels and LaRoca backing him — apart from one solo track (So In Love) — it really is an underappreciated overlooked gem. I'm obviously not the only one either: the amazon review below really revs it up (while inevitably Yawno damns it with faint praise).

dusty sez:

A great little set from Friedman – a vastly underrated pianist who's working here as a bright young modernist in a trio with Chuck Israels on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums. The tracks have a freedom that reminds us a lot of Bill Evans' early work, with a warm lyricism that never gets too hokey – yet isn't afraid to show itself in Friedman's original compositions.

an amazon customer sez:

If Evans is Matisse, Don Friedman is Kandinsky. The album is nearly uniform in its intensity and inventiveness, but the title track, Circle Waltz, stands out. Compare it to Evans' Gloria's Step and Re: Someone I Know. All these songs seem to paint a picture of the city and modernity that a jazz piano alone could have captured.

AMG (scott yawno) sez:

Even ignoring that bassist Chuck Israels is on this set and the similarity of some of the repertoire, it is difficult to overlook the fact that pianist Don Friedman sounds very similar to Bill Evans. With drummer Pete LaRoca completing the trio and such songs as "I Hear a Rhapsody," "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "So In Love" joining four of the leader's originals, Friedman uses chord voicings similar to Evans and engages in the same type of close interplay with his sidemen.

tracks:
Circle Waltz;

Sea's Breeze; I Hear A Rhapsody; In Your Own Sweet Way; Loves Parting; So In Love; Modes Pivoting

personnel:

Don Friedman piano; Chuck Israels bass; Pete La Roca drums.

Blue Mitchell - Blue's Moods

barabara sounds sez:

Probably the first essential Blue Mitchell album, at least to these ears. Although I listen to his later work on Blue Note a whole lot more, this one (1960 on Riverside) is definitely worth pulling out from the dusty recesses of my closet from time to time — just get an earful of that rhythm section of Kelly, Jones and Brooks. Plus I love that cover, the way Blue's trumpet is just smoking!

There's a fine appreciation of this album over at thenightowl. Here's some of it:

As you listen to these tracks, it's readily apparent that this wasn't just a one-off thing. Kelly and Jones both get to stretch out a bit on the lightly swinging "Avars." One of the best cuts here is the superb rendition of Charlie Parker's "Scrapple From the Apple." This may be Blue's date, but the trio really stands out on this one.