Back when the '80s jazz renaissance was in full swing, Polygram got the think tank rolling and put out the neophyte-friendly yet respectable Jazz Club series -- yes, imagine yourself smoking Gauloises in a basement club as the band hits its stride. Marketing illusions aside, the drum edition of the lot features a thorough mix that ranges from bebop and hard bop to free jazz and fusion. Culling the booty from the deep Verve and Mercury vaults, the producers have chosen wisely, from classics by Bird (Kenny Clarke), Sonny ...
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Back when the '80s jazz renaissance was in full swing, Polygram got the think tank rolling and put out the neophyte-friendly yet respectable Jazz Club series -- yes, imagine yourself smoking Gauloises in a basement club as the band hits its stride. Marketing illusions aside, the drum edition of the lot features a thorough mix that ranges from bebop and hard bop to free jazz and fusion. Culling the booty from the deep Verve and Mercury vaults, the producers have chosen wisely, from classics by Bird (Kenny Clarke), Sonny Stitt (Jo Jones), and Clifford Brown (Max Roach) to some latter-day funkiness plied by Billy Cobham and Alphonse Mouzon. And let's not forget plenty of skin alchemy by the likes of Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones, and Shelly Manne. If rhythm is the thing in jazz, then this disc certainly makes for some essential listening. ~ Stephen Cook, Rovi
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