Barney Wilen Quartet – New York Romance (1994/2010) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Barney Wilen Quartet - New York Romance (1994/2010) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

Barney Wilen Quartet – New York Romance (1994/2010)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:03:48 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Venus Records

Alternating between soprano, tenor and baritone saxes in this collection of straight-ahead jazz for the Japanese market, Barney Wilen refuses to be pinned down to a single tone quality or approach, even on the same instrument. Among other things, he mimics the lagging phrasing of Lady Day on “You’ve Changed” on soprano, “Blues Walk” bumps along agreeably on baritone while “Old Devil Moon” is sustained and humorous, and “Mack the Knife” is converted into a glacial smoky ballad with almost casual nonchalance. Throughout, Kenny Barron gets acres of well-turned solo space — it’s practically his gig, too — and Ira Coleman (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums) provide crisp underpinning. The further one goes in this collection, the more interesting and less predictable it sounds.
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Barney Wilen Quartet – Jazz Sur Seine (1958/2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Barney Wilen Quartet - Jazz Sur Seine (1958/2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

Barney Wilen Quartet – Jazz Sur Seine (1958/2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 47:55 minutes | 875 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RevOla

Tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen was not quite 21 years old at the time of this meeting with Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke, three veterans of the Modern Jazz Quartet. But the young man is surprising mature and confident throughout the session, interpreting several of Django Reinhardt’s compositions, along with a few by his French contemporaries and a pair of his own works. What’s surprising about this session is the rare opportunity to hear Jackson exclusively as a pianist, as his playing is a bit more reserved than on vibes. The leader digs into his rhythm section’s element with his original “B.B.B. (Bag’s Barney Blues),” giving them a full chorus before making a convincing statement himself. The quartet’s fluid arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” swings. Percussionist Gana M’Bow is added for both “Swing 39” and “Minor Swing” to add an exotic touch. Barney Wilen easily holds his own on his first major meeting on a record date with major American jazz stars.

Miles Davis recruited Wilen for his European tour dates at this time (1957), a measure of Davis’s estimation of the young Barney.
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