What The Critics Say
Hard bop is spoken here on this straightahead set. Drummer Philly Joe Jones is the leader but the main emphasis is on such soloists as trumpeter Blue Mitchell (heard in one of his last recordings), the tenors of Harold Land and Charles Bowen, pianist Cedar Walton and trombonist Slide Hampton who arranged the four full-band numbers. Hampton (who also contributed two originals) gets "I Wait for You" as his feature while Bowen is showcased on "High Fly." In addition, these versions of "Our Delight" and "Two Bass Hit" have their heated moments. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Drums Around the World: Philly Joe Jones Big Band Sounds'
What The Critics Say
Drummer Philly Joe Jones takes a lot of solo space (including an unaccompanied "The Tribal Message") throughout this CD reissue. He utilizes an all-star group with such soloists as trumpeter Lee Morgan and Blue Mitchell, trombonist Curtis Fuller, Herbie Mann on flute and piccolo, altoist Cannonball Adderley, Benny Golson on tenor, baritonist Sahib Shihab, pianist Wynton Kelly and either Sam Jones or Jimmy Garrison on bass. The music is supposed to showcase styles from around the world including Latin America and the Far East but in general those references are somewhat superficial (including "Cherokee") and come out sounding like hard bop. There is some strong playing but this set is primarily recommended to fans of Philly Joe Jones's drum solos. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a particularly interesting hard bop-oriented set led by drummer Philly Joe Jones. Most unusual is "Gwen," a Jones ballad that has the leader on both piano and (via overdubbing) drums in a trio with bassist Jimmy Garrison. Otherwise, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, trombonist Julian Priester, tenor saxophonist Bill Barron, either Dolo Coker or Sonny Clark on piano, Garrison, and Jones form a sextet that performs modern tunes by Barron, Priester, and Jones, in addition to "I'll Never Be the Same" and Philly Joe's feature on "Gone" (based on the Miles Davis/Gil Evans interpretation of "Porgy and Bess"). A well-conceived, diverse, and recommended CD reissue. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Mean What You Say'
What The Critics Say
Philly Joe Jones led a quartet (pianist Mickey Tucker, Charles Bowen on soprano and tenor saxes, bassist Mickey Bass) and quintet (add trumpeter Tommy Turrentine) on an April 1977 date called Mean What You Say. This was a nice blowing date for Bowen, who at the time had an R&B background and had never before recorded a jazz album...Mickey Tucker was very strong on this set and at times almost seemed to be the leader with Jones seemingly pushing to assert his position. Still, this was an enjoyable recording with just that little extra added personality to give it an extra edge. ~ Bob Rusch, Cadence, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although one might think considering the personnel (which includes trumpeter Kenny Wheeler) and the time period that this CD reissue contains an avant-garde session, the music is generally straightahead hard bop. Drummer Philly Joe Jones, who has short solos on each of the six selections, is a dominant force even when playing brushes in the ensembles. He contributed two of the six selections (including "Trailways Express" which is a revisit to the Miles Davis arrangement of "Two Bass Hit") and clearly inspires the younger musicians, all of whom were from England; altoist Peter King and tenor-saxophonist Harold McNair are particularly impressive. Other highlights include George Gershwin's "Gone, Gone, Gone," a surprisingly cooking version of "Here's That Rainy Day" and Tadd Dameron's "Ladybird." ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For this Galaxy LP (which unfortunately has not yet come out on CD), drummer Philly Joe Jones leads a variety of all-stars throughout three obscurities, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and "Confirmation." Two songs (including "Polka Dots") feature tenor great Dexter Gordon in a quartet with pianist George Cables, bassist Ron Carter and the drummer/leader. The other three songs match Jones with cornetist Nat Adderley, Ira Sullivan (on tenor or soprano), Cables and Carter. Overall, everyone plays well on this modern hard bop set, making one hope that it will be reissued eventually in the OJC series. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Drummer Philly Joe Jones' debut recording as a leader, made shortly after he left Miles Davis' Quintet, starts out with his amusing but overly long monologue on "Blues for Dracula," during which he does his best to imitate Bela Lugosi. The remainder of the set (which has been reissued on CD) is more conventional, with fine playing from cornetist Nat Adderley, trombonist Julian Priester, the great tenor Johnny Griffin, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and the drummer/leader. Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow" and Cal Massey's "Fiesta" are heard in lengthy versions on the worthwhile but not overly essential release. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
