The second volume of recordings from this seminal hard-bop date (February 21, 1954) picks up where Volume 1 leaves off, and is no less thrilling. Trumpeter Clifford Brown positively smokes through "Wee-Dot" and a supercharged reworking of the standard "The Way You Look Tonight." Alto Lou Donaldson earns his "Sweet Papa Lou" moniker with a tender reading of "If I Had You," rippling off a flurry of notes without ever upsetting the gentle nature of the tune, and evidencing a strong Bird influence in the process. Speaking of Bird, the two closing tunes come from Parker's pen, most notably "Now's the Time," which here receives a superbly slowed-down and funked-up rendition. --Marc Greilsamer
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2,Art Blakey,Blue Note Records,Hard Bop,Jazz,Jazz Music,Leader,Pop
Jazz Music:
- A Touch of Jazz
- Actions 1966-67
- Actual Proof
- Afternoon in Paris
- Alex Bartha's Hotel Traymore Orchestra & Roane's Pennsylvanians
- All' Alba
- America the Beautiful / Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon?
- Anthology
- Appassionato
- At the Black Hawk [Live]
Jazz Music
Australia Aquaria She [Import]
Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 12 & 16
Crazy Talk [CD-single] [Import]