Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot is a pair of live albums by the jazz musician and composer Eric Dolphy. They were released in December 1961 (Volume 1) and November 1963 (Volume 2) by Prestige Records. They were recorded on the night of 16 July 1961 at the end of Dolphy's two-week residency, alongside trumpeter Booker Little, at the Five Spot jazz club in New York. It was the only night to be recorded. The engineer was Rudy Van Gelder.

Dolphy's composition "The Prophet" is a tribute to the artist Richard "Prophet" Jennings, who had designed the covers of Dolphy's earlier albums, Outward Bound and Out There.

In an AllMusic review of volume 1, Michael G. Nastos stated that Dolphy's group had "developed into a role model for all progressive jazz combos to come" - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXTdcseaWJg

#EricDolphy #BookerLittle #Jazz #FiveSpotJazzClub #Music #PrestigeLabel #RichardProphetJennings #RudyVanGelder #MalWaldron #RichardDavis #EdBlackwell

Booker Ervin, The Freedom Book, 1964 on Prestige

Sixth full-length with Ervin as leader, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1963, for Prestige. Ervin is joined here by Jaki Byard (piano), Richard Davis (bass), and Alan Dawson (who was a drum instructor at Berklee in Boston) (drums).

My copy—via a private sale—is the 2023 Analogue Productions / Craft Recordings reissue, in the Prestige Stereo Series. It was mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at QRP on 180g vinyl.

Blue Mitchell, Down With It, 1966 on Blue Note

Another fantastic Blue Note jazz LP, this came out originally in 1966. It features Mitchell (trumpet) with Junior Cook (tenor sax), Chick Corea (piano), Gene Taylor (bass), and Aloysius Foster (drums), and was recorded at Van Gelder Studios in New Jersey.

My copy- via a private sale – is the Blue Note Tone Poet reissue from 2024, cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at RTI. Great sound and packaging.

Herbie Hancock, Inventions and Dimensions, 1964 on Blue Note

Hancock is joined by Paul Chambers, Willie Bobo and Chihuahua Martinez—though it’s not really what you’d call a Latin jazz album so much as post-bop or modal.

Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his Englewood Cliffs studio.

My copy—direct from Blue Note—is the 2019 Blue Note 80 Vinyl Series reissue mastered for vinyl by Kevin Gray and pressed at Optimal Media GmbH – sounds great.

Wayne Shorter, Schizophrenia, 1969 on Blue Note

Eleventh Wayne Shorter album, with Herbie Hancock, Curtis Fuller, Ron Carter, James Spaulding, and Joe Chambers. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, with Francis Wolff producing.

This is transitional between post-bop and free jazz – looser and closer to the edge than my normal taste, but worth a listen for anyone interested in post-bop or Shorter and Hancock.

My copy as part of the Story of Blue Note Records VMP Anthology, which was reissued in 2024.

Lou Donaldson, The Natural Soul, 1963 on Blue Note

Another album from the excellent Story of Blue Note Records VMP Anthology, this came five years after Blues Walk, and features Grant Green, John Patton, Ben Dixon, and Tommy Turrentine (brother of Stanley).

Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in his Englewood Cliffs NJ studio and produced by Alfred Lion.

My copy is part of the 2024 reissue of the 2019 Vinyl Me Please Anthology.

Dexter Gordon, Dexter Calling, 1962 on Blue Note

Released in mono in 1961 and in stereo in 1962, this was Gordon’s second album on Blue Note, following quickly after Doin’ Allright and five years after Daddy Plays the Horn.

Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder at his studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Gordon is joined by Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, and Kenny Drew. Liner notes by Leonard Feather, produced by Alfred Lion.

My copy is from the VMP Anthology The Story of Blue Note Records, which was first issued in 2019 and then reissued in 2024 – my copy is from that second edition.

Paul Desmond, Pure Desmond, 1975 on CTI Records

Desmond (who composed Take Five and was a critical part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet) playing here with Ron Carter, Ed Bickert, and Connie Kay – recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in 1974 and produced by Creed Taylor.

One of five albums Desmond put out on CTI in the late 60s and 70s. including Summertime and Skylark (with Gabor Szabo). It’s very fusion, and features Ed Bickert on guitar as much as (or more so than) Desmond.

My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a 1975 issue with Van Gelder in the runouts.