the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on February 12 & 18 and May 27, 1961. Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster. The title of the Jazz Messengers' THE FREEDOM RIDER was inspired by civil rights protestors of the '60s. The passion with which Blakey and his men play on this session is proof enough of the strong convictions at the heart of the struggles of the time. Indeed, the fire and emotion contained herein can be felt as well as heard. This session portrays the Messengers of the early '60s (before the departure of Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons) in fine form. The bulk of the compositions here are by Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan. Shorter's swaggering ""Tell It Like It Is"" opens the set, fueled by Blakey's signature shuffle beat. Later, his bouncing ""El Toro"" is a passionate mambo/swing number that showcases the group's stunning ensemble work. Morgan's bluesy ""Petty Larceny"" takes a page from Timmons soulful style and his blistering ""Uptight"" is a classic Messengers barnburner. The centerpiece of the disc, however, is the powerful unaccompanied Blakey solo that constitutes the title cut. The cut showcases the man at his skilled, dramatic best as he crashes, pounds and whirls through over seven minutes of raw, primal expression. This performance alone is worth the price of the disc."  (less)

the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on February 12 & 18 and May 27, 1961. Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster. The title of the Jazz Messengers' THE FREEDOM RIDER was inspired by civil rights protestors of the '60s. The passion with which Blakey and his men play on this session is proof enough of the strong convictions at the heart of the struggles of the time. Indeed, the fire and emotion contained herein can be felt as well as heard. This session portrays the Messengers of the early '60s (before the departure of Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons) in fine form. The bulk of the compositions here are by Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan. Shorter's swaggering ""Tell It Like It Is"" opens the set, fueled by Blakey's signature shuffle beat. Later, his bouncing ""El Toro"" is a passionate mambo/swing number that showcases the group's stunning ensemble work. Morgan's bluesy ""Petty Larceny"" takes a page from Timmons soulful style and his blistering ""Uptight"" is a classic Messengers barnburner. The centerpiece of the disc, however, is the powerful unaccompanied Blakey solo that constitutes the title cut. The cut showcases the man at his skilled, dramatic best as he crashes, pounds and whirls through over seven minutes of raw, primal expression. This performance alone is worth the price of the disc."  (less)

by. This is the only life that Jason Petty (Sharron Corley) and his crew understand. And when police lieutenant Emil Roscoe (Saul Stein) pursues his personal vendetta against Jason, the game gets deadly. The odds against survival are overwhelming, but surrounded by friends, family and a glimmer of hope - there's a chance they can turn their lives around. Energized by a riveting rap soundtrack, this urban drama takes a daring look at life on the street--the way it really is.  (less)

Orchestras of Chicago, Cincinnati, New Jersey, Honolulu, and Berlin, and by artists such as violinist Peter Winograd and NY Met tenor Ron Naldi. He was named New Jersey's 'Musician of the Year'in 1997, and his works are published and available worldwide through Warner Brothers Music. 'Spectrum', Lombardo's first-ever commercial CD, features six of his finest orchestral works transcribed for piano and performed by the master-composer himself. Spectrum also features two of New Jersey's finest classical instrumentalists: Oscar "Oboe" Petty, Montclair's renowned double-reed magician, and Christopher Collins Lee, the popular concert master of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Petty stretches his oboe to its limits in a virtuosi...  (less)