Christian Justin Shearn | Vestal, NY USA | 06/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This Prestige date recorded in January 1957, finds guitarist Kenny Burrell with Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, and Arthur Taylor in a excellent jam session setting. The title cut is a cool, 18 minute blues that features great solos by Burrell, Byrd, Foster, Flanagan, and Watkins. One thing to note about this version is that it includes stop time breaks at the start of each solo, and no doubletiming between the second and third and choruses like the version Burrell recorded with Jimmy Smith one month later. Other notable tracks include "Slim Jim", a calypso written by Donald Byrd, and "A.T." in which Taylor takes some effective, Philly Joe Jones like drum breaks. A bonus track "C.P.W.", is added to the original 4 tune program. All Day Long is rougher around the edges(due to the Prestige no rehearsal policy) than Kenny's other hard bop blowing dates, such as the classic "Blue Lights" on Blue Note, but the playing is solid, and a worthy addition to any Kenny Burrell collection."
This and "All Night Long" are my favorite Burrell
douglasnegley | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 08/30/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This session is simply great, along with the companion "All Night Long". Recorded right before and after New Years '56-'57, the personnel on both sessions shine, and compliment Burrell. Check out the interplay between Donald Byrd and Frank Foster on "Slim Jim" on the intro, as each takes one bar after the opening by Doug Watkins. I've never heard players "trading ones" before! "Say Listen" is as smooth as silk, and my personal favorite. The long jam "All Day Long" may have had no rehersal, but the format of long, laying it down blues is perfect, and creates a mood that is really palpable to the listener. I highly recomend this CD. The players change on "All Night Long", but here they include Frank Foster, Donald Byrd (playing some of his best), Tommy Flannagan, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor - a dream band."
Night and day, you are the one, only you beneath the moon un
Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 12/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"All day long. All night long. This is a review for both albums which to me are five stars each, so in total you have ten stars with two cds (not bad). Still listening to these two sessions and I can't make up my mind. Which comes first? The day or the night? Which is the better one? Oh, I really can't choose. I don't choose infact. And you don't have to do it either. Day has its highlights, the opener 18 minutes loose blues for instance. This night has a tremendous, exceptional Body and soul ten minutes version (with a SPECTACULAR BYRD at the trumpet!! What a sound!!). Day has Tommy Flanagan at the piano, night has Mal Waldron. Who's the best? Try to say .. it's not that easy. Mobley played tenor sax in the night, Frank Foster took the tenor seat during the day. Both albums have Burrell, Byrd, Watkins and Taylor and it is a dream team in hard bop. In the night there was also space for some flute playing from Jerome Richardson. I love flute when a guitar is involved, I find there is a nice sound coherence. So probably I prefer the night but they're very near in my consideration, each time I play one, I have to play the other one too. These two albums are really exceptional and noone should buy one not considering the other. I feel they are very linked even if they were recorded in two different times and not, as one might want to dream, in an endless single day and night session, that would be really the coolest thing on Earth (like Hampton Hawes long session with Jim Hall which ended in three cds). Anyway, the music it is very very cool and consequent, so, who cares? I have to say Burrell played here some of his best music. Don't pass by these two cds. If you are a serious Jazz enthusiast and serious collector, you have to own these. Believe me. Two stellar sessions. Nice Christmas, thanks Ken, thanks Donald an to all the guys here!"
After ALL NIGHT LONG dawned the Day
Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 01/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
Although the personnel was different when Kenny Burrell and Donald Byrd went into the studios a week after they made the ALL NIGHT LONG recording (except for Doug Watkins [b] and Art Taylor [d], who are also on both), the brilliance of the music remained the same. Both albums are 1950s blowing session par excellence. The opening track here, the title tune, credited to Burrell, is a medium-slow 12-bar blues that stretches out for over 18 minutes. Often I get annoyed with such lengthy takes on a single tune, especially when the form is a simple blues, but not when the playing is this good.
Byrd contributes two tunes, both taken medium-up, and he and tenor man Frank Foster play well on these. Foster has a lovely sound, warm yet forceful. Pianist Tommy Flanagan is his usual great self, and the rhythm section is solid. The tunes are great (all originals) and the playing masterful and swinging. A terrific CD (and don't forget ALL NIGHT LONG, either)."