A throwback to the old "blowing school" of the 50s, alto saxophonist Jesse Davis isn't ashamed to acknowledge his roots when he plays. Since they are in the music of Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods and Charlie Parker, one can see why. Like that monumental trio of altoists, Davis is an ear-grabbing communicator. A native of New Orleans, he has been making records for Concord for 10 years now and his albums keep getting better. He first made his name with the Illinois Jacquet band and consolidated it working with Chico Hamilton. With no pretensions as an innovator, he is the best kind of Hard Bop wailer, and this music is heated and swinging. He's at his most fiery on "Max The Mensch" and is beguiling on the lengthy versions of "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" and "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face". He gets good support from an Italian trio led by pianist Massimo Farao. -Steve Voce.

Subtitled Live at Newport and More, Linger Awhile balances eight previously unreleased tracks from Vaughan's performance at the legendary 1957 Newport Jazz Festival with eight alternate takes from her late '70s and early '80s albums for the Pablo label. Vaughan was at the peak of her popular success during the earlier recordings. Backed by the trio of pianist Jimmy Jones, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Roy Haynes, she bounces as ebulliently as Ella Fitzgerald through the second verse of "All of Me" and echoes Billie Holiday's phrasing on "Black Coffee. " The contrast between the youthful Sassy and the mature diva heard over 20 years later is startling. Vaughan's voice has deepened to an almost androgynous baritone, and each song holds an earthy majesty and effortless virtuosity. Vaughan is joined by a variety of all-star rhythm sections, not to mention the Count Basie Orchestra on two tracks. You may want to linger awhile with the early recordings, but her true greatness is evident in the later tracks. -Rick Mitchell.

In the 1950s, guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne, and bassist Ray Brown scored consistently high in polls conducted by jazz fans (for example, in publications such as Downbeat, Metronome, and Playboy). As a result, producer Lester Koenig at Contemporary decided that it was time to record the three men as a trio. The result was The Poll Winners, a 1957 collection of popular standards and one Kessel original. In lesser hands, this project could have been a tasteless exercise in commercialism. Fortunately, The Poll Winners is the occasion for a fresh, inspired performance of integrity and near-telepathic communication. The inheritor of the Charlie Christian tradition, Kessel-who was also raised in Oklahoma- reveals himself as the consummate swing and bop artist in tracks such as "Jordu" and his own "Minor Mood". The self-taught Kessel also shows his successful absorption of the modern, West Coast performance school, as well as a blues-tinted orientation here and there ("Mean To Me"). The piano-less format allows plenty of room for Kessel and company to blow within single notes and across modulated chords. Mindful of the needs of his fellow players, Kessel's closely-knit interactions with prime-time sidemen Manne and Brown assumes a more relaxed profile in a classic reading of Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll". The chemistry extends to lyrical episodes such as "It Could Happen To You" and "You Go To My Head". [+]