"This session is best known for introducing Lee Morgan's beautiful ballad "Ceora," but actually all five selections (which include Morgan's "Cornbread," "Our Man Higgins," "Most Like Lee," and the standard "Ill Wind") are quite memorable. The trumpeter/leader performs with a perfectly complementary group of open-minded and talented hard bop stylists (altoist Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley on tenor, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Larry Ridley, and drummer Billy Higgins) and creates a Blue Note classic that is heartily recommended." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
"This album, recorded in 1968 with a stellar band, was not issued until 1980. This is Hill at his most visionary. From hard- and post bop frames come modal and tonal inquiries of staggering complexity. Accompanied by Charles Tolliver (t), Joe Farrell (s), Billy Higgins (d) and Victor Sproles (b), Hill engages, seemingly, all of his muses at once. Check out the sinister modal blues that is "Fish 'N' Rice" with its Eastern-tinged blues and loping horn lines around Hill's knotty fills in the head and choruses. In "Partitions" the steaming head is so rigorously tangled it's only the counterpoint of Hill's piano that makes an exit possible, with deep blues underpinnings and strident swinging soul. The title cut dances Afro-Cuban in the head, but Hill's piano is in a minor modal groove, with Higgins playing a textural, syncopated four-four as Sproles' punches on the two and four as the solos begin winding through the modes, bringing back the blues on tags. A phenomenal record." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
"Donald Byrd's 1961 recording "Free Form" is both a smorgasbord of modern jazz styles and a breakthrough album showing the Detroit born trumpeter's versatility and interest in diversity. At age 30, turning down offers to teach and a full decade before turning to commercial funk fusion with his Blackbyrds, Byrd, alongside a wonderful collection of jazz professionals, proves his mettle as an individualist while also stylistically straddling the blurred lines of jazz. Where his brass tone is very lean and toned, he does not resort to outlandish outbursts into the ionosphere, but shows a refined yet daring approach removed from his predecessors or peers -- Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan in particular. With tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, a very young pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Billy Higgins, and bassist Butch Warren, Byrd tackles different flavors of jazz with a voracious appetite, and delivers a very fresh perspective from them all. This may be close to Byrd's best early work." (Michael G. Nastos, Allmusic)
"The Hank Mobley heard here was a markedly different one from a few years earlier. This album issued in early 1965 was the product of two different sessions. The first was in March of 1963, immediately after Mobley left the Miles Davis band. Those recordings produced "East of the Village," possibly the greatest example of Mobley's 'round tone' on record, and the other was "The Good Life," a ballad. The rest was recorded nearly two years later in February of 1965. Among others the title cut was produced here -- an answer to Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder". In each case, there were alumnus members of the Miles band Mobley had played in. The main thing about "East of the Village" is the striking difference between the gorgeous melding of Latin and post-bop, straight-ahead rhythms, and the easy, loping blues feel that is cheered on by Jones. In all this is a solid date, despite its time lapse, and one that gives us a solid picture of the two Mobleys." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
Opvolger van het veelbejubelde "The Sidewinder" (1963), van even hoog niveau. Niet voor niets krijgen beide albums op allmusic de maximale 5-sterren-waardering. Op drummer Billy Higgins na is de bezetting compleet veranderd en hoe! Meewerkenden zijn nu Wayne Shorter (ts), Grant Green (g), Herbie Hancock (p) en Reggie Workman (b). Vooral Shorter, Green en Hancock krijgen veel ruimte om hun veelgeroemde creativiteit te botvieren. Het album opent met het opvallend impressionistische, bijna 16 minuten lange "Search For A New Land": de musici zijn hier veel aan het kleuren, aan het sfeertekenen. De overige vier stukken passen beter in de mainstream hardbop-mode van die tijd, maar zoeken op een prettige wijze de grenzen daarvan op. Toenmalig opnametechnicus Rudy van Gelder zorgde er in 2003 zelf voor dat het album top notch de nieuwe eeuw in gaat.
"The most notable aspect to this fine effort by the 1980 Cedar Walton Trio (which is comprised of the pianist-leader, tenor saxophonist Bob Berg, bassist David Williams and drummer Billy Higgins) is that Abbey Lincoln takes vocals on four of the eight selections. Lincoln (who is in top form) introduces two of her songs ("Not in Love" and "Castles") and also interprets "In a Sentimental Mood" and Walton's tribute to Duke Ellington "The Maestro." Otherwise Walton's group plays a couple of common Thelonious Monk tunes, Jobim's "Sabia" and "On the Trail." A well-rounded and easily recommended set of advanced straightahead jazz." (Allmusic)
"For this quartet date with pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Higgins (trumpeter Freddie Hubbard sits in on two numbers), Turrentine is in top form on a variety of standards plus Tommy Turrentine's "Thomasville" and Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits up Above." A fine session". (Scott Yanow, Allmusic).
"To follow up on his unexpected boogaloo hit "The Sidewinder," Lee Morgan recorded Andrew Hill's somewhat similar "The Rumproller" but this time the commercial magic was not there. However the trumpeter, tenor-saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Ronnie Mathews, bassist Victor Sproles and drummer Billy Higgins all play quite well on the title cut, two of Morgan's songs (the bossa nova "Eclipso" is somewhat memorable), a ballad tribute to Billie Holiday and Wayne Shorter's "Edda." This album is worth picking up but it is not essential." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
"This was one of the few times Hank Mobley left behind driving, aggressive hard bop, choosing to concentrate on lightly grooving bop and soul-jazz instead. Essentially, the session resulted in the most commercially oriented record he made, complete with two pop covers ("Reach Out (I'll Be There)," "Goin' Out of My Head") and a laidback, swinging vibe. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but the band -- an impressive lineup of Woody Shaw (trumpet, flugelhorn), George Benson (guitar), Lamont Johnson (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums) -- sounds constrained by the material and their desire to make the music appeal to a wide audience. In fact, Mobley's presence on the record feels strangely minimal. Only during "Good Pickin's" -- a laidback bop original that's easily the best thing here -- does he come alive, weaving a spell with long, liquid lines, but its subtle grace just illustrates the problems with this curiously bland record." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)
"Laatste ontmoeting, eigenlijk 'muzikale gesprekken' van saxofonist Lloyd en de inmiddels overleden drummer Billy Higgins. Ze laten de buitenwereld los in zacht meanderend breekbaar spel, met gebruik van divers exotisch instrumentarium." (Hvn)
"A mythic figure in the Southern California arts scene, Kamau Daáood is a performance poet, educator and community arts activist who is widely acknowledged as a major driving force behind Los Angeles black cultural renaissance. Now with the release of his debut album, Leimert Park, Kamau unleashes his galvanizing spirit on the world. The resulting album reflects Leimert Parks eclectic musical landscape. Her, which Kamau dedicates to his wife, boasts jazzy Brazilian rhythms played by Billy Higgins on guitar, while the title track is a hip hop groove, invoking images from the vibrant neighborhood. The North African World Music transports the listener, while the free-jazz sounds of Liberator of Spirit and the hard-bop Tears draw us to the complex world of poetry and music. All in all, Leimert Park is the musical portrait of a communitys coming of age as seen through the eyes of one of its most devoted inhabitants." (Smmmit Records)
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