Title: Eddie Higgins Trio – Christmas Songs II (2014)
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO
Heartwarming Christmas jazz centred around reverent carols, the great classics of Christmas songs! This time, especially, two bonus tracks featuring Scott Hamilton on tenor saxophone add splendour to Christmas Eve!
![Eddie Higgins Trio - Bewitched (2001) [Japan 2003]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/11/01/4lfdp9G.jpg "Eddie Higgins Trio - Bewitched (2001) [Japan 2003]")
Title: Eddie Higgins Trio – Bewitched (2001) [Japan 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
Renowned jazz pianist Eddie Higgins is joined here by bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Joe Ascione for a set of standards including “You Must Believe In Spring”, “Bewitched, Botherd, And Bewildered” and “Autumn Leaves”.
Title: Eddie Higgins Trio – A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening (2007)
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
Spectacular playing by Higgins accompanied and backed by Jay Leonhart on bass and Mark Taylor on drums. I will confess that my favorite drummer who was frequently a member of Higgins’ trios was Joe Ascione, but Taylor is perfect on this album. If you are a Higgins fan, then you are probably familiar with Leonhart who is almost telepathically connected to Higgins.
Title: Eddie Higgins Trio – Again (2000)
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
One of a handful of the very best piano jazz interpreters in the world, Eddie Higgins takes his place along side Beegie Adair, Dick Hyman, Oscar Peterson, John Proulx, Hank Jones, and maybe five or six other masters. This CD, like all his albums is stunning in its simplicity and in its complexity. A master of interpretation, melodic invention and smooth, easy jazz at his peak.
![Eddie Higgins - Standards by Request, Solo Piano - 2nd Day (2008) [Japan 2016]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/U3bNjY3.jpg "Eddie Higgins - Standards by Request, Solo Piano - 2nd Day (2008) [Japan 2016]")
Title: Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 2nd Day (2008) [Japan 2016]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
Here you have a second collection of standards requested by readers of Swing Journal. Forty of the top requests were given to Higgins and the plan was to record material for only one album. However, after recording 15 tracks on the first day – an extraordinary feat in itself – Higgins wanted to continue. So another recording took place the next day where Higgins recorded another 15 tracks. No music sheets were involved. Higgins is so talented as a pianist that his own arranging and pacing of tunes – as well as its spontaneous arrangement – were highly successful. The producer didn’t feel the need to change a thing.
![Eddie Higgins - Standards by Request, Solo Piano - 1st Day (2008) [Japan 2015]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/Rn02h7J.jpg "Eddie Higgins - Standards by Request, Solo Piano - 1st Day (2008) [Japan 2015]")
Title: Eddie Higgins – Standards by Request, Solo Piano – 1st Day (2008) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
Pianist Eddie Higgins may not be well known in the U.S., but he is hands down the most famous and prolific musician on the Venus Records roster. Since his 1997 Venus debut, Higgins has released more than 20 albums from the label. This release is the first from a pair of solo piano albums that include a collection of standards requested by readers of Swing Journal. Forty of the top requests were given to Higgins and the plan was to record material for only one album. However, after recording 15 tracks on the first day – an extraordinary feat in itself – Higgins wanted to continue. So another recording took place the next day where Higgins recorded another 15 tracks.
The tracks on this release are presented in the order they were recorded. No music sheets were involved. Higgins is so talented as a pianist that his own arranging and pacing of tunes – as well as its spontaneous arrangement – were highly successful. The producer didn’t feel the need to change a thing. Standards by Request 1st Day shows why Higgins is such a popular artist. It’s all here – the beautiful sound, exquisite touch, stylish swing, and harmonious improvisation. Sit back and enjoy the work of a master!
![Eddie Higgins Quintet - It's Magic (2007) [Japan 2015]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/dzlCzS6.jpg "Eddie Higgins Quintet - It's Magic (2007) [Japan 2015]")
Title: Eddie Higgins Quintet – It’s Magic (2007) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
Through his numerous albums released from Venus Records, Eddie Higgins has firmly established his position as one of the most celebrated jazz pianists in Japan. For this album, which was released in 2007 in its original form, Higgins was paired with two veteran horn players who share his mature, straight-ahead sensibilities: Scott Hamilton and Ken Peplowski.
Eddie Higgins has been an active jazz musician since the late ’50s, though he has developed an especially strong following in Japan, resulting in numerous opportunities to record for Japanese jazz labels. This single-disc set features the bandleader with tenor saxophonists Scott Hamilton and Ken Peplowski, along with bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Ben Riley. The primary focus is on slow, lush interpretations of ballads, with Hamilton having more of a straight-ahead approach when compared to Peplowski’s more personal, conversational style. Exceptions include the snappy, swinging take of “I Never Knew,” a breezy arrangement with Peplowski’s gritty solo taking top honors, and the driving explorations of “Autumn Leaves.” Peplowski switches to clarinet for part of the session, especially the gorgeous take of “Mood Indigo.” Throughout the date, Higgins’ engaging piano seems effortless, as the songs have likely long been a part of his repertoire.
![Eddie Higgins Quartet - When Your Lover Has Gone (1994) [Japan 2017]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/0cjgbsj.jpg "Eddie Higgins Quartet - When Your Lover Has Gone (1994) [Japan 2017]")
Title: Eddie Higgins Quartet – When Your Lover Has Gone (1994) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
Eddie Higgins’s delicate tone and conception were often compared to those of Bill Evans, one of the most influential and successful jazz pianists. He mostly played bop and mainstream jazz music throughout his career. Higgins was at home playing melodies with groove and swing-like feeling without being too superfluous. “When Your Lover Has Gone”, originally issued in France as “Zoot’s Hymns”, the Eddie Higgins Quartet performs favorite jazz standards and originals on this consistently swinging set. “Zoot’s Hymns” is a Higgins original that sets the tone for the album (of which many but not all of the songs were formerly performed by Zoot Sims); other highlights include “The Red Door”, “In Your Own Sweet Way”, “Hi Fly”, and “‘Tis Autumn”.
![Eddie Higgins Quartet - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (2002) [Japan 2003]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/B4HJdum.jpg "Eddie Higgins Quartet - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (2002) [Japan 2003]")
Title: Eddie Higgins Quartet – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (2002) [Japan 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC
A wonderful album by the pianist extraordinaire Eddie Higgins with tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton. These veterans make gorgeous, romantic and beautiful music together. A classic! They are also joined by Steve Gilmore on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums.
Listening to this SACD, which reached a number one chart position in Japan, is like slipping into a bubbly hot tub with a glass of champagne: relaxing and sparkling at the same time. The ever-classy Eddie Higgins Trio is joined throughout by the superb Scott Hamilton, a fluid tenorist in the romantic tradition of Lester Young and Ben Webster, with soul-touching low notes and never a squawk or squeal. Borrowing the perfect image from master critic Whitney Balliett, Hamilton’s sound is like “firelit mahogany.” All the playing here is elegant and swinging: classic material delivered lovingly and without cliché. Higgins’ gentle improvisations are often as beautiful as the original melodies (see, for example, his introduction and solos on the title track). He’s also unique in his use of Bach-inspired counterlines to add depth and interest to the harmony; this is particularly evident on the faster tunes like “It’s a Lonesome Old Town” and “Lullaby of the Leaves,” where these left-hand figures supply extra propulsion and support for Hamilton’s solos. Another distinction is the group’s approach to “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and “When the Sun Comes Out,” timeless torch songs that are traditionally angst-ridden features for vocalists; in these hands, the flow of melody transcends any despair associated with the lyrics. Even the opening ballad, “Melancholy Rhapsody,” is lightened by the tenderness of the playing. While the liners are in Japanese, the superb quality of the music needs no translation. Recommended.
![Eddie Henderson - So What (2002) [Japan]](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/10/31/7F5TPEh.jpg "Eddie Henderson - So What (2002) [Japan]")
Title: Eddie Henderson – So What (2002) [Japan]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
One of the most beautiful Eddie Henderson albums we’ve heard in years – a richly modal session with lots of classic influences, recorded beautifully, and with a feel that will make it a real standout! The set list includes some killer jazz standards – like Wayne Shorter’s “Prince Of Darkness” and “Footprints”, Miles Davis’ “So What” and “All Blues”, and Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” and “Round Midnight” – not to mention great versions of “Green Dolphin Street”, and “Old Folks”. And even though the tunes are classics, they’re played with the fresh modernism of the mid 60s Miles Davis quintet – a style that’s got angular edges, but also some deeply soulful moments – played with elegance by a group that includes Bob Berg on tenor, Dave Kikoshi on piano, Ed Howard on bass, and Billy Hart and Victor Lewis on drums.
Eddie Henderson’s Columbia debut places him in the context of a classic series of modern compositions, from Wayne Shorter’s modal masterpiece “Prince Of Darkness,” and “Footprints,” to his read of his mentor Miles Davis’ “So What,” and “All Blues,” and, a pair of Monk numbers, as well “Round Midnight,” and “Well, You Needn’t.” The band assembled for this date is more than up to the challenge. Drummers Billy Hart and Victor Lewis, pianist Dave Kikoski, bassist Ed Howard, and the inimitable Bob Berg on tenor, accompany Henderson’s trumpet and flugelhorn with requisite heat and polish. Henderson’s arrangements work better on the more adventurous tunes: on the Shorter and Miles cuts, Henderson’s more aggressive and looser, allowing his band to stretch those tunes to the margins. His ultra-modernization of “On Green Dolphin Street,” sounds like he’s trying to update Miles’ particular read of the composition, rather than just take a new look at it for its own merit. He does likewise with “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and D.L. Hill’s “Old Folks.” He turns in stellar versions of the Monk tunes, with interesting and angular rhythmic turns in them along the changes. This is a solid date for Henderson, who doesn’t record nearly often enough.