From three of my most recent acquisitions. Gene harris -- FUNKY GENE"S I liked the track "Blues for Basie" the best, but could not find it on youtube. But anything this man plays is excellent. He is like Oscar in that respect. [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3u-O9z4TJk[/url] Harold Mabern -- AFRO BLUE I saw this and thought it had Porter and Salvant. But it was Porter with Norah Jones, Kurt Elling and others. This was the best cut. Most of the other tunes were a little too NYC-ish for my taste. How could I see Jones and think Salvant. I think I have early on-set [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DRVjHYpzw[/url] And, another one from the Cuba/Harlem. You can't listen to just one cut. :) [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IA8ZJREg0U[/url]
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The Frogman & O-10:
My Taste in Jazz--
You cats say my taste in Jazz has changed or improved, but man, you cats could not be more wrong. You see, my Jazz appreciation and understanding is so deep, and on such a radical trajectory, that you couldn't dig me at all. But I dug you, 'cause you two were coming from a more shallow bourgeois track. Dig? Frog, glad you dug the cat's wail on 'swing.'
Later
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College Bands:
Both were very good. I give the nod to the guys in Miami. To my tin ear, their playing was more polished / sophisticated and together. Although the first Trombone soloist at Texas was very good.
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*****
that kool-aid bottled at West Point is the strongest and most long-lasting on the Planet !*****
For which we should be eternally grateful.
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Good News, for me at least, I am not losing my mind. I did just purchase a CD with Porter, Salvant and a woman named Rene Marie appearing as singers. It was not the Harold Mabern CD, but the Marsalis / JLCO Christmas CD, "Big Band Holidays' It's a good disc. All the tunes are on youtube. But there is a WTF? factor. [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6mvjnhwrEs[/url] None of the singers are credited on the CD. Their names do not appear anywhere on the packaging or notes. They sing the same tunes as is shown on youtube, but they do not receive any sort of acknowledgement on the physical CD. WTF indeed!! There is nothing to say, except, It's Ray. [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mshJwa4aXrM[/url] Cheers |
After 'leading' almost 500,000 American Soldiers to their deaths, one of his first acts as President, was to gut the G.I. Bill.
Military-Industrial Complex? Be glad we have one. Every other industrialized country does.
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**** He sure is an elegant pianist , is he a big deal on jazz scene ?***
He has played with a lot of big time folks. He is music director for Mapleshade Productions. I have the CD 'solo spirit' and one other. I assume this is the one you have. Its on the Mapleshade label. They record a lot of solo stuff. Interesting liner notes and tunes of a religious Nature. Is he a big deal? A question for The Frogman.
I would guess it would depend on who you asked, and in what context. Nice CD.
Generals are like Doctors. You may not trust this one, or that one, but in the end, you gonna trust a Doctor.
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If MacArthur had been in command in Europe, or even overall command in the Pacific, there would be a lot more guys playing with their great great grands these days.
He said Ike was a damn good clerk. MacArthur was a bastard, but a brilliant bastard. The best General this country has ever produced. Few people liked him, so he must have been doing a lot of stuff correctly. Mediocrity hates brilliance.
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*****
Larry looks different.******
Playing that Jazz-Funk will do that to a person.
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Another recent arrival: I feel that current Jazz artist are a lot more versatile, or multifaceted than the greats of back in the day. When you look back and think about it, they seemed to, with few exceptions, stay in their comfort zone. This woman may not be the greatest ever, but she may be the most enjoyable to listen to, ever. She is like Wynton, in that she does everything, and does it at the highest level. [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSeXzeQK7pk[/url] [url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2MVmC55T5s[/url] No filler. All the tunes on the CD are listed on the youtube page. Check them out. You won't mistake this Orchestra as being from Cuba, NYC, or the West Coast. No uncertainly as to where this is coming from. Of course Dr John is a dead give-a-way.. These various 'orchestras' or Big Bands, seem to be a lot more nimble than they once were. They pretty much play like small groups, just with a fuller sound. Cheers |
The Frogman:
Please discuss the Rehearsals of a Symphony Orchestra vs the Rehearsals of a Jazz Orchestra such as Lincoln Center.
Cheers |
Merry Christmas To All, and To All, A Good Night! |
Ghosthouse:
"The Bright Mississippi" has been talked about and praised on more than one occasion on this thread. Is it Jazz? It would be more accurate and informative to call it, music of New Orleans. Without which, there would be no Jazz.
As it happens I was reading the interview of Toussaint in 'DownBeat' this morning. If you don't have DownBeat's "The Great Jazz Interviews", I can highly recommend it. $25 on Amazon.
It's one of the few CDs I keep on my desk in easy reach. I play it often. I always visualize this music as being played is a fairly large and sparsely furnished room, with a floor of wooden planks. Southern comes to mind.
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*****that the culture of the people along the river, and the music are so connected.*****
Good point. After all, Geography is Fate / Destiny.
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Didn't know Big Mama did St James. I tired to stay with the Nawlins folks. Dee Dee is from Memphis, right up river.
BTW, you got the order correct.
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The real reason they lag behind the U.S. is, they are not free people.
And there are all sorts of hell holes. Some are like most prisons, noisey, violent, people acting up and out, chaos.
And then there are some that are like Super Max prisons. As quiet as a Tomb, and just as safe. And those places are reserved for the worst of the worst. They break harden men.
Sort of like Finland. The Finns even imported and adopted the TANGO, to see if they had any passion. They don't. They are the antithesis of New Orleans. So are the rest you named, with the exception of Hamburg.
I am beginning to think Schubert went to Europe and went native on us.
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Cassandra Wilson:
Excellent Band. And of course, being from Mississippi, she is awesome.
But, I didn't hear too much of St James Infirmary, but it didn't matter. Good Jazz.
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The spirit of St James, the Blues version. So to speak.
Pops came closest to capturing this. Of course, with a New Orleans sensitivity. They can't stay serious for long.
Son House's tune is deadly serious, and sad.
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The correct order is:
3 -- 2 -- 1 -- 4 -- 5
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Chet Baker:
Very nice tune. Very good player. He was a sad and tragic figure. One of the many casualties in Jazz. He never seem to be on my Jazz radar.
Drugs, and playing and living in Europe and the West Coast, are not the best moves to make in order to have a big time career in Jazz.
Sadly, the road to fame and fortune still runs through NY. :(
Thanks for the clip.
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Jazz without Brass, Reed or Piano!! That's a tall order. I don't think he pulled it off.
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These folks make Sun-Ra seem like Lawrence Welk. I think this 'band' used to be the house band at the CIA. If truth serum, water boarding, and sleep deprivation didn't work, a few sets of this, and they confessed to everything they thought they knew.
The apocalypse is nearer than we think!
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Roy Hargrove:
Excellent Clip. Good result at capturing the ambiance of a live club performance. The drummer deserves extra pay.
I have several CDs by Hargrove, including the SuperBlue and Jazz Futures discs. Do you think he had a career commensurate with his talent?
I have always been partial to the Flugelhorn. Always felt Trumpet players should play it more often. Wonderful tone. The master of course being Hugh Masekela.
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*****In fact, by that line of thought one could make the case that by playing a more "conventional" instrument the reed player or band with piano has an automatic leg up in the quality department; a silly proposition. ******
The great unwashed beg to disagree. First of all, I said no Piano, no Reeds, no horns. You have to be one hell of a player to make that work. On the other hand, maybe it was just the tunes. Here are the three tunes played by Mecca. I own these CDs, so I didn't cherry pick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMsBCDVXHGc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaRxPkoVS_E In my opinion, Mecca sounded like the group in a small lounge. Playing while the customers engage in conversation and pretty much ignores the group. Just background music. Cheers |
Brad Mehldau:
Very hard to stand out doing 'My Favorite Things'. I think everyone has covered this tune. I must confess, I was thinking of Coltrane the entire time.
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*****
???????*****
Since this song has been played by everyone in Jazz at one time or another, it's difficult to do a version that will really stand out. It was a nice enough Jazz performance, but nothing that will knock Coltrane's version off it's perch.
After Julie Andrews and John Coltrane, what can anyone add?
That's all.
Cheers
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*****
Well, I guess I need to throw out about half my jazz records.*****
Well, maybe not half.
*****
After all, what can anyone add to Gershwin's operatic version of "Summertime" , or "Scrapple From The Apple" after Bird did it? Oh yeah, and all my versions of "St. James Infirmary" and keep only Pops'. And don't you forget to throw out all except one version of Beethoven's 9th. *****
Music can be played / sung by different people with better voices, or a more authentic feel for the music, and perhaps better recording techniques. You can have several versions for several reasons. This applies to all your examples. I have many performances of LvB's 9th, for many reasons. Either I like the playing or the singers, even the tempo(Bohm/Vienna). Some I have just for historical reasons, like Furtwangler at Bayreuth.
*****
First of all, Julie Andrews' version is not jazz, not to mention its a vocal version; apples and oranges. Coltrane's version, as good as it is, became a "hit" in great part due to the novelty factor. *****
I mentioned Andrews to show the breath of performances available. From the original musical, to Coltrane. And those two stand out. The unwashed made them 'hits'.
No one has ever heard of Brad playing 'Favorite Things'. Someone says 'My Favorite Things', you think Andrews or Coltrane.
Coltrane's version was named a 'Grammy Hall of Fame recording', according to the You tube folks. Not bad for a 'novelty' tune. And let's not forget, Coltrane had Tyner, Jones, and Davis in support.
But, I am nothing, if not fair with a thirst for knowledge, so, I listened to Brad again. From around 2:08 until around 7:00 is just filler. Stalling for time, or, trying to be profound. He picks up 'Favorite Things' again around 7:00. Hardly 'astounding'.
*****
What Mehldau does with that tune is absolutely astounding and original. Brilliant player. *****
We are all guilty of Hyperbole from time to time.
Cheers
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I did watch 'The Drummer'. As The Frogman said, it's a tough life. I enjoyed it. I wish it had been developed more and lasted longer.
I really liked the mature chick on the dance floor.
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*****
the highest Blasphemy possible in the "Jazzasphere", someone has dared to compare St. Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things", to some relatively unknown version of this same tune.*****
I know it's hard to believe. But, this is the holiday season, and some folks do hit the sauce a little hard. That's probably what it is.
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*****
I think you missed the sarcasm in my previous post.*****
No I did not. I knew you would not seriously consider getting rid of half of your Spike Jones Elcassettes.
*****
It comes down to the first sentence in the last paragraph of that post: "Jazz is different things to different folks". *****
I posted an article several days ago that was blocked by Audiogon. Copyright issue. It was from an early interview by Wynton. He was accused of distancing himself from the word 'Jazz'. He agreed, saying, because now days, "Jazz is anything, Jazz is everything. If they think it will help sell it, they call it Jazz.
Some of the non-Jazz folks he called by name, Quincy, Miles and Sanborn. He did allow that Miles USED to play Jazz.
So your statement is true, but not valid. If that makes any sense.
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*****
I hope you are not suggesting that because Coltrane's "MFT" is recognized by a few, that in the scheme of Coltrane's overall contribution, that it is more important than, say, "Giant Steps".******
This entire discussion revolves around the performance of one tune. MFT. That's all. Recognized by a few"?? From Hyperbole to Understatement.
*****
After all, what does the fact that the unwashed happen to know Julie Andrews and ONE Colrane performance prove?*****
It proves that those two struck a chord with the public. Think of what a unique thing that is. To be able to reach millions of people. Complete strangers. Most players would kill for that ability.
*****
the great Phil Woods, the only thing that you could say about him was "he has a big stomach" *****
Well, I didn't lie. :)
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O-10:
I thought you would be threading water by now. The way they are talking about the flooding 'Heading South', reminds me of the talk I heard about "27 high water".
Glad you are OK.
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*****
Seriously, did anyone try and focus on McCoy Tyner, and Elvin Jones when listening to MFT, by Trane******
I did, seriously. That's why I mentioned the group, esp Tyner, in my post. Can a solo performer compete at creating musical expression and emotion, compared to a group. Not if that group is world class.
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*****
Of course it can*****
Well Brad Mehldau didn't. And I didn't say a solo performance was less music.
Example: I have Evgeny Kissin playing Pictures at an Exhibition. Solo piano. The first time I had heard it done like this. Blew my mind. Fantastic.
I also have Reiner / Chicago doing 'Pictures'. No comparison. The Great gate at Kiev? You can see/feel it opening on the Chicago disc.
Both were very good, but the piece is better realized with a full orchestra.
*****
In fact, the solo artist in jazz or classical faces a bigger challenge; *****
He does indeed, and sometimes the challenge cannot be met. Take the short film we just saw.
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Have you guys heard this one?
Three guys walk into a bar. a Trombonist, a Drummer and a Harpist.
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The discerning reading will note that the players in The Frogman's 'Joke' were presented as just three musicians who were friends. They were not presented as members of the same group, and more importantly, the sole members of that group. A deft sidestep if I ever saw one. Brilliant!!
BTW, Brilliant Bear. Not only does this bear dig The Blues and Beethoven, he also defends the current defender of Jazz. Reminds me of someone I know.
Cheers
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reader, not reading , sorry |
I was reading about Art Pepper today, and came across this. It makes me sad and mad to think of his story. This has to be the only country that locks up it's creative people for taking drugs. He made some very interesting points in the short interview. Esp about having to mix the new with the old, so as to not lose the public. He did time in San Quinten. That's serious time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eabBiWdAyWM
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Duke Pearson:
Excellent CD. What a difference Piano and Horns make!! Esp if they are Turrentine and Hubbard. Pearson does have a slightly bemused facial expression on the cover. Almost as if he is playing in the club / Bar, and he looks up, and sees three guys walk in. Sort of WTF-ish.
Great example of Bear-Jazz, which is the only kind.
In my Cart.
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*****
there are many other countries that do not condone drug use/abuse and incarcerate their people for these crimes...*****
I was speaking of the Civilized or Western world. Sorry, I should have made that clear.
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*****
"its a slower tempo *Freddie Freeloader* from Miles’ KOB":*****
I knew it sounded familiar. Thanks for pointing that out.
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