Jazz for aficionados

Pryso, I've got 5 of Rabih Abou-Khalil's CD's, all with the beautiful covers like "Blue Camel".


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OX6unCSfPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YffgtAAy24k

Jafant, here is something for those of us who are word challenged; it's a movie.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1n8E3ntWUg


Enjoy the movie.

Ghosthouse, and Rok, since the both of you are so into the deeper meaning of "Watership Down", I sincerely wish you guys would clue me in on this deeper meaning.

I watched the movie, looking for this deeper meaning but didn't find it; won't be the first time something intellectual has eluded me.

Could you two highly enlightened intellects, cast a little of that light in my direction so that I might join you.


Thank you.

Rok, "Analog" is not even in the same country as what we knew, neither is the price. Remember all those king of the hill TT's like Dual and Girard; they wont cut it now.

When CD first came out, and those "Audiophiles" were saying "What's the big deal"? I thought they were all on crack, or jealous because we had something as good as them, and much cheaper, but it wasn't necessarily so.

To make a long story short, it's only worth it when you got a lot of LP's; they can sound new all over again.

Every time I think I got almost everything by Less McCann, you come up with something I don't got; can't wait for the review.


Enjoy the music.

Since I needed a new cartridge, I took the liberty of giving myself a Christmas present of the "Grado Master 2", and I give it my highest recommendations. I'm enjoying LP's like never before.

That also means I will refrain from those lively "new jazz, old jazz" debates. According to Dr. John, that great Louisiana Philosopher; "There are only so many croaks in a frog, so many barks in a dog, so many grunts in a hog, and so many beats in a heart". Seeing as how people younger than me been dropping like flys, I'm going to heed his advice and not waste another precious beat of this week heart of mine.

I'm enjoying old jazz that sounds "brand new"; it's so coherent, I don't have to wonder "why did he do that, just where is he coming from"; this music sounds like it was made for me.

Speaking of old jazz, I was perusing this double LP of the Max Roach, Clifford Brown Sextet, that is absolutely fantastic; the best sextet ever, bar none. While this is a double LP, you can accomplish the same thing on CD by getting "Study In Brown" plus "Max Roach and Clifford Brown"; that music rates five stars, but I know you already got it.

I'm enjoying music like never before, and I know you're doing like wise; Continue to have a happy holiday.

Ghosthouse, I really and truly love rabbits; I use to see them in our back yard,  I figured they lived under a big bush next door, and the guy cut the bush down, now I got no more rabbits.

When I was a kid in the country, there was nothing more fun than chasing rabbits with our dogs. The dogs never caught any, but it sure was a lot of fun; rabbits like to double back on their trail, so no matter how far the dogs went, they always came back.

I enjoyed the movie and understood how changes in the environment harmed rabbits and a lot of other animals. Due to a decreasing habitat, I've been told there are coyotes in the city. I just now read where coyotes are killing pets in my neighborhood; hope we ain't got no mountain lions in them there woods.


    http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2013/12/19/how-to-keep-your-dog-from-getting-eaten-by-a-coyo...



After you've read it again, I'll be looking forward to that deeper meaning.

She sung that same song about this time last year.

Coming to you live from Tokyo is the fabulous Yoko Miwa Trio.


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c28yKNysZF4&list=PLXo3EkqZe8MjoPyL9OYNh8RAs8kHTXhIZ


Enjoy the music.

I can tell you liked that other Yoko's music about as well as I did; some things I just don't get, and that was one of them.

This Yoko is sounding so good, I had to play her again. I hear real roots jazz, certainly not "stereotypical", plus she is most certainly new to me; therefore, I will have to put the Yoko Miwa Trio in the best new jazz I've heard recently, that must be added to my collection; she's genuinely fresh.

Sonny Rollins and Don Cherry is a side of Don, that I've never heard before, but this was before he went into his "world music" phase.


It's all good.

Acman, I can understand your rationale; I would have been more than a little bit upset.

I bought Miles "Sketches of Spain" and it has some kind of classical music on one side; I considered that so unusual that I kept it.

You definitely submitted the right "Don Cherry" this time.

The very best music is that which has withstood the test of time and repeats; no matter how many times you've heard it, it still sounds good.

Such music in my collection that exists, I will share it with you; The Jazz Crusaders, "Young Rabbits" is such a cut.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA7f9HIXox4


Another one by the same crew is "Freedom Sound"; that reminds me, I don't have enough of this good music.


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Jb72PZAls


Enjoy the music.

It's so interesting how I've changed since I began this thread; it's like the old self looking at the new self. The old self was open to any and everything, while the new self is not nearly as accommodating as the old self.

Let me explain completely; I have been influenced by other threads on this forum such as analog, and to a degree, various other threads and audiophiles. This forum offers the "jazz audiophile" a smorgasbord of new information that can be included in his pursuit of higher levels of enjoyment; records are where it's at, but not "audiophile" records, the records that are already in a "jazz aficionado's" collection. I am absolutely astounded at how much more music can be retrieved from those old records. While I will still entertain any new jazz being presented, my pursuit will be spiraling in on the classic, mostly deceased artists that we have already discussed.

When I began to improve my rig was when I began to hear more; like the RIAA curve for example, it's different on different labels. Presently I don't have the funds to pursue such esoteric differences in records, but this new found knowledge is intriguing, especially when you consider how it was different on Prestige, Decca, and other various older labels.

Since this is a "New Year", I thought it might be important to introduce the "new me."

Happy New Year!


Enjoy the music.

I knew you would have something to say about that; maybe not.

I got a new cartridge, paid more than I could afford, but my old records are sounding brand new; almost anyway, still got some clicks and pops here and there, but I keep running across records I haven't even played, and that's always fun.

Since I quit buying records, probably about the same time you quit, they're all old records,but they sure sound good, and I got more of them than I realized; anyway I'm like a kid who just discovered a new toy.


Enjoy the music.

This is one of the albums that was like new, and I don't remember it; that's always fun.


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TMd3-Siamc

Although I most certainly liked the music, I wouldn't rush out and buy the album. Think about it, if you were one of the people in the audience, you would have had a very special evening.

No artist produces one album after another as good as his best. At the moment I can't think of any artist I could rely on 100% of the time.

This came on right after Less;


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coHUt4si8Oo


That was right on time; "Sweet memories of better times, when I was much younger of course". That makes me glad I enjoyed those times when I did, because I just can't see a whole lot to enjoy now. Then I felt safe and comfortable in the city, and no way would I live way out in the burbs where you could hear the grass grow. Now, I like the sound of the grass growing.


Enjoy the music.

My two songs for the moment;


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QJyyznbqUg



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKIrqC2QUvg

Jafant, I've wasted as much time as I'm going to waste in an attempt to move forward. Now that I have resolved that issue within myself, every evening is an enjoyable event; especially since I've made some improvements, and the jazz masters never sounded so good.

To quote that great philosopher "Forest Gump", "That's all I have to say about that".

Out of the many female jazz vocalists, I don't recall anyone mentioning Dianne Schuur.


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkFeiXkq1qM

This is "The Man I Love".

While I've stated my case, I'm overjoyed that one of us is moving forward; who knows when the next "Trane", "Bird" or "Miles" is going to pop up?

Fortunately, new musicians are judged on a different basis from the way I judge them; I compare them to the masters, and that's somewhat unfair, but so be it.

New musicians are judged by the needs of the populace for "live" entertainment, and that's the basis by which they are judged. An example of a group that did well in New York, that get's a "what tha---" from me, is "Kid Creole and The Coconuts". I have a record of theirs that I'm sure is like new because I never play it. I liked their first hit;


          http://us.napster.com/artist/gary-smulyan


That was Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band, and then they changed to "Kid Creole and The Coconuts"


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC658OJpclE


My point is; I want to sit in the sweet spot, listen and go on musical journeys, while other people want to go out and be entertained; that's good for new musicians, and I'm glad for them.


Enjoy the music.

Lavandula was nice; it definitely takes you on a musical journey, and it most certainly is not "Stereotypical". some might say it's not "jazz"; so what, either you like it or you don't, and I like it.

Takeshi Nishimoto is someone I've never heard of, nor does he sound like anyone I've heard; that's good, it makes me want to hear whatever else he has to offer.

Thanks for a good clip.

Keegiam, if you try a little harder, maybe you can score more points with Frogman; let's see, you scored points for praising his post, and you scored points for the negative dig at me, you're moving up the ladder of the "mutual admiration society".

In regard to "regression"; presently, I'm attempting to stay in a steady state of "mellowness"; that is the same frame of mind I have always preferred; maybe I'm regressing back to that.

In regard to music, I just ordered a CD, "The Diverse Yuseff Lateef" because my vinyl copy was too noisy. I thought about replacing Grant Green "Idle Moments" LP, but since they're asking "50. bucks, my old LP really doesn't sound that bad; "equanimity" sounds like a good word to express my attempted state of mind. (it's fun to use a word when You're not quite sure what it means, lets look it up)


am-webster.com/dictionary/equanimity
Both "equanimity" and "equal" are derived from "aequus," a Latin adjective meaning "level" or "equal." "Equanimity" comes from the combination of "aequus" and "animus" ("soul" or "mind") in the Latin phrase aequo animo, which means "with even mind."
Equanimity | Define Equanimity at Dictionary.com

Sounds close enough. My old music is still sounding very good in rotation with anything new that I acquire; I don't know if that's regression or not; I'll let you make the call.

Yes, I am so inclined and will place that CD on order.


Enjoy the music.

Ghosthouse, when I pay money, I want something I can hold in my hand. I tried that way before, and 1 out of 3 worked properly. As you stated, you've got (WAV, FLAC, ALAC & AIFF). This is compatible with that, but not the other thing, and when all that stuff gets all mixed up in your computer, the poor machine gets confused; so much for that.


Enjoy the music.

Rok, I know you're dreaming of some newly discovered Blue Note killers from the 60's, but if they were not released, there is a very good reason; it explains why half the "newly discovered cuts" on Mosaic ain't weren't worth squat; they should have left them in the vaults under double lock and key.

There were so many "killers" to come out at the same time, that some of them slipped past unnoticed; you can peruse "You tube" and find them by selecting your favorite years; they came out on all the labels.

Once you make these discoveries, post them so we can all;


Enjoy the music.

BLUE NOTE A story of modern jazz;


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRCWHWQoIIY


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNAjQBOP-lU


A few Blue Note jazz artists couldn't read music; of course all the most famous could read music. Jazz artists who couldn't read music didn't go around with a sign on their chest stating that fact, but it was a fact, and how they could jam; they played with the most famous Blue Note artists and also made albums of their own.

Jazz is primarily expressing what you feel in the jazz idiom of that time. The cities were so much different in the 60's; I thought the South Side of Chicago was paradise; South Shore drive, the lake; Chicago was the hippest city in the world, so much live entertainment; violence seemed to be restricted mostly to the West Side, and although gangs existed, the South Side was jazz land, not gang land.

I always lived in the city, never far from the action; within walking distance of live entertainment, I loved it. BLUE NOTE JAZZ has the feel and movement of the city; Chicago, St. Louis, New York, but not LA; it had a different feel and movement; notice how different West Coast jazz is from BLUE NOTE Jazz.


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aeVlQtsaFE&list=PLKMUFgFPQJ9xkZMmJODD29vJUoWlCa_1G


It's only been since this thread that I diverged. It was when I realized that I was making a job of trying to find new jazz that it happened; but good music is not isolated to jazz; music without a category can sound good.



Enjoy the music

Rok, that is one fantastic album that I don't think I have, but must have it.

"Paul Quinichette" is someone we haven't discussed enough. I remember a long time ago, I was kind of on the outside of a conversation between The Big Boys; "Heavy jazz aficionados", and I decided to jump in with something about "Paul Quinichette", and I pronounced it like it's spelled; before I finished a disc jockey corrected me with "You mean Quinishay, don't you"; since that time I have never forgotten how to pronounce his name.


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9u6Mu3nmdE&list=PLUu75SmcBfnbR4qecbbYwZtIYUw_LWAza


This recording quality doesn't sound worth two cents; I hope the CD is better if I get it. This is the "new jazz" I'm going to focus on.


Enjoy the music.

Rok, I have that one; I recall that's the way he sounded at the clubs, and on the juke box in the late 50's and very early 60's. He is one of the very few artists that you can't go wrong with; at the moment I can't think who the other one is; they're just that few.

I must have his last albums in the early 70's, because these are the one's after a style change; they were more serious.

Now that we can get all the old albums that I don't have, I see no reason to waste time and finances on most of the other stuff. Of course if anyone else find's something exceptional, that will be icing on the cake.

Let me know what you find available by Quinichette.


I'm really enjoying your music tonight.

Friend Rok, I no longer deal in earthly cause and effect but look to the firmament for answers; I've gotten quite mysterious in my old age, I think it comes with age, kind of like arthritis.

Where does music come from? It comes from musicians. Where do musicians come from, specifically jazz musicians, the likes of Roland Kirk, Bobby Timmons and Charles Mingus? They have stretched all the words pertaining to "creativity".


          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahsaan_Roland_Kirk


          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Timmons


          https://www.google.com/search?q=charles+mingus&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS858US858&oq=charles+mingus&am...



These are the cuts that first brought Roland Kirk to my attention.


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWPUKskCv7E


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_YRl1qWTk.


I crown Bobby Timmons the King of jazz soul for his tune "Moanin"


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNjRQo-zpKA


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTMVmHUgzEs]


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9azrAX45kY


Chales Mingus album "Mingus Ah UM Charles Mingus" has gone down in jazz history as a classic.



            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7hoX7golZI&list=PLiN-7mukU_REK9zBMvZoNERNvhovxnsE5


Before we examine the musicians themselves, let us examine their incredible music starting with "Rashan Roland Kirk". In each case, the music could be transformed into a short story, or a painting.


"Short story; "She did it, she did it; she made him fall madly in love like he never dreamed he could fall before".


Bobby Timmons "Moanin" is self explanatory. "So Tired"; a man looking for a job, and he's so tired, but he has to keep pushing until he finds one. Or, the myriad of other things that one can be in pursuit of that will not let one rest until it's found; it could be peace of mind.


Mingus's works are tone poems in themselves.



Let's go back to the original question "Where did they come from?". Since I gave a link to their biographies, you can draw your own conclusions and tell us your conclusions.

Inna, here's another CD;


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzbSz_i5t7I&list=PLinzJA0pkmAsCH7HGqd1EaHaKqMBh8W39


     

McCoy Tyner passed at 81;


    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mccoy-tyner-jazz-pianist-dead-81-963903/

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brseSw3wTh0

Tyner confirmed what I said about "Trane" in regard to going to the outer galaxies; Tyner was just left in "space", "What do I do now"? I witnessed it.


As Coltrane’s music grew increasingly wilder and more ecstatic in the mid-Sixties, incorporating contributions from saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and drummer Rashied Ali, Tyner began to feel increasingly out of place in the band. In 1965, after appearing on free-jazz standouts like Ascension and Meditations, the pianist left the group. “I didn’t see myself making any contribution to that music,” he once said.


We have so much of Tyners music left; "The real Tyner"; he was too overshadowed by Trane, now we can find and hear what his inner soul had to contribute to the music.

Alex, as I recall, you went on a fact finding mission of your own in regard to participation in this thread; what did you find?

I would like your opinions on Frogmans assertions.


Thank you.

How about "Me and Mrs. Jones"; I didn't just listen to the songs of the 70's, I lived the songs of the 70's, and was it fun.


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2v98PGBZH4



Enjoy the music.

Some periods of time in jazz are the more fertile than others, and there will always be debate in which times they were. I recall times that stand out for me in different musicians lives; for example let's take Wes Montgomery; I liked him better before he became famous. When he had his trio in "Naptown", they played for themselves, and the fan club in his "hometown". One of the tunes is "Around Midnight"; Wes Montgomery Trio.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Xozvcf0FA


Enjoy this music.

Mel Rhyne's music has a similar feel as Wes Montgomery's at that time; it hit's the sweet spot for me. Alex, do you know whether or not that CD or record is available? I could listen to music like that all day long.


I'm enjoying your music.

Like wine, jazz has it's better years, and 62 was most certainly one of them, and by one of the masters of that form of musical communication.

"Jazz Jazz" was still in vogue in 62, consequently, that master's musical language reaches me on a deep internal level. Someone else with that same ability to communicate with me was "Ike Quebec" with his album "Heavy Soul", that was also released about the same time as Dexter's "Go!".


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3zQXxTwugA&list=PLjSczc1oDTLB9mk9FD6ucHOQurfqRYePp


Here we have the entire album; although not one weak cut, "Heavy Soul" is my favorite. Ike died in 63, which was at the same time "Heavy Soul" had become my favorite LP. I was told that the band members knew that Ike was terminal when they cut that album; you can hear it in the music, especially on Freddy Roach's organ, listen.

To the club members: (Dave, you can become one if you like; it's because we have been communicating so long, that I refer to them as members) I've returned to focusing on this period in jazz because it gives me more enjoyment than any other period.

Frogman, both Dexter and Stanley were boss.


Enjoy the music.


           

I saw it Alex, and it will be on order.


Thanks

Rok, that guy Frogman submitted could win the "Downbeat Poll" for best "jazz whistler" of the year anytime; and I only had four Courvoisiers.

Did I ever tell yall about the time I was a "sideman"; I was a "sideman" at a musician's brother's party.

We were at a small party, having a good time drinking fine liquor and enjoying good music, when the host suggested that we all had some kind of musical talent. (I know this story would sound better, if I said I was at a musicians party, but that ain't the way it happened)

I can drink fine (free) liquor and enjoy good music all night long (at least I could at that time, which was a long time ago) but I can still enjoy good music, as long as it's not all night.

Our host had a variety of very basic musical instruments hanging on the wall and laying around: a tambourine, bongos, harmonica, whistle, flute, plus others I don't remember. He gave me the whistle, my lady friend the tambourine, and passed around what was left to guests who wanted to participate, then he put a record with background music on the turntable, and gave us direction on what to play, and when.

The music was a little rough in the beginning, but I got the feel of the rhythm from the drums and tambourine, and tooted my whistle like I imagined "Bird" or "Trane" would toot their horns. Once we got the feel from his direction, and the background music, we continued on after the record quit playing, and it began to sound like music.

I simply felt the music others were playing, and made sounds that corresponded to what I felt, from the music they made; believe it or not, we made credible music.

We had a lot of fun, and he proved his point that everybody has "some" musical talent.

That made me think about "Sidemen"; they can sound ever so good, until they decide to make a record as leader. I had been listening to one of my favorite sidemen for years, and wondered when he was going to make a record as "Leader". Finally he made a record; I couldn't wait to get to the record store, it seemed like the car was going too slow, I wanted to fly. After I got the record back home, there was the anticipation of finally hearing a record where he was the leader.

I hate to use the word "disappointed", but that's the only one I can find at the moment. My expectations were not quite met would be a better way to put it. This has been repeated many times down through the years; so much so, that I've come to the conclusion that there are sidemen, and there are leaders; if I had been a musician, I believe I would have been a sideman, not everybody is cut out to be "leader man".


Enjoy the music.

Alex, I saw 3 CD's on Amazon, but not the one you presented; do you recommend all of those they presented?

Thank you Alex; that's what I'm talking about in regard to his music, it's much freer, not in a specific mold as before.

Rok, while I agree with your comments until you get to "Haden"; everything must change, or evolve, and jazz is no different, but when it changed, you remained the same. I changed, but in a different way, I liked Scotch then, and now I like orange jello.

The problem we have, is one word, and that word is "jazz"; what if we agreed to call your music "Jazz", and Haden's music "Music Music" would that satisfy this debate.

I like a lot of Charlie Hadens music, and when I listen, I do not have this raging debate as to whether or not it's jazz. While you like "jazz jazz", you also like a lot of music that's clearly "not jazz", so as we can see you like more than just "jazz", but you feel someone else has laid claim to the name of your favorite music, when in reality it's simply that music during one period of time in it's evolution. But you must realize that nobody wanted to changed your name as you went through an aging evolution; nobody wanted to change your name from "young Rok" to old Rok, or "Dwain" (God I hate that name). Imagine having to go through the rest of your life with that name because as you evolved, you couldn't keep your old name, and you had to be called "Dwain".

Is a rose by any other name still a rose? I don't think I can get any "stupider" with this point, that doesn't have a point, but maybe everyone can get my drift; call it jazz or not jazz after the change, I still like some of Charlie Hadens music.

Things ain't what they used to be, but the music is better than ever today.

Charlie Haden, Hank Jones, and a photograph of that backwoods church, put tears in my eyes; simple God fearing people whose interests have never been considered from that day to this one, went to those churches. One day I'll be re-united with those good people.

Grant Green feels the way I feel today;


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SHdqD077yY



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBTvy8As0cQ



Enjoy the music.

Rok, is there any other?

Rok, every thing is sliced up in time; when you look at rings on a sawed off tree trunk, that tells you it's best years. I'm of the impression our favorite jazz is related to our best years. I believe our declining love for music as it becomes more current is an indication of our age, more so than the quality of the music.

Since we can not look at ourselves from the outside in, it's impossible for an individual to judge himself.

Today has been the best in a long time in regard to "new" music from the same time era. It's quite apparent that so much "jazz" came out at one time, that we could not have even known about it, much less bought it. I've said time and again that our present knowledge of this music is a result of current PC communications; I know I'm really enjoying it, and a side benefit is friends you don't have to feed or buy liquor for.


Enjoy the music.

Frogman, I'm very happy that we are all on the same page, it makes listening to the music so much more enjoyable; we don't have to go from "salt water" to fresh water, and then back again, all my musical genes can remain in a constant state, in one remarkable period of time.

That photograph of Thad Jones on the street could resemble Cottage Grove on the South Side of Chicago in the vicinity of the Pershing Lounge in 56, but I know it's New York because of the pigeons, they're only in downtown Chicago with the skyscrapers. The music is really in that time groove, and I can relate to it.


The 1970 music is more in a Alvin Jones, John Coltrane groove; of course I'm speaking in very broad generalities; those two had a lot of influence on jazz, just as "Bird" had in the early 50's. No, I'm not taking anything away from the individualities of those artists, but how the music evolves.


Enjoy the music.