Ray Bryant, one of my favorite players, and one of my first Jazz LPs. 'Slow Freight'
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****"Rok, how do you like Marakesh?"****
I ordered my one-way tickets today!!! See you there!! I wonder if I will be able to find a socket to plug my stereo into?
Speaking of Marrakech:
Randy Weston -- Marrakech: In The Cool of The Evening
Weston plays solo piano.
Nice playing, mostly his own tunes. Nothing reached out and grabbed me. The 'Fats' Waller and Billy Strayhorn tunes were the best. An entire CD of solo piano is a LOT. Esp if the player is NOT Oscar Peterson!!
There are some nice photos and a very interesting cover photo of 'downtown' Marrakech. :) Even a shot of guys wearing Fezzes. I always thought that was outdated hollywood stuff. I must admit I got this one years ago based on the title. It's not what I expected.
Nothing african, middle Eastern or exotic on this one. At least not to my ear. You more ''in depth' guys might hear differently. I have a lot of his stuff, mostly with Melba Liston. This CD is not among his best. IMO! Whew, amost forgot to add that. :)
Reminds me of the first LP I ever purchased. Got it from the RCA record club. 'Victory at Sea'. I ordered it because of the battle scene on the cover. I wonder even today about exactly what did I expect to hear. But now i realize it's great music, but not then. I expected action!! :)
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Today's Recommendation:
James Williams (piano) -- Magical Trio 1
featuring Ray Brown (bass) and Art Blakey (drums)
This is what they call straight ahead Jazz. Modern Bop played at the highest level. It swings. Considering the lineup there is not a lot to say. Great bass intonation!
Excerpts from the liner notes:
***"So many of the refugees from the Jazz avant garde of the 60's and the 70's offer much lip service to the Jazz tradition, but when they play Bechet, Henderson, Ellington, Dameron, etc..., it ends up ranging from unintentional parody to simple assassination"***
Even I understand and can agree with that. So you can conclude that ain't the case here.
Very well recorded. 1987
Highly Recommended.
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Frogman: Great info on, and analysis of, Coleman Hawkins. I have a lot of his stuff, but not him playing Body & Soul. How can that be?
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******** everyone on the "Gon" says "Kind of Blue" is the best jazz album ever********
That's probably a true statement of current opinion on this site. Except us Aficionados, we be hipper than that.
However, as you ponder the validity or accuracy of the prevailing opinion, consider all the other stuff 'everyone' on the 'Gon' believes!! Then all will be clear, and you can give this 'consensus' it's proper consideration.
Somethin' Else?? Maybe one of the greatest lineups ever.
Best album ever?? I will have to listen, think, and get back to you.
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For a while I thought you were 'up there' jamming with Miles, Trane and Cannonball in person.
Since you will live, I should come up to St Louis and go upside your head!!.
Welcome back. :) Comments on your reviews to follow.
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********I think that we sometimes like to think that playing jazz, being a vehicle for free expression, is free of any constraints. While it is obviously true that improvisation offers the player a lot more creative freedom than, say, a classical performance (duh!), there are still fairly strict guidelines*********
Frogman, I agree with all you said, but, you are preaching to the choir. Now, if you could only, have had a word with Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, and all the other 'Free' Jazzers of this world. Think of all the aural pain you could have prevented! :)
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SOMETHIN' ELSE
Basically a tit for tat between Cannoball and Miles. The rhythm section was not even there.
Both Miles and Julian played beautifully, but a lot of muted trumpet and alto sax needs a little more. After all we are talking the BEST ever.
There were no really cooking numbers. On the best ever Jazz album, there just has to be.
The rhythm section was a big letdown. Big time names, but they didn't play up to their rep. Esp weak was the piano. They only showed signs of life on the last number 'Alison's Uncle', but since that number was not on the LP, it does even count.
And last but not least. After playing ended on 'One for Daddy-O' you could hear Julian say "is that what you wanted alfred?" Another example of those egotistical producers making sure they are recognized for enternity!! Trying to give the impression they are in 'charge'. That they are responsible for the great playing. I hate that crap!! That should have been cut before the final pressing.
This would by itself disqualify this record from best ever.
Best Album ever? No. Not even close. Not even the best Cannonball Album.
Kind of Blue? see following post.
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KIND OF BLUE
Again we have Julian and Miles, but this time with better backing. The rhythm section was much better and more involved.
The addition of a Tenor sax was good. And a tenor sax played by John Coltrane was ever better.
Much stronger piano playing from Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. The Bass player, Paul Chambers, was involved also.
I also felt the song selection was better than on "somethin' Else".
Again no real cooking numbers. 'All Blues' was the best tune IMO. More dynamic range on all the numbers than those on "somethin' Else'. The tenor helped.
Best Jazz album ever? No. Again, not even close.
With some much great music by so many great artists it's way too soon to give that honor to one of these two. Hell, we have not even talked about Mingus, Monk, Coltrane, Ella or Armstrong etc..... You get my drift, there is just too much / many still to be heard.
The search goes on.
But at least we now know at least two records that are not the best ever. That's a start.
Let me quickly add, IMHO. That'll stop those Sabre Tooths in their tracks!!
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O-10
You won't believe this. I clicked on the Toshiko youtube thingy at the same time that I was listening to the cannonball CD 'dizzy's business' on my stereo rig. So the same music was coming from the stereo and the computer. They were both playing 'Dizzy's Business'!! Thought I was in one of those Star Trek situations for a moment. Small Jazz world. :)
I have the Toshiko CD desert Lady / Fantasy. Guess I'll have to give it a listen now.
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My 'special' tune is 'boy what a night' from Lee Morgan's CD 'Sidewinder'. Also my favorite on that CD.
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I like 'birdland'. I have it by Quincy Jones and a few more people. All my Weather Report stuff is on LP, but I think I have this number by them.
I did youtube it. The guitar player looked like Chuck Conners as he appeared in 'Geronimo' That was a big turn off, so I killed the sound and went back to Monk's 'Brilliant Corners'.
Birdland is a nice tune. Just need some serious people to play it. At least on video. I realize Joe Zawinul wrote it. He used to play with Cannonball. How the mighty have fallen.
Thanks for the input.
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Today's Discovery:
THE MONTEREY QUARTET -- Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival
with / Dave Holland (bass), Gonzalo Rubalcaba (piano), Chris Potter (tenor sax), Eric Harland (drums)
This is the natural progression of BeBop. They call it Modern Jazz. No matter what it's called, this is an excellent example of great Jazz. The Frogman and O-10 should just love this. They being so progressive. :)
I was amazed. I have had this CD for over three years, and have just now got around to really listening to it. It blew my mind. Fantastic!!
Each player contributed two tunes to the program. Rubalcaba's '50' was my favorite, but they are all great.
They sound so different from most groups. They all play at the same time. It's like all four players solo at the same time, but it's all so cohesive. These are really good players. Great writing.
Holland's bass playing is just awesome. And the sax player! Where has this guy been hiding all my life! The drummer? Another new to me, player. Amazing! We all know about Rubalcaba, just his usual brilliant self.
If you call yourself a Jazz lover, you have to have this! So, if you ain't got it, git it!
The sad thing is, they just came together for this one gig. We won't hear them together again. Another reason to get it. If nothing else, try to youtube '50'.
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O-10:
I could not even decide which is the best CD in my collection. I would not even try to name the best album in Jazz history.
My simple test is this: how often do you listen to any particular CD. That's the one you like the most. Is it the BEST, could or could not be.
What / Who do I listen to most often? Mingus, Monk, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Cannonball, the most, and many others to a lesser degree.
The problem with naming a best is that you are stuck with it. Can I change everyday?
Today, my candidate is Mingus' Oh Yeah.
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*******Rok and Frogman, I would like your critical and expert analysis of these tunes*********.
I could find nothing to fault. Great stuff. One of my favorite Tenors, Coleman Hawkins. When you get a lineup of this statue, and everyone shows up, there is nothing to fault. Esp if the tune has the word 'blues' in the title.
I see the CD is still aval on Amazon. I put it in my waiting to order thingy.
The Frogman can give us a more expert view.
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*********Rok, you need to get out more often*********
When you live in the middle of Texas, that's easier said than done. Nearest Jazz to this place is probably Kansas City!!
I was really Impressed with Potter and Holland. I knew of Holland.
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Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon:
Hank Mobley -- Soul Station
with / Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers
Great Blue Note Hard Bop. One of the most over looked and underrated Tenor players in Jazz. I love his tone.
Not an innovator, but a top tier Tenor player. A mainstay at Blue Note. I guess that's the down side of anointing all these 'geniuses'. A great player like Mobley sort of gets lost in the shuffle.
Great Rhythm section and excellent song selection.
Try it, you won't be disappointed.
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Article from BBC Music magazine:
Concert Halls of America. Symphony Hall, Boston.
The hall was built in 1900, the architects hired a physics professor from Harvard to perfect the acoustics. The result was a Hall with a reverberation time of 1.9 to 2.1 seconds and a shape that focuses the sound towards the audience.
The article goes on to say, that the hall is one of the best in America and the World.
My questions are, what is reverb, in a concert hall and what is the significance of the reverb times listed? There was no context given. Close to perfection? What is perfection? Can anyone talk about this?
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Final inquiry of the day.
Who / what determines the size and instrumental makeup of a Jazz group. Big Bands excluded. i.e. Oscar Peterson has a trio, Cannonball a quintet etc.... How and by whom is that determined?
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Learsfool:
Thanks for the info.
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Isochronism:
******I came across this gem: Blue Bacharach******
Nice CD, but I have three Dionne Warrick CDs. All this sounds very very familiar now.
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Yesterday I was Planning to 'review' 'Miles at the Plugged Nickel', but after a few minutes decided I was not in the mood. I then decided to see what O-10 was so excited about, and put on Toshiko Akiyoshi. Was not in the mood for that either.
I ened up with:
Murray Perahia: Chopin Etudes
Aretha Franklin: The Delta Meets Detroit
Howlin' Wolf: The Chess Box
What do you guys listen to when it's not Jazz?
As the good book says: 'Man cannot live on Bop alone'.
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******It's called HD Downloads******
Does this involve computers? If it does, I will have to start at day one, step one. Like, Bill Gates was born on ..........
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*******You lost me with "The Wolf Man", that's the kind of blues I can live without********
That kind of blues is called 'The Blues' :)
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You are right about Ammons. I have 'Boss Tenor' and 'Boss Tenors', which is Ammons with Sonny Stitt. The one with BEAN looks interesting. I hope it's still aval.
I don't have the SA8004. I have the SA8001 which does not have USB. How Is the USB involved in HD downloads? I do copy CD to USB memory stick for my car.
I was so concerned about CD players disappearing from newer Cars, but I now like the USB stick even better. I copy using the highest (cd) quality.
Your choice of 'alternate' music sounded 'nice'. Won't bother anyone. :)
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Jazz Alert!
Most of Freddie Hubbard's best stuff is avalible on Amazon in the 8 - 10 dollar range. Just in case you have missed some of his best. CTI and Blue Note Labels.
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I wonder if Geronimo and Sitting Bull ever knew they were actually Norwegian!!
Fusion: POPULAR music combining different styles (as jazz and rock) ---- From Merriam-Webster.
Since fusion is POP music, it has no place on a Jazz forum. Just saying.
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In a music sense, POP does not mean popular. As pertains to music, it's the name of a genre of music. All music is POPULAR to some extent.
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If JATP did ruin Jazz, it was because it brought in Norman Granz.
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Mel Torme tune was good. Who were the backup singers? He is not my cup of tea, but I did like 'coming home'.
Caravan was good also. Their voices just sounded a little too 'light' for the tune. I like them better in the link below. Miss Janice has not lost anything over the years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCytxcavaEA
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The woman is a FOX!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7YsE-wQn9c
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O-10,
I don't watch or listen to youtube that much, because it's easy to confuse the total visual / audio experience with just the music. If I buy the CD, there will be no pictures of beautiful women and scenery. Then, often times, the music cannot stand on it's on.
Audio only, keeps everything in focus. Now, I did watch a Cab Calloway clip with the Nicholas Brothers today.
That is youtube at it's best. Historic stuff. I found it while looking at the Chico Freeman thingy.
The Brazil thingy was good, but I would not buy it on CD.
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O-10:
The Jesse Cook in Havana clip is great stuff. I like it better with my eyes open. (the senorita) :) I also listened to a few more of the selections shown on the youtube page.
The music reminds me of what got me interested in music in a serious way.
That Lp was by the 101 strings entitled 'The Soul Of Spain'. I wore out so many LPs playing that music. Finally I got it on CD, and the music sounds horrible. The violins sound as if they are made of metal.
'Malaguena' and 'Granada' were the two numbers that 'grabbed' me initially, but I love them all now.
I will have to find a similar CD with good sonics and the same music.
When it comes to the guitar and guitar music, Spain rules!! Thanks for the link.
Cheers |
Since you put me in an Iberian mood, I had to pull out:
Carmen - Fantasie
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Wiener - Levine
How can one person have so much talent and beauty. Doesn't that violate some natural law?
Cheers
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You bring up an interesting point. The only Favorites I can think of at the moment that are still with us: Wynton Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
My latest CDs and the year the artist died:
Dizzy Gillespie -- Dizzy's Big 4 1993
Donald Byrd -- The Cat Walk 2013
Lee Morgan -- Take Twelve 1972
Dexter Gordon -- One Flight Up 1990
Miles Davis -- Milestones 1991
Charles Mingus -- Mingus in Europe 1991
Amazing!
Billy Bang was a viet vet. I think he mad a couple of CDs with Nam in the title.
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O-10:
Mulgrew Miller has died. We can add him to the list of past greats. He, and Lester Young, were both from Mississippi. That State has turned out more than it's share of great musicians.
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Marchel Ivery. I was not aware of him. It's on the OJC label. so I think I will try it. But, another one that is already gone before I even know of him.
I wonder why the B-3 organ was not more widely used in Jazz groups? Was it being electric, a factor. I think it's a great instrument for blusey Jazz. Buddy sure can play it.
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O-10:
I have the Genuis + Soul CD, but it does not include the 'my kind of Jazz' addition.
Ray was a genius. He changed C&W forever, and for the better. Check out his Country and Western CD if you don't have it.
I have a complete shelf dedicated to his music and that does not include the box sets. A person can't have too much Ray.
A woman once said: Ray Charles can play so slow he makes you wanna scream! I love that.
I am in the process of listening to my latest Miles and Jimmy Scott. Both are keepers for sure.
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Acman3:
I have Ravi Coltrane's 'Moving Pictures'. I will have have to 'review it'. Have not listened to it in a while.
I see where 'these sellers' have gotten their paws on two of the leaning house Ivery recordings. I will order them nevertheless. (used)
Since it's Saturday Morning down South, my I recommend:
'Buckwheat's Zydeco Party' A lot of the Nawlins classics. Like to party? Gotta have it!!
This guy makes 'hog calling blues' seem like a song out of the Baptist Church hymnal.
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Enjoy:
What a lineup!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1qP6DHopVw
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The Frogman:
Very detailed and informative insights as always.
When the Froman speaks, it's like getting homework from your teacher. Now I will have to listen for and count measures and chord changes and keyes. But I am determined to hear what he said.
My latest Miles CD,' Milestones', is supposed to be an important recording of MODAL music. :) How I long for the good old days when ignorance was truly blissful.
Thanks for the input.
Cheers |
Short Story:
Shortly after we arrived here at Ft Hood, a local DJ had a dispute with the station owners and he was fired.
He locked himself in the studio and played 'Hit The Road Jack' over and over, non-stop for two days!!
The craziest thing I have ever heard!! I like Ray, but damn!
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Not Jazz, but you gotta dig that trumpet playing. Great song also. CD sounds better, but you will get the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWUb5AR7W8M
the entire Cd is killer.
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Thanks O-10. Happy Father's Day to All!!
Every Sunday here, is Big Band Sunday, on the local PBS FM station. Here is an example of the stuff they play. All day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAinKGJZ8YE
I love this stuff. Try and youtube 'I don't want to set the World on fire'. Great stuff! And check out all the links that show up the side. Esp Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers.
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Speaking of making a joyful noise. Does anyone else think the female singers of Brasil 66 are uniquely wonderful, or is it just me. I could listen to them all day. If 'Pais Tropical' does not make you move with a smile on your face, then, sell your gear.
Sergio Mendes And Brasil '66 -- Foursider
21 tracks. All, very good, to great. Very good recording also. Most should be familiar with Mendes' music. This is an excellent complilation.
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I went on youtube to listen and watch the Brasil '66 babes. there off to the side was Ella doing 'Mack the Knife', had to hear it. In sweden I think. She even did a little Satchmo, hanky and all. Hell, she out Satchmoed the Satchmo!!
And off to that side was Nina talking about some 'Sinnerman'! If would have been a sin not to dig it.
You can stay on youtube all day if you aren't careful.
Ella and Nina!! What planet were these people from??
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The Frogman:
I have the Cannonball Bossa Nova CD with sergio. I will check it out. This could bring on the dreaded 'review' !!
I listened to Senhorita Regina twice. The first time, my brain was oblivious to any of the senses, other than the sense of sight. What a beauty.
I listened the second time to hear the music. Her personality just comes thru. very very good.
Thanks for the info.
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I may sell my Polk speakers, and buy some beach front property in Rio.
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Cannonball is great on the Bossa Nova CD. And you are right, it's all about him. On my CD, you can hardly hear Sergio Mendes' piano.
I have noticed that happens alot. Most recently with Red Garland and Sun Ra. The piano just seems to be too far in the background.
Even Mingus on 'hog calling blues' was sort of faint, but then again, maybe that's what makes it such a great cut. You have to listen for it.
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Django?
You guys!! Always pulling my leg. But I must admit, you had me convinced you were serious for a while. :)
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