Jazz for aficionados
Bass Clarinet.... Bob Mintzer on the last track of the Yellowjackets' 1994 release, Run For Your Life. Track 9 - Wisdom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p3pp1tXBzs |
Hey Frogman - just dropped by as providence would have it. Saw your 12PM post w/that Larry Young link. I will check it out. Yes...the Hammond "expert" I was citing in that other thread was my brother in law. A gifted individual (and I don't use that term frivolously). I might well share your clip with him. Peace to all posting here. |
PS - @frogman Your link is to the full Unity by LY. A lot to digest! Nothing I was familiar with (what's new there?). Found it on Tidal. Funny, the version they have sounds like vinyl...keep hearing repeated ticks and pops. This is interesting stuff. Zoltan's up. Haven't a clue why it works. No melody to speak of (quoting Neil Finn, "Try Whistling This") but it hangs together. Good rhythmic drive. Looked Unity up on Wikipedia it's 50 years old (51) but sounds modern. I'll keep listening until my dilettante brain gets bored. Have made it to Moontrane now. The music so far is accessible but with enough jagged edges to hold my attention. The solos have been EXCELLENT. I like the brisk (tempi?). I'll have to see if my b in l knows the recording and what he thinks. Maybe the track "If" would be a good one to send him. Ciao. Thanks for the music recommendation. |
PPS - @frogman Comments from my brother in law re the Larry Young recording... "What a great Hammond player. I hear the Jimmy Smith influence in his playing but a bit more modern approach in his chording. The organ sound he is using is the classic Jimmy Smith Hammond/Leslie setting. I attached a photo of those settings on the organ. [Almost] Forgot to mention the drawbar settings. It’s the first three drawbars fully out on the upper manual (second group of nine). You can see it in the main picture of the organ." I posted the pictures he sent to my systems page. If you are interested, this link should take you to it (Mostly Demos, Used & B-stock by ghosthouse in Budget Minded). https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/2178 |
Frogman - At the risk of alienating others (and I hope this doesn't), I do enjoy getting into the "meat" of what makes a performance superior or even just more enjoyable vs another. Coming from more of a rock listening orientation a lot of the jazz standard repertoire bores the sh... heck out of me. That's probably heresy 'round these here parts and I don't say it with any kind of superiority, in fact it probably reflects some sort of deficiency. BUT that Unity recording was not boring at all. I listened to the whole thing straight through and a couple of tracks twice. Looking forward to trying it on again later today. See if the attraction is still there. All this to say, I suspect it is "the amazing groove a two man rhythm section can generate" that's a huge part of why it is so engaging to me. Again, thanks for introducing me to this recording. |
Who said anything about being offended? Your contribution was simply not helpful, trading as it does in hackneyed stereotype. You also misrepresent what I said (I don’t find the entirety of jazz standards boring) and miss the point of my comment to Frogman on a possible reason why that Unity recording was NOT boring to me. |
Has "Tutu" been discussed on Jazz Aficionados? Listening to it for the first time now via Tidal. Curious what aficionado opinions are on this "latter phase Miles" album (i.e., Miles’ performance anyway, even if much of it not his own writing). Some tracks have interesting textures and atmosphere. Occasionally, beautiful melodies (themes?) appear but they don’t seem to get deep improvisational development. Maybe that wasn’t an objective of the recording sessions. Lots of electronics. Lots. Drum machine overkill in places. One thoroughly objectionable track (to me) is the Scritti Politti composition "Perfect Way" though Miles plays a remarkable solo in it (ever on the verge of being swallowed by "effects", unfortunately). I’m certainly no Miles expert but what strikes me about his solos is how they can sound economical - almost minimalist. Yet when I really concentrate on some of his runs, they’re very complex. I guess that’s Miles the Zen Master...making the complex appear simple. While I can understand the reaction of "jazz purists" to Tutu, I think the whole does hang together and has an integrity about it 30 years after the fact. Would be interesting to hear a stripped down, "unplugged" version. That might indeed be what Marcus Miller accomplished in the 2010 "Tutu Revisited" concert tour referenced in Wiki. Looking forward to others’ comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiIdeHm5Xnc&ab_channel=FrancescoLombardo |
@frogman Can't afford at the moment the time to adequately reply to your well constructed and well written post about Tutu. Must be brief at the risk of leaving some things out (or, at least, for later). 1) re your "basic premise" intro - always good to identify underlying assumptions. Nothing "BASIC" (as in simple) about this but basic as in foundational - YES. 2) Tutu is not jazz - not that I can offer a technically valid description of what Jazz IS but I did have the same sense listening to it. Too scripted maybe? Not enough improvisational space? Even if the recording ain't jazz, I can imagine those pieces serving as great jumping off points for improv in concert. 3) Mile's playing in really good form - glad you thought so. I did too (though I cannot claim to be any sort of expert on him) and appreciate your confirmation. I would have appreciated more playing without the mute; would have added some more "air" or another color to the proceedings. BTW - listen to his soloing around the middle of that Perfect Way track and then again just a few seconds before it ends. Gems. 4) Notes you play vs notes you don't play - I heard a very similar quote attributed to BB King. I've also read Miles asked Coltrane at some point "Why you have to play so long?" (or words to that effect). If it wasn't "...play so long?" it was "...play so many notes?" Those two figures make a good pairing for a compare and contrast essay! I expect my comment about Miles' economy was not arrived at independently but influenced by things I've read before (though I wasn't actively conscious of them while listening). |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNEBas4WCfQ&ab_channel=SchooloftheArts-Topic Hello? Anybody out there?? |
O - Yes - I had read that description somewhere (Amazon?). Didn't want to prejudice the game by advertising it as a "fusion" clip. The technical proficiency of the musicians in/on School of the Arts is very high. I personally am taken with Terry Lavitz piano work. He's new to me (I never followed the Dixie Dregs). I also like what Jerry Goodman brings and the fact the guitars are acoustic. This SotA recording is "organic" sounding in the absence of a less overused description and musical. Not a "wood chopper's ball" as can sometimes be the case in fusion. BUT the big question is which of those two categories does it fall in for you? |
http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/pages/jazz-album-reviews/11585-the-100-jazz-albums-that-shook-the-wo... Apologies if this is a repeat/old news. Updated Sept 2016. Seemed an interesting piece, whether or not you agree with their list. |
O - my question about which of the two categories School of the Arts fell in for you was simply about whether you liked it or not. Sounds like you do like it. Appreciate the vote of confidence on that 100 Jazz LP list. I was surprised how many I was at least somewhat familiar with. There's hope yet :-) |
Hello Frogman. That is some VERY interesting background on SofA and Terry Lavitz. SofA as a recording did not strike me like the usual fusion fare - though it is clearly fusion. I’d be interested in reading more about your personal reasons for liking it. Feel free to PM me if you are concerned about taking up space here. I had no idea TL wrote all the compositions...even the solos OR that the recording wasn’t done in a single studio/group setting. No offense intended but how did you learn this? On balance those aspects might account for its more ("tempered"?) feel...a good thing, in my mind. I wonder about the reasoning behind doing things that way. (Conflicting schedules is understandable for some of it.) It also makes me wonder about how fantastic hearing them live would have been assuming space allowed for improvisation in that setting. Either way, my appreciation of TL’s talents went up several notches. I’ll see if I can find your previous posts about the Dregs. I’m not recalling it, although I do know the Steve Morse name and maybe his sound. Some of these guys, TOO MANY NOTES!. Maybe wrong pinning that on Morse, if not fusion guitarists as a stereotype. I’m no expert on him but to my sensibilities, Gambale is generally pretty tasteful. I did read the Wiki entry on Lavitz, so knew his connection with the Dregs...at several different times, apparently. Also heard of his "Jazz Is Dead" outfit. Love the humor. Need to check that out. Not a huge Deadhead (not even a small one) but Skull & Roses, Workingman’s Dead & American Beauty ARE excellent. If you don’t know it, stumbled onto an old John Mayall recording...Jazz Blues Fusion Live in Boston & New York. 1971. A very good live recording...music, musicianship and sound quality. Never heard of him previously but a Freddy Robinson (later, Abu Talib) is lead guitar. Talk about tasteful. Very very nice stuff. Funny coincidence is that my bro-in-law (studio, Hammond organ, musician) had met TL years ago. Leant him a keyboard. Not the same as going to school with the guy of course. Ciao |
@alexatpos I did have a vague notion that Blue Mitchell had more of jazz background. I guess the line between blues and jazz can get quite blurry. Thank you for all those T-Bone Walker links. I checked them out. A couple of the songs were familiar...whether I’d heard his version or covers (more likely) years later...e.g., Last Clean Shirt. The clip I liked best was definitely Jazz at the Philharmonic. (Going to Chicago another familiar one). That’s quite a backing band T-Bone is working with. That hollow body of his is seems huge. Interesting way he has of holding it. Thanks for sharing. Orpheus - I’ll be reading with interest replies to your "throw down" :-) about the Blues! Only thing I’m going to chime in with (think of this like a course from Father Guido Sarducci’s Five Minute University) is... 1. Delta (Acoustic/Country-derived) Blues (Clarksdale, MS; Sonhouse & Robert Johnson) >> 2. Electric Blues (Chicago, Detroit; Muddy Waters & Howlin’ Wolf) >> 3. British Invasion (Yardbirds & Mayall’s Bluesbreakers...esp., Beck, Clapton, Green & Page). But domestically, can’t ignore Paul Butterfield & Mike Bloomfield. It’s this 3rd gen iteration of the blues as played by a lot of Brits (don't forget the Rolling Stones) that introduced me and shaped my tastes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpG3ck9E1qE&ab_channel=ThePaulButterfieldBluesBand-Topic |
PS - "Blues, Jazz, Fusion; what shall it be?" How about all the above? Hey O - Thanks for the Jean Luc Ponty Cosmic Messenger link. I had saved that album to Spotify or Tidal a while ago. Tried to listen and didn't care for it too much. Just sounded dated and uninteresting. Now tonight, this track (at least) I'm finding more agreeable. Re Mahavishnu, I think "visionary" is an apt term for them. I blow hot and cold on 'em. Sometimes that music is just too amped up and discordant; can find no rest there. You realize Jerry Goodman from MO is also on that School of the Arts recording. |
Orpheus - What I wrote was a real stripped down, simplified version of the far more complex history of the blues. Written almost facetiously - though there's truth in it. The roots of the "song form" date back to early on in the last century and probably well before that. The blues absolutely derive from an oral tradition. Thank God for Alan Lomax preserving some of that. I don't find anything too profound in Rok's statement. This is well-documented music history, not the product of some "authority" pontificating in a locked, ivory tower cell somewhere. AND I was talking about what I hear(d) - my listening - that shaped a lot of my music preferences WAY before I even knew there was something called "the blues". Jazz-wise, I defer to your knowledge. Blues? I will be guided by my own lights, thank you. "...so much of it is the same music with different words." Yeah, it can be kind of formulaic (there's even a standard music theory structure for "a blues"!) but the blues don't have to always sound the same...and they DON'T. I'm inclined to think some of the sameness reflects a kind of dumbing down and catering to a mass market (maybe). Listen to enough B.B. King's Bluesville and it sometimes sounds like the same song on repeat. Regardless, it's pretty clear to me jazz offers a lot more creative options...a bigger palette and more colors in the paint box. Personal preference though? Most days I'll be picking the blues 5 to 1. |
Orpheus & Acman - Wrote a lengthy reply about an hour ago. It didn’t survive. Must have messed up somehow. No desire to try and recreate the whole thing. In brief (if I can)... O- I agree with your first paragraph about Delta Blues embodying a culture. I think what you write in your 2nd paragraph about blues interpreters applies to the 3rd gen blues players (e.g., Clapton et al) but think the 2nd gen players associated with the move north and early electrification of the blues were still close to their roots despite geographic distance. They knew very well whereof they spoke. Acman - I found The Crusaders Gold on Spotify. 2nd track (Young Rabbits) started out with some spectacular piano and I was hopeful. Didn’t take long though before the music lost interest for me. I only made it to track 10. Not much there on a par with that video of Scatch that you posted. Those guys are obviously good musicians and maybe their music early on was better than in that gold collection. Didn’t seem to me the writing was up to the level of their individual talents. A simple melody over a groove with little elaboration. I got bored with it (as represented on that disc, anyway). Maybe we can blame Chick Corea’s Return to Forever for the excesses of fusion. Kidding (sort of). There’s plenty of blame to go around. One thing for sure, I do not understand the fascination in some quarters with Al Di Meola. Every time I hear him, it sounds the same. Don’t own any RtoF or AD and don’t see any in my near future. I admire Stanley Clarke. Looking at that video of The Magician I found myself wondering if his fingers are registered with the police as lethal weapons. I have tried listening to that first iteration of TW’s Lifetime, "Emergency". Found it difficult. Do like the 2nd iteration with the Alans, Pasqua and Holdsworth. Bought the 2 album compilation. I’m willing to give Lifetime #1 another shot. It’s saved on Spotify, I think. By the way, not a Corea hater by any means. Have a couple of his LPs: Akoustic Band and EleKtric Band. There’s music in those recordings. Thanks to you and O for the discussion and your patience with my replies. |
Hahaha....points well made, Acman. Thanks. Zawinul and Weather Report certainly belong on that fusion with soul list. Partly, I think, because WR (early on, at least) was mostly about jazz with some "rock" seasoning. Later on, increasing amounts of funk being added to the stew. Certainly seems like an injection of funk can’t help but give fusion some soul. Enjoyed that Crusaders clip. Made me want to listen to more by them. Must confess, heard OF the Crusaders but know next to nothing about their music. So now I am wondering, assuming it’s possible to track the history of "fusion", where and when did it start to be associated with that sort of bleached-out, music-theory class, cerebral exhibitionism? |
I worked quite a bit on the Gulf but never lived there (nor up in the Delta area of MS). I respect and appreciate what that first hand exposure would have given to Rok. I'll use that to segue into something I'd been thinking about relative to your blues discussion: that is, making a distinction between "blues originals" and "blues interpreters". Blues originals being just that ... the early musicians that heard that stuff and learned it as part of their culture (from the oral tradition) or even composed the music out of their own experience. Blues interpreters being the modern, later musicians that "inherited" this music and didn't have much if anything to do with its origins...composing or experiencing the conditions that gave rise to it. I don't have a problem enjoying blues interpreters but I suspect they don't get respect from all quarters. I understand what you are saying about "jazz jazz" vs fusion. I don't think it HAS to be that way but fusion does too often seem to be about technical prowess and an intellectual exercise with little "heart". I'm tempted to start a thread along the lines of "Fusion tracks with soul." I really am curious about possible exceptions; i.e., fusion with soul. Ciao |
Wikipedia explained things... The Jazz Crusaders (first LP, Freedom Sounds 1961) shortened their name in ’71 to The Crusaders. Certainly seems over the years their music "dumbed down" as they achieved more commercial success (least that’s how read it). It’s this version of Young Rabbits (Young Rabbits ’71 ’72) from Pass The Plate that was on that Gold compilation CD. Joe Sample’s piano work knocks me out... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFn-fbNdjj4&ab_channel=jackofwg |
Hey O - Remember posting the below (Dec 31 last year)? 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. Another one by the same crew is "Freedom Sound"; that reminds me, I don't have enough of this good music. I missed your post first time around. Looked up Jazz Crusaders Freedom Sound today to see if it had gotten discussed. Found your comments. You are certainly right. Got Freedom Sound the album (the title track, in fact) playing right now. There's a 2 album CD with Freedom Sound and Lookin' Ahead. Thinking I will be getting it. Thanks again to you and Acman. |
Frogman - Taj and Keb…Don’t Leave Me Here. Almost tells the history of the blues right there. Great track. I can definitely hear B.B. King doing a version of it. Don’t know anything about the LP. (sampled your other tracks from it) Will enjoy looking at credits. Acman - Fusion Chromazone - Heard of Stern but don’t know much. Technically excellent but how much of this kind of thing can you really listen to. (no offense) Return to Forever - The Musician…really like the horns. Hear similarities to Zappa’s Grand Wazoo. Wonder who was first? No guitar! Instead some bowed upright bass by Mssr. Clarke. Billy Cobham’s Spectrum - I have this saved on Spotify. Never got into it all that much. Participation of Tommy Bolin was what led me to it. Another LP (along with TW’s Lifetime #1) to revisit. Thanks gents. |
Orpheus - Thank you for asking. Happy to share. What I think I’ll do is just list all the jazz I have (not sure how large a collection that is, actually). Will mark my favorites. Please be patient. It will take a bit of time to get to this. Meanwhile going to try to give a listen to the many links posted in just the last day or so...starting with your track from My Spanish Heart. Done... Don’t own, my Spanish Heart. Found the full album on YouTube. Listened to Armando’s Rhumba from your link first. Sounds gypsy to me...reminds me of a Django Reinhardt composition. Not exactly my cup of tea...nothing against Django. Started from the beginning with Track 1. Liked Track 2 and now on Track 3. A lot of varied styles in just the first 3 cuts. Thanks for the recommendation. Obvious classical influences (not to mention Flamenco) in Track 3. You are right...a lot of music and many different elements. Thanks for the recommendation. |
Frogman - Missed commenting on the Corea Quartet #1 first time around. For whatever reason, this is interesting to me. Not sweetness and light throughout but not "shallow lyricism" either. Kinda meaty. Excellent musicianship of course. Reading about it on Wikipedia. I will definitely be listening to the 3 Quartets in full very soon (like tonight, maybe). As I said, not a Corea hater; just never liked what I’d heard of his Return to Forever work. Thanks again to all. |
I really didn't have Corea's music in mind when I made that "shallow lyricism" comment. "Superficial" might have been the better adjective for what I was trying get at: a surface prettiness that doesn't require much effort to appreciate. No depth so no digging required...no durability. (I really should shut up now. Getting in over my head.) But yeah, I guess some of the Return to Forever compositions might strike me that way...again, didn't really have them in mind. I dud spend a good deal of time this evening listening to the full Quartets album on the main system via Tidal. Listened to it straight through twice. It definitely becomes more comprehensible with repeated listening. Could end up being a "buy". Gettting late for me. Tomorrow I will check out those two links you just posted. Thanks as always for your enlightening comments. Talking piano. I was very impressed with Joe Sample on the couple of early Jazz Crusaders albums I listened to yesterday. |
O - These are CDs only. Equal number of titles (if you want to see them ) saved in Spotify and Tidal. Haven’t inventoried my LPs yet. Key: No X = very infrequent listening; in a few instances, never played X = have spent limited time listening to this recording XX = have listened to this repeatedly and like it XXX = listen to this frequently - a favorite XXXX = most favorite music Title Musician Status Invisible Cinema Aaron Parks XXX The Awakening Ahmad Jamal Trio XXX The Antisocial Club Alan Pasqua XXXX The Bright Mississippi Allen Toussaint XX Charming Snakes Andy Summers XX The Golden Wire Andy Summers XXX Mysterious Barricades Andy Summers XXX Synaesthesia Andy Summers XX The Last Dance of Mr. X Andy Summers XXX Green Chimneys Andy Summers XXX Earth + Sky Andy Summers XXXX Rheomusi Araujo, Andersen, Vasconcelos XXX Impulse Art Blakey Jazz Messengers Portrait in Jazz Bill Evans Trio X Sunday at the Village Vanguard Bill Evans Trio Waltz for Debby Bill Evans Trio Anatomy of a Groove Brazilian Groove Band X CAB4 Brunel, MacAlpine, Chambers, Auger XX Momentum Bunny Brunel XXX Quartet Carles Benavent XXX Northwest Christoph Oeding Trio XX Never Too Soon Christoph Oeding Trio XX Time Out Dave Brubeck Bent Gary Willis XXX Going Back Home Ginger Baker Trio Beyond the Missouri Sky Haden & Metheny XX Special Treatment Jazz Pistols XX Live Jazz Pistols XXX Soultrane John Coltrane Blue Train John Coltrane X Giant Steps John Coltrane XX One Down, One Up - Live at the Half Note John Coltrane XX A Love Supreme John Coltrane XX Lush Life John Coltrane A Go Go John Scofield X The Sidewinder Lee Morgan On Time Les McCann Ltd. XX S/T Lyle Mays XXX Street Dreams Lyle Mays X Fictionary Mays, Johnson, DeJohnette X Fly With the Wind McCoy Tyner Shack Man Medeski, Martin & Wood X Combustication Medeski, Martin & Wood XX As Falls Witchita… Metheny & Mays XXX Workin with the MD Quintet Miles Davis X Sketches of Spain Miles Davis Ballads & Blues Miles Davis Kind of Blue Miles Davis XX Bitches Brew Miles Davis XX Joyous Lake Pat Martino XX Watercolors Pat Metheny XX Letter From Home Pat Metheny Group XX The Road To You Pat Metheny Group XXX Solstice Ralph Towner XXXX S/T Rypdal, Vitous, DeJohnette X S/T Sao Paulo Ska Jazz X We Like It Here Snarky Puppy X Albums #3 - #7 Soft Machine X Come On In Steve Smith & Vital Information XX First You Build A Cloud Summers & Verdery XX Straight No Chaser Thelonius Monk At Carnegie Hall Thelonius Monk Quartet w/John Coltrane Believe It & Million Dollar Legs Tony Williams Lifetime (2) XXX Five Years Later Towner & Ambercrombie X One Night With Blue Note Various Artists XXX The Incredible Jazz Guitar Wes Montgomery X
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O - I think you are right on the money with your assessment of this "collection". Definitely a preference for "newer jazz" reflected in the list vs more classic jazz jazz. It reflects buying things I’d read about or heard and liked without any deeper understanding of the kind of "jazz" they represented or the full scope of the music that is jazz. I was sampling another area of music without real intent of developing a bona fide jazz collection. Hopefully some of these titles will be new to you and give you some things to "audition"...even if you don’t feel compelled to add them to your own collection. Also wanted to add a note: some of the Andy Summers might not be jazz of any sort (though I don’t think that is the case with Earth+Sky). Vora by Rauelsson is, on further reflection, definitely not jazz but still some wonderful music I recommend giving a try. I feel a bit sheepish monopolizing the discussion here. Apologies to the real aficionados and I beg everyone’s indulgence. On the other hand, I do value any feedback and maybe after a good break for discussion of other topics unrelated to my interests, I can post my "digital downloads" (saved Spotify/Tidal jazz content) for your review. Thanks for your time (thanks to everyone for theirs) and do take your time reviewing the titles. I very much hope you find something new that you will enjoy. |
Thanks, acman. Hope you (and others) will maybe find something new and likable in it. Thanks too for the Pat Martino recommendation. Pat and Joey D. - two Philly boys. Mad talents both. Pat is quite the story of overcoming. Remarkable. BTW - I think you were the one mentioned following E.S.T. for quite some time. Have recently been listening to and enjoying From Gagarin's Point of View and Tuesday Wonderland. Magnus Ostrom's Searching for Jupiter is also very good. Ciao |
Thanks for the encouragement, gents. Still a few hours until midnight on the east coast, so in the interval before O’s Rich Perry gets played, you might be interested in "The New Standard" by Jaime Saft (piano) with Steve Swallow (bass) and Bobby Previte (drums). These all instrumental compositions seem like "jazz jazz" structure-wise but there’s definitely something very modern feeling in the performances. That was my reaction before reading the Wiki article which more or less confirms that impression. I have been enjoying this since first listening. Some of the "modern" feel might have to do with Previte’s drumming and/or how the drums are recorded. Curious what others think about the drums on this recording and the album in general. Frogman - If I recall correctly, you are upstate NY?? If that is correct, you might know a couple of these musicians. New names for me. Here’s a track from the album... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvi4iKz-AOI&ab_channel=JamieSaft-Topic |
Cool, O. Just to be sure we’re on the same sheet of music, we’re talking that Jaime Saft track "I See No Leader", right? If yes, glad to get your endorsement ! (Not being sarcastic either.) Seems like "Side 1" is piano and "Side 2" he switches over to organ. Overall "The New Standard" is a strong album. Now I gotta get acquainted with Brubeck, I guess. I know the name but not his playing. |
Frogman - Happy to introduce you to something new. As ever your analysis is much appreciated. I don't know Carla Bley other than the name. Will have to at least check her out...see how much of a stretch acquiring that taste would be. Do give the entirety of the Saft, Swallow, Previte recording "The New Standard" a listen. Available on Spotify and Tidal. Strong compositions throughout. minorl - Welcome, though I myself am a relative newcomer here. Glad you like that listing of jazz recordings (the jazziness of a few could be debated, I suppose). Note of explanation on "only 2 Xs" for Giant Steps: I didn't want to overstate my enthusiasm for some of the more traditional "jazz jazz" recordings in my collection plus the 2X rating has to be viewed in the context of greater listening time devoted to other albums recently. I can say that Blue Train should get promoted to at least 2Xs. I spent more time with both those recordings when I first got them than lately. I was on something of a Coltrane jag at the time. Still, my jazz preferences do tend to lean towards more "modern" jazz than what some consider the "jazz jazz" canon. |
For a Sunday morning... Lars Danielsson Liberetto II I Tima (track 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjCWnLqvvt0&list=PLE6gBt8NnBBeof3pOYWxCygpS62Qt3zOL&index=5&... The full album... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE6gBt8NnBBeof3pOYWxCygpS62Qt3zOL (Frogman - excellent NPR story about "A Love Supreme". Thank you for that.) |
Schubert - 1) Once you have an item you want to copy a link to, put your cursor at the right end of the string of letters that starts "https" in the box at the top of the page (as Frogman says). 2) Click to highlight that string (single or double click...whatever it takes). 3) Depress and hold the Control key and then the ’C’ button (Mac); or press the Command key and hold it while pressing the ’C’ buttons (Windows). That will copy the string. 4) Above the "Post your Response" box in A’gon (where you want the link to appear, click on the little icon that looks like a tilted figure 8. Position your cursor in the box that opens, then press and hold Control or Command followed by the "V" key. This will "paste" the link. You might have to delete one of the "http://" occurrences if it appears twice. Click okay and now that string should appear as an active link in the box where you can add some comments to go along with it. Hope that makes it easier. Nobody is born with this stuff. Everybody has to learn it at one point or another. No extra points for being the first to learn (at least not in my book). |
How about early ’80s? Frogman, Thanks for turning me on to Corea’s Three Quartets. One of the most profound and moving albums I’ve heard out of all the other great music posted here. That wasn’t an immediate reaction but an awareness developing with repeated listening. The more time spent, the deeper you go. Don’t know what he tapped into for these compositions, but that connection seems to have been with something elemental. Would love to have been a fly on the wall for the recording sessions. Part 2 of Quartet 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQx96DsZXxA&ab_channel=JazzBreakTV I loved the comment from one reviewer on Amazon, "I cannot really express in words what this music means to me. This album is a very rare musical treasure, and has been like the voice of god for me 23 years or so....". Voice of God? I won’t claim that, BUT there is SOMETHING going on here that might deserve being called "transcendent". I could go on but won’t...other than to say I’m also very impressed with Brecker’s playing. |
Thanks for the tip, @acman3 Listening now as I type. A nice change of pace from Three Quartets. Huh...nice stuff. I thought Modus was going to be all about the Hammond until that guitar player came on. Sent a link right over to my bro in law. "Meeting Spot" is sweet...old school soul sounding. Full album, "Shut Up About the Sun" is on Tidal. Going to be on that in a few seconds. Thanks again. |
Orpheus - certainly agree with your "appreciation" of Blue Train, as you have written here and elsewhere on A’gon. That title track alone packs an album’s worth of musical intensity into less than 11 minutes. In some ways it strikes me as, "everything you need to know about John Coltrane" - though the variety of his life long output puts the lie to that. If I might digress a little (noting that Quartet 2 Part 2 is dedicated to JC and a very Coltran-esqe run by Michael Brecker in Quartet 1)... Just received Three Quartets by Chick Corea. Purchased it in vinyl and CD from "importcds" on Amazon". I don’t normally buy at one time a recording in two formats - and little new vinyl these days. At any rate, the vinyl (a 2016 re-issue on Stretch Records: SLP9002) is very nice. Flat and quiet with good sonics; full sounding with plenty of bass info; good detail and separation around all the instruments. The SHM CD is a July 2012 Japan mftd. import (Stretch Records Collector Series distributed by Universal Music Co. UCCU-6220). It’s also sounding very good. If you are looking to "refresh" your current copy, vinyl or CD, these are worth considering. A quick PS - Neither of the Corea recording/formats have the air or depth of the RVG edition CD remaster of Blue Train that’s playing right now. |
Thanks for the Terje Rypdal/Per Ulv recommendation, Orpheus. I’ll have to check it out. Did not see a recent link to it. The title sounds familiar like I might have heard it at some point. I do have a couple of TR recordings..."Waves" in vinyl from the ECM label and a 1978 recording (also on ECM but a CD reissue) by the trio of Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous and Jack DeJohnette. Rypdal is not an artist I’ve spent a lot of time with so hard to think of musicians he has worked with that are favorites. On Waves I note the drummer is Jon Christiansen. Christiansen has a gentle touch. I admire his playing on Towner’s Solstice. If I have to generalize about my "groove" (my tastes are pretty eclectic) I do find myself often enjoying Scandinavian jazz...think early Jan Garbarek, or more recently Lars Danielsson, Magnus Ostrom and E.S.T. Sparse, moody, atmospheric. Your Terje Rypdal suggestion is apt. About Corea’s Three Quartets. I think we are going to have to agree to disagree about it. For me to say "he misses" I’d have to have an idea what he was aiming at to begin with. What I first heard (when I finally did HEAR it...if you get my meaning) struck me as almost classical in structure but written for jazz. This was my impression before reading others’ notes on Corea’s goal for the compositions. I’m hearing complex compositions, virtuosic playing and music that bears repeated listening. I went on about it a good bit (probably ad nauseum) in an earlier post. Without doubt, my ear and jazz sensibilities are not as highly developed as yours. The upside of which is I’m not burdened making the sort of comparison you make. I’m certainly not equipped to argue whether Three Quartets is a miss relative to any hard bop aspirations. It sounds solely like great music to me. I take "misses" to mean it "fails" for you on some level. Perhaps a valid verdict for you but kind of irrelevant for me. I think Three Quartets stands on its own and is excellent whatever influences are there. To be clear, my introductory comment was mainly an attempt to find a graceful segue given your preceding Blue Train comments. I wasn’t saying Brecker was channeling Coltrane all through it or that Coltrane was the inspiration for it. (I will, however, stand by what I said about the Coltrane-sounding figure in Quartet 1). By the way, just tonight saw your Egberto Gismonti - Sol do Meio Dia link. Missed it when you first put it up. I enjoy EG’s music very much and have acquired on old vinyl all of his recordings I can find. Favorites are Magico and Folk Songs w/Haden and Garbarek. Later. Ciao. PS - O, I was typing at the same time as you. Just saw your link to Five Spot. Will check it out after Per Ulv! |
"On the real side, in regard to the music we are about, when we reach a serious consensus, that's when it's time to study all the details carefully; by that, I mean to search for albums created by the artists who created that one; without the star artist on that one." O - that's right on the money for me. Towner's "Solstice" was THAT recording for me. An EAR opener. Had never heard anything like it before. Found it by chance at the local public library. Went on to explore other music by Towner but also pursued others on that album...Eberhard Weber and Jan Garabarek, mainly. |
"This is a very narrow, prejudiced, selfrighteous view that borders nearly on hate speech...." . Hate speech? Are you KIDDING me?! clearthink - Get a grip. I have no problem at all with you taking issue with Schubert’s O-pinion about the virtue of certain musical forms. You raise some valid points. On the other hand saying it "borders nearly on hate speech" is over the top. Unless, of course, you got appointed the A’gon PC policeman, which event I missed. So sorry. PC is the enemy of free speech and I loathe it (PC, that is). (Must have been writing this just as Acman was writing his own response.) |
@orpheus10 Okay - I am playing your Dakota Staton tracks. Think you got a duplicate in there. 2 of Green Dolphin Street. Recorded NYC 1960... Woulda been 8 years old. Every morning up for school, my pop getting ready to leave for work. Old gray plastic AM radio tuned to WOR’s Rambling with Gambling (Pack Up Your Troubles was his theme song). Probably played something like this on that station at that time. Music from another era for me. I know less about female vocalists from back then than I do about jazz (which already ain’t a lot!). Dakota has a powerful voice but it has a bit of an edge to my ear. I do like Dakota’s phrasing and expressiveness in Cry Me a River. (Not to get ridiculous but the beginning of that Cry Me a River sure sounds like Bond movie theme music. Wonder who borrowed from whom?) Sorry can’t offer any greater insight on your Ms. Staton. Post the 3rd link you intended. I will check that out. I heard something in a popular context a long time ago. Sarah Vaughn doing the honors. Made an impression (hang with it to 1:10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nk4lhxKK6k&ab_channel=JFWILLIAMBILL Something from earlier in her career. She makes it seem effortless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs58v0rKQgY&ab_channel=VanAllesWat33 I just listened to that 3 times in a row. Not sure you can get much closer to perfection. But like I already said, I know next to nothin’ ’bout these women singers. PS - I enjoyed the Curtis Fuller "Five Spot After Dark". Seems an odd little piece. Not sure why. Nobody plays over the top. Gives it a restrained kind of late autumn feel to me. I seem to always like Tommy Flanagan’s piano. |
PPS - part 2 on the Curtis Fuller, O. Found the entire Blues-ette on Tidal. TF plays a really nice solo starting at 0:50 and running to about 2:13 on Undecided. You can learn all the technical chops in the world. Not sure anybody can teach "good taste and elegance". Do think Tommy has more than his fair share of those. Another great piano solo right at 3:21 on Minor Vamp. The Tidal write up is very complimentary about this recording and seems on the mark from what I’m hearing. This recording is a little gem. Might have to put it on the "buy" list. See first how often I come back to it on Tidal. Good recommendation. Thanks. I enjoy reading reviews while listening. On the off chance you are similarly disposed, copied this from Tidal: "Sessions in any genre of music are all too often described as "sublime," but seldom has that description been better deserved than with this relaxed hard bop classic. One looks to other catchalls such as "effortless" and "loose," but even those slight this amazing date by implying a lack of intensity -- and intensity comes in all forms. For all intents and purposes, this is the first recorded meeting of what would become the famous Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet (albeit without Farmer), a group most commonly associated with its 1960 Chess session, Meet the Jazztet. Curtis Fuller’s next date, The Curtis Fuller Jazztet, and his appearance on the Chess date, only compound this point. Like perhaps Jimmy Smith’s flagship, The Sermon, Blues-ette’s brilliance manifests itself not only within the individual solos but also in the way the group functions as a collective. One gets the impression that these tunes could have continued for hours in the studio without the slightest lack of interest on anyone’s part. This might be because many of the themes presented here are so basic and seemingly obvious that they don’t seem like anything to write home about upon first listen. A day or so later, when you’re walking down the street to the tempo of the title track, you may begin to think otherwise. These are some exceptionally catchy heads and many have since become standards. As far as individual performances are concerned, you’re not likely to find better solos by any of the members of this quintet than you will here, though they all have extensive and very high-quality catalogs themselves. Picking highlights is a moot point. Blues-ette is best experienced as an entire LP. It would have surely made a greater impact upon its initial release had it been on a more high-profile label, such as Columbia or Blue Note, but there’s no sense worrying about that now. Any serious jazz collection is incomplete without this record. Period." ~ Brandon Burke |
Ghosthouse - Yeah Three Quartets just worked for me. I read Corea had set out to use (17/18th century?) string quartets as the model/template/pattern...what's the right word?? for the music he would compose. I think there's a certain discipline or order to the proceedings that does remind me of classical music. I'm not necessarily properly stating what I think is there...curious if you have a clue what I mean. I do appreciate Eddie Gomez's contribution to the quartets. I had noted and enjoyed it. As a humorous aside, my bro-in-law is not a fan of bass solos. He likes Keith Jarrett a lot and has seen him perform with his trio numerous times. I believe that means KJ with Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock. He does not look forward to the obligatory bass solo, however. He commented about (upright) bass solos: "They're like listening to a fly trapped behind a window shade." Don't necessarily agree but thought that was pretty funny. Gosh - if Quartets was Brecker's last recording, I'd say he went out in fine style. Hard to imagine him in better form. Thank you for the Pilgrimage suggestion. It's playing now. I will listen to it on the main system later today. |
