Jazz for aficionados
I like Torme a lot, Pryso. Nice clip. Next to Ella, my favorite scat singer. Come to think of it, probably the only two singers whose scatting I really like. https://youtu.be/z9VpCLyxLfU https://youtu.be/Ju5NztMnQxE https://youtu.be/4vZlyfa28iQ |
***** I’ll never know why Kind of Blue gets all the credit.***** Because besides be a fantastic record with great playing as well as having “good tunes and is laid back” (mostly laid back) in the overall context of Jazz it ushered in, among other things, the modal Jazz movement; a hugely important milestone (😎) in the history of the music. If context, history and evolution of the music is important to you, that is why. Great commentary: https://youtu.be/jPnkmuPgylg https://youtu.be/Pwc1d4qxz4M |
**** you realize you are condemning most of Jazz music. Think of all the standards that have been done a billion times. Autumn leaves? Are you saying once Miles did it, Peterson, Harris, Jamal, et al. were a waste of time? And what about the folks who did it before Miles? Does that make Miles a waste of time? **** C’mon now, I think you know the answer to that! Of course not; and I’m certainly not condemning most of Jazz. You wrote something (can’t find it now) about “putting a new twist” on a standard. That’s the point. Miles’ “Autumn Leaves” is nothing like Jamal’s. Trane’s “In A Sentimental Mood” is nothing like Dexter’s; and, therein lies the problem. I hear no new twist with Thurman. It’s all been done before; not just the songs, but the WAY the songs are done. We’ll just have to wait and see how she develops as an artist. As far as JALC goes, we’ll have to wait on that too. Probably until things get going again (post-Covid; if there ever is such a thing 😱). I have a hunch she will be part of the pool of “subs” and not a permanent member. Like all LC orchestras there is a probation period during which the band gets to play with a prospective member to decide whether it is a good fit. A good leader (WM) gives a lot of weight to what everyone in the band thinks. Notice she is not listed on the official roster. I agree about Nimmer; great player. Few put more of a new twist on things than Betty Carter. Complete original: https://youtu.be/ih7IrNMUWq0 https://youtu.be/FE9yZOanxko https://youtu.be/2y9deitIrIU (Btw, Lundy’s brother Curtis on bass) |
pjw, you asked for my thoughts on Steve Coleman. First, I should point out that I live in Brooklyn. I’m sure you are aware of the Brooklyn based M-Base Collective which Steve Coleman co-founded. Very interesting collective of extremely creative young Jazz players doing a lot of interesting things. They are pretty omnipresent in the NYC creative music scene. Coleman is a wonderful player with a beautifully developed alto tone and technique. He plays with a very modern harmonic language that, in keeping with one of the stated philosophies of M-Base, seeks to more deeply explore the spiritual aspect of music making. Steve Coleman is one of the very best examples of the relevance of Jazz today and a great example of the logical and natural evolution of Jazz. Personally, I am always mystified by the argument by some that the best times for Jazz will always be in the past; that there is nothing new that is good at a very high level; or, why there’s an argument to begin with. There is a lot of very relevant Jazz happening today that builds on what came before while exploring new creative ground. Coleman has a true voice with great conviction and plays with a unique language that is a departure from a language that is more obviously blues-based, but he can swing and tell a story, in his way, as well as many of the “greats”. This is a favorite from Coleman and as far as I’m concerned it absolutely kills: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2277169EB8BCEF3E https://m-base.com/what-is-m-base/ |
Nice move, O-10. Go for the unwarranted, baseless and petty personal attack; that’s a mature and reasonable approach for sure. Now, even if your criticism were true (it is far from true), this is a music thread, no? So, what’s the problem? In answer to your question. I think you know perfectly well what I meant by my comment. Very often when the discussions deviate to some of these other subjects conflict ensues. An accurate observation and I pointed it out again. You don’t like that I point it out? Too darn bad; your bs is tiresome. |
There is a scene in what is possibly the greatest American musical theater piece ever composed, West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim) and which is really the story of Romeo and Juliet in a modern urban setting, in which Maria and Anita are talking about the opposite sex. Maria’s brother is Anita’s lover and a member of the Puerto Rican gang the “Sharks”. He is getting ready for a big turf fight with the rival gang the Anglo “Jets”. The younger Maria asks Anita “Why do they fight?”. Anita responds “Too much passion” “and when they fight they get it all out“. https://youtu.be/cAu3a7CMA84 https://youtu.be/oO150w6iFwQ |
How sad that the level of insecurity and emotional reliance on being “top dog” (to use his term) is so high that it can cause an individual to stoop to such a level of negativity and condescension. Instead of, at least, simple respect for a different point of view; or, at most, use it as an opportunity to learn something new, the approach is, instead, to demean in an effort to pump oneself up. Once again, it becomes obvious that for some it is not really about love for the music; but, instead, love for how much they want to feel that they “love” the music; a calling card. I could say a lot more, but it would be pointless. However, the reason to point this out is that this narrow and close minded attitude is antithetical to one of the very core values of the music itself; open mindedness and respect for the unknown which is what leads to creativity itself. However, better to make a point by way of example: There is probably not a single prominent Jazz musician, past (post 1959, of course) or present, that doesn’t recognize KOB as one of the greatest Jazz recordings ever made. Many, if forced to choose, might choose it as “the greatest”. How listeners feel about the recording is well known. But, wait! Our OP, who needlessly has to turn discussions negative, contentious, and into a competition asserts that “there are more jazz LP’s better than KOB than you can shake a stick at;”..............right. O-10, I am not competing with you and you shouldn’t be so concerned with competing with me. I have less than zero interest in being top dog or any kind of guru. You want to lay claim to superior, even exclusive. appreciation of some abstract “metaphysical” component in Jazz? That’s fine; good for you. So.....explain yourself. Show what you got! Stating that KOB is “not that good” is meaningless. Tell us, in relevant detail, why recording X, Y, or Z is better; and, in detail, why KOB is inferior. Anything other than that is simply agenda driven opinion: not, as you claim, “fact”. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe Catch an OP by the toe If he hollers let him go Eeny Meeny Miny Moe Herbie Hancock Orpheus ten Who to trust just like Burns Ken If he hollers let him go Herbie Hancock Orpheus ten https://youtu.be/Pwc1d4qxz4M |
**** what I mean by New York-ish. **** That may be what you mean, but your association to NY is extremely flawed. The Grammys, if you want to attach any kind of general sensibility to it, is an LA thing. **** *I can assure you, you will not hear Ella or Sarah or Billie or Dee Dee in anyone’s voice. As hard as they may try.*** Again, extremely flawed comment. If you can’t hear the obvious influence of Billie, Ella or Sarah on singer like Thurman; IOW, how much they sound like those great singers then I suggest.....oh, never mind, you think all amps sound the same 😊 |
Man does not live by R&B alone. Gorgeous singing by any standard: https://youtu.be/RRKP-qeJvVU https://youtu.be/eQ98YTcX7OM |
You should see my blackberry bushes and Black-eyed Suzies (am I allowed to say that?), Mary-jo! Looking great. New pear trees, not so much. Btw, why are we talking about the Grammy’s anyway? It’s not news that there has always been corruption. Same with Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, etc. And, to use 1964 Grammy’s as an example?! 1964?! The thick of the civil rights movement and all its implications?! Still want to know what any of that has to do with NY and the best of the music scene in NY. JALC is great, but kind of the same way that a great History museum is great. Mostly a throwback; emphasis on “mostly”. Great, but not representative of the music scene of NY “at its best“; certainly not exclusively so. Unless, of course, for someone for whom “the best” only existed in the past. The irony in this kind of narrow thinking is that many of the forces that come into play in the corruption in those award ceremonies also come into play at JALC in its funding and how featured artists are selected; and even in how members of the band are sometimes selected; as evidenced very recently 😉 (Hint: berries and flowers). I better have my bean before I write any more and get in trouble (even more) 😊 |
Catching up on recent posts. Great clips all. Thanks! And, welcome new contributors climt and vanya_42nd; looking forward to your posts and clips. pjw, I particularly liked Dexter’s “Tanya” and I agree that his solo is a masterpiece. One of my very favorite tenor players and I had the privilege of hearing him at The Vanguard several times after his much heralded return from Europe. Beautiful player with that great robust tone and, for me, walking the perfect line between the classic traditional and modern tenor styles. Fittingly, he was one of Coltrane’s main influences. Speaking of Trane, styles, masterpiece tenor solos and KOB: One of the many things that make KOB a very special recording and Miles a very special band leader is the seldom pointed out fact that the band on KOB is composed of players with disparate styles. Yet another testament to Miles’ genius, he put together a band that, unlike most classic recordings which typically feature players with generally similar styles, a look at KOB’s lineup shows a different approach. You have Bill Evans’ understated and introspective style, Cannonball’s is very exuberant and bluesy, Coltrane is always searching and forward looking combining tone with edge and beautiful gentleness, and Miles is....Miles, enigmatic and cool as hell (🤔). On that record is one of my favorite tenor solos on record. Favorite for its utter simplicity and perfection for the moment in the music: https://youtu.be/PoPL7BExSQU Some comments on drug use and Jazz musicians to hopefully put the subject in better, or at least different, context: First, it should be pointed out that it was not unique to Jazz musicians. Many Classical musicians have also been drug and alcohol abusers throughout history and this continued until more recent times when musicians in all genres have been more prone to abstain. Drug use in Jazz , particularly marijuana, was quite prevalent among Swing players (pre-bebop/Bird). While it is true that some players started using heroin in an effort to emulate their hero Charlie Parker, the reason for the prevalence of drug use is more complicated than that; and, of course, one should look at what drove Bird himself to abuse drugs and alcohol. To understand the phenomenon one has to understand the creative mind. Musicians in general are always searching for the new and for better ways to be creative and emotionally expressive. To one degree or another, they also tend to have compulsive personalities which explains the incredible degree of dedication devoted to their craft in order to achieve the level of excellence that the greats achieve. As much attention as the “social” aspect of many musicians’ lives gets, in many ways it is a solitary life. Bird, Coltrane and most of the greats would practice seven hours or more a day! Much of this is also a reflection of the fact that most performers are of a certain personality type that both seeks the attention and adulation that performing provides and, at the same time, causes anxiety; a dichotomy. In spite of the high level of confidence and bravura that many performers project, many suffer from insecurity as individuals and as performers. It is not an easy life even for the financially successful ones and many have resorted to self-medication. Not to be overlooked is the physical stress leading to physical pain that playing a musical instrument for many hours each and every day often causes. It is also a dichotomy that there is, in fact, a creativity enhancement component to the use of mind altering substances. Many passive listeners who have indulged on any level know that, FOR SOME, it can enhance focus, reduce inhibitions and cause one to experience music in a new and different way. Imagine the possible appeal for the creative musician who literally lives for new ways of self expression. Alex touched upon some of this with his references in a prior post. The dichotomy is that for many the seduction can lead to abuse and ultimately total lack of control (addiction) and all the horrible negatives that come along with that. Usually, a counterproductive choice as concerns creativity. Even if Bird did, in fact, open some new creative vistas by using heroin, how might that level of creativity compare to what he might have achieved had he been straight and lived another 34 years? For me, moral of the story is “don’t blame Bird”. https://youtu.be/6Wa7El-k3jQ |
Rok, your post of the great “Bag’s Groove” is a great example of how confusing things get with reissues of earlier records and confusion about lineups. The album cover accompanying your great clips is of the reissue album titled “Bag’s Groove” which is a compilation of two different recordings; one of which is, as you wrote, “Miles Davis & The Modern Jazz Giants”. On the reissue/compilation the title cut “Bag’s Groove” is the only tune that Monk plays on; on the others Horace Silver plays. The stories around some of these historic recordings also get confusing. They get elaborated upon and exaggerated over the years and find their way to print. I don’t doubt that Miles asked Monk to lay out during his solos, but I don’t find the idea that Miles asked Horace Silver to play like Monk believable (O-10, curious about where you read that story?). First, it’s highly unlikely that a player of stature like Silver would be asked to sound like someone else. Not to mention, why would he ask Silver to sound like Monk when he didn’t want Monk to play during his solos at all? Lastly, if he did ask him, which I seriously doubt, Silver does a terrible job of it as he sounds nothing like Monk on any of the tunes that he plays on. The reissue/compilation includes two takes of the title cut “Bag’s Groove”. You posted Take #2. Maybe as a result of the ruckus and Monk wanting to prove a point he plays a great solo on Take #1 of the tune which is considered by many to be one of the great Jazz solos on record. Classic Monk; quirky, very interesting and a little strange. Thanks for the great clips. https://youtu.be/QW7wbh0dVHA From the original “Miles Davis & The Modern Jazz Giants”. Monk comps during Miles’ solo....go figure: https://youtu.be/-4Hqtows_wM |
I’m not sure I understand what the problem is and certainly don’t understand why there has to be any negativity or sarcasm around the sharing of ideas about this great music. I would hope that the value in attempting to create an accurate picture of a musical event is appreciated by Aficionados. Again, I don’t question the tiff between Miles and Monk, I have read it as well. **** If anyone does not believe that Horace Silver can "comp" behind Miles Davis exactly like Monk, to the extent that everyone would think it was Monk, I got a bridge to sell them. **** Like Monk? Maybe....mostly. “exactly like Monk”? No way! And, that’s not a bad thing; it’s a good thing. |
I agree. The thread is is need of a mary_jo fix (sorry). Great Helen Merrill. https://youtu.be/2V4kdMEJeoI |
New never before released Art Blakey record !! Not the best I’ve heard this band sound and some of the material was later recorded live, but definitely worthy. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEz_mLoNZMeTSML-J8UbHoJM2wuz7XQaJ |
Nice clip, ghosthouse. Well, that fly got out from behind the screen 😉. Thanks for the introduction. Chestnut is one of my very favorite young lions on the piano. First time I heard him was live when he was part of Betty Carter’s trio and have liked his playing since. Mike Clark’s name caught my eye on the album cover. Another favorite whose name for some reason I haven’t seen too often since his HC “Headhunters” days. Great funk drummer and great to hear him play straight ahead. Another young lion whose career I have not followed is Stanley Jordan. Both he and Clark play on “So What” which follows “Mood Indigo” on your link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWnl4aLjDw&list=PLIprspV8mpL6SmXiRZruchPUD6WlYbrnV&index=4 1974! And, if anyone doubts the huge impact Herbie Hancock has had on the music of the past 50 (!) years. Mike Clark is a bada&s: https://youtu.be/m0c38Wtdvz0 |
Geoff and all, you may find this article of interest. Interesting, some might say controversial and, I think, realistic perspective on RVG’s legacy: https://sonicscoop.com/2017/03/15/rudy-van-gelder-optometrist-day-recordist-night/ |
Phil Woods was such a monster player that it’s easy to forget what a monster arranger he was. Great stuff! Chesky got it right with that one. Not as well known, another great arranger (and trombone player): https://youtu.be/IZ_BjtbP_Lk https://youtu.be/iwPyQmC5BUg https://youtu.be/YqMAw9HkRmQ |
Nancy Wilson, no emotion?! I am crushed. So much for this fantasy 😢. Just remember, in Mississippi they put ketchup on just about everything 😝. Man does not live by BBQ and corn bread alone. Nothing like a nice candlelight dinner sometimes. No emotion: https://youtu.be/EDLifqaldeA |
I think you are mellowing with age 😊. Surprised that you are not raking the reviewer over the coals for daring to say anything negative about icons like Duke and Ella. IMO, the reviewer is only half correct and is conflating a couple of different issues. I agree with him that “the band (is) unable to settle into a smooth delivery of its section work due to an improbably fast rhythm from the bass and drums." On “Cottontail” the saxes sound a little ragged and the trombones get very behind the beat at one point. However, it really wasn’t all that bad and why is he suggesting that Ella is the culprit in any way? She swings her as& off. In fact it is Paul Gonsalves who almost can’t keep up with her amazing scatting. Only singer who I can enjoy listening to scatting for an extended period. **** Where’s Sassy? We always give reader’s poll all the respect they deserve..**** Easy one, but takes a little digging. Nominations and winners of DB’s readers poll are, if not entirely, mostly influenced by the artists’ recent work. The year is 1966. Ella: - In 1965 Ella released “Ella At Duke’s Place (With Duke Ellington)“ Remember, not only is Duke king, he was slated to win in the big band category with twice as many votes as Basie. - In 1966 itself she released “Whisper Not”. One of her most popular and a record of mostly Jazz standards. Nancy Wilson: - Between 1964 and 1966 Nancy Wilson released eight (!!!) records including some of her most popular. All in her stylistic “comfort zone”. Sassy: - In 1964 she released “Lonely Hours” and “Vaughn With Voices” - In 1965 she released “Viva! Vaughn” and “The Mancini Songbook” - In 1966 she released “The Pop Artistry of Sarah Vaughn” and “The New Scene” None of them were exactly serious swinging Jazz records. Even our beloved Sassy had her forays into “Lite” fare and Pop land. |
Alex, I think you answered your own question: “essential music”. I think the author of the linked article feels much the same way that I do and why I referred to it as a realistic assessment. I love many RVG recordings and my format preferences are exactly like yours. I buy recordings first and foremost for the music and if the sound quality is great that is icing on the cake. Of course, I prefer and choose a particular edition of a recording that I want that is known to have superior sound whenever possible ($?). However, to be honest, I don’t pay as much attention, time or money to that aspect of record collecting as the quality of my all tube audio system might suggest. My preference is still a good sounding quiet Lp pressing for the reasons that you point out, but I buy CD’s of new as well as reissued music simply because that is the only format that the music is available in. Unlike the moderate amount of attention that I pay to Lp pressing differences I pay little to no attention to different CD versions. I am well aware of the differences in sound quality of different CD reissues; but since like you I find a decent Lp pressing to sound more natural than even the better CD’s, I don’t pay that much attention to different CD versions. That may seem like strange logic, but that is my approach and I’m sure that the very good quality of my turntable setup has a lot to do with it. Perhaps stranger still, but I find at least some value in hearing the “inferior” sound of some recordings. There are general recorded sound aesthetics that are representative of different historical periods in the music, different labels and different engineers and in some ways I enjoy the context that some of these recordings put the music in. In some cases these “dated” recordings offer a certain type of unadulterated musical detail that I enjoy. My collection consists of approximately 2,500 Lp’s and a few hundred CD’s. The greatness of the music on so many of RVG’s recordings goes without saying. From the standpoint of sound I really like many of his recordings; some not as much. I don’t particularly like the general sound aesthetic of some of his CTI recordings and prefer the less produced, more natural sounding recordings like some of his Prestige and Blue Note’s. For me, some of RVG’s very best sound wise are his Prestige mono’s like Sonny Rollins “Saxophone Colossus” and Miles’ “Working/Steaming” sessions; beautifully natural sound. One of my favorite Blue Note stereos sound wise is an OP favorite, Cannonball’s (really a Miles session) “Somethin Else”. Iconic recording engineer. I hope that was a fairly “straight” answer to your question. Regards. |
Love Janis. Like Nina....usually. Janis, as raw as can be; but I don’t hear so much anger......love it, always have. My wife likes Southern Rock (I do too) and has been listening to this singer. I kinda like her (like my wife, too 😍): https://youtu.be/9lLaBPHtGYc https://youtu.be/ZrSK-0-MQ8s https://youtu.be/88LNk-_Tfr8 BTW, Phil Woods “Sail Away”.....as NY as it gets. So much for silly labels. **** exceptions **** Not really my experience. **** You’ll know when you meet the other type, what opposite of quiet looks like.**** I don’t think we need to look far 😊 |
Silly me, I would have thought that it would be far more interesting (and friendly) to have a discussion about an interesting topic and in the process to try and understand what the reason that someone has a different opinion on this topic might be, instead of challenging it by shutting the door in a heavy handed way. An opinion, btw, originally expressed and not meant as any kind of challenge to anyone else’s. It might also be an opportunity to look at the very interesting topic of band leader/sideman dynamics. I’ll go ahead and push the door open anyway and hope that there might be positive discussion. Here’s why I (and others) feel this way; that the record is IN MANY WAYS a Cannonball date in name only: -By the time “Somethin Else” was recorded (1957) Miles was already a very established leader and universally considered a giant in Jazz. Importantly, the size of his ego was well known. Cannonball was a relative newcomer and had recorded his first record as a leader less than two years prior. He had been recruited by Miles as a sideman and was part of Miles’ then current band. -Even the liner notes point out that it was Miles, not Cannon, who chose most of the material. -It was Miles, not Cannon, who composed the title cut “Somethin Else”. -It was Miles, not Cannon, who makes the first significant musical statement on the record, on the opening cut “Autumm Leaves”. -Haven’t counted, but Miles plays many of the first solos on the record. -It is Miles, not Cannon, who is heard at one point addressing producer Alfred Lions and asking “is that what you want Alfred?”. A role that is usually reserved for a leader not a sideman. Fantastic record made two years BEFORE “Kind Of Blue” (1959). Two years was an eternity in the history of Miles’ ever changing styles. The music on the record is very much like what Miles was doing at that time (1957), so the fact that it doesn’t sound like KOB and its groundbreaking modal sound is irrelevant. Just an opinion; it does have Cannonball’s name on the cover. |
While I normally prefer to post music intended for “community” consumption, I will make an exception for a worthy cause. Today is Rob McConnell’s birthday. One of Canada’s greatest Jazz personalities, he is a great big band leader and arranger who leads one of the most swinging big bands around and plays the seldom heard valve (as opposed to slide) trombone. For those with audiophile sensibilities, if you can find any of his early direct to disc recordings on the Unbrella label, snatch it up; fabulous sound. For Schubert and his love of Canada: https://youtu.be/hfI3CIjV3ag https://youtu.be/1qvy33tYHAE |
nsp, re your question: You should probably read the whole article since the author’s is actually a pretty sober outlook on RVG’s legacy. He is not putting down the sound quality of RVG’s work. He is simply making the point that RVG’s most important contribution to music and the recording art is that due to his affordable rates he was able to facilitate recordings by many great emerging Jazz artists that would not have been able to record otherwise. These emerging artists, who did not have contracts with the large labels like Columbia, would not have been able to afford to record so many of the records that we now consider classics. His recordings had a certain sound that was in great part the result of his limited resources, equipment and recording space wise. The sound was up close and intimate. However, his sound and his general approach had detractors including musicians who refused to record for him because they felt that he altered their personal sound. As is to be expected, some of these recordings sounded good, even great, and some didn’t sound so good. When one considers the sheer volume of recordings that he produced for the above reason, it is no wonder that there are many good sounding RVG recordings. The author’s contention that RVG was not a recording pioneer or genius is borne out by the simple fact that, as you yourself point out, there were other labels/engineers producing records that sounded as good or better. You are correct that having more and better equipment and larger spaces does not guarantee a good sounding product. That was not at all what he was claiming. A talented engineer with access to better equipment and a better recording space will surely have a better chance of producing a better sounding recording than if he has to use inferior equipment in an inferior space. I think we can all agree that the large record labels and their engineers also produced great (some would say better) sounding records. Re “Somethin Else”: I am reminded of when my then Cub Scout son participated in his troupe’s “Pinewood Derby”. Each scout is given a block of wood, four nails and four plastic wheels. The challenge is to fashion a race car using only those materials while following strict guidelines as to dimensions and weight. The cars are then raced. All sorts of tweaks are permissible to make the car travel as fast as possible. A great opportunity for father/son interaction with the goal being to help the child while making sure that it is still HIS effort, HIS car. Well, you can imagine how easy it is for a father to take over and actually do most of the work while “helping” the child. The level of wood working and painting skill that some of the race cars demonstrated made it obvious that it was the father who had fashioned the car, not the young child. I gave several specific and detailed reasons that to me were indications that Miles was actually the “father” on the date. You can read those in my previous post on the subject: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jazz-for-aficionados/post?highlight=Somethin%2BElse&posti... I would ask those challenging this opinion to, in light of the above, give specific and detailed reasons other than the fact that Cannoball’s name is on the album jacket that are indications that it is Cannonball who is the leader; that it is his car. Btw, Cannonball wrote only one tune on the record. |
O-10, please, this is really getting silly, childish and you are embarrassing yourself. You went back and edited the clip and changed it to the original version with Adams; different album cover and all. You’ve made the same mistake twice before with those clips. I’m done with the topic. This is what you posted first; it was still open in my menu bar:: (Cuber sounds little like Adams.) https://youtu.be/__OSyznVDOY |
Rok, I get where you’re coming from and I agree that your attitude re equipment is the right approach......for you. I have no doubt that when you listen to music on your system that you get far more of the message of the music than many who listen on ultra expensive systems. That’s because when you listen to music you, Rok, go to the music first and foremost and the ear candy aspect of hifi takes a back seat. That’s a good thing. Your equipment is more than capable of delivering the message. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that the perceived differences in the sound of amplifiers are not real. They are very real and they can be very significant. The differences and improvements in the sound of the timbre of instruments and very subtle rhythmic nuances are very real and FOR SOME listeners they can allow a deeper look into the music. On the other hand, some listeners actually find that level of resolution a kind of distraction. It is a pointless argument. I think that your system is more than capable of delivering the message; but, given what you have described about your system, I think that you would be surprised at how much more music you might hear with a good amp driving your Polks. Awesome Trane clips; all classics. That “Lush Life” has been a favorite for years. Simply incredible artist in the truest sense of the word. Greatest saxophone player? Maybe. Greatest Jazz musician who played saxophone? Without a doubt; by a long shot. You posed some great questions. Rhythm section holding him back? Great observation. I completely agree and was exactly what I kept feeling as I listened to “Chasing Another Trane”, Felt like Roy Haynes was not in the same musical universe as Trane’s; something Elvin Jones never had a problem with, Some favorite Trane (so much to choose from): https://youtu.be/dN9MMnQyAp8 https://youtu.be/w5QGBHavF0U https://youtu.be/nrcCDJrwMIE https://youtu.be/lJ7QTRzV9RM You asked, why McCoy? McCoy and Trane lived in similar musical universes which had a deep sense of spirituality in the message. That level of musical “simpatico” doesn’t happen that often. Trane with McCoy months before Trane passed (1967): https://youtu.be/Z594RQQs2oY McCoy, 1975. Pretty obvious lineage: https://youtu.be/IrZkbSeyF6M |
Have you tried the Oppo directly into the M-60? That’s the first thing that I would try. You may find a nice improvement in transparency. If you want to really improve timbre there is nothing like tubes. They are not cheap and are not as hassle free as ss, but there are some nice fairly inexpensive tube integrateds from Jolida and Cayin. I don’t like spending other people’s $ 😰 |
