Jazz for aficionados
Mary-jo, I posted this album sometime ago before you joined us, so I decided to post it again for you and anyone who hasn't heard it. This is one of the first albums I ever purchased; it's by Johnny Smith on guitar, and features three tenors; Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Paul Quinichette. There is not one bad cut on the entire album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRNpc-hFkCs |
Baby Face Willette created all new music that I was fortunate enough to hear just before his illness and death. I had a discussion with another professional keyboard player, and I was telling him how good "Face" was. "He was good, but he wasn't that good", was his response. When I went to the record store searching for this "new music", that I assumed Face had recorded, it wasn't to be found; therefore, I had to settle for "He was good, but he wasn't that good". If Face had gotten this music I heard live recorded, it would have put him at a different level,and given him a lot much more recognition. |
The ability to play jazz to me is remarkable, but the ability to hear jazz is just as remarkable. When I began to like jazz more than all other genres of music, I thought I was some kind of freak because everybody else liked some other genre of music; but now I know that it takes a remarkable mind to appreciate jazz, and those are in the minority. Without a doubt, the best jazz was created in the 50's and the 60's. Fortunately for us, there was so much created by different artists, we wont live long enough to hear it all. Today I would like to feature an excellent artist we haven't touched on; "Horace Parlan". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Parlan "Speaking My Piece" featuring the Horace Parlan Quintet; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5A6_8sG6LU |
Pryso I must have been on a record buying binge just before CD's came out, and bought them faster than I played them. After CD's came out, I had to hear the new sound; it was better than records according to my rig at that time; consequently I went to CD's. It hasn't been that long that my analog is better than digital; now I'm discovering that I've got a lot of new vinyl that I never played, one record worth $180., but doubt if I will sell. Although I'm late to the vinyl resurgence, I'm really enjoying it. While I'm not buying or selling presently, this is a good time to be selling; you might have records that are worth a lot more than you think. |
Just to think, I bought this album for the art work on the cover; I didn't even know who "Charles Mingus" was when I bought it; that was a very long time ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsNHDuwJrM |
This is "Free jazz" by the same musician, and it is "Chaotic"; anybody who wants it can have it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRTFr0ytA8 |
I saw Aretha at the 20 Grand in Detroit, when "Motown" was Motown (more new cars than I ever saw in any city). She was young slender, and looking as good as she sounded. That was one of my most memorable times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmjHMUZQ8s0 RIP Aretha |
"Spirit In The Dark"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOXKr7wh1Ac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsWJAFck0vQ&list=RDIsWJAFck0vQ&t=69 As per your request Schubert. |
Pryso, I just received that 5 record set by Miss D, and I only auditioned side A of "After Hours"; this is the quietest record I have ever not heard, and the music is spectacular, I mentioned the musicians on page 432. Dinah grew up on the South Side of Chicago where jazz is king, and this is evident by her choice of musicians; all of the very best jazz musicians available at that time. The music is so tough that the album I reviewed would be boss without her, and she knew that, but it's spectacular with her. I'm still waiting on some "Telefunken Tubes", so I won't play any more of these albums until after the tubes arrive. These are "Verve" records and they are much better than the original records (no noise); highly recommended. |
I saw Miles in Chicago 69, and this is the sound he presented with a different band. This sound was totally foreign to me at that time, and I couldn't believe I was looking at and hearing "Miles Dewey Davis" dressed in a fringed buckskin vest. I'm amazed at how good it sounds now; that just goes to show how we change, and become acclimated to new sounds. Miles had the biggest ego in the business, and also the best ears for new talent; I recall seeing him just before his eternal rest, and he had a white unknown sax player (unknown to me) who was very good. He was playing a long solo that sounded especially good, and he was just developing it, when Miles just blurted in, sounding like an ardvark fart. I don't know if he ever did that to Trane, but he always complained about Trane's long solos. Acman, could you tell me what album that's on, ( The Isle of Wight Festival) it sounds especially good now. |
Everybody plays better with Mingus, including Jackie Mack; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pithecanthropus_Erectus_(album) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB6GkA54n_Q Yes, that's Jackie Mclean on sax. |
I knew a girl who could dance, and could she shake her hips to this tune. If you can not dance, or know a girl who can dance to this tune, or imagine a girl dancing to this tune, just sit quietly and listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WqN0RAuQDk |
Frogman, the beef was not directly with Ray Charles, it was with his musical director who was treating David Newman like a rookie with his rules which David wasn't going along with, and Ray sided with the director who he had placed in charge. Since this was behind the scenes, there was no need for him and Ray to fall out, and they didn't. |
I'm having a hard time swallowing the interview Acman posted. In his heart, Grant Green was not "Funk"; I heard Grant Green play for himself, and I'm sure that was the truest music he ever played; this was in 58, before Blue Note. If you listen to all of Grant's music like I have, you'll know that the funk thing is just not in his soul; plus that, non of his closest jazz friends were into funk. (musicians have jazz friends who are closer than brothers) Some of the "funk" sounded more like jazz, and some of it sounded like Grant's heart wasn't in it. Gospel yes, but not funk. |
Frogman, if you are talking about the source of my story about Newman, it was in the movie Bio of Ray Charles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auu9b6qW3YU |
Man and Woman, there is so much good "straight ahead" jazz out there that we don't have to waste money on new crap. I know the next time somebody tells me I have to adjust my hearing for some "new jazz" I'm going to come where ever he is and "Bop" him; you can not even sell the stuff after you buy it. "New Jazz" for me will be "West Coast"; there is so much of it I like that I'm unfamiliar with, and it's so different from East Coast. Curtis Counce will be new to my collection; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C3qffDxklQ&index=6&list=PLrRZE0AtlpDTMQBJq5Ke8DtLcvSmV_Ygh This is one hip version of "Nica's Dream", my all time favorite tune in jazz; plus I have many beautiful memories revolving around "Nica's Dream"; I always heard it live on a swinging set. |
Without a doubt, Shelly Manne was THE preeminent drummer on the West Coast; however, I don't see any "founding father" of West Coast jazz, it seemed to spring from the mood of the West Coast, which was laid back and casual, as opposed to "hard bop" East Coast, which reflected the New York lifestyle; fast! |
mary_jo, I enjoyed the clip a second time around, it did my heart good to see people laughing, dancing and having a good time. Once upon a time, that was common in all our major cities. I'm rooted in reality, and it's easy to explore our major cities with the PC. When I was younger, I spent good times in Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, LA, and of course St. Louis. Atlanta might be the only city that resembles it's old self. The South Side of Chicago is a wasteland, and that goes for almost the entire city of Detroit. I wont spoil everyone's day by going into why, the poorer sections of all of our major cities are hell holes not fit for human habitation. |
Frogman I knew you could explain this much better than me. ****Why were all the East Coast guys black and all the West Coast guys white?**** "West Coast guys white"; that even went for the music, the Black guys even sounded White; I thought Buddy Collette was White for the longest. His good friend Mingus, even said his music sounded White. When I was in LA, I talked to musicians who could have been famous if they left LA, but since they could make a good living there, why leave? West Coast jazz reflected the lifestyle there; laid back and cool, always casual. I have nothing to add or subtract from your post, it was complete. |
This sounds like a "John Coltrane" album to me; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg9XA-C8N-s After Miles intro; what do you hear; the baddest tenor to ever exist, the one that made Miles albums best sellers. And look at that photograph behind Miles; that's "Round Midnight" in the city; don't need no floosey lyrics; that's Hard Bop in the big city; kind of scary, kind of mysterious, but always exciting because you never know what's going to happen in the next minute; that's the life I lived and loved. |
Rok, there were some "hard bop" musicians who could not read music, all strongly influenced by Black Gospel. Not so in West Coast musicians, they could read and write music. East Coast is also more impromptu improvisation (very emotional), while West Coast is cerebral. As you define "real", meaning emotionally from the heart, West Coast is less real, but that doesn't mean it's less jazzy. Let us compare and evaluate two versions of my all time favorite tune "Nica's Dream". I will present the West Coast version and a popular East Coast version. First we'll evaluate Curtis Counce; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trjO7TWe6ME Now Horace Silver; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDrxzKYdwsA I'll let you go first in regard to the evaluation. |
Frogman, evidently, you haven't spent much time in El A, as soon as you get there, you know you're in a different world, and West Coast jazz reflects that casual, cool, laid back life style; there is no such thing as a necktie in almost all of El A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nbtYg8YGA While there are exceptions to any "Generalization", a generalization can be made in regard to West Coast jazz, and it absolutely reflects the lifestyle of the people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwAAjnqdB4w |
