Cannonball Adderly’s "Something Else" with Miles Davis sitting in.
"Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster"
John Coltranes "A Love Supreme" (might be the greatest record of all time, all categories)
Gato Barbieri’s "Third World" on Jazz Pacific is a personal favorite
"Charlie Parker on Dial"
Jon McLaughlin’s "Birds of Fire"
Any good Duke Ellington compilation from his heyday.
Any compilation with Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit
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Pjw8156, Let us know if you like the Impulse set and if it’s recorded decently. If so, I’ll order it. Great bargain for $12. Thanks for the link.
Mike |
Got four new Coltrane CD's' via Amazon during the past week. Starting to listen to "Both Directions at Once" right now. The first two tracks are spectacular.
Monk and Coltrane at Carnegie Hall was amazingly good too, and much better than expected. I thought they'd be the Monk/Coltane studio releases from a while way back which were more Monk than Coltrane. Night and day on the Carnegie Hall concert. Coltrane shines and steals the show with his inventive playing.. Both albums nicely recorded, the latter taking advantage of Carnegie Hall's excellent acoustics.
"Bahia" an earlier Prestige era recording was lovely to listen to too, More mellow and sweet maybe than the above two. Black Pearls from the same period was good, although not up to the standards of the other three. Others must have commented on these four before, but I couldn't help wanting to share this listening experience.
Mike |
Thought I’d an share an unexpected experience hearing jazz fusion music for the first time. A girlfriend at the time, wanted to see an upcoming Laura Nyro concert at the Fillmore East. I got tickets for the show, which turned out to be a double bill with Miles Davis as the opening act. This was in June 1970 and we just graduating from high school. At the time I was completely unfamiliar with jazz, and thought it might be interesting to hear a bit of what you’d think of as "cool jazz", before Laura Nyro came on.
Well what a shock when Miles band, including a young Chick Corea on piano, and Keith Jarrett on organ among others, came on that night and started playing "Bitches Brew". I had no idea what we were listening to. It was overwhelming, and difficult to make out even the patterns of the music being played, as if it was a loud. cacophony. What a trip. .I can still picture a young Chick Corea playing his keyboards in that maelstrom.
Luckily they recorded an album from Miles’ Fillmore East shows. An upon hearing Chick had passed away, I listened to it again, remembering seeing the then young Chick sitting at the keyboards, alongside Miles Davis playing his trumpet. It’s hard to believe that was fifty years ago. RIP Chick, and thank you for the music you created, and the many albums of yours I’m fortunate enough to have.
Mike
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Could anybody recommend any Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers albums they particularly like? So far I favor ones Wayne Shorter plays on, but am open to your suggestions. Those I already have are:
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
Art Blakey Jazz Messengers
A Night in Tunisia
The Freedom Rider
Free for All
Buhaina’s Delight
I’d like to get a few more, but there are so many to choose from, it’s hard to decide might be the best choices.. Thanks,
Mike |
Frogman, I’ll be looking at "Big Beat" ,"Mosaic" , "Moanin" and the others you mention. Thanks.
Pjw81563, that Veejay 3-fer has some excellent Shorter as bandleader on it. I got it about a month or so ago and was quite pleased. I’ll look up the "Indestructible" Jazz Messenger recording you mention too.
Keegiam, those are some excellent Shorter recordings. I acquired his complete Blue Note recordings set a few months ago and really enjoy the ones you mention. I still have to get the last one he did with Weather Report, "Mr. Gone". Since I’ve almost all his Miles Davis material on Columbia I’m now working on his Jazz Messenger catalog. That’s great too from what I’ve listened to so far.
Getting Blakey’s Jazz Messengers for it’s own sake, with or without Shorter is another laudable goal You gotta love this stuff..
Mike
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Keegiam, you’ve got to have me confused with someone else. I purchased my first jazz album some fifty years ago after hearing " A Love Supreme" the first time. I’ve loved jazz ever since, but did take about a thirty year break from collecting when life and marriage created other other priorities for a while.
Frogman, those you mentioned are all great recordings, and fortunately in the complete Wayne Shorter Blue Note albums box set which is one of the treasures in my collection. It’s obvious you and keegiam both have excellent taste in jazz.
Mike |
Keegiam, I do understand and forgive you for your indiscretion.
Along these lines, I went to the doctor yesterday for my annual physical. She mentioned at the beginning of the session I should remember three words, "apple, penny and watch". I repeated them right back to her and felt good about myself. At the end of the session she again asked what the three words were. By that time I'd forgotten "penny". Even though getting old and failing a short term memory test is nothing to laugh about, it was funny.
"Nefertiti is a really nice piece. Now that you mention it, I’ll play it later tonight if I don’t forget. Take care,
Mike |
Pjw81563, that’s an impressive collection of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers you have. I’ve been a bit leery about more seriously collecting him just because of the sheer volume of recordings he’s made. I’ve not acquired Shorter’s Emanon yet although it was well reviewed on Allmusic and the clips you can listen to there sound interesting. You’re lucky to have seen him live. Appreciate your links.
Mike
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Got the Billie Holiday complete Verve recordings box set a little bit ago after acquiring her complete Decca recordings, Columbia recordings, and the Commodore recordings disc this past year. I’d put off getting the Verve set being afraid it encompassed the tail end of her career where her voice began deteriorating.
No worries so far on the first three discs in the set recorded on Verve’s subsidiary Clef label. She is in great voice on the all three, which date from 1945-55. I listened to the third CD this afternoon. He voice had only a hint of raspiness to it by then, not so you’d notice. To my mind she is the greatest jazz singer to ever live, bar none. He later 50’s material might be disturbing to listen to though, as drugs had exacted their toll by then. Until then she was a wonder and it’s a privilege to be able to own her recordings
Michael |
Mary_jo, "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" was a memorable movie and soundtrack. Jane Fonda was great in it. I saw it on the big screen at my college’s Little Theater in 1970 when it first came out. Here’s a small story involving Jane Fonda that has nothing to with Jazz, that occurred about the same time. Jane had attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, right across the Hudson River from SUNY at New Paltz where I went.
Being a lightening rod for the peace movement, Ms. Fonda was invited to speak at an anti-Viet Nam War rally at New Paltz. While waiting in the crowd to hear her speak, a cute, short haired girl walked through the middle of the crowd up to the podium, incidentally brushing right by us. I would have forgotten her long ago excepting that it was was Jane herself as you guessed. She looked exactly like she did in the movie "Klute" which came out in 1971. Providing that literal brush with celebrity entrance was "too cool for school.". It’s only a coincidence I’ve been in love with her ever since.
OK, now back to jazz, you jealous compatriots.
Mike |
That’s truly a lovely version of Over the Rainbow. Can’t help but bring a tear to your eye to watch and listen to Eva Cassidy singing it, knowing that’s the sweet somewhere she surely is now.
And thanks Mary_jo for the link to Benny Golson’s "Lullaby of Birdland a few days ago. That was enjoyable to listen to.
Mike |
Frogman, thanks for the Miles Davis in Milan link. Never have seen or heard that video before. Ron Carter does look like a giant next to Miles and the rest of the group. Someone should have pitched in and bought the kid a couple more drums for his kit too. What sublime. and beautiful music to close out the day with. |
Rok2kid, speaking of Miles and Blue Note, the Miles Davis, under his own name, Complete Blue Note1952-54 Studio Sessions is terrific too. It's well worth seeking out if any of you don't have it in your collection.
Mike |
If any of you are familiar with the Columbia Miles Davis "Directions’ double album from 2001, what’s your opinion of it? For those of unfamiliar with the album it’s out-takes from Miles Davis sessions ranging form 1960’s "Sketches of Spain" through early 1970’s "Big Fun". Amazon’s reviews seem to paint the album as the greatest thing ever, but I’d appreciate your more unbiased opinion before plunking down $50+ for it on CD. (I don’t do streaming, but did find three cuts from it to listen to on Youtube.) Thanks,
Mike |
Anybody listened to the new John Coltrane "A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle" recording on their stereo system yet? I was all ready, and excited to purchase it, when I read a couple of reviews saying the recording quality was quite poor. Both said the Coltrane's and Pharoah Sander's horns sounded like they were either muffled or being played another room, while Elvin Jones drumming was much too prominent in comparison.. Their recommendation was don’t waste your money, Another person said it was great and not to be missed.
Mike
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