Jazz for aficionados
Nice clips, Alex. Early Phil Woods! Love it. More Phil Woods from the same period. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a8s9scWGpt4 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CVIUHj6gJzU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CVIUHj6gJzU |
I wanted to listen to some of the music Alex played yesterday on Tidal, and guess what, none of it is available. I am not sure about other services, but just a point to all the people who are considering going to streaming only. It works as a supplement to our collections, but we would give up a lot, in the name of convenience if we moved to streaming only. There are a lot of good music that never made it to digital also. Alex, beautiful stuff! |
Love Etta Jones, but getting Houston Persons was a double delicious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5RGKxlJOEI |
Don’t know about “best”, but Herbie Hancock is definitely one of the best and he is far more than just a fusion artist. His creds as a straight-ahead jazz artist are beyond reproach as his discography clearly demonstrates. Like the recently discussed career of Miles Davis, with whom Herbie made some of the most memorable and important straight-ahead jazz ever recorded, Herbie’s solo career makes it almost impossible to compare recordings from different periods as they can be so different from the other. He is also a very good Classical pianist. As good an example of a genre-neutral player as there is. The playing and creativity is always at the highest level no matter what style he plays; always with his own identifiable and very hip (modern) approach to harmony. And funky as hell! Personally, I would say that Chick Corea is very much Herbie’s peer as a fusion player. Corea’s Jazz creds, while not quite as impressive as Herbie’s are still very impressive in their own right. Two different players stylistically with each having his own rhythmic touch. To my ears, Herbie has the more obvious roots in the blues with a relentless soulfulness. Corea’s playing, especially on his fusion projects, has always had for me a kind of wide-eyed “perkiness” with a rhythmic feel slightly more on the front side of the beat and brighter tone and chord voicings. Neither is “better”; just different, imo. Still, as far as overall influence in jazz, I think few players on any instruments have been as important as Herbie. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JHvegyDAi7Q https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYe02mm9HjxK1qoMNToWjJD4HUQhLZkUj |
@rok2id - I know this is a Jazz forum but don't be afraid of what you don't know. The artist Kendrick Lamar was well deserving for his contribution to music and I have zero problem with him winning the award. The album Damn was as instrumental to some as the "What's Going On" album by the late Marvin Gaye in the early 70's. Now if rap is not your thing great, but that doesn't mean that we disrespect the work and contributions of others in that genre. Just keeping it real! Cheers |
Acman, thanks, glad you like it. When it comes to music sources, I am kind of old fashioned, like to hold my albums in the hand. Not using pc audio of any kind, but I am aware that due to limited size of market for jazz, there is possibility that some music will never again be reissued on physical medium, which is pity. One more from west coast, available on cd...(I might posted it before) Bud Shank and Bob Cooper 'Blowin Country' from 1958. https://youtu.be/FHq5XfHzEmo https://youtu.be/yTk6NRSEQRw |
Another one bites the dust. Another American institution slides into vulgar mediocrity. This prize has been awarded since 1943. Most have been won by Classical artist. A few Jazz notables would be Ornette Coleman, Wynton Marsalis and Henry Threadgill. There may be a few others. None of them my cup of tea, save Wynton. But tea has nothing to do with it. Now take a moment and think. Of all the Pop artist that have come and gone since 1943, that did not win this prize, why this guy? Any great albums produced since 1943? KOB? Thriller? Ray Charles' Modern sounds of Country and Western Music. Ellington? Monk? Armstrong? Parker / Gillespie? all the great Rock groups, Motown, the list goes on and on. Game changers. So now we have a Pulitzer winner with a Parental Advisory on the cover. They said it represents the 'complexity' of African-American life. I wonder how many Black people were on the panel that made this decision. Ain't progress grand? Cheers |
alex, thanks for your posts with links to that classic west coast jazz. How apropos, or at least coincidental. My favored local jazz station I've mentioned before, KSDS FM, is currently running a pledge drive. As usual they are offering some premium gifts to subscribers. One of those was a boxed set of 16 west coast albums (on 10 CDs) which included Perkins, Shank, Cooper, Shorty Rodgers, etc. To generate interest they played several numbers featuring those artists. I sort of remember Perkins from my entry into jazz but honestly had forgotten about him over the ensuing decades. I love his tone so great to hear more of that. |
@rok2id - Yup, no different than white Oscar winners of movies for Mature Audiences. Dude what is your point? Art is art, let the world enjoy all genres of music and most importantly all artist should have the right to paint their expressions of life the way they see fit. I'm so glad I live in a world that I get more than 31 flavors of music. My aunt is a famous jazz singer and I'm so glad that she can travel across the world and feel the love and admiration from all. Further-more that she has had the opportunity to work with great artist across all music genres. Cheers |
frogman I agree with you on H Hancoc k. I give him the nod over C Corea due to his body of wor k on Blue Note, his tenure withMile's groundbreaking sixties quintet and his contribution to jazz fusion in seventies.I was introduced to RTF'S music first by a friend, bought one lp but after hearing "Thrust" & "Headhunters" I bought everything of Hanc ock's 70's output. I remember his music getting a lot of radio airplay at the time.Chick brings a very distinctive , instantly recognizable sound to both acoustic and electric piano. I prefer Hanc ock's lighter touch. Both are top jazz musicians and bandleaders . I think it's a crime that Herb ie did not win a grammy until 1983 and his first was for "Rockit" , a song that sold well with mass appeal.He should have received his 1st for something he di d in jazz but since jazz do esn't appeal to the mass public it didn't happen. |
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A question for all. Wikipedia quotes on Coleman Hawkins " he was the leader on what is generally considered to have been the first ever bebop recording session in 1944 with Dizzy Gillespie, Pettiford and Roach. Wiki lists 3 sources for this: 1.^ Togashi, Nobuaki; Matsubayashi, Kohji; Hatta, Masayuki. "Max Roach Discography". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved July 1, 2009. 2. Brown, Don. "What Are Considered the First Bebop Recordings? – Jazz Bulletin Board". All About Jazz. Retrieved July 1, 2009. 3. Four of the six tracks from the recording sessions of February 16 and 22, 1944 in New York were originally released by Apollo Records as singles and on the album Coleman Hawkins and His All Stars (LAP 101), later reissued by Delmark on Rainbow Mist (cf. Jazzdiso.org-reference), and now to find on various compilations First ever? I know Wiki is not the best source of "highly specific" info. A quick search on Amazon and I could not find the recording quoted in the 3rd source: " Coleman Hawkins and His All Stars " There were recordings with that title but not the one with Dizzy Gillespie, Pettiford and Roach. What are the thoughts of members here on this recording being "the first ever bebop recording session"?...and does anyone have a copy of that recording? |
alexatpos I don't have a pc audio set up either precisely because of what acman said "none of the music Alex posted was available on Tidal. There may come a time when a lot more is available for streaming music and I may have to change my mind. The added convenience woud be nice and I don't want to buy everything but for now I am stuck with lp's and cds/sacd's. another Bud Shank Bob Cooper: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDI7sQFx4eE |
frogman I pulled out "Workin" last night to listen to it later today. His version of "It Never Entered My Mind " is one of my favorites. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6M999526th0 |
acman, speaking of Ellis, here is an album I've enjoyed for decades - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLC21IV5yHg Also I liked that organ trio. It reminded me of my early days with jazz in college. Michigan had several bars which featured B-3 trio jazz. |
Frogman, and nsp, many years ago when I was in my early twenties, the owner of a lounge decided to turn it into a private club, and locked the door. (we were all friends) Besides the pungent aroma of weed, I recall hearing that tune, "It Never Entered My Mind" many times; it seems that everyone was in the mood for it, and the more I heard it, the better it sounded; like I was going deeper into the music each time. This was 3:AM Saturday night or Sunday morning, however you call it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN8y3XhwhE0 |
pryso & orpheus10 Another great version of "It Never Entered My Mind" from the same time period I was unfamiliar with.Thanks. Miles really had a way with ballads. I have been going back to the mid 50's period Miles on prestige a lot . Sometimes I think it was his best work. Another trumpet player i was listening to last night: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WUmG-7G20eE I really like the alto sax player on this date Leo Wright , who I don't think is that well known. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VMgjS_HkCKM |
Nsp, Leo Wright, with Kenny Burrell, ’Suddenly the Blues’ album (posted) https://youtu.be/tM_m_tVdGi4 Blue Mitchell ’Out of the blue’ https://youtu.be/cPilE8TeGu4 Benny Golson and the Philadelphinas, same thing, but with Lee Morgan https://youtu.be/rqWiMFqzQ9U Golson’s album predates Mitchell’s....were posted before also |
Re the ”first” bebop recording: pjw brings up what I think is one of the most interesting footnotes in the history of jazz. Interesting first and foremost for the musical significance of it, but also because of other factors around this important event. There is controversy and debate as to whether that 1944 recording is, in fact, the first bebop recording. The controversy stems from the fact that most of the music from those sessions cannot be clearly and definitively be indentified as “bebop”. The music contains important elements of bebop, but it many ways it still does not sound like what we normally associate with the style. Bebop, like all other jazz “sub-genres” did not appear all of a sudden like a spontaneous musical mutation; it evolved relatively slowly out of the “swing’ style of the previous two decades. Consider that the most common outlet for musicians during that time was the big band where players did not have nearly as much room for soloing and it was in jam sessions and the nfamous “cutting sessions” where players challenged each other and explored tunes with more complicated harmonies and faster tempos (the hallmarks of bebop). This is one of the cuts from that 1944 recording: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxRfm83tyzA That was 1944. Now here is the 1939 (!) recording by Coleman Hawkins that is generally considered to be THE groundbreaking recording that pointed the way to what would evolve into bebop. Not considered bebop per se, but the first major move in that direction. This classic recording of “Body And Soul” was revolutionary in that it was the first demonstrating a style of improvisation that was a departure from the traditional swing style of the time. Instead of simply “gliding” through the harmonies of the tune as most swing players did, Hawkins clearly and unambiguously outlines each and every chord change; a hallmark of bebop. Still, the tone is very much that of a swing player. Notice the similarity of style to the 1944 recording although the style is clearly not as developed nor as hinting of bebop: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zUFg6HvljDE The other interesting factors around that time are related to our recent attempt at discussing how music reflects society. Music can do this in the abstract aspects of its musical message or through the circumstances around its creation. The circumstances were very interesting; two in particular. This was 1939 or 1944 depending on which side of the argument one is on and there was a world war going on. The big bands suffered greatly as many musicians were drafted into the army and dance halls where the bands played closed. Because of this players gravitated toward smaller ensembles; another hallmark of bebop. Secondly, the American Federarion Of Musicians went on strike against all commercial record companies from 1942 to 1944 because of a dispute over royalty payments. The longest strike in history by an entertainment union meant no commercial recordings of any kind for two (!) years. The significance of this is obvious and very unfortunate. There is practically nothing that was recorded of the music during two of its most important formative years. Had players had access to recordings of players in other cities during this transformative time, who knows how much more quickly the music would have progressed to what is readily identified as bebop. 1945, only one year after the Hawkins recording. Sounds much more like what we think of as bebop: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-sttF6_NIOQ |
O-10, please reread my post and try a little harder to understand what I wrote and don’t be so quick to dismiss; would make for much nicer dialogue. Ok, then, since I made no claim as to what the first bebop recording was and your mistaken interpretation of what I wrote suggested to YOU that I had, and since you objected to what you THOUGHT was my choice, then you must have some ideas. So, what is it that you think IS the first or is one of more importance than the one I posted? I assume you refer to Body And Soul. Cheers. |
These are my favorites in no particular order; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvdQYSWOobc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvdQYSWOobc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGXFuxKTbfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryNtmkfeJk4 |
"Bird and Diz" was one of the very first albums I bought, naturally it's long gone, but I will replace it if possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajj9Sv3HQvw |
Jimmy Smith, "The Sermon" ; this is definitely one of the top tunes in jazz. It's best savored like expensive brandy or scotch; meaning the important contributions of each individual artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IKC2BW4pxc Tracks 1, 3 Jimmy Smith – organ Lee Morgan – trumpet Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone (lays out on 3) Tina Brooks – tenor saxophone (lays out on 3) Kenny Burrell – guitar Art Blakey – drums Track 2 Jimmy Smith – organ Lee Morgan – trumpet George Coleman – alto saxophone Eddie McFadden – guitar |
