Jazz Recommendations

I just picked up a new CD that I want to mention. It's McCoy Tyner plays John Coltrane, featuring McCoy with Al Foster and George Mraz (is there a better rhythm section?), recorded live at the Village Vanguard in 1997. The recording was direct to two-track analog and is excellent.

I bought the CD after seeing this very same trio at Yoshi's in Oakland a few nights ago. The sonics are quite worthwhile, especially for a mainstream label (Impulse). In particular, Al Foster's cymbals are properly large. It's great to effectively have a recording of something you witnessed (not quite, I know, but close enough). Strangely, I attended a set or two of an earlier McCoy trio at Sweet Basil in 1989 or 1990, which was recorded and released on CD. The guy keeps following me around. :-)

Go to xrcd.com. It's the site for JVC CDs. Buy ANYTHING by Bill Evans. Recently, I have "discovered" the passion, emotion, ability and overall interpretation of Bill Evan's. I am pure and simply blown away!

Off the top of my quirky little head:

Charles Mingus: "Changes 1" and "Changes 2" - both wonderful
Oliver Nelson: "Blues and the Abstract Truth"
Art Pepper: "Landscape" "Art Pepper Today"
James Newton "The African Flower"
Abbey Lincoln "Wholly Earth"
Joe Venuti and George Barnes "Gems"

Since historical recordings have been pretty well covered, here are some recent favorites, and I listen to a lot, so these are real standouts, IMHO ;-)

Pat Martino: "Live at Yoshi's" (smoking guitar/organ combo).

Marty Ehrlich: both "Song" and "Malinke's Dance" are excellent blends of straight ahead playing and more modern leanings.

Buster Williams Quartet: "Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival" has Mulgrew Miller on piano teamed w/ Steve Nelson on vibes - groovin'.

Eddie Henderson Quintet: "Reemergence" ( A mellow glow surrounds the group and keeps the mood steady.)

Dave Holland Quintet: "Points of View" is my favorite, but "Prime Directive" and "Not for Nuthin'" are also great.

Steve Slagle: "New New York" (start-to-finish fantastic, with varied moods, textures, instrumental mixes).

Greg Osby: "Invisible Hand" with grandmasters Jim Hall and Andrew Hill, sets a haunting mellow mood throughout.

Gene Harris: Best of the Concord Years (rollicking, swinging playing that makes me want to run out and buy everything he ever recorded. Undervalued piano master!)

Chick Corea and Origin: Change (Wow, what a group. Beats the first Origin disc by a mile, by the way).

I could go on, but these keep finding their way back into the player, so start here if you want to hear some of today's best. - Dave

Here are two cd's I love Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Fransico (OJC) includes a great version of Straight No Chaser as a bonus track and 2)Live In Swing City/ Swinign With The Duke by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. I imagine it's what the great Duke bands would have sounded like if they exisited in the stereo era. I heard this on Wash DC premier jazz station WPFW which is listener supported. I love jazz but am not an expert even with a substantial record collection of Blue Notes and Prestige. The folks at WPFW are though and it's highly unlikely that any serious music lover won't find something of value on this cd. Doesn't contain the hits but does have some serious moments of swing.