What's your latest "Discovery"


You know when you buy a new album and it just clicks?! And then you have to play it rather frequently in the mix over and over for the next several days....What's the last album's you bought that really clicked for you?

I just picked up a Jazz trio album that is just a wonderful recording and performance:

It's called "Achirana" on ECM (that label seems to have a lot of great discs!). Vassilis Tsabroplulos, Piano. Arild Andersen, Double-Bass. John Marshall, Drums. Love the 5th cut! That double bass is right there in the room!

Also been enjoying a new classical guitar disc: Julian Bream, "The Ultimate Guitar Collection" on BMG. Great double-disc set. Not that crazy about the recording on this one, but the performance and breadth of the tapestry of work on those two CD's is remarkable.

Any new "discoveries" to share?
jax2

Showing 3 responses by siliab

The Daktari's Soul Explosion is a great set of Afrofunk tunes in the James Brown via Fela vein. Basically a group of Brooklyn session guys with fake Nigerian names but the music works great...big, fat bass lines and great horn work. Has that authentic retro, swimmy, fat-bottomed 70s funk sound. On permanent rotation on the car CD player.
Helen Humes' "Tain't Nobody's Bizness if I Do" is a late 50's, early 60's mixed set of blues, ballads and mid-tempo swing numbers that is simply sublime. Man...this woman could swing! Clearly inspired by Ella but more than a bit of her own bop-inflected rythmicity throughout. However, her emotional expressiveness throughout was the most surprising and gratifying aspect of this discovery for me. She had a Sinatra-like level of abiilty to inhabit the tune and bring it to life. While not as rawly emotive as Billie (Who was?) I find her take on some of these well worn standards to be nearly definitive. The players; a stellar group of Left Coast monsters (Benny Carter, Frank Rossolino, Shelley Manne, Leroy Vinnegar, etc.) was in the pocket throughout. A great record!