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1avaland
There have been several conversations about jazz on various members individual threads, trouble is, it can be difficult to remember where they are!
Thus, here's a thread for the Club Read jazz fans. A place to talk about related books, music collections, even literature and poetry with jazz references (it would be nice if some of you might consider copying your 'jazz' posts over to hear for the general public:-)
Thus, here's a thread for the Club Read jazz fans. A place to talk about related books, music collections, even literature and poetry with jazz references (it would be nice if some of you might consider copying your 'jazz' posts over to hear for the general public:-)
3kidzdoc
Maybe we can talk about our favorite jazz albums, especially those that aren't on everyone's favorite list (e.g., "Kind of Blue").
Most of my collection is from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, but I'm always looking to learn about established and new artists and new genres.
One of my favorite recent discoveries is The Illinois Concert by Eric Dolphy (1963):
This live concert was recorded at the University of Illinois, and features a young Herbie Hancock on piano, Eddie Khan on bass, and J.C. Moses on drums. On the last two cuts, "Red Planet" and "G.W.", the band is accompanied by the university's own jazz orchestra.
The recording is a bit uneven in quality, and there are definitely better recordings of songs such as "God Bless the Child" by Dolphy. However, "Iron Man" and "Red Planet" are fantastic, and the supporting cast is in fine form. (4/5 stars)
I picked up Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography and Discography by Vladimir Simosko last year. I think I'll read it in the next week or so and post a review here.
Most of my collection is from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, but I'm always looking to learn about established and new artists and new genres.
One of my favorite recent discoveries is The Illinois Concert by Eric Dolphy (1963):
This live concert was recorded at the University of Illinois, and features a young Herbie Hancock on piano, Eddie Khan on bass, and J.C. Moses on drums. On the last two cuts, "Red Planet" and "G.W.", the band is accompanied by the university's own jazz orchestra.
The recording is a bit uneven in quality, and there are definitely better recordings of songs such as "God Bless the Child" by Dolphy. However, "Iron Man" and "Red Planet" are fantastic, and the supporting cast is in fine form. (4/5 stars)
I picked up Eric Dolphy: A Musical Biography and Discography by Vladimir Simosko last year. I think I'll read it in the next week or so and post a review here.
4avaland
I'm behind in some of Billy Collins' latest poetry but he has a fair amount of jazz references in two early collections, Picnic, Lightning from 1998 and The Art of Drowning from 1995. Here's an excerpt from "Nightclub" from The Art of Drowning.
. . . For no particular reason this afternoon
I am listening to Johnny Hartman
whose dark voice can curl around
the concepts of love, beauty, and foolishness
like no one else's can.
It feels like smoke curling up from a cigarette
someone left burning on a baby grand piano
around three o'clock in the morning;
smoke that billows up into the bright lights
while out there in the darkness
some of the beautiful fools have gathered
around little tables to listen,
some with their eyes closed,
others leaning forward into the music
as if it were holding them up,
or twirling the loose ice in a glass,
slipping by degrees into a rhythmic dream. . . .
And from "The Many Faces of Jazz" from the Picnic, Lightning collection.
There's the one where you scrunch up
your features into a look of pained concentration,
every riff a new source of agony.
and there's the look of existential bemusement,
eyebrows lifted, chin upheld by a thumb,
maybe a swizzle stick oscillating in the free hand.
. . .
As far as my own jazz face goes ---
and don't tell me you don't have one---
it hasn't changed all that much
since its debut in 1957.
It's nothing special, easy enough to spot
in a corner of any club on any given night.
You know it---the reptilian squint,
lips pursed, jaw clenched tight,
and, most essential, the whole
head furiously, yet almost imperceptibly
nodding
in total and absolute agreement.
Sorry about posting only excerpts. It's such a tease, isn't it? I might have been braver where not now a former US poet laureate (these collections are from before he was laureate). Somewhere in another poem, he mentions 1957 as his favorite year of jazz. He includes obvious jazz themes and references in some of his poetry and not-so-obvious allusions that Michael (dukedom_enough) had to point out to me because I didn't pick up on them. He even was so kind as to play the various selections for me.
. . . For no particular reason this afternoon
I am listening to Johnny Hartman
whose dark voice can curl around
the concepts of love, beauty, and foolishness
like no one else's can.
It feels like smoke curling up from a cigarette
someone left burning on a baby grand piano
around three o'clock in the morning;
smoke that billows up into the bright lights
while out there in the darkness
some of the beautiful fools have gathered
around little tables to listen,
some with their eyes closed,
others leaning forward into the music
as if it were holding them up,
or twirling the loose ice in a glass,
slipping by degrees into a rhythmic dream. . . .
And from "The Many Faces of Jazz" from the Picnic, Lightning collection.
There's the one where you scrunch up
your features into a look of pained concentration,
every riff a new source of agony.
and there's the look of existential bemusement,
eyebrows lifted, chin upheld by a thumb,
maybe a swizzle stick oscillating in the free hand.
. . .
As far as my own jazz face goes ---
and don't tell me you don't have one---
it hasn't changed all that much
since its debut in 1957.
It's nothing special, easy enough to spot
in a corner of any club on any given night.
You know it---the reptilian squint,
lips pursed, jaw clenched tight,
and, most essential, the whole
head furiously, yet almost imperceptibly
nodding
in total and absolute agreement.
Sorry about posting only excerpts. It's such a tease, isn't it? I might have been braver where not now a former US poet laureate (these collections are from before he was laureate). Somewhere in another poem, he mentions 1957 as his favorite year of jazz. He includes obvious jazz themes and references in some of his poetry and not-so-obvious allusions that Michael (dukedom_enough) had to point out to me because I didn't pick up on them. He even was so kind as to play the various selections for me.
5KromesTomes
kidzdoc: Even for those who think the album Kind of Blue has been beat to death, the book The Making of Kind of Blue by Eric Nisenson is worth a read ... very interesting.
Also, if you enjoy Dolphy's more adventurous outings, you might want to give a listen to Human Feel's relatively new disc called Galore. The band is a quartet with Chris Speed on clarinet/tenor saxophone, Andrew D'Angelo on bass clarinet/alto saxophone, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and drummer Jim Black ... however, to put it in classic jazz terms, the stuff can get pretty far "outside," if you know what I mean.
And if you don't have it yet, you should check out Coltrane's 1961 Vanguard sessions, which include Dolphy on some tracks ... this stuff is available in a lot of packages ... I've got the four-disc complete Vanguard recordings boxed set (it's available on Amazon for about $60), and it's well well well worth the money.
Also, if you enjoy Dolphy's more adventurous outings, you might want to give a listen to Human Feel's relatively new disc called Galore. The band is a quartet with Chris Speed on clarinet/tenor saxophone, Andrew D'Angelo on bass clarinet/alto saxophone, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and drummer Jim Black ... however, to put it in classic jazz terms, the stuff can get pretty far "outside," if you know what I mean.
And if you don't have it yet, you should check out Coltrane's 1961 Vanguard sessions, which include Dolphy on some tracks ... this stuff is available in a lot of packages ... I've got the four-disc complete Vanguard recordings boxed set (it's available on Amazon for about $60), and it's well well well worth the money.
6kidzdoc
Avaland, I LOVE those poems!!! Johnny Hartman was an amazing singer, and the album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963) will always be on my top 10 list:
Ha ha! I definitely have a jazz face, especially when I go to live concerts.
I'll be on the lookout for these two books.
KromesTomes (great name, reminds me of Birks' Works), thanks for mentioning Coltrane's Village Vanguard sessions. I don't have this collection but I need to get it.
That reminds me of the other legendary live recordings from 1961 at the Village Vanguard, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby by The Bill Evans Trio, featuring the amazing (and tragic) Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Sadly, LaFaro died in an automobile accident just 10 days after completing these albums, at the tender age of 25.
Ha ha! I definitely have a jazz face, especially when I go to live concerts.
I'll be on the lookout for these two books.
KromesTomes (great name, reminds me of Birks' Works), thanks for mentioning Coltrane's Village Vanguard sessions. I don't have this collection but I need to get it.
That reminds me of the other legendary live recordings from 1961 at the Village Vanguard, Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby by The Bill Evans Trio, featuring the amazing (and tragic) Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Sadly, LaFaro died in an automobile accident just 10 days after completing these albums, at the tender age of 25.
10dukedom_enough
kidzdoc@3,
I think of Mingus Ah Um as a great album that's not necessarily on everyone's list - though maybe it is; don't know. Also Ellington's Far East Suite.
I think of Mingus Ah Um as a great album that's not necessarily on everyone's list - though maybe it is; don't know. Also Ellington's Far East Suite.
11dukedom_enough
Nickelini@9,
There's a school of thought that jazz was, in some sense, complete at some point in the 1970s or so - that it had gone as far as it could go in exploring its roots and the possibilities of freedom of form. Everything since would be elaboration. How much appeal would a school of poetry have that asked its writers to base their work on English poetry through Lyrical Ballads and nothing later?
Then again, maybe we just want those annoying kids to stay off our lawns.
I do have some more-recent albums, though. For example, I like saxophone player Jane Ira Bloom, any of whose albums are good - you might start with Mighty Lights, from the 1980s.
There's a school of thought that jazz was, in some sense, complete at some point in the 1970s or so - that it had gone as far as it could go in exploring its roots and the possibilities of freedom of form. Everything since would be elaboration. How much appeal would a school of poetry have that asked its writers to base their work on English poetry through Lyrical Ballads and nothing later?
Then again, maybe we just want those annoying kids to stay off our lawns.
I do have some more-recent albums, though. For example, I like saxophone player Jane Ira Bloom, any of whose albums are good - you might start with Mighty Lights, from the 1980s.
12kidzdoc
dukedom_enough, Mingus Ah Um is on my list too, but I'll bet we're in the minority. I don't have Far East Suite, but I've heard a lot about it, so that will probably make my (iTunes) wish list.
Three of Lee Morgan albums are amongst my favorites: The Rajah, Search for the New Land and Tom Cat. The Turnaround! and Straight No Filter by Hank Mobley are also favorites, along with JuJu by Wayne Shorter, Takin' Off by Herbie Hancock and Impressions by John Coltrane.
As for singers, tiffin and urania1 have clearly forgotten that no one compares to Billie Holiday at the end of her tragic career. Lady in Satin and Lady Sings the Blues should be in everyone's jazz collection.
*Smugly he steps away from the podium*
Three of Lee Morgan albums are amongst my favorites: The Rajah, Search for the New Land and Tom Cat. The Turnaround! and Straight No Filter by Hank Mobley are also favorites, along with JuJu by Wayne Shorter, Takin' Off by Herbie Hancock and Impressions by John Coltrane.
As for singers, tiffin and urania1 have clearly forgotten that no one compares to Billie Holiday at the end of her tragic career. Lady in Satin and Lady Sings the Blues should be in everyone's jazz collection.
*Smugly he steps away from the podium*
16bobmcconnaughey
about the only jazz i listen to is pretty newish.. eg The Bad Plus.
either piano/vibes or bass led combos.
http://thebadplus.typepad.com/dothemath/2007/12/contents.html
either piano/vibes or bass led combos.
http://thebadplus.typepad.com/dothemath/2007/12/contents.html
17kidzdoc
tiffin and urania1, which are your favorite Ella Fitzgerald albums and songs? Mine is Ella and Louis, featuring Louis Armstrong, but I don't have much, if anything, else by her.
18kidzdoc
I had a ticket to see The Bad Plus at the San Francisco Jazz Festival last fall, but I missed seeing them.
My favorite contemporary jazz artists ("young lions") are Robert Glasper, Brad Mehldau and Eliane Elias.
My favorite contemporary jazz artists ("young lions") are Robert Glasper, Brad Mehldau and Eliane Elias.
19dukedom_enough
kidzdoc@12,
iTunes lets you buy one track at a time, yes? (I don't use it). If you only have time for one, "Mount Harissa" would be it from Far East Suite.
iTunes lets you buy one track at a time, yes? (I don't use it). If you only have time for one, "Mount Harissa" would be it from Far East Suite.
20tiffin
#17: I have her Christmas cd, Ella and Louis, the best of Ella (it's in the car so don't have the exact title, sorry) and somewhere I have some old vinyl of her.
Speaking of vinyl, some of my vinyl oldie goldie favourites are my old Oscar Peterson albums, Dave Brubeck's "Jazz Impressions of Japan" which I wish I could find on a cd because I love that album, Paul Horn's "Inside", and Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage". And kidz, I do have a Billie Holiday collection on vinyl: "The Billie Holiday Story Volume II".
Speaking of vinyl, some of my vinyl oldie goldie favourites are my old Oscar Peterson albums, Dave Brubeck's "Jazz Impressions of Japan" which I wish I could find on a cd because I love that album, Paul Horn's "Inside", and Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage". And kidz, I do have a Billie Holiday collection on vinyl: "The Billie Holiday Story Volume II".
21kidzdoc
I downloaded "Mount Harissa" from iTunes and I'm listening to now...VERY nice! I'll now downloaded the rest of the album. Thanks!
iTunes and Amazon are both selling "Jazz Impressions of Japan"; it appears to have been reissued last year. Any particular favorites from this album?
dukedom_enough, are you familiar with Money Jungle? It's a trio session with Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach from 1962. I also like him on Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
Thinking of Max Roach, who unfortunately passed away last year, I'd recommend the We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite from 1960 and Percussion Bitter Sweet from 1961, which both feature Abbey Lincoln on vocals. And, before that, Max's recordings with Clifford Brown are timeless.
What are your favorite jazz radio stations? In the NYC area, I like WKCR (NYC, Columbia University's station) and WBGO (Newark, NJ). The San Francisco Bay area has a great station in KCSM (San Mateo). Here in Atlanta, WCLK, Clark Atlanta University's station, is also top notch.
iTunes and Amazon are both selling "Jazz Impressions of Japan"; it appears to have been reissued last year. Any particular favorites from this album?
dukedom_enough, are you familiar with Money Jungle? It's a trio session with Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach from 1962. I also like him on Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.
Thinking of Max Roach, who unfortunately passed away last year, I'd recommend the We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite from 1960 and Percussion Bitter Sweet from 1961, which both feature Abbey Lincoln on vocals. And, before that, Max's recordings with Clifford Brown are timeless.
What are your favorite jazz radio stations? In the NYC area, I like WKCR (NYC, Columbia University's station) and WBGO (Newark, NJ). The San Francisco Bay area has a great station in KCSM (San Mateo). Here in Atlanta, WCLK, Clark Atlanta University's station, is also top notch.
22kidzdoc
YouTube has a number of rare and amazing live jazz recordings from the 1950s and 1960s, mostly broadcasts from European TV stations. I just found this short but still excellent version of "Freedom Day" from Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (1960):
Max Roach - Abbey Lincoln
Max Roach - Abbey Lincoln
23kidzdoc
After a little research, I found out that this recording is from a German TV program produced by Joachim Berendt entitled "Jazz gehört und gesehen" ("Jazz Seen and Heard"). This clip is from a broadcast on 1/15/64, and features Max Roach on drums, Eddie Khan on bass, Coleridge Perkinson on piano, Clifford Jordan (I thought so!) on tenor sax, with vocals provided by Abbey Lincoln. Absolutely amazing.
24dukedom_enough
I don't know Money Jungle, but do have Ellington & Coltrane - that sublime version of "In a Sentimental Mood."
For radio, here in the Boston area, WHRB out of Harvard broadcasts jazz in the morning while I'm commuting, and I listen fairly often. Evenings, NPR's WGBH has Eric in the Evening, with Eric Jackson, but usually I'm doing something else at that hour.
For radio, here in the Boston area, WHRB out of Harvard broadcasts jazz in the morning while I'm commuting, and I listen fairly often. Evenings, NPR's WGBH has Eric in the Evening, with Eric Jackson, but usually I'm doing something else at that hour.
25tiffin
iTunes and Amazon are both selling "Jazz Impressions of Japan"; it appears to have been reissued last year. Any particular favorites from this album?
#21: thanks...I don't have an IPod and don't like listening to music on the computer (equipment snob) but I will check out Amazon for the reissue!
I really like the entire album but particular favourites are "Rising Sun", "Zen is When", "The City is Crying", and "Koto Song". It's one of those rainy Sunday evening kind of albums, or when you need to listen to something which makes you feel peaceful and content. I do enjoy Paul Desmond's sax.
ETA: cd now ordered from Amazon!
#21: thanks...I don't have an IPod and don't like listening to music on the computer (equipment snob) but I will check out Amazon for the reissue!
I really like the entire album but particular favourites are "Rising Sun", "Zen is When", "The City is Crying", and "Koto Song". It's one of those rainy Sunday evening kind of albums, or when you need to listen to something which makes you feel peaceful and content. I do enjoy Paul Desmond's sax.
ETA: cd now ordered from Amazon!
26cwc790411
Glad to see that the Jazz thread came to fruition! I love all of the music that people are mentioning in this thread, however a few comments:
I like Ella, but not nearly as much as I like Billie Holiday. Her recordings, with Lester Young and Teddy Wilson in the '30's are my favorite jazz vocal recordings bar none, and quite a bit of it is to due with that swinging band she's with. However, I also love Jimmy Rushing, particularly his recordings from the 30's with the Basie band.
Love 'Trane, Mingus and Dolphy. The Illinois Concert is killer. So is Mingus Ah Um. Was a big Lee Morgan fan in college.
Keith Jarrett's trio has been performing for more than 25 years, and I would call them recent. They have a new CD as of last month, called Yesterdays and it was recorded in Tokyo. Haven't heard it yet.
Grew up in the Boston area listening to Eric in the Evening later got into WKCR in New York and now use some program ('Audio Hijack Pro') to record my favorite shows.
Christopher
I like Ella, but not nearly as much as I like Billie Holiday. Her recordings, with Lester Young and Teddy Wilson in the '30's are my favorite jazz vocal recordings bar none, and quite a bit of it is to due with that swinging band she's with. However, I also love Jimmy Rushing, particularly his recordings from the 30's with the Basie band.
Love 'Trane, Mingus and Dolphy. The Illinois Concert is killer. So is Mingus Ah Um. Was a big Lee Morgan fan in college.
Keith Jarrett's trio has been performing for more than 25 years, and I would call them recent. They have a new CD as of last month, called Yesterdays and it was recorded in Tokyo. Haven't heard it yet.
Grew up in the Boston area listening to Eric in the Evening later got into WKCR in New York and now use some program ('Audio Hijack Pro') to record my favorite shows.
Christopher
28rebeccanyc
The NY Times ran an article yesterday about Blue Note, which is celebrating its 70th year but facing an uncertain future.
29tomcatMurr
The Keith Jarrett Trio is the Holy Trinity of Jazz. Three in One. One in Three. Three for All. All for me. I don't know where I'm going with this.
But they are seriously bloody fantastic. I saw them play in London in 2000. I flew all the way from Taiwan just for the concert. If you listen carefully to the concert CD, you can hear me clapping. I have all their recordings and listen to them constantly. Thanks for the heads up on their new album, christopher. I'm off to find it now.
On the Ella/Billie divide, I'm with Billie. Ella was a great singer, great entertainer and had immense character and charm in her singing. And she could swing and scat like nobody else. But Billie was simply a genius.
Miles Miles Miles. Oh Miles.
But they are seriously bloody fantastic. I saw them play in London in 2000. I flew all the way from Taiwan just for the concert. If you listen carefully to the concert CD, you can hear me clapping. I have all their recordings and listen to them constantly. Thanks for the heads up on their new album, christopher. I'm off to find it now.
On the Ella/Billie divide, I'm with Billie. Ella was a great singer, great entertainer and had immense character and charm in her singing. And she could swing and scat like nobody else. But Billie was simply a genius.
Miles Miles Miles. Oh Miles.
30tomcatMurr
I was an early fan of Diana Krall, whose piano playing was very scintillating and witty. But she's gone all commercial now and become a female Dean Martin, and doesn't play very much, except to accompany herself.
Bill Evans. Another great hero.
Bill Evans. Another great hero.
31kidzdoc
#29: tomcatMurr, I need to get more by the Trio; I saw them at Carnegie Hall a few years ago, and they were fabulous.
Listening to that YouTube video I posted reminds me how much I love Abbey Lincoln, especially her work with Max Roach on the protest albums of the early 1960s. However, I think I'll have to correct myself, and put Nina Simone ahead of Billie and Abbey. There is a great box set of ?four of her recordings on the Philips label, entitled Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings, which is a good introduction to her music.
Miles! Where to begin? The four 1956 albums with John Coltrane (Workin', Steamin', Relaxin' and Cookin' with the Miles)? Someday My Prince Will Come? The Gil Evans productions? If I had one album to choose, I'd go with Somethin' Else from 1958; even though Cannonball Adderley is listed first, it includes Miles, Coltrane, and the great rhythm section of Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey.
#28: Thanks, Rebecca; I hadn't seen that article, as I haven't read Saturday's Times yet. I hope Blue Note can find a model that works. It would be a tragedy if they folded, not so much for the reissues (Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver etc. will live on forever, regardless), but mainly for the support and exposure given to younger artists. (I really need to pay more attention to these new artists...)
#26: Thanks for the info about the new Keith Jarrett Trio album, chris; it looks like my local Borders has it, so I'll pick it up today.
#25: I'm glad I was able to help you with Jazz Impressions of Japan. Your description of the album ("one of those rainy Sunday evening kind of albums") sold me, I'll be downloading it today. I love Paul Desmond's sound!
Listening to that YouTube video I posted reminds me how much I love Abbey Lincoln, especially her work with Max Roach on the protest albums of the early 1960s. However, I think I'll have to correct myself, and put Nina Simone ahead of Billie and Abbey. There is a great box set of ?four of her recordings on the Philips label, entitled Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings, which is a good introduction to her music.
Miles! Where to begin? The four 1956 albums with John Coltrane (Workin', Steamin', Relaxin' and Cookin' with the Miles)? Someday My Prince Will Come? The Gil Evans productions? If I had one album to choose, I'd go with Somethin' Else from 1958; even though Cannonball Adderley is listed first, it includes Miles, Coltrane, and the great rhythm section of Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey.
#28: Thanks, Rebecca; I hadn't seen that article, as I haven't read Saturday's Times yet. I hope Blue Note can find a model that works. It would be a tragedy if they folded, not so much for the reissues (Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver etc. will live on forever, regardless), but mainly for the support and exposure given to younger artists. (I really need to pay more attention to these new artists...)
#26: Thanks for the info about the new Keith Jarrett Trio album, chris; it looks like my local Borders has it, so I'll pick it up today.
#25: I'm glad I was able to help you with Jazz Impressions of Japan. Your description of the album ("one of those rainy Sunday evening kind of albums") sold me, I'll be downloading it today. I love Paul Desmond's sound!
32tomcatMurr
Kidzdoc, in addition to their latest, if you can find the Trio's CD called the Out of Towners get that. It has a cover of "You've Changed", which is one of the best things they have ever done. It's simply sublime.
I love the Gil Evans/Miles recordings. The early Miles are my favourites. He went a bit crazy during the 70s with all that abstract stuff and the drugs, and the experimentation. 'Tutu' had some good stuff in it, but I think by that time, he had exhausted himself.
Have you heard the soundtrack to Louis Malle's movie Ascenseur de rechefoucauld? (I cannot take responsibility for the French spelling. If they want people to spell their language correctly, they should reform it.) it's very good. Miles at his most haunting.
I love the Gil Evans/Miles recordings. The early Miles are my favourites. He went a bit crazy during the 70s with all that abstract stuff and the drugs, and the experimentation. 'Tutu' had some good stuff in it, but I think by that time, he had exhausted himself.
Have you heard the soundtrack to Louis Malle's movie Ascenseur de rechefoucauld? (I cannot take responsibility for the French spelling. If they want people to spell their language correctly, they should reform it.) it's very good. Miles at his most haunting.
33urania1
One of my favorite jazz musicians is Abdullah Ibrahim from Cameroon. His album Mindif is lovely - jazz with an African lilt.
34dukedom_enough
urania1@33,
I thought Abdullah Ibrahim is from South Africa? Anyway, I recommend South Africa and African Marketplace. Will have to try Mindif.
I thought Abdullah Ibrahim is from South Africa? Anyway, I recommend South Africa and African Marketplace. Will have to try Mindif.
35kidzdoc
I thought he was from South Africa, too. I'll definitely look for these albums; thanks!
Can I review a new-to-me jazz CD on this site every month or so? I'll start with Straight Ahead by Abbey Lincoln (1961), which I'll download from iTunes later this week.
Can I review a new-to-me jazz CD on this site every month or so? I'll start with Straight Ahead by Abbey Lincoln (1961), which I'll download from iTunes later this week.
36avaland
>35 kidzdoc: go for it!
37KromesTomes
Boy, a lot of people have stopped by here all of a sudden ... some great NEW jazz for Nickelini (#9) or anyone else:
A couple of people have mentioned the Bad Plus, and I also recommend:
E.S.T.
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Eric Alexander
Charlie Hunter
Bobby Previte
Anything involving Skerik
Jason Moran
Brian Blade Fellowship
Christian McBride
Stanton Moore
Stefon Harris
Human Feel
Kurt Rosenwinkel
A couple of people have mentioned the Bad Plus, and I also recommend:
E.S.T.
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Eric Alexander
Charlie Hunter
Bobby Previte
Anything involving Skerik
Jason Moran
Brian Blade Fellowship
Christian McBride
Stanton Moore
Stefon Harris
Human Feel
Kurt Rosenwinkel
38urania1
>34 dukedom_enough: and 35,
You are correct. Abdullah Ibrahim is from South Africa (born in Cape Town). I do not know what is the matter with me. I seem to be disseminating false knowledge all over LT these days.
You are correct. Abdullah Ibrahim is from South Africa (born in Cape Town). I do not know what is the matter with me. I seem to be disseminating false knowledge all over LT these days.
39urania1
Kizdoc,
A while back you asked about my favorite Ella Fitzgerald album. I'm not sure which Ella Fitzgerald album is my favorite. I have her complete everything; my favorites are scattered throughout.
A while back you asked about my favorite Ella Fitzgerald album. I'm not sure which Ella Fitzgerald album is my favorite. I have her complete everything; my favorites are scattered throughout.
40bobmcconnaughey
one of the other bands i do like is Yoko Kanno's Japanese "big band," The Seatbelts (now disbanded, i think). She does a lot of soundtrack work for Japanese movies and anime, but is probably best known for the soundtrack to Cowboy Bebop. She's a v. good keyboardist but excels as a bandleader/composer...and looks like she has a lot more fun than many jazz players.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Tank-The-Seatbelts-Cowboy-Bebop-Opening-Theme
is her band performing live, the opening theme, Tank, to the Bebop series.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Tank-The-Seatbelts-Cowboy-Bebop-Opening-Theme
is her band performing live, the opening theme, Tank, to the Bebop series.
41cwc790411
For some recent jazz, check out this question and answer with Ben Ratliff, the Times reporter:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/business/media/12askthetimes.html?_r=1&hp=...
The whole thing is worth reading, but scroll down to "10 Very Good Jazz Albums" for that specific topic.
I've listened to the new Jarrett trio CD and it's good, of course, but I haven't listened enough yet to absorb it per se. Been listening to a lot of Mingus Ah Um recently.
All of the Miles stuff that's been recommended is, of course, fantastic. To add, how about his 60's quintet, studio recordings and live. Also, live at the Blackhawk.
tomcatMurr: I love Evans and Jarrett myself, and would definitely consider flying for Jarrett. I'm in Japan myself and he comes here often enough that it might be possible to see him here. The trio is playing in March in LA and Berkeley according to the ECM site.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/business/media/12askthetimes.html?_r=1&hp=...
The whole thing is worth reading, but scroll down to "10 Very Good Jazz Albums" for that specific topic.
I've listened to the new Jarrett trio CD and it's good, of course, but I haven't listened enough yet to absorb it per se. Been listening to a lot of Mingus Ah Um recently.
All of the Miles stuff that's been recommended is, of course, fantastic. To add, how about his 60's quintet, studio recordings and live. Also, live at the Blackhawk.
tomcatMurr: I love Evans and Jarrett myself, and would definitely consider flying for Jarrett. I'm in Japan myself and he comes here often enough that it might be possible to see him here. The trio is playing in March in LA and Berkeley according to the ECM site.
42tomcatMurr
I have promised myself the next time he/they are in Japan, I will come over. Japan is a bit nearer for me than LA or Berkely.
I also love Evans, but I always feel he was not recorded very well, always seems to be playing in the background. I would love to hear some albums where he is really foregrounded.
Miles anecdote: Miles and his group are driving somewhere on a rainy night soon after Evan's early death, and they are talking about him. Miles is very quiet, listening to the others. They pass a rain-swept neon sign. Miles says quietly "Bill could improvise anything. He could have improvised that."
I also love Evans, but I always feel he was not recorded very well, always seems to be playing in the background. I would love to hear some albums where he is really foregrounded.
Miles anecdote: Miles and his group are driving somewhere on a rainy night soon after Evan's early death, and they are talking about him. Miles is very quiet, listening to the others. They pass a rain-swept neon sign. Miles says quietly "Bill could improvise anything. He could have improvised that."
43kidzdoc
I also love Evans, but I always feel he was not recorded very well, always seems to be playing in the background. I would love to hear some albums where he is really foregrounded.
Have you heard Portrait in Jazz (1959) or Explorations (1961)? Or Trio 64 (1964)?
That's a nice quote by Miles about Bill Evans; I hadn't heard that one before.
Have you heard Portrait in Jazz (1959) or Explorations (1961)? Or Trio 64 (1964)?
That's a nice quote by Miles about Bill Evans; I hadn't heard that one before.
44tomcatMurr
oh thanks Kidzdoc, I'll see if I can pick those up today.
45kidzdoc
As promised, here is my review of the album Straight Ahead by Abbey Lincoln (1961)
My rating: easily 5 stars!
This reissue, which is currently available on iTunes and as a CD, is the first album led by Abbey Lincoln since her collaboration with her future husband, the legendary drummer Max Roach. It features Mr. Roach, along with the equally legendary tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who is featured on nearly every song, Eric Dolphy (alto sax and flute), Booker Little (trumpet), and Mal Waldron (piano), amongst others. Abbey is simply brilliant on each of the tunes, with a deeply emotional, gutsy, and throat-grabbing performance. She demands your attention and does not let go easily. Coleman Hawkins is fantastic, especially on "Blue Monk" and "In the Red", a mournful and powerful statement about poverty. Booker Little has a nice solo on "When Malindy Sings", the famous Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem.
I am struggling to find words to describe how much I love this album. This has now displaced Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin as my favorite vocal album, and it has earned a place on my top 20 -- and probably top 10 -- all time favorite jazz recordings. My only criticism is that it's not enough: no solos by Roach, Dolphy or Waldron, not long enough, not enough songs, not enough Abbey!
My rating: easily 5 stars!
This reissue, which is currently available on iTunes and as a CD, is the first album led by Abbey Lincoln since her collaboration with her future husband, the legendary drummer Max Roach. It features Mr. Roach, along with the equally legendary tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who is featured on nearly every song, Eric Dolphy (alto sax and flute), Booker Little (trumpet), and Mal Waldron (piano), amongst others. Abbey is simply brilliant on each of the tunes, with a deeply emotional, gutsy, and throat-grabbing performance. She demands your attention and does not let go easily. Coleman Hawkins is fantastic, especially on "Blue Monk" and "In the Red", a mournful and powerful statement about poverty. Booker Little has a nice solo on "When Malindy Sings", the famous Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem.
I am struggling to find words to describe how much I love this album. This has now displaced Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin as my favorite vocal album, and it has earned a place on my top 20 -- and probably top 10 -- all time favorite jazz recordings. My only criticism is that it's not enough: no solos by Roach, Dolphy or Waldron, not long enough, not enough songs, not enough Abbey!
46tomcatMurr
Nice review!
More shopping!
More shopping!
47dukedom_enough
I confess I don't know that much about Lincoln; I do like all those sideman, certainly.
48cwc790411
Same here dukedom_enough, so I listened to Straight Ahead for the first time this morning. I'm not always excited about jazz vocals, but I can appreciate Abbey Lincoln, and the band is great. Not a lot of solos - it's Abbey's record I suppose, but Coleman Hawkins stands out and you can get a bit of Booker Little now and then as well, as kidzdoc mentioned. Mal Waldron always sounds good as well - I need to hear more of him. He recorded a version of "Left Alone" with Jackie McLean that's simply killer.
kidzdoc: thanks for recommending this record! I'm a huge fan of Coleman Hawkins and Dolphy, and them playing together is unusual to say the least!
kidzdoc: thanks for recommending this record! I'm a huge fan of Coleman Hawkins and Dolphy, and them playing together is unusual to say the least!
49cwc790411
Speaking of favorite records, I love Billie Holiday's recordings from the 1930's. The bands she plays with are out of this world, especially when Lester Young is featured. Out of this world! I first heard them courtesy of Phil Schaap on the WKCR Billie Holiday festival in 2004 (?) and haven't stopped listening since...
50kidzdoc
Christopher, which album are you referring to that features Mal Waldron and Jackie McLean playing "Left Alone"?
Blue Note last week finally reissued one of the most sought after albums in its vault, One Step Beyond by Jackie McLean, a 1963 recording featuring Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on bass. This same group also put out two other highly regarded albums, Destination... Out! by Jackie McLean and Evolution by Grachan Moncur III. All of these albums are amongst my favorites.
IMO, every dictionary should list Jackie McLean (and Eric Dolphy) in its definition of the word "killer".
Blue Note last week finally reissued one of the most sought after albums in its vault, One Step Beyond by Jackie McLean, a 1963 recording featuring Grachan Moncur III on trombone and Bobby Hutcherson on bass. This same group also put out two other highly regarded albums, Destination... Out! by Jackie McLean and Evolution by Grachan Moncur III. All of these albums are amongst my favorites.
IMO, every dictionary should list Jackie McLean (and Eric Dolphy) in its definition of the word "killer".
51cwc790411
kidzdoc,
Without knowing much about Waldron's discography, I rented the 1959 'Left Alone' album and grew quite hooked on the title track: the only track that features Jackie McLean. AMG calls it 'obscure' and notes that McLean isn't listed. It might be a Japan only release.
I don't know that Jackie McLean release but it must be promising to be re-released. I seem to remember the track 'Frankenstein' being on some Blue Note compilation.
Also, I'll take a copy of that dictionary!
Christopher
Without knowing much about Waldron's discography, I rented the 1959 'Left Alone' album and grew quite hooked on the title track: the only track that features Jackie McLean. AMG calls it 'obscure' and notes that McLean isn't listed. It might be a Japan only release.
I don't know that Jackie McLean release but it must be promising to be re-released. I seem to remember the track 'Frankenstein' being on some Blue Note compilation.
Also, I'll take a copy of that dictionary!
Christopher
52kidzdoc
Christopher,
Thanks for the info on the Mal Waldron album. iTunes has a portion of the album; unfortunately it doesn't include the title track. Amazon US has a dozen copies available, but I think I'll check around to see if someone else has MP3 files of the album, or at least the title track, before I buy it.
Even though I have all of the songs from "One Step Beyond", on the Mosaic Select: Grachan Moncur III collection, I'll still buy it, as it is a Rudy Van Gelder (RVG) reissue. A small but vocal number of people posting to the Blue Note Records web site and other places have been begging Blue Note to release this album for the past several years.
As good as "One Step Beyond" is, I like "Destination...Out!" even better; it definitely makes my top 10 list, as it is my favorite McLean album. It should be available in CD and MP3 format.
I'll have to look for the Billie Holiday 1930s recordings you recommended, too.
Thanks for the info on the Mal Waldron album. iTunes has a portion of the album; unfortunately it doesn't include the title track. Amazon US has a dozen copies available, but I think I'll check around to see if someone else has MP3 files of the album, or at least the title track, before I buy it.
Even though I have all of the songs from "One Step Beyond", on the Mosaic Select: Grachan Moncur III collection, I'll still buy it, as it is a Rudy Van Gelder (RVG) reissue. A small but vocal number of people posting to the Blue Note Records web site and other places have been begging Blue Note to release this album for the past several years.
As good as "One Step Beyond" is, I like "Destination...Out!" even better; it definitely makes my top 10 list, as it is my favorite McLean album. It should be available in CD and MP3 format.
I'll have to look for the Billie Holiday 1930s recordings you recommended, too.
53kidzdoc
Last week Blue Note Records, in celebration of its 70th anniversary, reissued a number of albums remastered by Rudy Van Gelder. I knew that; what I didn't realize it that BN also reissued a ton of albums (~200!) that have been out of print for many years. These can be found on the Blue Note: 70th Anniversary page on Amazon US, which lists the albums in alphabetical order of the artist's last name. I found several rare albums I've been wanting for years, including Black Orchid by The Three Sounds, Wahoo! by Duke Pearson, and On the Spur of the Moment by Horace Parlan. (Christopher, there are at least 3-4 Jackie McLean albums that I had never heard of!)
54KromesTomes
Wow, thanks for the tip, kidzdoc!
55cwc790411
kidzdoc!
Fantastic - thanks for sharing! I hope some of these end up at my local rental shop here in Tokyo....! How about Paul Chambers Chambers' Music with Coltrane and Philadelphia Joe Jones. (Never seen his name written any way but 'Philly'.)
Can you recommend an album by The Three Sounds? I don't know their music but I have been curious as I like piano trios.
Fantastic - thanks for sharing! I hope some of these end up at my local rental shop here in Tokyo....! How about Paul Chambers Chambers' Music with Coltrane and Philadelphia Joe Jones. (Never seen his name written any way but 'Philly'.)
Can you recommend an album by The Three Sounds? I don't know their music but I have been curious as I like piano trios.
56cwc790411
Two items of interest:
Keith Jarrett had a solo concert in New York last week! This review said "Jarrett's Carnegie Hall concert may well have been the greatest solo performance of his career." Whoa!
Gary Giddins wrote about the alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa in a recent article in the New Yorker. I have since listened to Mahathappa and I wish had only known about him earlier! Killer sound!
Keith Jarrett had a solo concert in New York last week! This review said "Jarrett's Carnegie Hall concert may well have been the greatest solo performance of his career." Whoa!
Gary Giddins wrote about the alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa in a recent article in the New Yorker. I have since listened to Mahathappa and I wish had only known about him earlier! Killer sound!
57tomcatMurr
*speechless*
I am on my knees praying to whatever Dog there is that they release it.
I am on my knees praying to whatever Dog there is that they release it.
59cwc790411
Thoughtful and interesting interview with Rudresh Mahanthappa here: http://bit.ly/hf6A
Also, I discovered this section of Jazz.com called "The Dozens" where a musician picks 12 tracks by another musician, usually a significant one (Lee Konitz, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner and Woody Shaw are all right near the top of a long list) and writes about why they are significant. Interesting: http://bit.ly/6AWXG
Needed to revive this dormant jazz thread!
Also, I discovered this section of Jazz.com called "The Dozens" where a musician picks 12 tracks by another musician, usually a significant one (Lee Konitz, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner and Woody Shaw are all right near the top of a long list) and writes about why they are significant. Interesting: http://bit.ly/6AWXG
Needed to revive this dormant jazz thread!
60dukedom_enough
We were woodshedding.
61cwc790411
dukedom_enough
I have to confess that I had to check the dictionary for the meaning of 'woodshedding'! Does that mean you play an instrument?
I have to confess that I had to check the dictionary for the meaning of 'woodshedding'! Does that mean you play an instrument?
62dukedom_enough
No; wish I did. I just read about people who do - and listen to their music, too. Woodshedding musicians often disappear for a while - Sonny Rollins has done so several times, for up to a year I think - so it's a metaphor for us going off to do something else.
63cwc790411
It's a good metaphor dukedom_enough and I can certainly say I've been woodshedding this past month or two.
I'm familiar with Sonny Rollins' multiple retirements. Would have loved to have caught him practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge after the first one as legend has it.
I'm familiar with Sonny Rollins' multiple retirements. Would have loved to have caught him practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge after the first one as legend has it.
64KromesTomes
Regarding Mahanthappa, I've got Vijay Iyer's disc "Reimagining" with him on it, and I highly recommend it ... nice cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" by Iyer here, too.
66rebeccanyc
Murr, that's nasty!
67tomcatMurr
hehe.
Ignore the touchstone. it is very capricious.
Ignore the touchstone. it is very capricious.
68dukedom_enough
Today's NY Times has an article on Sun Ra. There's an exhibition at Philadelphia's Institute of Contemporary Art concentrating on the visual-arts and writing aspects of the career of this very individual musician. The article gives a brief introduction to him and to Claude Dangerfield, the designer of most of his outer-space themed album covers. It doesn't make clear whether "Chicago’s Afro-Futurist Underground, 1954-68" had any members beyond the few it lists; if it did, I'd love to hear about them. Ra has a solid place in the modern-jazz canon, and the visual aspects discussed here certainly added another dimension.
69kidzdoc
I read that article this morning. I'm planning to visit my parents, who live just north of Philadelphia, later this month or next month, and I'm definitely planning to go to this exhibit. The ICA is convenient to get to by public transportation, as it is six blocks west of the Amtrak 30th Street Station, on Penn's campus.
70rebeccanyc
This has nothing to do with jazz, but while you're in Philadelphia, there is also a great exhibit on Cezanne and Beyond at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through the end of the month. A little pricey, though, and you definitely need to buy tickets in advance online.
72dukedom_enough
Yay, kidzdoc, so nice that someone from here will see the exhibit.
73avaland
btw, kidzdoc, on your way from SF to Philly, there's an exhibit in D.C. of early 20th Century Hungarian women photographers at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, could you go to that one also:-)
ok, I was just joking...
ok, I was just joking...
74kidzdoc
#73: Ha ha! Well, I've wanted to go to some of the museums in the District, as it isn't that far away from Philadelphia on Amtrak...but I don't plan to attend this exhibit.
NPR (National Public Radio) Jazz has a recent story in which a record store clerk lists five essential jazz albums. The site asks visitors what their first five jazz albums were, which I thought would be interesting to discuss here.
I grew up in a household where 1950s and 1960s jazz was played frequently, but it wasn't until the early '80s that I bought my first jazz album. I'm certain that my first two purchases were Song for My Father by The Horace Silver Quintet and Think of One by Wynton Marsalis. Three other early notable albums were Another Workout by Hank Mobley, A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, and Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
NPR (National Public Radio) Jazz has a recent story in which a record store clerk lists five essential jazz albums. The site asks visitors what their first five jazz albums were, which I thought would be interesting to discuss here.
I grew up in a household where 1950s and 1960s jazz was played frequently, but it wasn't until the early '80s that I bought my first jazz album. I'm certain that my first two purchases were Song for My Father by The Horace Silver Quintet and Think of One by Wynton Marsalis. Three other early notable albums were Another Workout by Hank Mobley, A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, and Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
75cwc790411
That's a nice story, kidzdoc, thanks for sharing. I grew up in two households that both listened to Eric in the Evening on WGBH in Boston and other jazz programs on the radio.
When I was in high school my father gave me Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and from that I picked up Coltrane's Blue Train and My Favorite Things, basically because I recognized Coltrane's name from Kind of Blue. My father was also a fan of Blue Note artists like Lee Morgan and Ike Quebec, so I definitely listened to them.
When I was in college, I know that one of the first CDs I bought was Freddie Hubbard's First Light, based on the recommendation of the guy who ran the jazz department at Sound of Market, a record shop at 11th and Filbert Streets in Philly. I also listened to Harrison Ridley Jr.'s "The Historial Approach to the Positive Music" on WRTI on Sunday nights at that time.
Those radio shows and CDs were some of my first tastes of jazz!
When I was in high school my father gave me Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and from that I picked up Coltrane's Blue Train and My Favorite Things, basically because I recognized Coltrane's name from Kind of Blue. My father was also a fan of Blue Note artists like Lee Morgan and Ike Quebec, so I definitely listened to them.
When I was in college, I know that one of the first CDs I bought was Freddie Hubbard's First Light, based on the recommendation of the guy who ran the jazz department at Sound of Market, a record shop at 11th and Filbert Streets in Philly. I also listened to Harrison Ridley Jr.'s "The Historial Approach to the Positive Music" on WRTI on Sunday nights at that time.
Those radio shows and CDs were some of my first tastes of jazz!
77kidzdoc
Yes yes yes! I remember "The Historical Approach to the Positive Music", too! (For the rest of you, WRTI is owned and run by Temple University, in Philadelphia.In the '80s and early '90s it was the city's main jazz station, but it now plays primarily classical music, with some jazz on the weekend.) WRTI was where I first heard "Song for My Father", and many of my early purchases were based on songs I listened to. Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Hank Mobley, Philly Joe Jones (usually with the classic Miles Davis Quintet of the mid-50s), and the Heath brothers, particularly Percy Heath performing with the Modern Jazz Quartet, were frequently featured, as they grew up or lived in the city.
I don't remember Sound of Market. I used to go to Third Street Jazz for my album purchases (I found this article about this store from Philadelphia City Paper). After I transferred to Rutgers and started working in NYC, I listened to WBGO (Newark) and bought most of my records and CDs from the Tower Records stores in Greenwich Village and Lincoln Center, and J&R Music near City Hall. Sigh...those were the days.
I don't remember Sound of Market. I used to go to Third Street Jazz for my album purchases (I found this article about this store from Philadelphia City Paper). After I transferred to Rutgers and started working in NYC, I listened to WBGO (Newark) and bought most of my records and CDs from the Tower Records stores in Greenwich Village and Lincoln Center, and J&R Music near City Hall. Sigh...those were the days.
78dukedom_enough
I expect most of you will not know about Harvard college radio's "orgy" seasons. Twice a year, during reading period, the station programs in large, single-theme blocks - a month of these, usually interspersing recordings with commentary by a DJ. For example, about ten years ago they did 90 hours of John Coltrane, all in a single week. They often draw on outside experts for suggestions, commentary, and rare recordings.
The Spring season has started. In the Boston area, that's WHRB 95.3 FM, but they also stream on the Web at www.whrb.org. They are mostly breaking up the major blocks with smaller, overnight ones. There's a schedule, of course.
The big classical block is Franz Joseph Haydn, starting tomorrow and running intermittently for a couple of weeks. Sat., May 9, there's a "Jazz Puns Orgy" in the afternoon, about which they say:
There's a Gil Evans set the mornings of May 21 and 22. They seem to be lighter on the jazz this season - but do look at the schedule. There are a lot of popular-music ones running in among the big blocks.
The Spring season has started. In the Boston area, that's WHRB 95.3 FM, but they also stream on the Web at www.whrb.org. They are mostly breaking up the major blocks with smaller, overnight ones. There's a schedule, of course.
The big classical block is Franz Joseph Haydn, starting tomorrow and running intermittently for a couple of weeks. Sat., May 9, there's a "Jazz Puns Orgy" in the afternoon, about which they say:
1:00 pm JAZZ PUNS ORGY
Flipping through any Jazz record collection, artists’ affinity for puns becomes painfully apparent. This orgy is a tribute to every groan-worthy album title, a celebration of the kind of audacity it took for Earl Hines to name a record 57 Varieties. You’ll hear albums of such brilliant titles as Bird Of Paradise, Miles Ahead, Chasin’ The Trane, and many more.
There's a Gil Evans set the mornings of May 21 and 22. They seem to be lighter on the jazz this season - but do look at the schedule. There are a lot of popular-music ones running in among the big blocks.
79kidzdoc
#78: This sounds similar to what WKCR, Columbia University's station, does several times a year. Whenever a famous jazz artist dies, the station has a 72-96 hour marathon, and the station plays every recording the artist has ever been on, in chronological order. They also have annual tributes for certain artists around their birthdays, most notably Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday. The last tribute I listened to was for Max Roach in 2007, although I assume the station would have honored Freddie Hubbard when he passed away just after Christmas last year.
Phil Schaap has been broadcasting a daily show, "Bird Flight", in tribute to Charlie Parker, since 1970. David Remnick did a nice profile of him in The New Yorker last year:
Bird-Watcher: Thinking about Charlie Parker, every day
Phil Schaap has been broadcasting a daily show, "Bird Flight", in tribute to Charlie Parker, since 1970. David Remnick did a nice profile of him in The New Yorker last year:
Bird-Watcher: Thinking about Charlie Parker, every day
80cwc790411
77 & 79 I used to have a part-time job driving the shuttle van for UPenn. You signed up for your own schedule every week, and I always chose Sunday nights so I could drive around West Philly and Center City in the company of Mr. Yes Indeedy, Harrison Ridley Jr. I continued to listen to him via streaming radio from Europe as well as here in Japan. One night a few months ago, he had a substitute which was very unusual and then I discovered he had passed away (2). I definitely learned a lot from him, especially about the Philly scene. Your right, he talked about the Heath brothers a lot! Likewise, I don't know 3rd Street Jazz. Sound of Market didn't promote it's great jazz department, but focused on hip-hop and R & B for the most part. The shop started on the second floor and continued up to the third, so all that was visible on the street was a less than welcoming staircase entrance.
I'm definitely a Phil Schaap and WKCR fan and have learned more from him than any other DJ. (My DJ lineage: Eric Jackson on WGBH, Harrison Ridley on WRTI, Phil Schaap on WKCR, and my uncle Dave Wade on WMPG). I listen to his show looking for a lecture more than music, and I spent a lot of time listening to his streaming broadcasts in Prague of all places. Learned a lot about swing during the Billie Holiday festival which I remember well. The Charlie Parker b-day in August is combined with the President Lester Young and rolled into a 3 day extravaganza. Awesome! I'm sure the station honored Freddie Hubbard, but I missed it as well. Love to listen to Traditions in Swing on Saturdays 6-9 PM EST/WKCR.
@78 Thanks for sharing that. A few years ago I was living in Prague, CZ and the only access to music I had was essentially what I could find streaming over the internet. Discovered the Harvard "orgies" in this fashion, but I think then, as now, I spent more time looking over the program than ever listening. I grew up within broadcasting distance (perhaps) of WHRB, but not as familiar to me as WERS or other Boston stations.
If anybody wants to recommend any great jazz DJs, do tell. If they are streamed over the internet, that is!
I'm definitely a Phil Schaap and WKCR fan and have learned more from him than any other DJ. (My DJ lineage: Eric Jackson on WGBH, Harrison Ridley on WRTI, Phil Schaap on WKCR, and my uncle Dave Wade on WMPG). I listen to his show looking for a lecture more than music, and I spent a lot of time listening to his streaming broadcasts in Prague of all places. Learned a lot about swing during the Billie Holiday festival which I remember well. The Charlie Parker b-day in August is combined with the President Lester Young and rolled into a 3 day extravaganza. Awesome! I'm sure the station honored Freddie Hubbard, but I missed it as well. Love to listen to Traditions in Swing on Saturdays 6-9 PM EST/WKCR.
@78 Thanks for sharing that. A few years ago I was living in Prague, CZ and the only access to music I had was essentially what I could find streaming over the internet. Discovered the Harvard "orgies" in this fashion, but I think then, as now, I spent more time looking over the program than ever listening. I grew up within broadcasting distance (perhaps) of WHRB, but not as familiar to me as WERS or other Boston stations.
If anybody wants to recommend any great jazz DJs, do tell. If they are streamed over the internet, that is!
81dukedom_enough
Tough to beat Eric Jackson, as you know.
82kidzdoc
Ack! I didn't know that Harrison Ridley, Jr. had passed away.
I read recently that Horace Silver is not doing well; he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
BTW, what is the best live jazz performance you have attended? My favorite still is the Oscar Peterson Trio, with Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown on bass, at the Blue Note Cafe in Greenwich Village, in March 1990. That weekend's sets were recorded, and released as The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note.
I read recently that Horace Silver is not doing well; he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
BTW, what is the best live jazz performance you have attended? My favorite still is the Oscar Peterson Trio, with Herb Ellis on guitar and Ray Brown on bass, at the Blue Note Cafe in Greenwich Village, in March 1990. That weekend's sets were recorded, and released as The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note.
83cwc790411
I hate to be gloomy, but sometimes it seems to wise to catch some of these legends while they're still with us. Sonny Rollins was in Tokyo last year but the tickets were around $100 and I couldn't swallow that. Since that time I've asked myself...should I have gone? I have never had the pleasure of seeing a 'famous' jazz musician for a variety of reasons.
My best live jazz experiences have been in the small clubs of Tokyo. Just Japanese musicians whose names I don't think would be known outside of Japan but who put on a killer show in a nice club, although last week I saw Watanabe Sadao, a bit of a legend here, do a killer set.
My best live jazz experiences have been in the small clubs of Tokyo. Just Japanese musicians whose names I don't think would be known outside of Japan but who put on a killer show in a nice club, although last week I saw Watanabe Sadao, a bit of a legend here, do a killer set.
84kidzdoc
I agree with your sentiment. Quite a few of these artists are getting way up there in years, and several are no longer actively playing (e.g., Horace Silver). I can certainly understand balking at paying $100 for a concert; that's steep, even for NYC or SF (although I wouldn't be surprised if a ticket in London would be close to that price).
I saw Ornette Coleman play at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in 2007, the year that Sound Grammar won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. That was a great concert. The following night his son, Denardo Coleman, who played with Ornette at the SF JAZZ concert, performed with his mother, the poet and spoken word artist Jayne Cortez, and her band, the Firespitters, which was also excellent.
Another recent favorite concert, also in SF, was the solo guitar performance by João Gilberto at the SF Jazz Festival in '04 or '05. He played and sang very softly, and the audience was transfixed and extraordinarily quiet while he played, then raucous and exuberant in their applause and whistling after each song.
Oh! I completely forgot...no, the best concert I've ever been to, again in SF, was a solo performance by Pharoah Sanders at the massive Grace Cathedral on top of Nob Hill. What was especially fascinating was that the sound reverberated throughout the cathedral, and you could hear, at one time, the note he played, and two or more of his preceding notes, as if there were three or more Pharoahs playing above, behind, and to the sides of you. The audience was practically speechless as they left the cathedral that night, myself included.
I saw Ornette Coleman play at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in 2007, the year that Sound Grammar won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. That was a great concert. The following night his son, Denardo Coleman, who played with Ornette at the SF JAZZ concert, performed with his mother, the poet and spoken word artist Jayne Cortez, and her band, the Firespitters, which was also excellent.
Another recent favorite concert, also in SF, was the solo guitar performance by João Gilberto at the SF Jazz Festival in '04 or '05. He played and sang very softly, and the audience was transfixed and extraordinarily quiet while he played, then raucous and exuberant in their applause and whistling after each song.
Oh! I completely forgot...no, the best concert I've ever been to, again in SF, was a solo performance by Pharoah Sanders at the massive Grace Cathedral on top of Nob Hill. What was especially fascinating was that the sound reverberated throughout the cathedral, and you could hear, at one time, the note he played, and two or more of his preceding notes, as if there were three or more Pharoahs playing above, behind, and to the sides of you. The audience was practically speechless as they left the cathedral that night, myself included.
85cwc790411
It is steep kidzdoc, although I confess I would happily pay that to see Keith Jarrett, who does tour Japan. Hopefully I'll be here the next time he comes! Ornette, I would imagine, puts on a good show.
By the way, to connect Pharoah Sanders with Horace Silver, do you know the yodeling/scatting singer Leon Thomas? The idea sounds gimmicky, but he's not and sings on Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan". I came into his album "Spirits Known & Unknown" recently, and he has a killer version of "Song For My Father" which I hadn't heard in years. Real soulful. And his "Take the A-Train" is pretty interesting as well!
By the way, to connect Pharoah Sanders with Horace Silver, do you know the yodeling/scatting singer Leon Thomas? The idea sounds gimmicky, but he's not and sings on Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan". I came into his album "Spirits Known & Unknown" recently, and he has a killer version of "Song For My Father" which I hadn't heard in years. Real soulful. And his "Take the A-Train" is pretty interesting as well!
86dukedom_enough
For the Gil Evans fans: Harvard college radio WHRB is playing a lot of his recordings in two big blocks, this morning until 11AM, and tomorrow 5 am-noon (the "Gil Evans Orgy"). WHRB, 95.3 FM around Boston, online at www.whrb.org. There's also an iPhone app for listening to the online stream.
87kidzdoc
An obituary of Buddy Montgomery, brother of the late Wes Montgomery, appears in The New York Times today. He was an underrecorded and underappreciated but very good vibraphonist, who played with his brothers Wes and Monk in The Mastersounds, a short lived late 1950s/early 1960s group similar to but not as widely acclaimed as the MJQ. They produced 10 albums under the World Pacific label, including The King and I from 1957, and Kismet. Unfortunately, none of these albums have been released in CD; if anyone knows of any Mastersounds CDs, I will bequeath my future first born child to you!
88dukedom_enough
Article in the Wall Street Journal about contemporary jazz big bands. They see a resurgence.
What do folks know about Maria Schneider? The article talks about Darcy James Argue's band, and Argue cites Schneider as an influence: "Everyone who heard it ("Evanescence") started a big band; I know I'm not the only one." But it's mostly about others. I see Amazon thinks "Evanescence" is out of print.
What do folks know about Maria Schneider? The article talks about Darcy James Argue's band, and Argue cites Schneider as an influence: "Everyone who heard it ("Evanescence") started a big band; I know I'm not the only one." But it's mostly about others. I see Amazon thinks "Evanescence" is out of print.
89Jim53
I have Maria Schneider's Allegresse (2000), which I bought after hearing the track "Hang Gliding" on my local PRI station (WUNC). Overall I find some of the music sorta depressing, which I think it is intended to be. Schneider doesn't seem to be as concerned with swinging as my favorite relatively recent big band leader, Toshiko Akiyoshi. Any other TA/LT fans out there?
90tomcatMurr
>82 kidzdoc:-85
In the summer of 2000 I flew all the way from Taiwan to London to go to The Keith Jarrett Trio performing at the Festival Hall. I had the most expensive seats in the house, in the third row from the front. At the end of the concert I was weeping uncontrollably lol.
It took me about a year to pay off the credit card bill from that little jaunt, but I have never regretted it, and I would do it again tomorrow. Chris, you must promise to alert me next time they play in Japan. It will be a lot closer for me to attend.
I would love to have been at that Oscar Peterson Trio concert.
In the summer of 2000 I flew all the way from Taiwan to London to go to The Keith Jarrett Trio performing at the Festival Hall. I had the most expensive seats in the house, in the third row from the front. At the end of the concert I was weeping uncontrollably lol.
It took me about a year to pay off the credit card bill from that little jaunt, but I have never regretted it, and I would do it again tomorrow. Chris, you must promise to alert me next time they play in Japan. It will be a lot closer for me to attend.
I would love to have been at that Oscar Peterson Trio concert.
91cwc790411
tomcatMurr,
Will do! I keep a steady eye on his live performance schedule. He is doing a lot of shows in Western Europe this summer. Hopefully he'll make it farther east sooner or later...
Will do! I keep a steady eye on his live performance schedule. He is doing a lot of shows in Western Europe this summer. Hopefully he'll make it farther east sooner or later...
92kidzdoc
Thanks to LT member profilerSR, I ordered a turntable last week for my father that will convert LPs and 45s to mp3 files that can be played on iTunes. I used it last week to record my favorite childhood album and one of his favorites, "The King and I" by the Mastersounds, which has been unavailable since its release in 1957. I bought a copy of the album online a couple of years ago, as his album practically has holes in it from being played so much, and we probably haven't listened to "The King and I" in nearly 40 years.
It is impossible for me to objectively review this album, as it brought back such warm memories of childhood that I had tears in my eyes listening to it. It consists of jazz interpretations of songs from the musical, and Buddy Montgomery's solos on "Dance of the Siamese Children" and "Shall We Dance?" are indescribably beautiful.
The Mastersounds was a quartet modeled on the MJQ (Modern Jazz Quartet), and featured two of Wes Montgomery's brothers, Buddy Montgomery (who died a few weeks ago) on vibes, Monk Montgomery on bass, in addition to Richie Crabtree (piano) and Benny Barth (drums). The group released six albums under the World Pacific label from 1957-1960 before disbanding. The group has been described as at least the equal of the MJQ in its prime; however, most of these albums, including another favorite of mine, "Kismet", have been unavailable for half a century...until now.
This weekend I discovered that El Records in the UK will be releasing a CD twofer, "The Mastesounds with Wes Montgomery: The King and I/Kismet", next week! Amazon has the CD available for pre-purchase, as it will be available in the US in late August. I'll be on the lookout for the CD when I go to London later this month, and will review "Kismet", which also features Wes Montgomery. I'm very curious to hear how "The King and I" sounds on the new CD, especially in comparison to the LP.
It is impossible for me to objectively review this album, as it brought back such warm memories of childhood that I had tears in my eyes listening to it. It consists of jazz interpretations of songs from the musical, and Buddy Montgomery's solos on "Dance of the Siamese Children" and "Shall We Dance?" are indescribably beautiful.
The Mastersounds was a quartet modeled on the MJQ (Modern Jazz Quartet), and featured two of Wes Montgomery's brothers, Buddy Montgomery (who died a few weeks ago) on vibes, Monk Montgomery on bass, in addition to Richie Crabtree (piano) and Benny Barth (drums). The group released six albums under the World Pacific label from 1957-1960 before disbanding. The group has been described as at least the equal of the MJQ in its prime; however, most of these albums, including another favorite of mine, "Kismet", have been unavailable for half a century...until now.
This weekend I discovered that El Records in the UK will be releasing a CD twofer, "The Mastesounds with Wes Montgomery: The King and I/Kismet", next week! Amazon has the CD available for pre-purchase, as it will be available in the US in late August. I'll be on the lookout for the CD when I go to London later this month, and will review "Kismet", which also features Wes Montgomery. I'm very curious to hear how "The King and I" sounds on the new CD, especially in comparison to the LP.
93kidzdoc
Here's a nice article from Jazz Profiles about the Mastersounds:
Jazz Profiles: Remembering The Mastersounds
Jazz Profiles: Remembering The Mastersounds
94cwc790411
Thanks for introducing me to the Mastersounds, kidzdoc. Not familiar with them, but that's a nice story and I'm sure your father will enjoy that nice bit of technology! Also, that Jazz Profiles site looks real interesting and I'll have to check it out when I have some more time on my hands!
95kidzdoc
You're welcome, Christopher. There is still a lot of excellent jazz from the '50s and '60s that is buried deep in the vaults, and it's great to see these little known recordings and artists getting their due.
96dukedom_enough
Boston musician Joe Maneri has died:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/arts/music/30maneri.html
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=41657
Note that he claimed to have been in the very first band to do free improvisation, in 1946, according to the NYT obit. True?
In the 1990s I attended several concerts of the Boston Microtonal Society, of which he was the leading light. Fun, fascinating music and a charming person. These concerts had very light attendance; in at least one case, I came to suspect that I was the only true audience member, everyone else being a friend, associate, or relative of the performers. I seem to recall that I was there when he decided to add "Esther" to his middle name, because he liked the sound of it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/arts/music/30maneri.html
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=41657
Note that he claimed to have been in the very first band to do free improvisation, in 1946, according to the NYT obit. True?
In the 1990s I attended several concerts of the Boston Microtonal Society, of which he was the leading light. Fun, fascinating music and a charming person. These concerts had very light attendance; in at least one case, I came to suspect that I was the only true audience member, everyone else being a friend, associate, or relative of the performers. I seem to recall that I was there when he decided to add "Esther" to his middle name, because he liked the sound of it.
97cwc790411
New Keith Jarrett 3CD solo album “Paris / London: Testament” coming out next month: http://bit.ly/9YTCp
"Improvised, solo music from the great American pianist, recorded at two concerts that took place at the end of last year."
"In his liner notes, Jarrett gives a highly personal account of the music’s inspirational genesis, which is outstanding, even by his own high standards, with powerful emotions never far from the music’s surface."
Can't Wait!
"Improvised, solo music from the great American pianist, recorded at two concerts that took place at the end of last year."
"In his liner notes, Jarrett gives a highly personal account of the music’s inspirational genesis, which is outstanding, even by his own high standards, with powerful emotions never far from the music’s surface."
Can't Wait!
98kidzdoc
A friend of mine informed me earlier today that a friend of hers has just written a book about the brilliant jazz bassist Scott LaFaro, who died in an automobile accident in his early 20s, a few weeks after recording two legendary live albums as part of the Bill Evans Trio, "Waltz for Debby" and "Sunday at the Village Vanguard", in 1961. The book is titled Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro by Gene Lees, which I've just ordered from Amazon. I'll plan to read this next month, alongside Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings, the biography of the great pianist by Peter Pettinger, which has been sitting on my shelf for several years.
I alos found two YouTube videos about the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio; the first is from a live recording at Birdland in NYC in 1960:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8SFuLRjJy8
And the second is an interview of the legendary producer Orrin Keepnews, who recorded the 1961 Vanguard sessions and talks about Evans, LaFaro and the recordings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln0wVO7qFeU&feature=PlayList&p=1CFE67A59A...
I alos found two YouTube videos about the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio; the first is from a live recording at Birdland in NYC in 1960:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8SFuLRjJy8
And the second is an interview of the legendary producer Orrin Keepnews, who recorded the 1961 Vanguard sessions and talks about Evans, LaFaro and the recordings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln0wVO7qFeU&feature=PlayList&p=1CFE67A59A...
99bobmcconnaughey
I'd enjoy someone, who knows a lot more about jazz than i do, reading and reviewing August Kleinzahler's recent collection of essays on music: Music I-LXXIV He covers jazz, blues and 20th C formal musics, and while he seems quite knowledgeable, he seems awfully arrogant about his opinions. I bought it as the review i read in the NYT made it sound a lot more interesting than i've found it so far. The author is primarily known as a poet - and a decent one and a poet, knowledgeable about music seemed, at first glance, promising.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/the-poet-as-sound-man/?scp=1&sq...
I'm hardly an "authority" either, but i'd guess i know as much as he does about blues and 20thC classical/formal while I know very little about jazz and i can't really tell if what i'm "learning" about jazz here is anything more than a very biased set of opinions or if there's any basis (the subjectivity of reviewing, and music reviewing perhaps more so than other forms, being a given).
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/the-poet-as-sound-man/?scp=1&sq...
I'm hardly an "authority" either, but i'd guess i know as much as he does about blues and 20thC classical/formal while I know very little about jazz and i can't really tell if what i'm "learning" about jazz here is anything more than a very biased set of opinions or if there's any basis (the subjectivity of reviewing, and music reviewing perhaps more so than other forms, being a given).
100kidzdoc
I think I'll pass on this one. I already have a dozen or more jazz books that I haven't read yet, including the LaFaro biography that I mentioned above. When I read your original review I knew the author sounded familiar, but I couldn't place him, until you mentioned that he is also a poet. I read Cutty, One Rock several years ago, which was disturbing but brilliant.
101cwc790411
kidzdoc, thanks for posting about the Scott Lefaro book. I love the trio and wish he had lived longer to record more with Bill Evans. Who knows what might have come of that. I have Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings sitting on my bookshelf as well. With any luck I'll read it in 2010! I was on a real jazz kick at the beginning of the year, but ran out of time and got into some travel related theme reads on top of school reading.
102kidzdoc
I should have said that I hope to get to one or both biographies next month! It may be next year before I can get to either one, too. Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin Kelley comes out in the US early next month, and I'm sure that I'll pick that up in San Francisco in October (I bought tickets for five SF Jazz Festival concerts, along with a ticket to see Cedar Walton play at Yoshi's in Oakland). If I get to the LaFaro or Evans biographies this year, it probably won't be until November, at the earliest (my literary eyes were bigger than my stomach, once again).
103cwc790411
A new Monk biography? That's great to hear, kidzdoc! I rather like reading jazz biographies, but there are some greats from the music who are under-represented as far as biographies. Anyways, there is one (or more?) of Monk, but nothing that comes highly recommended. What do you know about this new book?
By the way, it the Robin Kelly wikipedia entry it says "Kelley has been working for years with Monk Institute founder Thelonious Monk Jr., who has granted Kelley access to rare historical documents for his biography. No other scholar has ever had such access and support from the Monk family."
Can't wait - have really gotten into Monk in 2009 so the timing is perfect.
P.S. The book has a web site as well: http://monkbook.com/
By the way, it the Robin Kelly wikipedia entry it says "Kelley has been working for years with Monk Institute founder Thelonious Monk Jr., who has granted Kelley access to rare historical documents for his biography. No other scholar has ever had such access and support from the Monk family."
Can't wait - have really gotten into Monk in 2009 so the timing is perfect.
P.S. The book has a web site as well: http://monkbook.com/
104kidzdoc
Thanks for the info, Christopher. I'll be in San Francisco for the Jazz Festival next month; unfortunately I will just miss seeing the author's talk at City Lights Bookstore.
105cwc790411
John Coltrane has been mentioned numerous times in this thread, so I thought I'd mention that September 23rd is Coltrane's birthday. WKCR, Columbia University's radio station, is doing a 24 hour birthday broadcast until 23:59 EST (in reality often longer depending on the following DJ). Tune into the internet stream here. Follow the link for "live broadcast" in the lower right.
Also, had the pleasure of reading a very solid Coltrane biography earlier this year, Coltrane: The Story of a Sound by N.Y. Times writer Ben Ratliff. Recommended.
Also, had the pleasure of reading a very solid Coltrane biography earlier this year, Coltrane: The Story of a Sound by N.Y. Times writer Ben Ratliff. Recommended.
106dukedom_enough
For those in the Boston area, the annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, always held around his birthday, will happen this coming Saturday at Northeastern University. A Boston tradition since 1977.
107dukedom_enough
Yesterday's Wall Street Journal has an article about what a great year 1959 was in jazz.
108dukedom_enough
Back to the Wall Street Journal with Nat Hentoff's article today, introducing us to Berklee School phenom Hailey Niswanger.
109kidzdoc
Wow! She's got it, alright. And she's only 19? That WSJ article on Hailey Niswanger has excerpts from her debut album, which I'm downloading from iTunes now. Thanks dukedom_enough!
1959 was a great year for jazz, I agree. My favorite year for jazz is probably 1964, as several of my most beloved albums came out then. These are some of the best albums (IMO) from that year:
Crescent (John Coltrane)
Empyrean Isles (Herbie Hancock)
Four for Trane (Archie Shepp)
Free for All (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
Getz/Gilberto (Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto)
In 'N Out (Joe Henderson)
Into Somethin' (Larry Young)
Indestructible! (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
Inner Urge (Joe Henderson)
Judgment! (Andrew Hill)
JuJu (Wayne Shorter)
Live at the It Club (Thelonious Monk)
A Love Supreme (John Coltrane)
Matador (Grant Green)
Night Dreamer (Wayne Shorter)
Out to Lunch! (Eric Dolphy)
Point of Departure (Andrew Hill)
Search for the New Land (Lee Morgan)
Speak No Evil (Wayne Shorter)
Nina Simone in Concert (Nina Simone)
Song for My Father (Horace Silver)
Soul Sauce (Cal Tjader)
Today and Tomorrow (McCoy Tyner)
Tom Cat (Lee Morgan)
Trio '64 (Bill Evans)
1959 was a great year for jazz, I agree. My favorite year for jazz is probably 1964, as several of my most beloved albums came out then. These are some of the best albums (IMO) from that year:
Crescent (John Coltrane)
Empyrean Isles (Herbie Hancock)
Four for Trane (Archie Shepp)
Free for All (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
Getz/Gilberto (Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto)
In 'N Out (Joe Henderson)
Into Somethin' (Larry Young)
Indestructible! (Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers)
Inner Urge (Joe Henderson)
Judgment! (Andrew Hill)
JuJu (Wayne Shorter)
Live at the It Club (Thelonious Monk)
A Love Supreme (John Coltrane)
Matador (Grant Green)
Night Dreamer (Wayne Shorter)
Out to Lunch! (Eric Dolphy)
Point of Departure (Andrew Hill)
Search for the New Land (Lee Morgan)
Speak No Evil (Wayne Shorter)
Nina Simone in Concert (Nina Simone)
Song for My Father (Horace Silver)
Soul Sauce (Cal Tjader)
Today and Tomorrow (McCoy Tyner)
Tom Cat (Lee Morgan)
Trio '64 (Bill Evans)
110dukedom_enough
Kidzdoc,
Glad you liked it. I don't buy software-only music or ebooks yet, so may get the CD at some point. I can see someone so young having great technical skills, but wonder about how far she might have developed artistically. I guess music is known for being an art where young prodigies can excel.
Glad you liked it. I don't buy software-only music or ebooks yet, so may get the CD at some point. I can see someone so young having great technical skills, but wonder about how far she might have developed artistically. I guess music is known for being an art where young prodigies can excel.
111kidzdoc
Dukedom_enough,
I've listened to several cuts on the album, and I like it so far. She has a light and playful tone, although she is certainly proficient, and the rhythm section matches her style quite well. The album is an almost equal mix of standards ("Four in One", "Oliloqui Valley", "Stablemates", "Yes and No") and songs that are either new or new to me, such as "Confeddie", the title track. I liked her playing much more on the non-standard songs, though.
It seems to me that the current group of young musicians and singers, in jazz and other genres, pay too much homage to the standards. Instead of interpreting these songs in a unique way, these songs are performed almost identically to the original versions, and the new versions usually pale in comparison. Hailey's version of "Oliloqui Valley" was good, but it was so similar to the stunning version on Herbie Hancock's "Empyrean Isles" (a 1964 favorite) that it made me stop listening to it, and put on the original instead.
I've listened to several cuts on the album, and I like it so far. She has a light and playful tone, although she is certainly proficient, and the rhythm section matches her style quite well. The album is an almost equal mix of standards ("Four in One", "Oliloqui Valley", "Stablemates", "Yes and No") and songs that are either new or new to me, such as "Confeddie", the title track. I liked her playing much more on the non-standard songs, though.
It seems to me that the current group of young musicians and singers, in jazz and other genres, pay too much homage to the standards. Instead of interpreting these songs in a unique way, these songs are performed almost identically to the original versions, and the new versions usually pale in comparison. Hailey's version of "Oliloqui Valley" was good, but it was so similar to the stunning version on Herbie Hancock's "Empyrean Isles" (a 1964 favorite) that it made me stop listening to it, and put on the original instead.
112dukedom_enough
Kidzdoc,
Glad to hear you like the album. I always feel I'm neglecting some middle-aged or elderly master when I buy music from a youngster.
Glad to hear you like the album. I always feel I'm neglecting some middle-aged or elderly master when I buy music from a youngster.
114cwc790411
109 Kidzdoc, I'm a bit behind here, but 1964 was a great year for jazz. Monk's "Live at the It Club" has been one of my favorites I've discovered in 2009. Killer!
Other albums that come to mind: Cecil Taylor's "Jazz Advance", Art Pepper in general, but especially live at the Vanguard. Actually, Monk in general. I finally really got into Monk in 2009. Looking forward to picking up that new bio Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original when I'm home in March.
Christopher
Other albums that come to mind: Cecil Taylor's "Jazz Advance", Art Pepper in general, but especially live at the Vanguard. Actually, Monk in general. I finally really got into Monk in 2009. Looking forward to picking up that new bio Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original when I'm home in March.
Christopher
115kidzdoc
Christopher, I agree with you on "Jazz Advance", which is probably my favorite Cecil Taylor album. Is that one from 1964, too? My favorite Art Pepper album is "10 to 4 at the 5 Spot", a live album from 1958(?).
I'm currently listening, for the umpteenth time, to my favorite live album, "Herbie Mann at the Village Gate" (1961). It features a strong African percussion section, and the final song, "It Ain't Necessarily So", is one of my all-time favorite songs.
I'm currently listening, for the umpteenth time, to my favorite live album, "Herbie Mann at the Village Gate" (1961). It features a strong African percussion section, and the final song, "It Ain't Necessarily So", is one of my all-time favorite songs.
116cwc790411
kidzdoc, after you posted this I listened to "Herbie Mann at the Village Gate" and thought it was great! I last/first listened to it when I was a university student and it didn't seem to have the "fireworks" I was looking for and couldn't get into it. At the time, I was really into Dolphy's flute playing on some of 'Trane's blow out performances of "My Favorite Things".
Okay, I started to think about my favorite live records after you posted this and here are a few:
Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard 1961
Coltrane Live at Birdland
Miles at the Plugged Nickel
Miles Four & More
Miles at the Blackhawk
Dolphy Live at the Five Spot
Ellington at Newport
Bill Evans at the Vanguard
Red Garland at the Prelude
Dexter Gordon Homecoming
Coleman Hawkins "Alive! At the Village Gate"
Joe Henderson Live in Japan
Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House
Ahmad Jamal's live performances in "Cross Country Tour"
Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note and other live performances of the Trio
Keith Jarrett solo, for that matter - Sun Bear recordings
Lee Konitz "Another Shade of Blue"
Mingus at Antibes
Monk, live, anywhere, any time! Especially at the It Club or his performances with Johnny Griffin
Art Pepper at the Vanguard
Oscar Peterson, in general
Bobby Timmons, in person
Wow, I'd like to spend the rest of the day listening to those records. What a collection!
Impossible to narrow down, but if I had to...
Ellington at Newport
Evans at the VV
Mingus at Antibes
Okay, I started to think about my favorite live records after you posted this and here are a few:
Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard 1961
Coltrane Live at Birdland
Miles at the Plugged Nickel
Miles Four & More
Miles at the Blackhawk
Dolphy Live at the Five Spot
Ellington at Newport
Bill Evans at the Vanguard
Red Garland at the Prelude
Dexter Gordon Homecoming
Coleman Hawkins "Alive! At the Village Gate"
Joe Henderson Live in Japan
Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House
Ahmad Jamal's live performances in "Cross Country Tour"
Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note and other live performances of the Trio
Keith Jarrett solo, for that matter - Sun Bear recordings
Lee Konitz "Another Shade of Blue"
Mingus at Antibes
Monk, live, anywhere, any time! Especially at the It Club or his performances with Johnny Griffin
Art Pepper at the Vanguard
Oscar Peterson, in general
Bobby Timmons, in person
Wow, I'd like to spend the rest of the day listening to those records. What a collection!
Impossible to narrow down, but if I had to...
Ellington at Newport
Evans at the VV
Mingus at Antibes
