What Jazz are you listening to now?

[George]

A great Bill Evans hard bop recording.  There is a "sessions" version of Interplay with extra stuff, plus there is another recording from the same period called Loose Blues which is cool because it features more of Zoot Sims.

I guess the "carrot" here is the better sound?

Yes, the carrot is the excellent mastering by Steve Hoffman.

[San Antone]

Yeah, the record is one of the most amazing of all records, that's for sure!

But there's alas not that much new material in the box, quite some of it is known already, most notably from "Get Up with It", but also from "Big Fun".

The main advantage of the Complete On the Corner Sessions is to have the unedited jams without the splices that were made to create On the Corner as released.

TD



Disc 1
On The Corner (unedited master) 19:25
On The Corner (Take 4) 5:15
One and One (unedited master) 17:55
Helen Butte/Mr. Freedom X (unedited master) 23:19
Jabali 11:04

[SimonNZ]

Blakey's "Gypsy Folk Tales" is on its way to me right now ... how is it?

Good but not at all essential, in my opinion. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Of the lesser known Blakeys I've heard recently I thought Backgammon was the one that most deserved to be rescued from obscurity, and stands alongside the best of his Blue Notes.

[San Antone]

TOMASZ STANKO QUARTET | SOUL OF THINGS
Tomasz Stanko trumpet
Marcin Wasilewski piano
Slawomir Kurkiewicz double-bass
Michal Miskiewicz drums
Recorded August 2001 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo



I've always liked Tomasz Stanko's recordings, his tone is dark and evocative and he almost always assembles an excellent band:

"I've been playing the same song my whole life," says trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, who puts his claim to the test in thirteen numbered tracks under the title Soul of Things. Together they are not variations on a theme, but are a "balladesque suite" built around the theme of variation.

[king ubu]

Good but not at all essential, in my opinion. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Of the lesser known Blakeys I've heard recently I thought Backgammon was the one that most deserved to be rescued from obscurity, and stands alongside the best of his Blue Notes.

Interesting, as "Backgammon" is part of the same order (both on their way, in separate shippings, it seems) ... I'm not expecting any essential Blakey beyond his Blue Notes, to be honest, not even the Limelights right after are really up to scratch (well, "Buttercorn Lady" is really close, and maybe the 1968 ones with Billy Harper are just as close). But I still wanted to get those two before they're gone again ...  and if one's okay and the other real good, that's more than good 'nuff! 

Regarding Tomasz Stanko, I loved his Komeda tribute, "Litania", one of the most played discs in my place in the very late nineties. Saw his quartet around the time of "Soul of Things" (which I also enjoyed a lot), I think, at a very weird, not really publicly announced concert at the most important jazz club in town, I think it was kind of a reception by the Polish embassy or something, but if you knew they'd allow you in as a regular paying customer, too ... weird atmosphere but fine music. But a while later, I more or less stopped following his released. Still bought "Suspended Night", but found it to be more of the same ... recently got "Wislawa" but no idea on what pile it is hiding right now ... guess I'll have to fill some gaps eventually.

But some gaps that I did fill in the same time when I stopped following his new releases, are his terrific early albums, "Music for K", "Twet" (both were part of a five-disc set, also containing the later "Music 81", "Lady Go" and "Switzerland - Tomasz Stanko Freelectronic Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1987", of which the first is still very much okay, the later two not really down my alley, at least when i listened to them, which has been a while), and then - vinyl only as far as I know - "Purple Sun" (falls between "Music for K" and "Twet" actually, 1971, 1973 and 1975).

"Leosia" is another favourite from his ECMs, with Stenson-Jormin-Oxley - nice band.

[San Antone]

Regarding Tomasz Stanko, I loved his Komeda tribute, "Litania", one of the most played discs in my place in the very late nineties. Saw his quartet around the time of "Soul of Things" (which I also enjoyed a lot), I think, at a very weird, not really publicly announced concert at the most important jazz club in town, I think it was kind of a reception by the Polish embassy or something, but if you knew they'd allow you in as a regular paying customer, too ... weird atmosphere but fine music. But a while later, I more or less stopped following his released. Still bought "Suspended Night", but found it to be more of the same ... recently got "Wislawa" but no idea on what pile it is hiding right now ... guess I'll have to fill some gaps eventually.

The Polish quartet has released three CDs, besides the two you mentioned, the third Lontano came out in 2006.  Yes, superficially they could be said to sound alike, but essentially they are all structured very differently.  As you know, Soul of Things is a group of "variations", and the title tune form Lontano is laced throughout the other selections, each which might be seens as a departure as well as comment on what has come before.  Suspended Night has a sparser texture than either of the other two.  All of these are mandatory Stanko, imo.

But some gaps that I did fill in the same time when I stopped following his new releases, are his terrific early albums, "Music for K", "Twet" (both were part of a five-disc set, also containing the later "Music 81", "Lady Go" and "Switzerland - Tomasz Stanko Freelectronic Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1987", of which the first is still very much okay, the later two not really down my alley, at least when i listened to them, which has been a while), and then - vinyl only as far as I know - "Purple Sun" (falls between "Music for K" and "Twet" actually, 1971, 1973 and 1975).

"Leosia" is another favourite from his ECMs, with Stenson-Jormin-Oxley - nice band.

All those are really good; and I consider Stanko a first rate jazz musician who reliably puts out great recordings.  But, I really like his quartet recordings, the Polish group (which as a touring unit since 1994 has a great rqpport by this time) but more recently his "New York Quartet".

The TSNYQ has recorded two CDs so far, Wislawa in 2015 with the lineup of Tomasz Stańko, trumpet; David Virelles, piano; Thomas Morgan, bass; and Gerald Cleaver, drums. Last year's release of December Avenue changed up the bassist, replacing Thomas Morgan with Reuben Rogers.

I've been listening to Stanko throughout his more than 40 year association with ECM and have not found anything he's done disappointing, but these two New York Quartet albums, with the edge possibly going to Wislawa because of the variety of the improvisations, are two of his best.

[king ubu]

Thanks! So I guess I'll find "Wislawa" and go from there. I remember playing at least a part of it when after buying it (I guess around 2016, not when it was new) and liking what I heard.

Now giving this here a first spin:



Not a revelation, Monk by 1967 was problematic in some ways I think - and still great in others ... will have to revisit the Paris concert (on a Charly bootleg disc), which I remember as being somewhat more cohesive - but at least this is a most valuable addition to the discography, in good sound. Quality job, it seems, even though it's one more PD release, I assume (no mention of the Monk family anywhere, though when it came out last year it was not quite yet 50 years old ...)

[milk]

[San Antone]

Andrew Hill | Judgment!
Andrew Hill - piano
Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone
Richard Davis - bass
Elvin Jones - drums



One of his best bands and the session is right up there with Point of Departure, also from 1964.

[San Antone]

John Abercrombie | The First Quartet
John Abercrombie: guitar, mandolin guitar
Richie Beirach: piano
George Mraz: double bass
Peter Donald: drums

We lost a great musician last August when John Abercrombie passed away at the age of 72 from heart failure.  From the mid-1970s onward he recorded a stream of impressive albums for ECM, including Gateway (1976), with Jack DeJohnette and the bassist Dave Holland, which marked his real arrival.  His first quartet was formed in the late '70s.

The albums included in the three-disc set are remastered from original ECM analog recordings of Arcade (1979), Abercrombie Quartet (1979) and M (1981). All but unavailable in CD format, these three early quartet outings have been bundled as part of ECM's Old & New Masters collection and represent some early building blocks in Abercrombie's development.

[king ubu]

That set is on my piles ... don't know any of it yet, bought it after the sad news of his death was out.

His last one on ECM is also pretty good, I find - Marc Copland is on piano, and he was when I heard Abercrombie live for the first time, just a duo, and it was great, although p/g is usually not a combination I really enjoy, be it in duo or quartet or as part of a (modern) rhythm section ... things just get too crowded too often. But Abercrombie knows how to handle it!

[San Antone]

Achirana

Vassilis Tsabropoulos piano
Arild Andersen double-bass
John Marshall drums
Recorded October 1999 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo



Typical ECM recording: good sound; good playing; but does not stand out from all the other piano trio recordings on ECM.  Still, his was a new name for me and I am happy to have it to listen to.  Arild Andersen is a great bass player, and that was enough to lure me in.

[San Antone]

Nice duo from 2014, like being at Bradley's in NYC.

[bwv 1080]

[SimonNZ]

Bobby Hutcherson - Un Poco Loco (1979)

[San Antone]

Anouar Brahem | Souvenance

The music of Souvenance, by turns graceful, hypnotic, and taut and starkly dramatic, was recorded in 2014 – six years after oud-master Anouar Brahem's last ECM album, The Astounding Eyes of Rita. "It took a long time to write this music," he acknowledges, noting that his emotional world had been usurped by the unfolding story of political upheaval sweeping first through Tunisia then through the neighbouring countries. Extraordinary waves of change, accompanied by great hopes and fears. "I don't claim a direct link between my compositions and the events taking place in Tunisia," says Anouar, "but I have been deeply affected by them." New directions for the music find Franҫois Couturier returning to the Brahem group, frequently supported by subtle string orchestration. The strings have a glowing transparency and fragility in these pieces, often providing shimmering texture against which the contributions of the quartet members – and, above all, Anouar Brahem's unique oud-playing – stand out in bold relief. This double album was recorded at the Lugano studio in May 2014, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Not sure if this is even "jazz" but it is certainly a fantastic listening experience.

[king ubu]

The Julian Lage album is so different from the concert that I felt like listening to it again, despite the fantastic concert (after such concerts, I will usually not touch studio albums for a while, as they will be flat and boring by comparison - nothing beats the live situation in jazz!) last night ... now listening to jaimie branch again, her great debut album, finally the CD has arrived and I don't have to listen to crappity files on my little bluetooth speaker (which is nice enough though).

branch got a five-star-review here:
http://www.freejazzblog.org/2017/05/jaime-branch-fly-or-die-international.html

[king ubu]

Count Basie - Berlin 1963

This is a year (or four) too late in the game for prime NT Basie, but it's nice ... from one of those series releasing (PD) material from German radio sources in good sound (though this one from WDR comes in foogly design and notes are on the short side, too) - glad to have it!

[San Antone]

Miles in the Sky

Always one of my favorites from the tail end of his Second Great Quintet period.

[San Antone]

Fast forward to 1969 - the Complete Bitches Brew Sessions

When questioned by Paul Tingen why most of the material in fact was not recorded either for or at the same sessions as the original album, re-issue producer Bob Belden clarified how the team's thought process went. According to him and the engineer, all the songs Miles Davis recorded between August 1969 and early February 1970 used very similar line-ups to those on Bitches Brew, and the main thing they all had in common was the emphasis on keyboards. Every song in the set includes two to three keyboard players, most often Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul and Herbie Hancock. It wasn't until late February 1970 that Davis refined his concept by dropping the multiple electric pianists for a more guitar-heavy sound. Those following sessions were collected on The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions.

The box set includes some tracks that had never been previously released, one of which, the Wayne Shorter composition "Feio," has since appeared as a bonus track on late compact disc reissues of Bitches Brew. A few of the other tracks in the box set had previously appeared on the albums Live-Evil, Big Fun, and Circle in the Round.