What Jazz are you listening to now?

[JBS]

The only misfire so far is "Fables of Faubus", which seems to lack the sarcastic/mocking elements of the Mingus original. Almost as if the ensemble doesn't know exactly who the tune is based on.

TBF, I'm an American Baby Boomer and I couldn't remember who he was until Google refreshed my memory.

[Number Six]

Grant Green: Green Street

[brewski]

Samara Joy: Live at Philharmonie de Paris (livestreamed yesterday 15 March)

[AnotherSpin]

Samara Joy: Live at Philharmonie de Paris (livestreamed yesterday 15 March)

Thanks for the link! I'll listen with pleasure. Samara Joy is magnificent — especially nowadays, when true mastery and tradition are being overshadowed by political activism, imaginary rights struggles, hip-hop, and other nonsense. She is truly one of a kind.

[SimonNZ]

"Hank Mobley and His All Stars" (1957)

Not only do I not think I've heard this album before, but I don't think I've even seen that cover before.

And its a really fine album (Milt Jackson! Art Blakey! Horace Silver!)

[T. D.]

"Hank Mobley and His All Stars" (1957)

Not only do I not think I've heard this album before, but I don't think I've even seen that cover before.

And its a really fine album (Milt Jackson! Art Blakey! Horace Silver!)

That session is included in the Mosaic "Complete Blue Note Hank Mobley Fifties Sessions" box.
I agree that it's very good, that's one of the Mosaics I listen to most often.
I've never seen a CD of the album before. May have glanced at a copy in LP boxes, but can't recall.

[brewski]

For St. Patrick's Day, a gorgeous arrangement of "Danny Boy" from the five singers of Highline — Alyssa Venora, Emily Gaggiano, Mark Farnum, Nick Gordon, and Jared Gravely (who did the stunning arrangement) — with Matt Venora on keyboard.

[T. D.]

[San Antone]

[San Antone]

[T. D.]

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Lee Morgan Vol. 3.

[AnotherSpin]

A few years ago, I was struck by Rajna Swaminathan, an exceptional mrudangam (South Indian drum) player whose approach to the instrument left a lasting impression. Recently, I stumbled upon another remarkable discovery, South Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong, now based in Amsterdam. Qobuz has several of her albums, both as a leader and in various collaborations.

Just when it seems that jazz drumming has exhausted all its possibilities, along comes someone who proves otherwise. Hong's playing is fresh, inventive, and unmistakably her own. I've had several of her recordings on near-permanent repeat.

[AnotherSpin]

Soft European jazz by Tara Sarter on saxophone, Elias Stemeseder on piano and synths, and Lukas Akintaya on drums, featuring an organic, subtle purring sound – the album cover complements it perfectly

[KevinP]

And this completes the DJO series for me of unreleased Strayhorn.

[KevinP]

Awaiting delivery but listening to it on YouTube and also working on a midi mock-up of one of the tracks (which I thought I had, but apparently only in live versions).


Seems to be an album that's not often in print. My copy is a two-fer with Plays Mary Poppins...and as much as I love Ellington, this is about the only way I'd purchase such a title.

[SimonNZ]

Heh. The Mary Poppins album is unessential but still quite charming. The ones I only have because they're part of a 5cd budget pack of Reprise albums are the two albums of pop song orchestrations, Ellington '65 and Ellington '66.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Ellingtons-Session-Ellington/dp/B003097AHY

But that does also have the much more essential Jazz Violin Session, which I've not encountered on its own elsewhere.

[KevinP]

Ooh, that looks good. I have the Will Big Bands title plus the Poppins on the way, but the other three are not in my collection at all. I wasn't aware of the violin one, but I do like Ellington's occasional use of the instrument.

[SimonNZ]

Speaking of Ellington: I picked up a stray 2cd set from the big History label chronology, this one covering mid June 1930 to the start of January 1931. Most of it has Duke et al backing some really square crooners crooning some really square songs.

And it's not the first time I've wondered what the dynamic was in that arrangement. How happy sad or indifferent everybody was with that kind of work. But also I wonder at how this aspect of Duke discography is passed by without comment in the handful of books of now read on him. You'd think, as you might with most compilations, that Duke only ever worked with a handful of simpatico singers following his vision.

It's also what I wonder when I hear unconditional praise of the Blanton-Webster set: you've got to take away at least a half a point for the (thankfully fewer) square vocalists.

[AnotherSpin]

John Dikeman - saxophone
Marta Warelis - piano
Aaron Lumley - bass
Sun-Mi Hong - drums