What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Henk]

I listened to that today. I thought it didn't mess with the music at all - and I mean that as a criticism. I don't really see the point of an over respectful cover that seeks to replicate what was already done. I want in an album like this for the original to be merely a jumping off point for their own preoccupations and visions.

True, assumed I agree that it's a replication. Then Davis is still in the run.

[Henk]

NP

Check this artist please. He's one of my favorite contemporary jazz artists. Peter Evans, whose work I dig too, plays also on this album.

Don't forget to check out. 😀

[Henk]

Pardon me for my annoying selfmockery, I'm just having fun. 

[Henk]

Miles said that jazz is also classical. I guess most of us here agree. And with classic albums being refurbished, this adds to it.

[Henk]

Not bad at all

[T. D.]

[San Antone]

John Coltrane Quartet : The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions

[KevinP]

He certainly had a handful of fine regular vocalists like Ivie Anderson or Al Hibbler who complemented the orchestra

You're absolutely correct to bring them up. They were very good vocalists.

But, I don't think they're as unique as Ellington's instrumentalists. Nobody played like Hodges, or Tricky Sam Nanton, or Cootie Williams, or Blanton (until afterwards anyway). He just didn't get the best musicians; he got the most individualistic ones, and he incorporated their uniqueness completely. The vocalists served a different purpose. (With a few exceptions, like Transblucency, Creole Love Call, etc.)

[AnotherSpin]

[brewski]

Another a cappella jazz vocal group new to me, Voctave, with a star turn by Tituss Burgess, in a gorgeous arrangement of "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)."

[KevinP]

Listening on YouTube.

[Number Six]

Return to Forever: Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy

4 Fusion Friday's recent theme on Sea of Tranquility was "3rd Albums". Of the four they chose, this is the only one I have heard so far. But as I am who I am, instead of diving into the others (Kick the Cat, Corea's Elektric, Panzerballett), I am listening to one I already know.

[San Antone]

Jakob Bro : Taking Turns
Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Thomas Morgan, Andrew Cyrille



The two guitars are well-blended, not overpowering the ensemble.  Wonderful vibe on this record. Lee Konitz, 86 at the time of this session, plays wonderfully.  The rest of the band is made up of top flight jazz musicians all who have played together many times.

[KevinP]

This is really good.

Raeburn is largely known for being unknown. Whenever you see anything written about him, it usually laments the lack of success he had during his lifetime and the paucity of fame garnered since. It probably doesn't help that the leader's instrument is one that long ago went out of style: the bass saxophone.

Nonetheless, he has some more valid claims to fame. First of all, it's a hell of a band, with Trummy Young, Dizzy Gillespie and Johnny Richards (arranger of some of Kenton's best known albums including Cuba Fire and West Side Story) passing through. They also recorded the first, or least an early, version of Night in Tunisia.

And he had a very gifted, if even more unknown, arranger in George Handy. Handy had studied with Aaron Copeland and his music shows the very clear influence of Stravinsky.

Check out some Handy-composed tone poems for the Raeburn orchestra, replete with short introductory speech by the arranger.

[AnotherSpin]

Michael Bisio
Kirk Knuffke
Fred Lonberg-Holm

[Spotted Horses]

I've been listening to Sonny Rollins Blue Note Volume I and II.

I've been listening to Volume II from way back and have been listening to Volume I for the first time. The opening track of Volume I, Decision, is amazing, and throughout the album I get the impression that Rollins is channeling Coleman Hawkins. Volume II is especially notable for the two Thelonious Monk compositions. Reflections is a recording for the ages, amazing in the way Rollins' improvisation develops the melodic content of Monk's composition.

[T. D.]

Michael Bisio
Kirk Knuffke
Fred Lonberg-Holm

I've seen all three live many times. Michael Bisio often plays about an hour away, and I see those shows almost every month, sometimes twice a month (incl. with a large ensemble). Will be seeing less of Fred L-H because he recently relocated.

[KevinP]

Posted a couple weeks ago that I was listening to this via YouTube while waiting for the CD to arrive. It has and I've been listening to it quite a bit.

[T. D.]

The two LPs on one CD release

plus

Great album, but some of the outtakes/false starts in the Verve CD edition are less than essential.

[KevinP]

This is my take on Ellington and Strayhorn's 'The Eighth Veil'.

Although appearing on the 1963 Afro-Bossa album above, it was first recorded in 1951 with the same arrangement. In fact, it goes back earlier than that as it's basically a redressing of Stayhorn's arrangement of 'Out of this World'. That wasn't recorded but some live version exist. They dropped the vocals, added a bunch of new elements and made it a jazz trumpet concerto for Cat Anderson.

I uploaded it on YouTube today, currently unlisted, and got a copyright notice.

I didn't try to copy the recording. I approached it as if my big band were doing the chart. This is really the best way for me to study a score.

Planning to make another video analysing it from a composition/arranging/orchestration point-of-view.