What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Mirror Image]

Marc Johnson - Second Sight (1987)

Strange: I loved the first of Marc Johnson's Bass Desires albums. But that one I found quite unexpectedly bad.

The best song on there is Frisell's Small Hands. A gorgeous piece, IMHO.

[SimonNZ]

The best song on there is Frisell's Small Hands. A gorgeous piece, IMHO.

I'll give that one another listen, thanks.

now:



Manuel Rocheman - Cactus Dance (2007)

[San Antone]

The Keith Jarrett Quartet : The Impulse Years 1973-1974 - CD 1 "Fort Yawuh"
Keith Jarrett
Dewey Redman
Charlie Haden
Paul Motian



This 5CD set along with the followup, "Mysteries" The impulse Years 1975-1976, are my favorite Jarrett band and period.  Great stuff.

[San Antone]

Wayne Shorter : Adam's Apple
Wayne Shorter
Herbie Hancock
Reginald Workman
Joe Chambers



Wayne Shorter's Blue Note records are uniformly excellent.  They feature his mature compositional and improvisational voice as well as the cream of the crop of jazz musicians in the sixties. 

[SimonNZ]

Stan Getz - Imported From Europe (1959)

[Alek Hidell]

IMO, one of the best of the Standards Trio albums (of the ones I've heard, that is, which certainly isn't all of them):



Along with:



Apparently it was an ECM kind of day for me.

[Spineur]

Probably 2 years since I listened to any Oscar Peterson.  Actually, quite nice, better than I remembered

[king ubu]

All day yesterday and continuing today: stuff by tenors hailing from Chicago (or dropping by - Sonny Stitt with Nicky Hill and Johnny Board, James Moody with Gene Ammons): Von Freeman (including with son Chico), Fred Anderson, Roscoe Mitchell ... but most of all Eddie Harris. Right now into the duo album he cut with Ellis Marsalis, which is nice but could have benefited from a better piano player, I guess - but that doesn't matter all that much as Eddie is great form:

[king ubu]

More Eddie who ... the former is my favourite among his late albums, the later is much better than its reputation ... love both of 'em!

Lined up next:

[SimonNZ]

Count Basie - Basie Jam 2 (1976)

[San Antone]

[Daverz]

Count Basie - Basie Jam 2 (1976)

I did not know there was a #2.  Love the first Basie Jam Lp.

[SimonNZ]

I did not know there was a #2.  Love the first Basie Jam Lp.

I haven't heard it yet, but apparently there's also a #3:




now:



Mike Nock - Ondas (1982)
Kenny Burrell – Asphalt Canyon Suite (1969)

[Tom 1960]

On one of the jazz boards I frequent there was a recent discussion on Lars Gullin. Can't say I knew much about him previously, but many in the know spoke highly of him. This is one of his better releases with Chet Baker featured on 4 tracks. Very good stuff.

[Tom 1960]

[king ubu]

On one of the jazz boards I frequent there was a recent discussion on Lars Gullin. Can't say I knew much about him previously, but many in the know spoke highly of him. This is one of his better releases with Chet Baker featured on 4 tracks. Very good stuff.

Gullin is great! I completed my Dragon collection sometime last year but haven't yet made it through all the 11 volumes ... regarding baritone sax, the recent Serge Chaloff release on Uptown is terrific - played it for the first time a few days ago but failed to report here:



Some recent listens here:




And right now, ending the day with Gene Ammons:

[San Antone]

Herbie Nichols : The Complete Blue Note Recordings

One of jazz's most tragically overlooked geniuses, Herbie Nichols was a highly original piano stylist and a composer of tremendous imagination and eclecticism. He wasn't known widely enough to exert much influence in either department, but his music eventually attracted a rabid cult following, though not quite the wide exposure it deserved.

[San Antone]

Billy Hart : All Our Reasons

Mark Turner, tenor saxophone
Ben Street, double bass
Ethan Iverson, piano
Billy Hart, drums
Recorded June 2011 at Avatar Studios, New York

All Our Reasons has plenty of reasons to discover, appreciate, and enjoy. But most important among them is the realization that mastery exists only when egos get left at the door. This is music for the soul, because only the soul knows how to detach itself from harmful desires that would get in the way of the experience.

[SimonNZ]

Buddy Bregman - Swinging Kicks (1957)
Gary McFarland - The Gary McFarland Orchestra (1963)



Lyle Mays - Street Dreams (1988)

[SimonNZ]

Larry Young - Larry Young's Fuel (1975)