What Jazz are you listening to now?

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Coltrane transcribed for piano. I THINK this is what I heard on the superb California Central Coast radio station KCBX, while we were on vacation last week. Alas, there was no playlist for wee-small-hours-of-the-morning programming.

Apparently this is not available on CD. I am really tired of having to settle for MP3s of various things. I wish there were at least a FLAC version.

Does anyone know anything about this recording? It does not even appear on her own website--only Amazon! The one track I heard, I thought was superb!



https://www.amazon.com/Coltrane-pianist-composer-Jessica-Williams/dp/B000QZY47E/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545108560&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=jessica+williams+coltrane+cd


EDIT: I just found it: http://www.jessicawilliams.com/cds/coltrane.html
but, when I click the link to buy it, it just takes me to a list of CDs.

[king ubu]

Coltrane transcribed for piano. I THINK this is what I heard on the superb California Central Coast radio station KCBX, while we were on vacation last week. Alas, there was no playlist for wee-small-hours-of-the-morning programming.

Apparently this is not available on CD. I am really tired of having to settle for MP3s of various things. I wish there were at least a FLAC version.

Does anyone know anything about this recording? It does not even appear on her own website--only Amazon! The one track I heard, I thought was superb!



https://www.amazon.com/Coltrane-pianist-composer-Jessica-Williams/dp/B000QZY47E/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545108560&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=jessica+williams+coltrane+cd


EDIT: I just found it: http://www.jessicawilliams.com/cds/coltrane.html
but, when I click the link to buy it, it just takes me to a list of CDs.

I haven't heard all that much by Jessica Williams yet, but she's a great piano player, that's for sure! On her site there's mention of the Origin Records version of her Coltrane album with a slightly different tracklist, and that one is available via the usual outlets:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IN75E4/

--

Thread duty - last night:



The Draksler/Eldh/Lillinger may be my new jazz release of the year, the Melford it's close runner-up ... the Cyrille/Frisell/Wadada leaves me more and more puzzled - Wadada sounds somewhat direction-less, Frisell takes it easy and feels cozy, Cyrille does his free-style marching band drumming stuff, and it never really gels, except for the gorgeous ballad at the end. Not sure if Frisell is entirely mis-cast here, or just unwilling to really play that stuff with Cyrille ... I liked the previous ECM album by Cyrille quite some, but it took me a while, so maybe this one will grow on me again (I liked it much better upon first listen a few weeks back).

[San Antone]

... the Cyrille/Frisell/Wadada leaves me more and more puzzled - Wadada sounds somewhat direction-less, Frisell takes it easy and feels cozy, Cyrille does his free-style marching band drumming stuff, and it never really gels, except for the gorgeous ballad at the end. Not sure if Frisell is entirely mis-cast here, or just unwilling to really play that stuff with Cyrille ... I liked the previous ECM album by Cyrille quite some, but it took me a while, so maybe this one will grow on me again (I liked it much better upon first listen a few weeks back).

This one



For me, the only reason I would listen to these is because of Frisell - but I am more impressed than you with the latest one (will listen to the earlier one too).  Not sure what you mean about Frisell being miscast, I don't perceive that; as are many ECM recordings the playing is more about color and mood than dynamic energy.

Expansive, loose playing, by all three musicians.  I enjoy it, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[king ubu]

For me the drawing points are Cyrille and Wadada, both musicians whose work I admire greatly.

Not sure if I can describe it any better, the trio just doesn't seem to getl to my ears, they're playing at the same time, but not really with each other. Smith blows his lines, they seem detached from what Frisell does (who does his lovely and very warm Americana/country-ish stuff, but no blues, which might have suited the trumpet better) and Cyrille again seems to do something entirely else. Anyway, I'll keep trying, as my very first impression a few weeks ago was pretty good.

[San Antone]

For me the drawing points are Cyrille and Wadada, both musicians whose work I admire greatly.

Not sure if I can describe it any better, the trio just doesn't seem to getl to my ears, they're playing at the same time, but not really with each other. Smith blows his lines, they seem detached from what Frisell does (who does his lovely and very warm Americana/country-ish stuff, but no blues, which might have suited the trumpet better) and Cyrille again seems to do something entirely else. Anyway, I'll keep trying, as my very first impression a few weeks ago was pretty good.

LOL - just the opposite, Cyrille (especially) is not a musician I listen to, nor Smith much (although I would like to hear his Miles tribute record).  As I said, Frisell was the only reason I would have listened to these.  But I like the 2018 one better than the quartet recording. 

Anyway, our recent discussions have sunk to squabbling, and I won't comment on your future posts unless we happen to agree.   

[king ubu]

LOL - just the opposite, Cyrille (especially) is not a musician I listen to, nor Smith much (although I would like to hear his Miles tribute record).  As I said, Frisell was the only reason I would have listened to these.  But I like the 2018 one better than the quartet recording. 

Anyway, our recent discussions have sunk to squabbling, and I won't comment on your future posts unless we happen to agree.   

Yup, fine with me, too ... wasn't my intention, and at least we're keeping things polite 

Either way, maybe "Yo! Miles", the Henry Kaiser/Smith project may be something for you?

[San Antone]

Gerald Clayton : Bond - the Paris sessions (2011)

Excerpt from Allmusic review

His second release as a leader is a trio session with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, plus some solo piano tracks. His interpretations of standards are remarkably fresh, considering how often they have been recorded in a jazz setting. He sets up "If I Were a Bell" with a subtle vamp as he slowly works his way into it, delivering a witty performance well supported by his sidemen. Clayton, while not totally eschewing the famous introduction to "All the Things You Are" added by Dizzy Gillespie, does rework it into a more subtle harmonic device before delving directly into the song, with a tense, understated approach that simmers but never reaches the boiling point. His solo take of "Nobody Else But Me" is full of intricately interwoven lines while still swinging like mad. Where Clayton really stands apart from young musicians of his generation is as a composer. He shows a surprising maturity for his age, as his pieces display a wealth of stylistic influences yet retain memorable themes that hold one's interest as well. Highlights including his dramatic three-part suite, his Impressionist "Sun Glimpse," and the touching lyrical ballad "Hank."

[San Antone]

"Blue Velvet" by Kurt Elling & Branford Marasalis from the CD Upward Spiral (2016)

Jazziz review

Upward Spiral [is] comprised of a mixture of staples from the Great American Songbook, modern jazz standards and popular music mainstays from a diverse array of composers. Highlights include a version of "Doxy" by Sonny Rollins with lyrics by Mark Murphy, an arrangement of the Nat King Cole-affiliated "Blue Gardenia" and Christ Whitley's bluesy "From One Island To Another." Marsalis said, "My philosophy of jazz is that it should be about strong melodies and a great beat, and every song here has a melody that you can hold in your mind, that you can sing."

[San Antone]

R.I.P. Nancy Wilson

I stumbled upon this sad news while looking through the latest JazzTimes.

Nancy Wilson, an NEA Jazz Master vocalist who was best known as a jazz singer but who cut deep inroads into rhythm & blues and pop over her 50-year career, died on Dec. 13 at her home in Pioneertown, Calif. She was 81.

According to a press statement from her manager Devra Hall Levy, Wilson's death came at the end of a long illness. No further details were given.

TD:

Cannonball Adderley & Nancy Wilson

[San Antone]

Fascinating music



Noise Of Our Time : Ken Vandermark, Nate Wooley, Sylvie Courvoisier and Tom Rainey

It was only during Ken Vandermark's residency at the Jazz club
The Stone in January 2016 that Vandermark found himself in the
same vicinity as Nate Wooley, Sylvie Courvoisier and Tom Rainey.
A year later they went into the studio with nine compositions –
three each by Courvoisier, Vandermark and Wooley.
These four musicians have well-documented, distinct personalities
which, in this context, results in performances full of surprises,
rich contrasts and shared responsibilities. The music sounds
thoughtful, but never over-wrought. They play by in tuition, yet
retain a vivid complexity. Their composing is transparent and
un-clichéd; their improvising provided with a remarkable coherence
and openness. And perhaps it is exactly this – a fresh collective
unity that keeps their respective personalities and idiosyncrasies
intact – that brings them success in this bold and collaborative
performance. Art needs to pique and renew your interest, take
you on inspiring and surprising journeys and sometimes even
confront your own biases. Creating, not reviving as a way to
evolve and to keep going forward in all directions.

released September 21, 2018

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I haven't heard all that much by Jessica Williams yet, but she's a great piano player, that's for sure! On her site there's mention of the Origin Records version of her Coltrane album with a slightly different tracklist, and that one is available via the usual outlets:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IN75E4/

--

Thread duty - last night:



The Draksler/Eldh/Lillinger may be my new jazz release of the year, the Melford it's close runner-up ... the Cyrille/Frisell/Wadada leaves me more and more puzzled - Wadada sounds somewhat direction-less, Frisell takes it easy and feels cozy, Cyrille does his free-style marching band drumming stuff, and it never really gels, except for the gorgeous ballad at the end. Not sure if Frisell is entirely mis-cast here, or just unwilling to really play that stuff with Cyrille ... I liked the previous ECM album by Cyrille quite some, but it took me a while, so maybe this one will grow on me again (I liked it much better upon first listen a few weeks back).

Great, thanks very much for the post. That CD you linked to looks like a winner, and I'm not even sure of the purpose of the MP3 album I posted. Sometimes I'm not having much success with Amazon search function, and I've been hearing a lot of other people complaining about it as well.

The Myra Melford  you posted certainly looks interesting. Do you have Equal Interest with her and Joseph Jarman--Another very interesting one, especially the track Poem Song?

Cheers,
XB-70

[San Antone]

Ben Webster and Harry Carney with Strings

Combining two string albums by Ben Webster and one from Ellington sideman Harry Carney, the two-disc Music With Feeling delivers over two hours' worth of incredible ballad interpretations. Webster, of course, made his name with many an after-hours gem, and he predictably shines here amidst the lush yet tasteful orchestral charts penned by Ralph Burns, Gerald Wilson, and Billy Strayhorn; there are particularly fine renditions here of "Early Autumn" and Strayhorn's misty and mercurial "Chelsea Bridge." Carney, too, is stunning, handling the traditionally cumbersome baritone saxophone with grace and loads of feeling, especially on highlights like "It Had to Be You" and his and Strayhorn's "Chalmeau." Forget all those bachelor-pad compilations and give this collection a spin at your next cocktail party.

[king ubu]

I dearly love that 2-disc-set, both the Webster and the Carney sessions!

--

Thread duty - in the mail from Japan today:



New to me, and all the better that the complete edition (with a second disc that was never on LP I think, but there were a few previous CD editions with the same contents) was just reissued again in Japan (11-28 to be exact, shipping the slow/cheap way usually takes some 3-6 weeks to Europe).

[king ubu]

Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA, 1957)

[San Antone]

Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA, 1957)

Good one!

TD



Inspired by the thread on baritone players.  I realized that it had been decades since I'd listened to any Serge.  Long overdue.  Released by Capitol Records in 1956. It was recorded on March 14 and 16, 1956 at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California.

[king ubu]

The Rogers is good fun indeed! Giuffre, Jolly, Geller and some of the tenors (I am unable to tell them apart, alas) have good spots - and so does Rogers, both the arranger and the trumpet player! Too bad JSP never followed up their Shorty Rogers Vol. 1 box with a second (and maybe even a third) one, covering his Atlantic and RCA material into the late 50s. I slept on him (and West Coast Jazz in general) at the time it would have been easy to buy all these, but I guess I have plenty and enough nonetheless

The Chaloff, to me, may be THE one baritone saxophone album I'd take onto that desert island ... (though the original Mulligan quartet would be really hard to leave behind).

[Artem]

I always had mixed feelings about this album, but today it hit the spot nicely.

[asin]B000PMFNTQ[/asin]

[king ubu]

This was never actually my favourite Sonny Clark album, but that may have to do with the crappy first version I had of it (a bootleg edition on West Wind) ... the current edition offered by Tompkins Square is the most complete one so far (the vinyl edition omits a few takes and all the false starts, which are grouped at the end of the second disc of the CD version), but likely still not quite complete yet (no outtakes for four of the tunes - half of the music actually, rather unlikely that those were all first/single takes, considering the circumstances). Anyway, between the Japanese edition I bought a while ago and this new edition, the album really grew on me and I'm enjoying it a lot by now!

[king ubu]

Starting to explore this box of goodies that landed on Saturday - the third and final, it seems, Masada book by John Zorn, bits of which I heard in a Zorn marathon concert at Willisau in 2016 ... starts out very mellow, the first disc being by singer Sofía Rei and JC Maillard.

[SimonNZ]

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars – Volume Three (1955)
Gary Peacock - Voices (1971)



Pierre Favre - Singing Drums (1984)