What Jazz are you listening to now?

[SimonNZ]

Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny (1960)
Sidney Bechet and Muggsy Spanier - Duets (rec. 1940)



Chris Connor - He Loves Me, He loves Me Not (1956)

[SimonNZ]

Bobby Short - Songs By Bobby Short (1955)
Dave Pell - Jazz And Romantic Places (1955)



George Wein - Wein, Women And Song (1955)
Paul Barbarin - And His New Orleans Jazz (rec.1951)

[modified]

Kenny Dorham: Matador

Melanie (or Melody for Melonae by Jackie McLean)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkzHAJchPh4
Trumpet – Kenny Dorham
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
Bass – Teddy Smith
Drums – J.C. Moses
Piano – Bobby Timmons

[SimonNZ]

Ted Straeter - Ted Straeter's New York (1955)
Tonny Fruscella - s/t (1955)



Alec Templeton - The Magic Piano (1956)
Jack Montrose - With Bob Gordon (1955)



Betty Bennett - Nobody Else But Me (1955)

[San Antone]

I love these recordings and listen to them often.



Jazz went through swing, bebop, cool, hard bop - but for me these recordings captured the best of what jazz is all about.

[SimonNZ]

Wilbur DeParis - Marchin And Swingin (1956)
Shorty Rogers - Martians Come Back (1956)



Cy Walters - Rogers Revisited (1956)
Patty McGovern and Thomas Talbert - Wednesday's Child (1956)

[San Antone]

Ben Webster - See You at the Fair

Ben Webster: tenor sax
Hank Jones: piano (1-5)
Roger Kellaway: piano (6-8), harpsichord (9-10)
Richard Davis: bass
Osie Johnson: drums

Allmusic awarded the album 5 stars with its review by Scott Yanow stating "Ben Webster's final American recording was one of his greatest.  Although I'm not a fan of the harpsichord.  Would have preferred that Roger Kellaway not been involved and Hank Jones handled all of the piano work.

"Someone to Watch Over Me" (Gershwin, Gershwin) 4:30
"In a Mellow Tone" (Ellington, Gabler) 4:26
"Over the Rainbow" (Arlen, Harburg) 4:42
"Love Is Here to Stay"(Gershwin, Gershwin) 2:48
"The Single Petal of a Rose" (Ellington) 3:20
"See You at the Fair" (Webster) 6:14
"Stardust" (Carmichael, Parish) 2:26
"Fall of Love" (Tiomkin, Washington) 2:46
"While We're Dancing" (Skylar, Vroman) 2:49
"Lullaby of Jazzland" (Albam, Ward) 3:04

[Brian]

Agree with you about Hank Jones' not-enough involvement on that one. My first listen to that was quite disappointing but maybe it's time to give it another try.

[San Antone]

Agree with you about Hank Jones' not-enough involvement on that one. My first listen to that was quite disappointing but maybe it's time to give it another try.

The standards are great performances, imo, even with Kellaway.  The rhythm section of Richard Davis and Osie Johnson are first rate, and Webster is in top form.  The last two tracks and the bonus tracks on the CD are where it jumps the rails, imo.

[SimonNZ]

Bill Russo - The World Of Alcina (1956)
Milt Jackson - Ballads And Blues (1956)



Sylvia Syms - Sings (1956)
Mabel Mercer - Midnight At Mabel Mercer's (1956)



Modern Jazz Quartet - At Music Inn With Guest Artist Jimmy Giuffre (1956)
Lars Gullin - Baritone Sax (1956)



Dave Pell - Love Story (1956)
Thomas Talbert - Bix, Duke, Fats (1957)

^click to enlarge that Dave Pell cover - I think its quite clever



Al Hibbler - After The Lights Go Down Low (1957)
Frances Wayne - The Warm Sound Of Frances Wayne (1957)



Dizzy Gillespie - At Home And Abroad (1957)

[San Antone]

Primo Pres

[San Antone]

Speaking of early jazz, these collections from Yazoo Records offer a nice slection of bands from the '20s that are not as familiar as the ones we've all heard of



Two volumes.

[JBS]

I haven't listened to any jazz recently, but I did encounter this gentleman yesterday
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Donaldson
Nothing musical except he mentioned he was a musician and gave me his card. His focus was on getting a pair of shoes, although the competing goals of finding a shoe whose style he liked, which met the instructions of the doctor to get leather shoes,  which actually fit his feet, and which felt to him as if they fit (the latter two not quite the same thing)  left the quest unfulfilled, although he promised to come back this afternoon with his daughter.

But I suppose any 92 year old might be a bit picky about their feet.

[San Antone]

I haven't listened to any jazz recently, but I did encounter this gentleman yesterday
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Donaldson
Nothing musical except he mentioned he was a musician and gave me his card. His focus was on getting a pair of shoes, although the competing goals of finding a shoe whose style he liked, which met the instructions of the doctor to get leather shoes,  which actually fit his feet, and which felt to him as if they fit (the latter two not quite the same thing)  left the quest unfulfilled, although he promised to come back this afternoon with his daughter.

But I suppose any 92 year old might be a bit picky about their feet.

Lou Donaldson is a giant - in his prime he made some of the best hard bop music you can hear.  good to hear he is still out and about at the age of 92.  Treat him right!

[Brian]

Whoa man! I don't have a lot of Lou's records - in fact maybe just the complete Night at Birdland series with Blakey and Silver - but like SA says, it's damn good to know that such a fine musician is still out there. Hope you can get that man a darn good pair of shoes.

[NikF]

Stan Getz And The Oscar Peterson Trio

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[San Antone]

Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars
Columbia and RCA Victor Live Recordings Of Louis Armstrong And The All Stars

[NikF]

When Farmer Met Gryce

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[king ubu]

Not too big on Lou Donaldson, but lots of respect! And some fantastic records, nonetheless, like "Lou Takes Off", "Here 'Tis", "The Natural Soul", "Good Gracious" ... also love his late BN funky stuff, like "Say It Loud!", and even more so "The Scorpion: Live at the Cadillac Club" - there is some amazing Idris Muhammad on that one!

The BN jubilee is this year ... but last year a fine movie was released, Blue Note Records: Beyond the Records (dir. Sophie Huber) and besides some fine footage and music by the new generation (Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin) it included cameos by Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock (they are interviewed together, which is fun indeed - the filming took place while the BN All Stars' "Our Point of View" sessions in 2017, at which Shorter and Hancock turned in guest spots), and then there's several segments of a fun chat with Poppa Lou. Worth seing if you get the chance!

--

Thread duty:




The above was yesterday's programme ... got several shipments from Japan lately, including the fine Waldron (a 1981 trio date with George Mraz and Al Foster) and the great Togashi trio with Kent Carter and Steve Lacy (also from 1981, coincidentally), the Jessica Williams was bought by inspiration of XB-70 Valkyrie (thanks a lot!), and the Merrill/Lewis is an old, treasured favourite that I finally was able to buy a real copy of (had a CD-R provided by a friend for many years - the new CD is of course again from Japan, where Merrill seems to be the big star she deserves to be).

Tonight's programme so far:



The Scott Bradford is from 1969 (cd booklet) or 1970 (discogs) and features the late Nathan Davis on tenor and flute. The group also includes Philip Catherin (g), Günther Lenz (b) and Stu Martin (d), the little-known leader is heard on piano, hohner and organ - this is a fun jazz-rock date, pretty rough around the edges (which I like) ... the recent Vandermark/Wooley/Courvoisier/Rainey I had intended to skip but then heard from a friend that it's pretty good, and he seems to be right, I'm enjoying this first spin a lot (it's almost over as I'm typing this).

Next one:



Halfway in, I think this may indeed be as great as the online review (Free Jazz Blog, AAJ) seem to think!

[San Antone]

Johnny Dodds : Blue Clarinet Stomp

This is classic jazz (1928-1929) at its best -- Dodds with his own orchestra and his Washboard Band. Alternate takes show the improvisational character of Dodds' approach.