What Jazz are you listening to now?

[SimonNZ]

The Modern Jazz Quartet with Quartetto Di Milano and Hungarian Gypsy Quartet - A Quartet Is A Quartet Is A Quartet (1963)
The Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida - Collaboration (1964)



John Lewis and Gary McFarland - Essence (1963)

[San Antone]

The Modern Jazz Quartet with Quartetto Di Milano and Hungarian Gypsy Quartet - A Quartet Is A Quartet Is A Quartet (1963)
The Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida - Collaboration (1964)
John Lewis and Gary McFarland - Essence (1963)

The one with Gary McFarland is a fave of mine, as is most of what McFarland did.  He went in a pop direction near the end of his career, but even those are quirky and worth checking out.  But his early stuff, with both small and big band, are really good writing and arranging, as well as showcasing some great musicians.  His masterpiece is America the Beautiful, a six movement suite for big band. 



October Suite with Steve Kuhn is great too



Tragic early death due to either accidental poisoning or deliberate murder, although from what I've read and seen (there is a documentary about his life and death) is that a screwed up friend thought it was a practical joke to spike his drink with something toxic, which in a lower dose would have gotten him high. 

Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon is a wonderful recording with a sextet that features some great small band writing, but is verging into his later pop direction with choice of material.

[SimonNZ]

Interesting. I've never heard - or heard of - that America The Beautiful album. I'll check it out. Thanks.

[aligreto]

Some cool Swing with Freddie Gardner

[SimonNZ]

Johnny Griffin and Matthew Gee - Soul Groove (1963)
Herbert Laws - The Laws Of Jazz (1964)



Sergio Mendez - The Swinger From Rio (1964)

[SimonNZ]

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Plays George Gershwin's Porgy And Bess (1965)
Nat Adderley - Autobiography (1964)

[San Antone]

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Plays George Gershwin's Porgy And Bess (1965)
Nat Adderley - Autobiography (1964)

Oh man, tha MJQ  Porgy & Bess is great.  The only draw back is the distortion on the vibes, but it is classic. 

[SimonNZ]

Oh man, tha MJQ  Porgy & Bess is great.  The only draw back is the distortion on the vibes, but it is classic.

Yes, another particularly impressive one I'm surprised I hadn't heard earlier.

now:



Clifford Jordan - Plays Leadbelly: These Are My Roots (1965)
Dorothy Ashby - The Fantastic Jazz Harp Of Dorothy Ashby (1965)



Elvin Jones - And Then Again (1965)
Max Roach - Drums Unlimited (1966)

[Artem]

Curious record, leaning more towards rock music than jazz.
[asin]B000YYPC0U[/asin]

[SimonNZ]

The Quartette Tres Bien - Bully! (1966)
Herbie Mann - Monday Night At The Village Gate (1966)



The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet - Indo-Jazz Suite (1966)
Nat Adderley - Sayin Something (1966)



Sergio Mendes - The Great Arrival (1966)

[king ubu]

lately:





Mostly Nichols-related music again above (except for the Kimbrough - there are two Nichols tunes on the Johnston) ... he's playing (rather generic) piano on the 1953 live session by an old-time band led by Rex Stewart (nice enough actually) ... the album by swiss saxophonist Jürg Bucher is very good, as is the Melillo (split between Nichols and Monk). The third and so far final of the Herbie Nichols Project albums was the first I got to know, and I still love it a lot.



Coudoux I heard in solo last night, she was fine - and so is her solo disc on Leo. The new Petrucciani release is great - Haynes sounds so good, but the whole trio is in excellent shape.



And right now I'm starting to dig into Allen Lowe's new 8-CD-set, "Disonnected Works, 1980-2018", playing disc 3 which features two suites, the first with Darius Jones and James Brandon Lewis in the line-up, a 2018 recording, the second a suite dedicated to Gladys Bentley.

[San Antone]

Sad about Roy Hargrove passing in November of last year.  Only 49.

I tried to enjoy the Herbie Nichols stuff but never have been able to get into it. 

TD



Off The Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings

[SimonNZ]

The Modern Jazz Quartet - Blues At Carnegie Hall (1966)

[king ubu]

Sad about Roy Hargrove passing in November of last year.  Only 49.

Yes, indeed. Not sure I know his best recordings yet, and alas I never caught him in concert ... "earfood" for one is very, very good! What else should I check out? In addition to these two, I have both "Hard Groove" and "Distractions" by the R.H. Factor.

I tried to enjoy the Herbie Nichols stuff but never have been able to get into it. 

Sorry to hear that. I think he's one of the outstanding jazz pianists/composers of the classic modern jazz era. His trio recordings from the mid fifties and his tunes keep haunting me.

Thread duty:

[San Antone]

Yes, indeed. Not sure I know his best recordings yet, and alas I never caught him in concert ... "earfood" for one is very, very good! What else should I check out? In addition to these two, I have both "Hard Groove" and "Distractions" by the R.H. Factor.

In order of best (imo) starting with Tenors of Our Time: Hargrove sharing separate songs with five great tenors: Johnny Griffin, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and Stanley Turrentine.



Earfood: A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him.



Parker's Mood: An unusual album, Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn), Christian McBride (bass) and Stephen Scott (piano) pay homage to the father of bebop with a generous set of (mostly) Charlie Parker compositions performed in trio, duet and solo arrangements.



There's also a Live at Ronnie Scott's Johnny Griffin album that is good.

[SimonNZ]

Herbie Mann - Impressions Of The Middle East (1967)

^"Do Wah Diddy" is Middle Eastern?

[king ubu]

In order of best (imo) starting with Tenors of Our Time: Hargrove sharing separate songs with five great tenors: Johnny Griffin, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and Stanley Turrentine.

Earfood: A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him.

Parker's Mood: An unusual album, Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn), Christian McBride (bass) and Stephen Scott (piano) pay homage to the father of bebop with a generous set of (mostly) Charlie Parker compositions performed in trio, duet and solo arrangements.

There's also a Live at Ronnie Scott's Johnny Griffin album that is good.

Thanks! The first two I have, "Earfood" is probably my favourite Hargrove album as of now. The second two I'll take a note of. I love Johnny Griffin, not sure why I never got that Ronnie's album when there were still music stores and it was around.

--

Thread duty - Sunday afternoon and evening listening:

[modified]

https://youtu.be/dW2HV6g1aYk

[SimonNZ]

Ira Sullivan - Horizons (1967)

[George]