What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Dream of You - Helen Merrill.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bill Evans - Blue in Green (Live in Paris 1972).

[KevinP]

I've had another favorite album going around on repeat: Pat Metheney's As  Falls Witchita.

One of those albums I played the hell out back in high school, but now it's been years since I've spun it. It's really due for a listen.

[bhodges]

Started the day with Dianne Reeves singing "I Put a Spell on You." (Sorry, no recording credits included.) I am a fan anyway, but this shows some added vocal virtuosity.

-Bruce

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Art Farmer - Art.

[vers la flamme]

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman

A really flawless record. One of the best jazz vocal albums I've ever heard. Can't stop listening to it these past few days.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nancy Wilson 1987 at Carnegie Hall -- Dearly Beloved. Killer performance!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Wayne Shorter – Second Genesis.

[KevinP]

Nancy Wilson 1987 at Carnegie Hall -- Dearly Beloved. Killer performance!

One of my all-time favourite artists. I'm not aware of any recording she's done that I don't have.

Not saying I love them all equally, but the ones that dip for me only do so because of the producer and the then-current trends, not because of her.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

One of my all-time favourite artists. I'm not aware of any recording she'd done that I don't have.

Not saying I love them all equally, but the ones that dip for me only do so because of the producer and the then-current trends, not because of her.

You sound right. We wouldn't have known her if she didn't sing pops and become popular.

[Artem]

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman

A really flawless record. One of the best jazz vocal albums I've ever heard. Can't stop listening to it these past few days.

Flawless record. Love it too.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Ingrid Jensen – Here on Earth.

[vers la flamme]

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Free For All

Holy f&@#, man. Freddie Hubbard. That cat can blow. The first track, identifiable as a Wayne Shorter composition within 5 seconds, is stunningly intense. The remaining three tracks don't bring that intensity down even a little bit. One of the best hard bop records I've ever heard.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I talked to Freddie Hubbard in New Orleans in 1997. He was very pleasant and nice. He said that he liked Japan.

NP:

[vers la flamme]

^I love that Ugetsu record too. Contains a few tunes inspired by the Messengers' recent Japanese tour, I think, including the title track, which, according to Blakey, is Japanese for "fantasy". That's cool that you met Freddie!

[vers la flamme]

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Ellington at Newport

First listen; so far, so good.

[KevinP]

I have an odd relationship with Hubbard because when I was first getting into jazz in the early 80s, I bought two horrible albums by him, after which I gave up.

I'm not sure I would find them so terrible now, but I was a teenager and poo-pooed any kind of crossover as selling-out, not a stance I would default to now. I see one of them has a high rating on allmusic, both from the editors and users so I might check it out again. (Still, the idea of Hubbard doing 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey...')

I had heard him on the radio prior to those purchases, and I've certainly bought some good titles since, but he was largely absent from my early explorations.

Incidentally, I have the exact same situation with Stanley Turrentine.

[vers la flamme]

I have not heard any of Hubbard's sessions as a leader, but he does play on several of my favorite jazz records. Including the one I am listening to right now, Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth. His solos always blow me away—or at least they have been doing so lately.

[vers la flamme]

Louis Armstrong: Satch Blows The Blues

I randomly found this CD in my closet, and I'm glad I did, because it sounds great. Never listened to much of his work before. Pure blues.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Freddie in Cantaloupe and Hubtones (blues). These were after his fusion years.