My collection of recordings includes a substantial quantity of jazz and its predecessors (i.e. ragtime), dating from about 1890-1950. For some reason, I have never expanded much beyond 1950. A few recent acquisitions have greatly increased my interest in post-1950 jazz and I am now actively acquiring CDs. To make things easier, I'm focusing on the 1950-1970 period right now (but I'm not averse to considering something outside of that timeframe).
Since there seem to be a few jazz fans here, I'll pose this question to you: What recordings would you consider essential (or at least among the best) from this period? I'm posing this question here because I would guess that classical music fans who are also drawn to jazz might have similar taste to mine. (If this really turns into an obsession, I'll likely check out a jazz forum.)
I have acquired a few recordings by Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, Mel Torme, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald (including collaborations with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington). Of course, I want more, and I would really like to eventually have a good comprehensive sampling of the different styles of jazz popular during this time. (Then, I'll likely move into the post-1970 era.)
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 23, 2007, 07:02:50 PM
What recordings would you consider essential (or at least among the best) from this period?
First that pop into my mind are
John Coltrane's "A love supreme",
Bill Evans's, "Conversations with myself", and
Erroll Garner's "Concert by the sea". These are quite popular too, and there's a lot more.
See the sidebar at this site for some good lists...
http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/jazzlinks.html
Quote from: dtwilbanks on August 24, 2007, 05:13:41 AM
See the sidebar at this site for some good lists...
http://home.austarnet.com.au/petersykes/jazz100/jazzlinks.html
I don't believe she wants lists. I think she wants recommendations from forum members.
(http://www.bluelinecomics.com/pictures/It's%20Capt%20Obvious%20600.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YGZ5DJKZL._AA240_.jpg) (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SU-QKx%2B1L._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: dtwilbanks on August 24, 2007, 08:44:47 AM
(http://www.bluelinecomics.com/pictures/It's%20Capt%20Obvious%20600.jpg)
Captain Dave,
I think that many links would only confuse her....Now why don't you just send her your own list....thats what she wants....I am giving it some serious thought....
Heather,
Here are a few discs you might consider. Its only a very small list of what I believe to be essential. On the names you listed I believe Ornette would be a little off the mainstream. I think you need some lighter things before you get to Ornette....This is just a small easy list...Please PM me if you want to discuss this any further....
Charles Lloyd Forest Flower
Coltrane My Favorite Things.......Ole'
Art Blakey Moanin
Miles Kind of Blue (a no brainer ), Round about Midnight
Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage
Bill Evans Sunday at the Village Vanguard, undercurrent
Oliver Nelson. Blues in the abstract truth (another no brainer)
Dave Brubeck Time out
Lee Morgan Sidewinder
Charlie Parker Yardbird Suite
Cannonball Adderley Something Else (another no brainer)
Joe Pass Virtuoso
Horace Silver Songs for my Father
Tony Bennett/Bill Evans album
Abbey Lincoln Abbey is Blue
Shirley Horn You Won't Forget Me
Eric Dolphy At the Five Spot
Charles Mingus Town Hall Concert
Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus
Count Basie The complete Atomic Basie, April in Paris
Stan Getz Focus
Greatest Jazz Concert Ever, you get Dizzy Gillespie, Mingus, Parker, Powell & Roach on one disc....
This is only a small sampling....not to difficult, Its basically Mainstream stuff.....
It's very hard for me to narrow it down but things that have come to mind are:
Any of the live Blakey and the Jazz Messengers from that time period. If you like that stuff you could follow up on each band member's solo releases.
For Miles I think the Workin', Steamin', Relaxin' & Cookin' albums would be great to get. Many of the tunes serve as the basis of his repertoire around that time so as you get into the 2nd quintet you get to hear the transformation of the bands and style of playing. Again you could seek solo efforts by the other members of the band and come up with some great stuff.
For Trane, I like Crescent. I also think the coltrane and Hartman album is fantastic for balads. A lot of hard core Trane heads put down the album due because it was the record companies insistance that he record something "lighter" but I think it's great music. Love Supreme is one to own.
Ellington has a ton of music that is worth having. For starters How bout Such Sweet Thunder and for a rocking good time get The Far East Suite. Opposite of what I've been saying, if you followed up on finding solo releases by members of the band, you'd get some good music but nothing as great as when they were under Ellington....IMO of course :o
I'll try and give it some more thought and put up a few more, hope this helps in the meantime.
Allan
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 23, 2007, 07:02:50 PMI have acquired a few recordings by Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, Mel Torme, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald (including collaborations with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington). Of course, I want more, and I would really like to eventually have a good comprehensive sampling of the different styles of jazz popular during this time. (Then, I'll likely move into the post-1970 era.)
I am assuming when you mention the names Miles, Ornette and 'Trane that you have,
Kind of Blue,
Shape of Jazz to Come, and
Love Supreme... each of those albums signify tectonic shifts in the landscape of jazz, or the apex of a given style. They may give you some gauge of what to look for in terms of others within those same spheres, here are a few other records that I would not want to neglect for very similar reasons:
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wKOLrLD5L._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V6XB48R6L._AA240_.jpg)
Herbie Hancock's
Headhunters puts the fusion movement on the map. Along with Mile's
Bitch's Brew... If fusion is not your thing, the hard-bop heavy
Takin' Off really swings and represents Hancock's beginning as a leader. Among the great many of session groups formed, there are not many to boast as many so fine as this one. I would go with both as you get the brilliant
Watermellon Man in two very different forms on the pair.
And many will tell you about the virtues of the Evans/Davis collaboration beyond
Kind of Blue, but it would be a mistake to forget Cannonball Adderly. On his
Somethin' Else session we get a return favor from Davis and a collection of very disparate participants make for beautiful results.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W068RH1ML._AA240_.jpg)
On drums in that session is Art Blakey whose run as leader of the Jazz Messengers produced some fantastic records. My favorites being
A Night in Tunisia and
Moanin'(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/616M2XFPEKL._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/418SMENYZDL._AA240_.jpg)
His drum solo on the title track of the first is mind boggling. And Lee Morgan on horn is quite an experience. For more of him, check out 'Trane's
Blue Train and his own session lead on
Sidewinder.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VAC4XXKPL._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y30ZDFKCL._AA240_.jpg)
There is sooo much more too. I have not even begun on Andrew Hill.
Grass Roots was recently re-issued after seemingly forever OOP, Booker Ervin's
Freedom Book and the rest of his "book" trilogy are fantastic, Mingus
Ah um is a hard-bop required listen... I could go on, but I will stop for now.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51405G1XQQL._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/512-JekcfjL._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qJjp8B5pL._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: beclemund on August 24, 2007, 11:35:21 AM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W068RH1ML._AA240_.jpg)
Gotta grab me this one.
Some live albums, that may not be considered cornerstones, that I would add. They get a lot of play time at this end:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/416GPDSB3PL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/5103VKDmFEL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/416J978X3HL._AA240_.jpg)
And if you can nail this one for under 100 bones (OOP and contains 8 discs) at a used shop:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SHD05PR8L._AA240_.jpg)
and this 4 disc set I enjoy as well on rainy and cold days:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/ac/91/50ca4310fca0d848b4c47010._AA240_.L.jpg)
Sun Ra
Thanks for the recommendations so far; there is a lot here to consider. I definitely see a purchase of Harry-like proportions coming up in this area. My recent shopping trip (which I still need to post) has only served to increase my interest. I'll probably post my first impressions of these purchases in this thread, rather than the "purchases today" thread like I usually do, because it seems more pertinent here.
Speaking of Ornette Coleman, the CD I got was "Free Jazz". I loved it immediately. I suspect that it appealed to my interest in the post-war avant-garde, which I have explored a lot in the area of classical music. I'll post more thoughts on this later (when my brain is working a bit better). It only seems natural that I would find the parallel movement in jazz interesting. His "Shape of Jazz to Come" is high on my list and I will probably buy it next time I see it in a store.
Dave Brubeck (who appears in the recommendations here) is interesting to me. I have had "Time Out" for a long time, and I just bought (but haven't listened to yet) "Time Further Out". I also like his classical music.
Sun Ra also sounds interesting; I have been reading about him, and I'll probably check out some of his recordings soon.
I also find the list that Dave posted useful; I have been looking through that.
Thanks again. I'll keep watching this thread, and I'll post my first impressions here. I had a feeling that at least some classical music fans would also be into jazz. There is a lot of interesting music to check out.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 24, 2007, 06:21:28 PM
Thanks for the recommendations so far; there is a lot here to consider. I definitely see a purchase of Harry-like proportions coming up in this area. My recent shopping trip (which I still need to post) has only served to increase my interest. I'll probably post my first impressions of these purchases in this thread, rather than the "purchases today" thread like I usually do, because it seems more pertinent here.
Speaking of Ornette Coleman, the CD I got was "Free Jazz". I loved it immediately. I suspect that it appealed to my interest in the post-war avant-garde, which I have explored a lot in the area of classical music. I'll post more thoughts on this later (when my brain is working a bit better). It only seems natural that I would find the parallel movement in jazz interesting. His "Shape of Jazz to Come" is high on my list and I will probably buy it next time I see it in a store.
Dave Brubeck (who appears in the recommendations here) is interesting to me. I have had "Time Out" for a long time, and I just bought (but haven't listened to yet) "Time Further Out". I also like his classical music.
Sun Ra also sounds interesting; I have been reading about him, and I'll probably check out some of his recordings soon.
I also find the list that Dave posted useful; I have been looking through that.
Thanks again. I'll keep watching this thread, and I'll post my first impressions here. I had a feeling that at least some classical music fans would also be into jazz. There is a lot of interesting music to check out.
Heather
Well thats a different ball of wax..If thats the case here are a few Ornettes for you to consider..
Beauty is a rare thing
Change of the Century
At the Golden Circle, vol 1 and 2
This should give you a good taste along with the two you mentioned....Ill have go a few notches higher....
My brain is working better now, so I'll post the ones I have acquired recently. I'll start off with the instrumentals, and to keep the length of the post reasonable, I'll post the jazz singers separately later.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51atgWhL0PL._AA240_.jpg) (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZWDDM5CL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QQkv5sUJL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SKCG055ML._AA240_.jpg)
I posted my impressions about "Kind of Blue" and "Sketches of Spain" in the "Purchases Today" thread. Both are wonderful, mellow albums that are great for evening listening. "In a Silent Way" features electric keyboards and is a definite move in the direction of fusion. I like the variety of sounds that the keyboards add to the mix, and Miles' playing is gorgeous as usual. Like the other two, this is a wonderful mellow album. I haven't listened to "Bitches Brew" yet (but I will as soon as I can); I'll post my impressions of it later. It does sound like an interesting concept, and from what I have read it is quite a change from Miles' earlier material.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/510345255FL._AA240_.jpg)
This is a great follow-up to "Time Out", which I have had in my collection for a long time. Everything flows nicely, and the unusual time signatures really make things interesting. Paul Desmond's sax solos are beautiful, and Brubeck is in top form. Joe Morello gives a great drum solo in "Far More Drums" in 5/4 time. Sequels don't always work out, but in this case the sequel is at least as good as the original.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J5ZRA926L._AA240_.jpg)
This one captured my attention from the very start, with its dissonant beginning. A collective improvisation that lasts 37 minutes must have been quite unusual at that time. Despite its great length, I never found it boring; there is enough unpredictability to keep things interesting, while it does have enough of a structure to keep it from sounding like pure chaos. The use of two jazz quartets was a great idea; the interplay between them is fascinating. It is interesting to hear how the two rhythm sections interact. The mood of the improvisation ranges widely; sometimes a very serious-sounding portion will be interrupted by humorous sounds from Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet. Tonality can be hard to pin down at times; there are sections of highly tonal, melodic improvisation, while sometimes there are highly dissonant harmonies which seem distant from any tonal center. After 37 minutes, I was hungry for more. I'm glad they included the shorter rehearsal as a bonus track. That increases the time to 54 minutes of endlessly fascinating controlled chaos. This sort of music might not be to everyone's taste, but it works well for me. Since I have a strong interest in avant-garde classical music, it does not come as a surprise that I would like this. After all, if I can get great listening pleasure out of Stockhausen, Cage, Xenakis, and the like, this isn't much of a stretch. Perhaps that is one advantage to coming at jazz after gaining a lot of experience with 20th Century classical music; I can jump right into the most complex and difficult music and enjoy it from the start.
So far, it seems that I like the lighter mainstream jazz a lot, but I also like the music that is more "out there". I don't have a particular favorite out of these; so far, I love them all.
I will begin making a list from the recommendations here, and probably before long I will go out on a shopping trip and come home with a lot of them. I'll post my thoughts in this thread.
Thanks again for the recommendations.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 24, 2007, 08:00:40 PM
My brain is working better now, so I'll post the ones I have acquired recently. I'll start off with the instrumentals, and to keep the length of the post reasonable, I'll post the jazz singers separately later.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51atgWhL0PL._AA240_.jpg) (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZWDDM5CL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QQkv5sUJL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SKCG055ML._AA240_.jpg)
I posted my impressions about "Kind of Blue" and "Sketches of Spain" in the "Purchases Today" thread. Both are wonderful, mellow albums that are great for evening listening. "In a Silent Way" features electric keyboards and is a definite move in the direction of fusion. I like the variety of sounds that the keyboards add to the mix, and Miles' playing is gorgeous as usual. Like the other two, this is a wonderful mellow album. I haven't listened to "Bitches Brew" yet (but I will as soon as I can); I'll post my impressions of it later. It does sound like an interesting concept, and from what I have read it is quite a change from Miles' earlier material.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/510345255FL._AA240_.jpg)
This is a great follow-up to "Time Out", which I have had in my collection for a long time. Everything flows nicely, and the unusual time signatures really make things interesting. Paul Desmond's sax solos are beautiful, and Brubeck is in top form. Joe Morello gives a great drum solo in "Far More Drums" in 5/4 time. Sequels don't always work out, but in this case the sequel is at least as good as the original.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J5ZRA926L._AA240_.jpg)
This one captured my attention from the very start, with its dissonant beginning. A collective improvisation that lasts 37 minutes must have been quite unusual at that time. Despite its great length, I never found it boring; there is enough unpredictability to keep things interesting, while it does have enough of a structure to keep it from sounding like pure chaos. The use of two jazz quartets was a great idea; the interplay between them is fascinating. It is interesting to hear how the two rhythm sections interact. The mood of the improvisation ranges widely; sometimes a very serious-sounding portion will be interrupted by humorous sounds from Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet. Tonality can be hard to pin down at times; there are sections of highly tonal, melodic improvisation, while sometimes there are highly dissonant harmonies which seem distant from any tonal center. After 37 minutes, I was hungry for more. I'm glad they included the shorter rehearsal as a bonus track. That increases the time to 54 minutes of endlessly fascinating controlled chaos. This sort of music might not be to everyone's taste, but it works well for me. Since I have a strong interest in avant-garde classical music, it does not come as a surprise that I would like this. After all, if I can get great listening pleasure out of Stockhausen, Cage, Xenakis, and the like, this isn't much of a stretch. Perhaps that is one advantage to coming at jazz after gaining a lot of experience with 20th Century classical music; I can jump right into the most complex and difficult music and enjoy it from the start.
So far, it seems that I like the lighter mainstream jazz a lot, but I also like the music that is more "out there". I don't have a particular favorite out of these; so far, I love them all.
I will begin making a list from the recommendations here, and probably before long I will go out on a shopping trip and come home with a lot of them. I'll post my thoughts in this thread.
Thanks again for the recommendations.
Heather
Bitches Brew started this whole fusion thing...John Mclaughlin a big factor in the sound on this album, went on to form Mahavishnu Orch which was a great major fusion band...In a Silent Way was just a long loop that went on and on....very addicting.....These two were the beginning of the fusion movement....
Trios:
(http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/images/local/toenails/958434B0679D4BCC89E39626759BAF9E.jpg)
Ahmad Jamal
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31V19D0FR6L._SS500_.jpg)
Bud Powell Vol.2
For exquisite, half-lit trumpet:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BpFecUZoL._SS500_.jpg) (http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/drd500/d599/d59953h165h.jpg)
Burning sax:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/9798454) (http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/8185281)
Colorful sax:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/5626247)
Large group:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/4606731) (http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/3364121)
And when springing for a box, make this Mingus/Complete Atlantic (smaller group) a priority:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VVWKKT1ZL._SS500_.jpg)
And for some free jazz:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/2305440)
Quote from: donwyn on August 24, 2007, 08:21:32 PM
Trios:
(http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/images/local/toenails/958434B0679D4BCC89E39626759BAF9E.jpg)
Ahmad Jamal
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31V19D0FR6L._SS500_.jpg)
Bud Powell Vol.2
For exquisite, half-lit trumpet:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BpFecUZoL._SS500_.jpg) (http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/drd500/d599/d59953h165h.jpg)
Burning sax:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/9798454) (http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/8185281)
Colorful sax:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/5626247)
Large group:
(http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/4606731) (http://www.jpc.de/image/w300/front/0/3364121)
And when springing for a box, make this Mingus/Complete Atlantic (smaller group) a priority:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VVWKKT1ZL._SS500_.jpg)
TIMBERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR .....................
Modern Jazz Quartet
"The Modern Jazz Quartet was established in 1952 by Milt Jackson (vibraphone), John Lewis (piano, musical director), Percy Heath (bass), and Kenny Clarke (drums). Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955. Through the years the quartet had performed in several jazz mediums, including bebop, cool jazz and third stream." Source: wikipedia
Anything by the Airmen of Note (US Air Force Big Band in Wash. DC.) if you're into big band jazz. Unfortunately their CDs are not for sale and hard to get. I have several as an educator, because the Air Force sends them for free.
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 24, 2007, 08:00:40 PMThe mood of the improvisation ranges widely; sometimes a very serious-sounding portion will be interrupted by humorous sounds from Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet.
You may also enjoy Dolphy's
Out to Lunch and his tremendous live recording with Booker Little,
At the Five Spot. If you like Dolphy's brand of jazz, Prestige Records released a nine disc set (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Prestige-Recordings-Eric-Dolphy/dp/B000000ZC6) of his sessions with the label. Unfortunately, like Little, Dolphy died young, right after he achieved what many consider the perfection of his vision on Blue Note in
Out to Lunch.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G25V2PD2L._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kyGTFFLzL._AA240_.jpg)
I have a slightly earlier edition of this guide book and have found it indispensable because of its breadth, depth, erudition, wit, and insight:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/516BAHlGlKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg)
Even if you don't agree with their assessments, it makes for very entertaining reading.
A few top-flight discs of that era that may or may not have been mentioned:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41M147GA1NL._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/414A0GNTY9L._AA240_.jpg)(http://tp://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y42KD5AFL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GJ8RR587L._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z6R4W8CJL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/63/73/74c97220eca05d76266e2010._AA240_.L.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F8YTWNKHL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00000IL25/sr=1-2/qid=1188072836/ref=dp_image_0/104-4677561-3611911?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music&qid=1188072836&sr=1-2)(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JCY3RV73L._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41C3VNZZ8KL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XF11M2G9L._AA240_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21YCF4T520L._AA180_.jpg) (Undercurrent by Bill Evans and Jim Hall)
Well, thanks to you, Heather, I now have a pile of a few hundred jazz CDs sitting on my desk that I intend to dutifully rip to MP3 and drop onto my iPod... Fortunately, I am just about through transferring my classical to hard disk. :)
I have no real order as the first in my pile and currently being listened to is:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v444/beclemund/TheloniusMonkMonk.jpg)
From a variety of '53 and '54 sessions that were compiled on one disc during the CD revolution. ;) As a French horn player briefly in my past, I am pretty sure I bought this disc for the presence of Julius Watkins on Let's Call This.
[mp3=200,20,0,center]http://beclemund.googlepages.com/05LetsCallThis.mp3[/mp3]
I listened to Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" this morning. He was certainly taking things in a new direction with this recording, but the musicianship is up to the same high standards of his earlier recordings. It is a fascinating recording, with rich and varied sound textures. I wondered a bit if I would like this fusion style, but this recording convinced me that I like it and may want to look for more.
Here are the recordings of jazz singers that I bought recently.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MG0Y8PATL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VSNTMMVEL._AA240_.jpg)
These CDs feature Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington. The first is a 3-CD set entitled "The Duke Ellington Songbook". The second is "Ella at Duke's Place". With a combination like this, it would be hard to go wrong. Ella Fitzgerald has a gorgeous voice, and Duke Ellington's band and small groups are as good in the 1950's and 1960's as they were in the earlier years (and the sound quality is a lot better). I have a lot of Duke Ellington's recordings from the 1940's and earlier; it is nice to hear his later work.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/315V9C6684L._AA240_.jpg)
Anita O'Day and the Gary McFarland Orchestra - "All the Sad Young Men". This is a varied program of bebop improvisations and slow, emotional ballads. The band is great, the arrangements are interesting, and Anita's singing is quite sensual. (I have bought a few other CDs by Anita O'Day; they are listed in the "Purchases Today" thread.)
Finally, I took the list of recommendations from this thread, looked up a few things and prioritized the list somewhat, and went to the store and bought a few of them. I will post my impressions of them in this thread as I listen to them, but I will post a short list here. I was able to find some of them used, so I got quite a bit for my money. All but one of these were mentioned in this thread.
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Count Basie - April in Paris
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Ornette Coleman - Change of the Century
John Coltrane - Blue Train
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite
Bill Evans & Jim Hall - Undercurrent
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Abbey Lincoln - Abbey is Blue
Charles Mingus - Complete Atlantic Recordings (6-CD box set)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Vol. 2
I also have an Amazon order on the way; that order includes modern performances of dixieland and swing.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Vols. 1 and 3; In the Sweet Bye and Bye
Lavay Smith & her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - One Hour Mama; Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing
I will post my thoughts as I listen to all of these. I will keep watching this thread for recommendations. I'm glad this thread has been active, and perhaps it is generating interest in this music for people in addition to me.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 25, 2007, 12:55:07 PMCannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Count Basie - April in Paris
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Moanin'
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Ornette Coleman - Change of the Century
John Coltrane - Blue Train
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite
Bill Evans & Jim Hall - Undercurrent
Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
Abbey Lincoln - Abbey is Blue
Charles Mingus - Complete Atlantic Recordings (6-CD box set)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Vol. 2
I also have an Amazon order on the way; that order includes modern performances of dixieland and swing.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - New Orleans Vols. 1 and 3; In the Sweet Bye and Bye
Lavay Smith & her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - One Hour Mama; Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing
Looks like a fantastic haul, Heather.
Here are my first impressions of a few of them.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KXTSD5ETL._AA240_.jpg)
Count Basie - "April in Paris". I have heard many of Count Basie's earlier recordings, and it is nice to hear that he is still in top form in the 1950's. This CD is mostly old-style swing, but the advances of the 1950's are present. It is nice to hear some very good swing music in hi-fi.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21ZSQJVJNHL._AA192_.jpg)
Art Blakey - "Moanin'". I thoroughly enjoyed this one; the combo is great, and Blakey's drumming adds to the excitement. The title track is quite familiar; I can't think of where I have heard it, but it does seem to get around.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QFZDSPBKL._AA240_.jpg)
John Coltrane - "Blue Train". This is very accessible and easy to appreciate, and Coltrane's playing is beautiful. From what I have read, Coltrane went off in more experimental directions after this recording; I will have to check out some of his later work.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/410MAAP9DKL._AA240_.jpg)
Bill Evans & Jim Hall - "Undercurrent". This is a very mellow combination of piano and guitar - great listening for a relaxing evening. Evans and Hall play so well together that it almost feels like one person is playing one instrument.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hjkt6KbZL._AA240_.jpg)
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "New Orleans, Vol. 2". This is some good old-fashioned dixieland jazz; the style hasn't changed much since the first jazz record was issued in 1917, but the recording quality is a great deal better. I have enjoyed this style of jazz for years, and I have many recordings by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The performances here compare well in quality to those old recordings.
I'll continue to post my thoughts about these as I listen to them. So far, they have all worked out well.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 25, 2007, 07:08:30 PM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21ZSQJVJNHL._AA192_.jpg)
Art Blakey - "Moanin'". I thoroughly enjoyed this one; the combo is great, and Blakey's drumming adds to the excitement. The title track is quite familiar; I can't think of where I have heard it, but it does seem to get around.
I love this cd, however the others I have test driven from Blakey do not grab me as much as this one. Maybe I just need to dig deeper.
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 25, 2007, 07:08:30 PM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QFZDSPBKL._AA240_.jpg)
John Coltrane - "Blue Train". This is very accessible and easy to appreciate, and Coltrane's playing is beautiful. From what I have read, Coltrane went off in more experimental directions after this recording; I will have to check out some of his later work.
[
"Very accessible" is a perfect discription of this effort. I would put it in the category with his Giant Steps album. Spin your Love Supreme and you will get yet another phase of Trane....which may be its own capsualted phase standing alone. However, I must say that I am yet to find a phase of Trane that I did not thouroughly enjoy.
Two more:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41445DSF44L._AA240_.jpg)
Ornette Coleman - "The Shape of Jazz to Come". This is thoroughly enjoyable, with some incredible solos by Coleman and Don Cherry. It is rather more accessible than "Free Jazz" but it is still rhythmically and harmonically complex in a similar way. This probably is a better introduction to Coleman than "Free Jazz", but given my previous experiences with "difficult" music, jumping right in to "Free Jazz" worked out fine. This CD is a great complement to it, and if I am in the mood for complex music like this, but want something a little easier than "Free Jazz", this one will be the perfect choice.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wKOLrLD5L._AA240_.jpg)
Herbie Hancock - "Head Hunters". This is Hancock's original foray into funk, and it is quite interesting and complex, but also a lot of fun. This is music that I could have playing in the background if I want something energetic, or I could listen intently; it works either way. The great jazz solos over a funk beat make for a good combination.
It's time for bed now, but I will have plenty of time tomorrow to listen to more of these CDs.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 25, 2007, 08:36:00 PM
Two more:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41445DSF44L._AA240_.jpg)
Ornette Coleman - "The Shape of Jazz to Come". This is thoroughly enjoyable, with some incredible solos by Coleman and Don Cherry. It is rather more accessible than "Free Jazz" but it is still rhythmically and harmonically complex in a similar way. This probably is a better introduction to Coleman than "Free Jazz", but given my previous experiences with "difficult" music, jumping right in to "Free Jazz" worked out fine. This CD is a great complement to it, and if I am in the mood for complex music like this, but want something a little easier than "Free Jazz", this one will be the perfect choice.
The same should apply to (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/410FBE6GZFL._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on August 25, 2007, 07:12:11 PM
I love this cd, however the others I have test driven from Blakey do not grab me as much as this one. Maybe I just need to dig deeper.
A few of the best:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F5CHYJCKL._AA240_.jpg)
An absolutely smokin' live set from the Messengers' triumphant 1958 European tour, featuring the same band as
Moanin'. Available in a variety of different releases--make sure to get a full two-disc version. There are many other wonderful live Messengers discs from Europe around that time.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ZVBAY1A3L._AA180_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31FP3SZP73L._AA180_.jpg)
Blakey and friends just before the official Messengers bands got started. Unforgettable live sessions featuring the late, much-lamented Clifford Brown, one of jazz's greatest, most influential trumpeters, who died very young in a car accident.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/512EK6T3N3L._AA240_.jpg)
From the somewhat under-appreciated and under-documented Griffin/Hardman Messengers line-up. Instantly memorable tunes played with fire.
It's true that the Messenger's sessions could be formulaic, but what a great formula! And of course, next to Miles Davis, Blakey was known as jazz's premier talent scout, surrounding himself with incomparable sidemen like Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan over the years. It's hard to go wrong with any of his work, afaik. (I've probably heard about 30 Blakey leader discs so far.)
Quote from: Bogey on August 25, 2007, 07:12:11 PM
I love this cd, however the others I have test driven from Blakey do not grab me as much as this one. Maybe I just need to dig deeper.
Live albums my friend, live albums.
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on August 26, 2007, 06:46:45 AM
Live albums my friend, live albums.
Allan
You know the I prefer my jazz albums to be "live concerts", but even the Birdland albums did not grab me when I sampled them at the used shops in town,
Then there is no hope for you......
HAHA just kidding ;)
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on August 26, 2007, 08:27:27 AM
Then there is no hope for you......
HAHA just kidding ;)
Allan
Oh, my wife could have told you that. ;D And since W. Marsalis is back on the GMG radar, is this the recording you recommended many moons ago Allan (though post 70's)?
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JKMG8JGFL._AA240_.jpg)
Yeah, That's a fun album, one of my favorite Wynton for the casual jam session like vibe and awsome playing. Check out some of the clips on youtube from that recording. I'd love to hear jazz in that venue. No mics or sound reinforcement or anything they just set up and go. Search for videos posted by Houseoftribes and enjoy.
Allan
Quote from: Bogey on August 26, 2007, 06:53:11 AM
You know the I prefer my jazz albums to be "live concerts", but even the Birdland albums did not grab me when I sampled them at the used shops in town,
Don't sample them, really listen to them :)
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 25, 2007, 07:08:30 PM
Here are my first impressions of a few of them.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KXTSD5ETL._AA240_.jpg)
Count Basie - "April in Paris". I have heard many of Count Basie's earlier recordings, and it is nice to hear that he is still in top form in the 1950's. This CD is mostly old-style swing, but the advances of the 1950's are present. It is nice to hear some very good swing music in hi-fi.
Top form....You should check out Atomic Basie, great arrangements by Neil Hefti....My favorite Basie album...
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21ZSQJVJNHL._AA192_.jpg)
Art Blakey - "Moanin'". I thoroughly enjoyed this one; the combo is great, and Blakey's drumming adds to the excitement. The title track is quite familiar; I can't think of where I have heard it, but it does seem to get around.
familiar for sure. addicting for sure....a great beginning for a great album....
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QFZDSPBKL._AA240_.jpg)
John Coltrane - "Blue Train". This is very accessible and easy to appreciate, and Coltrane's playing is beautiful. From what I have read, Coltrane went off in more experimental directions after this recording; I will have to check out some of his later work.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/410MAAP9DKL._AA240_.jpg)
Bill Evans & Jim Hall - "Undercurrent". This is a very mellow combination of piano and guitar - great listening for a relaxing evening. Evans and Hall play so well together that it almost feels like one person is playing one instrument.
they also made part two...
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hjkt6KbZL._AA240_.jpg)
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "New Orleans, Vol. 2". This is some good old-fashioned dixieland jazz; the style hasn't changed much since the first jazz record was issued in 1917, but the recording quality is a great deal better. I have enjoyed this style of jazz for years, and I have many recordings by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The performances here compare well in quality to those old recordings.
I'll continue to post my thoughts about these as I listen to them. So far, they have all worked out well.
Heather
Gil Evans
Out of the Cool
Into the hot
Two of my favorite Gil albums....
Quote from: Grazioso on August 26, 2007, 04:27:13 AM
The same should apply to (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/410FBE6GZFL._AA240_.jpg)
A few of the best:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F5CHYJCKL._AA240_.jpg)
An absolutely smokin' live set from the Messengers' triumphant 1958 European tour, featuring the same band as Moanin'. Available in a variety of different releases--make sure to get a full two-disc version. There are many other wonderful live Messengers discs from Europe around that time.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ZVBAY1A3L._AA180_.jpg)(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31FP3SZP73L._AA180_.jpg)
Blakey and friends just before the official Messengers bands got started. Unforgettable live sessions featuring the late, much-lamented Clifford Brown, one of jazz's greatest, most influential trumpeters, who died very young in a car accident.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/512EK6T3N3L._AA240_.jpg)
From the somewhat under-appreciated and under-documented Griffin/Hardman Messengers line-up. Instantly memorable tunes played with fire.
It's true that the Messenger's sessions could be formulaic, but what a great formula! And of course, next to Miles Davis, Blakey was known as jazz's premier talent scout, surrounding himself with incomparable sidemen like Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan over the years. It's hard to go wrong with any of his work, afaik. (I've probably heard about 30 Blakey leader discs so far.)
Graz
That Ornette Change was one of his best...also that line-up on the Blakey live two fer was probably one of his best groups ever....boy did he know talent.....
I just listened to the first CD of this one.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VVWKKT1ZL._AA240_.jpg)
Charles Mingus - Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961. This is a well-packaged set with a good-sized booklet of notes. The booklet that the CDs are in looks a lot like a miniaturized version of a 78 album. It includes all the tracks from his LPs, some alternate takes, and some tracks on which he performed as a side man with Teddy Charles. Everything is in chronological order, and not in the original order of the LPs. There is also a CD of an interview with Charles Mingus and Nesuhi Ertegun.
The first CD includes the album "Pithecanthropus Erectus" and the four tracks with Teddy Charles. "Pithecanthropus Erectus" is a very good, innovative album. There are some great solos, interesting rhythmic complexity, and some humor (car horn effects in "A Foggy Day"). The tracks with Teddy Charles are more straightforward and accessible, with some very good vibraharp solos by Charles.
I'll post more about this set as I listen to the rest of it.
I'm glad to see that the recommendations are still coming. There will be plenty for me to check out when I decide to go on another shopping spree.
Heather
It's also great to read your first impressions of these classics. Keep those coming as well!!!!!
Allan
I'm very much enjoying this thread, too. My 1950-70 collection could use a little shoring up, and I'm getting some great ideas. Also wondering if the designs of some of these great covers could spill over into classical recordings (per the thread elsewhere).
--Bruce
Some recent good albums I got on Lp, but which should be readily available on CD:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/513SZ9T8EZL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SAWJ1DKRL._AA240_.jpg)
I like this one more than the more famous Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B6FG4N0RL._AA240_.jpg)
Mingus himself thought this was his best album.
Here are the latest.
Charles Mingus - Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961 CD 2. This CD includes all of the music from the sessions for the album "The Clown". All of the tracks from that LP are included, as well as two that were not included on that one, but were later released on a compilation entitled "Tonight at Noon". This continues with the innovative spirit of "Pithecanthropus Erectus" and is fascinating and entertaining. The improvised narration in "The Clown" is an interesting addition; a fun story runs along with the music.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BMYX63WVL._AA240_.jpg)
Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Is Blue. This is a very good CD. Lincoln has a great voice, and her interpretations are fresh and interesting. "Afro-Blue", the opening track, is rhythmically interesting. Her interpretation of the old standard "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" (which I have heard in a few corny 1920's recordings) brings an emotional vitality to this song, which by the 1950's was rather tired and old (and had been lampooned in many a cartoon).
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y30ZDFKCL._AA240_.jpg)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder. This CD is entertaining and full of life, and there isn't a dull moment.
Heather
Heather, thanks for mentioning Abbey Lincoln - like her a lot, and haven't thought about her in awhile. I haven't heard that recording, which looks wonderful.
--Bruce
Scanning the foregoing I see many greats but suggest you not overlook Getz/Gilberto.
Quote from: longears on August 26, 2007, 01:19:49 PM
Scanning the foregoing I see many greats but suggest you not overlook Getz/Gilberto.
Great call.
I got to this set in my pile earlier this morning:
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/50/21/0775225b9da0dc33106dd010._AA240_.L.jpg)
Though prices on Amazon seem to be pretty high, it is worth every penny.
Quote from: beclemund on August 26, 2007, 01:51:22 PM
I got to this set in my pile earlier this morning:
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/50/21/0775225b9da0dc33106dd010._AA240_.L.jpg)
Though prices on Amazon seem to be pretty high, it is worth every penny.
I have the Stitt stuff from that set....for a while it was OOP. Is it available agin?
Forgot this one from 1973:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/417N28D0D2L._AA240_.jpg)
Basie would have been nearly 70.
One more...
Charles Mingus - Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961, CD No. 3. This is all of the music from the album "Blues & Roots", along with some alternate takes. The music here looks back to the blues and, to a lesser extent, swing. Much of it is set to a blues rhythm. However, it is also up-to-date for the time, with a good many wild and interesting solo improvisations. It is very accessible and fun to listen to.
Heather
Quote from: Bogey on August 26, 2007, 01:54:27 PMI have the Stitt stuff from that set....for a while it was OOP. Is it available agin?
Judging by the prices, I do not believe it is.
Quote from: Daverz on August 26, 2007, 12:57:37 PM
Some recent good albums I got on Lp, but which should be readily available on CD:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/513SZ9T8EZL._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SAWJ1DKRL._AA240_.jpg)
I like this one more than the more famous Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B6FG4N0RL._AA240_.jpg)
Mingus himself thought this was his best album.
I have all these on lp's. You cannot go wrong with any of them.....They are classics for sure...
Since you "got" Ornette's Free Jazz first time thru, I think you can dive into almost any jazz without fear.
You've received a lot of great recommendations. Here's a few people who don't seem to have come up yet, although some of these might take you beyond the 1970 cutoff.
(http://www.the-temple.net/trudy/cecil.jpg)
Cecil Taylor
Along with Ornette Coleman, one of the two founding fathers of free jazz. His music is somewhat more abstract, atonal, and less obviously tied to the jazz tradition than Ornette's. He's also one of the greatest piano virtuosos jazz has ever produced. His debut disc Jazz Advance might be the most accessible entree into his music. My favourite record is probably Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come
(though poor sound and a terrible piano). Also not to miss are Unit Structures, Conquistador and the solo album Silent Tongues
(http://bronsonvsgod.typepad.com/bronsonvsgod/images/medium_hilvpic34.jpg)
Albert Ayler
Probably the most intense and visceral of the early avant-gardists. The trio album Spritual Unity is essential.
(http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/4/9/2/7/507294_356x237.jpg)
Anthony Braxton
A cerebral, intellectual player influenced by John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, still one of the most vital and influential players on the scene. Almost frustratingly prolific with a huge discography, but highlights include the pioneering solo sax recording For Alto, the big band Creative Orchestra Music 1976, and a series of recordings by an outstanding quartet featuring pianist Marilyn Crispell e.g. Quartet (Coventry) 1985 (Leo LR 204/205)
(http://www.tonyspage.com/images/lacy31web.jpg)
Steve Lacy
For a while in the 1970's and 80's it seemed that Lacy and Braxton had a competition to see who could put out the most recordings. Lacy was one of the few musicians to focus exclusively on the soprano sax. Although sharing the intellectual and philosophical proclivities of Braxton (as well as his fondness for solo performance), Lacy's music can also have a warmer, almost romantic aspect. An early champion of the music of Thelonious Monk. Some of his better known recordings are Reflection, The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy, Momentum, and Morning Joy.
I would also be remiss without mentioning possibly my favourite post 1970 jazz LP,
(http://www.ecm-records.com/Images/cover/ECM/1000/E1027g.jpg)
David Holland Quartet: Conference of the Birds
Quote from: Shrunk on August 26, 2007, 05:02:55 PM
Since you "got" Ornette's Free Jazz first time thru, I think you can dive into almost any jazz without fear.
You've received a lot of great recommendations. Here's a few people who don't seem to have come up yet, although some of these might take you beyond the 1970 cutoff.
Thanks. The 1970 cutoff is a somewhat arbitrary date which I chose to make the project a bit more manageable. Of course, I have already violated it with Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters", and I'll get into other stuff if it looks interesting. I'm sure I will go full steam into the post-1970 period after I get to know the 1950-1970 period better. I will also still expand my collection of the pre-1950 period even though it is already reasonably comprehensive.
Those that you posted look interesting. Ornette Coleman has certainly made me interested in the more experimental side of jazz, so I will want to check out more.
Heather
Quote from: Shrunk on August 26, 2007, 05:02:55 PM
Since you "got" Ornette's Free Jazz first time thru, I think you can dive into almost any jazz without fear.
You've received a lot of great recommendations. Here's a few people who don't seem to have come up yet, although some of these might take you beyond the 1970 cutoff.
(http://www.the-temple.net/trudy/cecil.jpg)
Cecil Taylor
Along with Ornette Coleman, one of the two founding fathers of free jazz. His music is somewhat more abstract, atonal, and less obviously tied to the jazz tradition than Ornette's. He's also one of the greatest piano virtuosos jazz has ever produced. His debut disc Jazz Advance might be the most accessible entree into his music. My favourite record is probably Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come
(though poor sound and a terrible piano). Also not to miss are Unit Structures, Conquistador and the solo album Silent Tongues
(http://bronsonvsgod.typepad.com/bronsonvsgod/images/medium_hilvpic34.jpg)
Albert Ayler
Probably the most intense and visceral of the early avant-gardists. The trio album Spritual Unity is essential.
(http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/4/9/2/7/507294_356x237.jpg)
Anthony Braxton
A cerebral, intellectual player influenced by John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, still one of the most vital and influential players on the scene. Almost frustratingly prolific with a huge discography, but highlights include the pioneering solo sax recording For Alto, the big band Creative Orchestra Music 1976, and a series of recordings by an outstanding quartet featuring pianist Marilyn Crispell e.g. Quartet (Coventry) 1985 (Leo LR 204/205)
(http://www.tonyspage.com/images/lacy31web.jpg)
Steve Lacy
For a while in the 1970's and 80's it seemed that Lacy and Braxton had a competition to see who could put out the most recordings. Lacy was one of the few musicians to focus exclusively on the soprano sax. Although sharing the intellectual and philosophical proclivities of Braxton (as well as his fondness for solo performance), Lacy's music can also have a warmer, almost romantic aspect. An early champion of the music of Thelonious Monk. Some of his better known recordings are Reflection, The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy, Momentum, and Morning Joy.
I would also be remiss without mentioning possibly my favourite post 1970 jazz LP,
(http://www.ecm-records.com/Images/cover/ECM/1000/E1027g.jpg)
David Holland Quartet: Conference of the Birds
whoa slow down. Your on the roof. That Dave Holland album is killer....
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 26, 2007, 01:11:58 PM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Y30ZDFKCL._AA240_.jpg)
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder. This CD is entertaining and full of life, and there isn't a dull moment.
Heather
Morgan's solo Blue Note output tends to be formulaic (thanks in part to the crossover success of
The Sidewinder) but one disc that very successfully breaks or stretches the mold--while still offering Morgan's expected fiery blowing--is
Search for the New Land(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NNMJSRZYL._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Grazioso on August 27, 2007, 02:34:24 AM
Morgan's solo Blue Note output tends to be formulaic (thanks in part to the crossover success of The Sidewinder) but one disc that very successfully breaks or stretches the mold--while still offering Morgan's expected fiery blowing--is
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NNMJSRZYL._AA240_.jpg)
Yeah, that one's a must have, too. In some of Morgan's later sessions with Art Blakey, he seems to be struggling with Wayne Shorter's more experimental compositions. This LP shows the results of his efforts to come to terms with this new harmonic language.
Ah--for immediate post 1970:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hfd0SpsaL._SS500_.jpg)
Here are the last of the ones I got at the store. I'm still waiting for that small group of old-fashioned stuff from Amazon.
Charles Mingus - Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956-1961, CDs 4 and 5. CD No. 4 is the "Mingus at Antibes" album. It is a good mix of the styles of his earlier albums, ranging from relatively straightforward to more experimental. The excitement of the concert is palpable; it would have been great to have been in that audience. CD No. 5 is the album "Oh Yeah" and some tracks from that session that were unused at the time, but later released on the album "Tonight at Noon". This one also has a great variety. It ranges from fun and humorous ("Eat That Chicken") to highly experimental ("Passions of a Man"), and it includes blues-influenced music reminiscent of the material on CD No. 3 and some gospel-influenced vocals by Mingus. Overall, this is a great box set, and I didn't find anything on it that was boring or unintelligible. The performances are top notch, and the music (most of it composed by Mingus) is rich and interesting. (CD No. 6 is an interview; I haven't listened to that yet.)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/518WY0Q176L._AA240_.jpg)
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite. This is the latest work I have heard so far of Duke Ellington, dating from 1966. He hasn't lost any of his energy or creative spirit. Even this late in his career, he was breaking new ground. In this case, he brought some Asian influences into the music, and he created something unique.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Fv3bIqSqL._AA240_.jpg)
Ornette Coleman - Change of the Century. Another great album by Ornette Coleman. This is very much like "Shape of Jazz to Come"; there is a great deal of free improvisation, but despite this the music is strangely melodic and accessible. This is controlled chaos at its best, as are the other Ornette Coleman albums I have heard so far.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/a3/58/8ff7a2c008a0a981c87e7010._AA240_.L.jpg)
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else. This is easy to appreciate and very enjoyable. Adderley led a great combo here - Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey; everyone is in top form. This is a good complement to that other great album featuring Davis and Adderley - "Kind of Blue".
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BGNSYQ5EL._AA240_.jpg)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme. This is a four-part suite that invites comparison to four-movement classical pieces. The intense finale especially invites such comparisons; it is so intensely personal and emotional that, while the musical language is totally different, it makes me think of Mahler's symphonies. This piece is complex, intense, and beautiful, and the performances are great. It definitely deserves its status as a classic.
This is it for now; I'll probably wait a week or two before my next shopping trip so that I can get to know these better and so that I can decide what to get next. Thanks again for all the recommendations. I will keep watching this thread.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 27, 2007, 05:32:11 PM
This is it for now; I'll probably wait a week or two before my next shopping trip so that I can get to know these better and so that I can decide what to get next. Thanks again for all the recommendations. I will keep watching this thread.
Heather
Enjoy listening and exploring! Jazz will provide a lifetime of pleasure and stimulation. And don't forget to explore contemporary jazz sometime. It's still very much a vibrant, exciting art form.
Wanted to keep this thread going Heather. (Is it possible to turn it into our "jazz go to" thread if you do not mind and have be an outlet for all things dealing with jazz?) Well anyway, saw this short clip of Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones drummer and a jazz musician in his on right) on jazz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3s8JqStYVE&mode=related&search=
Quote from: Heather Harrison on August 27, 2007, 05:32:11 PM
Duke Ellington - Far East Suite. This is the latest work I have heard so far of Duke Ellington, dating from 1966. He hasn't lost any of his energy or creative spirit. Even this late in his career, he was breaking new ground. In this case, he brought some Asian influences into the music, and he created something unique.
Some of the stuff he did in the early 50s for Capitol sounds pretty banal to me, so rather than 'hasn't lost any of his energy or creative spirit,' perhaps he found them again in the late 50s. Somewhat coincidentally, it coincided with the LP era. (And I'm not sure how much of this can be attributed to coincidence, but the other most important big band of the pre-war era, Count Basie's, also reinvented itself in a major way about the same time.)
QuoteCannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else. This is easy to appreciate and very enjoyable. Adderley led a great combo here - Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey; everyone is in top form.
Just listened to this for the first time in a few years the other day. It is indeed good. Am awaiting delivery of the HDAD version which got rave reviews soundwise.
QuoteJohn Coltrane - A Love Supreme. {....} while the musical language is totally different, it makes me think of Mahler's symphonies.
Very interesting analogy. I never thought about that.
Quote from: Shrunk on August 26, 2007, 05:02:55 PM
Cecil Taylor
Along with Ornette Coleman, one of the two founding fathers of free jazz. His music is somewhat more abstract, atonal, and less obviously tied to the jazz tradition than Ornette's. He's also one of the greatest piano virtuosos jazz has ever produced. His debut disc Jazz Advance might be the most accessible entree into his music. My favourite record is probably Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come
(though poor sound and a terrible piano). Also not to miss are Unit Structures, Conquistador and the solo album Silent Tongues
Albert Ayler
Probably the most intense and visceral of the early avant-gardists. The trio album Spritual Unity is essential.
Two bad ass mofos. Awesome talent. Thanks for the Holland mention. Hadn't heard of this and will pick it up later on. Samples sound great!
Quote from: Bogey on September 11, 2007, 08:22:30 PM
Wanted to keep this thread going Heather. (Is it possible to turn it into our "jazz go to" thread if you do not mind and have be an outlet for all things dealing with jazz?)
Good idea. I just modified the title of the thread to reflect this.
Anyway, I bought a few more classic jazz CDs.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21FldHlGEiL._AA160_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qJjp8B5pL._AA240_.jpg) (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41610WPA81L._AA240_.jpg)
Getz/Gilberto. Mingus Ah Um. Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce. All three of these are very good. Getz and Gilberto come together in some mellow Brazilian-influenced jazz. The Charles Mingus CD is a great addition to the Atlantic box set that I bought earlier; it is from the same time period (but recorded for Columbia), and it is as innovative as the best of his Atlantic material and certainly deserves its status as a classic. Tjader's "Soul Sauce" is energetic and exciting Latin jazz.
I haven't bought very many CDs lately because I have been busy and I want to get to know the ones I have better, but I can't seem to keep out of the stores entirely. I'm sure there will be more.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on September 15, 2007, 03:49:28 PM
Good idea. I just modified the title of the thread to reflect this.
Anyway, I bought a few more classic jazz CDs.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21FldHlGEiL._AA160_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qJjp8B5pL._AA240_.jpg) (http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41610WPA81L._AA240_.jpg)
Heather
Do not know about the third one there as I have not heard it, but the first two are fantastic. Love anything I have heard from Getz, but I have only begun to discover Mingus.
Quote from: Bogey on September 15, 2007, 03:58:18 PM
but I have only begun to discover Mingus.
Your next Mingus album:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SU-QKx%2B1L._SS400_.jpg)
The first track, Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, is my top feel-good piece of music (even before Blakey's Moanin', which admittedly has a much friendlier, less in-your-face feel to it). The Dolphy solo is breathtaking but I only mention that in passing because all of the musicians here combine to give what I can only describe as an overwhelming concert experience (well, except for Bud Powell and his endless--and endlesly boring--solo on one track -- and thankfully only one track!). No wonder this was voted #4 on All About Jazz's Top 10 live jazz recordings: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/library/livejazz4.htm
by the way, avatar changed. thanks :)
Quote from: sidoze on September 15, 2007, 06:08:22 PM
Your next Mingus album:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SU-QKx%2B1L._SS400_.jpg)
She has it already. It's included in the complete Atlantic box...
Quote from: Heather Harrison on September 15, 2007, 03:49:28 PM
The Charles Mingus CD is a great addition to the Atlantic box set that I bought earlier; it is from the same time period (but recorded for Columbia), and it is as innovative as the best of his Atlantic material and certainly deserves its status as a classic.
That Mingus is hard to resist, isn't he? Such innovation with creativity to burn. His passion is palpable!
Quote from: donwyn on September 15, 2007, 06:59:44 PM
She has it already. It's included in the complete Atlantic box...
But I quoted Bogey :)
Quote from: beclemund on August 25, 2007, 11:51:57 AM
If you like Dolphy's brand of jazz, Prestige Records released a nine disc set (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Prestige-Recordings-Eric-Dolphy/dp/B000000ZC6) of his sessions with the label.
I haven't' bothered to acquire this because it dates from '95 and several recordings in it--Five Spot, Out There, probably others--have been remastered in 20 or 24bit since. Do you know if there's anything included which is not available separately?
Have the Mingus flagged gentlemen. Thanks for the tip. (Very nice avatars by the way.)
Just filled in two gaping holes tonight with a trip to the used shop:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZWDDM5CL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-mgHngjUL._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on September 15, 2007, 08:55:43 PM
Have the Mingus flagged gentlemen. Thanks for the tip. (Very nice avatars by the way.)
Just filled in two gaping holes tonight with a trip to the used shop:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZWDDM5CL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-mgHngjUL._AA240_.jpg)
nice pick-up... both very necessary....
Quote from: Robert on September 15, 2007, 09:08:57 PM
nice pick-up... both very necessary....
Almost finished with the first listen of the Miles disc....how many "phases" did this guy have? Simply incredible Robert.
These are classic and worth noting with Joe Zawinul's recent passing (even if some are post-1970)
(http://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/B00006GO9Q.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
(http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/albumart/img/bitchesbrew.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/WRsweetnighter.jpg/200px-WRsweetnighter.jpg)
Sweetnighter, was a transitional album - some interesting background from JZ-
"I wanted the band to get stronger rhythmically," Zawinul said in describing the band's new direction. "Even stronger than Cannonball and Miles and all those. But there was just one thing, I just didn't like the backbeat, that two and four backbeat, it destroys any sensibility of rhythm because it is not rhythm, it is time, and time and rhythm in music are two different things. A groove is a groove, but time doesn't give you a groove, time gives you a certain exactness. '125th Street Congress' is a groove and that is what I wanted--I come from Cannonball, I come from Dinah Washington, everything I ever grew up with and liked about jazz is in there. That beat we use there, and on 'Boogie Woogie Waltz', I taught the two drummers, sitting with them for hours and taught them how to play it and those very recordings are sampled on rap and hip-hop records now--it was the first hip-hop beat ever recorded!" [JR, p. 170]
In order to realize his musical vision, Zawinul brought in a different bass player and drummer. "Miroslav, being a great bass player in one way, was not the bass player for other things we wanted to do. I had written a few pieces like 'Boogie Woogie Waltz' and '125th Street Congress' for the third album [Sweetnighter] which required a little more versatility. Eric Gravatt was not the drummer on these tunes; not that he couldn't have done it, but with him it was a mental thing. He just didn't have his heart in it. As a plain jazz drummer, I think he's the greatest we have ever had, with perhaps the exception of Peter Erskine or Omar Hakim. So we had to hire a drummer and a bassist to play the grooves we wanted. it was an awkward situation. Here we had a band and we had to hire outside musicians to play instruments which were already supposed to be played by the members of the band--it started getting weird." [KB84]
In fact, it was the beginning of the end of Gravatt's tenure with the band. "Miroslav accepted that he couldn't play funk," Zawinul recalled in 1978, "but it really hurt Gravatt. I wasn't getting a chance to solo because I had to play so much bottom to make the music come out--it wasn't decisive enough rhythmically. Gravatt was a great jazz drummer, but you can't play 4/4 all the time." [DB78b] "I think Eric Gravatt was a genius," Zawinul reminisced years later, "but he had such a small little bass drum, we couldn't play the things I wanted to play. That's what broke that up. It wasn't that he didn't play good enough. He was a bad dude, man. From the jazz side, Eric Gravatt was my favorite of them all." [DB01]
Expanding on that thought, Zawinul added, "He couldn't remain in the band because when we went into the studio to do the third album, I wanted to have what's today called the hip-hop beat. You hear it on '125th Street Congress.' And 'Boogie Woogie Waltz' was a hip-hop in 3. But I needed a low bass drum. Eric had one of those long small little things, that went 'boop'. That didn't make it, so I had to hire another guy who had that bass drum sound. When Eric saw this guy in the studio, he kind of freaked out and his spirit was not there anymore. That, unfortunately, changed a lot of things." [DB01]
http://www.binkie.net/wrdisc/Sweetnighter.html
Quote from: Bogey on September 15, 2007, 09:33:00 PM
Almost finished with the first listen of the Miles disc....how many "phases" did this guy have? Simply incredible Robert.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF MILES DAVIS' CAREER1. Early BebopperDavis appeared on some of Charlie Parker's most important sessions. There's some controversy over his appearances here. He's still in his teens, and often seems to be struggling. Yet even here you can start to discern elements of his mature style, and at times he already seems to be pointing towards directions beyond bebop.
2. Birth of the CoolIt didn't take long before he started to pursue some of those directions. These large group sessions, collected on
The Complete Birth of the Cool, document a group that utilized the harmonic innovations of bebop, but in a context more concerned with musical structure and atmosphere than with virtuoso soloing. Again, some controversy over the degree of credit Davis should take for this music, with the contributions of Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans perhaps being undervalued at the time. Nonetheless, it cannot be ignored that Davis was intimately involved in most of the major innovations in jazz in the two decades following the birth of bebop (with the exception of free jazz).
3. Hitting His StrideAfter a fallow period of a few years, Davis seemed to finally achieve maturity in around 1954. This is best demonstrated on the classic recording
Walkin', which is arguably the first hard bop session.
4. The First Classic QuintetIn 1955 , he formed one of the great small groups in jazz: John Coltrane on tenor, Red Garland piano, Paul Chambers bass, Philly Joe Jones drums. A series of recording for Prestige (ironically made to fulfill a contract before moving on to Columbia) are all esssntial:
Relaxin', Workin', Steamin', and
Cookin'. To some extent, five decades later, these recordings continue to define the mainstream of jazz.
5. Kind of BlueA recording so famous and of such significance, it deserves a category of its own. I presume most people with any interest in jazz already know about this one, but to briefly describe its importance: This was the first recording to use modal harmony in jazz, where solos are based on a series of scales rather than diatonic harmonic progressions. I don't think that description really captures what makes this recording special, however. You just have to hear it.
6. Gil Evans Between 1957 and 1968 he produced a number of sessions with his
Birth of the Cool collaborator that featured Davis' trumpet as a solo voice in a lush, harmonically and timbrally adventurous orchestral setting.
Sketches of Spain and
Porgy and Bess are classics from this period.
7. The Second Great QuintetBy the 1960's free jazz was clearly established. Although Davis at times expressed antipathy towards this music, it is clear he was also responding to the challenges posed to the traditional harmonic and rhythmic underpinnings of jazz by figures such as Ornette Coleman and Cecil Tayor. He formed a formidable group comprising Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the teenaged phenom Tony Williams on drums. At times this group seemed to be experimenting with how far the structures of jazz could be pushed without completely going over into free.
The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel may be my single favourite jazz recordings, but it's a 7 disc set and I'm not sure it's even available anymore.
Miles Smiles and
ESP are also essential.
8. ElectricMiles was starting to pay attention to what was going on in rock music at this time. He was particularly intrigued by artists like Sly Stone and Jimmy Hendrix (there are reports of an attempted collaboration between Davis and Hendrix) and began to integrate electric instruments and rock/funk rhythms into his music, while maintaining the innovations in harmony and structure uncovered by the previous group. The early recordings in this period, such as
In a Silent Way and
Bitches Brew, still retain vestiges of earlier jazz, but later recordings such as
Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, Agharta and
Pangaea become increasingly rock-oriented. Nonetheless, this is still innovative and at times abrasive music, a far cry from the soporifics that often passed for "jazz-rock" at this time. The other important development was the change in the very method of making records from
Silent Way on. Recording sessions became loose jam sessions, with little pre-written material. The tape would be kept running, and afterwards the resulting hours of music would be edited into a coherent whole. His producer, Teo Macero, was a key collaborator at this point.
9. Later careerI think you can safely stop here secure in the knowledge that you have all of his essential music. He continued to record and perform up to his death in 1991, but was often impaired by addiction and other health issues. There are still some interesting records, however. I like
Star People and some admire
Tutu, though I'm not crazy about it (It might be worth picking up just for the cover shot, however).
Anyway, I hope that's not way more information than you asked for!
Quote from: Shrunk on September 16, 2007, 07:34:18 AM
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF MILES DAVIS' CAREER
1. Early Bebopper
Davis appeared on some of Charlie Parker's most important sessions. There's some controversy over his appearances here. He's still in his teens, and often seems to be struggling. Yet even here you can start to discern elements of his mature style, and at times he already seems to be pointing towards directions beyond bebop.
2. Birth of the Cool
It didn't take long before he started to pursue some of those directions. These large group sessions, collected on The Complete Birth of the Cool, document a group that utilized the harmonic innovations of bebop, but in a context more concerned with musical structure and atmosphere than with virtuoso soloing. Again, some controversy over the degree of credit Davis should take for this music, with the contributions of Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans perhaps being undervalued at the time. Nonetheless, it cannot be ignored that Davis was intimately involved in most of the major innovations in jazz in the two decades following the birth of bebop (with the exception of free jazz).
3. Hitting His Stride
After a fallow period of a few years, Davis seemed to finally achieve maturity in around 1954. This is best demonstrated on the classic recording Walkin', which is arguably the first hard bop session.
4. The First Classic Quintet
In 1955 , he formed one of the great small groups in jazz: John Coltrane on tenor, Red Garland piano, Paul Chambers bass, Philly Joe Jones drums. A series of recording for Prestige (ironically made to fulfill a contract before moving on to Columbia) are all esssntial: Relaxin', Workin', Steamin', and Cookin'. To some extent, five decades later, these recordings continue to define the mainstream of jazz.
5. Kind of Blue
A recording so famous and of such significance, it deserves a category of its own. I presume most people with any interest in jazz already know about this one, but to briefly describe its importance: This was the first recording to use modal harmony in jazz, where solos are based on a series of scales rather than diatonic harmonic progressions. I don't think that description really captures what makes this recording special, however. You just have to hear it.
6. Gil Evans
Between 1957 and 1968 he produced a number of sessions with his Birth of the Cool collaborator that featured Davis' trumpet as a solo voice in a lush, harmonically and timbrally adventurous orchestral setting. Sketches of Spain and Porgy and Bess are classics from this period.
7. The Second Great Quintet
By the 1960's free jazz was clearly established. Although Davis at times expressed antipathy towards this music, it is clear he was also responding to the challenges posed to the traditional harmonic and rhythmic underpinnings of jazz by figures such as Ornette Coleman and Cecil Tayor. He formed a formidable group comprising Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the teenaged phenom Tony Williams on drums. At times this group seemed to be experimenting with how far the structures of jazz could be pushed without completely going over into free. The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel may be my single favourite jazz recordings, but it's a 7 disc set and I'm not sure it's even available anymore. Miles Smiles and ESP are also essential.
8. Electric
Miles was starting to pay attention to what was going on in rock music at this time. He was particularly intrigued by artists like Sly Stone and Jimmy Hendrix (there are reports of an attempted collaboration between Davis and Hendrix) and began to integrate electric instruments and rock/funk rhythms into his music, while maintaining the innovations in harmony and structure uncovered by the previous group. The early recordings in this period, such as In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, still retain vestiges of earlier jazz, but later recordings such as Jack Johnson, Live-Evil, Agharta and Pangaea become increasingly rock-oriented. Nonetheless, this is still innovative and at times abrasive music, a far cry from the soporifics that often passed for "jazz-rock" at this time. The other important development was the change in the very method of making records from Silent Way on. Recording sessions became loose jam sessions, with little pre-written material. The tape would be kept running, and afterwards the resulting hours of music would be edited into a coherent whole. His producer, Teo Macero, was a key collaborator at this point.
9. Later career
I think you can safely stop here secure in the knowledge that you have all of his essential music. He continued to record and perform up to his death in 1991, but was often impaired by addiction and other health issues. There are still some interesting records, however. I like Star People and some admire Tutu, though I'm not crazy about it (It might be worth picking up just for the cover shot, however).
Anyway, I hope that's not way more information than you asked for!
:D Thanks Shrunk! I am actually fairly familiar with his periods, but very cool that you put them together under one roof here. My question was mainly rhetorical in nature, as my thinking, which was unclear in my post, was that
Sketches of Spain seems even fairly removed from
Miles Ahead with Gil Evans.....this album is almost a "phase" within a phase IMO. Anyone else sense this as well?
Shrunk
Miles lost me in his later period. We know what a great innovator he was. For me he just went too far over. I had some conversations with Miles about just that. He was def a man of few words. He just kept saying he felt he had to do it....never went into it....I asked him how about a Bitches Brew concert, he said it would be impossible to get all those cats together. It seemed their schedules would not permit it at that time...Anyway with Miles I am just happy to have heard and seen a lot...... 8)
Quote from: Robert on September 16, 2007, 08:29:59 AM
Shrunk
Miles lost me in his later period. We know what a great innovator he was. For me he just went too far over. I had some conversations with Miles about just that. He was def a man of few words. He just kept saying he felt he had to do it....never went into it....I asked him how about a Bitches Brew concert, he said it would be impossible to get all those cats together. It seemed their schedules would not permit it at that time...Anyway with Miles I am just happy to have heard and seen a lot...... 8)
Keep these stories coming Rob....in a few years I will be able to cut and paste them from this and the non-classical thread and I am sure we will have No. 1 seller on the NY Times Book List.
Quote from: James on September 16, 2007, 08:48:37 AM
Yeah, for the most part me too, he lost the plot and f'd himself up too much. The music became increasingly watered down and much meandered nowhere...crap with a backbeat... it really when downhill after the 2nd Quintet....but even the 2nd quintet, though good, wasn't as good as the 1st one IMHO. His prime years were from about 1955 to about 1968...
James
Well I consider his Evans collaborations to be essential. I also liked the move into Bitches Brew, Miles in the Sky and In a Silent Way (although this is just a music loop) and many others in this particular bag. The problem was the next level which totally lost me....The jazz period you are referring to was a thing of the past and Miles felt he had to move backwards.... :-X (oh sorry I mean forwards) 8)
Thanks for the posts about Miles Davis; it is nice to have a quick reference of his history.
Here is one more recently-purchased jazz CD.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61-u9cw9DfL._AA240_.jpg)
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Brubeck Time. This is a reissue of a 1954 LP with surprisingly good sound quality. It predates his better known "Time Out" LP and is more conventional in style, but it is impeccably performed, energetic, and entertaining.
Heather
Quote from: Bogey on September 16, 2007, 08:37:45 AM
Keep these stories coming Rob....in a few years I will be able to cut and paste them from this and the non-classical thread and I am sure we will have No. 1 seller on the NY Times Book List.
Sure Bill glad to share. I went to many Miles concerts. What was happening was the more eclectic his music got his clothing did the same....In almost all his later concerts he NEVER faced the audience, he always played with his back to the audience. The only time he didn't was when he walked around the stage talking to the musicians. He also spit a lot on stage.. At times he seemed very angry....Did not matter to me you see, I alway forgave him after every concert.... 0:)
Quote from: Heather Harrison on September 16, 2007, 09:31:58 AM
Thanks for the posts about Miles Davis; it is nice to have a quick reference of his history.
Here is one more recently-purchased jazz CD.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61-u9cw9DfL._AA240_.jpg)
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Brubeck Time. This is a reissue of a 1954 LP with surprisingly good sound quality. It predates his better known "Time Out" LP and is more conventional in style, but it is impeccably performed, energetic, and entertaining.
Heather
Once Desmond wrote "TAKE FIVE," that changed everything.....
Quote from: James on September 16, 2007, 09:44:43 AM
Which was typical of his career/nature, though he got very mixed results and not everything worked...
amen brother for sure......
Quote from: Heather Harrison on September 16, 2007, 09:31:58 AM
Here is one more recently-purchased jazz CD.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61-u9cw9DfL._AA240_.jpg)
Heather
Nice.
Snapped up these two today:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/514RX9K8NZL._AA240_.jpg)
The first looks a bit misleading as the title makes it sound like a box set, when actually it is a single disc. Getz is "Parker-like" (based on the very little I have heard of Parker) on the '46 sessions and that alone was worth the price of the disc....some serious "bop" from Stan here. Here is a little story from the liner notes that I thought worth sharing:
Shorty Rogers told Getz's biographer, Donald Maggin, about a night in 1941 when they (Stan and him) first met, four months after Getz switched from alto to tenor sax. Rogers was seventeen, Getz fourteen. Stan had been called to play a dance in the Bronx with a band which Rogers was working. The job demanded that Getz sight-read stock arrangements. Rogers kept an eye and ear on the new kid to find out what he could do. "I listened," Rogers said, and to my amazement he never made one mistake. Then we did a Glenn Miller thing, In the Mood, and he stood up and played Tex Beneke's solo...with the same sound and everything. And I said, "What's going on with this guy?" And then we played One O'Clock Jump. He did Lester Young's solo. Just perfect.
and this one:
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/617T9YVHXEL._AA240_.gif)
That puts nine Getz cds on my shelf and I enjoy everyone of them....I guess his work/sound just suits me.
I dislike Miles' post-retirement career as well, but, that said, I absolutely his We Want Miles double LP. No keyboardist!! Plus Mike Stern's rockin' guitar.
Quote from: I on September 16, 2007, 01:41:11 PM
I absolutely his We Want Miles double LP.
That was supposed to be 'I absolutely *love* his...'
It's better to experience a loveless sentence than be sentenced to a loveless experience. :)
And glad I'm not the only one here who appreciates it.
Courtesy of Mr. Handy, some wonderful Satch from '54 spinning right now:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MphNPvYsL._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: James on September 22, 2007, 09:19:59 AM
Louis Armstrong - The California Concerts (4 discs)
On my wish-list. Almost bought a used set last month.
Got a 3-disc set of Rahsaan Roland Kirk yesterday. This is smoking:
http://www.youtube.com/v/-uRnvMwD6jM
Which one of you beautiful people wants to upload Armstrong's St James Infirmary for me to download and hear?
Thank you very kindly.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/414XCKQX33L._SS500_.jpg)
hardly ever a mention of Ayler on this board. I have been listening to this 2CD live set and man does it ever smoke. The description of "salvation army band on LSD" fits snugly but it's so much more than that. There's a piece called For John Coltrane written for the master after he passed and it's the free jazz equivalent of the best classical requiems. Absolutely overwhelming music, strong and subtle playing from Albert on alto sax and two basses (or is one a cello?) playing in opposite registers throughout -- grinding, singing, moaning and squealing till your ears pop . You don't need classical music when you've got this much emotion and creativity going on for 13 minutes. Recommended to anyone who likes to feel out of control!
Quote from: bwv 1080 on September 22, 2007, 09:39:49 AM
Got a 3-disc set of Rahsaan Roland Kirk yesterday. This is smoking:
Smoking is right! That goes straight to the top of the "All-Time Hottest Bacharach and David Covers" list. Thanks for sharing that.
Quote from: sidoze on September 22, 2007, 03:26:09 PM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/414XCKQX33L._SS500_.jpg)
hardly ever a mention of Ayler on this board. I have been listening to this 2CD live set and man does it ever smoke. The description of "salvation army band on LSD" fits snugly but it's so much more than that. There's a piece called For John Coltrane written for the master after he passed and it's the free jazz equivalent of the best classical requiems. Absolutely overwhelming music, strong and subtle playing from Albert on alto sax and two basses (or is one a cello?) playing in opposite registers throughout -- grinding, singing, moaning and squealing till your ears pop . You don't need classical music when you've got this much emotion and creativity going on for 13 minutes. Recommended to anyone who likes to feel out of control!
A very powerful set for sure. I always recommend that one to anyone willing to step outside the box.
Re: the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk, this is a fun intro:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/415BCVB5JRL._AA240_.jpg)
That man was out of this world: blind, able to play a slew of instruments (often a few at the same time), totally open to blending different strands of music, and ridiculously hip in his own weird way.
Speaking of out of this world, any mention of Sun Ra yet? Evidence have re-released many of his albums: B-movie sci-fi meets big-band jazz meets free improv. He surrounded himself with some great, under-appreciated talent over the years like John Gilmore and Marshall Allen.
Enlightenment is my tomorrow.
(http://www.pandoracd.co.kr/shop/file/PAN/JHI-20051231182160-S.jpg)
(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002I4S.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) (http://edbatista.typepad.com/edbatista/images/2006/01/John_Coltrane_Lush_Life.jpg)
May be the start of another run of 'Trane listens.
Thought I'd post this here since it probably doesn't warrant its own thread and might be missed in the 'What are you reading' thread by some who might want to read it.
I want to recommend a jazz book called Thinking in Jazz. http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Jazz-Infinite-Improvisation-Ethnomusicology/dp/0226043819/ (http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Jazz-Infinite-Improvisation-Ethnomusicology/dp/0226043819/)
I never would have Amazoned this book if I had realised how big it is--not that I'm intimidated by lengthy books (it's 900+ pages, although only maybe 2/3 or 3/4 are the actual text), but I'm working on a PhD in an unrelated field and don't have time for such lengthy detours. It's sat on my shelf, occasionally thumbed through, for a few months until this past week which is a major holiday here and we had to go to my mother-in-law's. She doesn't speak a word of English (other than 'baby!' and 'when?') and the closest thing she has to an Internet connection is a refrigerator. So I grabbed the book and started reading it while I was there.
Wow. I want to say it's a very academic read, but I'll say that only if you understand I mean it in the best possible sense of the word. It pretty much presents jazz to people who don't know anything about it (thus more objective than subjective), which also serves as an excellent back-to-basics approach for those who do. Especially interesting are quotes from famous musicians (the author interviewed many) about some of the stupid mistakes they made when they first started out. Honestly, if I had heard some of these quotes 25 years ago, I might not have given up learning to play jazz, thinking I was the only one who wasn't hearing it right. (I never totally gave up, but I resigned myself to just playing for my own pleassure and never really advancing.)
Everything's back to normal today so I'm not sure I'll be able to keep the momentum going and finish the book in a reasonable time frame, but it's really good and, though I'm not finished with, I highly recommend it.
A most excellent sounding SACD.
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RCtdOKyfL._SS500_.jpg)
Chick Corea - Now he sings now he sobs
Herbie Hancock - Empryrean Isles
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/410PHA7M2HL._AA240_.jpg)
Let me first state that I am a huge fan of Coltrane. My listening and purchasing posts hopefully idicate this. Love his early stuff as well as later recordings, but this one? I could not begin to get my head around it. The track listing has My Favorite Things listed, but I could not make it out at all. In short, 'Trane finally lost me with this one.
Now playing:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kFNwla4oL._AA240_.jpg)
Very late Trane is indeed hard to follow.
Monk, Straight No Chaser (SACD). I ordered this months ago because it was given as an example of a stunning-sounding SACD. It just arrived today because copies are getting scarce and it took along time for Amazon to scrounge one up. It is indeed a great disc though.
Bad amazon picture:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21GGERYXFQL._SS500_.jpg)
Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Kidney Stew is Fine. Slipped under my radar for years, but it's really good, as is pretty much anything on the Delmark label. Vinson, T-Bone Walker on guitar, and Jay McShann on piano.
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61XR9C3jOsL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q2VPHNY8L._AA240_.jpg)
Like eating a tasty, but very rich desert at a restaurant....after two or three bites, enjoyable. More than that and you begin to wonder why you ordered it in the first place.
How have i missed this thread? ???
Heather, I will think a bit and return, if you aren't already flooded with ideas.
Actually, I have one idea, go to your fave store and buy recommended stuff but ONLY what's on sale. There's no need to spend more than 6-7 bucks for most of the CDs I've seen so far. I've built a decent collection of these CDs for cheap, buying sale items and waiting for sales to pop up for the others.
Quote from: Bogey on October 05, 2007, 03:15:33 PM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q2VPHNY8L._AA240_.jpg)
Like eating a tasty, but very rich desert at a restaurant....after two or three bites, enjoyable. More than that and you begin to wonder why you ordered it in the first place.
;D
Now:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/416TG240BNL._AA240_.jpg)
Love this photo of Herbie!
I'm going to plug it again: anyone who loves jazz from this era with wild solos, subtle interplay and a great rhythm section should try some of the recent recordings of William Parker. I've been listening to O'Neal's Porch and it's as good as any other jazz I've heard.
Now:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V86YNAXHL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GM6cOmq0L._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iAG6mVq%2BL._SS500_.jpg)
Just bought these. I had forgotten how good they are. I had them on vinyl years back but never replaced them with CDs--not sure why but changing the cover of Someday my Prince Will Come to a picture of Miles Davis on the CD version sure didn't help.
Quote from: KevinP on October 11, 2007, 01:17:05 AM
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iAG6mVq%2BL._SS500_.jpg)
Easily one of my favorite Miles' albums Kevin. Somewhat overlooked IMO.
Now spinning:
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Mingus_Ah_Um_-_Charles_Mingus.jpg/200px-Mingus_Ah_Um_-_Charles_Mingus.jpg)
So how do you interpret jazz?
Could you be a little more specific? I'd like to answer but your question is pretty vague and I'm not sure I understand it.
Ok well what makes a good jazz song? What exactly do you look for? Before I got into classical I listened to the jazz stations but I found so little I liked I moved on. One piece I like was take 5, mainly the sax part. Anything you can recommend like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/DDOgYw5-pNs
Quote from: HandelHooligan on October 11, 2007, 10:35:26 PM
Ok well what makes a good jazz song? What exactly do you look for? Before I got into classical I listened to the jazz stations but I found so little I liked I moved on. One piece I like was take 5, mainly the sax part. Anything you can recommend like this?
What makes a good jazz song? Well, first ask what makes a good jazz
performance, because jazz isn't so much about the tunes, even though jazz has many great ones. Rather, the tunes provide springboards for individual, spontaneous musical statements, usually within a collective context. (More than a few commentators have drawn parallels between that balance and the American democratic ethos.) How is the soloist interpreting the piece or weaving his own musical statements into it? Listening to many performances of the same standards will highlight the differences in approach and reveal when one player is quoting or alluding to an earlier performance. And since jazz is so personal (cf. classical music's obsession with the abstraction of notes written on paper), be sure to listen to the subtleties of each individual player: the nuances of tone, attack, rhythm. Hear each player as a unique
voice speaking with individual inflections, not just someone playing notes. It's the how as much as the what.
Listen too for interaction: how does one player respond to, support, spur on, or contradict the other? That can take some real careful listening to pick up on.
Also, on the most apparent level, jazz generally places a higher emphasis on rhythm and a swinging groove than melody or harmony (though jazz harmony can be incredibly rich and there are plenty of tunes that will stick in your head for years). So, does the performance swing hard and get your toes tapping? And you'll hear across the different developmental periods of jazz how the the roles of the rhythm section have altered, with the drums, for instance, becoming more and more a coloristic and even quasi-melodic instrument, while the bass more obviously keeps time. Or perhaps the time is just implied with all the instruments playing around it. In fact, the pushing or pulling of the beat, the movement between obvious emphasis and subtle implication, plays a key role in jazz.
I think the point is worth emphasizing: Jazz is a performer's music, classical music is a composer's.
After being wowed by Martial Solal last night, I got a few of his CDs, including The Complete Vogue Recordings, Vols. II and III (all from the 1950s), Portrait in Black and White with trumpeter Éric Le Lann, and his most recent, Exposition Sans Tableau.
(http://cover6.cduniverse.com/CDUCoverArt/Music/91/1493891.jpg) (http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/780/785186.jpg) (http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/900/902274.jpg) (http://cover6.cduniverse.com/CDUCoverArt/Music/25/7349425.jpg)
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on October 12, 2007, 11:08:24 AM
After being wowed by Martial Solal last night, I got a few of his CDs, including The Complete Vogue Recordings, Vols. II and III (all from the 1950s), Portrait in Black and White with trumpeter Éric Le Lann, and his most recent, Exposition Sans Tableau.
Must be nice to live in NY and be able to pick up such (what I assume are) rare CDs.
Quote from: locrian on October 12, 2007, 11:12:13 AM
Must be nice to live in NY and be able to pick up such (what I assume are) rare CDs.
Actually (perhaps surprisingly) they don't appear to be that scarce. The two Vogue releases were just $12.99 each, and the others are still in print, since they came out in 2006 and 2007, and were at the "usual" price of $18.99.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on October 12, 2007, 11:23:55 AM
Actually (perhaps surprisingly) they don't appear to be that scarce. The two Vogue releases were just $12.99 each, and the others are still in print, since they came out in 2006 and 2007, and were at the "usual" price of $18.99.
I have an iTunes card burning a hole in my wallet. Maybe he has some stuff in the iTunes store. I might check tonight after dinner.
Quote from: James on October 12, 2007, 10:21:42 AM
Yeah, but all that applies to artists in ANY idiom though. Whether it be rock, jazz, indian, classical etc..
Every artist of note (in any art form) has a unique voice, personal nuances, inflections, approach etc...
Whether it be Edgard Varese, Glenn Gould, Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar, Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong.
And it should be noted that dumping your personality into the music doesn't necessarily make it great.
It should be more about serving the music. In my opinion - the depiction of the ego/self in music is ultimately inferior.
Which doesn't mean I don't love lots of that and think it has great worth, but it should aspire (& be valued) above mere considerations of personality, self...
The essence of jazz is; blues and swing. Without these 2 things there certainly isn't much jazz left.
And a good song must be in place from the get go, or it will never get off the ground for the listener...
Doesn't matter who the performers are, the emphasis should always be on the music and the quality of it, not them as performers.
Quality control is something that a lot of jazz performers lack...players often are too wound up in themselves & their experiences as performers instead. With jazz, I'm more often than not blown away by the scale of this self-indulgence, not the musical result.
Most jazz is quite literally ephemeral in nature...
Many of the most beautiful things are the most ephemeral, and indeed all things ultimately fade and pass.
There are times when the performer can or should be the emphasis: personality can make a statement and be beautiful in itself. Look at someone like Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Is his music as good as that of his great jazz contemporaries? Not always, but he sure was magnetic and entertaining!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqXYAcVPDD4
Yet no one is claiming that good jazz results from self-indulgence or from putting one's ego ahead of the music, but good jazz does result when the players/composers have something uniquely personal and powerful to say, when they have the technical skill and imagination to let their head, heart, and soul say the right thing at the right moment.
As for a good song being needed to get a jazz performance off the ground--not really. Good groups can really go to town on simple blowing tunes, though I for one prefer more characterful, atmospheric pieces as the launching point.
As for the essence of jazz: blues is certainly a key strand of jazz's DNA, but it's not essential to make something jazz. Much jazz draws on the blues only indirectly, and when jazzers explicitly play the blues, they tend to player a rather more complex version of it than a "real" bluesman might. I think it's safer to say that some degree of both swing and improvisation are jazz's defining hallmarks, but ultimately it comes down to family resemblances based on the extent to which the music in question falls within what is perceived to be the jazz tradition of theory, performance, history, aesthetic values, instrumentation, etc. Something is "jazz" because it (seemingly) has something vital in common with what people have previously deemed "jazz." Did Ornette's famous early albums sound like Count Basie in the 30's? Not exactly, but most everyone calls both jazz.
Grabbed these from the used bin today:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HejeABZmL._AA280_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418-O7ToX8L._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4121993ZJBL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C0X8RNWML._AA240_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418-O7ToX8L._AA240_.jpg)
Spinning this right now. Pretty straight forward early 'Trane. Only flashes of what is to come.
Ballads is really good.
I'm sure Standard Coltrane is of the same quality (he always doesn't wonderful ballad albums), but I just never picked it up, for no particular reason. I am eyeing the SACD though.
The one with Don Cherry I had on LP but never replaced or listen to it since. Not sure how I'd like it now as the avant garde appeals to me less these days.
Bags & Trane. Have it, very rarely listen to it. In fact, most of the albums that Milt Jackson collaborated on fit in this category. I appreciate his musicianship but I tend to lose attention with vibes. The exception is the Christmas Eve session he did with Miles and Monk. That, in fact, is better to hear as a session rather than split on to the various albums it made. (Went to see him twice though.)
Quote from: KevinP on October 14, 2007, 06:17:52 PM
Ballads is really good.
I'm sure Standard Coltrane is of the same quality (he always doesn't wonderful ballad albums), but I just never picked it up, for no particular reason. I am eyeing the SACD though.
When sampling at the shop I thought they were very similar in approach. However, this is said with only minor sampling.
Quote from: KevinP on October 14, 2007, 06:17:52 PM
The one with Don Cherry I had on LP but never replaced or listen to it since. Not sure how I'd like it now as the avant garde appeals to me less these days.
Again, with minor sampling, I found this to be pretty straight forward....but then again, straight forward 'Trane can be not so straight forward. :)
Quote from: KevinP on October 14, 2007, 06:17:52 PM
Bags & Trane. Have it, very rarely listen to it. In fact, most of the albums that Milt Jackson collaborated on fit in this category. I appreciate his musicianship but I tend to lose attention with vibes. The exception is the Christmas Eve session he did with Miles and Monk. That, in fact, is better to hear as a session rather than split on to the various albums it made. (Went to see him twice though.)
I enjoyed the Getz/Hampton cd I recently purchased, so I thought I might enjoy this as well. However, I hear what your saying about the vibes.
Quote from: Bogey on October 14, 2007, 06:42:55 PM
Again, with minor sampling, I found this to be pretty straight forward....but then again, straight forward 'Trane can be not so straight forward. :)
:)
Yeah, I don't remember it being too out there, which is why I consider that I might like it.
Quote from: KevinP on October 14, 2007, 07:18:01 PM
:)
Yeah, I don't remember it being too out there, which is why I consider that I might like it.
Giving it a spin right now....and enjoying it quite a bit. Great memory....not too out there at all Kevin. Definitely a bit different "sounding" than any of my other 'Trane cds, but if I heard this one on the radio, I would be trying to track it down.
Quote from: James on October 13, 2007, 05:05:06 AM
Simply not true.
Truly great & beautiful works of art stand the test of time.
I'm not just talking about "works of art"--have you never been thrilled by the last moments of a sunset or a lover's glance at just the right moment? And you seemingly work from the false premise that art is all about formal "works" that have in some way been set down for preservation. And what truly lasts? A century is the blink of an eye in the large scheme of things.
Quote
ouch! beautiful statement, magnetic, entertaining even ... ??? naaaa
& musically earthbound to me, a non-starter from the get-go...
If you don't have the ability to appreciate Rahsaan, what can I say? You need some soul, brother :)
Quote
Yeah, I know this, doesnt make it great music or good even, because they can do that...see my above comments, same applies to any groups of musicians "going to town" on a "simple blowing tune"...that's facile, empty etc...this creative leeway they allow themselves rarely extends to this listener, and its never music of the highest aspiration & quality...it's appeal is limited and dull. If the backing music isn't there from the get-go nothing will save it, a non-starter...so yeah, we're back to junk composition & indulgent soloing. Which plagues much jazz. What about quality control? restraint? intelligence? real substance? FOCUS?
Why do you assume those things are absent? And you certainly have an idiosyncratic view of jazz: ask other fans and jazz musicians whether or not they can appreciate great musicians playing a simple jazz blues or blowing tune, and they'll all be answering "yes" while you curmudgeonly shake your head in the corner. I'm sorry you dislike jazz or lack the ability to appreciate it, but don't assume from that that you have its measure.
Quote
Yeah, those are nice ideals but very little jazz meets them im afraid...it's hard to do, and the results of even the greatest of the great were very variable & patchy...and when exhilirating, on the edge, a base vocabulary combined with 'not knowing exactly what they are doing' and just going for it, taking a chance ...means making lots of mistakes as well....
Why do you assume they don't know what they're doing? Because you don't understand jazz theory and practice? Because you haven't learned to hear what others have?
Quote
The swing beat is the evolution of the African 6/8 rhythm and was brought to America by the African slaves. It eventually became the blues. So the 2 are intertwined. Blues and swing are present in Ornette & Basie. Jazz and rock & folk musicians all inherit - to various degrees - an oral tradition (a base vocabulary), and then they practise lots of stuff ... the stuff they later "improvise" live !
If you think the blues is just a swing beat (and jazz and blues tend to swing differently), you need to study the blues. Here you can find some of the basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues
Quote
And I'm sure you're aware that improvisation is not a jazz invention, it has existed since the earliest music was made.
All great music swings in it's own way. Jazz's swing has it's own distinguishing characteristic & roots...
Indeed I am aware. A lack of improvisation in music is probably the exception to the historical rule. Yet extensive improv is nonetheless a hallmark of much jazz.
All great music does not swing: "swing" refers to a specific rhythmic device and associated feel/groove, and you can listen to a lot of great classical music without ever hearing it.
Quote
But as you get older, how much do you expect to get from listening to jazzers play/practice thru/over jazz songbook legacy chord changes, and ting-ting-a-ting etc ? It's virtually all homophonic, easily digestible etc...
sure it can be a blast of joy ... & adrenalin ... even nostalgia ... but spiritual sustenance ... ? solace? ... the breadth & depth of great art music? ... even some meat for existential & philosophical rumination? .... Hmmm not sure about that.
There's plenty of polyphony in jazz, and what's wrong with homophony? If you think jazz is all easily digestible, I recommend again that you take the time to
study it seriously, not just listen to it casually and assume you have the tools for deciphering it. Have you ever really read up on its theory or tried playing it? Have you ever analyzed a solo in depth?
I find no "meat for existential and philosophical rumination" directly inherent in any music, outside of the texts of some vocal works. Music is organized sound, and it may move me physically/emotionally or make me think about how it's structured, but it doesn't traffic in intellectual abstractions and concepts the way a work of philosophy or literature might. By chance, it may serve as a springboard for a train of thought that leads me to ponder the mysteries of existence, but that's nothing inherent in the music itself.
As for what you find spiritual sustenance or solace in, that will of course be unique to you. Yet if you can only find those in classical music, that's your loss. Part of spiritual growth is learning to truly see the spiritual nature of, or in, all things, not just one brand of music.
If you've tired of jazz or feel you've outgrown it, no problem. We all change. But does that not perhaps say something about you, as opposed to the music? And are you not concerned that one day classical music will similarly lose its ability to succor you emotionally or spiritually?
It's often hard for me to find contemporary jazz that I get on with but the Tord Gustavsen Trio fits the bill. If you are a fan of Bill Evans check it out. I heard a bit of Anat Fort's recent disc on ECM the other day and it was very much in the same spirit. I'll have to pick it up one of these days.
On Kevin and Alan's rec., I picked this one up this afternoon:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419NZN0Z7VL._AA240_.jpg)
Very nice. Smooth and introspective. 'Trane does not venture too far here. However, the highlight after one listen is the piano playing of McCoy Tyner....Evans-esque at points. Lonnie's Lament already a favorite. Definitely one to have on the shelf. Thank you gentlemen for the rec.
I'm not seeing any picture, but I figure you must be talking about Crescent. :-)
Quote from: KevinP on October 15, 2007, 08:07:24 PM
I'm not seeing any picture, but I figure you must be talking about Crescent. :-)
Indeed I am Kevin. :)
Quote from: E d o on October 15, 2007, 02:07:37 PM
It's often hard for me to find contemporary jazz that I get on....
I really dig Tom Harrell, a very strong composer who plays trumpet and flügelhorn beautifully--a bit like a latter-day Miles in his fiery brand of introspective lyricism. An interesting man, too: he suffers from severe schizophrenia and can apparently just get by even when he's on his meds. Everyone says that when he starts playing, he's totally transformed. I watched a segment about him on
60 Minutes, and I believe it based on what I saw.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G1X8SVYZL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VTXYX1TRL._AA240_.jpg)
etc.
Quote from: James on October 16, 2007, 08:55:53 AM
Grazioso, much of your last reply isnt worth the time replying to im afraid, you havent really thought or read closely enough...
On the contrary...
Quotei stand by what i have said, most jazz (or improvised) music like most pop, rock is ephermera and not a lot of it will survive in 50 years, 100 years, 1000 years ...
You mean all that jazz I listen to from the 50's and 60's doesn't have staying power?
From the used rack:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZVYR89ASL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41N8DJ9T14L._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31sFLirB0iL._AA170_.jpg) (http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ab/ed/e9ca_2.JPG) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tBhfFzofL._AA170_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21RP8BS4JYL._AA160_.jpg)
Playing:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tBhfFzofL._AA170_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on October 17, 2007, 07:43:32 PM
Playing:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tBhfFzofL._AA170_.jpg)
That's a sweet album. Do you have Working, Relaxin and Cookin' (three different albums)? If you don't look around for them. I think you'd dig 'em.
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on October 17, 2007, 07:55:37 PM
That's a sweet album. Do you have Working, Relaxin and Cookin' (three different albums)? If you don't look around for them. I think you'd dig 'em.
Allan
Enjoying this one very much. Maybe more than Cookin' and Workin'. Just missing Relaxin' Allan, but I put it on my wish list a few minutes ago.
Quote from: Bogey on October 17, 2007, 08:02:01 PM
Enjoying this one very much. Maybe more than Cookin' and Workin'. Just missing Relaxin' Allan, but I put it on my wish list a few minutes ago.
With all that cookin', workin' and steamin', you gotta do some relaxin'. ;D
Seriously, I LOVE those albums, great stuff!! :)
Quote from: George on October 17, 2007, 08:16:56 PM
With all that cookin', workin' and steamin', you gotta do some relaxin'. ;D
:D
Quote from: George on October 17, 2007, 08:16:56 PM
With all that cookin', workin' and steamin', you gotta do some relaxin'. ;D
Seriously, I LOVE those albums, great stuff!! :)
Quote from: donwyn on October 17, 2007, 09:11:34 PM
:D
:D
Arrived today:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4101Z0H50ZL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5124RTXQEVL._SS500_.jpg)
I have the original CD (and LP) of the Weather Report, but I wanted to hear the surround mix, which is a modification (to accommodate the subwoofer) of the 70s' quad release.
And these, which are mail-order only and not available on Amazon and I don't want to hotlink Mosaic's site, so I'll let you click if interested:
http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1001 (http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1001) The Cosmic Scene by Duke Ellington's Spacemen(!)
http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1014 (http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1014) Duke Ellington Newport 1958
Quote from: James on October 19, 2007, 10:07:58 AM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513NKV50H5L._AA240_.jpg)
This live album has some the most killin' Trane I have ever heard!
Especially like Song of Praise (19'24)..
What is the play date on this recording James?
Quote from: James on October 19, 2007, 10:24:29 AM
I'm not sure off hand, don't have the liner notes with me...
1963 or 1965 i think...
Is
My Favorite Things the only other song on the set?
Quote from: James on October 19, 2007, 10:33:37 AM
you can buy it here: (scroll down for clips and track listing)
>> Live At the Half Note (http://www.amazon.com/Live-Half-Note-John-Coltrane/dp/B000BJS4D0/ref=sr_1_2/104-1921187-2288739?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1192817396&sr=1-2) (click)
Looks different than mine:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416GPDSB3PL._AA240_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/One-Down-Up-Live-Half/dp/B000B0QOJA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7912291-3017458?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1192818910&sr=1-1
If you would, send me a date of the recording when you can check the liner notes.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519bCqew7sL._AA280_.jpg)
One of my favorite 'Trane cd's on the shelf. The sound is a bit "hazy", but the playing more than makes up for this short-coming.
Tracks include:
1. Mr. P.C.
2. Miles Mode
3. My Favourite Things
4. Body And Soul
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/John_Coltrane-A_Love_Supreme.jpg)
I'm glad to see that the jazz thread has been active while I was away. I'll have to look back through it when I get a little more time. I haven't bought a lot of CDs lately (my money has gone to other things), but I managed to add one jazz CD to my collection recently.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414A0GNTY9L._AA240_.jpg)
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners. This is an old classic, and a very good one. The music is quite accessible, but there is also a lot going on and it feels quite original. It seems like the sort of music that will reveal much upon repeated hearings.
Heather
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B00004S4Z0/sr=8-1/qid=1193310757/)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41G4WT8P3NL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/1d/92/299e224128a04903dfe09010.L.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31r3RWP3h1L._AA170_.jpg)
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/86/ff/298f228348a02b7e30290110.L.jpg)
Been in a real Monk mood lately.
Oh, and...
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BVHVWAF9L._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MRAM73RQL._SS500_.jpg)
Just got this one, Kevin:
(http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/Large/67/70467.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZPlhT%2BFHL._SS500_.jpg)
My rediscovery of Miles Davis continues with this.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4110867QWDL._SS400_.jpg)
While my Monkathon continues with this.
Quote from: James on October 26, 2007, 08:28:56 AM
Be sure to get The Washington Concerts too if you don't have it already,
it's from the 1950s..tracks 1 thru 8 are Parker with a Big Band!!
the most killin' Bird I've ever heard!!!
The performance is made all the more amazing by the circumstances under which it occurred: Bird had missed all the rehearsals and showed up just before they were to go onstage, so he played completely by ear without having heard the arrangements before. Some of the tunes weren't even in his repertoire!
Booyah.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W068RH1ML._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KAV8P82XL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ADFH3XS3L._AA240_.jpg)
In the sense that we have favourite movies in a separate list from greatest movies, Nancy Wilson is one of my favourite singers. In the past year or two, I've managed to get pretty much every CD of hers (though there's a LOT of albums that have yet to make it to CD). She's had some phases that I don't particularly appreciate, but when she's good, she's great.
Bird: Washington Concerts. The first notes you hear Bird play on the opening track were the first I ever heard and they literally made me laugh, with delight of course. I was just getting into jazz when the album was first released (had it on cassette), which was just the big band sides and the RR interview. Good stuff to be sure.
Thanks to a Borders 40% off coupon, three new jazz CDs have entered my collection. That coupon brought them below the prices typically seen in the used bins, so it was definitely worthwhile.
Here is the first.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NQ2HC9HKL._AA240_.jpg)
Charlie Parker - Bird's Best Bop on Verve. This is a selection of recordings from 1950-1953. They are great classic bebop tunes, many of which are quite famous. (I recognized a few, even though I didn't previously have any of these recordings.) Performances are all great, and the recording quality is as good as can be expected from the early 1950's.
I will post the other two after I listen to them.
Heather
Here are the other two jazz CDs that I bought at Borders.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EYZETDVCL._AA240_.jpg)
These recordings date from the late 1940's to mid 1950's; this CD includes extended versions of some of Ellington's best known compositions, as well as two suites. As usual, the performances are great, and Ellington's compositions are always interesting.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31%2BBGMUXoNL._AA170_.jpg)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music. This CD features a number of Monk's compositions and a combo including some very famous musicians. It is typical of the style of 1950's jazz - very accessible and easy to appreciate, but also quite interesting to listen to. As expected, given the presence of many of the top musicians of the time, performances are excellent.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on November 14, 2007, 07:55:40 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31%2BBGMUXoNL._AA170_.jpg)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music. This CD features a number of Monk's compositions and a combo including some very famous musicians. It is typical of the style of 1950's jazz - very accessible and easy to appreciate, but also quite interesting to listen to. As expected, given the presence of many of the top musicians of the time, performances are excellent.
Heather
I have this album and like it as well. However, I continue to enjoy the "idea" of Monk more than his music itself, but I'm getting there. 8)
Good choices, Heather. I have all the Bird recordings though not the actual disc you have. Should be good.
The Duke disc is one of those titles I've bought at least three times. Do check out Duke in the 40s if you haven't already, but this early LP-era stuff is great in a different way.
One of my favourite moments on the Monk disc, and indeed in all of jazz, is just before Coltrane's solo in 'Well You Needn't' when Monk has to yell, 'Coltrane! Coltrane!' to awaken him from his drug-induced stupor, and then he takes his solo without missing a beat.
Quote from: Heather Harrison on November 14, 2007, 07:55:40 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31%2BBGMUXoNL._AA170_.jpg)
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music. This CD features a number of Monk's compositions and a combo including some very famous musicians. It is typical of the style of 1950's jazz - very accessible and easy to appreciate, but also quite interesting to listen to. As expected, given the presence of many of the top musicians of the time, performances are excellent.
...and isn't that a fabulous cover?
Quote from: KevinP on November 14, 2007, 11:05:01 PM
The Duke disc is one of those titles I've bought at least three times. Do check out Duke in the 40s if you haven't already, but this early LP-era stuff is great in a different way.
I have a lot of Duke Ellington recordings from the 1920's through 1940's; it is through those that I came to appreciate him. I'm now gradually moving into his later material.
Heather
Quote from: Bogey on November 14, 2007, 07:59:08 PM
I have this album and like it as well. However, I continue to enjoy the "idea" of Monk more than his music itself, but I'm getting there. 8)
If you really want to grok Monk, I think you have to hear him playing solo. In particular, when he plays standards it really shows the uniqueness of his approach to the piano. Try this disc:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41P513CvZPL._AA240_.jpg)
Monk Alone: The Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings of Thelonious Monk 1962-1968
Just caught this thanks to Muriel on the non-classical thread. In case you missed, like I did, here was Kevin's thoughts on Lady in Satin. Did not want it to get buried over there; hence the repost.
(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:7qOZR7B3a7atJM:http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000002AH9.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Quote from: KevinP on October 31, 2007, 03:59:18 AM
Her voice was completely shot by then. She never did have a pretty voice, nor did she ever need one. She could make it, well, sing. She could get inside a song and turn it inside out. Most of the songs she sang I learned from her, and if I ever heard it later by another singer, I often found myself saying, 'Oh, so that's what the song is really supposed to be about.' (And I mean that with the utmost respect to Lady.) The early, swing-era sides she cut for Columbia are among the best recordings in my rather vast collection. 'Strange Fruit' is one of the most daring songs ever written, especially for 1939. But by the end of her life, her voice was gone, leaving only the naked pain. And that's what some people like about it and what some people don't. I hear the pain; I just don't find it musical. (And yes, the orchestration is pretty bad. The tunes are okay to great. And the dress....I never noticed it before now. I do find her some of the B&W pictures of her in the remaster CD rather attractive though, at least the ones where she's actually singing.)
When the album was released in 1959, it was pretty widely panned I believe. It is only with time, and with Lady's iconisation, that it's taken on the status it has, leaving people like me behind. Part of what bugs me is that some people hold it up as an example of 'Look what white society does to blacks, pushing them to drugs, etc.' These are people (and I'm not saying you're one of them or anything like that) who have some need to see her as a victim, as if it somehow puts the black American experience into a neat little box that they can understand. Screw the music. Now they can hear the pain of victimisation. It's the musical equivalent of her ghosted autobiography and the even more fictionalised movie of the same name. I don't want her to be an icon. I don't want her to symbolise anything that overshadows her music. She's not Elvis or James Dean. Nor was she an athlete dying young.
I'll readily admit that perhaps I've only ever met one person like that, whom I met early on, and that I may transfer his feelings to others who like the album.
I hope nothing I say pinches the joy you get from it. Believe me: if you like it, I envy you. Lady is not just my favourite singer of any genre but also one of the most important, with only Bessie Smith and Mahalia Jackson approaching in both aspects, and I would love to love this album. I take it out every now and then to see if my feelings have changed. Phil Schaap, writing the liner notes of the remaster, notes that for decades he could never understand what people saw in this album, and then, while unearthing the a cappella 'End of a Love Affair,' he suddenly had an epiphany and understood it all. I envy him too.
All that said, I should retract my 'absolute worst' comment and apply that honour to the album that came next, with the unoriginal and confusing title of Billie Holiday, recorded for MGM. It's really much the same, just worst. And there's no dispute about that between lovers and detractors of Lady in Satin.
And I'm going to listen to it right now.
Fascinating comments! Thanks for pointing this out, Bill, and thanks to Kevin for his candid thoughts. I don't have much Holiday, for some reason--just never explored her adequately--but the comments here are intriguing.
--Bruce
I just got this one.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xkN6wxFLL._AA240_.jpg)
Art Blakey - The Jazz Messengers. This early release by Art Blakey's group is a varied and interesting collection. The music is fun and energetic, and it is easy to appreciate. Everything flows nicely; the musicians obviously understand each other and play together well. I enjoyed this one at least as much as the somewhat later "Moanin'" album.
Heather
Now in the tray:
(http://www.cam.hi-ho.ne.jp/atsuo_kikuchi/something_else.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on December 04, 2007, 06:55:32 PM
Now in the tray:
(http://www.cam.hi-ho.ne.jp/atsuo_kikuchi/something_else.jpg)
This is a tough act to follow, best to end the night with this one.
Why?
Well, after listening to Something Else, what are you going to listen to - something else? ;D
(bad joke but I had to try it) 8)
Quote from: George on December 04, 2007, 08:23:23 PM
This is a tough act to follow, best to end the night with this one.
Why?
Well, after listening to Something Else, what are you going to listen to - something else? ;D
(bad joke but I had to try it) 8)
Not as bad as you think George. However, after finishing this one I was feeling
Kind of Blue.
Quote from: Bogey on December 05, 2007, 04:20:06 AM
Not as bad as you think George. However, after finishing this one I was feeling Kind of Blue.
;D
I was listening to that album last night. Classic.
Getz and Coltrane together...and a few others you may have heard of ;):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8309607948080115360&q=John+Coltrane&total=1160&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5
Grabbed today and enjoying ...a lot:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514DBJRF49L._AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on January 16, 2008, 07:47:24 PM
Grabbed today and enjoying ...a lot:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514DBJRF49L._AA240_.jpg)
Another good one by Byrd, though apparently OOP:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N4J4BD6QL._AA240_.jpg)
I posted this on another web site and thought some here might enjoy it. On the back of my 1988 Chicago Jazz Fest is a list of all the performers who played. Although the shirt is extremely faded and worn, here are some of them, a snapshot of a time when there were a lot more elder statesmen still around.
Joe Williams
Stan Getz and JJ Johnson
Art Ensemble of Chicago
Dorothy Donegan Trio
Ira Sulivan and Eddie Harris
Lionel Hampton Big Band
Eddie Harris
Poncho Sanchez Band
Sonny Rollins
Clifford Jordan and Von Freeman
Sun Ra and his Arkestra
Johnny Griffin Quartet
Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra
Herbit Hancock Quartet w/ Ernie Watts
Andrew Hill Quartet w/ Clifford Jordan
That's a great line up Kevin, very unlike today's playbills where we see things like the Neville brothers as a headliner on Saturday night.
Allan
Just picked up this gem:
(http://www.cannonball-adderley.com/leadpic/154.jpg)
1961
With Adderley, I continuously forget how much I enjoy his playing. Though he would probably not be in my top 5 all time jazz performers, he is yet to displease these ears. Nice variety of music here and Evans adds nicely to the mix. Even when he is banging on the ivories it still has a finesse to it that I have yet to hear duplicated by anyone else. Highlights: Toy and Nancy (With the Laughing Face), a Sinatra standard.
It is good to see this thread up again. I've been on a major jazz kick this year, and this thread gave me a lot of useful info.
Anyone want to talk about jazz after 1970?
Adderley has always been one of my favourites. If I made a list of all my favourite opening phrases of jazz solos, Cannonball's name would probably be half the list.
Quote from: KevinP on September 25, 2008, 05:14:35 AM
Adderley has always been one of my favourites. If I made a list of all my favourite opening phrases of jazz solos, Cannonball's name would probably be half the list.
Yeah. As just one example: "Love for Sale" on
Somethin' Else, where he just casually saunters in on the third beat of the second bar. Cannonball is never considered among the top tier of jazz greats, like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, etc. because he was not an innovator. But as a pure improviser, there was none better.
favorite tracks
The mention of Cannonball inspires me to ask people to list - not their favorite jazz albums, but their favorite individual tracks from their favorite albums.
I'll get the (Cannon)ball rolling with a current personal Top 10:
1. Cannonball Adderley, "Autumn Leaves" from Somethin' Else
2. Miles Davis, "All Blues" from Kind of Blue
3. Thelonious Monk, title track, Brilliant Corners
4. John Coltrane, title track, My Favorite Things
5. Bill Evans, "Blue in Green," from Portrait in Jazz
6. John Coltrane, "Psalm" (final section) from A Love Supreme
7. Dave Holland, title track, Conference of the Birds
8. Thelonious Monk, "Ugly Beauty," from Underground
9. Sonny Rollins, "St. Thomas," from Saxophone Colossus
10. Eric Dolphy, title track, Out to Lunch
My Funny Valentine: Sarah Vaughn Live in Japan
Angel Eyes: Wanye Shorter Speak No Evil
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover: Brad Mehldau Day is Done
Kinda Dukish/Rockin in Rhythm: Ellington Great Paris Concert
That's it for now,
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on September 25, 2008, 08:37:36 AM
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover: Brad Mehldau Day is Done
I've got that one - oughta listen to it again...I remember being more knocked out by the renditions of "Martha My Dear" and that Radiohead tune on the same disc.
I like that whole disk really, but part of the reason I like that one is it reminds me of seeing him play it live in NYC. It knocked me flat out. Speaking of which, if you like Mehldau and haven't heard the latest live album, you should check it out.
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on September 25, 2008, 09:43:29 AM
I like that whole disk really, but part of the reason I like that one is it reminds me of seeing him play it live in NYC. It knocked me flat out. Speaking of which, if you like Mehldau and haven't heard the latest live album, you should check it out.
I have only that one Mehldau album, but would like to get more eventually. Any others by him you can strongly recommend?
Basically all of the live trio albums. I have just about all of his output as a band leader and those are the ones I make sure I travel with. I wouldn't really bother with some of the early studio recordings of his. I don't think they are bad or anything. Once he got his trio together and started developing a group sound it's kinda hard to go back and listen to the early stuff, at least for me. Another cool one to check out is a solo album called Live in Tokyo.
Allan
I have to base my decisions on the raw data. ;D I have 13 Adderley cds on my shelf, with more to come. He is only behind Armstrong, Davis, and Coltrane in numbers. I would never put him ahead of these three for my listening enjoyment (just my taste), or a number of others for that matter, but he surely ranks as someone I enjoy highly. He does, however, have one honor that some do not....I am always willing to buy one of his cds with listening/sampling first. He has never given me a reason in 13 tries to doubt his enjoyability.
God it's great to talk jazz again. Thanks for the recent posts here folks!
Quote from: Bogey on September 25, 2008, 06:55:34 PM
God it's great to talk jazz again. Thanks for the recent posts here folks!
You started it!!!! :P
Quote from: toledobass on September 25, 2008, 07:06:18 PM
You started it!!!! :P
Yeah, but it's more fun when I do not respond to my own posts with the PM button, Allan. :D
Starting the day at this "checkpoint".
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XMFAKF4VL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Spitvalve,
I will respond to your post tonight, or this weekend.
Picked these up this weekend while in Seoul:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HbgHgLIPL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LhqDzIQVL._SS500_.jpg)
Frankly, I've always had a hard time getting into the west coasters. But I thought I'd give them another chance since it's been years and years since my previous attempt.
And finally replaced this one on CD:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ADFH3XS3L._SS400_.jpg)
Quote from: KevinP on September 28, 2008, 05:50:48 AM
And finally replaced this one on CD:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ADFH3XS3L._SS400_.jpg)
I
really enjoy this cd as well, Kevin.
Any Lee Konitz fans here? I just picked up The Lee Konitz Duets, very nice album pairing off Konitz successively with different instrumentalists. Borders on the avant-garde without quite going over the edge. Must say I'm impressed.
Currently listening to:
(http://www.lforlloyd.com/kickback/images/msquad.jpg)
Some wonderful jazz here. The main theme is credited to Count Basie and the rest of the album is Stanley Wilson (http://www.spaceagepop.com/wilson.htm) with the help of Benny Carter and Johnny Williams (yop, the same one).
Here are my 10 11 favorite tracks from some of my favorite albums-Only 1 Coltrane and 1 Getz...gotta be something wrong with my head.
Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens-West End Blues
Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens-Mahagony Hall Stomp
Satch could have had three or four more, but I'll break it up some here. ;D
John Coltrane At Birdland 1962-My Favorite Things
Miles Davis At Newport 1958-Fran Dance
Miles Davis Kind of Blue-So What?
Cannonball Adderley Somethin' Else-Autumn Leaves
Billie Holiday Ken Burns Jazz (on Love Songs-help me here, Kevin)-In My Solitude
Benny Goodman Stompin' at the Savoy-Sing, Sing, Sing
Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz at the College of the Pacific Vol II-Crazy Rhythm
Stan Getz Jazz Samba-Desafinado O Pato
I've been downloading and listening to some of the NPR Jazz Profiles podcasts. Anyone else find them entertaining?
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on September 28, 2008, 05:03:28 PM
I've been downloading and listening to some of the NPR Jazz Profiles podcasts. Anyone else find them entertaining?
Allan
Never tried....link me a good one buddy.
I listened to the Betty Carter last week. I learned some stuff about her that I didn't know. There's all kinds of stuff on there though so:
Jazz Profiles (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10208861)
Check it out!!!!
Allan
Thank you, sir!
Now:
(http://www.shumtoh.org/bbs/data/albums/Stan_Getz_with_Charlie_Byrd___Jazz_Samba.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on September 28, 2008, 04:55:06 PM
Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens-West End Blues
Wonderful of course - but technically this 78 stuff isn't an album as such, is it? Still, for me "Potato Head Blues" just edges it.
Quote
Miles Davis Kind of Blue-So What?
If not for "All Blues" on the same album, this woulda made my cut.
Quote
Cannonball Adderley Somethin' Else-Autumn Leaves
Possibly my favorite 10 minutes of jazz ever. Nothing is more magical than Hank Jones' closing piano solo.
Quote from: toledobass on September 28, 2008, 05:11:15 PM
I listened to the Betty Carter last week. I learned some stuff about her that I didn't know. There's all kinds of stuff on there though so:
Jazz Profiles (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10208861)
Check it out!!!!
Allan
Listened to the story today on the history of the Village Vanguard. Thanks again, Allan, for pointing these out.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94034531
Now:
MilesPlugged Nickel 1965-Dec. 23, First Set
Columbia
Quote from: Spitvalve on September 29, 2008, 12:05:04 AM
Wonderful of course - but technically this 78 stuff isn't an album as such, is it? Still, for me "Potato Head Blues" just edges it.
You're absolutely correct, but I stand by my post nonetheless, and adamantly support your "Potato Head Blues". ;D
Quote from: Bogey on September 29, 2008, 04:41:44 AM
Listened to the story today on the history of the Village Vanguard. Thanks again, Allan, for pointing these out.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94034531
Funny thing is you prolly started listening around the same time some of the last sets of the night were ending!!!!!!
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on September 29, 2008, 06:11:38 AM
Funny thing is you prolly started listening around the same time some of the last sets of the night were ending!!!!!!
Allan
;D
Some pre-50's jazz to start the day:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FK09ED1KL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Many incarnations of these recordings. Has anyone here heard multiple pressings and has found one to be superior?
Speaking of starting the day - I'm groovin' to this at the moment. More effective than 3 cups of coffee!:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510AOhWBs0L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
...and as we move into the afternoon on this cloudy Moscow day, what could be more appropriate than the cooler and more meditative sounds of Bill Evans & Co.?
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KSr4kBDYL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
The title tune (by Evans himself) is my favorite thing here, and makes me wish he had composed more. Some very nice work by Freddie Hubbard on this disc, too. 8)
Just listened to the Part 1 of the Coltrane Jazz profile. Still need to finish of the last ten minutes when I get home tonight. Again, great stuff Allan.
Spitvalve, do you have the complete Hot Five Hot Seven recordings?
Now:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513V4ZRAJNL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on October 01, 2008, 04:47:38 AM
Spitvalve, do you have the complete Hot Five Hot Seven recordings?
No I don't, just that 1 disc. I'm actually not all that interested in pre-1950s jazz, so I tend to make do with samplers and compilations.
Quote from: Bogey on October 01, 2008, 04:47:38 AM
Just listened to the Part 1 of the Coltrane Jazz profile. Still need to finish of the last ten minutes when I get home tonight. Again, great stuff Allan.
Finished the Vangaurd one last night. Branford, "Hello, Village Vanguard." ;D I thought the Harry Belefonte stuff at the end was very eloquent and movinging.
Allan
I'm glad to see that this thread is still going.
Here are two recent acquisitions.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RFAJA4B7L._SL500_AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZEVCG7SWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
These are low-priced 4-CD box sets with a substantial number of classic tracks from the swing era. There is quite a bit here that I haven't heard before. So far, I have listened to parts of each one, and the sound quality is decent for the age of the recordings.
Heather
Quote from: Heather Harrison on October 01, 2008, 06:14:37 PM
I'm glad to see that this thread is still going.
Heather
Welcome back to your jazz thread, Heather. Your phone avatar seems to work here nicely.
Quote from: Shrunk on November 15, 2007, 04:44:46 AM
...and isn't that a fabulous cover?
Not really, it seems to foreshadow the direction of contemporary black art, i.e., hip hop, rap et al. Then again, Jazz achieved it's apex right about the point our culture plunged into permanent childishness, dragging everybody else with us. Now we have to deal with MTV. What a miserable end for one of the greatest civilizations in human history.
Now THIS is a wonderful cover art:
(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/2/26/John_coltrane_with_soprano.jpg)
Quote from: toledobass on October 01, 2008, 06:47:29 AM
Finished the Vangaurd one last night. Branford, "Hello, Village Vanguard." ;D I thought the Harry Belefonte stuff at the end was very eloquent and movinging.
Allan
Allan and folks,
Gotta listen to the 'Trane Pt. 1....the quote of how Miles told him to end his often long solos was priceless.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91621422
Quote from: Bogey on October 01, 2008, 07:17:12 PM
Gotta listen to the 'Trane Pt. 1....the quote of how Miles told him to end his often long solos was priceless.
Heh, i think Davis was right. All the same since, at least in my opinion, he grew out to become a better soloist. Possibly the best damn Jazz soloist of all times.
Today's listening. An excellent album throughout, with some stellar playing. But man - Jarrett's duck-like vocalizations are irritating, worse even than Glenn Gould! >:(
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31AvKtTNs8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Earlier:
(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/24/albumcoverJohnColtrane-Crescent.jpg)
The track Lonnie's Lament got two spins.
Now:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QJVRM8ZGL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on October 02, 2008, 04:50:07 AM
Earlier:
(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/24/albumcoverJohnColtrane-Crescent.jpg)
The track Lonnie's Lament got two spins.
His most underrated album, IMHO.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on October 01, 2008, 06:59:14 PM
Now THIS is a wonderful cover art:
(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/2/26/John_coltrane_with_soprano.jpg)
Can't disagree with that.
Tell me something: Has anyone ever seen a picture of Coltrane smiling? He supposedly was a very warm person with a good sense of humour, but that never seems to come across in photos.
Quote from: Shrunk on October 04, 2008, 09:32:45 AM
His most underrated album, IMHO.
Can't disagree with that.
Tell me something: Has anyone ever seen a picture of Coltrane smiling? He supposedly was a very warm person with a good sense of humour, but that never seems to come across in photos.
Page 21 of the liner notes that came with the Complete '61 Village Vanguard recordings....he may even be laughing in the photo. I will see if I can scan it. If not, maybe
Allan has the know how.
Now, from 1958:
(http://www.celebritygallerie.com/images/JC_SettingPace_200Boxed.jpg)
Quote from: Shrunk on October 04, 2008, 09:32:45 AM
His most underrated album, IMHO.
Underrated? I don't think so. Many talk about it being one of the most important albums in his canon. W. Marsalis even considers it one of the 5 most important jazz recordings. Look at the recordings he recorded before and after that one. Cresent is so concise and the band sound was in it's prime.
Allan
I tried to scan it but can't figure out how to compress the photo on a mac in order to get it to fit into the file size limit here.
Any hints?
Allan
Here is a post that I started at another forum. It may be of interest to some trying to add to their Coltane collection.
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showthread.php?p=422073#post422073
and here are some others:
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/search.php?searchid=2224401
Dug this nugget out of one of the threads. It has "Trane's discography. Looks like I have plenty of homework to do.
http://home.att.net/~dawild/john_coltrane_discography.htm
*Does not look like it covers VERY early 'Trane as mentioned in the Jazz Profiles story, you know, the stuff with Dizzy Gillespie and Johnny Hodges.
Quote from: toledobass on October 04, 2008, 10:45:34 AM
I tried to scan it but can't figure out how to compress the photo on a mac in order to get it to fit into the file size limit here.
Any hints?
Allan
It's OK. I'll take you guys' word for it.
Some weekend listening. Man does it sizzle:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41H8GYZSE5L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: Shrunk on October 04, 2008, 09:32:45 AM
Tell me something: Has anyone ever seen a picture of Coltrane smiling? He supposedly was a very warm person with a good sense of humour, but that never seems to come across in photos.
I have a biography of his which contains a few photos of him smiling. Can't really find anything on the net though. He was a very serious and introspective person, but was also shy, soft spoken and had a gentle and generous soul. Even during his drug addiction phase he never became a burden to anybody, always kept to himself, never asked for help or anything. The man was a saint.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on October 04, 2008, 11:35:59 AM
I have a biography of his which contains a few photos of him smiling. Can't really find anything on the net though. He was a very serious and introspective person, but was also shy, soft spoken and had a gentle and generous soul. Even during his drug addiction phase he never became a burden to anybody, always kept to himself, never asked for help or anything. The man was a saint.
Which bio is this, Josquin?
Was able to grab this 4cd set today at a reasonable price. It has been on my lst for a year or two, but could not find one at a price I was willing to pay:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VQ8MT72XL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
And again:
(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/24/albumcoverJohnColtrane-Crescent.jpg)
I listened to it the other day after it popped up in this thread. I forgot how dark of an album it is. I didn't even make it through the whole thing cause of the mood it was putting me in. But I'm gonna spin in now wichya.
Allan
2 spins of this today:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31DQHHX9XHL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
There were a few moments when I wished that Duke's volume level was a bit higher. Besides that, nothing but "net" here folks.
Finished off the secong part of the Jazz Profiles Coltrane story. Started my morning with disc one from:
(http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000B0QOJA.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
Elvin Jones' drumming was the highlight of this show. "Trane wasn't too bad either. ;)
Damn B. Morning listening? where do you go from there? Or do you just put the sound system on lockdown for the rest of the day? :o
Allan
From November, 1960
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41N39TM5X6L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Maybe the worst recorded "sound" I have of Satch. Sounds like the master tapes were in pretty bad shape, even missing some sound here and there. Would rec. for only hardcore Armstrong fans, who will still lap it up like myself.
Also:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WX69ERQ6L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
(http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000B0QOJA.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
Disc 2
Arrived yesterday:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51969w2pt9L._SS400_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E9A6Hjs-L._SS400_.jpg)
some recommendations of jazz in general (without restricting me to 1950-1970):
Sonny Rollins - The Bridge (1962)
Andrew Hill - Andrew!!! (1964)
John Coltrane - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays (1965)
Miles Davis - Agharta (1975)
John Scofield - Hand Jive (1993)
Roy Campbell Ensemble - Akhenaten Suite (2008)
What lacks in this short list is some pre 1960 jazz (Parker, Ellington and some more swing), another hard bop album besides Hill (McLean, Hubbard or Montgomery). Then you already have a nice jazz collection :).
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4121993ZJBL._SL500_AA240_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514RX9K8NZL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Grabbed these two on vinyl tonight. The first I used to own and had to get it again once the turntable was up and running.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DuI7-S0gL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
and
(http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/89767.jpg)
Quote from: KevinP on October 11, 2008, 01:12:08 AM
Arrived yesterday:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51969w2pt9L._SS400_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E9A6Hjs-L._SS400_.jpg)
Overall impressions of this set when you get the chance Kevin.
Watched the first set of the Cannonball and loved it.
Don't know about anyone else, but I hear music differently when I see it being played.
Some Japanese CDs I bought before they were available domestically:
(http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=85234&stc=1&d=1224670034)
Listening to Cannonball's Know What I Mean and Sonny Rollins +4 lately.
Kev,
You gonna pick up the 50th anniv. Kind of Blue box?
Allan
Pre-war jazz is my bag, jack. 8)
Quote from: toledobass on October 23, 2008, 09:24:24 AM
Kev,
You gonna pick up the 50th anniv. Kind of Blue box?
Allan
I might. Hate the though of vinyl in international orders though.
Quote from: KevinP on October 23, 2008, 02:04:29 PM
I might. Hate the though of vinyl in international orders though.
If you order from these guys, their packaging is practically bulletproof:
http://store.acousticsounds.com/store.cfm
Yesterday:
(http://a2.vox.com/6a00c2251cf7d58e1d00e398a76f820002-320pi)
As for Jazz in general, a fellow I used to T.A. for at UVa is at last bringing out a book of which he is co-author, in 2009.
Quote from: Bogey on November 15, 2008, 04:48:49 AM
Yesterday:
(http://a2.vox.com/6a00c2251cf7d58e1d00e398a76f820002-320pi)
How is that one? ;)
I've been listening to Miles' Tutu a lot lately. On the Corner is on deck for a lot of listening. I've given it a few spins over the past few weeks and I get the feeling I'll be listening to it a lot more once Tutu has given me all I can absorb for now.
Allan
Amazon's mp3 daily deal today is Louis Armstrong's New Orleans Nights album (Verve) for 99 cents.
Bogey,
Clean out your damn inbox!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w)
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on November 16, 2008, 05:48:45 PM
Bogey,
Clean out your damn inbox!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w)
Allan
Done. $:)
Quote from: toledobass on November 16, 2008, 05:48:45 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FpC6mcb-w)
Best. Band. Ever.
Quote from: Miles Davis"I was learning something new every night with that group. One reason was that Tony Williams was such a progressive drummer. He was the only guy in my band who ever told me, 'Why don't you practice?' I was missing notes and shit and trying to keep up with his young ass."
Quote from: toledobass on November 16, 2008, 05:48:45 PM
Bogey,
Clean out your damn inbox!!!!!!
Bring that hammer
down,
Allan! 8)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SHD05PR8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Disc 7: December 23, 1965: 4th Set
Good morning.
Good morning, Bill! :D
Quote from: Bogey on December 03, 2008, 04:31:30 AM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SHD05PR8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Disc 7: December 23, 1965: 4th Set
Good morning.
Any good? :P
Do you know about the 50th anniv Kind of Blue boxset that came out Bogey? Especially now that you have a turntable, you may wanna look into it since it also comes with a vinyl copy as well as some DVD stuff, a book and some photos.
Allan
Quote from: toledobass on December 04, 2008, 07:47:42 AM
Any good? :P
Do you know about the 50th anniv Kind of Blue boxset that came out Bogey? Especially now that you have a turntable, you may wanna look into it since it also comes with a vinyl copy as well as some DVD stuff, a book and some photos.
Allan
Thanks for the shout, Allan. As a matter of fact I have, but the only part that truly interests me is the vinyl. You know how I am with liner notes and booklets that accompany music. ;D As for the cds, well, I have two pressings. In fact, one of them is this one:
KIND OF BLUE Made in Japan CBS #CK-08163, which I believe is the first, or a VERY early pressing which is suppose to have great sound. Guess it is kind of rare and I agree has a better sound than my remastered disc. Probably not enough to get overly jacked up about like some might, but that is just my opinion. As for the videos, they are probably already on youtube or will be soon. They have some draw for me, but not enough. Same with the incomplete takes. Would probably listen to them once and then shelf them for a decade.
So, in short, I would be paying $100 for the vinyl. If I was going to throw that kind of coin at a platter, it would be this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Miles-Davis-Kind-of-Blue-Columbia-6-Eye-MONO-H-Fi-LP_W0QQitemZ380084566268QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item380084566268&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A13|39%3A1|240%3A1318
Would
absolutely love to hear this in mono.
Kevin, have you heard it in mono?
That all being said, I would not return it should I find it under the tree Christmas morning. Hope all is well out your way my friend.
Some listening for today:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413eCUHghyL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
This is an enjoyable album (with especially good contributions from Freddie Hubbard and Eric Dolphy). I'm not quite sure if it deserves its critical-favorite status though - it doesn't grab me like some other albums of its time.
On the other hand - this, mentioned early in this thread...
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TwTvLCLrL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
...is a sizzler, one of my favorite jazz albums, with a constant feeling of pushing the boundaries of expressivity. I have a couple of Holland's later albums (Extensions and Prime Directive), and while they're good to very good, they don't have the sense of daring that Conference has.
A pleasant surprise this album. It doesn't appear to be very well known, but the pairing of these very contrasting figures produces some nice results:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21tyz70vwFL._SL500_AA170_.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on December 04, 2008, 03:07:04 PM
KIND OF BLUE Made in Japan CBS #CK-08163, which I believe is the first, or a VERY early pressing which is suppose to have great sound.
I have that (Japanese pressing for American market) and while it does sound good, I prefer the SACD a little more (stereo mix, not the multi-channel layer...I wish they had just mixed the original three-track for left-centre-right).
QuoteWould absolutely love to hear this in mono. Kevin, have you heard it in mono?
Nope. I love the stereo mix coming out of speakers but hate it coming out of headphones. I used to take the headphone jack half out for downmixed mono.
[/quote]
Great to hear from you again Kevin! Hope all is well. Any new jazz pick ups lately. This end has been bone dry.
On vinyl, being pumped through my dad's old Sansui's, and soundin' awesome:
(http://jazzworks.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/time_out_album_cover.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on December 29, 2008, 07:11:13 AM
Great to hear from you again Kevin! Hope all is well. Any new jazz pick ups lately. This end has been bone dry.
Not a whole lot real recently as I've been on a major Chicago blues kick lately, but before the blues hit, I was getting quite heavily into Gene Ammons and before that I was buying some Cannonball Adderley that had failed to make their way into my collection.
Both great players, but when your collection is as big as mine, artists whose last names begin with 'A' require a bit of manual labour...
On vinyl:
Brother Jack McDuff: Steppin' Out; Prestige PRST-7666; 1969
(http://funky16corners.tripod.com/images/8_organ_mcduff.jpg)
Excellent choice, Bogey. (Don't have that album, but Brother Jack has been consistently satisfying in my book.)
Quote from: KevinP on January 05, 2009, 10:51:57 PM
Excellent choice, Bogey. (Don't have that album, but Brother Jack has been consistently satisfying in my book.)
I would like to net a few more. Any recs?
Here is a shot of the above cover, Kevin. A member on the jazz forum dug it up for me.
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii23/bluemonkey666/brother_jack_mcduff-steppin_out.jpg)
Quote from: Spitvalve on December 29, 2008, 12:29:21 AM
A pleasant surprise this album. It doesn't appear to be very well known, but the pairing of these very contrasting figures produces some nice results:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21tyz70vwFL._SL500_AA170_.jpg)
I enjoy this one as well. Any favorite tracks?
Now, some jazz covers of popular tunes of the 60's(?) on vinyl:
(http://www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/gako-oku/Modern.files/Montgomery2.jpg)
More vinyl:
(http://home.catv.ne.jp/dd/youki_m/tuffsax.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on January 06, 2009, 06:13:44 PM
I enjoy this one as well. Any favorite tracks?
Their version of "Round Midnight" is probably my favorite of any I've heard (not that I've heard
all that many). Otherwise the whole album is pretty good.
Django Reinhardt
Djangologie 10
Pathé 2C 054-16010
1940
Vinyl
Count Basie
Kansas City 7
Pablo Records 2310-908
Recorded 1980
Vinyl
A recent favorite, can't decide who wins, either:
(http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/images/local/250/6F170E8B70C7426DB419924793817E1E.jpg)
The new Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray mastered Blue Note SACDs:
(http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/as60gif/ABNJ-84034.jpg)
(http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/as60gif/ABNJ-84063.jpg)
And oh, do they sound good. I know this is cliche, but it's really like being in the same room.
Quote from: KevinP on January 27, 2009, 08:22:37 PM
The new Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray mastered Blue Note SACDs:
(http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/as60gif/ABNJ-84034.jpg)
(http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/as60gif/ABNJ-84063.jpg)
And oh, do they sound good. I know this is cliche, but it's really like being in the same room.
Are these the only two jazz cds that Steve has remastered, Kevin?
No, he's done 25 Blue Notes. These two, along with Blue Train and Jackie McLean's Capuchin Swing are the first batch.
He's also done another series for vinyl.
Can be ordered here:
http://store.acousticsounds.com/store.cfm
Spun this evening:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HFTV710JL._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511oUvGaP1L._SS500_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513caoZbJoL._SS400_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YT1RMBTEL._SS500_.jpg)
Spinning. Lives up to its title:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NXZHL4q5L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Now playing - two heroin addicts blowin' up a storm:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F6K0CPQ5L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Now Impulse! is also being given the luxury reissue treatment:
http://store.acousticsounds.com/sale.cfm?sale=Impulse_Reissues_Coming_2009&banner_id=20076
Apparently the Atlantic label is in line, too. Just in time for the global recession.
Picked up three pieces of vinyl today:
(http://i23.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/f6/ba/0e01_1.JPG)
(http://i17.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/8c/58/4491_1_b.JPG)
(http://i10.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/34/0c/6324_1.JPG)
I really enjoy Getz and with the given line-up on the first and Gilberto on the later two, it was a no brainer on these.
Thought these better here:
These two on vinyl:
(http://i10.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/9a/80/e482_1.JPG)
Has the above ever been released on cd?
(http://i18.ebayimg.com/03/i/001/00/3d/e468_1.JPG)
I have this on cd and enjoy it greatly, but I have noticed that Dave and the band sound better on vinyl, so starting to double up here.
Bringing this thread back from the dead:
I decided to part with a small box of cds today that were in my "rock" section because I rarely listened to them. Some have sat for years. So I traded them in with the shop down the street and gave my Ellington section (which consisted of two cds) a much belated hit. Here is what I snagged:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C2XZRZTTL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
1927-1932
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AFRKABNZL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
The 1944 and 1946 Big Band Recordings
(http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/pop_albums/cov200/drg000/g013/g01388wf0fd.jpg)
Volume 1 and 2 of the live from the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, ND (1940)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/213SG9BRWTL._SL500_AA130_.jpg)
Cornell University: Second Set (Live concert from 1948)
(http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/6/6/6/136663_170x170.jpg)
Various selections from live performances between '53-'54 in NYC.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VMMFHR2EL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
1961
(http://muzearts.tunegenie.com/Media/FrontCover/JPG_75/MI/00/00/23/26/MI0000232665.jpg)
No dates for this compilation cd.
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/5c/4c/3f30810ae7a0e9dc65698110.L._AA240_.jpg)
And this one of covers:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GP745TRZL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
I knew you was cool. 8) Can't go wrong with Dukey.
Quote from: MN Dave on November 24, 2009, 05:16:39 PM
I knew you was cool. 8) Can't go wrong with Dukey.
Just always had trouble knowing where to start. However, all the above came from one person's collection because each cd case has a hand written catalogue tag on the back. So, someone did some home work for me. Should be fun listening through them.
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 06:15:44 PM
Just always had trouble knowing where to start. However, all the above came from one person's collection because each cd case has a hand written catalogue tag on the back. So, someone did some home work for me. Should be fun listening through them.
Absolutely. Be sure to share your thoughts.
I believe this reviewer from Amazon summed up collecting Ellington when describing an overview set:
Ellington and his orchestra recorded with Vocalion, Okeh, Brunswick, Columbia & RCA Victor at various times, and re-recorded, several times, most of the selections found on this collection. The result is a tangle of recordings that makes the definitive Ellington collection impossible. Complicating matters is the fact that different modern corporations (Sony & BMG, for example) own the rights to the earlier record labels. Adding a truly complete Ellington collection from this period to your library might be possible in theory, but at enormous expense and effort.
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 06:27:41 PM
I believe this reviewer from Amazon summed up collecting Ellington when describing an overview set:
Ellington and his orchestra recorded with Vocalion, Okeh, Brunswick, Columbia & RCA Victor at various times, and re-recorded, several times, most of the selections found on this collection. The result is a tangle of recordings that makes the definitive Ellington collection impossible. Complicating matters is the fact that different modern corporations (Sony & BMG, for example) own the rights to the earlier record labels. Adding a truly complete Ellington collection from this period to your library might be possible in theory, but at enormous expense and effort.
...But it's a lot of fun and I haven't hit a clunker yet.
Quote from: MN Dave on November 24, 2009, 06:30:51 PM
...But it's a lot of fun and I haven't hit a clunker yet.
Indeed. Keeping them straight will be harder than even my Louis Armstrong that I have been piecing together. In fact, got this live recording from 1965 today. There seems to be a lot of live Louis out there, but most of it from the same era:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41P3AQD10CL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
and snapped up this Goodman. I have Yale volumes 2 and 3. I do not search for them, but when I see 'em used I grab them. Note the featured artists on this. I never knew Herbie Hancock recorded with ol' Benny:
(http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/pop_albums/cov200/drc300/c365/c36554op40c.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 04:46:23 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41AFRKABNZL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
The 1944 and 1946 Big Band Recordings
Love that one, but alas, horrible mastering. Years later, he updated and re-recorded BB&B for an LP-length performance that needs to be heard. Heard my professor do excerpts of it with an early version of the Chicago Jazz Philly.
Quote
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VMMFHR2EL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
1961
I avoided that one for years because it just didn't sound like a good idea. But damn, was I wrong. It works!
What is a decent set to fill in the 30's and early 40's, gents?
Quote from: KevinP on November 24, 2009, 06:52:04 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VMMFHR2EL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
I avoided that one for years because it just didn't sound like a good idea. But damn, was I wrong. It works!
Well, the Battle Royal track just blew me away! :D
One of the best Ellington recordings which is rarely mentioned due his reputation as a band composer:
(http://bigearflux.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/moneyjungle2.jpg)
Ellington's playing isn't as elaborate as it used to be in his earlier years but its still catchy as hell and it contains some of the best playing i ever heard from either Mingus or Max Roach. This is one of those rare masterpieces which a perfect in almost every way, similarly to Kind of Blue.
You can listen to some of the songs here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuH6VW82XnM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpAQwuzS3js
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci7Q8d66_oI
Quote from: toledobass on November 15, 2008, 05:15:23 AM
How is that one? ;)
Its probably the best of Coltrane's early solo albums, before he developed his mature style. It has Lee Morgan in it, which is a great trumpet player that is rarely talked about for some reason (even though he released some of the highest selling Hard Bop albums of all times).
As for more swing era musicians playing in small combo settings, the In Washington volumes are amazing:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41FFW449K2L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
The funny thing is that Lester Young isn't all that different from Charlie Parker if you actually listen closely. They both adopted a system of continuous melodic development where the accents seem to fall all over the wrong chords (yet everything is perfectly on the mark). Like Parker said, you can play anything you want as long as you play it in context. With Parker, you get a really hard edged type of improvisation, where as Lester Young seems to float above the chord progression, like a weightless cloud, but in principle they are doing the same thing.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on November 24, 2009, 07:30:31 PM
One of the best Ellington recordings which is rarely mentioned due his reputation as a band composer:
(http://bigearflux.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/moneyjungle2.jpg)
I believe they had that one at another used shop I hit today. I will try to grab it down the road.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on November 24, 2009, 07:30:31 PM
This is one of those rare masterpieces which a perfect in almost every way, similarly to Kind of Blue.
Even if it is only half of the recording of Kind of Blue, then masterpiece it must be.
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 07:08:30 PM
Well, the Battle Royal track just blew me away! :D
Me too. This album was released in mono but I just can't imagine it. You need stereo for this one.
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 06:56:29 PM
What is a decent set to fill in the 30's and early 40's, gents?
Don't think there is a decent one. This one and the
Blanton-Webster Years companion volume were all I had for years and I loved them, until that Hoffman forum ruined me by opening my ears to noise reduction.
Never No Lament reproduces all the material of the B-W Years set plus adds Duke and Blanton's duets, but it sounds very harsh, very digitally processed. Even the Hoffman-mastered set (more career-spanning and only two discs) was futzed with after he put his stamp of approval on his work. There may be bits and pieces here and there that sound good, but I don't believe there's an all-in-one-place set with good SQ for this period, which is easily my favourite, at least not on CD.
(http://www.soundstagedirect.com/media/andrew_hill_grass.jpg)(http://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/B00000I8UH.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)(http://jazzsermon.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/08/wsschiz.jpg)(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000Y2F.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif)(http://www.funkywalk.de/images/stories/plattenempjazz/Hardbop/miles_davis_quintet_workin_with.jpg)(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2009/1/20/albumcoverMilesDavis-CookinWithTheMilesDavisQuintet.jpg)(http://milesdavisonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/miles-davis-my-funny-valentine.jpg)(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l2FFgW8KVL0/SnYquS05sHI/AAAAAAAAA2k/dcLolvARsSI/s320/ART%2BPEPPER.jpg)(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/29/albumcoverArtPepperPlusEleven.jpg)(http://www.mnstate.edu/gracyk/images/Bill-Evans.jpg)(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2008/5/30/albumcoverHamptonHawes-ForReal.jpg)(http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/21/2183/41PCD00Z/sonny-rollins--saxophone-colossus.jpg)(http://www.jazz.com/assets/2008/8/27/albumcoverSonnyRollins-TenorMadness.jpg)
Quote from: James on November 25, 2009, 06:33:46 AM
... and Coltrane sounds as if he's in his own world in places and not really paying attention to what's going on...
You say that like it's a bad thing . . . .
You are at your most charming when you jive-pontificate! :^)
Now playing:
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/5c/4c/3f30810ae7a0e9dc65698110.L._AA240_.jpg)
This one is all over the place, but I have enjoyed the first 9 tracks, including the avant guade sounding Maira (1970). I did not know that Duke took up this genre.
The playing of Wild Bill Davis on the organ on track 14, Sans Snyphelle, was worth the cost of this disc alone. I need to dig around and see if he and the Duke recorded an entire album together.
My sonic curiosity is well & truly piqued, Bill
There have been mentions of Miles Davis, appropriately, and for newcomers who want to hear everything from that era, and every other era that he recorded in, there's now this:http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Columbia-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive/dp/B002EOF7U8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1259170872&sr=8-3 (//http://)
Wow
Now playing:
Now some live Ellington from the mid-1950's (various venues). Mostly from NYC? The liner notes are pathetic, but the music is more than making up for that. ;)
Quote from: Todd on November 25, 2009, 08:43:51 AM
There have been mentions of Miles Davis, appropriately, and for newcomers who want to hear everything from that era, and every other era that he recorded in, there's now this:http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Columbia-Collection-Amazon-com-Exclusive/dp/B002EOF7U8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1259170872&sr=8-3 (//http://)
I would call 71 discs a decent overview....so long as the complete Plugged Nickel set is in there. ;D
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y8-yT66pL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
The above 1961 recording is next on my Ellington to buy list.
Quote from: Bogey on November 25, 2009, 08:54:25 AM
Now playing:
Now some live Ellington from the mid-1950's (various venues). Mostly from NYC? The liner notes are pathetic, but the music is more than making up for that. ;)
I would give the above a so-so. Probably why Duke left them buried in his vault to begin with. Nice to have, but I am guessing not overly essential. Here is th cover:
(http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/3/6/6/6/136663_170x170.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on November 25, 2009, 08:37:38 AM
The playing of Wild Bill Davis on the organ on track 14, Sans Snyphelle, was worth the cost of this disc alone. I need to dig around and see if he and the Duke recorded an entire album together.
Not that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean they didn't. But WBD did record at least one album with Johnny Hodges.
Quote from: Bogey on November 25, 2009, 08:57:08 AM
I would call 71 discs a decent overview....so long as the complete Plugged Nickel set is in there. ;D
Yeah, and Cellar Door. :)
Quote from: Bogey on November 24, 2009, 09:36:12 PM
Even if it is only half of the recording of Kind of Blue, then masterpiece it must be.
Well, it may not be as great, but it is similar in that it is note perfect, down to the last detail.
Quote from: Bogey on November 25, 2009, 08:37:38 AM
The playing of Wild Bill Davis on the organ on track 14, Sans Snyphelle, was worth the cost of this disc alone. I need to dig around and see if he and the Duke recorded an entire album together.
Not sure about an entire album but the New Orleans Suite is definitely an Ellington to pick up. The opening track "Blues for New Orleans" has Wild Bill, and the track "Portrait of Mahalia Jackson" is really amazing, in that Duke manages to duplicate an organ sound without the organ.
There are some real gems in the last decade of Duke's works-- I'm a big fan of the Far East Suite and Afro-Eurasian Eclipse. ALso, although the album Soul Call is uneven, "La Plus Belle Africaine" (sp?) rocks my world.
Quote from: James on November 25, 2009, 06:33:46 AM
Yeah it's OK (don't know about "masterpiece" tho). And Kind of Blue is over-rated & over-hyped, simple, modal...kinda boring after awhile....even Miles didn't understand what the fuss was all about (I have to agree with him)...not all of it works, Cannonball sounds out of his element, his presense/vibe doesn't really fit... and Coltrane sounds as if he's in his own world in places and not really paying attention to what's going on...
I'll admit I typically focus on So What and All Blues and skip the other tracks-- I agree that the others don't click as well.
Not sure if Coltrane was that far out of touch with the others on this album- his solo on So What still gives me chills. Miles like to set up contrasts, and felt the need for Coltrane's presence, which is why he brought him back into the band after firing him earlier. Miles also states in his autobiography that he though Trane's playing in that incarnation of the band was better than he solo work afterwards. (I don't personally agree, but YMMV) Although Miles would chide Trane for the length of his solos, he makes several statements in the autobiography about how important Trane was for his sound, and the struggles he had afterwards finding a strong enough presence until he found Wayne Shorter.
I would also agree that, in this second iteration of the Cannonball/Coltrane band that Cannonball was often a third (or fifth?) wheel. I'd strongly suggest picking up some of the live shows from the 1960 European Spring tour that did not have Cannonball and had Wynton Kelly instead of Evans. There is a real spark in the performances. There are several available-- I tend to like the Copenhagen show the best. Note that the fall tour from that year did not have Trane-- but Sonny Stitt instead.
Few other things--
I'm a big fan of Herbie Hancock's Inventions and Dimensions (1963)-- a very spontaneous set with no horns, but two latin percussionists. It's by far my favorite of his pre-electric albums.
SOmeone mentioned Donald Byrd's A New Perspective in an earlier post-- this is a great album (combo + wordless chorus) and has Duke Pearson's immortal Christo Rendentor with is worth the price of Admission.
The live Dave Brubeck album "We're All Together Again for the First time" has two horns (Gerry Mulligan is added), Alan Dawson doing a great job on Drums( mentor to Tony Williams), and a great setlist including an epic Take 5. Dawson's brushwork on Unfinished Woman is breathtaking.
I'm also a big fan of Alice Coltrane's work after the death of her husband. She tempered down some of the real free ear-shredding elements of Trane's final period, but added a meditational, eastern vibe that created some wonderfully hypnotic music. Ptah the El Daoud is probably her masterpiece-- it may be my favorite Jazz album as an album. (And I'd take that over Kind of Blue to a desert Island if those were my options. ) Journey in Satchiananda is a bit more uneven, but the opening track is astounding, and the use of the Tambura in the background totally fits what she was doing. Her work with string orchestras after that is a bit uneven-- her arrangement of the final to the Firebird doesn't come off as well (although, according the the liner notes, she had a conversation with Stravinsky a year after his death), but she pursued a very intriguing fusion of jazz, eastern, and classical music for the next few years until she retired to her ashram and focused on chants. She did release a final album prior to her death, Translinear Light which was excellent.
Also, I'd have to add McCoy Tyner's album "The Real McCoy" as a suggestion, even though it is only one track I listen to regularly. Contemplation is a tune I can listen to on infinite repeat, and one of the greatest examples of the telepathy Tyner and Elvin Jones shared. If you like the "classic" Coltrane Quartet, this is a track you cannot live without.
And-- Grant Green's Matador has the Tyner/Jones rhythm section, and a solid My Favorite things, and an really wonderful cover of Duke Pearson's Bedouin.
Quote from: jowcol on November 27, 2009, 01:04:28 AM
Not sure about an entire album but the New Orleans Suite is definitely an Ellington to pick up. The opening track "Blues for New Orleans" has Wild Bill, and the track "Portrait of Mahalia Jackson" is really amazing, in that Duke manages to duplicate an organ sound without the organ.
There are some real gems in the last decade of Duke's works-- I'm a big fan of the Far East Suite and Afro-Eurasian Eclipse. ALso, although the album Soul Call is uneven, "La Plus Belle Africaine" (sp?) rocks my world.
I agree. With the little listening I have done of Duke, I am guessing I am going to work backwards as far as piecing more of his music together. The later stuff seems to catch my ear at this time.
Now:
The Duke
Live from The Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, ND
Vol. 1
Recorded 1940
Tax CDs
(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:VBy3T5h0D9l1_M:http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/8/albumcovermulliganmeetsmonk.jpg)
Quote from: Bogey on November 29, 2009, 08:47:11 AM
(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:VBy3T5h0D9l1_M:http://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/8/albumcovermulliganmeetsmonk.jpg)
Musically very good, but I have to admit that my ears tire of an entire album where the baritone sax is the only horn.
Quote from: KevinP on November 29, 2009, 09:11:52 PM
Musically very good, but I have to admit that my ears tire of an entire album where the baritone sax is the only horn.
I definitely dig that one, and don't have the problem you speak of. The encounter of these very differing personalities produces some nice results (their version of "Round Midnight" is my favorite ever). The album doesn't seem to get much attention, though.
Quote from: KevinP on November 29, 2009, 09:11:52 PM
Musically very good, but I have to admit that my ears tire of an entire album where the baritone sax is the only horn.
Actually, I blame it on Monk. ;) ;D
I keep coming back to this album hoping for more "sound". However, I listened to it on a Sunday, lazy afternoon and it just clicked with that setting. Timing is everything.
Now:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31P1K7CQ2XL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Snagged these tonight:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41E3XB7667L._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X21K79YFL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Now listening:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BZFB20YWL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Now listening:
(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:zNs5Cd6cR21tIM:http://crocmusic.com/images/albums_large/428/herbie_hancock_best_of_herbie_hancock.jpg)
Recent purchase:
(http://www.iajrc.org/cd/1011cover.jpg)
Jazz photographer Herman Leonard dies at 87 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081602943.html)
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 16, 2010, 12:42:04 PM
Jazz photographer Herman Leonard dies at 87 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081602943.html)
Thanks for the link, Karl. RIP, Mr. Leonard.
I need some CD recommendations for artists like Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie. 2 to 4 CD sets with nice selections and the best remastering on the market (not too much filtering...) would be very desirable 8). I don't know these artists too well so I need some nice starting point with some of the hits included (like A Night in Tunisia).
For Basie, go with either The Original American Decca Recordings (three discs) or America's #1 Band (four discs) or both (no overlap). That would cover the Old Testament phase well. The New Testament era (he reformed the orchestra right around the start of the LP era) I can't help you with. There's some absolutely brilliant music here, a completely different brilliant than the OT era, but I'm just not familiar with compilations. But if Verve has one, that'd probably be the one to get.
Duke Ellington. There are two compilations that are commonly recommended: The Blanton-Webster Years and Never No Lament featuing almost the same material. The masterings on both of these suck. The former is NRed to death and the other is harshly bright and very digital sounding.
Charlie Parker: Love the music but not up on the compilations that are on the market today.
It seems like it's difficult to navigate to some excellent recordings of these old artists. I'm especially looking for some good-sounding Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington.
The search function indicates that the name of Lennie Tristano hasn't been mentioned.
Highly recommended.
You can find some at
http://singersaintsrecords.blogspot.com/2008/03/lennie-tristano-crosscurrents-1949.html
and
http://singersaintsrecords.blogspot.com/2009/04/lennie-tristano-tristano.html
along with many other joys.