Jazz, c. 1950-1970: Recommendations (and jazz in general)

[Grazioso]

Grabbed today and enjoying ...a lot:

Another good one by Byrd, though apparently OOP:

[KevinP]

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

[toledobass]

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

[Bogey]

Just picked up this gem:


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.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

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?

[KevinP]

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.

[Shrunk]

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.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

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

[toledobass]

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

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

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.

[toledobass]

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

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

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?

[toledobass]

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

[Bogey]

I have to base my decisions on the raw data.   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!

[toledobass]

God it's great to talk jazz again.  Thanks for the recent posts here folks!

You started it!!!! 

[Bogey]

You started it!!!! 

Yeah, but it's more fun when I do not respond to my own posts with the PM button, Allan. 

[Bogey]

Starting the day at this "checkpoint".



Spitvalve,
I will respond to your post tonight, or this weekend.

[KevinP]

Picked these up this weekend while in Seoul:




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:

[Bogey]

And finally replaced this one on CD:

I really enjoy this cd as well, Kevin.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

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.