Montara was the priciest of the 3 at $40. Cirrus is the album for which I’ve had my eyes peeled the longest; I’m thinking I’ll probably break down and order one from discogs soon. Meanwhile, I was just streaming a little of the following (as the living room is occupied by sleeping family members who are visiting blocking access to th turntable): Bobby Hutcherson - The View From The Inside
I love Erroll Garner. The guy was an absolutely outstanding piano player. It's such a shame that history has all-but-forgotten him. Although, one good thing about him having been forgotten by history is that most of his records are dirt cheap when I find them in used shops!
It was mentioned several times this month, but impossible not to play it again. It's that good. In between winter clouds the sun shines bright this sunday morning. Last day of the year, not the last time I play: Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life (ECM, recorded December 1975)
I must say, I fall on the side of conventional wisdom when it comes to Nichols all too small recorded output. I think the Bethlehem album has a couple of just great Nichols compositions and Nichols performances on there -- "Love, Gloom, Cash, Love" and "Portrait of Ucha" and "Beyond Recall" -- but I think Nicholas' improvisations, which were so inventive and inspired on the Blue Note dates, lean too heavily on just kind of decorative arpeggios as a device throughout a bunch of the Bethlehem side. There's not the same "stealing fire" sense of invention in Nichols' solos that abound throughout the Blue Note dates. I understand why some people might have trouble finding their way into Nichols music from the Blue Note dates: there's a big of sameiness to the material he recorded for Blue Note, especially if you listen to it in session order, and Nichols' solos are full of this interior harmony that may not be so easy to enter. It would have been great had he ever recorded with a band with horns or something -- some contrasting soloists and some players to really slam some of those really great riffs on the likes of "Shuffle Montgomery" and "Step Tempest" -- and if any of the Blue Note albums had jumped around a little more giving us more of Nichols range -- from "The Third World" to "Spinning Song" to "Serenade." If you listen to the Eric T. Johnson album of Nichols covers -- maybe my favorite of the various Nichols covers projects, the version of "It Didn't Happen" that kicks off the album, with the great guitar-and-two-horns voicing of the melody riffs....wow, what could have been. And, frankly, it would have been great had been a lot more rehearsal for the Blue Note dates --- I think Blakey misses a lot of the turns in the music, and fails to emphasize some of the accents in the way that he would have if the group had actually been a working band and had developed the material together. So sometimes the music just kind of feels like it's being groped at tentatively vs really played. Like "Cro Magnon Nights" is an amazing Nichols song and performance but I feel like McKibbon and especially Blakey are just kind of feeling their way through the performance, like they haven't even quite really learned the tune yet never mind having given themselves to it. But when I hear some of the Nichols solos on the likes of "Step Tempest" and "The Third World" -- they're some of my favorite piano solos in all of jazz, one second they harken back to stride piano, the next second they're spiraling out these uniquely Nicholsish snakey melodies, then they're pumping out swing-era horn type riffs voiced on piano, then they're breaking out in abstract tone clusters. I think the "Third World" master take solo is just jaw dropping, one of my favorite solos in all of jazz. There are great moments on the Bethlehem sides from Nichols, but they're fewer. Also, the sound on the Blue Note dates is kinda muffled. There's a lot more high end clarity on the Bethlehem recordings which maybe makes them a little easier to enter. I still think Nichols' music though isn't really given it's due by the trio, I don't think the songs and the stresses are articulated the way they would have been had the band been out playing this stuff night after night. And I think they're just bopping through the tunes until they find themselves slamming into an end they didn't know was coming on a piece like "Beyond Recall," though the piece is one of those great Nichols pieces that alternates between his abstract, close harmonied ideas, and this big swing style riffs. Classic Nichols.
Anyone remember an lp that came out in the late 70's by a pretty fair jazz fusion guitar player that could go off into space (think Goodsall of Brand X)? There were yellow tennis balls on the cover. It was a one-time only for him, I believe, but it was played a good bit on my turntable. It is a needle in a jazz stack question, but if anyone knows it would be here.
I like all Nichols, even the Savoy sides and the traditional jazz gig. I'm all in. Right now David Arthur Skinner "Skinner Plays Skinner" solo piano.
Now streaming on Amazon, "Monk (Expanded Edition)" on Columbia/Legacy. Charlie Rouse - tenor sax Ben Riley - drums Larry Gales - bass
Congratulations. Sounds like we started in radio at about the same time. 1973 for me. KBCS in Seattle (Bellevue)
NP: Idris, party starter, Muhammad - Hard to face the music, from House of the rising sun. Less than 3 hours to ... bye bye 2017.
NP Jazz Reunion Pee Wee Russell Coleman Hawkins 1961 Burnaby reissue 1978 The last time these two recorded together was 1929! This is a great generally swinging session surprisingly modern They are very much having fun together here And so am I Pee Wee fans might get a kick out of this little blurb from the sessions
I'm there already. 11:30 am Jan 1st. Lots of people are on their way to the temple near me for first prayers of the year. I've just finished my coffee and toast and will shortly be off out for a walk in the sunshine and a look around Tokyo Jazz to see what bargains they have. HNY 2018 everyone.
The fam went to bed early, so it’s me and the records ringing in the new year. Right now it’s Nina Simone, Little Girl Blue, on AP 33 in stereo. Fantastic sound, though I’m on headphones and it is a little weird having Miss Simone off to the left and piano right.
Happy New Year with Freddie Hubbard - The Hub Of Hubbard (MPS) U.S. orange label. Latter day straight ahead jazz from Hubbard. It's a quintet with Eddie Daniels , Richard Davis, Roland Hanna and Louis Hayes.
Picked this up as a secondhand CD a couple months ago. Late in the game Duke, but he, and his band, still got it. Sadly, longtime band member Johnny Hodges passed away in the interim between the two recording sessions for the album. Favorite track: Portrait of Mahalia Jackson.
It's the sound of a journey's end. You can tell that our hero is tired. All his previous companions were flying high on their own (Herbie - Headhunters, Wayne - Weather Report, Chick - Return to Forever, John - Mahavishnu Orchestra ...) and he knew he had to stop. He was saying goodbye. This is my interpretation of this track. It sounds just the opposite of all other electric jazz of the time. I understand some of you find it dull, but I love. It' the one I play when I need a rest. Miles Davis - Gondwana - Pangaea, Japan 1975 (cd 2 Sony).
Cannonball Adderley Quintet Plus (Riverside Records) — Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone; Nat Adderley - cornet; Wynton Kelly - piano; Victor Feldman - piano, vibes; Sam Jones - bass; Louis Hayes - drums; includes alternate take Happy New Year, everybody!
HNY everyone. First spin of the new year is my original KOB (mono 6 eye 1D/1H DG. I 've been spending some time at the London Jazz Collector lately and read the posts on sorting KOB out for pressing info. It's not as straight forward as you would think. I never noticed my copy had the songs listed in the wrong order on the side two label.
Donald Byrd - Byrd In Hand (Blue Note) RVG remaster Interesting choice of Charlie Rouse on tenor along with Byrd's usual foil Pepper Adams. I prefer many other early BN titles over this one but it's still very good.