Marian McPartland - Silent Pool (Concord) With strings arranged and conducted by Alan Broadbent. Some of the best jazz with strings I own. The strings sound like they are really engaged in the music instead of merely window dressing.
Last night, this one: I probably play "crescent" and some Atlantic stuff more, but this one has been growing on me these past years at each play. Just a couple of minutes into the first track and you know you're in presence of something unique. Not just in Coltrane's discography but in the music history. What about that drum and bass beat ?! And you just need 33 minutes of your time to listen to a masterpiece. Which brings me to what I would like to discuss today: Why do the current acts feel the need to make long albums ?! A CD has a capacity for 80 min of music. So I guess a lot of people would consider a ripoff if it had less than half of music. But a lot of times it seems to me that some albums would gain with less songs on it. Maybe "a love supreme" is an extreme example of: "less is more".
You're right about the "less is more" aspect. When I bought this over a month ago, I couldn't stop playing it. It was on repeat in the cd player of my car for awhile.
Has anybody compared Sarah Vaughan’s ‘Crazy & Mixed Up’s XRCD with the stock issue? My copy is the Japan first issue (3112-11)* and sound so damn good that I can’t imagine the better edition. *3112-11 sounds better then the second edition, J33-20043.
Alan Broadbent's work as both a pianist and as an arranger are phenomenal. Check out his work with Charlie Haden, and his work as a vocal accompanist.
I generally don’t have top position favourite, best or number one for anything in music, be it artist , song , album etc etc. that goes for all genres of music. However if I am to be truly honest Love Supreme has been my favourite, number one , best choice ( whatever you want to call it) jazz album since the second time I listened to it back in my University days in the early 1980s. Nothing else comes close. It’s rediculous considering how much jazz I have listened to and how I hav aged and changed over time. I can’t say this for other music or art in general. I mean we all know it’s great but for me it is elevated to another plane. I am careful to only play it when I really need this hit. Edit. Really it is truly a spiritual moment when I hear it.
Ballad Session Mark Turner Classic to my mind though people have picked on it unfairly. It is what it is - a spare, low key, down and out sounding Mark playing the blues. Love it.
I gave a general overview on page 887 second post of that page. @The Beave has a whole thread devoted to it as well.
As usual i'm in the 'case by case' camp. A long album can be a wonderful thing... but there are times when i'm listening to an album for the first time and i'll be like "ah, yup that was nice but i'm ready for something else," but then see that approx. 40 minutes has elapsed and there's still 30 to go... It is a drag when albums, er, drag. I must say i almost never complain about an album being too short... but too long, definitely.
Is this guy the best kept secret in modern jazz? OMG 3 for 3 of his recordings I own are 5 star albums, this one being the latest picked up yesterday at AXPONA- great sound, pep and energy without being loud, obnoxious or over the top. I don't know how he does it. Modern classics.
This is the juu-dan level music. No energy is wasted, every note being in the right place. Perfect. Transcendent.
I was watching this DVD special edition set I have of "Once upon a time in the west". A beautiful and different western epic. It's a bit long. I'll watch the other half tomorrow. I need time, before going to bed, to play this album from the same year: 1968 See you guys tomorrow!
Joni Mitchell ran 'experimental sessions' with different musicians before cutting this album, that included Stanley Clarke, John McLaughlin, and Tony Williams. Supposedly, those tape are around, and I would love to hear them. Who ended up playing on Mingus are some of my favorite jazz guys: Pastorius, Shorter, Peter Erskine and Herbie Hancock. I was curious about something, so I'm following up with Miles In the Sky.
Yeah, never quite understood what’s not to like about this one... Nefertiti, Visions, Alone and I ...
Paul Bley/NHOP Also just ordered these two new Matthew Shipp albums: Zero and Sonic Fiction. Can't wait!
I tend to listen to selections from within each album...those that are the most meaningful for me at that moment. The more music on an album, the more chances for profound performances. I don't usually play entire albums (as most are not suites). But, of course, now and then I do.
A good one from Ms. Jones, returning to more of a focus on her piano, with guest Wayne Shorter & covers of Duke Ellington, Horace Silver & Neil Young. The sound is a bit muffled for my taste, but that's better than stridence any day.
Speaking of Wayne... NP Young Lions (Vee Jay) rainbow rim stereo lp Lee Morgan/Wayne Shorter with Timmons, Cranshaw and Louis Hayes or Tootie Heath on drums.
Yesternow I am interested in the conjunction of different arts happening concurrently. My education has tended to stress what is happening within its own world with only cursory acknowledgement of parallel events. Probably because we live in a world of increased specialization. I studied renaissance architecture but no one nentioned Palestrina the great Italian composer who walked the streets at Rome at the same time as Michelangelo. (Though only for a couple of decades due to age difference). These 2 giants shared similar daily experiences and shared traits that informed both arts yet it is rare to find works written on this. I love your cross of Hancock with Leone. (Not to mention the fact that I love pretty much everything Jason Robards has done )
