Meet Oliver Nelson - Oliver Nelson (New Jazz/OJC) lp I'm really liking this one by Nelson. I can hear little bits of his more famous songs in some of his originals. Not whole passages, just little phrases or or note clusters tbat remnd me of music he wrote a few years later.
3rd definition, or perhaps even 7th This may be a little different than what you're referring to on the Nelson but somewhere in the last chorus or two of "Thriving from a Riff" I've always liked how Bird quotes two or three of the heads from his other tunes in quick succession.
I get what you are saying about Parker but this is a little different. It was uears before tge other songs were recorded so it's possible that they could have been written but I kind of doubt it. It's more that he had some little phrases or clusters of notes together thate used to create some new songs. I haven't pulled out the other albums and obsessively compared every little detsil. I don't roll that way. I just recognized some phrases on a few songs on this, hos first album that reminded me of specific songs I have on his later albums. I'm in Neil's world this afternoon listening to the Bluenotes at Jones Beach from 1988. It has some tracks not released on the official Blue Note Cafe release. The author of Shakey was at that show so I'm enjoying rereading that bit.
Mary Halvorson - Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch Records, CD) Chris Speed - tenor saxophone & clarinet Mary Halvorson - guitar Elvind Opsvik - double bass Tomas Fujiwara - drums
I was at my usual Monday night hangout, Luna's Cafe for some jazz or as it sometimes turns out sorta jazz but heavy on improvised music. The headliner was Ross Hammond a local guitarist who has gone big time into slide/dobro music and he played with an Indian vocalist/percussionist who were fantastic together. I was sitting there with my Japanese/american friend and the table next to me was a man who emigrated here from Scotland in 1966 sitting with his German friend and the owner was Mexican American and there were other ethnicities in the audience and I thought to myself, this is America. This is my country. Ths is what makes my country great. The singer of course had this amazing control to sing intervals that western ears aren't used to but it was beauftiful. I was so focused on his singing the time went so fast. It was really beautiful. The guitar was almost sitar like with its own ability to play intervals not associated with western music. A good fusion of styles.
NP Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - Missouri Sky (Verve) I have loved this album for a long time even though I have tired of Pat's guitar sound. On this he is playing acoustic guitar and it sounds like nylon strings on some tracks. Charlie is of course superb and rock solid all the way through. Sometimes I tune out Pat and just listen to Charlie's lines. Either way, beautiful music to start the day or eat dinner with.
Finally back to speaker listening after a long spell of limited listening and listening to headphones. The mono SACD of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan arrived yesterday and I am really enjoying it. These Dylan SACDs from Mobile Fidelity sound excellent. I like both the stereo and the mono versions of this album, and having them both in this series is a pleasure.
John Lewis and Helen Merrill "Django," in the latest Japanese cd reissue (UHQCD). Wow.This is something else, marred slightly by some recording decisions/effects that I don't enjoy as much as a more straight-forward approach might have yielded.
Have started off with Sonny Rollins. Really surprised by Next Album (1972) and Horn Culture (1973) which sound more like they were done in the 1950's. Nothing wrong with that, and I'm sure it was deliberate, but it's not what I was hoping for at the moment. It's not until Nucleus (1975) that we get to one that actually sounds like a 70's jazz album, and I dig it. Even got some porno jazz wah-wah going on!
I have my new speaker cable hooked up now from Audio Sensibility and tgey already sound good on my usual test cd by Jessica Williams. You can purchase them burned in but that's a waste of money imo. I don't mind doing it myself. The piano notes have a bit more sparkle or something. It will take more listening to really understand the improvements. These things are massive in circumference, like nothing I've ever owned before. Those low notes on the piano are tickling my gonads.
The Bud Powell Trio "Three Nights at Birdland 1953." Sinatra Society of Japan (Japan) XQAM-1648 DSD mastering that sounds very good indeed.
Helen Merrill may be the last of her generation of pure jazz singers among us (Tony Bennett is older of course). Now 87. I think her last studio album was 2003 (?). I saw an indicator that she performed in 2013 and 2015, but don't know much more about other activity in the last 10 years. Understandably, she has retired completely. One of the great master singers of all time!
Agree 100% that Helen is one of the last of her generation of pure jazz singers and that she is great. So is Sheila Jordan, who is almost 89 and is still active!
NP John Tchicai With Strings This is the white carboard cover with the gold embossed or whatever it is bird. No data on it. It was the last one I bought from John on his last visit to the area. He lived here for about ten years I think. Very cool cat.
Forgot about Sheila! I haven't called her since before Mark Murphy died. I was thinking of singers who were actively recording in the 50's.
That's on Treader records - TRD5 - right? Treader is John Coxon's label - him of Spring Heel Jack. Treader
Yes, mine says trd005 on the disc itself but the cover just has the gold bird on the front. Beautiful in its simplicity. I hadn't played it in a while and I was listening with new speaker wire I hooked up this afternoon made of OCC copper. Amazing right out of the box. So John's disc was scary good. I was lost in some world while it was playing.
NP George Mraz - Bottom Lines (Milestone) With Cyrus Chestnut, Rich Perry and Al Foster playing songs by well known bassists/composers. George's tone and technique is some of the best in the business.
NP one flight up Dexter w Byrd trumpet Drew piano Orsted Pederson bass Art Taylor drums Cisco music pressing
NP Serge Gainsbourg. No 4 10 inch French mercury reissue from 2001 i have yet to find an uninteresting record by Serge and I have spent much time in his twisted musical world. Jazz meets old school balladry meets camp meets pop. It's all in there with a wicked lyrical underpin on most songs. He does have some early pure jazz instrumental music well worth a listen. Do not let a lack of understanding French put you off. You can hear the twinkle in his eye in his intonation and a quick google search can fill you in on the lyrical fun. G
I've never spent any time exploring him but I have friends who love his stuff. File under "there's only so many hours in a day." I'm not the biggest pop fan but the blend sounds intriguing. I rented a car one day in the the Rhone Valley and kind of enjoyed listenng to French pop music on the car radio. Inneresting. NP Sonny Clark Trio (Audio Fidelity) SACD A very good recording of Clark and he's always welcome at my house.
Boy the 10 inch records fly by so fast. But now I'm on a 10 inch kick so next up Jazz at Massey Hall 10 inch box set RSD release from a few years ago. Since this historic venue is my local club I couldn't pass on this box set. I'm sure you all know all about this most famous of jazz concerts. I saw Jason Isbell there last month and the ghost of these jazz greats still lingers.
His music is underpinned by jazz. His earlier music more so. Better to start earlier in his career if you prefer less poppy stuff.
Radical Empathy (Relative Pitch Records, CD) Michael Wimberly - drums Nels Cline - guitar/effects Thollem - electric effected acoustic piano, analog outfitters A044, modified electric piano/effects
I was on a ten inch kick a few weeks ago and listened to the two volumes of Miles Davis (Prestige) boxes released on separate RSD. I do have the Massey Hall set as well but ran out of hours in the night. I didn't own the music in any format so I decided that was a good one to splurge on and glad I did.
