Jazz Beat (Part 37)

There are American and I think European editions of both sets. I have not compared them but have read that the American editions sound better.

 

Hans, I've been mulling this post for a long while, trying to figure out what I really want to say. The truth is, Woody Shaw, maybe above all other jazz artists, is a musician I've had loads of consternation about over the years. I mean, we all know he's the "last of the line", a great player with tons of chops. Some might even call him one of the great jazz composers. However, I think I've finally come to the conclusion that, after all is said and done, I find his sideman appearances infinitely more satisfying AND exciting than his leader dates. His appearances on the Dolphy Douglas dates, the Henderson Milestones and the Larry Young and other Blue Note dates (to name just a few examples) are mind-blowing, to say the least. Even his Contemporary sides are fantastic. When he was signed to Columbia, that was a huge boon to his career. However, those sides often come off too shiny and polished, and seem to be a way to trot out a better Wynton, pre-Wynton and to stick him in a box which would help to bring back the pre-1970 "good old days". Then Joe Fields got a hold of him This lead to a continuation of the championing of revivalist jazz that was happening in the often confused haze of the 70s. Don't get me wrong -- I would never call any of the Columbia, Elektra Musician or Muse dates bad in any way. Woody was playing with some of the top notch musicians of the time (Mulgrew Miller springs to mind). However, for me, the music doesn't live up to the promise displayed in the 60s when Shaw first burst onto the scene.

That being said, the Mosaic Muse isn't an unwise purchase, if only to distance oneself from the horrid, drug-addled visions of Joel Dorn's graphic designer at 32 Jazz

 

Thanks for posting that. I agree with you, Shaw's sideman dates are the ones to go to, at least many of them are, while his leader sessions leave me relatively cold, too often they do indeed sound like an unfulfilled promise and increasingly revivalist in character. You're right, they're certainly not bad, but not great either and that's what keeping me from forking out the money in these lean days, especially now that the euro has become so much weaker against the dollar. Yep, in the end it all comes down to that, unfortunately...

 

Now: Joe Henderson - Mode for Joe - Blue Note (1988). A 1966 date with Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Cedar Walton (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums).

 

Not the first time I have posted this wowlbum and it won't be the last!

 

And in a logical sort of way, Cuscuna was reviving a long dead Blue Note label and finding/releasing many previously unknown dates from its vaults after/while he produced Shaw's dates at Columbia. I don't think that this is a coincidence. I think it was part of the jazz "mindset" during that time.

 

Clever term! Have you thought about "trademarking" it?

 

Yeah, I remember those days, it was more or less the same here, straight jazz turning into revivalist mode. It was a quite different story with several other guys, the Han Benninks, Mischa Mengelbergs and the like

 

Joachim Kuhn! It was almost as if the Europeans took up the cause to move jazz forward while Americans became stilted in trying to recover from the fusion movement. Almost weird in a way that the European jazz audience was able to experience (and appreciate) the American expatriates playing what they had always played, while getting the "edginess" that was missing in America simultaneously.

 

I cannot claim credit for this. In England we had two DJs on BBC Radio 1 named Mark & Lard who coined the phrase 'wowlbum' to describe their favourite albums.

 

Wow, I'd forgotten how good this album is. Henderson in his prime. Unfortunately, Hutcherson is way down in the mix.

 

I listened to the 2 Herbie Hancock Sony Japan trio albums with on Carter and Tony Williams last night:



While listening, it dawned on me that these (recorded in 1977 and 1981, respectively) offer an interesting contrast to the 9 Great Jazz trio albums that Ron and Tony recorded with Hank Jones during that time period. On the Herbie albums, Tony Williams sounds similar to how he sounded during the Miles 2nd great quintet period -- tasteful, comfortable, always inventive yet driving the musical bus with authority. However, contained within the Great Jazz trio albums is some of Tony's most bombastic playing in an acoustic setting. What caused the difference? My theory is that Tony was more comfortable with Herbie due the shared years with Miles and on several Blue Note recordings of that period. He felt a real kinship with him, and from that kinship came a certain level of "trust". Hank Jones, while no less the stylist or talent that Herbie was, was a more timid player. Maybe Tony felt that he needed to be pushed by a more dominant rhythmic approach. Anyway, I found it fascinating that a drummer could take on two almost radically different personalities simultaneously.

 

if there's a *better* henderson recording, i have yet to hear it.

 

There are two box sets, solo and small group settings on Pablo. I have the solo box on vinyl and it sounds good. I have a few of the small group recordings including the Ben Webster, Red Callender disc but it isn't the XRCD version. It still sounds fine to me. YMMV.

 

Hank Jones, a timid pianist??? Really?

 

Absolutely! I mean what I say and say what I mean

Well, maybe a slight exaggeration, but certainly less aggressive than Hancock.

 

Hank may be less aggressive but he was as sure in his playing as any jazz pianist you can name.

 

I often have the feeling that he was holding back. I have a few of his albums on CD, but I can't say that they're favourites.

 

Diving into the deep end of the pool to start out the weekend.


The Art Ensemble of Chicago ~ Fanfare for the Warrior

Atlantic, 1974



Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lester Bowie
Saxophone [Alto, Tenor], Flute – Joseph Jarman
Saxophone [Alto, Tenor], Piccolo Flute – Roscoe Mitchell
Piano – Muhal Richard Abrams
Bass – Malachi Favors
Percussion – Don Moye

 

Don't take what I say personally, nor as an insult. I'm certainly not the first to make this observation. As a matter of fact, Miles said as much about his playing on Somethin' Else.

I was merely attempting to look for a reason why Tony would play so differently behind the 2 pianists during the same time period.

 

His extroverted playing comes out depending on the rhythm section. While he isn't an aggressive player i am surprised to hear people speak of him this way. Did Red Garland hold back his playing too?

 

I'm not taking anything personally, just surprised to hear that about Hank and I get your reason.

 

Now: Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage - Analogue Productions/Blue Note hybrid SACD, CD-layer. A 1965 date with Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums).

 

I sometimes feel the same way, but ultimately a musician's personality will come out through his/her instrument. My impression of Hank is that he was more of a "proper" gentleman -- austere, well-stated and always calculated in his approach. Nothing wrong with that, as he was obviously a huge contributor to the music.

 

Hearing Freddie Hubbard again I am reminded of my reservations about his playing. Don't know how to describe it exactly; sometimes he's playing a fine solo and he then suddenly bursts into a flurry of notes that sound out of place to me. Still a great album, though.