A happy posthumous 97th birthday to Mr. Brubeck. Dave Brubeck - Jazz Impressions of Eurasia Original 1958 US mono pressing on Columbia Records
Just played this. It was unknown to me until a friend recommended it a few days ago. Stolen Moments what an opener.
Truly an exciting album to hear the first dozen times or so! Over the years my enthusiasm for Nelson's arrangements has dimmed. . . but this was a benchmark recording.
Right now, David Young's Mainstream Records release, via a Solid Record cd. I think this is the only recording he made as a leader. Great band. Baritone Saxophone, Flute – Sonny Fortune Bass – Richard Davis (2) Composed By – Dave Young (tracks: A2, B2), Harold Mabern Jr. (tracks: A1, A3) Drums – Idris Muhammad Piano – Harold Mabern, Jr. Tenor Saxophone – Dave Young Trumpet – Virgil Jones
I know... if it was from someone else probably I wouldn't give it a second chance. But there's something here that makes me come back to it.
Count Basie / Oscar Peterson – Satch and Josh: Count Basie encounters Oscar Peterson (Pablo) — With Freddie Green, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson
The number of living people who had once played behind Billie is either zero or approaching zero. There are still some women who were coached or encouraged by Billie as young singers, I expect, but I am forgetting the details. Perhaps Sheila Jordan and Helen Merrill were close to her. I knew a woman whose brother played piano for Billie for a stretch, but I cannot recall his stage name (his real last name was Schlomburg) and I don't think he gets mentioned as I don't believe he recorded with her. That "one-person-separation" is fading away. I get inspired meeting or knowing people who have encountered or knew other legends of our culture.
Buck Clayton & the Marlowe Morris Trio – Jammin' With Buck [(E) on Columbia Small Group Swing Sessions (1953-62) Mosaic] (Epic EG 7009 (EP) / Mosaic) — With Jerome Darr, Les Erskin; EP (2 trk 45) & 78 track & a previously unissued title. Buck Clayton and his All-Stars – Buck Clayton Special [(H) on Columbia Small Group Swing Sessions (1953-62) Mosaic] (Philips (E) BBL 7217 / Mosaic) — With Buck Clayton (tp), Vic Dickenson (tb), Buddy Tate (ts), Dick Katz (p), Walter Page (b), Bobby Donaldson (d); the original LP was only issued in Europe.
If listeners know and love this album (Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth - with an all star ensemble), I believe they might get into Mark Murphy's vocal version of Stolen Moments, with his own lyrics. His first official recording of the song (1978) came years after he first wrote it.
This session by Lateef and Farmer has a 'seventies funky oddness to it but I really dig it. Lateef really was such a capable writer and leader and I LOVE his sax playing. This is the latest King Records cd release from Japan. Yusef Lateef "Autophysicpsychic" on CTI. Followed by Disc 3 of Michael Cosmic "Peace in the World"/Phill Musra Group "Creator Spaces" cd reissue on Now-Again Records.
Snowy day in West Texas, enjoying some mono Miles. Love this one, probably my favorite of his right now.
This is one of those timeless classic albums that, unlike @Lonson, I've never gotten tired of. Just listened to it for the umpteenth time yesterday. The caliber of the band. The focused quality of the concept -- all off blues and "I Got Rhythm" changes just at the moment when free jazz was kind of unwinding the reliance on blues and rhythm changes, yet with a fresh, and in the presence of Dolphy, outward looking approach. It just still sounds as good to me as any album of the era. Kind of an immaculate album in concept and execution, and just beautifully memorable tunes and playing. I'm less enamored of the sonics -- and of Rudy Van Gelder's recordings generally -- than most people. Van Gelder's recordings often feature bursts of distorted overmodulation -- sometimes it's like the drummer is cruising along at a soft level, plays a big fill, and then whammo, fuzz drums; but on this album, pretty much all of Nelson's reed playing sounds like it was overmodulated, it has the buzzy timbral quality of an old Moog sawtooth patch, even when he's playing soft. I can't tell you how many times over the years I've listened to this record and wondered if something is wrong with somebody's cartridge. But it's not mistracking. It's the recording. The record has an awesome soundstage width and, those things not too hotly mic'ed, especially playing at the softer end of the dynamic spectrum, sound good (though Van Gelder never got a good piano sound on record). But whenever Nelson comes in, I always think something is broken.
Jim Hall "Concierto" UHQCD from King Records of the RVG remastering of this CTI title. Have to admit it sounds good. There's tiny little bits of music that come across "better" on these UHQCD discs that make it worth buying my favorite titles again. . . . I do enjoy listening to different releases of the same title. That's just me.
If you like that snap up the rest of the mono series. Great anolgue mastering at very inexpensive pricing
WP: Grant Green - Am I Blue A few years ago I was really excited to see a Liberty pressing of this in the wild. Brought it home and was really underwhelmed. Gave it a spin last night and it’s better than I remember but that was really just for the title track and For All We Know which is good. The rest I am not so sure about. I think my issue is that the organ in the recording studio seems to be broken and only the slow fade settings could be used for the entire session and Grant must have injured his right hand as he doesn’t comp at all on this which I miss. I know they were going for a mood and hearing Joe Henderson in such a restrained environment does make for an somewhat interesting listen, maybe it will continue to grow on me.
Sky Music - A Tribute to Terje Rypdal This is a project put together by Henry Kaiser. All of the tracks are written by Rypdal and include 2 never recorded before. A lot of great guitarists on this. Electric Guitar – Bill Frisell (tracks: 1) David Torn (tracks: 7) Even Helte Hermansen (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6) Hans Magnus Ryan (tracks: 6) Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9) Henry Kaiser (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6) Raoul Björkenheim (tracks: 2, 6) Reine Fiske (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 9)Electric Guitar, Bass, Loops Nels Cline (tracks: 4)Pedal Steel Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer, Acoustic Guitar, Synth, Double Bass – Jim O'Rourke (tracks: 9) Also with Cello – Erik Friedlander (tracks: 4) Drums – Gard Nilssen (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9) Electric Bass, Double Bass – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9) Keyboards – Ståle Storløkken (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8)
First disc of this set again, Complete Bartok String Quartets, by Vegh Quartet, the stereo versions. This is difficult music in many ways and I appreciate it the more I hear it, and these four musicians fascinate me with their skill and musical personality.
And now for something completely different. Lonnie Liston Smith "A Song for the Children" Columbia/Sony Japan CD
Hi all. If you haven't yet seen this brief Sonny Rollins interview, I recommend it: http://www.vulture.com/2017/12/jazz-icon-sonny-rollins-on-giving-up-playing-and-his-legacy.html
Wolfgang Puschnig – Pieces Of The Dream (Amadeo) — Wolfgang Puschnig: as, fl, synt, voc; with Carla Bley: p, Hiram Bullock: g, synt, Hans Koller: ts, Charlie Krachler: g, Heiri Känzig: b, Harry Pepl: g, synt, Uli Scherer: p, Linda Sharrock: voc, Steve Swallow: el-b, Jamaaladeen Tacuma: el-b, plus The Choir, voc.; duets.