I admit I have to be in the mood for Bitches Brew -I like the album, and appreciate it's place in music history, of course, plus how the title track makes one helluva lullaby for my four year old- but I'll always have a soft spot for "Pharaoh's Dance". What's not to like about a song where the first three minutes or so are a thirty second tape loop pieced together in such a way that you don't even notice at first that it's a loop? Pure genius, though I can never decide to credit Miles or Teo Macero for it...
We moved a year ago to Southern California, and our back yard is next to an 80 acre bird/wildlife preserve owned by the local colleges. So many birds passing by this time of year, including some ducks who visit our pool. My wife and I go out back and sit in chairs and listen to all the birds talking to each other. It's a kind of music, and a great way to end the day.
Now playing "Moving Out." Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone Kenny Dorham – trumpet - except More Than You Know Elmo Hope – piano Percy Heath – bass Art Blakey – drums Thelonious Monk – piano on "More Than You Know" Tommy Potter – bass on "More Than You Know" Art Taylor – drums on "More Than You Know" "Moving Out" "Swingin' for Bumsy" "Silk 'n' Satin" "Solid" "More Than You Know"
See some folks here ridding a jazz-guitar wave. This is one to check: Found the early 70s Sharrock albums impossible to like - too extreme for my taste. But this early 90s CD, with Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones, I come back to with pleasure. Funny how this happens a lot of times, like someone told him it was going to be his last album: he puts all his heart and soul into it.
I think it is just great that Lester Young is the only jazz musician honored with a national holiday. Pull out your Pres recordings today, and if you don't have any, check this out JazzWax
Hank Mobley I’ve always enjoyed most on other people’s sessions and haven’t gotten as much into his own sessions. I decided to confront that head on and ordered his 50s session set from Mosaic and am warming up my Mobley receptors by streaming his first BN album: Hank Mobley Quartet
Now I’m properly psyched up for that Mobley Mosaic set. The last two albums I streamed weren’t individually available on Apple Music, they were listed on a release called “Capitol Vaults Jazz Series”. The tracks and number of discs on this look to be the same as the Mosaic set. Seemed a little strange to me as I did not realize that Blue Note was ever affiliated with Capitol, which prompted me to check out the BN wikipedia page where I learned that this is indeed the case.
Everyone is always praising Ahmad Jamal of who I don’t believe I have a single recording. I was looking at his Mosaic set and decided to hold off on ordering it for a while since it wasn’t listed as an endangered species on Mosaic’s site. I see that Apple Music has his Mosaic set available, so now I’m checking that out. The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions 1956-62 @pitro Based on the first few tracks I’ve heard so far I’d say you’d be doing yourself a solid on getting this one.
Beautiful photo! They look so regal in their winter wonderland. NP Paul Desmond Qt. Live (A&M/Horizon) Stayed up late last night listening to music so I wokeup later than my usual. Teacup in hand and Desmond on the TT.
WP Dave Douglas & Uri Caine - Present Joys (Greenleaf) NP Kenny Drew Trio - Pal Joey (Riverside) black stereo label Present Joys is a duo album.
Cedar Walton Trio - Iron Clad (Monarch) Live at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA I was at one of the performances from that week's run but not this particular night (Saturday).
The most recent record from Mark Helias, Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey's Open Loose trio, from 2015, is not only on of the great jazz records of recent years but also is a great sounding recording. Props to Michael Brorby and Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn for making such an open, present recording with instruments in great scale in what looks like such a tight space.
Julius Hemphill- Dogon A.D. (2011 Arista Freedom reissue) If Julius Hemphill never did anything else his influence would still be quite large. Such a unique album. Still sounds totally fresh even today.
Listening now via Spotify. I haven't kept up with Malaby these last few years, i'm adding this to my list of recent-ish Intakt releases that i need to pick up at some point (funnily enough, among others also trios from Ellery Eskelin and Chris Speed).
Randy Weston - The Spirits Of Our Ancestors (Antilles) from 1991, a real tour de force from musicians and arranger Melba Liston. Dizzy Pharoah, Billy Harper, Dewey Redman and many more were gathered to help Weston and Liston achieve their goals of remembering their ancestors. They succeeded no doubt.
One of my all time favourite musicians and albums ! I could not live without this album , who else could have Pharoah and Dizzy on the same album?
An amazing record, and even better with the addition of The Hard Blues on the reissue, and yeah, it does sound remarkably fresh all these years later.
Grachan Moncur III - Evolution Recorded November 21, 1963. Grachan Moncur's 1st release as a bandleader. Grachan was part of Jackie Mclean's band at the time, and he used the same people but added Lee Morgan. Musicians: Grachan Moncur III: trombone Lee Morgan: trumpet Jackie McLean: alto saxophone Bobby Hutcherson: vibraphone Bob Cranshaw: bass Tony Williams: drums.
Keith Jarrett - Spirits Been having a bit of a 'real-time mixtape' session this morning just listening to single tracks from various albums; intended just to have a quick listen to track 2 (Spirits 2, a favourite off this album) but ended up just letting the album play... keep meaning to switch to something else but it's really doing me good this morning. I think i'll just let it spin...