The Jazz Beat

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ken_McAlinden, Apr 27, 2015.

  1. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Brad Mehldau Trio: Where Do You Start

    Brad Mehldau – piano
    Larry Grenadier – bass
    Jeff Ballard – drums

    Lots of piano trio action today, good for a rainy day dream away. Just picked this up during the Nonesuch 50% sale, a good opportunity to grab a bunch of music that you may not normally buy at regular price. Not that I don't dig this trio and have quite a few titles, but there's just so much. It's a really enjoyable album consisting of two sessions recorded at Avatar in 2008 and 2011. A pretty varied setlist comprised of covers from the likes of Alice In Chains, Sufjan Stevens, Elvis Costello, Nick Drake.....as well as Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown and Johnny Mandel. If you don't know the "popular" tunes you won't notice them and they'll come off as lyrical jazz tunes. If you do know them they'll come off as adventurous readings, a fresh twist. Surprising though that Ballard has a few moments of difficulty along the way, especially on the opener, the AIC tune and probably the simplest of structures. It sounds as though he'd never played a few of these with the trio, even though he nails it elsewhere and has a few excellent solo spots.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Spadeygrove

    Spadeygrove Senior Member

    Location:
    Charleston, WV
  3. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Yes for sure, his service has always been excellent :thumbsup:
    The other thing for me is that he's managed to keep postage costs to Australia quite reasonable. A big plus when you live on the other side of the universe!


    I forgot to mention earlier that I recently ordered some things from him including, wait for it... "Karyobin"! Finally a proper issue! No doubt you already know this but for anyone who doesn't, this is the issue to get.
    According to the blurb, "this reissue has far superior sound and balance than ever before thanks to the skills of recording engineer Adam Skeaping working from the original tapes".

    I can vouch for the "superior" sound, at least compared to the Japanese SHM-CD.

    Plus, this new issue has the blessing of Parker & Holland as they've written new notes for it. Oh and surprise, surprise it's also much cheaper than the inferior Japanese issue!

    Thanks to you (@AxiomAcoustics) for alerting me to the fact the the previous Japanese SHM-CD is in fact a needledrop. In my opinion, not very well done either. Sucks for such a relatively expensive issue, even though you get SHM-CD and a sexy OBI ;)

    For anyone who doesn't have it, this is the one to get ...

    EMANEM 5046: SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2017
  4. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Steve Lacy - School Days (Improvisations on compositions by Monk, recorded 1963)
    Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Roswell Rudd (trombone), Henry Grimes (bass), Dennis Charles (drums).

    (Emanem CD 2011)
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2017
  5. Carraway

    Carraway Well-Known Member

    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Got some new vinyl today, including this Powell. It's a reissue of Verve's Genius of Bud Powell and Jazz Giant as a two record set.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Denny Zeitlin - Shining Hour: Live At The Trident (1965)
    Denny Zeitlin (piano), Charlie Haden (bass), Jerry Granelli (drums).

    (Columbia, 1966)
    [​IMG]
     
    Soulpope, charlesp, MagicAlex and 4 others like this.
  7. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Now you tell me? After talking me into that $36 needle drop!? :laugh: I'm glad you mentioned this as I did know about it and was actually ging to tell you about it in my latest msg but completely forgot. So thanx for that! And for spending more of my money. I see a few other SME titles are back in stock as well, need to get (another) order together.

    IIRC we were wondering after buying the recent Japan reissue (from UMg no less!) why they had to do a needledrop, and who might have or what happened to the original tapes. You'd think they could have done this with that SHM release eh? While I'm bummed about the extra expenditure I'm glad that Martin did this and with the participation of Holland and Parker. Damn how I wish those two would play together again. Think, after all these years and what they have developed personally what that might produce.

    Speaking of "needle drops", I was going to order this today, then read it was mastered from a "minty" LP copy. It's a pretty cool and significant release but.....thoughts? It's a sweet package, stoughton jacket, hand screenprinted here in Orygun and pressed at RTI. There's also a previously released CD available from them as well.
    Eremite Records | News
     
    Marzz likes this.
  8. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Charles Lloyd man, dude will be 80 in a few months and continues to work his butt off and put out vital challenging music. Just when you think the neo-Blue Note has pushed him toward commercialization with a couple of popular vocalists he drops this latest live tear. Here's hoping he has another decade (or two) in him.
     
  9. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    In fact, now I'm inspired to put this fine reissue from Resonance on the HiFi.

    Charles Lloyd: Manhattan Stories

    Chaeles Lloyd: Sax and Flute
    Gabor Szabo: Guitar
    Ron Carter: Bass
    Pete LaRoca Sims: Drums

    I wonder if Robbie Krieger spent much time listening to Sazbo?

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Ooh, that is a sweet package, almost compensates for the sound quality! Seriously. Plus an original LP is next to impossible to find? At least Eremite are honest about it being a needle drop. :thumbsup:
    I missed out on the previous (Japanese) CD issue but have heard it a few times. Definitely, um, less than perfect sound. I'm guessing that's due to the less than perfect recording though. Not unlike those live bootlegs we'd listen to growing up :shh:

    For digital, I've just been comparing with the 2 samples available on Bandcamp and they don't sound drastically different from the previous CD issue.

    have a listen here...

    Drum Dance to the Motherland, by Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2017
    AxiomAcoustics likes this.
  11. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Thelonious Monk - It's Monk's Time (1964)
    with Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Butch Warren (beass), Ben Riley (drums).

    [​IMG]
    (R.I.P Ben Riley)
     
  12. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    For Ben Riley>RIP:

    Evidence

    Bemsha Monks were swingin’
    Low, Sweet
    Blocks of smoke cascading upward
    Leaving ashes on the keys
    But only the Black ones
    (It’s harder that way)
    Rouse takes a solo
    Sphere lays out
    Man, don’t you know?
    No, what?
    Monk don’t lay out
    He just leaves bigger spaces

    Good thing he left us Evidence

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

     
  13. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Nice eh? I see you've checked the proper release :thumbsup: Yes, they are the most transparent, but check the descriptionaaa;

    "with the master tapes long vanished, the audio was transferred on the pneumatic rockport table at sony music's 54th street studio from a minty copy of the original LP, manually de-clicked, & remastered on sony's vintage outboard tube EQs by ben young & andreas k. myer. the LP is pressed on premium audiophile quality vinyl by RTI from a kevin gray lacquer. alan sherry at siwa studios screenprinted by hand every component of the package: the screenprinted labels & heavyweight stoughton laserdisc jackets reproduce exactly the artwork of the original dogtown release. a screenprinted insert with ed hazell's detailed telling of drum dance's incredible history & eremite's signature retro-audiophile screenprinted dust sleeves are unique to this edition. 999 copies."

    It's also a Kevin Grey cut. One thing I've found, and I have most of the eremite wax: a compromised source, if done properly, can come off much better on wax than digital, especially music of this vintsage and bent. And besides, it's cheaper than that little SME disc we bought :)
     
    Marzz likes this.
  14. MagicAlex

    MagicAlex Gort Emeritus

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    The Denis Charles references in some recent posts have inspired me to take a listen tonight...

    Denis Charles IVtet - Captain of the Deep
    Eremite MTE09
    1991

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    That's great to know, thanks for that :thumbsup: I was thinking (hoping?) that the vinyl should be better (and the digital is not unlistenable).

    Do you have the Byron Morris Unity? I was hoping for a CD release at some point (like the "Blow Thru Your Mind" issue). Some cool stuff on the site, btw ...right now I'm cursing you!! ;)
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2017
    AxiomAcoustics likes this.
  16. Marzz

    Marzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Art Farmer - Portrait of Art Farmer (1958)
    with Hank Jones (piano), Addison Farmer (bass), Roy Haynes (drums).

    (Contemporary/OJC CD)

    [​IMG]
     
  17. dpb

    dpb Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    sut a big thank you for having pointed out the Braxton
    Anthony Braxton & Joe Morris: Four Improvisations (Duo) 2007
    I first checked on Amazon, where I saw 100€, but finally ordered directly from the label at 25€ for the 4CD set, incredible how some sellers really think music lovers are so stupid.
    Anyway just received it and finishing CD1, so far just great, thx again
     
    AxiomAcoustics likes this.
  18. alankin1

    alankin1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philly
    Wes MontgomeryThe Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Riverside)
    — With Tommy Flanagan, Percy Heath, Albert Heath

    [​IMG]
     
  19. jay.dee

    jay.dee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Barcelona, Spain
    Marzz and macdaddysinfo like this.
  20. Henry Please

    Henry Please Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa City
  21. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    PSA: BF.RSD

    We avoid "Black Friday" like a Jazz fan avoids a Kenny G concert but the exception is where there's Jazz rekkids to be had. So, here's what I'm seeing that's of interest to Jazz buffs, and myself, for this Friday's event. As always it's pretty lean, but I guess that's good from a monetary standpoint since there are plenty of other orders to place. Feel free to comment and add to the list if I've missed anything.

    A disturbing trend is that there is more effort and copy put toward the "faithful reproduction of" non-sonic aspects of most all releases these days. I'm a sucker for great packaging and respond to it, as long as it does not take a back seat to the sound reproduction, whether it be source, mastering or pressing. Unfortunately, I'm guessing that only one of the selections below has any chance of being a AAA release. But hey, at least they're 180g! :rolleyes:

    Jazz

    Albert Ayler: Vibratons. One I'm quite excited about featuring the quartet with Cherry/Peacock/Murray. Originally released as "Ghosts" on Debut, this replicates the Freedom issue. Being ORG Music it's likely the only AAA release, but nothing mentions it, just an historical precedent.

    Sonny Rollins: On impulse!. An odd choice in my mind, this is done by Elemental Music, part of the Resonance orbit. They did the Xanadu reissue series. Analogue Productions did this on LP and SACD so not a huge draw for me here.

    Sonny Clark Trio: My Conception, The 1960's sessions. This garners the most interest for me and I see it as similar in importance and desirability to the Monk release from the April RSD. Like that one this too is digitally sourced but...whatcha gonna do? I want this music. Excellent info here:Sonny Clark Steps Out of the Shadows, on a Revelatory New Reissue From 1960

    Sun Ra: Exotica. A 3x33 set on Modern Harmonics, the label who has done previous Ra releases, all decent enough. A compilation of what I'm expecting to be more accessible, shorter and some vocal-based tunes. Colored vinyl, yada. Could be worthwhile for cosmic heads. Also available on CD

    Wes Montgomery: In Paris, The ORTF Recordings. Another one I'm very excited about. On Resonance and seemingly another in the series of ORTF releases like last years excellent Larry Young ORTF set. No mention but likely also available on CD later. Let's hope these ORTF tapes keep coming.

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Run Stop and Drop. Sngle LP on Legacy from a recent live gig. Not my exact bag but it belongs here.

    And that's it folks, 6 whole Jazz releases. Pretty sad but not unexpected. Let's add a few that may be of interest to Jazz fans.

    Other

    Jerry Garcia & Howard Wales: Side Trips Vol 1. I've got the CD of this and it's great. Now reissued for the first time on 2xLP on ATO. I'll check it out but certainly a digital cut and if the packaging is as horrible as the recent "Cats Under The Stars" also by ATO I'll pass.

    Papa John Creach: S/T. An interesting reissue of his debut album from 1971. A pretty cool gumbo of music with contributions from members of the Dead, Airplane, Quicksilver Santana and ToP. Could be tasty.

    The United States Of America: S/T. Their '68 Columbia debut on Sundazed. A freek-rock classic.

    The Grateful Dead: Grateful Dead Record Collection. Five LP's covering the band's own label including Wake, Mars, Blues and SYF (2xLP). Hmmmm, what to do? MoFi has already done excellent Wake and Mars reissues. Blues For Allah is my favorite of this period, and SYF is, well, Deadheads know what it was called at the time. If this was done like the Warner Bros set, cut from the original tapes (for real) by Bellman it may be worth picking up.

    Tangerine Dream: Electronic Meditation. Their '70 debut with Froese, Schulze and Schnitzer. Out on Varese Sarabande, a label I only know by name, in a gatefold.

    Mike Watt: Contemplating The Engine Room. It's Watt, in a trio with Nels Cline. First time on LP and produced by ORG Music. I doubt this recorded to tape in 1997 but it is a "Pedro-tonal Recording". At least get the CD.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2017
  22. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Man I don;t know. That is a pretty murky slab isn't it? Granted samples on Bandcamp are going to be compromised but you can tell the underlying recording itself is also compromised in ways. One of those that you just have to embrace if you want to dig it. Which is possible of course.

    Yes, I have the LP issue of the Byron and Gerald and it's excellent. Do check it out. Hopefully he will do a CD release but I would not hold my breath. Grab those Josh Abrams, most are mirrored on CD.
     
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  23. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    Yer most welcome, it's nice to hear when this happens, especially with more "difficult" and obscure music. It's a great little set for sure. I agree about some of the Amazon and 3rd party pricing, it's frankly offensive. If you're unaware get on the Clean Feed mailing list, every February they do a "Stock Off" sale where most catalog titles are ~$5-7 USD, plus free shipping. A good time to pick up 20, 30, 40 titles :) A previous announcement:
    The Jazz Beat
     
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  24. AxiomAcoustics

    AxiomAcoustics "The enemy is listening"

    And I'm being predictable as I type with an old warhorse, this time on AP MonO SACD.

    [​IMG]
     
  25. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Perry Bradford
    A Panorama 1923 - 1927 [Timeless Historical]


    [​IMG]

    This disc just gets better as it goes. It has a unique quality and warmth. Really marinates on you.
     
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