Back to my favorite Orchestra of the 1950s "Stan Kenton Presents" - CAPITOL T 248 - Compilation of various tracks as on rear side from the early 1950s
My friend Mark Murphy celebrated his 80th birthday with an appearance at Birdland. Here is a video clip. Mark sent his friends special Thank You cards on the occasion of his 80th birthday. He told me, "I meant it! I just want to thank you!" He was in poor health, but he still felt he had so much to do. Here he sings Jobim songs.
Just back from an 8 day road trip, random selection here as I havn’t played this in a long time, but it has a soothing quality I am liking right now after battling construction, faulty toll booths, trucks, poor drivers in the left hand lane, etc
Keith Jarrett - Expectations With Charlie Haden, Paul Motian, Airto, Dewey Redman, and Sam Brown. Keith's only record for Columbia. It was $5. Very hard to say no to that, with that band. Great stuff.
Big Band Time Bethlehem BCP 6011 "The Electrifying Sound Of Johnny Richards" - Recorded August 1956, Hollywood - with Shorty Rogers on (b-tp)
What a great album. Of all Pat's albums, I've spent more time with it and Offramp, and I was lucky to catch the band on the Travels tour.
It sure is! I’m particularly impressed with all of Pat Metheny Group’s from their self-titled up to Letter from Home. Offramp is one of my favorite albums of all-time. This album used to be on repeat on my CD player when I was teenager. I’d listen to it all night long and even go to sleep to it. You’re very lucky to have seen them during the Travels tour. What an experience that must have been! As for Metheny on his own, I have yet to find an album I like more than Rejoicing, although I do love his debut a lot, Bright Size Life.
Bright Size Life is like nothing else. I wish they'd been able to do at least one more record. Rejoicing is fantastic. Stunning, beautiful version of Lonely Woman on it. 80/81 and As Falls Witchita... are superb too. I remember hearing the beginning of As Falls Witchita... live and thinking, "Are they actually going to play this?" After Full Circle I moved more toward Pat's solo work, but I did like Imaginary Day at the time. Haven't heard that in twenty years. I wonder if the CD still works?
Ditto. I am a big fan of Metheny and have many of the same favorites. Offramp, Travels, Rejoicing, Bright Size Life. I also enjoy the later PMG albums although the more recent ones are a bit more patchy to me. The duo album with another great, Jim Hall, is a highpoint. Some people consider Metheny to be a lightweight but I can't disagree more. He can really play and just because the music is 'easy' to enjoy does not make it less worthy.
There’s also Watercolors, which I also enjoy. Imaginary Day is quite good with The Roots Of Coincidence being a notable highlight for me. 80/81 is one of my least favorites and this is because I’m not a fan of Michael Brecker’s saxophone playing. I also don’t like any of those ‘out there’ projects like Song X, Zero Tolerance for Silence, and The Sign of 4.
I like 'out there,' but haven't listened to Song X in so long I must not have connected with it. Never heard Zero Tolerance, Sign of 4, or the Orchestrion thing. I love the two solo baritone guitar records, and his duet with Charlie Haden, Beyond The Missouri Sky. That one's Metheny, Frisell, Zorn - those guys are so prolific I could spend a year chasing all their stuff down that I haven't heard yet, as leaders, and guests/sidemen. I'll never have the time.
Funny you mention Frisell as he’s one my favorites and a huge inspiration for me. Don’t me started on him! Zorn is a hopeless case as I know I will never own it all and I’m not even going to try. I have a large Zorn collection (around 64 or 65 albums), but it’s nothing compared some members I’ve spoken with on here.
Did someone post this recently? Unfortunately there is no information about which tracks the bassists & guitarists play on. Producer: Dave Hubert. Engineer: John Hall. Recorded in Los Angeles & issued in 1958. There is also an edition with a different (and better) cover.
