I heard the Makaya McCraven album. It was OK, but not something I find myself wanting to return to. I've used this phrase before but I'll used it again, it didn't really scratch my itch for jazz. Whatever sort of music it is, and it's kind of groove heavy ambient music, it doesn't give me the same kicks I'm looking for in a jazz record, and I'm not that enamored of groove heavy ambient music. It funny, having grown up in the world of groove music -- JB and Sly and PFunk, et al (and spend a lot of time with PFunk's music and with the band members and delving into the group's history as one point), I've kind of drifted away from groove music in my later years (notwithstanding my period listening to a lot of Franco and other Congolese rumba a few months back). I haven't heard the Iyer.
Now I'm on the lookout for Paul Desmond on A&M. I've seen it in the used bins but never thought to pick it up before.
NP: Tim Buckley - Lorca (WLP, Robert Ludwig at Sterling) Just picked this up on Sunday, and given the white cover it was fun to transform it from ring-wear and grime to shiny white. While the promo sticker is probably a factor for collectibility I wanted to see the cover art. This is one of the few Buckley records I hadn't heard, off-put by the AllMusic review. And this is after starting into the catalog with the experimentation of Starsailor during my avid period of reading The Wire.
A one-off album for Riverside's Jazzland sub-label, Dexter's first in almost five years due to "personal problems" which included prison. Produced by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. Recorded at Universal Recording Studios, Los Angeles, 10/13/60. Engineer: Wally Heider. With Martin Banks (tp), Richard Boone (tb), Dolo Coker (p), Charles Green (b) & Lawrence Marable (d). Two tunes by Dexter & four by Dolo. 1997 CD remastered by Phil De Lancie.
I had a visit from my best "school days" friend today, and we talked about Kerouac as we looked at some of the stuff Kerouac had given me. My friend sometimes delivered groceries on his bike to Kerouac after Kerouac moved from my family home. (My friend worked in an old fashioned corner grocery from age 10). Kerouac did not drive a car, so it was either walk with the groceries himself or ask the kid with the bike to help. I've posted about the following before, but one of my parent's stories is about the time they sat in Kerouac's pitch dark living room as Jack perfectly recited Shakespeare sonnets and soliloquys for over an hour, all in absolute darkness. This is Jack in those days I swear I remember this shirt This is how I remember him, though not with his pipe
My general advice is to never be discouraged by negative reviews. I would take that a step further and say don't bother with reviews at all.
NP Cal Tjader - The Contemporary Music Of Mexico and Brazil (Verve) silver on black stereo label I consider this one of the jewels in Cal's oeuvre. It features Laurindo Almeida, Paul Horn and Clare Fischer, the latter on piano and arrangements. There's some woodwinds incorporated into some of the music which adds an interesting sophisticated texture or maybe it's cunningly pretentious. You decide.
NP Paul Desmond - Skylark (CTI) yellow label, van gelder in the deadwax Features Gabor Szabo on guitar and the usual CTI rhythm section f Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette and Bob James on piano. Some of the sound and groove seems unDesmond-like but it works for me. They redo Desmond's Take Ten with Szabo taking a hip solo and it all floats on a 5/4 groove that could go on forever thanks to the electric piano of Bob James. I used to think less of his CTI albums but over time I've become a fan. Edit: Romance De Amor is a cool tune.
NP Paul Desmond - From The Hot Afternoon (A&M) tan label Music composed by Edu Lobo and Milton Nasciemento so a Brazilian program with the typical CTI woodwinds and strings treatment, something I've had to work on to appreciate. The music is too good to ignore for that reason. Airto Moreira is on drums this time with Ron Carter per usual on bass. Desmond is great throughout which is what brought me here in the first place. While I prefer Desmond's RCA titles, they are arguably his best, his A&M and CTI albums are fun and besides there is a finite amount of Desmond recordings. That means you'll eventually get around to them out of hunger for more Desmond. He didn't live long enough to lose his touch.
I agree. I've listened to some McCraven and it just isn't all that interesting to me musically. I'll listen to more, but so far, seems meh.
A clearance bin surprise at the nearby record store (probably because it had no rear insert on the CD): Dave Douglas-- Strange Liberation Douglas (tpt); Chris Potter (ts, bass cl); Bill Frisell (g); Uri Caine (fender rhodes); James Genus (b); Clarence Penn (d, perc) I haven't heard Douglas with such instrumentation before; the arrangements are more post-bop than fusion (especially through Caine and Frisell)... "Skeeter-ism":
I am listening to this awesome Mike Mainieri's album characterized by classical contemporary influences and some free music excursions especially on Out Of The Cage. Ives' hommage is very mellow. Line-up that recalls more Steps (the fine live album Paradox) than Steps Ahead. Joe Lovano plays reeds mostly soprano and tenor saxophone with much taste and elegance. Gomez and Erskine give their creative and refined support. Zappa's King Kong is delightful.
RCA Victor BGL2-2203 Stereo - Woody Herman "The New Rhundering Herd" - rec. Nov. 20, 1976 NY Carnegie Hall - Engineers: Keith Grant, Sale & Bill Asby, Mike Moran, Pat Martin, Frank Koenig (Assistant)
I was up early this morning and watching the sunrise with this as my musical accompaniment... ‘deeply spiritual ..sometimes modal.. sound in the Coltrane- Tyner mould. With ethereal vocals by Omagugu Makhathini. This is a beautiful groove based jazz that set a reflective trance like state in this listener , perfect for my early morning sun worshipping. (I think this is a 2020 release. Streaming on spotify ) Edit: i should have added that Kamasi fans shoukd check this out too
I've only heard one album of his, Universal Beings. It sounded to me more like a drum groove-based, ambient music album than a jazz album. It seems to reflect musical interests of its creator -- repeating rhythm section grooves, instrumental atmospherics -- that I don't particularly share a this point in my life. Had I encountered the same music at 19 or 20 in 1982 or 1983, when my musical interests were different, I probably would have had a different reaction to it. Though I've never particularly been drawn to music where sonic atmospherics are a major focus.
I really love this album -- but the playing on it and the breadth and scope of the concept and the music that's assembled.
Just finishing new AP SACD purchase Jackie McLean – 4, 5 And 6 Label: Analogue Productions – CPRJ 7048 SA, Prestige – 7048 Series: The Prestige Mono Series – Format: SACD, Hybrid, Mono, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: US Released: 2012
Just been listening to Unity by Larry Young ... a first time for me ...it will need a few listens i think ... and now onto Sinatra Live in Paris from 1962 ... i do like a bit of live Sinatra when you can really hear all the instruments against his sublime vocals ... is he Jazz perhaps strictly not but certainly a great Jazz vibe to my mind ... a first listen to this too as it arrived in the post 5 minutes ago
Agreed with you. It's a well structured work for the choice of the pieces and the musicians' approach (for instance I like much Lovano's phrasing not properly virtuosistic on King Kong). To me, it was quite curious to get to this album. In the late Eighties, I saw Mike Mainieri playing live in Italy on a quartet led by himself featuring George Garzone on reeds, Michael Formanek and Peter Erskine. I was impressed by their music so pondering and coherent.
Just finished Shadowfax – Shadowdance Label: Windham Hill Records – WH-1029 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: US Released: 1983 Genre: Jazz Style: Fusion
A nice jazzy chamber rock album...a potpourri of jazz fusion with a number of influences. Jimmie Spheeris...The Dragon Is Dancing 1975 With a fine group of players from the jazz world. CHICK COREA electric piano and mini-moog on "The Dragon Is Dancing" JANE GETZ piano on "Love's In Vain" MIKE MALLEN acoustic guitar on "Sighs In A Shell" PAUL LEWINSON Arp and piano on "Eternity Spin," "Blown Out" and "In The Misty Woods" DOROTHY REMSEN harp HENRY LEWY birds, percussion MORGAN AMES backing vocals on "In The Misty Woods" HORNS Jim Cowger, Chuck Findley, Robert Findley, Gary Barone, Jonathan Ellis Chick Corea appears courtesy of Polydor Records and Forever Unlimited Productions The Dragon Is Dancing https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=186&v=DbgImMvkVWg&feature=emb_logo