happy to find a relatively cheap copy of the mosaic set recently. first few times through this and itwas very clear why bill evans was so enamored by "quiet now," but the more i hear this the more denny rises above any superficial evans comparisons into his own world entirely. the closing suite in particular, what a ride!
Yeah, that one is okay in my book. I like Belden's Miles-centrique programs a lot. "Miles in India" is very good, as is his modernized Bitches Brew, "Asiento."
The thing that I really enjoyed is that it evoked an era when musicians would "sit in". Budd was not booked to play that night. It was after midnight and he had just finished his own booking and decided to drop in and play some more.
NP; latest Blue Note 80 pressing of Basra, from Pete La Roca. real beauty. edit: great article byEthan Iverson with quotes from Steve Swallow about this session: Steve Swallow Remembers Pete La Roca - JazzTimes
Hampton Hawes - I`m All Smiles (Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-796-2) One of two albums recorded live at the Mitchell`s Studio Club in Los Angeles in May 1966 (the other one is The Seance), it features the last great Hawes` Trio with Red Mitchell on bass and Donald Bailey on drums. Excellent album, excellent sound. @Lonson, I agree with you that there`s a lot of Mingus in Red Mitchell`s playing even if their respective sound on the bass is different.
For those interested in Soul Jazz or who just want to find about this style of jazz, I recommend this program from David Brent Johnson’s excellent Night Lights program. Bob Porter's Portraits In Soul Jazz | Night Lights Classic Jazz - Indiana Public Media
Apropos of the above, I came across this 2010 interview between Ethan Iverson and Gerald Early where they discuss saxophone-organ combos as popular music in the Black cultural experience because it has a beat and a groove ) and its cultural aspects vs jazz as intellectual music. Early makes an interesting statement: “As I’ve grown older, I’ve became concerned with how I felt I was losing my connection with what jazz was really about – and really concerned about losing connection with my African-American cultural roots in jazz. The more I began to see jazz as this kind of elite art music, the more I lost a fundamental understanding of how the music worked. Because I wasn’t introduced to this music in this way! The people who played jazz for me as a kid didn’t tell me anything intellectual about this music, nor did they think it made them snobs to like it. They thought it was part of what everybody liked.” Interview with Gerald Early It’s a free ranging interview so you need to scroll down to the part about Jimmy Smith and read on from there.
Was playing: Miles Davis - Bitches Brew - Side 3 (Columbia two eye vinyl press) Man, Spanish Key was blowing my mind today. I played Miles Runs the Voodoo Down the other day. I do best with this album with just one side and then stop or move on to something not jazz after. It's so thick and rich that it's like I need to savor some for the next day.
Hampton Hawes - For Real (Stereo Sound SSCR-008) Recorded in March 1958, this is a terrific album. Great piano by Hawes and accompanied by a superb crew of Harold Land on tenor, Frank Butler on drums and Scott La Faro on bass. Great performance by all musicians. Such a treat everytime I listen to it. One of the all-time best album on Contemporary Records IMHO. Taken from the Stereo Sound SACD box set, remastered by our host with stunning results !!!
Charles Mingus Mingus Plays Piano (Spontaneous Compositions And Improvisations) (Impulse!, UCCI-9335), 2020 UHQCD.
just got this baby in the mail; sounding absolutely incredible so far. I'm a huge Craig Taborn fan, but in a trio with Christian McBride and Tyshawn Sorey; glorious. Loving Sorey's playing on this, he truly has a unique sound. John Zorn's Book of Angels vol. 27 featuring Flaga (Taborn, McBride and Sorey.)
The RSD list was just announced and a lot of jazz on there, including another Bill Evans title from Resonance, RSD '21 Special Release: Bill Evans - Behind The Dikes - The 1969 Netherlands Recordings , and a Bird in LA set from Verve, which will also be available on cd. Full list, PromotionalEvent | RECORD STORE DAY
Susannah McCorkle - The People That You Never Get to Meet While I never cared much for the lyrics of the title cut, I did find much to love in this album. The accompaniment on this album usually sparse, often almost nonexistence, but Ms. McCorkle has the voice to pull it off. Few can remain so well in control when carrying a plaintive melody low and slow. Her phrasing is exquisitely delicate and subtly yet powerfully expressive. Oh, and "Foodophobia" is a real hoot!
Looks like they will be compiling the March Hilversum and the November Amsterdam sets from '69. Broadcast recordings of good performances; so, welcome news even if it's all circulated before. I had hoped that they would get to this. Now I'm already impatient for the next one! If they could start doing 2-3 Bill Evans every year, that would be great. I wonder what's on Bird in LA.
Just enjoying some smooth jazz after mowing my third lawn in three days (mine, my moms and my aunts) Weather is sunny and warm and the fresh coffee I'm enjoying just enhances things. Expecting our first visit from daughter in about a month. Kids these days!!!! Grover Washington, Jr. – Inner City Blues Verve Records – 0602517655089 Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk Tracklist 1 Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) 7:13 2 Georgia On My Mind 4:30 3 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) 5:08 4 Ain't No Sunshine / Theme From "Man And Boy" ("Better Days") 8:35 5 Until It's Time For You To Go 4:36 6 I Loves You Porgy 5:07 Credits Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr. Arranged By, Conductor, Piano – Bob James Baritone Saxophone – Don Ashworth Bass – Ron Carter Cello – Alan Shulman, Anthony Sophos, Charles McCracken, Maurice Brown Drums – Idris Muhammad Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder Guitar – Eric Gale Organ – Richard Tee Percussion – Airto Moreira Producer – Creed Taylor Trombone – Wayne Andre Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Eugene Young Trumpet, French Horn – Thad Jones Violin – Harry Katzman, Julius Brand, Julius Held, Leo Kahn, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman, Paul Winter, Raoul Poliakin Vocals – Hilda Harris, Maretha Stewart*, Marilyn Jackson, Tasha Thomas
If you are a fan of this, I hope you have had the chance to hear the surround mix from the SACD. I had several e-mail conversations with Bob near the end of his life and he was a firm believer in surround sound for music. He truly believed that it was the future of music and he put a lot of effort into the surround mix on this particular SACD. I think it's one of the best surround discs I own. At one point, he shared his Apple drive so I could copy over some of his other surround pieces (not necessarily Jazz) that he was working on. I doubt that they'll ever see the light of day as they were very short. Actually, they were videos, with the surround in standard DVD (PCM) and they still sounded good. One was a spacy ambient piece with the accompanying video showing galaxies.
2017 Motema I had passed on this one but I decided to pick up a copy this week. Beautifully recorded, mixed and mastered at a studio in the Catskill Mountains by Scott Petito. Not unlike Scofield's Country For Old Men, Hudson is a relaxed but engaging affair produced by four pro's who have created a satisfying musical chemistry on their first outing. Some originals by Sco and DeJohnette are performed along with folk/rock classics from the Woodstock era by Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and The Band. They tackle the material from a number of different angles keeping things interesting but faithful to the originals. Recommended!
The Charlie Parker website lists this set in their 2020 announcement regarding the 100th anniversary of Bird’s birth. Charlie Parker - The Official Website of Charlie Parker Here is the relevant blurb: “This fall, Parker’s longtime label Verve Records, in conjunction with UMe, the global catalog company of Universal Music Group, will offer an illuminating new perspective on a previously underexamined chapter of Parker’s life with a new collection titled Bird In LA, featuring unreleased songs recorded during Bird’s storied visits to Los Angeles in the mid ‘40s through the early ‘50s.”
