I'm totally unfamiliar with this album and this band, freemanl. How would you describe their genre and their sound, please? (This is not a quiz. I'm really curious. )
Still hanging out with Hampton on this quiet Friday night at home: All Night Session! (1956). Was this really recorded in one night? Amazing...
...listening to both Saturday sets (Dec. 19, ‘70) when John McLaughlin sat in. Miles Davis – The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 Label: Columbia – C6K 93614, Legacy – C6K 93614 Format: 6 × CD Box Set, Compilation Country: US Released: 20 Dec 2005 Genre: Jazz, Rock
"George Coleman played better that night than I have ever heard him play." - Miles Davis "Then the **** hit the fan in the group when George Coleman quit. Tony Williams never liked the way George played, and the direction the band was moving in revolved around Tony. George knew that Tony didn't like the way he played. Sometimes when I would finish my solo and start to go in the back, Tony would say to me, 'Take George with you.' Tony didn't like George because George played everything almost perfectly, and Tony didn't like saxophone players like that. He liked musicians who made mistakes, like being out of key. But George just played the chords. He was a hell of a musician, but Tony didn't like him. Tony wanted somebody who was reaching for different kinds of things, like Ornette Coleman. Ornette's group was his favorite band. He also loved Coltrane. I think Tony was the one who brought Archie Shepp to the Vanguard one night to sit in, and he was so awful that I just walked off the bandstand. He couldn't play, and I wasn't going to stand up there with this no-playing mother****er. "Another reason George left was that because my hip was bothering me a lot I sometimes couldn't make gigs, and they would have to play as a quartet. He used to complain how free Herbie, Tony, and Ron played when I wasn't there. They didn't want to play traditionally when I wasn't there, and they felt that George got in the way. George could play free if he wanted to; he just didn't want to. He preferred the more traditional way. One night in San Francisco he had played free, I guess just to prove a point to everyone, and it ****ed up Tony's head." - also Miles
My ears just haven’t adjusted to the fidelity of these Plugged Nickel concerts, but this isn’t to say I don’t like the playing of course, because Shorter and the boys are on fire. Only Miles seems to be off. As for live concerts, I really don’t go to them. I’ve been to several jazz clubs when I was in New Orleans on vacation and enjoyed the experience overall as the audience was quiet, but listening on headphones, which is I most often do, makes for a rather problematic affair when people in the audience are miked so closely. It’s more of a distraction for me then anything that could translate to a pleasurable listening experience. But, as I said, my ears are still getting adjusted to these Plugged Nickel recordings.
That first quote I’ve seen before, but thanks a lot for those last two. Very interesting and makes me glad to know that Miles really liked George’s playing even when he didn’t exactly fit in with what the others were wanting to do. As I mentioned before, Coleman brought this kind of balance and sense of lyricism to the band that kept the scales from tipping over fully. I liked George and never understood any kind of criticism he received, but I’ll freely admit that the music was changing and that George just wasn’t really fitting in any longer, but I love everything from that particular period.
I like Colemans work w Booker Little here and on the Bethlehem record that came out a year or so later (ish)
I've got a George Coleman double LP from 9/22/68 titled Live in Baltimore, with a killer rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Ron McClure and Jimmy Cobb. Four sides; four tracks - all great: Unit 7 (a strong track composed by (and I'm going to type it) the vastly underrated bassist Sam Jones, which originally appeared on his Down Home, Sam Jones & Co. release from 1962 - which includes an early appearance of Joe Zawinul, for those of you playing along at home) The Surrey with the Fringe on Top Mister P.C Here's That Rainy Day Affinty Records, 1984.
This album is amazing. Jackie McLean - Let Freedom Ring 1963, Blue Note Records - Mono, Plastylite eat, Van Gelder stamp, New York USA label
I really dig McLean’s pieces, but I just never could get past that razor sharp tone of his. I had many of this albums at one point, but sold them all years ago.
To each his own, but I’ve never found McLean’s tone overly sharp. Certainly no more than Coltrane. Either way, you do you, my friend!
Perhaps I need to go back and listen to some McLean to see if my opinion has changed any. I do think he’s one of the great, unappreciated jazz composers.
I like his 60s work & have most of his solo albums from that decade. After that, not so much. I saw him in the 80s in a trio setting & can't say I really enjoyed it.
I love the few cuts the band did with Victor Feldman on piano. Miles offered him the job but he didn't want to give up lucrative session work in LA to go on the road.
