NP Charlie Haden/Pat Metheny - Beyond The Missouri Sky (Verve) Not the "hippest" album and certainly not genre pushing but just right for an early morning spin.
This album was recorded on april/may 1956 and feat Don byrd, the great Hank mobley, Horace silver and Doug watkins..
Watching/Listening to Sonny Rollins "In Vienne" a DVD of his 2006 Vienna appearance. Reminds me so much of a contemporaneous Rollins concert I saw in Texas. Great sound on this disc.
Yet another listen, this time in the car. The best Coltrane tribute I've heard. Smith is an unsung hero, probably Britain's best tenor player, and one of Europe's best. You can tell he got his chops from Trane. Tight quartet, piano and bass guys are really young, huge potential. Best renditions IMHO are The Father ......, Naima and Transition.
In my garage, I came across some vinyl LP cardboard shipping containers from circa 1980. The shipping cost (US Post Office) was 35 cents. Now, I recall that I used to mail CDs to friends in bubble wrap envelopes around 2000-2004 for 43 cents. International shipping was not that expensive, as I used to send CDs regularly to friends in Europe as gifts The cost of shipping today has become a real problem, especially after brick and mortar stores have largely disappeared. It was once almost free to get your Hot Five records delivered. R.F.D. stood for Rural Free Delivery
I am fairly certain that Sonny has completely retired. At his stage, he may also have stopped practicing. He donated his personal archives to Oberlin Many do not undertsand that most long-lived artists do indeed stop the "physical" aspects of their work, whether that is writing, painting, or playing an instrument. My father was an artist (painter). Some people kept giving him art supplies to encourage more work, and wouldn't accept his statement that he would no longer paint. His father, also an artist, stopped painting when he was about 88. After he gave away all of his remaining works, he kept some photographs of his paintings around his bed.
I really like the way Count Basie respected the melodies, the time, anyway ... all the subtleties and nuances. And being next to Benny Carter as arranger and composer of this play, there is breath to appreciate it here.
I saw a very exciting hour of brand new music by the brand new ensemble of Myra Melford, Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock, Tomeka Reid and Susie Ibarra at The Stone last night playing its first ever gig. I think it would be great if this all-star lineup could have a chance to play some more and more fully develop the material and their interplay, but man, that was a good start.
I've heard a lot of albums with Max Roach as being part of the credited players. But I guess this is my first of His own albums. And boy oh boy, what a pearl this one is. Just another confirmation that I absolutely love the sound of Gary Bartz 1968 - Max Roach - Members, Don't Git Weary.
Looking at some other members I am really "small fry" with my collection. I am also not a completist. Jazz artists are human beeings and the complete output of an artist is not always on a high level. For example Gil Evans has somer recordings which do not touch me. But those 2 volumes with the big band are really great.
I had read that he retired do to the effects of the air he breathed at this apartment in Manhattan during 9-11. Several damaged his lungs. Plus his wife/manager passed.
I've seen him perform twice-- at Carnegie Hall and Lisner Auditorium--and he's a more physical/energetic performer than any other jazz musician I've seen with the exception of some drummers. He's seriously moving around a lot with the mic clipped to the bell of his sax, and bowing or at least nodding on every beat. I think he just goes into a zone like meditation and is not very conscious of what his body is doing. Yes, it takes stamina and strength, and the breathing control is just otherworldly, especially when he recycles his exhaled air through his cheeks to make those never-ending-notes and phrases. Must be like running a half marathon at every gig. Even 20 years ago it didn't seem possible for a musician at his age to be doing this and he kept going.
Azymuth, "Equipe 68" from the new collection, Demos (1973-75), Vol. 1 & 2 Some wiggy keyboard fun here, especially towards the end.
Extremely few sax players can manage to play at age 88. Benny Carter was one, but he didn't put the energy or the hours that Sonny put in. Although Sonny continued to play after his wife died, she had been with him at almost every show, and it was certainly difficult for him.
