Geri Allen's music was a slow grower on me over the decades. The last couple of months I've been particularly enjoying some of '90s ensemble albums. This morning, spinning The Nurturer, kind of a real band album, and a real Detroit album as well -- compositions come from a variety of band members and from sources like the not-very-well-known Detroit drummer/composer/educator Lawrence Williams (presumably by way of Marcus Belgrave who is on the date along with other Detroit-natives -- besides the leader -- Kenny Garrett and Robert Hurst).
During the early-mid 1980s, she was a sometime sub in a group* at a local place called The Stonehouse, which had jazz for several years here in East Lansing at the time and I saw her a couple of times; it was heartening when she was signed by Verve some years later. I haven't heard much of her post-90s releases however. *Danged if I can recall who the leader was at the moment though... the shows were Sunday matinees IIRC.
OK, so after watching a couple phenomenal performances by drummer Larnell Lewis, what is a good Snarky Puppy album to check out first?
Wynton Kelly "Last Trio Session" Delmark cd The famous trio with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Recorded on my 13th birthday.
Or, for those who like their SC purchases to "fit their budgets," there's this i grandi del jazz release:
The Jazztet - Here And Now (Mosaic MD7-325) Early 1962 session with Benny Golson (ts.), Art Farmer (t.), Grachan Moncur III (tr.), Harold Mabern (p.), Roy McCurdy (b.) and Herbie Lewis on bass. I love the version of Golson`s Whisper Not from this album. From the Mosaic`s Complete Argo/Mercury Jazztet Sessions box set.
Billy Harper "Black Saint" Solid Records cd, Japan Bass – David Friesen Drums – Malcom Pinson Piano – Joe Bonner Tenor Saxophone, Cowbell, Composed By – Billy Harper Trumpet – Virgil Jones Recorded on July 21 & 22, 1975 at Barclay Studios, Paris, France. One of my favorite Billy Harper cds.
NP: Archie Shepp - Four for Trane (Japan 2020 CD) Starting the week with Coltrane compositions interpreted by Shepp. Yeah!
John Carter & Bobby Bradford Quartet Flight for Four (Flying Dutchman, International Phonograph Inc.)
I just finished reading Sid Smith's revised and expanded version of his King Crimson history, In the Court of King Crimson: an Observation over Fifty Years, and it's sent me on a long Crimson listening jag over the past few weeks. Particularly enjoying the live improvisations of the "double trio" version of the band on the Thrak Box (disk 4). I like these better than the original sequences on THRakaTTacK: L.
