Craft Records sale through Februry 9--All CDs and LPs (including box sets) are BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% OFF: Tunes for Two - Valentine's Day Sale!
Yes! Sonny Stitt Tune Up is another excellent recording...I have the Cobblestone LP. WP: The Reuben Brown Trio Featuring Richie Cole – Starburst (Adelphi Jazz Line, 1976 US LP) Pianist Brown only recorded a handful of records, and one other as a leader. In a sense this one is eclipsed by the 'alto madness' of Cole (a presence) and focus on Cole's compositions, but Brown's sense of rhythm, and an evident pleasure in the Charlie Parker number. Adelphi has another pianist LP, a Jessica Williams title I'm curious about. Adelphi seems to be mostly blues, but the jazz line is worth watching out for—not material that's seems to be streaming or on CD. Acoustic Bass – Marshall Hawkins Alto sax – Richie Cole Drums – Bernard Sweetney Percussion – "Abu" Richard Spencer Piano, Electric Piano – Reuben Brown (2) NP: John Dankworth His Orchestra – The Zodiac Variations (Fontana 1965 stereo US LP) Band leader Dankworth's concept album runs through each sign of the zodiac with a composition for Aquarius then Pisces, etc. Not sure I hear anything particularly in line with each sign, but then I'd be hard pressed to describe each. Impressive guest line-up: Alto sax – Phil Woods Tenor sax –Lucky Thomson, Ronnie Scott, Zoot Sims Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer Trumpet – Clark Terry
Hugh Lawson - Colour Hugh Lawson, along with bassist Calvin Hill and drummer Louis Hayes, deliver some solid and entertaining hard bop oriented piano trio jazz here. The set opens with a clever jazz take on the main theme from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." Rather unexpected, but quite a bit of fun. Then comes the equally entertaining blues bop "The Tinkler." Even with Lawson's wonderfully subtle shadings, I can generally skip the other non-original on the album, a cover of Bread's "if." The fun returns on the totally straight ahead hard bop "Georgie Porgie." The album's centerpiece is the wonderfully varied and expressive 8-minute "The Beast from Bali-Bali." After that, it's back to the blues with the delightful "23rd Street Blues" before closing with "Creepy Chicken," which has a beauty that totally belies the off kilter title.
This morning I watched a YouTuber inventory his 6,000 records by label. I learned a few things about the relative catalogs of each label, and how organized the chaos can appear when you think of it as 'the 6000 line' and collect 6001 through 6100 for example and have a complete run on a label. What struck me is how the collecting impulse is driven by completing a label. And how non-plussed he looks about those he has completed a label. Like, 'now what?' Reflecting on my own hobby, I have no desire to have everything on a particular label, but do find collecting a label a helpful way to navigate. I'm more likely to collect everything by a particular artist, though once again don't feel the need to complete. Last night I heard GZA rap with a live band. Genius/GZA is part of the Wu Tang Clan, and a virtuoso in rhyme, with an acerbic Staten Island bite to his intonation. Having immersed myself in jazz in recent years, I saw and heard parallels with David Murray's sax solos at the Vanguard (my most recent live jazz), the relentless forging forward around the beat by someone who has mastered their instrument. Despite the 'feels like -25 degrees' wind chill forecast, Greenfield MA (not the most diverse community) managed to sell out and pack a small venue when GZA came on about 11pm. He played much of his iconic Liquid Swords album, Wu Tang's greatest hits, Ol' Dirty Bastard's most notorious tunes (ODB's older brother was on drums). Another connection with jazz was the African influence. GZA chose to rap the opening word of various choruses in a call and response that prompted the audience (that knew EVERY word) to fill in the gaps. It felt part revival meet for the 'church of Wu' with the audience nearly as one raising their hands in a 'W' symbol and chanting along. I'm an atheist, but fascinated by spirituality and religiosity. Concerts that have a church-like vibe (this attracts me to the Vanguard), and performances that have a transcendent quality are a draw. Thinking back, one that comes to mind is My Bloody Valentine (British 'shoegazer' rock band) and getting lost in the blissed out FX pedal-driven miasma. 'Getting lost' is the goal, losing the sense of self and having an out of body experience (without narcotics). Today I'm visiting three stores, including the most far-flung on my regular 'route'. My weekend record shopping ritual has become such a habit that I feel a jones on weekends without those store visits [perhaps a red flag]. The whole experience is delightful. The anticipation, prepping titles to trade, wondering what might have come in. Then being in the flow of crate-digging (the highlight, so absorbing). The restoration process of new finds, and the discovery and transporting time listening.
Back to some morning listening after a quick walk around the block with our Aussie, Nellie. (Too cold to go too far.) Spinning some 'out there' stuff now....with a "summer theme.". Jemeel Moondoc Vtet – Revolt Of The Negro Lawn Jockeys Label: Eremite Records – MTE028 Tracklist 1 Moon Mode 15:46 2 You Let Me Into Your Life 13:17 3 Revolt Of The Negro Lawn Jockeys 15:22 4 Encore 3:00 Credits Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Jemeel Moondoc Bass – John Voigt Design – Eremite, Philip Price (2) Drums – Codaryl Moffet* Liner Notes – Ed Hazell Mastered By – Jim Hemingway Mixed By – Ah-S* Photography By – Charles Gross (2) Recorded By – Alen Hadzi-Stefanov Trumpet – Nathan Breedlove Vibraphone – Khan Jamal
And, just to note the first synchronicity of the day (a Prankster thing), I just read the sixth shapyer of 'The Bothers Karamazov' and the word 'gaol' popped up mor than once in the dialog. I am having a hard time keeping the brothers straight.
Luismi Segurado Trio with Jorge Rossy - Hocicology Piano trio + Vibes Lush, beautiful, almost unbearably pleasant, and in the end, largely forgettable. This dog really has no bite, which is why I think he's yawning on the cover. Great dinner-for-two background music.
It finally reached 0 deg about an hour ago. How sad is it that made me happy? Nothing as horrific as our friends up in Quebec had, but negative 8 was our low last night.
It’s the new Blue Note Classic vinyl, which sounds great….but I have been listening to this since I was early into jazz. I don’t remember quite why I picked it up but it has always fascinated me with the diverse sounds - from the laid back funk of ‘Goin’ Down South’ to the abstract ‘Prints Tie’ (my favourite thing here, such a great track - love the persistent bass / and the switch about halfway through, love the percussion that keeps appearing, love the cymbal / hi-hat work…..), through the one - two of ‘Ummmh’ and ‘Procession’ on Side 2. Anyway, highly recommended if you are a fan of anything Hutch related or just enjoy in and out jazz playing (even the abstract stuff is played pretty straight).
I can’t imagine anyone trying to collect everything a label has produced because I don’t like everything a label has produced plus that’s a lot of records. Imagine trying to collect every record Prestige has issued. The only one or place that has probably done that is the Library of Congress.
@davidpoole great to hear about your night with GZA, and I totally get the vibe. One of the greatest MCs ever and ‘Liquid Swords’ is a stone cold classic.
I used to travel up to Burlington; we had an infant formula manufacturing facility in Georgia, Vermont and it got pretty, pretty cold, sometimes 50 below.
NP Hank Jones Trio - Upon Reflection (Verve) cd Hank with George Mraz and Elvin Jones. Elvin sounds fantastic here, no surprise and Mraz has such a supple sound. They sound great together here and all in service to the music of Thad Jones.
Great album, and nice comments! I love the whole album, but my personal favorite is "A Night In Barcelona," a breezy samba-influenced piece on the surface but with those shifts to a more minor feel in the vamp, brings a sense of underlying mystery and menace. And this is the kind of tempo just tailor made for Bobby Hutcherson's soloing. Plus the flute-vibes unison melody just sings, and Joe Sample plays a very tasty solo (his presence on this album in general is a key factor in the feeling, which is a bit different than any other Hutch album). It's a track that I will often play 2-3 times in a row before moving on to something else, very rare for me to feel compelled to do. And btw - I guess after all these years, I hadn't ever paid attention to the songwriting credits for that track before now, but I had always assumed it was written by Hutcherson, sure SOUNDS like something he would have written, but I see now it is credited to Land - go figure! Nice one, Harold - timeless, and should be covered more!
Giving this a background spin as I finish my morning coffee and loving it. Gotta get it up on the actual hifi soon! Thx.