HTF Jazz Club (1 Viewer)

[Mike Broadman]

Nice! Be sure to give us lots of tasty comments on the music.

 

[Mark Klaus]

Well, this Jazz neophyte is back. I've been exploring more Jazz since my encounter with "Kind of Blue". I've found a good spot on the net to sample many of the masters, it's at the NPR site and is well worth checking out if you're just starting with Jazz.
In my car right now, Benny Goodman (from Ken Burns series). I just can't get enough of "Sing, Sing, Sing" lately. I didn't know swing music could rock so hard, to use obviously incorrect terminology.
From the NPR site, I'm particularly enamered with what I've heard from Charlie Parker. Anyone have a good recommendation there?

 

[Mike Broadman]

Mark, if you check the very beginning of the thread, you'll see my description of an excellent 2 disc compilation which gathers tracks from various record labels. It's a great listen, as there are no alternate takes or anything academic like that: just one brilliant song after another, all of them jazz legends.

 

[Frank_S]

Mike, nice thread, I'd like to recommend a couple of albums to your club.
Gene Ammons-Boss tenor
Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson
Ben Webster-Soulville
Sonny Rollins-Saxophone Colosseus(spell check)
I only own 2 jazz CD's, all the rest is on vinyl, mostly audiophile releases. Tenor sax and trumpet sounds so lifelike through analog gear, hopefully you've heard it for yourself. I went through my dad's record collection last month and found Ella Fitzgerald sing Duke Ellington, Vol. 2
It's actually a 50's pressing on "His Masters voice" label.
I played it through and was amazed at the soundstage, I really do prefer mono recordings of these early jazz albums.
Anyway, keep this thread going!.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Ben Webster-Soulville.

I have not thought about or heard this one in a while.

[rummaging through collection...]

Frank, you da man!

Lee

 

[James RD]

I love the Sonny Rollins!

Here are a few others I've bought recently and would like to recommend:

Lee Morgan - Sidewinder

Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music

Charles Lloyd - Hyperion With Higgins

Cannonball Adderley Quintet - At The Lighthouse

Charles Mingus - Mingus Dynasty

Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train

I'm sure some of these titles have been mentioned earlier in this thread. Good music.

 

[Frank_S]

Lee,

Ben Webster-Soulville.
I have not thought about or heard this one in a while.

Lee, do you have it on vinyl? If not, pick a copy up. It's a great mono recording, I use it as a reference.

 

[Mark Klaus]

Mike,
I managed to win an ebay auction for the Charlie Parker set you suggested, sealed copy for 19.25 shipped, not too bad. Will let you know what I think after listening, but based on the preview I heard, the result is hardly in doubt.

 

[TonyButler]

Sunday night I caught Chet Baker on BET Jazz. Good horn tone considered his physical state. The camera zoomed in on his hands...yep, puffy heroin fingers.:frowning:

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

I'm curious to see if there are any Curtis Stiger fans here!!

If there are any, i'd like to find out how people feel about him and his recent jazz albums.

It looks like he is getting away from his pop background and getting back to what his roots were, which was jazz.

I really enjoyed his first album. His second album "Time Was" was good, but it seemed like it went to mainstream.

"Brighter Days" was a decent album, seemed too personal of an album though. Lyrically it was strong and at times kinda dark and the music was a departure from the previous albums.

His last 2 albums "Baby Plays Around" and "Secret Heart" are great jazz albums. I really enjoy listening to his voice work its magic over some great jazz standards as well as his own compositions.

Personally i would like to see him continue with jazz recordings, he has a great talent for the genre.

I'm also seeing him in concert tonite. I'm curious if he will play much from his first 3 albums. The setting for the show tonite is in a jazz club. It's his 3rd and last nite here in St. Paul. He's doing 2 shows a nite. I'm looking forward to the show.

Paul

 

[Joe Cole]

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out on SACD is indeed out standing. I was very surprised how good this disk is. Just goes to show you what SACD can do with analog masters.
Has anyone here heard Dave's 40th aniversity tour SACD?

 

[Mike Broadman]

Mark, I hope you're enjoying the Parker set. It's not for everyone since it sounds so old, but the musical rewards are worth it.
I think I'm gonna sell my copy of this set because I want to get a particular box set that has, like, everything Parker ever did in the studio for Savoy, Dial, and Verve. Every single note Parker ever played is worthy of consideration. But then again, I tend to get a little obsessive.
James RD, those are great albums. Monk's Music is just so perfect- I have been falling in love with it all over again lately. The other day I picked up an old album he did with Sonny Rollins on Prestige. Nice stuff. While the SACD of Straight No Chaser is nice, it is not Monk at his best (but it's still pretty damn good). Sony, if you're listening, Monk deserves the Golden treatment. Be nice...
The Mingus album is, of course, genius. It is a scientific fact.
Night Train is my "reference" album for bass playing in a trio. Ray Brown is just the Man. Sometimes Peterson's playing puts me off, but he is in fine form on this album.
This past Saturday night, the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdez performed at the Ragatta Bar in Boston. I tried to go see him but they sold out. Did anyone attend?
NP: Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, Friday Night in San Fransisco, SACD

 

[Al B. C]

Well here we go..........
So, I figured after 40 years or so of enjoying most types of music, that I would delve more into the jazz arena, mostly because of this thread and the knowledge that Mike has about this type of music. Let me bring you up to date.
First I purchased "Round About Midnight" by Miles Davis and almost immediately fell in love with this cd. The cut "Ah-Leu-Cha is wonderfull with Davis and Coltrane exchanging lick's and harmonies. "Bye Bye Blackbird" sounds so melancholy and at the same time sort of upbeat, like watching a sad clown. I like the rest of the material as well, but those two pieces stick out in my mind.
Next I bought "Kind Of Blue" by Miles. Whoa! Can't say enough about this one. The biggest problem that I have with this disc is that I didn't own it 10 years ago. Lots of catchin' up to do. I bought a new release that has two versions of the "Flamenco Sketches" and as someone mentioned before, this is a beautiful piece of music. This song is the epitome of what "stereophonic" recordings are supposed to sound like.
My third purchase was "Ballads:Cannonball Adderley". I haven't given this one much of a listen (mainly because a friend of mine "borrowed" it 2 days after I bought it). From what I heard I think this is also a disc I am really going to get into. "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" sticks out in my mind as being a beautiful version of that song.
My fourth purchase...........I think I hit a brick wall! "A Love Supreme" by Coltrane. What am I listening to? I have had this disc playing in my car deck since the day I bought it. I have listened to it at least 5 or 6 times and I still don't get it. This CD reminds me of the cartoon where you see some people standing in front of an abstract painting in an art gallery, talking about it's depth and composition and what a master the artist is, and then, behind the wall you see an elephant with a paintbrush in his trunk or substitute whatever animal you like. We've all seen variations on the theme.
To me, at my present state of jazz novice, most, not all, of this CD is almost unlistenable. I know Coltrane was a very accomplished musician, but a lot of this sounds like a duck in heat fighting with a piano and a set of drums on top of a piano. I know that I am treading on some sacred ground here with a lot of you because this album is held in such high regard, but I honestly don't know what I would do on a desert island with this disc. Help!
Anyway I'm going to keep plugging away at it. I really appreciate this thread and all the suggestions!

 

[Mike Broadman]

Al, glad to see you getting into the greatest form of music ever created.
If you own an SACD player, both of those Miles Davis albums are on SACD and they are excellent. Kind of Blue is multi-channel.
As for Love Supreme, don't let the jazz snobs scare you. We can be nice.
It seems that you're into the ballads and the smoother side of jazz, given your preference for tunes like Flamenco Sketches. Miles Davis was the master at a steady tone and expressive melody on the trumpet, as you are learning.
This was not what Coltrane did, at least not most of the time. Coltrane at that time was interested in getting into chords and exploring harmonic ideas, sometimes beating the hell out of them.
A Love Supreme is basically a 40 minute prayer session. It's intense because it's supposed to be an expression of spirituality and God. The movements are based on melodic themes, but they act as just setups for the improvisations.
The support involves polyrhythms and lots of organized-chaos noise from the rhtythm section. The approach is more rhythmic.
Miles Davis would use the improvs to support the song. Coltrane would do the opposite. One is more melodic, the other more rhythmic.
To me, Kind of Blue is the kind of music that approaches you. Love Supreme is the kind that you have to go after a little bit.
Yeah, Love Supreme happens to be a masterpiece IMO, but it's not for everybody. In my experience, people that already love jazz are more likely to get into it than others.
For the record, the descriptions of both musicians are only totally true when they made those albums. John Coltrane has a very good album called Ballads, and Miles certainly got into his own "weird" thing later on.
For me personally, although Kind of Blue is considered one of the greatest albums ever, A Love Supreme effects me more. It's the kind of album that I get all into and squint my eyes and play air drums to.
Overall, though, I listen to more Miles, because I like everything that he ever did.
Other artists you may want to look into are Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Oscar Peterson, and Dave Brubeck.
NP: Clifford Brown, More Study in Brown, CD

 

[Jeff Keene]

Any suggestions for someone who LOVES Rhapsody in Blue (particularly on the Fantasia 2000 DVD)? I LOVE that. I'd really like to like Jazz, but I'm not getting it. Help me help myself
NP: Yes - Keystudio (Mike, no cracks)

 

[Mike Broadman]

Jeff, what is that Yes album? I've never heard of it.

To tell you the truth, maybe I have been too harsh on some Yes material. As I said in my Bowie thread, I change my mind about music a lot. I'm in a very warm-hearted "I like everything" phase right now.

Any suggestions for someone who LOVES Rhapsody in Blue

[Lee Scoggins] Get the SACD conducted by Leanord Bernstein. [/Lee Scoggins]

I don't really consider that piece to be jazz. It uses a jazz/blues "feel" and maybe some jazz chords, but it ain't jazz. I do like the piece a lot, but jazz is generally an improvised style of music. The degree and styles of improvisation vary greatly between styles and artists, but it's there.

Basically, if someone doesn't dig improv, then you can't really get into jazz.

Maybe big band would be more your style, Jeff. Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, that sort of thing.

NP: Dave Matthews Band, Busted Stuff, CD

 

[Jeff Keene]

Mike -

Long story. But you're a captive audience.

These 7 songs were recorded around 94-95. The album title according to rumor was going to be "Know". These songs are prog-style, ABWHish. The line-up is Anderson, White, Wakeman, Howe, Squire.

Before this album was released, this line-up gave a few concerts in San Luis Obispo of a lot of classic 71-74 songs (this is what led to the Masterworks tour, methinks).

"The Label" decided instead to release these live "greatest hits" in two sets called Keys to Ascension. The first and better Keys set actually came out the same day as Open Your Eyes, strangely enough. Anyway, they tacked the 7 studio tracks onto the end of these sets.

As much as I love the old stuff, I wanted to hear the studio stuff as an album as intended, so I put them on a CD-R and called it "Know". Now that I have the Keys To Ascension DVD-V, I never listen to the live CDs.

Anyway (I say that a lot), they have now finally released those 7 tracks as a separate CD, which I consider to be an album. The name is now Keystudio. Came out the 16th. I went ahead and bought it for some reason, and am listening to it today in case they play some of these songs tonight.

So, um yeah. Get some recent yes stuff, but be choosy at first. Open Your Eyes is probably the weakest album they've ever put out. The Ladder is a "nice try". The newest album, Magnification, is actually quite sweet. It took some listens to get into it, but now I think it's the best album since ABWH. I obviously recommend ABWH, but do so somewhat reservedly, since you hated Tormato and it is a natural progression from the Tormato / Going for the One era. It is more cohesive and less precious than Tormato, though, if that helps. Union has some nice stuff as well, but is argueably not *really* an album. It is 1/2 ABWH II and 1/2 the next Trevor Rabin album.

As far as the Travor Rabin / Rhythm Over Melody stuff goes, you'd either like it or you wouldn't. 90125 was my first Yes album and I loved it. It made me buy Fragile and I was hooked for life, so it has a special place in my heart.

 

[Jeff Keene]

Sorry to take over the Jazz forum, but um... Bill Bruford is a jazz drummer, so there. Nevermind that he doesn't play on any of the CDs I mentioned.

Now, as far as big band goes... I don't know. Rhapsody in Blue seems like... Prog Big Band? There so much MUSIC there. I know I never responded about the Duke box I was supposed to review, but that was because I was embarrassed at how little it grabbed me. I recognize it as quality stuff, but I guess I don't care.

I seems to like when Jazz creeps and seeps into rock music (like Sting or DMB or King Crimson (now I'm just sucking up)), but can't get into Jazz itself. I don't know why, and I keep trying.

 

[Mike Witko]

Good post Jeff. Nice insights. I also am more of a fan of when Jazz creeps into other music rather then Jazz itself. However I do like to explore and find out where some of the Jazz I hear in popular music comes from and to listen to some of the influences of my favorite artists. I guess that is why I like this thread.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Any suggestions for someone who LOVES Rhapsody in Blue

Jeff,
Chesky Records did a release of an old recording a few years back. I have it in the garage!
Anyway, David Chesky is a huge Gershwin fan and collects original sheetmusic, etc.
So as expected, the recording is superb. I will look for it and post the catalog number. It is considered classical, but does seem to be an early version of crossover music.
Mike,
Check this out.
From www.classicrecords.com new releases...Hank Mobley!!!
This stunning mono set was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and originally released on Blue Note Records in June of 1957. The original Jazz Messengers, who Mobley had help found, had just disbanded and the heavyweight tenor-man was splitting time between Horace Silver's new group and as an exclusive Blue Note recording artist. Calling on some of the cream of NYC's finest, Mobley opted for a sextet setting and the results became a classic. Including another sax player in Curtis Porter on alto and second tenor was a unique thought and added to the front-line punch of Bill Hardman's trumpet. The rhythm of Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers at the bass and Art Taylor behind the drums is an all-star adhesive holding the group tightly together. Mobley's "dry and intimate" tone shines through in a subtle approach to the harmonies and cadence set in each selection. Mastered from the original first-generation monaural master tapes and cut with Classic Record's custom-built mono cutting head. Included are Falling In Love With Love, Mighty Moe and Joe, Bags' Groove, Double Exposure and News.
ooops! time to get a turntable!