HTF Jazz Club - Page 4

Paul, I pretty much agree with your statements about Coltrane. I picked My Favorite Things because I think it's a great demonstration of what jazz can do with a song. I actually like some of his later stuff, but not all. Ascension is too much for me, but I dig Interstellar Space and Meditations. For Coltrane fans, it's worth it to check out both First Meditations and Meditations, to see how those musical ideas developed. Meditations was the one released originally, when Coltrane starting adding members to the band. First Meditations is almost the same material in an earlier stage, performed just by the quartet. That one is actually more "listenable."

Albums like Transition and Sun Ship have the best of both worlds: experimentation and great music. That's before he went off the deep end.

While I don't like or understand some of his later work, at least he was constantly trying new things. I think that if he'd have lived longer, he would have worn himself out with the insanity and found a middle ground. Chalk that up as another Great Tragedy of art.


Since this thread is colored by my taste and knowledge, I left out vocal music, as I don't particularly care for singing in general. Tomorrow I'm posting the next two recommendations for April. Maybe one should be vocal- I'm thinking Ella. Any suggestions?

It's that time, again, folks. I'm back with two new selections for April.

1st selection: Kenny G
April fools!
(I know, that joke was awful. Please, don't let my terrible, terrible sense of humor prevent you from picking up the following music).

1. Charles Mingus- Ah Um

Well, this one shouldn't come as a surprise. Mingus is my idol, and I'm damn well gonna include him in this thread. Ah Um is his more well-known and one of his more "accessible" albums. The first of two albums recorded for Columbia, these tracks are finished, cleaned-up versions of pieces he was working on for a number of years. Earlier, sometimes rougher but also more more interesting versions of these pieces can be found on CDs released on smaller labels.

Charles Mingus was a rare kind of musician: a complete musician. Like Duke Ellington (whose band he played in and who was one of his idols), he was true musical leader and invented his own musical language. He assembled musicians of all types of backgrounds and put them together in all sorts of congifurations- everything from small groups to big bands. His composition style was constantly developing, but revolved around the practice of coming up with musical frameworks that he would sing and play to his band, allowing them to fill the gaps via improvisation. The piece would be tailor-fitted to the musical personalities of the players- a practice learned from Ellington.

Personally, Mingus was infamous for being quite moody. He had difficutly controlling his temper and was prone to violence, but was fiercely loyal to his friends. Because of his erratic and difficutlt personality, musicians didn't stay with him for very long. One exception is the drummer Danny Richmond. However, musicians who "did time" with Mingus all claim they learned more than with any other experience. Mingus' passionate and moody temperament comes forth in his music, making it all the more personal.

Before all of this, however, Mingus was a bass player, and a damn good one at that. He hits the strings hard, and isn't afraid of shaking up the time and sliding up and down the neck, but he doesn't play "flash." Every note means something, because he is more concerned with the composition than with the individual playing.

Some of the songs on Ah Um:
Better Get It In Your Soul- one of Mingus' most profound influences is gospel and church music. Though Mingus can get pretty complex and abstract, he can come back at you with powerful sould and blues music, that reaches in to the very heart of black American history. And just try not to clap along.

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat- Mingus' most famous ballad, and probably his most famous song. It is a tribute to Lester Young, a legend in his own right. The sad beauty of the melody conveys the tragic last few years of Young's life.

Fables of Faubus- This sarcastic piece was written in "honor" of a southern governor (whose name escapes me) who was staunchly opposed to racial integration in schools. The clown-ish melodic theme pokes fun at that sort of ignorance and arrogance.
Mingus had is own issues with race. Not only was he black, which was hard enough, but his skin was light, which caused ire within the black community. One story about his relates a black man who accused Mingus of not being able to play the blues because he wasn't "black enough." After his friends managed to convince him not to fight the guy, Mingus picked up his bass and played some of the meanest blues they ever heard, silencing the accuser.

Jelly Roll- The titles and the music itself recalls one of the first recorded jazz piano players, Jelly Roll Morton. This songs gently mocks and pays tribute to early New Orleans jazz.

Ok, I've rambled on enough. Get this, you won't regret it.

CD: Columbia, make sure to get the remastered one (should be labeled as such, with a transparent jewel case spine).
SACD: Those of you into SACD are in for a special treat- this is a wonderful presentation of this music.

2. Mahavishnu Orchestra- Birds of Fire
Welcome to the wonderful and strange world of fusion. The Mahavishnu orchestra was lead by John McLaughlin, an English guitar player who got noticed playing with Miles Davis.

The "fusion" refers to a combining jazz and rock music: basically, the music is in the jazz idiom, but using electric instruments and pounding rock-style rhythms. The end result is something that feels like hard rock- it's loud, it's brash, it upsets your parents. But, when you scratch the surface, they're using jazz scales and theory.

McLaughlin is considered a guitar hero, in the same sense that Hendrix or Clapton are to many people. His playing is really the focus of the music, though the other musicians do their fare share of showboating.

CD: this is also a Columbia release, and is also remasterd. As much as I'd love a SACD of this one, there ain't one out. Oh well, you can't have everything.


Note: I want to recommend some vocal jazz, but I don't know anything about it, as I don't listen to it. If anyone can recommend a good Ella Fitzgerald disc, that would be greatly appreciated.

Paul, I just ordered two of the CDs you ordered. So, if I don't like them, I'm going to hold you personally responsible, young man.



Yeah. I gave up on trying to "figure it out" a long time ago. I don't dig music that only works for composers or hold advanced degrees in Music Theory. The "weird" stuff is very subjective, which is why I find it funny that people debate so strongly over its "merits." For some reason, I hate Ascension, like Interstellar Space, and find the different versions of Meditations interesting and enjoyable but not wonderful. I own and enjoy a few Ornette Coleman CDs and one Eric Dolphy CD, but don't see myself becoming a huge fan.

Paul, I have two Charlie Hunter albums. Pleasant music. This guy plays a guitar that has two bass strings, so he can play two voices at once. Pretty neat.

Mike, remind me about the Ella disc at the end of April, so that I can include it in the monthly recs. I personally won't be getting it because I don't like singing, so I'll leave it up to you to write up a little something about it. (What, you didn't think you were gonna get out of this without doing some work, did you?)

Sorry, I don't dig Dianna Krall. Again, singing, not my style. However, I did hear Cassandra Wilson, and that sounded pretty decent.

NP: Mozart, Piano Concertos, SACD

Paul, I don't remember what I ordered, so it will be a surprise for both of us when I get it.

Of the artists you just listed, I've only heard one: Masada. I don't think it's correct to say it has a real influence from Klezmer, though. Not all traditional Jewish music is Klezmer. However, I'm just guessing here. Zorn's Masada stuff is like 90% avant-garde weird jazz and 10% misc.

I'll keep an eye out for some of the other stuff.

NP: Miles Davis, Tribute to Jack Johnson, CD

An amusing side note: while I was visiting my folks and family one weekend, my mom suggested I put on some music (I always have a bunch of CDs with me wherever I go). I told her I had some nice Jewish music. She eagerly agreed. Poor mom- she had no idea how to handle Masada. Oh, the cries of agony that followed...

NP: Miles Davis, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintest, CD, the 20 bit fancy version.

Jazz CDs recommended by PaulHeroy review

1. The Vandermark 5- Acoustic Machine
This album features a mix of longer jams which are designed to act as tributes towards older jazz musicians (a couple of which I didn't recognize), and shorter tracks that play as sonic experiments and intervals. The shorter ones, all called Hbf followed by a number (in no particular order that I can make any sense of), are just really weird, and maybe I just don't get them. The first long track is a tribute to Archie Schepp and is very noisy, with lots of squeaks and sqealing. This is usually not my kind of thing. Quite frankly, I can't distinguish between one guy sqeaking and anothe guy squeaking, so I can't really judge it. However, the next track, "Fall to Grace," goes in another direction completely. It features a killer bass riff and some very nicely spaced, tasty playing. This is my favorite track on the album as of now by far. The next one, "License Complete"is a 70s style funky thing without getting too cheesy with the groove. The rest of the album goes on to display a self-consciously varied set of music, with everything from ballad melodies to bop to weird avant stuff. It's as if Vandermark is saying, "Here's where I came from, and here's where I'm going with it." The trombone player is very cool- low and warbly, as opposed to playing trumpet lines like so many other 'boners do (giggle, boners).

Overall, a fun album and great playing by the band, even if their tastes often conflict with mine.

2. Marty Ehrlich's Traveler's Tales- Malinke's Dance
This is a wonderful gem of an album. Ehrlich leads a quartet of musicians (drums, bass, two saxes) through a healthy set of mostly original music with two covers.
"The Cry Of" is one of the most beautifully written and arranged jazz composition I've heard outside of Duke or Monk. Wonderful- kind of Eastern sounding.
"Pigskin" is a groovy tune by Julius Hemphill, who I've never heard of. The liner notes of both CDs reviewed mention him, and I like both songs written by/for him. He is on my ridiculously long list of artists to check out. This tune is followed by Bod Dylan's "Tears of Rage," and played as a nice little balad.
I'm really glad I got this one.

Thanks for the recs, Paul, and I'll be checking out some of the other stuff you were talking about, too. I recommend others do the same.

I ordered two more of your recs, Paul, from the "world music" post. As long as this thread is alive, I'll keep referring to it for new music to get, and I hope others will do the same.



You and I are going to get along just fine.


NP: California Guitar Trio with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, Live At The Key Club, CD

Mark, let us know which you liked and which you didn't. We could then recommend some more music that is similar.

Folks, that's exactly what I would like to do with this thread. I know everyone's not going to like everything. We'll just throw out a bunch of different things, and you can take that as a basis to explore the music you like further.

Let me know if people are still interested in more selections for next week.

NP: Robert Fripp & The League of Crafty Guitarists, International Boogie Express, CD

Jeff,
Welcome, and make yourself comfortable.
I forgot about this thread myself, even though it's my baby. I'm a bad father.

So, for May we have: Duke Ellington.

That's right, possibly the single most important composer/arranger/band leaser/ instrumentalist in American history.

A little background: Duke Ellington got famous leading New York big bands in the 20s. His shorter dance tunes were huge hits. He was also developing his "jungle sound," which involved growling horn lines and low swing.

As swing exploded, Duke stayed on top by constantly touring and being a great stage personality. But most importantly, his compositions made his band stand out. They weren't just dance music. Duke was no less a composer than Beethoven, he just made it more fun. He wrote everything from pop vocal tunes to spirituals to lowdown swing instrumentals to thematic suites.

Like other big band leaders, his career fell by the wayside when bop became the main from of jazz in the 40s and 50s. In 1957, his band's performance at Newport gave his band a jolt and reminded the world why Duke's music is not to be lumped in a style or era.

I personally do not particularly care for swing or big band all that much. But Duke is another story. He is one of those rare musicians who created an entire musical language on his own, integrating the processes of performance, composition, and band leadership into one seamless thing. For example, when writing music, he would often take into account the style of the soloist or performers, providing a framework but leaving room for the individual musicians to determine the final outcome. He would often re-write pieces when band members changed. This unique style of musical creation was the main inspiration for my #1 musical hero, Charles Mingus (who also played for Duke).

This month's recommendation:

Duke Ellington- The Essential Collection 1927-1962, Columbia

CDNOW link

This a three disc set, so it's the only thing I'm recommending this month.
The liner notes are very good, too. IIRC, it says a lot about the role of Billy Strayhorn, who co-wrote a lot of great music with Duke.

Some highlights:
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo: Steely Dan fans should recognize this melody and title from the Pretzel Logic album. Here it is in its original glory, sounding really raunchy. One of the great qualities of Duke's music was the integration of high-class and low-class.

Caravan- great rhythmic stuff on this would-be standard

Black & Tan Fantasy- this piece has a whole story behind it that I don't remember. Anyways, it's just great.

And, of course, great renditions of classic Duke tunes, like In A Sentimental Mood, Mood Indigo, It Don't Mean A Thing..., A Train, Jeep's Blues, Sophisticated Lady, and so on and so more.

A few tracks sound dated, involving monologues or gospel singing. They're cute to hear once, but I skip these tracks now. When vocals enter into it, the "timelessness" of the music gets lost, IMO.

No one can call themselves a jazz fan without some serious knowledge and appreciation of Duke Ellington. It's like being a rock fan without ever having heard the Beatles. So, listen up, and enjoy!

I really would love to read what people have to say about Ellington. His work is something I've been meaning to devote more time to.

And, of course, CD recommendations are always welcome.

NP: Bill Bruford's Earthworks, The Sound of Surprise, CD