Todays's Dose:
Carmen McRae & Betty Carter -- THE CARMEN MCRAE - BETTY CARTER DUETS
Recorded before a live audience in San Franciso. Very enjoyable set. A lot of 'carryin' on' between Carmen and Betty. The audience loves it.
9 tracks. All very good. My favorites were the Ellington tunes 'Sophisticated Lady' and It don't mean a Thing'. Also, 'But Beautiful' and 'Sometimes I'm Happy. Great scatting duel on the latter.
Great recording. DDD. No tape hiss!! Thank the Lord for Digital.
Everyone had a good time on this one, and it showed. Wish I had been there.
Try it. I guarantee you will love it..
Cheers |
Rok, the very first time I heard "Ode To Billy Joe", I was crossing a bridge going into Hattiesburg, MS, in my brand new "deuce and a quarter", and I wrongly assumed it was the "Talahatchie Bridge" in Chickasaw county. That song also spoke of towns I had just passed through coming from St. Louis, consequently, I identified with it immediately; it was an instant hit with me.
I never stopped liking the song, and I have the CD. Bobby Gentry is one of the most authentic singer songwriters to come along. Her songs brought Mississippi to life, although they left out the ugliest aspects of that culture, which was most certainly best.
After I entered the state, I had the feeling I was in "The Twilight Zone", and had gone back in time without knowing it. Everything looked the same as it had in some long ago past; filling stations, farm houses, country stores, you name it.
Enjoy the music.
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****Charley Parker had many better recordings than strings!****
True; no one is arguing that point. Still, great to hear Bird in that setting.
This brings up an issue that has always been interesting to me. Obviously, a listener's personal taste has to be respected, but when a great artist says, unequivocally, that he/she likes a particular work of theirs (Bird said BWS was his favorite) or a particular sideman, IMO the most productive attitude is that even if we don't agree at first (or ever!), an attempt should be made to understand why it is that the artist himself that we so admire feels that way. Seems to me that is the best way to fully understand the artist or a particular work and grow as a listener. In this case Bird was saying: "Look, I can be more than just the relentless bebopper that I am known to be; I can play with more delicacy than what most of my records demonstrate". Who am I to argue with that. |
In Clint Eastwood's movie Bird, Charley Parker hated Bird with Strings as not being true to his playing!
Charley Parker had many better recordings than strings! |
O-10:
****How about the real deal?******
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDHpkYI5_FY ***
When this record was released, it created quite a stir in the state of Mississippi.
First of all, people assumed she threw a baby off the bridge. This was back in a time when there was such a thing as shame.
Secondly, and most importantly, for a spell, people did not know if she was black or white. So they didn't know whether they could show that they liked the song or not. In public that is.
Lest you think this is silly, when I worked in the movie theater, the Rock & Roll movie 'Rock Around the Clock', was shown at a special showing at midnight on a saturday night, "Adults Only"!!!! I was the only young person in town that got to see it. hahahhahahah
I think back and can't believe it.
It is a great song. Mississippi has always punched above it's weight when it comes to musicians and writers.
Cheers |
Hi Orpheus - I am back online now, and I have heard the Bennie Green clip you posted, from Glidin Along. I do like the music, however it unfortunately brings up one of my pet peeves in the recording of the brass instruments on many of these jazz albums. For some reason, they are very often recorded with the mike WAY too close - often they are playing with it just a few inches from the bell of the horn. This creates obnoxious feedback, and pretty much destroys their sound, as much of the extraneous noise that is made while playing is audible, when it would normally not be, even up quite close to them live. There are some Miles Davis albums I have where he is recorded this way, but the rest of the group sounds great. I just don't get it - it really makes no sense at all, either from a musical or a technical standpoint. It's not like these guys can't make a decent sound and NEED the help of the mike, like so many pop singers do. OK, rant over. |
Today's Listen
The Three Sounds -- EIGHT CLASSIC ALBUMS
Gene Harris(piano), Andrew Simpkins(bass), Bill Dowdy(drums) Nat Adderley and Stanley Turrentine appear on some of the CDs.
Four Cds containing eight albums. One of the great bargins in Jazz. Great sound quality, flat piano on one track notwithstanding.
Check it out. I think I paid 10 dollars on Amazon.
Cheers |
****The recording shows Bird playing with a warmer, less aggressive tone in deference to the musical setting*****
Exactly. Now the question becomes, how much aggression can you take away, and how much can he defer, and still be Bird?
I guess that was what I was trying to say. I knew that if I read your post enough times, you would state my point better than I could.
Cheers |
et tu, Frogman? :)
I listened again and I will agree it's beautiful music. And great sax playing. Must have been the reason I purchased it. I just think there are many(several?) competent professional reedmen, like the Frogman perhaps, who could have played Bird's part.
It's a great CD, just not what I expected. I will say, that from a technical standpoint, it's the best recorded music I have of Bird. It's just not on my 'goto' list when I want to hear Jazz.
And lastly, my mama didn't raise no fools. When I am opposed by The Frogman, a pro, and O-10, a man who has seen Trane himself, it's time to throw in the towel. :)
Cheers |
I am with Orpheus re "Bird With Strings". I love the record. It was possibly the first recording of a major jazz star with a string section. At one point, Bird considered it his favorite recording. Kinda hard to argue with that, when it comes to judging its worth. The recording shows Bird playing with a warmer, less aggressive tone in deference to the musical setting. As Rok points out Mitch Miller appears on the record, and I have an interesting (for me) story about that. Back in the mid 90's I played a classical/pops concert with Mitch Miller conducting the orchestra, and of course used the opportunity to ask him about the Bird WS recording. He had many stories to tell, and of special note was the fact that the addition of the oboe to the arrangements was a last minute decision made right in the recording studio and the oboe parts were entirely improvised by him; pretty impressive for a "legit" dude. Rok, re Horace Silver and the "Eastern tinge". No, you are not hearing things; you are exactly right. Here is an interesting article that speaks to the general subject: http://sessionville.com/articles/the-influence-of-indian-music-on-jazz |
Rok, that "Summertime" was so awesome I played it twice, and I'm still sweating, no AC at that time. "Song For My Father" is one of my favorites by Horace. In regard to the east, here's something that leaves no doubt. "Calcutta Cutie" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LM9opF6kOwEnjoy the music. |
Acman3, she is without a doubt the most expressive artist I've ever seen. Hiromi puts body and soul, with the emphasis on "body" into her very artistic performance.
Enjoy the music. |
Why does a lot of Horace Silver's music have an 'Eastern" tinge to it. Or am I 'hearing' something that is not there.
Cheers |
O-10:
I thought you might like to hear 'Summertime' for real. I found myself wiping my brow from the heat!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIDOEsQL7lA
Other listens today:
Horace Silver -- SONG FOR MY FATHER
Horace Silver -- BLOWIN' THE BLUES AWAY
We are all very familiar with them. I was neither asleep nor fully awake. WOW!! I love to be in that place when listening to great music.
Clark Terry -- COLOR CHANGES
featuring Yusef Lateef on tenor, flute, english horn and oboe!!
There is also a guy on French Horn and trombone. What a line-up.
7 tunes. 'Nahstye Blues' is my favorite. All are very good.
I do not believe this man, Clark Terry, has ever done anything less than a stellar recorded performance. Try ANYTHING by Clark Terry, you cannot go wrong!
Recorded NYC 1960
Cheers |
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Having been born in the state with the worlds hottest cotton fields, maybe you would know a little bit, like "There ain't no shade in a cotton field".
After this "Bird" fiasco, I hate to admit it was your fault that I'm back into this "old" jazz in the first place; but since there's no new jazz that suits my taste, I might as well be here as any place else.
Just keep on reviewing, eventually we'll strike a "harmonic chord".
Enjoy the music.
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you ain't one of them fusion and third stream folks, is ya?
Cheers |
We will agree to disagree about the 'strings'.
Consider this, if he had been backed by a top notch be-bop crew, you would have heard a different summertime.
You won't maneuver me into being critical of Bird. :)
You do realize that Mitch Miller was in this group. I used to watch 'sing-a-long with mitch' on tv back in the day. Not your typical be-bopper!
******I could feel the intense heat of a cotton field; "Bet you don't know nothing about that".******
Having been born and raised in the 'sovereign' state of Mississippi, I have seen and been in a few. :)
Cheers
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I decided to put this CD "Bird With Strings" on before waging war; but the most beautiful alto sax riff I've ever heard, or ever will hear on "Just Friends" took me out of the fightin mode. Bird is somewhere riffing on a cloud as I'm listening to his most beautiful music.
"Summertime" just took my breath away, I could feel the intense heat of a cotton field; "Bet you don't know nothing about that". How he can riff and still maintain the beautiful melodies of these standards is one of the wonders of the music world.
"Laura", hauntingly beautiful Laura; was a lady so fascinating that men fell madly in love with her portrait. Only "Bird" could capture the mystique of her beauty in his music.
Although I've heard the lyrics to these standards many times, no one can capture the romance that is the essence of this music like Bird; his music can tell the stories behind this music better than any words ever could. This music never gets old "Long live the Bird".
Enjoy the music.
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O-10,
Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes
Verve 314 523 984-2
The liner notes on this CD are much more interesting than the music. Read them. Good insight on the cultural war that raged within Jazz.
Does not sound like one of the the creators of Be-Bop. As the notes imply, he needed someone to push him. This is what happens when non-musicians try to 'direct' or 'improve' genuis. How do you 'improve' Bird?
Norman Granz was the 'Typhoid Mary' of Jazz.
Of all the great players that I have on CD, Bird is the most disappointing / frustrating. Either he is playing a toy sax, or the recording is technically bad, or some stuff like this (with strings!!) Really!
I seldom play Bird, and never this one.
Cheers |
Gabor Szabo -- THE SORCERER
This made a much bigger impression on me back when I started my Jazz journey, than it does now. I have a lot of his stuff on LP. How our taste evolve.
Pleasant lightweight 'european' guitar. Good background music.
No Blues!! This could be the problem.
Cheers |
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Today my local PBS station played:
Duke Ellington and his Orch with HERB JEFFERIES singing 'FLAMINGO'.
WOW!
I didn't recognize the performers when I heard it, but it only took a few minutes to find it online.
I understand he is still alive.
Youtube is just toooooooooo much. An abundance of magic. Where would we be without it! Hell, how could we live without the internet period! Thanks Al Gore. :)
Cheers |
I was listening to bird with strings and it sounds just as new and fresh as it did the day he recorded it.
I have a story to tell you about that music. This was at a time before everyone had AC, and the screen door was the only thing that separated them from the outside world when it was hot. Every time I passed this one house, I heard music that I had never heard before, "anywhere". That house was between our house and the candy store. On my way to get candy (I was nine at the time) I "accidentally" dropped a dime in grass in front of that house; this meant I had to get down on my hands and knees to look for it, that gave me more time to hear this beautiful music coming through that screen door.
Over 10 years later, I bought "Bird With Strings", and I had the feeling that I'd heard this music before. Each time I played "Bird With Strings" I was certain I heard it before, but I couldn't place where. Many years later, in a conversation about the people who lived in that house, did I put Birds music, and dropping that dime together. They liked jazz, and it was rumored, they even smoked pot.
Enjoy the music.
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Leersfool, thanks for the info on your last post.
Enjoy the music. |
Hi guys - just wanted to let you all know that if I don't respond for a few days, it is because my internet has been sketchy lately, and we are upgrading from our DSL to something else, I think on Tuesday. I also won't be home much anyway. To respond to a couple of things for the moment:
Frogman, I have of course heard of the Village Vanguard, though I have not had a chance to get there whenever I have been up in New York. Thanks for the info on that band. I can imagine how inspiring that was to be going there regularly during those days...
Charles, I'll try to check out some more Benny Green when I get a chance!
Orpheus, I am not so big on Chuck Mangione or Herb Alpert, though I do have a couple of Herb Alpert albums that I picked up for a buck...some of his album covers and tunes were really hilarious, though, and there are some great tunes on some of his albums, for sure. I will check out the two vocalists you mentioned at some point and get back to you on them, but as I said I may not be back on this board for a few days. |
Rok, thanks for the kind words; and thanks for your and everyone's contributions. Einstein!? Not sure where one can go for there. But, for perspective's sake, I would point out that there are many who truly live the "jazz life" who posses a level of insight and understanding of the language of jazz that blows me away every time I speak to them. The depth and number of layers in the music (any music, really) is amazing. Charles, I completely agree about Thad Jones; every bit the talent that his siblings was/is and deserving of as much recognition; although, he certainly gets it from the players. BTW, more times than not, when he fronted the band he played cornet instead of trumpet. Learsfool, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (now the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra) has been the Monday night "house band" at the Village Vanguard in NYC since the 60's when it was founded by Thad and Mel as an outlet for playing in that kind of setting for many of the top NY guys (and occasional lady) who spent the days in the NYC studios doing session work. The list of players that have played in the band is truly incredible; many of these players went on to have high-profile solo careers. The band gained recognition during a time when big bands were in decline and is certainly the most influential big band of the last forty years. I heard the Thad/Mel band at the Vanguard about half a dozen times while still in high school and college in the 70's and early 80's. It was an amazing experience every time, and you can imagine how awe-inspiring is must have been to hear all those "heroes" in that room with the walls covered with photos of all the greats that have played there. If ever there has been a place for a jazz lover to make a "pilgrimage" to, it's the Vanguard. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tE7CJhf0eK8 |
Learsfool,
That Benny Green CD I suggested yesterday has no shortage of trombone, it`s high level Bop and a couple of ballads. |
Hi guys - just quickly listened once to Frogman's clip - I was not familiar with that band, very nice! I'll have to check out some more of their stuff.
Orpheus, I had not heard Benny Green, seems from the two clips I listened to that he is a pretty good player - I will definitely check out some more of him, he didn't actually play much on the two clips I heard, it was much more the sax guys.
Rok, yes, the audience most definitely has a very serious effect on the musicians, especially the smaller the group (of musicians, I mean). |
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Benny Green "Glidin Along" features Johnnie Griffin, Ben Riley and Junior Mance. This is excellent jazz trombone, Benny could play!
Charles, |
The Frogman:
I didn't realize you had posted this clip before. You know I would have commented. I would not have known what to say or how to say it, but that has never stopped me in the past.
Most often after you make your comments on your postings, there is really little anyone can add. It's like Einstein giving a talk on relativity to freshmen college students, and when finished asking, 'any comments?'. :)
You nailed it on this clip. I listened to it three times. Tried to find it on Amazon but could not, other than MP3.
I have noticed that great Jazz is getting harder to find except at exhorbiant prices from 'these sellers'. Get it while you can.
The playing on the clip was great, but the icing on the cake was that you could SEE the magic being created. Live sound is the best, but it's the visual part that makes it special. The closeup of the reed players was priceless. Pros at work.
The reeds brought Ellington to mind. I have several by Hanna, but all are solo efforts. He was Julliard trained and taught college and even wrote a ballet. I guess he was a genuis.
Nice shout-out to 'us' guys in the brass section. :)
Thanks for the clip. One of the best on this thread so far.
I think this was done in Europe. Does the audience affect the playing of the musicians?
Nothing worst that an unappreciative audience. The greatest(worst) example being, Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing, playing 'poinciana'.
Cheers |
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Learsfool,
There's a Jimmy Heath CD "The Quota" it features Julius Watkins and Freddy Hubbard recorded in 1961. You might like this one.
Charles, |
Frogman,
Thanks for that, it captures the sheer talent, energy and genuine raw joy and emotion this music inspires, it's all there on display. Thad Jone's legacy has always been an enigma to me. He was an absolute master of the trumpet, excellent band leader and arranger and composed some timeless jazz standards. For some reason (early death?) historically he takes a back seat to his equally talented brothers Elvin and Hank(that was some gene pool in that family huh?).
One of the most beautiful jazz ballads I can name is"A Child Is Born" written by Thad Jones. Of all the versions I've heard I'd say Pepper Adams is perhaps the most utterly beautiful and touching interpretation. Thad was extraordinarily talented.
Charles, |
Of course, that should read "In" honor of..... |
I honor of this thread's 1000 post mark, I am going to re-post this link to what I think is a performance that exemplifies all that jazz is. First of all, it is an example of big-band jazz; something that has gotten short shrift in this thread. More importantly, as the title suggests, its about groove; groove is everything in jazz. You have groove, and then you have GROOVE. The groove that this rhythm section sets up is unbelievable; for me, that is what sets a performance apart. Roland Hanna was a genius. The ensemble playing is absolutely superb. To play with that much swagger and still be incredibly tight is very very difficult to do. Listen to the brass hits on the upbeats at around 3:50; gives me chills. The reed section lineup is amazing: Joe Henderson, Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson, Eddie Daniels, and Pepper Adams anchoring things with his big, beautiful husky sound; enough said. But, there is something about this performance that brings up a subject that hasn't been discussed here very much, and is a subtle and key element in great jazz. I am talking about the depth of the love for the music, and the mutual respect and appreciation that great jazz players have for each other. That backdrop is a key element in a truly great, and not simply good, performance. Check out the "bantering" between Thad Jones (the leader and arranger) and Richard Davis; the FUN they are having. Then there is Snooky Young's expression at 2:35 while he listens to Hanna play his a## off; priceless. No one bit with comments the first time around; so, here's another chance: http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=4ZLvqXFddu0 |
I did leave off one of the toughest babes of all. That would be Miss Betty Davis. Remember the scene of her strolling down the staircase putting six slugs in that poor guy. One of the most famous sequences in all of moviedom!!
Cheers |
Rok, Charles, film noir is one of my favorite genres, for sure. I would like to mention a few more ladies one should not leave out of the conversation - Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, Joan Bennett, Rhonda Fleming. |
Hi Orpheus - I do not have nearly the collection of or familiarity with all the great jazz that is out there as the rest of you on this thread do, first of all. Probably only about 10-15% of my collection is jazz, another 5-10% spoken word recordings, and the rest is classical. That would probably also be an accurate reflection of the listening I do as well.
The collection of jazz recordings I do have is pretty reflective of my taste, though. By far the biggest artist represented in my collection is Ella Fitzgerald - I have just about all the songbook albums, and many more besides. She is by far my favorite jazz vocalist, though I also like Sarah Vaughn in particular. I'm not that big on male voices in jazz, for some reason.
Being a professional brass player, I tend to center in on brass players in the jazz world, which means mostly trumpet. I have several Miles Davis albums, several Wynton Marsalis albums, a little Lee Morgan, a little Louis Armstrong. I also like Clark Terry, John Faddis, Freddie Hubbard (the earlier stuff, not the later). For trombone, I have a couple of JJ Johnson albums. I also have some jazz horn albums (yes, it does exist, though it's very rare) - Julius Watkins I have mentioned earlier in the thread. There are a few different guys making their living doing jazz horn right now, too. One is a Russian guy whose name I would butcher without looking it up first, Arkady something or other, last name starts with an S. Tom Varner is another. A famous "crossover" player is Tom Bacon, who is also big in the classical world. He used to own a gay bar in Houston that featured live jazz nightly, but I think he sold it long ago, as he doesn't live there anymore.
Another of my very favorites is Oscar Peterson, who would be my favorite jazz keyboardist, though I also like Bill Evans and Monk. I also like the Basie and Ellington bands. All of this is very mainstream, I realize, but there is a good jazz club in my city which I visit sometimes, especially when a friend of mine plays there, who is a bass player in my orchestra but who is an equally accomplished jazz artist - he has a few different groups, one of which is very avant garde, and the other main one does old standards. I guess the biggest name I have heard in there live is Curtis Fuller, who unfortunately chose to spend the entire evening playing very softly, with the mike actually up his bell, and then waving a plunger mute over both. Very bizarre, though he did manage to create some interesting effects. The band with him was absolutely fantastic, though, all much younger New York guys.
I don't play a whole lot of jazz myself (mostly just when we have a jazz group or artist with the Pops, or do a big band/swing themed Pops), and have never done any jazz improv (I have, however, improvised cadenzas on the spot in horn concerti). I have played sometimes in a big band, both in school and also once or twice professionally, though that was probably 20 years ago now. This bass player friend of mine is thinking of putting a group together to recreate The Birth of the Cool live, and if he does I may get to do that. That will be fun if it happens. I guess that about covers it for now! |
Rok,
I look forward to your reviews. I bet you'd really enjoy "Together" this is a duet with Hicks and the wonderful Frank Morgan(alto) recorded live.
Charles, |
Charles1dad:
I have two, on CD, by John Hicks. 'The Missouri Connection' with Jay McShann, and 'Two of a Kind', with Ray Drummond.
You have provoked me into 'reviewing' them. :)
Cheers
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"The Big Heat" yep, that was a good one . |
Speaking of film noir and music, check out Hadda Brooks playing piano in Nicolas Ray's "In A Lonely Place". That's Bogart and Gloria Graham who's best known as Violet in "It's A Wonderful Life", but noir lovers will always remember her for being scalded with boiling coffee by Lee Marvin in "The Big Heat". |
Film Noir one of my favorite forms of entertainment.There were the 1940s versions that were usually NYC based and by the 1950s many used LA as the locale.The west coast 1950s films really relied on jazz based sound tracks, I love them.
In addition to Cedar Walton and Kenny Barron, another very fine but under appreciated pianist was John Hicks, he can play! Check him out and I`m sure you`ll like him.
Charles, |
Film-Noir?? Some of my favorite movies are from this genre. The women were as tough or tougher than the men. For some reason I always thought of the tough guys as having survived WWII.
Quite often'film-noir' themes were Jazz... They even had Jazz plaing on the juke box in the bar scenes.
Susan Hayward was one of the toughest babes in the movies. Her only rival would have been Miss Barbara Stanwyck. I was working in the theater at the time, so I probably saw it a zillion times. Good Jazz. of course I didn't know what Jazz was at the time. :) But when I heard the music, I knew what to expect.
Ella Fitzgerald was in 'man with the golden arm'. That theme was one of the best ever. I hear it now and can see and feel the tension. That movie could only have had that theme music. No other music would have worked. Brilliant!!!!
One of the few other themes in that class is the Mission Impossible theme. Perfect, no subsitutes!
Cheers |
Cedar Walton -- COMPOSER
walton(piano), roy hargrove(trumpet), christian mcbride(bass), vincent herring(alto sax), ralph moore(tenor sax), victor lewis(drums)
The CD is very aptly named. This is all about the composer and his compositions. All tunes well crafted and played.
Nine tunes, all composed by Cedar Walton. This is very advanced bop. Beyond the 50s / 60s blue note era stuff, but still bop, and still JAZZ.
All solos are well executed. No blowing just to be blowing. Recorded in 1996. Great sound quality.
It is obvious these are serious Jazz players with a serious player in charge.(walton) you can always tell.
The playing shows the kind of professionalism shown on 'kind of blue'.
This is the only Cedar Walton CD I own. That is almost criminal. This man is a Jazz pianist / composer of the first rank. I will have to correct this oversight.
That's one of the best things about this thread. You find out where your music collection is lacking. Kenny Barron was another oversight.
Check this one out. You will love it. Just coherent, beautiful, and effortless playing throughout.
Git the CD!!!!
Cheers |
