Jazz for aficionados

Today's Playlist:

'The Jazz Soul of Porgy & Bess'
arranged and conducted by Bill Potts
Big Band take on the Gershwin Opera. No Vocals.
w/ Harry Edison, Art Framer, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans and others.

With this lineup of players, the playing is of course outstanding. I guess I missed the singing.

Canadian Brass -- Basin street
The songs on this CD should have qualified this CD as one of the best examples of New Orleans Jazz. All the great classic tunes are here. Not Close, no cigar.

World class brass players, but they didn't get the essence of the music. Maybe, what's missing is a rhythm section, or a clarinet. Or maybe they were just missing Louis!

I also have a Christmas CD by these guys. It was a disappointment also.

Joanne Brackeen -- Where Legends Dwell
w/Eddie Gomez and Jack De Johnette

Brackeen plays great piano. All tunes written by her. Eddie Gomez is a monster on Bass. I am not sure if this is her best work. I understand she also has a Maybeck Recital Hall CD. I will love to hear her on that one.

Oscar Brown Jr. -- Sin & Soul

A classic. Everyone has to have this one. Great song writing. Not a weak track. 'Rags and Old Iron' is one of the great songs. Lots of social commentary in the songs. And lots of humor also. Ain't got it? Git it!!

Cheers

Etta Jones, one of my favorite singers, was never married to Houston Person, although they had a very strong musical bond and friendship.

I bought "Don't Go To Strangers" in 66, and it has many personal memories, I still have that LP plus a new one.

Rok, I'm still waiting for your comments on "Soul Brothers/ Soul Meeting" with Ray Charles and Milt Jackson, as well as the Trio Trebien.

Enjoy the music.

Good comments, Rok. Agree with your assessment of the Canadian Brass recording; great brass players, but don't have the necessary feel and looseness for that music. The Oscar Brown Jr. recording is definitely a classic; I've always wondered why his recordings don't get more attention.
Brackeen does indeed play great piano; although I have always been mixed about her playing. To me, she is, in some ways, one of the most beautiful pianists, but with a not completely convincing swing feel. This live recording is a perfect example of what I mean. She plays in a gorgeous rhapsodic style and uses the keyboard almost like an orchestra with her use of dense harmonies and textures with great flow and shape, but at around 4:30 when she goes into a double time swing feel things fall apart for me; too stiff and rushed. Still, beautiful playing.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n3mTrBHRQPA

This post is about the big boy of the saxophone family (we'll skip the bass saxophone; for now), the baritone saxophone. Pepper Adams, appropriately nicknamed "The Knife" by Stan Kenton, probably the greatest of the great baritone saxophonists. I particularly like how he uses the extreme bottom of the instrument. While it may seem an obvious thing to do, many more modern players have a tendency to play in the extreme upper range of the instrument (the tenor saxophone range), Pepper loved the bottom of the horn. Of special note on this recording ("The Master"; probably his best) is George Mraz's bass playing. What a beautiful bass player! Notice the fabulous definition and intonation of what he plays. Too often, and in part due to the instrument's fret-less nature, even the great players play with less than perfect intonation and definition, especially in up-tempos. His lines are like melodies that can be easily followed.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m-q01aPQ8J0

Ronnie Cuber is another great baritone saxophonist in a more modern bag who can be heard on many pop recordings (Steely Dan, Stuff, SNL) but who is a bebopper at heart. Some of his best work was as part of George Benson's Cookbook. A really fun record:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SLG2ssX2oto&feature=plpp

Gary Smulyan is probably the most prominent young(er) baritone saxophonist on the scene today. Member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, he filled Pepper's shoes; and what shoes they were. A great player:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=lGfYkNgCshA

Now for something different. World Saxophone Qt. member Hamiett Bluiett is an acquired taste:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2UOjiIXyVNM

Frogman:

Very good Pepper Adams. I get what you said about the bass playing. I though Gomez' intonation on the Brackeen CD was good also. That's why I liked it, just didn't know how to describe it.

Is it harder to play the sax in the lower range?

I had to lol at the last note of the Pepper tune! Now on to the others.

Cheers