Jazz for aficionados

Today's Gem

Sonny Rollins -- +3

tracks 3 & 5:
Rollins(tenor sax), Stephen Scott(piano), Bob Crenshaw(electric bass) YIKES!!! WTF!! Jack DeJohnette(drums)

all other tracks:
Tommy Flanagan(piano), Cranshaw(electric bass), Al Foster(drums).

7 Tunes. Mostly standards, but two by Rollins, 'H.S.', a tribute to Horace Silver, and 'BiJi'. I liked the Rollins tunes the best.

This is the most enjoyable sax playing I have heard in a long time. It's as if he knew every note he would play, on every tune, before the session ever started. When it did start, he just played!

Why the electric bass? I don't know, but, if Rollins wants an electric bass, who am I to disagree. I didn't hear where it added anything to the perforance.

The playing? Fluid, no stops and starts, and 'what next' moments. Sound quality is top notch. Both groups give excellent suppot.

I think we need The Frogman or O-10 to weigh in on this one. I don't think I can do it justice.

Wanna know what a Jazz tenor sax player is supposed to look like? Check out the pics of Rollins on the front and back of the CD cover. Esp the back. The coolest and most distinguished looking player in Jazz. The pic on the back is classic / priceless.

I cannot understand why any Jazz aficionado would not already have this one, but if you ain't got it, git it!!

Cheers

Frogman, Stan Getz "Voyage" is so consistent, not a bad cut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k036P1jsdq4

Here's a cut from "Focus", which is another one of my favorite Getz LP's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAyrdlUcZIw

Getz had a long stellar career.

Enjoy the music.

Rok, I can't think of a time that I heard something by Sonny Rollins that I didn't like. "+3" is one of his best. Sonny is one of the greatest and most influential of the modern tenor players. Miles considered him to be the greatest tenor player ever (!!!). He has a very distinctive style and an extraordinarily powerful musical persona; particularly when it comes to rhythmic feel. His sense of rhythm and projection of it is so powerful that, unlike most players who play with or to the rhythm section's groove, the rhythm section often seems to be playing to HIS groove; he is a very commanding musical force. Of special note on this record is the unusual (for him) use of fast vibrato on the ballads like "They Say Its Wonderful". You are absolutely correct in your observation that he sounds like he knew what he was going to play ahead of time. While I doubt that is the case (strictly speaking), I think what you sense is his incredible sense of confidence while still being spontaneous. While Cranshaw is a great player and, as you said, if Sonny wants electric bass who are we to argue, I am with you about electric bass in jazz in general; have never liked it. But, let's hear (read) the reasons why from the horse's mouth (so to speak):

http://jazztimes.com/articles/20314-bob-cranshaw-shop-talk

O-10, glad you liked "Voyage"; it's a gem. "Focus" has also been a favorite of mine for a long time. It happens to be one of the very first jazz records I ever purchased, and back at a time when I really could not understand nor appreciate it; no longer. Thanks for the link.

The Frogman:

Nice article on the electric bass. Sometimes it seems as if the audience / fans, consider themselves more of a purist than the creators themselves. :) I am guilty.

Cheers