Rok, re “blowing” session.
In Jazz parlance “blowing” is soloing/mprovising, Obviously, the literal meaning refers to blowing air (into a horn), but in Jazz when a piano, guitar, bass player, or even drummer plays a solo he is also “blowing”. A “blowing session” is a session in which the emphasis is the soloing with less emphasis on the compositions or attempt at any particularly interesting arrangement, One usually hears a basic, even generic, reading of the melody (usually standards) and then everyone “blows” usually extended solos. One could say that the music is usually characterized by a looser, even more causal, vibe; the players are having fun.
That is one of my favorite Cannonball recordings. He kills on that record with Milt Jackson. An interesting (for me) personal story: In the summer of 1975 (was about to start college) I was in a record store in Miami, Fla with a short stack of records under my arm. The local Jazz radio station was playing and the DJ announced that Cannonball had just died. That record was one of the five or six under my arm.
Another of the records under my arm, and on the subject of West Coast players, one of my favorite West Coast saxophone players. A very swinging player that goes under the radar way too often:
https://youtu.be/pERO8m_9sIU
https://youtu.be/2joWrHSsNUY
https://youtu.be/V9eNtsqfpzQ
https://youtu.be/IzveIxkjApo
Btw, the above third and fourth clips in particular, would never be referred to as “blowing sessions”. Characteristic of much of West Coast Jazz there is an emphasis on interesting, sometimes intricate, arrangements and compositions.
Speaking of West Coast Jazz, Pryso’s “cheesecake” and Rok’s love of great album covers (more Herb Geller”:
https://youtu.be/gfGKqERBRLkSpeaking of Herb Geller and Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!:
https://youtu.be/P7meYOaEmVU