Jazz for aficionados

Hi pjw, good comments. But, not sure I agree with a couple of your assertions.

Pretty bold comment that Rollins was a better improviser than was Coltrane. From my vantage point to deem one better than the other is a bit of an apples/oranges issue. One of the things makes Trane, Sonny and Henderson so special is that they each had uniquely personal sounds and approaches to improvisation. They were innovators on their instrument and the reason that they were so often copied. Shorter is one of my favorite Jazz musicians, but his innovation was mainly as a composer. No doubt he was also an influential tenor player, but ultimately not on the level of the other three. I would even suggest that it was his soprano saxophone playing that was the most innovative.

Love Stan Getz. Beautiful sound. Not sure what you mean when you say he has not been mentioned yet. I hope you mean in the context of this most recent “conversation”. There has been plenty of Getz posted here over the life of the thread. One of my favorite things on YouTube. Talk about contrasting styles! Coltrane’s is uniquely his and new. Getz is wonderful, but ultimately right out of a Lester Young bag:

https://youtu.be/pc6CWfBgIt8?si=vv597mYHan3G74XL

https://youtu.be/beCGdmrP8Xc?si=xzFDey8oZJUw9f89

@frogman

Pretty bold comment that Rollins was a better improviser than was Coltrane. From my vantage point to deem one better than the other is a bit of an apples/oranges issue

I believe it has been the 4 plus weeks of reading about all of the gargantuan exploits of the great Sonny Rollins, the majority of which are primary sources given to the author by musicians and people in the recording industry, that swayed my comment on Rollins improvisational superiority.

After reading your post I listened to exactly 6 different long extended versions of Richard Rodgers My Favorite Things by John Coltrane. Each one is a masterful improvisational gem that continuously quotes the original theme, subtle and pronounced, with not one version sounding like the others.

Based on those 6 Coltrane renditions of My Favorite Things I have to agree with your quoted statement....

Re; Stan Getz

Yes the references I made were in the context of this recent discussion on tenor players

@curiousjim 

Listening to Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers,   First Flight To Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings.

Excellent!

Excellent may be an understatement. Blakey and his band hit Japan like one of the countries yearly typhoons and started a long tradition of returning there to play as well as opening the floodgates to Japan.

One must remember that 1961 was a mere 16 years after we ended a horrific war with Japan by using nuclear weapons. Nobody knew what kind of reception they would give American musicians on their home islands but the fanatical outpour of support, including the "airport greeting celebrations" was a revelation.

All was forgiven (never forgotten) proving that music could heal millions of listeners half way around the globe with a totally different culture then ours. After Blakey, hundreds more jazz greats followed in his footsteps to the outstretched arms of Japan....

Ha, Coltrane can barely keep himself from taking off! Getz back under control. Horns sound really good together .

My favorite parts may be those great rhythm sections.

Thanks!

Stuart, there are thee recent ECM recordings of Carla Bley, Andy Shepard, and Steve Swallow. All are must haves. The older songs with legs is also very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvDhRrGCwqg

A more recent album from Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas, and Steve Nash playing Ms. Bleys music is nice. A little different versions, but the music and the playing are fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoEcDg5vV4k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SlbNMrBPgg