What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Jazzrook]

John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison & Elvin Jones playing ‘Serenity’ from the overlooked album ‘First Meditations’ recorded in 1965 but not issued until 1977:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=a6evZiO3Z4Y

JR

[Tenor Freak]

There are reports on Organissimo that Steve Lehman's house in LA has been burnt down in the current inferno and also those of Bennie Maupin & Bobbie Bradford etc. Apparently they were in a musicians/artistic district. There are financial appeals up now. Bradford lost his horns etc.

I have seen on socials that Maupin has also lost his horns. A stark reminder that a lot of ordinary folk have lost everything in the LA fires. A lot of musicians must be in the same situation.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Steve Lehman ' The people I love' featuring Craig Taborn.

Not played this for ages. There are the typical jagged and edgy originals but also some straight ahead tracks which recall 1980s New Neos. There is alot to be enjoyed on this disc. I like Lehman's radical post Steve Coleman approach. This disc really hits the mark and would have broader appeal

There are reports on Organissimo that Steve Lehman's house in LA has been burnt down in the current inferno and also those of Bennie Maupin & Bobbie Bradford etc. Apparently they were in a musicians/artistic district. There are financial appeals up now. Bradford lost his horns etc.

[Ian Thumwood]

Steve Lehman ' The people I love' featuring Craig Taborn.

Not played this for ages. There are the typical jagged and edgy originals but also some straight ahead tracks which recall 1980s New Neos. There is alot to be enjoyed on this disc. I like Lehman's radical post Steve Coleman approach. This disc really hits the mark and would have broader appeal

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Don Ellis Quartet, "How time passes", Byard (alto), Carter, Persip. Despite the later bombast, signatures (and his politics) these early small group albums of Ellis are fascinating. This reminds me somewhat of the Joe Harriot group from around the same time...

http://youtu.be/Q2LDjkms_Zw?feature=shared

[Jazzrook]

Now onto 1970s-era Walt Dickerson - this again is a favourite, Wilbur Ware (b) and Edgar Bateman (d).

Also wonderful is Dickerson’s neglected masterpiece ‘Tell Us Only The Beautiful Things’ with Wilbur Ware & Andrew Cyrille recorded in 1975:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=330IHPjJ2Cg

JR

[Tenor Freak]

Now onto 1970s-era Walt Dickerson - this again is a favourite, Wilbur Ware (b) and Edgar Bateman (d).

[Tenor Freak]

I keep coming back to this wonderful LP by one of my favourite groups in jazz, the co-op between Harold Land on tenor and Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. Love the loose feel on this, thanks to the support of William Henderson (p) Buster Williams (b) Billy Hart (d) and Mtume (congas).

[Ian Thumwood]

I have been listening to the new Wayne Shorter 'Celebration ' double cd. The record is different from others by this brilliant quartet insofar that there are only a handful of compositions with the large proportion of the discs being free improvisation. The music is at it's best when there is something to hang the hat on and this is why I prefer things like Orbits where the basis is familiar. The freer stuff sometimes swings yet the impression is that the improvisation is centring on a motif or fragment of the material.

At it's best, the music is very compelling yet I do feel that it offers an interesting contrast to so much Free Improvisation. I can see a argument about Improv not swinging like this Free playing or being as radical as some improvised music. Danilo Perez seems pivotal.to this quartet on this record.

[Jazzrook]

Lightnin’ Hopkins playing ‘Burnin’ in L.A.’ recorded in California, 1961:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=mhrMQ03V3YQ

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

From an old interview with Steve Swallow about the recording of "Basra" the great Bluenote Laroca album with Joe Henderson etc.

“The rest of his drums were tuned very musically and in the low-mid register: resonant and singing, with an 18-inch bass drum and a certain beater to give a very specific attack. He had such a beautiful groove. Pete said that he was playing as on top of the beat as reasonable, but I did not hear it that way. To my ears he was putting it in the perfect place, neither on top nor below, exactly where I wanted. When we put our quarter notes together it was a marriage made in heaven.

“Alfred Lion [Blue Note Records founder] clashed with Pete. They were both willful people. Pete could have done much more for Alfred as a leader, but he thought Alfred was too controlling. He would not negotiate with Alfred, and in the end they fell out. But there was one Blue Note Pete La Roca album, Basra.

“Steve Kuhn [the pianist on Basra] is a wonderful pianist who played with Pete in John Coltrane’s tremendous band with Steve Davis on bass. I saw that quartet often at the Jazz Gallery. Eventually Steve, Pete and I played a lot together and made a few records. Three Waves was Kuhn’s trio date, while Art Farmer’s Sing Me Softly of the Blues has a wonderful rendition of the Carla Bley title track. But the record most people know today is Basra.

“Pete [also] wanted Alfred to hire a shadowy legend of jazz, Rocky Boyd. Rocky was a wonderful tenor player but at that point he was close to being homeless. Alfred was unwilling to go for Rocky and brought in his latest protégé, Joe Henderson. Pete had been on Joe’s first album, Page One, but Kuhn and I barely knew of him. Of course, Joe was utterly remarkable and aced the recording"

He goes on to say that he and Laroca were the jazz pioneers in dropping acid. At that session they were fascinated (high) by Rudy Van's toilet that had those blue water tablets in it! Kids, don't do drugs!

Malaguena from Basra...

https://youtu.be/6gp6xb-WJT0?feature=shared

And I thought I always used Toilet Duck!!!

Tremendous Steve Swallow write-up that, Bluesnik. I met Steve once - thoroughly nice bloke. If anyone else here knows him please don't say I've always preferred his acoustic bass playing to the electric, even though it seemed to suit Carla's needs. Just listening to his work as a 20-year old on George Russell's Ezzthetic (the 1961 studio album with that Eric Dolphy classic on Round Midnight) makes me think of him in terms of being the next LaFaro; I like also his nimble early acoustic bass with the Gary Burton Quartet before he went electric in '69.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

From an old interview with Steve Swallow about the recording of "Basra" the great Bluenote Laroca album with Joe Henderson etc.

“The rest of his drums were tuned very musically and in the low-mid register: resonant and singing, with an 18-inch bass drum and a certain beater to give a very specific attack. He had such a beautiful groove. Pete said that he was playing as on top of the beat as reasonable, but I did not hear it that way. To my ears he was putting it in the perfect place, neither on top nor below, exactly where I wanted. When we put our quarter notes together it was a marriage made in heaven.

“Alfred Lion [Blue Note Records founder] clashed with Pete. They were both willful people. Pete could have done much more for Alfred as a leader, but he thought Alfred was too controlling. He would not negotiate with Alfred, and in the end they fell out. But there was one Blue Note Pete La Roca album, Basra.

“Steve Kuhn [the pianist on Basra] is a wonderful pianist who played with Pete in John Coltrane’s tremendous band with Steve Davis on bass. I saw that quartet often at the Jazz Gallery. Eventually Steve, Pete and I played a lot together and made a few records. Three Waves was Kuhn’s trio date, while Art Farmer’s Sing Me Softly of the Blues has a wonderful rendition of the Carla Bley title track. But the record most people know today is Basra.

“Pete [also] wanted Alfred to hire a shadowy legend of jazz, Rocky Boyd. Rocky was a wonderful tenor player but at that point he was close to being homeless. Alfred was unwilling to go for Rocky and brought in his latest protégé, Joe Henderson. Pete had been on Joe’s first album, Page One, but Kuhn and I barely knew of him. Of course, Joe was utterly remarkable and aced the recording"

He goes on to say that he and Laroca were the jazz pioneers in dropping acid. At that session they were fascinated (high) by Rudy Van's toilet that had those blue water tablets in it! Kids, don't do drugs!

Malaguena from Basra...

https://youtu.be/6gp6xb-WJT0?feature=shared

[Jazzrook]

Quite unteresting to see some of the Best of 2024 jazz recordings listed on sites like All About Jazz. I have not seen a good proportion of any of these discs receive a review. What i have also found is that many releases are no longer appearing on CD. There does seem to be a great deal of music which is getting under reoorted. I find it perplexing just how much new jazz was issued in 2024 and esoecially more avant garde stuff. Lots of stuff by the likes of Ivo Perelman for example who i have never heard before.

Here’s Ivo Perelman with Matthew Shipp & William Parker playing the title track from their 1996 album ‘Cama de Terra’:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=2CvE35jBs3I

JR

[Tenor Freak]

Just uploaded last night: a 1988 session for RAI with Enrico Rava, Joe Henderson, John Taylor, Furio Di Castri and Paul Motian (!). Some great loose playing here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1sMFwiqiy0&t=10s

[Ian Thumwood]

Wayne Shorter Blue Note box set.