Monty wins the war - at a Stretch

[Serial_Apologist]

Sat 16 Jan
4.00 Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton gives listeners another chance...

http://www.alynshipton.co.uk/blog

5.00 Jazz Line-Up
Julian Joseph presents the much-anticipated UK performance of saxophonist Kamasi Washington, recorded in November at the Barbican Theatre as part of the London Jazz Festival. Inspired by the spiritual jazz recordings of saxophonists John Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders and Albert Ayler, Kamasi adds a contemporary twist incorporating elements of funk, gosel and hip-hop.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vnfds

12.00 Geoffrey Smith's Jazz
Wes Montgomery (1925-68) was a guitar superstar, combining a smooth, mellow attack with blues-drenched swing. Praised by critics and musicians, he was a huge crossover hit as well. Geoffrey Smith surveys an impressive, all too brief career.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vng3b

Mon 18 Jan
Jazz on 3
With Jez Nelson. Trumpeter Christian Scott unveils his latest project, Stretch Music, recorded in November at the London Jazz Festival. In this high energy gig he references hip-hop, blues, rock and electronic dance music, and showcases a precocious young band, featuring flautist Elena Pinderhughes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vs4b2

Lots to look forward to this weekend then, eh? - apart from Wes Montgomery!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Except Wes? Is that jass irony?!

I've got Paul Bley's deeply human solo "Afterthoughts" (ECM) coming up on JRR next week. With many thanks to Alyn.

See, even hardened hard bop cynics can sometimes ECM it. But rarely...all that religion.

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

Except Wes? Is that jass irony?!

I've got Paul Bley's deeply human solo "Afterthoughts" (ECM) coming up on JRR next week. With many thanks to Alyn.

See, even hardened hard bop cynics can sometimes ECM it. But rarely...all that religion.

BN.

Nice one - well done Bluesie.

[Ian Thumwood]

I think you really have to apply yourself to appreciate what Wes Montgomery was about. It is easy to dismiss his work as "mellow" and his later crossover stuff is pretty rank yet , when on form, I think he was right on the money.

I can't see Bluesnik liking the Melhdau / Guiliana track on JRR! Strange to discover this drummer is now part of the band backing David Bowie on his final recording. The backing quartet is actually Donny McCaslin's working back who have garnered a lot of praise from many fnas although I found the debut disc by this group ("Casting for gravity") to be shockingly dreadful. I can't stand Guiliana's drumming as it has nothing to do with jazz in my opinion albeit it probably suits Bowie's purposes . He makes you think fondly of Steve Gadd - another drummer with technically brilliant chops but whose playing leaves me cold.

Intrigued to discover this track this week which came as a massive shock. Love the orchestration even if the collaboration is frighteningly unexpected but the singing is absolutely dreadful . Intriguingly, the credit posted on Youtube allude to the genius of Bowie whereas the "real music" is all down to Schneider's orchestration!! Love Scott Robinson's snorting contra-bass clarinet in there.

[Serial_Apologist]

Intrigued to discover this track this week which came as a massive shock. Love the orchestration even if the collaboration is frighteningly unexpected but the singing is absolutely dreadful . Intriguingly, the credit posted on Youtube allude to the genius of Bowie whereas the "real music" is all down to Schneider's orchestration!! Love Scott Robinson's snorting contra-bass clarinet in there.

Ian, is that tune a Robert Wyatt song? I'll check later on when I've got time.

Edit No it isn't - I was confusing the opening ascending 4 note scalar figure with its appearance in Wyatt's "Teen Spirit" on the 1975 album "Ruth is Stranger than Richard".

[Serial_Apologist]

[B]
5.00 Jazz Line-Up
Julian Joseph presents the much-anticipated UK performance of saxophonist Kamasi Washington, recorded in November at the Barbican Theatre as part of the London Jazz Festival. Inspired by the spiritual jazz recordings of saxophonists John Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders and Albert Ayler, Kamasi adds a contemporary twist incorporating elements of funk, gosel and hip-hop.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vnfds

Did anyone listen to this?

I felt enthusiasm got the better part of quality here, with a reasonably gifted but in no way exceptional let alone original tenorist heavily framed and rather dwarfed by surrounding energy levels. What a terrible, sour-toned synthesiser, or whatever the keyboards player was on: there don't seem to have been many advances in that particular technological domain for a long time now, and the idiomatic jumps from them to the sub-Tyner piano and back again sounded ridiculous and likewise jarring.

Kevin Le Gendre seems to have let himself be taken for a ride again with this one. I'm glad I decided to save my money: lets get back to hearing some of the home talent once more.

[Quarky]

Did anyone listen to this?

I felt enthusiasm got the better part of quality here, with a reasonably gifted but in no way exceptional let alone original tenorist heavily framed and rather dwarfed by surrounding energy levels. What a terrible, sour-toned synthesiser, or whatever the keyboards player was on: there don't seem to have been many advances in that particular technological domain for a long time now, and the idiomatic jumps from them to the sub-Tyner piano and back again sounded ridiculous and likewise jarring.

Kevin Le Gendre seems to have let himself be taken for a ride again with this one. I'm glad I decided to save my money: lets get back to hearing some of the home talent once more.

I try to be open minded and refrain from criticising music I don't love, on the basis that it might appeal to someone, but I felt this was truly awful.

However discovery of the week for me has been David Bowie (who?). I had previously written him off as a pop act, but many thanks Ian for posting that clip - I would rather listen to David's voice than the contrived antics of Mark Murphy or Kurt Elling.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Agree with all that.Vacuous. I had it on the phone and it was like hip 70s elevator music one stage on..."The creator has an open plan apartment". And that Clair de lune train wreck? You wouldn't get away with that at the Swindon hot record, tape and rare acetate club c 1973, let alone now.

Really upset my ducks.

Thought there was a bit of foot shifting in the studio by the co-presenters?

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

I really like Kamasi Washington's tenor in Gerald Wilson's big band.

[Quarky]

Sat 16 Jan
4.00 Jazz Record Requests
Alyn Shipton gives listeners another chance...

http://www.alynshipton.co.uk/blog

!

"another chance" - not understood? Alyn's programmes are master classes in Jazz appreciation, at their best, but often weakened by what I guess is restricted material from the listeners' choices available. Solution - more requests!

Surprised at how free John Coltrane played in 1958.

[Jazzrook]

Agree with all that.Vacuous. I had it on the phone and it was like hip 70s elevator music one stage on..."The creator has an open plan apartment". And that Clair de lune train wreck? You wouldn't get away with that at the Swindon hot record, tape and rare acetate club c 1973, let alone now.

Really upset my ducks.

Thought there was a bit of foot shifting in the studio by the co-presenters?

BN.

The fact that KW once listened to John Coltrane's 'Transition' album every day seemed a good sign but I found his Barbican concert to be a horrible mish-mash.
Julian Joseph & Kevin LeGendre seem to have been taken in by all the hype over his 3-CD debut album 'The Epic'.

JR.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

The fact that KW once listened to John Coltrane's 'Transition' album every day seemed a good sign but I found his Barbican concert to be a horrible mish-mash.
Julian Joseph & Kevin LeGendre seem to have been taken in by all the hype over his 3-CD debut album 'The Epic'.

JR.

"Transition" along with "Coltrane" on Impulse!!!!!!!, and one more "!", are perhaps my favorite Trane records but I don't go around annoying people and mallard ducks because of it. Maybe Sanders is more to blame for all this guff. WBGO was playing Alice Coltrane(harp) early this morning and she never impressed me either.

They will never work in my jazz club, not even in the kitchen.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

Jazzrook is probably correct that the record has been overhyped but, listening to JLU on I-player, I don't it deserves the opprobrium even if the synthesizer sounds are not always agreeable. What I like about the music is that Washington is not afraid to work on a larger scale but I will post again when I have heard the complete set.

None of the posts seem to address the fact that this record has done something really remarkable in that it is the first time for years that a jazz record is getting serious attention on a broader level that actually celebrates the Black identity. Too much jazz these days seem to get attention either it is gets closer to European Classical music or offers a tacit acknowledgement towards pop. This Afro-centric approach to jazz has been out of favour for ages and I have heard musicians like Tigran spout nonsense about the idea of bop being dead and following a more European direction is the most logical direction if jazz is to evolve.

I really think that the last tear or two has seen a reaction against this and there are numerous artists now who seem no longer ashamed to build on a more genuine jazz heritage. The Washington 3-CD effort might not necessarily be the best effort but the reworking of the Debussy is really no different from the kind of Soul Jazz than Blue Note issued in the early sixties. I am a bit staggered at the negativity of this thread and even if I can concur that the jazz than Alice Coltrane produced quickly becomes annoying, Washington is working with a far wider palette. Hats off to him, in my opinion. This approach to jazz is far more welcome than the kind of lame stuff that has been billed as "cutting edge" since about 2000. Washington may be the tip of the iceberg and there are probably more rewarding and adventurous styles of jazz out there is you are prepared to look, however I think that it is good that the media are interested in this musician at a time when you really have to concentrate on the avant garde to find jazz with a degree of clout these days.

[burning dog]

Sounds like some of Lonnie Liston Smith's music OK but 40 years past it's time

[Tom Audustus]

"strange to discover this drummer is now part of the band backing David Bowie "

Why? I'm sure that it helped pay the mortgage. Isn't this just the sort of day job, along with teaching, that most jazz mucisians do to get along?