Jazz record of the year ~ 2014

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I agree about the Ari Brown record - very enjoyable.

The Oren Evans Quintet, "Liberation Suite", Live at Smoke, NY. Smoke Jazz.

Heard this on France Musique over the Christmas. Bought the CD. Knockout.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

i warned you about that pondicated duckness thing

Calum

Don't ever post anything like that again!! I'm still shaking!

[Ian Thumwood]

The Oren Evans Quintet, "Liberation Suite", Live at Smoke, NY. Smoke Jazz.

Heard this on France Musique over the Christmas. Bought the CD. Knockout.

BN.

Bluesnik

the line up for the Evans band is terrific. I've been impressed by J D Allen before and Sean Jones is a trumpeter who deserves more recognition. I saw him with Herbie and Wayne several years ago and he was terrific.

A couple of Christmases ago I bought by Dad a CD by Orrin Evan' "Captain Black big band" which is an aggressive an fiery ensemble not too dissimilar to Charles Tolliver's recent aggregation. That band includes a roster of good solo talent albeit I think Orrin Evans' intention was to create the band as a platform for younger musicians to understand how a jazz orchestra works. I suppose it's a bit like a Betty Carter / Art Blakey kind of finishing school with plenty of room to solo with the music played being uncompromising hard bop.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Really impressed Ian. France Musique seem to have a deal with the Smoke (NY) whereby they broadcast the live dates (2 hours) from the club in France. Harold Mabern, Vincent Herring, Jimmy Cobb et al. All very good but the Oren Evans date was superb. Hard Bop rooted maybe, but hardbop well aware of Miles's second quintet and the moves beyond. Brilliant players.

Made me almost optimistic!

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

To be honest, there is still plenty of mileage in this type of jazz. I've seen Cobb and Herring in the same band and thought they were a bit average but Mabern is a pianist I'd love to see. The likes of Evans get over-looked on this board but if you check out labels like Criss cross it is possible to see how ubiquitous this style of jazz remains yet still sounded relevant. The Evans big band can be heard here:-

[Ian Thumwood]

This is a better clip:-

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

one week in nyc

[Ian Thumwood]

Ian

I have just checked out the Jason Roebke and the Ari Brown on youtube and very impressed - I have just ordered both up. I am familiar with Ari Brown and have a number of albums by him, love his sound and approach very much in the tradition of Von Freeman and Fred Anderson.

I have been buying quite a few of the Delmarks in recent years and agree that Chicago is going through a particularely creative period. I have bought the latest Jason Adasiewicz trio album on Delmark, "Sun room: from the region" as far as vibes are concerned he is the best kept secret since Walt Dickerson. This new album has all the fire and drive that you associate with those classic Jackie Mc lean Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note albums but in no way is it a copy or pale imitation, this is the real thing - modern original music, highly recommended Jason is one to watch.

Its nice to be in such accord with you on this Ian cos we are poles apart when it comes to Hank Mobley.

elmo

Elmo

On your recommendation I spent some money that I had for Christmas on the Jason Adasiewicz album. I had been a bit sceptical of a vibes led trio as the instrument would be so exposed but this is a record that sounds better with each listening. He sounds a bit like Stan Tracey in his approach to the trio although this album scores for me because of the leader's compositional skills. This man is like the Thelonious Monk of the vibraphone and his music shares the same agreeable swing and love of accidental harmonies. The ballads are also particularly successful.

I was intrigued by the pleasing comment in the liner notes that the musicians consider themselves to all be drummers and liking to swing. This is a fantastically swinging group and it is pleasing to discover musicians who don't feel ashamed to have this kind of approach that some may consider unfashionable. I find Adasiewicz to be very "traditional" in many respects and he has a quality that you rightly suggest makes his music sound very similar to the more interrsting stuff Bobby Hutcherson was involved with on Blue Note in the mid 1960's. That said, it doesn't feel at all retro or "New Neo" - rather it has an honest approach that transcends fashions. Wondered if you had noticed some of the "outside" effects employed by AD where he used to the sticks to rattle against the frame of the instrument. Thanks for the heads up on this one. I totally concur with your recommendation and will be exploring the earlier "Sun Rooms" discs. I liked his "Roll down" project which included Josh Berman and Aram Shelton - Berman already being a favourite with his "Right Now" being an avant garde mash up of Eddie Condon. That is well worth getting hold of if it is still available.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Tim Garland, Orrin Evans [dig the Cpt Black album!] and who else for the three albums of 2014?

Chas is asking

[Tenor Freak]

Still enjoying the Mark Turner qt. disc.

[PUSB]

Tim Garland's Songs to the North Sky has been living up to Mr Fordham's five star review these last months; prefer it to the delightful Cohen album in my post above

and repeated listening has sharpened my sense of both its quality and ambition as music making .... Tin Garland really is a major figure imho

I think it needs the repeated listenings - initially seemed a bit MOR but gets better with each listen.

[Ian Thumwood]

Talking of those who work/ed in a kind of 'Step Beyond' Jackie Mclean mode, has anyone, Ian?, have any views of the youngish US altoist Steve Lehman? He was a pupil of Jackie and conducted one of the best later interviews with him. Jaymac a fan of Poulenc, who would have thought.

There's some good stuff on Youtube but I think he's moved on to more abstract forms. For want of a better phrase.

BN.

Lehman's "Mise en abime" has been fancied by many critics and I was intrigued enough to get a copy of the disc. It deserves the plaudits and whilst undoubtedly "progressive", the music comes across like the evolution of Jackie Mac's "One step beyond" quintet albeit with an augmented ensemble. It also reminded me a bit of some of Steve Coleman's stuff in that it mixes the visceral with the cerebral. I have been listening to this record over the weekend and it is one of those that grab you from the moment it drops in to the CD player. The music is edgy , the use of electronic subtle and unobtrusive and the soloists, especially from Lehman, blistering. Make no doubt, JM would have dug this band. Has anyone else heard it?