What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Joseph K]

Herbie Hancock, 78 yesterday. I've been listening (for the first time) to his "The Prisoner" album, his last for Bluenote in 1969. This has somehow passed me by in any form for all these years. What a lovely record, a homage to Martin Luther King, with an augmented band and some superb stuff from Herbie, Joe Henderson and Johnny Coles. This is must buy, must buy, must.

I have that album - as part of the Blue Note Five Original Records boxed set, but I admit I haven't yet got round to listening to it. I'll make sure I do tomorrow.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

It's relaxed, reflective, but intense if that makes any sense! Johnny Coles is wonderful on it, as are the entire band.. Thereafter Herbie went off to Warner's for his "funk" period. But this is a smashing curtain to his Bluenote era. And the one which he said got the closest to what he was trying to achieve, at that time at least.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's relaxed, reflective, but intense if that makes any sense! Johnny Coles is wonderful on it, as are the entire band.. Thereafter Herbie went off to Warner's for his "funk" period. But this is a smashing curtain to his Bluenote era. And the one which he said got the closest to what he was trying to achieve, at that time at least.

I can see (hear) why - The Prisoner is arguably Hancock's most successful and adventurous "score". Checking, I see that his old friend and associate Wayne Shorter is 85 on August 25th this year.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

It always throws me.I always think of Wayne as being a LOT younger than say, Sonny Rollins, the next generation, but it's not so.

[Stanfordian]

‘Inner Urge’
Joe Henderson with McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw & Elvin Jones
Blue Note (1964)

[Conchis]

Angel Song - Kenny Wheeler (1994)

[Stanfordian]

‘Boss Soul!’
Gene Ammons with Walter Bishop Jr, Patti Brown, Art Davis, George Duvivier, Art Taylor & Ray Barretto
Prestige (1961)

[Serial_Apologist]

Angel Song - Kenny Wheeler (1994)

Not among my favourites from Kenny Wheeler, though it is said to have been his best-selling album. Kenny was very surprised at that!

[Ian Thumwood]

Not among my favourites from Kenny Wheeler, though it is said to have been his best-selling album. Kenny was very surprised at that!

"Angel Song" got really good reviews when it came out but it is a hard record to love in my opinion. I much preferred the quintet with John Abercrombie and John Taylor.

Been listening to the Gerald Wilson this weekend along with some Leroy Carr. They make an interesting contrast. Carr's music is, to be honest, not especially varied yet I love his piano playing and the interaction with Scrapper Blackwell. The music had a major influence on people like Count Basie and Jay McShann who both covered Carr's music. I understand that many blues fans are condescending of Carr because of the fact that he represented a shift from pure, country blues to a more commercial approach but the closeness to jazz is what appeals to me.

Another musician whose work was heavily indebted to blues was Gerald Wilson but in the 30-odd years since Carr, the blues had been crafted in to something really sophisticated by the arranger. It is a style of arrangement and composition which deserves analysis. The basic premise of his music is centred around the blues but in Wilson's hands the orchestration seems like a culmination of the process started by Carr. The music is totally urban and also savvy enough to absorb other non-jazz influences such as classical orchestration. This arrangement is fascinating as the chart starts off quite orthodox but the solos really stretch the music so when the theme returns you are surprised at the journey the music has made:-

[Jazzrook]

Drummer Idris Muhammad playing 'Kabsha' from 1980 with George Coleman(tenor sax) & Ray Drummond(bass):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5yGvvfmltQ

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘No Room for Squares’
Hank Mobley with Lee Morgan, Andrew Hill, John Ore & Philly Joe Jones + with Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren & Philly Joe Jones
Blue Note (1963)

[Jazzrook]

Archie Shepp on Albert Ayler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BUzRl_fFiA

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Search for the New Land’
Lee Morgan with Wayne Shorter, Grant Green, Reggie Workman & Billy Higgins
Blue Note (1964)

[Joseph K]

While making chilli:

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro

[Serial_Apologist]

While making chilli:

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters

Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro

Chilli Fillies?