What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

I am not convinced that organ based jazz has the same following in the UK as it does on the States where it enjoys more status and perhaps can be considered it's own sub-genre rather like Gypsy jazz.

Ross Stanley - great guy and a very prominent personality on the London scene, and evidently further afield!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h6QFd34XF4

Hammond admittedly isn't quite my thing, but there are quite a few others I could mention, Ian!

Nigel Price

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRTFvxrO21o

And an old favourite...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5I0A3W6-ok

"Hey - not that old! Remember I come from Glasgie!"

[Ian Thumwood]

SA

I will return to those clips when I am back in later in the week but they sound great. I know of Jim Mullen but the others were totally unknown to me.

When I mean following, I was thinking more along the lines of fans. One of the most interesting of all the jazz websites was the old Blue Note site pf the early 2000's where hundreds of fans were permitted to write reviews of their favourite records. The organ related records by the likes of Jimmy Smith always received ecstatic reviews and discs by players like Big John Patton and Baby Face Willette had ratings which were staggeringly high. A lot of the reviewers on the old Blue Note site were American. They have a massive cult following on line with albums like the Fred Jackson classic "Hootin' & tootin'" enjoying a legacy that does not reflect it's poor sales at the time of it's release. I have noticed this with loads of reviews on American sites that organ-dominated groups have an almost unique fan base and seem to be far more popular than in the UK. Bands like Mike LaDonne's excellent Groover Quartet continue to put our some pretty decent records and it is interesting reading reviews of musicians such as Joey DeFrancesco where there is clearly a very loyal fan base for this kind of stuff. (Just check out the reviews on Amazon to get a sense of this musician's fan base.) Whenever I have come across a chart reflecting sales of jazz albums, organ-dominated groups frequently feature. There is a huge appetite for this kind of jazz ranging from pop-orientated stuff like James Taylor through to more hardcore jazz musicians.

Loads of musicians have explored this format including unlikely suspects like Bill Frisell and a surprising number of guitarists from John Abercrombie through the George Benson emerged out of this scene. It is a fascinating oeuvre simply because it is very redolent of a particularly era (the 1960s) yet continues to appeal to both fans and musicians alike. I would have to admit that I am a fan of these bands and there is an element of excitement whenever I hear this music, not necessarily because you expect to hear something original, but because the music has an air of expectation, perhaps because there is so much historical baggage associated with it. For something that was so fashionable in it's time, it never seems to have lost the appeal and has acquired it's own tradition rather like Gypsy Jazz. Two of the best gigs I have been to were John Abercrombie's organ trio with Adam Nassbaum and Dan Wall and the organ trio led by multi-reed player James Carter called "Django unchained" which rather incongruously performed Reinhart compositions which were tested to destruction in front of an ecstatic audience. I think this latter gig probably elicited the best audience reaction I have witnessed, Carter playing like an outside version of Illinois Jacquet and pushing his saxophone into almost Ayler-esque contortions whilst maintain an incredible groove. Considering how far "out" Carter was prepared to go, I think that the presence of the organ helped keen an admittedly partisan audience totally onside. I have really encountered this kind of abandon in a musician's playing in a live gig and the close proximity of the musicians in a small club added to the excitement. Difficult to pigeon hole a player like James Carter who seems to flirt with the avant garde yet having a foot firmly in the 1930's. A musician who deserves to me more widely appreciated and like Kenny Garrett, always guaranteed to whip an audience up.

[Ian Thumwood]

SA

I will return to those clips when I am back in later in the week but they sound great. I know of Jim Mullen but the others were totally unknown to me.

When I mean following, I was thinking more along the lines of fans. One of the most interesting of all the jazz websites was the old Blue Note site pf the early 2000's where hundreds of fans were permitted to write reviews of their favourite records. The organ related records by the likes of Jimmy Smith always received ecstatic reviews and discs by players like Big John Patton and Baby Face Willette had ratings which were staggeringly high. A lot of the reviewers on the old Blue Note site were American. They have a massive cult following on line with albums like the Fred Jackson classic "Hootin' & tootin'" enjoying a legacy that does not reflect it's poor sales at the time of it's release. I have noticed this with loads of reviews on American sites that organ-dominated groups have an almost unique fan base and seem to be far more popular than in the UK. Bands like Mike LaDonne's excellent Groover Quartet continue to put our some pretty decent records and it is interesting reading reviews of musicians such as Joey DeFrancesco where there is clearly a very loyal fan base for this kind of stuff. (Just check out the reviews on Amazon to get a sense of this musician's fan base.) Whenever I have come across a chart reflecting sales of jazz albums, organ-dominated groups frequently feature. There is a huge appetite for this kind of jazz ranging from pop-orientated stuff like James Taylor through to more hardcore jazz musicians.

Loads of musicians have explored this format including unlikely suspects like Bill Frisell and a surprising number of guitarists from John Abercrombie through the George Benson emerged out of this scene. It is a fascinating oeuvre simply because it is very redolent of a particularly era (the 1960s) yet continues to appeal to both fans and musicians alike. I would have to admit that I am a fan of these bands and there is an element of excitement whenever I hear this music, not necessarily because you expect to hear something original, but because the music has an air of expectation, perhaps because there is so much historical baggage associated with it. For something that was so fashionable in it's time, it never seems to have lost the appeal and has acquired it's own tradition rather like Gypsy Jazz. Two of the best gigs I have been to were John Abercrombie's organ trio with Adam Nassbaum and Dan Wall and the organ trio led by multi-reed player James Carter called "Django unchained" which rather incongruously performed Reinhart compositions which were tested to destruction in front of an ecstatic audience. I think this latter gig probably elicited the best audience reaction I have witnessed, Carter playing like an outside version of Illinois Jacquet and pushing his saxophone into almost Ayler-esque contortions whilst maintain an incredible groove. Considering how far "out" Carter was prepared to go, I think that the presence of the organ helped keen an admittedly partisan audience totally onside. I have really encountered this kind of abandon in a musician's playing in a live gig and the close proximity of the musicians in a small club added to the excitement. Difficult to pigeon hole a player like James Carter who seems to flirt with the avant garde yet having a foot firmly in the 1930's. A musician who deserves to me more widely appreciated and like Kenny Garrett, always guaranteed to whip an audience up.

[Jazzrook]

Archie Shepp's overlooked 1965 album 'On This Night'(Impulse!)

Here's Shepp's heartfelt version of Duke Ellington's 'In A Sentimental Mood' with Bobby Hutcherson(vibes); Henry Grimes(bass) & Joe Chambers(drums):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2M8UO7tum4

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

SA

I will return to those clips when I am back in later in the week but they sound great. I know of Jim Mullen but the others were totally unknown to me.

When I mean following, I was thinking more along the lines of fans. One of the most interesting of all the jazz websites was the old Blue Note site pf the early 2000's where hundreds of fans were permitted to write reviews of their favourite records. The organ related records by the likes of Jimmy Smith always received ecstatic reviews and discs by players like Big John Patton and Baby Face Willette had ratings which were staggeringly high. A lot of the reviewers on the old Blue Note site were American. They have a massive cult following on line with albums like the Fred Jackson classic "Hootin' & tootin'" enjoying a legacy that does not reflect it's poor sales at the time of it's release. I have noticed this with loads of reviews on American sites that organ-dominated groups have an almost unique fan base and seem to be far more popular than in the UK. Bands like Mike LaDonne's excellent Groover Quartet continue to put our some pretty decent records and it is interesting reading reviews of musicians such as Joey DeFrancesco where there is clearly a very loyal fan base for this kind of stuff. (Just check out the reviews on Amazon to get a sense of this musician's fan base.) Whenever I have come across a chart reflecting sales of jazz albums, organ-dominated groups frequently feature. There is a huge appetite for this kind of jazz ranging from pop-orientated stuff like James Taylor through to more hardcore jazz musicians.

Loads of musicians have explored this format including unlikely suspects like Bill Frisell and a surprising number of guitarists from John Abercrombie through the George Benson emerged out of this scene. It is a fascinating oeuvre simply because it is very redolent of a particularly era (the 1960s) yet continues to appeal to both fans and musicians alike. I would have to admit that I am a fan of these bands and there is an element of excitement whenever I hear this music, not necessarily because you expect to hear something original, but because the music has an air of expectation, perhaps because there is so much historical baggage associated with it. For something that was so fashionable in it's time, it never seems to have lost the appeal and has acquired it's own tradition rather like Gypsy Jazz. Two of the best gigs I have been to were John Abercrombie's organ trio with Adam Nassbaum and Dan Wall and the organ trio led by multi-reed player James Carter called "Django unchained" which rather incongruously performed Reinhart compositions which were tested to destruction in front of an ecstatic audience. I think this latter gig probably elicited the best audience reaction I have witnessed, Carter playing like an outside version of Illinois Jacquet and pushing his saxophone into almost Ayler-esque contortions whilst maintain an incredible groove. Considering how far "out" Carter was prepared to go, I think that the presence of the organ helped keen an admittedly partisan audience totally onside. I have really encountered this kind of abandon in a musician's playing in a live gig and the close proximity of the musicians in a small club added to the excitement. Difficult to pigeon hole a player like James Carter who seems to flirt with the avant garde yet having a foot firmly in the 1930's. A musician who deserves to me more widely appreciated and like Kenny Garrett, always guaranteed to whip an audience up.

Thanks Ian - you might like to check out something I posted yesterday on the Jazz in the Smoke thread, if you have time!

[Serial_Apologist]

Archie Shepp's overlooked 1965 album 'On This Night'(Impulse!)

Here's Shepp's heartfelt version of Duke Ellington's 'In A Sentimental Mood' with Bobby Hutcherson(vibes); Henry Grimes(bass) & Joe Chambers(drums):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2M8UO7tum4

JR

Overlooked by me as well, tbh! - so thanks for this great link, JR.

[Ian Thumwood]

It was interesting to read the list of "greatest jazz guitarists" on the other thread and fund that Sonny Sharrock's name was missing. For the last few days I have been continually playing the exceptional album he made in the early 1990s called "Ask the ages" which featured Charnett Moffett, Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. The music is almost an amalgam of what an encounter might have sounded like if John Coltrane's quartet had featured Jimi Hendrix instead of McCoy Tyner. Most of the tunes are deceptively simple yet this is a staggeringly brilliant record. What is particularly remarkable about the set is that Sanders is often a pretty coruscating soloist but he is totally outdone by the leader's guitar. The guitar playing owes nothing to Be-bop and is as far away from Pat Martino as is possible yet it remains so apposite in the context. I would also suggest that this record might actually be Elvin Jones' finest moment on record outside of the Coltrane quartet, the volume of the playing allowing him to be totally unbridled. For my money, this is one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.

[Richard Barrett]

It was interesting to read the list of "greatest jazz guitarists" on the other thread and fund that Sonny Sharrock's name was missing. For the last few days I have been continually playing the exceptional album he made in the early 1990s called "Ask the ages" which featured Charnett Moffett, Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. The music is almost an amalgam of what an encounter might have sounded like if John Coltrane's quartet had featured Jimi Hendrix instead of McCoy Tyner. Most of the tunes are deceptively simple yet this is a staggeringly brilliant record. What is particularly remarkable about the set is that Sanders is often a pretty coruscating soloist but he is totally outdone by the leader's guitar. The guitar playing owes nothing to Be-bop and is as far away from Pat Martino as is possible yet it remains so apposite in the context. I would also suggest that this record might actually be Elvin Jones' finest moment on record outside of the Coltrane quartet, the volume of the playing allowing him to be totally unbridled. For my money, this is one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.

Some beautiful playing on that album to be sure. A bit overproduced though, don't you think? Something a bit more spare, with less obvious overdubbing, might have shown the playing off to better advantage.

[Jazzrook]

Overlooked by me as well, tbh! - so thanks for this great link, JR.

Thanks, S_A. Unfortunately, the Archie Shepp CD is currently almost impossible to find but, if anyone's interested, a 180g vinyl version of 'On This Night'(Impulse!) is out next week(30th May) in the De Agostini fortnightly series(No. 62) of jazz LPs.
Available from some branches of W.H.Smith(!) or here:

https://www.classicjazzcollection.com

JR

[Jazzrook]

It was interesting to read the list of "greatest jazz guitarists" on the other thread and fund that Sonny Sharrock's name was missing. For the last few days I have been continually playing the exceptional album he made in the early 1990s called "Ask the ages" which featured Charnett Moffett, Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. The music is almost an amalgam of what an encounter might have sounded like if John Coltrane's quartet had featured Jimi Hendrix instead of McCoy Tyner. Most of the tunes are deceptively simple yet this is a staggeringly brilliant record. What is particularly remarkable about the set is that Sanders is often a pretty coruscating soloist but he is totally outdone by the leader's guitar. The guitar playing owes nothing to Be-bop and is as far away from Pat Martino as is possible yet it remains so apposite in the context. I would also suggest that this record might actually be Elvin Jones' finest moment on record outside of the Coltrane quartet, the volume of the playing allowing him to be totally unbridled. For my money, this is one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.

Ian ~ Agree about 'Ask The Ages'. Also liked Sharrock's playing on Last Exit's powerful 1988 studio album 'Iron Path'(ESP) with Peter Brotzmann, Bill Laswell & Ronald Shannon Jackson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_nt7rOHA5c

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Our Man in Paris’
Dexter Gordon with Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot & Kenny Clarke
Blue Note (1963)

[Jazzrook]

Dizzy Gillespie & his Reunion Big Band playing 'Things To Come' in 1968. Sensational!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XCQkJRSgRQ

JR

[Joseph K]

Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages.

[burning dog]

Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages.

Love it !

[Stanfordian]

‘A Sure Thing’
Blue Mitchell with Clark Terry, Julius Watkins, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones & Albert Heath
Riverside (1962)