What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

Those 5 albums Dexter Gordon recorded in the period 1961-63 were I believe his golden period.

Doin' Allright (Blue Note 1961)
Dexter Calling... (Blue Note 1961)
Go! (Blue Note 1962)
A Swingin' Affair (Blue Note 1962)
Our Man in Paris (Blue Note 1963)

Dexter appeared at Ronnie's in '63 - there's a famous shot of him at the time, having his shoes shined in Piccadilly Circus, towering taller than Eros!

[Lat-Literal]

I haven't seen anything worth attending there for some months now, Lat. In any case, as far as I know, actual jazz only takes place there once a month. But I'll check the listings for August when it comes out tomorrow, and if I see anything worthwhile I'll let you know.

OK - thank you.

[Beef Oven!]

It was cut the next day or two days after "Go", same classic little band, I think a pick of DG's output. Soy Califa has a wonderful Latin feel to the intro with Higgins, and Sonny Clark is superb throughout, even tho Dexter said he appeared to have a drink/drugs death wish "and no longer seemed to want to live". Hard to square Clark's condition with his playing...

DEXTER GORDON, tenor sax
SONNY CLARK, piano
BUTCH WARREN, bass
BILLY HIGGINS, drums

SIDE A

01. SOY CALIFA 6:27
02. Don’t Explain 6:06
03. You Stepped Out Of A Dream 6:34

SIDE B

01.The Backbone 6:48
02. Until The Real Thing Comes Along 6:49
3.McSplivens 5:43

Originally Released In 1962 By BLUE NOTE RECORDS

Thanks. I've just downloaded it from Qobuz as a Hi-Res 24/192 recording.

[Ian Thumwood]

I have "Go " and "Our man in Paris." The latter always seems untypical of Blue Note for me with the lack of preparation an absence of new material for the session atypical of the label. That said, I think it is one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. Bud Powell is in excellent form but Kenny Clarke's drumming is a revelation. It is a shame that he has disappeared from the perception of jazz fans these days. The music is almost 15 years out of date yet it is an archetypal Be-bop session which is extremely exciting. "Scrapple" and "Broadway" must be some of the hardest swinging jazz out down on record. It sums up my impression of jazz in France during the immediate post-war years and is essential in my opinion.


Regarding Sonny Clark, I have always had some affection for his pithy, laconic style of playing. He comes out of Bud Powell yet sounds a bit like a more wry version of Horace Silver. It has always seemed strange to me that he has been cited as an influence on Bill Evans as their respective style of "attack" are widely different. It think he was one of Blue Notes finest composers too even if some of his records vary in quality with something like "Leapin; & lopin" being marred by the sub-par Tommy Turrentine despite some of Clark's finest writing. "Dial S for Sonny" is also a bit of a drag whereas "Sonny's Crib" is very under-rated and features some excellent early Coltrane plus Curtis Fuller's stellar trombone. I cannot understand why this record is not more widely appreciated as it has a couple of Clark's best compositions plus some performances of standards which are exceptional. "Cool Stuttin'" remains his masterpiece. The shear hipness of his music belies the fact that he was originally a West Coast musician.


I always think that had Clark lived, he would have cleaned up on the European festival circuit. Whilst I can appreciate the fact that writers like Horace Silver did take inspiration from larger ensembles with regards to their compositions, the likes of Tina Brooks, Freddie Redd and Sonny Clark were equally adept at writing for smaller bands which, whilst not being particularly adventurous or forward thinking, crystalized a high standard of writing for small combos which means the music remains compelling nearly 60 years later. There is almost a tendency to over-look the arrangements in these contexts albeit something like "True Blue" does incorporate a significant amount of writing in proportion to blowing.

[Beef Oven!]

Interesting post Ian, thanks. I've just finished listening to Go! again, and I think it's hard to beat. I haven't yet downloaded A Swingin' Affair so any comparison must wait. You give a rather strongly worded advocacy for Our Man In Paris - I really must check it out!

[Stanfordian]

‘The Freedom Rider’
Art Blakey with Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons & Jymie Merritt
Blue Note (1961)

[Joseph K]

The Song is You - Keith Jarrett Trio

I used to own this very fine record. Glad to see at least some of it on youtube.

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

[Serial_Apologist]

OK - thank you.

Lat, I've checked the listings, and tbh there's nothing that particularly grabs me for the Clocktower lunchtime gigs this month. I'd be happy to meet up there though, apart from on the 16th, when there's something at the Vortex in the evening I'm considering.

You were right, btw, there is jazz on every Thursday there.

[Jazzrook]

Yusef Lateef 'Live at Ronnie Scott's'(GEARBOX) on January 15, 1966.

Here's 'Yusef's Mood' with Lateef(tenor sax); Stan Tracey(piano); Rick Laird(bass) & Bill Eyden(drums);

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

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘The Blues and the Abstract Truth’
Oliver Nelson Septet (with Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes
Impulse! (1961)

[Joseph K]

'Give and Take' by Mike Stern which arrived today.

Cool stuff.

[Beef Oven!]

‘The Blues and the Abstract Truth’
Oliver Nelson Septet (with Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Roy Haynes
Impulse! (1961)

Don't know this record. The line is awesome, so at some point I'll check it out.

[Joseph K]

Don't know this record. The line is awesome, so at some point I'll check it out.

Ditto.

Now spinning: New Jazz Conceptions - Bill Evans.

This also arrived today, as part of the boxed set 12 classic albums of Bill Evans.

[Stanfordian]

Don't know this record. The line is awesome, so at some point I'll check it out.

It's on YouTube, or at least some of the album is! I'm not sure Oliver Nelson rose to such heights again on record!

[Serial_Apologist]

It's on YouTube, or at least some of the album is! I'm not sure Oliver Nelson rose to such heights again on record!

The materials from the album epitomise for me the transition between hard bop and modal taking place in some quarters by 1961, which was to be one of the hallmarks of Blue Note jazz as the decade progressed further, providing inspiration for those seeking a "middle way" between changes and the greater freedoms offered by modalism. Having provided excellent, at times angular springboarding challenges that expand blues forms Nelson is really odd-man-out in the solo order: I don't know of any follow-up to his eccentric quest to find a new direction there. So for me, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Evans and Eric Dolphy are the stars of the piece: Hubbard plays as well as anywhere at that time; Evans copes creatively with the absence of the specific kind of interactivity he had been evolving with Motian and La Faro; and what more can be said other than to describe Dolphy's work here as superlative. It is Dolphy's challenge to the others and absence that detracts from the follow-up, pleasant enough though it is.