What Jazz are you listening to now?

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  • Ian Thumwood
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 4148

    Jazzrook

    Wondered if you had read this review today?



    When I was getting in to contemporary jazz musicians like John Carter and Horace Tapscott totally by-passed my attention. The HatArt / HatHut label always seemed to be associated with the avant garde and musicians who never seemed to get much attention or airplay at the time. It was really niche. It is interesting to discover these musicians now that my taste had broadened and find that the jazz they produced still seems fresh and original. Until the late 1990's, I had heard nothing by Tapscott and his music is far more approachable than I had anticipated. It is very strange to listen to records like "The Dark Tree" and try to envisage this kind of jazz being produced today. There was another review I read this morning which stood in stark contrast and dealt with Brad Mehldau's latest disc which offers a mixture of vocal music with electronica which came with the comment that the pianist needed to look beyond jazz to keep an audience.

    Comparing and contrasting Tapscott and Mehldau is actually a pretty interesting thing to do simply because their approach to music is so radically different on so many levels and I think offers a window into the status of the music. It is shocking that the likes of Tapscott, Blythe and Carter have now passed on and maybe they would have found a lot of what passes for jazz as unrecognisable or lacking in integrity. Composers like Tapscott just seem to fully embody what jazz is about in it's more narrow definition whereas someone like Mehldau probably has far greater technique and a much broader embrace of all types of music. I would have probably come down more in favour of Mehldau twenty years ago whereas now I just think the absence of the kind of jazz performed by musicians such as Blythe, Tapscott and Blythe is precisely what is missing in the contemporary scene. I am a bit reluctant to be too negative about Mehldau as there have been moments when I have very much enjoyed his offerings yet by prostituting his music with elements from contemporary pop music is precisely what is robbing it of the honesty prevalent within this music performed by the likes of Tapacott. As for John Carter. I have to say that is lack of recognition is criminal.

    Comment

    • Jazzrook
      Full Member
      • Mar 2011
      • 3063

      Many thanks, Ian - I enjoyed reading the AAJ review of 'The Dark Tree' which certainly deserves a 30th anniversary reissue. Tapscott is one of the most overlooked musicians in all of jazz.
      His 1995 album 'aiee! The Phantom' is another great one and worth searching for.

      Horace Tapscott – Aiee! the PhantomRecord Label: Arabesque Jazz ▪ Release Date: 1995 ▪ Style(s): ModalHorace Tapscott - Piano ▪ Marcus Belgrave - Trumpet ▪ A...


      JR
      Last edited by Jazzrook; 06-06-19, 20:09.

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      • teamsaint
        Full Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 25193

        Something Else!!!!
        Ornette Coleman.

        What would people recommend listening to of his records post Free Jazz?
        I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

        I am not a number, I am a free man.

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        • Jazzrook
          Full Member
          • Mar 2011
          • 3063

          James Carter's contribution to 'Coltrane at 90' at the Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia:

          Philadelphia Jazz Project hosted a Sax Tribute & Marathon at the legendary Church of the Advocate as part of their free series of events celebrating "Coltran...


          JR

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          • Serial_Apologist
            Full Member
            • Dec 2010
            • 37589

            Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
            Something Else!!!!
            Ornette Coleman.

            What would people recommend listening to of his records post Free Jazz?
            Oh, anything really, TS - and that's not intended as being unhelpful, just acknowledging that I don't have the critical perspective to nominate any one of the post "Free Jazz" recordings as meriting more in any way than any other. My way would be to pick out chronologically from whatever you can find on youtube, then maybe order up according to what hits your taste buds. Prime Time was the "fusion" ensemble he led from about 1975 onwards - the rest of his recorded oeuvre I would describe as in acoustic frameworks, including the 1985 Metheny collaboration "Song X".

            Comment

            • Ian Thumwood
              Full Member
              • Dec 2010
              • 4148

              JR

              I have seen James Carter twice in concert but the latest gig was in a small after hours club in Vienne where he performed with an organist and a drummer. As much as I was impressed the first time I caught him, this latter gig remains one of the best I have ever been to. He is an amazing player on all saxophones and the thing I like most about him is the shear energy with which he plays. I thing he is probably the closest we have today to someone like Illinois Jacquet and it I feel that this kind of exuberance is really lacking in so much contemporary jazz. It is an element that I miss a lot in contemporary jazz and the polar opposite to the kind of aesthetics of labels such as ECM or ACT where this kind of approach to jazz would be frowned upon. Although he is blessed with a staggering technique, his playing is all about communicating and you do get swept up in the music he produces. The organ trio performed material associated with Django Reinhart yet it took on elements of funk and free playing as well as some free-booting straight ahead swing.

              I sometimes think that some jazz musicians are afraid of playing with their heart on their sleeve like this today. There is a sense of the music being gripped firmly in the teeth and being given a good shake until the limbs of the tunes seems to fall off. It is not so much an element of show no respect for the repertoire but more about being faithful to what jazz should be about. The music does swing intently when plays and it is full of energy. It is quite interesting to read some reviews of younger saxophonists lauded by critics and finding that when you hear them perform live, the music doesn't quite come off as exciting even though you can appreciate the technique. In the last few years I could cite reed players as diverse as Chico Freeman, Kenny Garrett and Branford Marsalis producing this kind of energy and clearly playing well-beyond the kind of college drill style soloists that seem two-a-penny these days. I also appreciate a more cerebral approach to playing jazz yet think that this is so prevalent these days that it is the more aggressive soloists who stand out. For me, they really separate the men from the boys.

              Comment

              • Serial_Apologist
                Full Member
                • Dec 2010
                • 37589

                Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
                I sometimes think that some jazz musicians are afraid of playing with their heart on their sleeve like this today. There is a sense of the music being gripped firmly in the teeth and being given a good shake until the limbs of the tunes seems to fall off. It is not so much an element of show no respect for the repertoire but more about being faithful to what jazz should be about. The music does swing intently when plays and it is full of energy.
                Paul Dunmall - tenor saxophoneHoward Cottle - tenor saxophoneOlie Brice - bassTony Bianco - drums+ Alan Skidmore -tenor saxophoneAt Herts Jazz Festival, Broa...

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                • burning dog
                  Full Member
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 1509

                  Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                  Oh, anything really, TS - and that's not intended as being unhelpful, just acknowledging that I don't have the critical perspective to nominate any one of the post "Free Jazz" recordings as meriting more in any way than any other. My way would be to pick out chronologically from whatever you can find on youtube, then maybe order up according to what hits your taste buds. Prime Time was the "fusion" ensemble he led from about 1975 onwards - the rest of his recorded oeuvre I would describe as in acoustic frameworks, including the 1985 Metheny collaboration "Song X".
                  God advice from SA

                  but id gove this one ago TS


                  Ornette Coleman Trio at the Golden Circle - Faces and Places (1965)Personnel: Ornette Coleman (alto sax), David Izenzon (bass), Charles Moffett (drums)from t...
                  Last edited by burning dog; 09-06-19, 07:00.

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                  • Joseph K
                    Banned
                    • Oct 2017
                    • 7765

                    Five Peace Band - Live In Ankara 2008 - Colaiuta, Corea, McLaughlin, McBride, Garrett

                    Five Peace Band LiveOctober, 28.2008Ankara/TurkeyChick Corea - Keyboards, PianoJohn McLaughlin - Electric Guitar Christian McBride - Electric & Double BassKe...


                    Recent upload. Good sound quality =

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                    • Joseph K
                      Banned
                      • Oct 2017
                      • 7765

                      Wayne Shorter - Juju

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                      • Joseph K
                        Banned
                        • Oct 2017
                        • 7765

                        Wayne Shorter - Lotus, from Emanon

                        LP: Emanon - 2018Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Wayne ShorterPiano – Danilo PerezBass – John PatitucciDrums – Brian BladeThe Wayne Shorter Quartet with...

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                        • Joseph K
                          Banned
                          • Oct 2017
                          • 7765

                          Emily Remler and John Scofield - Stella by Starlight

                          Emily Remler John Scofield stella by starlight- - - - - - - - - - complet - - - - - - - - - - durée 10mn 35 - - - - - - - - - - concert berklee school 1988 -...

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                          • Ian Thumwood
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 4148

                            I would never have imagined Scofield and Remler appearing together. This is fascinating because they seem a generation apart in styles. Remler is really bop orientated whereas Scofield's phrasing appeals to me much more. Scofield is often under-appreciated and I just think he has been one of the most significant soloists in jazz over the last 35 years. I quite liked Emily Remler's music back in the day even though she was always ridiculed in The Wire which did not like her playing for some reason - maybe the fact that she was indebted to Wes whereas this was not necessarily where jazz guitar was headed at the time. the criticism seems harsh now. This is a beautiful duet.

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                            • Joseph K
                              Banned
                              • Oct 2017
                              • 7765

                              Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
                              I would never have imagined Scofield and Remler appearing together. This is fascinating because they seem a generation apart in styles. Remler is really bop orientated whereas Scofield's phrasing appeals to me much more. Scofield is often under-appreciated and I just think he has been one of the most significant soloists in jazz over the last 35 years. I quite liked Emily Remler's music back in the day even though she was always ridiculed in The Wire which did not like her playing for some reason - maybe the fact that she was indebted to Wes whereas this was not necessarily where jazz guitar was headed at the time. the criticism seems harsh now. This is a beautiful duet.

                              Comment

                              • Joseph K
                                Banned
                                • Oct 2017
                                • 7765

                                John Coltrane - Transition

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