What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

I am starting to think that her pitch control is really ropey and there are too many instances where she sounds out of tune. It is quite intriguing when this happens as it seems to be more of a trait as singers become more ambitious and leave the safety net of standards for something riskier.

I've been noticing that too, lately.

[Ian Thumwood]

I've been noticing that too, lately.

With Meza is it quite pronounced. It is a real shame because the project was ambitious but is not as good as it could have been. I think the music is not without it's merit and pretty typical the way contemporary jazz singing is evolving. See what you think....

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=camila+meza&&view=detail&mid=F4F3C3DCDF1AC4A42A4EF4F3C3DCDF1AC4A42A4E&&FORM=VDRVRV

[Ian Thumwood]

More guitar playing on this trip. The video suggests a degree of pop music savvy but her music is too rooted in jazz to cross over. Still, I like her guitar playing. Her voice is much better on this track - maybe the addition of the strings make things a bit more difficult ?

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=camila+meza&&view=detail&mid=B8C72E3BDF50DCB0F0E0B8C72E3BDF50DCB0F0E0&rvsmid=F4F3C3DCDF1AC4A42A4EF4F3C3DCDF1AC4A42A4E&FORM=VDRVRV

[Ian Thumwood]

This is even better in this duo with Israeli keyboard player Shai Maestro.

You can sense something of the media buzz from this article although I have also seen reviews of her recent appearance at Newport. Never heard of her until a few weeks ago. Intriguing to see how many of these artists to look out for are singers and that the author seems to be pretty late to the party with Jaimie Branch.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/01/12-new-jazz-artists-to-watch-in-2019.html

[Joseph K]

'Love Hurts' - Julian Lage

Just on the first track so far - echoes for me of Red Hot Chilli Peppers' 'Could have Lied' both in the guitar tone and some of the melody. I like the second track - an Ornette Coleman number, very quirky. And the third is nice. The next track - the title one - is less to my taste, the harmonies are quite conventional, just like the melody. The fifth track, written by Lage, is ok, has a kind of 'everyone solos, no one solos' kind of texture. I opened the Wikipedia entry for this album - it says that Lage is a polite and mild-mannered guy - I think this description could equally apply to his music, I think it could be more colourful or sort of purposeful, maybe? I'd say this album is marginally better than Modern Lore, but I have absolutely no idea how it could be considered bizarre or surreal because to me it sounds just, well, mild-mannered and polite, as opposed to awe-inspiring, dramatic, multi-coloured etc. My loss no doubt...

[Stanfordian]

'Cross-Platform Interchange' album Misha Mullov-Abbado - Edition Records (2017)

[Ian Thumwood]

'Love Hurts' - Julian Lage

Just on the first track so far - echoes for me of Red Hot Chilli Peppers' 'Could have Lied' both in the guitar tone and some of the melody. I like the second track - an Ornette Coleman number, very quirky. And the third is nice. The next track - the title one - is less to my taste, the harmonies are quite conventional, just like the melody. The fifth track, written by Lage, is ok, has a kind of 'everyone solos, no one solos' kind of texture. I opened the Wikipedia entry for this album - it says that Lage is a polite and mild-mannered guy - I think this description could equally apply to his music, I think it could be more colourful or sort of purposeful, maybe? I'd say this album is marginally better than Modern Lore, but I have absolutely no idea how it could be considered bizarre or surreal because to me it sounds just, well, mild-mannered and polite, as opposed to awe-inspiring, dramatic, multi-coloured etc. My loss no doubt...

Yes but you need to place it in context as he is a mainstream player. If you look at other elements of his output he started off as a prodigy with Gary Burton and has also made several acoustic discs which also include forays in to Blue grass. I hear him in a pre-modern context but flirting with unusual repertoire. The tracks I have heard from "Modern Lore" suggest the new one is the better of the two discs . I would not rate him as highly as Abercrombie, Frisell or Scofield but he is a compelling soloist none-the-less. There is a good article here which explains the concept of the record which might help in understanding what is going on:-

https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/for-julian-lage-love-hurts-music-heals/

The best track is the version of Jimmy Guiffre's "Trudgin'" where he is the most "outside." It is quite conventional at a superficial listen but Lage is a virtuoso performer and there is enough musically intelligent ideas on this record to make it a really good listen. It just sounds like he has nothing to prove and it playing purely for fun. There are no pretentions about it whatsoever.

[Bryn]

Ute Kanngiesser + Ken Ikeda + Billy Steiger (iklectik, 3rd July this year). David Toop was scheduled to play but was indisposed. Bill Steiger graciously stepped in at the last moment.

[Stunsworth]

Donald Byrd: Ethiopian Knights

Funky.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Donald Byrd: Ethiopian Knights

Funky.

That's an interesting record. As are the few other Bluenote sessions Byrd cut around the same time in a similar early "electric" aware of Miles style, before he went full Blackbyrds.

[Stunsworth]

That's an interesting record. As are the few other Bluenote sessions Byrd cut around the same time in a similar early "electric" aware of Miles style, before he went full Blackbyrds.

'Miles' was the first word that went through my mind when I listened to it.

[Stanfordian]

‘The Thing to Do’
Blue Mitchell with Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor & Al Foster
Blue Note (1964) - Quite superb!

[Joseph K]

‘The Thing to Do’
Blue Mitchell with Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor & Al Foster
Blue Note (1964) - Quite superb!

This looks interesting - definitely one to check out, looking at that personnel.

[Ian Thumwood]

Wondered of anyone had picked up on this article?

https://jazztimes.com/features/interviews/nile-rodgers-from-jazz-roots/

I have seen Chic perform twice on two occasions. The first time I went with an open mind but expected to be disappointed. Not being aware of the extent of his involvement in popular music although aware of his name, it was staggering to find out just how much music be composed. However, the most striking thing about the band was that it was clear that the instrumentalists had come from jazz. Chic could not have existed within it. Listening to the keyboard player's playing that night, the harmonies clearly derived from jazz and these was sufficient improvisation to make a cynic like me interested. The second time I thought I was prepared but the sound engineer's failed to get the balance sorted before the gig started and Rodgers came on stage where be played two Monk numbers in the sound check. At that point I felt he was one of our own.

Whilst I was aware that his parents had been involved in jazz and that he had a strong affinity for the music, I had no idea he started off studying jazz with Ted Dunbar. This article is quite a revelation and puts Nile Rodgers right in the heart of the jazz community. Basically the training he got from jazz enabled him to be so good at pop music. Found myself liking him even more after I read the article which is fascinating when you realise who he has worked with in jazz circles.

Who would have guessed this piece was influenced by McCoy Tyner?

[Stanfordian]

‘Somethin' Else’
Cannonball Adderley with Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones & Art Blakey
Blue Note (1958)

‘Cross-Platform Interchange’
Misha Mullov-Abbado
Edition Records (2017)