What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

"Rogues" - since they're all on about prorogueing - a CD of free improvisations recorded in 1988 by trombonist Paul Rutherford and bassist Paul Rogers: solo bass and trombone tracks book-ended by two long duet performances - on Martin Davidson's Emanem label. An inexhaustible treasure trove of brilliant inventiveness and two minds working as one.

[Stanfordian]

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

[Jazzrook]

A fantastic version of 'A Night In Tunisia' from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers with Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Walter Davis Jr. & Jymie Merritt in 1959(Champs Elysees, Paris).
"Play your instrument", Blakey instructs Lee Morgan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1c4y8bZfs0

JR

[Joseph K]

Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz

[Jazzrook]

Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Henry Grimes & Dennis Charles playing 'Monk's Dream' in 1963:

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

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Open House’ - Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith with Blue Mitchell, Jackie McLean, Ike Quebec, Quintin Warren & Donald Bailey
Blue Note (1960)

[Joseph K]

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

[Stanfordian]

‘Another Workout’ – Hank Mobley
Hank Mobley with Grant Green, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones
Blue Note (1961)

[Ian Thumwood]

I snapped up John Coltrane's "Sun ship" last week. This is a record that I have always wanted but was surprised to find that McCoy Tyner was on piano because I had always assumed that it was Alice Coltrane. Still, the expectation of the kind of music played was not a disappointment. It is , in some ways, a peculiar record. I can understand why it was not released at the time. Tyner's piano is often out of tune and his instrument and Garrison's bass are curiously low in the mix. That said, the music is effectively a battle between Coltrane and Elvin Jones so this is not the problem it could have been.

This disc sounds more like a club date than something carefully considered and prepared in the studio. However, setting aside the disappointing title track, the rest of the music features some incredible heart-on-the-sleeve playing by Coltrane. As a "quartet", the balance between the member is lost whereas Coltrane is in blistering form. If you like, it is a record where the original quartet is tested to destruction - the music perhaps being closest in intensity to a record like "One up, one down." The closing "Ascent" does deserve to have become a standard and it is perplexing that this theme is not well known. Less of a studio "product", you can appreciate why this music was ultimately released.

Strange that the cover shows Coltrane on soprano whilst he only plays tenor on tis record.

[Joseph K]

The title track of 'Sun Ship' is probably my favourite of that record... just for the record.

[Ian Thumwood]

The title track of 'Sun Ship' is probably my favourite of that record... just for the record.

I wondered why it was originally rejected. Tyner's piano drops out of the recording during the first chorus and the balance of the recording is poor. Added to that, I get the impression that the theme was just cooked up on the moment and maybe the track was never intended to see the light of day. The theme is pretty disposable, IMO. It is not on a par with the rest of the record even though I have my reservations that Tyner and Garrison almost seem irrelevant to what else is going on,There is something of a rehearsal feel to this record and, for me, that makes this interesting - a warts and all record which is compelling because Coltrane and Jones are really going for things. I would not contest, as some have, that this is anywhere as near as good as "Crescent" but I can appreciate why the bulk of the disc was released - setting aside my reservations about "Sun ship."

[Serial_Apologist]

I wondered why it was originally rejected. Tyner's piano drops out of the recording during the first chorus and the balance of the recording is poor. Added to that, I get the impression that the theme was just cooked up on the moment and maybe the track was never intended to see the light of day. The theme is pretty disposable, IMO. It is not on a par with the rest of the record even though I have my reservations that Tyner and Garrison almost seem irrelevant to what else is going on,There is something of a rehearsal feel to this record and, for me, that makes this interesting - a warts and all record which is compelling because Coltrane and Jones are really going for things. I would not contest, as some have, that this is anywhere as near as good as "Crescent" but I can appreciate why the bulk of the disc was released - setting aside my reservations about "Sun ship."

Soon after that date Elvin and McCoy departed the quartet - Elvin apparently not happy with abandoning "explicit time". For me Coltran'es form is the salent aspect of these late recordings rather than any head materials, which by that time were often perfunctory. (Per - funk - Tory...) I think Trane was into devising materials more appropriate to the new improvising methodologies right at the end, this being illustrated in "Stellar Regions", well worth having for what "might have been".

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

"Transition" is the one for me. The Quartet supremely together, but on the cusp of coming apart at the seams. Way to exit...

[Joseph K]

"Transition" is the one for me. The Quartet supremely together, but on the cusp of coming apart at the seams. Way to exit...

Yes. That's my favourite studio album of Coltrane in that year. First Meditations is also quite good.

[Ian Thumwood]

Soon after that date Elvin and McCoy departed the quartet - Elvin apparently not happy with abandoning "explicit time". For me Coltran'es form is the salent aspect of these late recordings rather than any head materials, which by that time were often perfunctory. (Per - funk - Tory...) I think Trane was into devising materials more appropriate to the new improvising methodologies right at the end, this being illustrated in "Stellar Regions", well worth having for what "might have been".

I think the compositional process was secondary to the improvisation, to be honest.

If there is any saxophonist today who is observing the tenets of Coltrane's quartet and leading a band to create a body of work, it is JD Allen. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to learn that the long-standing trio (which has been in existence for something like 14 years i.e. more than twice as long as Coltrane's classic quartet) has been replaced with a new group. Would have to be honest as say I prefer the new trio where any lingering reference to Coltrane and "the jazz tradition" has been replaced within something akin to a contemporary spin on Ornette. For my money. "Barracoon" is one of the best albums of 2019 so far but nice to see that this review is equally positive. So far, only the Greg Ward album runs it close. Well worth someone like Bluesnik checking out although this is very much in the Jazzrook territory of things. The disc is far, far more assertive than the ballad album by the earlier group.

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/barracoon-jd-allen-savant-records-review-by-mackenzie-horne.php