What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Jazzrook]

Jackie McLean, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, Cecil McBee, & Jack DeJohnette playing 'Passion Dance' from 'One Night With Blue Note' at Town Hall, NYC, Feb 22, 1985:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMh-XtGc4W0

JR

[Joseph K]

Kenny Barron & Dave Holland - Billie's Bounce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg7dgTbRT34

[Joseph K]

Mulgrew Miller - Four

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67iLrRwPaoI

[Stanfordian]

‘Boss Guitar’ - Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery with Melvin Rhyne & Jimmy Cobb
Riverside (1963)

[Jazzrook]

Swedish tenor saxophonist Bernt Rosengren still playing aged 81 with Stefan Gustafson(piano); Hans Backenroth(bass) & Bengt Stark(drums) at Tellus, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF8Z1gbgvlE

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Sonny Stitt plays Jimmy Guffre Arrangements’
Sonny Stitt with Lee Katzman, Jack Sheldon, Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Giuffre, Al Pollen, Jimmy Rowles, Buddy Clark & Lawrence Marable
American Jazz Classics (1959)

[Stanfordian]

‘Giant Steps’ - John Contrane
John Coltrane with Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb,
Cedar Walton & Lex Humphries
Atlantic (1959)

[Joseph K]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZa7Na3mJLA

Julian Lage - St. Thomas (Solo Transcription)

[Serial_Apologist]

‘Giant Steps’ - John Contrane
John Coltrane with Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Art Taylor, Jimmy Cobb,
Cedar Walton & Lex Humphries
Atlantic (1959)

Played in the correct keys, this is a really good piece for helping advance one's improvising skills on any instrument, not just the sax. In my case piano, though I'd recommend it to anybody experiencing difficulties. Giant Steps is in effect the jazz equivalent of a tongue twister. You might get it right first time at the correct speed, but fall apart on repetition. Before attempting it I was in any case useless with keys containing sharps: the more, the worse; now not only I am much better, but more flexible in improvising over rapid key changes, flattened or sharpened, such as those embodied in Giant Steps. The tune starts on b natural.

[Ian Thumwood]

I never understood why it is easier to play in keys with loads of flats as opposed to loads of sharps.

I have been listening to trumpeter Bill Coleman's recordings made in Paris between 1936-38 with a host of French musicians including Reinhardt and Grappelli as well as scattering of fellow Americans Herman Chittison ( deemed to be the Tatum of the European jazz scene of the time) and the dependable ex-JRM drummer Tommy Benford. I did not realise that the latter has performed in Europe at that time. In addition, some tracks feature the Argentinian guitarist Oscar Aleman who must have been amongst the first guitarists to be influenced by Reinhardt. He is extremely impressive and maybe less "frilly" as a soloist than Django. The line ups vary in size but Bluesnik's comment about not realising just how good the European jazz scene was in the 50s and 60s equally applies to these records. There are several fascinating insights such as the overwhelming influence of Hawkins amongst the tenor players and the choice of repertoire which consists of about 90% jazz standards from the era which I think probably reflects the fact that tunes were learned from previous, American records. There are some extremely catchy performances including my favourite, "Joe Louis Stomp."

It is a shame that Coleman has largely vanished from the consciousness of most jazz fans even though he was probably the most high profile trumpet player working in Europe at one point. I think I am correct in saying that he holds a record for the jazz musician who has worked in the most countries. He was obviously indebted to Armstrong but his attack is more lithe and doesn't share the drama you hear with Armstrong. Still, I think he is an interesting link between players like Armstrong and Buck Clayton and these tracks recording in France have something of a magical quality about them that is redolent of the pre-war state of that country.

[Stanfordian]

‘Moving & Groovin'’
Horace Parlan with Sam Jones & Al Harewood
Blue Note (1960)

[Jazzrook]

Gerd Dudek(tenor sax); John Parricelli(guitar); Chris Laurence(bass) & Tony Levin(drums) playing 'Phase Three' from the 1998 album 'Smatter:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=tVa1J7rTN1w

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

I never understood why it is easier to play in keys with loads of flats as opposed to loads of sharps.

I have been listening to trumpeter Bill Coleman's recordings made in Paris between 1936-38 with a host of French musicians including Reinhardt and Grappelli as well as scattering of fellow Americans Herman Chittison ( deemed to be the Tatum of the European jazz scene of the time) and the dependable ex-JRM drummer Tommy Benford. I did not realise that the latter has performed in Europe at that time. In addition, some tracks feature the Argentinian guitarist Oscar Aleman who must have been amongst the first guitarists to be influenced by Reinhardt. He is extremely impressive and maybe less "frilly" as a soloist than Django. The line ups vary in size but Bluesnik's comment about not realising just how good the European jazz scene was in the 50s and 60s equally applies to these records. There are several fascinating insights such as the overwhelming influence of Hawkins amongst the tenor players and the choice of repertoire which consists of about 90% jazz standards from the era which I think probably reflects the fact that tunes were learned from previous, American records. There are some extremely catchy performances including my favourite, "Joe Louis Stomp."

It is a shame that Coleman has largely vanished from the consciousness of most jazz fans even though he was probably the most high profile trumpet player working in Europe at one point. I think I am correct in saying that he holds a record for the jazz musician who has worked in the most countries. He was obviously indebted to Armstrong but his attack is more lithe and doesn't share the drama you hear with Armstrong. Still, I think he is an interesting link between players like Armstrong and Buck Clayton and these tracks recording in France have something of a magical quality about them that is redolent of the pre-war state of that country.

I saw Bill Coleman several times at a place called the Casa Bar when I was working in Zurich in 1967/8, playing with a band of mostly ex-pat British traditionalists called The Piccasilly Six (or maybe Seven). In the wake of The Blue Notes' move to England two years previously, it seemed to be the only decent jazz being performed in Zurich at the time: the nearest thing to contemporary was a Manfred Mann-styled group at another venue. It was in the Niederdorf, the city's main red light district. Either above the entrance to the Casa Bar or that of a neighbouring establishment was a plaque stating that V.I. Lenin had lived there in 1917, just prior to moving back to Russia to take his part in the Bolshevik revolution.

[Ian Thumwood]

It is strange to consider Coleman working with traditionalists because he was really part of the movement that followed in the wake of Armstrong . I wish I had seen him play. The French sessions he cut in his prime are really decent. There is no grandstanding or trying to show off and it is interesting to hear the contrast amongst his companions as to who had really grasped what jazz was about and those who demonstrated more enthusiasm than talent. Alemans is a really interesting character and almost seems like a 1930s Argentinian equivalent of Egberto Gismonti in that he flirted both inside and outside jazz.

[Ian Thumwood]

Wondered if anyone else watched the Eric Clapton film on TV last night. I did not see it all as I have had to get up early for a seminar in Winchester this morning but I came away with little empathy as a person whilst having far more respect for him as a musician. The musical element of the documentary confirmed my suspicion of him as a deeply serious musician although I was not so aware of how much contempt he had for pop music. It was quite interesting let alone featuring the music of Cream who nowadays probably seem more in keeping with jazz than with what rock has become. It was a genuine portrait of an improvising musician although I wish there had been more insight in to how be tackled improvisation.