What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Stanfordian]

‘The Honeydripper’ - Jack McDuff
Jack McDuff with Jimmy Forrest, Grant Green & Ben Dixon
Prestige (1961)

[teamsaint]

Dizzy Gillespie.
Pleyel Concert , February 1948.

Quite tremendously groovy.

[Ian Thumwood]

Always felt that this performance was surprisingly good …….

[Ian Thumwood]

[Ian Thumwood]

This is another tune I loved when I was first getting in to jazz....

This record was widely praised in 1940 when critics welcomed the influence of bands such as Count Basie on white bands of the time. It is quite interesting for the three reed soloists. I am surprised than clarinettist Clarence Hutchenrider never really rose to prominence as he was by far the soloist in this band. The alto soloist is Murray McEachern who also played trombone - an instrument is he better known for as he worked extensively as a studio musician in the 50s and 60s. His trombone playing is more in the Tommy Dorsey mode (although his colleague Billy Rausch was very good in this mode too) yet this also solo seems to owe a lot to the hump style of players like Per Brown. Finally, I think the tenor player Pat Davis also deserves a mention. Whenever I hear him on any of the Casa Loma records I always think what on earth he had on leader Glen Gray to be featured so long in this band. He was shockingly terrible from every perspective.

[Jazzrook]

Freddie Hubbard with Eric Dolphy, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman & Louis Hayes playing 'Clarence's Place' in 1963:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=FUK-EMXgC-w

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Steppin' Out!’ - Harold Vick
Harold Vick with Blue Mitchell, John Patton, Grant Green, Ben Dixon
Blue Note (1963)

[Joseph K]

JD Allen - Barracoon

Once again, it reminds me a bit too much of Coltrane - specifically, the half-hour 'One Down, One Up'. It's not bad though.

[Serial_Apologist]

JD Allen - Barracoon

Once again, it reminds me a bit too much of Coltrane - specifically, the half-hour 'One Down, One Up'. It's not bad though.

Yes - just what I've thought!

[Joseph K]

Bill Evans - Explorations

[Ian Thumwood]

JD Allen - Barracoon

Once again, it reminds me a bit too much of Coltrane - specifically, the half-hour 'One Down, One Up'. It's not bad though.

I would have to say that "One down, one up" is probably the best Coltrane I have heard. It is absolutely staggering. Whenever I listen to this track I always conjure up an image of someone battering a sheet of very unmalleable metal into human form. The duo section with Elvin Jones is incredible and when the theme appears there is a sense of wonderment as to how this could have ever been the source material for such a labyrinthine solo.

The Coltrane comparison with "Barracoon" is not really accurate. A better comparison would be with JD Allen's "Americana" which is drenched in a Coltrane-esque influence. Of the three J D Allen records in my collection, I think this is probably the least adventurous although I would have to say it is a grower. An indication that the "Barracoon" album is where Allen might have ended up is apparent on the "Radio Flyer" record where the trio with Rudy Royston and Gregg August is supplemented by Liberty Ellman's guitar. The two principle soloists seem to tug and pull at each other's lines and the effect is compelling. You can appreciate more the more wayward influence of Ornette Coleman on this disc and I think the whole "harmolodic" feel is emphasized by the new bassist and drummer. It has a much different feel with the bassist doubling on acoustic and electric bass. If you like "Barracoon", "Radio Flyer" is the logical next disc to explore.

Here is a review of what J D Allen was trying to achieve on "Americana" and pretty much sums up why the record had to be made:-

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/05/jd-allen-americana-jazz-blues/482751/

Here as some reviews of "Barracoon."

https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/jd-allen-barracoon-savant/

The thing I like about his music is that there is no intention of releasing an album which is a "product" and the intention is to simply work as long as it possible with a group and see where the music eventually goes. I was reading an article over the weekend which reviewed a club gig by the new trio which suggested a change in direction with a more "outside" bassist and drummer. There were some great issues last year and I felt this this album was one of the finest. It is small wonder why he has gained such a large following without the need for any hype. Bluesnik has the ballads album which I recall he suggested was more subdued. Still, for my money, the whole ethos of his work certainly mirrors Coltrane's in many respects even of the results are quite different. Probably one of the most consistent and rewarding tenor players of 21st century, I regret not discovering his work sooner. He is also pretty decent on the Jaimeo Brown disc "Transcendence."

[Joseph K]

Bill Evans - Explorations

This is superb BTW. Just about to listen to 'Sunday at the Village Vanguard' - looking forward to a stellar 'Solar'.

[Ian Thumwood]

I am always intrigued to read Jazzrook's informed reviews on Amazon and, at a lose end over the weekend , I ordered the 4- LP collection of music by vibraphonist Walt Dickerson on Avid. I have just got through the first CD and have to say that it is incredible that this music remains so obscure. Dickerson sets the motors on his instrument rather akin to Milt Jackson but the playing is more akin to someone like Bobby Hutcherson. I was also intrigued to hear a very young Andrew Cyrille on drums.

It is staggering that someone of Dickerson's ability should remain so little known. I think that he was technically highly advanced and was working in that part of jazz in the early 1960s which ultimately became post-bop. For the time (1961 and 62), these records would have been compatible to a lot of the edgier stuff coming out on Blue Note. In fact, the final record does include Andrew Hill on piano but I have not played this yet.

The first CD incorporates his first two records and feature the obscure pianist Austin Crowe who apparently came from a religious background and negative experiences touring on the road meant that he did not pursue a career in jazz beyond the early 1960s. This sounds like a massive loss to jazz.

I can understand why these records might have become obscure with their ugly album covers yet the music is of the very highest calibre. I totally concur with Jazzrook's assessment and thank him for a spot on recommendation. Well worth checking this music out!

Cheers

Ian

[Jazzrook]

I am always intrigued to read Jazzrook's informed reviews on Amazon and, at a lose end over the weekend , I ordered the 4- LP collection of music by vibraphonist Walt Dickerson on Avid. I have just got through the first CD and have to say that it is incredible that this music remains so obscure. Dickerson sets the motors on his instrument rather akin to Milt Jackson but the playing is more akin to someone like Bobby Hutcherson. I was also intrigued to hear a very young Andrew Cyrille on drums.

It is staggering that someone of Dickerson's ability should remain so little known. I think that he was technically highly advanced and was working in that part of jazz in the early 1960s which ultimately became post-bop. For the time (1961 and 62), these records would have been compatible to a lot of the edgier stuff coming out on Blue Note. In fact, the final record does include Andrew Hill on piano but I have not played this yet.

The first CD incorporates his first two records and feature the obscure pianist Austin Crowe who apparently came from a religious background and negative experiences touring on the road meant that he did not pursue a career in jazz beyond the early 1960s. This sounds like a massive loss to jazz.

I can understand why these records might have become obscure with their ugly album covers yet the music is of the very highest calibre. I totally concur with Jazzrook's assessment and thank him for a spot on recommendation. Well worth checking this music out!

Cheers

Ian

Thanks, Ian
You might also enjoy his neglected masterpiece 'Tell Us Only The Beautiful Things'(CANDID) recorded in 1975 with Wilbur Ware & Andrew Cyrille:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=N1GiN_CMdN8

https://jazztimes.com/archives/walt-dickerson-unified-vibes/

JR

[Joseph K]

If you like "Barracoon", "Radio Flyer" is the logical next disc to explore.

It's ok, if too reminiscent of Coltrane (who I'm currently listening to with Miles on disk 3 of the sixth bootleg boxed set).