What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Joseph K]

John Coltrane - Stellar Regions

[Joseph K]

Sonny Rollins - A Night at the Village Vanguard

[Joseph K]

Ok, so I just discovered Kenny Garrett made an album playing Trane's music. With Pat Metheny no less; should be interesting.

[Ian Thumwood]

Ok, so I just discovered Kenny Garrett made an album playing Trane's music. With Pat Metheny no less; should be interesting.

This album is one of the best records from the 1990s. It is incredible and the version of "After the rain" is absolutely brilliant.

I was fortunate to catch this group at the JazzHouse in Copenhagen in 1996. The full line-up include Nat Reeves on bass and Brian Blade on drums when he was still an unknown. I got to see three gigs in Copenhagen including the Dutch vibes / harmonic player Henryk Meurkins. This gig was barely supported by an audience and the venue practically empty. Seem to recall a blind, Brazilian pianist called Manfredo Fess in the line up but the music was all very polite. The next evening it felt like a different place. The venue was packed out and the audience spilling out on to the very small bandstand. There was an air of expectation before the gig which added to the excitement. I had never seen Pat Metheny before but coupled with Kenny Garrett, the music was ferocious and intense. It is probably the closest I have sat next to the musicians at a gig and I recall being fascinated by the contact between the four musicians. As it was, the quartet was incredible enough but halfway through the gig, Dave Liebman came in to the club and sat in with them on "Like Sonny." The music then just went up to an entirely different level as Liebman and Garrett locked horns. I have been to hundreds of gigs over the years and this is still the best gig I have been to. Most of the gigs I had previously been to were either in pubs, large concert venues or concert halls like Turner Sims. Although I had been to the Concorde club locally, this is the first time I had experienced music like this in a traditional jazz club venue. Hearing this music remains one of my greatest musical memories and having heard Kenny Garrett on several occasions afterwards, you start to appreciate that he is probably one of the best jazz gigs on the planet. He is always reliable and plays with an ability to stoke up the audience. Quite interesting to hear Pat Metheny in this context, with the Americana aspect of his work put on the back-shelf for some scorching and intense playing. Not what you would have expected if you were only familiar with the PMG material.

I was unaware of the jazz musicians playing in Copenhagen that week and unfortunately had to return the next day so missed Bobo Stenson with Dave Liebman, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christenson which understood to have similarly been quite an experience. As well as catching various local bands from an impressive Copenhagen scene, I had earlier been to a concert venue to hear Michel Petrucciani perform solo and that would have been a highlight of my holiday had I not have seen the Kenny Garrett quartet.

If you like Coltrane, the Garrett album is a must albeit very different. Intense but in a different albeit very sincere way. He is a musician I would always recommend hearing live. There is an intensity amongst some American players such as Garrett, Liebman, Chico Freeman, Christian Sands, and James Carter, etc that I think is sometimes missing from European players. Hearing these musicians in a smaller venue really pulling out the stops is the best way to experience jazz from my experience. You start to get an impression how fans of earlier generations would have felt about hearing players such as Hawkins, Berry, Parker, Coltrane, Henderson, etc.

[Ian Thumwood]

Bluesnik

I recall in the past that you have been a big fan of drummer Pete " La Roca" Sims. I dug out an album of his from 1998 called "Swingtime" which was on Blue Note and featured a stellar line up that includes Rickie Ford, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Owen and George Cables. I forgot that I had this record as I did not play it much at the time . The reviews were really favourable in Jazzwise yet the set really underwhelmed me. There was a cheesy version of "The candyman" on the disc which always struck me as unsalvageable and listening to it again, there are moments which are decent despite the band seeming a bit rugged. The Coltrane arrangement of "Body & Soul" crops up yet again on this record although Sim's drumming does certainly give it a weird feel! Usually I love anything with George Cables on. He is one of my favourite pianists. I am about halfway through this record and my opinion hasn't changed a great deal. Part of the problem , I think, stems from Sims' drumming. He drives the band for sure but the feel is that he is doing so from behind the beat and in a very bust manner. It is a very strange sensation as you would have an anticipate this approach in a more avant set up. Listening to this, Sims obviously owes nothing to the likes of Elvin, Blakey, Williams or Max Roach. I kept thinking that it reminds me of someone who I have been listening to recently and it has just twigged that it is Edward Vesala. Wondered if this was a record you were familiar with? Seems like something that was a little under-rehearsed.

[Joseph K]

Garrett is different to Coltrane, for sure, but it is a great album indeed. Nice anecdote - I am envious of you for having seen this band.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Bluesnik

I recall in the past that you have been a big fan of drummer Pete " La Roca" Sims. I dug out an album of his from 1998 called "Swingtime" which was on Blue Note and featured a stellar line up that includes Rickie Ford, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Owen and George Cables. I forgot that I had this record as I did not play it much at the time . The reviews were really favourable in Jazzwise yet the set really underwhelmed me. There was a cheesy version of "The candyman" on the disc which always struck me as unsalvageable and listening to it again, there are moments which are decent despite the band seeming a bit rugged. The Coltrane arrangement of "Body & Soul" crops up yet again on this record although Sim's drumming does certainly give it a weird feel! Usually I love anything with George Cables on. He is one of my favourite pianists. I am about halfway through this record and my opinion hasn't changed a great deal. Part of the problem , I think, stems from Sims' drumming. He drives the band for sure but the feel is that he is doing so from behind the beat and in a very bust manner. It is a very strange sensation as you would have an anticipate this approach in a more avant set up. Listening to this, Sims obviously owes nothing to the likes of Elvin, Blakey, Williams or Max Roach. I kept thinking that it reminds me of someone who I have been listening to recently and it has just twigged that it is Edward Vesala. Wondered if this was a record you were familiar with? Seems like something that was a little under-rehearsed.

Yes, I've just listened to the Body & Soul from that album and his drumming, the top cymbal, does sound uncomfortable (for want of a better word). Mind you I don't think he sounded "right" for the initial version of the Coltrane quartet, the tracks I've heard from the Showboat (although not with great sound) make him seem clumsy and certainly not an Elvin. Who was, which is probably why he got "replaced" as soon as.

But as a drummer in the late 50s and early 60s I've got absolutely no problem and he worked with a remarkable cross selection of leaders & sessions, even going on the road with Rollins who didn't suffer fools. And he did later have a long time out of jazz as a contract lawyer...

* I think I remember an interview with Steve Kuhn where he said Scot laFaro got LaRoca fired from the Stan Getz quartet because he (la Faro) didn't like his playing..."him or me", and so then Roy Haynes came in. Could have that wrong but I think so.

[Ian Thumwood]

The album is weird. I am struggling to appreciate what is happening with the drumming on that record. I got about three tracks in today whilst making a short journey in my car and I felt Sims was largely out of time on this record. I need to listen to the rest of the disc again buy clumsy sums up his playing on this record., However, anyone is going to sound lousy compared to Roy Haynes, a musician I consider an "ingredient" who makes whatever group he is playing with sound so much better. Hayne's name on many a record is something I think that adds to the appeal. My thought about the Sims record was that perhaps the way they musicians were recorded with headphones might have created a problem. Whatever the issue, Sims sounds flabby on this record. I was really surprised to hear this on record, to be honest.

[Ian Thumwood]

Garrett is different to Coltrane, for sure, but it is a great album indeed. Nice anecdote - I am envious of you for having seen this band.

I was ebullient after seeing this gig but the weird thing that I recall afterwards was a bloke sitting with his girlfriend who was in tears because she did not like the music. I think the price of the ticket was something like £40 which was extremely expensive. The effect of that holiday financially was so severe that I had to change jobs shortly afterwards because it wiped out my current account. Never been back to Denmark since. Seems very expensive and the difference from the UK was not sufficiently great to make me want to return. Copenhagen is a great capital city but the bright colour of the traditional houses made we understand the logic of Lego bricks afterwards.

[elmo]

The album is weird. I am struggling to appreciate what is happening with the drumming on that record. I got about three tracks in today whilst making a short journey in my certainly does car and I felt Sims was largely out of time on this record. I need to listen to the rest of the disc again buy clumsy sums up his playing on this record., However, anyone is going to sound lousy compared to Roy Haynes, a musician I consider an "ingredient" who makes whatever group he is playing with sound so much better. Hayne's name on many a record is something I think that adds to the appeal. My thought about the Sims record was that perhaps the way they musicians were recorded with headphones might have created a problem. Whatever the issue, Sims sounds flabby on this record. I was really surprised to hear this on record, to be honest.

He certainly does not sound "flabby" on this marvellous version of "St Thomas" by Sonny Rollins in a trio with Henry Grimes from 1959.

https://youtu.be/mgAd9PWNW0k

elmo

[Ian Thumwood]

Elmo

I appreciate that. This is the album I was talking about.

[Stanfordian]

'Movin' Along' - Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery with Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, James Clay & Victor Feldman
Riverside (1960)

[Jazzrook]

Jackie McLean with Bill Hardman, Mal Waldron, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones playing 'Just For Marty' from the 1956 album 'Jackie's Pal':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=eBnQXXI5idg

JT

[Joseph K]

Disk 4 of the Dizzy Gillespie collection mentioned over on the jazz purchases thread - it features the two volumes of Roy & Diz.

[Joseph K]

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - Complete Live at the Five Spot