Originally posted by Joseph K
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Resuming this with the latter three tracks, all taken from a concert in Graz - I have Autumn Leaves to look forward to. -
‘Blue Soul’– Blue Mitchell
with Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones & Philly Joe Jones
Riverside (1959)Comment
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Ted Curson with Bill Barron, Kenny Drew, Jimmy Garrison & Pete La Roca playing 'Ahma(See Ya)' from the 1961 album 'Plenty of Horn':
JRComment
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I have been playing a 2-CD set consisting of four albums made by Arthur Blythe in the 1980s. The opening disc includes the cult and justly celebrated "Lennox Avenue Breakdown" and also includes "In the tradition," "illusions" and "Blythe Spirit." I think that the latter three are no less impressive than the first. Blythe seems to be little talked about these days although he was very much a headline musician in the early 1980s when I was getting in to jazz. These four records were made for CBS which was a label not known for it's dabbling in the avant garde although they did later force Blythe to make more commercial efforts later one. Blythe was largely a phenomenon in California where he performed with Horace Tapscott before making a name for himself with Gil Evans in the late 1970s. CBS signed him up just prior to Wynton and they offer a contrasting view on the jazz mainstream.
I think that the unusual line ups he fronted has perhaps mitigated against his reputation. "In the tradition" is the only orthodox quartet with the other bands being underpinned by a tuba and also including a cello and flute in some of the personnel. As for Blythe, his soloing strikes me as having exactly the same kind of abandon as Sonny Rollins and there is a bite in his playing which I suppose you could say is like Cannonball Adderley with teeth. He was a great composer too and themes like "Faceless Woman" "Miss Nancy" and "Bush baby" deserve to be standards . Blythe was a player who wore his heart on his sleeve. I believe that Jazzrook is a massive fan of Arthur Blythe too but I suppose the main point of me bringing this CD collection to light is to bring it to Joe's attention. It is hard to believe that this music is nearly forty years old and that fact that Blythe beat his own, distinctive path, means that the music has not dated. The guitar playing by the likes of Blood Ulmer and Kelvin Bell have a scratchy, unpolished tone which adds a roughness to the music that entirely complements the big tone of the leader's alto.
I have been listening to a few alto players over the last couple of weeks who have this same kind of aggression in their playing. I really miss this element in a lot of contemporary jazz and I think that Blythe was one of the best. The more you listen, the more honest Blythe sounds. What is also interesting is that the influence of Coltrane sounds almost totally bypassed to my ears and that whilst the tracks all groove, Blythe's alto soars over the band and plays his own rhythms on top which are entirely infectious. There is so much Sonny in his playing that it is impossible not to enjoy.
Two other players I have also been listening to are Steve Coleman (probably the foremost jazz innovator in the last thirty years?) and the late, great Thomas Chapin. At the moment, though, Arthur Blythe is my favourite.
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New York Contemporary Five with Archie Shepp; John Tchicai; Don Cherry; Don Moore & J.C. Moses playing 'Consequences' in 1963:
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The incredible jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery
Incredible indeed!
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And there's me thinking they only produced one LP! Years ago I acquired "Archie Shepp & The New York Contemporary Five" (Polydor International) second-hand from outside one of the few remaining record shops in Soho: "10/-" had been scrawled in the top right hand corner of the back of the cover, with the upside-down word "SALVAGE" above it, so they couldn't very well charge me more! The music more than makes up for the worn surfaces, and I would urge everyone to try and get this if they can.Originally posted by Jazzrook View PostNew York Contemporary Five with Archie Shepp; John Tchicai; Don Cherry; Don Moore & J.C. Moses playing 'Consequences' in 1963:
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This great album has recently been reissued as 'Consequences Revisited'(ezzthetics):Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
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OK, thanks JR.Originally posted by Jazzrook View PostThis great album has recently been reissued as 'Consequences Revisited'(ezzthetics):
JR
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Disk 8 of the Coltrane Europe 62 box - continuing the Graz concert, beginning with Mr PC.Comment
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… and which features an Impressions taken at the most relaxed tempo I've ever heard performed by Trane!Originally posted by Joseph K View PostComment
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My porcelaine bathroom ware is a tribute to Coltrane: every time I go I take great care to aim away from the word "Impressions".Originally posted by Joseph K View Post
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'Impressions' from November '63 in Stuttgart - this is one version of this tune in which Lewis Porter identifies techniques in Trane's vocab that adumbrates the techniques in use in his last few recordings.
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Disk 9 - the first track is from Graz, the rest is the first show of Paris, 17/11/1962. Actually the Paris show has just started and the sound quality is somewhat poorer than any show thus far (which was the case with the boxed set of 1961 - they included the ones with less than great sound quality for last) - just checked the booklet, which confirms it. Oh well.Originally posted by Joseph K View PostComment
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Ahmad Jamal Trio with Israel Crosby & Ray Crawford playing Morton Gould's 'Pavanne' in 1955 - the origins of Coltrane's 'Impressions'?Originally posted by Joseph K View Post'Impressions' from November '63 in Stuttgart - this is one version of this tune in which Lewis Porter identifies techniques in Trane's vocab that adumbrates the techniques in use in his last few recordings.
JRComment
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