What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Joseph K]

Miles Davis - Cookin'

Thus concludes my listening to the complete Miles on Prestige box.

[Leinster Lass]

RCA Victor 80th Anniversary Vol. 2, which includes possibly my favourite version of Body and Soul, by Coleman Hawkins. I've just ordered Vol. 3.

[Serial_Apologist]

RCA Victor 80th Anniversary Vol. 2, which includes possibly my favourite version of Body and Soul, by Coleman Hawkins. I've just ordered Vol. 3.

I was watching a programme in which, referencing that version of B&S, the presenter described Coleman Hawkins as being "a vertical improviser", by virtue of the way he tended to adhere to the chords of whatever tune he was improvising on, and it reminded me of something Ronnie Scott said about the main skill for a saxophonist in a rock 'n' roll band was being able to play lying on your back!

[Joseph K]

RCA Victor 80th Anniversary Vol. 2, which includes possibly my favourite version of Body and Soul, by Coleman Hawkins. I've just ordered Vol. 3.

Have you heard John Coltrane's version? It's reharmonised and very beautiful IMO.

[Stanfordian]

‘Elder Don’ – Don Wilkerson
with Johnny Acea, Grant Green, Lloyd Trotman & Willie Bobo
Blue Note (1962)

‘Soul Stream’ – George Braith
with Billy Gardner, Grant Green & Hugh Walker
Blue Note (1963)

[Ian Thumwood]

I have been listening to a lot of Cannonball Adderley this Christmas. He is a player I had somewhat forgotten about. I love the album "Somethin' Else" but was surprised that my recollection of "Dem Dirty Blues" differs markedly from what I recollected. Listening again, it did not sound anywhere as good as I have recalled. Adderley sounds adventurous and switched on when coupled with Miles Davis but the substitution for his cornet playing brother and the workman-like rhythm section sounds to me like a step backwards. In the context of his own groups, the three records other than the classic Blue Note disc reveal Adderley to have been a far more conservative player. It was as if he had found a solution to capture Parker's approach and smooth the band sound out to something funkier and, at the time, hipper. I have to say that the alto playing remains the main draw, the other musicians being considerably less interesting . The band almost sounds like a period piece and maybe even Adderley is a little behind the curve in relation to what the likes of McLean and Dolphy were producing a the same time. Still, I think the group shows that a populist approach to jazz does not necessarily lower the quality.

[Stanfordian]

I have been listening to a lot of Cannonball Adderley this Christmas. He is a player I had somewhat forgotten about. I love the album "Somethin' Else" but was surprised that my recollection of "Dem Dirty Blues" differs markedly from what I recollected. Listening again, it did not sound anywhere as good as I have recalled. Adderley sounds adventurous and switched on when coupled with Miles Davis but the substitution for his cornet playing brother and the workman-like rhythm section sounds to me like a step backwards. In the context of his own groups, the three records other than the classic Blue Note disc reveal Adderley to have been a far more conservative player. It was as if he had found a solution to capture Parker's approach and smooth the band sound out to something funkier and, at the time, hipper. I have to say that the alto playing remains the main draw, the other musicians being considerably less interesting . The band almost sounds like a period piece and maybe even Adderley is a little behind the curve in relation to what the likes of McLean and Dolphy were producing a the same time. Still, I think the group shows that a populist approach to jazz does not necessarily lower the quality.

Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' is a classic album that I keep returning to.

[Joseph K]

Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' is a classic album that I keep returning to.

I'm giving it a spin now. I admit, it's one CD of mine I've neglected.

[Ian Thumwood]

Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' is a classic album that I keep returning to.

Stanford

I think that the album benefits from some great arrangements but also from a front line of Miles Davis and Adderley that are on top form. The whole album almost sounds like an extension of the kind of music produced on "Milestones" and it is rather disappointing that Cannonball continued with Riverside where the "vision" was not so innovative. It is a great album but , for me, a reminder of what the leader might have achieved had he taken the music in a different direction.

I had one CD as a present for Christmas which I have been playing all day. The new J D Allen album "Toys / die dreaming" features the new trip with bassist Ian Kenselaar and Nic Cacioppo on drums. The last album was the debut for this band and had a few tracks with electric bass on and saw the tenor player forging a kind of amalgam of Coltrane with Ornette harmolodics. The new album features the acoustic bass throughout and the music centring on the kind of jazz you might have expected to hear the likes of Branford or David Murray perform where the influence stems from classic players like Rollins or Coltrane. They open with a totally reharmonized version of "You're my thrill" that is entirely stripped of any sentiment. The only other standard is a very slow version of "I should care" which is one of the standout tracks. Elsewhere, the material consists of Allen's rather pared down originals that serve as jumping off points for improvisation. Having spun the record about 4 times now, the rather spartan line up becomes compelling. It is a really good album from an artist who is very consistent. The best thing about his records is that he cultivates working trios and only occasionally fleshes the line up out with an additional musician. It still think that "Radio Flyer" remains his most ambitious record where guitarist Liberty Elman pulls Allen in to more outside territory. The latest album recalibrates the music towards a contemporary mainstream but one which is entirely honest and maintains it's integrity. For my money, Allen is very much a player to keep an eye on. There is nothing modish about his music and it eschews b/s. For my money, there is a commitment to put down a body of work where the music takes priority over any particular project. Rather like Coltrane's classic quartet, the themes used by the group are not endeavouring to define a particular concept but to document the improvisational journey. I think JD Allen is one of the defining musicians in 21st century jazz - someone who is contemporary but who will also appeal to the likes of Stanford and Bluesnik.

[Bert]

Cannonball Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' is a classic album that I keep returning to.

Me too .....

[Stanfordian]

‘Two Souls in One’ – George Braith
with Billy Gardner, Grant Green & Donald Bailey
Blue Note (1963)

[Joseph K]

Miles Davis - Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2

[Joseph K]

Miles Davis - Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2

Where I left off from this - 'It's About That Time'. This is truly awesome music, 100% inspiration, totally ecstatic. I intend to put disk two on after this finishes...

[Joseph K]

Where I left off from this - 'It's About That Time'. This is truly awesome music, 100% inspiration, totally ecstatic. I intend to put disk two on after this finishes...

Disk three is on now.

[Ian Thumwood]

Picking up on the Adderley CD, I wondered whether anyone else had issues with some of the releases on the Avid label with sound quality ? Some of the material they put out is approaching 70 years old but it seems to be that they do not have access to the original tapes and are maybe re-mastering previous, original releases. I did shy away from this label for a long while as I must admit to being a puritan and preferring the copies of records issues by the original labels or their subsequent owners. A lot of material from the 50s and 60s is now becoming unavailable with the consequence that it is difficult to acquire works by significant artists from that era. Avid had provided an economic alternative to acquiring this stuff yet I think that the re-mastering on some of the records is questionable. The Adderley record is probably the must suspect so far with "Dem Dirty Blues" being quite muddy and unclear. Overall, I am a little disappointed by both the sound quality and the music on this record.