What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Stanfordian]

‘Blues Walk’ - Lou Donaldson
with Herman Foster, Peck Morrison, Dave Bailey & Ray Barretto
Blue Note (1958)

[Joseph K]

John McLaughlin - Devotion

Such a gloriously ecstatic, psychedelic album! It sounds particularly awesome today.

[Stanfordian]

‘Oblique’ - Bobby Hutcherson
with Herbie Hancock, Albert Stinson & Joe Chambers
Blue Note (1967)

[Joseph K]

Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer

[Ian Thumwood]

Wes Montgomery -"Smokin' at the half note."

I picked this up following a recommendation from Jazzrook . This is album that I had overlooked and it is a disc that I am playing continuously as there is so much to get out this record. I did not appreciate that a couple of the tracks were recorded as a later date in a studio.

It is intriguing that this record owes it's reputation to Montgomery's finest recording on record and is something of a benchmark for jazz guitar. I think that this does the whole album a disservice and I struggling to think of another recording where Jimmy Cobb's drumming has sounded better. Anything with Wynton Kelly is also worth the money . I concur with Jazzrook that this is a terrific record where Wes really shows his mettle. This is a record that I am getting a lot of pleasure listening to. Seems to improve with each listen.

[Stanfordian]

‘Glide On’ - Bill Jennings
with Jack McDuff, Al Jennings, Wendell Marshall & Alvin Johnson
Prestige (1960)

[Stanfordian]

‘Down with It!’ - Blue Mitchell
with Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor, Al Foster
Blue Note (1965)

[Joseph K]

Miles Davis - Miles Runs the Voodoo Down and Right Off

These have never sounded better TBH. Incredible.

[Jazzrook]

Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Tommy Potter & Art Taylor playing 'I Want To Be Happy' in October, 1954:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=D7t-14Lsjjw

JR

[Tenor Freak]

Horace Silver & his quintet: "Tokyo Blues". NP: "Too Much Sake" with an excellent Junior Cook tenor sax solo.

[Tenor Freak]

Bill Evans Trio Sunday Night at the yadda yadda..."Gloria's Step"

[Jazzrook]

Horace Tapscott with Arthur Blythe, David Bryant, Walter Savage Jr. & Everett Brown Jr. playing 'The Giant Is Awakened' in 1969:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GX-IaiTGvBQ

JR

[Joseph K]

Bill Evans Trio Sunday Night at the yadda yadda..."Gloria's Step"

That's a beautiful tune & performance - and album(s)... they are often haunting and magical.

I'm currently listening to guitarist Francesco Buzzurro play Moment's Notice via facebook - I'd share it but it doesn't yet appear to be on youtube.

[Ian Thumwood]

I was given the new Chick Corea solo double album for birthday and have been working my way through this. The album is a mixture of homages to musicians such as Bill Evans , Steve Wonder, Thelonious Monk and Jobim but more interestingly shows his take on classical works by Mozart, Chopin, Scarlatti and Scriabin. This is something that I feel is fascinating with the Chopin Prelude being transformed into something that sounds like Jobim. The second disc has some spontaneous improvisations on plus two duets with musicians seemingly plucked from the audience which, judging by the level of the results,makes you wonder how they were chosen as "Yaron" effectively pushes Corea in to some really creative playing. The two discs are absolutely fascinating. The playing is sensational and worth the money alone although I think the sincerity of the music effectively makes the album priceless.

I have to say that I love this record. It may turn out to be the last thing Corea released and there is something very revealing about the processes at work on these two records. You can understand how classical music relates to jazz and also appreciate how good Corea was. Anyone who plays piano needs to listen to this record. It will appeal as much to Classical fans as jazz fans.

[Ian Thumwood]

Horace Tapscott with Arthur Blythe, David Bryant, Walter Savage Jr. & Everett Brown Jr. playing 'The Giant Is Awakened' in 1969:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GX-IaiTGvBQ

JR

I want to listen to this later.

Jazzrook

Wondered if you had snapped up the 2 double CDs of Arthur Blythe's CBS albums from the 1980s ? I played these relentlessly last year through the first lockdown and in to the summer. There is 7- albums worth of material with only the last one ("Put sunshine in it") not matching the creativity of the others. For my money, Blythe was one of THE saxophonists of the 70s and 80s and his playing hits a level you rarely hear these days. A musician who wore his heart on his sleeve. The Monk album is probably the finest tribute record to the pianist.

Younger fans like Joseph should check out Blythe to appreciate just how good this musician was. Shame Blythe's career was cut short by illness an shocking how someone who was so highly esteemed forty years ago as so overlooked these days. One of the greatest, post-Coltrane saxophonists, in my opinion.