What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Joseph K]

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.

It's up now: he sounds somewhat Benson-esque.

[Stanfordian]

‘The Thing to Do’ – Blue Mitchell
with Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor & Al Foster
Blue Note (1964)

[Stanfordian]

‘The Tokyo Blues’ – Horace Silver
with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor & John Harris Jr.
Blue Note (1962)

[Jazzrook]

Ornette Coleman with Don Cherry, Percy Heath & Shelly Manner playing 'Tears Inside', March, 1959:

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

JR

[Stanfordian]

'Step Lightly' – Blue Mitchell
with Leo Wright, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Gene Taylor & Roy Brooks
Blue Note (1963, released 1980)

[Stanfordian]

‘Quiet Kenny’ – Kenny Dorham
with Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers & Art Taylor
New Jazz (1959)

[CGR]

Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron
Greg Abate

Wonderful playing. One of the albums of the year in my opinion.

[Stanfordian]

‘Somethin' Else’ – Cannonball Adderley
with Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones & Art Blakey
Blue Note (1958)

[Ian Thumwood]

I was given the latest Ethan Iveson album yesterday which features a core quintet that has been augmented by a big band from Italy. The album is called "Bud Powell in the 21st Century" and half of the album is allegedly an attempt to take motives of Bud's playing and reinterpret in a kind of Third Stream fashion. However, at some point Iveson seems to have changed his mind and the disc becomes big band be-bop rather in the fashion of Dizzy's orchestra. I have to say that I really love Powell's compositions and am a fan of his playing so to hear his music re-cast in this fashion is great fun. It is so good that I played it three times in a row, only taking a break to watch The Simpson's whilst having my tea. I think that this is an album which would really appeal to Elmo.

[Stanfordian]

‘My Conception’ – Sonny Clarke
with Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Art Farmer, Paul Chambers & Art Blakey
Blue Note (1957/59)

[Joseph K]

Happy 95th, Miles Davis!

[Ian Thumwood]

Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron
Greg Abate

Wonderful playing. One of the albums of the year in my opinion.

The samples sound excellent but this does not appear to be available as a CD.

I have been listening to Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk over the last few days. I think that every time I listen to Bud Powell, he seems even more impressive. Having listened to a lot of classical piano playing over the spring too, it is noticeable how good Powell was technically in comparison. The usual description of Powell's playing centres around his lightning fast right hand runs and how there was a trade-off with the left hand which seemed to be limited to plays shell chords. Listening to his solo piano work, I think that this is grossly exaggerated as there are runs and fills going on with his left hand too. There are also times when he used block chord harmonies with both hands. Listening to "Tea for two" i was struck by how much he owes to Art Tatum as well. I really love Powell's playing and the almost obsessive quality of trying to get all his ideas down at once makes it compelling to my ears. The music is not always "perfect" as you would expect from something this frenetic yet i am left wondering how many other jazz pianists have operated t this high technical standard?

The other album I have played to death this week is Monk's "Genius of modern music volume 2" which collates his early work for Blue Note. It is a bit of a mishmash in some respects but is probably the one album that includes his very best compositions such as "skippy," "Hornin' in ", "Four in one", "Sixteen" , "Eronel" and "Criss cross." The music is performed by two groups, the first featuring Milt Jackson who totally "gets" Monk's playing and results in some fabulous performances. By contrast, the second group with the illustrious line up of Lucky Thompson, Lou Donaldson and Kenny Dorham often fumble through the more complicated heads. It is nice to hear that they were human after all! it is funny to recount the story that Steve Lacy once remarked that if you can play "Tea for two", you can play "Skippy. " In my opinion, he must have been joking. Probably worth another thread to list all the jazz standards which are impossible to play. "Skippy" must be in the top five. Any other suggestions ?

[Jazzrook]

Gigi Gryce with Thelonious Monk, Percy Heath & Art Blakey playing Monk's 'Gallop's Gallop' from the hard-to-find 1955 album 'Nica's Tempo':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=nUruy3V6GFA

JR

[Stanfordian]

‘Back in Bean's Bag’ - Coleman Hawkins & Clark Terry
with Tommy Flanagan, Major Holley & Donald Bailey
Columbia (1962)

[elmo]

I was given the latest Ethan Iveson album yesterday which features a core quintet that has been augmented by a big band from Italy. The album is called "Bud Powell in the 21st Century" and half of the album is allegedly an attempt to take motives of Bud's playing and reinterpret in a kind of Third Stream fashion. However, at some point Iveson seems to have changed his mind and the disc becomes big band be-bop rather in the fashion of Dizzy's orchestra. I have to say that I really love Powell's compositions and am a fan of his playing so to hear his music re-cast in this fashion is great fun. It is so good that I played it three times in a row, only taking a break to watch The Simpson's whilst having my tea. I think that this is an album which would really appeal to Elmo.

Yes it will appeal to me - I shall get a copy. Chick Corea's tribute from 1997 "Remembering Bud Powell is well worth a listen - Bud's compositions are somewhat underrated.

elmo