What Jazz are you listening to now?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

The 1960s UK release of "Outward Bound" on Esquire had a "conventional" jazz sleeve. I much prefer the US New Jazz "ugly" one, which I bought originally. I like all those early US Dolphy sleeves, their kind of hip surrealism, can't remember the guy's name but he was a friend of Shepp and Leroi Jones etc.

[Jazzrook]

The 1960s UK release of "Outward Bound" on Esquire had a "conventional" jazz sleeve. I much prefer the US New Jazz "ugly" one, which I bought originally. I like all those early US Dolphy sleeves, their kind of hip surrealism, can't remember the guy's name but he was a friend of Shepp and Leroi Jones etc.

Just discovered the artist was Richard Slater Jennings aka "Prophet":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Slater_Jennings

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Just discovered the artist was Richard Slater Jennings aka "Prophet":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Slater_Jennings

JR

Thanks, that's the guy! "Prophet Jennings" on Freddie Hubbard's "Hub Tones", 1962.

[Jazzrook]

Thanks, that's the guy! "Prophet Jennings" on Freddie Hubbard's "Hub Tones", 1962.

Thanks, BN. Here is " Prophet Jennings" from Freddie Hubbard's 'Hub Tones' with James Spaulding, Herbie Hancock, Reggie Workman & Clifford Jarvis:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=9w7jLOu3fQ0

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Thanks again! I've got all those early Freddie Hubbard Bluenote original albums which I haven't listened to for a long while. I was planning to give them away as I've got a cheap CD box set which covers it. Now, listening to that again, I definitely won't!

[Ian Thumwood]

I was not aware of the connection between the artists of the Dolphy album covers and the Freddie Hubbard composition. I love the Blue Note cover art and I think that ECM sometimes comes up wtih some brilliant covers too. Both have atwork which conforms to a "house style." You can also appreciate the identity "impulse" had.
You can see why Blue Note was lauded given that so many other labels did not really bother with the cover artwork. Maybe only CBS had the budget for something more iconic.

Cover art seems to be far better these days although I think that a lot of originality has gone out of it. You can only expect it to decline durther as people plump for downloads. Photographs seem more popular these days and, as I said earlier, if you get a cover like Pat Martino''s "Formidable" album, this really matches the aspirations of the music inside. For me, the Dolphy photos match the "Coltrane's sound" cover for shear ugliness. The "photographic " portraits in black and white that some of the smaller labels put out in the 50s and 60s reflected the budget they had to play with yet you cannot help but to think that they controbuted to some discs being obscure. I don't think this simply applies to "Modern Jazz." You can find equally uninspired covers with all kinds of jazz.

As a consumer of jazz records, I think a decent album cover is all part of the marketing. Personally, the Dlophy discs have transcended the dreadful covers they were lumbered with. The Jenning's paintings just seem amateur to me.

[Stanfordian]

‘Elvin!’ – Elvin Jones
with Thad Jones, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Hank Jones & Art Davis
Riverside (rec. 1961/62)

[Jazzrook]

I was not aware of the connection between the artists of the Dolphy album covers and the Freddie Hubbard composition. I love the Blue Note cover art and I think that ECM sometimes comes up wtih some brilliant covers too. Both have atwork which conforms to a "house style." You can also appreciate the identity "impulse" had.
You can see why Blue Note was lauded given that so many other labels did not really bother with the cover artwork. Maybe only CBS had the budget for something more iconic.

Cover art seems to be far better these days although I think that a lot of originality has gone out of it. You can only expect it to decline durther as people plump for downloads. Photographs seem more popular these days and, as I said earlier, if you get a cover like Pat Martino''s "Formidable" album, this really matches the aspirations of the music inside. For me, the Dolphy photos match the "Coltrane's sound" cover for shear ugliness. The "photographic " portraits in black and white that some of the smaller labels put out in the 50s and 60s reflected the budget they had to play with yet you cannot help but to think that they controbuted to some discs being obscure. I don't think this simply applies to "Modern Jazz." You can find equally uninspired covers with all kinds of jazz.

As a consumer of jazz records, I think a decent album cover is all part of the marketing. Personally, the Dlophy discs have transcended the dreadful covers they were lumbered with. The Jenning's paintings just seem amateur to me.

A fascinating article/interview about Richard Prophet Jennings:

https://flophousemagazine.com/tag/richard-prophet-jennings/

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

Just discovered the artist was Richard Slater Jennings aka "Prophet":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Slater_Jennings

JR

Slightly Dali-ish, no?

[Jazzrook]

Grachan Moncur III with Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Bobby Hutcherson, Bob Cranshaw & Tony Williams playing 'Air Raid' from the 1963 album 'Evolution':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=UOhhx96udUY

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

Grachan Moncur III with Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Bobby Hutcherson, Bob Cranshaw & Tony Williams playing 'Air Raid' from the 1963 album 'Evolution':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=UOhhx96udUY

JR

that album - I really should get it.

[Jazzrook]

that album - I really should get it.

Also, if you don't already have it, the follow-up album 'Some Other Stuff' with Moncur, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee & Tony Williams:

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=DjbFbs3DW04

JR

[RichardB]

On Bandcamp: 1990s archive recordings from Dave Draper's free jazz big band the Porkestra:

https://davedraper.bandcamp.com/album/force-of-nature

... featuring many London improvisation luminaries such as Roland Ramanan, Caroline Kraabel, Alan Wilkinson, Alan Tomlinson, Oren Marshall and Steve Noble

[Stanfordian]

‘Blackjack’ - Donald Byrd
with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker & Billy Higgins
Blue Note (1967)

[Stanfordian]

‘Fearless Frank Foster’ – Frank Foster
with Virgil Jones, Al Dailey, Bob Cunningham & Alan Dawson
Prestige (1965)