What Jazz are you listening to now?

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  • Ian Thumwood
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 4129

    I have been listening to some early Art Pepper albums. It is a shame that he is not as well appreciated as he was when I was getting in to jazz in the early 1980s. His work inthe 1970s was rightly appreciated but I also think that he was hugely impressive from the off. "Surf Ride" is a good start and must have been made not long after he had been the star pupil of the great Benny Carter who has moved across to the West Coast. The titles all seem to relate to the contents of a spice rack (although probably not as exotic as mine having been inspired by Sabrina Ghayour!) but are largely contrafacts on things like "Tea for two", "Indiana" and "After you've gone." The album is a bit depressing because the chord changes now come across as being really hackneyed and I don't think you could get away with producing a record like this in 2022. I find the soloing to be very good although not as fully formed as he became a few years later. Personally, the appeal is largely lost because the material is a bit weak with no memorable themes. The rest of the Avid collection include the album with Marty Paich which I have always thought to be sensational. As far as the other two albums with Conte Candoli and Jack Sheldon, I feel that these disks are loaded with clues as to how his playing would eventually evolve 20 years later. There has sometimes been a feeling that Art Pepper was a decent bopper in the 50s and only emerged at his full potential when he was released from prison. The latter material has a visceral appeal which set it apart from a lot of the mediocre jazz the 1970s produced yet I do not think that he was less than brilliant beforehand. His playing always packed a punch.

    I envy Joseph being in a position where there are plenty of great alto players from earlier generations who have necessarily faded from attention with their passing and who await re-discovery. No one seem to fete the likes of Pepper, Arthur Blythe, Jimmy Lyons or even Thomas Chapin these days - all of them musicians who dominated their respective generation of jazz musicians at the time. It would be a shame to assume that Cannonball and Dolphy were the dominated the alto saxophone at that time when it came to shugging off the influence of Bird.

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    • Stanfordian
      Full Member
      • Dec 2010
      • 9308

      ‘True Blue’ – Tina Brooks
      with Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordon, Sam Jones & Art Taylor
      Blue Note (1960)

      A favourite album.
      Last edited by Stanfordian; 20-01-22, 15:24.

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37559

        Paul Dunmall with some of our better-known brothers on the other side of the Pond. 5 years old but always current.

        PAUL DUNMALL - tenor saxohoneMATTHEW SHiPP - pianoJOE MORRiS - bassGERALD CLEAVER - drums


        A good sequel to Joseph K's Liebman link, I think!
        Last edited by Serial_Apologist; 20-01-22, 15:23.

        Comment

        • Joseph K
          Banned
          • Oct 2017
          • 7765

          Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
          Paul Dunmall with some of our better-known brothers on the other side of the Pond. 5 years old but always current.

          PAUL DUNMALL - tenor saxohoneMATTHEW SHiPP - pianoJOE MORRiS - bassGERALD CLEAVER - drums


          A good sequel to Joseph K's Liebman link, I think!


          I shall check that out later. I think it was Tenor Freak's Liebman link...

          Comment

          • BLUESNIK'S REVOX
            Full Member
            • Dec 2010
            • 4270

            Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
            I have been listening to some early Art Pepper albums. It is a shame that he is not as well appreciated as he was when I was getting in to jazz in the early 1980s. His work inthe 1970s was rightly appreciated but I also think that he was hugely impressive from the off. "Surf Ride" is a good start and must have been made not long after he had been the star pupil of the great Benny Carter who has moved across to the West Coast. The titles all seem to relate to the contents of a spice rack (although probably not as exotic as mine having been inspired by Sabrina Ghayour!) but are largely contrafacts on things like "Tea for two", "Indiana" and "After you've gone." The album is a bit depressing because the chord changes now come across as being really hackneyed and I don't think you could get away with producing a record like this in 2022. I find the soloing to be very good although not as fully formed as he became a few years later. Personally, the appeal is largely lost because the material is a bit weak with no memorable themes. The rest of the Avid collection include the album with Marty Paich which I have always thought to be sensational. As far as the other two albums with Conte Candoli and Jack Sheldon, I feel that these disks are loaded with clues as to how his playing would eventually evolve 20 years later. There has sometimes been a feeling that Art Pepper was a decent bopper in the 50s and only emerged at his full potential when he was released from prison. The latter material has a visceral appeal which set it apart from a lot of the mediocre jazz the 1970s produced yet I do not think that he was less than brilliant beforehand. His playing always packed a punch.

            I envy Joseph being in a position where there are plenty of great alto players from earlier generations who have necessarily faded from attention with their passing and who await re-discovery. No one seem to fete the likes of Pepper, Arthur Blythe, Jimmy Lyons or even Thomas Chapin these days - all of them musicians who dominated their respective generation of jazz musicians at the time. It would be a shame to assume that Cannonball and Dolphy were the dominated the alto saxophone at that time when it came to shugging off the influence of Bird.
            Much as I admire second life Art Pepper, he could come up dry on occasion given the essential emotional intensity of his playing and personal investment. His work of the late 50s/early 60s was a peak for me. Intensity, Smack up, Getting Together etc. The absolute assurance, personal sound and that way he had back then of fragmenting phrases but in a totally coherent line. His solo on Rhthm a Ning from Getting Together is a prime example. And having Kelly, Chambers and Cobb on board doesn't hurt. I've got an old tape interview where he talks about that date and the raport he had with Paul Chambers. Really interesting.

            Comment

            • Joseph K
              Banned
              • Oct 2017
              • 7765

              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
              Paul Dunmall with some of our better-known brothers on the other side of the Pond. 5 years old but always current.

              PAUL DUNMALL - tenor saxohoneMATTHEW SHiPP - pianoJOE MORRiS - bassGERALD CLEAVER - drums


              A good sequel to Joseph K's Liebman link, I think!
              Listening now, SA.

              Comment

              • Stanfordian
                Full Member
                • Dec 2010
                • 9308

                ‘Street Singer’ – Jackie McLean & Tina Brooks
                Blue Mitchell, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers & Art Taylor
                Blue Note (recorded 1960 - full session first released 1980)

                Comment

                • Stanfordian
                  Full Member
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 9308

                  ‘Music From the Connection’ – Howard McGhee
                  with Tina Brooks, Freddie Redd, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson
                  Felsted Records (1960)

                  Comment

                  • Joseph K
                    Banned
                    • Oct 2017
                    • 7765

                    Allan Holdsworth - Leverkusen '97

                    Comment

                    • Stanfordian
                      Full Member
                      • Dec 2010
                      • 9308

                      ‘The Hawk Relaxes’ – Coleman Hawkins
                      with Ronnell Bright, Kenney Burrell, Ron Carter & Andrew Cyrille
                      Moodsville (1961)

                      Comment

                      • Stanfordian
                        Full Member
                        • Dec 2010
                        • 9308

                        ‘Let Me Tell You 'Bout It’ – Leo Parker
                        with Dave Burns, Bill Swindell, Yusef Salim, Stan Conover & Purnell Rice
                        Blue Note (1961)

                        Comment

                        • Stanfordian
                          Full Member
                          • Dec 2010
                          • 9308

                          ‘Another Workout’ – Hank Mobley
                          with Grant Green, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones
                          Blue Note (1961, released 1985)
                          Last edited by Stanfordian; 29-01-22, 10:18.

                          Comment

                          • Stanfordian
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 9308

                            ‘Another Workout’ – Hank Mobley
                            with Grant Green, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones
                            Blue Note (1961, released 1985)
                            Last edited by Stanfordian; 29-01-22, 10:18.

                            Comment

                            • Jazzrook
                              Full Member
                              • Mar 2011
                              • 3061

                              Hank Mobley Quartet with Horace Silver, Doug Watkins & Art Blakey playing 'Just Coolin'' in 1955:

                              Just Coolin' (Mobley)Hank Mobley - TenorHorace Silver - PianoDoug Watkins - BassArt Blakey - Drums Recorded on March 27, 1955From the original Album : Hank M...


                              JR

                              Comment

                              • Tenor Freak
                                Full Member
                                • Dec 2010
                                • 1047

                                Joe Henderson - "Big Band" (Verve, 1996).

                                NP: "Serenity"
                                all words are trains for moving past what really has no name

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