What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Joseph K]

John Coltrane - Interstellar Space

Such transcendentally sublime music! One always wants more of such great music - but, like Bitches Brew and a few other greats, it's in their nature that they're special and unique and thus by definition there's not much other music that's of similar quality or expressive quiddity.

[Serial_Apologist]

John Coltrane - Interstellar Space

Such transcendentally sublime music! One always wants more of such great music - but, like Bitches Brew and a few other greats, it's in their nature that they're special and unique and thus by definition there's not much other music that's of similar quality or expressive quiddity.

I'll have to introduce you to Paul Dunmall sometime.

[Joseph K]

I'll have to introduce you to Paul Dunmall sometime.

I'd like that! I ought to go to bed now - I just spent an hour and a half writing something about that album which I've just posted on facebook - waxing lyrical, though such effusions had to be edited and re-edited so's to avoid anything too wince-inducing.

Here it is:

I've just listened to John Coltrane's Interstellar Space. Such transcendentally sublime music! One always wants more of such great music - but, like Bitches Brew and a few other greats, it seems as though it's in their nature that they're special and unique and thus by definition there's not much other music that's of similar quality or expressive quiddity, at least in this corner of the repertoire. But Interstellar Space is so profoundly ecstatic, its ecstasy is only matched by its dazzling colourfulness and cosmic expressiveness. The subtleties of the rhythms, which while still audibly indebted to previous forms of jazz, have clearly moved on into new realms of freedom - drummer Rashied Ali's style enabled Coltrane to take this approach, where he revisits the 'sheets of sound' that was a feature of much of his playing in 57/58 but now in a different musical context where what was only implicit in the earlier music I think now is fulfilled in terms of how incredibly intricate but equally incredibly fast the music often is and that the drummer's role is more as a partner rather than time-keeper - I think the colouristic drumming on 'Venus', the use of brushes for example, contribute greatly to that piece's particular manifestation of exquisiteness. The interplay between saxophone and drums assumes some awesome forms in spontaneous unison passages in 'Jupiter Variation' and while much of the album might seem brash or imperious it is at the same time highly nuanced; visceral screams coexist with cerebral harmony. One of the interesting things about this album is that, though as already mentioned he revisited certain stylistic aspects from his playing from the 50s, otherwise much of his vocabulary here is not really found in his releases during the year prior to it, and it appears as an especially inspired suite whose existence one might not have guessed from listening to the Temple University live album recorded just a few months prior. His playing here shows the influence of Albert Ayler but this is transformed and taken to a new level by dint of harmonic techniques Coltrane had developed of playing over pieces of one or two chords using ideas derived from his Giant Steps chord changes, and it is from this amongst other things that the music derives its colourfulness, by the freedom and surprising routes through which motifs are transposed and sequences created. There are aspects of his vocabulary that sound astonishing through their textural effect, such as lightspeed multiphonic passages but which are integrated into his harmonic and melodic concept. And also his tone at this point, with its somewhat nasal quality and fast vibrato, was somewhat shehnai-like ... such a great album, and tragic that this zenith is reached a few months before Coltrane died.

[Ian Thumwood]

Victor Feldman immediately preceded Herbie Hancock with Miles's band in '63. Frank Butler was the drummer on this April '63 take on "So Near So Far", another Feldman tune, and one which in many perhaps surprising ways foretastes Herbie, both in Feldman's approach harmonically, both as composer and, with his attentive timings and subtle emphases, improviser, in this fastish version of the tune - which is not the better-known one on "Seven Steps". On this rather than take a few choruses he swapped sections of the tune with Miles and George Coleman. Nothing mind-blowing but historic in this small way. Feldman was one of the "bridges" between Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, I would think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzyLQxyQlww

I 100% agree with this. "Seven Steps" is, in my opinion, probably the album where Miles' playing is at it's best. The ballads are incredible but Feldman's piano playing is an unexpected bonus. I am not too familiar with other recording's of Victor Feldman and whether the proto-Hancockisms are a feature of his other recordings.

I have been playing Beatrice Rana's recording of the Bach Goldberg variations. I have the music for this at home but did not realize this is what it should sound like! The intention was to improve my sight reading. I like the music although the crossing of the hands necessary to play the music is something that is a bitoff-putting. Never encountered this Italian pianist before but her recording is very impressive.

[Stanfordian]

‘The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard’ – Freddie Hubbard
with Curtis Fuller, John Gilmore, Tommy Flanagan, Art Davis & Louis Hayes
Blue Note (1962)

[Serial_Apologist]

bitoff-putting.

That's how they play golf in Russia, I believe.

[elmo]

Prez defining the misused term.... cool - where's my shades?

https://youtu.be/fPHj9uNZOgk

elmo

[teamsaint]

Johnny Griffin.
Change of Pace.
I am enjoying this greatly. Are there other albums of his that people would strongly recommend ?

( Got this in the budget 10 CD box : avantgarde The New Thing, which is proving an excellent buy)

[Jazzrook]

Johnny Griffin.
Change of Pace.
I am enjoying this greatly. Are there other albums of his that people would strongly recommend ?

( Got this in the budget 10 CD box : avantgarde The New Thing, which is proving an excellent buy)

'Four Classic Albums'(AVID) which includes 'Introducing Johnny Griffin', 'The Congregation', 'A Blowing Session' & 'Way Out'.

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

'Four Classic Albums'(AVID) which includes 'Introducing Johnny Griffin', 'The Congregation', 'A Blowing Session' & 'Way Out'.

JR

Johnny Griffin - "The Kerry Dancers" (JG plays folk songs and others)
Griff with Barry Harris, Ron Carter, Ben Riley.

To me this is a wonderful album that should never of worked, ("folk songs?"), but it's superbly played and with a great rhythm section. Highly recommended. Griffin was so much more than 100mph tenor http://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0...i4IQbp4nyqw5El

[Serial_Apologist]

Johnny Griffin.
Change of Pace.
I am enjoying this greatly. Are there other albums of his that people would strongly recommend ?

( Got this in the budget 10 CD box : avantgarde The New Thing, which is proving an excellent buy)

Tubby Hayes is arguably our own closest to Johnny Griffin, if that's not too nationalistic a claim! You're blessed for choice with Tubbs: I'd say check out any Youtube links.

[teamsaint]

Tubby Hayes is arguably our own closest to Johnny Griffin, if that's not too nationalistic a claim! You're blessed for choice with Tubbs: I'd say check out any Youtube links.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody.Will check them out.
Been listening to a bit of Tubby Hayes in the last few months too.

[Jazzrook]

Johnny Griffin - "The Kerry Dancers" (JG plays folk songs and others)
Griff with Barry Harris, Ron Carter, Ben Riley.

To me this is a wonderful album that should never of worked, ("folk songs?"), but it's superbly played and with a great rhythm section. Highly recommended. Griffin was so much more than 100mph tenor http://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0...i4IQbp4nyqw5El

Enjoyed hearing 'The Kerry Dancers', BN.
Good to hear JG at a slower pace.
Wish I could find a CD copy - perhaps a candidate for JRR?

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Enjoyed hearing 'The Kerry Dancers', BN.
Good to hear JG at a slower pace.
Wish I could find a CD copy - perhaps a candidate for JRR?

JR

Yes indeed. Maybe the ballad, "Black is the colour"

May give it a go!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

"Black is the colour, (of my true loves hair)"
Johnny Griffin Qrt. Smashing.

http://youtu.be/ttfJJEVcbRQ