What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks for mentioning this. I had paused my reconnaissance of Alan Skidmore (and fellow conspirators) ~1970, because to my ear, he had entered a dark phase. However, the tracks from this album on You Tube are much lighter in spirit. Must be the influence of Elton Dean. Further investigation required!

More likely 'twas the other way round.

[Serial_Apologist]

The jazz gigs I have walked out of have tended to be freer stuff which has not got going. I have only done it rarely although the Italian Instabile Orchestra was shockingly bad and I never returned to the second set which got a good review from John Fordham in The Guardian. This made be start doubting reviews in magazines afterwards as I was staggered that someone could be so wrong about a gig. Sometimes I think people will say something is great if it has a shock value but when you attend as many concerts as I go to over the course of a year, you get a feel for what is poor and what is good.

I walked out of a French film with Ludovine Sagnier which was dreadful but I think it is easier not to make a mistake with films because they are finite. You can be underwhelmed by a film but not put off as you can be when the music is unlistenable as was the case with Mary J Blige. If anything, pop music is more of a revealing experience because the poor quality artists quickly get exposed as such. The better artists tend to really know their music even if not necessarily going to the extremes of Niles Rodgers of Chic who warmed up the last time I saw him by playing Thelonious Monk!

Three things I've walked out on because they were too f*****g loud.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Cream ...the Corn Exchange, Bristol c.1966. Deafening + Distortion way through the pain threshold. Ginger Baker's 24 hour drum solo plus tea breaks? People thought WW2 had re-started after a half time scrub down...hundreds running for the shelters..."We surrender".

[Stanfordian]

'Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster'
Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown & Alvin Stoller
Verve (1957)

[burning dog]

Hawk with strings .. on this track it really works

[gradus]

There's no other word for it but genius, Errol Garner's 'variations' on Easy to Love, 9mins 40 secs of sheer piano-playing genius.

[Stunsworth]

Ike Quebec: Blue and Sentimental

One of the DeAgostini jazz LP reissues. Nothing groundbreaking, but gorgeous playing and as usual from Blue Note a stunning recording.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Chet Baker & Paul Bley duo - "Diane". Steeplechase, Denmark, 1985.

I keep coming back to this one. At first sight an surprising combination, but a hugely complimentary one. One of Chet's finest and most committed later hours and made possible by Bley's wonderful presence and support. No sweeping pianistics or lush backgrounds but exactly right every time.

"If I should lose you", the opening track, is simply stunning.

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

Chet Baker & Paul Bley duo - "Diane". Steeplechase, Denmark, 1985.

I keep coming back to this one. At first sight an surprising combination, but a hugely complimentary one. One of Chet's finest and most committed later hours and made possible by Bley's wonderful presence and support. No sweeping pianistics or lush backgrounds but exactly right every time.

"If I should lose you", the opening track, is simply stunning.

BN.

It's on youchoob too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQq0rNUOFg

Thinking of the Bley/Peacock project of the early 1970s, I often think how fascinating it could have been had he and Billie Holiday got a session together. Chet and Dick Zwardzig were in Paris at the same time in the late 1950s - did they ever get to play together, anybody know?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Richard Twardzik died of a heroin overdose in a Paris hotel on 21 October 1955.

I can't see anything from the European tour dates or bootlegs, but it's more possibly they may have met/played together in Boston at the Storyville, a common location and gig for all three of them.

Not many people know : 4579 ....Dick Twardzik played for a few months with the Lionel Hampton band...toured the South with Betty Carter etc. Now that is a strange one! I had to read that twice.

BN

[Jazzrook]

Chet Baker & Dick Twardzik can be heard on the 'Complete Studio Sessions with Dick Twardzik'(LONE HILL JAZZ LHJ 10161) recorded in Paris in 1955.
A great album if you can find it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCclE4h7uc

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Yes indeed, but I took SAs thoughts as whether Billie, Chet and Dick recorded together, or indeed ever played together?

Btw, the Barcley album Chet recorded right AFTER DT died is, despite that, very very good. Brooding and dark, as well it might be. I think Bobbie Jasper is on some tracks.

BN.

[Stanfordian]

'The Gigolo'
Lee Morgan with Wayne Shorter, Harold Mabern, Bob Cranshaw & Billy Higgins
Blue Note (1965)

Ill be playing this tonight!

[Stanfordian]

Ike Quebec: Blue and Sentimental

One of the DeAgostini jazz LP reissues. Nothing groundbreaking, but gorgeous playing and as usual from Blue Note a stunning recording.

Ike Quebec 'Blue and Sentimental' - A Blue Note masterpiece that I play often!

[Stanfordian]

'The Kicker'
Bobby Hutcherson with Joe Henderson, Grant Green, Duke Pearson, Bob Cranshaw & Al Harewood
Blue Note (1963)