What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Ian Thumwood]

Would "Kind of Blue Tits" for a biopic about Bird have been politically incorrect? They're all around this building and I can't take my eyes off them.

Only if Benny Hill was playing the role of Charlie Parker.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

As someone said, all jazz films should have the "hero" playing to an audience of uncomprehending and hostile (white) people. Then the cute blonde girl in the audience whispers to her date, hey, I really like this! Then the audience slowly break into smiles and start tapping their feet. It should be a law. It is a law.

BN.

Best "jazz" film? "Ball of Fire" with Gene Krupa, playing with matchsticks on a matchbox. Eat your heart out Elvin.

[Ian Thumwood]

As someone said, all jazz films should have the "hero" playing to an audience of uncomprehending and hostile (white) people. Then the cute blonde girl in the audience whispers to her date, hey, I really like this! Then the audience slowly break into smiles and start tapping their feet. It should be a law. It is a law.

BN.

Best "jazz" film? "Ball of Fire" with Gene Krupa, playing with matchsticks on a matchbox. Eat your heart out Elvin.

Bluesnik

I strongly recommend that you check out the animated film "Chico & Rita" which is about a Cuban jazz pianist who seeks fame and fortune in the US of the late forties. The film includes cameos of Ben Webster, Lennie Tristano and Woody Herman as well having Chano Pozo as one of the principle characters. Some people aren't too fussed by animation or foreign language films but this is terrific and has the added advantage of a film score by Bebo Valdes. For my money, this is probably the best ever film about jazz and covers the struggles of certain musicians whilst chronicling the success of others. It would be a brilliant film in it's own right yet the fact that the storyline is about jazz musicians going from Cuba to the US at the height of Bebop makes this an essential film, in my opinion, for anyone with even the remotest interest in the music. Apologies if you have seen this before but you should be able to pick in up cheaply on line if you haven't and were interested.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Bluesnik

I strongly recommend that you check out the animated film "Chico & Rita" which is about a Cuban jazz pianist who seeks fame and fortune in the US of the late forties. The film includes cameos of Ben Webster, Lennie Tristano and Woody Herman as well having Chano Pozo as one of the principle characters. Some people aren't too fussed by animation or foreign language films but this is terrific and has the added advantage of a film score by Bebo Valdes. For my money, this is probably the best ever film about jazz and covers the struggles of certain musicians whilst chronicling the success of others. It would be a brilliant film in it's own right yet the fact that the storyline is about jazz musicians going from Cuba to the US at the height of Bebop makes this an essential film, in my opinion, for anyone with even the remotest interest in the music. Apologies if you have seen this before but you should be able to pick in up cheaply on line if you haven't and were interested.

Yes, Ian I have seen that and agree its very good. My favourite jazz film is "The Connection" for obvious reasons and despite its period failings.

My "surely not that?" film is "Paris Blues" with Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier etc. Every cliche in the book, hopeless story line*, but Paris in the early 60s? I can forgive a lot. And (more seriously) there's a very little known film called "Sweet Love Bitter" with Dick Gregory playing the Charlie Parker at end of life figure. Mal Waldron did all the music. George Coleman played the alto parts. Its a hell of a lot better than the full budget "Bird" that's for sure.

BN.

*After they completed Paris Blues, Paul Newman reportedly said to Poitier, "Just what the fk was that all about?" Who cares. Great suits, great scenery...

[burning dog]

Sven Klang

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McIGH0ghPt8

I can just about follow this via the French subtitles.

I played in a band at school/college like this, at least the mid 70s equivalent, playing Motown, James Brown covers etc. which was OK most of time but those songs need vocals and our singer was often not available There's a English version somewhere which was on TV in the 80s.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Wonderful film! There's also a short Scandinavian b/w film about (and with) Bud Powell with Dexter speaking the opening and closing. Artsy maybe, but it does give you an insight into The Bud when living in Copenhagen for a while.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

Niels Lan Doky - "Scandinavian standards"

I had forgotten that I had this Cd which I bought after I caught the featured trio playing in Vienne. The music isn't so much about songs, as an opportunity to plunder folk music previously performed by earlier generations of Scandinavian jazz musicians like Bengt Hallberg and re-working of material by Greig, Neilsen and Sibelius. Those "pop" themes all hark back to the 50's and 60's with "Ah-ha's" The Living Daylights" being the only nod to anything remotely contemporary. The album is really good fun, the trio crisp and contemporary and not afraid to swing. Lan Doky's piano is matched by the impressive bass and drummer but the smart arrangements are the clincher, with not all of them being too respectful. I love the reworking of "Hall of the mountain king" which starts off with a brisk, 2/4 bass-heavy vamp before dissolving in to a really loose limbered swing worthy of a more contemporary Hampton Hawes.

Back in the day, Lan Doky was quite lauded but he has disappeared from the line light. I suppose this kind of trio is deeply "un-hip" if the likes of Go Go Penguin, The Bad Plus or Neil Cowley are concerned and his style of playing really makes the 1980's when he emerged seem like a different generation. That said, I much prefer the likes of Lan Doky who seems both to respect the tradition but has a refreshing approach to repertoire. Amusing to note that Abba didn't quite make the selection - maybe their music is beyond redemption?

[Ian Thumwood]

Tomeka Reid just voted top Chicago jazz musician of the year .

[Jazzrook]

Been playing Archie Shepp, Frank Lowe and the Albert Ayler's "Spiritual unity" recently released with a version of "Vibrations" which has been very difficult to get hold of but it has been well worth the wait.

ESP are releasing a double album of the "Bells and "Prophecy" with an extra 5 tracks from the "Prophecy" session with the same line up as "Spiritual Unity" (Ayler, Peacock, Murray)

Interesting that both Frank Lowe and Archie loved the old masters - Frank Lowe with Chu Berry and Archie with Ben Webster.

Roswell Rudd's arrangement of "Naima from Four for Trane with a superb Shepp solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03g2zR8E5xs&feature=player_embedded

elmo

elmo ~ Where can I find a copy of Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' with the 'Vibrations' track?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeJ5dagugj4

JR

[Quarky]

Just checking out Grammy nominations:

https://www.grammy.com/nominees?genre=16&=Go

I would appreciate any recommendations or otherwise.

Jazz singer Cecile Mclorin Salvant. Initially very impressed with her vocal agility and general Jazz accomplishments, but does she have a personality issue? I have the impression she finds it difficult to take herself seriously. Would recommend Ella as role model.

[elmo]

elmo ~ Where can I find a copy of Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' with the 'Vibrations' track?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeJ5dagugj4

JR

Jazzrook

The album is called Spiritual Unity the 50th anniversary expanded edition. I got my copy from a jazz specialist called A W Jazz in Haverfordwest Pembs, I have checked and it is available on Amazon and the like but seemed to be more expensive.

Give Andrew of A W Jazz a buzz on 01437 769 618 and mention that its the same copy that Lyn bought. Andrew does do mail order

Bluesnik - if you have not seen this video that jazzrook has included in his post... YOU MUST WATCH IT

elmo

[Jazzrook]

Jazzrook

The album is called Spiritual Unity the 50th anniversary expanded edition. I got my copy from a jazz specialist called A W Jazz in Haverfordwest Pembs, I have checked and it is available on Amazon and the like but seemed to be more expensive.

Give Andrew of A W Jazz a buzz on 01437 769 618 and mention that its the same copy that Lyn bought. Andrew does do mail order

Bluesnik - if you have not seen this video that jazzrook has included in his post... YOU MUST WATCH IT

elmo

Many thanks, Elmo. Will get in touch with A W Jazz. Hard to know why this 50th anniversary edition of SU has been so elusive.

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Jazzrook

The album is called Spiritual Unity the 50th anniversary expanded edition. I got my copy from a jazz specialist called A W Jazz in Haverfordwest Pembs, I have checked and it is available on Amazon and the like but seemed to be more expensive.

Give Andrew of A W Jazz a buzz on 01437 769 618 and mention that its the same copy that Lyn bought. Andrew does do mail order

Bluesnik - if you have not seen this video that jazzrook has included in his post... YOU MUST WATCH IT

elmo

Yes, many thanks. I've heard that story of Elmo and Albert before but not in that first hand manner. Fascinating. As an aside I wish the BBC would make more use of Val Wilmer, it could be that she's disinclined, but she met and knew so many of these people at the right time.

She was at the recent BBC Georgie Fame Flamingo remembrance program so is still "on the scene".

BN.

[Jazzrook]

Yes, many thanks. I've heard that story of Ewould i Albert before but not in that first hand manner. Fascinating. As an aside I wish the BBC would make more use of Val Wilmer, it could be that she's disinclined, but she met and knew so many of these people at the right time.

She was at the recent BBC Georgie Fame Flamingo remembrance program so is still "on the scene".

BN.

Let's hope the new Jo3 in April will employ VW. She has such an in-depth knowledge of jazz and would make a good presenter.

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

The weird thing to me about some of these Ayler recordings is that they were contemporaneous with Miles' second quintet but the music doesn't seem as modern. I think it no longer really has a shock value or any particular claim to being "progressive" these days. What Ayler was doing really seems 100% absorbed in to the mainstream these days and I would imagine that you could probably come from quite a conservative / traditional interest in jazz and still make a connection with what he was doing. One of my friends was really dismissive of Ayler even though he could appreciate Coltrane's full on music and joked that it was typical of the British to love this kind of stuff! The connection with more archaic forms of music remains the big appeal for me and it started a trend in the avant garde which I think really validates the music so that a lot of freer jazz these days seems to have more credibility than some of the perverse stuff recorded in the contemporary scene.

I suppose the controversial element of the music is that it by-passes the whole question of harmonic language which has engaged jazz from the point that Duke Ellington came to prominence. It is salutary to listen to some of the freer stuff that Herbie Hancock produced on Blue Note at the same time (Thinking of "The Egg" and the improve at the end of the Hutcherson / Hancock disc "Happenings") which applies ideas assimilated from Classical music in to a free-form approach. Hancock's approach is fascinating and maybe has endured more than some of Ayler's music which is redolent of the late 1960's. That said, I feel that Ayler's music has really become part of the tenor vocabulary in players as diverse as Lovano, Murray or even the newer generation of players coming out of Chicago.