What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Stanfordian]

'Night Hawk'
Coleman Hawkins with Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter & Gus Johnson
Swingville (1961)

[Padraig]

I have recently discovered this band on You Tube. It is a Trad band from New Orleans. When I was a teenager I was a big fan of Trad, mainly British Trad, and I played trombone in our own band for a few short years. The dream for us was to get to New Orleans, and when the records from America reached us in due course we had the next best thing. All dreams come to an end and for all of us work and family took the place of play, and time went about its relentless business. I heard only last week that our old drummer had passed away leaving me as possibly the last survivor of that brilliant ensemble. When I found Tuba Skinny I must say I was impressed and all my old enthusiasm was aroused. If we had known this band then... well I just wish I could compare notes with my old buddies. I know they would have loved it.
The cornet player in Tuba Skinny, Shaye Cohn, is the grandaughter of tenor sax player Al Cohn. She's a credit to him!

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

[Serial_Apologist]

Freddie Hubbard "High Blues Pressure" (Atlantic - 1967/8):
Kiane Zawadi (tb,euph) Howard Johnson (tuba) Beny Maupin (ts) James Spaulding (as,fl) Keny Barron (p) Herbie Lewis (b) Freddie Waits/Louie Hayes (d)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rsMDqk9QSE

I've always had a soft spot for Benny Maupin, who tends to get too easily forgotten; he was an interesting bridge stylistically between Trane and Rollins - there weren't many of those - and of course was Herbie Hancock's regular saxist/flautist in the early 1970s HH Sextet and Headhunters.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

If you check out the Horace Silver quintet at Antibes on Utube, with Bill Hardman and Maupin, you may very well be surprised. A very different player from the "colourist", just really intense forceful full-on tenor solos stretching the form. I was really thrown by him. He could really cut it.

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

[Jazzrook]

If you check out the Horace Silver quintet at Antibes on Utube, with Bill Hardman and Maupin, you may very well be surprised. A very different player from the "colourist", just really intense forceful full-on tenor solos stretching the form. I was really thrown by him. He could really cut it.

BN.

Bennie Maupin has a fine tenor solo on 'Kindred Spirits' from Horace Silver's 1968 album 'Serenade to a Soul Sister'(BLUE NOTE):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsbaHUW7AM

...and here's Bennie Maupin with Horace Silver, Bill Hardman, John Williams & Billy Cobham in Denmark, 1968:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKGBLjjy-hQ

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Bennie Maupin has a fine tenor solo on 'Kindred Spirits' from Horace Silver's 1968 album 'Serenade to a Soul Sister'(BLUE NOTE):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsbaHUW7AM

...and here's Bennie Maupin with Horace Silver, Bill Hardman, John Williams & Billy Cobham in Denmark, 1968:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKGBLjjy-hQ

JR

Thanks JR, it was the Denmark concert, not Antibes. Extraordinary playing from all. Hardman was no slouch either.
BN

[Stanfordian]

'Headin' South'
Horace Parlan with George Tucker, Al Harewood & Ray Barretto
Blue Note (1960)

[Stanfordian]

'The Complete 1960 Sextet Jazz Cellar Session'
Ben Webster & Johnny Hodges with Lou Levy, Herb Ellis, Wilfred Middlebrooks & Gus Johnson
Wax Time (1960)

[Ian Thumwood]

Bennie Maupin is probably the most under-used of the musicians on the Headhunter albums and, as stated above, seems to add a bit of colour, rather that totally reinvent the music as is the case with Herbie Hancock's solos. I am a bit sceptical of fusion and it is one of my least favourite types of jazz yet when I had "Thrust" playing in my car a few weeks back, I didn't take it out of the machine for ages. The most inspiring element of the music (after Herbie) is the drummer Mike Clark - an unknown name for me although if you go on YouTube it is fascinating to see just how many other drummers are in thrall of him. I find it odd that the original album seems to get the attention whereas "Thrust" is more interesting musically if only for the inclusion of "Butterfly" and "Actual Proof." The whole point of interest in this group stems from the grooves established by Hancock, Paul Jackson on bass and the two percussionists. Years ago John Scofield made the comment about how difficult it is to play good Funk and I think the Headhunters absolutely nailed this music, not only from a point of view of the fabulous grooves but the almost orchestral use of different harmonies by the leader. Maupin seems ok but , for me, he is the least interesting musician in this band.

I also wanted to sound out about another musician I have been listening to this weekend and that is the tenor player J D Allen. I have a friend who absolutely raves about him and, again, he is another player who always seems to attract very positive reviews, especially for his trio with Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston. Having contributed to this board for a number of years, I end up looking at music from the point of view as to who else on here will enjoy the music. If it is something that I feel is a totally committed jazz record or has slightly outside tendencies, I always think whether it is something that Jazzrook will appreciate and therefore scores really highly. J D Allen is a tough one. The perception I get is that Bluesnik would be a bit negative whereas it might be too "in the tradition" for SA. Listening to his latest offering , "Radio Flyer", there are elements in Allen's playing that remind me Branford Marsalis (which is a good thing) albeit a bit more abstract. I have heard other records where I have felt that Allen is another "New Neo" but on this disc he has added avant garde guitarist Liberty Ellman which steers the results well away from the 2nd Miles Quintet sound. On this record, he is almost in the realms of Ornette harmolodics and Ellman does recall the more outside elements of Pat Metheny's playing on the legendary "Song X" album.

The result is interesting but perhaps the hooks / melodies are not too memorable. They are a bit abstract but the point of the music seems to be more about the improvisation process with he four instruments seemingly disappearing in different directions before coming back together again. It does seem like a record that will wield more with further listening, especially because of the force of bassist August and the wonderful drummer. if there is anyone on this message-board who would appreciate this album it would be either Calum or Elmo. I intend to give it another listen tomorrow.

Last year I bought another record by trumpeter Kirk Knuffke which , if you like, offered an even more "mainstream" approach to the kind of music produced by Ornette. It is quite interesting how contemporary jazz is producing albums that I very outside yet extremely approachable. The J D Allen album is the better disc but I wonder if anyone else had checked his playing out?

[Pianorak]

A bit surprised there has been no comment on this: EFG London Jazz Festival: The Jazz Voice.
Radio 3 last night. Live from the RFH.

Worth a listen?

[Serial_Apologist]

A bit surprised there has been no comment on this: EFG London Jazz Festival: The Jazz Voice.
Radio 3 last night. Live from the RFH.

Worth a listen?

I was at another gig last night when this was on, but I have provided a link to it on my regular "what's on" "column". If you click it should automatically relay the programme, which, tbh, didn't look interesting enough to go along to.

[gradus]

I'd heard the trailer and meant to listen but somehow life got in the way. Lianne Carroll is a favourite of mine so try to catch her performances; as a live act she's sensational.

[Pianorak]

Thanks S_A. Those big lush orchestrations don't really appeal to me. Liane Carroll, mentioned by gradus, was great though. I much preferred the more intimate performances broadcast later from the Pizza Express Jazz Club.

[gradus]

I agree, she's a natural club performer.