What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

"Michael Brecker-"Pilgrimage"

This was Mike Brecker's last album and one i found really difficult to listen to at the time. I had not played it for years but dug it out yesterday and was surprised how good it was. What did strike me was just how ubiquitous the influence of his playing has become and it really sounds like his approach informed a lot of tenor players in the 1980s-2000s. What is interesting is that whilst this has led to a degree of blandness and lack of originality it the players who followed in his wake, the elements that made Brecker so compelling are often missing.

Returning to this disc makes you reallise how "state of the art" this record was in 2006 and how far tenor sax playing had moved on from Coltrane with regard to the harmonic language. I wish that Herbie had played on all the tracks as Mehldau is someone I have less interest in these days. I think that Mike Brecker has been a massive miss for jazz since it tragic passing and he was truly one of the "greats."

Have to say I don't quite agree about Brecker moving the harmonic language that far on - his being (to my ears at least) pre-1965 Coltrane and ditto Wayne Shorter put into a blender then formulated to limiting consequences which have played themselves out in the standardised impersonality you mention of a lot of the tenor virtuosos emerging in his wake, lending an unfortunate impression of the "Trane legacy" having played itself out for some critics and opinionators as well as those promulgating a re-imagined updated Stan Getz in some of the conservatoires. This is not to disparage Brecker's achievement, his authenticity, nor his standing in the international jazz community, but rather as was the case with Charlie Parker's influence up to the late 1950s necessitating fresh approaches, Brecker exhausted much that was still possible to do within the broadly modal frame of his own thinking. There are tenor players aplenty from the 60s on who have advanced the language, I don't think I need to name names!

[Stanfordian]

‘Know what I mean’ – Cannonball Adderley
with Bill Evans, Percy Heath & Connie Kay
Riverside (1961)

[Ian Thumwood]

Have to say I don't quite agree about Brecker moving the harmonic language that far on - his being (to my ears at least) pre-1965 Coltrane and ditto Wayne Shorter put into a blender then formulated to limiting consequences which have played themselves out in the standardised impersonality

One of the things that I have found to be interesting is looking at leadsheets which are quite an eye-opener in to how certain composers "think" about music as there is definately an element of those musicians who emerged in the 1970s making the harmonic languge more complicated and going beyond the model forms of expression you get with Coltrane in the 1960s where the music was reduced down to produce a springboard for more expansive improvisation. For me, Brecker "works" because there is an intelligence behind his playing and the emotion clout / dynamics which makes his playing compelling. I understand that the "Coltrane" influence may have been in the background yet I would argue that where Brecker took the music was as you would expect ftom someone from the next generation. He really was the "sound of the tenor " in the 1980s and 90s even if it is correct to add that there are other tenor players from the same period who have contributed to looking at other styles post-Coltrane whether it be Lovano, David S Ware, Branford or David Murray.

I would be interested to see who people on here consider to be the tenor players speaking for this generation. I feel that the passing of Mike Brecker left a bit void as has been the case with David S Ware too. At the moment I think that Chris Potter has probably filled Brecker's shoes - Donny McCaslin initially seemed very promising but his music has taken a turn towards fusion and I lost interest as he became increasingly unlistenable. Of the 1980s generation, I have always felt that Branford gets short thrift on this board despite being extremely consistent. Of the younger players, I feel James Brandon Lewis is the most interesting and those players who are broadly of my generation seem to be dominated by J D Allen who is consistently rewarding.

[Ian Thumwood]

Ian - Yeah that is a great track, I like the way it builds and as you say Basie was pushing the band along in the direction of his own band soon after these recordings. Definitely a bandstand lifter.

How about this from a later period Blakey and Wayne on this pretty well shred the bandstand on this with Blakey audibly urging Wayne to even greater heights. One of the fieriest studio sessions ever.

https://youtu.be/GJBLA39spc4

elmo

I picked that album up in the early 2000s when HMV had deals on Blue Notes for something like 3 for £15. It was staggered by this album become of the shear aggression of this music. If any jazz album can be described as "musculine", it is "Free for all." For my money, this is one of Blakey's best albums but it also has some of the antecedants in it which made some people turn away from the New Neos of the 1980s. It is not an album that is at all subtle yet the music on that disc feels like it is making a real statement. Odd to think that the likes of Marsalis were following in the wake of albums like this less than twenty years afterwards where the first Marsalis albums are now themselves forty years old! I agree, "Free for all" is a great album. You do wonder whether the iconic status Blakey had in the 1980s lost it's lustre when some critics decided to be negative about Marsalis. In the 1980's , Blakey's groups were making manifestos as much as albums.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

One of the things that I have found to be interesting is looking at leadsheets which are quite an eye-opener in to how certain composers "think" about music as there is definately an element of those musicians who emerged in the 1970s making the harmonic languge more complicated and going beyond the model forms of expression you get with Coltrane in the 1960s where the music was reduced down to produce a springboard for more expansive improvisation. For me, Brecker "works" because there is an intelligence behind his playing and the emotion clout / dynamics which makes his playing compelling. I understand that the "Coltrane" influence may have been in the background yet I would argue that where Brecker took the music was as you would expect ftom someone from the next generation. He really was the "sound of the tenor " in the 1980s and 90s even if it is correct to add that there are other tenor players from the same period who have contributed to looking at other styles post-Coltrane whether it be Lovano, David S Ware, Branford or David Murray.

I would be interested to see who people on here consider to be the tenor players speaking for this generation. I feel that the passing of Mike Brecker left a bit void as has been the case with David S Ware too. At the moment I think that Chris Potter has probably filled Brecker's shoes - Donny McCaslin initially seemed very promising but his music has taken a turn towards fusion and I lost interest as he became increasingly unlistenable. Of the 1980s generation, I have always felt that Branford gets short thrift on this board despite being extremely consistent. Of the younger players, I feel James Brandon Lewis is the most interesting and those players who are broadly of my generation seem to be dominated by J D Allen who is consistently rewarding.

I know very little of the current "Tenors du Jour", and those I actually do like hark back to previous eras. Which, I guess is not the point.

But I do wonder about the impact of the past few years of Covid and it's restrictions - and obviously club life - on those who were just entering "the scene" at that point. Making s small name.

Things maybe getting back to some normality, but is there a viable future for these people? They can't all go into universities, there must be a capacity for that?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Andrew Hill "Combo" 1956. A 45 on the Ping label, I assume from Chicago. "Down Pat", Hill piano, Pat Patrick Bari, Von Freeman Tenor. A kind of R&B jaaazz. Interesting for the kind of stuff they probably played in clubs, but little of what came later...

http://youtu.be/ax-gi9wvUdo

[Jazzrook]

Andrew Hill "Combo" 1956. A 45 on the Ping label, I assume from Chicago. "Down Pat", Hill piano, Pat Patrick Bari, Von Freeman Tenor. A kind of R&B jaaazz. Interesting for the kind of stuff they probably played in clubs, but little of what came later...

http://youtu.be/ax-gi9wvUdo

Enjoyed that, BN.
Here's Andrew Hill in 1962 with Roland Kirk, Vernon Martin & Henry Duncan playing 'Meeting On Termini's Corner' from the album 'Domino':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=ELnvM5xJXvc

JR

[elmo]

Andrew Hill "Combo" 1956. A 45 on the Ping label, I assume from Chicago. "Down Pat", Hill piano, Pat Patrick Bari, Von Freeman Tenor. A kind of R&B jaaazz. Interesting for the kind of stuff they probably played in clubs, but little of what came later...

http://youtu.be/ax-gi9wvUdo

I was aware this rare session existed so thanks for drawing it to attention, shame Andrew doesn't solo on this but Pat Patrick and Von Freeman are fine. I have been playing a lot of Von Freeman lately I love his off the wall tenor playing and this track below has the advantage of another great Chicagoan pianist John Young.

https://youtu.be/my3kPblNV6I

elmo

[burning dog]

From one of my favourite albums

[Stanfordian]

‘Back at the Chicken Shack’ – Jimmy Smith
with Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell & Donald Bailey
Blue Note (1960, released 1963)

[Joseph K]

As I mentioned over on the jazz videos thread, it's Jack DeJohnette's 80th today. Here is his tribute to Eric Dolphy:

[Serial_Apologist]

As I mentioned over on the jazz videos thread, it's Jack DeJohnette's 80th today. Here is his tribute to Eric Dolphy:

Amazing to think Jack's only 3 1/2 years older than me - he seems to have been around forever!

[elmo]

Dave Burns and Billy Mitchell playing 'automation' two relatively obscure hard boppers - good musicians, together with Bobby Hutcherson and Kenny Barron at the very start of their careers and Herman Wright and Otis 'Candy' Finch Bass and Drums. This recent album of of Dave Burns work is good and it grows on you, some of the tracks have Herbie Morgan a tenor player that appeared on some of Larry Young's blue notes and a few others from that period - interesting.

https://youtu.be/NpHEn8zOkIE

elmo

[Ian Thumwood]

Dave Burns and Billy Mitchell playing 'automation' two relatively obscure hard boppers - good musicians, together with Bobby Hutcherson and Kenny Barron at the very start of their careers and Herman Wright and Otis 'Candy' Finch Bass and Drums. This recent album of of Dave Burns work is good and it grows on you, some of the tracks have Herbie Morgan a tenor player that appeared on some of Larry Young's blue notes and a few others from that period - interesting.

https://youtu.be/NpHEn8zOkIE

elmo

I was reading about Dave Burns a month ago as his name cropped up on a record by the baritone player Leo Parker. What is quite intriguing is that he actually made his debut with Al Cooper's "Savoy Sultans" , a band which had a legendary status at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom for ripping apart the opposition in the then popular "battle of the bands." Most of the musicians in this band are really obscure these days and it is probably best known for the fact that the bassist was Grachan Moncur's father. The best thing about this band was the wierd alto player Rudy Williams who was something of a precursor to Charlie Parker but who had a tone all of his own. I have to say that i usually love swing groups of this era and although it was a nine-piece from recollection, their recordings largely consist of riffs performed at great speed and quickly lose any appeal.

I have been listening to a lot of Classical music the last few months and have been higely impressed by Beatrice Rana's interpretation of Bach;s "Goldberg Variations. " i had the music for this but never really felt gripped by it. Buying this CD made me appreciate what this work is supposed to sound like and I have had another attempt to work my way through it. Bach is the absolute best for sight reading but this recording has hugely impressed me. I love the music and also think that Rana has produced a stunning performance. Yesterday I changed tack and was listening to Bruckner's 3rd symphony, I had not listened to this for ages and, for a composition which was not well received on it's debut, I have to say that Haintink conjures up a performance which draws comparison with Beethoven's symphony writing. Normally I lose interest in Germanic composers after Beethoven as this is not really my thing. I would have to own up and admit that I really dislike Mozart too. However, I think Bruckner's music is really stirring and makes a nice change from the likes of Scriabin, Field, Chopin and Cheminade who I have been listening to a lot when I work from home.

[Jazzrook]

Art Taylor with Stanley Turrentine, Dave Burns, Wynton Kelly & Paul Chambers playing Coltrane's 'Syeeda's Song Flute' from the 1960 album 'A.T.'s Delight':

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=2-uEzeY-BZU

JR