What Jazz are you listening to now?

[Serial_Apologist]

Also hope Calum is doing OK and that he enjoyed the Thad Jones/Mingus track.

JR

I rather gathered from a pm from ff around Christmas that Calum's doing OK.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Gerry Mulligan Quartet In Concert - Vogue EP

A: Blues Going Up
B: Polka Dots And Moonbeams

Vogue UK
EPV 1122, EP, Feb 1956

The same, although I bought my copy c.1959. No more Gene Vincent records, "the light came on". BN

[Quarky]

Jazz I would have listened to, had I known about it, was the Shorter/ Marsalis concert at the Barbican last week. It wasn't mentioned on the Radio until after the event.

Still, I guess it was a sell-out.

[Ian Thumwood]

Been playing Kahil El'Zabar's "What it is" which features a quartet of Kevin Nabors on tenor, Justin Dillard on piano Hammond / Fender Rhodes and Junius Paul on bass. The tenor player is something of a revelation and is a pupil of Jimmy Heath, Von Freeman and Ari Brown. He seems to have worked with a host of really well-known leaders such as Roy Hargrove, Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, Harrison Bankhead and the Israeli Blues guitarist, Guy King. Nabor sounds a lot like Ari Brown , who, for my money, is probably one of the most under-rated tenor players around at the moment. Nabpr is no slouch either. All members of El 'Zabar's quartet seem to be associated with the AACM, once the very definition of the avant garde and now seeming more like guardians of jazz's true heritage.

The album is very much in the spirit of Coltrane and to of his compositions are performed. "Impressions" gets a lengthy and fiery work out whereas "Central Park West" has a fantastic Latin groove underscored by a sumptuous wash of B3 organ. It is a bit of a strange record in that it would have been considered on the fringes of the avant garde in the 1980's when bands led by the likes of David Murray and Denis Gonsalvez working in this idiom were often lauded. I think it is a measure of how jazz has developed that this now sounds pretty retro albeit for the right kind of reasons. Chicago seems to have embraced this kind of stuff. The tunes consist of the kind of vamps with haunting melodies played over the top that evoke Coltrane, with the leader providing a bit of exotica with his percussion instruments and the kalimba on one track. The massively strong influence of McCoy Tyner when Dillard switches to piano only serves to enhance this impression. (He would be difficult to distinguish in a blindfold test, I think.) It is a shame that El 'Zabar remains outside of the mainstream.

[Ian Thumwood]

Here is the original version of "Zonky " which might interest Jazzrook. A bit different from Brew Moore and my introduction to McKinney's Cottonpickers. I have no idea what the lyrics are about but I love the spitting, trumpet solo beforehand (John Nesbitt, I think.)

[Jazzrook]

Been playing Kahil El'Zabar's "What it is" which features a quartet of Kevin Nabors on tenor, Justin Dillard on piano Hammond / Fender Rhodes and Junius Paul on bass. The tenor player is something of a revelation and is a pupil of Jimmy Heath, Von Freeman and Ari Brown. He seems to have worked with a host of really well-known leaders such as Roy Hargrove, Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, Harrison Bankhead and the Israeli Blues guitarist, Guy King. Nabor sounds a lot like Ari Brown , who, for my money, is probably one of the most under-rated tenor players around at the moment. Nabpr is no slouch either. All members of El 'Zabar's quartet seem to be associated with the AACM, once the very definition of the avant garde and now seeming more like guardians of jazz's true heritage.

The album is very much in the spirit of Coltrane and to of his compositions are performed. "Impressions" gets a lengthy and fiery work out whereas "Central Park West" has a fantastic Latin groove underscored by a sumptuous wash of B3 organ. It is a bit of a strange record in that it would have been considered on the fringes of the avant garde in the 1980's when bands led by the likes of David Murray and Denis Gonsalvez working in this idiom were often lauded. I think it is a measure of how jazz has developed that this now sounds pretty retro albeit for the right kind of reasons. Chicago seems to have embraced this kind of stuff. The tunes consist of the kind of vamps with haunting melodies played over the top that evoke Coltrane, with the leader providing a bit of exotica with his percussion instruments and the kalimba on one track. The massively strong influence of McCoy Tyner when Dillard switches to piano only serves to enhance this impression. (He would be difficult to distinguish in a blindfold test, I think.) It is a shame that El 'Zabar remains outside of the mainstream.

Ian ~ You might enjoy this 1999 Archie Shepp/El 'Zabar trio album(DELMARK) dedicated to bassist Fred Hopkins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-MWVGPDTY

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

Jazzrook

I love that Kahil El'Zabar track.

He is a musician I had heard of but had totally overlooked and snapped up the CD out of curiosity as the tracks seemed appealing. The initial thought was that is was a bit derivative insofa that there are several tracks (including the closing original) which are really similar to the Classic Coltrane quartet - not exactly that adventurous these days, especially as this style of jazz is over fifty years old! (If Colrane had done the same, he would have been playing ragtime!) That said, the music is done with absolute integrity and the more I listen, the more I am convinced that the four musicians are right in the zone. The tenor playing is unlike Coltrane in tone and very much akin to Ari Brown who is a musician I feel is massively under-rated. "Impressions" and "Kari" go for the modal groove yet Kevin Nabors unleashes the kind of aggression that you rarely encounter on studio sessions these days. However, the whole disc is worth the money for the opening "The nature of" which features some burning organ work too. The re-working of Central Park West" is also worth the admission price.

I must say that this record feels likes a lost classic from the late 1960's. There is a honesty about this kind of jazz which really puts a lot of the "plastics" to task and El Zabar seems like a kind of catalyst that just continually stokes the music up and up. It is weird but I imagine that this kind of jazz would put off a lot of people who like the more contemporary stuff or the type of music that is on the fringes of jazz. I like it a lot and you could almost see it as some kind of manifesto conjured up to keep jazz pure and undiluted.

If you have not already checked out Ari Brown, he is another musician who is worthwhile looking out for. His last record was brilliant. There is also a new Adasiewizc / Keefe Jacskon duo du out later in the month and the novel idea of a tenor / vibes duel intrigues. The more I listen to Delmark, the more I feel that this is a label which really respects it's target audience. It is a shame that another Chicago label like 428 is so hard to acquire in the UK but you can't often go wrong with Delmark. This label is one of the few that I would take a punt on knowing nothing about the musicians, purely because I know that the label does not believe in compromising its integrity for the sake of the latest trend.

[Jazzrook]

Jazzrook

I love that Kahil El'Zabar track.

He is a musician I had heard of but had totally overlooked and snapped up the CD out of curiosity as the tracks seemed appealing. The initial thought was that is was a bit derivative insofa that there are several tracks (including the closing original) which are really similar to the Classic Coltrane quartet - not exactly that adventurous these days, especially as this style of jazz is over fifty years old! (If Colrane had done the same, he would have been playing ragtime!) That said, the music is done with absolute integrity and the more I listen, the more I am convinced that the four musicians are right in the zone. The tenor playing is unlike Coltrane in tone and very much akin to Ari Brown who is a musician I feel is massively under-rated. "Impressions" and "Kari" go for the modal groove yet Kevin Nabors unleashes the kind of aggression that you rarely encounter on studio sessions these days. However, the whole disc is worth the money for the opening "The nature of" which features some burning organ work too. The re-working of Central Park West" is also worth the admission price.

I must say that this record feels likes a lost classic from the late 1960's. There is a honesty about this kind of jazz which really puts a lot of the "plastics" to task and El Zabar seems like a kind of catalyst that just continually stokes the music up and up. It is weird but I imagine that this kind of jazz would put off a lot of people who like the more contemporary stuff or the type of music that is on the fringes of jazz. I like it a lot and you could almost see it as some kind of manifesto conjured up to keep jazz pure and undiluted.

If you have not already checked out Ari Brown, he is another musician who is worthwhile looking out for. His last record was brilliant. There is also a new Adasiewizc / Keefe Jacskon duo du out later in the month and the novel idea of a tenor / vibes duel intrigues. The more I listen to Delmark, the more I feel that this is a label which really respects it's target audience. It is a shame that another Chicago label like 428 is so hard to acquire in the UK but you can't often go wrong with Delmark. This label is one of the few that I would take a punt on knowing nothing about the musicians, purely because I know that the label does not believe in compromising its integrity for the sake of the latest trend.

Thanks, Ian. Will try to track down 'What It Is'.
The only El' Zabar trio CD I have is 'Love Outside of Dreams' with David Murray & Fred Hopkins.
Hopefully, Soweto Kinch & the new Jo3 will feature more jazz from the neglected DELMARK label.

JR

[Ian Thumwood]

Jazzrook

I think El'Zabar's drumming / percussion is a big draw for this disc. Not heard the David Murray album but I find that the tenor player seems to vacillate between brilliance and being totally over the top. The last time I saw him with a quartet in Southampton, it was the best I have heard him play. His big bands are a bit of a let down though.

The current scene is peculiar insofar that jazz seems to be going through a repetition of the doldrums of the 1970's. It is the fringe stuff that might borrow from Techno or try to distance itself from more mainstream styles of jazz that appears to garner the column inches, record records and festival line ups with piano trios being a bit like the fusion bands of an earlier era. If you want to hear the genuine stuff, it does get less and less featured at jazz festivals and the more interesting jazz is almost mirroring the old Loft scene. The "hardcore" jazz fan is probably being left behind by stuff which is too diluted. There is some fantastic and original jazz being made these days which sticks a defiant middle finger up at a lot of the newer artists but you have to look for it yourself to find it, I think. You can see a schism appearing with an increasing number of players pursuing a more avant garde route whereas the mainstream and fresh jazz talent almost following a pop group kind of status. The likes of Go GO Penguin seem a prime example and maybe a trend instigated by EST which is where a lot of the rot seemed to set in.

[elmo]

Ian

Thank you for that excellent review of the Eric Friedlander disc, I shall be ordering up a copy tonight - it certainly sounds a very interesting session. I shall reply to you soon as I have played it.

elmo

Hi Ian

I received the album yesterday and played it today, very impressive - as you say it harks back to the chamber jazz of the 50's. Friedlander is an excellent musician with loads of technique, more classically based than his idol Oscar. The album is somewhat more conservative than I expected but as I have only played it once I will need more time with it. Pettiford's compositions are sadly underrated so it's good to hear them played again by contemporary musicians with such love and enthusiasm.

Played a very good album today by Frank Lowe called Soul Folks with Bertha Hope on Piano and Tom Harrell playing in a more free style than I associate with - very good too. The drummer is Ralph Petersen a fine drummer who seems to have vanished off the scene.

Managed to get a copy of the Fletcher Henderson "Study in frustration" - have had it on LP for years but only recently picked up the cd set. So pleased to reappraise this wonderful body of work - sounds even better than when I first heard this stuff yonks ago.

The latest John Scofield/Joe Lovano album on impulse is really good, it's getting a lot of plays on elmo's Boom Box.

elmo

[Ian Thumwood]

Elmo

I felt that the Friedlander disc yielded more with each listen. The albums hangs on the quality of the compositions and, as you state, they don't take things too "outside" yet remain respectful and contemporary at the same time. It still feels very much of the 1950's - more so that anything else I have heard for a long while.

The Frank Lowe album line up looks bizarre as you would never had expected these musicians to work together. I saw Ralph Peterson perform last year in a Art Blakey tribute gig at Vienne that also included Benny Golson, It was entertaining enough even if pitched at drawing in the crowds with a set list taken from a lot of the "Moanin' " disc. I had always associated Peterson with the more adventurous kind of post-bop so this was a bit of a surprise even if he was good in the role of Art Blakey.

I love Fletcher Henderson but the "SiF" set list isn't comprehensive, from recollection. The band was wildly erratic and could be sensational to pretty ordinary. I think Henderson lost interest in the end and by the late 30's his band based in Chicago was a template of Goodman's. It you love FH's music, there is a brilliant book about Henderson called "The uncrowned king of swing" by Jeffrey Magee which puts his work in historical and musical context. There are some staggering conclusions and the likes of Gunther Schuller are taken to task for not understanding the records. Magee's case is comprehensive and surprising insofar that Don Redman's involvement is put in context as well as Horace Henderson and even Fletcher's wife who had a hand in writing the scores. Horace was considered by many to be the more talented brother by musicians contemporary to him. The book will probably change your perception of Henderson but there are quite a few transcriptions of scores which could be problematic for a non-musician. The research in to FH's role in the Harlem Renaissance is fascinating so that my understanding of his work was turned on it's head as it is far more complex than imagined.

[elmo]

Ian

Thanks for the recommendation of the Henderson book by Jeffrey Magee I shall definitely track down a copy of that.

elmo

[Jazzrook]

A tenor saxophonist who deserves to be better known:

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

[Ian Thumwood]

Jazzrook

I saw Ricky Ford with Rhoda Scott's trio about 10 years ago ( he was sporting a Sonny "Mohowk " haircut ) and I totally agree with your appraisal. He is a great player who I first became aware of when he was a member of Lionel Hampton's big band in the late 70's / early 80's at a time when the vibes player was fronting a pretty committed jazz group that also included the like of Tom Harrell.

Intrigued to find that there has been no mention of the passing of George Martin on any of the threads on the For3 forum. I must admit to be no fan of The Beatles although I have always felt that it was Martin that effectively transformed them from a quartet of musicians with very limited ability in to one of the most socially significant musical acts in the 20th Century. The title of the "fifth Beatle" probably undersold his contribution as, other than Lennon & McCartney's ear for a good tune, Martin was totally responsible for everything musical about this band. It has always struck me as strange that The Beatles' music has endured when there have been numerous groups with far more musical ability ( Stevie Wonder, Motown, Prince, etc) and that this has probably been for non-musical reasons. I would be loathed to write The Beatles off totally as they did write some really good tunes ("She's leaving home" , for example) which are justified in becoming standards yet I wonder just how much this was attributable to George Martin. My guess is that he was instrumental in their rise in stature and, without his assistance, they would probably have remained on a par country blues singers of the 1920's, chronicling their time and it's social mores whilst also producing a body of songs that would serve as repertoire for the next 50 years. I don't see The Beatles as having the same stature in popular music as a lot of Motown or other , superior Black popular music and musical minnows in comparison with Armstrong , Ellington, Miles, Coltrane or Ornette.

[Ian Thumwood]

A bit of Keefe.....

There is a new duo album with Keefe Jackson and Jason Adasiewizc due our later this month. I really enjoy the latter but the former is a bit of a newish discovery for me.