Freedom Jazz Dance - Agitate, Educate, Mobleyise!

[Ian Thumwood]

Yes I had a similar feeling. I found the Second Quartet discussion and excerpts fascinating. Even tempted to buy the CD collection. But Kind of Blue Makeover best consigned to Dinner Jazz.

I may be in danger of being excommunicated from the fold, but I find much of the music before the second quartet very uninteresting these days. Hank Mobley, at least as broadcast on GS's programme, too much of a soft centre for me.

I don't agree but I have sometimes wondered just how relevant the pre-Second quintet might seem to today's younger players. Miles' formative records were now made seventy years ago with the first Qunitet's music being recorded about sixty years ago. Had Miles himself sought inspiration from a similar early distance, he would have been checking out Marie Lloyd!

As I said last week, an album like "Seven steps to heaven" is one that is hugely over-looked and I would have to say that Cannonball Adderley never played better than with Davis. There is much to appreciate in Miles' earlier records including BotC and the work with Evans. I agree that the second Quintet was his peak and records like Filles de Kilomanjaro are fascinating but Davis was remarkably consistent from the late forties to the early 70's. These days, his least interest period is the 1980s which, "Aura" apart, hasn't aged well. The earlier stuff alone is worthwhile listening to for Red Garland and Wynton Kelly, the being probably the best pianist Miles employed after Hancock.

[Serial_Apologist]

I don't agree but I have sometimes wondered just how relevant the pre-Second quintet might seem to today's younger players. Miles' formative records were now made seventy years ago with the first Qunitet's music being recorded about sixty years ago. Had Miles himself sought inspiration from a similar early distance, he would have been checking out Marie Lloyd!

As I said last week, an album like "Seven steps to heaven" is one that is hugely over-looked and I would have to say that Cannonball Adderley never played better than with Davis. There is much to appreciate in Miles' earlier records including BotC and the work with Evans. I agree that the second Quintet was his peak and records like Filles de Kilomanjaro are fascinating but Davis was remarkably consistent from the late forties to the early 70's. These days, his least interest period is the 1980s which, "Aura" apart, hasn't aged well. The earlier stuff alone is worthwhile listening to for Red Garland and Wynton Kelly, the being probably the best pianist Miles employed after Hancock.

Not Chick Corea then?? And Django Bates used to rate Keith Jarrett's Fender Rhodes work with Miles in that brief period at the start of the 1970s when "Live-Evil" was recorded - the live parts of it, that is - seconding my own view that it was a pity Jarrett turned against electronic keyboards. I think an idea of what Jarrett might have gone on to sound like is in part ascertainable by Django Bates's keyboard and synthesiser work with Human Chain (in its various manifestations) and Loose Tubes/Delightful Precipice.

[Quarky]

I don't agree but I have sometimes wondered just how relevant the pre-Second quintet might seem to today's younger players. Miles' formative records were now made seventy years ago with the first Qunitet's music being recorded about sixty years ago. Had Miles himself sought inspiration from a similar early distance, he would have been checking out Marie Lloyd!

As I said last week, an album like "Seven steps to heaven" is one that is hugely over-looked and I would have to say that Cannonball Adderley never played better than with Davis. There is much to appreciate in Miles' earlier records including BotC and the work with Evans. I agree that the second Quintet was his peak and records like Filles de Kilomanjaro are fascinating but Davis was remarkably consistent from the late forties to the early 70's. These days, his least interest period is the 1980s which, "Aura" apart, hasn't aged well. The earlier stuff alone is worthwhile listening to for Red Garland and Wynton Kelly, the being probably the best pianist Miles employed after Hancock.

I don't have the global view of yourself and others on this board:: I'm just following my inner muse. What I'm looking for in any kind of music is a link with Mother Nature and a very strong Ground connection. I find this in the second Quartet, and particularly in these alternate takes of the Bootleg series (which I have just downloaded). Miles in his gravelly voice instructing Wayne to eat a hamburger brings some further reality to the music which can be overlooked in a polished performance.

But I find what I'm looking for in any style of Jazz. Abbie Lincoln can sing a hackneyed standard, and bring it to life with her humanity and warmth. The issue for me I guess is that in earlier styles of Jazz (and Classical Music), the form too often takes precedence and the substance is lost, at least in the way I hear it.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm just following my inner muse. What I'm looking for in any kind of music is a link with Mother Nature and a very strong Ground connection.

Mine won't let me out of the house at the moment - it's too ******* cold out there!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Mine won't let me out of the house at the moment - it's too ******* cold out there!

I followed Muse Allison for years and I'm only sad he's now gone. Like Amuse Milburn, he's gone too...

BN.

[Serial_Apologist]

I followed Muse Allison for years and I'm only sad he's now gone. Like Amuse Milburn, he's gone too...

BN.

There's a few Muses to be found in Kensington. The residents will not be a-mused by this revelation, mind.

[Mark S]

Always good to hear Hank's praises sung, but a bit disappointing to hear the received wisdom that he reached his peak, joined Miles and burnt out. There's some truth in that view, but it does mean that A Slice Of The Top gets overlooked. But maybe what I like about A Slice Of The Top is Duke Jordan's arrangements rather than Mobley's tunes or playing?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Always good to hear Hank's praises sung, but a bit disappointing to hear the received wisdom that he reached his peak, joined Miles and burnt out. There's some truth in that view, but it does mean that A Slice Of The Top gets overlooked. But maybe what I like about A Slice Of The Top is Duke Jordan's arrangements rather than Mobley's tunes or playing?

Agree with all that and I am also tired of the received "opinion". I do also really like the harder edge etc to his playing on this date. Not diminishing all that went before, but it fits the material.


BTW...(Duke) Pearson arrangements...

"The four Mobley originals on this recording were written while Mobley was in prison during the mid sixties. Duke Pearson arranged the songs at Mobley's request and they were recorded upon Mobley's release."

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

Picked up a copy of a bookof Andrew Hill compositions which includes trasncriptions by Jason Moran, Ron Horton and Frank Kimbrough. The music is fascinating and some of the music is really simplistic whereas there are pieces like "15/8" and "Verona Rag" which would require a lot of practice. It is quite intriguing to learnt that a lot of the music was arranged by Ron Horton and not Hill himself. A really fascinating book of 21 tunes by one of the very greatest of jazz pianists.