... just a sittin' and a rockin'

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Nuttin out Jones....KWIT "The Jazz Standard" for three solid hours of tasty hard bopski as desired by hipsters everywhere.


Slogan...."You juz cantz go wrong when Booker Ervin iz onz"


BN.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

shame shame; now where have i heard that riff afore?

in AZ try KJZZ

[Tenor Freak]

WFMU for wall to wall ultra rare scratchy 50s R&B, wacko Gospel,Deeeep Soul and out of tune Surf....Ok, my secret vice (s).

BN.

WNUR for me...

[Tenor Freak]

That Bley trio - fell asleep during their Cheltenham gig a couple of years back. Woke up when Paolo Fresu came on and injected some life into the proceedings...

I'm listening to it again now---very good I think---I've long enjoyed drummerless groups as they allow the interplay between the pieces more space, although you do need top people to make things happen. I think Bley/Swallow/Sheppard qualify for that appellation.

[Paul Campbell]

The album is well worth checking out; like Old Grumpy, I love it.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i am getting fond of it as time etc

[Quarky]

Alyn is remembering the late Stan Tracey, from Under Milk Wood in 1965 to The Flying Pig in 2013. Now where where those C90s?

Following programmes by Alyn and GS on Stan Tracey, Jazzers might be interested/ not interested in another composer heavily influenced by Monk - Gyorgy Ligeti.

I played by chance Monument for 2 pianos, following GS programme on Tracey, and was struck by resemblances to Monk's Style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI2Ez3BZfTE

He was also heavily influenced by Bill Evans: Etude 4 Fanfares - seems to me a very linear modern jazz style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byw-_erRGGQ

There may be better examples around. I'm not making this up - Ligeti's influences are well documented!

[Ian Thumwood]

Taking on board Bluesnik's recommendation, I ordered the Stan Tracey avid double CD which collates a number of pretty diverse albums for a budget price. I would have to say that I usually find the idea of "neglected British jazz classics" usually to be an anti-climax and it is difficult not to be disappointed with much British modern jazz in the 1950's. For the most part, I don't feel the purple prose is often warranted - in this collection of offerings featuring Stan Tracey the music frequently exceeds the expectations. I would have no problem recommending this brilliant recording.

The first disc is almost a calling card with Tracey leading a trio and quartet through a selection of standards. This is good and offers a Monk-ish approach to the material. Sometimes the re-mastering sounds like it should have been improved with the drums not sounding quite a crisp as they should do. The least interesting recordings on the record are by the Harry Klein quartet which are ok whilst being pretty harmless. This is the kind of stuff the Trevor Cooper used to wax lyrical about yet I feel it is probably more interesting from being a very early (1955) Stan Tracey appearance than for the band - even if I do actually like Vic Ash's clarinet playing. The surprise for me is the group "Jazz, Inc" which is an aggressive and firey "little big band" and is surprisingly good. Unsurprisingly, a ballsy jazz group like this was always going to have a limited shelf life in the conservative jazz environment in the UK at that time and I feel this group , which was totally new to me, played with a spirit that was rare in this country at the time. The double CD also includes a quartet with Tubby Hayes on vibes which is ok albeit I wish ST and TH had encountered each other with the latter playing tenor instead. The album closes with live trio from 2003 and is somewhat at odds with the other groups as the sound is so superior. Funny to see just how true ST remained to himself. This trio includes Andy Cleyndert on bass and the hitherto unknown Jon Wheatley on guitar. All four tracks are jazz standards and are a delight to listen to. It is a shame that only four numbers are included as the music is really enjoyable with the trio musicians not trying to prove anything and letting the music speak for itself. It wanted to hear more of this set.

I suppose the main reason for acquiring this CD was to hear "Little Klunk." This was a very good recommendation and, to my ears, is as good as anything Monk recorded in the 1950's. I also agree with the comments about the Herbie Nichols influence. I would have to say that the trio of Stan Tracey, Kenny Knapper and Phil Seamen represents the best British jazz recording I have heard up until the 1960's when jazz started to acquire it's own identity. This is nothing short of sensational. Whilst ST is clearly influenced by Monk, Ellington and Nichols, he was already his own man by 1959 and aided by Seamen's sensational drumming, I am staggered at the brilliance of this disc. It is everything you want from a jazz piano trio and the compositions have a a zippy and quirky quality about them that is exactly what I love most about this format. I would have to say, for once, that this is a British jazz ensemble that would have given their American counterparts a run for their money - including Thelonious Monk.

Thanks to Bluesnik for the heads up and obviously I would encourage anyone else unfamiliar with "little Klunk" to buy a copy now.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

welcome to the fan club Ian!