Jazz for aficionados

I refreshed my memory of 'Search for a New Land' this morning. You are right about the visual images of looking or searching for something. I am always amazed how groups as small as Jazz quartets or quintets can paint such vivid mental pictures with so few people. Reminds of what Churchhill said about the RAF.

My Playlist for Today:

Buena Vista Social Club
Afro-Cuban Jazz. I think there was a documentary done about this group on American TV. Great music and singing (ibrahim ferrer) Some repetitive background vocals, as in all latin Jazz, but not overdone. The first track Chan Chan is the highlight, but all are excellent. Great sound also. All in Spanish, but with music this great, it is really the international language!

Art Pepper meets The Rhythm Section
The title refers to the Miles Davis rhythm section: Red garland, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones(the coolest moniker in Jazz)
After reading the premiss of this session, I thought they could have named it Custer meets Sitting Bull and friends. But Pepper held his ground and then some. A great CD. Not a weak track. I thought 'straight life' was the highlight, but 'imagination' was up there also. Pepper had a very tough life. A great sax player. Died too young. They met each other for the first time the same day they recorded this CD. No rehearsal. Amazing!

Patience Higgins' Sugar Hill Quartet -- Live in Harlem
This is the Cd I spoke of earlier. Never heard of these guys. Only this CD shows on Amazon. No reviews. So I wondered why I bought it in the first place. Turns out I read a review in BBC Music Magazine. A British classical music Magazine! What a sign of the times! Wanna find the gems in American music, check out Classical music mags from England.

This is a Mapleshade recording. 1998. It sounds REAL. Not perfect, but Real. It's like you are there in person. You hear it all, warts and all. My only complaint is that the bass player is too subduded. It was recorded in a place called ST. Nick's in harlem. Very tiny. Rowdy. If you youtube these guys and listen to 'isn't she lovely' it will look like chaos, but it is really the type of enviroment that great Jazz springs from.
Anyway, they can play. This is real Jazz. The guys are older, if they had been young I would have said 'THE FUTURE'! Some female sings 'Route 66', no ella or billie, but she is REAL. Check it out!

The CD sounds much better than the stuff on youtube. Better music selection also.

Cheers

I appreciate everyone's effort to stick within the confines of "classic jazz". I've been down this road before, and the conversation falls apart as soon as we get outside of well known parameters. I consider this conversation highly beneficial when something new is added to my rotating play list, it's almost like an equipment upgrade.

Believe it or not, occasionally someone introduces me to a new artist within the confines of "classic jazz"; for example I had never heard of "Ahmed Abdul-Malik, who played jazz double bass and oud. There are still new discoveries to be made within these parameters, and there is always music by your favorite old artists that you haven't heard. I know I'm going to be doing my best to help broaden your collection.

Enjoy the music.

Wolf_garcia: "a tawdry sax that leads to unwanted pregnancies" proves the boys ain't shooting blanks. Please list some of the bands that you have recorded and a blog or website where we can purchase the music.
For baritone sax Gerry Mulligan Sextet "Legends Live" is a concert recorded in Germany that includes Dave Samuels (vibes), Thomas Fay (piano), Mike Santiago( guitar), George Duvivier (bass), and Bobby Rosengarden (drum). All musicians hand picked by Gerry for the show recorded in 1977. Makes one feel that your're in the club.

I recall reading about the day he met the rhythm section in his autobiography. Since I can't talk too much about Art Pepper without getting sad, I won't, but that's a real nice CD.

Buena Vista Social Club, goes all the way back to "Cubano Bop", which is what Diz called it when he had Chano Pozo with him on "Manteca". That jazz was so far ahead of it's time that it took the rest of world 20 years to catch up.

Today, I've been on two tracks; first I want to give those who want new music, Pat Metheney & Anna Maria Jopek; "Are you going with me?" This can be seen on "You tube". Although it won't meet the definition of "classic jazz" for some aficionados, it's the best new music I've heard this year, and I'll have to let everyone else classify and define it.

The second track is for classic jazz aficionados, it consists of two different sides of Wes Montgomery. Before he became famous, his music was introspective and in a deep jazz groove. The Wes Montgomery Trio, Round Midnight, is an example of that phase of Wes's career. This warm intimate version of "Round Midnight" is my favorite.

"Bumpin On Sunset", exemplifies the other phase of his career after he became famous. This can also be found on "You tube". Music is synonymous with my memories, while I wasn't "Bumpin On Sunset", I was bumpin everywhere else at that time. "Why is youth wasted on the young?".

Sharing music like this is almost like a social visit.

Enjoy the music.

I consider the Pat Metheney thingy to be mood music or sound effect music. Sounds like a lot of European Pop did back in the day. It also reminded me of the blue alien singer on the space ship in the movie 'the fifth element'. No offense, I thought she / it was great. Wes was playing Jazz. They even DRESSED as if they were Jazz players. Ever notice how real Jazz players wear suit and tie. They do that because it shows respect for the music. Pat and his type don't do it because they don't respect the music. Because they may not understand the music. Like I have said many times, they think Jazz is whatever they want it to be. I wish I could bang tin cans together, call it my First symphony and have it sold in stores right next to Mozart and company. It just don't work like that! Metheney, good sound? Yes. Jazz? No. Of corse let me quickly add, IMHO. Don't wanna come under elitists gasbag attack. :)

Cheers