Those OH MY GOD moments in jazz...

[gslade]

Sometimes I have these moments over again.

Most recently It was Steve Potts and Steve Lacy on In walked Bud (Morning Joy)

I had forgotten how that one burned!

The Jimmy Lyons Box was a revelation also.

[Sundog]

Joe Henderson's solo from Blue Bossa on the In Japan album.

The tension just builds with each chorus. Each chorus slightly more dissonant than the previous without ever really losing sight of the melody. Then at the about the 3:30 mark he throws in this atonal descending lick that's one of the coolest "F"ing licks I've ever heard. Every time I hear it I just imagine a house of cards tumblin' down. The tension that he has built up over the entire chorus just melts away. Go listen to it. I really can't do it justice. It must be heard!

[bluesForBartok]

The first time I saw Kenny Garrett. 

One of mine would also be seeing Kenny Garrett live for the first time. I caught him at Sweet Basil's about 4 years ago and it was just an amazing experience. He did a bunch of Trane tunes and a killer version of "One Finger Snap". I stayed for both sets that night and I catch him every time he comes to New York.

As far as recordings go there are so many but a few that stick out are:

-- Art Pepper's version of Summertime on Modern Art. It's an incredibly emotional performance.

-- Coltrane's soprano solos on Afro Blue from Live at Birdland and Spiritual (I think the first night) from the Villiage Vanguard recordings.

-- Stan Getz / Jimmy Raney Live at Storyville recordings. That is one smoking band.

-- Joe Henderson's solo on "If" from Unity.

-- Tony Williams' performance on "Air Raid" from Grachan Moncur III's Evolution

This could go on forever so I'm gonna stop.

[Matthew]

My first listen to Cecil Taylor's In The Brewing Luminous. It was such an overwhelming experience, I didn't know what to think.

[marcoliv]

my last one was listening to CTI All Stars Live At The Hollywood Bowl when Benson is playing California Dreamin and Hubbard on First Light.

MCO

[RainyDay]

my last one was listening to CTI All Stars Live At The Hollywood Bowl when Benson is playing California Dreamin and Hubbard on First Light.

MCO

Oh how I love First Light. I would kill to have seen him play it live. Think I will play it now.

[Joe G]

On The World According to John Coltrane, there's footage of the quartet doing My Favorite Things at some outdoor festival. The footage is very grainy, so that they kind of look like ghosts. In the close-up shots you can see copious amounts of steam rising off of Elvin and Jimmy Garrison. It's very trippy. Then there's the music... I was watching this video late one night, with all the lights off, and starting to get sleepy. This piece came on, and just kept building in intensity. They took it so far out, but I could definitely hear the great beauty of it. But those close up shot of Elvin and Jimmy were starting to freak me out! Such grimaces, and all that rising steam, which could have been smoke for all I knew! The overall effect was so intense that I had to get up and turn on the lights.

A couple of months later I read a review of this video, and the writer made a comment that the reader would have to decide if the inclusion of that piece was worthwhile, as he didn't see the value of it. I sure did!

~

Another wow moment came when I realized the shit that was really going on in Endangered Species off of Song X!

[marcoliv]

do it RainyDay and put it LOUD!!!!!!!

Marcus

[LAL]

Coltrane's "Countdown" blows me away everytime I hear it. The build up to the finale, the emotion he puts into the song is just incredible, IMO. Moved me to tears first time I heard it.

[pepe]

Just a little off topic: Drummmer Audun Kleive this week released his new CD called "Uhmagoddabl". The reason for the title: All the record company execs said "Oh my God" after listening to the master.

I should add that the reaction was more shock than appreciation.

Edited May 12, 2004 by pepe

[sal]

The first time I saw Kenny Garrett. It was at Stanford U. about three summers ago and I couldn't close my mouth for a week. It was like watching a train that was coming at you and just kept on coming at you. Amazing.

You know, I've got to get my .02 in on seeing Kenny Garrett live as well. I think when people discuss the best sax players around today, Kenny's name doesn't come up as often because of his uneven recording history. He's had some great albums, and he's definitely had some flops. But by just listening to his recorded output, its hard to put him near the top.

But live, on the other hand, is a spiritual experience. He plays with such passion and fire, it takes your breath away. Always surrounding himself with fantastic young players, his shows are a marvel to behold. I see him every year when he comes to the Jazz Showcase (more than one night if I can afford it), and he never ceases to amaze me. I was talking to an old school cat at one of his shows, and he says that seeing Kenny and his intense energy reminded him of seeing John Coltrane's quartet back in the sixties. And that's not the first time I've heard that comparison made. To sum up, Kenny Garrett live is always an "OH MY GOD" experience, and I encourage anyone who hasn't seen him live to make an effort to do so.

[king ubu]

...

4. Oliver Nelson's remarkable solo on "Blues And The Abstract Truth" .... perhaps the best example of a "logical" improvised solo in modern jazz history (Louis Armstrog discovered this fifty years before.)

...

That's one of those moments for me, too! An absolutely unbelievable solo!

And next to the virtuoso players Dolphy and Hubbard, it's all the better!

ubu

[king ubu]

My first listen to Cecil Taylor's In The Brewing Luminous. It was such an overwhelming experience, I didn't know what to think.

I posted about this in the "funny rat" - one of these moments, HELLYEAH!

Also, when I first heard the 2CD "Nefertiti" set - which was fairly recently, too.

ubu

[RainyDay]

Sal: I wouldn't call them flops even though he received a lot of flack for some of his recordings. I've heard him called a sellout. My impression is that he was just trying new things. I enjoy the R&B flavors in his music.

I find his playing on records to be exciting but seeing him play live is extraordinary. He hasn't been at Yoshi's for a year now and I missed him last year due to illness (mine).

[Jim Alfredson]

Don Patterson's version of "The Good Life" off "The Exciting New Organ of Don Patterson". Probably the best example of organ ballad playing ever recorded.

Most recently, seeing Terry Lynn Carrington with Herbie Hancock at the Clearwater Festival that we played. They played for about 2 hours straight and I could not take my eyes off her. Her playing was absolutely incredible! The only word I could come up with to describe it was "ferocious", even during the soft passages. Her energy and intesity were mind-blowing, as well as her ideas, phrasing, everything. Amazing musician.

And a very nice and humble person to talk to, too!

[l p]

larry young 'lawrence of newark'. a lot of miles davis 1970's live solos. those short alice coltrane songs with vocals/choirs from the 1976/77 period.

Edited May 13, 2004 by l p

[7/4]

Pharoah Sanders on Franklin Kiermyer-Solomon's Daughter.

[nmorin]

"Circle" from Miles Smiles is, for me, perfectly realized. If I had to pick one spot it would be the transition from the end of Miles' melody statement/solo to the first phrase or two of Wayne Shorter's solo. Ye Gods.

From Hill's Point of Departure, the first minute or so of "Refuge" and the whole "Dedication".

[sal]

Sal:  I wouldn't call them flops even though he received a lot of flack for some of his recordings.  I've heard him called a sellout.  My impression is that he was just trying new things.  I enjoy the R&B flavors in his music. 

RainyDay, you have a good point. I probably shouldn't have called them "flops", bad choice of wording on my behalf. I guess that after seeing him live, I am convinced that he can become one of the greats. In the straight ahead jazz setting, there are few on this planet who can cut him down. I do respect his wanting to diversify, and to be honest, I didn't mind the "Happy People" album at all. There were some nice R&B tinged cuts in there. But hearing his jaw-dropping playing on some albums like Triology and Standard of Language, and even more so in the live setting....I don't know how to explain it. He can become one of the best ever. He's got his own sound, his own style, and his own conception. He's right on the verge.

Edited May 13, 2004 by sal

[Joe M]

Back stage about four or five years ago at a concert in Fresno California, the band was Billy Higgins, John Hicks, David Williams and Peter Leitch. They were all in the dressing room before the concert and were going over the tunes. I think one of them had just arrived, (the group never worked together in that format before) and Billy got his brushes and pulled up a plastic folding chair, and they started to play. John was playing this old out of tune upright piano, David had his bass, Peter was playing unamplified on guitar - and they started to play Lotus Blossom and Warm Valley - so beautiful and moving.

[CJ Shearn]

a few OMG moments for me:

Bob Berg on "Pools" from "Steps Ahead: Holding Together"

Michael Brecker "Sara's Touch" from "Steps: Smokin in the Pit"

Jack DeJohnette: "Two Folks Songs" from "80/81"-Pat Metheny

Pat Martino: "All Blues"- from "Live At Yoshi's"

Branford Marsalis: "The Dark Keys" from "The Dark Keys"

Pat Metheny: "Question and Answer", "Soul Cowboy", "Faith Healer"- from "Trio Live", "Are You Going With Me?"- from "More Travels" (video) "Syzygy" (from "Michael Brecker)

Keith Jarrett: "Autumn Leaves" from "Up For It", "Riot" from "Inside Out"

Russell Ferrante and Bob Mintzer: "The Tortoise and the Hare" from "Mint Jam"-The Yellowjackets

Miles: "Agitation" (second set version, 12/23) from the Plugged Nickel

Wayne Shorter: "Free For All", "The Egyptian" (from Indestructable) "So What" (Plugged Nickel)

Herbie Hancock: "Chameleon", "Actual Proof" (both Thrust and Flood versions), "Dolphin Dance" (Herbie Hancock Trio '81)

Eliane Elias "The Time is Now" from "Steps Ahead: Holding Together"

Grover Washington, Jr "Rocksteady" from CTI Summer Jazz At the Hollywood Bowl

[mke]

My first listen to Cecil Taylor's In The Brewing Luminous. It was such an overwhelming experience, I didn't know what to think.

I had exactly the same experience about a week ago.

[David Ayers]

Those OMG moments for me come mostly when I discover I have scratched one of my favorite LPs during the best solo...

[rachel]

Pat Metheny: "Question and Answer", "Soul Cowboy", "Faith Healer"

Oh yeah! "Question and Answer" w/ PM, Christian McBride, and Antonio Sanchez in St Louis, October '03; and #27 in Hamilton Ohio, November '03.

Hopefully #27 will be on the Live Trio recording that is in a little bit of limbo since the demise of Warner Bros. Jazz.

[Big Al]

Miles Davis - Masqualero (from the Sorcerer album)

Frankly, the entire "Sorcerer" and "Nefertiti" albums get me off BIGTIME, nearly every time I listen to them. (Figuratively speaking, of course.)

I love the box set (and all it's bonus material), but I also have a burn with just the original Sorcerer and Nefertiti tracks -- in original album sequence -- and it's simply heaven.

As "perfect" as people think KoB is (and it nearly is that perfect), I really think "Nefertiti" is that perfect.

And so too is that opening side to the original "Jack Johnson" soundtrack.

Much like Free For All, many of my best moments in recorded jazz are from Miles, especially during and after 1965.

Everything that Rooster sez!

Also, there's a part of "Elsa" from Know What I Mean where Bill Evans holds that vamp for what feels like forever, while Percy Heath plays single note rubato underneath and Connie Kay keeps the brushes so subtle...... sends chills every time!

There's also a part from Jobim's "Someone to Watch Over Me" from Terra Brasilis that starts right about the 2:45 mark when the brass comes back in and they carry it out for a grand finale that just builds and builds and sorta changes course for a false ending and a repeated vamp...... none of this is making sense, but the sense of joy that fills my heart when I hear that part is something that's as difficult to convey as it is easy to express!

An entire listening of Hubert Laws In the Beginning gives me that same feeling as well.

Finally, "Right Off" is perfect lawn-mowing music! Crank up the mower and turn it up LOUD! Lawn looks a little funny, though......

Edited May 18, 2004 by Big Al