Jump to content

Harold Ousley on Bethlehem


bertrand

Recommended Posts

So they are not doing work that really extends past the usual 'confines' of 'Hard-Bop'? The reason I ask is that the DG blurb seemed to suggest otherwise. But of course they are trying to sell me a CD, so I needed another viewpoint.

I'll probably pass unless someone talks me into it tomorrow. No one has called this 'essential', whatever that might entail.

Bertrand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm somewhat less there about Preister, but Charles Davis, yes.

And it's not really "ordinary", you're talking about players on the front line who all have pretty distinct voices & haven't exactly been over-recorded.

Maybe I like the anthropology more than the music? Or they're more or less one and the same to me?

The latter, yes. With this lineage of music, yes, to me. At some point all lineages, but this one more than most, just because everybody gotta be somewhere, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No one has called this 'essential', whatever that might entail.

Enjoyable music doesn't need to be "essential" to be enjoyable.

In fact, in many cases it better not be "essential" the way this term is generally used. Because if you limit your listening to a selection of "must-listen" items then you risk ending up with listening with other people's ears and brains ("what am I supposed to have listened to in order to be "of age" in my appreciation?") instead of your very own - and your own TASTE, above all, which you are entitled to develop and expand at your OWN pace, not as per somebody else's listening agenda.

If you are into hard bop far enough to be likely to explore and enjoy hard bop IN DEPTH, then GO FOR IT.

I for one certainly have a lot more records by comparative obscurities and also-rans in the fields of swing, R&B and West Coast Jazz, example, than I have of the majors in hard bop (of which I have quite a few but feel little need to dig that deeply) and beyond - and I make no excuses at all for it. It's MY taste and MY appreciation of what I like best, not what somebody else wants to sell me as "essential" that I "got" to own. ;)

It's a matter of personal preferences, not a matter of working off a listening schedule.

Edited by Big Beat Steve
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No one has called this 'essential', whatever that might entail.

Enjoyable music doesn't need to be "essential" to be enjoyable.

In fact, in many cases it better not be "essential" the way this term is generally used. Because if you limit your listening to a selection of "must-listen" items then you risk ending up with listening with other people's ears and brains ("what am I supposed to have listened to in order to be "of age" in my appreciation?") instead of your very own - and your own TASTE, above all, which you are entitled to develop and expand at your OWN pace, not as per somebody else's listening agenda.

If you are into hard bop far enough to be likely to explore and enjoy hard bop IN DEPTH, then GO FOR IT.

I for one certainly have a lot more records by comparative obscurities and also-rans in the fields of swing, R&B and West Coast Jazz, example, than I have of the majors in hard bop (of which I have quite a few but feel little need to dig that deeply) and beyond - and I make no excuses at all for it. It's MY taste and MY appreciation of what I like best, not what somebody else wants to sell me as "essential" that I "got" to own. ;)

It's a matter of personal preferences, not a matter of working off a listening schedule.

I agree.

To my mind, there's too much focus on 'great' recordings. Those who make what's often derisively called 'generic' music actually define the genre, not the geniuses, who define themselves (and long may they do so, if there are any left) and tend to push the envelope, or even rip it to shreds. In a sense, BOTH are essential.

MG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Listening to this again.

I very much disagree with Hans that this is dime a dozen, formulaic hard bop.

The biggest drawback for me is the poorly sounding piano. But the arrangements are not typical, and the playing has some real interest for me. Ousley reminds me of Dexter Gordon here in spots, and I would say this music has a stronger small group swing element to it than much of the hard bop of the time.

I like it, and think it's worth a listen Bertrand. I don't do streaming but maybe it's on Spotify or something like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Listening to this again.

I very much disagree with Hans that this is dime a dozen, formulaic hard bop.

The biggest drawback for me is the poorly sounding piano. But the arrangements are not typical, and the playing has some real interest for me. Ousley reminds me of Dexter Gordon here in spots, and I would say this music has a stronger small group swing element to it than much of the hard bop of the time.

I like it, and think it's worth a listen Bertrand. I don't do streaming but maybe it's on Spotify or something like that.

Our tastes in music and playback are very different. Nothing wrong with that. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some time back I wrote up a little list of Harold's compositions that other musicians have recorded. Well, the ones I knew about, anyway. Very few 'routine' musicians have spread as many tunes around the jazz world as Harold Ousley.

1. And that I am so in love – Horace Parlan, Bennie Green

2. Haitian lady – Montego Joe, Jack Mcduff, Grassella Oliphant, Willie Bobo

3. Return of the Prodigal Son – Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Ray Bryant, lots more

4. Win lose or draw – Willis Jackson, Lou Donaldson

5. The latter days – Grassella Oliphant

6. One for the masses – Grassella Oliphant

7. The descendant – Grassella Oliphant

8. Uptown hours – Grassella Oliphant

9. Mrs O – Grassella Oliphant

10. Son of man – Houston Person

11. Pretty please – Houston Person

12. Hope I can love again – Houston Person

13. Sassie lassie – Lou Donaldson

14. The kid - Lou Donaldson

15. Dapper Dan - Lou Donaldson

16. The people’s choice – Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt, Ellery Eskelin

17. Pleasant moments – Jack McDuff

18. The regulars – Red Holloway

19. Minor truth – George Benson

20. Thunder walk – George Benson

21. Elation – Willie Bobo, Bobby Shew

22. Minor revelation –Bennie Green

23. Summer melody – Bernard Purdie

24. That’s when we thought of love - Jack McDuff

25 So never leave my love - Clarence Wheeler

MG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some time back I wrote up a little list of Harold's compositions that other musicians have recorded. Well, the ones I knew about, anyway. Very few 'routine' musicians have spread as many tunes around the jazz world as Harold Ousley.

1. And that I am so in love – Horace Parlan, Bennie Green

2. Haitian lady – Montego Joe, Jack Mcduff, Grassella Oliphant, Willie Bobo

3. Return of the Prodigal Son – Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Ray Bryant, lots more

4. Win lose or draw – Willis Jackson, Lou Donaldson

5. The latter days – Grassella Oliphant

6. One for the masses – Grassella Oliphant

7. The descendant – Grassella Oliphant

8. Uptown hours – Grassella Oliphant

9. Mrs O – Grassella Oliphant

10. Son of man – Houston Person

11. Pretty please – Houston Person

12. Hope I can love again – Houston Person

13. Sassie lassie – Lou Donaldson

14. The kid - Lou Donaldson

15. Dapper Dan - Lou Donaldson

16. The people’s choice – Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt, Ellery Eskelin

17. Pleasant moments – Jack McDuff

18. The regulars – Red Holloway

19. Minor truth – George Benson

20. Thunder walk – George Benson

21. Elation – Willie Bobo, Bobby Shew

22. Minor revelation –Bennie Green

23. Summer melody – Bernard Purdie

24. That’s when we thought of love - Jack McDuff

25 So never leave my love - Clarence Wheeler

MG

That IS darned impressive Allen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...