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J.D. Allen


Scott Dolan

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Finally received Bloom in the post a few days ago and i've probably listened to it about 6 times since then. I'm really digging it. It's a fine follow up to Grace, there's continuity there without being a repeat. Overall songs are slightly shorter and feel more concise, which somewhat hearkens back to the trio records. This is definitely not a bad thing and the songs work (boy do the they work!) but sometimes it does feel like the plug gets pulled right when a song is flowing.

For me Bloom proves that Grace wasn't a fluke, nor was it completely reliant on the sidemen. Allen is in control and knows exactly what he is doing.

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now that the dust has cleared (for complicated reasons) I want to point out that JD does some great work on Field Recordins, on 5 or 6 cuts. Available at your local retail inlet.

Not sure if i've missed something (didn't you post earlier in the thread? Now deleted?) but anyway yeah, i love it when JD Allen pops up on Field Recordings. I'm trying to find a way to say this that doesn't sound lame but as a fan of both of you guys i'm actually really happy that you've worked together.

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  • 2 months later...

J.D. Allen sounds very nice (as does everyone) on Orrin Evans, Liberation Blues (Smoke Sessions). with Sean Jones, Luques Curtis, and Bill Stewart.

I still need to check out Orrin Evan's leader stuff... he's excellent on Bloom.

On the basis of seeing his trio at the Iowa City Jazz Festival last year, definitely worth the time. This is coming from a non-musician in a forum filled with musicians, but his trio approach reminds me a bit of mid 60s Newk trios with what I think Sonny called "segue" playing. Maybe not as drastic as Sonny, though.

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J.D. Allen sounds very nice (as does everyone) on Orrin Evans, Liberation Blues (Smoke Sessions). with Sean Jones, Luques Curtis, and Bill Stewart.

I still need to check out Orrin Evan's leader stuff... he's excellent on Bloom.

Yes; in addition to this one, Faith in Action, Flip the Script, Freedom and "… it was Beauty" are all worthy.

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  • 2 years later...
On 3/13/2014 at 6:18 PM, JSngry said:

He's one of those folks that I respect the hell out because they're still finding new-ish ways to work with an older-ish vocabulary, and at the same time and by the same token one of those guys I can't really love, for that same reason.

 

For me, form, ensemble texture, and group rhythm are the final frontiers (such as they are either final or frontiers). Not a whole helluva lot of people are really pushing any of those frontiers today and still being classified as "jazz". Maybe "jazz" is at once its own problem and its own solution, but ever since Branford decreed that Fathead was not a jazz musician, I'm like, ok, then, thanks for the tip, ALL bets are off now. Lots of perceived obligations now removed/relieved of, lots.

 

But still and all, J.D. Allen is a very serious player/musician, and I fully respect him. And I'm pretty piqued by what Jeremy Pelt's drummer is up to. But, I dunno, I respect lots of people, and truly love everybody. But the number of people I like...maybe not so many.

 

Same thing with J.D. Clampett & J.D. Parran for that matter, although more edge has been on the latter from the git-go, so adjust significantly accordingly, ok?.

 

However, this is great:

 

 

 

and hello Raymond Bailey!

 

 

Coda 1: That big picture over Parran's shoulder in which you see a large owl-like demon is almost assuredly an oil on paper by Bob Thompson,a major figurative expressionist painter, very much jazz influenced, who died an overdose of heroin in 1966, about a month shy of his 29th birthday,  He's the inspiration behind Archie Shepp's "Portrait of Robert Thompson (as a young man)."

Coda 2: JD Allen is from Detroit.

Edited by Mark Stryker
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2 hours ago, sonnyhill said:

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New one on the way in June.  A quartet, including the trio w/ Liberty Ellman.

Awesome news! Thanks for posting this. Wow, Liberty Ellman with the JD Allen trio... definitely an interesting combo.

Reading back through the thread, crazy that three years has gone by. 

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Just bumping to say that the more i think about it, the more excited i'm getting for the new album. Liberty Ellman meets JD Allen, there's huge potential for awesomeness there. Trying to keep my expectations in check and all that. I'm dying to hear some samples if anyone comes across any. :)

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/1/2017 at 2:49 PM, sonnyhill said:

 

New one on the way in June.  A quartet, including the trio w/ Liberty Ellman.

On my first listen through, it is not as big a departure from the trio recordings stylistically as I expected given the addition of the guitar.  It is still a very solid recording.  Samples are up on Soundcloud.

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On 6/3/2017 at 10:58 AM, sonnyhill said:

On my first listen through, it is not as big a departure from the trio recordings stylistically as I expected given the addition of the guitar.  It is still a very solid recording.  Samples are up on Soundcloud.

Thanks for posting! I drove myself crazy over the last month refreshing various sites (amazon, youtube, soundcloud) in the hope of getting a taste of the album. Tracks on Soundcloud totally sounds like a typical JD Allen trio album with Liberty Ellman guesting and providing accompaniment. Yes, as you say, not a departure, not 'fully integrated' like the quartet albums with Orrin Evans and Eldar Djangirov. And yes, no complaints, excellent music. Looking forward to hearing the full album when my copy arrives.

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I picked up the disc on Friday and gave it a couple of spins while driving over the weekend. Agreed it is not a radical departure from previous trio discs, but it still seems to be a bit more open to my ears. I actually would have liked to hear a bit more Ellman, but on the whole I enjoy this one much.

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On 6/5/2017 at 0:58 PM, relyles said:

I picked up the disc on Friday and gave it a couple of spins while driving over the weekend. Agreed it is not a radical departure from previous trio discs, but it still seems to be a bit more open to my ears. I actually would have liked to hear a bit more Ellman, but on the whole I enjoy this one much.

Yes, it is more open than the previous trio discs.  Grace is still my favorite, but this one is really strong also.

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  • 10 months later...

I liked his disc "Victory", it reminded me a lot of a Branford trio disc, but a bit leaner if that makes sense, more concise.  I really like his playing on "Snuck In" and "Snuck Out" by David Weiss, and "Liberation Blues" by Orrin Evans, and he absolutely killed during a live J@LC stream of Christian McBride's New Jawn, his new quartet.  I guess Marcus Strickland is the regular saxophonist but Allen was subbing that week.

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  • 3 months later...
On 4/27/2018 at 1:59 PM, sonnyhill said:

"New JD Allen album alert! Love Stone, an all-ballads disc with Liberty Ellman on guitar, Gregg August on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Out 6/15." Burning Ambulance.

This is a real good session. I’ve listened to this at least 5 tines the first week after I bought it. 

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