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Out of character recordings.


Scott Dolan

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3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Excuse me, I've be on a nap for a awhile...when did jazz and blues players playing on each others records become out of character for either?

Well FWIW I am sure I read or was told that the artists backing Bumble Bee Slim (or some subset) held his musicianship in extremely low esteem.

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On 12/9/2016 at 0:53 AM, randyhersom said:

How about Eddie Jefferson on a Frank Wright album.https://www.discogs.com/Frank-Wright-Kevin-My-Dear-Son/release/2218753

 

That's a great album. Frank was a huge Eddie Jefferson fan, from what I understand, and certainly was inspired to use his voice apart from the saxophone through this appreciation.

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2 hours ago, paul secor said:

The voice of God has spoken. Thanks for clarifying that.

But seriously, folks...Les McCann having low regard for Bumblebee Slim's "musicianship" is just an intramural squabble before dinner (and all things considered McCann could win the argument),  Archie Shepp or Georges Adams/Lewis appearing on a Johnny Copeland record being "out of character" or even unusual at all is, like, looking at the world through Record Industry World glasses. Those glasses are not to be trusted.

I mean, seriously, jazz musicians playing on blues records? GROUNDBREAKING!

Now, say, Gary Foster showing up on a Howling Wolf record, that would be out of character for somebody...but geez, dude, c'mon, just cause your family leaves for different jobs in the morning don't mean that they don't come back to eat at the same table in the evening...or that Cousin Leon don't fly in from Up Big City Way Yonder every so often to sit down to break (corn)bread.

 

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On 12/9/2016 at 3:25 PM, Peter Friedman said:

This 4 CD set has one set that strikes me as out of character. The Barry Harris set has Barry playing with musicians who play in a style very different than  one can find on any of his other numerous sessions as leader or sideman. Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, and Roswell Rudd are not musicians Barry has ever recorded with, and is unlikely to have played with on gigs.

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Barry Harris is just great on this one. There are at least a few familiar faces for him (Rouse, Davis), but everyone (except for Don Cherry, who should have been given the hook) is united in Monk and Harris fits right in with Lacy and Rudd.

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I guess this could be considered "out of character" for both performers as it is the only album either of them ever recorded in this type of setting.  Ms. Christy was known to be a bit self-conscious about her singing -- and though I love her singing, she did have some noticeable intonation issues from time to time -- so it seems odd she would have agreed to record in this setting where all her potential "flaws" would be even more front and center without the benefit of a big/small band to cushion her voice.  Mr. Kenton, for all his musical achievements, would hardly make any one's list of "100 greatest jazz pianists" and when it came to accompanying singers, he certainly did not have the experience or the technique of, say, Hank Jones or Gerald Wiggins.  While the album is not without its merits, it's not one of the best either of them ever made.

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