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Playing Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s


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2 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I never would have been able to do it if I hadn't worked out my entire survey before starting, all 366 recordings.  I have them listed in a spreadsheet -- with the dates of recording in chronological order and sidemen.

It took a several years to put the spreadsheet together.  Lots of sifting and sorting, adding one LP and deleting another.  It kept evolving over time.

Plus, it was a great excuse to buy and listen to lots and lots of records from the 70s.  :g

 

The depth of your collection is impressive. I typically only have heard about two of the records you list each week. (This week the two Cecil McBees and the Kenny Wheeler).

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3 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Andy LaVerne Trio – Another World (SteepleChase, 1978)
Lou Levy – Tempus Fugue-It (Interplay, 1977)
Sheila Jordan & Arild Andersen – Sheila (SteepleChase, 1978)
Cecil McBee Sextet – Music from the Source (Enja/Inner City, 1978) and Compassion (Enja/Inner City, 1979)
Kenny Wheeler – Deer Wan (ECM, 1978)
Shakti with John McLaughlin – Natural Elements (Columbia, 1977)
Roland Hanna & George Mraz – Sir Elf Plus One (Choice, 1978)

 

A word about Sir Roland Hanna, one of the faces on my personal MOUNT RUSHMORE of jazz pianists: Check out his entry on my blog.  It includes a list of Hanna's recordings from the 1970s, when (from this listener's perspective) he was making his finest music.  If you're unfamiliar with his work, I urge you to listen.  Hanna never made a splash like McCoy or Chick or Herbie -- in the 1970s or at any time.  ... But Sir Roland is a poet!  His music is full of warmth and humanity.  To me, he's just as "important" as anyone you can name. 

 

The one that stands our for me on this list is -  Lou Levy - Tempus-Fugue It.

As is true for Roland Hanna, Lou Levy has never achieved much acclaim as a top level jazz pianist. He has played with a wide range of musicians, and spent a number of years as an accompanist to vocalists.

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7 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

The depth of your collection is impressive. I typically only have heard about two of the records you list each week. (This week the two Cecil McBees and the Kenny Wheeler).

Thanks. 

Honestly, it's only because I've been focused on this 70s Jazz project for a long time.   It motivated me to explore as many "rooms in the 70s jazz house" as possible -- including off-the-beaten path rooms that I'm sure I would've missed otherwise.  Plus, I tried to approach everything with big ears, as openly as possible.  ... So, over time, I've found my boundaries of my taste being s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to encompass new things.  ... And I'm glad about that. 

That said, there are still gaping holes in my collection (and knowledge), even focusing on jazz in the 1970s.  The old saying is so true: "The more you know, the more you realize you don't know."  ... I suppose that's why I named the project Playing Favorites.  It isn't an objective history, and it doesn't pretend to be.  It's just a bunch of doorways, invitations to explore, and all that.

 

 

 

30 minutes ago, felser said:

It's in the next batch of ENJA CD reissues.

Oh. Cool!  :tup   

 

 

31 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

The one that stands our for me on this list is -  Lou Levy - Tempus-Fugue It.

As is true for Roland Hanna, Lou Levy has never achieved much acclaim as a top level jazz pianist. He has played with a wide range of musicians, and spent a number of years as an accompanist to vocalists.

I agree with you, Peter.  Tempus Fugue-It is a darn good record.

Speaking of Levy supporting vocalists, I dig his '77 LP with June Christy, Impromptu.  I didn't include it in my survey.  But it's another good one.

 

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If I might briefly hijack this thread, can anyone recommend any books with especially good 1970’s coverage? For instance, how’s this one?

Bill Shoemaker: Jazz in the 1970s: Diverging Streams

The lengthy description found on Amazon looks promising:

https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-1970s-Diverging-Bill-Shoemaker/dp/1442242094

Would love to learn of other titles worth considering.

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6 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

If I might briefly hijack this thread, can anyone recommend any books with especially good 1970’s coverage? For instance, how’s this one?

Bill Shoemaker: Jazz in the 1970s: Diverging Streams

The lengthy description found on Amazon looks promising:

https://www.amazon.com/Jazz-1970s-Diverging-Bill-Shoemaker/dp/1442242094

Would love to learn of other titles worth considering.

Check the “Which jazz book are you reading thread?” for some discussion on the Shoemaker.

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Thanks for cross-posting this.

I'd also be interested in knowing of any good books that cover material similar to the blog.  

I have a lot of books that cover the more Avant Garde side (Val Wilmer etc), but there seems to be less on the sort of great straight ahead, soul jazz and fusion-oriented hard bop stuff that you have also been posting.

Most of this stuff doesn't even get a mention in generalised jazz history books covering the period, which tend to just touch on late Coltrane, the AACM and electric Miles and then move on to the 80s. 

There's obviously a lot more there. 

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Here's a list of books that I've compiled.  It's not precisely limited the subject of "Jazz in the 1970s."  Instead, it's a list of book about any artists who made music in the 1970s.  That's why it's extensive.  That said, I'm sure that there are MANY that I'm missing.

I should also say that I have not read all of these.  Only some. ... I've highlighted a few that are special to me.

*******************************

Balliett, Whitney. New York Notes: A Journal of Jazz in the Seventies. (Houghton Mifflin, 1976)
Balliett, Whitney. Night Creature: A Journal of Jazz 1975-1980. (Oxford University Press, 1981)
Balliett, Whitney. Goodbyes and Other Messages: A Journal of Jazz 1981-1990. (Oxford University Press, 1991)
Basie, Count and Albert Murray. Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. (Random House, 1985)
Bauer, William R. Open the Door: The Life and Music of Betty Carter. (University of Michigan Press, 2003)
Beal, Amy C. Carla Bley. (University of Illinois Press, 2011)
Benson, George and Alan Goldsher. Benson: The Autobiography. (Da Capo, 2014)
Berger, Edward and David Chevan. Bassically Speaking: An Oral History of George Duvivier (Scarecrow Press, 1993)
Berger, Morroe. Benny Carter: A Life in American Music. (Scarecrow, 1982)
Bley, Paul and David Lee. Stopping Time: Paul Bley and the Transformation of Jazz. (Véhicule Press, 2014)
Bley, Paul and Norman Meehan. Time Will Tell: Conversations with Paul Bley. (Berkeley Hills Books, 2003)
Blumenthal, Bob and John Abbott. Saxophone Colussus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins. (Harry N. Abrams, 2010)
Britt, Stan. Dexter Gordon: A Musical Biography. (Da Capo, 1989)
Büchmann-Møller, Frank. Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster (University of Michigan Press, 2008)
Burton, Gary. Learning to Listen. The Jazz Journey of Gary Burton: An Autobiography. (Berklee Press, 2013)
Campbell, Robert L. and Christopher Trent. The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra, 2nd edition. (Cadence Jazz Books, 2000)
Carr, Ian. Keith Jarrett: The Man And His Music. (Da Capo, 1992)
Chamberlain, Safford. An Unsung Cat: The Life and Music of Warne Marsh. (Scarecrow Press, 2004)
Chambers, Jack. Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis. (DaCapo, 1998)
Conzo, Joe and David A. Pérez. Mambo Diablo: My Journey with Tito Puente. (Backbeat Books, 2012)
Cook, Richard. It's About That Time: Miles Davis On and Off the Record. (Oxford University Press, 2007)
Cooke, Mervyn. Pat Metheny: The ECM Years, 1975-1984. (Oxford University Press, 2017) 
Coryell, Larry. Improvising: My Life in Music. (Hal Leonard, 2007)
Dahl, Linda. Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle. (University of Michigan Press, 2008)
Dahl, Linda. Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams. (University of California Press, 2001)
Dance, Stanley. The World of Count Basie. (Da Capo, 1985)
Dance, Stanley. The World of Earl Hines. (Da Capo, 1983)
Dance, Stanley. The World of Duke Ellington. (Da Capo, 2000)
Davis, Miles and Quincy Troupe. Miles: The Autobiography. (Simon & Schuster, 1990)
Davis, Francis. Bebop and Nothingness: Jazz and Pop at the End of the Century. (Schimer, 1996)
Davis, Francis. In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980s. (Oxford University Press, 1986)
Davis, Francis. Outcats: Jazz Instrumentalists, Composers, and Singers. (Oxford University Press, 1992)
Davis, Francis. Like Young: Jazz, Pop, Youth, and Middle Age. (Da Capo, 2001)
De Barros, Paul. Shall We Play That One Together?: The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland. (St. Martin's Press, 2012)
Deffaa, Chip. In the Mainstream: 18 Portraits in Jazz. (Scarecrow Press, 1992)
Doerschuk, Robert L. 88: The Giants of Jazz Piano. (Backbeat Books, 2001)
Doran, James M. Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano. (Scarecrow Press, 1985) 
Ellington, Duke. Music Is My Mistress. (Da Capo, 1973)
Enstice, Wayne and Paul Rubin. Jazz Spoken Here: Conversations with Twenty-Two Musicians. (Da Capo, 1994)
Enwezor, Okwui (ed.), et al. ECM: A Cultural Archaeology. (Prestel, 2013)
Erskine, Peter. No Beethoven: An Autobiography & Chronicle of Weather Report. (Alfred Music, 2013)
Freeman, Bud and Alicia Jay White. You Don't Look Like a Musician. (Balamp, 2012)
Freeman, Bud and Robert Wolf. Crazeology: The Autobiography of a Chicago Jazzman. (University of Illinois Press, 1989)
Friedwald, Will. A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. (Knopf Doubleday, 2010)
Gabbard, Krin. Better Git It in Your Soul: An Interpretive Biography of Charles Mingus. (University of California Press, 2016)
Garrick, Michael and Trevor Bannister. Dusk Fire: Jazz in English Hands. (Springdale Press, 2010)
Gavin, James. Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker. (Chicago Review Press, 2011)
Geerken, Hartmut and Chris Trent. Omniverse Sun Ra, 2nd edition. (Art Yard, 2015)
Giddins, Gary. Rhythm-A-Ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the 80's. (Oxford University Press, 1985)
Giddins, Gary. Riding on a Blue Note: Jazz and American Pop. (Da Capo, 2000)
Giddins, Gary. Visions of Jazz: The First Century. (Oxford University Press, 1998)
Giddins, Gary. Weatherbird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century. (Oxford University Press, 2004) 
Gillespie, John Birks "Dizzy" and Al Fraser. To Be, or Not… to Bop (Da Capo, 2009)
Ginell, Cary. Walk Tall: The Music & Life of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. (Hal Leonard, 2013)
Glasser, Brian. In a Silent Way: A Portrait of Joe Zawinul. (Sanctuary Publishing, 2001)
Gluck, Bob. The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles. (University of Chicago Press, 2016)
Gluck, Bob. You'll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Band. (University of Chicago Press, 2014)
Goldsher, Alan. Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. (Hal Leonard, 2002)
Goodman, John F. Mingus Speaks. (University of California Press, 2013)
Gordon, Maxine. Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon. (University of California Press, 2018)
Gourse, Leslie. Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan. (Da Capo, 1994)
Green, Sharony Andrews. Grant Green: Rediscovering the Forgotten Genuis of Jazz Guitar. (Backbeat Books, 1999)
Hall, Fred M. It's About Time: The Dave Brubeck Story (University of Arkansas Press, 1996)
Hamilton, Andy. Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art. (University of Michigan Press, 2007)
Hancock, Herbie and Lisa Dickey. Possibilities. (Viking, 2014)
Harper, Colin. Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond. (Jawbone Press, 2014)
Hasse, John Edward. Beyond Category: The Life And Genius Of Duke Ellington. (Da Capo, 1995)
Hawes, Hampton and Don Asher. Raise Up Off Me: A Portrait of Hampton Hawes. (Da Capo, 2001)
Heath, Jimmy. I Walked with Giants: The Autobiography of Jimmy Heath. (Temple University Press, 2010)
Heining, Duncan. George Russell: The Story of an American Composer (Scarecrow Press, 2009)
Heining, Duncan. Mosaics: The Life and Works of Graham Collier (Equinox Publishing, 2018)
Heller, Michael. Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s. (University of California Press, 2016)
Hennessey, Mike. The Little Giant: The Story of Johnny Griffin. (Northway Publications, 2008)
Hicock, Larry. Castles Made Of Sound: The Story Of Gil Evans. (Da Capo, 2002)
Hinton, Milt and David G. Berger and Holly Maxson. Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton's Life in Stories and Photographs. (Vanderbilt University Press, 2008)
Hodes, Art and Chadwick Hansen. Hot Man: The Life of Art Hodes. (University of Illinois Press, 1992)
Isoadari, Steve. The Dark Tree: Jazz and the Community Arts in Los Angeles. (University of California Press, 2006)
Jacobsen, Thomas W. The New Orleans Jazz Scene, 1970-2000: A Personal Retrospective. (LSU Press, 2014)
Jarrett, Michael. Pressed for All Time: Producing the Great Jazz Albums from Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday to Miles Davis and Diana Krall. (UNC Press, 2016)
Jewell, Derek. Duke: A Portrait of Duke Ellington. (W.W. Norton, 1977)
Johnson, Batt. What Is This Thing Called Jazz: Insights and Opinions From the Players. (Writer's Showcase, 2001)
Johnson, Ellen. Jazz Child: A Portrait of Sheila Jordan. (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014)
Jones, Peter. This Is Hip: The Life of Mark Murphy (Equinox UK, 2018) 
Josephson, Sanford. Jeru's Journey: The Life & Music of Gerry Mulligan. (Hal Leonard, 2015)
Jost, Ekkehard. Free Jazz. (Da Capo, 1994)
Judge, Maria S. Jake Hanna: The Rhythm and Wit of a Swinging Jazz Drummer. (Meredith Music, 2012)
Kahn, Ashley. The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records. (Norton, 2006)
Kelly, Robin D.G. Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original. (Free Press, 2010)
Kofsky, Frank. Black Nationalism and the Revolution in Music. (Pathfinder, 1970)
Kolosky, Walter. Power, Passion and Beauty: The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra. (Abstract Logix Books, 2006)
Kruth, John. Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. (Welcome Rain Publishers, 2000)
Kuehn, John and Arne Astrup. Buddy DeFranco: A Biographical Portrait and Discography. (Scarecrow Press, 1993)
Lake, Steve (ed.) and Paul Griffiths (ed.). Horizons Touched: The Music of ECM (Granta UK, 2007)
Lees, Gene. The Leader of the Band: The Life of Woody Herman. (Oxford University Press, 1995)
Lees, Gene. Waiting for Dizzy. (Oxford University Press, 1991)
Lees, Gene. Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing. (Prima, 1991)
Lewis, George E. A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music. (University of Chicago Press, 2009)
Liebman, Dave and Lewis Porter. What It Is: The Life of a Jazz Artist. (Scarecrow Press, 2013)
Litweiler, John. The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958. (Da Capo, 1990)
Litweiler, John. Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life. (William Morrow, 1993)
Lock, Graham. Forces In Motion: Anthony Braxton and the Meta-reality of Creative Music. (Dover, 2018)
Looker, Benjamin. Point from which creation begins: The Black Artists' Group of St. Louis. (Missouri Historical Society Press, 2004)
Loza, Steven Joseph. Tito Puente and the Making of Latin Music. (University of Illinois Press, 1999)
Lyons, Len. The Great Jazz Pianists. (Da Capo, 1983)
Maggin, Donald L. Dizzy: The Life and Times of John Birks Gillespie. (Harper, 2005)
Maggin, Donald L. Stan Getz: A Life in Jazz. (William Morrow, 1996)
Majer, Gerald. The Velvet Lounge: On Late Chicago Jazz. (Columbia University Press, 2005)
Mandel, Howard. Miles, Ornette, Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz. (Routledge, 2007)
Martino, Pat and Bill Milkowski. Here and Now! The Autobiography of Pat Martino. (Backbeat Books, 2011)
McGregor, Maxine. Chris McGregor and the Brotherhood of Breath: My Life with a South African Jazz Pioneer. (Bamberger Books, 1995)
McKay, George. Circular Breathing: The Cultural Politics of Jazz in Britain. (Duke University Press, 2006)
McMillan, Jeff. Delightfulee: The Life and Music of Lee Morgan. (University of Michigan Press, 2008)
Mercer, Michelle. Footprints: The Life and Work of Wayne Shorter. (Tarcher, 2004)
Meyer, Edward N. Giant Strides: The Legacy of Dick Wellstood. (Scarecrow Press, 1999)
Milkowski, Bill. Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius. (Backbeat Books, 2005)
Mingus, Charles. Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus. (Vintage, 1991)
Minor, William. Jazz Journeys to Japan: The Heart Within. (University of Michigan Press, 2004)
Nicholson, Stuart. Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz. (Da Capo, 1995)
Nicholson, Stuart. Jazz-Rock: A History (Schirmer, 1998)
Nisenson, Eric. Open Sky: Sonny Rollins and his World of Improvisation. (Da Capo, 2000)
Nurmi, Mikko. The Art of Ron Carter. (CreateSpace, 2015)
O'Day, Anita and George Eells. High Times, Hard Times. (Limelight Editions, 2004)
Ouelette, Dan. Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes. (KMW Studio, 2014)
Pepper, Art and Laurie Pepper. Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper. (Da Capo, 1994)
Pepper, Laurie. ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman. (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2014)
Perchard, Tom. Lee Morgan: His Life, Music and Culture. (Equinox Publishing, 2008)
Pettinger, Peter. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings. (Yale University Press, 2002)
Ponomarev, Valery. On the Flip Side of Sound. (AuthorHouse, 2009)
Porter, Bob. Soul Jazz: Jazz in the Black Community, 1945-1975 (XLIBRIS, 2016)
Priestley, Brian. Mingus: A Critical Biography. (Da Capo, 1984)
Purdie, Bernard "Pretty." Let the Drums Speak! The Life Story of the World's Most Recorded Drummer. (Pretty Media, 2014)
Ramsey, Doug. Jazz Matters: Reflections on the Music & Some of its Makers. (University of Arkansas Press, 1989)
Ramsey, Doug. Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. (Parkside, 2005)
Reid, S. Duncan. Cal Tjader: The Life and Recordings of the Man Who Revolutionized Latin Jazz. (McFarland, 2013)
Roberts, John Storm. Black Music of Two Worlds. (Original Music, 1982)
Roberts, John Storm. Latin Jazz: The First Fusion, 1900 - Today. (Schirmer, 1999)
Roberts, John Storm. The Latin Tinge: The Impact of Latin American Music on the United States, 2nd Edition. (Oxford, 1999)
Robinson, Perry and Florence Wetzel. Perry Robinson: The Traveler (iUniverse, 2002)
Shacter, James D. Loose Shoes: The Story of Ralph Sutton. (Jaynar Press, 1994)
Shearing, George and Alyn Shipton. Lullaby of Birdland: The Autobiography of George Shearing. (Bloomsbury Academic, 2004)
Sheridan, Chris. Dis Here: A Bio-Discography of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. (Greenwood, 2000)
Shipton, Alyn. Handful of Keys: Conversations with 30 Jazz Pianists. (Routledge, 2004)
Shipton, Alyn. Groovin' High: The Life of Dizzy Gillespie. (Oxford University Press, 1999)
Shipton, Alyn. A New History of Jazz. (Bloomsbury, 2001)
Shipton, Alyn. Out of the Long Dark: The Life of Ian Carr. (Equinox Publishing, 2006)
Shoemaker, Bill. Jazz in the 1970s: Diverging Streams (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017)
Silver, Horace and Phil Pastras. Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty: The Autobiography of Horace Silver. (University of California Press, 2007)
Smith, Chris. The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis. (University of North Texas Press, 2014)
Spellman, A.B. Four Lives in the Bebop Business. (Limelight, 1985)
Stein Crease, Stephanie. Gil Evans: Out of the Cool: His Life and Music. (Chicago Review Press, 2001)
Steinbeck, Paul. Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago (University of Chicago Press, 2017)
Svorinich, Victor. Listen to This: Miles Davis and "Bitches Brew." (University Press of Mississippi, 2015)
Szwed, John. So What: The Life Miles Davis. (Simon & Schuster, 2002)
Szwed, John. Space Is The Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra. (DaCapo, 1998)
Tapscott, Horace and Steven Isoardi (editor). Song of the Unsung: The Musical and Social Journey of Horace Tapscott. (Duke University Press, 2001)
Taylor, Art. Notes and Tones: Musician-to-Musician Interviews. (Da Capo, 1993)
Terry, Clark and Gwen Terry. Clark: The Autobiography of Clark Terry. (University of California Press, 2011)
Torff, Brian Q. In Love with Voices: A Jazz Memoir (iUniverse, 2008)
Tracey, Clark. The Godfather of British Jazz: The Life and Music of Stan Tracey (Equinox Publishing, 2017)
Tucker, Mark (editor). The Duke Ellington Reader. (Oxford University Press, 1993)
Ullman, Michael. Jazz Lives: Portraits in Words and Pictures. (New Republic Books, 1980)
Vache, Warren W. Crazy Fingers: Claude Hopkins' Life in Jazz. (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992)
Weiss, Jason (editor). Steve Lacy: Conversations. (Duke University Press, 2006)
Weston, Randy and Willard Jenkins. African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston. (Duke University Press, 2010)
Whitehead, Kevin. New Dutch Swing. (Billboard Books, 1998)
Wilber, Bob and Derek Webster. Music Was Not Enough. (Oxford University Press, 1988)
Wilmer, Valerie. As Serious As Your Life: The Story of the New Jazz. (Serpent's Tail, 1992)
Wilson, Peter Niklas. Ornette Coleman: His Life and Music. (Berkeley Hill Books, 1999)
Woodard, Josef and Charlie Haden. Conversations with Charlie Haden. (Silman-James Press, 2017)
Youngquist, Paul. A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra and the Birth of Afrofuturism. (University of Texas Press, 2016)
Zammarchi, Fabrice and Sylvie Mas. A Life in the Golden Age of Jazz: A Biography of Buddy DeFranco. (Parkside, 2003)

 
Edited by HutchFan
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It just barely touches the 70's but it came out in the 70's.

"Modern Jazz  1945-1970 - Five Critics Compile a Basic Library"  The five critics being Max Harrison, Alun Morgan, Ronald Atkins, Michael James and Jack Cooke. 

I tried to obtain all 200 records on the list (except for some of what they called "the new thing", but I even listened to a few of those). This was very influential book in my formative jazz years, along with Martin Williams "The Jazz Tradition", which I borrowed from my high school library and never returned.   

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4 hours ago, HutchFan said:

You're right.  That should be on my list!  I've read it!  ;) 

 

Thanks. I used to have many copies, maybe 40 or so, that the Jazz Record Mart bought as remainders and then sold at a modest price -- they used to do that a lot with jazz books -- but my copies are gone now, given away to people whom I thought would like the book. I'm sure it still can be found used at Amazon and in some of your "better" libraries.

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9 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Thanks. I used to have many copies, maybe 40 or so, that the Jazz Record Mart bought as remainders and then sold at a modest price -- they used to do that a lot with jazz books -- but my copies are gone now, given away to people whom I thought would like the book. I'm sure it still can be found used at Amazon and in some of your "better" libraries.

Abebooks has one at a good price, and Amazon has some fair prices on them.  Well worth picking up.

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Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Karin Krog & Red Mitchell – ...but Three's a Crowd (Bluebell of Sweden, 1977)
Frank Foster & The Loud Minority Band – Well Water (Piadrum, 2007)
Lew Tabackin – Rites of Pan (Discomate/Inner City, 1978)
Paul Motian – Dance (ECM, 1978)
Carla Bley Band – European Tour 1977 (WATT/ECM, 1978)
Charles McPherson – New Horizons (Xanadu, 1978)
Sam Jones – Something in Common (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

 

A nice mix of styles and contexts this week:
- A couple very different big bands, Frank Foster and Carla Bley.  
- A couple quartet records, one featuring Charles McPherson on alto and one with Lew Tabackin on flute.
- Sam Jones and the "Magic Triangle" rhythm section, supplemented with Blue Mitchell, Bob Berg, and Slide Hampton.
- Motian's flowing trio LP with Charles Brackeen & David Izenzon.
- And Karin Krog's duo LP with Red Mitchell ... comparable to Sheila Jordan's Sheila with Arild Andersen.

 

Edited by HutchFan
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1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Yep.  I agree 100%. 

Sam Jones was on a TON of fantastic records in the 1970s -- with the "Magic Triangle" and a bunch of others too.

 

 

And his Riversides from the early 60's are also really good, well-written and arranged in addition to being well-played.

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Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Hermeto Pascoal – Slaves Mass (Warner Brothers, 1977)
Manfred Schoof Quintet – Light Lines (JAPO, 1978)
Jan Garbarek – Places (ECM, 1978)
Air - Air Time (Nessa, 1978)
Rein de Graaff - Dick Vennik Quartet – Modal Soul (Timeless/Timeless Muse, 1977)
Frank Strozier – What's Goin' On (SteepleChase, 1978)
Charlie Rouse – Moment's Notice (Storyville, 1978)

 

This week's entries feature:
- The Chuck Nessa-produced classic Air Time
- Two American journeymen who deserve to be more well-known, Frank Strozier & Charlie Rouse.

- Bandleaders from Brazil, Germany, Norway, and The Netherlands; more evidence of jazz's evolution into a truly global phenomenon.

 

These are the last entries recorded in 1977. 

Next up, 1978 -- with more entries in my survey than any other year (by a considerable margin).

Turns out that 1978 was a GREAT year for jazz!  Who knew!?!?  

Of course, you may disagree.  We shall see!

 

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On 9/28/2020 at 6:55 PM, felser said:

Strozier was a most underrated player.  Glad he had opportunity to record those SteepleChase albums in the late 70's.

I've got his Remember Me from '76, good stuff.  He had his own thing going on.  Spent most of his time teaching in the NYC public schools, right?  Also got the one with Booker Little and some other '60s stuff.

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