Your Favorite Jazz Records of the 1980s?

[Peter Friedman]

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[Gheorghe]

On 20.2.2021 at 1:32 PM, sidewinder said:

Yes, good call. Nice production by Teo Macero and like you I witnessed that tour where much of this material was featured. I think Al Foster’s drums were particularly well captured on the LPs.

Yes, Al Foster ! 

For my taste, things went down from 1985 on, when he replaced Al Foster and went more into commercial stuff an it got more a kind of show, almost a parody of Miles, rather than stuff played in a band like on "We Want Miles"

[HutchFan]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:27 PM, Patrick said:

No mention yet of John Carter's Roots and Folklore series?

Oh yeah.  IMO, Castles of Ghana and Fields should be any short-list of "Essential 80s Jazz" !!!

 

On 2/18/2021 at 1:22 PM, soulpope said:

 

On 2/20/2021 at 2:43 AM, soulpope said:

soulpope - These two don't qualify because they were recorded in the 1970s -- even though they were released in the 1980s.  The only reason I know this: They were both on my "Favorite Jazz from the 1970s" blog. 

IIRC, I first heard that Jerry Gonzalez record based on your recommendation... and I first heard that Bill Barron LP because of Jim Sangrey's often-noted Bill Barron-ophila!   

 

On 2/18/2021 at 1:26 PM, Peter Friedman said:

Thanks Peter!  Not familiar with these two!   

 

On 2/20/2021 at 10:25 PM, Д.Д. said:

Recorded in 1980:

• Fred Anderson Quartet - The Milwaukee Tapes Vol.1 (Atavistic)

• The John Carter Quintet - Night Fire (Black Saint)

• Cecil Taylor - Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! (MPS)

• Fred Anderson; Steve McCall - Vintage Duets: Chicago 1-11-80 (Okka Disk)

• Archie Shepp; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Looking At Bird (SteepleChase)

• Andrew Hill - Faces of Hope (Soul Note)

• Julius Hemphill Quartet - Flat-Out Jump Suite (Black Saint)

• Bill Dixon - In Italy - Volume One (Black Saint)

• Idris Muhammad - Kabsha (Theresa)

• Stéphane Grappelli; Martial Solal - Happy Reunion (Owl)

• Bernd Konrad - Hans Koller Unit with Didier Lockwood - Phonolith (Hat Hut) - half of the tracks, the rest was recorded in 1994. 

And that's just one year. 

Great list.  Thanks D.D.!!!

 

[HutchFan]

10 hours ago, soulpope said:

Yes!!!  Great "companion record" to The Window. 

 

[soulpope]

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, Gheorghe said:

Yes, Al Foster ! 

For my taste, things went down from 1985 on, when he replaced Al Foster and went more into commercial stuff an it got more a kind of show, almost a parody of Miles, rather than stuff played in a band like on "We Want Miles"

Yes, next time I saw him was in 85. The band with Scofield, Bob Berg and Robert Irving III. Fine performance - but Al was missed. Miles played quite a bit of organ.

Teo captured Foster’s drums very well on ‘We Want Miles’.

Edited Sunday at 7:01 PM by sidewinder

[danasgoodstuff]

SRV's sole appearance on Blue Note, but the best cuts are with Sco.

[Peter Friedman]

[Guy Berger]

One thing that hits home from this thread is how astro-turfy and phony the whole "young lions" marketing campaign was.  There was tons of unhyped, high quality straight-ahead (and straight-ahead-adjacent) jazz recorded during the 80s.

[Rabshakeh]

49 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

One thing that hits home from this thread is how astro-turfy and phony the whole "young lions" marketing campaign was.  There was tons of unhyped, high quality straight-ahead (and straight-ahead-adjacent) jazz recorded during the 80s.

I was impressed at how long the thread has gone before anyone even mentioned them.

[soulpope]

[Dub Modal]

Some great albums here. I'll try and list some that I really enjoy without repetition of what's already been mentioned:

That'll do for now...tons more. Just about the entire Bee Hive catalog could be posted. 

 

 

[soulpope]

[Dan Gould]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was impressed at how long the thread has gone before anyone even mentioned them.

Back on the first page I listed

Brian Lynch: Peer Pressure (Criss Cross)

Ralph Moore: Round Trip (Reservoir)

Mulgrew Miller: Work (Landmark)

Scott Hamilton, Tenor Shoes (Concord)

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

I'd say each of those are early "young lions" and each are among their earliest leader dates, except for the Scott Hamilton recording - whether they had a lot of marketing behind them or not.

[Larry Kart]

2 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was impressed at how long the thread has gone before anyone even mentioned them.

Idiot here. I love those Carter albums.

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Back on the first page I listed

Brian Lynch: Peer Pressure (Criss Cross)

Ralph Moore: Round Trip (Reservoir)

Mulgrew Miller: Work (Landmark)

Scott Hamilton, Tenor Shoes (Concord)

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

I'd say each of those are early "young lions" and each are among their earliest leader dates, except for the Scott Hamilton recording - whether they had a lot of marketing behind them or not.

I meant more the endless controversy, although I am a bit surprised at how few of those records have been mentioned too. I don't think they're that bad, although Guy Berger's "astro-turfy and phony" is a good phrase which I intend to adopt myself going ahead. 

Okay, here are my favourite jazz records of the 80s, in rough chronological order. Some may have already been mentioned above. 

Jack deJohnette - Special Edition

Arthur Blythe - Illusions

Fred Anderson - The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 1

Derek Bailey, John Zorn and George Lewis - Yankees

Milcho Leviev - Blues for the Fishermen

Andrew Hill - Strange Serenade

Julius Hemphill - Flat Out Jump Suite

Pharaoh Sanders - Journey to the One

David Murray - Ming

Derek Bailey - Aida

Muhal Richard Abrams - Mama and Daddy

World Saxophone Quartet - Steppin'

Grover Washington Jr - Winelight

Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound Ensemble - Snurdy McGurdy and her Dancing Shoes

James Newton - Axum

Chico Freeman - The Outside Within

Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin - Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin

Steve Lacy - N.Y. Capers & Quirks

Chick Corea - Three Quartets

Old and New Dreams - Playing

Vinny Golia - The Gift of Fury

Anthony Braxton - Six Compositions: Quartet

Bill Dixon - November 1981

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy - Live at Dreher Paris 1981

Keith Tippett - Mujician

Lester Bowie - The Great Pretender

Griot Galaxy - Kins

Leo Cuyper - Heavy Days Are Here Again

John Carter - Dauwhe

Bob Moses - When Elephants Dream of Music

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble - Impressions

World Saxophone Quartet - Revue

Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg, Kent Carter and Han Bennink - Regeneration

Billy Bang - Outline No. 12

George Adams Don Pullen Quartet - City Gates

Joe McPhee Po Music - Oleo

Kaoru Abe - Mort a Credit

Kenny Baron Trio - Green Chimneys

Steve Lacy Seven - Cliches

Harrison/Blanchard - New York Second Line

Lee Konitz and Martial Solal - Star Eyes, Hamburg 1983

Sun Ra - A Fireside Chat With Lucifer

Jaco Pastorius - Invitation 

Trovesi Damiani Quintet - Roccellanea

Khan Jamal Quartet - Dark Warrior

Vienna Art Orchestra - The Minimalism of Eric Satie

New Phil Woods Quintet - Integrity

Fred Anderson - The Missing Link

Peter Brotzmann - 14 Love Poems

Paul Motian - The Story of Maryam

Cecil Taylor - Winged Serpents (Sliding Quadrants)

Grupo Niche - No Hay Quinto Malo

Nate Morgan - Retribution, Reparation

Position Alpha - The Great Sound of Sound

Ray Anderson - Right Down Your Alley

Dave Holland - Seeds of Time

Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy - I Only Have Eyes for You

John Hicks - Inc. 1

Anthony Braxton - Quartet (Coventry) 1985

Irene Schweizer - The Storming of the Winter Palace

James Newton - The African Flower

Joe Henderson - State of the Tenor

John Carter - Castles of Ghana

Last Exit - Last Exit

Ran Blake Quartet - The Short Life of Barbara Monk

Steve Lacy - Morning Joy

Andrew Hill Trio and Quartet - Shades

Tim Berne - Fulton Street Maul

Irene Schweizer - Live at Taktlos

Misha Mengelberg, Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Ernst Reijseger, Han Bennink - Dutch Masters

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy - Sempre Amore

Edward Vesala - Lumi

Out of the Blue - Live at Mount Fuji

Charlie Haden / Paul Motian feat. Geri Allen - Etudes

David Torn, Time Berne and Ches Smith - Cloud about Mercury

Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker

Charles Brackeen Quartet - Worshippers Come Nigh

Irene Schweizer & Gunter Sommer - Irene Schweizer & Gunter Sommer

John Zorn, George Lewis and Bill Frissell - News for Lulu

Evan Parker - The Snake Decides

Jerome Cooper Quintet - Outer and Interactions

Gonzalo Rubalcabra - Mi Gran Pasion

Derek Bailey and Cyro Baptista - CYRO

Mal Waldron and Jim Pepper - Art of the Duo

Muhal Richard Abrams - The Hearinga Suite

Gary Thomas & Seventh Quadrant - Code Violations

John Butcher, Phil Durrant, Paul Lovens, Radu Malfatti, John Russell - News from the Shed

Henry Threadgill Sextet - Rag, Bush and All

Paul Bley Trio - BeBopBeBopBeBopBeBop

Edited Tuesday at 8:34 PM by Rabshakeh

[Peter Friedman]

[Dub Modal]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I meant more the endless controversy, although I am a bit surprised at how few of those records have been mentioned too. I don't think they're that bad, although Guy Berger's "astro-turfy and phony" is a good phrase which I intend to adopt myself going ahead. 

Okay, here are my favourite jazz records of the 80s, in rough chronological order. Some may have already been mentioned above. 

Jack deJohnette - Special Edition

Arthur Blythe - Illusions

Fred Anderson - The Milwaukee Tapes, Vol. 1

Derek Bailey, John Zorn and George Lewis - Yankees

Milcho Leviev - Blues for the Fishermen

Andrew Hill - Strange Serenade

Julius Hemphill - Flat Out Jump Suite

Pharaoh Sanders - Journey to the One

David Murray - Ming

Derek Bailey - Aida

Muhal Richard Abrams - Mama and Daddy

World Saxophone Quartet - Steppin'

Grover Washington Jr - Winelight

Roscoe Mitchell and the Sound Ensemble - Snurdy McGurdy and her Dancing Shoes

James Newton - Axum

Chico Freeman - The Outside Within

Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin - Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin

Steve Lacy - N.Y. Capers & Quirks

Chick Corea - Three Quartets

Old and New Dreams - Playing

Vinny Golia - The Gift of Fury

Anthony Braxton - Six Compositions: Quartet

Bill Dixon - November 1981

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy - Live at Dreher Paris 1981

Keith Tippett - Mujician

Lester Bowie - The Great Pretender

Griot Galaxy - Kins

Leo Cuyper - Heavy Days Are Here Again

John Carter - Dauwhe

Bob Moses - When Elephants Dream of Music

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble - Impressions

World Saxophone Quartet - Revue

Roswell Rudd, Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg, Kent Carter and Han Bennink - Regeneration

Billy Bang - Outline No. 12

George Adams Don Pullen Quartet - City Gates

Joe McPhee Po Music - Oleo

Kaoru Abe - Mort a Credit

Kenny Baron Trio - Green Chimneys

Steve Lacy Seven - Cliches

Harrison/Blanchard - New York Second Line

Lee Konitz and Martial Solal - Star Eyes, Hamburg 1983

Sun Ra - A Fireside Chat With Lucifer

Jaco Pastorius - Invitation 

Trovesi Damiani Quintet - Roccellanea

Khan Jamal Quartet - Dark Warrior

Vienna Art Orchestra - The Minimalism of Eric Satie

New Phil Woods Quintet - Integrity

Fred Anderson - The Missing Link

Peter Brotzmann - 14 Love Poems

Paul Motian - The Story of Maryam

Cecil Taylor - Winged Serpents (Sliding Quadrants)

Grupo Niche - No Hay Quinto Malo

Nate Morgan - Retribution, Reparation

Position Alpha - The Great Sound of Sound

Ray Anderson - Right Down Your Alley

Dave Holland - Seeds of Time

Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy - I Only Have Eyes for You

John Hicks - Inc. 1

Anthony Braxton - Quartet (Coventry) 1985

Irene Schweizer - The Storming of the Winter Palace

James Newton - The African Flower

Joe Henderson - State of the Tenor

John Carter - Castles of Ghana

Last Exit - Last Exit

Ran Blake Quartet - The Short Life of Barbara Monk

Steve Lacy - Morning Joy

Andrew Hill Trio and Quartet - Shades

Tim Berne - Fulton Street Maul

Irene Schweizer - Live at Taktlos

Misha Mengelberg, Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Ernst Reijseger, Han Bennink - Dutch Masters

Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy - Sempre Amore

Edward Vesala - Lumi

Out of the Blue - Live at Mount Fuji

Charlie Haden / Paul Motian feat. Geri Allen - Etudes

David Torn, Time Berne and Ches Smith - Cloud about Mercury

Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker

Charles Brackeen Quartet - Worshippers Come Nigh

Irene Schweizer & Gunter Sommer - Irene Schweizer & Gunter Sommer

John Zorn, George Lewis and Bill Frissell - News for Lulu

Evan Parker - The Snake Decides

Jerome Cooper Quintet - Outer and Interactions

Gonzalo Rubalcabra - Mi Gran Pasion

Derek Bailey and Cyro Baptista - CYRO

Mal Waldron and Jim Pepper - Art of the Duo

Muhal Richard Abrams - The Hearinga Suite

Gary Thomas & Seventh Quadrant - Code Violations

John Butcher, Phil Durrant, Paul Lovens, Radu Malfatti, John Russell - News from the Shed

Henry Threadgill Sextet - Rag, Bush and All

Paul Bley Trio - BeBopBeBopBeBopBeBop

So many good albums there. 

And astroturfing is probably the correct word for that situation back then. Don't know who the publicist/agent/marketing team involved was but they obviously had good connections. 

A few more 80s albums I enjoy:

That's obviously a comp that was released in '88

And some more:

[Rabshakeh]

29 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

 

I was going to put that one down! But I had a failure of will.

[Guy Berger]

3 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Back on the first page I listed

Brian Lynch: Peer Pressure (Criss Cross)

Ralph Moore: Round Trip (Reservoir)

Mulgrew Miller: Work (Landmark)

Scott Hamilton, Tenor Shoes (Concord)

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

I'd say each of those are early "young lions" and each are among their earliest leader dates, except for the Scott Hamilton recording - whether they had a lot of marketing behind them or not.

Dan - I don't disagree that there were younger musicians making strong straight-ahead jazz during the 1980s.  Mostly I'm contesting the nonsensical narrative (which was probably more common 15-30 years ago) that a small group of younger musicians somehow "saved" straight ahead jazz during this period.  As this thread shows, the scene was alive and well, and didn't need "saving".

[Dub Modal]

4 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was going to put that one down! But I had a failure of will.

I love the grooves on that record. No shame in the game! 

[Dan Gould]

16 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Dan - I don't disagree that there were younger musicians making strong straight-ahead jazz during the 1980s.  Mostly I'm contesting the nonsensical narrative (which was probably more common 15-30 years ago) that a small group of younger musicians somehow "saved" straight ahead jazz during this period.  As this thread shows, the scene was alive and well, and didn't need "saving".

I agree Guy, I just knew that I had mentioned some young lions early on, though I didn't call them that. 

It's nice to be past that part of history. Nowadays the scene sucks for everybody, and jazz is way past the 'smells funny' phase too.

Kidding. Sort of. 

[ejp626]

25 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

I agree Guy, I just knew that I had mentioned some young lions early on, though I didn't call them that. 

It's nice to be past that part of history. Nowadays the scene sucks for everybody, and jazz is way past the 'smells funny' phase too.

Kidding. Sort of. 

If TikTok can make sea shanties entertaining, I can't believe it can't "save" jazz for at least another media cycle or two...

Somebody should get on that.