Guy Berger Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 I have been itching to dip into Ben Allison's catalogue but can't decide whether to start with Peace Pipe or Riding the Nuclear Tiger. I figure I'll get both eventually. Which one is better? (I'm leaning toward Nuclear Tiger since it has Ron Horton and Ted Nash.) Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 I started with Riding the Nuclear Tiger and loved it immediately. I have enjoyed all of his albums that I have heard bu RTNT is still my favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 I was a little disappointed by "Peace Pipe" initially but have really warmed to it's "worldly" charms. Tiger is perhaps stronger but Pipe does give a sense of his broad artistic vision. Hope he's got something new coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 My advice is to jump on Riding the Nuclear Tiger. Good album, and I started with it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 I've been listening to Ben Allison and other JCC artists quite a bit lately. I found a used copy of "Third Eye" at a store in Chicago a couple of weeks back. Its a very nice record, and kind of got me started on this kick. I really like these guys' sound. I've heard all of Ben's albums except for "Buzz", and I've enjoyed em all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Man Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 Most (all?) of his recordings are available as downloads on emusic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 Another vote for Tiger. I have enjoyed all of the JCC-related discs I've heard, especially the Herbie Nichols Project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montg Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 My advice is to jump on Riding the Nuclear Tiger. Good album, and I started with it too. My sentiment too, I really like Michael Blake on this CD and writing is very strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomafomic65 Posted December 31, 2006 Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 (edited) My advice is to jump on Riding the Nuclear Tiger. Good album, and I started with it too. My sentiment too, I really like Michael Blake on this CD and writing is very strong. Aside these two records, I'd suggest you not to forget Ben Allison part in Herbie Nichos Project, the group he founded with pianist Frank Kimbrough to celebrate an overlooked, unlucky great musician. They wrote together the notes for "The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Herbie Nichols", 1997 cd edition (!). All the three HNP cds are very good ones, from the first "Love Is Proximity" (Soul Note 1996) to the subsequent "Dr.Cyclops Dream" (Soul Note 1999) and "Strange City" (Palmetto 2001). Allison, Kimbrough, Ted Nash, Ron Horton, Blake joining from "Dt.Cyclops" on, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone -great player!- from "Strange City", with alternating drummers Jeff Ballard, Tim Horner and Matt Wilson. These are great Allison's performances too. Edited December 31, 2006 by ArmandoPeraza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six string Posted January 1, 2007 Report Share Posted January 1, 2007 My advice is to jump on Riding the Nuclear Tiger. Good album, and I started with it too. My sentiment too, I really like Michael Blake on this CD and writing is very strong. Aside these two records, I'd suggest you not to forget Ben Allison part in Herbie Nichos Project, the group he founded with pianist Frank Kimbrough to celebrate an overlooked, unlucky great musician. They wrote together the notes for "The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Herbie Nichols", 1997 cd edition (!). All the three HNP cds are very good ones, from the first "Love Is Proximity" (Soul Note 1996) to the subsequent "Dr.Cyclops Dream" (Soul Note 1999) and "Strange City" (Palmetto 2001). Allison, Kimbrough, Ted Nash, Ron Horton, Blake joining from "Dt.Cyclops" on, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone -great player!- from "Strange City", with alternating drummers Jeff Ballard, Tim Horner and Matt Wilson. These are great Allison's performances too. Agree with this, although I haven't heard Strange City. I do have the other two and they are great. There is an earlier album of Ben's called Seven Arrows that I like a lot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted January 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 My advice is to jump on Riding the Nuclear Tiger. Good album, and I started with it too. My sentiment too, I really like Michael Blake on this CD and writing is very strong. This is a very good album. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montg Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 (edited) I had a chance to see the Cowboy Justice band (Ron Horton, Steve Cardenas, and Michael Sarin) live this weekend. Really nice show...The music on the Cowboy Justice CD has a rock feel to it at times, but with jazz rhythms and harmony. The track Emergency,which they closed the show with, is a good example of this blend. The show was a at small college campus in the Midwest, not a lot of hard core jazzers for sure, but the music was received with a lot of enthusiasm. I wish more artists left the New York comfort zone and played in the heartland. ANyway, I've been listening a lot to the latest CD, Cowboy Justice, and it's a lot of fun. And the political angle is sharper here than in Wynton's over the top sermons on his latest CD, imo. Edited March 12, 2007 by montg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 I recently found "Buzz" in the sales bins, and it's pretty good: Hell, anything I've heard with Michael Blake has been fine at least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 I had a chance to see the Cowboy Justice band (Ron Horton, Steve Cardenas, and Jeff Sarin) live this weekend. Really nice show...The music on the Cowboy Justice CD has a rock feel to it at times, but with jazz rhythms and harmony. The track Emergency,which they closed the show with, is a good example of this blend. The show was a at small college campus in the Midwest, not a lot of hard core jazzers for sure, but the music was received with a lot of enthusiasm. I wish more artists left the New York comfort zone and played in the heartland. ANyway, I've been listening a lot to the latest CD, Cowboy Justice, and it's a lot of fun. And the political angle is sharper here than in Wynton's over the top sermons on his latest CD, imo. I posted my thoughts about seeing them in Chicago last weekend in the "Live Shows" thread. This is a very nice group to see live, and its true what you say about the music being well received by people who aren't hard core jazzers. This type of music could work wonders in turning people on to the magic of jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 I should also add that I ran into Ron Horton (very nice guy) outside the club after the show. We chatted a bit and he ended up giving me a copy of his latest CD "Everything in a Dream". Its very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montg Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 Sal, I hadn't seen your comments in that thread, interesting that our impressions were so similiar. I completely agree this band is a great way to introduce jazz to the uninitiated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six string Posted March 12, 2007 Report Share Posted March 12, 2007 (edited) I too have been pretty impressed by anything the members of the Jazz Collective has put out. I have several of Allison'salbums as well as the first two HNP albums and a Frank Kimbrough album on Mapleshade. They are all good! I was lucky enough to catch The Herbie Nichols Project in San Francsico a couple of years ago during the SF Jazz Festival. They were really excellent and I wish that they could come out west more often, as a group or any of the individual members. They are all high caliber musicians. I don't have the Ride the Nuclear Tiger, but it got great reviews when it was released. The only reason I didn't run out and buy it s that I had purchased a few of Allison's albums shortly before that and was trying to spread my money around to other artists. I'll get a copy one of these days. Edited March 12, 2007 by six string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I see that Ben is doing a few days at Birdland in the middle of July. I've been wanting to see him for a long time and he doesn't seem to get out to the West Coast much. Fortunately I'm going to be in NYC then, so the timing is GREAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I saw him a the Cornelia Street Cafe last October--with Steve Cardenas, Brandon Seabrook and Allison Miller--it was very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 This time around he's got Ted Nash, Jeremy Pelt, Steve Cardenas and Rudy Royston. Looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddha the Magnificent Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 Ben Allison - The Stars Look Very Different Today (2013, Sonic Camera Records). Ben Allison - bass; Steve Cardenas - guitar; Brandon Seabrook - guitar, banjo; Allison Miller - drums. Stellar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xybert Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 I like The Stars Look Very Different Today but despite repeated listens have never been able to fully connect with it. Theres an odd tinge to it for me that just makes it ever so slightly unappealing. It's almost like i was maybe feeling a low-level weirdness on the day when i first heard the album (i honestly don't remember), and now i associate that low-level weird feeling with this album (yeah i wanted to slap myself and go work a 24 hour shift in a coal mine as i wrote that but it is what it is!). It's like when you're feeling sick and you eat or drink something and from then on you associate that sick feeling with that food/drink. Anyway, i look forward to his next album. I wonder which direction he will take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 I just heard that band last Saturday night for two sets--they were great, no problem connecting with them live at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 I love his music and compositions. One of my favorite 'young' musicians out there. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddha the Magnificent Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Hi, xybert. If you didn't feel a "low-level weirdness" when you first listened to The Stars, I'd be worried, LOL! Some pieces I liked immediately and I like everything on the album the more I listen to it. Kh1958, I'm insanely jealous; I'd really like to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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