mikeweil

I like his playing - very beautiful guitar sound, still very defined, a good feeling for melody, not so technically orientated, but striving for musical statements. It's hard to compile an organ BFT without constantly stepping over him. I will check out that Monk disc. Sound clips indicate it might be the better disc compared to Bobby Broom's. Who's playing bass and drums?

That's the way I see it. Just ordered a copy of the Hersch CD - I'm very curious about it, as Hersch isn't exactly the first pianist I would think of for a Monk tribute.

Laurie Johnson's theme for "The Avengers". And the Theme for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: beautiful trumpet melody!

Now that I've listened to it a few times: I like Broom's playing a lot, as always, and like what he's doing with the tunes, but the drummer is NMCOT. I've seen Kobie Watkins and Broom with Rollins recently, Watkins is a comptetent player with a lot of chops, but not a bit Monkish. You should clearly refer to Monk's textures when doing his tunes. Watkins' solos sound to me like they wouldn't be any different on any other composer's tunes ... And he's too busy for my taste. I will keep this disc only for Broom. Broom has his very personal way approaching other people's tunes, and it works excellently with pop tunes (he's the only one that can make me listen to House of the Rising Sun), but with Monk's tunes I think it is a little less successful. Monk's tunes are very balanced in themselves, if you change a tiny bit, it can loose Monk's essence, for my ears.

The Carmell Jones Set arrived here this morning -excellent music indeed! Perfect companion to the OOP Gerald Wilson box, BTW. Special thanks are due to Chuck Nessa for talking Michael Cuscuna into listening to the folk tunes LP I had seen Jones live once when he shortly played with old friend Lou Blackburn's Afro-Jazz band, Mombasa. Very nicev trumpet player and good-natured appearance.

First question is, does your player read the SACD layer? If so, there definitely will be an improvement. The sound of the CD layer ... it depends.

Are these SACDs from Analogue Productions limited editions? I almost swoon at the thought of replacing all these in my collection, although the obviously excellent sound of these new remasterings is very tempting ...

I once pulled a copy of this from a 1 Deutschmark cutout bin. It's nice, Joe blows well, Marvin too, and the drummers beat them drums as enthusiastically as it can get. If you dig a jazz jam on top of African drums, you'll dig this. The title tune was an attempt to profit from Dibango's success, of course.

Fresh Sound New Talent: ... or AUM Fidelity: Samples at http://www.myspace.com/geraldcleavermusic

Now I have somethingto check out when visiting my favourite Frankfurt store tomorrow ... I did check this out, and took it home. It does not really explore some of the earliest textures of Weather Report, but goes beyond, leave it far behind. It is mostly free form playing, and is exploring in that sense, for sure, like a very open, sometimes sparse, free form setting like some of the less angry moments of Ornette Coleman or the late John Coltrane quartet of "Stellar Regions". Definitely a very serious attempt at taking jazz further beyond paths explored. Credits go to drummer Gerald Cleaver for not bashing it all to pieces. All members of the group play equal parts, there are no conventional roles of accompanying and soloing, except when Portal comes in on a few tracks, where he takes kind of a soloist's role in front of the band. Certainly something to check out. I'm positively surprised and impressed ... :tup

I'd go for #2 on the front and #1 on the back or vice versa.

Believe it or not, The Raiders' LP "The Spirit of 1967" was my first longplayer ....

I use OPERA, which now has a starting page with fastlinks allowing to to choose beween 9 (!) different websites .... The top row are organissimo and two classical forums.

Happy Birthday! Break a stick today!

Thanks for mentioning Don Ellis. Essence was reissued by Mighty Quinn - I pulled it from the shelf last week and found it's probaly the most thrilling trumpet quartet album I ever heard! To show all the arly trio and quartet albums:

Having been deeply touched by the music of Don Ellis in my teens already, this documentary really moves me. Ellis deserves a place among the top rankd of big band jazz, and he has been more or less denied that by people with a narrower view of the music. This inspired me to pull his early quartet sessions from the shelf, and I had to reaffirm my thought that he was one of the greatest trumpet players of his generation. I think with Ellis it is you either get it or you don't - I thank the creator for Don Ellis and his music. And I thank you for this beautiful film. I will pm you regarding your offer ...

Happy Birthday! I sincerely hope I do get a chance to visit your shop some day ...

I have two CDs from the 80's where it's definitely not the player - they skip on every machine I've tried them on. It's the metal layer slowly corroding ...

Alan Dawson is playing his a.. off on this one. I borrowed this to a drum student many years ago, but he never returned it. I won't blame him as he left a drum in my basement worth five copies of the album

Nope, that box suffers from noise reduction. The best-sounding issues for the Decca big-band sides are the Scottish Hep Jazz CDs that were mastered by the late John R.T. Davies. I finally got these - very fast delivery from the label directly. The sound is truly amazing.

Disc II: 1 - Mevin Rhyne Trio: A.P.J. (Mevin Rhyne) Mevin Rhyne (organ) Peter Bernstein (guitar) Ray Appleton (drums) CD Front And Center (Criss Cross Jazz), recorded March 16, 2006 in New York. Melvin Rhyne is one of my favourite living organists, I try to get everything he records. His career started with Wes Montgomery's Trio (Appleton often was the drummer, though not on recordings) but slowed down after Wes' passing. But he is in constant demand and put out a remarkable string of CDs since his re-discovery in 1991: Brian Lynch demanded him as a sideman, and producer Gerry Teekens liked the rhythm section so much he gave them a trio date the next day. To this day his main outlet is Criss Cross - there's not a single flop among the many CDs, and he's getting better and better with age. Thank the creator for Melvin Rhyne! --------------------------------------------- 2 - Jeff Palmer: Shades of The Pine (Jeff Palmer) Jeff Palmer (organ) Billy Pierce (tenor sax) John Abercrombie (guitar) Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums) CD Shades Of The Pine (Reservoir), recorded September 14, 1994 at Rudy van Gelder's Studio Palmer is another favourite of mine, and one of the few taking the B3 into free form territory (though not on this track - I considered other tracks, especially some fine sides with George Garzone on a hard to find CD, but they were to long and did not fit into the greazy part of the theme. He can play some wild stuff when needed, but has the taste (like Smitty Smith here) to lay back just as well. This CD may be the most accessible of his output. -------------------------------------------------- 3 - Dr. Lonnie Smith: A Matterapat (Dr. Lonnie Smith) Dr. Lonnie Smith (organ) Peter Bernstein (guitar) Herlin Riley (drums) Donald Harrison (alto sax) CD Rise Up! (Palmetto), recorded May 5 & 6, 2008 at Maggie's Farm This is from the Doctor's latest, another one I thought everybody would get, as this was discussed here and this opening track availble for download from the label's website. Herlin Riley lays down a killer groove here - the drummers from New Orleans are the best! My favourite alto, Donald Harrison (besides the local guy I play with) - what more can I ask for. This is still available post free from the label's website. Get it! ------------------------------------------------------ 4 - Bill Stewart: Don't Ever Call Me Again (Bill Stewart) Kevin Hays (electric piano) Larry Goldings (organ) Bill Stewart (drums) CD Keynote Speakers (Bill Stewart Music - avaialble through CDBaby), recorded January 8 & 9, 2002 at Clinton Studios, New York, by David Baker Now that the Larry Goldings Trio takes a long break, take this for substitutes. Great idea, using two keyboard players, although he may rarely take this trio on tour. Many different textures, great tunes - there is a 2nd CD, Incandescence. ------------------------------------------------------ 5 - Benjamin Koppel: Pasadena Pancakes (Benjamin Koppel) Benjamin Koppel (alto sax) Larry Goldings (organ) Bill Stewart (drums) CD Hammond Street (www.cowbellmusic.dk), recorded in Los Angeles, January 2006 I bought this at a time when I tried to get every CD Larry Goldings and member of his trio were on. Their reputation as a great backing unit is undisputed. Koppel is a Danish saxist that doesn't sound any worse to me than his US contemporaries. http://www.benjaminkoppel.dk/Home.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 - Jason Seizer: Clara (Jason Seizer) Jason Seizer (tenor sax) Larry Goldings (organ) Peter Bernstein (guitar) Bill Stewart (drums) CD Sketches (organic music), recorded December 3, 1999 in a Netherlands studio Another one with the Goldings Trio. Seizer is a German player of great talent whose career moves slowly, due to the difficult working conditions over here and his uncompromising attitude. Not an innovation, but a beautifully conceived and executed ballad. http://www.jason-seizer.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 - Brad Shepik Trio: Témoin (Brad Shepik) Brad Shepik (guitar) Gary Versace (organ) Tom Rainey (drums) SACD Places You Go (Songlines), recorded 2006? Shepik and Versace are another pair that tries to find new ways for the organ trio. I like the use of 7/8 rhythm and the country-ish B section of the piece, and there is another excellent drummer here, Tom Rainey. http://www.bradshepik.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 - Don Patterson: Embraceable You (Ira Gershwin) Don Patterson (organ) Pat Martino (guitar) LP Four Dimensions, reissued on CD Just Friends (Prestige), recorded August 25, 1967 by Richard Alderson Patterson was one the greatest ballad players of all time - there is a jewel of this kind on almost every album. Thanks all, for listening and guessing - I found the consensus as well as the differing opinions on some tracks quite surprising.

My goal was to present an entertaining, "greazy" selection of tracks with a Hammond B3, avoid, some of the great names, but include others that are arguably underrated, present some musicians not associated with organ combos, avoid standard tunes, use only discs that I really like ... Disc I: 1 - Bill Goodwin Trio: Loose Change (Hal Galper) Craig Kastelnik (organ) Vic Juris (guitar) Bill Goodwin (drums) CD Three Is A Crowd (TCB Switzerland), recorded July 4, 1992 in Kastelnik's basement studio. This was a surprise find when I was searching ebay for organ CDs several years ago. Goodwin was known to me mostly from his long tenure with Phil Woods - he met Kastelnik at some gig he was booked for, and hit instant rapport with him. Years later he did a trio gig with him and Juris and recorded this CD, which is a nice modern take on the organ trio without some of the more soul jazz related clichés. Kastelnik was backing country artists for most of his career and then moved back to Pennsylvania with his wife Pat - they have a duo KATO covering almost every style, Goodwin says. I found it nice to hear how well a modern bop drummer can sound in this context. --------------------------------------------- 2 - Charles Kynard: Blue Greens and Beans (Mal Waldron) Charles Kynard (organ) Clifford Scott (tenor sax) Howard Roberts (guitar) Milt Turner (drums) LP Where It's At (Pacific Jazz), recorded in 1963 at Pacific Jazz Studios by Richard Bock This was Kynard's first LP! Obviously a studio band, but they sound like coming from a regular gig they've been playing for years. Clifford Scott delivers! Kynard is really underrepresented on CD ... -------------------------------------------------- 3 - Don Patterson Trio: Goin' To Meeting (Don Patterson) Don Patterson (organ) Jerry Byrd (guitar) Billy James (drums) LP Satisfaction! (Prestige), recorded July 19, 1965 at Rudy van Gelder's Studio (Sorry for the tiny cover) This is from one of four Patterson LPs on Prestige that never made it to CD. Blame Fantasy - now we probably will have to wait forever or do our own needle drops ... I love Patterson - much more than Jimmy Smith or other more familiar names. Billy James is one of the perfect organ trio dummers of all time. ------------------------------------------------------ 4 - Johnny Griffin: Offering Time (Paul Bryant) Johnny Griffin (tenor sax) Paul Bryant (organ) Joe Pass (guitar) Jimmy Bond (bass) Doug Sides (drums) CD Grab This! (Riverside/OJC), recorded July 28, 1962 at Pacific Jazz Studios by Richard Bock IIRC, Griffin's only organ album, with the underrated Paul Bryant. This was the giveaway track - many of you recognized Griffin. But I thought all of you would have this excellent CD! ------------------------------------------------------ 5 - Ronald Muldrow: Soleshia (Ronald Muldrow) Ronald Muldrow (guitar) Larry Goldings (organ) Jimmy Madison (drums) CD Gnowing You (L+R Records), recorded Spring 1991 in some German studio These three were Maceo Parker's rhythm section for a spring 1991 tour of Europe, and Muldrow liked their chemistry so much he recorded with them and handed the tape to a German record producer after a concert about 20 miles from where I now live. I expected nobody would get Goldings, as he does not play on his own instrument - nice to hear how much the sound of a player that makes him recognizable depends on that. At least that tour also led to his first trio CD on another German label. I was aware Muldrow might sound a Wes clone to some, but I like the tune and the groove they get, and how they go on and on after the drum solo and theme, as if they could take it to higher levels without end. Muldrow knows his limits - a good jazz soldier warrior he was, and a solid bearer of the Wes torch. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 - Deep Blue Organ Trio: Deep Blue Bruise (Bobby Broom) Chris Foreman (organ) Bobby Broom (guitar) Greg Rockingham (drums) CD Deep Blue Bruise (Deolmark), recorded April 12-14, 2004 at Riverside Studio, Chicago Another one I thought everybody would have, the way this group was discussed here on the forum. Bobby Broom has gown into one of my favourite guitar players in recent years, his takes on pop or standard tunes are great. This trio is a great working band. Check YouTube for them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 - Jan Hammer Trio: Domicile's Last Night (Jan Hammer) Jan Hammer (organ) George Mraz (bass) Cees See (drums) LP/CD Maliny Maliny (MPS/Promising Music), recorded August 30, 1968 at Domicile Jazz Club, Munich, Germany This was Hammer's debut LP. It got rave reviews in the German Jazz press, but I never got hold of a copy until the recent CD reissue (3 of the 7 tracks are on organ). I consider Hammer one of the most gifted keyboarders that Europe produced and love his organ playing here. Amazing how funky his approach already was, with limited access to US LPs. He was in Germany for a few months before he moved to the USA, playing with Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig before climbing the top ranks of fusion with Mahavishnu. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 - Rhoda Scott: Reminiscence (Rhoda Scott) Rhoda Scott (organ) CD Alone (Verve), recorded in Paris, France in August, 1996 This solo CD is the epitome of good taste on the B3, to me at least. Her groove is amazing, even without drums. More to come tomorrow ...

Okay - I'll post the answers tomorrow ...

That's a very important difference between the two - Stevie Wonder was somehow part of the growing black consciousness movement, black, that is - Jacko was born into the wrong skin.