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CJ Shearn
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Posts posted by CJ Shearn
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14 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:
Absolutely, I like the Pablo Milt Jackson CDs very much. Highly swinging music without over production or slickness.
I LOVE Milt on Pablo, albums like Montreux '77 with Ray Brown, Simply Duke and Memories Of Thelonious Sphere Monk, but there's a limit to that stuff for me. I had about 50 Pablo's on CD at the time of the fire, but I don't think I'd collect that many again. Like Concord, (and I have a handful since rebuilding) that kind of thing goes a LONGGGGGGGGGG way if you know what I mean. So many albums of relatively polite mostly standards driven swinging, and I'm tempted to reach for electric stuff. My taste though hard straight ahead swinging jazz is my foundation, it's become a LOT wider to the point I never play the what is/what isn't jazz game anymore.
6 hours ago, felser said:'HIgh Energy' sounds good to me at this late date, and 'Gleam' is a really good live double LP.
High Energy and Gleam are fantastic. I think revisiting some 70's albums are fun, even though I'm a millennial and was born in 81 when that music was still relatively fresh. That music, while it might occasionally get a roll of the eyes from people who experienced in real time, it can be valuable for other generations... see the acid jazz boom in the 80's 90's or how some kids coming up now really love the 70's thing. Honestly, while having bought the new Jazz a Vienne Past and Future 2 CD compilation which is excellent, most of the unknown to me French musicians it highlights coming up now like Leon Phal and Jasual Cazz, it struck me how the 70's is a very real thing to them, alongside hip hop. The new jazz drumming innovations come from hip hop and ppl like J. Dilla.
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12 minutes ago, mjzee said:
Funny enough, Laws is a major reason we have Joel Dorn, and vice versa. Dorn tells the tale in the book that accompanied the "hommage a Nesuhi" box set. Dorn, as a Philly disc jockey, developed a relationship with Nesuhi Ertegun, and kept pestering him for work. As Dorn tells it:
"Somewhere along the way in '63, he called me and made the following offer: "Find an artist who's never made an album as a leader, and I'll give you $1,500 [not a lotta money even back then] to make an album. The money has to cover the artist, the sidemen, all the studio costs, plus a $50 producer fee for you." Naturally, I was elated, overwhelmed, and beside myself with joy, but it caught me off guard. All through my disc jockey days, I was plottin' and schemin'. I had a plan for when I got to Atlantic. There were artists I was clockin' -- Yusef, Rahsaan, Les, Stanley Turrentine, and others -- that I was going to bring to Atlantic with me when their contracts with other labels were up. I never thought I'd have to make my first album with an artist nobody had ever heard of. Obviously, Nesuhi wanted to find out if I could spot talent, as well as make a record that was worthy of release.
"So now I'm trying to find someone to roll my first real dice with. In addition to hearing every jazz album that came out, I was at Pep's and the Showboat, Philly's two jazz clubs, almost every night. I got to know what the cats sounded like in person, as well as on record. It was another kind of college for me.
"I happened to tell one of the owners of Pep's, Jack Goldenberg, about Nesuhi's offer. Jack and the guy who owned the Showboat, Herbie Spivak, had been very kind to me from the day I went on the air. Even though I was underage, Pennsylvania had blue laws back then, they let me hang in their clubs. And it wasn't just because I plugged the acts who worked their joints; I would have done that for the artists anyway. They knew what I was trying to do, and they legitimately tried to help me. Naturally, I wasn't allowed to drink and I had to stay in the corner and keep my mouth shut. I got a PhD not only in jazz but also in music in general from being in those clubs all those years. I never would have made the records I made had I not had the opportunity to hear all that "live" music and see how people reacted to it.
"The other thing, by the way, that taught me what did and didn't work for people was the phone we had in the studio that our listeners called in on to talk to whoever was on the air. I got the chance to talk to thousands of people during my six years at the station. You could tell within a couple of minutes of playing a record whether or not they dug it. Their response showed me what it was that moved them, good or bad, and how certain songs by certain artists affected certain kinds of people: men and women, young and old, black and white.
"One night Jack Goldenberg called and told me to make sure I came to the club that night to catch the last set. He had Mongo Santamaria in that week, and there was someone in the band, a flute player, he wanted me to hear. His exact words were: "I got your guy. Wait 'til you hear this kid play." By the time I got to the club, Mongo was three or four songs into the last set. As I walked in the door the flute player was in the middle of a solo on "Manhâ De Carnaval." I'd never heard anybody play like that in my life. He had symphony chops and a jazz head. His name was Hubert Laws. Jack was right on the money. Hand me those dice.
"I called Nesuhi in New York and told him I found the artist I wanted to record. It wasn't hard to convince Hubert to sign with Atlantic, but convincing him to let me produce his first album was something else altogether. But in spite of me --I legitimately had no idea what I was doing-- Hubert and the guys (Chick Corea, Richard Davis, and Joe Chambers) made a hell of an album. It sold in excess of 5,000 copies, more than respectable for an unknown jazz artist back then, and got pretty good reviews. Hubert even placed first on piccolo in the "Best New Artist On A Miscellaneous Instrument" category in that year's Down Beat poll. Goodbye, Philly; hello, New York.
"Not quite."
Wow!
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7 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:
I hear you. The production values didn't work for me. And I just climbed up my library ladder to find that I did indeed hang onto Red Clay. I will give it a spin this weekend.
That would be great. There is very little info on Kenyon Hopkins out there, that I've been able to find at least. He has always been a very mysterious figure. If what you're saying is true, maybe it's better that we keep him mysterious!
Completely agree.
21 hours ago, Daniel A said:I have different view. CTI was to me more distinctive in terms of concept and sound than Impulse, which Taylor left soon after the launch anyway. And while I don't necessarily like everything on that label there is no shortage of high quality playing and productions. An underestimated sequence is the albums from the period when CTI was an A&M subsidiary. Taylor himself might have felt crippled by the influence of Alpert, but what came out was consistent and almost a genre of its own.
I quite like Red Clay, Straight Life a ton, but my fav Hubbard CTI's are both the In Concert albums with Stanley Turrentine, Herbie, Ron, Jack and Eric Gale. So intense and loose! Lenny White and I debate about Red Clay often, I think because he was on the record he feels what he did but he respects I prefer Straight Life
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29 minutes ago, sgcim said:
On the CD I bought, they had Vera Cruz, another Nascimento song that wasn't on the original LP.
Yeah, the remix that ended up on The Sugar Man. I have the Gilberto with Turrentine Japanese RVG and have no need for the alternate mix. I prefer the original Gilberto with Turrentine one.
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In The Beginning is really good but my favorite Hubert on CTI is Afro Classic, and Morning Star as well as his performances on the California Concert. At Carnegie Hall is just a mess with the overdubs, really no need for them.
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Make of that what you will. https://bit.ly/3KzFlPh
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3 hours ago, sgcim said:
The title cut is pure genius on ST's part and Deodato's arr.. And those great bass slides by Ron Carter!!!!! I was so inspired by it that I wrote a big band version of it, but I featured trombone playing ST's part, so it wouldn't be the same thing.So far, it hasn't been played, because none of the bands i play with have a percussionist, and that tune is all ST and percussion. We did an earlier version I wrote for my HS Concert Band, but just as we were getting somewhere, the percussionist (a member of the Latin Kings) took out a kid who took out his brother with a baseball bat, so he went for a little stay at Riker's Island, and never came back.
But I trascribed ST's genius intro and solo (Jeepers Creepers!) and someday soon...
Here's a thing on CT's Jet Set/specialty phase:
https://www.ctproduced.com/the-abc-of-specialty-recording/
The writer claims that "There is a whole fascinating story about Hopkins and especially around his divorce which includes using binoculars to peep on neighbors, hitting his wife and more. One day."
Yes, I gotta rebuy that. Think I'm gonna get the recent Japanese blu spec CD reissue of that. I like those very much.
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1 minute ago, Daniel A said:
I have different view. CTI was to me more distinctive in terms of concept and sound than Impulse, which Taylor left soon after the launch anyway. And while I don't necessarily like everything on that label there is no shortage of high quality playing and productions. An underestimated sequence is the albums from the period when CTI was an A&M subsidiary. Taylor himself might have felt crippled by the influence of Alpert, but what came out was consistent and almost a genre of its own.
A great different perspective. Thank you! For me the CTI sweet spot is 1970-1974
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This is interesting! A lot of stuff I never knew about. Thanks for posting!
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The video was wonderful!
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Wikipedia's stating heart attack. Apparently he had numerous health issues
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Just now, Rabshakeh said:
I really enjoy reading these.
Thank you! Subscribe to my Medium. Shameless plug
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25 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:
I have a friend who is a big fan of City Pop and YMO. It's good music.
YMO is really hip. I compose for a hobby and that stuff is an influence on me. There is a musical sophistication and integrity harmonically that exists with the jazz influences that isn't in a lot of the Kpop I've heard and admittedly I am not a huge fan but a guitarist friend is. Maybe I haven't heard the right stuff
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4 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:
Those comps are very good. Pp I wouldn't class myself as a fan of the genre any more than I would New Wave just because I like the singles. I find it slightly odd that it gets fetishised so much.
I think because it's from Japan and for a lot millennials and generation Y and Z they never heard anything like it before but I plan on more of the compilations because they are very nice.
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The style of Japanese pop from the late 70s and early 80s that emerged from the economic bubble period. I recently got a few compilations Tokyo Nights Japanese Female J Pop, Funk and Boogie 1981-1988 (thanks Bastids and $6.99 too!) and the two volume Pacific Breeze Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie that across both discs cover the years 1972-88 in their totality. The Pacific Breeze comps get the edge for me in terms of scope with the first one having some particularly deep album cuts like Minako Yoshida's "Midnight Driver", "Say Goodbye" by Hiroshi Sato, "Coffee Rumba" by Izumi Kobayashi, "Sportsmen" by Haruomi Hasono and "In My Jungle" by FOE. As far as modern J-Pop goes my favorite has always been Hikaru Utada who has been around 20 years now. Soweto Kinch is in her current touring band and Vinnie Colaiuta was in the past.
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On 6/24/2022 at 8:07 AM, Rabshakeh said:
Are there any good books (or even documentaries) that cover the "non classic" Blue Note eras. The stories above are quite compelling, and I would love to read something of this sort that talks about Butler, the Vault reissues, etc.
No. Other than that article I wrote, and the one on Blue Note Live at the Roxy, nothing. In Don Was' recent interview with Ronnie Foster on YT he mentions the 70s era as being glossed over.
On 8/16/2021 at 10:00 AM, Dub Modal said:I dig the Mizell Bros' productions from that era.
And totally agree that Shorter's Etc. cover from the LT series is a classic and should've been the only cover it ever had. Perfect. Some of the others definitely work as well, and indeed better than the follow up edits.
Also, I thought these LT series covers were more under the influence of ECM rather than CTI in that they used a rather abstract photo that hinted/suggested a connection to the title and/or music contained and rarely if ever used shots of people. I guess maybe the cropping/border used on the LT series evoked some of the style of those earlier CTIs like Wave or some of the Wes Montgomery albums...? Using hind sight on this, it seems to me that those LT series covers help tell the story about the era they were released in a little better than the revisions, which do seem to muddy the BN story esp if like me one is coming to jazz at a much later time. I think maybe the only revised cover I like is Solid, but that's because it's a badass shot of Grant Green...but then the LT cover is good too.
I like Mothership and the Cool Blues cover (the LT CD reissue on the way to me from Japan when my friend returns to New York)
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4 hours ago, mjzee said:
The liner notes to the German issue lists Donald Bailey: https://www.discogs.com/release/6738917-The-Amazing-Jimmy-Smith-Trio-The-Amazing-Jimmy-Smith-Trio-Live
Ah ha. Thanks MJZee. I knew that was Donald. Why the Verve Originals issue could not correct this error and include the date seems like poor research to me.
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I just got off the phone with Lenny White, I called to confirm and its indeed true. I am in complete shock and have no words to describe how I feel. I read the news on the FB of a colleague, and I literally couldn't move for 5 minutes. Joey was really entering some new places musically and I can count on one hand those who are left well versed in the tradition JOS started, but no one knew Jimmy's music like Joey.
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I used to have The Amazing Jimmy Smith Trio Metro LP on vinyl long ago, and just received a copy of the Verve Originals CD on eBay as part of my JOS collection rebuild (almost there!). One thing that really bothers me is the credits list Billy Hart on drums instead of Donald Bailey. All the aural evidence I hear, from the ride sound, to the dry chick of the high hat, the feel and the off kilter comping is DEFINITELY Bailey. Compared to the Salle Pleyel Mai 28 1965 album where Hart is on drums-- huge difference. IIRC, Hart joined the trio in late 1963 but didn't appear on a recording with Jimmy till 1964. Is this album, a date with the correct personnel listed anywhere in a discography? Always wondered why they didn't combine this one on a 2fer with Live in Hamburg which has never seen a CD or streaming release.
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I gotta check out her music. 39 is too young! Just two years younger than I. I know several people who knew her. Very sad passing.
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I can't say enough about CTI and the albums I grew up with. Like was said above a lot of the albums really aged quite well, California Concert, all the Hubbard's, Turrentine's and a lot of the Benson's, the Joe Farrell's remain classics. Higher Ground, by Johnny Hammond (with some of the best Joe Henderson of the 70s) and Soul Box I love. I'd love to get the Vocalion SACD of the latter
Remembering Creed Taylor
in Jazz In Print - Periodicals, Books, Newspapers, etc...
Posted
+1 on Creed establishing the smooth sound
Milt on CTI was great. Only one I haven't heard is Olinga, just portions of that one. Goodbye is wonderful. Ordered it from The Bastids awhile back. Sunflower and Cherry are my favorite because of the Billy Cobham hookups with Herbie on the former and how hard he swings on the latter