CJ Shearn

Disc 1 Hank Blue Note '63-70. Sounds great.

I received mine today! Looking forward to digging in. I believe it was stated by others in this thread, but there are parts of a Hank interview where he basically claimed he was feeling stifled artistically at Blue Note and everything at a certain point was the same record. I'll see for myself shortly.

What I have been digging AND loving since I upgraded six months ago... really perfect for my apartment The biggest change: Focal Chorus 716 floor standing speakers Yamaha RS 202 stereo receiver Still use my old 80 GB Sony Playstation 3 as CD transport... it's a tank Schiit Modius DAC. Excellent audiophile system on a budget, the Focals bring a matter of factness and realistic image and presentation I really enjoy... horns and vocals and drums sound great... lots of dynamics. The Schiit Modius DAC for $200 is really nice, brings out a warmth and there is no digital glare, nice separation too. The Cirrus Logic DAC inside the PS3 is too forward and aggressive For my first system, I love it!

Finally on the way.

Hope mine is on the way soon too!

Mine hasn't shipped yet, probably soon.

Art Of The Quartet is excellent. Just finished spinning disc 1

RIP

In the meantime I got a digital promo to review and I sampled half the album on Amazon HD Music this morning.

Hilarious

Was never a fan but RIP

Yeah, right? Doesn't seem legit to me, the seller says in the description he's selling his personal collection... I'm wondering if this "original" was manufactured in another country.

My friend sent me this eBay listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/JIMMY-SMITH-Midnight-Special-ORIG-BLUE-NOTE-JAZZ-LP-RED-WAX/124333177622?hash=item1cf2d5bb16:g:YmkAAOSwTyhfWok1 The seller claims this is a DG mono RVG original with the ear and there were only a few copies made. I don't recall hearing about any "classic" Blue Note on colored vinyl nor have I seen any other than modern day limited edition pressings. When did Blue Note do this ever in the classic era? Is it a cleverly disguised great market version?

Good choice

Great! Vol. 1 is fantastic.

I streamed some of this earlier, was going to buy a copy, but maxed out my funds this month. It's very, very good.

Definitely gonna check it out. The only Cindy album I have is Another Lifetime

Sam Harris is a really good player... hey, as I said before I respect your taste, and the depth of listening you do, so no issues there

The rapping on Origami Harvest was absurd, I agree. He tends to go at extremes in his work and almost intentional absurdity to test the limits. I think he gets that bandwidth because mainstream jazz media is always functioning on biases, and as a freelance writer doing my own thing I see that. I mean, we all have bias' but just like Grammy awards, if you look to those things as a means of validation for what you are doing, that's the wrong track... however, rightly or wrongly it builds connections. There's a tremendous Bay area bassist named Chris Trinidad whom I think has fresher ideas than say the direction Derrick Hodge is going with his projects (even though I reviewed Color of Noize favorably, it is something I listen to when the mood strikes) but it just is what it is Checking out Santos Silva's Quarantine Concert on Youtube now... she has a gorgeous tone. Thanks for the heads up. Again, this is not something I'd listen to all the time, but when the mood hits, this stuff is perfect. Like mjazzg said all this stuff can co exist.

Fair enough, I can respect that because you also have a very wide taste. Personally for me, he's been one of the more interesting players in the last two decades in the so called "mainstream" along side Christian Scott. I think they are working to push things forward and jazz is in a place where things are evolving in a way that it's not palatable to everyone. I think to recent conversations with some of my musician friends, that a lot of musicians, particularly from my generation, and those who are now coming up like Joel Ross, are using their jazz background but are using it to do something else. Sure, Ambrose can play hard bop, probably the closest thing is the Blue Note All Stars Our Point Of View which I dig very much, but opts for a more expansive take in his own work, or what his heart sees as valid, and I dig that. I applaud Ben Williams for doing the same thing, with I Am A Man which is excellent with the jazz flavorings. As much as hard bop is part of my personal listening palette, and comfort food, when I review on my blog I almost never do hard bop records, because as fine as albums on Smoke Sessions (and I have a fair amount) and the like are... there is not much to say. What can be said about that stuff that hasn't been said of all the classic Blue Note stuff already? Lenny White made a great point in a podcast with Vince Wilburn, Jr with Emilio Modeste and Malick Koly, who were in Wallace Roney's last band. They were talking the "future of jazz" and Lenny said for new generations, there has to be a way to take home cooking, and because younger folks have different tastes figure out a way to make that home cooking palatable-- so integrating that jazz flavor in a way that can bring folks to the music. I mean we all know that kind of argument has been around for years-- the kind of raise a red flag to purists. I guess I react so strongly to pro purist type feelings because I was one, and then my mind opened. I like what Antonio Sanchez said when we caught up last week, jazz is a freedom and a spirit, and I think that's exactly where it is today. I'm starting to think of all the artists I like, their music is their own universe, I'm trying not to think oh this is jazz, this is rock, this is funk, this is electronic... it's all music.

With what crime?

All of those records you gotta hear more than once. He has such an abstract way of approaching things that it can be a challenge, but I accepted the challenge. He's wonderful on Wolfgang Muthspiel's ECM albums and I think Ambrose will sound great doing albums as a leader for them. I also think because he's of my generation it may be easier to grasp, I'm not sure... I just keep an open mind and dig what he's saying

My card was charged so it must be shipping

Interesting.