Milestones

Does anyone else feel that Monk missed opportunities by not creating larger ensembles a bit more often? I really like the septet on Monk's Music and the mid-size group (mini orchestra?) on At Town Hall. He was so resolutely about the quartet, especially in the Columbia years.

"Locomotive" (Monk's) certainly seems more favored by European musicians. I wonder why that's the case.

Can anyone tell me who else has recorded "Locomotive"? Monk set it down twice in the studio (a decade or so apart), and other than that I just have Frank Kimbrough's version. I always liked this tune.

Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by D. G. Kelley. It was published in 2009.

I hear you about saxophone and piano. The Herbie and Wayne record was critically admired, but I only like parts of it and can only take it in small doses. I feel the same way about People Time by Getz and Barron. Some individual performances are great, but in general I can only listen to sax/piano duets for a limited time.

So does anyone know what's up with Herbie Hancock? I guess he has done some touring and single concerts here and there, but he seems to have vanished as far as putting out records. The last one was more than a decade ago, and about the only from the 21st Century that is reasonably noteworthy is River: The Joni Letters. The man has done plenty of great work in his time, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing what he could come up with in (very) late career.

I find this to be a nice one all the way through. The title track is haunting and wonderful. Mintzer and Ferrante offer a great duet on "Winter Wonderland." The final track is an interesting blending of "In a Silent Way" and "Silent Night." Just a good album overall, and so are many Yellowjackets records; I've slept on them too long, thinking they were just a smooth jazz group.

Damn, it's a monster of a book--784 pages!

I should have known Jessica Williams. She is highly under-recognized, although I have collected quite a few of her records. It's a lovely piece and the one I like best on this BFT.

Pretty good for not knowing her too well! I knew her for years as a songwriter, but only recently as a singer.

On #7, Laura Nyro came to mind. Not saying it is her, but it does seem quite a bit like her work--and I have not heard much of it.

You seem to be focusing on a 70's vibe--some CTI and a lot of fusion of various sorts. Maybe this has to do with your own discovery of jazz? I became a jazz lover in the early 80s. While I went for some of Miles' fusion and Mahavishnu Orchestra, I quickly found my home in jazz of the 50's and early 60s.

If you're looking for some instrumental music, I would recommend Night Town by Don Grolnick and Black Dahlia by Bob Belden.

I'm afraid there's not much grabbing me on this BFT...and I had previously thought that our musical tastes were fairly similar.

Well, collaborating with Gilberto strengthens the Getz factor.

I have to say #4 sounds like Stan Getz. He did a few records that were in this fusion vein, but this track does not sound familiar. If not Getz, the tenor is greatly influenced by him.

Ah, I should have known George Benson--especially with its being from my favorite album of his. Benson actually sounds--to these ears--quite a bit like Grant Green on this track, at least in the first section. I had not thought there was much similarity.

Wow, I had not heard this sad news. I guess she would be one of the older members of the group, along with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, while Buckingham and Nicks are younger. I felt she was an essential member of the band and always enjoyed her singing and work in general. I liked the collaboration with Buckingham, which was just 5 years ago--basically Fleetwood Mac without Nicks--and not far off from their best work. R.I.P.

I would say that Alden basically plays in a swing style (and settings), so what's up with that Atlanta guy?

J.J. is one of the essential figures in all of jazz history, an off-the charts talent. His last decade was phenomenal and Brass Orchestra is perhaps the best place to hear his full range as player, composer, arranger, and visionary.

Saxophone Summit would fit the bill--the one with Lovano, Liebman, and Brecker. It's changed a bit over the years, with guys like Ravi Coltrane and Greg Osby coming in. The first record is pretty damned good. The players respect one another and know how to work as a group.

Yeah, Old and New Dreams was pretty cool in both concept and execution. I especially recommend Playing.

I've been wanting to hear Pat Metheny and Joe Lovano get together. Pat has worked with some impressive tenors, such as Michael Brecker, and Chris Potter. Joe has recorded with many guitarists (several of my own favorites). It's surprising this has not yet happened. They were both on a Charlie Haden latin record, but never on the same track.

A one-time super-band I liked a lot was the one led by McCoy Tyner on 44th Street Suite. Here we have Tyner, Arthur Blythe, David Murray, Ron Carter, and Aaron Scott. Of course, Scott was Tyner's regular drummer and McCoy and Ron Carter were hardly strangers. Also, Blythe and Murray connected on several occasions. But it's a pretty distinctive quintet, and man do they kick it on "Bessie's Blues"--and there is some exciting, fairly free playing on Side 2.

The "super-band" is pretty common, is it not? Just about all of Miles' groups were super-bands, and what else would you call Coltrane's "classic quartet"? Many labels would get together 4-6 great players and cut a record. Thinking of the prime Blue Note days, most records (other than those by Blakey and Silver) were not by working bands.