Milestones

I am curious to know what happened to Roy Haynes as recording artist. He had a really nice stretch of records starting in 1998 and running to 2011. I've just picked up the last of those , Roy-alty, which is a pretty impressive date (check out the two piece with Chick Corea). That was 10 years ago and the only new recording in the past 15 years. I'm pretty sure he's still out there playing; it was about 10 years ago that I saw him live--outstanding show! If not studio recordings, how about official live recordings?

That seems odd, as I recall hearing and reading that Mingus was not very fond of what Ornette was doing in jazz. Nevertheless, Mingus did use Dolphy, who to my ears usually sounds more "out" than Ornette (though I guess he isn't in the technical sense). The Mingus group with Dolphy, Curson, Richmond, and himself (no piano) certainly has affinities with the contemporary work of Ornette, or at least I hear it that way.

Not familiar at all with Sullivan. It seems that he has indeed recorded very little.

Eight: After a nice bass opening, this one gets rather wild. The pianist sounds a bit like Don Pullen, but I’m not really drawn into his (or her) work...seems too mechanical. Nine: Pretty interesting, but very long. I think it has elements of Coltrane and Lateef, though I believe you said the personnel is mostly non-American. No idea. Ten: Decent piece with the soprano reminding me of Trane. Actually there may be two soprano sax players here. Even the drums sound like Elvin, in one of his styles. No idea. Eleven: I want to say this is Regina Carter, which I believe I guessed somewhere before. Twelve: Exotic stuff, and there are certainly Dave Douglas records with this instrumentation (or something similar). I don’t hear a trumpet, so no idea. Thirteen: Kenny Garret playing “What is this Thing” (Standard of Language). I enjoy his impassioned work. Fourteen: Nice inside/outside track. The approach reminds me of David Murray, though the tenor is certainly not him and not as distinctive. Overall, this is a consistently interesting BFT....and a tough one!

I have enjoyed Clifford Brown from almost the start of my passion for jazz, which began in 1981. In contrast, I have hardly checked out Fats Narrvaro at all. But I will be rectifying that.

I should listen more often to Clifford Brown. He is probably my third favorite trumpeter of all time, following Miles and Dizzy. His early death is one of jazz's greatest tragedies of all time. He had it all as a trumpeter, and was developing nicely as a composer. He formed two of the greatest collaborations--with Max (it's too bad Max hadn't really begun to work as a composer with Brown/Roach) and Sonny Rollins. Yes, basically four records by Brown & Roach, unless one includes the "strings" record (which has some real high spots and overall is pretty good for this sort of thing). There is more of Clifford Brown to enjoy--quite a bit given that he was just 25 when the accident took his life. Ah, but what might have been.

I found this discussion late--about a decade late! As to the post that started it all, I guess you would regard Monk as one of the worst jazz artists of all time--given all those puns in the titles (or simple uses of his name). And Lee Konitz must be really bad too.

Roy Haynes sings on "Tin Tin Deo" on Roy-alty, though perhaps it's better to describe it as talking.

I would guess Regina Carter on #11--not that I say that with full confidence.

1. This music is often exotic and gets pretty out at times. I like how it goes through different tempos and moods. Could it be Don Cherry? I know one of his records used vibes—Karl Berger, I think. But this sounds like a bigger group, plus I think the tracks on the Cherry record are side-long. 2. Decent little groove number. I like the bass and drums. But no idea. 3. That sounds lot like McCoy Tyner; it certainly has a Tyner groove and the style is his, though it could be someone basically playing in his style. The trumpeter sounds like Hubbard, or someone indebted to him. I’ve heard just about all of Tyner’s records, and this piece does not sound familiar, but it is certainly enjoyable. 4. Fine little piece with some intense solos by the saxes—the tenor is definitely Booker Ervin. Nice piano as well, and strong bass solo—makes me think of Ron Carter, though it’s probably not him. down..... 7. I like the mellow atmosphere and (to my ears) the somewhat oriental flavor. The pianist again reminds me of Tyner, but of course his influence has been quite broad.

Pat Metheny has that big grin and easy manner, but clearly he has a bit of a dark side. I guess we all do to some extent. I've heard he's a perfectionist, and those people will be mean at times.

Not trying to prove anything...just an observation. I have personally not met any major guitarists other than Frisell for a few seconds. Maybe it's really more about jazz guys (in general) being nicer than rock guys. But we all know that there are some pricks in jazz, and usually we love them anyway--or at least love their music.

I've had the strong impression of many jazz guitarists being really nice guys--laid back, friendly, dignified, articulate. I'm thinking of people like Jim Hall, Bill Frisell, Kenny Burrell, John Scofield, Wes Montgomery, and Pat Metheny. This is in contrast to rock guitarists, many of whom have been complete shits and wackos. I'm sure I am over-generalizing. I'm sure there are jazz guitarists you wouldn't want to spend two minutes with. But do others on the forum get this same feeling/impression?

I think my favorites when it comes to mainstream jazz guitar are Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell and Full House by Wes Montgomery.

I get that it is sometimes hard to tell piano players. It has taken me a long time deeply appreciate certain fine players because I didn't hear them as being truly distinctive. I'm referring to pianists like Tommy Flanagan and Wynton Kelly. Still, there are quite a few that I identify instantly: Monk, Tatum, Ellington, Weston, Tyner, Evans, Taylor, Silver, Corea (usually), Jarett (usually). As for bass, I find that Haden, Mingus, Carter, and Pastorious have highly distinctive voices.

August 2021 This was not a difficult blindfold, but there was a connection between the pieces. The common ground is that every track features at least one musician (and usually several) who played with Miles Davis—and Randy was the one who spotted that. Most often the connection is through the leader, but sometimes the thread exists among the sidemen. I avoided several artists who would be instantly recognized: Coltrane, Cannonball, John McLaughlin, Bill Evans. Still, it proved to be an easy BFT. ONE: Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section. “Jazz Me Blues”—Art Pepper / 1957 · This track obviously belongs to Art, but features the entire Miles rhythm section of Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. They are even given equal credit in the title. TWO: Let’s Hang Out. “It Never Entered My Mind”—J.J. (with Jimmy Heath) / 1992 · J.J. Johnson appeared with Miles several times in the 50’s, as did Jimmy Heath (at least once together). This record is of much more recent vintage. THREE:, Standards (and Other Songs) “L Bird”—Mike Stern (with Al Foster) / 1992 · Stern had a significant stint in Miles’ early comeback, and Al Foster is found on quite a few records. The track also features Randy Brecker doing a Milesian turn. FOUR: The Trio. "Angel Eyes”—Tommy Flanagan (with Ron Carter and Tony Williams) / 1983 · This is the only track on which everyone played with Miles. FIVE: We’ll Soon Find Out. “Bit O’ Water”—Joey Baron (with Ron Carter) / 2000. · I think this is a fine piece from leader Joey Baron with Arthur Blythe, Bill Frisell, and Ron Carter (who of course is the Miles connection). SIX: The Individualism of Gil Evans. "Barracudas”—Gil Evans (with Wayne Shorter) / 1964 · Well, Gil Evans certainly had a big Miles connection, and Wayne just as much if not more. This was a much-admired track on the BFT, and for excellent reasons. SEVEN: Trio Music. "Think of One”—Chick Corea (with Roy Haynes) / 1982 · Chick largely channeling Monk, and the great Haynes on drums. I don’t think Mirolsav Vitous ever played with Miles, but who knows? EIGHT: Beyond the Blue Horizon. "Somewhere in the East”—George Benson / 1971 · A track from my favorite Benson record. Benson worked with Miles on one record, while Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette were major contributors to Miles’ music. NINE: The Nurturer. "Batista’s Groove”—Geri Allen (with Kenny Garrett) / 1990 · Geri Allen put together a fine group, with a solid spotlight on Garrett—the last great sideman in Miles’ bands. TEN: Prime Directive. "Candlelight Vigil”—Dave Holland / 1999 · Nice mellow track by the Dave Holland Quintet, except the drummer lays out. Holland is the sole link. ELEVEN: The Opener. "Oscalypso”—Curtis Fuller (with Hank Mobley and Paul Chambers) / 1957 · This enjoyable number features three fine Miles sidemen: Chambers, Mobley, and Art Taylor. TWELVE: The Wonderful World of Jazz. "Afternoon in Paris”—John Lewis / 1960 · This midsize group prominently features the unmistakable Dolphy, who I’m sure would never have been invited to play with Miles. The Miles connection is the leader, John Lewis. THIRTEEN: Groove Elation. "Lazy”—John Scofield / 1995 · Another guitarist who made some nice contributions late in Miles’ career.

Yep, that would be the connection. That ubiquitous Ron Carter...you'll find him anywhere!

We are running out of time. Anyone care to guess at the connection between tracks?

Yes, all great and concise pieces. I've loved "Why Was I Born?" for decades.

I just wanted to see where a discussion on Coltrane's more concise pieces would go. Of course, Trane was known for very long and intense solos. When I was first getting into Coltrane, I very much thought of his work in this vein--"Impressions," "Chasin' the Trane," "My Favorite Things," Spiritual." The last part of his career was known for incredibly long performances, sometimes past the 30-minute mark. And even in the early Prestige days he had all kinds of appearances on long jams (sometimes an LP side long), though to be sure there was plenty of space allotted to other players. But I put together a couple of playlists (CD length) of Coltrane in truly concise form. Some very famous and acclaimed pieces did not even make it to 2:30--"Alabama" and "Countdown." How about "Bessie's Blues" at 3:35? Two of his greatest mellow piece don't go much beyond 4 minutes: "Naima" and "After the Rain." I like the concise songs on Ballads and on Blue World, which I finally got around to checking out. Anyway, each playlist features 16 tracks. I'm sure I could have made one with 20 tracks. It's not that we want to see Trane's legacy simply represented by brief takes in the manner of Bird or Coleman Hawkins in his early days. But by concise, I have included some tunes that run nearly 7 minutes long, though none that crack seven. But guess you could say this is an atypical approach to listening to Coltrane.

I can't say that I've heard a lot of Tina Brooks, so I'll take Mobley. I like both of these guitarists a great deal, but I'll go with Frisell.

I vote for Randy Weston. And earlier, I take Lovano over Liebman. Also, Chandler over Hammett. Keith Jarrett or Hank Jones?

Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burrell? These are the two who best express mainstream jazz guitar--certainly the two I listen to the most. Seems to me that "This or That?" is simply about preference.

The most memorable one for me is my wife buying Portraits of Monk by Randy Weston. I'm a huge Weston fan, and I already owned the others two "Portraits" album. I had heard the Monk CD from a library copy and thought it was the best of the three. I really wanted this record/CD, and yet it was so hard to find at the time; this was maybe close to 20 years after its release. Even now it can't be found very easily at a decent price. She found it somewhere and for years wouldn't tell me the cost. Then eventually she told me it cost around $40! But it was not the cost that was important, but rather the kindness. It was just something I mentioned, and she tracked it down and made it a gift. We might have been only engaged at the time.

There is a link between musicians on each track--at least one player and often several. The link is not always found in the leader.