Milestones

Wow, I would really like to hear those tracks by the Tentet. I second "In Pursuit of the 27th Man." To me it has a bit of the sound of Tyner and Hutcherson from 60s/70s. There can't be much of Silver's work featuring guitar. The only stuff I've heard is an early Kenny Burrell session. As far as I know, not even Grant Green (ubiquitous on Blue Note).

I think that short piece from Silver 'n Strings is the only Silver solo piano I have ever heard.

In contrast to what I said earlier about enjoying his trio work, I also wish he'd more often used bigger groups. There were some cases of this, such as It's Got to Be Funky and The Hardbop Grandpop. I'd like to hear his essential sound using 4-6 horns. His arrangements employ some big band elements, and I think he could have worked this style really well in mid-size combos.

I too wished there had been more trio work. I did make up a 14-song playlist of trios--some from trio sessions very early in his career, but most from the quintet records, where he often had a trio feature (sometimes even two). I also included the very late "Brother John and Brother Gene" from Prescription for the Blues.

It's odd that so many are complaining about his guitar "sound." I'm sure he had many detractors early on. How could this be jazz music in any respect when the guitar is played LIKE THAT? And now his (often former) fans feel he's adopted some kind of horrible sound(s)--as if, in this exceptionally long career, McLaughlin is not free to explores many sounds, tones, and approaches.

He had several connections to Basie over a long period of time, but never an actual member of the orchestra.

I'm surprised Roy was never a member of the Ellington or Basie Orchestras. He would have been a great contributor in both.

I'll keep checking out some vocals and see if I come around.

My god, there is hardly any love for Johnny McLaughlin and any of this recent music (count that as 30 or 40 years). I'm not a fan of everything, but I certainly respect his adventure and eclecticism. And 4th Dimension strikes me as the best fusion band he's had since Mahavishnu. It should appeal to those who long for those days.

R.I.P for a wonderful man and musician. Would we even have the "Blue Note sound" without Horace? So many great tunes. So much that was catchy and simply joyful. Your music will always live with me.

Roy Eldridge (Little Jazz), my god, what a great player. I’ve always had some appreciation of the man, but I’ve come to realize he’s one of the greatest and most vital figures in jazz history. While not such a pioneering figure as Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, or Dizzy (the man he inspired most directly)—he is nonetheless right up there. I had mainly heard Eldridge with Dizzy and in a variety of sometimes interesting and (even add combos, such as with Mingus and Dolphy. More recently I’ve heard him on a Herb Ellis record and also the meeting with Art Tatum. I was looking through one of my old jazz references books, and they called the record with Tatum a failure. WTF! It’s great stuff. I can hear a tune like “I Won’t Dance” in my head all day long…so mellow and melodious. I grabbed a 4-CD set out of the library, covering 1930s through mid-1950s. It’s a lot to digest, but certainly plenty of jewels. I have to say, though, I’m not a big fan of Roy’s singing. I’ve also checked a bit into Swing Goes Dixie. I guess it is what the title suggests: stomping New Orleans music featuring the pulse of Walter Pages and Jo Jones. While my tastes have always run toward post-bebop, I have made a place for the older music. I think we all must do it; otherwise we are missing great treasures. I can now even see the point-of-view those who really don’t care much for jazz after the bebop revolution. I will always love most types of jazz from every era. And more than three decades into being an obsessive fan of jazz, I will keep searching for jazz greats that I have under-valued. Roy Eldridge is a big one. I once heard him described as the greatest trumpeter between Louis and Dizzy. Easy enough to accept, especially once you do some serious listening. But let’s just call him one of the greatest trumpeters the music has ever known.

I don't find Now Here This unlistenable in any respect. Man, some tough customers here.

I’ve been listening a lot to John McLaughlin, who strikes me as being in quite a renaissance. Certainly one of the most eclectic musicians of all time, he has never been one to do a certain type of music and then leave it forever. I came to McLaughlin through Mahavisnu and electric Miles. These were the first jazz records I ever owned, and they remain some of the best. The excitement of Maha is just amazing, especially on the first record. Anyway, I have followed the great guitarist through Shakti, orchestral stuff, fairly straight ahead jazz, acoustic guitar trios, etc. But I still think of McLaughlin as the great fusion man. He has come back to fusion many times, such as a revitalized Mahavishnu (didn’t do much for me), the Heart of Things, and other projects. But nothing has sounded as good as the 4th Dimension. To me it is very reminiscent of Maha—a bit stripped down, no violin. McLaughlin supposedly used the first record, To the One, as a tribute to Coltrane; but mainly it was a return to his own past. I don’t think it is fair to call the music nostalgic. This is fiery music that stands completely on its own, and McLaughlin has been cranking out plenty of new tunes. Only on the new Boston Record does he dig out an old Mahavishnu piece: “You Know, You Know.” McLaughlin’s playing sounds as great as ever he sure has a tight band. I especially love the firestorm of percussion from Ranjit Barot. The McLaughlin/Cobham connection was special, but so is this current one with Barot. Does McLaughlin love this group? I would say so, given the 3 straight releases. Each one is deeply rewarding.

Yep, that fits the bill!

Interesting comment about Metheny and Frisell having the influence of making Jim Hall sound more "placid." Hall, who from the beginning was one of the most subtle and genteel of all jazz players? Well, he could be adventurous, to be sure, but he tended to be low volume. "Raw" sounds can certainly be heard from Metheny and Frisell (both bearing rock influences), though more so in older days than nowadays.

Clearly a lot of great stuff. I'd forgotten about some of these records (usually trios) in my own collection.

Just responding to the Tony Williams comments. When he was playing in some jazz trios about a decade after the Miles period, he did not sound at all "too loud." Tony played just fine with such amazingly subtle pianists as Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan.

It occurs to me that The World Saxophone Quartet (when they actually are a quartet) belongs here too.

Art Ensemble of Chicago without a drummer? There's also the String Trio of New York, though I don't think I've found one album I'd call a true masterpiece.

True, one has to credit Nat Cole and Oscar Peterson. I guess I'm thinking of a group where there's at least one horn or reed. There is also the News for Lulu group of Zorn, Lewis, Frisell. Kind of cool, but I find a little goes a long way.

I am first of all a big fan of jazz drumming. Nevertheless, I sometimes go for the soft side represented by the drummerless group. I am thinking not of solos or duos, but groups at least three in number. Most such configurations I have enjoyed are that size. My favorite would have to be Jimmy Giuffre 3 (the one "The Train and the River," "Crawdad Suite," etc). Giuffre is the pioneer in this kind of group, and perhaps the pinnacle. I have not heard a lot of the later trio with Bley and Swallow, though I do like Fly Away Litlte Bird, which must be among his last recordings. Another good one is Power of Three by Michel Pettrucianni, Jim Hall, and Wayne Shorter (though Shorter is absent on several tracks). Jim Hall is indeed one of the great figures in drummerless groups. We should also include Something Special; and there is quite a bit of drummelress work among the Telarc records (though often solo or duo). I don't think I would include records that use overdubs. Anyway, I am curious to hear your drummerless recommendations.

Hasn't Bill Frisell been playing in Lloyd's band lately--at least at certain times? That sound like an intriguing combination.

I've been listening to Steal Away the last couple of days. In recent years I acquired a lot of stuff by Great Jazz Trio--most of it nearly three decades after I discovered jazz. What a treat to hear these records, especially the ones with Carter and Williams.

It's a pretty wild idea, since the 1960s is either the second-best decade for jazz or the best (1950s). Of course, that's my opinion, but I think a lot of people would agree with me. My list would certainly contain Miles, Coltrane, and Mingus. If you are a fan of mainstream guitar (I am), then how can you leave off Wes, Grant Green, and Kenny Burrell? If you are a fan of free jazz, then you will include Ornette, Cecil, etc. Of course, it does say "favorite." Lately I've been listening to a lot of Blue Note records from the era. There is so much great stuff from Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Horace Silver, et al. How much would go into top 5 or top 10, maybe not much; but in terms of current listening favorites, they are well up there.

Seems like a guy who has been a bit below the radar. I've recently been listening to him on some Jim Hall records--and really enjoying his work. He's played quite a bit with Scofield, and he has done a lot of stuff in a trio with Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart. Also on Brecker's "Time is of the Essence," which is my favorite by the late tenor man. Goldings is heard mostly on organ, but also sounds good on piano; his facility on both seems considerable. It can be hard to get a lot of notice when you play keyboards (especially organ), and Goldings is not the flashiest player in the world. But certainly he's a talent worthy of greater recognition.