Milestones

I feel like I've been sleeping on Stanley Turrentine. I've known him mostly in the context of small groups with Jimmy Smith--stuff I've enjoyed, but not work I would call stunningly great. I really enjoy his contribution to Burrell's fabulous Midnight Blue. I'm not so big on the organ records with Shirley Scott, nor am I enamored of the big band record Joyride. However, I've been listening to quintet/sextet stuff on Blue Note, a little less funky and more in a straight-ahead bag (usually no organ). Maybe part of it has to do with the company: Lee Morgan, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Curtis Fuller, Herbie Hancock, Blue Mitchell, Grant Green, etc. Seems like really good stuff, especially my main focus so far--the record In Memory Of. Feel free to add your views on the original Mr. T.

I'd like to hear Herbie do a true unified jazz record again. River was better on the vocal numbers than the instrumentals, and Gershwin's World was too diverse for its own good. Other recent records don't even try to incorporate jazz in a major way.

Ellington is one of my favorite pianists ever. Listen to "Solitude" (Money Jungle), "Ad Lib on Nippon," and "Single Petal of a Rose."

On a side note, whatever happened to Hancock as a jazz composer? It seems pretty much relegated to the Blue Note period and possibly the early fusion days. The Hancock I've picked up over the last couple of decades almost entirely acts as "tribute": the Quintet and Quartet records, Gershwin's World, The New Standard, Directions in Music. These are all but devoid of his compositions, especially new ones.

The jazz stuff was decent enough. I never was big on Herbie in his funk/pop/r&b mode. Still, I could handle everything EXCEPT Snoop Dogg.

I'm interested in recommendations on his flute work. It seems pretty stunning to me, pretty much on a par with Dolphy--and the late Yusef Lateef is another great one. I've been digging the all-flute album I Talk with the Spirits and would like to hear more stuff in this vein.

Exactly my point...Trane's career was objectively very short in years (in essence from 1955-1967), and thus even a span of 2 or 3 years seems long. Not to mention that there were a ton or recordings. It is indeed mind-boggling how much of his work was recorded. There is no shortage of "classic quartet" music, especially if we include the live stuff; but the entirety of Coltrane's output is staggering.

I have to say I'm a little surprised there is so much love for these Trane recordings, years before the "classic quartet."

R.i.P. Not an artist I followed closely, but it seemed like an interesting career. I've liked what I've heard: Live at Pep's,The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef, and The Blue Yusef Lateef. I have one of the "Tenors" records too, though never did listen to it much. In terms of eclecticism and the facility on many instruments, he reminded me a bit of Roland Kirk. In terms of the oboe, is there anyone who matched him? I also love his flute work, which I feel ranks with that of Dolphy and Kirk--in other words, at the very top.

I do feel that a lot of what Trane appeared on in those days was of the loose, blowing variety. Nothing wrong with that. It can produce great results; it can also produce mediocre results, but that can happen with a well-planned record too. What I'm hearing sounds of pretty similar quality, and perhaps the key differences are in who appears on the dates--Waldron, Byrd, Garland, Burrell, etc. It is astonishing to me how much Coltrane recorded in the late 50s. There were many prolific artists then, but can anyone else match his amazing output of leader + sideman dates?

What are the names of the three box sets? I know one is called Side Steps.

I do have a fair amount of the stuff: Soultrane, the record with Burrell, Lush Life, various tracks found on compilations. Some have commented on the Miles Davis material, which is quite a bit of stuff on its own--and I have all of those. I see we have some major fans here!

I'm interested to hear opinions on this work--albums and individual tracks. I do get the feeling that this period is neglected. I know Trane appeared a great deal as a sideman and there were a lot of blowing sessions. But I think there were certainly some records where they aimed higher--and hit the mark. I personally like Coltrane with a 3-man front line on most tracks and Dakar--also 3-man, but featuring two baritones.

Happy Birthday to a true great in the music. Is Mr. Terry now the oldest living major jazz figure?

So what do we know now? Is it a debunked rumor? Horace is a great figure in jazz, and one of my favorites. So much of his music is so thoroughly joyful.

I'm a big Jim Hall fan and I'm kicking myself not keeping up on the forums and getting this news a little late. I really enjoyed his run on Telarc--the varied settings and amazing array of collaborations: Lovano, Osby, Methney, Harrell, etc. Indeed, his late years showed quite an interest in playing with younger guitarists, usually with rock roots--such as Frisell, Metheny, Mike Stern, John Scofield, etc. He was a great creative spirit. R.I.P.

Looking for some recommendations (and especially particular songs) by group strongly featuring harmony vocals. I'm thinking of stuff that is post-1960. I mean everything from Beatles and Beach Boys, to groups not particularly noted as rock such as Seekers and The Association, to stuff up the present day. This can be rock, pop, folk, country, etc.

Any opinions on the relatively recent solo album Senzo?

This is really an artist who must be heard. He now has considerable longevity, and, while he has a tendency to recycle, his best compositions can be mentioned in the same sentence as the works of Duke, Mingus, and Monk.

I do like the big band stuff. Not every artist adjusts well to this, but I think Abdullah did. Bombella, while it initially sounded a bit too slick, really grew on me after awhile; and I find the earlier live record more invigorating.

The Donny Osmond must rank as one of the worst titles and funniest covers ever!

Yep, quite true...I'm sure Kevin is very comfortable.

How great is Abdullah Ibrahim? I would say very great indeed. I have been long aware of him, and even had a record or two. I know that way back I had African Space Program. Not too many years ago I picked up Bombella, which seemed a career summation. Then it was back to the 80s for the classic Water from an Ancient Well. His stuff was not very easy to find, and titles seemed a bit confusing—so many with either “Africa” or “Capetown” in the title. There are interesting similarities to Randy Weston, who is one of my all-time favorites. Both play piano, both have a gift for melody, both play in settings from solo to big band, both are strongly influenced by Ellington and Monk. Of course, Weston had a fascination with African even in his earlier years—and Ibrahim is African. I guess the difference is that despite all the world music elements (especially African) in his music, Weston always retains a very strong pure jazz essence. Ibrahim, while certainly incorporating elements of American jazz, has that celebratory Capetown feeling. Anyway, he has such great stuff: “Mandela,” “African River,” “The Wedding,” “Joan,” “Duke 88,” “The Mountain,” etc. I’ve never heard anything by him that was anywhere close to sub-par. I’m now getting into Ekapa Loduma, a live record with some really long tunes—but it’s great stuff. It’s got a big band sound like Bombella, but sounds a lot looser. Fabulous stuff. What are the best records of Abdullah Ibrahim?

I don't think too much about jazz and money--jazz being divorced, in theory, from such materialism, or so we would like to think! But it is kind of interesting. Put me in there with those stunned by Wilson having 7 houses. Gerald Wilson was pretty much nothing but a name to me until maybe 10 years ago, and I think I still have only 3 or 4 records by him. Yes, he may have made a bundle working in other capacities, often in non-jazz music (in the strictest sense), but enough to afford 7 houses??? Yes, I'm sure some modern guys have a bundle: Hancock, Jarrett, Metheny, the late Michael Brecker. I would think Horace Silver would be pretty well up there, mainly for the extraordinary number of compositions (and the interest taken in them by others). Monk? I mean, Monk is either the first or second greatest jazz composer (I'd personally put Ellington first), so that ought to be worth big bucks. But maybe he wasn't surrounded by useful and honest people. Looking over posts, the mention of Coltrane is intersting. I doubt he was way up there while alive, but had he lived another 20 or 30 years I'm sure he would have raked in a lot.

A record called Pure Genius, Vol. 1. It appeared in the 80s and I don't think it has ever appeared on CD--but certainly worth hearing.