HutchFan

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s Hannibal & the Sunrise Orchestra – Hannibal (MPS, 1975) Chico Hamilton – Peregrinations (Blue Note, 1975) Hilton Ruiz Trio – Piano Man (SteepleChase/Inner City, 1975) Andrew Hill – Live at Montreux (Freedom/Arista-Freedom, 1975) Harry "Sweets" Edison – Just Friends (Black & Blue, 1976) Buster Williams – Pinnacle (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975) Eberhard Weber – Yellow Fields (ECM, 1976) I said it last week, and I'll say it again: 1975 was an amazing year for jazz.

Two masterpieces of solo piano.

Recordings from the stockpile made between 1970 and 1972. Late-in-the-game brilliance. No one could ever replace Johnny Hodges. But Norris Turney's contribution -- especially with his flute -- on these late recordings (and others) is considerable. ... It seems like Ellington really enjoyed having that new "flute color" in his palette.

Originally released as Turn It On and Black Vibrations.

Somewhat unusual instrumentation on this one: A "standard" organ trio with Patton, GG, and Candy Finch -- plus Hutcherson's vibes. It works for me.

"The Other Side" !!! Enjoy!

Duke Ellington - The Great Chicago Concerts (MusicMasters Jazz) Disc 1. Recorded November 10, 1946.

I had no idea that such a thing existed.

Jimmy Smith - Bluesmith (Verve, 1972) Still baffles me that this JS session isn't more well-known.

RVG Edition, Disc 2 and

Originally released as two LPs: Fire Eater and Wild Fire.

More solo piano: Moravec Plays Chopin (Connoisseur Society, 1970) Otherworldly beauty. A desert-island disc.

Sunday afternoon listening: Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy in C Major, Op.15; Schumann: Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op.22 Bruno-Leonardo Gelber (Connoisseur Society/Pathe Marconi, 1975) Tremendous.

Powerful!

CD combines two LPs: Mighty Mongo and Viva Mongo! Features a terrific band with Rolando Lozano (fl), João Donato (p), Jose "Chombo" Silva (ts), a.o. Thanks to Jim S. for hipping me to this. Some primo "Chombo" here!

Oh man. I love this stuff so much. It's like Buster's sayin' to the band, "Just climb on my back. I'll carry every one of y'all!"

Duke Ellington - Togo Brava Suite (United Artists, 2 LPs) Five stars isn't enough.

Discs 5 & 6

Yeah, Don Schlitten was doing outstanding work back then. And not only with Xanadu. Between the sessions that he produced for Cobblestone, Muse, MPS, and Xanadu, his productions crop up again and again on my survey. Certainly, Schlitten is one of the most important jazz producers of the 1970s -- right up there with names like Nessa, Eicher, Cuscuna, Keepnews, Michel, Porter, Winckelmann & Weber, et al.