HutchFan

Earlier this evening: Also the subject of today's blog post on PLAYING FAVORITES.

Yes sir. Couldn't agree more. Ammons is FLYING -- and then you add Wynton Kelly. Potent! I considered both of those. My hesitance with Goodbye is that Jug is so close to the end that his tone is (ever so slightly) diminished. ... Plus, knowing that it's the end... That's rough. Hard to choose it as a favorite for that reason alone. The Montreux date has Hawes & Klook going for it, but -- at times -- it also has that "loose fitting clothes" jam session feel to it. Yeah, it's comfy, but it could use a little more snap. Then I heard "Nature Boy" on Night Lights. At that point, choosing my favorite Ammons-from-the-70s was easy.

ABSOLUTELY! Thank you, Ken! That's some uncanny synchronicity, right there.

Kenny Burrell - 12-15-78 (32 Jazz) Disc 1 - originally released as Live at the Village Vanguard (Muse) and Tito Puente and his Concert Jazz Orchestra (Tico)

Oh wow ... sounds like I need to check it out!!! Thanks for the recommendation.

ghost, I agree 100% with you on jazz in the 1980s. There's tons of interesting stuff there. TONS. You've just got to dig a little -- just like in the 1970s. felser, I don't have that set -- but I do have Carnival and Zeitgeist on LP. Figured that was enough. But perhaps I'll plop for the set some day. Shrdlu's recommendation of Expansion (Double Helix, 1973) really catches my eye because it was made during the 1970s -- unlike the stuff in the Mosaic set. I figured Expansion might be something worth including in my 70s survey. For the same reason, I've also wondered about Zeitlin's Soundings (1750 Arch, 1978). Both look interesting. Unfortunately, I haven't heard either of them. There's only so much time and $$$ to go 'round.

A desert-island set!!!

Shrdlu, I dig Zeitlin, and I've looked at that LP on discogs -- but I've never heard it. Will put it on the "to get" list. Thanks!

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 01/07/20 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio – The Awakening (Impulse, 1970) 01/06/20 - Gene Ammons ‎– Night Lights (Prestige, 1985) 01/05/20 - Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay (CTI, 1970) 01/04/20 - Harold Mabern – Greasy Kid Stuff! (Prestige, 1970) 01/03/20 - Alice Coltrane – Ptah, the El Daoud (Impulse, 1970) 01/02/20 - Thad Jones • Mel Lewis – Consummation (Blue Note, 1970) 01/01/20 - The Michael Garrick Sextet with Norma Winstone – The Heart is a Lotus (Argo/Vocalion, 1970) All recorded between January 20 and February 3, 1970.

Yes! 🙂 Now, the companion disc:

More Jug.

Gene Ammons - Night Lights (Prestige) Recorded 1970; released 1985. Today's featured record on my blog.

Yes! Me too. The music is so much more varied and interesting and personal compared to what you often see on lists compiled by experts. Far less "group think."

Cuban Blues: The Chico O'Farrill Sessions (Verve) Terrific music!

I'm going to see them perform at Emory University in April. Really looking forward to it.

Yes, it's a solo piano set. And yes, "Motherless Child" is on it. (Good recall!) It's good stuff. All of Ray Bryant's Pablo LPs are rock solid, IMO. I think that's one of Mongo's very best records.

Yes indeed! Please keep sharing this sort of thing. Anything that promotes the discussion is "right on!" IMO. I actually enjoy Giddins' writing. I've read nearly all of his books, and he's hipped me to innumerable musicians. ... But I think jazz has moved past the whole tired "culture war" interpretation of what happened in the 1970s. Interpreting the times through that prism sets up some all sorts of either/or dichotomies that I don't necessarily think are relevant anymore. Tropes like "commercial vs. 'real'"; "acoustic vs. electric"; "American/authentic" vs. "European/less-than-authentic." I'm trying to avoid that sort of thing in what I'm doing. Perhaps these dichotomies were useful or helpful back then. I don't know; I wasn't there. But I certainly don't think they're useful for us now. I'm just trying to listen with open ears and hear what I hear and then share it. Maybe so. I hope I hip a lot of people to some wonderful artists.

Cool. I actually just made a note of this on today's blog entry. I dig the idea of album cohesion and symmetry, and I can certainly see how "Cold Turkey" would throw that off. But now that I've absorbed the record -- listened to it hundreds of times on compact disc -- it's likely impossible for me to "un-hear" it as part of the record. ... More evidence that listening context (in this case the format) means a whole helluva lot!

I suppose it's the job of a critic to make generalizations and speak about things that they don't like in the interest of offering a broad, well-informed perspective. I'm not interested in doing that. I'd rather talk about things that I enjoy and be specific about it. How 'bout that. I didn't know. I may make a note of it on today's post. Thanks. My CD has another cut, an 18-minute live version of "Red Clay," that I usually cut off. At least CD programming makes the process easier.

I like the idea of a weekly recap. I will have finished the first week on Tuesday. I'll post weekly recaps then. Also, I usually include mentions of my daily posts in the "What Are You Listening to?" thread.

That's wonderful news, Tom! Good for you and CONGRATS!