HutchFan

I was happy to discover that Sony Japan is reissuing Richie Beirach's Ballads and Ballads II. According to Amazon, both discs are due for release on November 20, 2015. I have nearly all of Beirach's recordings, but I've never even heard these. I can't imagine that they'd be anything other than great. Anyone have any opinions?

Yep! With a Cedar Walton/Buster Williams/Billy Higgins rhythm section, you really can't go wrong.

Picking up another old thread... For starters, I'd recommend these: Plus the three in soulpope's initial post! Buster is THE MAN.

I enjoy Getz and I have quite a few of his records. It was fun scrolling through this old thread and seeing everyone's favorites. If I were forced to pick ONE Getz record, I'd probably go with Blue Skies. with Jim McNeely, Marc Johnson, and Billy Hart This is Getz at his most concentrated and intense. I'm sorta surprised that more folks haven't mentioned it! Some of my other Getz favorites (in no particular order): - Sweet Rain - Recorded Fall 1961 (w/ Bob Brookmeyer) - People Time - Voyage - Captain Marvel - Dynasty - Communication '72 Communication '72 was Getz's collaboration with Michel Legrand and the (uncredited) Swingle Singers. It's a strange record, a stylistic hodge-podge, downright odd at times. But, somehow, for me, it works. I think it's compelling, beautiful music. Obviously, it's not one for the purists, but I'm really fond of it. I even love the cover, which features a painting by Raymond Moretti.

The next set of Elemental's Xanadu reissues are due for release on December 11: Ronnie Cuber - Cuber Libre Dolo Coker - California Hard Al Cohn/Dexter Gordon - True Blue/Silver Blue I'm definitely getting the Cuber. Not sure about the others.

Surprising, isn't it? Because that trio with Jamil Nasser and Frank Gant was really, really, really good.

I recently got SOLID's reissue of Walter Norris' Drifting, a duo record with George Mraz. Beautiful music and excellent sound.

Some doozies in there.

Prompted by this thread, I re-listened to The Open Road during my morning commute. I really like it. Nothing mind-blowing. But solid. They play an ear-catching version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" with some nice Herbie-ish harmonies. They cover "Maiden Voyage" too. Can't go wrong with that tune. By the way, anyone besides me ever thought that Don Braden looks an awful lot like Harold Land??? Not quite "dead ringers." But close!

Cowell sounds good with Pepper on this record: Or were you referring to Cowell with Dexter?

I've enjoyed Don Braden's The Open Road for a long time. The record features a strong line-up -- with Tim Hagans, Kenny Werner, Larry Grenadier and Billy Hart. I especially like Braden's tune "Sundown." I haven't explored much of Braden's music beyond that one record though.

Picking up an old conversation... I've been on a bit of an Art Pepper kick lately, and I can't imagine a better match for Pepper than Cables. Along with the Vanguard recordings, there's No Limit -- with those raw ballads, "My Laurie" and "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men," and -- most especially -- the two final Pepper/Cables duet records, Goin' Home and Tête-à-tête. So I don't have don't have any trouble understanding why Pepper called Cables "Mr. Beautiful." I like Cables with Dexter too, especially Manhattan Symphonie. But I'm not nearly as familiar with those recordings as I am with the Pepper/Cables stuff. That said, I love reading all these disparate responses. Just goes to show: Beauty really is in the ear of the behearer. Lastly, on a slightly related note: I love the mid-70s Woody Shaw/Louis Hayes band, and I especially dig that band's pianist, Ronnie Mathews. I think he's WAY under-regarded. But I don't think that group -- and especially Mathews -- gel with Dexter. Too much rat-a-tat-tat-tat busy-ness. Dexter's at his best when he's got room to breathe. ...That's probably how many of you feel about Cables, eh?!?!?!

Justin, I was listening to Electric Byrd the other day, and I thought the very same thing. People talk about Electric Byrd being Byrd's response to Bitches Brew. But Pearson's fingerprints are all over that record just as much as Miles' (if not MORE than Miles'). Listen to The Phantom and then listen to Electric Byrd. You can't help but hear Pearson's influence THROUGHOUT Electric Byrd.

Ah. Didn't realize that it had already been released on the other side of the pond. Lucky you.

ECM is FINALLY reissuing the first three albums from John Abercrombie's late-70s/early-80s quartet with Richie Beirach, George Mraz, and Peter Donald. Rumors of this set's release have been floating around for years. According to Amazon, the release date is slated for December 4, 2015. If you've never heard this music before, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. The set consists of three LPs: - Arcade (1978) - Abercrombie Quartet (1979) - M (1980) For me, M is desert-island music, BEYOND five stars. Arcade is nearly as good, a strong 4.5 stars. Abercrombie Quartet has never knocked me on my backside like the other two -- but it's still a fine recording in its own right. I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars. I enjoy vinyl, but it will be nice to have digital versions of this music for on-the-go & at-work listening. I'm sure the remastered sound will trounce my own crudely-made needle drops. Anyone else looking forward to this set?

Found this LP today at Fantasyland, an Atlanta record store.

Nice. Would've been cool if they could have included Pepper Adams too. I'm just sayin'.

I really enjoy Petrucciani's playing. The recording that I return to most often is his live set from the Vanguard. with Palle Danielsson & Eliot Zigmund

I love Joe Lovano's quote: “Odean Pope is a bad, bad, bad, beautiful musician, man.” Hell yeah. Just now discovering Pope's work with the Max Roach Quartet back in the late 70s and 80s. Phew!!!

Does inside a barn count? I'm also thinking of The Band's Music from Big Pink. I've always assumed that the building on the inner gatefold photo (behind the family members) was a barn. What do you think?

Thought I'd revive this old thread because I LOVE Broadbent's playing. And no one has mentioned my favorite of his recordings: I particularly enjoy Personal Standards because it features Broadbent's own compositions. (Thus the title.) Plus, I love the feel of this particular trio. There's something transparent and ego-less about the way they play. (And I mean that in a GOOD way.) It's like looking through a window and seeing nothing but music; there's nothing to obscure your view. The bassist is Broadbent's longtime bandmate Putter Smith and the drummer is Joe LaBarbera. To my ears, this was Broadbent's most sympathetic group. (You can hear these same guys on Pacific Standard Time, a companion album -- in my mind, at least -- that features jazz standards rather than Broadbent compositions.) My other favorite Broadbent record is a duo recording he made with Lee Konitz: Konitz has made a million records and a TON of them are duos. I think this one is right up there with the best of them. There's a second volume from this same gig, but it doesn't cast the same spell that the first one does.

Thanks for your input, xybert. I suppose I should give it a test drive on Spotify too.

Anyone heard this? I haven't yet. I would imagine that it'd be excellent.

"So What's Old?" from Conversations with Warne, Vol. 1 (Criss Cross) by Pete Christlieb & Warne Marsh YouTube link here.

Great story, Jim.