HutchFan

It's fun to read through this thread, which was started back in 2004. Here are some of my thoughts. I tend to run very hot or very cold with KJ. To this listener's ear, the good stuff can be INCREDIBLE, mind-blowingly good. On the other hand, many of his recordings don't do anything for me. If I were to pick a handful of my favorite KJ recordings, the list would include: Shades, Death and the Flower, Treasure Island, and The Survivor's Suite. (Obviously, I like the American Quartet best. How can you go wrong with Dewey, Haden, and Motian?!?!) I also LOVE Facing You. That said, I'm ambivalent about most of Jarrett's solo recordings. I don't think any of them are anywhere near as interesting as Facing You, although Koln Concert probably comes closest. I've never been able to find my way into the European Quartet (although, strangely, I love the same rhythm section's recordings with Bobo Stenson -- so my problem isn't with Garbarek). I suppose I like Belonging. But that's it. I just "like" it -- which is disappointing, given how much the American Quartet's recordings have electrified me. And I've had a similarly tough time enjoying the Standards Trio. I just can't get a foothold -- even though DeJohnette and Peacock are two of my favorite musicians. (I actually prefer Peacock's Tales of Another -- with the exact same line-up -- much more than any of the Standards Trio recordings that I've heard.) So there you go. One person's totally subjective take on KJ's discography. Make of it what you will!

Lee Konitz & Martial Solal - Duo: Live at the Berlin Jazz Days 1980 (MPS) One of the best of the many Konitz / Solal collaborations, imho. !!!

Thank you for sharing these links, Brad. I love this Roth quote from Remnick's essay, which seems to sum up something very central to Roth's writing: “'Everyone knows' is the invocation of the cliché and the beginning of the banalization of experience, and it’s the solemnity and the sense of authority that people have in voicing the cliché that’s so insufferable. What we know is that, in an unclichéd way, nobody knows anything. You can’t know anything. The things you know you don’t know. Intention? Motive? Consequence? Meaning? All that we don’t know is astonishing. Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing." This recurrent idea in Roth reminds me very much of Tolstoy.

Thanks for the heads-up on that, jlhoots. I'll have to check it out. Vinding has made some excellent records. His trio record on Storyville, Open Minds -- with Jean-Michel Pilc and Billy Hart -- is outstanding too. NP:

Mads Vinding Trio - The Kingdom (Where Nobody Dies) (Stunt) with Enrico Pieranunzi and Alex Riel

NP: Enrico Pieranunzi - Untold Story (Egea) with Marc Johnson & Paul Motian

That's a terrific LP, one of my favorites by Jimmy Rowles.

I've enjoyed it. NP: Frank Kimbrough & Joe Locke - Saturn's Child (OmniTone)

Disc 6

Enrico Pieranunzi - FelliniJazz (Cam) with Kenny Wheeler, Chris Potter, Charlie Haden, and Paul Motian

Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) - Zimbabwe (Enja) with Carlos Ward, Essiet Okun Essiet, and Don Mumford

Jay McShann and Buddy Tate - Crazy Legs & Friday Strut (Sackville) Wonderful duets from 1976.

Joe Bonner - The Lifesaver (Muse)

The Two Sides of Hampton Hawes (JAS, 2 LPs) LP 1 - originally released as High in the Sky (Vault); trio with Leroy Vinnegar & Donald Bailey 5 stars.

Beethoven: The Complete String Quartets / Belcea Quartet (Alpha Classics) Disc 1 - String Quartets Nos. 6 & 12

Curtis Fuller - All-Star Sextets (Savoy/Arista) - LP 1 - originally released as The Curtis Fuller Jazztet with Benny Golson with Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Charlie Persip

Yes. Especially the First Piano Concerto. Ravishing.

NP: Rudolf Serkin Plays Beethoven (Sony) CD 1 - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - with Eugene Ormandy & the Philadelphia Orchestra So beautiful.

I agree 100%. The Pieranunzi trio with Marc Johnson & Joey Baron made a bunch of top-shelf records.