JSngry

First listen as we speak: TRACK ONE - Dreams. I would have loved to have seen them live. I did see Tower Of Power live in their prime, and that was at least as good as this, but Dreams always had more ways to go. I've never heard any live boots of them, but there's an old Caught In The Act review from DB(ack in the day) that is soooo damn appetizing. TRACK TWO - Harold Vick? Almost Clifford Jordan, but it's got that Harold Vick "lag" in the time, love it. Is that Ted Dunbar? No matter, I like it, it feels organic, not grafted or otherwise forced, like somebody's playing a "style", they're just playing the tune and this is how the tune goes. TRACK THREE - "Moontrane", obviously, although by who? Somebody thinks they're Joe Henderson...hey, nothing wrong with thinking. I can like it without loving it, right? I'd like to hear the same people on the same chart at least 10 years earlier if at all possible. TRACK FOUR - Hutch & Harold. Most of their records sound the same to me, so I have no idea which one this is, and I mean that as compliment, actually. It just means that their music is always "there", that I can ride the vibe (no pun intended) no matter what the record. TRACK FIVE - Wow, that's fun! I'd like to hear Jaws and Griff get into it on this tune! Seems like the tenor player runs out of ideas pretty early on, or at least has to riff til inspiration returns. That tempo alone sets the bar pretty high, and if they don't exactly fly over it, they don't knock it off either. Again, fun to hear at least once. And I very much like the drummer. TRACK SIX - Ok, that's what's her name, Irene Krall, with Junior Mance, that's a great fucking record!!!! ALL OF IT!!!! This song was written by somebody from the Kingston Trio, right, or associated with them? It's so dated and faux-hip that it's actually cool, and Irene Krall, hey, helluva singer, and this might be her best record, imo. TRACK SEVEN - Curtis Fuller? A pumped up Curtis Fuller if so, and all the better for it. Nah, that's not Curtis, but dammit, who is it, Slide Hampton? He's got that Freddie thing going, just on the trombone, and it's really good. Not JJ, becuase when they recorded piano like that. JJ wasn't playing., Who is that pianist? Who are these people? They engage me! Raising the bandstand for sure! Is this an MPS record? Is that Jacki Byard? This a record I could buy. TRACK EIGHT - Gotta be Elvin, not going to make that same mistake twice! Why did they mix the bass so much higher than the alto, where is the sense in that? I'm in it for Elvin, but the rest could be "anybody", really..oh wait,that's not a bassist, it's a guitar? Or is it two basses...can't really tell. Oh well. TRACK NINE - I'm really weary of the whole "add a layer" type intro/exposition, but you know...it's what people do. As is riding a vamp half to death because that's all they got and where they go it. Seems to be even longer than it is, and maybe if I had heard it "then", it might have worked. Now, not so much. TRACK TEN - Sounds like an ok guitarist got a budget to hire some superior players to jamvamp behind him/her while they free-associated some Mingus hooks. I suppose I should recognize at least the bassist, but no luck. Oh, it's live. Well then, could be any damn body. It's probably some all-star feelgood Event Of The Century or some such. TRACK ELEVEN - Oh, Tim Buckley. I like a motherfucker who's not afraid to push until it hurts and then push some more. That's kind of how babies are often born, and Tim Buckley often felt like he was giving birth. Not sure if it always "worked", but dude, thanks for going there with that. It worked enough to matter. 2 & 7, really looking forward to the reveal. But thanks for it all!

Seriosuly, I think he moved to New Zealand to teach and then hurt his back. Something like that.

You'll find all kinds of people on both Blue Note and Riverside, especially the latter. But Prestige did have it's "junkie label" period, mostly in the early-ish to middle-ish 1950s, and it's to their credit, I think. Nor for moral reasons, but just because no other jazz labile was willing to engage with those players and that culture to that level.

Mickey Tucker deserves to be heard by more people than have likely heard him.

Same, as well for the note that is it not at all expensive. Meets all my current criteria for purchase, so yes, thanks!

http://www.bsnpubs.com/new/riverside.pdf Look at all those pre-Monk 10'' LPs. I'd like to know what role Randy Weston played in getting Monk over to Riverside, since it was his 2nd LP for the label (a 10". RLP 2515 from 1955) was their real first album of "modern jazz". And I'd like to consider how many of the first "modern" Riverside albums before 1957 (a small-ish window, but still a window) were from outside of the NYC African-American "modern" pool of players. And no, of course "African-American jazz musician" and "junkie" are not synonyms, but also look at the earlier part of Blue Note's catalog, Gil Melle was the go-to guy, not Ike Quebec. Different circles, socially and musically. My point is just that Monk must have really shook up the Riverside team's thinking, just as he did Blue Note's. But not Prestige's. That was the "junkie label". Perhaps it was simply a convergence of contracts expiring and the sudden "popularity" of "modern jazz" of a different bent that that of the first part of the decade. But - if you draw a line from Monk to all the subsequent "modern" Riverside LPs from 1957-58, you get quite a line., just as you do with Blue Note and Horace Silver/Messengers. And after that, you get the Cannonball line, and that's a whole other thing, right? Even Bill evans, not until 1958. I recall David Baker telling me that Blue Note was essentially a "clique label", that Riverside was far more eclectic and ultimately more important in both existence and absence. Ok, perhaps, perhaps exaggerated point based on personal bias, but geez, those guys, Grauer & Keepnews, they liked to work with who and what they knew at any given time. That's not a flaw, not by any menas, but I think it's funny as hell how Riverside could, would, and did turn on a dime, and still give you a quarter back in change!

and then... 243 Various Artists Blues for Tomorrow 244 Various Artists Jazz for Lovers 245 Mann, Herbie Great Ideas of Western Mann 246 Terry, Clark Duke with a Difference 247 Monk, Thelonious & Gerry Mulligan Mulligan Meets Monk 248 Henry, Ernie Seven Standards and a Blues 249 Drew, Kenny Pal Joey 250 Redd, Freddie San Francisco Suite 251 Lincoln, Abbey That's Him! 252 Ware, Wilbur The Chicago Sound 253 Johnson, Dick Most Likely 254 Kelly, Wynton Piano 255 Dorham, Kenny 2 Horns / 2 Rhythm 256 Golson, Benny The Modern Touch 257 Thielemans, Jean ("Toots") Man Bites Harmonica! 258 Rollins, Sonny Freedom Suite 259 Dixieland Rhythm Kings At The Hi Fi Jazz Band Ball 260 Red Onion Jazz Band Dance Off Both Your Shoes 261 Halen, Carl Whoopee Makers' Jazz 262 Monk, Thelonious Thelonious in Action 263 Bradshaw, Evans Look Out for Evans Bradshaw! 264 Griffin, Johnny Johnny Griffin Sextet 265 Adams, Pepper 10 to 4 at the 5 Spot 266 Henry, Ernie Last Chorus

Yes, more interesting, because, remember, "songs" and "jazz improvisation" stopped being a linkage of necessity a looooong time ago. And before somebody says, well, look at what can be done with Rhythm changes, well yeah, look at what has been done, and not jsut that but with all standards - harmonies have been altered, superimposed, extrapolated, "everything that can be done has been done" is of course not literally true in the micro, but in the macro, yes. I've said this for more than a decade now, but really - form is the final frontier, and the less "cyclical" form has to been, the more possibilities there are. You know who wrote really great changes? Beethoven. And Richard Strauss. Now, let's get people to improvise on forms like that. Not as easy as you might think, if only becuase most improvisors think in therms of basic song form or free improvisation. The former place too much of a demand on pattern-thinking, and the latter too many demands on formal-thinking. There are exceptions of course, but really, "jazz" is not "dead" imo nearly as much as it has rigidized itself into just a few ruts out of which nobody seems really incentivized to get. But - imagine a writer/group who had like, really long melodies and variations and then improvised on that. MINGUS! Now, how do you "cover" that? Probably best to no, that's how. But how do you THINK like that, imagine like that? Well, allow me to suggest that you do like Mingus, learn a lot, feel even more, and just be logical and insane all in the same thought. Yeah, that's asking a lot, but so be it.

Except for Drew, those were all post-Monk. From this: RLP Artist Album 201 Monk, Thelonious Plays Duke Ellington 202 Sullivan, Joe New Solos by an Old Master 203 Weston, Randy Get Happy with the Randy Weston Trio 204 Lowe, Mundell The Mundell Lowe Quartet 205 Parenti, Tony Ragtime! 206 Bell, Marty The Voice of Marty Bell - The Quartet of Don Elliott 207 Lewis, George Jazz in the Classic New Orleans Tradition 208 Lowe, Mundell Guitar Moods 209 Monk, Thelonious The Unique Thelonious Monk 210 Mayl, Gene Dixieland in Hi Fi 211 Davison, Wild Bill Sweet and Hot 212 Sutton, Ralph Classic Jazz Tradition' 213 Helm, Bob & Lu Watters Riverside Roustabouts 214 Weston, Randy With These Hands... 215 Janis, Conrad Dixieland Jam Session 216 Bechet, Sidney Creole Reeds 217 Barbarin, Paul & Sharkey New Orleans Contrasts 218 Elliot, Don & Rusty Dedrick Counterpoint for Six Valves 219 Lowe, Mundell New Music of Alec Wilder 220 Corwin, Bob The Bob Corwin Quartet featuring the Trumpet of Don Elliott to this: 221 Gee, Matthew Jazz by Gee 222 Henry, Ernie Presenting Ernie Henry 223 Evans, Bill New Jazz Conceptions 224 Drew, Kenny Kenny Drew Trio 225 Alpert, Trigger Trigger Happy! 226 Monk, Thelonious Brilliant Corners 227 Weston, Randy Trio and Solo 228 Sims, Zoot Zoot! 229 Gryce, Gigi Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet 230 Lewis, George Jazz at Vespers 231 Halen, Carl Gin Bottle Jazz 232 Weston, Randy Jazz à la Bohemia 233 Hawkins, Coleman The Hawk Flies High 234 Mann, Herbie Sultry Serenade 235 Monk, Thelonious Thelonious Himself 236 Drew, Kenny This Is New 237 Terry, Clark Serenade to a Bus Seat 238 Lowe, Mundell A Grand Night for Swinging 239 Dorham, Kenny Jazz Contrasts 240 Jaspar, Bobby With George Wallington, Idrees Sulieman 241 Rollins, Sonny The Sound of Sonny 242 Monk, Thelonious Monk's Music

Is it just my imagination, or are the early Riverside "modern" albums noticeably "junkie-free"? Or more generally, "quirky-free"? Trigger Alpert!!!! What an impact Monk must have made, not from a junkie standpoint, but definitely from the quirk.

I have the same one, probably. Blogged a while back. It’s just one cut, but I like it a lot, Larry channeling his inner Korla Pandit.

Some stealth Larry Young there!

What do you mean, no context? Berklee fired some people for inappropriate behavior, Osby was one of them, he gave quotes about it, and they printed it in the context of something happening and somebody involved in it talking about it. If that's not context, what the hell is? The only thing I see being "misunderstood" is what the word "context" means.

Probably the first jazz guitarist I knowingly heard, courtesy of Texaco. Some of you might remember what it's like hearing music/records as a real young kid, and you don't have any reference at all what what an instrument "sounds like", then your imagination runs free and it becomes some kind of a voice or shape or color, or whatever your little youngster imagination can connect it to. Mundell Lowe's solo here, I did not know what that sound was coming from, so I heard it as some kind of turquoise underwater fish that went swimming around undetected and bothered by any of the fish. And his riff-comp behind the out chorus, that was just...some kind of giant electric neon comb. I pity the kids today who don't get exposed to all the different timbres and shapes that musics have to offer.

Tommy Davis' broke leg is one of the tragedies of promised denied. Everybody shed a tear over Tony C., and ok, but what about Tommy D.:

Looks like a Conn and a Brilhart?

This!

Seconding the rec for the David Young LP. Interesting player with an interesting history. Essential "deep collection" album, imo.

Pete Rose, who’s taking bets?

Chris Matthews is crazy (and getting crazier), but I still think he understands the way politics work (or don't) as well as anybody. But definitely crazy (and getting crazier). I've never seen anybody talk over people they essentially agree with the way he does. Crazy, and getting crazier.

I don't know who among those who own the companies or produce for them have/had ongoing sobriety issues, but Sonny Stitt, who recorded for damn near all of them, most certainly did.

Oh, I love trash, when it's inspired. Pee Wee Ellis is a known quantity, and he held up his end. Stitt made some "good for what they are" records for Chess (or whatever it was by then), in the early 70s, but this is not even close to being inspired on Stitt's part. This was the last of Stitt's records for the label (maybe he had a three record deal?). Satan was ok, Mr. Bojangles (in spite of the unfortunate cover) was ok in a halfass Sonny Stitt way, but THIS one...my guess is that it coincides with about the same period where his alcoholism was getting really bad. Not that something like that could ever be good, but this is just about the least inspired Sonny Stitt record I've ever heard, and I give pretty wide berth in that regard. It's not the material, it's not the setting, it's just as simple as Sonny Still couldn't even halfass his way though this, and for Sonny Stitt to not be able to even halfass his way through a record date is a pretty damn dire life event. Pee Wee Ellis in this bag, you get the same thing on the Esther Phillips records he did, with the advantage of a lead artist who gives a damn. Esmond Edwards is all over the damn place, so whatever. You can get much better from him than this.