Guy Berger

I have been listening to the original version of Eddie Harris’s “Freedom Jazz Dance” (from The In Sound) and am struck by how much its popularity in more avant-garde circles was already baked in to the original. Yes the beat is very “soul jazz”, but the melody is pretty angular and syncopated, not your stereotypical populist pitch. I think of the Davis version and its offspring as just taking what’s implied in the original and taking it to its obvious conclusion. Did anybody ever record a version that combines an avant-garde vibe with the soul jazz (or even funk/rock) rhythmic approach?

I saw him twice - once with Gateway, one w/the Jarrett standards trio.

Sweet Rain is a wonderful album. I especially love “Windows”.

Incredible drummer. Hard to imagine Miles’s music evolving from “Directions” to On the Corner without his presence, and his appearances on ECM as a sideman/leader were usually of extremely high quality. Strong agreement on Special Edition and Album Album being the best of that band’s work, though all 4 of the ECMs are worth hearing.

Re his bass playing - I really like the run he plays on “The Story In Your Eyes”. And while I don’t think his songwriting was nearly as good as Justin Hayward’s, “Ride My See Saw” is a banger

This sounds great. Top notch ensemble!

Imho the 1965 Plugged Nickel recordings, while wonderful, are inferior in musical quality to the 1967 live recordings from Newport and Europe. My guess is their reputation is largely based on the fact that for a long time they (and Miles in Berlin) were the only widely circulating live recordings of this quintet.

They should release the June 1969 Plugged Nickel recording with it as a bonus disc

I remember when this thread was created 15 years ago. My opinion about Brecker’s playing has improved over that time.

“Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord” is one of the most glorious things in Impulse’s discography. Also a major highlight in the careers of Cecil McBee (no mean feat!) and Lonnie Liston Smith

I love Pharoah’s ballad playing

a recording of the buyer whistling Ike's solo on "I've Got the World on a String" note for note

I love the 2 CD set. On many days I like it better than Quebec’s LPs.

I hope they add them to streaming services too.

Your website is an incredible resource (ironically mostly on what to avoid )

Finally listened to this for the first time. Whew. The title track in particular is SCORCHING.

RIP. I've been listening to a lot of his albums over the past year (was just enjoying "Un Dia Bonito" from The Sun of Latin Music yesterday). Just a really strong combo of adventurousness and quality control

I finally got around to hearing this album and it’s really great! Maybe not the BEST Waldron I’ve heard, but in the top 10

Listening to this and it’s really good. Reminds me of Joe Lovano at his most Dewey Redman esque. May pick it up…

Funny you mention this - just started to dig into the 3 CD set as well as Firehouse. Intense tenor sax trio music! Anybody who likes James Brandon Lewis, late Coltrane or Albert Ayler will enjoy this.

A lot of the received wisdom on post-1970 Miles is still really shallow, especially in mainstream jazz discourse

I’m grateful to have these. The press releases aren’t interesting but it’s good to know when stuff comes out

It’s a real shame that there was such a short overlap between “Miles at peak chops” and “Miles playing wah wah trumpet” because the combination on recordings like Live Evil was really, really good.

Never got around to responding to this thread but it’s a great set - substantially better than the slightly earlier Ronnie Scott’s recording because the lineup is much stronger.

I’m listening to Joe Farrell’s first album on CTI… imho this period of John McLaughlin is my favorite. I like a lot of the Mahavishnu stuff, love some of it, but imho he was really good on freeish postbop music from this period. This album, Lifetime, Miroslav Vitous’s Infinite Search, the various Miles recordings… it was a special moment in time.