Dub Modal

Great stuff. I have none of those albums, nor have I ever heard any of them. Added a few to my shopping list though!

1 - Monk tune...sounds more like a modern recording and the production is very radio friendly. Almost smooth jazz-ish in how this sounds. 2 - I don't listen to much jazz vocals so while this sounds like a well known singer, I have no idea. Seems the title is "Born to be Blue"? Almost sound like a modern recording, but the piano is also boxed a bit, RVG style. The bass sounds good on its solo. 3- Steel drum? No, maybe just a well recorded marimba where the resonance is captured? Can't be a tabla can it??? I also can't tell what type of guitar/strings are being strummed but it's a unique sound. Like how they switch it up from rhythm to lead. Nice tune. 4 - Tight drum & bass. Guitar player can fly. Are there 2 guitarists? I think there may be. Is the piano playing a stride style? 5 - Nicely recorded vibes. Sounds like a quartet with vibes, guitar, drum & bass. Nice comping from the vibes player during the guitar solo. Love the flow of this tune. 6 - My favorite tune so far. Don't know what swing era band this is. Like the trumpet lead and the woodwinds in unison. 7 - Ah shit, I have this album. B3 player hitting the bass notes too. Love it. Is it one of those Patton/Green/Vick combos? (guitar is comping now so I'm not sure it's Green) Maybe it's Young/Benson/H. Morgan from Heaven on Earth? New fave of the bunch. Sucks I can't name the tune or who's playing because this song is familiar. 8 - Violin & clarinet? Wow. Love the breakdown when the bass solo starts. 9 - Familiar tune, can't name it. Great intro. Subtle intensity. Another great tune in this set. 10 - Nice call and response b/w the sax & piano. 11 - Sounds a bit like Tyner but I'm not sure. Nice duo track. 12 - No idea who this is, but it's a good groove. Is that Hubbard on trumpet? 13 - Oh yeah, this is a sultry summertime groove. Miles' Minnie - and I know this b/c I recently picked up that re-release of the Complete On the Corner box. This song stuck out b/c it's completely unexpected from that band at this time (at least for me). An unusual Miles track, but I'm glad it exists b/c it's awesome. Should be on regular radio rotation. How could anyone not like this? 14 - More strings/violin. Oh, this is a standard - dammit, I can't name it. Like the piano, not the strings so much. Better when the drums and bass kick in. I feel like I've heard this before, maybe recently, and I might actually have the album but I'm stumped. 15 - Long intro sound a bit forced. Get to it folks...but if that bass player is doing an arco to get that sound (didgeridoo esque) it's pretty cool. Sounds kind of like a drummer's composition, maybe one of those from a Black Saint album. Cyrille maybe? 16 - Take 5, with a guitar...Live perhaps? Fan-freaking-tastic. From the Hall/Desmond sets maybe? Thanks for putting this together!

CD for me, with all the bonus tracks

El cheapo Polk speakers that I bought in '98, new-ish Yamaha receiver, Art II DJ pre amp & a Technics SL1200. Then a lower-line Sony CD/SACD/DVD player and an old Sony cassette deck that I really need to fix. And an iPod nano when I'm on the go.

I didn't get a chance to listen and respond in the discussion thread but I was finally able to listen to these. Enjoyed them. I actually knew that Ben Webster was playing as well as picking the album, but not the actual song title. I love See You At the Fair. One of my first ever jazz album buys and still one of my favorites. The back half track selection flowed very well. The last tune was a groover and I picked up various influences within it. Great stuff, thanks for putting it together!

Ok, is that first one a rendition of Summertime? The tenor at least plays some bars from it whenever they're on. Excellent tune. Is that also the stritch or is it something else? Love it. Also, love all the solo piano tracks on the even numbers. The first one is especially a beautifully played song. Track 8's solo is really bluesy...and is number 12 Duke? Really great, all of them. On Track 7, love the sampler or whatever it is that carves in and out. The bass player is great too. Number 9 is a standard right? Very upbeat and cheerful. 11 = brilliant Track 13 is trumpet butter. And number 15 is a B3 solo but good god they can play the bass line on that thing. I love those pulsing bass notes that good organ players produce. Jamming! Looking forward to the reveal as I have no idea who any of these artists are, as well as the fact that to me there were no bad or uninteresting songs played.

Thanks to you both. I've long been skeptical of just about anything Iverson claims, to the point that I basically avoid his writing. This Crouch obituary does nothing to change my mind.

Well, reading through Shipp's FB posts now and I have a new perspective of appreciation for Shipp, Sam Rivers, John Farris, Cecil Taylor, Sunny Murray, Beaver Harris and some others.

From Iverson's obit: " When he started assembling the repertory institution Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1987, Wynton Marsalis was advocating for the primacy of the Black aesthetic at a time when the white, Stan Kenton-to-Gary Burton lineage dominated major organizations like the Berklee College of Music and the International Association of Jazz Educators. The music of Kenton and Burton has tremendous value, but their vast institutional sway and undue influence in jazz education is part of this discussion. We needed less North Texas State (Kenton's first pedagogical initiative) and more Duke Ellington in the mix, and Marsalis almost single-handedly corrected our course – although Marsalis himself would give Crouch a lot of the credit." Is this true? It reads like hyperbole

What year was this tour?

It was either on this site or another (Hoffman or a blog - or maybe a liner note somewhere) that someone told of an anecdote in which Clifford Jordan was asked why he and Gilmore didn't record another date together and Jordan's response was something along the lines of he tried but "The Bright One wouldn't be too happy about it." So that may be a clue as to why his discography is devoid of his own leader dates and why his sideman appearances with other artists are few.

That's interesting. A few weekends ago I was hanging with some friends whose 10 y/o son plays alto sax. He loves playing and was lamenting that he had to sacrifice both band classes (concert & jazz) because he wanted to take Spanish. The teacher wouldn't allow him to just take jazz- his favorite of the two - without taking concert along with it (parents also pushing him to take Spanish). Anyway, he had made a recording of himself over a click track where he played both alto & piano (can't remember the standard) and I was happy to listen to it. While he was bemoaning the fact that he had to play with a bamboo reed, I have to say his sound reminded me of that older tone - like the tone of Pepper, Getz or Hodges - more gentle with that wood/metal type resonance that I hear out of those classic recordings. So, definitely understand the difference you're describing here. Regardless, I was shocked at how good he played at 10 y/o, not to mention he doubled on sax & piano. I did as much as I could to encourage him and gave him a list of sax players to check out (he was loving Desmond on Take 5). McLean was included, of course.

The Spring Rain Snow Dog reissue CD sounds really loud to me. It's the only one I have but I've always wondered if the others are EQ'd the same. Great album, love just about the entire output from the label and hate to hear the reissue program is on the rocks. It's a label that deserves some quality attention. Would've been great if it had gotten the Mosaic Bee Hive treatment.

I enjoy later McLean, but am ignorant of all the behind the scenes drama - and have zero knowledge of how various sax brands sound. To me, the albums I've heard sound plenty inspired. Guess ignorance is bliss in this case.

Nice. And while I like the cover art, to me it resembles Brubeck more than Evans but maybe my perspective is askew. Either way, the prior recordings of this trio from Resonance are enjoyable (in that I didn't notice any rushing). Perhaps DeJohnette had a similar effect on Evans' playing as Manne, and kept things on track...?

This forever x1000.

Are the Mighty Quinn CDs released as CD-Rs? I've seen allegations online that they are but haven't confirmed.

A Hip Hop Golden Age Who's Who on that cover.

When I think "muddy" my mind references tracks like some of those from Sun Ra and some early digital transfers of Lester Young and other artists of that era. I've never heard an ECM CD sound anything like that. Reverb is definitely used but like most I wouldn't equate that to muddy sound.

I haven't heard enough ECM albums to put a top 10 out, but what I've heard I like - some Charles Lloyd, Frisell, Hal Russel, Stanko, Abercrombie & Stenson among others. Stanko's Soul of Things was a bit dense at first listen but has since opened up for me a little. Really enjoy some of the earlier Steve Tibbetts records - Yr., Safe Journey & Big Map Idea. Only one that didn't wow me so far Jarrett's At the Deer Head Inn which, at least at first listen came across as kind of bland. Someone mentioned Trio Beyond's Saudades up thread and have to say Larry Goldings is amazing on that record.

Excellent BFT man. Loved most of it but especially the second half. Songs 7-12 are just killer. Also became a big Badrena & Cardona fan after hearing that final track because they tore it up.

The Powerhouse Sound Oslo/Chicago: Breaks album is a good one. Hard rock-ish in a way but with some strong drum & bass playing. Have only really heard some DKV after that and those are good as rec'd above.

I got the green vinyl version they put out a little earlier this year. Looks like VMP also did a color variant. Great record. The legit RGM label does some good work.

Not too long ago I was in the mood for some Evans trio work and threw on Explorations. I found it awful, like Miles Davis reacting to Cecil Taylor awful. Moved on to some Monk and that scratched the itch. Interesting mention of Manne, who was Evans' drummer earlier in '68 before DeJohnette and Morrell. Again, I haven't noticed any rushing when Manne was there but this convo now has me curious.

Yeah, me too.