Dub Modal

Totally different reaction here to JBL. Loved his playing from jump. Would love to hear him live.

That's the Indaba Is comp...yeah, it's mostly good. The only track I skipped was by The Wretched (song lived up to the band's name for sure, but maybe that was the goal). There's a few in your top 10 that I need to listen to. Glad to see someone else giving love to that Blake album. Also not on the lists is Brandee Younger's Somewhere Different, also from 2021 and on Impulse. There's some really great songs there.

And I forgot to mention the Parker Migration of Silence…they only have the sampler on Apple Music. But I really liked what I heard there. Sent me into a bit of a Parker deep dive which was fun.

Ok, so spent some time listening through this list at those that I could stream. They definitely hit it right on the money with #1 being Jesup Wagon - wow, talk about an excellent album! Others I really dug that I hadn't heard before were the LeBoeuf big band stuff, Shepp & Moran (damn good), Brian Lynch (BN throwback sound and compositions), the Indaba Is comp, Jihye Lee Orchestra, Lovano & Douglas and the LeDonne album. LeDonne was, like Lynch, a throwback of sorts in terms of arrangements and style and was a nice contrast to the more modern Jihye Lee album. Of those that I couldn't get into: the Lloyd and Marvels - not my fave of his by far; the Ches Smith started good but the drumming overwhelmed any improv there; the Lonnie Smith - I typically like his albums but this wasn't hitting for me; and the Aarset was just ok.

Nice, interesting set. I didn't like that Mangione very much. Seemed stuck in a cul de sac, doing circles until they finally decided to drive up closer to the street...only to sit and wait longer. If they'd just made a turn either way on the avenue...

Have you listened to Ches Smith's Path of Seven Colors yet? Berne is there as sideman. It's an interesting album. A little outside of the idiom as the Haitian drumming drives the whole thing, but it's a good listen.

I have this, enjoyed the first few listens then set it aside for a while. Listened again recently and it's not my favorite Monk. Not bad, but it won't be the first of his albums/comps I'll play when the time comes.

People in North Carolina are weird.

Thanks for posting. Many of these I haven’t listened to yet so it makes a nice reference.

Listened to and enjoyed this album after listening to:

Good new one from Eick that I just listened to. Recorded in September of this year.

UMG licenses them out to these streaming platforms since they own the BN label. It's not easy to figure out which mastering they're using unless it explicitly states it such as RVG, etc. So with these, it's probably whatever the last digital mastering was.

Apple Music has lonesome road: https://music.apple.com/us/album/lonesome-road/1376816448

The main attraction of this album for me. When the mood strikes it's a great listen.

FWIW, he's all over Apple Music's jazz channel, like top-billing profile for Standards. No idea if this is the same on other streaming platforms but I suspect it may be. He's on Concord records and shares a manager with Dolly Parton. To me that means he's got some good publicists pushing his image and product. Anyway, I listened to the new one...it's not for me. Checked out his website. He's got shows lined up across the country through July 2022. Some venue tix are around $120, maybe more. He may be a punchline in some ways, but not as a performer with those ticket prices and some of those venues. When he's playing at county fairs for free, then it'll be different.

Good luck on reception though.

I think you still need iTunes to do any burning onto CD. That's how I did my last BFT actually....I haven't tried, but I don't think there's any real bridge between Apple Music & iTunes to send music back/forth. The only work around I can think of would be a Tascam type of recording device. @Milestones I definitely recommend using a bluetooth connection to send either to your main stereo receiver or a decent BT speaker. While working I use one of those Bose Soundlinks. Other times I send direct to the receiver which has better speakers. You should be able to do that both from a computer/laptop/tablet or smartphone. Either way it's substantially better than using the built in speakers on the computer or phone. I'm pretty impressed with the sound quality overall from Apple Music. I haven't used any of the higher end services like Tidal or Qobuz but for what I'm getting with this app for the money I'm not really curious either.

Not in the US they won't. Tobacco lobby here is still able to keep those graphic pics off cig cartons unlike Europe.

Excellent Barry Harris session from '03.

I tend to agree with @Rooster_Ties on this one, but I haven't listened to any older Kenny G in a while. He may be marketed as smooth jazz but, at least from his more recent output, that music doesn't have much in common with SJ in the last 10 years or so. He definitely reminds me more of Yanni at the moment.

Recorded in '99. RIP Barry Harris

Per the Slate article linked upthread it's China

Honestly I've only ever heard one demographic use the term "beta males." That's anecdotal of course, but he's sold 75 millions records worldwide. I'm sure there's a fair share of women and wimps buying these units but I have a hard time believing they're pushing that market. But hey, maybe they are. I've never been to one of his concerts but it could be like the opera crowd that was depicted in Seinfeld.

Maybe "beta males" would make sense in a place like this country where identities are forged around consumption preferences and peer pressure, but he's got a worldwide audience. I doubt that rather substantial market is pushed by females only, and the US concept of beta males wouldn't really apply in Asia or other parts of this hemisphere (the Slate article makes note of his popularity in JA, hardly a hot spot of betas). That's really interesting. I hope he pays that keyboard player a lot of money. That sounds kind of painstaking for what actually gets churned out.

Well, FWIW I just listened to KG's Standards and it's pretty boring to me. I actually wouldn't call this smooth jazz at all. Figured maybe it was due to the theme chosen as I've always associated him with SJ, so I went back to his 2015 Brazilian Nights album and nope! Another miss. Pretty saccharine stuff actually. Quiet storm instrumentals/smooth jazz have groove/R&B elements that aren't there in these Kenny G albums. I get why people may dig some songs of his, but definitely not my thing. I don't think he'd fit in very well on that Smooth Jazz cruise...