Rabshakeh

Gato Barbieri - Under Fire (Flying Dutchman, 1973)

I'm looking forward to the street parades and the public unveiling of the statues.

Thanks for adding the write ups. It does make a difference. I always enjoy the other recommendations that pop up.

Joseph Jarman and Don Moye - Black Paladins Now on: Illinois Jacquet - Bottoms Up Fun morning. I prevailed on a casual jazz fan friend of mine to buy this record recently, when we saw it in Ray's Jazz for £3. He really loved it, which is nice: great playing, unusual (if all you've heard is hard bop), and an interesting back story to all the characters involved.

It was only my first listen, inspired by a mix of your blog and the recent discussion of mainstream swing. I need to listen to it more, because it's absolutely great. Impressive that it doesn't get samey at all; there's so much to listen for. Obviously, Ed Bickert is a treat, but the little subtle twists in the tenor playing are great too.

Buddy Tate - The Ballad Artistry Of (Sackville, 1982)

It actually sounds like the tracks are out of synch

It sounds different to the CD / streamed versions to which I am accustomed, like the timing is wrong. As for Ron Carter, I knew what I was getting into, but it's more noticeable than on the digital versions.

I really enjoyed the second of these. One for the Spalding fans.

That's a great way to describe them. Teenage hormone jazz.

Does anyone have particular favourite JATP or NGJS LPs? The box set is a little hot for my blood but I’m interested in picking up some of the LPs.

Now on another new vinyl / old friend: the 1955 DFD / Moore version. Not fashionable any more, but still a version I love and which wasn’t going to turn down when I saw it in good condition.

Jim Hall - Concierto (CTI, 1975) First listen to a new acquisition. I’m actually very disappointed with this on vinyl. It sounds like the tracks are playing out of time. This is not something I ever encountered with the digital versions. Is that a known issue with CTI? Even aside from that, it lacks the close mystery of the CD master, and Ron Carter’s horribly recorded bass is much more prominent.

I really do struggle to tell them apart!

Miles Davis - Live at the Fillmore East March 7, 1970: It's About that Time

Oh no. He really felt like he was doing well. Very sad news.

Randy Brecker - Score (Solid State, 1969)

Ralph Peterson I actually really like. The Fo'ter records are really good.

Well done to Pony Poindexter for not showing favouritism.

Universally acknowledged fact: Between the release of Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard in May 1970 and Wynton Marsalis' debut in January 1982, the only jazz music recorded was the sound of Grover Washington Jr and Chuck Mangione arguing over who gets to use the cash register and a single field recording of wolves howling in a barren wasteland. Other than that... Nothing. Thinking it through though, I see a hole in the argument. Can you really call Red Clay a jazz record when it was recorded using electricity (lightbulbs etc.)? Probably best to adjust the thesis and move the starting date backwards.

In my opinion, there's nothing wrong, in itself, with the sort of conservatively minded hard bop and post bop these guys played. What's the problem is that these guys just didn't make that many good records. It's just hard to understand why these guys weren't better. Flowers picked too soon and wilting fast; too much money and studio interference impeding actual development; stupid ideology that shuts down interesting concepts.

Thank you.

Wynton Marsalis - Blood on the Fields (Columbia, 1997) I hadn't listened to this before. I'd be impressed if this had been composed by a precocious high school student.

Are there any that stand out to you? I don't know the material at all. Thank you.