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I'll echo the sentiments of some posters for "Hub Tones". I think its one of the most boring sessions Blue Note ever put out.

I was excited for Sonny Clark's "Dial S for Sonny" because in my eyes, everything Art Farmer touches turns to gold. But this session does nothing for me.

And after hearing "Complete Communion" and "Where is Brooklyn", I was SO psyched to hear "Symphony for Improvisers". I was very disappointed. Just sounded like noise.

More recently, I had high hopes for the Liebman/Brecker/Lovano "Saxophone Summitt" album, but that one was just a complete mess.

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"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" from "Ellington at Newport." I love Paul Gonsalves in other settings, and I admire the piece itself, but IMO those fabled 27 (or whatever) choruses are mostly a lot of huffing and puffing. Maybe if the album came with an inflatable version of the blonde who got up and started dancing.

You know, I had that on vinyl and I loved the original version of it because Gonsalves was playing into the wrong mic and throughout most of the solo what you mostly heard was the crowd going crazy while just barely being able to make out what Gonsalves was doing.

But they really screwed it all up with the "complete" cd release because now you mostly hear Gonsalves while barely even hearing the crowd. The original version had more of a goosebumpy quality to it.

Not to mention the incredibly irritating aspect of the "complete" cd moving in and out of stereo throughout. It's especially frustrating when listening to it through headphones.

the vinyl is far superior. a more dramatic emotional player couldnt have sustained that.

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More recently, I had high hopes for the Liebman/Brecker/Lovano "Saxophone Summitt" album, but that one was just a complete mess.

Actually I thought it was pretty good, though I can imagine it disconcerted some fans because much of it is very "outside" (& the outside stuff is often quite lengthy!)

Re: Scofield--some of his earlier (1980s to mid-1990s discs) are good--I used to spin Shinola or was it Out Like a Light a lot on my brief-lived radio show. & the album with Joe Henderson, So Near So Far, is terrific. But I dunno about the later Scofield (walked out of one particularly dull Toronto concert, pushing my way through the droves of entranced guitarheads in the audience).

Hey, Hub-Tones is a very good album--not FH's best (I like Ready for Freddie & Open Sesame more of those I've heard) but it's still got lots going for it, including the presence of Clifford Jarvis.

Of recent discs I think the more disappointing ones I can think of were the Taylor/Dixon/Oxley; Metheny/Bailey's Sign of 4; Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake's Back Together Again; about two-thirds of Bill Frisell's albums after the departure of Joey Baron; David S Ware's ludicrous Threads; Dave Douglas's The Infinite; Robert Glasper's Canvas.

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More recently, I had high hopes for the Liebman/Brecker/Lovano "Saxophone Summitt" album, but that one was just a complete mess.

Actually I thought it was pretty good, though I can imagine it disconcerted some fans because much of it is very "outside" (& the outside stuff is often quite lengthy!)

Re: Scofield--some of his earlier (1980s to mid-1990s discs) are good--I used to spin Shinola or was it Out Like a Light a lot on my brief-lived radio show. & the album with Joe Henderson, So Near So Far, is terrific. But I dunno about the later Scofield (walked out of one particularly dull Toronto concert, pushing my way through the droves of entranced guitarheads in the audience).

Hey, Hub-Tones is a very good album--not FH's best (I like Ready for Freddie & Open Sesame more of those I've heard) but it's still got lots going for it, including the presence of Clifford Jarvis.

Of recent discs I think the more disappointing ones I can think of were the Taylor/Dixon/Oxley; Metheny/Bailey's Sign of 4; Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake's Back Together Again; about two-thirds of Bill Frisell's albums after the departure of Joey Baron; David S Ware's ludicrous Threads; Dave Douglas's The Infinite; Robert Glasper's Canvas.

douglas and ware, of recent, rarely fail to disappoint.

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"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" from "Ellington at Newport." I love Paul Gonsalves in other settings, and I admire the piece itself, but IMO those fabled 27 (or whatever) choruses are mostly a lot of huffing and puffing. Maybe if the album came with an inflatable version of the blonde who got up and started dancing.

I think the concert as a whole was disappointing (should have added it to my list), but I really like D&CiB.

Guy

Edited by Guy
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OK fair enough, but have heard the album? IMO it really is quite inspired, and there's nothing even remotely commercial about the music.

no i don't intend on ever hearing it. i can listen to the real thing on my "emergency" CD.

Sorry man, but that is a really stupid statement.

Or at the very least incredibly closed-minded.

And this from the person who was just recently bemoaning my lack of participation in music threads?

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"Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" from "Ellington at Newport." I love Paul Gonsalves in other settings, and I admire the piece itself, but IMO those fabled 27 (or whatever) choruses are mostly a lot of huffing and puffing. Maybe if the album came with an inflatable version of the blonde who got up and started dancing.

I think the concert as a whole was disappointing (should have added it to my list), but I really like D&CiB.

Guy

An interesting opinion, Guy. And one that I agree with, BTW.

I still find it odd how many folks point out that that performance at Newport somewhat reinvigorated Ellingtons career.

Aside from that one tune and legendary solo, the rest of the set seemed rather uninspired.

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no i don't intend on ever hearing it. i can listen to the real thing on my "emergency" CD.

For a sec I thought you were talking about the Spearman band, but then realized you meant something entirely different!

Can't speak for ScoGoJoh but if anybody is in the place to do such a project, it is probably DeJohnette.

Edited by clifford_thornton
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OK fair enough, but have heard the album? IMO it really is quite inspired, and there's nothing even remotely commercial about the music.

no i don't intend on ever hearing it. i can listen to the real thing on my "emergency" CD.

Sorry man, but that is a really stupid statement.

Or at the very least incredibly closed-minded.

And this from the person who was just recently bemoaning my lack of participation in music threads?

Close-minded is probably a better term. My post is a little too harsh, which is not my intention. But really, to comment on something you haven't heard is just a wee arrogant. For one thing, I'm pretty sure Emergency doesn't have a rippin' guitarist on it. For another, Larry Goldings was contacted by Tony Williams himself to do an organ trio thing. Unforunately Williams died before it became a reality. Thirdly, they are taking the concept from "Lifetime" and expanding on it in a major way, hence the name "Trio Beyond". If anyone is worthy of doing so, it is those three.

It's a great record.

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For one thing, I'm pretty sure Emergency doesn't have a rippin' guitarist on it.

I don't have a dog in the Trio Beyond battle (haven't heard the album yet) but Jim... have you heard of an obscure guy named John McLaughlin? :crazy:

Since I assume by your comment that you haven't heard the album -- do yourself a big favor and check it out. "Sangria for Three" is one of the most intense jazz performances I've ever heard. It's a shame that Larry Young was recorded so poorly.

Guy

Edited by Guy
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Guest the mommy

how are they "expanding" the emergency thing in a major way? by making it more boring and palatable for a larger audience? i don't think the original concept needed to be expanded, anyway.

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Guest the mommy

bruce made an appearance on ego and the wildlife sessions. which didn't have mclaughlin.

but ego had ted dunbar and wildlife had alan holdsworth and both guys are pretty dope in their different ways.

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They are expanding on it by taking that "aesthetic" and applying it to their own originals and other tunes that Lifetime didn't do. They are not trying to re-create it, but rather take it from a certain starting point and add their own thing. I think it's worth hearing but I also think Goldings is one of the pre-eminent modern jazz organists (and bristle when people compare him to Larry Young... he's got his own distinct thing going on). And Scofield has never sounded better, imo.

I have all the Lifetime stuff. Some of it is great, some of it is remarkably cheesy and pretentious. But them's the 70s in a nutshell.

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