Jim R Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I think I've heard nearly all of Mundell Lowe's recordings, and I can't think of one where I didn't find his playing to be... extremely adequate. But seriously, you have to be doing something right in order to work with the people he's worked with, and he certainly has earned his respect, but to my ears... pretty much a guaranteed snoozefest. I've got a videotape of a concert he played in Ireland with Louis Stewart (now on Youtube), and let's just say it was well worth seeing thanks to Louis. I remember when those CD's with Tete came out, and I had high hopes that Lowe would finally win me over, but it wasn't to be. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I think I've heard nearly all of Mundell Lowe's recordings, and I can't think of one where I didn't find his playing to be... extremely adequate. When you make a record as adequate as "Satan in High Heels," I'll be first in line to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I think I've heard nearly all of Mundell Lowe's recordings, and I can't think of one where I didn't find his playing to be... extremely adequate. When you make a record as adequate as "Satan in High Heels," I'll be first in line to buy it. You and 3 other people. But seriously, how much of your enthusiasm about that recording has to do with Lowe's playing? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 Satan in High Heels is indeed the sh#t, and not because of Lowe's playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted January 23, 2010 Report Share Posted January 23, 2010 I think I've heard nearly all of Mundell Lowe's recordings, and I can't think of one where I didn't find his playing to be... extremely adequate. When you make a record as adequate as "Satan in High Heels," I'll be first in line to buy it. You and 3 other people. But seriously, how much of your enthusiasm about that recording has to do with Lowe's playing? Just curious. Mundell is a guitarist, composer, arranger, the whole package. SIHH is about the compositions and the arrangements more than individual blowing. Arrangements are what make nervous caffeine-jag jazz work. Of course all the players on it are solid. Having said that, the figure he plays in "Blues for a Stripper" that comes in around 2:32 to 2:36 is the icing on the cake of that solo. If you still have this album, give a serious listen to the tune "The Lost and the Lonely." It is one of the most intense big band arrangements of a ballad from that era. All kinds of interesting harmonies, counter melodies, and a totally orgasmic build-up to the end. Perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBop Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Lowe is 93 today. I'm pulling out a couple of recordings he did with Bird ("Live at Rockland Palace" and "Bird is Free" - same date overlapping). Not many people left who recorded with Bird. Happy Birthday, Mundell Lowe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin V Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 I saw him perform twice last year with guitarist Mike Magnelli, and Mundell Lowe still sounds great. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lowe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 A really nice earlier Lowe chorus on this early 50s BG side: And dig Teddy's bebop turnaround leading into Mundell's solo. Sweet! Heard this cut pretty much all my life, as it was included on the Texaco Swing Into Spring album, but did not find the full sextet album until somewhere into the 80s, and was a little discappointed when the whole session was not this loose and breezy. But this cut is, so if you're out and about and have a choice, choose Swing Into Spring, that's a pretty nifty little LP, it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 The greatest album ever made: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 (edited) My parents were in the biz and worked quite a bit with Mundell in the 1950s. His TV Action Jazz! album was in our house, and as a kid, I felt very adult listening to it. It contains the definitive version of "Riff Blues" from Mike Hammer, with Tony Scott on clarinet: Edited April 22, 2015 by Teasing the Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 TV Action Jazz! Volume 2 is even better than Volume 1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgcim Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 A funny story about that LP, I transcribed "Lake In The Woods" from SIHH and the clarinetist Joe Dixon (T.Dorsey, Bunny Berrigan,, Stan Kenton sideman) fell in love with the tune, and wanted to put it on an album we were doing together, so I arranged it for him and a jazz quintet. He had to contact Mundell Lowe to get a release to record it, and ML's reaction to it was, "Why the hell do you want to record that lousy tune?" I freaked out, because I thought it was a beautiful waltz ballad (I listened to Satie a lot back then), and that began a lifetime of hate for ML. My guitar teacher said that ML used a ghost writer for a lot of his things. I have no proof that that was true, but that planted the seed in my mind that maybe he didn't really write that tune, and it was written by his ghost writer. Who knows, who cares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 (edited) A funny story about that LP, I transcribed "Lake In The Woods" from SIHH and the clarinetist Joe Dixon (T.Dorsey, Bunny Berrigan,, Stan Kenton sideman) fell in love with the tune, and wanted to put it on an album we were doing together, so I arranged it for him and a jazz quintet. He had to contact Mundell Lowe to get a release to record it, and ML's reaction to it was, "Why the hell do you want to record that lousy tune?" I freaked out, because I thought it was a beautiful waltz ballad (I listened to Satie a lot back then), and that began a lifetime of hate for ML. My guitar teacher said that ML used a ghost writer for a lot of his things. I have no proof that that was true, but that planted the seed in my mind that maybe he didn't really write that tune, and it was written by his ghost writer. Who knows, who cares? My friend was a student of Billy Bauer, and Bauer told him that Mundell Lowe was a very talented writer and arranger who came up with great ideas and arrangements on the fly. For whatever that's worth... sgcim, is that version of "Lake in the Woods" you recorded available? Edited April 22, 2015 by Teasing the Korean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgcim Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Phil Schaap is the only one I know that has a copy. It's on his website under Joe Dixon's name. He played it on the air when he interviewed Joe for his show. He even pronounced my name correctly. It's pretty expensive, or I would've bought a copy. Joe was ecstatic about my solo on it; he said to the group in the studio that it was the greatest jazz solo he ever heard. The piano player started yelling at Joe, saying that it wasn't that good! I used to have a copy, but I gave it to some commercial music library that was looking for instrumental music. There are a few of my compositions on it. Joe played my stuff beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryCurleyMoe Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Wait I thought that MONEY JUNGLE was the greatest, er?..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin V Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 My guitar teacher said that ML used a ghost writer for a lot of his things. I have no proof that that was true, but that planted the seed in my mind that maybe he didn't really write that tune, and it was written by his ghost writer. Who knows, who cares? Once again, as you've done so many time before, you've posted something of which you have no direct knowledge. It's so tiresome to see you repeatedly post what you've heard from others without regard to its veracity. I'm not impressed by hearsay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgcim Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Good, put me on Ignore, like I'm doing with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Russell Malone and Mundel Lowe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin V Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Good, put me on Ignore, like I'm doing with you. Citing unnamed sources, you've posted rumors about ghostwriters, a musician's inability to play for 20 years (contrary to recorded evidence) and another musician's alleged murder conviction. By spreading such rumors, you are doing a disservice to the reputations of living musicians and the memory of those who have left us. I don't know whether it's motivated by simple gullibility, maliciousness or a desire to appear to be in the know. It's either reprehensible or pathetic, but it doesn't belong here and adds nothing of value to the community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Here's Lowe receiving an onstage lesson from an actual master of the instrument. This video sums up my impressions of Lowe's playing. On this, he doesn't even get through the melody without screwing up, and proceeds to play a dull, sloppy solo that doesn't swing. He doesn't even have the awareness (or class?) to acknowledge Louis' fantastic solo. Lowe always appears half asleep, and sleep is what he induces for me. He's like the Perry Como of jazz guitarists. He should play lying down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 He's like the Perry Como of jazz guitarists. You'd have to let me hear Lowe playing "Donkey Serenade" if you want me to have an informed agreement or disagreement about that particular assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgcim Posted April 22, 2015 Report Share Posted April 22, 2015 Here's Lowe receiving an onstage lesson from an actual master of the instrument. This video sums up my impressions of Lowe's playing. On this, he doesn't even get through the melody without screwing up, and proceeds to play a dull, sloppy solo that doesn't swing. He doesn't even have the awareness (or class?) to acknowledge Louis' fantastic solo. Lowe always appears half asleep, and sleep is what he induces for me. He's like the Perry Como of jazz guitarists. He should play lying down. I agree with your assessment of Lowe. Even when he was in his prime, he was no match for the many other guitarists on the scene back then, IMHO He was a good accompanist, and had a successful career as an arr./composer, but as a jazz improviser wasn't in the same league as Raney, Farlow, Billy Bean, Chuck Wayne, Herb Ellis, Dick Garcia, Rene Thomas, etc...IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 23, 2015 Report Share Posted April 23, 2015 Here's Lowe receiving an onstage lesson from an actual master of the instrument. This video sums up my impressions of Lowe's playing. On this, he doesn't even get through the melody without screwing up, and proceeds to play a dull, sloppy solo that doesn't swing. He doesn't even have the awareness (or class?) to acknowledge Louis' fantastic solo. Lowe always appears half asleep, and sleep is what he induces for me. He's like the Perry Como of jazz guitarists. He should play lying down. When Mundell can write and/or arrange albums as good as Satan in High Heels and TV Action Jazz, his playing ability isn't really all that important to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted April 23, 2015 Report Share Posted April 23, 2015 Lowe arranged the 'Broadway Express' album for J.J. Johnson on RCA. Or at least I'm assuming he's the arranger. While it's about as "easy" as J.J. got in the 60s, I think it displays genuine inventiveness within the idiom and sticks out from other "jazz musician goes mid 60s commercial" albums I've heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) I'm glad for this thread. Haven't heard what Mr. Lowe sounds like lately, but I would be inclined to disagree with SGcim and Jim R. At 93 it's hard to say, though. There's some excellent stuff from back in the day on youtube. Look for Art Ford's Jazz Party. He should be on some of those. Edited May 1, 2015 by fasstrack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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