Overlooked/Ignored/Neglected

[GA Russell]

Eric Kloss--Life Force (Prestige). As good as in the Land of the Giants, but not on CD.

kh, This one is a sentimental favorite of mine that I got when it was new when I was in college. A few years back Pat Martino was a regular at AAJ, and I asked him if it was available on CD. He said that it was, by ordering from Eric. Perhaps you can do a search at AAJ and find the thread with the URL where to order it.

[Steve Reynolds]

for whatever unknown reason I will keep the recordings within the most narrow definitions of jazz rather than list what some here may just assume is some obscure out-there insect music like european improvisational recording once released on an artist thread on 20 copies of vinyl back in the day....

not sure how well known these discs/recordings are around here as I am a long-time veteran reader/poster of another board so I am not as up on the history here as I would be elsewhere.

So I will start with the obvious for me - CD's that very few ever seemed to recognize/take aan interest in DESPITE their obvious greatness....

1) Pino Minafra Sud Ensemble: Sudori - on Victo - maybe 1994 or so - great band with the *great* Carlo Actis Dato on saxophones featured alng with the leader on trumpet, etc. Pure genius

2) Mujician: Birdman - on cunieform from 1992 or so, Mujician is Paul Dunmall, Keith Tippett, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin - seemingly written roaring free jazz with a melodic energy unmatched in modern jazz - Dunmall and Levin with mayeb their strongest recorded statements to my ears - except for Dunmall - much to choose from that is on the highest level.

3) Mal Waldron Quartet: Git Go at The Utopia - either volume with John Betsch, Ed Schuller and Jim Pepper on mostly tenor - from 1986 or 1987 - as good as Waldron' music ever was.

4) Denis Charles Quartet: Captain of the Deep - on eremite 1991 with Jemeel Moondoc on alto saxophone, Nathan Breedlove on trumpet and Wilber DeJoode on bass. Moondoc's greatest performance on record and the guy named Breedlove is out of the world - like Ornette's music moved a bit right and left with the drummer who takes Blackwell's minimalism and refines it - plus the recording quality is outrageous - the great drummer sounds awesome.

5) Gerry Hemingway Quintet: The Marmalade King - on hatART - 1993 - simply the greatest recording by the greatest touring band of the 90's - great sound quality and Michael Moore, Wolter Wierbos, Ernst Reijseger, Mark Dresser and the drummer take this 54 minute suite to places thought impossible

many more of course but keep it to 5 was the charge, but these 5 are great records for anyone interested in jazz of the past 25 years

[Pete C]

MEV - United Patchwork (Horo). Okay, this one might just be too obscure to include. In the periodic discussions of the Horo label, I don't remember United Patchwork being mentioned. But it's excellent - it features the three core members of Musica Elettronica Viva (Richard Teitelbaum, Frederic Rzewski, and Alvin Curran) along with Steve Lacy, Karl Berger, and Garrett List. The play in different combinations, and cover a lot of ground. Maybe not an absolutely classic album, but it certainly deserves to be better known.

Lee Konitz - Satori (Milestone). Maybe this is not neglected, but I don't remember it being mentioned around here very often, if at all. It features Konitz at his most adventurous, interacting with the great Martial Solal and one of the great rhythm teams of jazz: Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. Apologies if everyone already knows this one.

Thumbs up to both of those.

Maybe John Handy's 2nd-4th Columbia albums are neglected compared to Live at Monterey.

[sidewinder]

Dick Grove - Little Bird Suite (Pacific Jazz). I included a track on my last blindfold test, and it's actually been discussed a little around here recently, but it hasn't been reissued, and not many folks have heard it. If you think Grove is just a Gil Evans imitator, keep listening.

Good one !

[John L]

Louis Armstrong - Disney Songs the Satchmo Way (Vista). I see a bunch of folks out there rolling their eyes, but this is one of Armstrong's last great albums, in spite of the material and the arrangements. He sings like he means it, but more importantly, improvises brilliantly on trumpet. This one has been reissued on CD by the Disney folks.

That one got constant play in my house when my son was little. It was a record that both of us loved to hear.

[sidewinder]

Amancio D'Silva 'Cosmic Eye Dream Sequence' (Regal Zonophone). Rare Brit jazz-rock with a psych edge from the early 70s.

Paul Buckmaster/Chitinous Ensemble 'Chitinous' (Deram/Dutton Vocalion). More rare Brit jazz-rock - some of the ideas found their way onto 'On The Corner'.

Ian Carr/Don Rendell Quintet 'Change Is' (UK Columbia LP/BGO CD reissue). The last of the Rendell-Carr albums and one that tends to get overlooked.

John Surman/John Warren 'Tales of the Algonquin' (Deram/Vocalion). Surman in Imperial form with a stellar big band arranged by John Warren.

Mike Westbrook 'Love Songs' (Deram/Vocalion). Mike apparently hates it. I beg to differ.

Just the tip of the iceberg. I could reel off 100 more..

Edited May 15, 2012 by sidewinder

[GA Russell]

sidewinder, I didn't know that Mike Westbrook's Love Songs was neglected. I would hazard a guess that it's his most famous album over here.

[papsrus]

4) Denis Charles Quartet: Captain of the Deep - on eremite 1991 with Jemeel Moondoc on alto saxophone, Nathan Breedlove on trumpet and Wilber DeJoode on bass. Moondoc's greatest performance on record and the guy named Breedlove is out of the world - like Ornette's music moved a bit right and left with the drummer who takes Blackwell's minimalism and refines it - plus the recording quality is outrageous - the great drummer sounds awesome.

Seconded. Which reminds me of Moondoc's "Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys," also with with Breedlove.

[A Lark Ascending]

sidewinder, I didn't know that Mike Westbrook's Love Songs was neglected. I would hazard a guess that it's his most famous album over here.

Actually, Westbrook's 'Love/Dream Variations' is even more neglected - don't think it's ever got to CD. Lovely disc with Paul Rutherford in near romantic mood.

[kh1958]

Eric Kloss--Life Force (Prestige). As good as in the Land of the Giants, but not on CD.

kh, This one is a sentimental favorite of mine that I got when it was new when I was in college. A few years back Pat Martino was a regular at AAJ, and I asked him if it was available on CD. He said that it was, by ordering from Eric. Perhaps you can do a search at AAJ and find the thread with the URL where to order it.

I found the Pat Martino thread at all about jazz and followed his instructions but they don't work any more.

[sidewinder]

sidewinder, I didn't know that Mike Westbrook's Love Songs was neglected. I would hazard a guess that it's his most famous album over here.

Interesting. It has something of a 'cult' following over here too but until the Vocalion CD came out it was pretty obscure.

The 'Love/Dreams Variations' that Bev suggests is a good suggestion (I've never heard it !) - even more obscure I think. I would also throw into the mix the extremely enjoyable 'Solid Gold Caddilac' LPs ('Solid Gold Caddilac' and 'Brain Surgery').

Edited May 16, 2012 by sidewinder

[king ubu]

Loads of respect for "Chitinous" in this house

And loads of love, too!

[shaft]

Lenny McBrowne Eastern Lights is very overlooked terrific swingin melodic hardbop!

I was checking out the availability of the Lenny McBrowne album when I noticed that Don Sleet is part of one of his bands. That reminded me of Sleet's All Members and what an overlooked gem it is. Here's a link to a website where you can listen to Eastern Lights. My link

Nice Link!

It is really wonderful melodic bop ;-)

And Don Sleet's All Members CD is great too!

[colinmce]

5) Gerry Hemingway Quintet: The Marmalade King - on hatART - 1993 - simply the greatest recording by the greatest touring band of the 90's - great sound quality and Michael Moore, Wolter Wierbos, Ernst Reijseger, Mark Dresser and the drummer take this 54 minute suite to places thought impossible

Yes! Hemingway's 90s Quintet was my first thought upon reading this thread. One of my favorite bands ever; I don't think they're heard enough, though of course most of their records are OOP.

[A Lark Ascending]

1) Pino Minafra Sud Ensemble: Sudori - on Victo - maybe 1994 or so - great band with the *great* Carlo Actis Dato on saxophones featured alng with the leader on trumpet, etc. Pure genius

I'm a big fan of that one...in fact I think you put me onto it many years back!

2) Mujician: Birdman - on cunieform from 1992 or so, Mujician is Paul Dunmall, Keith Tippett, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin - seemingly written roaring free jazz with a melodic energy unmatched in modern jazz - Dunmall and Levin with mayeb their strongest recorded statements to my ears - except for Dunmall - much to choose from that is on the highest level.

Another good choice - in fact all those Mujician discs are excellent.

[BillF]

A few more:

[Pete C]

I never even heard of that Shepp/NHOP. What year is it from? I have a lot of trouble with Shepp's intonation on much from the last 20+ years.

I was pleased to have had the opportunity to see NHOP in a duo with Mulgrew Miller at the North Sea Festival. They played a lot together, as a duo or a trio with Alvin Queen, but no albums released. When NHOP was still alive I asked Mulgrew at a gig whether they planned to record and he said they were looking into it, but I guess it never happened. Their tribute to Ellington and Blanton was fabulous; I wish somebody would relase those North Sea sets. But I do see that this promotional cd was released by Bang & Olufsen:

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/2/12/mulgrew-miller-caravan

[paul secor]

I never even heard of that Shepp/NHOP. What year is it from? I have a lot of trouble with Shepp's intonation on much from the last 20+ years.

I was pleased to have had the opportunity to see NHOP in a duo with Mulgrew Miller at the North Sea Festival. They played a lot together, as a duo or a trio with Alvin Queen, but no albums released. When NHOP was still alive I asked Mulgrew at a gig whether they planned to record and he said they were looking into it, but I guess it never happened. Their tribute to Ellington and Blanton was fabulous; I wish somebody would relase those North Sea sets. But I do see that this promotional cd was released by Bang & Olufsen:

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/2/12/mulgrew-miller-caravan

I'm not BillF, but I have the record. It was recorded in February, 1980. No problem with Shepp's intonation, at least to my ears.

[Pete C]

I'm not BillF, but I have the record. It was recorded in February, 1980. No problem with Shepp's intonation, at least to my ears.

'80 is fine. Trouble in Mind and I Know About the Life are from that period.

[BillF]

Further information:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/looking-at-bird-r147458

[clifford_thornton]

MEV - United Patchwork (Horo). Okay, this one might just be too obscure to include. In the periodic discussions of the Horo label, I don't remember United Patchwork being mentioned. But it's excellent - it features the three core members of Musica Elettronica Viva (Richard Teitelbaum, Frederic Rzewski, and Alvin Curran) along with Steve Lacy, Karl Berger, and Garrett List. The play in different combinations, and cover a lot of ground. Maybe not an absolutely classic album, but it certainly deserves to be better known.

Lee Konitz - Satori (Milestone). Maybe this is not neglected, but I don't remember it being mentioned around here very often, if at all. It features Konitz at his most adventurous, interacting with the great Martial Solal and one of the great rhythm teams of jazz: Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. Apologies if everyone already knows this one.

Thumbs up to both of those.

Thumbs up from here, too. I was really impressed by Satori when I first heard it, and you're right, it's rarely discussed or so it seems. Actually got it in a bulk buy that I was going to flip, and discovered it needed to stay in my house.

I have some lo-fi concert bootlegs of MEV + Lacy, though I've never been able to score a copy of the vinyl. MEV and Lacy were a mutually-beneficial combo, it seems.

1) Pino Minafra Sud Ensemble: Sudori - on Victo - maybe 1994 or so - great band with the *great* Carlo Actis Dato on saxophones featured along with the leader on trumpet, etc. Pure genius

2) Mujician: Birdman - on cunieform from 1992 or so, Mujician is Paul Dunmall, Keith Tippett, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin - seemingly written roaring free jazz with a melodic energy unmatched in modern jazz - Dunmall and Levin with mayeb their strongest recorded statements to my ears - except for Dunmall - much to choose from that is on the highest level.

3) Mal Waldron Quartet: Git Go at The Utopia - either volume with John Betsch, Ed Schuller and Jim Pepper on mostly tenor - from 1986 or 1987 - as good as Waldron' music ever was.

4) Denis Charles Quartet: Captain of the Deep - on eremite 1991 with Jemeel Moondoc on alto saxophone, Nathan Breedlove on trumpet and Wilber DeJoode on bass. Moondoc's greatest performance on record and the guy named Breedlove is out of the world - like Ornette's music moved a bit right and left with the drummer who takes Blackwell's minimalism and refines it - plus the recording quality is outrageous - the great drummer sounds awesome.

5) Gerry Hemingway Quintet: The Marmalade King - on hatART - 1993 - simply the greatest recording by the greatest touring band of the 90's - great sound quality and Michael Moore, Wolter Wierbos, Ernst Reijseger, Mark Dresser and the drummer take this 54 minute suite to places thought impossible

Don't know your #1, but the others are great indeed. Breedlove is a fine player, though I've only heard him with Moondoc and with Khan Jamal.

[BeBop]

Shepp/NHOP "Looking at Bird" is relly a great album - my favorite post-1970 Shepp. You can sense his love for Bird, even though there's no emulation. NHOP swings.

[papsrus]

Thanks for mentioning this one, Bill. Definitely will pick it up.

[brownie]

Thanks for mentioning this one, Bill. Definitely will pick it up.

Joining the queue...

This album came out when there were so many sessions with Shepp being released! Some I appreciated, some I felt did not do justice to his talent.

I just ignored that one with NHOP. Will give it a hearing very soon!

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, I've never heard that or Mama Rose. Funny, because I love Shepp and generally dig NHOP and Jasper van't Hof.