xybert Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 There's a few piano trio threads on the board but i couldn't find one specifically on this topic.I initially wrote a long rambling post about piano trios and what makes a good one or a bad one, but ultimately it's easier just to ask:What are your must have, can't live without, piano/bass/drums trio albums from the fifties?Any and all general discussion/thoughts/opinions on fifties piano trios or particular artists welcome. I don't see any need to limit it to ten or whatever; for you there could be less than ten, or more than ten.For me, i don't really have enough piano trio albums from the era to have a meaningful opinion. I love Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Monk and Herbie Nichols and have most if not all of their available trio albums from the fifties... apart from that, off the top of my head i have a smattering of trio albums from Tatum, Ellington, Hawes, Sonny Clark, Kenny Drew, Red Garland, John Lewis, Bley, Jamal... but in terms of fifties trio albums i have no Ray Bryant, Elmo Hope, Al Haig, Barry Harris, Duke Jordan, Duke Pearson, The Three Sounds, Wynton Kelly, Horace Parlan, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, Phineas Newborn Jr etc etc... I'm really just starting to get in to it. There's a sea of albums out there and i'm trying to get a bit of a handle on it. Cheers. Quote
Larry Kart Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Off the top of my head:Horace Silver's Blue Note trio albumKenny Drew's Riverside album (now on OJC) with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe and his "Pal Joey" album, also on OJC, with Wilbur Ware and Philly JoeThe Duke Jordan trio half album that originally was on Signal, with Percy Heath and Blakey; the quintet half is fine too.The Dick Twardzik Trio More to come when I have more time to think. Quote
HutchFan Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Some of my favorites:- Kenny Drew: The Kenny Drew Trio (Riverside)- Duke Ellington: Piano Reflections (Capitol)- Bill Evans: Portrait in Jazz (Riverside)- Red Garland: Red Garland's Piano & Groovy (Prestige)- Erroll Garner: Long Ago and Far Away; Body and Soul; Concert by the Sea (Columbia/Sony)- Hampton Hawes: HH Trio, Vol. 1; This is HH; Everybody Likes HH (Contemporary) - Roy Haynes: We Three (with Phineas Newborn, Jr.) (Prestige)- Ahmad Jamal: Cross Country Tour: 1958-61 (Argo/GRP)- Thelonious Monk: TM Trio (Prestige); TM Plays Duke Ellington; The Unique TM (Riverside)- Bud Powell: Jazz Giant (Verve)- Mal Waldron: Mal/4: Trio (New Jazz)- Randy Weston: Trio & Solo; Get Happy (Riverside) Quote
jeffcrom Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) I'm with HutchFan on Bud, Monk, and Bill Evans' Portrait - the Evans I turn to most often. In addition:The Elmo Hope Trio on Contemporary;Dick Twardzik on Pacific Jazz;The Cecil Taylor Trio with Buell Neidlinger and Dennis Charles - they are the ensemble for half of Jazz Advance and half of Love For Sale;And the Art Tatum Trio with Red Callender and Jo Jones - some of my favorite Tatum. Jo Jones played with an authority that seemed to make Tatum realize that life real; life is earnest.There's lots more I like (such as George Wallington), but I wouldn't want to be without any of the above. Later: I see that Larry already mentioned Twardzik. The Horace Silver trios would be high on my list, too. Edited September 22, 2015 by jeffcrom Quote
mjzee Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Off the top of my head:Elmo Hope Trio on BNSonny Clark Trio, also BNBud Powell...where to start? BN, Verve, ESP (1953!)Tommy Flanagan - OverseasHorace Silver BN Quote
Larry Kart Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) This is the Duke Jordan album I mentioned, has a lovely version of "They Can't Take That Away From Me":http://www.amazon.com/Trio-Quintet-Duke-Jordan/dp/B0042UJWDA/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1442895458&sr=1-7&keywords=duke+jordan I prefer the Sonny Clark Trio album on Time to the one on Blue Note, fine as that is:http://www.allmusic.com/album/sonny-clark-trio-time-mw0000320204 Edited September 22, 2015 by Larry Kart Quote
BFrank Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Just about any Phineas Newborn Jr album. Every one I've heard is very good. Quote
xybert Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Posted September 22, 2015 Cheers for the posts guys. Some thoughts:Pleased to see the love for The Kenny Drew Trio. Ellington's Piano Reflections... so good, loved that one so much i bought a brand new copy just in case my perfectly good second hand copy ever conked out.I really need to check out some Twardzik and Hope.Listened to a bit of Concert By The Sea on Spotify. I'd never heard it; defied my expectations. Nice!Duke Jordan is someone that i want to check out more of. Does anyone know anything about this album:It was reissued in Japan in 2014 and is available really cheap. Quote
king ubu Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 The best trio album by Hope (Jeff mentioned it, Hifijazz/Contemporary/Fantasy) is from 1961. Not that it matters much since it fits the bill. Quote
jazzbo Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) I grew up with this and I love it.The trio selections on this one are excellent.Any trio by Costa, but this one is a favorite. Edited September 22, 2015 by jazzbo Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Some PERSONAL favorites (in no particular order) that immediately come to mind that I keep revisiting relatively regularly :Al HaigGeorge Wallington (my Prestige twofer is not a million spins away from being worn out ;))Claude WilliamsonRonnell BrightHank JonesHampton HawesMarian McPartlandPete JollyLou Levy Quote
Clunky Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Duke Jordan is someone that i want to check out more of. Does anyone know anything about this album:It was reissued in Japan in 2014 and is available really cheap.1954 Vogue Paris date recorded for them in NYC. I have a lovely 10inch UK edition . Music is great Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Duke Jordan is someone that i want to check out more of. Does anyone know anything about this album: It was reissued in Japan in 2014 and is available really cheap.1954 Vogue Paris date recorded for them in NYC. I have a lovely 10inch UK edition . Music is greatFormerly reissued here and also on a Prestige LP: Quote
JohnS Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Cecil Taylor tops my list.Many others, Sonny Clark, Hampton Hawes, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Ahmed Jamal, George Wallington etc etc. Quote
jeffcrom Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 The best trio album by Hope (Jeff mentioned it, Hifijazz/Contemporary/Fantasy) is from 1961. Not that it matters much since it fits the bill.1959, I thought. And I almost didn't reply to this thread because I knew I would forget someone major. And I did.Herbie Nichols on Blue Note! Quote
mjzee Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Duke Jordan is someone that i want to check out more of. Does anyone know anything about this album: It was reissued in Japan in 2014 and is available really cheap.1954 Vogue Paris date recorded for them in NYC. I have a lovely 10inch UK edition . Music is greatFormerly reissued here and also on a Prestige LP:I have 5 tracks as part of this OJC release: Quote
clifford_thornton Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Concur with quite a number of the above - need to dig out the Jordan on Signal/Savoy again. I'll add this: Quote
king ubu Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 The best trio album by Hope (Jeff mentioned it, Hifijazz/Contemporary/Fantasy) is from 1961. Not that it matters much since it fits the bill.1959, I thought. And I almost didn't reply to this thread because I knew I would forget someone major. And I did.Herbie Nichols on Blue Note!You're right, sorry! Released 1960 on Hifijazz, not sure where I got 1961 from.And yeah, Herbie Nichols of course! His was one of the first names that crossed my mind seing this topic, but he's been mentioned and I'm not sure how useful it is if I do another list of artists already mentioned Quote
clifford_thornton Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 I guess Pearson's first two LPs were recorded in late 1959 though they didn't appear in the racks until probably 1960. In my opinion, his best trio album is from 1961:I think of him as a bit more of a '60s player to be honest. "Jeannine" is such a great tune. Quote
JSngry Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 Took me a few years to really unlock this one to get inside it, but, as with most things Ellington, worth the investment.As far as ex posto facto releases go, the ESP series of Bud Powell Birdland broadcasts is worthy of inclusion in most any collection.and as much as I love Vernell Fournier, the early Ahmad Jamal trio records with Ray Crawford & Israel Crosby are seriously da' bomb, as yesterday's kids used to say. The absence f a drum set and the various ways that is handled make for some very provocative and imaginative results. Quote
Larry Kart Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 (edited) Maybe Costa's best:http://www.amazon.com/House-Blue-Lights-COSTA-EDDIE/dp/B006GHC3II/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1442935611&sr=1-1&keywords=eddie+costa+house+of+blue On Bud Powell, I'm very fond of "Time Waits": http://www.amazon.com/Time-Waits-Amazing-Powell-Vol/dp/B00000K4GM Edited September 22, 2015 by Larry Kart Quote
xybert Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Posted September 22, 2015 Duke Jordan is someone that i want to check out more of. Does anyone know anything about this album:It was reissued in Japan in 2014 and is available really cheap.1954 Vogue Paris date recorded for them in NYC. I have a lovely 10inch UK edition . Music is greatThanks!The best trio album by Hope (Jeff mentioned it, Hifijazz/Contemporary/Fantasy) is from 1961. Not that it matters much since it fits the bill.1959, I thought. And I almost didn't reply to this thread because I knew I would forget someone major. And I did.Herbie Nichols on Blue Note!You're right, sorry! Released 1960 on Hifijazz, not sure where I got 1961 from.And yeah, Herbie Nichols of course! His was one of the first names that crossed my mind seing this topic, but he's been mentioned and I'm not sure how useful it is if I do another list of artists already mentioned Actually, if you have time, please do make a list, especially if it's artists already mentioned! It's actually very useful. For example, seeing Concert By The Sea on Hutchfan's list... it put's things in to context in terms of, hey he's digging a lot of the same stuff as me, but i've never thought to really check out Errol Garner let alone that album, let's have a listen...Or if not a list, just post some favourites that come to mind. I really appreciate everyone's posts here.For me it's really helpful to see what individual members here consider to be their personal favourite albums. And if there's crossover with other members, even better! Quote
king ubu Posted September 22, 2015 Report Posted September 22, 2015 will try, but as I'm on vacation for about a week from tomorrow, it might take some time Quote
xybert Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Posted September 22, 2015 will try, but as I'm on vacation for about a week from tomorrow, it might take some time Quote
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