So, What Are You Listening To NOW?

[Rabshakeh]

11 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

I played a couple of discs recently and really enjoyed them. The tune selection is interesting and I agree the playing is too notch, from all of them.  The other Braxton Standards I really enjoy are the Steeplechases.

Pleased to have this to dip into. Can't see playing all the discs in order as I did initially again.

The Leo you mention, is that where AB plays piano?

The Leos I mean are the 3x4CD sets from 2003. 12 CDs of the stuff. They have similar modern artworks as covers. I think that they are pretty wretched. It's Braxton playing mostly GAS type standards with a Tristano-type guitar trio behind him. His playing seems to me to be very sloppy / clumsy, and he keeps repeatedly tearing off on saxophone squiggles that don't relate to the tune and get boring very fast. The poor band is basically nailed in place.

The 2020 set is quite different. The tunes are more interesting - as you say. Arguably many are not really 'standards'. It's more 'Braxton plays other people's tunes'. And the playing is consistently excellent, even emotional, from everyone involved.

I initially only skimmed this set, partly because I was sick of the heavy Braxton splurge of releases at the time, and partly because of my dislike of the Leo CDs.

Are the Steeplechase the In The Tradition ones? I like those, although some of the horn choices are a little gimmicky. Also the Charlie Parker Project and Tristano sets are good, I think. They're more obviously provocative.

[mjazzg]

1 minute ago, Rabshakeh said:

The Leos I mean are the 3x4CD sets from 2003. 12 CDs of the stuff. They have similar modern artworks as covers. I think that they are pretty wretched. It's Braxton playing mostly GAS type standards with a Tristano-type guitar trio behind him. His playing seems to me to be very sloppy / clumsy, and he keeps repeatedly tearing off on saxophone squiggles that don't relate to the tune and get boring very fast. The poor band is basically nailed in place.

The 2020 set is quite different. The tunes are more interesting - as you say. Arguably many are not really 'standards'. It's more 'Braxton plays other people's tunes'. And the playing is consistently excellent, even emotional, from everyone involved.

I initially only skimmed this set, partly because I was sick of the heavy Braxton splurge of releases at the time, and partly because of my dislike of the Leo CDs.

Are the Steeplechase the In The Tradition ones? I like those, although some of the horn choices are a little gimmicky. Also the Charlie Parker Project and Tristano sets are good, I think. They're more obviously provocative.

I think I must have checked those Leos out and forgotten about them, very probably for the reasons you identify.

Yes I did mean the 'In The Tradition' ones, I remember hearing them for the first time and being bowled over, I think that glow still exists if only in a nostalgic manner. Still enjoy hearing them.

I also remember buying the Tristano on Hat, great album. Never got on with the Parker set.

Diverging slightly, the Andrew Hills on CIMP count as standards to me and I really rate them

[Rabshakeh]

Just now, mjazzg said:

Yes I did mean the 'In The Tradition' ones, I remember hearing them for the first time and being bowled over, I think that glow still exists if only in a nostalgic manner. Still enjoy hearing them.

I like them. I have the second one. Still young and the thrill of discovery, even if the discovery is sometimes different kinds of saxophones.

2 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Diverging slightly, the Andrew Hills on CIMP count as standards to me and I really rate them

What is the the CIMP release? Sorry. Being dense.

[Peter Friedman]

[mjazzg]

12 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I like them. I have the second one. Still young and the thrill of discovery, even if the discovery is sometimes different kinds of saxophones.

What is the the CIMP release? Sorry. Being dense.

These two,

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736140-Anthony-Braxton-Ten-Compositions-Quartet-2000

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736146-Anthony-Braxton-Nine-Compositions-Hill-2000

The only dense thing is AB's discography 

[Rabshakeh]

8 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

These two,

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736140-Anthony-Braxton-Ten-Compositions-Quartet-2000

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736146-Anthony-Braxton-Nine-Compositions-Hill-2000

The only dense thing is AB's discography 

I don't know them. But he's good on Hill on the 2020 records. Two more Braxton sets to add to the list...

[mjazzg]

4 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I don't know them. But he's good on Hill on the 2020 records. Two more Braxton sets to add to the list...

I'm not sure how available they are these days, especially streamably. If you have the means to rip CDs let me know, happy to lend them out

Edited August 29, 2023 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, sidewinder said:

CD2 - ‘Birth of a Band’

Following up CD3 with a viewing of Jazz Icons Live in Belgium and Switzerland 1960. What a band !

[gmonahan]

Heard a snippet of this one on Real Jazz on the radio and decided to give it a listen. What a great album this is!

 

[Dan Gould]

6 minutes ago, gmonahan said:

Heard a snippet of this one on Real Jazz on the radio and decided to give it a listen. What a great album this is!

 

With 2800 posts, and a member for 17 years, this is truly your first experience of Blue Train? I guess there is a time for everything.  I didn't know it was possible to be a listener for at least 17 years and not have heard this album.

[Д.Д.]

3 hours ago, mjazzg said:

These two,

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736140-Anthony-Braxton-Ten-Compositions-Quartet-2000

https://www.discogs.com/master/1736146-Anthony-Braxton-Nine-Compositions-Hill-2000

The only dense thing is AB's discography 

 

3 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I don't know them. But he's good on Hill on the 2020 records. Two more Braxton sets to add to the list...

CIMPs / Cadence releases are on Apple Music. 

[gmonahan]

2 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

With 2800 posts, and a member for 17 years, this is truly your first experience of Blue Train? I guess there is a time for everything.  I didn't know it was possible to be a listener for at least 17 years and not have heard this album.

No Dan, I've owned Blue Train first in vinyl, then in its first cd, then in the "enhanced" cd. The radio snippet just reminded me I hadn't listened to it in a while! Sorry if I gave you that *very* mistaken impression!

 

[Dan Gould]

11 minutes ago, gmonahan said:

No Dan, I've owned Blue Train first in vinyl, then in its first cd, then in the "enhanced" cd. The radio snippet just reminded me I hadn't listened to it in a while! Sorry if I gave you that *very* mistaken impression!

 

I figured it had to be mistaken but I don't think its the most outlandish interpretation of how you described the decision to listen today.

 

[gmonahan]

Just now, Dan Gould said:

I figured it had to be mistaken but I don't think its the most outlandish interpretation of how you described the decision to listen today.

 

Rereading it I can see how you'd see it that way!  All that said, though, damn, what an album!

 

[HutchFan]

I'm still completely caught up in Baden Powell's music:

 

[scooter_phx]

[Peter Friedman]

[dougcrates]

[dougcrates]

[Chuck Nessa]

Pulled for exploration tomorrow -

Received this about 6 months ago and haven't spent enough quality time with it.

[Gheorghe]

16 hours ago, Niko said:

no, on High on an open mike, like this LP, it's well Burns,   but on the Burns album I posted above it's Peterson... 

That´s the album I have. America label. I have a lot from that label, mostly Mingus. This one was the only I had, on which there was no Mingus. 

[Gheorghe]

8 hours ago, gmonahan said:

Heard a snippet of this one on Real Jazz on the radio and decided to give it a listen. What a great album this is!

 

You didn´t know it  before ? ? 

This was one of the first jazz albums I heard. First a Miles Davis album with Trane and Philly on it, and than this one, I played it over and over again. I can´t say the same about Trane´s Prestige albums, since they mostly have Art Taylor on drums and I like Philly more. 

[BillF]

9 hours ago, gmonahan said:

 

 

👍

Now playing:

[optatio]

11 hours ago, gmonahan said:

Heard a snippet of this one on Real Jazz on the radio and decided to give it a listen. What a great album this is!

 

👍 - as vinyl on my shelf since years ...

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, BillF said:

👍

Now playing:

Les Spann !

I was watching film clips last night of him on the Quincy Jones DVD. A somewhat undersung and unique musician. Quincy astutely filled his band with quite a few players for whom similar could be said - Julius Watkins, Budd Johnson, Melba Liston, Joe Harris.