So, What Are You Listening To NOW?

[T.D.]

25 minutes ago, rostasi said:

An electronic music musician sent me a CD-R.
It sounded too much like Dumitrescu and not the person(s)
he said was supposed to be on it. A bit of research turned up
the recording above, so I ended up getting that disc inadvertently.

Slightly related: I've often wondered how Ana-Maria Avram had died - 
a talented composer who died way too young.
 

It's a pretty good album. I really enjoy the first 3 (of 4) pieces, not wild about the fourth. Dumitrescu only wrote the first piece but conducts the others. I haven't heard that much by Dumitrescu, my bad. Discovered his music after seeing some comparisons to Radulescu, but didn't follow up sufficiently (it was ancient pre-bandcamp era when CDs were scarce on the ground). Going to look for more online. Very sad about A-M Avram, haven't heard any details.

[dougcrates]

[rostasi]

35 minutes ago, T.D. said:

It's a pretty good album. I really enjoy the first 3 (of 4) pieces, not wild about the fourth. Dumitrescu only wrote the first piece but conducts the others. I haven't heard that much by Dumitrescu, my bad. Discovered his music after seeing some comparisons to Radulescu, but didn't follow up sufficiently (it was ancient pre-bandcamp era when CDs were scarce on the ground). Going to look for more online. Very sad about A-M Avram, haven't heard any details.

I have about two dozen releases of theirs on Edition Modern.
Awful looking covers (and the CD-Rs are very cheaply made),
but the music is superb - tho it's hard to tell the difference
between Dumitrescu and Avram at times.

[Rabshakeh]

Johnathan Blake – Passage

Amazing to think that jazz used to be a disreputable party music. Listening to this record is like being stuck in a stuffy lecture theatre. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

45 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Johnathan Blake – Passage

Amazing to think that jazz used to be a disreputable party music. Listening to this record is like being stuck in a stuffy lecture theatre. 

So I take it you don't like it? I have yet to pick this up but it sounds like maybe I don't need to.

[jazzbo]

4 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

So I take it you don't like it? I have yet to pick this up but it sounds like maybe I don't need to.

Personally I really like it. I like this new direction towards a more "intellectual" jazz--that's how I hear it and similar recordings with these musicians.

[Rabshakeh]

14 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

So I take it you don't like it? I have yet to pick this up but it sounds like maybe I don't need to.

8 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Personally I really like it. I like this new direction towards a more "intellectual" jazz--that's how I hear it and similar recordings with these musicians.

I think Jazzbo is right in his description. It is modern post bop and studious with it.

I personally found it very boring. Whilst it certainly is "intellectual" I found it perhaps not creative or very fresh. Everything is in the mix and played with slick facility but my feeling was that the songs aren't great and excitement doesn't even seem to be a goal.

However, that is just my idiot opinion. I am at any point in time slightly agnostic about these players (I quite like Ross and Wilkins), so if you normally like these musicians a lot it is worth probably following Jazzbo's tastes over mine.  In any case, it is streamable, so there's the opportunity to give it a go and see who is right.

[jazzbo]

I hear it differently but that's cool. We all get excited over things others don't and vice versa. What I like about these recordings is that they are exploring a new direction without diluting the jazz tradition with so many other influences. That's a fresh approach to my ears. I don't dig "jazz" with so much rock and world etc. influences.

Edited 18 hours ago by jazzbo

[Kevin Bresnahan]

50 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I think Jazzbo is right in his description. It is modern post bop and studious with it.

I personally found it very boring. Whilst it certainly is "intellectual" I found it perhaps not creative or very fresh. Everything is in the mix and played with slick facility but my feeling was that the songs aren't great and excitement doesn't even seem to be a goal.

However, that is just my idiot opinion. I am at any point in time slightly agnostic about these players (I quite like Ross and Wilkins), so if you normally like these musicians a lot it is worth probably following Jazzbo's tastes over mine.  In any case, it is streamable, so there's the opportunity to give it a go and see who is right.

I've been going to quite a few Jazz shows lately where this style is in play. I wouldn't call it boring but comparing it to a lecture hall is a good analogy. To be honest, seeing a whole set of this style of music isn't my idea of a great show. Not a bad show, but not great.

[John Tapscott]

[Chuck Nessa]

[Jazzmonkie]

[Peter Friedman]

[JSngry]

Liking it. Liking it just fine, in fact.

If we're done with true innovation, this kind of assertive evolved identity music will do just fine as one of the viable options.

Produced by Walter Smith III, facilitated by Don Was and crew. Blue Note is having a moment!

[Rabshakeh]

24 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Liking it. Liking it just fine, in fact.

If we're done with true innovation, this kind of assertive evolved identity music will do just fine as one of the viable options.

Produced by Walter Smith III, facilitated by Don Was and crew. Blue Note is having a moment!

This one is good. As I said above, I do like Joel Ross.

3 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

I've been going to quite a few Jazz shows lately where this style is in play. I wouldn't call it boring but comparing it to a lecture hall is a good analogy. To be honest, seeing a whole set of this style of music isn't my idea of a great show. Not a bad show, but not great.

What I really don't like is that feeling that I am going to a jazz gig to learn and improve myself: Straight faced and studious players, opening with a speech about the importance of the music, and total silence solemn from the audience.

That last factor has become a particular bugbear for me. I went to an Evan Parker show recently at OTO and accidentally fell over someone on my way to the loo. I tried to apologise (quietly) and the person I'd squashed actually shushed me. Fingers on the lips, like I was a schoolchild.

I think it is a great thing for a musician to play the music that he or she loves, and hard bop and post bop is music that I love to hear.  The tradition to which these musicians have decided to dedicate themselves is a raucous one where the music was played to be enjoyed. 

Quality wise I think that these modern Blue Note records can be hit and miss, but I do make sure to check them out, because they're rarely rubbish and some are good. I think that the hit rate is probably higher than the likes of International Anthem or Clean Feed. That doesn't mean that they're all great but current output is pretty good.

[Rabshakeh]

2 hours ago, Jazzmonkie said:

What is this one? Looks fun. Why is Zappa I American?

[rostasi]

Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone
Karen Borca - bassoon
Hayes Burnett - bass
Henry Letcher - drums
Syd Smart - drums

[Rabshakeh]

Chicago - III

 

Uri Caine - Gustav Mahler: Dark Flame

[JSngry]

32 minutes ago, rostasi said:

Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone
Karen Borca - bassoon
Hayes Burnett - bass
Henry Letcher - drums
Syd Smart - drums

There ya' go.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

What I really don't like is that feeling that I am going to a jazz gig to learn and improve myself: Straight faced and studious players, opening with a speech about the importance of the music, and total silence solemn from the audience.

That last factor has become a particular bugbear for me. I went to an Evan Parker show recently at OTO and accidentally fell over someone on my way to the loo. I tried to apologise (quietly) and the person I'd squashed actually shushed me. Fingers on the lips, like I was a schoolchild.

I think it is a great thing for a musician to play the music that he or she loves, and hard bop and post bop is music that I love to hear.  The tradition to which these musicians have decided to dedicate themselves is a raucous one where the music was played to be enjoyed. 

 

Hazel Scott is on your side:

 

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, rostasi said:

Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone
Karen Borca - bassoon
Hayes Burnett - bass
Henry Letcher - drums
Syd Smart - drums

There's the Borca connection again. I'm still meaning to check those records out.

7 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Hazel Scott is on your side:

 

Is that her hooting away? What a great sounding recording. 

[rostasi]

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

Is that her hooting away? What a great sounding recording. 

It is! Live in Paris at St. Germain.

Check out the full recordings of that band at that club. Fire!

[Peter Friedman]

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

It is! Live in Paris at St. Germain.

Check out the full recordings of that band at that club. Fire!

I can't find it. I've tried Google. What's the record?