So, What Are You Listening To NOW?

[dougcrates]

[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 May 9 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?

[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. 

[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? 

[T.D.]

3 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

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

This was the first hit from Google, which actually autotyped the last word of my query:

Art Blakey et les Jazz-Messengers au club St. Germain - Wikipedia

[HutchFan]

Now:

 

Earlier:

Disc 1

 

[HutchFan]

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, T.D. said:

This was the first hit from Google, which actually autotyped the last word of my query:

Art Blakey et les Jazz-Messengers au club St. Germain - Wikipedia

That's the one. Didn't see a US release of any kind until 1992 on RCA Bluebird as Paris 1958 and then just as a single disc.

This is the session that Benny Golson recounts as showing up for the gig and seeing recording microphones set up, asking Blakey what was up with that, and never getting a straight answer - or any extra money.

Maybe that was one reason for the fire, along with Hazel Scott!