Playing Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s

[Peter Friedman]

The Tommy Flanagan Trio session is one of his best.

The Basie / Gillespie is also a terrific recording.

Over the years my appreciation for Art Hodes grown larger, and this is a good one. 

[HutchFan]

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna – Alone at the Palace (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
David S. Ware / Apogee – Birth of a Being (hat Hut/Aum Fidelity, 1979)
Al Cohn & Jimmy Rowles – Heavy Love (Xanadu/Elemental, 1978)
Buddy DeFranco – Like Someone in Love (Progressive, 1977)
George Russell & the Swedish Radio Jazz Orchestra – Vertical Form VI (Soul Note, 1981)
Billy Hart – Enchance (A&M Horizon, 1977)
George Coleman-Tete Montoliu Duo – Meditation aka Dynamic Duo (Timeless, 1977)

 

David S. Ware side-by-side with Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna.  ... I like that.

 

[EKE BBB]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

George Coleman-Tete Montoliu Duo – Meditation aka Dynamic Duo (Timeless, 1977)

Yeah!

[JSngry]

Al Cohn & Jimmy Rowles – Heavy Love (Xanadu/Elemental, 1978)
Billy Hart – Enchance (A&M Horizon, 1977)

Those two can go on any list of anything of any time.

[HutchFan]

10 minutes ago, EKE BBB said:

Yeah!

 

EKE,

I also included Tete's solo piano album Songs for Love earlier in the survey.  Not sure whether you'd seen that entry.  

 

[Peter Friedman]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:39 AM, HutchFan said:

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna – Alone at the Palace (Chiaroscuro, 1977)
David S. Ware / Apogee – Birth of a Being (hat Hut/Aum Fidelity, 1979)
Al Cohn & Jimmy Rowles – Heavy Love (Xanadu/Elemental, 1978)
Buddy DeFranco – Like Someone in Love (Progressive, 1977)
George Russell & the Swedish Radio Jazz Orchestra – Vertical Form VI (Soul Note, 1981)
Billy Hart – Enchance (A&M Horizon, 1977)
George Coleman-Tete Montoliu Duo – Meditation aka Dynamic Duo (Timeless, 1977)

 

David S. Ware side-by-side with Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna.  ... I like that.

 

The Al Cohn - Jimmy Rowes is a 5 Star recording.

I also like the Joe Venuti-Dave McKenna and the Buddy DeFranco.

[HutchFan]

3 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

The Al Cohn - Jimmy Rowes is a 5 Star recording.

No doubt about it!   

[HutchFan]

Last week's entries, one day late.

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Art Pepper – Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1980) & Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979)
Elton Dean's Ninesense – Happy Daze (Ogun, 1977)
Roy Eldridge 4 – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
Shelly Manne – Essence (Galaxy, 1978)
John Scofield – Live (Enja/Inner City, 1978)
David Friedman/David Samuels – Double Image (Enja/Inner City, 1977)
Louis Hayes – The Real Thing (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

 

[danasgoodstuff]

On 9/3/2020 at 1:50 PM, Peter Friedman said:

The Al Cohn - Jimmy Rowes is a 5 Star recording.

Bought during a piano/sax duet craze and it survived the subsequent purge when I realized I didn't need every one of those ever done.

Not as much of an Art Pepper fan as I used to be, I was just completely enthralled at one point.  And definitely not as big on the VV recordings as I once was - the phrase 'trying too hard' comes to mind.  But I guess he had to get it out of his system, and he certainly goes at it head on; now I prefer lots of other things by Art both before and after.

Edited September 10, 2020 by danasgoodstuff

[CJ Shearn]

9 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Last week's entries, one day late.

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Art Pepper – Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1980) & Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1979)
Elton Dean's Ninesense – Happy Daze (Ogun, 1977)
Roy Eldridge 4 – Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977)
Shelly Manne – Essence (Galaxy, 1978)
John Scofield – Live (Enja/Inner City, 1978)
David Friedman/David Samuels – Double Image (Enja/Inner City, 1977)
Louis Hayes – The Real Thing (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

 

The Eldridge is great and one I play often

[HutchFan]

4 hours ago, CJ Shearn said:

The Eldridge is great and one I play often

Yeah, I love that record.  Roy sounds inspired.

 

[felser]

Those Art Pepper albums are outstanding.  The box set of the whole gig is essential.  He was consistently inspired in that period, to me the strongest of his career.  Remember reading somewhere that "he played each solo like it could be his last one".  And a Cables/Mraz/Elvin rhythm section ain't too shabby.

[Peter Friedman]

5 hours ago, CJ Shearn said:

The Eldridge is great and one I play often

The Roy Eldridge session is my favorite on this list. I also like the Shelly Manne - Essence, which I don't believe has ever been reissued on CD.

[CJ Shearn]

4 hours ago, felser said:

Those Art Pepper albums are outstanding.  The box set of the whole gig is essential.  He was consistently inspired in that period, to me the strongest of his career.  Remember reading somewhere that "he played each solo like it could be his last one".  And a Cables/Mraz/Elvin rhythm section ain't too shabby.

It's a great set.

[HutchFan]

Quick note re: Louis Hayes' The Real Thing -- If you're a Woody Shaw fan, you NEED to hear it.

It's an outstanding record, and Shaw appears on every cut.

[mjazzg]

22 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Quick note re: Louis Hayes' The Real Thing -- If you're a Woody Shaw fan, you NEED to hear it.

It's an outstanding record, and Shaw appears on every cut.

Noted, thanks. Checking Discogs now!

[felser]

29 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Quick note re: Louis Hayes' The Real Thing -- If you're a Woody Shaw fan, you NEED to hear it.

It's an outstanding record, and Shaw appears on every cut.

You also need to hear every other album he played on in the 70's!  But that is a really good album, recorded six months after the wonderful Shaw "Live at the Berliner Jazztage" album (a desert island disc for me) with almost identical personnel (Frank Foster is added to the Berliner album).  Shaw and Hayes were co-leaders of that group.   

[HutchFan]

I think you're right, felser.  Woody Shaw was remarkable on so many records in the 70s -- but I do think The Real Thing is extra special.

 

For example:

 

[mjazzg]

That's a sweet sound indeed

[HutchFan]

I was thinking about felser's comments about Woody Shaw. 

It prompted me to pull together a few more thoughts about Shaw and his impact on jazz in the 1970s.  I just tallied the number of time he appears in my survey.  He appears on seven albums, more than any other trumpeter:

- Roy Brooks – The Free Slave (Muse, 1972)
- Buddy Terry – Pure Dynamite (Mainstream, 1972)
- Joe Chambers – The Almoravid (Muse/32 Jazz, 1974)
- Bobby Hutcherson – Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974)
- Buster Williams – Pinnacle (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975)
- Woody Shaw – Love Dance (Muse, 1976)
- Louis Hayes – The Real Thing (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

In terms of number of appearances in my survey, Hannibal Marvin Peterson comes after Shaw, appearing on six LPs. 

Some others who show up multiple times:
- Tom Harrell - 4 (none as a leader)
- Lester Bowie - 3
- Thad Jones - 3
- Virgil Jones - 3 (none as a leader)
- Manfred Schoof - 2
- Wadada Leo Smith - 2

 

Of course, these tallies are a reflection of my taste.  But I'm just sayin' ...

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by HutchFan

[Rooster_Ties]

Woody’s playing and approach were really special. I’ve been so incredibly impressed with the multitude of live recordings we have by him, including so many in just the last couple years or so.

While soloing especially, his technique and ideas were so often the pinnacle of skilled trumpet playing - but even more importantly, he practically always transcended the technical with well thought out solos that really went somewhere, and got there like few others.

When push comes to shove, Woody is my #1 go-to on trumpet - or certainly the best 80% of his output, which was truly top drawer.

[HutchFan]

Still thinking about Woody.  ... More important Shaw sideman work from the 1970s, culled from discogs:

- Pharoah Sanders - Summun Bukmun Umyun / Deaf Dumb Blind (Impulse, 1970)
- Joe Henderson - At the Lighthouse: "If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem" ‎(Milestone, 1970)
- Joe Henderson - In Pursuit of Blackness (Milestone, 1971)
- Walter Bishop Jr. - Coral Keys (Black Jazz, 1971)    
- Joe Zawinul - Zawinul (Atlantic, 1971)
- Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Child's Dance (Prestige, 1972)
- Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Buhaina (Prestige, 1973)
- Azar Lawrence - Bridge into the New Age (Prestige, 1974)
- Bobby Hutcherson - Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1974)
- Dexter Gordon - Sophisticated Giant (Columbia, 1977)
- Dexter Gordon - Homecoming: Live at The Village Vanguard (Columbia, 1977)
- Black Renaissance - Body, Mind and Spirit (Baystate/Luv n Haight, 1976)
- Dexter Gordon - Great Encounters (Columbia, 1978)
- The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band - S/T (MPS, 1979)

 

An amazing number of records, all in one decade.

... and we've only touched on his records as a leader!

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by HutchFan

[kh1958]

6 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I was thinking about felser's comments about Woody Shaw. 

It prompted me to pull together a few more thoughts about Shaw and his impact on jazz in the 1970s.  I just tallied the number of time he appears in my survey.  He appears on seven albums, more than any other trumpeter:

- Roy Brooks – The Free Slave (Muse, 1972)
- Buddy Terry – Pure Dynamite (Mainstream, 1972)
- Joe Chambers – The Almoravid (Muse/32 Jazz, 1974)
- Bobby Hutcherson – Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974)
- Buster Williams – Pinnacle (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975)
- Woody Shaw – Love Dance (Muse, 1976)
- Louis Hayes – The Real Thing (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

In terms of number of appearances in my survey, Hannibal Marvin Peterson comes after Shaw, appearing on six LPs. 

Some others who show up multiple times:
- Tom Harrell - 4 (none as a leader)
- Lester Bowie - 3
- Thad Jones - 3
- Virgil Jones - 3 (none as a leader)
- Manfred Schoof - 2
- Wadada Leo Smith - 2

 

Of course, these tallies are a reflection of my taste.  But I'm just sayin' ...

 

Your methodology (one leader selection only) seems biased in favor of prolific sidemen as opposed to leaders who rarely record as a sideman. 

[Peter Friedman]

16 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I was thinking about felser's comments about Woody Shaw. 

It prompted me to pull together a few more thoughts about Shaw and his impact on jazz in the 1970s.  I just tallied the number of time he appears in my survey.  He appears on seven albums, more than any other trumpeter:

- Roy Brooks – The Free Slave (Muse, 1972)
- Buddy Terry – Pure Dynamite (Mainstream, 1972)
- Joe Chambers – The Almoravid (Muse/32 Jazz, 1974)
- Bobby Hutcherson – Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974)
- Buster Williams – Pinnacle (Muse/32 Jazz, 1975)
- Woody Shaw – Love Dance (Muse, 1976)
- Louis Hayes – The Real Thing (Muse/32 Jazz, 1978)

In terms of number of appearances in my survey, Hannibal Marvin Peterson comes after Shaw, appearing on six LPs. 

Some others who show up multiple times:
- Tom Harrell - 4 (none as a leader)
- Lester Bowie - 3
- Thad Jones - 3
- Virgil Jones - 3 (none as a leader)
- Manfred Schoof - 2
- Wadada Leo Smith - 2

 

Of course, these tallies are a reflection of my taste.  But I'm just sayin' ...

 

The trumpet player missing from those you mentioned above is Art Farmer. I just  found eleven recordings he made as leader in the 70's that I like very much. I didn't check to see his sideman  performances during the 70's.

But as you, said it comes down to individual taste. 

[HutchFan]

10 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Your methodology (one leader selection only) seems biased in favor of prolific sidemen as opposed to leaders who rarely record as a sideman. 

Yeah. That's true. 

My intention wasn't to make any sort of absolute statement about Woody relative to other trumpeters. 

I was just pointing out that Shaw made a big impact on the sound of jazz in the 70s -- both as a leader and sideman.

 

7 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

The trumpet player missing from those you mentioned above is Art Farmer. I just  found eleven recordings he made as leader in the 70's that I like very much. I didn't check to see his sideman  performances during the 70's.

But as you, said it comes down to individual taste. 

I agree with you, Peter.  Farmer made several outstanding recordings in the decade.

But -- like kh1958 said -- my list favors trumpeters who often appeared in sideman roles.

Edited September 9, 2020 by HutchFan