More Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1980s

[HutchFan]

Just a heads-up: I've now published all three of this week's albums on my blog with brief write-ups and sound clips.

If you're so inclined, take a look.

 

[Gheorghe]

10 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Just a heads-up: I've now published all three of this week's albums on my blog with brief write-ups and sound clips.

If you're so inclined, take a look.

 

Wow first time I had a look at a blog....

I read the review about Joe Pass with Nils Henning and Martin Drew. Joe Pass sure had an incredible tehnique. Once I taped one of his Pablo Records from the 70´s I don´t know which one. But somehow...at first listening I thought "wow" but it´s not the music I would spin all the time. I saw Oscar Peterson with Nils Henning and Martin Drew at a festival in 1983 and at least then I wondered why Peterson doesn´t appear with some brothers from the States. He was a mega star mostly among mainstream music lovers, but seemed to be afraid to get in touch with musicians of the younger generation......, at least that was my impression then. 

Paquito d´Rivera ......one amateur bassist I knew had one of his albums I think it was titled "Explosion", he was enthusiastic about it and I taped it on cassette. First listenings also same effect: "wow" that grooves, so much power, so perfect. This was around the time I had divorced from a short marriage and once I was drivin through town with a borrowed cabrio and some girls in it and played to tape of "Explosion" on a quite loud volume and the girls screamed and liked it. I thought wow girls listenin to a so called jazz album. But somehow, as time goes by, after a few month I had forgotten about it. It´s fine music, very well played but it seems it was just for a short period in my live.....

[HutchFan]

16 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Wow first time I had a look at a blog....

I read the review about Joe Pass with Nils Henning and Martin Drew. Joe Pass sure had an incredible tehnique. Once I taped one of his Pablo Records from the 70´s I don´t know which one. But somehow...at first listening I thought "wow" but it´s not the music I would spin all the time. I saw Oscar Peterson with Nils Henning and Martin Drew at a festival in 1983 and at least then I wondered why Peterson doesn´t appear with some brothers from the States. He was a mega star mostly among mainstream music lovers, but seemed to be afraid to get in touch with musicians of the younger generation......, at least that was my impression then. 

Gheorghe,

Thanks for taking a peek at the blog.   

One note: The Joe Pass entry was posted by my project collaborator, Dan Robey.  Over the course of the year, each of us are posting three albums per week.  

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by HutchFan

[JSngry]

Does Dan have any familial connection to Don?

[HutchFan]

22 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Does Dan have any familial connection to Don?

Nope.  I don't think he has connections to the music biz.   

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by HutchFan

[felser]

I like that Joanne Brackeen album a lot.

[Ken Dryden]

I've long owned a copy of the Joanne Brackeen album. I would probably pass on the Paquito D'Rivera because of the presence of Jorge Dalto along with synths. I was once assigned liner notes to a reissue of a pair of Dalto albums and it was all I could do to try to complete them, as the music bored the heck out of me. I may sample the Odean Pope later, but the presence of Gerald Veasley gives me pause.

[felser]

24 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

I've long owned a copy of the Joanne Brackeen album. I would probably pass on the Paquito D'Rivera because of the presence of Jorge Dalto along with synths. I was once assigned liner notes to a reissue of a pair of Dalto albums and it was all I could do to try to complete them, as the music bored the heck out of me. I may sample the Odean Pope later, but the presence of Gerald Veasley gives me pause.

I don't find Pope's leader work all that compelling.  Don't like his writing.   His work with Max Roach was pretty great.

[Rabshakeh]

The Ponderer is my favourite of his leader records, by quite a long way. 

[HutchFan]

Along with Almost Like Me, folks who dig Odean Pope should check out Odean's List:

STRONG stuff.

 

4 hours ago, felser said:

I like that Joanne Brackeen album a lot.

All of her records from the late-70s and early-80s are off-the-chart good, IMO.

 

[HutchFan]

Tonight, I've been updating some of my earlier blog posts that lacked commentary. 

If you'd like to take a look:

 - David Friedman - Of the Wind's Eye (Enja, 1981)

 - Red Rodney & Ira Sullivan - Spirit Within (Elektra Musician, 1982)

 

Two excellent LPs. 

Ira Sullivan.  Sheesh.  That dude was ridiculous.

 

[Chuck Nessa]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Ira Sullivan.  Sheesh.  That dude was ridiculous.

 

Indeed. I miss his phone calls.

[Teasing the Korean]

1 hour ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Indeed. I miss his phone calls.

I may not be Ira Sullivan, but anytime you want to talk about trains, I'm here for you, Chuck.  We model railroaders need to stick together.  

Edited March 12, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[HutchFan]

More updates to "old" posts -- with newly-added commentary:

- Billy Bang Quintet - Rainbow Gladiator (Soul Note, 1981)

- Leandro "Gato" Barbieri - Gato... Para Los Amigos!! (Doctor Jazz/CBS Special Products, 1983)

- The Ballad Artistry of Buddy Tate featuring the Ed Bickert Trio (Sackville, 1982)

 

As always, I welcome your perspective, feedback, corrections, etc. 

Thanks!

 

[Gheorghe]

This time I can´t say much, because the musicians were not on my main screen. 

I have always been fascinated of Gato´s playing on the BN Don Cherry albums, but didn´t notice him really after that. There were tons of albums under his name in the record stores when I still didn´t know about his playing with Cherry, but I suppose that was another kind of music....

I never was really crazy about violins, what I really liked was the violin in the McCoy sextet at that time (Ran Blake was his name ?). 

I heard Buddy Tate with a Woody Herman All Star Band in 1985 which was fun, but more that kind of "Concorde Label" music, that new "Mainstream Swing" with Scott Hamilton and Varren Vaché as youngsters, and Buddy Tate and Al Cohn as veterans, nice. 

There was also a double album of a typical Concorde jam with those artists without Woody, I think "blues up and down" and "Rifftide" was on it, but since it was too polished mainstream especially from the rhythm section, I eventually sold it ..... 

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks for adding the write ups. It does make a difference. I always enjoy the other recommendations that pop up.

[mjazzg]

Thanks for the write ups, just bought the Gato on the back of that one

[Peter Friedman]

15 hours ago, HutchFan said:

More updates to "old" posts -- with newly-added commentary:

-

 

As always, I welcome your perspective, feedback, corrections, etc. 

Thanks!

 

A memory regarding Buddy Tate. I was spending a few days in Toronto at the home of my close friend John Norris. Buddy Tate and Jay McShann were among John's favorite musicians as well as his friends. John and  recorded them both a number of times on his Sackville label.

Both Buddy and Jay were playing in Toronto so John and his wife Sandy invited them to lunch at his house one day. We had a great afternoon with good food and much interesting conversation with Buddy and Jay. 

[HutchFan]

13 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

A memory regarding Buddy Tate. I was spending a few days in Toronto at the home of my close friend John Norris. Buddy Tate and Jay McShann were among John's favorite musicians as well as his friends. John and  recorded them both a number of times on his Sackville label.

Both Buddy and Jay were playing in Toronto so John and his wife Sandy invited them to lunch at his house one day. We had a great afternoon with good food and much interesting conversation with Buddy and Jay. 

Terrific story, Peter.  Thanks for sharing that!

Crazy Legs & Friday Strut !!!  

 

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Speaking of John Norris, I came to Coda very near the end of it's run, but bought old back issues. I miss magazines like that. 

[HutchFan]

3 hours ago, Hoppy T. Frog said:

Speaking of John Norris, I came to Coda very near the end of it's run, but bought old back issues. I miss magazines like that. 

I wish someone would compile the most interesting features from Coda in a book (or ebook). 

My vote for the title: A Coda Compendium.

I'd buy it.

 

[HutchFan]

My entries for this week:

- Stan Getz - Blue Skies (Concord, 1995) 

- Dewey Redman - The Struggle Continues (ECM, 1982) 

- Woody Shaw - Lotus Flower (Enja, 1982)  

 

I'm all caught up. 

 

[Gheorghe]

I don´t have Lotus Flower. Is it Woodys working group with Steve Turré , Mulgrew Miller, Stafford James and Tony Reedus ? When ended Woody´s contract with Columbia. In the same year like Dexter´s contract with Columbia ended ? 

The only Woody Shaw from that period I have is from Electra Musician with Bobby Hutcherson added to the group. I saw the band in early 1983 and it was one of the best concerts I ever saw. 

Dewey Redman is great ! I remember the "Old and New Dreams". 

Stan Getz from 1995 ? Should it be 1985 ? Didn´t know he recorded for Concord. The only time I saw him was with a quartet with Lou Levy on piano......

I think I have somewhere an LP of Getz from 1990. Getz would have been okay, but I didn´t like the album very much. Might give it another try sometimes.. ..

[sidewinder]

16 minutes ago, Gheorghe said:

I don´t have Lotus Flower. Is it Woodys working group with Steve Turré , Mulgrew Miller, Stafford James and Tony Reedus ? When ended Woody´s contract with Columbia. In the same year like Dexter´s contract with Columbia ended ? 

Yes. The Shaw club performances I saw in early 83 in the UK included tunes from that album, including the title track I recall. Agree, the group was on very good form in that period. In fact I remember sharing a table with a couple of guys from the Netherlands who had flown in specially for it.

They kicked off one set with a particularly good contrapuntal version of ‘All the Things You Are’. Better than the version included on one of the Electra albums.

Edited March 14, 2022 by sidewinder

[Gheorghe]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

Yes. The Shaw club performances I saw in early 83 in the UK included tunes from that album, including the title track I recall. Agree, the group was on very good form in that period. In fact I remember sharing a table with a couple of guys from the Netherlands who had flown in specially for it.

They kicked off one set with a particularly good contrapuntal version of ‘All the Things You Are’. Better than the version included on one of the Electra albums.

That sounds great. So it must have been the same tour I saw, early 1983. In my case it was at the Vienna Concert Hall and it was titled "Bebop Supernight". First set Johnny Griffin Quartet, second set Woody Shaw quintet, and last set a very weak Dexter Gordon. It was advertised that after the Gordon set there will be an encounter of all three leaders, but it didn´t happen.....