Soft spots

[Larry Kart]

Artists/albums we feel a soft spot for, even though there's nothing major about them:

Mat  Mathews "The Gentle Art of Jazz" (Dawn, 1956.) The very tasty Dutch accordionist with Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce, et al.  This album and Matthews has never ceased to charm me. There is one major track here though -- the duo between Mat and Oscar's virtuoso plucked earthy  cello on the latter's "Now See How You Are." it's on You Tube under Mat's name.

[felser]

Jothan Callins, Trudy Pitts

[Joe]

Paul Horn, SOMETHING BLUE. What it lacks in originality it makes up for with atmosphere and vibe. Billy Higgins and Emil Richards deserve much of the credit here.

JACKIE MCLEAN QUINTET, a date from June 14th, 1962 that was originally issued as part of the HIPGNOSIS 2fer. In the CD, it got paired a bit more sensibly with VERTIGO. This is post-LET FREEDOM RING Jackie, but pre-ONE STEP BEYOND. The band — not only the Clark / Warren / Higgins rhythm section — sounds like a band, and Kenny Dorham plays exceptionally well here in his "late style." Groovy and subtly expressive.

Marty Ehrlich, SONG. From 2011, with Uri Caine, Michael Formanek, Billy Drummond and guest (one one track) Ray Anderson. Very well-programmed mix of originals featuring strong melodies (as the title suggests) and covers, including Dylan's "I Pity the Poor Immigrant" and, most beautiful of all, a version of Jaki Byard's "The Falling Rains of Life" that features Erhlich on bass clarinet. 

 

[Teasing the Korean]

I'm guessing that some of the first jazz albums we may have bought and loved would fall into this category.  For me, that would include Bean Bags by Coleman Hawkins and Milt Jackson, on Atlantic.

[JSngry]

Willie Maiden's tenor playing. 

[Peter Friedman]

I saw Joe Romano play live many times in the 80's and 90's when I was living in Rochester, New York . He played both alto and tenor saxophone, but was especially wonderful on tenor. He led a big band for a brief period. Joe could swing like mad.

Unfortunately he only recorded in a small group context infrequently,

[mhatta]

Walter Bishop, Jr. SPEAK LOW -- This was the first jazz record I ever heard and I still love it.

 

[hopkins]

Rosemary Clooney.

[BillF]

Bill Hardman and Sam Dockery in the 1957 Jazz Messengers.

Certainly not in the first league on their instruments, but such fire! 🚒

[mjazzg]

 

Dorothy Ashby 'Soft Winds' 

 

 

[Big Beat Steve]

"Al Haig Today!" (Mint LP 711, rec. 1965)

Edited April 10, 2023 by Big Beat Steve

[jlhoots]

5 hours ago, mjazzg said:

 

Dorothy Ashby 'Soft Winds' 

 

 

👍

[Larry Kart]

12 hours ago, JSngry said:

Willie Maiden's tenor playing. 

There ya go. I might add the almost forgotten Seldon Powell.

[Joe]

[BillF]

1 minute ago, Joe said:

👍

[felser]

Joe Bonner

[T.D.]

I really like pianist Rob Schneiderman, who recorded a lot on Reservoir. Also Pete Malinverni, ditto (who I once saw live).

[Dan Gould]

I don't understand how "soft spot" compares or differs from prior discussion of "favorites" or for that matter "desert island" discs. 

It sounds like its supposed to be something that others don't generally appreciate? You can usually find others who will agree with your assessments of certain recordings even if they are not in the "pantheon".

[Larry Kart]

"Soft Spots" because you know your fondness for them is personal and a bit sentimental. They're not without some weaknesses/may lack some strengths, but you dig them nonetheless.

[clifford_thornton]

Right -- Joe Henderson's Page One is not my favorite of his records, but it's got some enduring compositions and it was one of the first jazz albums I bought, so I have a soft spot for it.

[mjzee]

I've made a habit of including at least one "soft spot" in each of my BFTs (in fact, there will be one in my May BFT).  Here are some of mine:

Amarcord Nino Rota (Hal Willner's first major opus)

Ted Curson - The Trio

Charles Owens Plays The Music of Harry Warren

Lucky Thompson - Tricotism (aka Dancing Sunbeam)

Mike LeDonne - Smokin' Out Loud

Junior Mance - Here 'Tis

The Revolutionary Ensemble - The Psyche

Gary Burton with Eberhard Weber - Passengers

[clifford_thornton]

Much love for The Psyche. I think it's the RE's best record.

That Curson is pretty burnin' too.

[mjzee]

15 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

Much love for The Psyche. I think it's the RE's best record.

I saw them around that time.  I think I bought the album at the show.  The club was in Soho.  It might have been Studio Rivbea; I just remember it was on street level.

[hopkins]

2 hours ago, mjzee said:

Lucky Thompson - Tricotism (aka Dancing Sunbeam)

This is what Jan Evensmo has to say about that one: 

"These trio performances may be considered the zenith of Lucky Thompson’s recorded performances!!! Strong words considering the numerous magnificent contributions made through the preceding 12 years, and of course it is a matter of taste; these chamber music items represent someting new for LT, for jazz, for us. With only guitar and bass swinging merrily behind, Lucky Thompson creates the most wonderful music. His sound was always unique, now it has a glow making it the most beautiful tenorsax sound in jazz history (together with that of Zoot Sims in slow tempo decades later). His version of a slightly camouflaged ”Body And Soul” is just perfect and incredibly beautiful! There are a lot of tricky compositions here, even the blues on ”… My Boy”, ”… Simple Truth” and particularly ”Mister …” are something different. This session is your tenorsax must!!!!"

[clifford_thornton]

4 hours ago, mjzee said:

I saw them around that time.  I think I bought the album at the show.  The club was in Soho.  It might have been Studio Rivbea; I just remember it was on street level.

wow. I had to wait until a Vision Festival reunion. Bet that SoHo concert was sick.