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Post by mrfancy on Feb 8, 2015 0:59:19 GMT
Today I spun Kenny Dorham's "Matador" on United Artists, mono first pressing which I recently scored in a local shop here in Boston about 10 days or so ago. I had never heard of it before I bought it, and the line-up made it an easy blind buy. The big surprise for me was hearing a version of a track I recognized from Jackie McLean's "Let Freedom Ring," recored only months prior to "Matador." Man, the whole band really burns on it, and Kenny Dorham and Bobby Timmons do some of their most adventurous playing (that I know of) on this LP, "Matador." For me it really feels like a Jackie McLean record--has a real edge, and expressive drive that other of Dorham's records, while excellent all, lack. The band really seems to be reaching to Jackie's level of intensity. LJC covered a re-issue of this a couple of years back. (I finding myself rushing to LJC to find if he has covered my recent acquisitions!)
Next up will be the blu-ray which was just released of Shirley Clark's movie "The Connection," which features performances by Freddie Redd and Jackie McLean. Folks probably know of the Freddie Redd with Jackie McLean Blue Note record "Music from The Connection." The record is not a soundtrack per se, but has compositions from the movie, which was a film version of an off-broadway play. I wonder if an actual soundtrack of the movie ever circulated? I have the Cecil Payne version "The Connection," and have long coveted the Howard McGhee and Tina Brooks record.
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Post by gregorythefish on Feb 9, 2015 14:29:40 GMT
dottor:
what miles columbia are you looking for? i might be interested in doing some trading.
recently i listened to one of my all-time most exciting scores. i try not to buy records for top price, even when they are under $100, because i am on a graduate student salary, which is hilarious to say the least. but i finally got an M- copy of Ronnie Boykins "The Will Come, Is Now" on ESP-Disk'. Probably not what everyone here (except perhaps dottor) is that into, but it has been on the want list for awhile and i got a fantastic price for it. it is delightful. i spun it three times!
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Post by dottorjazz on Feb 10, 2015 9:10:00 GMT
dottor: what miles columbia are you looking for? i might be interested in doing some trading. recently i listened to one of my all-time most exciting scores. i try not to buy records for top price, even when they are under $100, because i am on a graduate student salary, which is hilarious to say the least. but i finally got an M- copy of Ronnie Boykins "The Will Come, Is Now" on ESP-Disk'. Probably not what everyone here (except perhaps dottor) is that into, but it has been on the want list for awhile and i got a fantastic price for it. it is delightful. i spun it three times! what miles columbia are you looking for? i might be interested in doing some trading. here they are: IN PERSON AT THE BLACKHAWK, SAN FRANCISCO, CL 1669 CL 1670 QUIET NIGHTS, CL 2106 MY FUNNY VALENTINE, CL 2306 FOUR & MORE, CL 2453 E.S.P., CL 2350 MILES SMILES, CL 2601 SORCERER, CL 2732 NEFERTITI, CS 9594 (mono white preferred) MILES IN THE SKY, CS 9628 IN A SILENT WAY, CS 9875 JACK JOHNSON, S 30455
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Post by gregorythefish on Feb 10, 2015 17:43:14 GMT
I have both volumes of blackhawk, quiet nights, four, and miles smiles. they are all VG+ are better... what sorts of things would be willing to offer?
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Post by alunsevern on Feb 14, 2015 10:52:15 GMT
Saturday 14th Feb 2015 and the first opportunity to listen to anything since last Saturday. I'm starting with SENNE SING SONG, a Misha Mengelberg piano trio album from 2005, produced by John Zorn (of all people) -- in fact, the third Zorn produced CD for Mengelbeg. I had no idea.
This has all the hallmarks of the Dutch free scene -- Mengelberg being the primary composer, provocateur and instigator of the thirty-odd year old ICP Orchestra. But this is a collection of what I suppose must be called Mmengelberg standards -- loping, off-kilter, kinda Dukish (as they say), sometimes Monkian, fractured blues... Hugely enjoyable and beautifully recorded. Highly recommended.
Lunch, and then prompted by the post over on LJC about Jimmy Giuffre's 1961, I'm playing THESIS, the second LP, and quite wonderful it is too. LJC was saying that the first track (Jesus Maria) on FUSION, the first LP, reminded him of something he couldn't put his finger on. I think this is true of an awful lot of the material. Fragments of melodies seem to drift in and out -- you momentarily recognise it, and then it has moved on. But what I love about 1961 (or FUSION and THESIS, if you prefer) is how startlingly contemporary these fifty-five year-old records sound.
And then on to FUSION, the first LP of the set.
I haven't passed such an enjoyable hour for a long time.
And now last year's excellent ONE IS THE OTHER, the Billy Hart Quartet's CD on ECM, with Hart, of course, Ethan Iverson on piano, Ben Street on bass, and the terrific Mark Turner on sax. Again, very good indeed and another illustration of what modern jazz with a distinctly European flavour can be. I'm also very tempted by the new Mark Turner Quartet on ECM, Lathe of Heaven, his first as leader, but I don't have... Rather because I felt I had bought enough -- and maybe too many -- ECM releases in recent months and I fear turning into an 'ECM listener'....
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Post by dottorjazz on Feb 14, 2015 18:20:08 GMT
while alunsevern gets on listening to european new jazz scene, I've had a different afternoon. first: my 12 y old kid Leo, played and won his sixth round of regional table tennis championship, six matches, six wins. second: vinyl fair in Milano. highlights: Walter Davis Davis Cup, Blue Note 4018 and an autographed copy of Dolphy's Outward Bound, New Jazz 8236 (neatly signed "best luck, Eric Dolphy). sadly I didn't get 'em: requested prices, 1000 € and 800 €. I've a mint copy of Dolphy but I've never seen his autograph. so I had to settle with: George Russell, The Jazz Workshop, Victor LPM 2534 Jackie Mclean: New and Old Gospel, Blue Note 84262 Cecil Payne: A Night at the Five Spot, Signal 1204 Gigi Gryce: The Rat Race Blues, New Jazz 8262 here they are
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Post by alunsevern on Feb 14, 2015 21:39:43 GMT
Seems Leo won (congratulations, Leo) and you did too. What a nice Saturday you have had. Mine doesn't bear comparison. I cooked dinner and finished listening to ONE IS THE OTHER, but before that I was stuck on public transport for nearly an hour and a half due to a car accident, or possibly two different accidents -- i couldn't really tell.
I certainly wasn't out spending €800 on an LP -- and nor were you, Dott, I know, but you did OK, that's for sure. I bought a £2.99 paperback copy of Turgenev's Fathers and Sons from a charity shop... I know how to live....
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Post by dottorjazz on Feb 15, 2015 18:22:03 GMT
thanks alunsevern: yesterday was out of listening but not today! all the rookies have entered my brain and here my comment: Jackie McLean, New and Old Gospel: being a mono addict I shouldn't have bought this stereo copy but both cover and record looked almost perfect and the price was fair: happy with it, I missed it but remember to have it owned decades ago, then traded for something that looked more interesting, sorry I don't remember which one. George Russell, The Jazz Workshop. this is the second edition 1962, the first being 1957. there's a story about this one: I love Russell and have most of his 50's and 60's records, Decca and Riverside. this Victor is superb for music quality and the tracks are all composed and arranged by George. he plays tuned bongos on one tune only, leaving the piano chair to a certain Bill Evans. I consider this one of the most beautiful records of the 50's. about the first edition: maybe I was simply unfortunate BUT several copies I heard in the past had a terrible sound and I can't stand great music playing bad to my ears. is there anyone out there who has a LPM-1372 copy playing good? please let me know. very low price. Gigi Gryce, The Rat race Blues, New Jazz 8262. perfect copy with a brilliant quintet session with a different line up: Richard Williams on tp, Richard Wyands p, Julian Ewell b, Granville (Mickey) Rocker on drums. not first line musicians but interesting. adeguate price. Cecil Payne, A Night at the Five Spot, Signal S-1204. this is my first Signal and a very good one. Cecil is a hard bopper with not many records around. here there's a spectacular Phil Woods on alto playing Bird's music. live recording by RVG. Top price among these four but affordable. click to enlarge. Attachment Deleted
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Post by alunsevern on Feb 16, 2015 10:29:03 GMT
Dott, The George Russell is interesting -- not one I know at all. I have four or five Russells but not that one, which I think was perhaps his first as leader. I've got Jazz In The Space Age (Decca original, and one of my few originals, probably), Stratus Seekers, Stratuhphunk, Ezz-thetics, and At Beethoven Hall. SPACE AGE is really one of the great long-form records of the 60s. I've had a couple of horrible, very mediocre reissues of it over the years but found an original a year or two back that sounds glorious -- although if I remember correctly there is still a touch of distortion on the second piano (Evans), which I think is a recording problem rather than a record pressing or wear problem.
At Beethoven Hall is live, also features Don Cherry, and isn't too badly recorded.
Russell is a largely unsung hero, I think -- he really doesn't get the recognition he deserves. I suppose he isn't a 'fashionable' jazz figure, that's the problem.
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Post by Martin on Feb 16, 2015 13:21:01 GMT
Only a small window of opportunity for listening this weekend (wife, daughter and dogs demanded almost all my free time). So I went for something straightforward and uplifting: The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (Riverside RLP 12-311) - original mono small blue "microphone and reels" DG label. Quite possibly the first recording of the soul jazz movement and a real toe tapper :-)
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Post by gregorythefish on Feb 16, 2015 14:53:38 GMT
Between being swamped at work, interviewing for fellowships at schools, etc I haven't listened to a single vinyl record in four days.
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Post by alunsevern on Feb 21, 2015 15:04:00 GMT
21st Feb 2015. A cold day here in the UK. So far I haven't strayed from 1960-63, which is quite unusual for meeting.
I started with the wonderful PRE-BIRD, Mingus and two different bands. Even avoiding Eclipse and Weird Nightmare (vocals!) this LP has tons to offer. Early Mingus eperiments with what we nowadays would call mash-ups, I suppose, but what are here called 'interpolations' -- is that Mingus called them, I wonder? He may well have done, he was a remarkably sophisticated man who liked to confound that impression. Anyway, interpolations are tracks where the melodies of two songs are woven together or perhaps used in contrast to each other. There are strong traces of Duke, as one would expect, strong traces of Bird, and huge inimitable doses of Mingus. Dolphy stands out on alto. Bemoan able lady, as well as being a great title, is marvellous stuff. I have this on a very cheap but not bad sounding Mercury Jazz Master budget label from, I would guess, the 1970s.
And then on to Roy Haynes' CRACKLIN'. I hadn't played this much or recently and was pleasantly surprised. I know this is a record with strong adherents on LJc, but my recollection was of unremarkable hard bop. I was wrong. I still think the fast hard bop cuts are the least remarkable thing on the record, but the slow tracks and ballads are superb and offer huge enjoyment. Again, I have this on a rather recessed sounding repress of current vintage. God knows who did it but I'd happily have a CD in its place.
And now playing, the extraordinary MOTION, Lee Konitz in trio with Sonny Dallas (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). When I play - and i don't often think to - it is a record I can't get enough of. That light, airy, spring-loaded piano-less sound is utterly addictive -- so fleet and adroit, packed with detail and nuance. Again I have this on a budget reissue of I imagine 70s vintage (Verve Select/Polydor). It doesn't sound bad - but it looks awful. I've just played this through twice and not a single moment of it flags. How it creates quite so much tension and excitement is a mystery. A wonderful record.
Bugger - this iPad hates whatever this forum runs on: it will never load it or the edit pages without generating an error message. Chinese workers have died so that this iPad can fail to load my favourite jazz forum.
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Post by Martin on Feb 21, 2015 15:49:45 GMT
No listening yet for me this weekend but a coincidence with your choices, Alun, in that I have just acquired a purple label New Jazz pressing of Cracklin which is winging its way through the post to me. Fingers crossed that it'll match the seller's description and not suffer from the hiss of recycled vinyl.
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Post by gregorythefish on Feb 21, 2015 19:32:14 GMT
alun, i just listend to my white label mono copy of pre-bird yesterday! how nice. (i have a spare for sale if anyone wants! VG+/VG++ condition!) and also listened to ornette's "crisis" on impulse. a fun little outing with ornette joined by don cherry AND dewey redman. wowzers. his tone isn't exactly my bag but i do have great love for his boundary-defying efforts.
not sure what i will listen to today. hm....
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Post by mrfancy on Feb 21, 2015 20:10:03 GMT
Today is Bennie Green, "Soul Stirrin'," Freddie Roach, "Down to Earth," then Ray Bryant, "Con Alma." "The Gerry Mulligan Songbook Vol. 1," in stereo, then Leo Wright (with some amazing work by Kenny Burrell--his comping alone is worth the price of admission) "Suddenly the Blues." Perhaps more later--Kenny Burrell with Coleman Hawkins or George Russell on Decca. Pretty snowy up here in New England.
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