What are you listening to and what do you think of it?
guides:
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resource:
>History of Jazz: pastebin.com
archive.org
releases and reviews:
downbeat.com
allaboutjazz.com
npr.org
rateyourmusic.com
radio
accuradio.com
yt:
youtube.com
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archive.rebeccablacktech.com
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chick correa - return to forever
it's ok
The appropriately named "Mal-1" is pianist Mal Waldron's debut recording as a leader. Recorded and released in 1956 on the Prestige label, the album features trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce, bassist Julian Euell, and drummer Arthur Edgehill.
The A side of the record consists of three cover tunes. Up first is Benny Golson's popular "Stablemates," played at a medium swing. There's nothing too remarkable about the arrangement or the solos, but there is some nice trading between Sulieman and Gryce. The classic "Yesterdays" is played at a slow tempo, emphasizing the bassline and featuring Sulieman on the melody. Waldron creates tension in his solo through interesting use of repeated notes, which is an especially dramatic effect in the context of the slow tempo and minimal rhythm section approach. "Transfiguration" (credited to Lee Sears) has a rather interesting head, but the band reverts to rather basic bop tropes for the solos.
Side B consists of two original tunes by Waldron and one by Sulieman. The first Waldron original, "Bud's Study" has an interesting head with some nice dissonant horn voicings and a complex form. The band seems to enjoy playing on the changes and both Gryce and Sulieman give nice solos and Waldron's is somewhat more exciting than some of his solos on the A side as well. "Dee's Dilemma" is a slow swinger that drifts back and forth between a four feel and a lilting waltz. The shift in rhythm adds depth and sophistication to the solos, making it one of the more interesting tunes on the date. "Shome" is an original blues head by Sulieman and is fairly forgettable in terms of solos.
Overall, this is a fairly standard hard bop date without too many surprises. Waldron's two originals and "Transfiguration" are somewhat interesting compositions, but the rest of the material is rather forgettable. The soloing is enjoyable, but not the best available from any of the players. It's a fairly solid debut for Waldron, but he recorded much more interesting albums later in his career.
John Coltrane's Blue Train
just got Wolfgang Muthspiel's Rising Grace LP in mail today, so getting started on that
bought it blind from reading some positive reviews and finding it intriguing that an Austrian guitarist is recording with Ambrose Akinmusire, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade. That's a pretty stacked line-up.
anyone know if there is going to be a /blindfold/ this week?
it's been a while since I've had the opportunity to contribute on my Friday nights, so I was really hoping to see a thread already
I emailed the /blindfold/ guy last week and he said he's been too busy to keep the threads bumped and nobody was really contributing in the past weeks. he said he'd start doing the threads again in a few weeks if he's less busy
dang
I hope they start up again, by far my favorite part of Sup Forums
I've also been enjoying Dada People lately
also seeing Makaya McCraven live this Sunday - any thoughts on his music?
I think it's in a pretty nice intersection between modern hiphop/r&b styles and free'er improvisation - I also really liked Jeff Parker's The New Breed, actually more so than McCraven's In the Moment, unfortunately looks like Parker isn't playing guitar in the touring quintet
still listening to this after 3 months
here's one to look out for for fans of contemporary Nordic/British jazz
roughly a decade ago danish keyboard player Morten Schantz played in a band of young musicians called JazzKamikaze that attracted a lot of attention in the Nordics in the yearly Jazz Nordic Jazz Comets contest and launched the careers of sax player Marius Neset and drummer Anton Eger (Neset's bands and Phronesis) who join Schantz on his upcoming solo debut that's due out on the 27th on Edition Records.
It's definitely going to be worth checking out for fans of Phronesis, Marius Neset or other Edition Records acts like Dinosaur
Here's some JazzKamikaze , there are 3 preview tracks of Schantz' Godspeed on Spotify
youtube.com
I liked this one a lot. I didn't get a chance to review it before the end of last year but maybe I still will.
there was a time when I used to listen to a lot of Masada and other Zorn stuff and by association would follow Douglas' output and it's been quite some time since I liked a Douglas album as much as I've enjoyed Dada People
bump for Friday jazz discussion:
thoughts on last year's NPR Critics poll?
npr.org
as a Euro jazz fan, I've found the NPR poll to be the best indicator of US consensus of "best albums", this year I was a little disappointed with how much it seemed like token appreciation for alive and kicking avant-garde figures, but still pretty solid
From listening inspired by that list I was surprised at having dismissed Nels Cline's Lovers as quickly as I did - it's really an exceptionally well made slice of modern indie rock flavored exotica. I think the beautiful ending track The Bond was really what won me over, great piece of modern indie rock/jazz fusion youtube.com
Surprised seeing Darcy James Argue that high, I was pretty disappointed myself. Felt like pretty mediocre modern big band fused with Kronos Quartet's Howl USA for all those timely sampled paranoidy sound bytes, Certainly not as good as Brooklyn Babylon by any means even though the thematic material has a lot of potential.
Charles Lloyd also seemed over-rated. The album is fine, but it sounds more like a Bill Frisell album and Frisell's own movie music album was better anyway and nowhere to be seen on the poll.
Hey jazzpossu.
Any clue what's up with blindfold? Are they dead now?
Not bad as far as these kinds of lists go. It seems they really like the ECM and Pi record labels.
I'm very surprised the Flaga Book of Angels record didn't make it on there.
Some others that I think they missed are the releases from Pierre Dorge New Jungle Orchestra, John Escreet, Jim Snidero, and Luis Perdomo
all I know is that I probably killed them by being too busy on Fridays with Christmas shit for several weeks and not contributing :D
check this
hopefully blindfoldguy gets his groove back, I'm certainly aching to contribute, but if he doesn't, we could just take turns hosting - doesn't really need a dedicated middleman as long there's a dedicated host each week and some friendly samaritans bumping while the host is away
Posted it in another thread, but damn this is so good. I haven't heard many free records with bands this good at listening to each other.
Lel, if we're apportioning blame like that, I'm way more to blame! Hope they come back at some point...if they don't, I was thinking of seeing if there's interest in starting an album club sort of thing instead. It's a little less involved picking an album to listen to than a whole playlist, fun as they are to make and hear.
Just like someone on RYM said: Like looking at The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady through the eyes of Arnold Schoenberg.
I really liked the Perdomo album - particularly the version of Glass Bead Games, I'm a big fan of the Clifford Jordan album where it comes from originally
as far as I know, popularity with jazz critics is unfortunately directly related to marketing budget and sending personal review copies to known contacts - while most of music world has moved on to mp3 review copies, physical review copies still appear to be a big thing in jazz in general
For everyone wondering why jtg's favorite Ubi Zaa is generally totally ignored, the Steeplechase label appears to be just plain awful in marketing and distribution these days. I keep my ear pretty close to the ground for any Nordic jazz releases and modern Steeplechase releases get absolutely no buzz in Northern Europe or distribution in local record stores even though they are a Danish label.
That said, I think it's a fine album, but I really didn't hear why it ended up being jtg's highest rated.
I have a feeling that Flaga also lost out due to being a Zorn/Tzadik thing. I have a feeling that Zorn has relatively little interest in doing PR and sending promotional copies for Tzadik -releases.
hey, I posted in those threads for over a year and only missed one week, I think, and as soon as I take a break for a couple of weeks it falls apart ;_;
I'd definitely be down for an album club -type thread, so let's not let /jazz/-concept threads die
I'm working on an rym list of albums under 300 ratings that I think are great, the majority so far being jazz.
Thought you guys might be interested.
Feel free to leave comments or recs (though I'm slow with the recs so don't be offended).
rateyourmusic.com
>under 300 ratings
300 seems like a lot for jazz albums...
Maybe I should do my own list for albums with under 50 ratings
I certainly have a lot of recs that qualify
I'm from Finland personally, but much of the history of Nordic jazz in general qualifies for under 300 reviews on RYM easily.
I do have to say that your rating for Coltrane's albums around A Love Supreme are way too low >:(
>That said, I think it's a fine album, but I really didn't hear why it ended up being jtg's highest rated.
Did you read the review?
Amazing list! Just what I needed right now.
off the top of my head cool shit that is considered legendary locally here in Finland (pre-90's for standing-the-test-of-time)
Edward Vesala - Nan Madol
Edward Vesala - Satu
Edward Vesala - Lumi
Edward Vesala - Ode to the Death of Jazz
Eero Koivistoinen - Odysseus
Eero Koivistoinen Music Society - Wahoo
Eero Koivistoinen - The Front is Breaking
Esa Pethman - The Modern Sound of Finland
Heikki Sarmanto - Counterbalance
Heikki Sarmanto - Everything Is It
Heikki Sarmanto - New Hope Jazz Mass
Olli Ahvenlahti - Bandstand
Olli Ahvenlahti - The Poet
There's generally a whole universe of cool jazz music under 300 RYM reviews, only the very tip of the iceberg gets there.
hello jazzm8s, can someone quickly explain to me how this is supposed to be played?
Glad to see you're still around.
I've missed a few myself. I wanted to post in last week's thread but it didn't make it to Saturday for me to post in it.
I'll try posting more in the coming ones, wouldn't like them to disappear.
Dave Holland - Extended Play: Live at Birdland
Les McCann - Swiss Movement
Nat King Cole - After Midnight
Anthony Davis - Variations in Dream-Time
Jim Hall - Live!
Fred Hersch - Alive at the Vanguard
Ran Blake - Short Life of Barbara Monk
Clifford Jordan - Glass Bead Games
Mtume - Alkebu-Lan
Steve Reid - Nova
Chet Baker - Chet's Choice
Brad Mehldau Trio - Live
Irène Schweizer - Jazz Meets India
Charlie Parker - Yardbird Suite
John Tchicai - Tribal Ghost
Henri Texier - Varech
Herbie Hancock - V.S.O.P. The Quintet
Kenny Wheeler - Angel Song
Just started listening to free jazz, and I have no idea what to think of it. I can't tell if Coltranes Om is a masterpiece or a failed abortion
as a good Internet user I certainly formed my opinion before reading the whole thing, but personally I was really impressed by Michael Formanek's Ensemble Kolossus album as a larger ensemble thing that was on top of jtg's list for most of the year - even more so when I heard that material live with Formanek conducting a local big band and I just didn't see how Ubi Zaa could be superior to that for example
Just seemed like a reasonably good contemporary avant-leaning larger ensemble Northern European album to me.
I liked the Formanek album a lot but I can think of other groups that have a pretty similar sound. I can't think of anything else that sounds quite like the New Jungle Orchestra
interesting, as a Nordic jazz fan, I somehow just have the feeling that the Jungle Orchestra sound isn't really that special (although the album sounds great with a lot of dynamic contrast) - maybe a cultural thing
here's one larger ensemble local album from last year that I'd like to get jtg's thoughts on for relevance since he liked Ubi Zaa:
youtube.com
some real classics here I'll second:
Les McCann - Swiss Movement
Clifford Jordan - Glass Bead Games
Mtume - Alkebu-Lan
Steve Reid - Nova
Henri Texier - Varech
Herbie Hancock - V.S.O.P. The Quintet
I mean I could make a list for under 10 ratings too if I wanted, but that would diminish the quality and quantity, and kind of defeat the point.
I'll definitely check out your list if you do make one though!
Thanks lad!
Thank you! I'll look into these.
bump
Tfw you're so shit at your instrument that you have to invent a new genre
boo
Listening to The Who freak out right now
youtube.com
One of the greatest live performances in any genre and style
Any jazz musician can learn something from this!
B maj7 || F# maj7 || E maj7 || ???
Where do I go with this progression?
the really great thing about The Shape of Jazz to Come is how faithful it is to the bebop tradition
>fast rhythm contrasted with slow bass and horn lines
>Piano-less format with no guiding melody
>No set key or mode
>Granting complete freedom to musicians within the compositions outside of traditional soloing
I'm not really sure what you mean, could you elaborate?
Did you even listen to the album or did you just read what Scaruffi wrote about it or something? None of that stuff is really correct.
>fast rhythm contrasted with slow bass and horn lines
Maybe on the first track but that doesn't really describe any of the others
>Piano-less format with no guiding melody
You're right that there is no piano, but the written melodies are actually the main guide for their solos
>No set key or mode
All the tunes on that album have an identifiable tonal center
>Granting complete freedom to musicians within the compositions outside of traditional soloing
I don't even know what you're trying to say here
You're right, I just ready what scaruffi said 2bh and didn't listen to it.
>Maybe on the first track but that doesn't really describe any of the others
Hmmm, perhaps that was what I was referring to?
>All the tunes on that album have an identifiable tonal center
How does this go against what I said?
>You're right that there is no piano
lmao thanks for throwing me a bone buddy
>formatting makes me look dumb
looks like I lost this one already...
>How does this go against what I said?
Key and tonal center are the same thing
also
want to elaborate on whatever your last point about granting complete freedom was trying to say?
>lmao thanks for throwing me a bone buddy
well that much of your post was completely correct, so well-observed
Pretty solid meme, but his sax was made of plastic. Can you blame him for sounding weird?
>the written melodies are actually the main guide for their solos
Of course there's an overall melody, I meant that the lack of an instrument that can form chords makes it difficult to cement and progress melody lines. It's like you're trying to prove I haven't heard the album rather than interpolating the point I was trying to briefly make.
>want to elaborate on whatever your last point about granting complete freedom was trying to say?
Just tell me why I'm wrong already buddy. I'm not interested in arguing some quick jotted points.
I really would just like to know how it's faithful to the bebop tradition, as Jazzpossu said though.
Anyone know any contemporary jazz artists who sound like Eric Dolphy?
this is good shit
>I meant that the lack of an instrument that can form chords makes it difficult to cement and progress melody lines
I'd probably argue that it makes it easier to "cement and progress melody lines" although I'm not exactly sure what that means either. I think maybe what you're trying to say is that with very little harmonic context (because of no chordal instrument) the melodies are much less restricted. Basically I think in your original post you just got the terms "melody" and "harmony" confused.
>It's like you're trying to prove I haven't heard the album rather than interpolating the point I was trying to briefly make.
Well from your original post it gave me the impression that you read what somebody else (who didn't really understand it) had written about the album and then in turn didn't really understand what he had written.
>Just tell me why I'm wrong already buddy.
I already told you why all your original points are wrong (except your sharp observation about the lack of piano)
>I really would just like to know how it's faithful to the bebop tradition, as Jazzpossu said though.
I don't really know if I'd agree with him on that point. It definitely draws from bebop tradition in some ways- phrasing, rhythm, and some of the melodic language of bebop, but I think it's a stretch to say that it's "faithful to the bebop tradition." After all, I'd say one of the defining characteristics of bebop is outlining chord structure... So I'd be interested to hear Jazzpossu explain his reasoning as well.
On what instrument?
>Basically I think in your original post you just got the terms "melody" and "harmony" confused.
I did, I need sleep.
>I'd say one of the defining characteristics of bebop is outlining chord structure
This is kinda what I was trying to say, which is why I asked for clarification, albeit poorly.
Mike Brecker died ten years ago today
What's everyone's favorite Mike Brecker solo?
3 chords isn't really much to go on and you could take that in so many directions, it's ridiculous to expect someone to know what you want.
Also, write your own song or fuck off to F7 and end with B cause this song is going nowhere if you want other people to write it for you.
Is tonal centre not supposed to imply that the key is a little ambiguous or more fleeting? I know that's not very quantitative as a definition but I thought that's how people used it.
Yeah I suppose a lot of times people do use it with that implication. I think people tend to use it with jazz because so much post-bebop jazz is very chromatic and modulatory so rather than describe something as being in one key or the other they just talk about "tonal centers"- but it's really the same thing.
D# minor 7
just listened to pic related. Piano duos are great, wish they were explored more
this is great too
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Does this count? I feel like this should count.
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this was pretty good. but like the brubeck and desmond one it hardly matches up to their previous work together.
Side note is soprano really that much easier to play than tenor? someone told me Shorter mainly stuck to soprano these days because its easier on his old lungs. but the few times ive tried a soprano it was actually harder because maintaining good tone and staying tuned was very difficult. but i guess that might have more to do with embouchure and lung control and all that, which a master like shorter would have little problem with.
I guess it does? never thought of it like that though
they were even better live too
David Binney is great. just recently discovered him going through chris potter's credits. Ill be sure to check that out
>someone told me Shorter mainly stuck to soprano these days because its easier on his old lungs.
I'm pretty sure I was the one who said that after seeing them do a duet performance this past spring.
>but the few times ive tried a soprano it was actually harder
I've never actually tried playing a soprano but I'm pretty sure they use less air, which would be the main thing I think. And then there's the weight-difference in the two. I don't know if Shorter is really up to standing for an hour holding a big tenor around his neck.
>because maintaining good tone and staying tuned was very difficult.
I don't think Shorter really worries to much about staying in tune and "good tone" is kind of subjective when you're playing the kind of music he and Herbie did.
Yeah Binney is one of my favorite jazz artists at the moment. Edward Simon is great too and is a really underrated pianist
Saxophone or clarinet, those are my favourites by him
the other chick corea piano duets are nice too. pic related, CoreaHancock, and his work with Hiromi and Nicolas Economou
post jazz that gets you movin
Does movin out the door count?
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bump
Listening to this right now
I'm looking for something similar to these 3 albums:
Jackie McLean - Destination Out
Grachan Moncur III - Evolution
Bobby Hutcherson - Dialogue
In other words, I'm looking for albums with vibes or both vibes and trombone.
Hank Mobley - Hank Mobley And His All Stars is a good album with vibes
I love Booker Ervin!
Good to see an album title that isn't a wordplay of his name :^)
Thanks. I'm going to check it out now.
I'm looking for something like Sun Ra's early albums, particularly Sound Sun Pleasure and Jazz in Silhouette. Does anyone have recommendations?
I have been listening to a whole lot of ron carter
>le robert glasper
Rec me some Jazz albums like this.
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I know it, just forgot to add it to my list.
I saw Wayne with his quartet last November and while the playing was pretty free, he was pretty in tune when it was appropriate and didn't seem to be having trouble with controlling intonation. His playing was pretty minimalist which was obviously done for practical purposes but it made for a compelling performance nonetheless. He was listening to the group very carefully and thinking hard about what he was gonna play and when. There was so much interplay in the group already and Wayne fit into the dynamic perfectly. There were one or two dodgy mistakes but nothing major and he wasn't struggling too hard to play what he was setting out to play.
The highly democratic quartet setting he had when I saw him probably took significant pressure off him compared to a duet setting though.
youtube.com
What Jazz genre would this be?
Highly recommend this one!
There was a vibes themed /blindfold/ a while back. There's a couple in there that are really worth checking out: archive.rebeccablacktech.com
Fusion.
You should review this one