#16
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Bebop was musicians music. It was born out of after hours jam sessions, where the gig was done and now the players were gonna play something that was fun and challenging to them. You hear the album "After Hours," recorded late 30's, Charlie Christian, Dizzy, Monk...it's happy music. It's guys showing up and showing off a bit. It swings incredibly hard, but in a different way than dance music. Maybe a way of escaping the seriousness of war, even. I'm always bummed Parker didn't live long enough to get into the recording technology of the late 50's. The difference in sound in just 10 years from the late 40's to late 50's blows me away. So much innovation. For a lot of folks it "killed jazz." Certainly as a popular music, it did. For me, a lot of the music I love STARTS with bebop. Re: Rollins, dude is still cooking! He's made some great music even in the last 10 years. What a groundbreaker that guy is. A true "Colossus." |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
And then there's Prez.
__________________
stai scherzando? |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Given that it's a guitar forum, let me suggest two LPs, one with Sonny Rollins and one with Bill Evans that each feature guitarist Jim Hall, both from 1962.
"The Bridge" is has Hall playing an understated but critical role in a quartet without keyboards, something that Rollins specialized in. Playing includes ballads anyone can relate to (a sublime version of "God Bless the Child") and some of Rollins in a more free mode working out in his melodic style where he thinks around all the corners of a melody. "Undercurrent" by Bill Evans which is really a duo album with Jim Hall. Not "duo" as two featured soloists--it's just guitar and acoustic piano. Sometimes you may think you hear bass or drums, but that's Hall. I don't have .01% of Jim Hall's skills, but when I had some chops still left I would try to emulate his and Evans' contrapuntal playing on "My Funny Valentine.*" This record's playing and conception still sounds fresh to me. *I am world's worst comping guitarist. I can't even hack simple harmonic structures with chords on guitar. Hall of course could do it all.
__________________
----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses.... |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
“Everybody Digs Bill Evans” from December 15, 1958 and released in early 1959, is another solid gold recording, deserving to be in any rudimentary collection of jazz, featuring Philly Joe Jones on drums.
|
#20
|
|||
|
|||
And of course:
“The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery” from January 26/28, 1960 As far as I know, Wes worked as a welder in his native Indianapolis during the daytime, gigged a regular weekly schedule in the evenings, while the Mrs raised his large family of children - in September 1959, Wes was discovered by Cannonball Adderley, after which he was quickly exposed to the wider jazz world, most especially in New York, and the explosive and endlessly inventive results can forever be heard on this record. |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
It would take one year for Montgomery’s main competitor to appear as leader on his debut LP, and that would be Grant Green, who in rapid fire fire succession would produce “Grant’s First Stand” and “Green Street” from January and April 1961 respectively, and on the latter, the track “Green with Envy” openly threw down the gauntlet for speed and dexterity - Wes would reply in August 1961 with the album “So Much Guitar!” by which time it was clear who was champ, but only at least for a few months!
|
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Coltrane Plays The Blues
Atlantic 1382, from c.1960 This is far and away the most approachable collection on LP of John Coltrane - dominated by the easy swing and impeccable timing of drums & walking bass lines with wonderfully restrained percussion in the most classic jazz tradition, this recording is absolutely dependent on good, wide & deep dynamic range which will show off any turntable stereo system - don’t expect any revelation listening via digital media as you’re sure to miss out on the swing and groove anytime your attention is diverted away from the soloist. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
The Red Garland Trio: It’s a Blue World
Red Garland, piano Paul Chambers, bass Art Taylor, drums Recorded February 2, 1958, this session would sit in a vault until released in c.1970 I first heard Red Garland on Miles Davis 1958 LP “Milestones” - and boy did he sound old fashioned and out of place on that record, after which Miles let him go from his group as pianist. Red is my personal favourite all time jazz musician - this guy is the definition of class, and it’s proven when he departed from the jazz scene in the very early 1960s to care for his ailing mother until her death. |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Though not very well known in jazz circles, Hank Garland was a hell of a guitar player. He did this in the early 60's with a 17 year old Gary Burton on vibes and it cooks.
One of the reasons for his lack of fame is that shortly after he did this recording he was in a car accident that left him impaired. He was a big influence on George Benson which is not surprising when you hear the clip below. Great time, phrasing, feel and a big fat tone. He could really play.
__________________
Finally put some music up on the web . . . |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#26
|
|||
|
|||
I am fortunate to have some records that were in my Dad's collection... titles such as "Ella Fitzgerald / Cole Porter Songbook" (pretty beat up cover but vinyl is great!), "George Shearing Quintet Live at Byrdland" (Toot Thielman on harmonica and GUITAR!), one of Don Shirley's Trio records, one from Tal Farlow...
My Dad had several hundred records that ended up living in his garage with the advent of cd's... At one point, he asked me "what" I might want of his "stuff", in the event of his passing; I commented "The Records! And your JBL speakers...". The next month I visited him again... and noticed that the records were GONE!!! When I asked hi about that, he said that he had given them all to the local (Eugene, Oregon) jazz radio station... sigh... There is something SO special about hearing older jazz records... I don't listen to them all the time, but when I do, it is always a very good thing. Even Pat Metheny's records sound very different on vinyl vs. digital...
__________________
"Home is where I hang my hat, but home is so much more than that. Home is where the ones and the things I hold dear are near... And I always find my way back home." "Home" (working title) J.S, Sherman |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Speaking of digital vs analogue, I’ve come across entire classic albums online, most notably of Gary Burton, with very low number of views (well kept secret) where as the audio plays, the visual is of a stylus on a record, usually a cool looking Ortofon cartridge, with needle in the groove, gently swaying to and fro - a virtual record player type experience - kind of cool for those without the playback gear, but true analogue makes a big difference. |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
Grant Green: Idle Moments
Blue Note ST-84154 From November 4, 15, 1963 Released in 1965, featuring Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, the title track is a first take captured on recording, where the listener is drawn into a slow repeated motif that gains intensity via progressively more relaxing melodic reflections, whereby inevitably the listener reaches a calm state that typically leads to wandering off in thought - a great thing. Side 1 concludes with an upbeat contrast - one of the greatest sides of vinyl in modern jazz history. |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
Sonny Clark: Cool Struttin’
Blue Note 1588/ 2014 reissue From 1958 Featuring Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, Art Farmer on trumpet, and Jackie McLean on saxophone, lead by Sonny Clark on piano. Clark died young, but was at the centre of the be-bop scene and this is a classic LP. |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
Clark made great records with Green, and in Paris with Jimmy Raney.
I'm going non vinyl for tonight's listening, Voice in the Night, by Charles Lloyd. Dang, y'all need to hear this. With the late great John Abercrombie on guitar. |