Drag On - Opposite of H20

Yes, I am listening to this record right now. When I got my turntables in 7th grade, I had dreams of being a DJ. One of my friends got me this, Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, and Pras Ghetto Superstar.

This record is not very good, but I have it so I guess I should listen to it or get rid of it.

Eric Dolphy - Live in Europe vol 1

Great recording includes an awesome solo bass clarinet reading of God Bless The Child that only Dolphy could imagine/pull off. Great bebop/postbop flute playing on Hi Fly and Glad to Be Unhappy.

Oleo at 100 MPH rounds out this classic Dolphy collection. I'm convinced that anything Dolphy released is worth listening to. Such a creative musician that many have tried to imitate, but only sound like homages to the late great Dolphy.

Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot vol 2

Again, this group could have ruled the world. I consider this to be in the upper-echelon of jazz ensembles (with Miles second quintet, Coltrane's Classic Quartet, Ornette's Quartet(s)).

Everytime I hear what Booker Little does with his trumpet at 2:30 into the song "Aggression," I just start laughing with pure joy and giddiness! Listen for yourself, it's unreal (like a laser beam machine gun trumpet). It sounds like he is ascending (even as his melodic statement descends). It sounds as if he's being beamed up!

(Listen to the 2:30 mark!)

Maybe it was me, but I always thought Tony Williams as the first example I've heard a jazz drummer play quarter notes on the hi-hat. Lo and behold Eddie Blackwell writes a novel with quarter note hi hat in the song "Aggression."

Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot vol I

I always knew Eric Dolphy was a jazz master, but this album really introduced me to the genius of Booker Little. He does some things that I never thought were possible on the trumpet.

This record was so good, I jumped at the chance to pick up volume 2 from the same gig. This is a wonderful group:
Eric Dolphy - Alto Sax, Bass Clarinet, Flute
Booker Little - Trumpet
Mal Waldron - Out of Tune Piano
Richard Davis - Bass
Eddie Blackwell - Drums

I wish I could have seen this group play live!

Booker Little died at age 23. He is definitely a jazz legend that left too soon. Thank God his talents were recorded for preservation!

Miles Davis - Get Up With It

The main reason to get this album is Miles' tribute to Duke Ellington called "He Loved Him Madly."

But there are some great minimalist jazz classics, such as "Maiysha." The song is all vamp. Everybody feels groovy. Miles' organ playing seems influenced at times by Steve Reich's "Four Organs."

This is the album Miles released right before going on a 5 year performance hiatus. It almost seems like an artist at the point in which he doesn't know where to go.

I wonder who was really playing what on each track. I think there is organ on "He Loved Him Madly," but I don't see anyone listed.

If you like Parliament's Maggot Brain, then this is the Miles Davis album for you.

Miles Davis - In a Silent Way

SSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH/Peaceful

Miles Davis - In Europe

This record has some great live playing of Miles' early Second Quintet lineup (George Coleman on Tenor Sax instead of Wayne). I was just thinking about George Coleman while listening to this record. Miles kicked him out because Miles heard him practicing a solo in a hotel room. It's interesting how history celebrates the mythological stories of Charlie Parker practicing 15 hours a day, John Coltrane practicing in between sets at gigs, and Sonny Rollins taking several years off so he could practice at "The Bridge." But George Coleman gets kicked out of Miles' band, and I think therefore he may have lost some clout, especially in critics' minds. George Coleman plays his butt off on this record!

I believe that Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and Ron Carter accidentally invented hip hop on the outro of "Autumn Leaves." Listen to the 5:30 mark of this youtube clip. It sounds like a J Dilla creation. A backbeat! Oh my gosh!

This is essential listening for any Miles Davis fan. This is such a great ensemble.

I like the song "Joshua" which kinda sounds like a hybrid of John Coltrane's high energy modal pieces, and Art Blakey's jazz messengers mid to late 60's intense hard-bop. Here is a video of the group (with Wayne Shorter on tenor) playing "Joshua."

Miles Davis - In Person at the Blackhawk vol II

This record is one of my first jazz records that I purchased in Marquette, MI. The selection at the used bookstore up there wasn't always that great, but I did stumble across this. Miles' band pushes the tempo on some classic jazz. This record hints at some of the far out explorations that Miles would do with his next quintet. They play "So What" at 100 MPH. I didn't realize the saxophonist on this is Hank Mobley! I guess you learn something new every day. Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb round out the rhythm section.

Gotta
make some more coffee.

Walt Dickerson & Richard Davis - Divine Gemini

This is a gem that I'm very happy to have found. Walt Dickerson is a highly underrated vibraphonist. Some of his early Prestige recordings included Andrew Cyrille and Andrew Hill. He even had Sun Ra as a sideman in his group. Dickerson would play with hard rubber mallets, as opposed to those wrapped in cord or yarn. This gives his playing, at times, a sharper attack than most vibists. Yet his use of the sustain pedal and fast vibrato often creates these luscious legato moments, which then are intercepted by staccato chromatic flurries sans pedal.
The interplay with Richard Davis on this album is downright telepathic. I know Richard Davis teaches at the University of Wisconsin, and I would very much enjoy meeting him. I'd like to hear some anecdotes about this wonderful vibraphonist.
I would like to have more Walt Dickerson records in my collection, but his records are hard to come by. I was over-excited when I found this record at Bullseye records in Milwaukee. The bottom of the sleeve is broken, but the record is in fine shape, and that is what I'm primarily worried about. At times listening to this record, I long for the drums! Alas, I say that often!
Gotta love Steeplechase records.

Does everyone realize who Sun Ra was? Can you imagine being a vibraphone player, leading a group, and you have Sun Ra in your band? Playing harpsichord?

CSNY - 4 Way Street

Weird C$NY double album. This is when they had the Mida$ touch... anything they released turned into $$. It's a double album, and the concept is the first record is all acoustic, the second is more electric. The idea is also to try not to do Deja Vu live, but to play their 4 separate solo repertoire, sometimes together, sometimes solo.
"On The Way Home" is a great Neil Young song, but it is the most painful for me to listen to, as it is very closely linked to someone in the past...
"Triad" by David Crosby is a ridiculous song about a communal relationship...
The record opens with the last 20 seconds of "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", and I think it is about the oddest way to begin a record, unless they were trying to go for a Finnegan's Wake type no beginning no ending record concept. If so, it was a very poor attempt.

This album holds a lot more promise than what it delivers:
A 13 minute version of "Southern Man" (nowhere near as powerful as Neil's version)
A 13 minute version of "Carry On"
"Cowgirl in the Sand," "Don't Let it Bring You Down," "Chicago," "Ohio..."

A good record to hear, but I don't think it lives up to what it could have been.

CSNY - Deja Vu

This is a classic album to have in any record collection. So many great songs on this record. I think the Neil song at the end is very underrated:

"Country Girl, I think you're pretty,

Gotta make you understand.

Have no lover in the city,

Let me be your country man."

Of course this is filled with incredible CSNY vocal harmonies, and some pretty heavy jamming on "Almost Cut My Hair." Stephen Stills sings the incredibly dark "4+20", aka "The 24 year old blues."

Lee Konitz - Satori

New record. Enjoyed listening. My first Konitz record. Jack Dejohnette and Dave Holland are long lost brothers, I believe.

Eric Dolphy - Dolphy (Prestige twofer)

I just got this at Bullseye record shop on Irving off of Farwell in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This music is straight up jazzz with three jay-z's. Resplendent. It's so true.

This combines "Outward Bound" as well as "Out There." This was the point in jazz where artists felt obligated (maybe just Dolphy felt obligated, maybe just Dolphy's a&r dude(s) felt obligated) to label their albums as OUT (Seriously Out to Lunch.... I think every Dolphy album should have OUT in the title if it doesn't already). To quote Iconna Pop - "I don't care, I love it!"

Dolphy was a serious mofo on the alto sax, bass clarinet, and the flute.

AHHHHHH FREDDIE HUBBARD GOING AT IT!!!!

Jaki Byard, wow. I need to digest more Jaki Byard.

I'm listening to this record for the first time. I listened to these albums often in college, but I had them on my computer. They sound much better off the turntable than from my lenovo's crud-ridden speakers.

To quote Frank Zappa, "Make a Jazz Noise Here"

Manomanoman Dolphy is just... the best. Pure jazz as catharsis. If that makes no cents, it's owe (connie (hawkins)) kay. Went metabasketballjazz onthat one.

Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

I was really excited to find this record for under $10 today. It's one of my favorite Neil Young albums. With "Cowgirl In The Sand," "Down By The River," "Cinnamon Girl," this album is loaded with some heavy Neil tunes. I love the intense guitar solos on "Down by the River" as well as "Cowgirl in the Sand." The lyrics to Cowgirl in the sand have always resonated with me:

Muhal Richard Abrams - Sightsong

I just picked up a couple of records. Since I want to listen to these right away, I will probably listen to them and write up about them.

Muhal Richard Abrams with Malachi Favors on Bass. Good piano and bass duets. I usually need to hear drums, but I am okay with this recording. The record is BSR 0003, which is the third recording put out by Black Saint records. I will be giving this many rotations in the future.

Stanley Cowell - Equipose

This is a nice late 70s jazz trio with Stanley Cowell, Roy Haynes and Cecil McBee. Stanley Cowell is a great pianist that gets overlooked. This is a recent acquisition, so I haven't listened to it a lot, but I see myself keeping this in rotation quite often. Great playing from three legends of jazz.

Plus Stanley's wearing a pretty cool shirt on the album cover.

Introducing... The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell

I think this belongs up in the rafters of the Jazz Fusion hardwood courts. Nice odd-time grooves, funky bass, overzealous synthesizers, wah wah trumpet, and Alphonse Mouzon's fashion:

Another early youtube video that I recall watching over and over again is this live performance of "Low-Lee-Tah"

What can I say, I'm a sucker for 70's fusion groups that try to make odd time signature groupings sound funky and evil (did someone say King Crimson? Bill Bruford? Where?)

Great playing on this record, which I enjoy much more than Lady Coryell. I'm amazed that this group is the fourth ranked fusion group out of Weather Report, Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, and Eleventh House. So much talent going down in all of these groups. 

I think these groups very much sound like the times (subconsciously, musical things were affecting these guys -- commercials jingles and television themes played by studio musicians), so when bands these days try to emulate this sound, it comes off similar to 80's jazz musicians trying to emulate bebop (i.e. music not of their time). You always have to try for something original, not try to hold the past up on such a pedestal that you try to sound like it.

I forgot how much I like "Joy Ride" as well from this album. This may be the best tune off the album. Yet some of the melodic content... phrase endings sound JUST like they could be the end of a TV theme (pre-Mike Post)

Well, I got a little off topic there.

Some trivia:

Did you know that Alphonse Mouzon played drums in the movie "That Thing You Do?" He wrote some of the music for the jazz club scenes!

Larry Coryell - Lady Coryell

I bought this record up in Marquette, MI at a St. Vinnie's for $.50. The sleeve is in poor shape, and so is the record. A lot of people may talk about how vinyl has a better sound than cd's or mp3's, and while I agree with that, there are many variables that factor into sound quality. I don't have a very high quality turntable, and I have two pretty small roland speakers. Add in the poor condition of the record... it doesn't sound that good. But I just want to hear music. Preferably good music. This is why if I find a good record, I'll get it; if I find a good CD, I'll get it. That is part of the reason why I have two Larry Coryell records, but only one Coltrane record (I have many Coltrane CDs)

I could imagine a few electric guitarists out of Washington state in the late 60's were influenced by Jimi Hendrix. This album definitely sounds like it is a guy really into Hendrix. A lot of guitar overdubs (Coryell plays guitars, basses, and sings). A couple tracks include Elvin Jones on drums, and one also includes Jimmy Garrison on bass. The song "Stiff Neck" really sounds like they are trying very much like Jazzi Hendrix.

John Coltrane and Don Cherry - The Avant-Garde

This one, I believe, is the first "Ornette, let me borrow your band" records that I'm reviewing. Most of the tracks feature Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, and Eddie Blackwell - all members of Coleman's band. Some tracks have Percy Heath replacing Haden on bass. I find the relationship amongst the MJQ and Ornette Coleman to be fascinating in the early 1960s. They seem, to some point to be polar opposites, yet the MJQ recorded Lonely Woman, published Coleman's compositions, and educated him and Cherry at the Music Inn.

I don't care for this record, and although this may be blasphemous, it is mainly due to the playing of Coltrane! His opening solo on Cherryco sounds very amateur, almost like he is not quite sure what he is doing. I also find the tracks when he plays the soprano sax sound very out of tune.

People have preconceived notions of what Avant Garde means, and I think many people would be interested in hearing how straight ahead this recording is. It is still a band jamming on tunes... it is not quite Ascension, or some of the other late Coltrane recordings.

It is important to mention that although this record was released in 1967, it was recorded in June and July of 1960. This would have been before Coltrane had released "My Favorite Things," just to put things into perspective.

The recording of Focus on Sanity has a funky middle-eastern interlude that is nice. I thought it was it's own tune, but maybe it is part of focus on sanity...

Billy Cobham George Duke Band - Live on Tour in Europe

RIP George Duke. I gave this record a few tribute spins when I found out Mr. Duke had passed away earlier this summer. One of the best Synthesizer players of all time, as well as piano and fender rhodes. He certainly is missed.

I got this record many moons ago when my gateway into jazz music was through Jazz fusion. One of the first youtube videos I remember watching over and over is the live performance of "Al Mustafa the Beloved"

Alphonso Johnson is surely a very underrated bassist, and on this track he plays a unique instrument called the Chapman Stick. When I found this record (I think at the same place I got John Abercrombie's Timeless), I saw it had "Al Mustafa" on it. There is a very confident, undeniably funky groove on the track.

The cover is crazy; a caricature of Duke and Cobham, but their bodies are gigantic hands...

I love this album, but it is more of a nostalgic record that I get out every once in awhile to relive my fusion days. There is a young John Scofield on this record (is this his first major recording?)

Codona 3

This is one of my favorite records. Incredible ensemble (trio). And if I may, a totally radical album cover. It looks like waves, or a bedsheet of brick and mortar, with Codona 3 printed in a very angular font. Very cowabunga, if I do say so myself. And it's ECM? This is a unique cover for a record company that tends to rehash the same idea for all of their album covers. (It seems like Don Cherry wouldn't settle for a typical ECM cover. All of the Codona covers are unique, and the Old/New Dreams Playing is unique as well).

This trio of Don Cherry, Collin Walcott, and Nana Vasconcelos make great music together. The three of the musicians are credited with 12 instruments (Nana is credited with percussion, so who knows exactly how many different instruments are all on this record). Three guys jamming out on unusual musical instruments. These compositions are very structured; "Clicky Clacky" sounds like an old man singing the blues about a train. Sounds almost like a Robert Johnson song, but it is complete with brushes on snare (sounding very locomotive) and train whistles.

"Inner Organs" is an intense wall of sound. Very dark and foreboding. Starts off with long sustained organ tones and Don Cherry's trumpet. Eventually the tabla (or maybe "percussion") bring in a driving momentum. This seems like music that could be used in a climactic cinematic scene (I'm thinking The Godfather or Apocalypse Now... Very Brando?) Cherry's entrance typically startles me, even when I know it's coming.

I can't recommend this album highly enough. It's just good music. It's not jazz. It's great music.

Ornette Coleman (Twofer) - Science Fiction and Skies of America

Excellent Ornette Coleman albums. I would love to write some more, but I gotta pack up and head out to my brother's place in Sheboygan. Going to watch the Packer game tomorrow!

Got this record at Bullseye... looks like the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music got rid of a lot of their jaz z records...

Ornette Coleman - The Unprecedented Music of Ornette Coleman

This is a record I bought in Madison, WI. I remember that I checked my phone to do a little research on the album before I bought it (which I usually try to avoid). This is a somewhat rare bootleg (at least it is unofficial) It has "Lonely Woman" on it, which may be one of Ornette's most famous songs. The record is interesting because Ornette is the only lead solo voice on this recording (a live concert). The other musicians are Charlie Haden, David Izenzon, and Ed Blackwell. I wonder what it was like for Charlie and David to play together. Most of the time, one of the bassists plays arco, while the other is pizzicato. One plays low, the other plays high. I know that Charlie Haden has talked about listening to Scotty LaFaro play with Ornette, and Charlie would want to hear what he would play, which would be different. So I wonder if this posed a challenge for Charlie? This is recommended if you are an Ornette fan! In the style of old jazz record covers: This is recommended if you are an Ornette Fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ornette Coleman - Love Call

This is a great record of late 60's Ornette Coleman with Dewey Redman, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. I have a few records in my collection that I describe as "Hey Ornette, I'm borrowing your band for a little bit;" This record seems to be more Ornette taking on John Coltrane's rhythm section sans McCoy Tyner. With Coltrane having recently passed, the group doesn't sound like they are trying to do anything Coltranesque. I don't know that Coleman ever did anything that would be Coltranesque...

This is a record that I bought as a modern reissue. I usually don't like to buy new old records, just because they are usually much cheaper if you can buy them used. I think this one was under $10, which is usually my goal when I am buying records.

This record has Ornette playing trumpet occasionally. He is surprisingly graceful with the trumpet; I can't quite say that with his violin playing.

I would like to get New York is Now, which was recorded with the same band at the same recording session.

I wonder who is on the cover of this album?

When I did a google search for Love Call, I came accross a blog called heightfiveseven. I've thought that if Kate Upton liked free jazz... well here is a blog of a beautiful woman sharing her record collection (Lots of Jazz, but mostly hiphop). Although maybe this is actually Banksy pulling a Mr. Brainwash type maneuver ..

Stanley Clarke - If This Bass Could Only Talk

I got this record at Maxwell Street Days in Cedarburg WI. Stanley Clarke, late 80's. Unique record, starts with a bass tap dance duet with Gregory Hines. Stanley Clarke sounding like Stanley Jordan (Bass line plus chords) whilst Hines provides a great rhythmic accompaniment. I used to think the "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was corny, but now I think differently. Very similar in style to Clarke's soundtrack to Boyz n tha Hood. "Pork Pie" is Clarke's tribute to Jaco. Great soprano sax playing from Wayne Shorter. "I want To Play for Ya" is straight up Zapp and Roger.

I'm glad I'm doing this. I can't remember the last time I pulled this record out to listen to. It's pretty cool! I just bought it because I liked Return to Forever and I knew of Stanley Clarke. Good liner notes. I'm gonna go read 'em.

Ron Carter Hank Jones Sadao Watanabe Tony Williams - Carnaval

This is a record that consists of the Great Jazz Trio (Ron Tony Hank) + Sadao Watanabe (this album art picture cuts off his name. Rest assured, it fits on the 12" record sleeve). Some great 80's live concert bebop. "Manha de Carnval" is the song that I've known as Samba de Orfeo. I love how the Japanese audience lets out a huge cheer when the band breaks into "I'm Old Fashioned."

I file this under Ron Carter, but it is really Great Jazz Trio (Quartet). Nothing stands out on this record, but there is great playing throughout. I think it's the only recording of Sadao Watanabe that I have.

We'll keep the bass theme going. Up next is a Stanley Clarke record... It should be interesting.

Ron Carter - Etudes

I got this record for $2.99. Sometimes a record is so nicely priced, you just can't pass it up. It features Ron and Tony plus Art Farmer and Saxophonist Bill Evans. Etude is an interesting musical term. Usually they are musical pieces used more as an exercise to achieve a technique rather than a beautiful piece of music. See wikipedia . How is this album a reference to etudes? Are they still working on the Ornette Coleman model of improvising without a pianist? I'm not sure.

Ron Carter is certainly a master of the bass, but sometimes I get a little nauseated with all of the glissandi in his solos, especially on certain tracks on this record. Listening to so many slides gives a sense of seasickness, like I'm not on stable ground.

Excellent musicianship on this record. I admit to not knowing much about saxophonist Bill Evans, other than he played with Miles in the 80's. He plays nicely on this record, and I like his soprano playing best.

The record sleeve is very cool for Elektra Musician. It seems like they had a few interesting recordings in the early 80's, some including Charles Lloyd Quartet - Montreux 82, Chico Freeman Tradition in Transition, and The Young Lions. The Young Lions in the 80's - There is a lot of discussion about the neo-traditionalists such as Wynton Marsalis and co., but this album includes many names that I feel honor tradition while still reaching for the unknown (which is the essence of Jazz, I think):

• John Blake
• Hamiett Bluiett
• Ronnie Burrage
• Anthony Davis
• Paquito d'Rivera
• Kevin Eubanks
• Chico Freeman
• Craig Harris
• Jay Hoggard
• Fred Hopkins
• Bobby McFerrin
• Wynton Marsalis
• James Newton
• Daniel Ponche
• Avery Sharpe
• Abdul Wadud

Some of these names are unfamiliar to me, but others like Hamiett Bluiett, Anthony Davis, Craig Harris, Fred Hopkins, James Newton, and Abdul Wadud are very familiar names from the AACM, BAG, performances with David Murray, Arthur Blythe... Not people I tend to think of when I hear Young Lions. This has kind of made me rethink jazz history that I've read about the Young Lions. As always with history, it's best to immerse yourself in the artifacts of the time and come up with your own conclusions. I don't want to think of Donald Harrison as a saxophonist only interested in honoring the past when I hear him performing with Don Pullen. I should simply listen to every musician for what they are doing in that moment.

I have a very cheesy Jay Hoggard record (well, the cover is cheesy. Some of the performance is cheesy too, but I will write about it when I get to the H's)

Charlie Christian - "Hey Charlie, let's play the blues"

(I'm not sure if that's the actual title of this LP)

This record has some bootleg recordings of Charlie Christian jamming out with the Benny Goodman band. This is really a jam band recording. Charlie is riffing and the group segues into "a smoooth one." Audio fidelity is not the best on this record, but it is a great document of a legendary jazz guitarist who died way too young. This is pre-bop loose jamming. It's all with the Benny Goodman sextet. I like the smaller ensemble as opposed to his big band. This is a good record and it is important for everyone to hear it to better understand the continuity of the evolution of jazz styles.

Gary Burton - Passengers

Pat Metheny alert! This is one of the first albums to feature Pat Metheny. The group even plays his song "Midwestern Nights Dream," Although on this album it is called B and G. Eberhard Weber is also prominently featured. A very melodic bass player. I believe he plays an upright plugged in with effects pedals. He gets some weird "phaser" like sounds especially on the opener "Sea Journey."

I've always thought that "Claude and Betty" is PRIME sampling material. If I was a hip hop producer, that opening would be the first thing I would sample.

Claude and Betty

Gary Burton - New Quartet

More Gary Burton. This one has Abe Laboriel Sr. on Bass. His son plays drums for Paul McCartney. Sr. is a very chopsy bassist. Also, Mick Goodrick with some excellent wah wah pedaling throughout. Not enough wah wah in jazz.

Some pretty minimalist album art, there are a few ECM albums with this type of art. I like it.

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett

This is a pretty classic Gary Burton album; very 60's jazz rocky vibes stuff going on here. Great compositions written mostly by Keith Jarrett (all except Como en Vietnam by Steve Swallow, who plays electric bass on this album?) 

Holy cow, Grow Your Own. Right before the ensemble comes in to play the head of the song for a final time, Gary and Keith lock into the tightest vibes and piano groove ever. I don't think anything Gary's done with Chick Corea locks into that insane tightness at the end of "Grow Your Own." Remember when those jazz robot videos were so popular on youtube.com? I remember there was one where they joke about Keith Jarrett writing a song about growing pot, which I suppose there aren't too many other songs about that topic.

Sam Brown is a tremendously underrated jazz figure in the late 1960's to 1970's. He was one of my favorite guitarists; he really can meet the middle ground where he isn't overtly rock in a jazz setting, and vice versa. Tragically, I believe he committed suicide around 1974. I wish there was more writings about him. I love his playing on this, and he was pretty much a member of Keith Jarrett's american quartet in my mind (as well as Guilhermo Franco). I love his playing on Paul Motians records such as Conception Vessel and Tribute (Tribute is one of my favorite records, and I look forward to listening to it and writing about it.)

This record also displays Keith Jarrett on soprano sax. He has a unique sound on the soprano. I can only describe it as "gnarly tone." Earthy isn't quite the right adjective, but I believe gnarly hits it right on the head.

I think I have two more Gary Burton albums after this one (I probably will be adding more in the future). Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett are the two artists of which I have the most records. It is fitting that that is the title of this album...

Gary Burton - Alone at Last

This is a Gary Burton vibraphone master album. I think the album cover reminds me of the Burger King from commercials from 2004:

This album also has Gary Burton on Organ, Piano, and Fender Rhodes on a couple tracks.

I need to mention at this point that I was able to see Han Bennink perform in Milwaukee with the Eric Boeren quartet. Mr. Bennink played a snare drum and a hi hat, but he captivated the entire room (not to take away from Michael Moore on alto sax, Eric Boeren on cornet, or Wilbert De Joode on bass. Talk about jazz as catharsis. I'm so glad I was able to see a living legend. After the concert he sat down right next to me. I was kinda shocked and said, "Thank you for coming to Milwaukee."

Gary Burton Quartet - In Concert

I have entered the Gary Burton section of my library. Being a vibraphonist, I feel that I need to listen and collect recordings from as many vibraphonists as I can (I am shocked to admit that I only have one MJQ album with Milt Jackson on vibes. I need to get more Milt Jackson records). I was a pretty big fusion fan at one point in my life, and I had read about Burton's early fusion groups with Larry Coryell on guitar. There is some good playing all around on this record, but it is not my favorite Burton recording.
I love how the cover is such a 1968 fashion statement. Steve Swallow seems like such an interesting guy... I really like his electric bass playing that he switched to doing in the mid 1970s. Swallow with his short hair seems like he is being counter-counter culture - you short-haired freak! Gary Burton, meanwhile, kinda seems like Robin Hood.

I got some cooking to tend to, and some good vibes to soak up!

Jackson Browne - For Everyman

This album has "Take it Easy," which is arguably Jackson Browne's biggest hit. It's the first track on side one, and it segues nicely into the next song "Our Lady of the Well."

The main reason I bought this album is because it has "These Days" on it. For me the song "These Days" came into my life when watching The Royal Tenenbaums:

The version from Tenenbaums is actually sung by Nico, with Jackson Browne on electric guitar fingerpicking accompaniment. Jackson wrote this song when he was 16 years old. This puts it in company of "Lush Life" as a song written by a teenager, but with incredibly profound lyrics well beyond the age of the songwriter. Here are the lyrics, which I seem to relate to on a daily basis:

These Days

Well I've been out walking 

I don't do that much talking these days 

These days

These days I seem to think a lot 

About the things that I forgot to do 

And all the times I had the chance to 

And I had a lover 

It's so hard to risk another these days 

These days 

Now if I seem to be afraid 

To live the life I have made in song 

Well it's just that I've been losing so long 

I'll keep on moving 

Things are bound to be improving these days 

These days 

These days I sit on corner stones 

And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend 

Don't confront me with my failures 

I have not forgotten them

The arrangement on For Everyman was inspired by Gregg Allman. It is much slower and laid back with a country rockish tinge to it. I don't love it as much as the Nico version, but a good song is a good song.

Anthony Braxton - In The Tradition

I got this so that I could own an Anthony Braxton record. I don't know if this is the best place to start with Anthony Braxton, but I had to start somewhere. I thought a traditional quartet would be a good place to start. It is very traditional sounding. Tootie Heath on drums. NHOP on bass. Tete Montoliu on piano. I had never heard of Tete before I got this, but he is an excellent pianist. This record is on the Steeple Chase/ Inner City record label, which is a label to look for if you are trying to find great jazz recordings from the 70s and 80s (ala Black Saint/ Soul Note)

I think I prefer Braxton's playing on two ECM CD's - Conference of the Birds and Paris Concert. But this record is still good. I also bought it because he plays contrabass clarinet. A duet with NHOP on Goodbye Porkpie Hat (I thought they should have incorporated that song into the ending of Breaking Bad...)

This recording was supposed to be a Dexter Gordon date! Some interesting trivia for you...

Tootie Heath must have 8 arms, because he is keeping time while throwing in interjections through out the drum kit on all the songs he's on.

When I searched google images for Braxton In the Tradition, for some reason, the J Lo green dress picture came up:

Arthur Blythe - Illusions

I like this record a lot, but I don't find it quite as classic as Lennox Avenue Breakdown from the previous post. The concept from this album is to feature Blythe's two different groups: His Avant Garde ensemble with cello tuba guitar drums, and his "In the Tradition" quartet with piano bass and drums. Both groups are phenomenal, but I wish this was two separate albums featuring each group. The concept was to intersperse songs from each group to create an illusion that they are one in the same. I don't like the illusion. I get really into one track, and the next one is a different group. Then I get into it, and the next is different...

I also generally prefer jazz albums that have a consistent lineup throughout the whole album. It seems like looking at some of the credits on jazz albums in the late 70s and early 80s is like the ending credits of a movie.

Arthur is the man. He and David Murray were two of the top saxophonists in the early 1980s (both played in Jack Dejohnette's Limited Edition). Please see the previous post for the link to help Arthur's battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Arthur Blythe - Lennox Ave. Breakdown

This is a classic jazz album. Fine musicians, fine songs, fine solos. Bob Stewart plays Tuba while Cecil McBee plays upright bass. They play well off each other, and they create a huge low end sound - a base. With this base, Blood Ulmer is able to bounce his angular guitar jabs, Jack Dejohnette can syncopate like crazy, and Arthur can soar on top of it all.

Great liner notes from Stanley Crouch. I can't wait to read through his Charlie Parker biography. Crouch is a bit of an enigma; I've always pinned him as a curmudgeon that only liked a very specific classic jazz type, but he calls it like he sees it. Arthur is the man, and Crouch knows it.

This album, at least the title track, would even make good party music. I almost forgot James Newton is on this album! With some crazy electronic sounding flute effect on some long tones... I'm not sure why James Newton's star seemed to burn out so quickly. He's one of the most talented flutists in the history of Jazz... Is he still playing?

Cool album cover: "Come check out my apartment, it is shaped like an alto saxophone."

Again, I don't think I can do it justice. I just feel this album is an absolute classic. Here is a vid of the title track the entire album on youtube:

For those that do not know, Arthur Blythe is battling Parkinson's Disease. Please consider a donation to help offset the medical costs: http://gusttsilis.com/arthurblythe/

George Benson - Beyond the Blue Horizon

This is a great George Benson album, from the time before he became really poppy, and before he started singing. This is the album cover that I have, although it appears there is a different cover (this may be because the one I have is stamped Demonstration Not For Sale on the back)

This is the other cover (more common?):

Kinda like Gary, Indiana?

Side one has a cool version of "So What." It is funky in a Jack Dejohnette kinda way, which is to say it's not as down and dirty as the Isley Bros.* Ron Carter channels Scotty Lafaro with a bass part reminiscent of "W.R.U." by Ornette. The other song on side one, "The Gentle Rain," is a Bossa reminiscent of "Besame Mucho." There is an instrument throughout this album that sounds like a fiddle playing a tremolo sliding up and down, and I can't figure out what exactly it is (is it Benson on his guitar... nope I'm hearing it while Benson is improvising... It could be electronic, almost like a theremin?) There is no credit for violinist on the back...

Side two is actually my favorite side of this album (this album is so good, but I often overlook it.) And side two has this weird fiddle thing going on throughout (I'm going to feel like an idiot when I find out that the sound is probably not a fiddle at all. There are two percussionists listed in the credits: Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson, could it be percussion? electric cuica?) "All Clear" has a feel good groove to it. The head sounds very much like "Grazing in the Grass" but a little more uptempo. This is happy music :) 

"Ode to a Kudu"... I think I read an interesting anecdote about this song in a guitar magazine. Benson said that this random dude came up to him and showed him an alternate tuning on guitar, but the trick was to play the guitar just the way you normally would and it will sound exotic. Maybe it was about the next song, "Somewhere in the East..." "Ode to a Kudu" is such a reflective melody, in a way reminiscent of Miles' "In a Silent Way." This is good, mellow music. *CUE NEIL YOUNG: BAYBE MELLOW MY MIND OUT...* Anyways... "Kudu" is really a beautiful song.

"Somewhere in the East" sounds like a quasi Eastern/tribal jam. Great conga playing. Weird sound effects from Benson on guitar (This time I'm sure it's Benson). I love how Ron Carter harmonizes with Benson's guitar melody (way up in the high register on his bass) The only regret is that it kinda trails off at the end

I don't think my words can do justice to how good "Kudu" and "Somewhere in the East" are. Here are some vids to check out the tunes in all their splendid glory:

I give this record 150 out of 5 stars. So good.

*I maybe should have compared Apples to Apples. Here is a down and dirty CTI track with Ron Carter, but Billy Cobham is laying down the down and dirty funk on drums: Milt Jackson - People Make The World Go Round

Richie Beirach - Eon

I bought this album out of curiosity, and I don't listen to it too much. They play an interesting version of Nardis. This is what I understand the history of Nardis to be:

Bill Evans wrote Blue in Green, but Miles claimed it and is listed as the songwriter (got royalties)

Miles wrote Nardis for Bill Evans... but Miles name is still listed as the composer.

I don't think Miles ever played it.

I think Nardis sounds a lot like the theme from Resolution (A Love Supreme)

The cover of the album is cool, but the music isn't as moving. I just bought Chick Corea's Now He Sings Now He Sobs on CD, and I feel like that is the high standard for jazz trio albums. This album doesn't get free enough, groovy enough, exploratory enough, trance-inducing enough... but it has a cool cover...

Beethoven - Piano Concerto no. 4 & Sonata no. 14 in C# minor - Guiomar Novaes piano

I'm pretty sure one of my friends brought some of his records over to my house one day, and he forgot this Beethoven record. I may have listened to this record once before. I am sure I will read a little bit about Guimar Novaes, who is the pianist on this record. This must have been a popular record to purchase because of the B side, which contains the Sonata in C# minor commonly known as "The Moonlight Sonata." The "moonlight" nickname actually came about 5 years after Beethoven's death. Again, wikipedia has some information on the topic: Moonlight Sonata.
My record has quite a bit of crackle and sibilance...

There is great playing on this recording, but I am by no means an expert on the music, and I don't know how it compares to other artist's renditions.

AEC - Full Force

I'm not trying to shed too much light on the music provided on all of these records, I'm merely attempting to listen to my entire record collection (Which I keep in alphabetical order). I'm still only at the A's (Art Ensemble of Chicago is the last of the A's). This is another ECM release that came out a few years after Nice Guys, and I feel like the record is actually Nice Guys part II.

The cover is cool for having the AEC insignia on the bottom: Art Ensemble of Chicago: Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future.

Everyone plays at least four different instruments, but Lester Bowie sticks with his trumpet on this one.

"Magg Zelma" really develops into a nice groove (similar in some ways to "Dreaming of the Masters" from Nice Guys), but one has to patiently wait for the groove to enter after a cacophony of little instruments. I wonder where they found bike horns that sound like little laughing monkeys?

I got this record at the same time as Nice Guys, so I wonder if my opinion is largely connected to that fact, or if others feel the same way?

Next up is a Beethoven record, which I don't know if I've ever listened to!

Art Ensemble of Chicago - Nice Guys

I first heard this record in college, when I had checked it out from the university library, which had a strange array of random jazz records. I was glad when I finally purchased this record earlier this year. I was able to take a trip down memory lane. The album contains some pretty wild sounds of (bike)horns, with some bird calls, some Jamaican folk singing that borders on minstrelsy, and alarms (like a Chicago traffic jam). My favorite track on this recording is "Dreaming of the Masters" which is the last song on side two, which is a more straight ahead jazz jam.

There is great album artwork on the cover as well as the back (the back shows the group in studio with their collection of percussion instruments. They look to be in mid rehearsal of one of their pieces. Inside the sleeve is a photo of the group in a dressing room, looking into a mirror, and preparing the makeup for a performance.

If you haven't heard the Art Ensemble of Chicago, there are a million and a half videos on youtube. Here is one clip that I enjoy:

FYI, Gary Burton is not a fan of the AEC for personal reasons. I guess he missed a flight because they had to load up all of their instruments onto the same plane. If you read this blog, you will find out that I have a few Gary Burton recordings. I like the AEC and G.B. the same. There is some great vibraphone work on the two ECM AEC albums that I have (next up is Full Force.)

Air - Air Lore

The Legend, and the Lore

Oh how I love Air. It's disappointing that many people think of the French Duo Air before they think of Mr. Threadgill, Mr. McCall, and Mr. Hopkins. Ornette Coleman released an album called "The Shape of Jazz to Come." Air embodies the best of what Jazz had become by the mid 1970s- mid 1980s.

I have had a hard time finding Air records at used record stores, although I recently asked a local store owner if he ever comes across them, and he assured me they are not as rare as I may have thought. This may be the most I've paid for a record - $17. Not bad - that's about the typical price for a CD. The music is priceless (cheesy, I know)...

I just heard a classic Threadgill solo ending - in which he sustains a tone, adds subtle vibrato, and makes his saxophone sound like a distorted guitar trailing off (end of his solo on King Porter Stomp).

Others have written about the music on this album. All of the songs are early jazz hits by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin. The repertoire is played with modern extended improvisations that are respectful to the history, but modern and creative at the same time (another great example is Klang's Other Doors, which uses Benny Goodman tunes as vehicles for modern improvisation.)

I cherish this record, and I am looking forward to adding more Air to my record collection. I have Air Raid and Air Song in my CD collection, and I have not been disappointed by this all star lineup.

PS - Henry Threadgill performed at the Chicago jazz festival with Jack Dejohnette, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, and Larry Gray. I read in Downbeat that this was recorded and may be released on ECM! I was very mad at myself that I did not attend this historic concert, but I would love to hear it on a recording!