Wildflowers The New York Loft Jazz Sessions vol 5

This is it. The last one in my collection (for now). This has been a nice way to track how many records I have in my collection, and a nice way to make sure they are not all just gathering dust. I'm sure a trip to the record shop will occur soon, and I may write about them when I get them.

Now, I can just enjoy what I have and listen to whatever I'm in the mood for, rather than what's next.

This Wildflowers collection (vol 5) sounds better today than when I first listened to it. I think you maybe have to be prepared for the amazing repetition of Roscoe Mitchell's "Chant." and the loosey-goosey Sunny Murray ensemble reading of "Something's Cooking." The metaphor (cliche) commonly used when a musician is on point is "burning." Well, burning and cooking don't often go together very well... but then again... they're cooking.

Neik Young - Trans

Not a great album (full of vocoder). Weird cover of Mr. Soul. Transformer Man is a great song, especially when it was performed "unplugged."

Neil Young - ZUMA

Zuma is not part of Neil's "ditch" trilogy that was "Tonight's the Night," "Time Fades Away," and "On the Beach." This album, is like the best parts of all of those... but with Crazy Horse... and the last track is CSNY... and Cortez Cortez... what a killer

Larry Young - Into Somethin'

Killer lineup. Sam Rivers, Elvin Jones, Grant Green, and Larry. This is up there with Unity. Unity is  a little more classic. If this is Larry Young's second best record, then LY's second best is better than most peoples' best...

Yes - Close to the Edge

I bought this one up in MQT. Sleeve is in rough condition, so is record. But it's not so bad that it's unlistenable. Actually, I was surprised that it sounds as good as it does.

World Saxophone Quartet - Revue

Woodstock

Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed and Delivered

I don't think I've ever listened to this record, despite the fact it has been in my possesion for 13(ish) years?!! My best friend growing up, Mark, had brought this over to my house (along with the Star Wars record) and left it behind. Well, I've had it for a long time, and I'm listening to it for the first time. I didn't realize this came out in 1970, and it has a funky cover of We Can Work it Out by the Beatles.

I "Wonder" why I've waited so long to give this one a spin...

Lenny White - Big City

Nice outfit on the front cover, cartoonized Lenny White.

Lenny White - Venusian Summer

My one-time favorite drummer. Drummed with Chick Corea and Return To Forever. Drummed open handed. Very cool dude.

Played drums on Red Clay

This record has Larry Coryell and Al Di Meola on the same track.

Lenny played drums on Bitches Brew.

Favorite Lenny White album is Adventure of Astral Pirates (I have it on CD)

Love his production on RTF's Romantic Warrior.

Weather Report - Tale Spinnin'

W/ Alphonso Johnson on Bass. I have NO Weather Report records with Jaco... interesting...

Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric

Umphrey's McGee - Safety in Numbers

In high school, all my friends loved jam bands. Mainly, Umphrey's McGee. This was my gateway into prog, which led to jazz fusion, which led to straight ahead jazz, which led to free improvisation, which brings us back to free improvisation, which is a unique thing that Umphrey's tries to incorporate into all of their sets. There is such a nostalgic push to this LP.

I could write forever and ever about this, but the main details I should get are this: This album came out in 2006. I bought the CD at Sam Goody when it came out, and later bought the RECORD at Best Buy (?). I rarely will buy a record if I already own the CD, but I guess I just was that into Umphrey's McGee at the time.

Storm Thorgerson (of Hipgnosis... i.e. Pink Floyd album artwork, some Zeppelin, others too) designed the album cover, which I guess flipped the role of a sleeping/counting sheep/ sleep?

I think Partyin' Sheeps would do it, no?

U.K. - U.K.

PROG PROG PROG PROG pop PROG PROG PROGGY MCPROGGERSON PROGRESSIVE ROCK PROG ROCK PROG POGS PROGPROGPROG PROG PROG prog PROG.

Billy Bruford - Alan Holdsworth - John Wetton - Eddie Jacobs.

Supergroup.

Kinda poppy, but true to prog. IS THIS WHAT THE BAND ASIA WAS TRYING TO DO????

U.K. What a band...


AND I FOUND THIS RECORD IN MARQUETTE MI. When I was in college, I was still riding high in the Prog Rock Helicopter.

McCoy Tyner - 4x4

Another McCoy 70's/80's concept record. This one is just as strong as Supertrios, IMO. Each side is the McCoy Tyner Trio + one; the trio is Tyner, Al Foster, and Cecil McBee. Side one features Freddie Hubbard, side two is John Abercrombie, side three is Bobby Hutcherson, and side four is Arthur Blythe. Pick yer poison here. Rather, pick yer nectar- each side is heavenly. Surprisingly enough, the John Abercrombie collaboration really works well. They play Backward Glance and Forbidden land. Abercrombie has his own approach to modality which slithers through the jungle storm that Tyner and McBee lay out. Foster's drums act as branches for Abercrombie to swing freely from... and Abercrombie plays ELECTRIC MANDOLIN ON THIS ALBUM. HOLY WAH.

McCoy Tyner - Supertrios

This is a double album of McCoy playing with two different trios. A brave concept, yet a concept McCoy tried frequently in this period (next review is for 4 X 4 (unless I've already reviewed it???)).

LP1 is Tyner, Carter, Williams. So much power. Coke jazz (?)
LP2 is a bit more mysteriously syncopated: McCoy and Dejohnette and Eddie Gomez. I saw Eddie Gomez live in Milwaukee. At the UWM recital hall. Venue was barely half full. I felt much shame that the place was not packed. UWM has a Jazz studies program. Where were the students???? JAZZ LEGEND!!!! PLAYED MANY YEARS WITH BILL EVANS!!!! WHAT COULD YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEARING EDDIE GOMEZ???????

Sorry for the rant.

Ethan Iverson has written about Supertrios. I agree with just about everything he has written.

Fun Fact: My copy of disc one is hella warped, but it still plays just fine!!!

Ralph Towner and Gary Burton - Mathbook

I wrote about this one before!

Cecil Taylor - For Olim

This one got a high recommendation from Ben Ratliff in his book "Essential Library of Jazz." I was happy to find a used record for sale at a WMSE event in 2011.

:)

Cecil Taylor - Dark to Themselves

Energy Music. Explosive journey led by Cecil. David S. Ware is on Tenor Sax on this one. Jimmy Lyons also on Alto. No bass, but no bass necessary.

Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz - Make it Reign

Uptown baby, uptown baby. We gets down, baby, for the crown baby.

Styx - Kilroy was Here

Yes, I just listened to this album. Yes, I sang along to Mr. Roboto.

Feelin' okay....

Styx - Grand Illusion

Styx was my first favorite rock band. At one point, I could name all of the band members, now I can barely think of one (I just saw Tommy Shaw's name on the record... Dennis DeYoung... The Drummer and Bassist were bro's I believe, and I think the drummer died far too young... I guess I can always go on wikipedia to double check those type of details...)

(Tommy Shaw, I remember at a family get together, my older cousin talked about seeing Damn Yankees at the State Fair in the early 90's, and she was infatuated with Tommy Shaw, lol!)

Some good deep cuts on this: "Grand Illusion," "Angry Young Man," "Superstars." "Come Sail Away" was the big hit. Listening to this now with a little more sense of Rock Music history, I can hear how they were trying to ride some of Emerson Lake and Palmer's lightning. This record opens this way: "Welcome to the Grand Illusion... pay your price get your tickets to the show."

Karn Evil 9 has the famous line: "Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends, we're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside."

Coming up next... KILROY WAS HERE

The Story of Star Wars

My childhood friend Mark left this at my house in the 7th grade. It's a weird record: an abridged retelling of Star Wars using actual sound from "A New Hope." If I was a talented DJ/Producer, this would have been a great record to sample R2D2 or other sounds from the movie...

I always enjoyed playing J5's Quality control on one turntable, and throwing this on the other. Trying to scratch anytime there was weird droid noises...

More on this record here

Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On

Is this an answer to Marvin Gaye's what's going on? There's a riot goin' on. They are still goin' on:

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/13-per-cent-of-ferguson-cops-have-faced-excessive-force-lawsuits--gkvS-o-RQe

http://www.abc22now.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/wkef_vid_22052.shtml?fb_action_ids=936642506349723%3Fwap%3D0

Sly and the Family Stone - Stand!

So many hip hop breaks from this... Classic. Very awkward second track on the album relating to race relations.

Woody Shaw - Master of the Art

RIP Woody Shaw, RIP Mulgrew Miller.

Also features Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Turre, Tony Reedus, Stafford James

Skankin' Pickle - Green Album

Once upon a time, I was really into Ska/Punk. Around that time, my favorite ska band was Skankin' Pickle. My brother bought me this album when I was in 7th grade (he knew I liked Skankin' Pickle and had a turntable, what a nice gift!)

This is an album of covers. More information via allmusic

I always thought Special Brew was a cute love song:

Andrés Segovia - Five Pieces from Platero and I

World Saxophone Quartet - Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Waymon Reed - 46th and 8th

I bought this as a gift for a friend, but I wanted to listen to it first. This is a great jazz record of standards such as "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and "Blue Monk."

I only know of Waymon Reed from this wonderful Maceo Parker joint:

World Saxophone Quartet - Dances and Ballads

This band was so of its' time. David Murray, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, and Hamiet Bluiett. Sounding like a sympathetic string quartet, but improvisatory and FREE. The last track is an all out four saxophone assault on sound. Yet some tunes get downright FUNKY. Sophisticated and cool - the best way to be.

Wildflowers The New York Loft Jazz Sessions 2

I like this one a lot too. I like vol.1 and vol. 2 much more than vol. 5, but maybe I just need to listen to vol.5 again...

MJQ + Sonny Rollins - Live at Music Inn vol 2

Steve Swallow - Home

This is a great record (which sounds a bit dated), in which Steve Swallow wrote music to accompany the poetry of Robert Creeley

Red Norvo - Pretty is the Only Way to Fly

Vibes and Stuff.

Wildflowers - The New York Loft Jazz Sessions vol 1

Volume 1 compilation of jazz artists performing in Sam Rivers' loft. I like this volume better than vol 5, and I just purchased volume 2, have yet to hear it.

This one has Kalaprusha, Air(!), Sam Rivers, Ken McIntyre.

Henry Threadgill - X-75 volume 1

Holy wah. Most of this album is scored for 4 flutes 4 basses and voice. This is one-of-a-kind.

Henry Threadgill - Subject to Change

Hey Henry Threadgill!!!!

Andrew Hill - Divine Relevation

Mingus - Changes 2

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus

Don Pullen Don Pullen

Dannie Richmond Dannie Richmond

George Adams George George George George

Ahh, I Hardly Knew Ye.

RIP Robin Williams

Ahmad Jamal - All of You

This is the classic Ahmad trio with Vernell Fournier and Israel Crosby. Nothing stood out to me as much as Poinciana, but still a great document of Ahmad's band sound with an awesome group (Vernell's Quarter Notes on his Riveted Ride Cymbal Drew Me In... sorry about the capital letters).

Music with 58 Musicians, Vol. 1

A great sampling of ECM recordings from late 70's early 80's. The name is a take on Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, an excerpt of which is included. That is the only piece that is excerpted, all other songs are complete.

Highlight is Old and New Dreams performing Lonely Woman. Dewey and Don seem to weirdly go too slow (maybe) through the melody, but the solos are transcendent. Charlie Charlie Charlie...

Even though it's a compilation, it's nice to have a Gatefold ECM album WITH LINER NOTES!! This album also showcases a variety of innovative music which is just about completely absent from ECM these days. There is Old and New Dreams, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Paul Motian, Jack Dejohnette, Terje Rypdal, Codona, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Steve Reich... etc.

George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road

Benson recorded this 3 weeks after Abbey Road came out (October of 1969). This is a fine collection of songs/medleys from Abbey Road. George sings as well as plays guitar. Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Idris Muhammad, Hubert Laws, Sonny Fortune are all on here as well as a mini-orchestra/big band. Ed Shaughnessy is also listed as on drums on this... neat!

Arnold Schönberg - Pierrot Lunaire

This is some wild music, man! This is a classic Schonberg atonal piece incorporating "sprechstimme." (Speak-singing, or singing without definite pitch).

More info about Pierrot Lunaire op. 21

Erik Satie - Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear (and Saint-Saens)

Terje Rypdal - After the Rain

This entire record sounds like the first couple parts of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond." Very New Age, with a little bit of electrified guitar (sounding somewhat "ghoulish")

Busta Rhymes - Fire (Single)

Fire (single) with Bladow. 2000. Busta Bust.

Walt Dickerson - This is Walt Dickerson

Walt Dickerson - Vibes In Motion

This album has Austin Crow on piano (not familiar), Andrew Cyrille and Henry Grimes as well. The music on this album is from the Motion Picture Lawrence of Arabia... It has a very middle eastern desert feel to it... I like it!

Air - Montreux Suisse

Can't breathe! Need... More.. AIR!