Sonny Rollins - Our Man In Jazz

Sonny Rollins: Hey Ornette, I'm taking your band!

Don Cherry and Billy Higgins on this one with Bob Cranshaw. I just listened to side 2, at one moment Bob breaks up his solo, he goes from walking quarter notes, and then he throws in some triple time ideas. I went "Yeah Bob Cranshaw."

Cranshaw and Rollins are still alive. Cranshaw is 81. Sonny is 83. Ornette is 84. Thank God for the music they have shared with the world.

Return to Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy

RTF was my gateway to jazz. Pink Floyd > Prog Rock > RTF (fusion)> Miles Davis > Etc.

Dewey Redman - The Struggle Conitinues

RIP DEWEY REDMAN. THIS ALBUM IS A GREAT ONE. REDMAN AND ED BLACKWELL ARE KINDRED SPIRITS.

Old and New Dreams - Playing

RIP CHARLIE. RIP OLD AND NEW DREAMS.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. TIME IS TIGHT THE WHOLE DAMN ALBUM.

Julian Priester - Love Love

This is a Julian Priester record. Priester played with Blakey in the Messengers. This album is a straight offshoot of Herbie's Sextant and Bennie Maupin's Jewell in the Lotus...

Side A is a non-stop 15/8 Bass groove. The whole side. Like 20 Minutes. Like two measures of 4/4, but just drop an 8th note... The whole side... With Psychedelic synth sounds...

Pepo
       Mtoto
Love,
       Love

Pras - Ghetto Superstar

Wow this is a fun throwback to 1998 or something...

Don Pullen - Montreux Concert

I absolutely love Don Pullen. I'm always looking for Don Pullen records. I love the way he combines the far out Cecil Taylor like explorations with very straight-ahead left hand comping... His bloody knuckle glissandos are the closest any pianist has come to the emulate the sound expressions like that of Albert Ayler.

This record contains Steve Jordan on drums. Steve is a well known drummer and now plays with John Mayer.

Dave Pike - On A Gentle Note

Red Norvo Trio - Savoy Sessions

Incredibly overlooked bop trio. EARLY Mingus. Musicians play creatively without having a drummer. Some songs sound like there is a drummer, because they all play with strong rhythm. Tal makes his guitar sound like bongos on some tracks.

New Air - Air Show no. 1

New Air, kinda like old Air, but with AkLaff instead of Steve McCall. Still good. I'm always on the lookout for Threadgill. Fred Hopkins too.

David Murray Octet - New Life

David Murray - Morning Song

One of my favorite Murray records. I love the title song. Here's a live version of the tune:

Taylor Ho Bynum and Tomas Fujiwara - Through Foundation

This dynamic duo performed in Milwaukee last night to a shamefully small audience at the Sugar Maple. I'm so thankful that the Sugar Maple can keep bringing in world class musicians, but I feel bad when there is low turn out. I'm also thankful that Tomas and Taylor didn't hold anything back, in other words, they played their asses off!

Cool trivia about this album: recorded with Bill Dixon's microphone. Tomas performs on Alan Dawson's drum set. The record is colored vinyl.

Check it out for yourself:

Through Foundation

David Murray - Murray's Steps

My Blog Entry about this from 2011

Pat Metheny - 80/81