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Stereojack

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Posts posted by Stereojack

  2. Paul Anka's "Rock Swings"

    in New Releases

    Posted

    The release of this album was accompanied by a media blitz the likes of which I hadn't seen in a long time: a full-page "article" (ad) in the NY Times, appearances on Letterman, Howard Stern, The View, et al. Promos sent all around. This guy is the quintessential show biz weasel.

    I have to say however, that the the thing is very well executed - top notch musicians, arrangements. It's the songs that suck.

  3. BFT #28 - Disc Two: DISCUSSION

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Except for #3 and #5 on this disc, I completely avoided all pop and jazz standards on both discs for exactly this reason.  I'm convinced that familiarity with a tune is a great help in ID'g any particular track.  Anyway, you're on the money again, tooter. :tup

    By the same token, an occasional familiar tune can make a program flow a little better. At least that's the credo I've always lived by as a jazz radio host.

    I thought you said that your goal wasn't to stump us, but to provide good listening. :w

  4. BFT #28 - Disc Two: DISCUSSION

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted · Edited by Stereojack

    1. Hearing the bandoneon in the ensemble, I first thought of Astor Piazzolla, but I don’t know if Astor ever recorded in such an overtly jazz setting. Perhaps it’s another bandoneon player, maybe Dino Saluzzi? Don’t understand why they kick into a Jazz Messengers groove for the trumpet solo – I’d have enjoyed it more if they’d maintained the South American groove throughout. Trumpet is reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard. Tenor starts out nice, but eventually crosses into that overly aggressive bag that leaves me cold. This track tries too hard to be too many things for my tastes.

    2. Piano trio – I thought of early Chick Corea, but really have no idea. I like the sound of the piano – at one point the pianist hits a couple of high notes and they really ring!

    3. “Like Sonny”, John Coltrane’s tune, done in a Latin groove. Neither of the tenors lights my fire.

    4. Cedar Walton? I like this. Nice writing for the ensemble. The alto sounds like James Spaulding, can’t pick out the trumpet or bone.

    5. Randy Weston’s “Little Niles”, done in a fast 4/4. The lead instrument sounds like a marimba. I like the mellow woody sound of the marimba, and am wracking my brain trying to remember who plays marimba besides Bobby Hutcherson? An interesting idea, but this tune plays so beautifully as a waltz, why fuck with the formula?

    6. A variant on “How High the Moon” – two tenors a la Warne Marsh, but neither one of these is Warne. I’m on the fence with the first tenor, might it be Lew Tabackin? Second tenor rings no bells, hate that guitar sound.

    7. Piano trio – pleasant enough, nice interplay. Don’t recognize anybody.

    8. Damn! This sounds familiar, but maybe because I’m hearing this for the third time. :party: Kind of a happy tune.

    9. When one hears jazz harmonica, Toots Thielemans comes to mind. The only other guy I know who can play this much harmonica is in Boston – Mike Turk. Assuming this is Toots, who can that violinist be?

    10. Another blustery tenor – Joe Lovano?

    11. I think the first soloist is playing flugelhorn, can’t identify him without a fair amount of guesswork. Alto ain’t doing much for me, possibly Bobby Watson? Here’s another record where I’d like to have heard the soloists stretch out a bit more.

    12. This is a puzzler. It all starts out in a pretty conventional groove, until near the end where the tenor figures the only way to rise above the mundane is to make a racket. Lame. :bad:

    13. This has a nice haunting quality to it, and they maintain it through to the end. A nice way to end the set.

    Some nice choices, and a few that left me cold.

  8. Chico Hamilton

    in Artists

    Posted

    And Chico's trio album for PJ - now that that Running Muskrat or whatever it is is dipping into the PJ catalog, maybe we'll finally get that little gem reissued here.

    Now that I finally got a copy of the Japanese Lp reissue of this .... it will be reissued on a LoneHill CD under Jim Hall's name (hah! he wasn't even on all the tracks), with the Hall / Red Kelly session added .....

    The Lone Hill CD only contains the three tracks with Hall, and all of "Good Friday Blues".

  9. Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges

    in Recommendations

    Posted

    This is one of a series of recordings that paired Mulligan up with another saxophonist such as Ben Webster or Zoot Sims. All of them are pretty good. And on the Zoot Sims match-up, Sims and Mulligan swap horns for one song ("Lady in Red" I think).

    Actually it's Stan Getz, not Zoot. And I believe they swap horns on two songs, and they sound pretty good!

  12. BFT #28 - Disc One: DISCUSSION

    in Blindfold Test

    Posted

    Well, here we go. I’ve listened all the way through in the car, and am listening on earphones a second time while writing these notes. :w

    1. My first thought as this starts is Duke Ellington, late 30’s, and the clarinet seems to be Barney Bigard. The smoky trombone must be Lawrence Brown, but I get bogged down with the trumpet. It might be Cootie, but I’m not sure, and I’m on the fence as to whether this is Duke, especially since I like to think I know my early Duke, and I don’t recognize this. I’d expect more written passages if this were Duke, and aside from the subdued background riffing, this one is almost all solo work.

    2. Are we jumping ahead 30 years with another Duke track? Ellingtonian at the beginning, but the tenor is unfamiliar. Nice tango feeling. I think this Barry Harris from one of the mid-1960’s Prestige albums, “Luminescence” or “Bullseye”. Kenny Dorham (tp), Junior Cook? (ts), Pepper Adams (bari)

    3. Didn’t have a clue on first listen, found the drums a tad overrecorded, but on second listen I think it might be early Don Friedman on piano, with Joe Hunt on drums, from one of the Riverside albums, possibly “A Day In the City”. Very tasty.

    4. The guitarist sounds an awful lot like Django, although until recently I wouldn’t have thought that Django had ever played so modern. A couple of months ago I picked up a Django LP on which Django plays with young modern musicians including Martial Solal, and it was good! Might this be from those sessions?

    5. This opens with a typical Horace Silver intro, although it becomes obvious pretty quickly that this isn’t Horace. I like the bari player, but I can’t recognize him. The solos are frustratingly short – I’d like everybody to stretch out a little more. The tenor and trumpet are tantalizingly familiar! I’m gonna kick myself when I find out who this is!

    6. This one had me stumped at first – clearly a 1940’s big band feature piece for the pianist, but then I think I got it: “The Moose”, Charlie Barnet’s band featuring young Dodo Marmarosa.

    7. This sounds a lot like Tadd Dameron, possibly from “The Magic Touch” on Riverside? Joe Wilder (tp – beautiful!), I seem to remember that Jimmy Heath was the tenor on TMT, but this sounds like Charlie Rouse to me. And presumably the drummer is Philly Joe.

    8. A nice 1930’s swing band with a stride piano intro. Claude Hopkins? Two trumpets, the second guy a high note man! Or might this be Chick Webb’s band – nice drumming.

    9. Oh, this is so familiar. I think this is Dave Pike, can hear him moaning in the background. Is this Bill Evans – can this be from “Pike’s Peak”? The drummer doesn’t seem to be completely comfortable with the waltz time, a little stilted. A nice track, nonetheless.

    10. Bari sounds like Serge Chaloff, but I can’t place the session. Maybe “Boston Blowup”, with Boots Mussulli on alto. Nice writing and ensemble playing, reminiscent of Woody’s second Herd.

    11. Again, a familiar side. It kills me when I know it but I don’t know it! Blue Mitchell? A fine trumpet player, whoever he is. I think the bassist is Sam Jones. This must be an old Riverside album. I could guess any number of pianists, but no names are jumping out.

    12. An early avant garde group, Mingus influence. Two altos – might this be Prince Lasha & Sonny Simmons? And while I’m sticking my neck out here – Bobby Hutcherson?

    13. If this ain’t Basie, the pianist certainly took his Basie pills that morning. Two smoking tenor players, one of them might be Wardell Gray. This probably dates from the time that Basie was leading a small group in the early 1950’s.

    14. I’m wondering if this might be the Jazz Epistles from South Africa. Dollar Brand (piano - very Monkish), Hugh Masakela (trumpet), Kippi Moeketsi (alto), Louis Moholo (drums)?

    15. Well, I knew this one right away! One of my all time favorites! Howard McGhee & Fats Navarro! Can’t remember if the title is “The Skunk” or “Boperation”. I love this session. A masterpiece!

    16. Oh yes, another favorite – Artie Shaw, “The Maid With the Flaccid Air”, written by the great Eddie Sauter. Such a treat to enjoy this while driving home from work! Such beautiful writing, and impeccably played! I know we share an admiration for Artie Shaw, Marty.

    17. No guesses on this - a pleasant performance, again stingy on the solo work. You wish that the musicians would be given more opportunity to dig in.

    18. I think this is Marion Brown from his “Three For Shepp” album on Impulse. A little tongue in cheek here. Grachan Moncur (trombone). I’m inclined to guess Jaki Byard on piano, but I seem to recall that Dave Burrell was the pianist on this session.

    Some very fine selections, Marty. In several instance I was frustrated that the producer hadn’t given the musicians more opportunities to stretch out, but that’s the record biz!

  18. Mosaic Future Projects

    in Mosaic and other box sets...

    Posted

    But yeah, the working band definitely got better, especially as Tony's composing skills grew. That's the main point of interest for me, hearing Tony's tunes. There's some real gems to be heard!

    Just wish they'd include the Tokyo set. That's one I don't have, and by all accounts it's killer.

    I found these records to be somewhat tepid until I saw the band live. They smoked! And then I got into the records, and I agree about Tony's writing - very nice.

    The Live in Tokyo set is the best - surprised that they aren't including it, unless they have other plans down the line.

  21. Very Early Keith Jarrett recording

    in Artists

    Posted

    Yes, Restoration Ruin (1968, Atlantic, reissued as part of a 2-fer on Collectables, oddly enough paired with Art Ensemble of Chicago) - he sings too. Some pieces have string quartet, which are the only instruments not done by KJ. And just to pick a nit - isn't RR the second Vortex?

    Obviously the catalog numbers prove your point. I bought all these as they were released, and my memory tells me that Somewhere Before was second, but all these years have turned my memory banks into Swiss cheese. :crazy:

  23. Very Early Keith Jarrett recording

    in Artists

    Posted

    If memory serves me well (that is debatable), I recall seeing a Jarrett record in his name on which he played all instruments - and a buttload of them too. In addition to piano and soprano sax, he played guitar (and bass I think) Overdubs obviously.

    I am pretty sure this LP existed, but the name of it escapes me.

    I believe it was called "Restoration Ruin", his third release on the Vortex label.

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