CJ Shearn

I second that Ron.

for the past 5 or so years and currently, definitely, without question: the most detailed listening I've ever done being a non musician. And then also Miles, Hank, Wayne, and anybody who's been a sideman on those albums. A lot of the recurring names in my collection are due to their apperances as sidemen. pretty much as I'm collecting an artist I go through phases but with the guys I really love there is usually several albums that remain in constant rotation.

I have to conserve cash before I move back into my dorm but I'll PM you when I check out the disc. Maybe even the Binghamton Public Library has it, which might be cool too, but I personally prefer buying discs :-D

Soulive tends to get into the repitition of groove thing as well, and I don't find them very interesting as soloists. I saw them on BET on Jazz yesterday, a tune called "Lenny" where Eric Krasno (playing what looked similar to a Pat Metheny Ibanez model) had this boring solo of nothing but blues cliches behind Neal Evans' 3 or 4 long organ chords behind a synth fretless bass line. If they were interesting soloists it'd be ok, but the way they stay on a groove is not that interesting to me.

thanks for the offer Lon, but I will just go w/ buying the remastered version sometime soon, but I appreciate the kind offer, I really like what Columbia has done in remastering Miles' catalog. Claude, in the two tracks I was sent, I hear what you mean, I am not familiar with Mikkelborg's other works but I sense a very composed kind of thing that sets up an unusual terrain for improvising. In "White", it's hard to hear where the composition begins and ends in the framework of Miles' solo.

interesting Rooster Ties and Lon. I would agree that it is a challenging work, compared to say simpler funkier stuff like "Tutu", "Perfect Way", "Me and U" etc. I'd rather keep an open mind to it rather than a purist attitude, I think it also says something about classic and challenging being two separate entities even tho as in the case of say "Sorcerer", or "Filles" the two are now intertwined. It seems to me that if we forget about anything recorded from 1955-70 in the moment and look at his 80's catalog, it ranks as one of his best 80's discs, if it's looked at in the context of his more cherished albums, it may not rank as high, but I've been trying to find as much as I can about "Aura" in the past few days to try to understand and contextualize it better. Next time I go to Barnes and Noble I may just get a copy.

the album, not his aura as a musician :-D How do you feel about it? The reason I ask is because my friend Daniel and I were IM'ming the other night, and he's talking about "Aura" claiming it was Miles' "most far out shit since BB". Daniel is an electric Miles fan, who's really been heavily into jazz the past few years, myself, have been digging acoustic Miles for a long time as many of us have, and just really have been beginning to explore electric Miles myself (IaSW is on my priority list, the single remastered disc tho b/c I mostly enjoy those Columbia albums by him in their original sequence, as is BB- just two I never got around to yet.. shameful, I know) And while in the very small bits I've heard of prime electric Miles, this stuff is great music, but later on, the era of 80's Miles particularly on record has troubled me. Because the stuff just hasn't dated as well, and while his playing was always great the surroundings he was in, with players like Foley, Holzman, Irving, etc. didn't sound as good on record as they did live. Even the "Live in Munich" DVD, which I've since sold, was an enjoyable trip into his 80's repertoire even if some of the tunes and synth sounds were a little cheesy. (bad sampling, too cold) Anyway, Daniel sent me some "Aura" tracks, "Indigo" and "White" and after hearing them several times, they do nothing for me. "White" has some interesting dissonant writing but it's nothing I haven't heard before in the Evans type orchestration, and the writing is a little rigid. "Indigo" just sounds like "Nefertiti" era stuff without the same thrills. Do any of you consider "Aura" in the midst of Miles' career and tremendous legacy to be another milestone in his career? I may have to pick up the album and give it a whole listen, but opinions would be appreciated. Unlike Hardbop I'm not averse to hearing prime electric Miles although primarily I really dig his acoustic work as do many of us. Anyway, Daniel because he hasn't heard a lot of Miles' work from 1955-68 and because he listens to music for a different reason, is unable to critically evaluate what he likes or dislikes about a work, something that happens when I ask him what he feels about a work. In time hopefully he'll gain this ability. I used to think everything Jimmy Smith did was great, but as I got older I got more critical about his best work compared to what was total garbage.

so far this month: Cannonball Adderley: Somethin' Else RVG Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil RVG Art Blakey: Indestructible RVG Joshua Redman Quartet: Spirit of the Moment Live at the Village Vanguard Miles Davis: Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk Complete: disc 3

thanks for the recs guys. Looks like I will have to investigate "Moodswing" and "Wish" soon. As well as "Yaya3". I remember hearing a "Elastic" track off of wbjazz.com when it came out and I wasn't that impressed.

thanks Alexander. Is the DVD worth getting? BTW, "Lyric" is a nice way to end a nice album like "Spirit of the Moment", Joshua really must have been heavily fascinated by late Trane at the time.

Redman has a good solos on the recent double live Corea disc, how is his playing on the Corea Bud tribute. Gonna listen to disc 2 of "Spirit of the Moment" will post my thoughts on it later.

*** for this review "This is a collection that looks better on paper than in reality. Though Blakey is joined by Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers, and Jymie Merritt, the addition of drummers Philly Joe Jones, Roy Haynes, and conga player Ray Barretto makes this of interest mostly to percussion fans. While the music is fine, the overlong drum features can test the most durable jazz fan's ears, even with the obviously high level of musicianship. — Ken Dryden" I think maybe Mr Dryden just doesn't dig drum solos. I find this to be a wonderfully executed disc, in terms of playing and realization of a drum session in a hard bop context. It certainly to me is better than "Orgy in Rhythm" or "Drum Suite" in that regard. Another thing about Scott Yanow I notice, after reading several reviews of different artists, that if the music is not particularly straight ahead, very electric in nature (e.g. Metheny Group, Yellowjackets, etc) or groundbreaking stylistically or in the history of jazz, it gets the phrase tacked on "is not all that essential, or "enjoyable, but not all that essential". Albums can be very good if they contain just solid music. Quite a few albums I buy may not even be classic, but just good music.

interesting speculation about the bandage/headband in the "Indestructible" liners. I thought it was a headband, when I looked at the booklet, whatever the case that is a SMOKIN' album. B) "The Egyptian" almost sustains the type of energy on "Free For All" especially when Wayne is just hanging on to that one note towards the end of his solo. I should pick up "Free For All" even if it is not available as an RVG domestically or otherwise.

cool, I'll have to check those out. What's interesting to me about Josh so far on "Spirit of The Moment" is his pacing of tension and release, which sounds authentic, not something that releases too quick. In addition his tone which seems to synthesize everything from swing to free styles. I haven't heard much of him either, but James Carter seems to come from a similar style point. The other thing I dig about the Redman disc is that it was recorded in analog, you can tell especially in the drums IMO, and the dynamics, as well as a natural woody bass tone, doesn't sound twangy and direct to board.

I picked up "Spirit of The Moment" today, and I finished the first disc. So far I am digging it, the tributes to Trane are pretty fun. What about "Wish"? since it includes my man Metheny, it looks very good. Does Pat whip out the good old guitar synth on that record?

Tony, Jack's organ sound during those days featured a bit of overdriven Leslie with the first 4 drawbars pulled out, are you sure that's not what you are hearing? I haven't heard this record at all, tried to pick it up yesterday, when I was out with friends visiting from NY, but B&N didn't have it. I picked up "Indestructable" and will listen to it in detail later on, I heard "The Egyptian" though, great stuff.

I have 2 free months of digital cable, so I've watched Studio Jams. Yesterday Stanley Jordan was on, with Tom Coffin from Bela's group, Vic Wooten and Future Man,with some guy who worked with Grover. I used to enjoy SJ's good records, but I got rid of them. As a whole I'm not that impressed with BET On Jazz, namely their Jazz in the Sun, and other programs have not a lot of jazz content, mostly smooth and R&B.

I think this is an interesting disc. I personally prefer the Jazz Messenger cuts, b/c I don't think the drum session is as well arranged or executed as "Orgy in Rhythm". Still, a nice historical curiosity to have.

Three Blind Mice, and The Big Beat (even in it's current older CD incarnation) I definitely should get, there are a few holes that I need to fill. Other Blakey's I find worthwhile Paris Jam Session: what a date........... Bud Powell with the Jazz Messengers, I never hear much about this date at all, Bud sounds in fine form, haven't heard as much of his playing as I'd like to, but at the time it was recorded, weren't his skills eroding from his terrible incident with a cop outside a club years earlier with Monk? and the addition of Wilen is nice. The jams are substantive and consistently hot. The Freedom Rider: Lee and Wayne, great solos all over this one, and "Tell It Like It Is" is one of Wayne's hippest lines I ever heard, did he ever record or play this one again? The second half of Drum Suite has some nice tunes, I will definitely pick up "Hard Bop" sometime. The McLean/Hardman version was as fine a band as any, perhaps a bit more workmanlike, but very solid. Hardman's smooth, rich, tone and Jackie's famous acidic, sharp alto make for an intriguing blend of tonal colors. Is "Nica's Tempo" a variation of "Nica's Dream"? sounds it to me. Midnight Session, (still have the old Savoy CD) is a similarly solid record with some nice playing. Keystone 3: despite having our favorite target, in Wynton, I believe this is one of the finer late records that is in the Blakey cannon. Very spirited playing, and I love Bobby Watson's "Fuller Love" (or, "In Case You Missed It"), the horn voicings on the head are just nasty, as is that bridge. reminds me of a soul tune. Branford and Bill Pierce hint at some out playing in their solos that's pretty cool. This record was the 2nd one I heard with Pierce and he's become a player I enjoy very much, I wanna check out that record he made with Javon Jackson. Pierce's contributions are nice on Tony Williams' "Tokyo Live", his soprano sound is very much his own, I think, almost clarinet ish.. Bill "Two Saxophone" Pierce Wynton's "Waterfalls" cracks me up tho, with it's obvious ode to "Footprints". Live At Kimball's is a good date as well from this period.

While I just received the "Jazz Messengers" on Columbia CD the other day, out of the many Blakey discs I have this record is underrated, almost enjoy it better than some Blue Note dates from around that time. IMO, this disc has a fire and consistent groove level that is unlike any other Blakey I've heard, all it takes is everyone's single chorus on "Ecaroh" to realize how exciting and hip that Byrd/Mobley front line was in Art's band, wish they had recorded more. I even think that if a neophyte wanted to investigate the Messengers, this would be the place to start, concise tunes, great writing, playing and tight arrangements. I noticed during myt Jazz class that "A Night at Birdland" as much as we all dig it, when my professor discussed and played "Tunisia" off of it it seemed a lot of folks were overwhelmed by it, despite us talking about and listening bebop for a while. Maybe b/c those cats just barrel through with everything they got and then some. the Jazz Messengers on Columbia offers a bit of everything. Anyway I thought of some other Blakey's that are quite overlooked IMO. At the Jazz Corner of the World: Lee and Hank........ always a potent team, the hot setting off with the cool. Wish there was more with Lee and Hank, Timmons/Merritt. Mobley's solos are consistently great on this. Mike, isn't there a rejected studio session by this edition in the can? I'll type more later....... took a NyQuil liquigel, think I'm getting a cold. must sleep now

Shrdlu, Philly did most likely use K's....... I just listen to the way the cymbal rings and washes, deep resonant metallic tones. When Philly switches to a different ride on those Miles dates behind I think some of Trane's solos, it has a really dark sound with lots of stick tone, pretty dry too. I was talking a local drummer who gigs at the Lost Dog, a cafe around here and he told me back then, there wasn't as big a difference between A'S and K's cuz the cymbals were made really thin....... (he uses a beautiful sounding vintage K, sounds nearly identical to Tony's), tho generally the A's are a bit brighter, and K's are darker. Sometimes I have a tough time guessing the cymbal myself, then again, I'm not a drummer, just an audiophile

I generally upgrade for albums I truly love, ie.... the RVG's of "The Sermon", "Houseparty", "A Night at Birdland", or never previously had on CD ("Midnight Blue") although most of my RVG's are of music I never previously heard or owned. The McMasters truly have a nasty, sandpapery edge in the treble and lack of defined bass from the 80's, although some his more recent jobs aren't that bad. Hey, did someone else do the remastering jobs for the early 90's twofers like "Up At Mintons" and "At the Jazz Corner of the World" since there are no credits on them? the sound on those hold up well. About 3-4 years agon I thought that a 20 or 24 bit CD meant instantly better sound, not always so, it can aid in a better sounding version but not perfect all the time. What really floored me are the domestic K2's I have of Cookin/Steamin/Relaxin I got around X-mas time, the rich woody bass tones, Philly Joe's K's rich with detail, a full, pleasing midrange that's very warm.... Paul's bass sounds so resonant that he almost sounds DI'ed before that practice ever was used........ tho it's not ever twangy. The XRCD I have of "Workin" is a little brighter, but still very well done. I look forward to snapping up some of those Coltranes and Rollins' in K2 that are domestics in the near future. As for other companies, I have most every recent Columbia Miles remaster of the Trane and Second Quintet stuff, b/c those early Columbia's are horrible. altho the existing "My Funny Valentine/Four+More" set isn't that bad. Anyway....... McMasters that I wish were upgraded to RVG's domestically but aren't that bad in their current state: Crazy Baby At the Five Spot Cafe

calling our Resident KB Expert Doctor Jim R. For opinions on these Burrell discs. I was thinking about if they'd be worth the plunge as well. How are the tracks with Jimmy Smith?

thanks for the info Mike. I wonder if those french reissues are dupes of the Japanese remasterings. Re: Hard Bop, is the album released in it's entirety with the Paris Concert on Collectables twofer? I know Collectables has a spotty record w/ releasing twofers in regards to an album's entirety. One final question: since I also ordered the "Jazz Messengers" reissue, is the sound on it as bad as I read on an old rec.music.bluenote post? I do have an original 10" LP copy my biology teacher gave me in 10th grade, tho I I wouldn't be able to do an A/B test.

yes Mike, I ordered it along with the Columbia Messengers disc with $5.00 via credit from CDUniverse. I have most of what's available from the 50's on BN, and a few others from other labels (I have 15 or 20 Blakey's on CD as a leader, I don't remember) and I did have Orgy in Rhythm although I traded it after having it several years and never really listening to it a lot. I have "Drums Around the Corner" and dig it, even though Orgy is a very different kind of session. Was "Drum Suite" recorded at the Columbia 30th Street studio, and how is the sound on the French reissue?