CJ Shearn

Many of the ECM's I had and reviewed from a few years ago had unusual lineups, one trio was Florian Weber on piano, Markus Stockhausen on trumpet and a bassist I think. Although not a trio, Kit Downes on pipe organ and Tom Challenger on tenor sax was another.

Yeah I need to hear this.

Neither would I. BTW Kevin sent you a friend request on FB The YouTube orbit is it's own universe. Agreed that music is not a thing that people should make entire videos like it's a national emergency. Most YT content creators are doing content that monetizes, hence the overload of MoFi gate vids etc

Sure. I thought his early videos on Jimmy Smith and Prestige and Argo were very good I just lost respect for him at his weird BB vs Red Clay video (you don't like BB, fine, just don't crap on it like he did... reminded me of when I was age 14) and audiophile bashing. True

Honestly I feel like he's an obnoxious guy at times after watching his Mo-Fi rant and his crazy Bitches Brew vs Red Clay video just as two examples. What I will give him credit for is exploring the history of jazz and getting people into it but what do people here think? I don't agree all jazz must have the blues, swing, his takedowns of free jazz and audiophiles is a bit much. There's one video with Ken Micallef where they shit on Miles and Jazz Shepherd says something like he could basically knock Miles out, it was incredibly immature and in poor taste.

True and fair enough, just wanted to put my spin and passion on what my fav. Blue Notes are, and what I'd recommend to others.

I gotta track those discs down they were issued in the 90s. Agree about the first 3 but "Some Other Stuff", I could have put on the list of 40, but for that level of out I chose "All Seeing Eye" and "Out to Lunch" instead. I would NOT personally recommend the Moncur to someone just into jazz unless they were into some form of avant garde or coming from another place like punk. "Gnostic", my favorite track on the album would be too strange for most people.

She is young my friend but has an interest in deep dives of genres through streaming but doing a separate article with a playlist might be cool. She has an interest in audio and would like to hear my system (mainly set up for CD/SACD playback) but my Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC is also connected to my laptop to streaming so laptop connection in through DAC and goes through the CD out of my preamp People getting into the music might hear about Blue Note and wonder what it's about but I like your question by jazz what exactly do I mean? Kind of fuzzy because we could say music originated by Black Americans but now evolved and played the world over by everyone. Perhaps I'll change the title a bit and make it a bit clearer the goal of the article. Thanks!

People getting into the music might hear about Blue Note and wonder what it's about but I like your question by jazz what exactly do I mean? Kind of fuzzy because we could say music originated by Black Americans but now evolved and played the world over by everyone. Perhaps I'll change the title a bit and make it a bit clearer the goal of the article. Thanks!

Its B

This is a new Medium article I wrote, inspired by a friend who likes jazz but doesn't know much about it. It's designed to help people like herself who want to discover the music; not for us. Enjoy. https://bit.ly/3QL42dr I'm sure my choices will be challenged ;-) Go ahead

Hence a lot of the tired same ol same ol titles I see on the SACD lovers group on FB. I listen to music on my system because I love it, it just so happens I have many albums that are reference material.

I love Focal. I have a pair of Focal Chora 826's which sound fabulous with my Audiolab CDT6000 (which Lon recommended to me) Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC, Sony X700 blu ray player (for SACD and Blu ray audio) and Marantz NR1200 preamp and Marantz MM7025 power amp

I use Amazon HD but primarily to test drive albums but also if I'm a bit tight on money I'll listen to something until I get it but my CD and SACD's as my primary mode of listening

I'm with you on this. I like to get the best versions when I can, thankfully after the fire when I rebuilt my system and collection, my friend's dad gave me a bunch of OOP Japanese CD's, SACD'S and I'm very happy with. I have about 60 ish SACD and dig it

I know right? I'm 41 and look way younger than Mike Esposito, most people think I'm in my early 30's and transitioning to female and being on hormones, the youthfulness really comes out more, but I have good genes. I've been following this shitshow and my friend and I just make fun of Fremer and co. any chance we get. The fact Fremer wanted Geoff Edgers to revise his article because he was "misrepresented" shows he has really thin skin and a huge ego. He hasn't learned the ego is an illusion, a shell. I subscribe to Esposito's channel, 45 RPM Audiophile and Ken Micallef's but refuse to for Fremer because a) I don't deal with vinyl, b) it's too impractical for me and c) he's an asshat. I do have my issues with Micallef because he tends to always argue the superiority of original BN pressings (or Liberty and UA era) over Tone Poet's etc. I've heard many TP's sound spectacular. The other issue I have with Micallef (I have to respect he's done far more interviews than I have but I know how it works) he often looks very stupid because he does poor research at times, and has gotten embarrassed in certain interviewers. His beef with the Miles estate and him crapping on Miles with Jazz Sheppard (another buffoon) is ridiculous. I happen to be friends with Vince Wilburn, we are in Lenny White's Zoom chats most weeks, after the fire he checked on me several times to see if I was cool. The business side is one thing, the personal quite another, he's a nice guy. Lenny is great fun too, sometimes I'll just call him and chat. I think Jazz Sheppard (not the place for this) has white guilt and for some reason Miles is a threat to him... someone dead for over 30 years threatens you that much? You need help! Michael Fremer would never concede embarassment, LOL.

Need both! And a decent priced copy of the Plugged Nickel box to rebuy.

Wow I gotta check this out!

I'm not sure... the overly religious connotation kind of steers me away, but that's who Whalum is and have to accept him for it, but the music can be enjoyed regardless . He also really stretches on the Mack Avenue Superband albums and "Impressions" on Joey Defrancesco's Live at the 5 Spot

No because its behind a paywall so have not read it. Then obviously like an idiot I forgot the huge omission of the release of Deodato because that record really set in motion EVERYTHING that set them forward after in terms of big plans. I need to check out those Kenyon Hopkins albums! I was unaware. Thank you.

He has a killer solo on Stanley Clarke's title track "East River Drive" which is quite anthemic. The album is a mix of R&B, film music and jazz funk. It was given to me after the fire by the brilliant professor Dr. Bill Banfield. I'll probably replace the copy he gave me which is in poor condition but plays perfectly in my Audiolab transport. Then obviously like an idiot I forgot the huge omission of the release of Deodato because that record really set in motion EVERYTHING that set them forward after in terms of big plans. I need to check out those Kenyon Martin albums! I was unaware. Thank you. Oh yeah he definitely was the next big post Grover guy and he could play.

True. I couldn't fit in everything! I was like damn I need to include George Howard. Another edit. Dancing In The Sun was a huge early seller in GRP history and I had ended up with two copies of this once. I didn't like the album at all but hey, he was a huge name in the field and if we talk authenticity he was all about that. Then obviously like an idiot I forgot the huge omission of the release of Deodato because that record really set in motion EVERYTHING that set them forward after in terms of big plans. I need to check out those Kenyon Martin albums! I was unaware. Thank you.

Interesting points. That can definitely be a followup article or even an edit when I have time. I agree with you that there is good music in the genre as I stated, I just think after 1984 a lot of it is devoid of substance. I mean Harlequin is a genre classic I just think after the first two tracks it settles into that signature GRP thing. The first two cuts are great MPB. Kirk Whalum definitely took things to another level with his Gospel According To series and while that is not my preferred religion that is music full of meaning, passion and a neat injection of the Texas tenor thing with gospel music.

I just had to do it because in earlier times I labeled it all of garbage (even my beloved Pat before I was there yet) A long read, Part 1 is linked in the article. This is not us much for us, as it is people curious about jazz history... Enjoy https://bit.ly/3b6zQdw

I gotta stream that and his latest. Joel Ross is a beast Haha. Well retro is in for millennials, my generation though I was born in 1981 but I agree a lot of recent Blue Note covers are nondescript but at the same time, I think we have to move on since the Reid Miles era... that said, the last iconic Blue Note cover of the last 40 years for me is One Night With Blue Note Preserved I kind of like it but his daughter designed it apparently. I guess for recent BN covers Melissa Aldana's and Gerald Clayton's are more interesting