CJ Shearn

Chick's ability to play out is still intact. I was surprised (well, not completely) how out some of the improvisations are on "The Continents" disc 2 when I listened a few weeks ago, because his style has evolved so much from those early days.

He's a great frontline partner for Pat Metheny, so much so that the Unity Band, now called the Unity Group is Pat's immediate focus. Also, Chris was great on Antonio Sanchez' debut "Migration", although, Sanchez new disc "New Life" up's the compositional ante (with Donny McCaslin and Dave Binney) considerably.

Well, I think with "A New Perspective", personally, it's an album I love. There might be some merit to the fact some feel it's a fusion of things that don't blend well. The choir is rather ragged, and under rehearsed (it seems) and theres spots you really hear it. The liners say they were all recent graduates of the Manhattan school of Music, right? I think Donald may have wanted to bring some attention to them and gave them the opportunity to record. Also, the fact it's wordless maybe for some, takes away from the meaning of the subject matter of the album, I don't know. Just a thought. "Beyond the Wall" by Kenny Garrett has an extension, I feel, of this type of vocal style on several tracks.

Yeah! True. That's pretty funny. It's a really stupid idea, but I'd buy that album. Chick tends to be surprising with the kind of groups he configures sometimes. There's been flashes of his free playing days in more recent stuff. Surprised ECM hasn't done a "Circle" box set

Yeah, I think so. Donald Bailey, even tho JOS had some great drummers, Bu, Grady Tate, Billy Hart, I think really knew how to play with him. Certain little arranged hits they did were great. Jack DeJohnette revealed in an interview recently that Donald is one of his biggest influences, I've always heard it. The way he can fit unusual polyrhythms, and create unique phrasing.

I wouldn't put it past Chick to not get the "Circle" group back together because that's the one group he hasn't reunited with. Some of my uncle's CD's accidentally made the trip with me in a recent move and he has a lot of GRP stuff, and the stuff that Chick produced like "John Pattitucci" doesn't really hold up that well, it just lacks an edge. GRP stuff I usually see stocked endlessly in used bins, theres only a handful of great GRP releases. I would like to hear Kenny Kirkland's self titled. Jim, what was the appeal of GRP back in the day? I was a was a little kid into jazz then, I never got it the label's appeal then and still don't other than it was all digitally produced and mostly polite shiny smooth stuff.

Thanks Henry. He probably got some education from JOS b/c he always had such a specific way of playing with drummers. I remember JOS said once for the dates that produced "The Master", he had to really teach Jimmie Smith (no relation of course) how to play with him.

Well, my thoughts on RVG releases years later, first of all, I agree with Lon that probably equipment changes enhance the sound. I do not have fancy equipment, but there are plugins the exist (like Audiophile X) if you use your computer as a stereo for CD's which can help you adjust the sound you like. Second, the RVG series for me was a way to get titles I did not own previously inexpensively, and it titles that were rather hard to find like the Grachan Moncur albums, the Willette albums, "Roll Call", etc that I was able to obtain easily after their release in the RVG series. Third, I ran many RVG's through the TT dynamic range tool, and many of them are not as compressed as people here and at the Hoffman forums seem to think. Mastered louder? strange EQ choices? Yes, but not squashed like Coldplay's albums, or for jazz, the most recent Kenny Garrett. Waveforms do not tell the whole story. Many RVG's and McMasters (both early like "Out to Lunch", and later McMasters) out of a scale of 20 rate at 12 for the majority. Also, after hearing a sample of an original Blue Note 47 W. 63rd DG, RVG CD's are meant to mimic the sound of original pressings, I think. Also, despite being sonically superior, because I have the RVG's and know the music, it makes spending $17.98 at HDTracks for titles I already own on disc, hard to take. I have over a hundred Blue Note RVG's. RVG's I think sound wonderful: the Monk volumes, the Davis volumes, Birdland Blakey's, the "Cafe Bohemia" albums, Horace Silver "The Stylings of Silver", "The Sermon", "Houseparty", "Midnight Special","Back at the Chicken Shack", "Plays Fats Waller" (JRVG), "A Night at the Village Vanguard", "Grantstand" RVG's I didn't like "Out to Lunch" (bought the McMaster), "Prayer Meetin" (gotta put the treble and bass way down and wish I kept the old CD) "Empyrean Isles" has strange EQ'ing, mostly mids, but I love the album so much that if HDTracks makes it available I will upgrade. I also like the RVG series package design.

Here he is with Tony Monaco in the Killer B-3 documentary, I think he was shown as a young child with JOS in the "James O. Smith, Organist" documentary. Does anyone know anything about Jimmy Smith, Jr? Is he also an organist? http://youtu.be/RlRiZrM2KkU

Good question, I really have no idea. He is prominently featured on Headhunters though which makes it odd he was just used for colors on "Sextant", since he had a big part of those 2 previous records.

Yeah, "Finding and Believing" has some really great metric modulation and harmonies that don't resove where you'd think they do normally. I like the "All Blues" reference at the fadeout too in the piano. "Tell It All" I dig too with Aznar's vocal and Rodby's cello.

Theres only 3 vocals on "Secret Story", and they really aren't the typical Brazillian, Nascimento influenced Metheny "thing". The Cambodian women's choir on "Beyond the Treetops", the unusual vocalizations on "Finding and Believing", which are a phonetic Hindu chant (I think) and the Japanese vocals on "As a Flower Blossoms(I am Running to You). The deluxe edition of the album has "Understanding", the basic track is from the "Still Life (Talking)" sessions, and was intended for that album but Pat& co. didn't like it. It contains orchestrations from the time of "Secret Story" and some additional parts but the vocals are more traditional PMG.

Dimeola really cannot play jazz, at all. His lines bear no resemblance to the tradition, and he also has one of the most egotistical and insecure musicians I've ever heard. He got into the guitar synth thing feeling supposedly jealous of Metheny, and asked Dan Gottlieb on the "Soaring Through a Dream" album to emulate the Metheny cymbal groove. Frank Gambale had way more jazz chops to spare, regardless of what people feel about his playing, and it makes the guitar playing on "The Mothership Returns" more enjoyable.

I have to agree. It is very hard to sound original with the guitar and wordless vocal format because everything is reminiscent to a degree of the Pat Metheny Group. On that album Stern has such a great blend with Richard Bona, they have such a great hookup, and "Wishing Well" is probably the most PMG esque tune. Vinnie Colauita does a very convincing Paul Wertico ride cymbal groove, and Phillip Hamilton was a PMG alumnus (Imaginary Day Tour). I say Wertico and not Antonio Sanchez because "Voices" was prior to his arrival on an PMG album and Antonio's cymbal thing is so distinct and he took the Metheny ride thing to a whole other level.

Maybe Ruiz was using a guitar patch on his keyboards. I had this album, I didn't like it, maybe I wasn't quite ready for it. If you want to explore more music in this vein Larry, I suggest all the Metheny Group albums, they are all good and have something of value on them. Many people are unable to get past the production, and the sunny nature of some of the music, but it's all really really hip. Lyle Mays' first album is a classic, and as Jim Alfredson told me once, it's still fresh because that direction has not been entirely explored in that way.

I love Ornette's trumpet playing personally, but Happy Birthday!

Wow. Trane had such a great alto sound, on that album and Ammons' "Big Sound".

Get well!

That's a shame. He was a very original organist the little I've heard of him but I'm remedying that on Spotify.

I saw the Elektric Band when I was 7 years old at the JVC Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, but I've never liked the Elektric Band's music all the much. For example, the Live At Montreux 2004, the second half is better than the "To the Stars" music of the first half. Though I think the Vigil group will play some of that music and some RTF music too.

I've heard "skronk" used to apply to Branford Marsalis' outside playing , like "The Dark Keys" or "Bloomington". I've said it often on this board but "Saudades" is a disc I've spun regularly since it came out. I find it that good.

The distortion Pat plays with on this album as I said, I really like, pretty sure it's the hexaphonic distortion of the Roland GR300 in the guitar mode. Around this time he usually used the Roland fitted with the Synclavier controller when he used distortion. "The Red One" is a classic as is "Say the Brother's Name", with really great changes. Harmonically my ear hears a kinship with "So May It Secretly Begin", and "Quiet Rising" is a section from Part 2 of Zero Tolerance for Silence.

Pat plays with a lot more distortion on this thsn other albums and he has great tunes on this date. I really lovethe way his ES 175 tone is captured on this album.

Agree! Got that RVG packed in a box. The McDuff sessions are so great too.

I wonder when that group will do a live album, I've only really heard "Light On" but it's fantastic, a lot of real intriguing compositions.