Alon Marcus

More can be found here http://www.saulsteinbergfoundation.org

This is the album I've chosen. Will be glad to hear your opinions on the playing, orchestration and compositions.

I think she's a pleasant surprise, coming out of the blue - popular music.

Thanks for the info, I wish Mosaic would get out all the Silver 'n' X series in one box.

Can someone add info about the time he was with Horace Silver?

Some good ones were not included like "Moon Alley" and "Stories", and I like these albums very much, but you still can talk about them in the "other" category

I think that Metheny and Corea are already classics. What makes them important is their writing. Although both of them had influenced a bunch of piano and guitar players. For me they are important and influential as any of the big Jazz names from the 50's.

Yes (an easy way to increase my posts count)

Unity was on my playlist this month, I noticed that Young tends to use a lot the pentatonic scale, but not the bluesy usual stuff. He superimposes on the same chord various pentatonics derived from roots which are related to the chord he plays. The same creative way as Woody Shaw later did. He also likes using forths and his playing reminds me of all people Mccoy Tyner in his choice of substitute chords and melodic lines.

Sidewinder is not the best neither the worst Morgan. It's the usual Morgan. The problem with the title track is that it has been played too many times. I like all Morgan albums I've heard They give me the same kind of expected satisfaction Everything he did after "Sidewinder" could fit in one pattern. His early albums are a bit different as his last albums I don't like it when he goes into a long and boring modal exploration That's why I might even prefer the exhausted Sidewinder to "Search for the New Land" Anyhow, this week I was listening to "The Rajah" and had a lot of fun. The Rajah

I Couldn't say it better about the Mahavishnu comparison. Thanks for sharing the knowledge about the tangent albums.

Great choice. I started listening to the album today and I like it already. Abercrombie always was a kind of bloodless player and I didn't expect he could play with such power, speed and articulation like here. He is almost like McLaughlin, just a bit more diverse and smart. The album is very surprising especially when you come to listen to it after hearing the traditional organ trio. What are the flaws, Guy?

Few more comments about his playing and compositions. 1. Moon Alley - The album contains one of his best compositions "Rapture". The improvisations are built on patterns derived from the original theme. The patterns serve as vamps for soloing. This is a fresh idea, avoiding standart chorus blowing and reminds somehow the development part of the classical sonata form. It's also interesting to compare this version of "Rapture" with Garrett to a later one with Bob Berg. 2. Harrell's tunes are very singable. You can easily remember the melodies he writes. Some of his themes could serve as elevator music weren't they so good. Tunes like "I don't know" or the optimistic "April Mist" from his album "Visions". 3. Harrell's tunes and improvisations also remind me good short stories like those of Chekhov, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, O. Henry or Raymond Carver. Lester Young said once that you have to tell a story in your playing and that is correct. People look for the same pleasure in listening to music as in books, movies or just a friendly chat while having a cup of cofee. In that sense Tom Harrell is a good storyteller. 4. Harrell's smart writing brings out the best in players who work with him. The name of his sidemen is a long list of jazz celebreties including Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Bob Berg and Phil Woods. 5. He reminds Chet Baker in the way he tends to play behind the beat. But he follows the harmonic discoveries made by Woody Shaw and like Shaw uses pentatonic scales a lot and creatively.

Nice story and very interesting

I'm listening right now to Strange Liberation Quite good on first impression. It has a great team with Uri Caine, Bill Frisel and Chris Potter. The compositions sound very fine to me. Need more time to evaluate the solos.

Now I'm furious. How can you say it? How can you say Scott Yanow is the least knowledgeable jazz critic in the universe? You simply have no respect for Tom Jurek.

I really hope you mean LTD's sessions and not Scott Yanow's.

Happy Birthday to Joe Lovano!

One of his most interesting collaborations is the one with Jackie Mclean. They have different styles, Mclean plays much more outside and has quite an angular way of phrasing while Dexter rounds and sweetens his phrases. NHOP is simply great here. My favorite tunes are Sunset and Rue de la Harpe.

Ca'purange is a fine album, but with all my love for Dexter Thad Jones and Hank Jones are stealing the spotlight from him on this one.

Thanks a lot for the various opinions expressed in the thread. Personally, I like LTD very much and have been listening to his stuff lately. 1. His contribution as the man who put bebop on tenor was not mentioned. Maybe Allen could bring names of lesser known tenorists, who contributed not less than him, but still, his role in the bebop revolution can't be underestimated. 2. What about his influence on Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane and the backward influence they had on him? 3. His early recordings, from the 40s. I think that he played quite differently. You can almost mistake him with Lester Young. What about his collaborations with Wardell Grey, and his many other tenor battles. The early years with Lionel Hampton and Earl Hines? 4. I can't understand the thing about "hearing the drugs in his playing". How can you tell he was using drugs before each and every session? Why it doesn't bother you with Charlie Parker, Chet Baker or Miles? 5. I like his Blue Note records most of all. Also have warm feelings to "Homecoming" with Woody Shaw. 6. He is playing a lot behind the beat. This is one of the most amazing things in his playing and I believe that's what creates his swing and gives people pleasure in listening to him. As Barak (White Lightening) told me once, his tendency to play behind the beat grew and became more sophisticated as the years passed. 7. For some reason I prefer hearing him in a quintet with a trumpet player. 8. I like his sound and think he was great with sound dynamics while singing his phrases. His sound thickened with the years. 9. He quotes often, bit I like it. Maybe he could quote less "Mona Lisa" in his 70s and 80s recordings. 10. Maybe I could agree with Allen about his "behind the beat playing" as coming from technical limitations or even drug use. But I don't think it's bad. Usually if one can make his weakness a source of power he is a good jazz player, or a woman.

There were few small talks about the guy but no general discussion. Please write your opinions about him, personal favorites out of his huge discography, and if someone has links to interviews with him on the web, that will be great. Previous discussions about LTD Mosaic Select box - http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...topic=18331&hl= Prestige Box - http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...topic=11699&hl= Steeplechase Box - http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=420&hl=

I wonder what people think about his Landmarks album. What do you think about the free pieces (and I hope my ears didn't betray me and and those are free pieces, without choruses) like the Owl and the Fox and Dig This?

He is certainly a great songwriter. It's one thing that most of the jazz fans agree with. I also like his playing and arranging. In the last few days I was listening to his collaboration with Bobby Shew on the Album Playing with Fire. John Patitucci is also doing a very good job playing acoustic bass. I would like to know what people think about that album.

Pure Genious!!! I think it's the best Wonder since "Songs in the Key of Life". He is still in good shape and his craft of writing songs is at its best.