Which Mosaic Are You Enjoying Right Now?

[kh1958]

Classic James P. Johnson Sessions, disc 3.

[mikeweil]

[sidewinder]

Most of this set. Very happy with the sonics and some excellent Sonny Criss and Sweets. Perfect music with a gale blowing outside !

 

[Gheorghe]

Right now , from the Clifford Jordon Strata East I´ve listened to Disc III. The Charles Brackeen-Don Cherry-Charlie Haden-Ed Blackwell "Rhythm X" , I had it on tape when I was a youngster and wanted to hear it again. So it was not a real surprise for me because it´s exactly how I remembered it: Like Don Cherry´s Complete Communion it´s an easy way for starters to get into free jazz. In my case I wanted to dig 60´s avantgarde and a guy gave me those two together with the easier Ornette Coleman (Golden Circle) to get into it, since it still has lines of straight ahead walking bass, approachable for Free-Jazz Newbies.

It´s a wonderful work, very Ornette Coleman influenced, Charlie Haden is also really great but when he picks up the bow and start´s bowing it´s a bit funny how it sounds, like bees flyin around. David Izenzon was better for bowing avantgarde, and Henry Grimes above all......., but that´s part of the game, those sections where he starts to bow with a funny sound....

And the Ed Blackwell led stuff is also great, 2 tunes with regular quartet with Don Cherry and a guy named Lucman Lateef who sounds interesting,

And as a drums lover I really enjoyed the selections with drummers and percussion only. I´ve always loved drums and drummers.....

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

It´s a wonderful work, very Ornette Coleman influenced, Charlie Haden is also really great but when he picks up the bow and start´s bowing it´s a bit funny how it sounds, like bees flyin around. David Izenzon was better for bowing avantgarde, and Henry Grimes above all......., but that´s part of the game, those sections where he starts to bow with a funny sound....

For me - having been socialised with classical music - it was occasionally quite tough to get along with the bowed bass in jazz ....

[Gheorghe]

3 hours ago, soulpope said:

For me - having been socialised with classical music - it was occasionally quite tough to get along with the bowed bass in jazz ....

Well me not really.  I really got into bass bowing as a listening experience by listening to the first jazz lp I ever had, Miles with Paul Chambers on bass. I taught myself to play bass when I was at high school and even could work some gigs. No one less than a really good austrian bass player told me I should go onm  but I always felt my instrument is the piano and after 37-40 years I think there´s not much left even if I might still know how to finger it.  I still have the bass fiddle at home, much to the annoyment of my wife "grin"

I don´t feel hurt if it sounds "ugly" for classical trained musicians or listeners, and he can get far out also if he likes, but those bowed octaves alternating with plugged bass sounded a bit funny to me. But maybe a few more listening. Well Charlie Haden knew the music very well and is hand in glowe with Ornette and Cherry and them all, but when he starts solo, it sometimes sounds funny to me, very very diatonic, like childs songs. I feel more comfortable if Henry Grimes plays a solo, it´s more jazzy......

[soulpope]

3 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Well me not really.  I really got into bass bowing as a listening experience by listening to the first jazz lp I ever had, Miles with Paul Chambers on bass. I taught myself to play bass when I was at high school and even could work some gigs. No one less than a really good austrian bass player told me I should go onm  but I always felt my instrument is the piano and after 37-40 years I think there´s not much left even if I might still know how to finger it.  I still have the bass fiddle at home, much to the annoyment of my wife "grin"

I don´t feel hurt if it sounds "ugly" for classical trained musicians or listeners, and he can get far out also if he likes, but those bowed octaves alternating with plugged bass sounded a bit funny to me. But maybe a few more listening. Well Charlie Haden knew the music very well and is hand in glowe with Ornette and Cherry and them all, but when he starts solo, it sometimes sounds funny to me, very very diatonic, like childs songs. I feel more comfortable if Henry Grimes plays a solo, it´s more jazzy......

No objection from my side .... actually my problems occur with the tonal bass bowing in Jazz .... mea culpa  ....

[jeffcrom]

Ellington Small Group Sessions, disc 7. As I listened, I flashed on a memory: when I was in college, I bought a stack of worn blues 78s at junk shop in Bogart, Georgia - all obviously from the same source, presumably the well-loved collection of a local resident. Among the B.B. King and Lightnin' Hopkins discs was Vocalion 5533 - "Skunk Hollow Blues" and "Tired Socks" by Johnny Hodges.

Edited January 6, 2018 by jeffcrom

[paul secor]

2 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

Ellington Small Group Sessions, disc 7. As I listened, I flashed on a memory: when I was in college, I bought a stack of worn blues 78s at junk shop in Bogart, Georgia - all obviously from the same source, presumably the well-loved collection of a local resident. Among the B.B. King and Lightnin' Hopkins discs was Vocalion 5533 - "Skunk Hollow Blues" and "Tired Socks" by Johnny Hodges.

Cool reminiscence, Jeff.

[T.D.]

The Glass Bead Games, In the World and Cecil Payne sessions.

[Tom 1960]

On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 3:36 AM, mikeweil said:

I've thought about purchasing this from time to time but never pulled the trigger. I never understood that since I especially enjoy large group ensembles. Could you please provide a few thoughts on this set?

[jlhoots]

Farmer / Golson

[BFrank]

Clifford Jordan - disk 5, the Wilbur Ware session.

[Gheorghe]

On ‎09‎.‎01‎.‎2018 at 8:11 PM, BFrank said:

Clifford Jordan - disk 5, the Wilbur Ware session.

have listened to it yesterday. The best track is the Red Cross, Clifford Jordan is fantastic on it.

But I must admit it´s not very very well recorded. The bass is too loud. Okay the bass is the leader and want´s to show he´s the leader, but IMHO it´s overrecorded, louder than the other instruments. But I´m not an audiophile, it´s only because after 40 years of music  my hearing isn´t that good any more and anyway I have difficulties hearing high frequenzes (flutes and the upper register of other instruments), so a very loud bass is an additional difficulty.

But Wilbur Ware has great lines parallel to the lead voices, I first noticed that on a very early record I think on "Dial S for Sonny". I like him most as a sideman. As a soloist maybe he does not appeal me as much as let´s say Mingus, who always seems to tell a story on his bass........

But it´s interesting how those Strata East focus on very interesting musicians like Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell together with some from the older generation. And a lot of pianoless combos, Ornette-like.  

[BFrank]

It's an unusual set, for sure. I haven't spent enough time with it yet, but I'm in no hurry. Something to look forward to!

[mikeweil]

On 7.1.2018 at 5:47 PM, Tom 1960 said:

I've thought about purchasing this from time to time but never pulled the trigger. I never understood that since I especially enjoy large group ensembles. Could you please provide a few thoughts on this set?

If you know and enjoy Onzy Matthews' other work with Lou Rawls, Groove Holmes, or Esther Philipps, you will enjoy this one, too, his personal style comes through even better without a voice in the focus. His writing is lighter and has a little less punch than Gerald Wilson's, but is just as much to the point. "Blues with a Touch of Elegance", the title of one of his albums, expresses very well what his style is all about. I enjoy it every time I pull it from the shelf to listen. And the soloists are all fine.

Edited January 13, 2018 by mikeweil

[Stereojack]

Have been working my way through these three for the last few weeks in the car, one disc at a time.

The small groups set is a mixed bag, but worth while for the Ruby Braff sides (including one whole unreleased date), and the Coleman Hawkins-Clark Terry date, which annotator Dick Sudhalter trashes in the notes - I STRONGLY disagree! 

The Shaw set is excellent, although I'm disappointed that most of the female vocals were omitted. I've known most of this music since I was in high school, and it still sounds good.

Having owned most of the Ventura and Flip sides on vinyl over the years, I'm being reintroduced to this music once again. The Flip Phillips stuff holds up quite well, but I find that I'm not all that impressed with Ventura, who to me seems rather a gimmicky player with a lot of flash, not a whole lot of substance. 

[Berthold]

Artie Shaw The Bluebird & Victor Sessions 1

[John Tapscott]

[Ron S]

The Complete Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald Decca Sessions (1934-1941)--Discs 1 & 2

 

[alankin]

Sonny Stitt – Stittsville [(M) from The Complete Roost Studio Sessions] (Roost Records SLP 2244 — Mosaic)
— Sonny Stitt - tenor & alto saxophone; Jimmy Jones - piano; unknown musician - bass; Roy Haynes - drums.

 
 

[Bluesnik]

Before (haven't been able to post recently):

With Jim Hall playing alongside Jimmy Raney on Street Swingers. And Hall further on.

And now:

Which also features Brookmeyer heavily. In fact only Mulligan and Brookmeyer solo mainly.

[Ron S]

On 1/16/2018 at 1:02 PM, Ron S said:

The Complete Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald Decca Sessions (1934-1941)--Discs 1 & 2

 

Now, discs 3 & 4.  Still marveling at the sound quality on this one (and of course, the music).

[Misterioso]

[paul secor]

Moncur Select - disc 3