Jazzmoose Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 - The Sidewinder: most of these dates with a boogaloo tune sound a little too much like they were after a hit; Yes, but that's only one out of five or six marvelous tracks! Rightly regarded as a classic, IMHO. Bill - I should perhaps explain myself. The Sidewinder was one of my first jazz CDs, and I played it to DEATH. Consequently now, I can't listen to it any more. Now that I can relate to! Same with Blakey's The Freedom Rider. Picked 'em up early and played the holy shit out of 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyJazz Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 (edited) I've been listening to Clifford Jordan/John Gilmore's "Blowing In From Chicago" today - for the first time in many years. I bought this when it came out as a Conn in 1994 and it didn't do anything for me. Other than now being able to tell the two tenors apart (paid some listening dues over the years), it still rather bored me. Jordan is OK here (I much prefer "Spellbound" however) but Gilmore is unremarkable IMO. I've never heard that one, Richard, but I was surprised to see it on sale last year as a new 12" LP at Fopp, just off Market Street, which I'm sure you know. I don't think you've missed anything Bill. From 1957, it's a nice line-up - rhythm section of Horace Silver, Curly Russell and Blakey, but it seems uninspired. I have to go into Manchester for work next week (not been for about 2 years) so I'll have a look in Fopp and Vinyl Exchange. I disagree entirely. Two tracks alone, "Bo-till" and "Evil Eye" are worth the price of admission. Not only are the tenor solos of Jordan and Gilmore wonderful, Blakey kicks ass on this date. My chief nomination for lackluster BN recording, and I confess I haven't gone through the myriad number of responses on this thread where it should have been mentioned by someone, is Grant Green's AM I BLUE. Truly a terribly boring date. Hard to figure since Joe Henderson is on it, but nevertheless.......yuk! Edited September 30, 2008 by MartyJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 (edited) My chief nomination for lackluster BN recording, and I confess I haven't gone through the myriad number of responses on this thread where it should have been mentioned by someone, is Grant Green's AM I BLUE. Truly a terribly boring date. Hard to figure since Joe Henderson is on it, but nevertheless.......yuk! I didn't dare mention that one, but I think about it just like you say! Edited October 1, 2008 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted September 30, 2008 Report Share Posted September 30, 2008 Yeah, Am I Blue is a real snoozer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 would u of liked am i blue better if they all did a bunch of speed and played lightnin' fast bebop? what is wrong w/ u, havent you ever felt like takin it easy and just chillin', or are u always "on", "all" the "time"? AM I BLUE is in a way the greatest treasure in the Blue Note vaults, it is a magnificant record and the holy trinity of grant green, big john patton, and laid back, melllow songs, makes it like the Dark Side of the Moon of Blue note albums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) played am i blue a lot a few months ago and for me it was just what i wanted to hear much more often than not... of course it does not suit all situations equally well, but this is (though maybe often to a lesser degree) true for pretty much any record... i like it! one that i do find overrated is blue train... and while i like johnny griffin's blue note quartet albums i don't think they hold up against the argo and riverside quartet albums... Edited October 1, 2008 by Niko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyJazz Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) would u of liked am i blue better if they all did a bunch of speed and played lightnin' fast bebop? what is wrong w/ u, havent you ever felt like takin it easy and just chillin', or are u always "on", "all" the "time"? AM I BLUE is in a way the greatest treasure in the Blue Note vaults, it is a magnificant record and the holy trinity of grant green, big john patton, and laid back, melllow songs, makes it like the Dark Side of the Moon of Blue note albums One doesn't have to be "on" all the time. Take Green's IDLE MOMENTS. There are magnificent "chillin'" (to use your word) versions of "Django", "Idle Moments" and there's also a straight ahead gem such as "Jean de Fleur". AM I BLUE on the other hand, is in no way " the greatest treasure in the Blue Note vaults", indeed the Blue Note reputation would not exist if that mediocre record were to epitomize its output. I had an original BN mono LP of AM I BLUE and cut it loose many years ago with no regrets since (other than the fact that I probably could now get big bucks from some completist collector of BN originals). But to each his own. As far as the subsequent post by Niko that lauds AM I BLUE while denigrating BLUE TRAIN, I really don't know how to respond to that bit of absurdity. Edited October 1, 2008 by MartyJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 As far as the subsequent post by Niko that lauds AM I BLUE while denigrating BLUE TRAIN, I really don't know how to respond to that bit of absurdity. well i didn't say "am i blue" is a better record than "blue train"... i just said to me blue train doesn't quite live up to what you read about it, haven't played it in a while though... concerning idle moments, i do hear a certain "laid-back perfection" in it which i guess is related to what people rave about, i like it but i reach for am i blue more often (my favorite grant green blue note is feelin' the spirit btw) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) No, of course I don't require "lightning fast bebop" to dig a record. I absolutely love Idle Moments, for instance. Am I Blue, however, strikes me as uninspired. Edited October 3, 2008 by BruceH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 As far as the subsequent post by Niko that lauds AM I BLUE while denigrating BLUE TRAIN, I really don't know how to respond to that bit of absurdity. well i didn't say "am i blue" is a better record than "blue train"... i just said to me blue train doesn't quite live up to what you read about it, haven't played it in a while though... concerning idle moments, i do hear a certain "laid-back perfection" in it which i guess is related to what people rave about, i like it but i reach for am i blue more often (my favorite grant green blue note is feelin' the spirit btw) But without Blue Trane we wouldn't have had jazz for BARACK OBAMA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. Yes, I traded it back to the record exchange I bought it from. I think I was expecting Blue Note recording quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted October 16, 2008 Report Share Posted October 16, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. Yes, I traded it back to the record exchange I bought it from. I think I was expecting Blue Note recording quality. Lee's chops sound pretty ragged and the piano sounds like crap. Not the fireworks one would have hoped for with Lee & Freddie, but there are a few moments here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. I have nice LP copies of both and though it's been a while, I remember thinking they were nice records, charmingly ragged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John L Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 When David Murray formed his Coltrane Octet, he sometimes introduced James Spaulding as "from the Night of the Cookers." I have never had strong feelings about Night of the Cookers either way: fun to listen to, but nothing major. Since it does not usually receive very high ratings, I would hestiate to call it overrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 When David Murray formed his Coltrane Octet, he sometimes introduced James Spaulding as "from the Night of the Cookers." I have never had strong feelings about Night of the Cookers either way: fun to listen to, but nothing major. Since it does not usually receive very high ratings, I would hestiate to call it overrated. More like it deserves its mediocre rating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 1960 Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. I just wanted to add my thoughts here which are pretty much in line with others already expressed. I remember first getting into jazz over 20 years ago. Since I was attracted to the trumpet players, I immediately gravitated towards Freddie and Lee. I purchased a bunch of there albums. One day I was visiting a music store and came across A Night At The Cookers and thought DAMN, how bad could that be? For some reason at the time, I placed the disc back in the bin. It wasn't till later on that I heard some of the music from the album played on a jazz radio program. I thought it was horrible. Glad I placed that disc back in the bin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Clugston Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 Surely we can all agree that Freddie Hubbard's "The Night of the Cookers" (both volumes) stinks. I have nice LP copies of both and though it's been a while, I remember thinking they were nice records, charmingly ragged. I agree. "Charmingly ragged" is an apt description, but lots of good moments. I really dig La Roca's drumming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon8 Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 bump (stumbled upon it: fun thread ! curious to read more "confessions") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 charmingly ragged indeed! how 'bout Griffin? I still love "The Congregation" more than almost any other of his albums, even if that's mainly because of the title tune, which is my favourite Griffin tune ever ... also played "Am I Blue" again and again and again in the years passed since this thread was up, and it grew pretty dear to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ayers Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thanks for bringing this one back up! Anyone else as impatient with the Dexter Gordon BNs as I am? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Go & Our Man In Paris are Desert Island Dexter For me. One Flight Up & A Swingin' Affair I could live without if forced to. Dexter Calling & Doin' Alright...not Desert Island, but still dandy. But those first two, those records ARE Dexter Gordon afaic. Even if there wasn't more before or after (and there is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erwbol Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Sadly, I can't make it through Our Man In Paris undistracted (on headphones) for the distortion on the piano. A real shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I suspect if all the responses were aggregated, we might be able to dispense with the entire BN catalog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 "Doin' Alright" and "Our Man in Paris" are my favorites ... took me longer to warm to "Go" and "A Swingin' Affair", Sonny Clark notwithstanding ... but I enjoy them all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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