Rooster_Ties Posted July 25, 2003 Report Posted July 25, 2003 For about the last week, I've been totally diggin' on... Johnny Griffin: "Change of Pace" (Riverside/OJC, 1961/1999) Johnny Griffin - Tenor Julius Watkins - French Horn Bill Lee & Larry Gales - Basses (both players on all cuts) Ben Riley - Drums ...which I got in a trade with somebody here on the board (thanks!!). What a totally refreshing date!! I had never heard this album before, nor had I really even heard all that much Johnny Griffin - for that matter. So then, I thought I'd start this thread to discuss our favorite piano-less, organ-less, and guitar-less small-group recordings – particularly those recorded before about 1970. And unless people think otherwise, why don't we kinda NOT focus on Ornette and Don Cherry's contributions in this discussion, cuz I suspect we've all been there and done that, and more importantly - we mostly probably all know that. I guess what I'm really looking for here, is to discover some cool recordings that I might otherwise be unaware of. Hey, Bird didn't record with just bass and drums ever, by any chance - did he?? Even just one tune?? (Or even during one solo – like maybe the piano laid-out for a chorus or two.) Who was the first to record with just one horn (or up to two or three horns tops), with only bass and drums as the rhythm section??? Any notable "chordal intrument"-less recordings from the 40's or earlier??? Quote
.:.impossible Posted July 26, 2003 Report Posted July 26, 2003 Sonny Rollins immediately comes to mind. Thanks for the heads up on that Johnny Griffin recording. That looks very interesting! Sonny Rollins .:. Live at the Village Vanguard (1957) Sonny Rollins, Donald Bailey or Wilbur Ware, Pete LaRoca or Elvin Jones This may be as obvious, if not moreso, than the Ornette groups! Sonny Rollins .:. The Freedom Suite (1958) Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach A new trio in the same format. First side is the ambitious suite that speaks out against the mistreatment of African-America in the late 1950s. Things really came to a head in the coming decade. Second side contains a few individualistic takes on "standards." John Coltrane with Don Cherry .:. The Avant-Garde (1960) John Coltrane, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden or Percy Heath, Ed Blackwell This probably fits in under "Ornette and Don Cherry's contributions" but I thought I'd include it anyway, as it is a unique recording in Coltrane's discography. How about Rahsaan?! He would take three non-chordal instruments and create his own chordal instrument! That is a category in and of itself! :excited I would have loved to have heard something with Wayne Shorter or Eric Dolphy without a chordal instrument. I guess the Plugged Nickel box can substitue for the Wayne Shorter when played on the right stereo! : Quote
JSngry Posted July 26, 2003 Report Posted July 26, 2003 I would have loved to have heard something with Wayne Shorter or Eric Dolphy without a chordal instrument. For Wayne: For Eric: Quote
.:.impossible Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 Hey, thanks! I had forgotten about SPRING. Funny, because I was thinking about Tony and SPRING in particular this afternoon! I am not familiar with the Mingus album... hard to find? Thanks Jim. The first half of LIFETIME is a good example for this thread also! I feel a long Tony Williams binge coming on. Quote
Jim R Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 Like Impossible, my first thought was Rollins at the Vanguard. Another name that came quickly to mind was Gerry Mulligan, with Chet Baker; with Paul Desmond; and probably some others I'm forgetting... Quote
J Larsen Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 I am not familiar with the Mingus album... hard to find? The Mingus record has been reissued at least twice in the past few years and is currently available, as far as I know. With the disclaimer that I am known for having a tendency to use the surpurlative, it's one of the greatest records of all time. Quote
BFrank Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 There are the two BN Elvin albums "Puttin' It Together" and "The Ultimate" with just Joe Farrell and Jimmy Garrison. Both in the Mosaic box, I believe. Quote
.:.impossible Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 I am not familiar with the Mingus album... hard to find? The Mingus record has been reissued at least twice in the past few years and is currently available, as far as I know. With the disclaimer that I am known for having a tendency to use the surpurlative, it's one of the greatest records of all time. Thanks Larsen! I can identify with the disclaimer. "Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus" IS the HOLY GRAIL OF JAZZ. Quote
BFrank Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 (edited) It's in print. Towerrecords.com Edited July 27, 2003 by BFrank Quote
sidewinder Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 Probably 'What Is There To Say' by Gerry Mulligan with Art Farmer, Dave Bailey and Bill Crow. Beautiful session, superbly recorded by Columbia. Hugely undervalued Mulligan album, IMO. Quote
king ubu Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 Two more nice Mulligan CDs: Mulligan, Pleyel Concerts Vol. 1 & 2 Besides the nice photographs on the covers, they have some pretty nice and very swinging music. The line up is Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Red Mitchell and Frank Isola (who's a hell of a fine drummer). Similar to the Storyville (Pacific) stuff. ubu Quote
mikeweil Posted July 27, 2003 Report Posted July 27, 2003 Ted Curson recorded a nice LP with Bill Barron, Herb Bushler and Dick Berk for Fontana, if I remember correctly. I've always the Steve Lacy LP with Don Cherry. Of course the few tracks Coltrane did with Steve Davis and Elvin on the Atlantic Plays the Blues album. Quote
Big Al Posted August 18, 2003 Report Posted August 18, 2003 Another Sonny: EAST BROADWAY RUN DOWN Sonny: tenor sax Freddie Hubbard: trumpet, side one show-stealer Jimmy Garrison: bass Elvin Jones: drums Quote
Big Al Posted August 18, 2003 Report Posted August 18, 2003 Pee Wee Russell ASK ME NOW Don't remember the lineup, I just remember it's clarinet-trombone-bass-drums. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted August 18, 2003 Report Posted August 18, 2003 Don't think anyone mentioned Motion by Leek Onitz. Quote
brownie Posted August 18, 2003 Report Posted August 18, 2003 Jimmy Giuffre's Capitol album 'Tangents in Jazz' fits the bill. Quote
brownie Posted August 19, 2003 Report Posted August 19, 2003 Couple more: Kenny Dorham/Ernie Henry 'Two Horns Two Rhythms' on Riverside Tony Scott 'Scott's Fling' a 1955 RCA piano/guitarless session. Quote
EKE BBB Posted August 19, 2003 Report Posted August 19, 2003 Every recording by Sonny Rollins pianoless trio Quote
pryan Posted August 19, 2003 Report Posted August 19, 2003 Probably 'What Is There To Say' by Gerry Mulligan with Art Farmer, Dave Bailey and Bill Crow. Beautiful session, superbly recorded by Columbia. Hugely undervalued Mulligan album, IMO. I concur. Another one that hasn't been mentioned yet is Dave Holland's CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS on ECM, w/ Rivers, Braxton, and Ashtul. Yeah, it's not within the time frame (1972) but it's still a dandy album; not too free but still lots of freedom for the soloists to "take flight". Quote
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