Concept Albums that Work

[DrJ]

Yet it's interesting that even many of those blowing sessions would qualify as "concept" albums under the definition promulgated here. You know, "We wanted to get Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt together to blow," and that would be the "concept." I still don't get it. A concept album has to have a lot more structure/organization around a central idea or theme to truly qualify for that label in my view.

The Verve mid-90's concept albums are great examples of true concept albums - some work, some don't, but there is an overt, "here's what we want you to get" vibe, for better or (quite often) for worse as Jim alludes to.

The JAZZ IN FILM Blanchard date was recorded March 17-18 (this was the session that included Henderson) and April 7, 1998 (both sessions had Kirkland).

[JSngry]

Could we call TIAJUANA MOODS & THE BLACK SAINT AND THE SINNER LADY concept albums?

If so, they DEFINITELY work for me.

[JSngry]

A twist on the "instrumentalist pays tribute to singer (or songwriter)" conceptual trip:

Edited July 28, 2003 by JSngry

[JSngry]

Christmas albums are a sub-category of concept albums, right?

[Dan Gould]

Why do I get the feeling Jim is about to start padding his post totals again?

[Cali]

Do these qualify?

Miles - Sketches Of Spain, Porgy & Bess, In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew

Herbie - Empyrean Isles

Duke - Far East Suite

Donald Byrd- A New Perspective

Coltrane - Om

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Mostly, yes - though it might be harder to defend IASW and Bitches Brew.

"I'm Trying to Get Home," the follow-up to "A New Perspective," would probably qualify too.

I don't see the blowing session argument - is anyone really supporting this? Where is the concept that makes the album a unified package? It's just a bunch of tunes. And the lack of concept can easily be seen by how the results of some of the blowing sessions were issued by Prestige - a tune on this album, a couple of tunes on that album. It's almost as bad as the Savoy recording process - put a bunch of guys in the studio and after it's done, whoever took the best solo of the date is the leader.

Mike

[DrJ]

I actually agree, Mike - what I was getting at is that if you make the definition of concept loose enough, which some folks seemed to be arguing, then you can end up including even some blowing sessions that have a little kernal of theme or idea behind them, however small. I'm arguing against that - I think personally to qualify as a concept album, there has to be a whole lot more continuity/thematic unity/overt structure throughout the recording than many of those being listed actually have. For example, how would EMPYREAN ISLES be considered a concept album? Great music, but a pretty thin "concept."

Edited July 29, 2003 by DrJ

[minew]

Sex Mob Does Bond

[Brad]

Two that come to mind are Mobley's Thinking of Home and a better example, Mose Allison's Back Country Suite, which is a heck of a recording, with Mose Allison (p), Taylor La Fargue (bass) and Frank Isola (ds).

Edited July 29, 2003 by Brad

[Michael Fitzgerald]

The concept aspect of Empyrean Isles is the story by Nora Kelly. Admittedly, not something that would be apparent just through the music, but then again not a lot of programmatic works are obvious. Would anyone know Petroushka had a story? (Or think about when a completely unrelated programmatic element is grafted on afterwards - how many people think that The Rite of Spring is about dinosaurs?)

But it seems that from reading what Herbie had to say on several of his Blue Note albums that he was concerned with something other than just a group of tunes. What is very frustrating is that the Blue Note Sixties boxed set includes the Maiden Voyage story by Nora Kelly, but NOT the Empyrean Isles story. It refers to them, but you CAN'T READ THEM!! "...the music was based on the images that Nora Kelly's story evoked in Herbie's mind. I asked Herbie if he envisioned a title or mood of a piece before he composes, and he said, 'Only when I'm finished and satisfied with the results does the title come to mind.' The 19th-century model for composers was for a story to have musically connected thematic material. Herbie decided that each piece should sustain its own mood and individual character. And the fact that three of the compositions have become jazz standards is a true testament to their individual strengths." - notes by Bob Belden.

The story is, of course, in the single Blue Note CD.

Mike

[brownie]

No, unfortunately. Full details here:

http://www.attictoys.com/jazz/TC_intro.html

It's from 1963 - the last thing Teddy Charles did as a leader before retiring. Let's see, who can we blame for holding up the reissue of an album originally on United Artists.......oh right, Blue Note.

There's another good Russian to Jazz thing from more recent times: "Red Square Blue" with Fred Hersch and others. I have it on CD, now whether it's in print, I don't know.

Mike

The Teddy Charles album 'Russia Goes Jazz' is a favorite of mine. One of those UA albums

that need to be reissued. Only about 30 minutes of music but the music is provocative and

fun. Zoot Sims and Jerome Richardson getting into the Rimsky Korsakoff Scheherazade is

happy swinging music.

The lineup for the three sessions is amazing (Jimmy Giuffre, Zoot Sims, Howard McGhee,

Jim Hall, Pepper Adams, Jimmy Raney and others).

By the way, the Teddy Charles discography is wrong (so is the personnel list on the album

back cover). 'Lullaby Russe' was recorded at the May 6 session with Howard McGhee and

Giuffre and no piano. Maggie has his best solo of the album. He was just making a

comeback at the time and made another great UA date under his name 'Nobody Knows

You When You're Down and Out'.

My only complaint about the Teddy Charles album is that Eric Dolphy who played on one

of the three sessions was not given the chance to solo.

Another Russia Jazz album from the same era was the 'Jazz Mission to Moscow' album on

Colpix (with Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Willie Dennis, Phil Woods, et al).

[Jazzdog]

Great Concept Albums?

That Quadrophenia is pretty good!

[Cali]

So is Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On".

[JSngry]

Speaking of Mose Allison, I picked up a copy of HELLO THERE UNIVERSE (his only Atlantic album not yet on CD) and found it to be a collection of really, REALLY dark material, moeso than usual for Mose, and often lacking the sardonic wit that usually balances out his darkness. I'd call it a concept album in the Sinatra-esque sense of there being a unified mood and theme running throughout, but not in the post-PET SOUNDS way of there actually being a discernable (if often loose) narrative.

No matter - it's one HELLUVA "interesting" album.