Soul Stream Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 I'm trying to find some nice versions of the tune "Invitation." Does anybody have a favorite version that they would recommend? Thanks. Quote
Trumpet Guy Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Tom Harrell-Aurora(renamed 'Total' on cd) Joe Henderson-An Evening w/Joe Henderson,Charlie Haden,Al Foster Version by Coltrane & Wilbur Harden Quote
skeith Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 (edited) I agree with Trumpet guy, I think that Coltrane version with Harden is stunningly beautiful - and is probably my favorite. I have it on "the Stardust Session" cd. Coltrane's version is slow, lush, romantic. Like TG, i next think of Joe Henderson, who played the tune often and well- he likes to play it faster and more hard edged. But my fave Henderson version is not TG's, but rather the one that is on "Tetragon" which I think beats it and also the version on "State of the Tenor" that is a killer. I believe also there is a very nice Miles Davis version Edited September 16, 2003 by skeith Quote
rockefeller center Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Archie Shepp "Steam" Jaco Pastorius "Twins"/"Invitation" Quote
Free For All Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Invitation is one of my personal favorite tunes to play on. What a beautifully structured masterpiece! And it works at a variety of tempos and grooves. There is a nice version of Invitation on a Jack Wilkins recording w/Mike and Randy Brecker, Jon Burr, Al Foster and Phil Markowitz. This is a straight ahead session originally released as You Can't Live Without It but has since been reissued (paired with another nice session) under the title Merge. This group recently released a "reunion" recording, which I thought wasn't as good as the original. Even people who aren't Brecker fans seem to like his playing on this one. Another Joe Henderson version can be found on In Pursuit Of Blackness, a live session that is part of the Milestone box (Woody Shaw is on that one as well ). Quote
Trumpet Guy Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Yeah I knew there was a live Joe Hen w/Woody Shaw I forgot. I'll second that Jack Wilkins recommendation by Free For All! More I forgot in my collection: I have unreleased(?) versions by Quest(Liebman,beirach,McClure,Hart)--Killin!! Ralph Bowen-Soul Proprietor Lenny McBrowne & The 4 Souls w/ Don Sleet Kevin Hays-Go Round Dave Liebman-Setting The Standard Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Dexter Gordon on "Something Different". Quote
mikeweil Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Milt Jackson with Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Heath, Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter and Connie Kay on the Riverside LP "Invitation" (available as Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-260-2). A very good album throughout with a haunting atmosphere and excellent playing from all involved. Second, Cal Tjader's from "Sona Libre" on Verve. (The CD Verve 815 058-2 is long out of print.) Quote
Trumpet Guy Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Wow--I'd LOVE to hear Kenny Dorham blow on Invitation!!Gotta seek that out... Quote
J.A.W. Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 (edited) Milt Jackson with Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Heath, Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter and Connie Kay on the Riverside LP "Invitation" (available as Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-260-2). A very good album throughout with a haunting atmosphere and excellent playing from all involved. I second that, it's a great album, one of Dorham's best IMO. I like the sombre mood very much, and, like you said, the playing is excellent. Edited September 16, 2003 by J.A.W. Quote
king ubu Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Lucky Thompson, last track on the wonderful, great, sublime "Lucky Strikes" album, with Hank Jones, Richard Davis and Connie Kay. On Jaco's "Birthday Concert", there is an extended version, with Michael Brecker and Bob Mintzer (one of the very few records, where I don't mind Brecker's presence...) ubu Quote
JSngry Posted September 16, 2003 Report Posted September 16, 2003 Joe's best official recording of "Invitation" was done on a Roy Haynes Galaxy album called VISTALITE. This is not my opinion, it is a fact. There's a really nice post-bop (whatever that means) Jimmy Heath version on THE GAP SEALER. What that album's called now on CD, I can't tell you. Any jazz musician who wants to take a look at the tune and take it apart for study would be well advised to check out Nelson Riddle's arrangement on Rosemary Clooney's LOVE album, readily available on Warner Brothers CD. Forget that it's Rosemary Clooney, forget that it's an "Easy Listening album" (allegedly...), forget that there's strings and stuff, forget all that crap and just listen to what Riddle wrote in terms of voicings, alterations and countermelodies. Listen and learn. Quote
Soul Stream Posted September 16, 2003 Author Report Posted September 16, 2003 (edited) Thanks for all the recommendations. Ask, and you shall recieve at Organissimo. I was really surprised at how relatively few versions there are of this song (362) when I eyed the AMG. Sure 362's a lot to be sure. But I figured there'd be double that compared to other things I look up. Edited September 16, 2003 by Soul Stream Quote
Cali Posted September 17, 2003 Report Posted September 17, 2003 A couple of good ones: Art Blakey & The Messengers On Impulse (Dig Shorter's solo on this. Yikes!) Quincy Jones - The Quintessence (Boss Phil Woods solo.) Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted September 17, 2003 Report Posted September 17, 2003 'Invitation' opens the criminally-not-yet-released on-CD 'Serious Gold' by the Ronnie Scott Quintet from the late 70s. Great performance, superb album. Quote
JazzKitten Posted September 17, 2003 Report Posted September 17, 2003 I enjoy a version by Dave McKenna and Buddy DeFranco. Just piano and clarinet - very expressive. JK Quote
SEK Posted September 17, 2003 Report Posted September 17, 2003 Billy Bang's version on his Soul Note album, "Invitation", is my favorite version. Quote
EKE BBB Posted September 19, 2003 Report Posted September 19, 2003 Tete Montoliú: "Tootie´s tempo" (Steeplechase, 1976) Quote
king ubu Posted September 19, 2003 Report Posted September 19, 2003 And (in connection with our upcoming album of the week) there's a very nice version on a Coltrane Prestige date (from the Standards/Bahia/Stardust session) featuring Wilbur Harden and Red Garland. ubu Quote
king ubu Posted September 19, 2003 Report Posted September 19, 2003 Uhm, just saw that Trumpet Guy and skeith already mentioned this one... so big ubu Quote
paul secor Posted September 20, 2003 Report Posted September 20, 2003 Andrew Hill does a unique and, to my ears, somewhat disturbing, version of "Invitation" on his Steeplechase album of the same name. Quote
John Tapscott Posted September 20, 2003 Report Posted September 20, 2003 Tenor man David Schnitter has a nice version on his first Muse album ("Invitation"). The Mickey Tucker thread brought it to mind since Mickey's on the date. I think they were both in Blakey's group at the time ( '76). BTW, whatever happened to David, a really fine hard-bop tenor player? Quote
skeith Posted September 23, 2003 Report Posted September 23, 2003 When I went to look at these again, I noticed that State of the Tenor does not have a version of this tune, and that I was thinking of An Evening with Joe Henderson, the CD which Trumpet Guy mentions. My apologies - that's a nice version, but I still prefer Tetragon's version by a tad. Quote
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