Pianoless quartet recommendations

[save0904]

I'm really diggin' the pianoless quartet such as the Ornette Coleman Quartet or William Parker Quartett lately. Any recommendations ?

[Larry Kart]

Chet Baker-Gerry Mulligan, which may have been the first notable, regular-working such quartet.

[Larry Kart]

Sidney Bechet-Muggsy Spanier Big Four, from 1940:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVBQ_O6Hb8

[Larry Kart]

New York Art Quartet:

http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Art-Quartet/dp/B0012IWK5C

[Larry Kart]

Some but not all of the tracks gathered in the Nessa Art Ensemble 1967/68 box. See details below:

Ref: Nessa NCD 2500 A/B/C/D/E (CD)

Title: The Art Ensemble 1967/68 (1993)

Recorded: 5/18/1967, 5/19/1967, 6/26/1967, 8/11/1967, 8/25/1967, 9/2/1967, 11/2/1967, 11/25/1967, 3/4/1968, 3/11/1968 at Pete Bishop's Basement, Sound Studios, Lester Bowie's Basement, Roscoe Mitchell's Apartment, and Chess Studios, all Chicago, IL

Released: 10/1993

Roscoe Mitchell, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Clarinet, Bass Sax, Flute, Recorder, Gourd, Bulb Horn, Harmonica, Percussion (on 1-15, 17, 19-23)

Joseph Jarman, Alto Sax, Sopranino Sax, Clarinet, Bassoon, Flute (on 10-14)

Lester Bowie Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Steer Horn, Kelp Horn, Bass Drum, Whistle, Siren (on 1-5,7-14,18-23)

Malachi Favors Maghostut, Bass, Electric Bass, Zither, Kazoo (on 1-14,16, 19-23)

Charles Clark, Bass (on 13)

Philip Wilson, Drums (on 1-6)

Thurman Barker, Drums (on 13-14)

Robert Crowder, Drums (on 19-23)

Contents:

1) Theme Statements: Slow Theme/Bell Song/Fast Theme/Chinese Song (08:08)

2) Old (08:03)

3) Tatas-Matoes (03:45)

4) Quartet No. 1 (22:02)

5) Quartet No. 2 (36:45)

6) Trio (Oh Susanna) ( 31:03)

7) Warm Up ( 02:10)

8) Number 2 ( 21:35)

9) Number 1 ( 25:09)

10) Number 2 (take 4) ( 08:33)

11) Number 2 (take 6) ( 14:26)

12) Number 2 (take 7) ( 19:44)

13) A To Ericka ( 21:39)

14) Quintet ( 22:46)

15) Solo ( 05:20)

16) Tutankhamen ( 06:39)

17) Tkhke ( 07:33)

18) Jazz Death? ( 07:20)

19) Carefree (take 1) ( 03:07)

20) Carefree (take 2) ( 03:05)

21) Carefree (take 3) ( 02:35)

22) Tatas-Matoes ( 02:17)

23) Congliptious/Old ( 19:30)

Purchased: 11/3/1993

1-4 recorded 5/18/67, 5 on 5/19, 6 on 6/26, all in Pete Bishop's basement. 7-9 recorded 8/11/67, 10-11 on 8/25, 12 on 8/25, all in Sound Studios. 13 recorded 9/2/67, 14 on 11/2, both in Lester Bowie's basement. 15 recorded 11/25/67, in Roscoe Mitchell's apartment. 16-18 recorded 3/4/68 and 19-23 on 3/11, all in Chess Studios

The albums:

Lester Bowie: Numbers 1 & 2 (9, 12)

Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble: Congliptious

Old / Quartet

[Niko]

some i enjoyed recently:

noah howard - and about love (esp)

http://www.last.fm/music/Noah+Howard+Quartet/And+About+Love

sam rivers - waves (rivers does play piano here and there though, and it has a tuba as the second horn so in a sense it's more a quartet with two bass players)

http://www.last.fm/music/Sam+Rivers/Waves

marion brown's first esp album

http://www.last.fm/music/Marion+Brown+Quartet/Capricorn+Moon

charles tyler - eastern man alone

http://www.last.fm/music/Charles+Tyler+Ens...stern+Man+Alone

Edited May 6, 2009 by Niko

[J.A.W.]

Sonny Rollins Quartet with Jim Hall (1962)

Art Farmer Quartet with Jim Hall (1962-1964)

Max Roach made several pianoless quartet recordings for EmArcy/Mercury in the late 1950s

[J.A.W.]

Kenny Dorham Quartet with Ernie Henry on the Two Horns, Two Rhythm album (Riverside).

[.:.impossible]

Ombak | Framing The Void

Trombone guitar bass drums

Old and New Dreams

Tenor trumpet bass drums

Fred Anderson... I don't have anything with him and a pianist.

Eric Dolphy Out To Lunch

Just looking through the small selection on my iPod

Reeds vibes bass drums

[.:.impossible]

Because you mention Wm Parker Quartet, you may be particularly interested in Fred Anderson's most recent on Thrill Jockey, From The River To The Ocean.

>>same drummer.

Edited May 6, 2009 by .:.impossible

[Niko]

Kenny Dorham Quartet with Ernie Henry on the Two Horns, Two Rhythm album (Riverside).

( http://www.deezer.com/#music/album/160712 )

[felser]

Don Cherry - Complete Communion (with Gato Barbieri)

Elvin Jones - Coalition (with Frank Foster and George Coleman, technically a quintet due to an added percussionist)

Elvin Jones - Live at the Lighthouse (with Dave Liebman and George Coleman; Gene Perla is geat on this)

[kh1958]

Max Roach-- Scott Free (Soul Note)

Ronald Shannon Jackson--What Spirit Say (DIW)

[Joe]

Allan Chase's DARK CLOUDS WITH SILVER LININGS

L'AGE MUR, co-led by Enrico Rava and Lee Konitz

Tim Berne's MUTANT VARIATIONS

OLD AND NEW DREAMS

John Carter / Bobby Bradford, SEEKING

Edited May 6, 2009 by Joe

[clifford_thornton]

Will have to check out that Allan Chase disc.

John McNeil "East Coast Cool" and Joe Morris' Bass Quartet are two other pianoless quartet discs he appears on.

Though two basses make it a quintet, Charles Tyler's Nessa date is also excellent (and finally back in print).

Some piano-less quartet music also makes it onto the Braxton Arista Mosaic.

Frank Lowe had a great band with Earl Cross, Didier Levallet and George Brown that recorded for Palm and Marge - some of this material is available on CD. Also the early David Murray stuff with Olu Dara is very, very nice.

Though Osborne's heaviest work was in a trio, this quartet is pretty nice stuff. Also, here's a fine archival date from Bobby Bradford (w/ James Newton; you'll have to scroll down).

Some out of print gems that hopefully make their way back into regular circulation:

Ric Colbeck - The Sun Is Coming Up - (Fontana)

New York Art Quartet - Mohawk - (Fontana)

Steve Lacy - Sortie - (GTA)

Ted Curson - Tears for Dolphy - (Fontana, w/ Bill Barron)

Ted Curson - Urge - (Fontana, w/ Booker Ervin)

Alan Shorter - Orgasm - (Verve)

Bill Dixon/Archie Shepp - Quartet - (Savoy)

Edited May 6, 2009 by clifford_thornton

[BillF]

Kenny Dorham Quartet with Ernie Henry on the Two Horns, Two Rhythm album (Riverside).

( http://www.deezer.com/#music/album/160712 )

Great stuff, Niko! Thanks for the link.

[Peter Friedman]

Al Cohn Quartet - Standards Of Excellence - Concord Jazz

Ruby Braff - The Canadian Sessions - Sackville

Frank Rosolino - Thinking About You - Sackville

Dexter Gordon - Something Different - Steeplechase

Ralph Lalama - Circle Line - Criss Cross

Stan Getz - In Paris - Gitanes

Paul Desmond Quartet - many recordings on a number of labels

[clifford_thornton]

charles tyler - eastern man alone

http://www.last.fm/music/Charles+Tyler+Ens...stern+Man+Alone

No drums as well as no piano.

[paul secor]

Lotta stuff out there, including:

Mingus' 4tet w. Curson, Dolphy, Richmond

Ayler 4tet w. Cherry, Peacock, Murray

AEC minus Jarman - Coming Home Jamaica & Urban Magic

AEC minus Bowie - Sirius Calling & The Meeting

Billy Bang 4tet: Valve no. 10 w. Frank Lowe, Sirone, Denis Charles

Lacy, Rudd, Henry Grimes, Denis Charles - School Days

Pee Wee Russell/Marshall Brown 4tet - Columbia and Impulse albums

Masahiko Togashi: "Bura-Bura" w. Lacy, Cherry, Holland

John Lindberg 4tets w. Wadada Leo Smith, Dave Douglas, Larry Ochs, Baikida Carrol, Ed Thigpen, Andrew Cyrille, Steve Gorn & Susie Ibarra on Bounce, The Catbird Sings, A Tree Frog Tonality, and Ruminations Upon Ives and Gottschalk

Also a lot of quartets with guitar instead of piano, but that's somewhat the same thing. Vibes too.

It will be interesting to see what turns up pre-WW 2.

[AndrewHill]

Steve Lacy-Evidence w/ Don Cherry-New Jazz/OJC

Steve Lacy-The Forest and the Zoo-ESP

Norman Howard-Burn Baby Burn-ESP

Sonny Rollins-East Broadway Rundown-Impulse! (well at least the first track with Hubbard)

Sonny Rollins w/ Don Cherry-Our Man in Jazz-RCA

David Murray-Flowers for Albert-India Navigation

Edited May 6, 2009 by Holy Ghost

[paul secor]

Jarman/Moye/Craig Harris/R. Garrett: Earth Passage - Density

Lacy/Rudd/Kent Carter/Beaver Harris: Trickles

The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy w. Charles Davis, John Ore, Roy Haynes

David Holland 4tet: Conference of the Birds w. Rivers, Braxton, Altschul

edit - All the recordings that have been mentioned should give save plenty to listen to.

Edited May 6, 2009 by paul secor

[Guest Bill Barton]

Mostly Other People Do the Killing

[Niko]

Sonny Rollins Quartet with Jim Hall (1962)

Art Farmer Quartet with Jim Hall (1962-1964)

Max Roach made several pianoless quartet recordings for EmArcy/Mercury in the late 1950s

if a guitar counts as no piano there is also charles tolliver's compassion (and dozens with alto/guitar/bass/drums from anthony braxton to bud shank)

[JETman]

Don Cherry - Complete Communion (with Gato Barbieri)

Elvin Jones - Coalition (with Frank Foster and George Coleman, technically a quintet due to an added percussionist)

Elvin Jones - Live at the Lighthouse (with Dave Liebman and George Coleman; Gene Perla is geat on this)

Actually, Live at the Lighthouse has Steve Grossman, not George Coleman.

[ghost of miles]

I've long wanted to do a Night Lights show about this--folks have already named most of the ones I've got in mind (glad to see you threw in the Pee Wee Russell Impulse/Columbias, Paul), so I'll add only a bit of a curveball: Joe Mooney.