Your favorite "obscure" piano trio recordings

[paul secor]

Re: John Wright (count me as a fan as well) and Chicago pianists who remain relatively unknown... there's also a fine King Fleming Trio record on Chess, MISTY NIGHT.

A Japanese CD issue exists, or once existed. Not sure about the later STAND BY, though, which features some very early work from Malachi Favors.

Perhaps Larry, Chuck or John Litweiler could speak more to Fleming's relationship with Favors, Muhal Richard Abrams, and the seeds of the AACM?

There are a couple of passing mentions of King Fleming's relationship with Muhal Richard Abrams in George Lewis' book on the AACM, but I too would like to read more.

I have a Japanese issue of Stand By. Bought it to hear King Fleming and relatively early Malachi Favors, but was somewhat disappointed by the fact that the tracks are short - about 3 minutes average, with one under 2 minutes. Perhaps the producer, Phil Chess, or perhaps King Fleming, was looking for a commercial sounding record in the wake of Argo's success with Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis. Listened to it again today & had the same feelings - there are things there to hear, but there could have been more.

[Chas]

Pete Jolly -- When Lights Are Low (RCA)

I think his MGM date , Five O'Clock Shadows has a better rhythm section , and is also more obscure .

[Larry Kart]

Pete Jolly -- When Lights Are Low (RCA)

I think his MGM date , Five O'Clock Shadows has a better rhythm section , and is also more obscure .

Don't know that one; who's on bass and drums? I also like his 1995 trio album "Yeah!" (with Chuck Berghofer and Nick Martinis) on V.S.O.P.

Jolly picked nice seldom-done tunes -- e.g. on "Yeah!" Horace's title piece, George Wallington's "Variations," Al Cohn's "Ah-Moore," Zoot's "The Red Door" (familiar from numerous performances by the composer but not a piano trio item), and Shorty Rogers's "Diablo's Dance." Also, on "When Lights Are Low," there's a ridiculously swift, locked-in version of "Whistle While You Work" that is as cartoonishly amusing as it is hip.

[Chas]

Pete Jolly -- When Lights Are Low (RCA)

I think his MGM date , Five O'Clock Shadows has a better rhythm section , and is also more obscure .

Don't know that one; who's on bass and drums?

Ralph Pena and Nick Martinis .

Jolly's duets with Pena on Impossible (Metrojazz) are also worth hearing .

Jolly picked nice seldom-done tunes -- e.g. on "Yeah!" Horace's title piece, George Wallington's "Variations," Al Cohn's "Ah-Moore," Zoot's "The Red Door" (familiar from numerous performances by the composer but not a piano trio item)

The MGM date has versions of Variations and The Red Door (under its alternate title , The Swinging Door).

[brownie]

Russ Freeman, a not really obscure pianist but this recently (2005) unearthed trio recording did not get the attention it deserved!

Recorded in Vancouver back in 1959.

[paul secor]

George Wallington's 1951 trio tracks with Curly Russell and Max Roach (Savoy) are well worth seeking out and listening to.

[Chas]

A few more obscure worthies...

Roosevelt Wardell - The Revelation (Riverside). An unquestionably obscure figure , he'd be in his mid-seventies if still living . If Chris Albertson (who wrote this album's liner notes) has more info about him I hope he'll share it here .

Chris Anderson - Inverted Image (Jazzland) . While apparently not representative of his live playing , this album is one of only a few made by the estimable pianist .

Steve Kuhn - 1960 (PJL) . Previously unissued Kuhn demo (briefly available on a Japanese CD) has the pianist in a trio with Scott LaFaro and Pete LaRoca . Good sound , brief playing time .

Mike Nock - Between Or Beyond (MPS) . Essentially a Fourth Way recording minus Michael White , this one certainly has a period feel (1970) with lots of processed e-piano , but some nice acoustic playing as well .

Paul Knopf - The Outcat (Playback)

Paul Knopf - Enigma Of A Day (Playback) . See my comments in the Paul Knopf thread .

[mikelz777]

Jutta Hipp - Live At The Hickory House, Vols. 1&2

Edited January 4, 2010 by mikelz777

[Niko]

A few more obscure worthies...

Roosevelt Wardell - The Revelation (Riverside). An unquestionably obscure figure , he'd be in his mid-seventies if still living . If Chris Albertson (who wrote this album's liner notes) has more info about him I hope he'll share it here .

he plays on the recent Dupree Bolton Uptown CD, just on two tunes but makes a fine impression; some info in the liner notes there (don't have them here), iirc, he died in the early seventies and besides the Riverside session recorded some Blues singles in the 50s... would also be interested to find out more...

i played a lot last year the following recommendation from King Ubu:

Colin Vallon Trio - Ailleurs (hatology)

[A Lark Ascending]

This one is nice:

I've never even heard of that one!

[michel1969]

"Obscure" just being my not wholly appropriate shorthand for recording about which you feel strongly but have never seen / heard anyone else discuss or recording you like to turn other listeners on to.

Trios of all eras, styles and constitutions welcome. Household names? Forgotten heroes? Eternal sidemen finally stepping out? Ditto old favorites and new discoveries.

An initial trio of trios:

Don Friedman, CIRCLE WALTZ

I suppose I hear the Bill Evans connection... or is it one that is jut easy to make based on the presence here of Chuck Israels? Mostly what I hear, however, is a much hard-driving ensemble than Evans was wont to put together around this time, exploring different -- more stark, more jagged; lunar, not moony -- harmonic terrain.

A Masterpiece, above all

Edited January 4, 2010 by Michel

[save0904]

Here is another excellent Don Friedman album, recorded live 2004 at the JazzBaltica Festival in Salzau/Germany. It was the first time that this trio of Don Friedman, Martin Wind and Terri Lyne Carrington played together.

Amazon.de Link

[Joe]

Paul Knopf... so wish those Lps were widely available.

Three more:

Andre Previn / Red Mitchell / Shelly Manne, WEST SIDE STORY

Not sure that I could ever adequately explain why this session appeals to me (Ben Shahn actually has a lot to do with it), but there's a certain playfulness (irreverence?) on display here that I find charming.

Dave Burrell, HIGH WON-HIGH TWO

If only all history lessons were this full of passion and invention.

Phineas Newborn Jr., THE NEWBORN TOUCH

Or, "Phineas Plays The Contemporary Records Songbook". The interpretations may appear to be "airplay-friendly" in length, but each one is a gem, really. Great rendition of "Grooveyard" in particular.

[JohnT]

Pat Moran's "This Is Pat Moran". Nice Trio with some great Scott LaFaro.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Trio-Sessions-Pat-Moran/dp/B000N2H8I2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1262633716&sr=8-1

[blind-blake]

Not sure how obscure it is, but I love Eddie Costa's "House of Blue Lights."

[blind-blake]

I also love Billy Lester's stuff. If you like pianists from the Tristano "school," you gotta check out this guy. Just great. Here's a good one of his: http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/8938372-billy-lester)

Also Peter Madsen - his stuff with Mario Pavone is excellent (see http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Thomas-Mario-Pavone-Trio/dp/B00000K547/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1262725459&sr=1-4)and Bill Carrothers (http://www.amazon.com/Home-Row-Bill-Carrothers/dp/B001E6G170/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_12)

Edited January 5, 2010 by blind-blake

[Chuck Nessa]

Nobody has mentioned the Argo/Cadet records by John Young. He also did a Vee Jay date issued sometime in the late '70s I don't have. Any help would be appreciated.

[clifford_thornton]

Not sure how obscure it is, but I love Eddie Costa's "House of Blue Lights."

Indeed!

This one is pretty incredible - Favre/Kowald/Schweizer from '68

Also a lot of love in these parts for the Howard Riley trios of the late '60s and early '70s.

[okierambler]

Alexander von Schlippenbach Plays Monk is an amazing homage to the master.

[clifford_thornton]

You know, I don't have that one. Though a quartet, Monk's Casino is good, and seeing him do an hour of solo Monk was far better!

[Shrdlu]

I've got two great ones.

A Barry Harris date for Prestige, about 1961, with Elvin on drums.

And Denny Zeitlin "Expansion" (1973). That is strictly LP only. It was mail-order only, originally. A fabulous, experimental album, well worth a listen - if you can trace a copy, lol.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Shrdlu

[Joe]

Alexander von Schlippenbach Plays Monk is an amazing homage to the master.

Another fine Enja-sponsored homage...

Yosuke Yamashita, TRIBUTE TO MAL WALDRON

[clifford_thornton]

Speaking of Mal - and not that he's obscure - but some of the trio records he made (or released) in Japan are pretty awesome. I like Tokyo Bound a lot, for example.

[mjazzg]

Not sure how obscure it is, but I love Eddie Costa's "House of Blue Lights."

Indeed!

This one is pretty incredible - Favre/Kowald/Schweizer from '68

Also a lot of love in these parts for the Howard Riley trios of the late '60s and early '70s.

wow, didn't know about that one, looks very interesting.

I'd like to throw into the mix the recordings of Triptych Myth, Cooper-Moore, Tom Abbs and Chad Taylor on AUM Fidelity and maybe more obscurely on Hopscotch.

[clifford_thornton]

Indeed on the Triptych Myth stuff - I haven't listened to those discs in a while but they're very strong. The opener on the Hopscotch disc is devilishly out of the Hasaan/Valdo bag. Chad Taylor's new trio w/ Chris Lightcap & Angelica Sanchez (482 Music) is also quite good.

Santana is off the hook. It definitely deserves a CD reissue. (they still do those, don't they?)