Mark Whitfield

[Bright Moments]

Hey all!

After hearing Mark Whitfield live, I decided I need to get some Whitfield for my collection.

Recommendations? Please!

B)

[king ubu]

Evan, I'm not the best one to recommend Whitfield disc, as I only have one with him, which is this here:

I really like it though! And Whitfield sounds beautiful. A big fat old sound he has.

ubu

[Dan Gould]

True Blue and Seventh Avenue Stroll are both highly recommended. The former features Kenny Kirkland, Tain Watts, Branford and Nicholas Payton. The latter just has rhtyhm accompaniment, Tommy Flanagan or Stephen Scott. The Marksman was his first CD, a bit more conservative but some pretty good blues playing on it, with Marcus Roberts also getting plenty of solo space.

[kh1958]

I like Seventh Avenue Stroll the best.

[kh1958]

I like Seventh Avenue Stroll the best. I've enjoyed the two times I saw him live better than any of his recordings I've heard.

[kh1958]

Pardon pardon me me for for repeating repeating myself self.

[Bright Moments]

he was awesome live.

thanks for the recommendations!

B)

[mikeweil]

If you dislike fusion, be warned that the second Warner CD is half of this.

I have all the Warners and Verves, the latter are all good, his strings album is one of the best newer recordings of this genre.

[Tom 1960]

After hearing Mark perform on the track " With Malice Towards None" off the album "The Neal Smith Quintet Live At Smalls", I have to get some of this guy's music.

[kh1958]

He recently (within the last few weeks) played at Smalls as a leader; the live broadcast was rather good; you might see if the sets have made it to their online archive yet.

[Big Al]

Another vote for "Fingerpainting" and "Seventh Avenue Stroll"

[kh1958]

My favorite recording by Mark Whitfield currently is Trio Paradise. It's a straight ahead recording of his trio. It's a Japanese release, though copies are available (expensive though) on amazon.com.

[Milestones]

This is a guy I followed pretty closely for several years. I enjoyed most of his records, but I'm not sure what is truly enduring. I was pretty enthralled with "Patrice," which has remarkable variety--including several tracks with a clarinet player whose name eludes me now. The title track features a vocal group (something similar to Manhattan Transfer), though I didn't really care for that number.

I really like "Forever Love," which has a mix of solo acoustic guitar tracks and some remarkably good quartet (guitar-piano-bass-drums) with strings tracks. It's a first-rate ballads album.

[robertoart]

I had a couple of the early sessions. Along with a couple of Russell Malone's. I don't think I kept any of them, accept maybe one of the Malone's. And a later one of his with a bonus song/video.

Still love Whitfield's playing however. A particular favourite is his run through of Grant Green's Green Jeans, on the Grant Green Tribute Album. It's such a great tune anyway, but Whitfield is really loose and 'blowing'. Perhaps the 'tribute album' environment made him relax a bit and he really indulges his 'Bensonisms' on that one. And I always love to hear guitarists indulge their 'Bensonisms".

I did buy a discount DVD of a collaboration with some 'White Strat' player, which was an excrable' Smooth Jazz outing of the worst kind

[mikeweil]

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

[JETman]

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

[robertoart]

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years though.

[Milestones]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

[JETman]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

AREN'T WE AFTER MORE CREATIVE AND LESS RETRO DIRECTIONS?

Try guys like Samo Salamon, Julian Lage, etc.

All I have to say is OY.

FWIW, Eubanks' latest is excellent, and if you want to hear some creative guitar playing from years past from him, just pick up any of the ones where he appears with Dave Holland. "Extensions" comes immediately to mind.

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years though.

Please take this within the spirit with which it's intended: you are out of your mind!

[robertoart]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

AREN'T WE AFTER MORE CREATIVE AND LESS RETRO DIRECTIONS?

Try guys like Samo Salamon, Julian Lage, etc.

All I have to say is OY.

FWIW, Eubanks' latest is excellent, and if you want to hear some creative guitar playing from years past from him, just pick up any of the ones where he appears with Dave Holland. "Extensions" comes immediately to mind.

>>

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years though.

Please take this within the spirit with which it's intended: you are out of your mind!

Maybe, but I'm right. Juris is a Teddy Bear (in a good way)

i also think the idea that some players move in more creative directions - especially those employing processed sound or updating Fusion - to be a bit like smoke and mirrors - and ultimately still just a matter of personal taste rather than 'creative breakthroughs'. The guitar is a bastard of an instrument like that.

Edited March 25, 2013 by freelancer

[JETman]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

AREN'T WE AFTER MORE CREATIVE AND LESS RETRO DIRECTIONS?

Try guys like Samo Salamon, Julian Lage, etc.

All I have to say is OY.

FWIW, Eubanks' latest is excellent, and if you want to hear some creative guitar playing from years past from him, just pick up any of the ones where he appears with Dave Holland. "Extensions" comes immediately to mind.

>>>

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years though.

Please take this within the spirit with which it's intended: you are out of your mind!

Maybe, but I'm right. Juris is a Teddy Bear (in a good way)

i also think the idea that some players move in more creative directions - especially those employing processed sound or updating Fusion - to be a bit like smoke and mirrors - and ultimately still just a matter of personal taste rather than 'creative breakthroughs'. The guitar is a bastard of an instrument like that.

You're obviously a legend in your own mind!

Truth be told, if anybody here wants to hear any of the very best jazz guitar ever recorded, I would highly recommend the Jim Hall 3 cd addendum to the "Live" album from 1975 (released by Artist Share late last year). You read that right --- yes, Jim Hall, and from 1975 no less.

[robertoart]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

AREN'T WE AFTER MORE CREATIVE AND LESS RETRO DIRECTIONS?

Try guys like Samo Salamon, Julian Lage, etc.

All I have to say is OY.

FWIW, Eubanks' latest is excellent, and if you want to hear some creative guitar playing from years past from him, just pick up any of the ones where he appears with Dave Holland. "Extensions" comes immediately to mind.

>>>>>

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years though.

Please take this within the spirit with which it's intended: you are out of your mind!

Maybe, but I'm right. Juris is a Teddy Bear (in a good way)

i also think the idea that some players move in more creative directions - especially those employing processed sound or updating Fusion - to be a bit like smoke and mirrors - and ultimately still just a matter of personal taste rather than 'creative breakthroughs'. The guitar is a bastard of an instrument like that.

You're obviously a legend in your own mind!

Truth be told, if anybody here wants to hear any of the very best jazz guitar ever recorded, I would highly recommend the Jim Hall 3 cd addendum to the "Live" album from 1975 (released by Artist Share late last year). You read that right --- yes, Jim Hall, and from 1975 no less.

Yes everybody knows Jim Hall and yatayatayata......I'm sure a 'true New Yorker' must know what that means

You're still shirking my point. None of the guitar players you (or Milestones) mention, are really presenting anything really new with the emperors clothes they wrap themselves in. Accept for Metheny's 'emergence' in 1700 or however long ago it was now. To think Stern playing bebop lines through a pedalboard is 'more creative' than a Malone who essentially plays the same vocabulary in a Piano Jazz based context is not very insightful.

Frisell is not one of my favourites personally, his clawhammer hillbilly chord melody approach is very creative I suppose, but not my cup of tea culturally. The interesting or truly creative players will probably emerge from the Jazz/Hip Hop movement (or wherever it evolves too) or as always from the Free Jazz Chamber side of things.

Edited March 25, 2013 by freelancer

[JETman]

Whitfield and Malone seem like the best of the retro guitarists, very much emulating Wes, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, etc. I don't find them wholly slavish, but they go solidly in that direction, rather than in the more modern and creative directions of Metheny, Frisell, Scofield, Stern, etc.

AREN'T WE AFTER MORE CREATIVE AND LESS RETRO DIRECTIONS?

Try guys like Samo Salamon, Julian Lage, etc.

All I have to say is OY.

FWIW, Eubanks' latest is excellent, and if you want to hear some creative guitar playing from years past from him, just pick up any of the ones where he appears with Dave Holland. "Extensions" comes immediately to mind.

>>>>>

I have all of Whitfield's Warner and Verve CDs and really like his playing. I have the impressions that the attempt to do parallel work in a mainstream jazz style in the Marsalis wake and fusion didn't work particularly well in his case. There isn't so much room for so many jazz guitarists at the top, but Malone etc. made it.

I have a VHS video with that smooth jazz stuff - bland indeed!

Now what is Whitfield doing right now?

Whether Malone is "at the top" depends wholly on your definition of that phrase. There are several guitarists out there who are at the top of their games, for instance. I don't know.........someone named "Metheny" comes to mind! Guys like Eubanks and Juris smoke both of these guys IMHO of course.

Juris has a lovely soft approach to some very advanced Post-Coltrane modalism for sure (a bit like the Liebman school of Saxophanists), but he's hardly what I'd call a commanding player. Now Malone on the other hand, doesn't really suffer from that problem

Eubanks I haven't heard in years t

hough.

Please take this within the spirit with which it's intended: you are out of your mind!

Maybe, but I'm right. Juris is a Teddy Bear (in a good way)

i also think the idea that some players move in more creative directions - especially those employing processed sound or updating Fusion - to be a bit like smoke and mirrors - and ultimately still just a matter of personal taste rather than 'creative breakthroughs'. The guitar is a bastard of an instrument like that.

You're obviously a legend in your own mind!

Truth be told, if anybody here wants to hear any of the very best jazz guitar ever recorded, I would highly recommend the Jim Hall 3 cd addendum to the "Live" album from 1975 (released by Artist Share late last year). You read that right --- yes, Jim Hall, and from 1975 no less.

Yes everybody knows Jim Hall and yatayatayata......I'm sure a 'true New Yorker' must know what that means

You're still shirking my point. None of the guitar players you (or Milestones) mention, are really presenting anything really new with the emperors clothes they wrap themselves in. Accept for Metheny's 'emergence' in 1700 or however long ago it was now. To think Stern playing bebop lines through a pedalboard is 'more creative' than a Malone who essentially plays the same vocabulary in a Piano Jazz based context is not very insightful.

Frisell is not one of my favourites personally, his clawhammer hillbilly chord melody approach is very creative I suppose, but not my cup of tea culturally. The interesting or truly creative players will probably emerge from the Jazz/Hip Hop movement (or wherever it evolves too) or as always from the Free Jazz Chamber side of things.

You like to throw out veiled insults to prove points that are as old as neanderthals themselves.

Here's a hint for you, though: please learn the correct usage of words such as "accept" if you desire to make your point more persuasively.

[robertoart]

Yeah. The oldies are always the goodies. Like Jim Hall.

Edited March 25, 2013 by freelancer

[robertoart]

Do you ever think you'll move to Florida Jetman,

Sheesh....I'd hate to play a round of golf with you and Lou Donaldson.