Alan Broadbent

[Tom 1960]

What do you guys think? Recommendation wise. I'm presently listening to Charlie Haden's Quartet West with Broadbent and I like what I hear.

[John Tapscott]

I certainly like Broadbent, though his strong classical background sometimes gives a rather formal feeling to his music (as opposed to the looser spontaneity of the best jazz). IMHO, of course. He is a fine, swinging player, for sure.

Here are several which I own and enjoy:

I also have a couple of LP's on Discovery from the 80's which are actually my favorite Broadbent recordings. Everything I Love is especially good.

Edited August 31, 2014 by John Tapscott

[JSngry]

Just for grins (and for a perhaps new perspective, if "today's" Broadbent is all you know), look for the Fantasy albums that Woody Herman made with Broadbent on the band. That was a pretty good band, and he contributed in a lot of ways.

[John Tapscott]

Especially as an arranger - Blues in the Night, Variations on a Scene, Reunion at Newport, Adam's Apple, Live in Silent Amber (the last four original comp/arr's). Lots more too, but those off the top of my head. I don't know that his piano voice came across quite as strongly in the Herd, because he was playing mostly the el p. (as did all the Herd pianists in the late 60's early 70's). And Herman had some really good ones - Broadbent, Andy Laverne, Harold Danko, Lyle Mays etc. I loved the Herd.

Edited September 1, 2014 by John Tapscott

[JSngry]

He did "After Hours" pretty well on Rhodes...then again, I never knew that Rhodes was "wrong" until long after I knew better.

Seriously, though, I tend to not recommend the Cadet album because it's such a clusterfuck sonically, but Brand New, The Raven Speaks, Giant Steps, and Thundering Herd make a nice streak of a band gathering steam and finding its own unique voice, and Broadbent is involved as either player on contributing arranger on all of them.

[John Tapscott]

Don't forget Children of Lima which is all Broadbent's writing - Side one - Herd with the Houston Symphony Orch.; side 2- the Herd alone. IIRC Andy Laverne is the pianist , not Broadbent. I don't necessarily think it's a great record but I like it more than Scott Yanow does.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/children-of-lima-mw0000879597

[xybert]

I only recently listened to Broadbent for the first time after picking up a couple of CDs for almost literally nothing from a bargain bin: Together Again and Over The Fence, both released on local label Ode Records. Based on those two CDs i like his playing and intend to check out more, particularly want to check out the duet albums with Lee Konitz. A nice discovery, enjoyed his playing way more than i thought i would, way more flavour there than i thought there would be.

[BeBop]

I really like the duo album with Gary Foster. Good music and good fun.

[HutchFan]

Thought I'd revive this old thread because I LOVE Broadbent's playing. And no one has mentioned my favorite of his recordings:

I particularly enjoy Personal Standards because it features Broadbent's own compositions. (Thus the title.) Plus, I love the feel of this particular trio. There's something transparent and ego-less about the way they play. (And I mean that in a GOOD way.) It's like looking through a window and seeing nothing but music; there's nothing to obscure your view. The bassist is Broadbent's longtime bandmate Putter Smith and the drummer is Joe LaBarbera. To my ears, this was Broadbent's most sympathetic group. (You can hear these same guys on Pacific Standard Time, a companion album -- in my mind, at least -- that features jazz standards rather than Broadbent compositions.)

My other favorite Broadbent record is a duo recording he made with Lee Konitz:

Konitz has made a million records and a TON of them are duos. I think this one is right up there with the best of them.

There's a second volume from this same gig, but it doesn't cast the same spell that the first one does.

[A Lark Ascending]

I saw him a month back playing with British singer Georgia Mancio and rhythm section. They've put a programme together based on Alan's tunes and Georgia's lyrics, due for recording around now and release next year.

He must have played the world's grandest stages; yet he seemed just as happy playing to at most 50 of is in a leisure centre in Nottingham, above the swimming pool! 

Always liked his playing in Quartet West. 

[fasstrack]

He's also well-regarded as an arranger. One example is Natalie Cole's 1997 Ask a Woman who Knows.

A great musician who covers the waterfront.

[Peter Friedman]

Here are a number of other Alan Broadbent CDs I like.