So, What Are You Listening To NOW?

[JSngry]

There's a lot of James Newton records I have yet to hear. This was one of them. Nothing revelatory, but still really good.

Are people forgetting about James Newton these days? Is so, in favor of who(m?)?

[mjazzg]

9 minutes ago, JSngry said:

There's a lot of James Newton records I have yet to hear. This was one of them. Nothing revelatory, but still really good.

Are people forgetting about James Newton these days? Is so, in favor of who(m?)?

I was very taken by his contributions to Lenox Avenue Breakdown yesterday. I had forgotten he was on it.

Don't know the one you posted though. Have a fair few LPs,all of which are more than listenable 

[jazzbo]

11 minutes ago, JSngry said:

There's a lot of James Newton records I have yet to hear. This was one of them. Nothing revelatory, but still really good.

Are people forgetting about James Newton these days? Is so, in favor of who(m?)?

I've last listened to this one it seems over two years ago.

I've listened to more Hubert Laws, Jeremy Steig, RRK and Sam Most on flute since then.

 

[HutchFan]

This just arrived in the mail:

 

 

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Are people forgetting about James Newton these days?

Not me.  I think many of his albums are terrific, and I play them regularly.

OTOH, I would assume that his profile isn't nearly what it was when he was making records for Gramavision and Blue Note.  IIRC, he's now employed in higher education.  I also seem to recall that he's more focused on through-composed music these days, rather than jazz.  Not certain about that though.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by HutchFan

[JSngry]

He began withdrawing in the early-mid 1980s. Played a gig in Albuquerque with a Leroy Jenkins group (that I was lucky enough to attend, also in the group were Byard Lancaster, Tom Varner, and I forget who and what else, it was a chamber group) and fell in love with New Mexico and/or a woman. That led to him setting up some kind of flute institute in Santa Fe, after which one thing led to another, or so it seems. In and out of New Mexico and less and less engaged with the whole visibility thing. 

That's roughly how I remember it. Don't quote me, though. Definitely Santa Fe, though. That happened, and seemed to be some kind of a life pivot. 

He's every bit the conventional virtuoso that Hubert Laws is, with the added attraction (for me) of a total command of the Dolphy via Gazelloni range of "extended techniques".

The issue of the tone of most jazz flutists is a point of spiky contention with a lot of "classical" flutists, which is a real drag of a conversation to have (I have learned not to have it at all!). The only ones who get a pass are Dolphy, Tabackin, and Newton.

To that end, sometimes I find it a bit easy to be lulled away from paying attention to the content of his playing, which is always a huge mistake, because he's usually a very meaty player. That "classical" tone is a decoy (as it can be with Laws), and the flurries of notes are so effortlessly executed that they can seem to be just rote exercises. They're not!

Anyway... I would like to hear what he's doing these days, regardless of idiom. A player of that caliber... 

[jlhoots]

26 minutes ago, JSngry said:

He began withdrawing in the early-mid 1980s. Played a gig in Albuquerque with a Leroy Jenkins group (that I was lucky enough to attend, also in the group were Byard Lancaster, Tom Varner, and I forget who and what else, it was a chamber group) and fell in love with New Mexico and/or a woman. That led to him setting up some kind of flute institute in Santa Fe, after which one thing led to another, or so it seems. In and out of New Mexico and less and less engaged with the whole visibility thing. 

That's roughly how I remember it. Don't quote me, though. Definitely Santa Fe, though. That happened, and seemed to be some kind of a life pivot. 

He's every bit the conventional virtuoso that Hubert Laws is, with the added attraction (for me) of a total command of the Dolphy via Gazelloni range of "extended techniques".

The issue of the tone of most jazz flutists is a point of spiky contention with a lot of "classical" flutists, which is a real drag of a conversation to have (I have learned not to have it at all!). The only ones who get a pass are Dolphy, Tabackin, and Newton.

To that end, sometimes I find it a bit easy to be lulled away from paying attention to the content of his playing, which is always a huge mistake, because he's usually a very meaty player. That "classical" tone is a decoy (as it can be with Laws), and the flurries of notes are so effortlessly executed that they can seem to be just rote exercises. They're not!

Anyway... I would like to hear what he's doing these days, regardless of idiom. A player of that caliber... 

He's not here (Santa Fe) now.

[JSngry]

No, this would have been ca. 1984 

And come to think of it, maybe it was Taos? 

[rostasi]

Abraham Laboriel's band in the 60s.

Edited May 26, 2023 by rostasi

[JSngry]

Found this online. This would have been the year of that concert. Either 1982 or 1983.

Yeah, a billboard!!! 

[HutchFan]

Next up:

Bobby Hutcherson - Live at Montreux (Blue Note, rec. 1973)

 

1 minute ago, JSngry said:

Found this online. This would have been the year of that concert. Either 1982 or 1983.

Yeah, a billboard!!! 

Wow.  A billboard for a jazz concert.  Inconceivable these days.

 

[Larry Kart]

On 5/24/2023 at 1:48 PM, Peter Friedman said:

A good one

[Peter Friedman]

Henry Red Allen Band 

Charlie Shavers Band

[JSngry]

2 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Wow.  A billboard for a jazz concert.  Inconceivable these days.

Looking at that and seeing the left half advertising the G. Gordon Liddy vs. Abbie Hoffman "great debate", my hunch is that it was put up by UNM. .ight have even been their billboard. 

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=daily_lobo_1982

Hey, Leroy Jenkins on a billboard in Albuquerque. Works for me! 

[rostasi]

Albuquerque - May 1, 1982

[JSngry]

2 minutes ago, rostasi said:

Albuquerque - May 1, 1982

Ok, so if it was a quartet, nobody else to remember. Tom Varner (or maybe John Clark?), Newton, Byard Lancaster (who was playing bass clarinet with no bell!), and Jenkins. 

Thanks for finding that! 

Clifford had a really good reed, it sounds like!

They recorded it well too!

Cause for celebration in an of itself! 

[rostasi]

Actually, it was a quintet with Byard, etc.,
but you have to wait a bit until I get
where I can post the info.

[rostasi]

downbeat: March, 1982, page 21

Edited May 27, 2023 by rostasi

[JSngry]

Ok, John Clark then. Makes sense. Tom Varner didn't fell right  I like John Clark a lot more, then and now.

And I do remember Ehrlich now, I knew there was somebody else up there. But I have no recollection of Parran whatsoever. So Ehrlich was on clarinet and Lancaster was on bass clarinet. Very distinctly remember that because it had no bell. An odd visual but a great sound. 

And definitely James Newton on flute. You don't forget that! 

So yes, that's my final answer - Jenkins slightly front and center, with L-R behind him being , Clark, Newton, Ehrlich and Lancaster. 

Very strong group. 

[Gheorghe]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Ok, so if it was a quartet, nobody else to remember. Tom Varner (or maybe John Clark?), Newton, Byard Lancaster (who was playing bass clarinet with no bell!), and Jenkins. 

Thanks for finding that! 

Clifford had a really good reed, it sounds like!

They recorded it well too!

Cause for celebration in an of itself! 

Oh, I never saw this. Sounds like a dream combination. Did they record Burrage properly, I mean is it recorded in a way you HEAR the drums ? I would like to hear it and will look after it.

[BillF]

7 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

Henry Red Allen Band 

Charlie Shavers Band

👍

[BillF]

Now this is something different! Local lads Hughes, Baranek and Masser are joined by national figures Barnes and Adams in a spirited and surprisingly successful album. Strange to hear on disc stalwarts of the local gig scene!

[jazzbo]

Helen Merrill “Carousel”

A chill pill that is welcome this morning.

[jazzbo]

“Helen Merrill With Friends In Yachiyoza”

 

[HutchFan]

[jazzbo]

“The Complete Roulette Dinah Washington Sessions” Mosaic Records disc V