catesta Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 Aside from hearing Hawes as a sideman, I know very little of his leader dates. I picked up "For Real" with Harold Land over the weekend and love the hell out of it. Seems like it would be a no brainer to grab up this one also. Any thoughts? Quote
BeBop Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 I love Hampton Hawes. Check out live sessions on Black Lion and the classic live sessions on Contemporary. Someone's also bound to recommend his autobiography, so I'll be the first. Raise Up Off Me. More classic stuff. Quote
kh1958 Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 My two favorites of his are the duets with Charlie Haden, As Long as There's Music, and the incredible High in the Sky trio recording (reissued on Fresh Sounds). Quote
JohnS Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 Those that do it for me are the trio albums on Contemporary, Vols 1, 2 and 3. Quote
couw Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 I recently found a copy of the JAS 2LP. It reissues two vault albums High in the Sky and Plays Movie Musicals. The first one features Leroy Vinnegar and Donald Bailey and is a very solid & enjoyable date. The second one has strings added arranged by Billy Byers. After some breaking in, I found this one really nice as well. Browsing a bit on the web, I learned that the music on it is generally considered to be latter (or transitional) period outing. I'd be interested to learn more as well. Like catesta, I have quite a number of albums feat. Hawes as a sideman. The only stuff I had of him as a leader is the Sonny Criss/Hampton Hawes Jazz Factory disk, which features some very cool R&B oriented music. Hard to sit still when playing that one. Quote
Chrome Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 Those All Night Sessions are great. I'm curious, though, about whether they were really recorded overnight. I don't have any particular reason to doubt it, but ... Quote
brownie Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 The three volumes of All Night Session on Contemporary are gems, all three. Superb quartet albums with Jim Hall, Red Mitchell and Bruz Freeman. This must have been quite a night at the Contemporary studios. Superb sound by Roy DuNann! Quote
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 The discs I spin the most are the 'All Night Session' ones and 'Bird Song' w/Chambers and Marable. B & N has it or you can get the 20-bit japanese 'BS' one over at Red Trumpet for $20. Listen to the sound clip of 'Bird Song' over at B&N and see what you think! Quote
J.A.W. Posted March 9, 2004 Report Posted March 9, 2004 My favorite Hampton Hawes albums: 1) these Contemporary albums are now all available on OJC and on 20-bit K2 remastered Japanese CDs, which I recommend very highly: Hampton Hawes, Vol.1: The Trio Hampton Hawes, Vol.2: The Trio Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes, Vol.3: The Trio Bird Song All Night Session, Vol.1-3 (the 20-bit Digital K2 remastered Japanese 2CD-set reissue of these 3 albums is absolutely wonderful) 2) these Contemporary albums are available on OJC: Four! For Real! The Green Leaves of Summer I'm All Smiles The Seance Quote
catesta Posted March 9, 2004 Author Report Posted March 9, 2004 The discs I spin the most are the 'All Night Session' ones and 'Bird Song' w/Chambers and Marable. B & N has it or you can get the 20-bit japanese 'BS' one over at Red Trumpet for $20. Listen to the sound clip of 'Bird Song' over at B&N and see what you think! I gave the clips a listen on the B&N site, it does sound great. Thanks to everyone for the recommendations and info. Looks and sounds as if I've waited long enough, I need more Hampton Hawes, Pronto! Quote
Morganized Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 I picked up "For Real" with Harold Land over the weekend and love the hell out of it. Catesta, Hampton Hawes is one of my personal favorites. In fact, I am reading the autobiography someone referred to earlier right now. It is hilarious. A very funny read. I think my favorite is Vol.2 of the Trio stuff. Personally Four is one of my least favorite.Don't know why but it has never hit me. I still need the All Night Sessions and given their strong recommendations here, I just might have to move them up the list. Enjoy Quote
catesta Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Posted March 10, 2004 Is the autobiography still available? The title alone makes me want to read it. Quote
Joe Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 (edited) I really, really, really like and would recommend some of Hawes later sessions: | the duets with Charlie Haden (AS LONG AS THERE'S MUSIC); | the Chicago recordings with Cecil McBee and Raoy Haynes (Enja); | and the European sessions with Jimmy Woode and Art Taylor, available currently under the title BLUES FOR BUD. Edited March 10, 2004 by Joe Quote
mikeweil Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 The trio had late in his career had a very loose approach, good interaction with the underrated drummer, Donald Bailey, who was left much more room for invention here than with Jimmy Smith. Bird Song is a great trio album, considering it was an impromptu session on occasion of a Chambers stay in California, swings like mad. I have to say I like all the ones I have ... The Duets with Haden are very special. Quote
jlhoots Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 What J.A.W. said about All Night Sessions. Quote
king ubu Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 I see there's lots of Hawes I ought to buy some time... I have only heard very few of his albums. Love "As Long As There's Music"! Then let me throw in another one: Among other things great Mingus on "I Can't Get Started", and a very good, brooding version of "Summertime" (one of my favourite versions of this tune!). I know it's OOP for several years, but grab it if you see it somewhere! ubu Quote
couw Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Then let me throw in another one: Among other things great Mingus on "I Can't Get Started", and a very good, brooding version of "Summertime" (one of my favourite versions of this tune!). I know it's OOP for several years, but grab it if you see it somewhere! ubu didn't know that one was OOP. And "for years" at that! I picked this one up way back when. One of my first Mingus disks. The version of Summertime is Something Else! HELLYEAH! Quote
brownie Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Among other things great Mingus on "I Can't Get Started", and a very good, brooding version of "Summertime" (one of my favourite versions of this tune!). I know it's OOP for several years, but grab it if you see it somewhere! ubu The pianist on that 'I Can't Get Started' is Sonny Clark. He may not be mentioned but the piano player on that one is Sonny. Hampton Hawes played on the rest of the session. Quote
brownie Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 One very interesting (and excellent) Hampton Hawes on Contemporary that may have been overlooked is 'The Sermon'. Recorded in 1958 and not released before 1987. Hawes has Leroy Vinnegar and Stan Levey along. An all spirituals program and all of those spirituals were played like they were ballads! This should still be available from OJC while there's still time. And one marvellous album by Hawes that I don't think is available nowadays is the duo session with Martial Solal. The session was recorded in Paris in 1969 for BYG and released as 'Key For Two'. Bass and drums duties were taken care of by Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke. Quote
Morganized Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 (edited) Is the autobiography still available? The title alone makes me want to read it. catesta, Check it out. Very funny. Raise Up Off Me Edited March 11, 2004 by Morganized Quote
BruceH Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 Those that do it for me are the trio albums on Contemporary, Vols 1, 2 and 3. Me too! Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I'm a great admirer of Hawes, but I recall the "All Night Session" albums, which I haven't heard for years, as being oddly lifeless, rhythmically loggy affairs. If I had to guess what the reason was (if indeed anyone out there agrees with me), I'd say it was the conjunction of Jim Hall and Red Mitchell. It's like their mutual, rather heavy, even thudding sense of where "one" was (at least at that time in Hall's career; he's since become far more supple rhythmically) plopped right on top of other and pretty much killed the whole thing. On the other hand, Hawes and Mitchell were a great team in Hawes' trio, and Hall and Mitchell were fine together on Hall's Pacific Jazz debut with Carl Perkins. But here they seem to me to drag Hawes down. I remember thinking that on "Broadway" in particular he sounded like man trying to walk through mud. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I really enjoy 'The Seance', on Contemporary. Quote
catesta Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Posted March 11, 2004 Is the autobiography still available? The title alone makes me want to read it. catesta, Check it out. Very funny. Raise Up Off Me Thanks. B) Quote
garthsj Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 (edited) I agree with Larry that the ALL-NIGHT SESSIONS albums do not live up to what one might have expected given the personnel, but I am not quite as disenchanted as he is .. there are still some fine moments. However, there is no doubt that Hawes operated best in a classic trio setting. The three TRIO volumes on Contemporary are essential for any modern jazz collection, and the reissue of a remastered in 20 bit Vol. 1 I hope presages the reissue of the other two volumes, as well as the later trio sets, THE SEANCE and I'M ALL SMILES (done at the same session). There is one classic Hawes session that was originally released on a beautifully pressed LP on the late, very lamented Saba label .. now available as BLUES FOR BUD ON 1201 Music 9033-2, with Jimmy Woode on bass, and Arthur Taylor on drums, recorded in Paris in 1968. I give this one three thumbs up! ..also, as previously mentioned, his autobiography "Raise Up Off Me" is a "must read" for any student of this great music.. Check here for availability; just put in the title or the author .. there were lots of copies (including a German translation) when I looked earlier today): http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookSe...=hp-search-form Garth. OOPS! I somehow missed page one of this thread, and did not realize that someone had already recommended BLUES FOR BUD .... get it anyway! While I am it, forget the electric piano stuff on Prestige ... and the Enja's are relatively tame .. . read boring. Edited March 11, 2004 by garthsj Quote
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