Playing Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s

[Dan Gould]

5 minutes ago, JSngry said:

On the other hand, I looked through the lists for both the eighties and the nineties and did not see even one Winton Marseilles record. Not one! L effing O effing l.

I thought I did see one in the 80s? Anyway only in the 90s do I own 5 of 10.  That 70s list is all of 1.

[JSngry]

Nope, that was Tutu.

[felser]

Can someone give links for the other decades?  I only see readers polls,  thx.  FWIW, I own all 10 of the albums for the 70's, as I'm sure many here do.

Edited November 11, 2020 by felser

[JSngry]

Just go to the '70 s page. Read the opening blurb there's links to each decade there and that stays the same no matter what decade you go to they've got links to the other decades.

[felser]

Somehow I don't agree with the readers' assessment that Pat Metheny was the greatest jazz musician of the 1980-1999 period.   I have a couple of the albums on those lists, but none I really care much if I ever hear again.  And I feel bad for those who missed Joe Henderson's 1970's work on Milestone, and think his 90's work on Verve is all that.  And when Bob James/David Sanborn makes a "10 best of the decade" list, well, that's a different reality than where I live.  

[Ken Dryden]

Nothing that David Sanborn has done has impressed me and I found it idiotic for a nameless liner note writer for the Legends of Jazz boxed set (DVDs/CDs) who said that Sanborn is "considered one of the greatest saxophonists," considering that he shared the program with Phil Woods, whose sound, versatility and discography considerably dwarfs Sanborn's accomplishments. As for Bob James, his output is of little interest to me.

I have a couple of Pat Metheny recordings, but I would be hard-pressed to name any of his compositions that stick in my mind.

 

I own two of the titles on that JazzTimes list. Did these readers ever listen to much besides fusion? 

I've never opened my 2010 CD copy of Red Clay. Jarrett's album is okay, but I can't imagine sitting through that album in one hearing.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, felser said:

Somehow I don't agree with the readers' assessment that Pat Metheny was the greatest jazz musician of the 1980-1999 period. 

I don't either, but those are all very creative records with a totally personal POV.

1 hour ago, felser said:

And I feel bad for those who missed Joe Henderson's 1970's work on Milestone, and think his 90's work on Verve is all that.

Well yeah, but that just goes to show you that there's a reason why business is business. Verb was riding high in those days and they put money in to promotions and that promotion paid off. Business doing what business do. 

Verve was, by then a totally corporate label, even more than it was when it was under MGM, but they had an extremely solid roster and an extremely solid catalog. so anybody who couldn't get the old Blue Notes or Milestones or just thought they were old records, well that's what they did for Joe Henderson. I for one thank them for that.

[JSngry]

57 minutes ago, Ken Dryden said:

Nothing that David Sanborn has done has impressed me and I found it idiotic for a nameless liner note writer for the Legends of Jazz boxed set (DVDs/CDs) who said that Sanborn is "considered one of the greatest saxophonists," considering that he shared the program with Phil Woods, whose sound, versatility and discography considerably dwarfs Sanborn's accomplishments. As for Bob James, his output is of little interest to me.

I have a couple of Pat Metheny recordings, but I would be hard-pressed to name any of his compositions that stick in my mind....

I've never opened my 2010 CD copy of Red Clay. Jarrett's album is okay, but I can't imagine sitting through that album in one hearing.

Dave Sanborn can play, period. And Bob James has a broader and deeper range of musical experience than do most of his audiences and detractors alike. I can do without most of those records myself, but I totally respect the skills that went into them.

As for Red Clay, yeah that's a good record and all that but Hubbard CTI 70s hey Straight Life, end of story.

And the Jarrett record is is pretty good actually I liked it then and I like it now. And I'm by no stretch of the imagination a fan of him in general.

[Ken Dryden]

I don't doubt that any of these musicians who have recorded mainly contemporary or smooth jazz can play, it's just I don't have any interest in what I have heard them do so far. Fourplay stuff is unlistenable to me and I am generally not a fan of electric piano. I know that early Bob James ranged into avant-garde and that he accompanied Sarah Vaughan. As for Sandborn, I just don't like his sound and his Warner Bros. stuff bores the hell out of me. Grover Washington, Jr. was impressive when he stepped away from smooth jazz, whether playing straight ahead or classical music. 

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Dave Sanborn can play, period.

[danasgoodstuff]

As for the JTs lists, the '80s is a little weird but the '70s and '90s are about what I'd expect.  I'm glad to see Metheny records like 80/81 and Q&A along with the PMG efforts and I'll take Sandborn and Grover over Michael Brecker all day every day, at least they have personal voices.  Not my lists, but then they aren't my lists are they?  I'm kind of surprised there wasn't more CTI on the '70s list.

[danasgoodstuff]

The 2000s & 2010s lists are up now, they are otherworldly and I don't mean that in a good way.  Back to the '70s, Bobby Hutcherson was a saving grace on BN in that era, which starts for me with the things in the '60s that sound like the '70s, like Duke P's The Phantom where Bobby H gets featured billing.  

[JSngry]

6 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

The 2000s & 2010s lists are up now...

and still not one wnyton record. Not one.

[Dan Gould]

I don't own a single CD from the last two decades that their readers picked. I think I bought the Nora once, as a requested gift for a family member.

[JSngry]

I own quite a lot of the stuff on the JT lists, just glad that's not all or most of what i own, or listen to.

That's a really industry-friendly population, that's all I can say..

 

[Larry Kart]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

and still not one wnyton record. Not one.

As you no doubt know, upon visiting any Half-Price Books  store or similar outlet where used CDs are sold, you'll find lots of dumped Marsalis CDs.

[felser]

Glad to see the Dave Holland on the 2000's and the Maria Schneider on the 2010's.  I own 3 total from those two decades, as opposed to owning all 10 of the 70's selections.

[HutchFan]

Three Wayne Shorter picks on the 2000s and 2010s lists.  I'm down with that.  Honestly, I could have easily voted to include Beyond the Sound Barrier in there too. 

As others have noted, Pat Metheny is clearly a gigantic favorite with listeners, showing up on every decade's list.  I knew he was popular and sold a LOTS of records, especially back in the day.  But, he is clearly REALLY popular still. ... I dig Metheny, even if he wouldn't make my short-list of personal faves.  The guy makes consistently interesting music, and I probably own about 15 of his records. ... I will say that The Way Up is a damn fine record, IMO, one of Metheny's best.  

Jim tells me that I shouldn't be, but I'm still surprised by the COMPLETE absence of any small or even middle-sized labels.  Nothing from Sunnyside, SteepleChase, Criss Cross, Muse, HighNote/Savant, Gramavision, Enja, Black Saint/Soul Note, etc., etc., etc.  Was there even anything from Atlantic?!?!  ...  Come on people!  The internet means you don't have to shop for your jazz records at Walmart anymore!!!  

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Pat Metheny has done as good a job balancing core releases with side projects as anyone ever.  And making it easy to tell the difference.

[HutchFan]

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Chet Baker – Broken Wing (Sonopresse/Inner City/Gitanes Jazz, 1979)
John Coates, Jr. – In the Open Space (Omnisound, 1979)
Ronnie Mathews – Roots, Branches & Dances (Bee Hive, 1979)
Curtis Fuller – Fire and Filigree (Bee Hive, 1979)
Zbigniew Seifert – Passion (Capitol, 1979)
Mick Goodrick – In Pas(s)ing (ECM, 1979)
Bill Evans & Toots Thielemans – Affinity (Warner Brothers, 1979)

 

Last week, work was busy and stressful, so there's no new write-ups -- except for a piece on the Polish jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert that I'd put together months ago.  You can check it out here.

Turning to the other albums, there's some lovely, lyrical entries this week: the Chet Baker, the Bill Evans & Toots, and the John Coates. 

The Goodrick is an excellent below-the-radar ECM (recently reissued, coincidentally), and the Fuller and Mathews Bee Hives are among the best releases from that label.

So, all in all, another solid batch.  

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by HutchFan

[Eric]

3 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s 

Chet Baker – Broken Wing (Sonopresse/Inner City/Gitanes Jazz, 1979)
John Coates, Jr. – In the Open Space (Omnisound, 1979)
Ronnie Mathews – Roots, Branches & Dances (Bee Hive, 1979)
Curtis Fuller – Fire and Filigree (Bee Hive, 1979)
Zbigniew Seifert – Passion (Capitol, 1979)
Mick Goodrick – In Pas(s)ing (ECM, 1979)
Bill Evans & Toots Thielemans – Affinity (Warner Brothers, 1979)

 

Last week, work was busy and stressful, so there's no new write-ups -- except for a piece on the Polish jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert that I'd put together months ago.  You can check it out here.

Turning to the other albums, there's some lovely, lyrical entries this week: the Chet Baker, the Bill Evans & Toots, and the John Coates. 

The Goodrick is an excellent below-the-radar ECM (recently reissued, coincidentally), and the Fuller and Mathews Bee Hives are among the best releases from that label.

So, all in all, another solid batch.  

 

Thanks for the heads up on the Goodrick.  Picked it up.  Love the Ronnie Mathews.

[felser]

I like that Ronnie Mathews album.

[HutchFan]

12 minutes ago, felser said:

I like that Ronnie Mathews album.

 

33 minutes ago, Eric said:

Love the Ronnie Mathews.

Yes indeed. It's a good one!

 

Eric, I hope you enjoy the Goodrick. I think you will!

 

 

[Al in NYC]

HutchFan, I don't post around here much anymore, but I wanted to thank you for your hard work in rolling out this list and the posts on your website.  As I've been slowly collecting my way through the '70s, I've been on the lookout for lists like this one that might guide me a little better.  My dad's collection pointed much of the way through previous decades, but like a lot of folks his age he sort of gave up on taking in new music in the '70s, so other than a pile of Pablos, a few Xanadus, some records by old friends, and the obligatory copies of Bitches Brew and Koln Concert, there wasn't much there.  Since I started reading through this thread and your website last wee, you've already pointed the way to a few things I've picked up. Great stuff (that Coleman/Montoliu and the Bobo Stenson were both real killers, among others).

Oh, I think my count is around 135 (or 136 or so now that you've added Broken Wing), counting stuff I have in Mosaics and other boxes or partially mixed in on reissues.  Very heavily weighted towards the earlier part of the decade, like most others here.

[Peter Friedman]

HutchFan, this week I found 3 on your list that I have and very much enjoy.

Curtis Fuller

Ronnie Mathews

Bill Evans & Toots Thielemans

I guess seeing 2 from the Bee Hive Box encourages me to pull out that box to play the included CDs.