Playing Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s

[felser]

1 hour ago, medjuck said:

Way to welcome someone to the board. 

It's a tough neighborhood, not for the faint of heart.  We all find that out soon enough.  But that also makes it invigorating if you are wired for it.   

[Dan Gould]

6 minutes ago, felser said:

It's a tough neighborhood, not for the faint of heart.  We all find that out soon enough.  But that also makes it invigorating if you are wired for it.   

And he's come by more than once and engaged with the commentary.

[JSngry]

39 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Nat Adderley was a Floridian to my mind.

and mine as well, but you know...

y'all really need to get that Jazz Cooks book. Nat's recipie for souse...oh my god, no wonder the Adderleys all got so damn fat and unhealthy. But what a way to go!

[HutchFan]

Speaking of Nat Adderley... 

Nat made two records for Theresa (later reissued on Evidence) in the early-80s -- On the Move and Blue Autumn.  Both feature Nat's band with Larry Willis and Sonny Fortune, and both were recorded at the Keystone Korner.  I only recently became aware of them, and I've never heard either one. 

I did find one cut on YT, "Blue Autumn," a gorgeous Larry Willis composition:

 

Have any of you heard either of these records?   If so, what do you think?

BTW, I realize that these records fall outside topic of this thread.  But I've been meaning to ask about them, so ... whatever.

 

[Rabshakeh]

3 hours ago, Ethan Iverson said:

Anyway for those that dig DTM, thanks for reading. I'll get out of here now...(won't keep responding to thread)

I have to say that I really enjoy DTM. It's a great resource.

One of the best features of the writing, along with the musical insight, is the readiness to hand out off-the-beaten-track recommendations. I've learnt a lot from it, as I am sure have many others, so thanks. 

And Ira Sullivan's records aren't going anywhere. 

[Peter Friedman]

One line from DTM particularly caught my attention. Iverson says that according to Paul Motion, pianist Lou Levy was an influence on Bill Evans. Don't recall ever hearing about that previously.

[soulpope]

18 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Speaking of Nat Adderley... 

Nat made two records for Theresa (later reissued on Evidence) in the early-80s -- On the Move and Blue Autumn.  Both feature Nat's band with Larry Willis and Sonny Fortune, and both were recorded at the Keystone Korner.  I only recently became aware of them, and I've never heard either one. 

I did find one cut on YT, "Blue Autumn," a gorgeous Larry Willis composition:

 

Have any of you heard either of these records?   If so, what do you think?

BTW, I realize that these records fall outside topic of this thread.  But I've been meaning to ask about them, so ... whatever.

 

Had only "On The Move" back then but didn`t keep it, so possibly a sign .... remember only vaguely that Sonny Fortune was good ....

[JSngry]

19 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

And Ira Sullivan's records aren't going anywhere. 

No they aren't, and maybe somebody who actually knew the guy could expand/expound on what exactly was behind that seemingly sudden spurt of visibility in 1976 with the A&M/Horizon record. What moved him back into that?

Recording-wise, that was essentially a "second career", maybe?

[kh1958]

30 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Speaking of Nat Adderley... 

Nat made two records for Theresa (later reissued on Evidence) in the early-80s -- On the Move and Blue Autumn.  Both feature Nat's band with Larry Willis and Sonny Fortune, and both were recorded at the Keystone Korner.  I only recently became aware of them, and I've never heard either one. 

I did find one cut on YT, "Blue Autumn," a gorgeous Larry Willis composition:

 

Have any of you heard either of these records?   If so, what do you think?

BTW, I realize that these records fall outside topic of this thread.  But I've been meaning to ask about them, so ... whatever.

 

No, but that band (or a very similar one) played in Fort Worth in the early-mid/1980s. A set was broadcast on the local NPR station, But I missed the actual performances because I had the flu. Curses.

[felser]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Speaking of Nat Adderley... 

Nat made two records for Theresa (later reissued on Evidence) in the early-80s -- On the Move and Blue Autumn.  Both feature Nat's band with Larry Willis and Sonny Fortune, and both were recorded at the Keystone Korner.  I only recently became aware of them, and I've never heard either one. 

I did find one cut on YT, "Blue Autumn," a gorgeous Larry Willis composition:

 

Have any of you heard either of these records?   If so, what do you think?

BTW, I realize that these records fall outside topic of this thread.  But I've been meaning to ask about them, so ... whatever.

 

I have Blue Autumn.  I don't find it as satisfying as most of his other later quintet albums largely due to repertoire.

[Al in NYC]

On 11/23/2020 at 11:04 PM, HutchFan said:

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

Chico Freeman – The Outside Within (India Navigation, 1981)
Arthur Blythe – Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Columbia, 1979)
World Saxophone Quartet – Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet  (Black Saint, 1979)
Philip Catherine, Charlie Mariano, Jasper van 't Hof – Sleep My Love (CMP, 1979)
John Abercrombie Quartet – Arcade (ECM, 1979)
George Coleman – Amsterdam After Dark (Timeless, 1979)
Jimmy Forrest with Shirley Scott – Heart of the Forrest (Palo Alto/Muse, 1982)

 

4 of 7 for me, not bad (Freeman, Blythe, WSQ, Forrest/Scott).   The Blythe is, of course, a classic (although I like a few of his other recordings from the same period nearly as much).  The others are merely very fine to great.

[HutchFan]

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

Bunky Green – Places We've Never Been (Vanguard, 1979)
Steve Lacy Five – The Way (hat Hut, 1980)
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis – The Heavy Hitter (Muse/32 Jazz/Savoy, 1979)
Poncho Sanchez – Poncho (Discovery, 1979)
Daniel Humair – Triple Hip Trip (Owl, 1979)
Denny Zeitlin – Soundings (1750 Arch, 1978)
Ross Tompkins – Ross Tompkins and Good Friends (Concord, 1978)

 

More amazing saxmen: Bunky, Lacy, Lockjaw, and Al Cohn. (Cohn's magisterial sound is the reason you need to hear that Ross Tompkins LP.)

The Daniel Humair is a somewhat unconventional trio with David Friedman (vib) and Harvie Swartz (b).  Very cool.

The Poncho Sanchez is his debut disc, and Clare Fischer plays a prominent role.  If you like Fischer's Latin Jazz (as a leader or with Cal Tjader), it's well worth tracking down.  "Morning"!!!

The Denny Zeitlin is an exploratory and thoughtful solo piano outing.  I dig it.

 

Chronology-wise, we're now into 1979.  In the home stretch, just a few more weeks to go.  

 

As always, I welcome your feedback.   

 

[JSngry]

Ross Tompkins? Fine player, and Al Cohn, of course, but best of the decade?

[HutchFan]

44 minutes ago, Al in NYC said:

The Blythe is, of course, a classic (although I like a few of his other recordings from the same period nearly as much).

Agreed.  Blythe had a HEAVYWEIGHT run on Columbia!  He was killin' it!

 

2 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Ross Tompkins? Fine player, and Al Cohn, of course, but best of the decade?

I will put late-70s Al Cohn up against all comers.  Like I said, it's a cheat because I picked it the Tompkins for Al Cohn, not for Tompkins.  But it is a fantastic record.

I know you're NOT a Concord guy, Jim.  But you should listen. I think you'll understand WHY I picked it.

 

[JSngry]

Hell, I heard it when it was new!

I understand why you like it, hell, I like it. But "best of decade"? Even if for Al Cohn...

[HutchFan]

6 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Hell, I heard it when it was new!

I understand why you like it, hell, I like it. But "best of decade"? Even if for Al Cohn...

No. Unlike those Jazztimes polls (and so many others), my survey is not a list of "best" records of the 1970s.  No, no, no!!!  You won't find "best" or "most important" or any of that anywhere on my blog!   

My site is called Playing Favorites.  That gives me all sorts of wiggle room to be idiosyncratic and partial.  Hell, that's what the title means.

Ross Tompkins and Good Friends is a terrific LP.  I'm comfortable with calling it one of my favorite records. 

So yeah. 

[JSngry]

Ok. I can argue against the rest of the band, but not against Al Cohn (even on Concord, which was never up to his Xanadu standard, imo).

Ross will now give you the cue to get to the commercial break.

Years later, I started hearing that, contrary to how straight he looked, he was actually kind of a wild guy. Definitely a case of "who knew?!

 

[HutchFan]

6 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Ok. I can argue against the rest of the band, but not against Al Cohn (even on Concord, which was never up to his Xanadu standard, imo).

I agree completely on that.

I think think that Ross Tompkins LP is a stealth Xanadu LP, despite the fact that it's on Concord.  It's more in line with those Xanadu records like Play It Now. ... It's late-70s (Xanadu) Cohn, not 1980s (Concord) Cohn. 

 

[JSngry]

Carl Jefferson as a stealth Don Schlitten? A fanciful notion indeed! 

[HutchFan]

9 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Carl Jefferson as a stealth Don Schlitten? A fanciful notion indeed! 

Yes sir.  Sometimes strange things happen.   

Your comment raises another topic that I'd love to discuss when we get to the end of the survey: Jazz producers in the 1970s. 

 

 

[felser]

I'm also not a Concord guy.   To me, they generally tended to neuter their artists somehow, I think especially of Art Blakey compared to what he did on other labels, even in the same time period, but also people like Joanne Brackeen.  The one LP I remember finding satisfying was the Harold Land/Blue Mitchell 'Mapenzi' LP, and truth be told, that was mainly due to one cut, Lightsey's "Habiba". 

Just now, HutchFan said:

Your comment raises another topic that I'd love to discuss when we get to the end of the survey: Jazz producers in the 1970s. 

 

 

I'm up for that.

[HutchFan]

2 minutes ago, felser said:

I'm also not a Concord guy.   To me, they generally tended to neuter their artists somehow, I think especially of Art Blakey compared to what he did on other labels, even in the same time period, but also people like Joanne Brackeen.  The one LP I remember finding satisfying was the Harold Land/Blue Mitchell 'Mapenzi' LP, and truth be told, that was mainly due to one cut, Lightsey's "Habiba". 

I think our gripes with Concord are sometimes true.  Maybe even often true.  But they're not always true.  (I, for one, love those Art Blakey Concords.)

But I know exactly what you're talking about.  What is that!?!?

Interesting how much impact a producer, a label can have.

 

8 minutes ago, felser said:

I'm up for that.

Cool beans.  

 

[Chuck Nessa]

Carl Jefferson was a friggin' Lincoln dealer. That should tell you something.

[HutchFan]

1 hour ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Carl Jefferson was a friggin' Lincoln dealer. That should tell you something.

I dunno, Chuck.  Is it fair to draw a conclusion that Jefferson was a less-than-ideal jazz producer because he was a car dealer? ... Are those two facts necessarily related?

Charles Ives got wealthy selling insurance.  The poet Wallace Stevens was a successful insurance man too.  Even Franz Kafka (!) sold insurance. But I don't think it would be fair to say that we know anything about their art because these men happened to be insurance salesmen.

Making art and making a living can be very different realms of life, no? ... Or maybe I'm reading too much into what you said! 

No disrespect intended, of course.  Just kicking the can down the road a little bit.

 

[Chuck Nessa]

Yes, it is fair.