Playing Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s

[HutchFan]

4 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Montara...yes, I "like" it, but more as "concept executed" than as music I really engage in.

I like Dale Ohler's work elsewhere, but here it sounds like he was bringing hutch into his world rather than the other way around, and no harm/no foul, of course, but still, I'd like to have heard the premise executed with a different concept, say...Clare Fischer's. But this was George Butler Time, so...

O.K, I can see that. 

Sounds like I'm more convinced by Hutcherson's 70s output in general than some (many? most?). 

• I think Cirrus is a stinkin' masterpiece, one of the best LPs Hutch ever made. Full stop.
• I think Waiting is a tremendous record.
• I think Live at Montreux is outstanding. 
• I really, really dig Montara.
• The View from the Inside ... fabulous. So gentle and mellow.  
• And you know how I feel about San Francisco.

The music on these LPs isn't built like Hutcherson's music was in the 60s.  Very different intentions and directions. 

Of course, I mean that in a GOOD way.  But others may hear it otherwise!  

 

[felser]

58 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Just curious:  Do you guys like Montara?

Again for me:  "Yes, with caveats".   Funky minimalism has it's place, but not in my "best of decade" spotlight.

[HutchFan]

2 hours ago, felser said:

Again for me:  "Yes, with caveats".   Funky minimalism has it's place, but not in my "best of decade" spotlight.

Fair enough!  

 

[JSngry]

3 hours ago, HutchFan said:

O.K, I can see that. 

Sounds like I'm more convinced by Hutcherson's 70s output in general than some (many? most?). 

• I think Cirrus is a stinkin' masterpiece, one of the best LPs Hutch ever made. Full stop.
• I think Waiting is a tremendous record.
• I think Live at Montreux is outstanding. 
• I really, really dig Montara.
• The View from the Inside ... fabulous. So gentle and mellow.  
• And you know how I feel about San Francisco.

The music on these LPs isn't built like Hutcherson's music was in the 60s.  Very different intentions and directions. 

Of course, I mean that in a GOOD way.  But others may hear it otherwise!  

 

Don't forget Knucklebean!

And I'm one of the few(?) who actually likes Hutcherson Columbia output a good deal, and even more than some of his "lesser" BN work.

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

Don't forget Knucklebean!

And I'm one of the few(?) who actually likes Hutcherson Columbia output a good deal, and even more than some of his "lesser" BN work.

I like and own it all (except "Natural Illusions"), even like "Linger Lane" OK, even own the Columbia stuff (available on a nice BGO set), it's levels and degrees.  But no classics to my ears other than the Montreux album (except maybe the two Mainstreams under Harold Land's name)..

Edited January 22, 2020 by felser

[HutchFan]

15 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Don't forget Knucklebean!

No way! Never!

[Peter Friedman]

While not from The 70's, this is perhaps my favorite Bobby Hutcherson album.

[HutchFan]

24 minutes ago, Peter Friedman said:

While not from The 70's, this is perhaps my favorite Bobby Hutcherson album.

Peter, that's one of my favorites too.  (Among many other Hutcherson records! )

 

[HutchFan]

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

01/28/20 - David "Fathead" Newman – Captain Buckles (Cotillion/Label M, 1971)

01/27/20 - Cannonball Adderley Quintet – The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free (Capitol, 1970)

01/26/20 - Paul Gonsalves & Ray Nance – Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' (Black Lion, 1973)

01/25/20 - Eddie [Eddy] Louiss – Our Kind of Sabi (MPS, 1970)

01/24/20 - Wayne Shorter – Odyssey of Iska (Blue Note, 1971)

01/23/20 - Grant Green – Alive! (Blue Note, 1970)

01/22/20 - Marian McPartland Trio – Ambiance (Halcyon/Jazz Alliance, 1970)

 

Feedback welcomed.  

 

[felser]

"Our Kind of Sabi" is a great album and an enlightened choice!  Also love his work on Stan Getz's "Dynasty" (which would also look good on your list unless you go with "Captain Marvel" instead).

 

[JSngry]

Odyssey Of Iska is damn near an opera...perhaps my favorite Wayne record overall.

The Price you Got To Pay to Be Free is an amazing record, all over the place, something to please every taste - and to piss off every taste. But putting aside matters of "taste", it's all in a deep Cannonball pocket, therefore whatever anybody doesn't like, it's not Cannonball's fault. I still keep hoping that there's a treasure torve of unedited, fully stretched out club dates by this band, was really was an amazing group...when was the last time that seriously hard jazz chops met up with grassroots popular appeal for such a sustained period of mutual love? .

Captain Buckles, yeah, I had to look a long little bit to find the LP on that one. Worth the wait (and the effort). Fathead...yeah.

[Guy Berger]

On 1/22/2020 at 7:06 PM, HutchFan said:

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

01/21/20 - Bobby Hutcherson featuring Harold Land – San Francisco (Blue Note, 1971)

01/20/20 - Lee Morgan – Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note, 1971)

01/16/20 - Donald Byrd – Electric Byrd (Blue Note, 1970)

Who said Blue Note didn't make any worthwhile records in the 1970s?!?!?  THREE this week!   

Lots of worthwhile Blue Note from the 70s!  IMHO the Hutcherson is the most “well rounded” of these 3, though the Morgan has the highest peaks (esp due to Bennie Maupin).

I like the Byrd! It’s lightweight but enjoyable.  Like Weather Report or Bitches Brew when you don’t want to think too hard 🤣

[felser]

On 1/29/2020 at 8:01 AM, JSngry said:

Odyssey Of Iska is damn near an opera...perhaps my favorite Wayne record overall.

 

It's a fascinating album for sure, wouldn't want to be without it.  Not sure how to stack it up against 'Juju', which I also adore, for different reasons.  And all of his Blue Notes are varying degrees of wonderful (Even Motto Grosso Feio).

[danasgoodstuff]

Re GG Alive (at the Cliché Lounge - couldn't make that up, no one would believe you), it's interesting that the bonus tracks reveal that this band at this time was playing HH's Maiden Voyage at gigs, and well.

[HutchFan]

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

02/04/20 - John Carter & Bobby Bradford – Self Determination Music (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

02/03/20 - Herbie Hancock – Mwandishi (Warner Brothers, 1971)

02/02/20 - Hank Crawford – It's a Funky Thing to Do (Cotillion/Collectables, 1971)

02/01/20 - Pharoah Sanders – Thembi / Black Unity (Impulse, 2015)

01/31/20 - Sonny [Huey] Simmons – Burning Spirits (Contemporary, 1971)

01/30/20 - Dave Brubeck Trio & Gerry Mulligan – Live at the Berlin Philharmonie (Sony Legacy, 1995)

01/29/20 - Anita O'Day in Berlin: Recorded Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival (MPS, 1971)

 

Quite the mix of styles this week.  I like that. 

I'm almost done with albums recorded in 1970.  Just a couple more to go. 

As always, feedback welcomed.

 

 

 

On 2/3/2020 at 1:43 AM, danasgoodstuff said:

Re GG Alive (at the Cliché Lounge - couldn't make that up, no one would believe you), it's interesting that the bonus tracks reveal that this band at this time was playing HH's Maiden Voyage at gigs, and well.

You're right.  The bonus cuts "flesh out the picture," don't they?!?!

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by HutchFan

[felser]

Some inspired choices, such as that great Brubeck set (his work with Mulligan was very strong, and very underrated IMO) and the Carter/Bradford, and you got the right Hancock (though 'Crossings' is also pretty great).  I do think you're cheating on the Sanders!  Though I will grant you that I would have picked 'Black Unity' as my choice for the decade.  Have never heard the O'Day.  The Simmons is an interesting title, but not an easy listen, even compared to his other work.  Only real objection is the Crawford, where I definitely would have gone with 'Wildflower'.  But overall, very well done, bring on 1971!

Edited February 4, 2020 by felser

[HutchFan]

19 minutes ago, felser said:

Some inspired choices, such as that great Brubeck set (his work with Mulligan was very strong, and very underrated IMO) and the Carter/Bradford, and you got the right Hancock (though 'Crossings' is also pretty great).  I do think you're cheating on the Sanders!  Though I will grant you that I would have picked 'Black Unity' as my choice for the decade.  Have never heard the O'Day.  The Simmons is an interesting title, but not an easy listen, even compared to his other work.  Only real objection is the Crawford, where I definitely would have gone with 'Wildflower'.  But overall, very well done, bring on 1971!

Thanks!  

Wildflower would definitely be my second choice for Hank Crawford.  It's the pick of the CTI bunch.  Even so, I don't think Crawford's sound works as well with the big "CTI production" approach as someone like Stanley Turrentine.  Plus, I love that WAY stripped down sound on Funky Thing.  It's like an unfinished hardwood plank, tough as nails with lots of grain showing.

Cheating on Sanders?  Maybe so.  (Can you cheat if you made the rules yourself?)  In any case, expect to see a few more "2-on-1"s later in the survey!   

[felser]

10 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

 In any case, expect to see a few more "2-on-1"s later in the survey!   

I do!

[HutchFan]

32 minutes ago, felser said:

I do!

Nostradamus, you appear to be capable of predicting the future!   

 

[JSngry]

49 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

...I don't think Crawford's sound works as well with the big "CTI production" approach as someone like Stanley Turrentine. 

Ah, but Hank recorded for Kudu, which was the same thing, only very different!

And speaking of Kudu...Esther Phillips?

[HutchFan]

26 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Ah, but Hank recorded for Kudu, which was the same thing, only very different!

An oversight on my part.  I have Wildflowers on CD.  It says "CBS Associated" on the spine.  I assumed that meant CTI. 

Oops!   

 

[HutchFan]

After our discussions, I've added the text below to my Hank Crawford blog post.

************

More Hank Crawford

Aside from It's a Funky Thing to Do, my favorite Hank Crawford from the 1970s is Wildflower (Kudu, 1973).  As you might expect from a Creed Taylor production, the music is much bigger and "thicker" than the music on the Atlantic LP.  (Bob James did the arrangements.)  It's a Funky Thing to Do sounds raw and unvarnished in comparison.  Regardless of their differences, Wildflower oozes soul.  Hank's sound comes shining through. ... I also love Crawford's collaborations with Jimmy McGriff.  Their partnership didn't come along until later, but they made some terrific music together.   Road Tested (Milestone, 1997) is probably the Crawford & McGriff disc that I like best.

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by HutchFan

[felser]

6 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

After on our discussions above, I've added the text below to my Hank Crawford blog post.

************

More Hank Crawford

Aside from It's a Funky Thing to Do, my favorite Hank Crawford from the 1970s is Wildflower (Kudu, 1973).  As you might expect from a Creed Taylor production, the music is much bigger and "thicker" than the music on the Atlantic LP.  (Bob James did the arrangements.)  It's a Funky Thing to Do sounds raw and unvarnished in comparison.  Regardless of their differences, Wildflower oozes soul.  Hank's sound comes shining through. ... I also love Crawford's collaborations with Jimmy McGriff.  Their partnership didn't come along until later, but they made some terrific music together.   Road Tested (Milestone, 1997) is probably the Crawford & McGriff disc that I like best.

 

Well done!

[JSngry]

Kudu had some great stuff, but only if you don't look for the jazz quotient that you'd look for in CTI (he said, fully aware of the possibility of the irony therein).

But no matter - Esther Phillips?

[HutchFan]

57 minutes ago, JSngry said:

But no matter - Esther Phillips?

I dug into Phillips' discography, did quite a bit of listening.  Enjoyed it.  But she's not among my favorites.  When you've "only" got 366 slots, you've got to draw the line somewhere. 

It sounds crazy, but I have a running list of 857 "Other Recordings" -- over and above the 366 that I've chosen.  (And I should note that these are not more records by the artists that I've already selected.  These are recordings by different artists that could be added to the survey and would still follow my self-imposed "one leader, one co-leader" rule.)  Esther Phillips' From a Whisper to a Scream is on this "Other Recordings" list. 

 

If you would like to go down into a rabbit hole, keep reading ... 

One other thing: I haven't heard all of these "Other Recordings."  I have heard many of them, maybe even most.  Others I haven't heard (usually because they're not available or cost too much), but would like to.  ... There's so much out there!!!  Honestly, that's one of the reasons why the "366 choices in 366 days" limit appealed to me.  Unlike the book idea that I'd been chasing around interminably, this year-long blog project is finite -- even though I recognize that the topic at hand is almost limitless.   And that "limitlessness" is another reason that I've focused so much on the subjective nature of this project.  No single person is capable of making a comprehensive and "fair" assessment -- whatever that means.  So why try to pretend otherwise? ... Dropping that pretense clarifies things.  My goal is to just be honest about what I hear, and to be open to hearing new things.  That's do-able, comprehensible, and fun.  That's what I'm trying to do. ... Get it?

Edited February 4, 2020 by HutchFan