Relatively-progressive piano trio recs in the 60's

[Pete C]

I love Phineas Newborn, but I don't get how he fits this topic.

[brownie]

Phineas Newborn is pretty progressive. That's how I hear him.

[Rooster_Ties]

Mal Waldron - Blues for Lady Day (Black Lion, 1972)

OK, this one isn't from the 60's (but close enough, and it's my thread damn it!! )...

...but the two bonus tracks on this disc (which is otherwise a solo-piano recording), are Mal's trio recorded live in 1972 --- and they TOTALLY fit the bill for the topic of this thread. Quite a bit of music for two tracks too --- almost 36 minutes of music.

I was just in a corporate used book store (Half Price Books), and heard this really interesting piano-trio recording playing on the store's PA system. And damn, if the trio didn't ever break out into some sort of chord/changes-based tune, but stuck with the static-harmony thing all the way. And the more I thought about it, it sounded suspiciously similar to Mal's first ECM recording to me (the one from 1969). So I had them check the store's CD player, and low and behold it was this Black Lion disc from Mal, playing one of the live trio tracks.

(And I was pretty damn proud when I told the store employee that it sounded maybe a bit like Mal Waldron to my ears, and damn if that isn't who it turned out to be!!!! Bought it right out of their multi-disc player for $6 -- such a deal!!!)

[ghost of miles]

Mal Waldron - Blues for Lady Day (Black Lion, 1972)

OK, this one isn't from the 60's (but close enough, and it's my thread damn it!! )...

...but the two bonus tracks on this disc (which is otherwise a solo-piano recording), are Mal's trio recorded live in 1972 --- and they TOTALLY fit the bill for the topic of this thread. Quite a bit of music for two tracks too --- almost 36 minutes of music.

I was just in a corporate used book store (Half Price Books), and heard this really interesting piano-trio recording playing on the store's PA system. And damn, if the trio didn't ever break out into some sort of chord/changes-based tune, but stuck with the static-harmony thing all the way. And the more I thought about it, it sounded suspiciously similar to Mal's first ECM recording to me (the one from 1969). So I had them check the store's CD player, and low and behold it was this Black Lion disc from Mal, playing one of the live trio tracks.

(And I was pretty damn proud when I told the store employee that it sounded maybe a bit like Mal Waldron to my ears, and damn if that isn't who it turned out to be!!!! Bought it right out of their multi-disc player for $6 -- such a deal!!!)

Great version of "Strange Fruit" on that record.

[Rooster_Ties]

Another disc I picked up fairly recently and cheaply (from The Bastards™), is this piano-trio album from 1969...

Gordon Beck Trio -- Gyroscope . . . CD . . . $10.99

Morgan/Art Of Life, 1969

Incredibly fluid work from the Gordon Beck trio of the late 60s -- and powerhouse ensemble that featured Tony Oxley on drums and Jeff Clyne on bass. The tunes are all originals by Beck, and played in a style that has lots of the free and introspective styles that were percolating in the European piano underground at the time -- almost like the work of Steve Kuhn, in that Beck opens up nicely, but never seems to go too far outside -- and is as concerned with weaving tapestries of tone and color as he is with exploring new sounds and space. Great stuff all around, and a key look at an oft-overlooked player! Titles include "Miss T Fying", "Gyroscope", "Clusters", "Suite No 1", and "Sincerity".

It fits the topic of this thread pretty well too, being fairly progressive, but certainly not "out". At times, Beck's playing on this album reminds me a bit of Bobo Stenson. Well worth the $11 I paid for it, and a good album all around.

Edited November 13, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[pryan]

Neat story there, RT. I have that album, but the Lp version, so I'm without the trio tracks unfortunately. I really like it as a solo piano album, however. Thanks for reminding me I own this one; perhaps I'll play it today.

[Rooster_Ties]

Neat story there, RT.  I have that album, but the Lp version, so I'm without the trio tracks unfortunately.  I really like it as a solo piano album, however.  Thanks for reminding me I own this one; perhaps I'll play it today.

If you happen to see the Mal Waldron Black Lion on CD at a decent price, don't hesitate to pick it up. Those two bonus tracks add almost 36 minutes of music –– music that's worth the price of admission all by itself (at least in my book).

Edit: In fact, frankly, I see the solo-piano material (the first nine tracks on the CD) as "bonus material" to the live stuff at the end. (Yeah, I'm weird that way. )

Edited November 13, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[pryan]

Neat story there, RT.  I have that album, but the Lp version, so I'm without the trio tracks unfortunately.  I really like it as a solo piano album, however.  Thanks for reminding me I own this one; perhaps I'll play it today.

If you happen to see the Mal Waldron Black Lion on CD at a decent price, don't hesitate to pick it up. Those two bonus tracks add almost 36 minutes of music –– music that's worth the price of admission all by itself (at least in my book).

Edit: In fact, frankly, I see the solo-piano material (the first nine tracks on the CD) as "bonus material" to the live stuff at the end. (Yeah, I'm weird that way. )

Yeah, I'll check it out, for sure. That's quite a bit of extra material. The not-so-good thing is that this Lp is the only Waldron in my collection; you don't his stuff around these parts very much.

[clifford_thornton]

If you like Gordon Beck, then you should check out Howard Riley, Rooster. His albums on British Columbia are a must (Angle; Day Will Come), followed by more out sides on Incus and Turtle, and some material reissued/uncovered by Emanem. Barry Guy is on bass, and the drummers include Jon Hiseman, Alan Jackson and Tony Oxley. Hiseman's on the first trio LP, "Discussions," which is rare as fuck but if you can find it, it's great.

[Chuck Nessa]

So the premise of the thread is discovering pianists from 30 or 40 years ago wanting to move to the next step (and beyond) who didn't reach their goal? Sad.

[Dmitry]

Money Jungle is pretty progressive.

Bill Evans's records were pretty progressive too.

[Rooster_Ties]

Actually, in their own way, I find all of Ellington's piano-trio recordings to be progressive. (At least all that I've heard.)

[pryan]

"Progressive" is a strange term to use for this subject, IMHO. I picked up PIANO IN THE FOREGROUND about a month ago and find it to be quite "challenging" but also very rewarding at the same time.

Who's to say that Teddy Wilson's trio stuff isn't "progressive" in its own right?

[sonic1]

I am known to oversimplify things so forgive me if this is one of those oversimplifications. But trios are tough, even for piano.

How many piano trios were there in general before that time? Was it ever something before recently that was common?

I know there were trio piano albums out there, but what is the history of doing piano trios?

Just for the record, I love Bill Evans early 60s piano trios.

Especially with Scott LaFaro backing him up on bass and/or Paul Motion on dr.

[Rooster_Ties]

Judging from the on-line sound-clips on the AMG (I don't own the disc myself -- or at least not yet!!), this disc may fit the bill of being "relatively progressive", and is a piano-trio date recorded in 1968.

Dave Burrell - "High Won-High Two" (Black Lion, 1968)

Any opinions of this one?? (Before I try and track one down for myself.)

The audio-clips sound promising.

Edited November 17, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[JSngry]

The playing is as good as the piano is bad.

Burrell's a "buried teasure". Explore and enjoy.

[pryan]

...this disc may fit the bill of being "relatively progressive", and is a piano-trio date recorded in 1968.

I don't like to be a nit-picker but how do you define "relatively progressive"? Just curious.

[Rooster_Ties]

To paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, "I know it when I hear it".

Basically, I'm looking for anything that pushes against the norms of what "normal" piano trios were "normally" doing at the time. BUT, a trio that also doesn't obliterate those norms either (or at least not all of them, and not all at the same time).

It's a pretty loose definition, yeah, and given the dearth of piano-trio recordings in the 60's, it pretty much has to be.

Basically, I'm looking for piano trios that really were doing something "interesting", something "different", even if only "somewhat different" (though something more different than just "slightly different").

How's that for a big mish-mash of a definition.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I really enjoy the Burrell. Great medley on it of 'West Side Story' tunes, and I really like the one completely free piece - with Sunny Murray, Sirone, and Pharoah Saunders (on tambourine!).

[pryan]

I understand, RT. I don't have enough trio stuff in general, let alone something to fit your definition. Have you heard Mary Lou Williams' trio stuff from the 70s? I have one album and it's kinda cool in a different sort of way. I forget the title, but I'll mention it maybe tommorow or when I have time to look it up.

[couw]