Paul Horn Corner

[mjzee]

Paul Horn had an interesting career.  I recently picked up a used copy of his 1965 RCA album Cycle.  It's really nice: contemplative, moody, at times swinging.  Great accompaniment from Lynn Blessing, Mike Lang, Bill Plummer and Bill Goodwin.  Great sound, too, on this mono Dynagroove LP.

My first album of his was A Special Edition (1974, on Island).  I thought it was so interesting that Island would release a double LP by a jazz musician.  There's a great version there of Freedom Jazz Dance.

I then became aware of 1969's Inside, really a classic of the genre.  Although it might have helped launch the New Age category, the music really does transport me to another place.  I wish I didn't have such a noisy vinyl copy.

Dips into his catalog show a restless mind and a desire to mix up different genres, with consistently rewarding results.

What do people here think about his music?

[kh1958]

This one is my favorite. 

 

Paul Horn Sextet

Paul Horn, flute, clarinet, alto sax; Emil Richards, vibes; Victor Feldman, piano; Chuck Israels, bass; Colin Bailey, drums; Larry Bunker, percussion.

Los Angeles, CA, May 27, 1963

HCO71380	Ceasar And Cleopatra Theme	Columbia CL 2050
HCO71381	Cleopatra Enters Rome	-
HCO71382	Grant Me An Honorable Way To Die	-
HCO71383	Cleopatra's Palace Music	-
HCO71384	Anthony And Cleopatra Theme	-
HCO71385	My Love Is My Master	-

* Columbia CL 2050, CS 8850   Paul Horn - Impressions Of Cleopatra

Paul Horn Sextet

same personnel.

Los Angeles, CA, May 28, 1963

HCO71386	A Gift For Caesar	Columbia CL 2050
HCO71387	Love And Hate	-

* Columbia CL 2050, CS 8850   Paul Horn - Impressions Of Cleopatra

Edited June 11, 2020 by kh1958

[Teasing the Korean]

Perpetually in the DJ crate back in the day.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[medjuck]

I saw him once at a club shortly after I moved to LA in 1980.  Then I ran into walking on my street after I moved to Santa Barbara.  Turns out one of my neighbours had once been his manager.  This was shortly before he died.  

[Joe]

SOMETHING BLUE is five-star stuff IMO. A "pale reflection" of KIND OF BLUE. I suppose... but Horn's relationship with Miles Davis predates the recording of either LP, IIRC. Anyway, SOMETHING BLUE manages to be airier, even more atmospheric than KIND OF BLUE. Not better, mind you. Just different enough. BIlly Higgins has a lot to do with that.  

The same band, more or less, made those LPs for Columbia. Nice enough, but they lack something SOMETHING BLUE has.

HIs mid-70s stuff, like ALTURA SO SOL (with Egberto Gismonti) and SPECIAL EDITION, is often fine. Also like what he brings to Cal Tjader's MONTEREY CONCERTS.

Finally, A BUCKET OF BLOOD would not be the classic Roger Corman schlockfest it is without Paul Horn's beatitudes.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Joe

[mjazzg]

I love lots of Horn recordings through to the early 70s but haven't gone much beyond that. I didn't know about 'Altura' so thanks for mentioning it.

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 6/11/2020 at 2:56 AM, kh1958 said:

This one is my favorite. 

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An exotica essential!

The last time I was at Dusty Groove, I was certain I would find this record. I'd gone through nearly the whole store, with no luck. Just before leaving, I went through the new arrivals bin, and there was a pristine mono copy!

[Teasing the Korean]

It's been ages since I spun them, but I always liked the two "Inside" albums. 

[felser]

I like his early 60's albums quite a bit, and am also a fan of the Special Edition set.  

[clifford_thornton]

  On 6/11/2020 at 11:30 AM, Joe said:

SOMETHING BLUE is five-star stuff IMO. A "pale reflection" of KIND OF BLUE. I suppose... but Horn's relationship with Miles Davis predates the recording of either LP, IIRC. Anyway, SOMETHING BLUE manages to be airier, even more atmospheric than KIND OF BLUE. Not better, mind you. Just different enough. BIlly Higgins has a lot to do with that.  

The same band, more or less, made those LPs for Columbia. Nice enough, but they lack something SOMETHING BLUE has.

HIs mid-70s stuff, like ALTURA SO SOL (with Egberto Gismonti) and SPECIAL EDITION, are also fine. Also like what he brings to Cal Tjader's MONTEREY CONCERTS.

Finally, A BUCKET OF BLOOD would not be the classic Roger Corman schlockfest without Paul Horn's beatitudes.

 

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Haha, I haven't seen Bucket of Blood in a long time. Corman was... something.

Only Horn I have is Something Blue, a fabulous album indeed.

[jlhoots]

Something Blue is the one people have if they only have one.

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 6/11/2020 at 11:30 AM, Joe said:

Finally, A BUCKET OF BLOOD would not be the classic Roger Corman schlockfest without Paul Horn's beatitudes.

 

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Thee Great Fred Katz!

[Joe]

I think these have been shared here before, but, hey, I don't mind watching reruns.

 

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KVBT75M

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ssq4pBdIBA

 

 

 

 

[Stonewall15]

The Paul Horn Quintet was recorded in a March 10, 1958 session on the "Stars of Jazz" TV series show #88. This session was released on Calliope LP CAL-3034. James Harrod's new book "Stars of Jazz" gives detail biographical information and a discography of that session.

[mjazzg]

  On 6/11/2020 at 3:53 PM, Joe said:

I think these have been shared here before, but, hey, I don't mind watching reruns.

 

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KVBT75M

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ssq4pBdIBA

 

 

 

 

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I missed them before so very happy to see them here again.

Two of my favourite Horn LPs are the Dots. 

With you on 'Cleopatra' TTK,  although I didn't find mine in DG sadly. One day.

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 6/11/2020 at 4:38 PM, mjazzg said:

With you on 'Cleopatra' TTK,  although I didn't find mine in DG sadly. One day.

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Whenever I find an exotica LP in another city, and I go to that city's tiki bar while I am there, I always put the drink receipts in the album, between the back cover and the protective outer plastic sleeve. 

So my copy of "Cleopatra" that I bought at Dusty Groove has a bunch of receipts from Lost Lake and Three Dots and a Dash!

 

 

[DMP]

3 tracks from “Cleopatra” show up on a compilation of Columbia material on a CD called “The Jazz Years,” on the Black Sun label. (His first 2 Columbia albums were out on Collectables, one of that labels more sensible efforts.) A stray track from the “Profile” sessions - “We Three Kings” - was on the original “Jingle Bell Jazz” LP - that, and Chico Hamilton’s “Winter Wonderland” (with Charles Lloyd)  never made it to the altered CD version.

 

[medjuck]

  On 6/11/2020 at 3:46 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

Thee Great Fred Katz!

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Were they in Chico Hamilton's quintet together? 

  On 6/11/2020 at 3:53 PM, Joe said:

I think these have been shared here before, but, hey, I don't mind watching reruns.

 

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KVBT75M

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ssq4pBdIBA

 

 

 

 

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Didn't this lead to a a contract and record from Columbia records? 

[Joe]

  On 6/12/2020 at 12:49 AM, medjuck said:

Were they in Chico Hamilton's quintet together? 

Didn't this lead to a a contract and record from Columbia records? 

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Yes, Horn also appears with Chico and Fred Katz in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. 

Not sure about whether Wolper's programming helped Horn land that contract. IIRC, Miles had something to do with Horn landing that deal. Also, if you FFWD to about the 2:55 mark of Part 2 — https://youtu.be/M4KVBT75M_c?t=175 — you'll see Horn carrying a copy of THE SOUND OF PAUL HORN, his first Columbia date, into John Tynan's (?) office.

[medjuck]

  On 6/12/2020 at 2:28 AM, Joe said:

Yes, Horn also appears with Chico and Fred Katz in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. 

Not sure about whether Wolper's programming helped Horn land that contract. IIRC, Miles had something to do with Horn landing that deal. Also, if you FFWD to about the 2:55 mark of Part 2 — https://youtu.be/M4KVBT75M_c?t=175 — you'll see Horn carrying a copy of THE SOUND OF PAUL HORN, his first Columbia date, into John Tynan's (?) office.

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Thanks. I remember when that show was first broadcast.  Then, IIRC, Columbia capitalized (no pun intended) on it and brought out  an album with a similar title.  I didn't realize it wasn't his first on Columbia. 

[Teasing the Korean]

So I looked through my receipts that I filed with my copy of Paul Horn's great "Cleopatra" that I got from Dusty Groove in 2014.

That night, I went to Three Dots and a Dash, and I ordered the following:

• Puka Puka Punch
• Dr. Funkhouser
• No Bye, No Aloha

And then, on the house, they gave me:

• Poipu Beach Boogie Board.

It was my third night there, and I wanted to try nearly everything on the menu.  These were the ones that were left.

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 6/12/2020 at 1:26 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

So I looked through my receipts that I filed with my copy of Paul Horn's great "Cleopatra" that I got from Dusty Groove in 2014.

That night, I went to Three Dots and a Dash, and I ordered the following:

• Puka Puka Punch
• Dr. Funkhouser
• No Bye, No Aloha

And then, on the house, they gave me:

• Poipu Beach Boogie Board.

It was my third night there, and I wanted to try nearly everything on the menu.  These were the ones that were left.

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P.S. If you want to know what I drank the two nights prior, just send me a PM. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

Now listening to "Inside," on an Epic LP with the original yellow label, from 1968.

Didn't you love that label?  Didn't you hate it when Epic replaced it with that orange monstrosity with the concentric white circles?  Or that later dark blue design?

I've told Mrs. Korean that I can tell from the next room whether the record that is spinning has the correct label design or not.  

This was recorded in the Taj Mahal, just solo flute and occasional voice.  Despite the album's ostensibly spirtual dimension, this is totally decadent music, along the lines of Nino Rota's "Fellini: Satyricon."  It is music that makes you want to lounge on silk pillows, drinking wine out of an ornate chalice, while a scantily clad odalisque feeds you grapes, preferably seedless.  And if that image is not PC, blame Stanley Kubrick for searing it into my psyche via Clockwork Orange.

If you don't have this album, I highly encourage you to visit your local Goodwill and rescue a copy.  

Edited June 14, 2020 by Teasing the Korean

[JSngry]

So wait, I can has classic proto-new-age Epic records for Paul Horn and Paul Winter? Even if I don't like them I can still has them, correct?

How many other Epic Paul records might there be waiting my discerning gaze of glazed disinterest?

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 6/14/2020 at 4:24 PM, JSngry said:

So wait, I can has classic proto-new-age Epic records for Paul Horn and Paul Winter? Even if I don't like them I can still has them, correct?

How many other Epic Paul records might there be waiting my discerning gaze of glazed disinterest?

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Paul Samwell-Smith was the bass player of the Yardbirds through the Over, Under, Sideways, Down, AKA Roger the Engineer LP. 

Try to find mono copies of the first three Epic Yardbirds LPs, four if you count "Greatest Hits." 

_____________________________

Now listening to "Inside II" from a couple of years later.  Horn had gotten so big by this point that the Tajma Hall could not afford him, plus their seating capacity wasn't large enough.

The cover art is hideous.  This album dates from Epic's orange-label era, but my copy has the later dark-blue label with the logo in script font.

This album has lots of overdubbing, along with sound effects such as barnyard sounds, birds chirping, and even a baby.

The baby, interestingly enough, is the same one used by Perrey and Kingsley on their debut Vanguard LP.  Clearly, they were both accessing the same sound effects library.  

I like the Bach chorales on side II, arranged by Paul Horn, with him playing all the parts on different flutes.  

Edited June 14, 2020 by Teasing the Korean