Roy Brooks - Understanding

[sidewinder]

26 minutes ago, bertrand said:

Does it say that Robert Torrence is the photographer? This does sound like one of the ones I saw yesterday...

Says just ‘photo on right, courtesy Raheem Brooks’.

[bertrand]

Hmmm...So maybe they did not look at the page of photos in that Yearbook.

[mjzee]

Just finished listening to the first disc.  This sounds like a Woody Shaw date - he dominates the music.  It's very high intensity (isn't all Shaw music?), and the tracks are endless (did Shaw ever record 5-minute performances?) but he is in good form.  The surprise for me is Carlos Garnett - that guy can play!  I wasn't expecting much because his work with Miles was so non-distinguished, but I think that was the role into which Miles often shoehorned his saxophonists in the '70's (Liebman, Fortune, Stubblefield, or Azar Lawrence didn't come off much better).  Here, Garnett blends well with Shaw.  Mabern somehow fits the music's context but still sounds like himself; he might be making the music more grounded.

The package is designed to look like a Muse release, down to the shade of blue on the label.  The only thing missing is a reference to Blanchris. 

[JSngry]

15 minutes ago, mjzee said:

(did Shaw ever record 5-minute performances?)

 

The answer, then, is yes, he did.

[felser]

Carlos Garnett can PLAY.  Saw him and his group at the Ethical Society in the 70's.  He tore the roof off the place.  Also an excellent writer, including the sublime Mother of the Future".

[JSngry]

 

[Late]

On 9/1/2021 at 3:49 PM, mjzee said:

This sounds like a Woody Shaw date - he dominates the music.  It's very high intensity ...

Agreed. Would have been great to be there in person.

[Rooster_Ties]

Got this in the post late last night, and only got to listen to most of the 2nd disc…

And holy mother of god, is this thing INTENSE. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way (or necessarily a good way either), at least not yet — as I had it on at a really low volume level (my wife had just gone to bed in the next room)…

But, jesus, this this is in-your-f’n-face!!

[Pim]

Yeah it’s definitely intense. Gave it a couple of spins but can’t say I could really connect with the music yet. But won’t give up

[mhatta]

For me, the most surprising thing so far on this recording is Carlos Garnett.  He was on fire (especially on the last 2 tunes).  I unjustly considered Carlos was not a player on par with Woody Shaw, but I was wrong and I gladly stand corrected.

Edited September 10, 2021 by mhatta

[JSngry]

"Intense" is how I remember good live jazz always being. It was kind of the point of being there listening. You can be politemusic at home.

For that matter, it was the same way with all the funk and blues bands too. 

Like that song said, if you ain't gonna get it on, take your dead ass home.

 

[Guy Berger]

9 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Got this in the post late last night, and only got to listen to most of the 2nd disc…

And holy mother of god, is this thing INTENSE. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way (or necessarily a good way either), at least not yet — as I had it on at a really low volume level (my wife had just gone to bed in the next room)…

But, jesus, this this is in-your-f’n-face!!

I need to pick this up.  Listened to it on Spotify and it was really good.

If we want to talk about adverse and pernicious effects of the post 197x Young Lion movement, it was on “straight ahead jazz” which became way more polished and boring.

[JSngry]

Yeah, jazz that respects your space.

Fuck that!

[romualdo]

had it for a few weeks now & the intensity/fire (everyone, not just Woody) has really knocked me out - played it a number of times - not the kind of music that grows on you (for me) but blew me away immediately - so so good!!!  A must listen

[felser]

1 hour ago, romualdo said:

had it for a few weeks now & the intensity/fire (everyone, not just Woody) has really knocked me out - played it a number of times - not the kind of music that grows on you (for me) but blew me away immediately - so so good!!!  A must listen

+1

[romualdo]

Felt a similar "intensity" not that long ago at the Kamasi Washington & Band concert here in Brisbane (2019 IIRC)

[Guy Berger]

On 9/11/2021 at 7:30 PM, JSngry said:

Yeah, jazz that respects your space.

Fuck that!

It’s worse than that - jazz that can’t think of anything as embarrassing as getting people too excited

Edited September 13, 2021 by Guy Berger

[JSngry]

Condom Jazz!!!!

[Dan Gould]

On 9/10/2021 at 7:49 PM, JSngry said:

"Intense" is how I remember good live jazz always being. It was kind of the point of being there listening.

 

As you know I have been spending a lot of time on a monthly basis with a certain someone's live performances. Its very good-to-outstanding live jazz but I would not call it "intense" and certainly not "intense" in the way its being used to describe this show.  Also no songs that are 18-22 minutes long, FWIW. And it doesn't lack for excitement. Just not what I think when I hear "intense".

To me this brand of "intense" grows out of Coltrane and a few other artists, and personally I can deal in small doses only.

[JSngry]

15 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

As you know I have been spending a lot of time on a monthly basis with a certain someone's live performances. Its very good-to-outstanding live jazz but I would not call it "intense" and certainly not "intense" in the way its being used to describe this show.  Also no songs that are 18-22 minutes long, FWIW. And it doesn't lack for excitement. Just not what I think when I hear "intense".

To me this brand of "intense" grows out of Coltrane and a few other artists, and personally I can deal in small doses only.

Different type of intensity. It certainly still holds my mental and physical attention, the way all good live music does. I leave feeling like I've had a personal interaction with somebody, not that I was just in a club with some guy playing background music.

[Rooster_Ties]

OK, I finally got to spin the first disc yesterday, and I'm about 1/3rd of the way through the second disc now.

Couple weeks ago, when I first heard about half the second disc, I had to have the volume WAY down (late night listening, with my wife in the other room).  I suppose I could have uploaded it into iTunes off my CD's, and then bothered to update iTunes on my phone -- but who has time for all that.

ANYWAY, I have to say that at a louder volume finally, this all sounds pretty darn "reasonably good" -- and the performances are f'ing amazing.  Absolutely love all the Woody on disc 1 -- line after line after line of searing stuff -- not unlike Woody's four studio appearances with Andrew Hill for Blue Note (especially than insane Halloween night 1967 studio date that opens disc #3 of the BN Select, the one with Sam Rivers and Howard Johnson).

Part of me is kind of "pick my jaw up off the floor" shocked that this even got released officially, and on physical media too (even CD!).  Who the hell is "Roy Brooks"?  Garnett too.  Hell, nobody on the entire date is a name that'll really "sell" ('cept maybe Woody, and even then).

Plus, most of this thing is quite intense -- though maybe not as insanely so as I was experiencing trying hear it at super-low volume levels back before my trip to move my dad.

Still, QUITE intense -- and shit like this don't often see the light of day through official channels.

[bertrand]

33 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

OK, I finally got to spin the first disc yesterday, and I'm about 1/3rd of the way through the second disc now.

Couple weeks ago, when I first heard about half the second disc, I had to have the volume WAY down (late night listening, with my wife in the other room).  I suppose I could have uploaded it into iTunes off my CD's, and then bothered to update iTunes on my phone -- but who has time for all that.

ANYWAY, I have to say that at a louder volume finally, this all sounds pretty darn "reasonably good" -- and the performances are f'ing amazing.  Absolutely love all the Woody on disc 1 -- line after line after line of searing stuff -- not unlike Woody's four studio appearances with Andrew Hill for Blue Note (especially than insane Halloween night 1967 studio date that opens disc #3 of the BN Select, the one with Sam Rivers and Howard Johnson).

Part of me is kind of "pick my jaw up off the floor" shocked that this even got released officially, and on physical media too (even CD!).  Who the hell is "Roy Brooks"?  Garnett too.  Hell, nobody on the entire date is a name that'll really "sell" ('cept maybe Woody, and even then).

Plus, most of this thing is quite intense -- though maybe not as insanely so as I was experiencing trying hear it at super-low volume levels back before my trip to move my dad.

Still, QUITE intense -- and shit like this don't often see the light of day through official channels.

This was why I pushed Feldman to investigate Left Bank, despite his initial reluctance. At the time, I did not know partnering with Cory Weeds was an option. It has opened a lot of doors.

[Rooster_Ties]

OK, I'm thru the whole thing now -- and none of the intensity of this thing scared me in the slightest (but trying to listen to it quietly before sure the hell did).

What a truly wonderful document of an amazing night.  One of the most amazing Woody Shaw documents I've ever heard.  Shaw is clearly on Zev's radar -- what with the Larry Young Paris release -- and one can only hope for more.  Hasn't he been involved -- at least tangentially -- with one or two of the other more recent Woody Shaw releases? -- the sax-less quartet thing, and whatever the other one was on that same label -- is it Renaissance??  I'll try and look, and answer my own question with and edit here in a bit.

[Joe]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I find it an interesting bit of trivia... Shaw and Garnett also play together on Andrew Hill's LIFT EVERY VOICE, recorded more than a year earlier (when they were both with Blakey, I presume).

[Guy Berger]

On 9/11/2021 at 7:01 PM, Guy Berger said:

If we want to talk about adverse and pernicious effects of the post 197x Young Lion movement, it was on “straight ahead jazz” which became way more polished and boring.

Listening to the Lee Morgan Lighthouse box set and it has the same “unsafe straightahead jazz” vibe as the Brooks