More Favorites: Reflections on Jazz in the 1980s

[sidewinder]

Yes, around Feb/early March 1993, Ronnie Scott’s. Admission cost per night £2 with my Student’s Union Member Club Membership, if my memory is correct. A beer cost more than admission. Halcyon days !

Even better was that per Ronnie’s direction, students and youngsters were often given the best seats at the front of house if there was room. Worked to my advantage quite a bit, including with Bill Evans Trio. A precarious time for the club though - they were fighting bankruptcy at the time (and fortunately survived thanks to shear bloody mindedness and help from some business friends).

Edited March 14, 2022 by sidewinder

[Gheorghe]

26 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

Yes, around Feb/early March 1993, Ronnie Scott’s. Admission cost per night £2 with my Student’s Union Member Club Membership, if my memory is correct. A beer cost more than admission. Halcyon days !

Even better was that per Ronnie’s direction, students and youngsters were often given the best seats at the front of house if there was room. Worked to my advantage quite a bit, including with Bill Evans Trio. A precarious time for the club though - they were fighting bankruptcy at the time (and fortunately survived thanks to shear bloody mindedness and help from some business friends).

Thank you for that interesting info about Ronnie Scott´s . Such a famous club. I never was in UK, but a friend of mine heard Dizzy there in 1975, it was the band with Al Gafa, about the repertory from his studio album "Bahia". 

Best seats at clubs yeah. But in our clubs in Viena there were no reservations for seats. If you were early you got the best seat. I wrote an essay about a defunct  famous Viennese Club , you can read it in Miscellanious Music "Mike´s Blues"...... Clubs helped me to get into the scene and get possibilities to start playing.....

[HutchFan]

5 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Stan Getz from 1995 ? Should it be 1985 ? Didn´t know he recorded for Concord. The only time I saw him was with a quartet with Lou Levy on piano......

Gheorghe, that Getz title was recorded in January 1982 but not released until 1995.  

It features Getz with Jim McNeely on piano.  One of the finest Getz recordings, IMO.   

 

5 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Yes. The Shaw club performances I saw in early 83 in the UK included tunes from that album, including the title track I recall. Agree, the group was on very good form in that period. In fact I remember sharing a table with a couple of guys from the Netherlands who had flown in specially for it.

They kicked off one set with a particularly good contrapuntal version of ‘All the Things You Are’. Better than the version included on one of the Electra albums.

The Elektra Musician LPs are very good, but -- for me -- they've never quite added up to the sum of their parts.  Obviously, I prefer the same band's work on Enja. 

 

[HutchFan]

I've now posted this week's three entries on my blog:

- Baikida Carroll - Shadows and Reflections (Soul Note, 1982)  

- Air - 80° Below '82 (Antilles, 1982)  

- Chet Baker - Peace (Enja, 1982)

 

Three really strong albums this week, I think.

What say you?

[felser]

I like that Baikida Carroll album.   A lot.  Really interesting musician.

[Gheorghe]

I must admit the first two is completely unknown to me. 

[mjazzg]

8 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I've now posted this week's three entries on my blog:

- Baikida Carroll - Shadows and Reflections (Soul Note, 1982)  

- Air - 80° Below '82 (Antilles, 1982)  

- Chet Baker - Peace (Enja, 1982)

 

Three really strong albums this week, I think.

What say you?

I say three strong albums all of which I'm happy to own. 'Peace' is my favourite Baker album.

[Rabshakeh]

8 hours ago, felser said:

I like that Baikida Carroll album.   A lot.  Really interesting musician.

It has an interesting cast of characters. Perhaps it's not my favourite from the era, but I like the mix and return to it fairly often.

[soulpope]

11 hours ago, HutchFan said:

- Air - 80° Below '82 (Antilles, 1982)  

A fabulous "swan song" by this group`s original cast ....

[Rabshakeh]

I see that co-writer Dan had also added some today.

Again, some nice choices.

[HutchFan]

4 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I see that co-writer Dan had also added some today.

Again, some nice choices.

It's been fun collaborating with Dan.  He's a cool guy.  

Plus there's quite a bit of overlap in our tastes in jazz -- so, naturally, I think his selections are right-on-the-money.   

 

5 hours ago, soulpope said:

A fabulous "swan song" by this group`s original cast ....

For sure.  

 

[danasgoodstuff]

The Getz is lovely.

80 Degrees Below '82 is a strong album, I think of it as a companion piece to Air Lore because of the Morton piece.

[HutchFan]

I just posted last week's entries:

- Bob Moses - When Elephants Dream of Music (Gramavision, 1983)

- John Lewis - Kansas City Breaks (Finesse/Red Baron, 1982)

- Bobby Hutcherson - Farewell Keystone (Theresa/Evidence, 1988)

 

The Bob Moses and John Lewis albums are FIVE-STAR corkers, exactly the sort of music that I hope the blog can shine a light on.

And the Hutcherson disc ain't half-bad either. 

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by HutchFan

[danasgoodstuff]

When Elephants Dream... is a truly extraordinary thing.

[Rabshakeh]

27 minutes ago, danasgoodstuff said:

When Elephants Dream... is a truly extraordinary thing.

It’s my go to example of a top class 80s jazz obscurity 

[HutchFan]

Here are my 80s jazzblog selections for this week: 

- Sonny Rollins - Reel Life (Milestone, 1982) 

- Richie Beirach - Breathing of Statues (CMP/Magenta, 1982) 

- Bennie Wallace - Big Jim's Tango (Enja, 1983)  

 

I've included brief write-ups and YT sound clips for each post.

Discussion is always welcome.  I'd be interested to know what you think.  

 

[Rabshakeh]

9 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

 

- Richie Beirach - Breathing of Statues (CMP/Magenta, 1982) 

My favourite Beirach.

[HutchFan]

Just now, Rabshakeh said:

My favourite Beirach.

It's one of my (many) Beirach favorites.   

 

[danasgoodstuff]

I like most of Sonny's '80s output too.  And think he got even better in the '90s.

[HutchFan]

This week's entries in my 80s jazz survey:

Steve Lacy & Mal Waldron - At the Bimhuis 1982 (Daybreak/Challenge, 2006)
https://jazzinthe80s.blogspot.com/2022/04/steve-lacy-mal-waldron-at-bimhuis-1982.html 

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Al Grey - Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1983 (Pablo/OJC, 1983)
https://jazzinthe80s.blogspot.com/2022/04/eddie-lockjaw-davis-harry-sweets-edison.html

Nat Adderley Quintet - Blue Autumn (Theresa/Evidence, 1986)
https://jazzinthe80s.blogspot.com/2022/04/nat-adderley-quintet-blue-autumn.html

 

Writing has been difficult lately, but I eked out a couple sentences for each entry.  If I had more time and energy, they would be better. 

. . . Oh well.  I suppose the music speaks for itself.  

 

Any thoughts re: these artists & albums?  What say you? 

 

[Rabshakeh]

I have found that, in contrast to the 1970s run, I have greater familiarity with the choices that I have so far seen in the 1980s. This time though, other than the incredibly excellent Bimhuis, I don't know the other two. Looking forward to checking them out.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Rabshakeh

[Dan Gould]

I have to say the Lock/Sweets/Grey is the first or one of the first that I wholeheartedly endorse to date. 

 

[HutchFan]

53 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

I have to say the Lock/Sweets/Grey is the first or one of the first that I wholeheartedly endorse to date. 

It's one of the Pablo releases where everything comes together perfectly.   

 

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I have found that, in contrast to the 1970s run, I have greater familiarity with the choices that I have so far seen in the 1980s. This time though, other than the incredibly excellent Bimhuis, I don't know the other two. Looking forward to checking them out.

I hope you enjoy them.  

I think Sonny Fortune's and Larry Willis' contributions to the Nat Adderley album are as important as the leader's.  With Walter Booker and Jimmy Cobb, that was one helluva band, top to bottom.

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by HutchFan

[Rabshakeh]

Likewise with the new posts that Dan just put up.

I'm always interested in Michel Petrucciani. He passed away in the late nineties and his star seems to have faded fast after that, so that it wasn't really visible by the point when I started listening to more recent jazz. I've never really clicked with any recording he is on, including e.g. the duets with Konitz, but he clearly made a big impact on those who were there at the time.

Also, an interesting looking late period Clifford Jordan, if it isn't presumptive to suggest that Jordan's career is capable of being classes into periods.

[JSngry]

30 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

... he clearly made a big impact on those who were there at the time.

...with some, that is...