Trumpet + Drums recordings

[EKE BBB]

Listening to the Little Jazz and Alvin Stoller four sides included in the Eldridge Mosaic (*), recorded March 21, 1955, I became curious about this very unusual format: TRUMPET PLUS DRUMS.

Can you point out more recordings with this format?

(*) In fact, the track "Wailing" features Eldridge on piano with overdubbed trumpet, and the tracks "Where´s Art?" and "I don´t know" have Little Jazz on flugglehorn so, what´s the point of this thread?

[wesbed]

I can think of only this:

>AMG link<

[king ubu]

There's a duo album of Lester Bowie and Charles "Bobo" Shaw. I think it was on Muse, originally. I have it on my listening pile right now. Got it on a cheap (british) Camden 2CD reissue which includes three Bowie Muse albums.

I remember it as pretty good.

ubu

[king ubu]

Here's one more by Bowie (found it while looking for the one I mentioned in my previous post):

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ao1rp28or05ja

There is a certain static electricity generated in this series of three duets from trumpeter Bowie and drummer/percussionist Wilson. Certainly they feed off each other's energy in counterpointed reverie, but the music goes beyond being merely spontaneous or made up on the spot. The cohesion and musicality they employ is purely delightful and eminently listenable over this 40-minute span. "Duet" is a shortie at just under three minutes, with Wilson's swing-to-Caribbean drum rhythms powering up Bowie's bold trumpet. "TBM" is just under 15 minutes, and Bowie quotes a variety of different lines, not the least of which is the Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers/Lee Morgan interpretation of "Three Blind Mice." They're hardly sightless, but insightful as they read each other's musical thoughts like bold, large print pages. "Finale" has Bowie more extroverted and bluesy — quoting march exercises, holding long quieter notes, using short staccato blasts of power and Irish jig inferences, or running the table with his bleating, lightning fast runs that trademark his sound. Wilson gets more animated and at times Oriental sounding, but is generally free to insert phrases of snare, tom tom bass drums, and cymbals in whatever spontaneous fashion he chooses. He does a brief, heavy handed drum solo that is very R&B-ish in nature — the root of these two master musicians' upbringing. This is not as heady as it is clean and solid, and is a very enjoyable listening experience. It's a CD Bowie fans should cherish, and serves well as an intro to the original Art Ensemble and ex-Paul Butterfield drummer, whose acclaim is still not near what his immense talent indicates. — Michael G. Nastos

The title of the Bowie/Shaw album is "Bugle Boy Bop" (Muse 5268).

ubu

[Claude]

The Don Cherry/Ed Blackwell duos (although Cherry also plays many other instruments on these recordings):

MU (BYG 1969)

El Corazon (ECM 1982)

Edited April 23, 2004 by Claude

[Claude]

I also remember hearing Wynton duetting with the drummer on some of his later recordings. I don't remember which albums these were, it must have been in some longer suites.

[Rooster_Ties]

I've got, or at least used to have this (my discs are all over the house, and I can't remember having seen it for some time).

Haven't heard it in years, but my memory of it is that it was a pretty good disc. Maybe a bit on the short side (30-minutes or so, not much more), but overall - more interesting than it could have been.

[relyles]

If I remember correctly, the recent Max Roach/Clark Terry recording includes several duets.

[king ubu]

If I remember correctly, the recent Max Roach/Clark Terry recording includes several duets.

I was wondering about that one, too. I don't have it. Is it a good one?

And how's the Max/Dizzy? AMG gives it one (1!) star...

ubu

[relyles]

If I remember correctly, the recent Max Roach/Clark Terry recording includes several duets.

I was wondering about that one, too. I don't have it. Is it a good one?

And how's the Max/Dizzy? AMG gives it one (1!) star...

ubu

I only listened to it once a while back in the car. I remember enjoying what I heard, but honestly I have yet to give it an attentive enough listen to give a credible opinion.

[Clunky]

If I remember correctly, the recent Max Roach/Clark Terry recording includes several duets.

I was wondering about that one, too. I don't have it. Is it a good one?

And how's the Max/Dizzy? AMG gives it one (1!) star...

ubu

It's years since I've listened to it , it's about 90 mins long as I recall and would IMO have been better if it had been severely edited down to half an hour tops.

Sketches of ideas only from two past masters.

[JSngry]

Dizzy's chops were totally shot by then, and the open-ended "free duet" format was not his thing anyway. It's a pretty depressing listen, except for the interviews at the end. I feel the same way about the Terry/Roach duets, but not because of Clark. Max has finally gotten old, and it pains me to hear that.

Bowie/Wilson=HELL YEAH!, as does Cherry/Blackwell, although for THAT pairing, I prefer the MU sides to EL CORAZON.

[Trumpet Guy]

Ralph Alessi--Vice & Virtue(w/drummer Shane Endsley)

Taylor Ho Bynum--and only life my lush lament(w/drummer Eric Rosenthal)

[Д.Д.]

How about two trumpeters and a drummer?

Jay Rosen Trio - Drums 'n Bugles (CIMP, 2002).

Jay Rosen - drums

Herb Robertson, Paul Smoker- trumpets

Invigorating stuff.

Reviews: AMG, OFN.

[WD45]

The Don Cherry/Ed Blackwell duos (although Cherry also plays many other instruments on these recordings):

MU (BYG 1969)

El Corazon (ECM 1982)

MU [both Parts, One and Two] are the BOMB.

I was initially scared away by all of the other instruments used other than trumpet and drums, but when I found the Charly re-issue for under £3 while in London a couple of months ago I could not resist.

Then again, I think I could listen to a full LP of Ed Blackwell solos...

[The Mule]

I've seen this at Tower and have almost picked it up. It's mostly solo trumpet, but there are a couple of cuts with trumpet and drums.

Here's the AMG Entry.

Anyone heard this?

[clifford_thornton]

What about the Bill Dixon and Tony Oxley duo? That is supposed to be pretty interesting, though I don't have it...

[mikeweil]

as does Cherry/Blackwell, although for THAT pairing, I prefer the MU sides to EL CORAZON.

dtto.!!!

[king ubu]

Dizzy's chops were totally shot by then, and the open-ended "free duet" format was not his thing anyway. It's a pretty depressing listen, except for the interviews at the end. I feel the same way about the Terry/Roach duets, but not because of Clark. Max has finally gotten old, and it pains me to hear that.

Bowie/Wilson=HELL YEAH!, as does Cherry/Blackwell, although for THAT pairing, I prefer the MU sides to EL CORAZON.

Thanks, Jim! Sounds like a sad one.

About Roach: I saw him twice, in 2000 and 2001, and on the first occasion (a rather lame duo evening with Abdullah Ibrahim, both of them also playing solo), he seemed a bit restricted, but in good humour, being a charming entertainer, too. But then when I saw him the second time, with his Bejing Trio, he was in full command, I thought, playing masterful, and as free as he ever did.

How about the Bowie/Shaw recording? Am I the only one who knows it, or is it generally considered to be an awfully bad recording, only I did not yet take note of this?

ubu

[P.L.M]

I know (and like) the LESTER BOWIE/ PHILIP WILSON duets.

But never heard about the other one, with CHARLES "BOBO" SHAW.

So, to you to tell us how much is good or not.

We're waiting King Ubu (the birthday party is over now)!

Just two add (to a good list):

there's some duet on EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION by McPHEE and HAMID DRAKE. MCPHEE is on the pocket trumpet and switch instrument during pieces.

On DREAM SEQUENCE, there's one duet between KENNY WHEELER & TONY LEVIN who is, with the solo that KENNY does also, the pic of an enjoyable album.

Edited April 23, 2004 by P.L.M

[Д.Д.]

What about the Bill Dixon and Tony Oxley duo? That is supposed to be pretty interesting, though I don't have it...

I have Papirus Vol. 1 (Soul Note), and it's pretty weak, IMO: Oxley is strong, but Dixon mainly sticks to occasional low-frequency farting sounds - enetertaining, but only to an extent...

But another nice trumpet-drums duo is Roy Brooks - Woody Shaw on Brooks' Duet in Detroit (Enja MW). Actually, I think there are a couple of trumpet-drums tracks on that disc. The rest of the duos are with Don Pullen, Randy Weston and Gerri Allen. Nice disc.

And Daniel Carter plays a bit of fragile trumpet (or flügelhorn?) on his duo record with percussionist Frederico Ughi "Astonishment" (astonishment indeed) on 577 Records.

I sonehow never cared for Boiwie/Wilson record, even though Bowie is one of my favorite trumpters. Also never heard the one with Bobo Shaw - need to look for this one.

Edited April 24, 2004 by Д.Д.

[AmirBagachelles]

I looked up Raphe Malik for a suggestion, I like his sound a great deal but none of his few sessions are duo.

[king ubu]

The Bowie/Shaw is not so good - rather erratic, Shaw often splashing away a bit, and Bowie not too inspired. As I remembered it, in fact, but I did not want to diss it without giving it a listen, as it's been several years.

If someone is still interested, I have that date on the first release on this site. It has Bowie's two other Muse albums, and they're quite good, as I remember (I did only re-listen to the duo date so far).

ubu

[paul secor]

I looked up Raphe Malik for a suggestion, I like his sound a great deal but none of his few sessions are duo.

Raphe Malik did record a trumpet/drums duo track with Dennis Warren, entitled appropriately, "Trumpet-Drum Duo", on Sirens Sweet & Low (Mapleshade). As I remember, it had its moments, though there were better moments elsewhere on the CD.

[Late]

Here's one out of left field that may appeal to some here. At $4.24, it seems at least worth trying out.

Hastening Westward