Today selection:

Bap-Tizum - The Art Ensemble of Chicago

Recorded live at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival in 1972 and originally released back in 1972 on Atlantic Records, this is classic AEC. Plenty of free blowing, lots of collective improv and an amazing finish. I suggest listening to the entire performance in one sitting to get the full effect. It is currently available as a Koch Jazz CD or 4Men With Beards LP.

I'm going to keep this thread going by myself if I have to. So today's selections is:

The State of The Tenor, Volumes 1 & 2 - Joe Henderson on Blue Note (CD should be in print, LPs out of print)

Recorded live at New York City's fabled Village Vanguard in 1985 and featuring a trio with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster, Henderson is in top form as he pays homage to follow tenor giant like Sonny Rollins.

Rollins recorded a famous trio date back in the late 1950's live at the Vanguard that set a very high standard for tenor trios. On this recording Henderson along with Carter and Foster meet that standard while finding several new things to say on the subject.

Their cover of Sam River's "Beatrice" is alone worth the price of admission and makes one wonder why this beautiful song is not a jazz standard. The way Henderson develops his solos is fascinating, almost like a long slow unravelling and then rebuilding.

Tomorrow it's back to the free jazz!

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Nice thread jazzfan! I've been meaning to check out that AAOC release, BAPTIZUM, for some time now. You've got me motivated!

Recently, I've been enjoying Sonny Rollins' OUR MAN IN JAZZ, which is a wonderful live date w/Don Cherry at The Village Gate in '62. I'm not sure if it is still in print, but I picked this up a few years ago when Classic Records was blowing out their Gold disc series.

Thanks, Dave.

As for the Rollins date "Our Man In Jazz", it should still be in print and available as a CD, with 3 bonus tracks, on the RCA label. It is also available as disc 3 of the six disc "Complete Sonny Rollins RCA Victor Recordings" and as the RCA Bluebird release "On The Outside", which is most likely out of print.

First off, thanks kana813 for those choice selections. The Art Pepper date is a stone classic, with Art and company in top form. Dr. Barry Harris has been burning the flame of bebop for many, many years with little to almost no recognition so it's good to see him listed. Some of others I'm not familiar with or chose not to comment on but hey, I glad that others are starting to chime in.

Now onto today's selection:

Flowers for Albert - David Murray on India Navigation (available as double CD with bonus tracks).

This quartet date, recorded June 26, 1976 at The Ladies' Fort, in New York City when Murray was just 21 years old helped to launch the fabled "Loft Jazz Scene" of the mid 1970's, a scene that Ken Burns and Wynton Marsalis gave rather short shift to in their somewhat biased but much lauded PBS Jazz documentary.

The Ladies' Fort was a musician run "loft" jazz club on, I believe, Great Jones Street, in what is known as the No-Ho (north of Houston Street) area of downtown NYC. A pretty mininalist no-frills environment that was all about the music, man. Performance area (not even a raised stage), some bare bones lighting, limited seating and no bar or food.

But the music was often great and "Flowers For Albert" is fine example of the kind of excitement that was air on a special night at the Fort. The Albert of the title track refers to the great Albert Ayler, who Murray paid hommage to with this song based on a simple repeated phase, like the simple folk melodies Alyer would often use as the basis for his own compositions. In 1976 most, if not all, young tenor sax players were standing firmly in Coltrane's long shadow and Murray's acknowledgement of players like Ayler, Ben Webster and Gene Ammons, amoung others, was quite unusual.

Joining Murray in the quartet are Olu Dara on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Phillip Wilson on drums. Fred Hopkins was another young(ish) terror at the time and he would go on to become one of the most respected bass players on the jazz scene until his untimely death at age 51 in 1999.

As for the music they played that night, well I've spent many a night listening to that old LP all the way through and I've never tired of hearing it. Sure it's a little raw in spots but that's what helps to make it so worthwhile. The music just overflows with possibilities and potential, most of which would be realized by Murray and Hopkins in the years following.

Tomorrow an underground classic from Miles Davis.

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First off, many thanks to Jazzfan for starting this thread, and to all other contributors....
Additionally, jazzfan

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C

Hello all

Sorry for getting this message up so late today but it was just a beautiful day outside here in the northern NJ and I was busy riding my bicycle - a hobby I happen to enjoy at least as much as jazz, music and audio. Anyway onto today's selection:

No Blues - Miles Davis - A 1990 JMY Release

Here are the details on this release:
Tracks:
1. 'Round About Midnight - 8:07
2. No Blues - 13:01
3. Mascalero - 10:41
4. I Fall In Love Too Easily - 7:54
5. Riot - 6:07
6. Walkin' - 9:10
7. Green Dolphin Street - 16:40
8. The Theme - 0:45

Personnel:
Miles Davis - trumpet
Wayne Shorter - tenor
Herbie Hancock - piano
Ron Carter - bass
Tony Williams - drums

Recorded in Paris, November 6, 1967

First off this is not an official release (I hope that Mr. Baird doesn't delete this message) but that doesn't stop it from being excellent on all counts. The playing is great, the sound quality is first rate and the song selection is outstanding.

Recorded at the tail end of this, Miles' second great quintet's lifespan, just before Miles would take his music in an entirely different direction, these five musicians are communicating at an uncanny level. Every song, phrase and even note is charged with electricity, be it the older standards like "I Fall In Love Too Easily" or newer material such as "Riot". Everyone and I do mean everyone is playing at such a high level that it's simply mind blowing. Williams' drums crackle and then simmer, Carter's bass just floats or lays down a solid walking line as needed, Shorter is way beyond brillant and Hancock shows why he holds sway over a whole generation of keyboard players who came after him. Miles is classic Miles and in top form - need I say more.

So now that I've whet your appetite your probably saying "what a jerk, how am I ever going to find a bootleg CD from 1990?" Well one good thing about bootlegs is that they keep showing up in different forms all the time. So just go by the date - November 6, 1967. Plus it's now the digital age which means.....(if I finish this sentence Mr. Baird will delete this post). So good luck on your quest.

A quick little side note. Geri Allen, the pianist I recommended to you earlier, is married to Wallace Roney, the trumpet player on "A Tribute To Miles". It's a small world.

It's been a couple of weeks since I added anyting to this thread so a nice free jazz release to revive things.

The Feel Trio - Looking (Berlin Version) - FMP CD 25, released 1991

The Feel Trio consists of Cecil Taylor on piano, the great British drummer Tony Oxley and and William Parker on bass. This live date was recorded in Berlin in November 1989 and the music is surprisingly lively and accessible. This CD is among my favorite Cecil releases of the past 20 years or so.

Oxley's loose and open percussion style works perflectly with Taylor's rapid fire keyboard technique while Parker provides a steady foundation for them to build upon. While this recording, like all Cecil Taylor recordings, is not for the faint of heart, it is not as wild many of Cecil's other works and there is most definitely a clear sense of interplay between the musicians. There was also a limited edition ten CD box set of the Feel Trio recorded at a London jazz club put out back in the mid 1990's and features the same high level of playing. (I only have an MP3 copy of the set.)

I find that the key to enjoying a Taylor recording is to think of it more as a classical work than a jazz work. Listen for themes and ebbs and flows of the music. Very similiar to a Keith Jarrett solo performance but somewhat wilder and with the ideas more loosely connected.

Back to more mainstream jazz for this classic live release.

Tito Puente's Golden Latin Jazz All-Stars - Live at the Village Gate - Sony Tropi Jazz CDZ 80879 (1992)

Recorded on April 27th, 1992 in the New York City jazz club as part of the then ongoing WBGO-FM's "Salsa Meets Jazz" series, this is one All Star session that lives up to all the hype. Check out this line up:

Ignacio Berroa - Drums
Paquito D'Rivera - Alto Sax
Andy Gonzalez - Bass
Giovanni Hidalgo - Bongos, Conga, Drums
Tito Puente - Timbales
Mario Rivera - Soprano Sax
Claudio Roditi - Trumpet
Hilton Ruiz - Piano
Mongo Santamaria - Conga
Dave Valentin - Flute

Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaria on the same recording! Dave Valentin and Paquito D'Rivera together! Too good to be true!

Now check out the tunes:

1. Intro By Alfredo Cruz - 1:10
2. New Arrival - 9:28
3. Sunflower - 9:17
4. Afro Blue - 10:56
5. Skin Jam - 5:17
6. I Love's You Porgy - 8:42
7. Oye Como Va - 6:23
8. Milestones - 14:15

Just about all classics and all with wonderful arrangements, which in latin jazz are very important. Imagine getting to hear "Afro Blue" and "Oye Como Va" played by their composers. Excellent selection of songs.

Now for the players. Tito Puente was not known as "El Rey" for nothing. Whether he was fronting a big band or just jamming with his friends, El Rey loved to play his timbales and there was no one better. Mongo Santamaria brought the congas into America's living rooms and remains a master on the instrument. Hildalgo, Berroa, Gonzalez and Ruiz were quite possibly the best Latin jazz rhythm session of all time, in any event it sure as hell sounds like it. Valentin, D'Rivera, Roditi and Ruiz all turn in one great solo after another on tune after tune. A smoking session throughout.

This CD got lost on Sony's speciality Latin Jazz label at the time of its release but it is as much a jazz record as it is a Latin record and should have been given wider release and better support. It's just begging for reissue.

If you are only going to own one Latin jazz CD, than this is the one to get. For once I can say believe the hype.

As I stated several posts ago, I will keep this thread going all by myself if I have to so here's a real nice live recording which I'm sure that just about everyone missed out on.

Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble - Cape Town Shuffle: Live at Hot House Delmark CD 545, 2003 I believe that this is CD is still in print and readily available via any major retail or e-tail CD store.

Ernest Dawkins is a is Chicago based sax player and band leader and graduate of the AACM school of advanced musical mayham and good times. Along with the New Horizons Ensemble, Dawkins has been treating the good people of Chicago to some first rate jazz for well over ten years. Luckly for the rest of us Delmark managed to capture this fine working band in excellent sound on a typical night in the Windy City.

This live recording has that "you are there" feel to it, the bass snaps, the drums crack, the cymbals sparkle and the horns are out in front without being too overwhelming.

As an added bonus, so rare on your standard "audiophile" release, the quality of the music matches, if not exceeds, the quality of the recording. There are only four tunes on the 65 minute long disc and no tune is less than 14 minutes long. This is not music for the background, it demands to be heard and felt. While Dawkins and company are not "out there" squawkers and screamers, they are damn good shouters, as in their music is steeped in the blues tradition and they bring it on home with force and meaning but always manage to have a grand old time in the process.

So pour yourself a nice glass of whatever, find the sweet spot, dim the lights and take an hour long visit to a hopping Chicago jazz club.

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the input. I haven't heard that Sam Rivers CD as yet but now I guess I'll just have to put it on my short list of things to look out for.

As far as the live show you saw back in 2003, depending on when in 2003 the concert took place (before or after September) Rivers was either 79 or 80 years old. Pretty good for some old guy. One sad note about Sam Rivers though, I heard recently that Beatrice, Sam's wife of over 50 years, just passed away. One can only hope that Sam finds the strength and will power to continue on without her. And if not, I hope that they are reunited and happy once again.

By the way, do check out the recording who's cover I used for my avatar (that image below my name) - Dave Holland's "Conference Of The Birds" on ECM, which features Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton on reeds.

Hi Josh,

I must protest, even if it's a mild one. I did list this great recording in my post of Favorite Jazz Releases of 2005 and as you can read there I gave it the highest praise possible. It's a must have, no two ways about it.

But no harm in mentioning it again and if possible try to sneak in a mention of it in another thread or post just for good measure

Hi Roy,

Glad you mentioned Jaki Byard since it's musicians like Jaki that make jazz such a wonderful art form. By that I mean Byard was one of the unsung heroes of jazz, a first class musician who was well respected within the jazz community but never achieved any recognition with the general public.

Oh sure, most people have at least heard of the major figures in jazz, names like Basie, Ellington, Armstrong, Davis, Holiday, Fitzgerald, Goodman and few others but it's the players in trenches, so to speak, who really make jazz so great. And Jaki Byard was one of the best.

Plus Jaki was always fun to see live. A great entertainer as well as a marvelous piano, Jaki could play any style of jazz like an expert, which brings me to this post's selection:

The Last from Lennie's Jaki Byard Quartet with Joe Farrell Prestige CD 11029 (2003).

Recorded in at Lennie's jazz club back in April of 1965 this is one swinging set. I will tell you right off that it does not meet the JATPS (Jazz at the Pawn Shop) standards of great sound with mediocre music but does meet the Jazzfan standard of great music with passable sound. And Jaki's playing, as always, is guaranteed to bring a smile.

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Taking a vacation from this thread? ....
I have just read the thread and I have the notes ready for my local CD shop. Thnx for the great thread. Don't give up now.

Thank you Altair for the kind words. Based on your musical tastes I figured I'd recommend some classic live fusion jazz for you and what better fusion jazz than the grandaddy of all electric jazz - the prince of darkness himself, Miles Davis. The only hard part is which one.

During Miles' first electric period, which ran from 1969 through 1975, he recorded the following officially released CDs (plus plenty more unofficial or bootleg releases):

1969 Miles - Festiva De Juan Pins
1970 Live-Evil
1970 Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West [live]
1970 Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore
1972 In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall
1974 Dark Magus
1975 Agharta
1975 Pangaea
1970 Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time
1970 The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
1973 The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991
Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue [DVD]

Now as far as I'm concerned they are all Choice Live Jazz Recordings, but hey, I'm a bit biased. What is remarkable about this period of Miles' career is just how much the music changes from year to year and band to band. The original 1969 electric band sounds completely different from the heavy funk of the 1975 group. While the 1973 version is somewhere in between.

So where to start? When in doubt, it's always best to start at the beginning and so since "Festiva De Juan Pins" is no longer in print, I would go with Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time which, along with the Cellar Door Sessions, is something of a Holy Grail for electric Miles fans.

This recording has one killer lineup:
Chick Corea -Fender Electric Piano
Miles Davis - Trumpet
Jack DeJohnette - Drums
Airto Moreira - Percussion
Wayne Shorter - Soprano and Tenor Sax
Dave Holland - Acoustic and Electric Bass

And boy can these guys play. This was truly "electric" jazz rather than fusion, that is to say, they played as a jazz band but with electric instruments and a heavier rock beat and none of that super fast, macho soloing which came to ruin so much of later day fusion. Once you've absorbed this, try moving on to "In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall" which features a much denser, darker and funkier groove.

However, if you really want to blow your mind then by all means go straight past go and right to either 1975's "Agharta" or "Pangaea". It's no wonder that Miles went into retirement not long after these two were recorded, I would have also, just to give my brain a rest. This music is so dense and so dark and so funky that it hurts just to think about it, let alone listen to it. But when you do listen to it be sure to follow the instructions which were printed on the original LP jacket (not a direct quote) - To fully appreciate the sound of Miles Davis this record should be played at maximum volume.