Monday, December 17

Lou Blackburn on the Trombone

Lou Blackburn is a revelation. If you're going to download one album from iTunes this holiday season, may I suggest Lou Blackburn's "The Complete Imperial Sessions" which features the trombonist in partnership with trumpeter Preddie Hill. Never heard of either man? That's okay. He is newish to me too but don't let his lack of fame disuade you.

This is some killer music will be a perfect soundtrack to your holiday cocktail parties.

I know that by now you trust my judgement and are likely already downloading this album, but to alleviate any doubts, or to entertain you while the download continues, have a listen to Perception. That's a great groove isn't it? That's hard bop at its finest.

Thursday, November 22

Regrets, Milt

I told you it would happen. I love 'Bag's Opus' but lately I have been listening to 'Bags and Trane', which is an incredible album Milt recorded with John Coltrane and an all-star line-up in 1959. Perhaps I should have named it the #7 album that all humans should own. Shall we call it #7.5?

two of the greatest
Have a listen to the title track and as soon as you hear the great Hank Jones play that opening riff you know you are in for something special. Milt and John have a great repoir. My man Paul Chambers plays some great bass as well and Kenny Clarke is great on drums, as he always is.

This really is a stellar disc and I can't recommend it highly enough. It was recorded the year before Coltrane released his seminal 'Giant Steps' and began to create one of the great bodies of work in modern jazz.

Monday, October 15

Albums That All Humans Should Own #7

I have written a great deal about Milt Jackson on this site and friends, if you haven't taken this hint and tracked down some of his music, this post may compel you to do so.

Milt had a recording career that spanned more than half a century and he released (under his own name, as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, or as a guest artist) more than 100 albums so it is no easy task to pick one to showcase. I let Milt chose his opus for me.

'Bag's Opus' (1959) by Milt Jackson is my seventh pick of essential albums that all humans should own.

In the coming days I may realize that I should have named another of his albums here, since so much of his recorded output is wonderful. He is my favourite vibist (with Walt Dickerson, Bobby Hutcherson and Lem Winchester behind him) and he brings that bebop intensity to all his playing, even the ballads. He never hits a poor note and his tone is gorgeous on an instrument that can be a bit grating in the upper register (I'm afraid some late-career Walt Dickerson is, in my humble opinion, guilty of this).

I've mentioned several times that the band makes the recording and this album features one of the great ensembles. Check out this lineup:

Milt Jackson:  Vibraphone
Art Farmer:  Trumpet
Benny Golson:  Tenor Saxophone
Tommy Flanagan:  Piano
Paul Chambers: Bass
Connie Kay: Drums



the great Benny Golson
It doesn't get much better than that. Only Tommy Flanagan isn't a legend, but if you consider that he played on Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane,  along with some of Curtis Fuller's finest records and on and on, perhaps we need to look and Mr. Flanagan's place in the pantheon one of these days...

This disc also benefits from some fantastic arrangements by Benny Golson, who is one of the best in the business. Shortly after this album, he and Art Farmer would form the Jazztet, one of the greatest bands in jazz history.

Have a listen to "Whisper Not". Great stuff, isn't it? Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 9

Who Doesn't Love a Bargain?

amazing amazing amazing

My wife likes to tease me about liking second hand shops and that doing so is a Ponka family tradition. I don't deny it - I admit to a thrill upon finding those gems that you occassionally discover. I especially love used book stores and I am still thrilled that I got the three volume set of Paul Metcalf's Collected Works in hardcover for $45 during a recent trip to Minneapolis. I am reading his Genoa with awe.

My love of a bargain goes for music too. Friends, you know I am willing to drop $100+ dollars on a Mosaic box set (the Charles Mingus set ships in three weeks! I can't wait!) but there are amazing deals for the bargain hunter to be had out there. Last night I was browsing through iTunes and came across a new series of music anthologies called 100 Original Tracks which has, you guessed it, 100 songs by a particular artist. I was excited to see that they had a jazz collection by Quincy Jones. I have one of his albums - This Is How I feel About Jazz (1957) - which is great stuff and features a who's who of jazz superstars including the great Charles Mingus, Art Farmer, my man Paul Chambers, Milt Jackson and Lucky Thompson. (Have a listen to "Sermonette" and I challenge you tell me you don't love it...) I wanted to hear more of his music, so you can understand why I was excited to find a collection that had so much of it. The kicker? The set only cost $6.99! I know! Crazy, right? That's less that 7 cents per song! How could I not buy it? I cleared a gig of space from my iPhone and downloaded it on the spot.


serious value for money...
The downside of sets like this is that there are no liner notes so it is impossible to know what musicians are playing on each track (why doesn't iTunes provide liner notes??) but for the price you truly can't go wrong. I think the set is worth it for the live version of Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" that features some killer trumpet work by Freddie Hubbard.  (Without liner notes, I only know it's him beacuse Quincy introduces him by name... I can recognize some players by their sound alone, but not in this case.) Freddie played on the original recording with Oliver Nelson's killer band, but to be honest, I prefer his playing on this track. Perhaps it is the live setting that has him playing with such intensity...

There are some other fine sets in this line so if you have $20 to spare, you could pick up a few hundred tracks of amazing jazz. Enjoy!

Monday, October 1

Elmo and The Fox

love the cover design

Birthdays may be increasingly difficult to endure as one grows older - you know I speak the truth - but it does afford one the opportunity to ask for new jazz as a gift. Helping to lessen the blow from Time was Harold Land's The Fox (1959).

I have been somewhat familiar with Harold Land, mostly from the quartet he shared with Carmell Jones, but I'm not sure I truly heard him until this album. What drew me to this disc was the piano player: the great Elmo Jones (who fit that jazz stereotype of not receiving the acclaim he deserved during his lifetime) who was a marvellously inventive pianist who had great melodic skills who isn't afraid of dissonance when the mood should strike him (a touch of Thelonius in his playing...) and while I adore his trio recordings, I was eagerly anticipating listening to him playing in a quintet setting.


plaintive Elmo
Have a listen to the title track and you'll instantly understand why a fan of Elmo Hope would be drawn to The Fox. The rest of the band is delightful and wasn't that a great discovery on a birthday? There is always new jazz to discover and doesn't that make the world a better place? The band may not have names that you are familiar with, but they are worth a listen:



Harold Land: saxophone
Dupree Bolton: trumpet
Elmo Hope: piano
Herbie Lewis: bass
Frank Butler: drums

Dupree Bolton plays with fire. It is a shame that he had such drug problems as it would have been nice to hear more recordings from him. How many great jazz albums were never recorded due to musicians being locked away in prison or sanitariums due to drugs?



the great and obscure Dupree Bolton
Most of the players often worked with Curtis Counce, (who was a bass master that we haven't spoken of before, but we should! After all, one of his album titles is a classic: "You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce" which also features Jack Sheldon, another all time favourite, on trumpet) who was part of that great West Coast scene of the late 1950s along with Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Brookmeyer.

I highly recommend this album for those of you who like exciting uptempo jazz played by a top notch band. Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 11

Salt Peanuts, Salt Peanuts

At this time we would like to play a tune - it was composed by my worthy constituent, Mr. Dizzy Gillespie, in the year of 1942 - we sincerely hope you do enjoy, Salt Peanuts.
(introduction by Charles Mingus)
 

That day in Toronto, May 15, 1953, when an all-star line-up recorded  one of the great live albums in jazz: Jazz at Massey Hall; an album released by Charles Mingus and Max Roach  on their Debut label.

Though the audio quality is far from perfect, the lineup is incredible. I wonder if you could come up with five greater players; each one was so famous, that they have become jazz icons. Such a discussion: the best quintet's imaginable! It would be a delightful conversation for us to have over coffee. Or perhaps wine if you are free one evening. I had a chianti last night that was out of this world. You'd prefer Scotch? Not a problem. I have a lovely 15-year-old. But for now let's focus on the band that blew the roof off of a half-empty Massey Hall on the same night Rocky Marciano knocked out Jersy Joe Walcott:

Charlie Parker: alto saxophone
Dizzy Gillespie: trumpet
Bud Powell: piano
Charles Mingus: bass
Max Roach: drums


suddenly in walked Bud, and then they got into something
From Max Roach's opening were he plays the melodic line on the drums before being joined by the rest of the band, you know this is going to be a killer track. First you are startled by Charlie Parker's solo, he sounds electrified and Dizzy shouting 'Salt peanuts! Salt peanuts!' to the  hall (where I have seen so many great shows) only adds to the intensity and you think "Who can top Bird?" Then Dizzy starts to blow and he matches Parker's skill, energy and ingenuity. Then comes Bud Powell, who had recently been released from a mental hospital and was in such rough shape that he had to be helped to the piano, and I challenge you to find Powell play any better. If you were to say that Powell, on that night at least, got the better of his bebop colleagues, I would have a difficult time arguing against you.

I listened to that song earlier, as I was enjoying this unseasonably warm autumn day, and I know I will be listening to it again in a few hours once I finish my afternoon appointments.

Until soon, my friend, when we shall discuss important issues like life and the greatest quintet.



Tuesday, August 28

Still Dizzy after all these years...


I have still been listening to a lot of Dizzy Gillespie but this time I am able to share the track with you. This song, 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy' is a jazz standard written by Cole Porter and has been recorded roughly 1,000,000 times (a slight exageration perhaps...) and though I have many fine versions of it, this one by Dizzy's band from 1959 is my favourite - or at least my current favourite.

This band doesn't have a cast of heavyweights, other than Sam Jones on bass, but don't let that fool you into thinking that this track is anything less than stellar. Les Spann plays some great guitar, which is all the more impressive since he was primarily a flautist! Another example proving that jazz musicians are in a class of their own. The combination of Dizzy's trumpet and Les' flute is wonderful on other tracks on the album so it may be worth tracking it down. You won't be disappointed.

Thursday, August 23

One day in 1957 Dizzy, Benny & Gigi walk into a studio in NYC...

jazz riches!
I am fortunate enough to be the proud owner of the Mosaic Records boxset "Verve/Philips Dizzy Gillespie Small Group Sessions." I have been listening to it a great deal lately (as you would too!) and one session (of the 15 included in this set!!) that has recently captured me was recorded in 1957 and released as "The Greatest Trumpet of Them All" (and the case that he is the greatest could certainly be made: listen to this or this and the list could go on!).

Like many of the greatest recordings in jazz, it's the band that makes all the difference. Dizzy was always a fine player and one of those players who rarely put out a weak record. For this one, he not only pulled in two of the finest young sax players of the era, but also got them to arrange the eight tracks. Benny Golson on tenor and Gigi Gryce on alto. These men not only play amazing horns, but have that octet playing masterfully.  The arrangements are stellar and show the talents that these two men would continue to display.
an underrated album

Even if you don't want to shell out the $119 for the complete set (or download it from iTunes for $70) , I encourage you to track down this album and enjoy!

Monday, August 13

Johnny Smith on Guitar

The Intense Mr. Smith
My three year old daughter has had trouble sleeping lately so last night I told her I would put some music playing in her room. I decided on 'The Best of Wynton Kelly' (which is available cheap on iTunes and holds boundless riches).

'I don't like this jazz, daddy,' she tells me. What?? I love Wynton Kelly but perhaps he's not for everyone. I would have tried to convince her of Wynton's many merits, but debating the finer points of jazz with a child is a fruitless task.

Instead I put on one of the great jazz albums of all time: 'Walk, Don't Run' (1954) by Johnny Smith.

Mr. Smith has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in jazz. If you are a fan of his music (which all of you should be) it only takes a few bars of his superlative playing for you to know to whom that clean smooth tone belongs.

The title track became a hit for The Ventures and it was one of the first songs to usher in the surfer sound in the 60s. It makes one wonder if there would have been a Beach Boys without Johnny Smith...

My daughter loved this gorgeous album and I'm sure you will too. All of his albums are worth seeking out. Enjoy, 'Walk, Don't Run' my friends; a perfect song to fall asleep to, or to drive to work to, or to do just about anything to. It's hard to not love Johnny Smith.

Monday, June 18

The Art of the Trio - Barney Kessel

I've written a fair deal about how I have recently been enjoying the jazz trio and the vast variety of sounds that can be produced, and that isn't just with the piano at the centre; the guitar trio also offers delights.

I have been loving Barney Kessel lately and this amazing song 'Crisis' is not only a great example of Barney's swinging style, but, like the Bill Evans Trio, shows how large a role the drummer and bassist play in the song. This isn't just Barney saying 'Listen to me! Aren't I amazing??' since from those opening moments of Shelly Manne and Ray Brown (both giants in their own right) laying down a captivating beat, you are aware that this group is a strong and cohesive unit.

I know you will enjoy this one my friends!

Friday, June 8

Ladies and gentlemen, Ray Crawford

you don't get much cooler than this
I am new to the music of Ray Crawford, and friends, I wish he recorded more. His incredible album Smooth Groove has been in constant rotation this week, making for a very groovy few days.

I am familiar with him from his recordings with the great Ahmad Jamal (he played on his earliest recordings before Vernel Fournier joined the group. I would have loved to hear what Crawford and Fournier would have done together!), but on Smooth Groove (1961) he has a bluesy feel that I can't get enough of. Have I mentioned that I wish he recorded more? Cecil Payne is a stand-out on baritone sax and the entire band is in top form.

Have a listen to the delightful "Miss April" then do yourself a favour and buy this disc immediately.  Weekend is upon us and you'd be hard pressed to find a better summer weekend soundtrack. If only he'd recorded more...

Tuesday, May 15

The Art of the Trio

Erroll Garner on the keys
I know you've heard me talk before about being a recent devotee to the piano trio. I am constantly amazed by the different sounds available to those three musicians. Today I was listening to one of the all-time classic jazz recordings: 'Misty' by Erroll Garner from the album 'Contrasts' (1954).

This song is such a classic that it would be easy to dismiss it, much the same way you could dismiss the Dave Brubeck Quartet's 'Take Five'. Dismiss 'Misty' at your peril! Some things are popular for a reason. It didn't hurt the legendary status of the song that Clint Eastwood made a movie called 'Play Misty For Me.'

Have a listen (and take a look) to a live version. He really did have a sound of his own. Perfect music for a blustery spring day.

Because you know how much I love to share music with you,  let's listen to the incomparable Johnny Smith's version. We need to discuss Mr. Smith some time soon!

Tuesday, May 8

The Piano Player in my Dreams is Named Phineas?

Though I have little acuity on the keys, when I dream I am often a gifted jazz pianist. I wake and feel certain that if I were to have a piano placed in front of me I would be able to play; that the unconscious ability would remain for at least a moment. They are vivid and joyous dreams.

the best men wear glasses
Today I realized that when I am dreaming, my piano playing sounds like that of Phineas Newborn, Jr.

Now I admit I have heard the name, and even heard some of his music but I never really heard it until today. That is, I never heard it while I was awake...

I read a great article at Jazz Profiles that prompted me to listen to his album 'Here Is Phineas' that features the great Oscar Pettiford on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. The fact that the album is subtitled 'The Piano Artistry of Phineas Newborn Jr' should give you some idea of the breathtaking nature of the 23-year-old's recording debut. It's an incredible display of virtuosity that I can't recommend highly enough to fans of jazz piano.

Phineas, like Monk, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum (quite the list of names to be placed with!) has a unique voice that will surely become instantly recognizable to me after a few more listens. I suspect my collection of Phineas (pronounced by him as 'Fine as' by the way) will be growing in the coming weeks. Lucky me!

I hope when I sleep tonight I will again sound like this.

Friday, May 4

What's Spinning Today

You know that I'm fond of the Modern Jazz Quartet and have written often about how they are one of my favourite bands of all time (one of many, admittedly...) but I am also a fan of vibes-master Milt Jackson's solo work.

For the most part, it is quite different from the MJQ since that band's music was largely arranged by pianist John Lewis and had a healthy dose of classical music infused into their sound. His solo work tends to be more bop oriented, which makes sense since he did hone his chops in Dizzy Gillespie's band in the '40s. It was there he first played with John Lewis.

The story goes that when the horn players took an intermission, this rhythm section would remain onstage and soon enough decided to leave Dizzy's band to explore their own sound. In 1952 Percy Heath joined the band and then three years later Connie Kay replaced Kenny 'Klook' Clark and the foursome would go on to greatness.

Even though the MJQ toured and recorded regularly, Milt Jackson also recorded under his own name with many of the biggest names in jazz including John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson and Wes Montgomery.

Milt ringing those bells
This morning I was taken by 'Sandra's Blues' from the album 'Bean Bags' (1959). (Milt Jackson's nickname was 'Bags', which in a genre full of classic nicknames such as Klook, Bird, Duke, Lady Day, this ranks as one of the worst... but what's in a name, right? At least it's not as lame as Mel Torme's nickname: The Velvet Mist...) This track features the breathy sax of Coleman Hawkins and the guitar work of a young Kenny Burrell.

A great song to begin a Friday. Enjoy!

Thursday, May 3

Black Coffee in the Morning

the happy couple, pre-Playboy
On my way to the office this morning, just before I pulled off to buy a morning cup, 'Black Coffee' began to play.  This is one of my favourite standards and my preferred version is by the Stan Kenton band, arranged by Bill Holman, and while I am not typically a fan of big band music, this arrangement swings. Ann Richards never sounded better than she did on this song. She was 19 and new to Stan Kenton's band and Stan, aged 43, married her shortly after she joined the group and by all accounts, in spite of the difference in their ages, they had a perfect marriage. They had two kids together and all was going well until the sixth year of marriage for when she posed in Playboy magazine without telling him... Imagine a little something like that coming between a couple!

Ann came to a sad end, like so many in jazz, so instead let's think about her days as a drop dead gorgeous singer with one of the most popular bands in jazz. Have a listen to her and Stan play 'No Moon at All' from the album 'Two Much' they put out shortly before the marriage fell apart.

Doesn't the album title seem too perfect considering the drama that was about to befall them? Where is the Hollywood movie about their time together? Time to call my agent! I'll start writing it tonight!

I wish you would have been there driving with me this morning to hear Ann sing 'Black Coffee' so perfectly. Unfortunately, this particular version isn't available on the web, so you will instead get to enjoy Peggy Lee's fine rendition.

Monday, April 30

Curtis Amy and The Doors

My last post about Bud Shank (who I listened to a lot this weekend, which made for a wonderful soundtrack) had me thinking about another jazz great who was prominantly featured in a 1960s rock hit.

I am not a huge Doors fan but I admit they have a handful of classic tracks. I like the fact that their drummer, John Densmore, played mostly jazz before he joined the band and he felt that The Doors retained jazz elements. This is apparent in the great track 'Touch Me' which turns into a jazz-like number at the end. That great sax solo is played by Curtis Amy. Haven't heard of him?

That's a shame since he was a fine player who never got his due (yes, another jazz cliche in action) but had a fantastic aggressive tone and was surely the finest horn player to ever come out of Houston, Texas. Aside from doing studio work (not only did he play with The Doors but was also featured on Carole King's mega-selling Tapestry album) he put out some fine albums of his own in the 1960s that are worth exploring. How about listening to 'Bobblin' which he recorded with a top-notch band that included two of my favourites that I need to talk to you about soon: Carmell Jones on trumpet and Bobby Hutherson on vibes.

Friday, April 27

Bud Shank and the Mamas & Papas

I have been listening to a lot of Bud Shank lately and why not? Summer is approaching, the sun is shining and surely that's a perfect time to listen to the cool sounds of Bud Shank on flute, alto sax, or occassionally tenor or baritone sax. Over the course of his career he played with many of the greats, especially those other west coast fellows including Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers.


What I didn't know, was that he did a lot of studio work in California during the 1960s. The bombshell is that he played that great flute line in 'California Dreaming'. I haven`t heard that song in years but I can still hum that wonderful solo.


I won`t post that song here since you can track that one down on your own.

Instead how about we listen to What'll I Do a great track he recorded with Bob Cooper. I mean, how often are you likely to hear the oboe in jazz? They were an amazing team and I highly recommend trackong down some of their recordings. In fact, Mosaic Records (are you getting tired of my talking about them yet?) put out a set of their recordings which has recently made the transition to a cheaper iTunes edition (called The Capitol Vault Series) and my friends, this music would make a fine soundtrack to your summer.

Tuesday, April 24

Happy Birthday, Mr. Mingus

want to listen to Mingus and smoke cigars?
Today Charles Mingus would have turned 90. He didn't even make it to his 60th birthday. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis robbed the world of one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century.

I will try not to get too emotional (but you know how I can be...) so instead lets have a listen to one of his great tracks, Fables of Faubus, which features one of the several excellent bands Mingus ever put together, including the great Eric Dolphy on saxophone!

I will always love Mingus for being the musician that first introduced me to jazz a all those years ago in my parent's living room, and if you haven't heard the man's music, I encourage you to seek him out.

Wait! I can't stop at just one track. Mingus is so great that you should enjoy two. How about the incredible basswork on Haitian Fight Song? I am in awe of his talent as a composer and musician and I could post twenty songs for you and it would barely scratch the surface. If Mr. Hypothetical told me I could only listen to one jazz artist's recordings for the rest of my life, it would be Mingus.

Thursday, April 19

Tyranny of the Drums

Jimmy's feeling it
I know my friends who are drummers aren't going to be fond of this post, (sorry G-Man, Achtung Baby and Dr. Rockmore...) but Jimmy Giuffre made a fascinating point:

Jimmy Giuffre complained about the 'tyranny of the drums' in jazz, and that the only non-tyrannical drummer was no drummer at all.

- from the liner notes to 'Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre'

Now I am a fan of drums in jazz, but I can see Jimmy's point. He wanted the freedom that came without having that person whacking away behind him. As much as I love Art Blakey I don't think he would have added much to the beautiful trio Jimmy formed with Jim Hall. Once they added Bob Brookmeyer to the mix they had one of my favourite groups ever (yes, you keen readers will notice that I use the phrase 'favourite group ever' an awful lot... but cut me some slack... there are so many groups to love in jazz, surely you are learning this by now, aren't you?).

jazz in a peaceful setting
While he may have not liked playing with drummers, I would point out that one of my favourite Jimmy recordings is the album he made with the Modern Jazz Quartet (another of my favourite groups ever...) "The Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn." Perhaps he could work with Connie Kay's drumwork, since he did have a style all his own; one that fit perfectly with the rest of the band. He didn't the need to dominate the group. One of the things I love about the MJQ, and this recording in particular, is how well they play together and how well they compliment one another. Jimmy fits perfectly into this ensemble and it's a shame the five didn't record together more often. If you get a chance, listen to 'Fugue' or 'Fun' from this album.

Have a listen to the group play 'Serenade' from that concert, which must have been a treat for those in attendance.

[Feel free to ignore the video of the guy playing bass in this YouTube clip... focus on the fine music]

Wednesday, April 18

Oscar Pettiford: Another Bass Master Revealed

Friends, even those of you who are casual visitors to this site know that I have a fondness for the bass. Not only is this site named in honour of Charles Mingus, but I written at length about my man Paul Chambers as well as Scott LeFaro's masterful performances with the Bill Evans Trio. Well, I have more proof that even two decades of enjoying jazz will continue to reveal wonders. In this case, the wonder is Oscar Pettiford.


Listening to his music, the finest of which was recorded in the early to mid 1950s, he sounds like a bridge between the 1940s and the modern postbop surge of the 50s. He was an amazing soloist, made all the more interesting since he often soloed on the cello, which was pretty rare in jazz. I know Chico Hamilton employed a cello in his fine group that featured a young Eric Dolphy, but other than in orchestral settings, I can't think of another group that employed cello. Those tracks with Oscar on cello are all the sweeter since it was often Charles Mingus who took over on bass, and it's hard to imagine two more talented people playing those eight strings.

He died too young, like so many jazz artists, yet left behind a wealth of wonderful music. I know you are interested in some advice on where to start, so let me recommend two albums that I have no doubt that you will enjoy. "Complete Jazz Series 1951-1954" and "Complete Jazz Series 1954-1955".

Just looking at the names that join him on those album covers must have you intrigued...

I dare any of you to listen to 'Marcel the Furrier' and not agree that his music is a must for your ever-expanding jazz collection.

I look forward to speaking with you about this exuberant music. Over a Bodum perhaps?

Tuesday, April 17

Albums That All Humans Should Own #6

I had a difficult time deciding on this one; not on the band, since the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet is one of my favourite bands ever, but the decision was whether I should recommend that you rush out to pick up a single album, or if you are an iTunes user (which has many cheap delights for us jazz aficionados) you can download the incredible Complete Argo Mercury recordings. Since the complete set is somewhat pricey (I see it as a steal at $49.99: it does have 95 tracks of which none are weak) I thought I would go with the single album:

'Meet the Jazztet' (1960) by Art Farmer and Benny Golson is my sixth pick of essential albums that all humans should own.

The band line-up says it all:
Art Farmer on trumpet. He is one of the finest players out there. I love his lyricism and his effortless playing.
Benny Golson on tenor sax. Not only is Benny a great player, he is also one of the best writers/arrangers in jazz. He wrote four of the eleven tracks including 'I Remember Clifford' and 'Killer Joe'.
You also go the wonderful Curtis Fuller on trombone, and for those of you who have been following along you know that I have a fondness for Curtis' playing.
And then you have McCoy Tyner on piano making his recording debut. He would of course go on to play in John Coltrane's wonderful quartet of the '60s as well as having a fine solo career which continues to this day.

The music is top-notch and even though it is a large group, it isn't unwieldy. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

Have a listen to 'Killer Joe'. Cool or what? It captures the group at its finest.
Still, if you want to treat yourself, I recommend dipping into your pocketbook and springing for the complete recordings. You won't regret it. It was formerly a Mosaic boxset which would have cost over $150, so you know that those fine folks have filled this set with riches.
I wish I had never heard this band and could spend a few weeks letting the 95 tracks of this set wash over me as they did when I first heard them. I am envious of those of you who have yet to discover this great band!

Monday, April 16

Best Jazz Book of All Time #1

Yes friends, I know I have mocked list-makers over the years, but when it comes to jazz I like to be organized. Like many of you, jazz isn't just something to be listened to; it's something to absorb, to live, to wrap around you like James Cameron's new deep water sub to protect you from the drudgery of day to day living. (Okay, there's no drudgery here, but it was a nice turn of a phrase so how could I resist?)

I wish I had written this book.
I recently picked up a great book that has me thinking of jazz in a new way. Gary Giddins, Visions of Jazz: The First Century.

You know that for me jazz became interesting in the 1950s (with Louis Armstrojng being the god-like exception to this and every other rule) yet this book has me rethinking some of the oldies. I mean, how many of you have an understanding of Irving Berlin? I didn't. Sure, we all know his classic songs ('Cheek to Cheek', 'Puttin on the Ritz', 'Blue Skies', 'White Christmas', 'God Bless America', 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' and on and on...) but did you know he and his parents escaped Russia in order to avoid a pogrom? Did you know that his life was full of tragedy and heartbreak? If I dwelled on the sadness in jazz I could tell you about the tragedy that befell his lovely wife during their honeymoon in Cuba and how the sad song he wrote about it ('When I Lost You') sold a million copies.

I downloaded Ella Fitzgerald's The Complete Irving Berlin Songbooks upon completing the chapter on this icon (see how quickly Giddins has brought me around to his way of thinking?) and I recommend you do the same.

I have little doubt this book will continue to inspire me as I chip away at its riches in the weeks to come so I will keep you posted, alright?  For now, have a listen to this lovely number. Frank Sinatra singing 'When I Lost You'. He brings out that sadness Irving was feeling in those dark times.