Because Sometimes You Need to Strut

love the title track for some serious strutting

Jazz is many things.

It's very diverse, which is why fans like me bristle when someone says they don't like jazz. How can you not like jazz? It's so many things!

I suppose there are those poor people out there who generally don't like music, and they have my deepest sympathy.

Depending on the album you're listening to, jazz can relaxing, energizing, intellectually stimulating, inspiring, fun, beautiful and more.

It can also give you a soundtrack for those days that are going so well that you just need to strut.

Cue "Right On" by Boogaloo Joe Jones. This killer track is from the album Right On Brother (Prestige, 1970). Some of the songs have a bit more organ than I can enjoy, but "Right On" hits that perfect balance.

Life is treating me fine lately, so I think I'll plug in my headphones and strut for 5 mins and 42 seconds while Boogaloo Joe Jones and his band do their thing.

Because it's hard to get enough Jim

more Jim, if you can find it

A few years back someone came across some tapes, I assume they were reel to reel. I'm not sure of the exact story of how these lost recordings came to light, but somehow they were found in  someone's closet or in a box in a garage, or some collector had been hording them and not sharing.

What I know for certain is that word got out that there may be, just may be more of that magic that the Jim Hall Trio recorded in 1975 and was released as Jim Hall Live!

It turns out that other Toronto dates that fantastic trio played in June of 1975 were recorded. Could it be possible that these newfound recordings were as good as Jim Hall Live!?

They were. These new recordings are absolutely fantastic. It's the same trio of Hall, Thompson and Clarke and you'll hear that the band was brilliant night after night. You'll also notice that people in jazz clubs yap on and on. I've noticed that when I'm out at a club. I want to turn to people as they yammer on about their cell phone plan "Don't you hear the magic that's happening on that stage?" 

The albums were released as Jim Hall Live, Volumes 2-4.

Though the albums are pricey and could be hard to find, I wanted to let you know about them and that you should snap them up if you find them somewhere. If they were more readily available, I would have put them all together and said that Jim Hall Live Volumes 1-4 were my 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th picks for Albums That All Humans Should Own.

Of course, I couldn't resist buying this set, so you can listen tonight when you stop by.

Albums That All Humans Should Own #10

Jim and Sonny

I’ve been thinking about Sonny Rollins lately and wanted to put out there again that despite saying I can’t bear to hear “St. Thomas,” I’m a big fan. 

It got me thinking about his music and what album of his I would pick as my all-time favourite. Yes, you know how I like lists and rankings when it comes to jazz.

My first thought was The Bridge (RCA Victor, 1962), which is one of his most famous albums and has all sorts of mythology around it. 

The story goes that Sonny was tired of the music biz and was feeling like his playing wasn’t developing like he wanted it to, so he walked away from recording and performing. 

Instead, he’d take his sax out to the Brooklyn Bridge and play for the pigeons, trash barges and passing cars. After a certain amount of time, Sonny felt ready and he returned to the studio and recorded one of the great jazz albums, The Bridge.

Now as much as I love The Bridge, this isn’t my recommendation of Albums That All Humans Should Own. It might come later, but I’m going a different direction today.

The reason The Bridge came to mind last night as a potential Favourite Sonny Rollins Album is due to Jim Hall’s appearance on that album.

I've written before about how much I love Jim’s playing. He’s one of the top few jazz guitarists of all time. I love his playing on The Bridge. He is unobtrusive and gives Sonny a perfect place to lay down his tenor sound. Jim played with just about everyone during his long career. If some evil genie said that you could only listen to albums that had Jim Hall on them, your jazz collection would still be fantastic.

If I were to list all of the Giants he played with, this post would be far too long, so here's a brief highlight of some of my favourite Jim collaborations: Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Desmond, Art Farmer, Jimmy Giuffre, Chico Hamilton and Hampton Hawes. 

So enough beating around the bush. 

ok, not the greatest cover, but the music is tops

Jim Hall Live! (Horizon, 1975) is my tenth pick of Albums That All Humans Should Own.

It’s a gorgeous record that shows the master at the apex of his powers. Maybe I also like the fact that it was recorded at a Toronto jazz club. By the time I moved to Toronto, the Bourbon Street club was closed, but there were still a few great places open back then.

I’ve said it many times: a trio sinks or swims on the strength of the group. The greatest trios have three players working together, it’s not just the leader’s show. Jim Hall’s trio on this date is fantastic.

Jim Hall-guitar

Don Thompson-bass

Terry Clarke-drums

Don Thompson on bass

It’s no secret I’m a fan of the bass, and even have a couple of them in my basement (or bassment? No, that’s a terrible pun, ignore that). Don Thompson is one of the best, though he won’t make many best-of lists. That’s okay. He doesn’t need a list. He’s got the talent. He sounds great backing Jim, but Don really shines when it’s time for his to take the spotlight. His solos are beautiful and perfectly suited for Jim’s sound. Don has a long list of credits and it’s no surprise that he was a sought after bassist.

He’s Canadian too, which is nice. Canada has a decent number of Jazz Greats, but we’ll save that topic for another time. Perhaps tonight over a stout?

Have a listen to 'Angel Eyes' and see for yourself why I love this album so much.

Sorry Sonny, I Can't Do St. Thomas

Relationships are tough. Even great relationships will have times that are damned difficult. Relationships can do permanent damage. Relationships can even destroy a perfectly fine jazz standard.

That look...You're making me feel guilty.

Okay. It's confession time.

I don't like Sonny Rollins' classic tune "St. Thomas" that was first released on the album Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1956).

In fact, I don't like any version of that song.

'Why?' you ask.

I understand your confusion. You know better than anyone how much I like Sonny Rollins. He's one of the greats. Top 5 tenor sax players all time.

But as soon as I hear those first playful notes that should bring to mind Caribbean joy, I cringe.

I went out with someone who loved that song. Oh god how she loved it. She loved it so much that she wanted to make a CD (yes, this story takes place in those archaic days of the compact disc) that contained every version of "St. Thomas" that she could find. Could you image that? 70 minutes of St. Thomas over and over and over and over? There are no shortage of recordings of that track since it has become a jazz standard so she could have done it, but no. No, no, no, no. Not for this guy. Sorry Sonny, but your happy song brings back the blues.

The Saxophone Trio. part one

have bike, will travel

Yesterday we spoke about the trio combination of saxophone, bass and drums. It’s certainly not your most common form of trio, but once you start thinking about it (as I did last night as I sipped a northern IPA) you’ll realize there are no shortage of fantastic examples of the saxophone trio.

I think we should look into this phenomenon over the coming weeks.

There’s a lot to like about a sax trio. Well…if you don’t go for saxophone music in general for some reason, and I know there’s some people so afflicted out there in the world…then move on. You won’t go for a sax trio. For the rest of us, let's break it down.

What I like is that each piece is so integral. This is not a lush quintet with a three piece rhythm section and a couple of horns. No, this is lean. It’s immediate. You need to be one damn fine sax player to make it work and it helps if your two-piece rhythm section is skilled too. You’re going to need everyone at the top of their game to make it work.

Last night’s example was led by Dexter Gordon. I was listening to the album Lullaby for a Monster (SteepleChase, 1981, recorded 1976)

He’s a jazz giant, of course, and there’s a biography of him called The Sophisticated Giant, so I guess he had class as well. Or maybe they’re talking about his playing. Sophisticated could work as an adjective. He was also damned tall, though 6’6” isn’t quite giant. Close enough I guess.

the jazz man and jazz dog

The band on Lullaby for a Monster is:

Dexter Gordon-tenor saxophone

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen-bass

Alex Riel-drums

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen is arguably the best jazz bassist Europe ever produced. I might have simply said ‘best bassist’ and cut the ‘jazz’ qualifier, but John Entwistle’s ghost might haunt me if I didn’t at least acknowledge that he might also be in the runner for the ‘Best of Europe’ crown. 

you'd be happy in this trio too

Pedersen is a great bass player, let’s leave it at that and not get too far off topic. Listening to him and Alex Riel is a delight. Riel sounds so much like the great Elvin Jones that I had to check the liner notes to see if it was indeed Coltrane’s favourite behind the skins. It wasn’t. Riel can hold his own in this illustrious company.

Have a listen to the title track. Oh yeah. You’ve got to love Pedersen and Riel’s groove as we lead in. Enjoy this one. I’ll listen to this as I drive home today. Tonight I’ll choose something else though. A bit of lovely chill after a long week. Are you still coming by at 8:30?