All That Jazz ...

I guess they are releasing the Vinyls in parts. The one LP that has been released is the Copenhagen concert. The Paris Olympia concert is scheduled to be released as a 2 LP set
Absolutely, all the other concerts in the series are to bee released and I had very high hopes with the Stockholme concert, just to be disappointed. Ill try HDtracks, maybe its mastered better than on vinyl.

Cheers,

Saurabh
 
I still think it would be a worthwhile watch ... for any fan of 60's Jazz.
Lot's of interesting information and first hand view point from someone who was right there when it all was happening.

Oh yes, of course I want to watch it. The stories behind the musicians are as interesting as the music itself. This weekend inshallah.
 
I still think it would be a worthwhile watch ... for any fan of 60's Jazz.
Lot's of interesting information and first hand view point from someone who was right there when it all was happening.

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One of the best books I have read on jazz is But Beautiful : A Book About Jazz by Geoff Dyer. It tries to recreate in a rambling, at times stream of conscious kind of narrative the imagined biography of jazz greats like Monk, Mingus, Ben Webster. For example everyone knows how Monk took the hit for Bud Powell when cops discovered the latter's heroin. The story is that Monk was arrested instead of Powell and had his cabaret card confiscated so that he could not perform his jazz publicly. This lead to other consequences that Monk fans know about. This episode is re-imagined in this fashion.
Note the syncopated prose, the brilliant angularity of the images..almost like chops from Monk's piano.
-Cops approach the cats in the car. Monk snatches Powell's heroin and throws it out.
"Monk snatched it from him and sent it butterflying out of the window, landing in a puddle and floating there like a little origami yatch"
The cops approach...
"Monk and Bud sat and watched the red and blue lights from the prowl car helicoptering around them, rain sweating down the white glare of the windshield, the metronome flop of the wipers. Bud rigid, holding himself barbed-wire tight."
Monk is interrogated.
"- What's your name?"
-Monk
-You got ID?
Monk's hand moved towards his pocket-"
The cop sees the ID
"Thelonious Sphere Monk. That you?
-Yeah. The word came clear of his mouth like a tooth.
-Big name.
Rain falling into pools of blood neon"
Cops seize Monk's card, 'toss it like a cigarette into a puddle'.
The episode ends -
"Monk looked down at the rain pattering his photo, a raft in a crimson lake."
Isn't that But Beautiful?
Willim Claxton the renowned jazz photographer once in an interview said, "I was up all night developing when the face appeared in the developing tray. A tough demeanour and a good physique but an angelic face with pale white skin and, the craziest thing, one tooth missing -- he'd been in a fight. I thought, my God, that's Chet Baker’

Such anecdotes abound..
 
Ok I admit, I have been terrible and not followed this thread (busy work, for distraction look at for sale ads and wonder if I need another DAC or an EL84 amp).

However, a casual conversation with O, who visited me laden with gifts like a mid Spring Santa, who found Duke Ellington's recordings not so well recorded prompted me to write about my favourite albums, of a man who lived from 1899-1974, and along with Billy Strayhorn, composed so many pieces that form part of jazz staple.

His old albums have a dated sound, but the later ones from the 50s onwards are great. And what orchestral arrangements - what texture! Offsetting instruments adding to beauty, much like western classical.

The good part about this thread that I am listening to jazz by artist now more carefully. This weekend, I started off with his old recordings (from 1930s-1940s), a collection which has many standards like Mood Indigo, It don't mean a thing, Creole love call, Perdido, Caravan, St Louis Toodle-Oo (for all ye Steely Dan fans), Black and Tan Fantasy, Sophisticated Lady, Solitude etc. Yes old recordings, but set the mood. Its a 3 CD collection.

Then moved right on to Live at Newport (1956), that started his career all over again and made international headlines, including the famous solo by Paul Gonsalves, that went on and on and got the crowd going.


Equally important is the story of the blonde woman (Elaine Anderson) who started dancing and lit up the crowd:

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A must own album with another amazing story...they found that the Gonsalves solo didn't come through. By chance, much later, they found that he was playing into a mike with a Voice of America broadcast, and miraculously, it had been recorded. They spliced, and presto, you have the full album now. So buy the album, and read the notes!

A favourite of mine (frequent listen) is "Such Sweet Thunder" an album based on Shakespeare characters, with superb orchestral colours that became the trademark of Ellington. The song Star Crossed Lovers that features a Gonsalves, and Hodges on saxophones playing Romeo & Juliet, and features so wonderfully in a Murakami novel.. (listen some 22 minutes into the youtube video below). Again, an album worth buying for the liner notes that accompanies it, and how various tunes are inspired.


I also have an LP of Anatomy of a Murder, which I didn't listen to as part of this. I bought that LP more of novelty value, I confess, and listen to it rarely (on the other hand, bits from Death Wish with Hancock I listen more frequently).

As I write this, I am listening to Money Jungle, that features Roach and Mingus. And including a famous clash between musicians that led to Mingus grabbing his bass and walking out (and had to be persuaded by Ellington to return). How free and modern they sound. Here below on Caravan


Another favourite of mine, again this one on LP, is Ellington 66, which features songs by the Beatles (All my loving, I want to hold your hand) and an amazing "Days of Wine and Roses" (full album on youtube). All my Loving below (see how the horns come in chorus roughly 40 seconds in):


This is Part 1 and in Part 2, whenever I get to it, will go into the other albums that I own.
 
Oh gosh, Cecil Taylor dead...Fiftyfity, you bring ill tidings. But 89 is a good age to go (hope Ahmad Jamal lives a lot longer).

I too love the hotter sounding Stockholm concerts of Coltrane-Miles. How differently they approach the music! You can sense that Coltrane wanted to move on!
 
The authentic jazz is too much for me to comprehend, but I do love smooth jazz. Althea Rene, Reza Khan and Ken Navarro are some of my favourites.
 
This is Part 1 and in Part 2, whenever I get to it, will go into the other albums that I own.

Vivek, that was a really interesting Part 1.
I really enjoy all the little details that you add which makes it all the more interesting.

Will be eagerly waiting for Part 2 ... whenever you get to it.

Regards.


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Today I pulled out jazz pianist Jacky Terrason's Smile CD after years of neglect. His music is fairly approachable.

I've been away from the jazz genre for quite some time now as I'm rediscovering my old soul CDs and also actually discovering for the first time the many gospel CDs I bought but never had the time to listen:)
 
Talking of approachable easy going jazz - presenting Eric Alexander and his big tone tenor sax

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Also very enjoyable is his "Gentle Ballads" series which are sometimes just the right music for a nice evening.



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Also very enjoyable is his "Gentle Ballads" series which are sometimes just the right music for a nice evening.

There's a whole bunch of fine American jazz records, mostly sax based, remastered by Venus Record Japan, including Gentle Ballads mentioned above (with their trademark erotic girls covers:)). An old audiophile friend classified them as "breathy sax". For the jazz ballad lover.
 
Personally not too big a fan of the Venus catalogue.... But anything on GRP (records) is awesome (usually)... And of course ECM, most of the catalogue is awesome... some esoteric (though extremely beautiful stuff)!!!
 
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