quarta-feira, 4 de novembro de 2009

Sonny Rollins - with the Modern Jazz Quartet (1953)

Included here are some of Sonny Rollins' earliest sessions as a bandleader. These are among the fresh and vibrant baker's dozen of selections on Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet (1953). The title is a bit misleading though, since the MJQ — with John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), Percy Heath (bass), and Kenny Clarke (drums) — is only accounted for during the first four sides. There is a playful and energetic tone that ricochets from Jackson's fluid vibes, landing firmly in Rollins' musical court. One prime example of this interaction is heard throughout the solos on the opening track, "Stopper." Similarly, "Almost Like Falling in Love" bops, weaves, and swings throughout, with some expressive contributions via Lewis, effectively linking Rollins' and Jackson's solos. "No Moe," which stands as one of the best originals on the disc, also bears their undeniable connection. Another not-to-be-missed reading is the sultry "In a Sentimental Mood." Here, Rollins spirals mature and ethereal lines against Jackson's resonant intonation and shimmer. If just for these tunes, Sonny Rollins With the Modern Jazz Quartet is a vital component in any jazz enthusiasts' collection. The rest of the disc is performed by Rollins and a quartet that also includes the talents of Kenny Drew (piano), the MJQ's Percy Heath (bass), and the main Jazz Messenger, Art Blakey (drums). On the original tune "Scoops," Blakey's hardball antics provide well-placed sonic interjections, punctuating Rollins' highly infectious melodic sense. While on the subject of catchy tunes, all ears should be directed to the biblically derived title "Shadrack," which had been a signature piece for Louis Armstrong. This early incarnation of the Sonny Rollins Quartet has rarely sounded as cohesive, as they collectively percolate with their definitive execution. Of particular note is the inclusion of Miles Davis' "I Know." This extension of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" features Davis on piano accompanying Rollins with solid chord progressions, allowing the burgeoning player to lead his first-ever quartet with Heath and Roy Haynes (drums).
by Lindsay Planer at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Bop

Tracks:
01 The Stopper
02 Almost Like Being in Love
03 No Moe
04 In a Sentimental Mood
05 Scoops
06 With a Song in My Heart
07 Newk's Fadeaway
08 Time on My Hands
09 This Love of Mine
10 Shadrack
11 On a Slow Boat to China
12 Mambo Bounce
13 I Know

Line-up:

Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
John Lewis - piano (tracks 1-4)
Milt Jackson - vibes (tracks 1-4)
Percy Heath - bass
Kenny Clarke - drums (tracks 1-4)
Art Blakey - drums (tracks 5-12)
Miles Davis - piano (track 13)
Roy Haynes - drums (track 13)

sexta-feira, 30 de outubro de 2009

quinta-feira, 15 de outubro de 2009

My One and Only Love

Jean-Luc Ponty - Imaginary Voyage (1976)

As of 1976, Jean-Luc Ponty's variations on the Mahavishnu Orchestra theme were still fresh and imaginative, cast in a distinctively different, more lyrical, more controlled framework. For Imaginary Voyage, Ponty's instrumental lineup is identical to that of Mahavishnu -- electric violin, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums -- but he turns the emphasis on its head, with all commands coming directly from the violin (his) and less competitive crossplay emanating from his colleagues. For starters, "New Country" is a lively jazz-rock hoedown, one of those periodic C&W side trips that some fusioneers attempted for a lark, and "The Gardens of Babylon" is a wonderfully memorable tune, the beginnings of which grow out of "New Country." The last half of the CD is taken up by the title composition, a strong four-part suite that hangs together with barely a sag in interest over its 20-minute span.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:
Fusion
Post-Bop
Crossover Jazz

Tracks:
01 New Country
02 The Gardens of Babylon
03 Wandering on the Milky Way
04 Once upon a Dream
05 Tarantula
06 Imaginary Voyage, Part 1
07 Imaginary Voyage, Part 2
08 Imaginary Voyage, Part 3
09 Imaginary Voyage, Part 4

Line-up:
Jean-Luc Ponty - electric and acoustic violins / organ and background synthesizers
Daryl Struermer - electric and acoustic guitars
Allan Zavod - electric keyboard and acoustic piano
Tom Fowler - electric bass
Mark Craney - percussion

quinta-feira, 1 de outubro de 2009

quinta-feira, 10 de setembro de 2009

Miles Davis - In a Silent Way (1969)

Listening to Miles Davis' originally released version of In a Silent Way in light of the complete sessions released by Sony in 2001 (Columbia Legacy 65362) reveals just how strategic and dramatic a studio construction it was. If one listens to Joe Zawinul's original version of "In a Silent Way," it comes across as almost a folk song with a very pronounced melody. The version Miles Davis and Teo Macero assembled from the recording session in July of 1968 is anything but. There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence. But even these don't begin until almost ten minutes into the piece. It's Miles and McLaughlin, sparely breathing and wending their way through a series of seemingly disconnected phrases until the groove monster kicks in. The solos are extended, digging deep into the heart of the ethereal groove, which was dark, smoky, and ashen. McLaughlin and Hancock are particularly brilliant, but Corea's solo on the Fender Rhodes is one of his most articulate and spiraling on the instrument ever. The A-side of the album, "Shhh/Peaceful," is even more so. With Tony Williams shimmering away on the cymbals in double time, Miles comes out slippery and slowly, playing over the top of the vamp, playing ostinato and moving off into more mysterious territory a moment at a time. With Zawinul's organ in the background offering the occasional swell of darkness and dimension, Miles could continue indefinitely. But McLaughlin is hovering, easing in, moving up against the organ and the trills by Hancock and Corea; Wayne Shorter hesitantly winds in and out of the mix on his soprano, filling space until it's his turn to solo. But John McLaughlin, playing solos and fills throughout (the piece is like one long dreamy solo for the guitarist), is what gives it its open quality, like a piece of music with no borders as he turns in and through the commingling keyboards as Holland paces everything along. When the first round of solos ends, Zawinul and McLaughlin and Williams usher it back in with painterly decoration and illumination from Corea and Hancock. Miles picks up on another riff created by Corea and slips in to bring back the ostinato "theme" of the work. He plays glissando right near the very end, which is the only place where the band swells and the tune moves above a whisper before Zawinul's organ fades it into silence. This disc holds up, and perhaps is even stronger because of the issue of the complete sessions. It is, along with Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew, a signature Miles Davis session from the electric era.
by Thom Jurek at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Fusion
Jazz-Rock
Avant-Garde Jazz

Tracks:
01 Shhh/Peaceful
02 In A Silent Way

Line-up:

Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Chick Corea – electric piano
Herbie Hancock – electric piano
Joe Zawinul – organ
Dave Holland – double bass
Tony Williams – drums

segunda-feira, 7 de setembro de 2009

John Scofield - That's What I Say (2005)

With John Scofield, a big part of the fun is never knowing what the guitarist will do from one album to the next. He might provide an album that is abstract and cerebral, or he might come up with something funky and groove-oriented; That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles is a perfect example of the latter. Featuring well-known guest vocalists who include Dr. John, Mavis Staples (as in the Staple Sisters), Aaron Neville and John Mayer, this tribute to the late Ray Charles is definitely one of Scofield's more commercial projects -- which isn't to say that he shouldn't be proud of the album. Commercialism isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as it is tastefully done, and That's What I Say is a tasteful effort that finds Scofield fluctuating between instrumental soul-jazz and vocal-oriented soul. Produced by drummer Steve Jordan, this 65-minute CD isn't for jazz snobs, but rather, those who hold jazz and R&B in equally high regard -- and people who fit that description will appreciate Scofield's instrumental soul-jazz workouts on "Hit the Road, Jack," "Busted" and "Unchain My Heart," but will be equally receptive to the straight-up R&B singing of Neville on "You Don't Know Me" and Staples on Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" (one of the many country songs that received an R&B makeover from Charles). The disc's only disappointing track is an instrumental version of Buck Owens' "Cryin' Time." Scofield uses the Bakersfield sound honky tonk classic as a brief interlude to "I Can't Stop Loving You," but "Cryin' Time" deserved more of his time than a minute and a half -- and it's regrettable that Scofield doesn't stretch out on the Owens gem. But overall, That's What I Say is a creative success for Scofield and the R&B and jazz artists who join him.
by Alex Henderson at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Contemporary Jazz
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 Busted
02 What'd I Say
03 Sticks and Stones
04 I Don't Need No Doctor
05 Cryin' Time
06 I Can't Stop Loving You
07 Hit the Road Jack
08 Talkin' Bout You/I Got a Woman
09 Unchain My Heart, Pt. 1
10 Let's Go Get Stoned
11 Night Time Is the Right Time
12 You Don't Know Me
13 Georgia on My Mind


Line-up:

John Scofield - guitar
Larry Goldings - piano / hammond B3 organ / wurlitzer / vibes
Willie Weeks - bass & ampeg baby bass
Steve Jordan - drums / cocktail drums / tambourine / background vocals

Guests:
Warren Haynes - vocals (tracks 2 & 11) / bottleneck guitar (track 11)
John Mayer - vocals (tracks 2 & 4) / guitars (track 4)
Aaron Neville - vocals (tracks 2 & 12)
David "Fathead" Newman - tenor saxophone (tracks 2 & 7)
Dr. John - vocals (tracks 2 & 8) / piano (track 8)
Mavis Staples - vocals (tracks 2 & 6)
Manolo Badrena - percussion / spanish speaking
Lisa Fischer - background vocals
Vaneese Thomas - background vocals
Meegan Voss - background vocals
Alex Foster - tenor saxophone
Earl Gardner - trumpet
Howard Johnson -baritone saxophone
Keith O'Quinn - trombone

terça-feira, 25 de agosto de 2009

Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)

This is the album that made John McLaughlin a semi-household name, a furious, high-energy, yet rigorously conceived meeting of virtuosos that, for all intents and purposes, defined the fusion of jazz and rock a year after Miles Davis' Bitches Brew breakthrough. It also inadvertently led to the derogatory connotation of the word fusion, for it paved the way for an army of imitators, many of whose excesses and commercial panderings devalued the entire movement. Though much was made of the influence of jazz-influenced improvisation in the Mahavishnu band, it is the rock element that predominates, stemming directly from the electronic innovations of Jimi Hendrix. The improvisations, particularly McLaughlin's post-Hendrix machine-gun assaults on double-necked electric guitar and Jerry Goodman's flights on electric violin, owe more to the freakouts that had been circulating in progressive rock circles than to jazz, based as they often are on ostinatos on one chord. These still sound genuinely thrilling today on CD, as McLaughlin and Goodman battle Jan Hammer's keyboards, Rick Laird's bass, and especially Billy Cobham's hard-charging drums, whose jazz-trained technique pushed the envelope for all rock drummers. What doesn't date so well are the composed medium- and high-velocity unison passages that are played in such tight lockstep that they can't breathe. There is also time out for quieter, reflective numbers that are drenched in studied spirituality ("A Lotus on Irish Streams") or irony ("You Know You Know"); McLaughlin was to do better in that department with less-driven colleagues elsewhere in his career. Aimed with absolute precision at young rock fans, this record was wildly popular in its day, and it may have been the cause of more blown-out home amplifiers than any other record this side of Deep Purple.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Jazz-Rock
Fusion

Tracks:
01 Meeting of the Spirits
02 Dawn
03 The Noonward Race
04 A Lotus on Irish Streams
05 Vital Transformation
06 The Dance of Maya
07 You Know You Know
08 Awakening


Line-up:

John McLaughlin - guitar
Rick Laird - bass
Billy Cobham - drums / percussion
Jan Hammer - keyboards / organ
Jerry Goodman - violin

segunda-feira, 17 de agosto de 2009

Mahavishnu Orchestra at Syracuse University (1972)




Tracks:
01 Meeting of the Spirits
02 The Dance of Maya
03 Dawn

Line-up:
John McLaughlin - guitars
Billy Cobham - drums
Rick Laird - bass
Jan Hammer - electric piano / organ
Jerry Goodman - violin

terça-feira, 11 de agosto de 2009

Weather Report - Mysterious Traveller (1974)

Weather Report's fourth recording finds Wayne Shorter (on soprano and tenor) taking a lesser role as Joe Zawinul begins to really dominate the group's sound. Most selections also include bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ishmael Wilburn although the personnel shifts from track to track. "Nubian Sundance" adds several vocalists while "Blackthorn Rose" is a Shorter-Zawinul duet. Overall the music is pretty stimulating and sometimes adventurous; high-quality fusion from 1974.
by Scott Yanow at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Fusion

Tracks:
01 Nubian Sundance
02 American Tango
03 Cucumber Slumber
04 Mysterious Traveller
05 Blackthorn Rose
06 Scarlet Woman
07 Jungle Book


Line-up:

Joe Zawinul - acoustic and electric piano / synthesizer / guitar / kalimba / organ / tamboura / clay drum / tack piano / melodica
Wayne Shorter - soprano and tenor saxophone / tack piano
Alphonso Johnson - bass
Ishmael Wilburn - drums
Skip Hadden - drums (tracks 1 and 4 only)
Dom Um Romão - percussion / drums

Guests:
Miroslav Vitous - bass (track 2)
Ray Barretto - percussion (track 3)
Meruga - percussion (track 1)
Steve Little - timpani (track 6)
Don Ashworth - ocarinas and woodwinds (track 7)
Isacoff - tabla / finger cymbals (track 7)
Edna Wright - vocalists (track 1)
Marti McCall - vocalists (track 1)
Jessica Smith - vocalists (track 1)
James Gilstrad - vocalists (track 1)
Billie Barnum - vocalists (track 1)

segunda-feira, 10 de agosto de 2009

Herbie Hancock - Flood (1975)

Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters take to the road in the live double album Flood, recorded and released only in Japan. Contrary to the impression left by his American releases at this time, Hancock was still very much attached to the acoustic piano, as his erudite opening workout on "Maiden Voyage/Actual Proof" with his funk rhythm section makes clear. The electric keyboards, mostly Rhodes piano and clavinet, make their first appearances on side two, where Hancock now becomes more of a funky adjunct to the rhythm section, bumping along with a superb feeling for the groove while Bennie Maupin takes the high road above on a panoply of winds. Except for "Voyage," the tunes come from the Head Hunters, Thrust, and Man-Child albums (another reason why this was not released in the U.S.). "Chameleon" comes with a lengthy outbreak of machine pink noise that attests to Hancock's wide-eyed love of gadgetry. In all, this was a great funk band, not all that danceable because of the rapid complexities of Mike Clark's drumming, and quite often, full of harmonic depth and adventure.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Jazz-Funk
Funk
Fusion
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 Introduction/Mayden Voyage
02 Actual Proof
03 Spank-A-Lee
04 Watermelon Man
05 Butterfly
06 Chameleon
07 Hang up Your Hangs Ups


Line-up:

Mike Clark – drums
Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano / fender rhodes / clavinet / arp odyssey / arp soloist / arp string ensemble
Paul Jackson – fender bass
Bennie Maupin – soprano and tenor saxophone / saxello / bass clarinet / flute / percussion
Dewayne McKnight – guitar
Bill Summers – congas / percussion

sexta-feira, 7 de agosto de 2009

Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles (1964)

My Point of View and Inventions and Dimensions found Herbie Hancock exploring the fringes of hard bop, working with a big band and a Latin-flavored percussion section, respectively. On Empyrean Isles, he returns to hard bop, but the results are anything but conventional. Working with cornetist Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams -- a trio just as young and adventurous as he was -- Hancock pushes at the borders of hard bop, finding a brilliantly evocative balance between traditional bop, soul-injected grooves, and experimental, post-modal jazz. Hancock's four original concepts are loosely based on the myths of the Empyrean Isles, and they are designed to push the limits of the band and of hard bop. Even "Cantaloupe Island," well-known for its funky piano riff, takes chances and doesn't just ride the groove. "The Egg," with its minimal melody and extended solo improvisations, is the riskiest number on the record, but it works because each musician spins inventive, challenging solos that defy convention. In comparison, "One Finger Snap" and "Oliloqui Valley" (alternate takes of both tracks are included as bonuses on the CD reissue) adhere to hard bop conventions, but each song finds the quartet vigorously searching for new sonic territory with convincing fire. That passion informs all of Empyrean Isles, a record that officially established Hancock as a major artist in his own right.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Modal Music
Hard Bop

Tracks:
01 One Finger Snap
02 Oliloqui Valley
03 Cantaloupe Island
04 The Egg
05 One Finger Snap (alternate take)
06 Oliloqui Valley (alternate take)


Line-up:

Herbie Hancock - piano
Freddie Hubbard - cornet / flugelhorn
Ron Carter - bass
Tony Williams - drums

segunda-feira, 3 de agosto de 2009

Weather Report - Sweetnighter (1973)

Right from the start, a vastly different Weather Report emerges here, one that reflects co-leader Joe Zawinul's developing obsession with the groove. It is the groove that rules this mesmerizing album, leading off with the irresistible 3/4 marathon deceptively tagged as the "Boogie Woogie Waltz" and proceeding through a variety of Latin-grounded hip-shakers. It is a record of discovery for Zawinul, who augments his Rhodes electric piano with a funky wah-wah pedal, unveils the ARP synthesizer as a melodic instrument and sound-effects device, and often coasts along on one chord. The once fiery Wayne Shorter has been tamed, for he now contributes mostly sustained ethereal tunes on soprano sax, his tone sometimes doubled for a pleasing octave effect. The wane of freewheeling ensemble interplay is more than offset by the big increase in rhythmic push; bassist Miroslav Vitous, drummer Eric Gravatt, and percussionist Dom Um Romao are now cogs in one of jazz's great swinging machines.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Fusion

Tracks:
01 Boogie Woogie Waltz
02 Manolete
03 Adios
04 125th Street Congress
05 Will
06 Non-Stop Home


Line-up:

Joe Zawinul - acoustic and electric piano / synthesizer
Wayne Shorter - soprano and tenor saxophone
Miroslav Vitous - acoustic and electric bass
Eric Gravátt - drums (tracks 2, 4 and 6)
Dom Um Romão - percussion

With:
Muruga Booker - percussion
Andrew White - electric bass (tracks 1, 4 and 6), English horn (tracks 3 and 5)
Herschel Dwellingham - drums (tracks 1, 2, 3 and 6)

domingo, 2 de agosto de 2009

Weather Report - I Sing The Body Electric (1972)

Like the weather itself, this band would assume a new shape with virtually every release -- and this album, half recorded in the studio and half live in Tokyo, set the pattern of change. Exit Airto Moreira and Alphonse Mouzon; enter percussionist Dom Um Romao, drummer Eric Gravatt, and a slew of cameo guests like guitarist Ralph Towner, flutist Hubert Laws, and others. The studio tracks are more biting, more ethnically diverse in influence, and more laden with electronic effects and grandiose structural complexities than before. The live material (heard in full on the import Live in Tokyo) is even fiercer and showcases for the first time some of the tremendous drive WR was capable of, though it doesn't give you much of an idea of its stream of consciousness nature.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Fusion

Tracks:
01 Unknown Soldier
02 The Moors
03 Crystal
04 Second Sunday in August
05 Medley: T.H./Dr. Honoris Causa
06 Surucucú
07 Directions


Line-up:

Joe Zawinul - acoustic and electric keyboard
Wayne Shorter - reeds
Miroslav Vitous - bass
Eric Gravátt - drums
Dom Um Romão - percussion

Guests:
Andrew White - english horn
Hubert Laws, Jr. - flute
Wilmer Wise - d and piccolo trumpet
Yolanda Bavan - singer
Joshie Armstrong - singer
Chapman Roberts - singer
Ralph Towner - 12 strings guitar

sábado, 1 de agosto de 2009

John Coltrane Quartet with Eric Dolphy (1961)



Tracks:
01 Every Time We Say Goodbye
02 Impressions (with Eric Dolphy)
03 My Favorite Things (with Eric Dolphy)

Line-up:
John Coltrane - soprano and tenor saxophone
Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone / flute
McCoy Tyner - piano
Elvin Jones - drums
Steve Davis - bass

Miles Davis at Isle of Wight - Call It Anything (1970)





sexta-feira, 31 de julho de 2009

Weather Report - Weather Report (1971)

Here we have the free-floating, abstract beginnings of Weather Report, which would define the state of the electronic jazz/rock art from its first note almost to its last. Their first album is a direct extension of the Miles Davis In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew period, more fluid in sound and more volatile in interplay. Joe Zawinul ruminates in a delicate, liquid manner on Rhodes electric piano; at this early stage, he used a ring modulator to create weird synthesizer-like effects. Wayne Shorter's soprano sax shines like a beacon amidst the swirling ensemble work of co-founding bassist Miroslav Vitous, percussionist Airto Moreira, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Zawinul's most memorable theme is "Orange Lady" (previously recorded, though uncredited, by Davis on Big Fun), while Shorter scores on "Tears" and "Eurydice." One of the most impressive debuts of all time by a jazz group.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Fusion

Tracks:
01 Milky Way
02 Umbrellas
03 Seventh Arrow
04 Orange Lady
05 Morning Lake
06 Waterfall
07 Tears
08 Eurydice


Line-up:

Joe Zawinul - electric piano / keyboards
Wayne Shorter - soprano saxophone
Miroslav Vitous - bass / electric bass
Alphonse Mouzon - drums
Airto Moreira - percussion

quinta-feira, 30 de julho de 2009

quarta-feira, 29 de julho de 2009

Caravan

Miles Davis - Milestones (1958)

What is immediately noticeable upon listening to this delicately and superbly remastered version of Miles Davis classic first -- and only -- album with his original sextet is how deep the blues presence is on it. Though it is true that the album's title cut is rightfully credited with introducing modalism into jazz, and defining Davis' music for years to come, it is the sole selection of its kind on the record. The rest is all blues in any flavor you wish you call your own. For starters, there's the steaming bebop blues of "Dr. Jackie" -- recorded in 1955 for a Prestige session with Jackie McLean. Davis is still in his role as a trumpet master, showing a muscularity of tone that reveals something more akin to Roy Eldridge or Louis Armstrong than Dizzy or Fats Navarro. The tempo is furious as all the members of the sextet solo except for Jones. The saxophonists trade choruses and come off sounding like mirrored images of one another in the slower, post-bop blues that is "Sid's Ahead." With a slippery melody line that quotes two harmonic lines from early New Orleans-styled blues, Davis drives the band into the rhythm section's garage. It's Cannonball first with his stuttered, angular lines, hiccuping halfway through the interval before continuing on with a squeak here and the slightest squawk there. Next up is Davis, blowing fluid and straightened lines, ribbons through the rhythm section's center as Red Garland lays out and leaves it to Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones to provide the earnest, time-keeping 4/4 that Davis sidles to in the tune. When Coltrane solos, all best are off as he plays as pure a blues as he was capable at the time. Nonetheless, there are the long lines of slurred notes, smattered against Garland's harmonies and he slips into quoting "Skip to my Lou" before knotting it back down to the basics and even then not for long. Coltrane was already exploring the edges of mode and harmony; he used an intervallic invention in the choruses to juxtapose his solo against the rhythm section and it worked -- but it must have made Davis raise an eyebrow. Chambers' solo is as tasteful and as breezy and free as only he could be. His contrapuntal soloing rides the rhythm out, Garland striding along quietly until the tune returns.

"Sid's Ahead" is followed by the track "Two Bass Hit," written by Dizzy and John Lewis. It's an off-kilter blues with a wide middle section, no doubt for Lewis' piano to fill. It's a wonderful ensemble showcase but Davis blows his ass off in his solo, riding through the two saxophonists and challenging them at the same time. But then comes "Milestones" with its modal round and interval, where harmony is constructed from the center up. It is a memorable tune for not only its structure and how it would inform not only Davis' own music, but jazz in general for the next seven years. It would also change John Coltrane's life. The exploratory style of soloing was already revealing itself in Trane's playing, but he loosens it up even more here. More importantly, this is the first place we get to see it in Davis, where there is no goal at the end of the rainbow, there is merely the solo itself in the heart of the mode. The alternate take of this tune, which is featured at the end of the album, tagged on with two others of "Two Bass Hit" and "Straight, No Chaser," has an even longer and weirder solo by Davis where he plays notes he probably never played again. The album's closer is Monk's "Straight, No Chaser," which became a signature tune for the sextet even when Garland and Jones left to be replaced by Bill Evans and Jimmy Cobb and later Evans by Wynton Kelly. Like "My Funny Valentine," it was a Davis staple that accented how intuitive the band was with unusual harmonic structures like Monk's. The Adderley solo is remarkable for its fluid, bebop-style runs over Garland's extended chords and flatted sevenths. Cannonball quotes the melody in a myriad of ways and goes off the deep end each time he does, taking the new rendition to its limit, always returning it to the blues root. Davis plays it cool, slithering around the rhythm section staying firmly in blues phraseology, even quoting a reverse harmonic melodic read of "When the Saints Go Marching In," bringing it in and out three times while pushing the blues line to its edge. Coltrane's solo is all over the place, slurring notes as he plays weird scales all over the blues and triple times the rhythm section. But he knows the tune better than anyone here -- he spent six months with Monk just previous to this playing it every night. Coltrane knows how much he can stretch the intervals without breaking apart the body. He inserts his own modal interpretation on the blues halfway through his solo before slipping into the straight, swinging groove of his Blue Train album, finished only two months before. Garland, oddly enough, is the one to travel the furthest from Monk here, coming off with a Bud Powell-esque blues muscle that shifts the entire tune into a straight bebop blues before sifting in a few Errol Garland quotes as the bass solos and then the front line comes in to take it out. The alternate take is even stranger as Garland falters in his time not once but twice and has to find his way back in.

Legacy has done it proud on this series of reissues, as the sound is as fine as technology can currently make it, the notes are terrific, and the alternate takes offer additional delights to fans of the original recordings. They should also be commended for leaving them at the bottom of the album instead of placing them in with the original album's sequence, a practice that though widely used is distracting nonetheless. This is a fine issue of a classic, and treated like the piece of art it is.
by Thom Jurek at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Post-Bop
Hard Bop
Modal Music
Bop

Tracks:
01 Dr. Jackle
02 Sid's Ahead
03 Two Bass Hit
04 Milestones
05 Billy Boy
06 Straight, No Chaser
07 Two Bass Hit (alternate take)
08 Milestones (alternate take)
09 Straight, No Chaser (alternate take)


Line-up:

Miles Davis - trumpet
John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone
Paul Chambers - bass
Red Garland - piano
Philly Joe Jones - drums

sexta-feira, 24 de julho de 2009

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1969)

Thought by many to be the most revolutionary album in jazz history, having virtually created the genre known as jazz-rock fusion (for better or worse) and being the jazz album to most influence rock and funk musicians, Bitches Brew is, by its very nature, mercurial. The original double LP included only six cuts and featured up to 12 musicians at any given time, most of whom would go on to be high-level players in their own right: Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Airto, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Don Alias, Benny Maupin, Larry Young, Lenny White, and others. Originally thought to be a series of long jams locked into grooves around one or two keyboard, bass, or guitar figures, Bitches Brew is anything but. Producer Teo Macero had as much to do with the end product on Bitches Brew as Davis. Macero and Davis assembled, from splice to splice, section to section, much of the music recorded over three days in August 1969. First, there's the slow, modal, opening grooves of "Pharaoh's Dance," with its slippery trumpet lines to McLaughlin's snaky guitar figures skirting the edge of the rhythm section and Don Alias' conga slipping through the middle. The keyboards of Corea and Zawinul create a haunting, riffing groove echoed and accented by the two basses of Harvey Brooks and Dave Holland. The title cut was originally composed as a five-part suite, though only three were used. Here the keyboards punch through the mix, big chords and distorted harmonics ring up a racket for Davis to solo over rhythmically outside the mode. McLaughlin is comping on fat chords, creating the groove, and the bass and drums carry the rest for a small taste of deep-voodoo funk. Side three opens with McLaughlin and Davis trading funky fours and eights over the lock-step groove of hypnotic proportion that is "Spanish Key." Zawinul's trademark melodic sensibility provides a kind of chorus for Corea to flat around, and the congas and drummers working in complement against the basslines. This nearly segues into the four-and-a-half minute "John McLaughlin," with its signature organ mode and arpeggiated blues guitar runs. The end of Bitches Brew, signified by the stellar "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down," echoes the influence of Jimi Hendrix; with its chuck-and-slip chords and lead figures and Davis playing a ghostly melody through the shimmering funkiness of the rhythm section, it literally dances and becomes increasingly more chaotic until about nine minutes in, where it falls apart. Yet one doesn't know it until near the end, when it simmers down into smoke-and-ice fog once more. The disc closes with "Sanctuary," a previously recorded Davis tune that is completely redone here as an electric moody ballad reworked for this band, but keeping enough of its modal integrity to be outside the rest of Bitches Brew's retinue. The CD reissue adds "Feio," a track recorded early in 1970 with the same band. Unreleased — except on the box set of the complete sessions — "Feio" has more in common with the exploratory music of the previous August than with later, more structured Davis music in the jazz-rock vein. A three-note bass vamp centers the entire thing as three different modes entwine one another, seeking a groove to bolt onto. It never finds it, but becomes its own nocturnal beast, offering ethereal dark tones and textures to slide the album out the door on. Thus Bitches Brew retains its freshness and mystery long after its original issue.
by Thom Jurek at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Avant-Garde
Fusion
Jazz-Rock

Tracks:
CD 1
01 Pharoah's Dance
02 Bitches Brew
CD 2
01 Spanish Key
02 John McLaughlin
03 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
04 Sanctuary

Line-up:

Miles Davis - trumpet
Wayne Shorter - soprano saxophone
Bennie Maupin - bass clarinet
Joe Zawinul - electric piano
Chick Corea - electric piano
Larry Young - electric piano
John McLaughlin - electric guitar
Dave Holland - bass
Harvey Brooks - electric bass
Lenny White - drums
Jack DeJohnette - drums
Billy Cobham - drums
Don Alias - congas / drums
Jim Riley - shaker / congas
Airto Moreira - percussion / cuica

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1959)

History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated. Giant Steps bore the double-edged sword of furthering the cause of the music as well as delivering it to an increasingly mainstream audience. Although this was John Coltrane's debut for Atlantic, he was concurrently performing and recording with Miles Davis. Within the space of less than three weeks, Coltrane would complete his work with Davis and company on another genre-defining disc, Kind of Blue, before commencing his efforts on this one. Coltrane (tenor sax) is flanked by essentially two different trios. Recording commenced in early May of 1959 with a pair of sessions that featured Tommy Flanagan (piano) and Art Taylor (drums), as well as Paul Chambers -- who was the only band member other than Coltrane to have performed on every date. When recording resumed in December of that year, Wynton Kelly (piano) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) were instated -- replicating the lineup featured on Kind of Blue, sans Miles Davis of course. At the heart of these recordings, however, is the laser-beam focus of Coltrane's tenor solos. All seven pieces issued on the original Giant Steps are likewise Coltrane compositions. He was, in essence, beginning to rewrite the jazz canon with material that would be centered on solos -- the 180-degree antithesis of the art form up to that point. These arrangements would create a place for the solo to become infinitely more compelling. This would culminate in a frenetic performance style that noted jazz journalist Ira Gitler accurately dubbed "sheets of sound." Coltrane's polytonal torrents extricate the amicable and otherwise cordial solos that had begun decaying the very exigency of the genre -- turning it into the equivalent of easy listening. He wastes no time as the disc's title track immediately indicates a progression from which there would be no looking back. Line upon line of highly cerebral improvisation snake between the melody and solos, practically fusing the two. The resolute intensity of "Countdown" does more to modernize jazz in 141 seconds than many artists do in their entire careers. Tellingly, the contrasting and ultimately pastoral "Naima" was the last tune to be recorded, and is the only track on the original long-player to feature the Kind of Blue quartet. What is lost in tempo is more than recouped in intrinsic melodic beauty. Both Giant Steps [Deluxe Edition] and the seven-disc Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings offer more comprehensive presentations of these sessions.
by Lindsay Planer at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Hard Bop

Tracks:

01 Giant Steps
02 Cousin Mary
03 Countdown
04 Spiral
05 Syeeda's Song Flute
06 Naima
07 Mr. P.C.
08 Giant Steps (alternate take)
09 Naima (alternate take)
10 Cousin Mary (alternate take)
11 Countdown (alternate take)
12 Syeeda's Song Flute (alternate take)

Line-up:

John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Paul Chambers - bass
Jimmy Cobb - drums
Lex Humphries - drums
Art Taylor - drums
Tommy Flanagan - piano
Wynton Kelly - piano
Cedar Walton - piano

terça-feira, 21 de julho de 2009

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (1958)

It isn't too difficult to understand why MFSL considered this album to be a worthy candidate for an Ultradisc reissue -- aside from Cannonball Adderley, you have a lineup that includes Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey. This is a group that could take on a Barry Manilow number and turn it into a jazz masterpiece. MFSL have done the purchaser a favor, too, by including an additional track that was left off the original album. This sixth track, ""Alison's Uncle,"" closes out Somethin' Else on a high note, changing the flow of energy in an interesting way (purists can still finish up on a quieter note, as with the original, by programming ""Dancing in the Dark"" as the final track). In many ways it's a surprise that this track was left off originally -- it's an excellent piece, with Adderley and Davis trading licks and solos while Jones and Blakey keep pace. Blakey also takes some terrific solos. The remastering job is the usual superb MFSL effort, producing clear sound with almost no background noise. Due to the original recording (made in 1958), Davis' trumpet sometimes seems a little shrill and metallic, but it's not an overwhelming problem -- certainly not when you consider Davis' style. Altogether, an excellent addition to any jazz collection.
by Steven McDonald at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Hard Bop

Tracks:

01 Autumn Leaves
02 Love for Sale
03 Somethin' Else
04 One for Daddy-O
05 Dancing in the Dark
06 Alison's Uncle

Line-up:

Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone
Miles Davis - trumpet
Art Blakey - drums
Hank Jones - piano
Sam Jones - bass

John Coltrane - Blue Train (1957)

Although never formally signed, an oral agreement between John Coltrane and Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion was indeed honored on Blue Train -- Coltrane's only collection of sides as a principal artist for the venerable label. The disc is packed solid with sonic evidence of Coltrane's innate leadership abilities. He not only addresses the tunes at hand, but also simultaneously reinvents himself as a multifaceted interpreter of both hard bop as well as sensitive balladry -- touching upon all forms in between. The personnel on Blue Train is arguably as impressive as what they're playing. Joining Coltrane (tenor sax) are Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Kenny Drew (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). The triple horn arrangements incorporate an additional sonic density that remains a trademark unique to both this band and album. Of particular note is Fuller's even-toned trombone, which bops throughout the title track as well as the frenetic "Moments Notice." Other solos include Paul Chambers' subtly understated riffs on "Blue Train" as well as the high energy and impact from contributions by Lee Morgan and Kenny Drew during "Locomotion." The track likewise features some brief but vital contributions from Philly Joe Jones -- whose efforts throughout the record stand among his personal best. Of the five sides that comprise the original Blue Train, the Jerome Kern/Johnny Mercer ballad "I'm Old Fashioned" is the only standard; in terms of unadulterated sentiment, this version is arguably untouchable. Fuller's rich tones and Drew's tastefully executed solos cleanly wrap around Jones' steadily languid rhythms. Without reservation, Blue Train can easily be considered in and among the most important and influential entries not only of John Coltrane's career, but of the entire genre of jazz music as well. [In the spring of 1997, The Ultimate Blue Train CD was released, boasting 20-bit remastered audio as well as one alternate take of both "Blue Train" and "Lazy Bird." Additionally, the disc includes "At Least Listen" -- an interactive CD-ROM program featuring video clips and interview clips with Fuller circa 1995, as well as many brilliant photographs taken during the recording sessions.]
by Lindsay Planer at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Hard Bop

Tracks:

01 Blue Train
02 Moment's Notice
03 Locomotion
04 I'm Old Fashioned
05 Lazy Bird

Line-up:

John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Lee Morgan - trumpet
Curtis Fuller - trombone
Paul Chambers - bass
Kenny Drew - piano
Philly Joe Jones - drums

domingo, 19 de julho de 2009

Paul Desmond - Skylark (1973)

Moving over to the CTI label with Creed Taylor, Paul Desmond injects a bit of the 1970s into his sound, obtaining agreeable if not totally simpatico results. Here, the cool altoist is teamed with the progressive-slanted drumming of Jack DeJohnette (who might have been too busy a drummer for his taste), and Bob James' electric and acoustic pianos, with Ron Carter as the bass anchor, Gene Bertoncini on rhythm guitar, and, most interestingly, another individualist, Gabor Szabo, on solo electric guitar. For the first and only time, even taking into account the most inspired moments of Jim Hall, Desmond is not the most interesting soloist on his own record, for it is Szabo who most consistently draws you in with his mesmerizing incantations over vamps from the rhythm section. For those who missed it the first time, Desmond remakes "Take Ten" -- without the Middle Eastern elements -- "Romance de Amor" is eventually dominated by Szabo, and the inclusion of "Was a Sunny Day" proves that Desmond's involvement with the music of Paul Simon in 1970 was not a passing infatuation. Don Sebesky is credited with the "arrangements" but his orchestrating hand is not felt except for a single solo cello (George Ricci) in an adaptation of Purcell ("Music for a While"). It's a cautious change of pace for Desmond, although the fiercer context into which he was placed doesn't really fire his imagination.
by Richard S. Ginell at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Cool
Easy Pop
Ballads
Bossa Nova

Tracks:

01 Take Ten
02 Romance de Amor
03 Was a Sunny Day
04 Music for a While
05 Skylark
06 Indian Summer

Line-up:

Paul Desmond - alto saxophone
Gabor Szabo - guitar (soloist)
Gene Bertoncini - guitar
Ron Carter - bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums
Bob James - piano / electric piano
Hilary James - piano / electric piano
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
George Ricci - cello

quinta-feira, 16 de julho de 2009

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (1959)

Dave Brubeck's defining masterpiece, Time Out is one of the most rhythmically innovative albums in jazz history, the first to consciously explore time signatures outside of the standard 4/4 beat or 3/4 waltz time. It was a risky move -- Brubeck's record company wasn't keen on releasing such an arty project, and many critics initially roasted him for tampering with jazz's rhythmic foundation. But for once, public taste was more advanced than that of the critics. Buoyed by a hit single in altoist Paul Desmond's ubiquitous "Take Five," Time Out became an unexpectedly huge success, and still ranks as one of the most popular jazz albums ever. That's a testament to Brubeck and Desmond's abilities as composers, because Time Out is full of challenges both subtle and overt -- it's just that they're not jarring. Brubeck's classic "Blue Rondo à la Turk" blends jazz with classical form and Turkish folk rhythms, while "Take Five," despite its overexposure, really is a masterpiece; listen to how well Desmond's solo phrasing fits the 5/4 meter, and how much Joe Morello's drum solo bends time without getting lost. The other selections are richly melodic as well, and even when the meters are even, the group sets up shifting polyrhythmic counterpoints that nod to African and Eastern musics. Some have come to disdain Time Out as it's become increasingly synonymous with upscale coffeehouse ambience, but as someone once said of Shakespeare, it's really very good in spite of the people who like it. It doesn't just sound sophisticated -- it really is sophisticated music, which lends itself to cerebral appreciation, yet never stops swinging. Countless other musicians built on its pioneering experiments, yet it's amazingly accessible for all its advanced thinking, a rare feat in any art form. This belongs in even the most rudimentary
by Steve Huey at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Cool
West Coast Jazz

Tracks:

01 Blue Rondo à la Turk
02 Strange Meadow Lark
03 Take Five
04 Three to get Ready
05 Kathy's Waltz
06 Everybody's Jumpin'
07 Pick Up Sticks

Line-up:

Dave Brubeck - piano,
Paul Desmond - alto saxophone
Joe Morello - drums
Eugene Wright - bass

Donald Byrd - Stepping into Tomorrow (1974)

Beginning with a crack of thunder, like it was made to trail Gary Bartz's "Mother Nature" (actually recorded at a slightly later date), Stepping into Tomorrow contains almost all of the Mizell trademarks within its title track's first 30 seconds: a soft and easy (yet still funky) electric-bass-and-drums foundation, silken rhythm guitar, organ and piano gently bouncing off one another, light synthesizer shading, and coed group vocals to ensure true liftoff. It's only one in a line of many magnetic '70s sessions led by Fonce and Larry Mizell, and it differs from their two previous Donald Byrd dates -- the polarizing and groundbreaking Black Byrd and the deceptively excellent Street Lady -- by not featuring any of Roger Glenn's flute, and by focusing on heavily melodic and laid-back arrangements. Even the speedy "You Are the World," by some distance the most energetic song, seems more suited for relaxing in a hammock than shooting down a freeway. Many of the musicians present on the previous Byrd-Mizell meetings are here, including drummer Harvey Mason, bassist Chuck Rainey, keyboardist Jerry Peters, and guitarist David T. Walker. As ever, those who pined for the approach of Byrd's '60s dates would tune out a sublime set of material, but maybe some of those who sniffed at the straightforward nature of some of the rhythms and riffing were won over by the supreme layering of the many components (the way in which "Think Twice" lurches forward, peels back, and gathers steam is nothing short of heavenly), not to mention some deeply evocative playing from Byrd himself.
by Andy Kellman at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Funk
Crossover Jazz

Tracks:

01 Stepping into Tomorrow
02 Design a Nation
03 We're Together
04 Think Twice
05 Makin'it
06 Rock & Roll Again
07 You Are the World
08 I Love the Girl

Line-up:

Donald Byrd - trumpet / flugelhorn / vocals
Gary Bartz - clarinet / alto and soprano saxophone
Mayuto Correa - conga
Harvey Mason - drums
Fonce Mizell - clarinet / trumpet / vocals (background)
Larry Mizell - synthesizer / Fender Rhodes / vocals (background)
Jerry Peters - organ / piano
Chuck Rainey - bass
John Rowin - guitar
Roger Sainte - percussion
Stephanie Spruill - percussion / vocals (background)
David T. Walker - guitar
James Carter - whistle (human)
Freddie Perren - vocals (background)
Margie Evans - vocals (backgroud)
Kay Haith - vocals (backgroud)

quarta-feira, 15 de julho de 2009

Miles Davis - Ascenseur Pour l'Échafaud (1958)

Jazz and film noir are perfect bedfellows, as evidenced by the soundtrack of Louis Malle's Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold). This dark and seductive tale is wonderfully accentuated by the late-'50s cool or bop music of Miles Davis, played with French jazzmen -- bassist Pierre Michelot, pianist René Urtreger, and tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen -- and American expatriate drummer Kenny Clarke. These complete recordings, including multiple alternate takes, evoke the sensual nature of a mysterious chanteuse and the contrasting scurrying rat race lifestyle of the times, when the popularity of the automobile, cigarettes, and the late-night bar scene were central figures. Davis had seen a screening of the movie prior to his making of this music, and knew exactly how to portray the smoky hazed or frantic scenes though sonic imagery, dictated by the trumpeter mainly in D-minor and C-seventh chords. Michelot is as important a figure as the trumpeter because he sets the tone, whether on four takes of the ballad/blues "Nuit sur les Champs-Élysées," the last version a bit more swinging than the others; his probing one-note sound with the whispering horn of Davis during "Assassinat" and "Final"; and especially on his solo tracks, the slow walking "Ascenseur" (aka "Evasion de Julien") and the stalking "Visite du Vigile." While the mood of the soundtrack is generally dour and somber, the group collectively picks up the pace exponentially on the hard-swinging and freewheeling "Motel," the hotter "Sequence Voiture," and "Diner au Motel." These selections with the entire quintet featuring Wilen effectively realize chase scenes or mind gears crazily turning. At times the distinctive Davis trumpet style is echoed into dire straits or death wish motifs, as on "Generique" or "L'Assassinat de Carala," respectively, but the band can get kinda blue on takes of "Le Petit Bal," with Davis and Wilen more unified up front. Clarke is his usual marvelous self, and listeners should pay close attention to the able Urtreger, by no means a virtuoso but a capable and flexible accompanist. This recording can stand proudly alongside Duke Ellington's music from Anatomy of a Murder and the soundtrack of Play Misty for Me as great achievements of artistic excellence in fusing dramatic scenes with equally compelling modern jazz music.
by Michael G. Nastos at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Hard Bop

Tracks:

01 Nuit sur les Champs-Élysées (Take 1)
02 Nuit sur les Champs-Élysées (Take 2)
03 Nuit sur les Champs-Élysées (Take 3)
04 Nuit sur les Champs-Élysées (Take 4)
05 Assassinat (Take 1)
06 Assassinat (Take 2)
07 Assassinat (Take 3)
08 Motel
09 Final (Take 1)
10 Final (Take 2)
11 Final (Take 3)
12 Ascenseur
13 Le Petit Bal (Take 1)
14 Le Petit Bal (Take 2)
15 Séquence Voiture (Take 1)
16 Séquence Voiture (Take 2)
17 Générique
18 L'Assassinat de Carala
19 Sur l'Autoroute
20 Julien Dans l'Ascenseur
21 Florence sur les Champs-Élysées
22 Diner au Motel
23 Évasion de Julien
24 Visite du Vigile
25 Au Bar du Petit Bac
26 Chez le Photographe du Motel

Line-up:

Miles Davis - trumpet
Kenny Clarke - drums
Pierre Michelot - bass
René Urtreger - piano
Barney Wilen - tenor saxophone

terça-feira, 14 de julho de 2009

Miles Davis - A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1970)

None of Miles Davis' recordings has been more shrouded in mystery than Jack Johnson, yet none has better fulfilled Miles Davis' promise that he could form the "greatest rock band you ever heard." Containing only two tracks, the album was assembled out of no less than four recording sessions between February 18, 1970, and June 4, 1970, and was patched together by producer Teo Macero. Most of the outtake material ended up on Directions, Big Fun, and elsewhere. The first misconception is the lineup: the credits on the recording are incomplete. For the opener, "Right Off," the band is Miles, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Michael Henderson, and Steve Grossman (no piano player!), which reflects the liner notes. This was from the musicians' point of view, in a single take, recorded as McLaughlin began riffing in the studio while waiting for Miles; it was picked up on by Henderson and Cobham, Hancock was ushered in to jump on a Hammond organ (he was passing through the building), and Miles rushed in at 2:19 and proceeded to play one of the longest, funkiest, knottiest, and most complex solos of his career. Seldom has he cut loose like that and played in the high register with such a full sound. In the meantime, the interplay between Cobham, McLaughlin, and Henderson is out of the box, McLaughlin playing long, angular chords centering around E. This was funky, dirty rock & roll jazz. There is this groove that gets nastier and nastier as the track carries on, and never quits, though there are insertions by Macero of two Miles takes on Sly Stone tunes and an ambient textured section before the band comes back with the groove, fires it up again, and carries it out. On "Yesternow," the case is far more complex. There are two lineups, the one mentioned above, and one that begins at about 12:55. The second lineup was Miles, McLaughlin, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Bennie Maupin, Dave Holland, and Sonny Sharrock. The first 12 minutes of the tune revolve around a single bass riff lifted from James Brown's "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." The material that eases the first half of the tune into the second is taken from "Shhh/Peaceful," from In a Silent Way, overdubbed with the same trumpet solo that is in the ambient section of "Right Off." It gets more complex as the original lineup is dubbed back in with a section from Miles' tune "Willie Nelson," another part of the ambient section of "Right Off," and an orchestral bit of "The Man Nobody Saw" at 23:52, before the voice of Jack Johnson (by actor Brock Peters) takes the piece out. The highly textured, nearly pastoral ambience at the end of the album is a fitting coda to the chilling, overall high-energy rockist stance of the album. Jack Johnson is the purest electric jazz record ever made because of the feeling of spontaneity and freedom it evokes in the listener, for the stellar and inspiring solos by McLaughlin and Davis that blur all edges between the two musics, and for the tireless perfection of the studio assemblage by Miles and producer Macero. [The album was completely remastered and reissued in January of 2005, following the 2003 release of the Complete Jack Johnson Sessions box set by Legacy.]
by Thom Jurek at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Jazz-Funk
Fusion
Jazz-Rock

Tracks:

01 Right Off
02 Yesternow

Line-up:

Miles Davis - trumpet
Steve Grossman - soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin - electric guitar
Herbie Hancock - organ
Michael Henderson - electric bass
Billy Cobham - drums

Keith Jarrett - Facing You (1971)

Facing You is one of the most important recordings in contemporary jazz for several reasons, aside from being beautifully conceived and executed by pianist Keith Jarrett. It is a hallmark recording of solo piano in any discipline, a signature piece in the early ECM label discography, a distinct departure from mainstream jazz, a breakthrough for Jarrett, and a studio prelude for his most famous solo project to follow, The Köln Concert. Often meditative, richly melodic, inventive, and introspective beyond compare, Jarrett expresses his soul in tailored tones that set standards for not only this kind of jazz, but music that would serve him and his fans in good stead onward. In this program of all originals, which sound spontaneously improvised with certain pretexts and motifs as springboards, the rhapsodic "Ritooria," 4/4 love/spirit song "Lalene," and song for family and life "My Lady; My Child" firmly establish Jarrett's heartfelt and thoughtful approach. "Vapallia" cements the thematic, seemingly effortless, lighter -- but never tame -- aesthetic. "Starbright" is an easy-paced two-step tune signifying fully Jarrett's personalized stance. Straddling a more jagged, angular, and free edge, the pianist evokes the influence of Paul Bley during "Semblence" (sic). But it is the opening selection, an extended ten-minute opus titled "In Front," that truly showcases Jarrett at his playful best -- a timeless, modal, direct, and bright delight. A remarkable effort that reveals more and more with each listen, this recording has stood the test of time, and is unquestionably a Top Three recording in Keith Jarrett's long and storied career.
by Michael G. Nastos at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Mainstream Jazz
Post-Bop
Free Jazz

Tracks:

01 In Front
02 Ritooria
03 Lalene
04 My Lady; My Child
05 Landscape for Future Earth
06 Starbright
07 Vapallia
08 Semblence

Line-up:

Keith Jarrett - piano

Dave Holland Quintet - Critical Mass (2006)

One word that comes to mind when listening to Critical Mass is generosity. Double-bassist Dave Holland, four decades into his career, could certainly be forgiven for taking the word "leader" at its literal meaning, calling all the shots and keeping his musicians at bay. But that's not what he's about, and at any given time Critical Mass could just as easily have been credited to saxist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibist/marimbaist Steve Nelson, or drummer Nate Smith. Each player is provided with ample moments in which to take charge, and not fleeting, gratuitous moments but rather significant chunks of solo/lead space. Holland's belief in sharing extends to the area of composition as well. Each bandmember contributes one piece to the album (Holland does claim the other four, however) and, more often than not, uses that opportunity to shapeshift, to push the band -- and make no mistake, this is a band, not a random collection of studio players -- into unexplored territory. That's not to say that Holland takes a back seat -- his presence is always strongly felt -- only that he recognizes that the bass is, first and foremost, a support instrument and he's content with using it as such when the piece calls for it. When he does step in to take the leadership role, he is endlessly creative, commanding in his ability to sidestep predictability and further his own legend. The particular mix of instrumentation here allows for numerous rhythmic and tonal variations as well: on the album's longer pieces, in particular -- Eubanks' exploratory "Full Circle," Holland's appropriately hypnotic "Easy Did It," Nelson's multi-hued "Amator Silenti" -- the quintet's cohesiveness and utmost respect for one another becomes clearer by the minute.
by Jeff Tamarkin at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Modern Creative
Contemporary

Tracks:

01 The Eyes Have It
02 Easy Did It
03 Vicissitudes
04 The Leak
05 Secret Garden
06 Lucky Seven
07 Full Circle
08 Amator Silenti

Line-up:

Chris Potter - soprano and tenor saxophone
Robin Eubanks - trombone
Steve Nelson - vibraphone / marimba / tambourine
Nate Smith - drums
Dave Holland - bass

segunda-feira, 13 de julho de 2009

Miles Davis - Miles in Berlim (1964)

Recorded live in Germany at the Berlin Philharmonic, Miles in Berlin represents the first recording of trumpeter Miles Davis with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. For various reasons, saxophonists George Coleman and Sam Rivers had both come and gone as members of Davis' band. With the addition of Shorter in 1964, Davis had found the lineup of musicians that he would stick with until 1968 and produce some of the most influential albums of his career -- collected on The Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: The Complete Columbia Studio. Eventually known as the "second great quintet," most of the players here, including pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams, had been with Davis for just under a year. In that time, they had taken his traditional repertoire of standards and originals and reworked them with a more adventurous, edgy approach that flirted with the avant-garde. While there isn't a huge difference in the sound of this band or choice of songs from the group that recorded Seven Steps to Heaven or Miles Davis in Europe, there is a palpable sense of creative abandon in Davis' performance as well as synergy to the group sound that seems to foreshadow the innovative music to come.
by Matt Collar at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Avant-Garde
Hard Bop
Modal Music

Tracks:

01 Milestones
02 Autumn Leaves
03 So What
04 Walkin'
05 Theme

Line-up:

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

domingo, 12 de julho de 2009

Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961)

As Oliver Nelson is known primarily as a big band leader and arranger, he is lesser known as a saxophonist and organizer of small ensembles. Blues and the Abstract Truth is his triumph as a musician for the aspects of not only defining the sound of an era with his all-time classic "Stolen Moments," but on this recording, assembling one of the most potent modern jazz sextets ever. Lead trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is at his peak of performance, while alto saxophonists Nelson and Eric Dolphy (Nelson doubling on tenor) team to form an unlikely union that was simmered to perfection. Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums) can do no wrong as a rhythm section. "Stolen Moments" really needs no comments, as its undisputable beauty shines through in a three-part horn harmony fronting Hubbard's lead melody. It's a thing of beauty that is more timeless as the years pass. The "Blues" aspect is best heard on "Yearnin'," a stylish, swinging, and swaying downhearted piece that is a bluesy as Evans would ever be. Both "Blues" and "Abstract Truth" combine for the darker "Teenie's Blues," a feature for Nelson and Dolphy's alto saxes, Dolphy assertive in stepping forth with his distinctive, angular, dramatic, fractured, brittle voice that marks him a maverick. Then there's "Hoedown," which has always been the black sheep of this collection with its country flavor and stereo separated upper and lower horn in snappy call-and-response barking. As surging and searing hard boppers respectively, "Cascades" and "Butch & Butch" again remind you of the era of the early '60s when this music was king, and why Hubbard was so revered as a young master of the idiom. This CD is a must buy for all jazz collectors, and a Top Ten-Fifty favorite for many.
by Michael G. Nastos at All Music Guide.

Styles:

Post-Bop
Hard Bop
Progressive Jazz

Tracks:

01 Stolen Moments
02 Hoe-Down
03 Cascades
04 Yearin'
05 Butch and Butch
06 Teenie's Blues

Line-up:

George Barrow - baritone saxophone
Paul Chambers - bass
Eric Dolphy - flute / alto saxophone
Bill Evans - piano
Roy Haynes - drums
Freddie Hubbard - trumpet
Oliver Nelson - alto and tenor saxophone