ILM POLL: Best Jazz Albums of the 90's!

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Inspired by this thread, and because 90's jazz is both oft-overlooked and near and dear to my heart.

I've never ran a poll before...what do you say, we each nominate ten records and then vote for five? Here, I'll start:

Kenny Garrett, Songbook
John Scofield, Hand Jive
Ben Perowsky Trio, s/t
Leroy Jones, Mo' Cream from the Crop
Christian McBride, Family Affair
Brian Blade Fellowship, s/t
Brad Mehldau, The Art of the Trio vol. 4: Back at the Vanguard
Derek Shezbie, Spodie's Back
Gary Burton, Like Minds
Clarence Penn, Penn's Landing


Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Man, ten isn't enough, so I hope y'all add some more.

Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Henry Threadgill - Too Much Sugar for a Dime

Bill Frisell - This Land / Have a Little Faith

rather than "Hand Jive," I'd go with one of Scofield's Blue Note albums with Joe Lovano (must've been one or two from the 90s, right?) or the one with Bill Frisell. Or the one inspired by Wayne Shorter. I guess what I'm saying is I don't buy Scofield's funky white boy routine much, but I like other things he does a lot.

Is the LMO's "Dream Keeper" from the 90s? If so, that's a good un.

Tone Dialing, maybe. Or the two Sound Museum CDs

Probably one of Don Byron's albums as leader; "Bug Music" is a blast.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:38 (eighteen years ago) link

"Maroons" is from 89 isn't it? Too bad for this poll, I guess.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Naked City - Torture Garden
Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages

Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 21:52 (eighteen years ago) link

James Carter, The Real Quietstorm (yes I know you don't care for him Jordan but oh well)

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Right on! These are probably, like, the only 10 from the '90s I own, but whatever...

Sonny Sharrock--Ask the Ages
Sun Ra and his Omniverse Arkestra--Destination Unknown
Kurt Elling--Live in Chicago
Joshua Redman Quartet--Moodswing
James Carter--Conversin' With the Elders
Junko Onishi--Piano Quintet Suite
Lester Bowie Brass Fantasy--The Odyssey of Funk and Popular Music vol.1
Spiked! the Music of Spike Jones
Panthalassa: the Music of Miles Davis 1969-74
Guru--Jazzmatazz vol. 1 (sure it does)

dr. phil (josh langhoff), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 22:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Mike Stern / Bunny Brunnell / Billy Childs / Vinnie Colaiuta - Dedication

Buell Neidlinger Quarter - Big Drum

Randy Waldman Trio - Wigged Out

bahtology, Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:26 (eighteen years ago) link

I'd put money on Ask the Ages to win this thing.

I got on a kick to pick up some more recent jazz a few months back, so I got some Gregg Bendian, Dave Douglas, John Scofield and some ECM artists, but that stuff is either from the 80s or the 00s. I still want to check out some Ken Vandermark and Joe Lovano records, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

One cd I did pick up from the 90s that is pretty is Extensions by the Dave Holland Quartet.

Earl Nash (earlnash), Tuesday, 16 August 2005 23:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Man, I can't believe I forgot Ask the Ages. What a killer record.

Also: Interstellar Space by Cline/Bendian. That's 99, right?

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Chris Bowden - Time Capsule
Steve Tibbetts - The Fall Of Us All
Sonny Sharrock - Ask The Ages
M-Base Collective - Anatomy Of A Groove
Nils Petter Molvaer - Khmer
Phantom City - Shiva Recoil
Henry Threadgill - Too Much Sugar For A Dime
Bobby Previte - Slay The Suitors (or maybe the Ponga lp)
Rodney Kendrick - Last Chance For Common Sense
Frederic Galliano Electronic Sextet - Live Infinis


doug watson (solid air), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 00:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Henry Threadgill & Make a Move, Where's Your Cup?
Patricia Barber, Modern Cool
Kurt Elling, The Messenger
Cassandra Wilson, Belly of the Sun
Don Byron, Tuskegee Experiments
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Inner Voyage

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Woefully under-schooled in '90s jazz (never even heard Threadgill) but here goes:

Vandermark 5 - Simpatico
David S. Ware - Godspelized
David S. Ware - Go See the World
David Murray Quintet - With Ray Anderson and Anthony Davis
William Parker - Peach Orchard
Susie Ibarra - Radiance
Matthew Shipp - Symbol Systems
Other Dimensions in Music - Time is of the Essence Is Beyond Time
Test - Test
Joshua Redman - Wish

mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:36 (eighteen years ago) link

From the looks of your other choices, mcd, I'd say Threadgill is gonna beright up your alley.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 01:44 (eighteen years ago) link

fun!!

These were pretty much the main jazz recs I rocked in the 90s--

Clusone Trio - I Am an Indian
Betty Carter - Feed the Fire
Charles Gayle - Unto I Am
Randy Weston - The Spirits of Our Ancestors
Franklin Kiermyer Quartet feat. Pharoah Sanders - Solomon's Daughter
Fred Anderson / Marilyn Crispell / Hamid Drake - Destiny
Big John Patton - Blue Planet Man
Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble - The Hal Russell Story
Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter
Kahil El Zabar's Ritual Trio - Renaissance of the Resistance
Eight Bold Souls - Sideshow
Don Braden - Organic
Joe Maneri Quartet - Let the Horse Go
Fredy Studer / Christy Doran - Half of a Lifetime
Matthew Shipp Trio - Circular Temple
Masada - um, just imagine there is a big box set of like everything: that.
Richard Davis and Friends - Live at Sweet Basil
Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass - Lift Every Voice


oops, I guess that's more than 10. But Doug did Sonny and Henry for the 2nd time, so I'll take two of his. and Dr. Phil did Sonny too. But major props to tha good Doctor for James Carter - Conversin' With the Elders and for Kurt Elling - Live in Chicago .. those are great!!

Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:06 (eighteen years ago) link

damn, I still have never heard Supersilent. I just know they'd be right up my alley. JaX0N -- that's what you can bring me!

Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:15 (eighteen years ago) link

"those are great!!"

I agree! Particularly in re "Freereggaehibop" and "Night Dreamer", respectively. Can we do top jazz singles, too?
xp

dr. phil (josh langhoff), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Stormy: have you heard the new live Kahil El'Zabar record? It's AMAZING. jazz album of the year for realz

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Doctor -- yeah, if I'm picking singles I'm definitely going for the Elling / Jon Hendricks duo on "Going to Chicago" -- I love that thing! Probably the main reason I love that Elling live record so much..

Hi Haikunym! No, I haven't heard the new Kahil; I confess, I didn't even know he had a new one! He can be definitely tough to keep up with; he cranks them out. OK, some internet work reveals that it's got Billy Bang on it ... yeah, when Billy plays with that group -- that's always a plus. Billy rules! that real early Ritual Trio album with Billy, Another Kind of Groove on Sound Aspects, is totally totally great...

thanks for the heads-up though, I will definitely seek it out.

Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:33 (eighteen years ago) link

William Parker/Joe Morris/Hamid Drake - Eloping with the Sun

Parker plays the Zintir, Morris plays various banjo instruments, and Drake plays a frame drum. Amazing.

Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:38 (eighteen years ago) link

How about David S. Ware's album Dao? It sounds free like World B. but there's an underlying structure there I swear.

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Gil Scott Heron - Spirits

Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:51 (eighteen years ago) link

STORMY, check yr mail

plain ol' jaxon (jaxon), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 02:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Marcello to thread!

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 07:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Derek Bailey Guitar, Drums 'N' Bass
Brotzmann/Kondo/Parker/Drake Die Like A Dog
John Zorn Kristallnacht
Purple Trap Decided...Already The Motionless Heart Of Tranquility, Tangling The Prayer Called "I"
Hession/Wilkinson/Fell foom! foom!
Descension Live, March 1995
Don Byron Nu Blaxploitation
David S Ware Quartet Go See The World
Anthony Braxton Trillium R: Shala Fears For The Poor/Composition 162
Cecil Taylor Feel Trio Celebrated Brazons

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 07:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Cecil misprint: should be Celebrated Blazons.

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 07:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Haikunym, props for nominating Kurt Elling's The Messenger, I've got a big ol' soft spot for that album.

And I don't hate James Carter! I don't always like him...on some of his older albums there's a lot of grandstanding and sax tricks that get old, but I like Layin' in the Cut and the Django album. And he kills it on the first tune of the Kansas City soundtrack (but not as nice as Joshua Redman does).

(Stormy, yr a Madisonian, right?)

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:40 (eighteen years ago) link

So, how about keeping this short and sweet and making the end of the week the deadline for nominations? I'll compile everything and put it up on Monday.

And should we do singles for the hell of it? Maybe we shouldn't even vote on them, but everyone can pick 1 single with their vote?

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 11:46 (eighteen years ago) link

stormy = chicago,
but a madisonian
in spirit perhaps

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:47 (eighteen years ago) link

From the looks of your other choices, mcd, I'd say Threadgill is gonna beright up your alley.

Nice. I'm sure there's a thread, but what Threadgill should I start with?

mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link

The ones getting nominated, of course!

If you can find them. Fucking labels letting great shit go out of print...

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh shit, I forgot to nominate Max Roach's M'Boom - Live at S.O.B.'s ('92), one of my fave albums ever!

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 12:57 (eighteen years ago) link

stormy = chicago,
but a madisonian
in spirit perhaps

And possibly in education?

I know for sure that someone else on ILX went to school at UW and some of Richard Davis's classes.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 13:05 (eighteen years ago) link

Roots Stablemates grt blowing session w/Arthur Blythe

David Murray Shakill's Warrior

Mulgrew Miller Hand In Hand

Joe Henderson So Near, So Far (Musings For Miles

Sonny Sharock's Ask The Ages is one for the ages!

m coleman (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 13:07 (eighteen years ago) link

I'll add...

John Lewis Evolution
Cecil Taylor/Dewy Redman/Elvin Jones Momentum Space
Sonny Sharrock Highlife
Charlie Haden and Hank Jones Steal Away
Julius Hemphill Sextet Fat Man and the Hard Blues
Lee Konitz Another Shade of Blue

NotthatChuck, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 13:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Other great records I didn't nominate:

Tony Williams, Young at Heart

Tony Williams, Story of Neptune (goddamnit why is this not in print?)

Billy Drummond, Dubai (the title track is probably my singles pick!)

John Scofield, A Go Go (MMW gets a bad rap)

Steve Coleman, The Sign and the Seal (Transmissions of the Metaphysics of a blah blah blah) - worth it for the Yoruban folkoric beats and chants rather than for the M-base musicians and their awful rappers.

Mel Rhyne - Mel's Spell (one of my favorite organ trio records possibly ever)

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 13:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Mirakle - Derek Bailey
Clear to Higher Time - Blue Humans
Die Like a Dog - Peter Brotzmann
Touchin' on Trane - Charles Gayle
Nothing Ever Was, Anyway - Marilyn Crispell
Nailed - Cecil Taylor
Leosia - Tomasz Stanko
Live in Jerusalem - Masada
Elf Bagatellen - Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio
in A Sentimental Mood - Stefan Jaworzyn/Alan Wilkinson

Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 14:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Masada - 3: Gimel
Ellery Eskelin - Kulak 29 & 30
Tim Berne's Bloodcount - Unwound
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
John Zorn - Bar Kokhba
Henry Threadgill - Too Much Sugar For A Dime
Pachora - s/t
Maria Schneider - Evanescence
Hal Russel & NRG Ensemble - Finnish/Swiss Tour
Satoko Fujii - Kitsune-Bi

Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 14:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Ooh, good call on Pachora. I haven't heard that one, but I like Ast and I would imagine that their records sound pretty similar.

Another FANTASTIC album that popped in my head, nominate pls: Matt Wilson's As Wave Follows Wave (w/Dewey Redman, Cecil McBee, and Larry Goldings). Which also brings to mind Larry Goldings' Whatever It Takes (Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Joshua Redman, Maceo Parker)!

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:02 (eighteen years ago) link

I wish someone would finally nominate Henry Threadgill's Too Much Sugar for a Dime!

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:04 (eighteen years ago) link

And Ask the Ages, WTF!

I've never heard a Henry Threadgill record, apparently now's the time.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Jordan, I sense a listening party coming on; I have Where's Your Cup? at least, and you're gonna FREAK OUT when you hear what JT Lewis does on drums at the beginning of "Laughing Club," holy crap and crap.

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm in, especially if there's beer involved.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:14 (eighteen years ago) link

we live in fuckin' Wisconsin, OF COURSE THERE'S BEER INVOLVED

Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Nels Cline Trio - Chest
Ellery Eskelin - The Sun Died
John Zorn/Derek Bailey/William Parker - Harras
Evan Parker & Ned Rothenberg - Monkey Puzzle
Braaxtaal - s/t
Steve Lacy Quartet - Revenue

o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:06 (eighteen years ago) link

MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD - FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE UNIVERSE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:11 (eighteen years ago) link

TEH FILLADELFIA PROJECT - YOU KNOW, THAT ONE WITH ?UESTLOVE AND CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND URI CAINE

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:13 (eighteen years ago) link

Haha. 'Combustication' has always been my favorite, though it gets hated on for some reason.

xpost

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:13 (eighteen years ago) link

Philadelphia Experiment = 2001, sorry dude.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:15 (eighteen years ago) link

I saw Henry Threadgill a couple years ago, he had the absolute most fucked up lineup of instrumentalists I'd ever seen - harmonium, weird contrabassingles and shit, an electric guitarist who stood on one leg the whole second set, etc.

I really like Combustication. I really like MMW. A lot.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:16 (eighteen years ago) link

AW CRAP. I AM WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Peter Brotzman Tentet - Short Visit To Nowhere

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link

haha no wait that came out, like, last year. I suck at this!

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:19 (eighteen years ago) link

GET ONE PASSAGE OF TIME

(j/k Nick, keep trying!)

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Miles Davis, Doo-Bop. Minus the two tracks with vocals.

pdf (Phil Freeman), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:46 (eighteen years ago) link

fuck yeah, Harras

and also that alb w/ Bailey, Laswell and Tony Williams

Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh yeah, Arcana? I really liked that album for awhile (Tony Williams playing HEAVY METAL DOUBLE BASS!!). I've got to dig that shit up.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:28 (eighteen years ago) link

This thread is making me consider how awesome an '80s jazz poll will be.

mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

You should run that shit after this one's done.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:32 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm considering Arcana's Arc of the Testimony and MMW's Combustication the hell out of nominated.

Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I am lovin' the Threadgill shout-outs here; easily my favorite contemporary jazzer. He's playing some shindig at MOMA in NYC in a week or two; I'm thinking about making the drive down from Boston. I've never seen him.

southern lights, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:37 (eighteen years ago) link

stormy = chicago,
but a madisonian
in spirit perhaps
And possibly in education?

I know for sure that someone else on ILX went to school at UW and some of Richard Davis's classes.

-- Jordan (jordan...), August 17th, 2005 9:05 AM.


Yeah, Haikumyn is correkt, I'm not from Madison ... in fact, I'll be honest, I have only been to Wisonson thrice! Once to see Guns N Roses on the very first show of the Use Your Illusion tour! (think it was about a week b4 the albums were out; Skid Row opening, Alpine Valley, 1991), once to see my roommates band open up for the Thinking Fellers in Madison in like 1995, and also once to see Bailter Space in Milwaukee in 199 like 7 or 8, I think.. had an absolute blast each and every time!

I've also always been a big Brewer fan -- they're basically my NL team -- even B4 the trade for Carlos Lee, but since he was my fave White Sox player that just increased my Brew-crew fandom.

As far as Richard Davis goes .. just always been a fan of his bass playing ... and that Live at Sweet Basil thing on Evidence was on heavy, heavy rotation at my college radio station in the mid-90s. It just brings back fond memories. I used to hear the thing all the time. And I loved it. And that guy Ricky Ford is a really outstanding player. So I just wanted to give some props to some overlooked records and some personal faves...

Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:30 (eighteen years ago) link

stormy = chicago,
but a madisonian
in spirit perhaps
And possibly in education?

I know for sure that someone else on ILX went to school at UW and some of Richard Davis's classes.

-- Jordan (jordan...), August 17th, 2005 9:05 AM.


Yeah, Haikumyn is correkt, I'm not from Madison ... in fact, I'll be honest, I have only been to Wisonson thrice! Once to see Guns N Roses on the very first show of the Use Your Illusion tour! (think it was about a week b4 the albums were out; Skid Row opening, Alpine Valley, 1991), once to see my roommates band open up for the Thinking Fellers in Madison in like 1995, and also once to see Bailter Space in Milwaukee in 199 like 7 or 8, I think.. had an absolute blast each and every time!

I've also always been a big Brewer fan -- they're basically my NL team -- even B4 the trade for Carlos Lee, but since he was my fave White Sox player that just increased my Brew-crew fandom.

As far as Richard Davis goes .. just always been a fan of his bass playing ... and that Live at Sweet Basil thing on Evidence was on heavy, heavy rotation at my college radio station in the mid-90s. It just brings back fond memories. I used to hear the thing all the time. And I loved it. And that guy Ricky Ford is a really outstanding player. So I just wanted to give some props to some overlooked records and some personal faves...

And Southern Lights, yeah, you have to see Threadgill! It's amazing to watch his groups live. Bunch of folks you've frankly never heard of before, performing this exacting music brilliantly. He's a great bandleader and an inspiring guy. Too Much Sugar is definitely my 90s pick up there with Ask the Ages. For once, I'm GLAD to see consensus and overriding CANON emerging, I really am. Becuz those two guys are great and deserving. and Ornette's Tone Dialing needs to be given a second thought by everyone i think....

MEDESKI MARTIN AND WOOD - FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE UNIVERSE

yo Nick I totally had this in my mental short list but forget to put it down, but yeah, I totally dig this record! Really the only MMW record I know, but i do think it has a great charm. Glad you mentioned it!

Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:39 (eighteen years ago) link

whoops, didn't mean to double-post that shit, was going through the thread real late here

Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh bugger, I missed out Tone Dialing yesterday - in my hugely controversial opinion the best record of Ornette's career - and also Charms Of The Night Sky by Dave Douglas.

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:51 (eighteen years ago) link

Hopefully I will put all this together and post a voting thread on Monday.

Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 19 August 2005 15:07 (eighteen years ago) link


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