Agreed.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 16:40 (fourteen years ago) link
I read that Alfred Lion knew what a session was going to sound like before Van Gelder pressed record. If you listen to enough Blue Note albums, I think this becomes apparent, and problematic...I mean to say that consistent excellence slides into consistent sameness on occasion. But that's about my only complaint with Blue Note as a label.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:07 (fourteen years ago) link
I have no problem with consistent brilliance myself!
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, it only bothers me if I try to listen to too much BN in a short span of time. Taken individually the vast majority of it is good to genius. Also, even though I know where you're coming from, the "sameness" argument is maybe harder to make in light of this specific album.
― elephant rob, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, I wasn't referring to this album in particular--I haven't even heard it yet! One of the best things that Lion & co. did was record & support Hutcherson, Rivers, Hill & Taylor even though they weren't ever going to do the same kind of business that his stalwarts were going to do.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 18:59 (fourteen years ago) link
There's lots of great obscure Blue Note artists.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:08 (fourteen years ago) link
btw I might want to do one of these
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:08 (fourteen years ago) link
the main criticism of Blue Note might be that they kind of milked a lot of artists dry -- Jimmy Smith in particular. He put out more than two dozen records in like 4 years, I think! I guess they were enthusiastic about him ... but really, you only need 3 or 4 Jimmy Smith records in your life. He's great, but there's not a lot of variety.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:11 (fourteen years ago) link
root down is my jimmy smith jam
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:16 (fourteen years ago) link
btw I might want to do one of these― Turangalila, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:08 (5 minutes ago) Bookmark
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:08 (5 minutes ago) Bookmark
pfunk: 28 Aprila hoy hoy: 5 Maylocal garda: 12 Mayward fowler: 19 MayCave17Matt: 26 MayNom Nom Nom Chomsky (WmC): 2 Junetylerw: 9 JuneSparkle Motion: 16 Juneforksclovetofu: 23 JuneTurangalila: 30 Junetannenbaum: 7 JulyPfunk: 15 July
― De que estas hablando? (Tannenbaum Schmidt), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Oh, I could do one too, assuming there are plenty of reminders between now and 22 July!
― elephant rob, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Love Donald Smith's (Lonnie's brother) vocals on Expansions, the bubblin' bassline, the propulsiveness yet calm air.
Lonnie was one of the players on Pharoah Sander's Karma as well
― De que estas hablando? (Tannenbaum Schmidt), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link
And I enjoyed the Lonnie Liston Smith quite a bit. While I can tell why my younger more cynical self would have balked at a song like "Summer Days", it was perfect for a lovely day. Also, Cecil McBee is one of my favorite bassists.
― elephant rob, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link
That's what made me choose the Lonnie Liston Smith (do not confuse with Lonnie Smith) because he's on Karma and I thought it was a nice link. Plus the Bobby Hutcherson had Herbie Hancock and Freddie Hubbard on it rather than picking one of their best known albums.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:26 (fourteen years ago) link
a hoy hoy: 5 Maylocal garda: 12 Mayward fowler: 19 MayCave17Matt: 26 MayNom Nom Nom Chomsky (WmC): 2 Junetylerw: 9 JuneSparkle Motion: 16 Juneforksclovetofu: 23 JuneTurangalila: 30 Junetannenbaum: 7 JulyPfunk: 15 JulyElephant Rob: 22 July
if anyone else wants to curate a week, just private message me and I'll maintain a list off-thread, rather than clog the thread up with updates to the schedule :) /or just wait till July before requesting.
I'll post a monthly reminder, so as you long as you check in once in a while you should be okay to see when you're up
― De que estas hablando? (Tannenbaum Schmidt), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
You could PM the person a week beforehand?
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:34 (fourteen years ago) link
will do for the June and July ones.
― De que estas hablando? (Tannenbaum Schmidt), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 21:45 (fourteen years ago) link
The 2nd half of Components is where the album really comes alive for me.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 22:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Things get a little more "out" on side 2, don't they? Kind of an interesting split -- the first half is pretty straight ahead bop ... Listening to Components now. Love this sound. Carter's bass! For a guy who played on a bajillion records, he always sounds fresh, engaged and into it.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 22:12 (fourteen years ago) link
The albums of this period all kind of do that--move between straight ahead and more out playing...from 65 to 70 or so there isn't one Hutcherson album that I haven't liked.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 22:14 (fourteen years ago) link
Agreed, Bobby Hutcherson released great stuff then
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 29 April 2010 13:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Looking at the Allmusic discography, there are a few I haven't heard, and 1970's 'Now' isn't very good. The one directly after that, "Head On" is fantastic though--a great blend of the straight-ahead and more exploratory elements of the years preceding.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 29 April 2010 14:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Head On is pretty nice -- though surprisingly, I think I might like the bonus tracks that are on the recent CD reissue better than the album itself! San Francisco is worht checking out too. I've got Natural Illusions (from 74, I think?) -- it's got string orchestrations on it, some of which works some of which doesn't.
― tylerw, Thursday, 29 April 2010 14:27 (fourteen years ago) link
I agree about the bonus tracks. An instance of bonus material being truly worthwhile rather than the usual alt take.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 29 April 2010 15:59 (fourteen years ago) link
San Francisco is definitely worth having.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 29 April 2010 16:40 (fourteen years ago) link
I find parts of Karma is to be amazing, but I've always found Leon Thomas' vocals to be something of a distraction. I don't necessarily mind his voice per se, but it distracts from everything else in the recording that I find so interesting and arresting. It's the one unimaginative element in the mix, and it's perhaps the number one reason Karma has always been an album I admire more than like.
That said, I do love the fluctuations in Sanders' tone on this album. He gets very abrasive (especially in the midsection), but he always seems compelled to then swoop back into a voluptuous, sweet sound just as his sax makes direct contact with chaos. I'm also amused by his significantly swinging cadence, especially at the 24 minutes mark, that finds a midpoint between Ben Webster and Steve Mackay . It makes an interesting contrast to Coltrane, whose single major limitation, I think, is that he couldn't swing very well (Monk tries to get him to on the Carnegie Hall recording, but he sounds unwilling to play along).
― MumblestheRevelator, Thursday, 29 April 2010 19:55 (fourteen years ago) link
I enjoy his "vocals" actually.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 30 April 2010 01:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Me too.
This Hutcherson album is GREAT! I love Blue Note from this period -- generally a consistently interesting combination of balls and taste.
― Nom Nom Nom Chomsky (WmC), Friday, 30 April 2010 02:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Bit of a jazz neophyte but i'm about 6 minutes into "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and it's blowing me away. How does he get that tone?
― Number None, Friday, 30 April 2010 02:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Hard work and clean living?
― Nom Nom Nom Chomsky (WmC), Friday, 30 April 2010 02:44 (fourteen years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overblowing
that tone?
― Nom Nom Nom Chomsky (WmC), Friday, 30 April 2010 02:45 (fourteen years ago) link
That'll be it. As i said, don't really listen to that much jazz (although i have heard Journey in Satchidananda) but the first thing that struck me with this album was the "roughness" of the tone. It just sounds cool basically.
― Number None, Friday, 30 April 2010 02:57 (fourteen years ago) link
been listening to Karma a lot in the last week independently of this thread, walking around singing "yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah" in my head. I don't really dig Thomas' solo stuff but I love him on this record.
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Friday, 30 April 2010 03:04 (fourteen years ago) link
Hutcherson had a great working relationship w/pianist Andrew Hill on Blue Note, too. check out Hutch's Dialogue or Hill's Judgement LP. my favorite straight-ahead Bobby is The Stick-Up w/Joe Henderson at his most Coltranesque.
― are we human or are we dancer (m coleman), Friday, 30 April 2010 09:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Andrew Hill was terrific too back then.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 30 April 2010 14:19 (fourteen years ago) link
listened to Karma (twice!) on the way to work today. beautiful record. thing i was digging the most about "creator" this time around was the percussion -- all that shimmering, jangling sound going on.
― tylerw, Friday, 30 April 2010 14:31 (fourteen years ago) link
I think I hear new things everytime I hear it tbh. Either that or I'm focussing on something different each time. It's just the perfect album for me (along with Mingus - Black Saint And Sinner Lady)
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 30 April 2010 23:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Karma is definitely my favourite jazz lp, and definitely in my top 5 of all time regarddless of genre
― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 1 May 2010 16:45 (fourteen years ago) link
glad to hear that
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 1 May 2010 23:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Here is a Spotify Playlist for both weeks(minus unavailable album) Will add to it each week
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 2 May 2010 01:29 (fourteen years ago) link
just a reminder for the May's pickers:
a hoy hoy: 5 Maylocal garda: 12 Mayward fowler: 19 MayCave17Matt: 26 May
― De que estas hablando? (Tannenbaum Schmidt), Sunday, 2 May 2010 09:52 (fourteen years ago) link
i think i have decided my 3. there is no link other than they may be my fav 3 jazz records evererer
― tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 2 May 2010 16:47 (fourteen years ago) link
how do they rate as arsenal players?
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 2 May 2010 21:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Vieira, Song and Keown?
― tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 2 May 2010 21:39 (fourteen years ago) link
the 1st one is a classy thuggish album by an artist who was past their best?
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 2 May 2010 23:10 (fourteen years ago) link
ok vieira when he was an arsenal player.
― tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 2 May 2010 23:23 (fourteen years ago) link
hard edged classy with a great ability to move forward?
― Dastardly & Müttley Crüe (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 2 May 2010 23:37 (fourteen years ago) link
What will a jazz fabregas be?
― Dastardly & Müttley Crüe (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 3 May 2010 16:04 (fourteen years ago) link
Hmm, I was thinking 'kinda african and/or hard as hell' w/ my picks. a cesc would be some dainty european thing that can leave a giant smiley smile on yr face.
― tart w/ a heart (a hoy hoy), Monday, 3 May 2010 16:39 (fourteen years ago) link
and an arshavin?
― Dastardly & Müttley Crüe (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 3 May 2010 16:46 (fourteen years ago) link