Rolling Jazz Thread 2018

Cool interview earlier this year with Steve Swallow and John Scofield.

Gets into some of the different jazz scenes around NY and elsewhere. Found out that Ian Underwood later of The Mothers of Invention and LA studio player was college friend of Swallow and they played music together then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZe7HoJhcIY&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZe7HoJhcIY&feature=youtu.be

Just recorded an interview with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt for the podcast. It started out rough - he answered my first three or four questions with single sentences - but then we clicked into gear and the stories started flowing. It's gonna be a good one.

Will check that one. And speaking of Harold, leave us not forget this 'un with Wes:

Finally, this is legit and remastered from original: live in '65 Paris, Wes is into Trane, shadowed by Harold Mabern, and later Johnny Griffin shows up, intriguingly enough (astute excerpts and comments by Kevin Whitehead)https://www.npr.org/2018/01/31/582118519/in-paris-recording-guitarist-wes-montgomery-shows-his-head-for-melody

― dow, Friday, February 2, 2018

Yeah, that's a great album.

― grawlix (unperson), Saturday, February 3, 2018

this new Binker and Moses, alive in the east album is so good.

the drummer is an absolute star.

Just got wind of a new bio written by Maxine Gordon about Dexter that is coming out at the end of this year which seems likes it’s going to be really good.

https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520280649/sophisticated-giant

https://www.maxinegordon.com/bio/

Wow, that ought to be really good indeed. I've just requested a review copy from the publisher. I had no idea about the whole Woody Shaw - Maxine - Dexter thing, or that she was the mother of Woody's son.

Yeah, I never knew that either.

been on a bit of a Dave Liebman tip recently, of his more recent stuff his Fire album w/ DeJohnette/Holland/Werner is well worth checking out.

Wayne Shorter is putting out a 3CD set, Emanon ("no name" backwards), on August 24. It's one studio CD with his quartet + an orchestra, and two live CDs by the quartet. Plus it comes with an 84-page comic book written by Shorter. Pre-orders are up. The standard edition is $75; the deluxe edition (the 3 CDs, the comic, and the same music on 3 LPs, plus it's signed) is $175.

Whoa. Most interested in the comic tbh.

I'm so happy to find this high-quality video of Elvin Jones' band with Eric Lewis, which remains one of the most transcendent shows of my life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxmdm1xTtp0

Whoa. Most interested in the comic tbh.

Ha! I couldn't be less interested in the comic. In fact, I'm almost certain to buy the music as a download rather than a physical object.

Now I'm listening to Eric Lewis' (aka ELEW) trio record with Reginald Veal & 'Tain' Watts from 2016, and it's excellent. Glad he made this after the solo stuff, he's so fun to listen to in a group. Such a powerhouse.

https://✧✧✧.shop✧✧✧.com/s/files/1/0003/8961/1572/products/GB1541_PACK_SHOT_1024x1✧✧✧@2✧.j✧✧?v=1532534610

From Gearbox Records:
Mønk

Clear vinyl 180 gram 33rpm LP (Street date: 28th September 2018)
- Strictly limited edition, only 500 available*
- Individually hand-numbered
- Heavy-weight tip-on sleeve
- Signature-embossed Val Wilmer photographic print (limited to 500)
- AAA release

Hot on the heels of Impulse’s recent unearthed Coltrane number one hit album comes another beauty from Jazz’s ‘holy trinity’. This is a previously unreleased, precious lost treasure from Monk’s most critically acclaimed line-up; Charlie Rouse on saxophone, John Orr on double bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. Without a widely agreed must-have Monk release, could this fill the void as the Monk everyone should own? Recorded live in Copenhagen in 1963 at the peak of Monk’s career. A year later he was to feature on the cover of TIME magazine, one of only for 4 Jazz artists ever to do so.

Cut in-house with Gearbox’s 1967 Haeco Scully lathe, the exact same lathe set-up as Blue Note used back in the day.

Line-up:
Thelonious Monk - piano
Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
John Orr - double bass
Frankie Dunlop - drums

Track Listing:
A1 Bye-Ya A2 Nutty B1 Bye-Ya B2 Body and Soul B3 Monk's Dream

More info: https://store.gearboxrecords.com/collections/vinyl/products/thelonious-monk-collectors-edition-pre-order *There's also a "standard black LP" option, according to Vinyl Factory, may not be limited ed., or as limited. Don't see that on the Gearbox site, though. Maybe it'll be available later, after they sell out the ltd.

Apparently not a boot, given the Wilmer connection, unless that's booted too.

The Tohru Aizawa Quartet's Tachibana was reissued today by BBE, the label that put out that excellent J-Jazz compilation earlier this year. It's heavy post-Coltrane/Tyner blare from 1975. Not life-changing or anything, but worth a listen.

Listening to the promo of that new Wayne Shorter album. It's pretty short(er) - the first disc (new studio material with his quartet and an orchestra) is 51 minutes; the live material with just the quartet adds 76 more minutes, but it's split across two CDs for some weird reason. Anyway, the orchestral stuff is amazing so far.

talking of him - I've been listening to an obscure Shorter tribute album from '83 - Shorter by Two - by piano duo Kirk Lightsey & Harold Danko, it's very good imo - the version of marie antoinette even had my eyes tapping their feet!

That sounds cool.

Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has died. His 2017 album December Avenue with David Virelles on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums is fantastic.

https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/img/SitkN2ZTRmNrRVYwSFdzT3JHYmF0dz09/a3469264455-10.jpg

Don Cherry
Home Boy, Sister Out
WEWANTSOUNDS
**Features the classic disco-not-disco tune, 'I Walk'!**

Don Cherry's downtown Paris funk masterwork produced in 1985 by Ramuntcho Matta and originally released by Barclay in France only, finally gets a worldwide reissue on Wewantsounds. Featuring French post-punk muse Elli Medeiros, avant garde poet Brion Gysin and cult Senegalese drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (Xalam), this is a unique soundbite of Paris in the early 80s at its coolest when funk, jazz and new wave were mingling with sounds from Africa, Jamaica and Latin America. Newly Remastered, the album is augmented by a second LP worth of bonus tracks!
More info, audio:
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/don-cherry-home-boy-sister-out

https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/img/Z1YyMS9iemJ4WVhKcDY2dXRSSGt0dz09/c6qyfg-waaun0hj.jpg

LP
Don Cherry
Music, Wisdom, Love
FINDERS KEEPERS

Reaching a near-mythical status amongst fans of free jazz’s most worldly intrepid explorer, these seldom heard Paris soundtrack sessions known as ‘Music, Wisdom, Love’ have evaded collectors’ grasps and confused historians for exactly 50 years. Instigated in Paris in 1967 and filmed during Don’s downtime on a visit to the Chat qui Pêche nightclub in March 1967 (where he played with Karl Berger, Henri Texier and Jacques Thollot), the bulk of this cinematic portrait was filmed on the streets of Paris under the direction of creative all-rounders Jean-Noël Delamarre and Nathalie Perrey who, as their careers bloomed, would become pivotal figures in underground French cinema - straddling La Nouvelle Vague, adult entertainment and cinema fantastique in what can only be described as speedball cinema.

Available for the first time ever and licensed from producer and director Jean-Noel Delamarre himself.

More info, audio:
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/music-wisdom-love

They've also got Brown Rice and Mu Part I.

So it turns out that all of those and a lot more DC are on Spotify, but I'd never heard of HBSO orMWL.

Saw Tony Allen last night at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC. He had the band from The Source and was playing all that music. Harpist Brandee Younger opened the show, doing duos with a bassist whose name escapes me. Great show.

In which Robert Glasper (whose music I don't even like that much, FTR) eats Lauryn Hill alive and spits out the bones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54WECf1ioeY?t=26m57s

That was good. Even I've heard some stories from people who have played in her band.

I don't know much about Kip Hanrahan but back in the 80s I bought two remarkable albums released on his American Clave label, Astor Piazzolla's Tango Zero Hour and Conjure, settings for x delivery of Ishmael Reed's words, with David Murray, Allen Toussaint, Taj Mahal, Billy Hart, Steve Swallow(one of my favorites, incl. singing, is "The Wardrobe Master of Paradise," which always seemed like a working man's portrait of Sun Ra).
Haven't heard about KH in a long time, but wondering about this new album, Crescent Moon Waning---from his comments in press release:
This record is informed by the music that preceded it, and it is critical of it (otherwise there'd be no reason to make it), but it is in itself, of course, a new music. As far as a "culmination" or "completion", on any second (or ninth) thought you realize that there never really is one, we all have so much more music waiting to be made. Oh, and parenthetically, I guess, we only make records and music when there are records and music demanding to be made. I hope that makes sense.

There is, though, a particular tone, instantly recognizable as ours, that's clear and remains constant, remains audible, through the records and years. It's something many of the players pointed out at different times, independent of each other. This tonal continuity is a little amusing in a way, as "Crescent Moon Waning" was recorded with the instruments and voices tuned to 432 rather than the expected 440. The change in tuning was our playing with different possible human scales (pun intended). It's funny, but it seems to most of us on the record that the 432 tuning makes everything seem a little slower and more relaxed, regardless of how fast and busy the music is.

Crescent Moon Waning was recorded between August 2015 and December 2016 in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The last track on the album is live and was recorded October 1984 in Nancy, France.

A list of the players on "Crescent Moon Waning" in order of appearance: Kip Hanrahan; Michael Chambers, Dick Kondas; Brandon Ross; Luisito Quintero; Robby Ameen; Yunior Terry; Charles Neville; Lucia Ameen; Milton Cardona; Anthony Carrillo; Richie Flores; Andy Gonzalez; Steve Swallow; Xiomara Laugart; Fernando Saunders; Josh Sinton; Alfredo Triff; J.D. Allen; Miss Jennifer Hernandez; Roberto Poveda; David Rodriguez; Craig Handy; Lucy Penabaz; Giacomo Merega; Grayson Hugh; Senti Toy; Ignacio Berroa; Giovanni Hidalgo; Steve Berrios; Jack Bruce; Chico Freeman; Mario Rivera

It was produced by Kip Hanrahan and Michael Chambers with Leijia Hanrahan as executive producer and Dick Kondas and Robby Ameen as co-producers.

A breakdown of the players on each song is available upon request, as is a few pages of additional information about each of the players.

One particular note about one of the players: Charles Neville is a constant presence on this record, a kind of Greek chorus throughout, constantly offering alternative melodies to that of the singer, of the words, as well as a constant musical commentary on what was going on in the rest of the song. He was a central figure in our group of musicians, sharing and contributing to the music, frustrations angers and the ultimate celebrations, of our musical "project" for 35 years. He passed away last week, and we already miss him. His deep presence on this record changes the way I now hear some of the music on it.

xp also on Conjure: Carla Bley, Olu Dara, Milton Cardona, quite a few more. Haven't yet heard the follow-ups, Cab Calloway Stands In For The Moon (Bobby Womack joins Murray Toussaint & Co), and Bad Mouth(ditto Billy Bang, Alvin Youngblood Hart etc), but I will---all three are on Spotify, for inst.

Last night, dithering around like a dizzy bizzy bee---and Sundays are always kinda weird at best---I found my attention and pleasure principle repeatedly pulled into a performance-and-interview episode of Jazz Night In America:, feat. drummer-composer Allison Miller and her group Boom Tic Boom (think it's usually spelled "Tic" not "Tick," which I dig), incl. " Miller alongside violinist Jenny Scheinman, cornetist Kirk Knuffke, clarinetist Jeff Lederer, pianist Carmen Staaf and bassist Tony Scherr." Jazz, no question, but/and I get how she credits Prince as inspiration (reminding me, though don't think she mentioned it, that P. hired Clare Fischer to arrange and conduct). The "melodic drumming" thing demonstrated here---in a spotlight studio segment, as well as all through the BTB set---she traces to Africa, and shows how she has no prob w melody as written, then responds to vocal interpretation/
So here's all that, 56:08's worth, just posted, I think:
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/639233311/more-than-keeping-time-a-melodic-drumming-demo

Also, from a couple of years ago, when her most recent album was released, here she is on WBGO, with Myra Melford and Todd Sickafoose instead of Staaf and Scherr---also got Ben Goldberg on clarinet:
http://www.wbgo.org/post/many-dimensions-drummer-composer-and-bandleader-allison-miller-checkout#stream/0

Goldberg in stead of Lederer, not along with, though I'd like to hear that too.

I cannot help but think this album cover is going to rebound really badly on Mr. Deutsch. Especially since the record comes out November 2. I really hope he reconsiders between now and then.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DlEegpYXgAUWBVQ.jpg

Was worried that was going to be about Josh Deutsch

Ouch @ that cover

digging this complete set of every monk composition played by miles okazaki on guitar:

https://okazakiwork.bandcamp.com/album/work-complete-volumes-1-6

Poll! I'm liking this as well tbh, he doesn't just play the notes, there is a strong essence of Monk in these interpretations.

he has to realise now he must do the complete works of Bud Powell!

The Young Mothers - Morose
(Self Sabotage Records)

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmVvfMDXgAEFr5f.jpg

Got the CD direct from Super Secret Records. Mothers of Invention meets Mother's Finest at an indie hip-hop show? Regardless, they're bad mothers alright - free Jazz from Austin with more than enough skronk for the hesher that I am.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3HwMEbG9tky1gkRl1QDdnP?si=Tuvy_S1ZQYWVxqOxP9tftg
https://selfsabotagerecords.bandcamp.com/album/morose
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/morose/1395589943

They don't usually bother to vocalize, but when they do, they can---good comments on the opener, and the closer is even a mellow skronkfest ballad, not at all too long at five minutes and change (though most cuts are far shorter, without ever skimping). And the Funkadelic, Sharrock traces are well-digested---good shit, thanks!
(PS: currently finding that Spotify, despite its stingy payments, servers the artists pretty well soundwise, though that hasn't always been the case.)

There's a pretty amazing Mingus box set coming out in November from BBE (the label that did that J-Jazz compilation and the Tohru Aizawa Quartet album). It's a live recording from Detroit 1973, with Joe Gardner on trumpet, John Stubblefield on sax, Don Pullen on piano, and Roy Brooks on drums. It's about four hours of music spread across five CDs (it was a radio broadcast, so there's also a 40-minute track that includes an interview with Brooks and listener phone calls). Since it was recorded for radio (on a 16-track unit owned by the venue), it sounds great. Highly recommended.

CD 1
1. Pithecanthropus Erectus (Long Version)
2. The Man Who Never Sleeps
3. Peggy's Blue Skylight

CD 2
1. Introduction by Bud Spangler/Celia
2. Bud Spangler Interview with Roy Brooks and Commentary

CD 3
1. C Jam Blues
2. Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
3. Dizzy Profile

CD 4
1. Noddin' Ya Head Blues
2. Celia (Alternate Take)

CD 5
1. Dizzy Profile (Alternate Take)
2. Strata Gallery Announcement by Bud Spangler / Radio Broadcast WDET FM

Digital-only bonus track:
1. Pithecanthropus Erectus (Alternate Take)

https://bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/jazz-in-detroit-strata-concert-gallery-46-selden

Thanks! Reminds me---since I can't find the J-Jazz thread, will post this here:
BBE Music is proud to present the next instalment in the J Jazz Masterclass Series: ‘East Plants’ by Takeo Moriyama, one of Japan’s finest jazz drummers.
A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, ‘East Plants’ is now available once more, reissued for the first time as a double 180g LP, with exact reproductions of the original artwork, obi strip and insert. It also comes with the original notes fully translated. ‘East Plants’ is also available as CD and digital formats. This reissue is fully endorsed by Takeo Moriyama himself.
Originally released in 1983 on the Japanese VAP label, ‘East Plants’ is an essential album in the J Jazz canon. It’s an album that distills several key characteristics of Moriyama’s music: clearly articulated and inventive rhythms, open yet orderly arrangements, and an accessible groove balanced with a graceful control.
PS: heard an amazing "It Might As Well Be Spring" on the radio last night---turned out to be Woody Shaw, shoulda known. Think the too-cool DJ mumbled that it was from a comp called Winter Jazz.

Randomly Spotify-surfed onto a 2007 album with Bruce Hornsby, Christian McBride, and Jack DeJohnette playing acoustic jazz over distorted, high-passed drum loops. And it's kinda great?

Pretty sure this is not the first time I've "discovered" this record, my memory can be so bad.

My new Stereogum column is up.

Also, I just taped a podcast interview with Ethan Iverson and Mark Turner that'll be out next week, and it's a fucking blast.

Lots of intriguing descriptions there, thanks---speaking of Alice Coltrane reissues, Amazon's also got Carnegie Hall '71, listed as a May 2018 release.

Yeah, that's a bootleg of a WQXR radio broadcast that's been in circulation forever. Probably mastered from an MP3.