Rolling Jazz Thread 2020

Thanks for the heads-up, Phil (and for continuing to cover great artists like her)

I indeed thought the same thing in terms of that 10-min tune on her new one sounding very Conquistador!, but wasn't sure to what degree my thinking that was due to Henry Grimes having passed away a week and a half before her album dropped...

Yes, and as what unperson calls the creepy groove things stalk the leash-singeing trumpet in track 2 (unperson trans. "It IS Not Too Late"), I think of Gil Evans & Miles Davis, *if* they'd gotten together later (in an official, upfront-type presentation, not w Gil's un-or under-credited input to Miles records, as actually seemed to happen, some say), except Miles didn't usually stick so much to lower, wider notes like this (at moments reminding me of Masekela's flugelhorn on the amazing recent release w Tony Allen--but again, not too close).
Also thinking of Gil, the faster side of Gil, during bluesy balancing act portions of "Dansa Margit"---and when the horn gets softer, and everybody else comes swarming back in, kind of like when the cop show hold-out finally lowers his weapon..."Antigen" has this good use of contrast, dynamic development too---and yeah those opening notes of track one are for all time.

unperson trans. "It Is...," not "It IS," sorry. the notes begin to decay like the reed is dissolving also like how other instruments can go through this in diff. time cycles, as is surely the way of nature, not always but ultimately, after the boom-boom ('appreciate they don't automatically lock into blazing finales, like some free-stylized jazz)

if the title of Moses Boyd's Dark Matter suggests a science fiction soundtrack, you're on the right trek: "Nommos Descent," feat. Nonku Phiri and Nubya Garcia, is like Quincy Jones of Young London Presents the New Nocturnal PostFreeBop Pop--that's the one that The Guardian calls "over produced," but I don't think so, it fits perfectly after the gruff, vivid social observations over circular jagged beats and recurring sax fiber of "Dancing in the Dark" feat. Obongjayar, the dubbier drive of "Only You," (incl. roil of looped[?] drums), and "Far Gone"'s flexing core times the rippling ricochet piano of Joe Armon-Jones. Elsewhere we get well-chosen bits of conversation, overblown flute, tough guitar---so far I'm only underwhelmed by the opener, which incl. tinny muted trumpet, not good to start w anticlimax.
I guess early works of Soul II Soul and Massive Attack might also be suggested, but this seems more consistently expansive and energized, in a cool, wider-ranging-record-collection way.
https://mosesboyd.bandcamp.com/album/dark-matter-2

One of my favorites this year for sure

agreed! the shape of acid jazz to come: MOSES BOYD's Dark Matter

How it's done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpHbc50oM0&feature=youtu.be

This should work better (new Youtube video of Monder doing a spacey solo version of "Never Let Me Go"):
https://youtu.be/UDpHbc50oM0

I'm catching up with some of Eric Hofbauer's more recent releases. This was really pleasant wake-up music this morning (goes down much easier than the solo Ghost Frets - which I also like): https://soundcloud.com/erichofbauer/sets/remains-of-echoes

New album by Dinosaur / Laura Jurd is fantastic. They don't really fit into current UK/London scene so don't get much coverage.

agreed. Need to check out the new Alexander Hawkins & Tomeka Reid duo album as well.

are previous Dinosaur albums as good as this one?

I don't know what put me off them previously, might be a case of mercury award poisoning or something. Which isn't fair bevause they can't help being the token jazz placeholder and it doesn't mean they are shit
!

I'm biased, but Lucian Ban, John Surman and Mat Maneri's Transylvanian Folk Songs, based on Béla Bartók's field recordings, is absolutely fantastic.

The new Kurt Rosenwinkel is cool so far, really nice to hear him just burn out a blues with Gregory Hutchinson.

xp

I like that one a lot as well, must be quite a coup for Sunnyside Records because it is the very definition of an ecm album!

Yeah, agree about the Ban/Maneri/Surman disc; I reviewed it for The Wire.

this got rec'd when i was bopping around yt today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRJpB0Mhyc

a lot going on here lol

A mate is taking part in a live DJ jazz marathon thing - some great stuff so far. Currently playing Charles Brackeen.

https://www.mixcloud.com/live/thejazzmeet/

Watched Eugene Smith and the Jazz Loft last night (Sarah Fishko of NPR's doc), and it was pretty disappointing. Lots of (nearly all white) talking heads barely saying anything of substance, all over the place, sort of a notebook/footage dump inasmuch as half of the subject matter was just sort of episodic stuff about Eugene Smith's life and career that had nothing whatsoever to do with the Jazz Loft, music very much taking a backseat and never allowed to run for more than 20 seconds or so of a single piece (tbf there's no film footage of the sessions in the loft, sadly).

The one bright spot for me was the section on Overton working with Monk for the Town Hall concert. That honestly should have just been a whole doc, even if it could only be stretched to 30-45 mins.

Eric Alper
@TharEricAlper

Jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb - one of the greats in ANY genre - has died at age of 91. He played on Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and “Sketches of Spain” and also performed with John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Wes Montgomery, Art Pepper, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. Damn. Lung cancer, not Covid.

Still performing 'til fairly recently, considering his age (YouTube has him w Eric Alexander Quartet, incl Harold Mabern and Bob Cranshaw, in 2015, for inst)

Should be ThatEricAlper

yarrrr

Rolling Yarrrrs Thread 2020

The thing to judge in any yarrrrs artist is, does the man shiver me timbers and does he have an eyepatch.

The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays The Music Of Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison w/Jamie Saft is a fucking cracking album, me hearties!

RIP Jimmy Cobb, you knew it was coming, but end of the era for sure.

it was pointed out to me that he was the last living member of the band from Kind of Blue

No doubt you accepted this novel piece of information with the grace you are accustomed to display.

He joins that roster of cats I have a tiny tinge of guilt or regret about never quite making it out to see them live such as Percy and Jimmy Heath. Did read Peter Bernstein's FB post about him, but not quite the same.

it was pointed out to me that he was the last living member of the band from Kind of Blue

― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Tuesday, May 26, 2020 11:06 AM (seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i pointed this out elsewhere, but lee konitz (who passed away last month) was the last living member from the "birth of the cool" sessions

so two pretty huge miles bands are gone

Friend texted me that drummer-wise "only Roy Haynes left."

don't forget louis hayes, and maybe joe chambers too

Right. Tootie Heath was also mentioned, the one brother I have seen.

indeed, tootie is 84 but still touring

He had a near death experience a few years back though. Told my neighbor he told them to reserve a seat for him, the neighbor, in the underworld.

Hey, it's Miles's birthday today.

Friend texted me that drummer-wise "only Roy Haynes left."

Al Foster! 77.

A Polish label has just released a previously unheard live recording of Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley in Germany in 2011. I bought a copy of the physical CD (only 350 copies!) and am listening to the download now. It's recorded in a really small room — probably the size of the Village Vanguard, if that — and sounds amazing.

thanks for the tip.

the club where it was recorded has a video archive of its concerts, some of them from this year, which may be of interest:

https://www.birdland.de/videos/

last night I heard a couple of really good Eddie Harris tracks, didn't catch the titles, but they were followed by Frank Catalano's "Chicago Eddie," which the announcer said is a tribute to EH, and a good 'un too---where should I start with Harris albums? All I know by him is "Freedom Jazz Dance," the original and the Miles treatment. (Also should I check out more Catalano?)

The one with Freedom Jazz Dance on it - The In Sound -- and the follow up, Mean Greens, are both pretty good. I find all his work a little hit-or-miss. Some of it is very cheesy.

This is a great tune, with a drum sample you may recognize:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFHkVXt47fI

i think you might like "swiss movement" from '69:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8YOLY4Tats

his disco c. '74 - '79 is worth checking out for the titles / album art alone, though you may not find much to like amid the novelty tunes and weird experiments

Jimmy Cobb tribute all-day today on WKCR

cool

Thanks for the links and tips, guys. Reminds me, the invaluable Night Lights---Indiana Public Radio show---recently replayed a survey of soul jazz, based around the book of (approx?) same title by producer/interviewee Bob Porter: some of it was more imaginative (art of entertainment-wise) than I expected, and got better as it went along. Will def. check disco-era (novelty tunes and weird experiments) adventures of EH, along with earlier.

That show can be streamed/downloaded from Night Lights archive; most episodes delve into modern (though not recent) mainstream and progressive, with some fringe activity.

Published a piece (not by me) on Cobb today, focusing on his use of guitars in his bands and his work with Wes Montgomery.

Finally got all 12 volumes of Mack Avenue's Erroll Garner reissue series in the mail; the last one comes out next week. Thinking about diving into all of them for a big piece.

Something else that came in today's mail: a new CD (made up of outtakes from earlier recording sessions) by Throttle Elevator Music, a studio collective led by multi-instrumentalists Matt Montgomery and Greg Howe (owner of Wide Hive Records), with Kamasi Washington on tenor sax and a bunch of different horn players and drummers and guitarists (Ava Mendoza is on an earlier album). It's fairly punk-rock jazz, and KW blows hard. There are six CDs in all, definitely worth checking out.