What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XIV)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 31 December 2017
On the eve of a new year, it's time for a new thread.
Last year's thread can be found here:
Mention of John Mayall from TONY2011 prompted me to unearth this one from the vault of memories.
John Mayall Blues Breakers - Bare Wires.
A slight shift towards Blues / Jazz fusion, the album features a certain 19 year old Mick Taylor on guitar, future stalwart of the
Strolling Bones.
What's not to like?
Continuing the Indian theme with more Shakti. This time 'Natural Elements'. Highly addictive sound!
Similar as my earlier modern jazz record. And in both case nic3 exploration but also exploration in a more popular direction @@like experiments with vocals which are for me the less successful parts of the albums...
I don’t know why he wasn’t on my radar screen before, a nice floating style which I like a lot...
"A journey through the fundamental subject areas that inspired both the old Italian madrigal and the Buenos Aires tango. Through Argentina and Italy, with their musicians and music. Through the instruments of both worlds which sing and converse, each with their own voice, their different languages and shared stories. Through migrations, solitude, conflicts, absence, dance, dreams and death. Through the "places of the soul" of these people, united and marked by irreparable losses, voyages of no return, hopes on the other shore, exercises in nostalgia." (MA Recordings)
Now Playing......
Jenni Muldaur - Jenni Muldaur
Streaming on NAS........ A random pick of an older CD from '92, a sweet voice with familiar pop songs
EJS posted:
One of my all time favorite albums - Karajan's second Tosca, a filmic performance with a starring role for Ruggero Raimondi's lizard Scarpia. I have a few other notable Tosca's: Davis with Caballe and Carreras, Sinopoli with Freni and Domingo, Leinsdorf with Milanov and Bjoerling, the first Karajan with Price and Di Stefano and Pappano with Gheorghiu and Alagna, but the sheer conviction that comes through every minute of this performance is unique.
Katia Ricciarelli! One of the most mesmerising beautiful voice.
The Presidents Of The United States Of America. The band's eponymous debut on CD from 1995. One of the ten or so debut albums I consider extraordinary. Unfortunately, like half of those ten or so bands, The Presidents never rose above or beyond their initial effort.
Now Playing......
Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby
Bill Evans (piano), Scott LaFaro (bass), and Paul Motian (drums)
Streaming on TIDAL....... It is Wednesday and time for Waltz for Debby!
Note on TIDAL: Recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961, shortly before Scott LaFaro's death, Waltz for Debby is the second album issued from that historic session, and the final one from that legendary trio that also contained drummer Paul Motian. While the Sunday at the Village Vanguard album focused on material where LaFaro soloed prominently, this is far more a portrait of the trio on those dates. Evans chose the material here, and, possibly, in some unconscious way, revealed on these sessions -- and the two following LaFaro's death (Moonbeams and How My Heart Sings!) -- a different side of his musical personality that had never been displayed on his earlier solo recordings or during his tenures with Miles Davis and George Russell: Evans was an intensely romantic player, flagrantly emotional, and that is revealed here in spades on tunes such as "My Foolish Heart" and "Detour Ahead." There is a kind of impressionistic construction to his harmonic architecture that plays off the middle registers and goes deeper into its sonances in order to set into motion numerous melodic fragments simultaneously. The rhythmic intensity that he displayed as a sideman is evident here in "Milestones," with its muscular shifting time signature and those large, flatted ninths with the right hand. The trio's most impressive interplay is in "My Romance," after Evans' opening moments introducing the changes. Here Motian's brushwork is delicate, flighty and elegant, and LaFaro controls the dynamic of the tune with his light as a feather pizzicato work and makes Evans' deeply emotional statements swing effortlessly. Of the many recordings Evans issued, the two Vanguard dates and Explorations are the ultimate expressions of his legendary trio. ~ Thom Jurek
J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton; what a tremendous partnership. There is no-one better to lead a J.J. Cale appreciation album than EC, ably supported by Willie Nelson of course. This is an excellent album for almost any occasion.
This one landed on the doormat this morning and now getting it's first outing.
Now Playing.......
Jazzmeia Horn - A Social Call
Jazzmeia Horn (vocals), Victor Gould (piano), Ben Williams (bass) Jerome Jennings (drums, percussion) Stacy Dillard (tenor saxophone 1, 3, 5, 6, 10), Josh Evans (trumpet 3, 5, 6, 7, 10), Frank Lacy (trombone 3, 5, 6, 9, 10)
Streaming on TIDAL: Picking out something random on TIDAL and finding a wonderful singer and group of musicians performing!
Review on All About Jazz found here:
Coming from a gospel oriented family in Dallas, Texas, given a unique name and early tutelage by her piano playing grandmother, Jazzmeia Horn was destined to be a jazz singer. After relocating to New York City to pursue music studies, she went on to conquer the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition, topping that by winning the Thelonious MonkInstitute International Jazz Competition in 2015. All of this preparation and recognition has culminated in her debut release A Social Call, on the revived Prestige label, part of the Concord Music Group.
Personally involved in all aspects of the musician selection and production process, Horn decided on an acoustic small group format, which best presents her clear vocal articulation. The sessions have her voice smoothly integrating into the ensemble, becoming a supple instrument, and a musical extension of the band. Horn will readily admit to having a number of major influences, one being Betty Carter, whose "Tight," opens the set, a straight ahead showcase for her natural scatting, and ability to interact with saxophonist Stacy Dillard. The standard "East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)" is performed with the core band, with bassist Ben Williams, and drummer Jerome Jennings supporting pianist Victor Gould, who proves he is the ideal accompanist for this project. The trio shines on the quickened Johnny Mercer classic "I Remember You," and on the title track, Horns' voice transformed into pure bop expression. Adorned with sophisticated trumpet lines from Josh Evans, her rhythmic manipulation of the melody on the tranquil ballad "The Peacocks," captures her signature sound in all its splendor and grace.
The horn section of Evans on trumpet, trombonist Frank Lacy, and saxophonist Dillard, enhance the arrangement of "Up Above My Head," and provide the soulful background for the gospel meets jazz merger "Lift Every Voice And Sing/Moanin." Singing and scatting through moods, styles, and tempos, with inherent ease, Horn appears to enjoy the challenges in musical diversity. The standout three part medley "Afro Blue/Eye See You/ Wade In The Water," begins with Jennings on African percussion, while Horn improvises exotic incantations and nuances, leading into the lyrics. The middle section of "Eye See You," is a spoken word social commentary on conditions in the African-American experience; and the hymn "Wade In The Water," represents a soothing conclusion, drawing comfort and solace from Horns' gospel roots. In keeping with her contemporary leanings, she re-imagines the R&B hit "I'm Going Down," with a swinging jazz beat and a taste of neo-soul.
Exhibiting an advanced artistic development and confidence associated with more established performers, Jazzmeia Horn exudes an intense sense of purpose, and delivers an outstanding repertoire skillfully suited to her talent. Citing influences and mentors as vital in the process of becoming a musician, Horn was determined to find her own voice, and she has succeeded.
This time some more AK but with SRV, the only surprise for me was that this great album took nearly sixteen years to release after having been recorded in '83.
This one arrived - nice !
Roland Kirk - We free kings
Allmusic:
We Free Kings, Roland Kirk's third long-player, is among the most consistent of his early efforts. The assembled quartet provides an ample balance of bop and soul compliments to Kirk's decidedly individual polyphonic performance style. His inimitable writing and arranging techniques develop into some great originals, as well as personalize the chosen cover tunes. With a nod to the contemporary performance style of John Coltrane, as well as a measure of his influences -- most notably Clifford Brown and Sidney Bechet -- Kirk maneuvers into and out of some inspiring situations. His decidedly 'Trane-esque solos on "My Delight" are supported with a high degree of flexibility by one-time Charles Mingus' pianist Richard Wyands and Dizzy Gillespie percussionist Charlie Persip. The album's title track is a Kirk original, based on the melody of the Christmas hymn "We Three Kings." Incorporating recognizable melodies into Kirk's oft times unorthodox musical settings would prove to be a motif throughout his career. An example is the highly touted cover of Charlie Parker's "Blues for Alice." This is an ideal avenue for the quartet to explore one of Kirk's specialties -- the blues. The almost irreverent manner in which he fuses blues and soul music into the otherwise bop-driven arrangements is striking. "A Sack Full of Soul" is a funky number with a walking-blues backbeat that perfectly supports Kirk's swinging solos. The stop time syncopation is reminiscent of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." The 1987 CD version also includes an alternate take of "Blues for Alice." One additional track -- a cover of the Frank Loesser standard "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" -- was also recorded at these sessions and remained unissued until its inclusion on the ten-disc Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings of Roland Kirk box set.
Prince 4Ever - CDX2 + XPSDR
This is sounding the best ever having moved from using the nDAC + XPSDR for all digital.
He uses a lot of mid range guitars etc in his music which previously weren’t coming through with the right balance to the rest of the music. So exciting on every track. ???? Lots of other music up a notch too. Wishes I could part with my CDX2 for streaming but would need an NDS + 555 to do better.
Phil
A change of tack away from the blues to this classic getting on for 25 years young.
Chopin: (1810-1849): Louis Lortie (piano)
Volume 5: Mazurkas | Polonaises | Allegro de concert
