New J*** artists/recordings recommendations

Peter, the reason I don't consider Monk to be a true bebop musician is because he really created a new world very much his own. He did associate with bebop musicians, and his music used some elements of bebop, but his concept was so idiosyncratic and his innovations were virtually the antithesis of bebop.

It may not seem so from my recent posts in this discussion, but my tastes and listening habits actually do vary more than one might think. I'm an omnivore, and I dig all kinds of music: loud and soft, tough and beautiful, thorny and simple, all genres, all eras ... as long as it's good music. Plenty of tough stuff: Coltrane, Shorter, Mingus, Monk, Ornette, Jarrett's "American Quartet," Stravinsky, Hendrix, Bartok, later Miles, etc. My main objection was to the idea that only "tough" music expressed musical truths, that it alone was what one needs "when you want to have communion with the heart of humanity and try to figure out why we're all here."

I do agree that often folks do not push on, delving deeper when confronted with difficult listening, missing out on eventual rewards. On the other hand, although I've invested a lot of time in my life listening to such, it's admittedly not very often that I feel like listening to Coltrane's Ascension.

Lastly, let's not forget that for many people, many more than in this small circle, music as seemingly palatable as Metheny, Mays, Evans, and Oregon is difficult and obscure to them.

...coincidentally, I was listening to some Columbia solo Monk recordings when I came across this post. Granted, I don't have much early Monk, but it occurred to me that his connection with bop by that stage at least was quite remote. It seems that with the Riverside and Columbia stuff that I am familiar with (and I think I have most of it on disc), he was a sort of cracked, stride ballad player. And I love Bud also. Funnily enough, one of my favourites is the Portrait of Thelonious, which he did in Paris in the early 60's, I think. His version of "Off Minor" is so Bud, yet so Monk. Luvverly.

I agree about Coltrane being spiritual, even when angry. I have difficulty with Ascension, but I love the Atlantic period material. Only yesterday, I had Ole Coltrane on, and that is an absolute burner, in my opinion.

You know, it's really interesting and sometimes very frustrating to see what you've written completely taken out of context, dissected, and argued ad nauseum. My original reference to Thelonius Monk was meant to be part of a picture: a young white dude stumbles into a club and happens to hear some new, frighteningly inventive jazz that shocks the hell out of him. Maybe he finds it intoxicating, maybe he doesn't. Monk was one of a group of musicians playing a new kind of jazz in the late 1930s/1940s who moved away from the smooth sound of swing. Yes, his approach was quite different from that of Bird and Diz, but he did play with them and was very much part of the bebop scene. When I used to go see Monk play at the Five Spot in NYC, I just sat there enraptured, thinking "this guy plays really great jazz." At the time (early 1960s), Monk was labeled "outside" by the critics. He played too many "wrong" notes. Today, he is considered fairly mainstream by most jazz lovers. I think people sometimes get too picky about putting musicians in defined "categories". Where would you put Miles Davis? His work with Bird on the Dial sessions is very firmly bebop. Then he started "cool jazz". Then he went "modal". Then he started "fusion". And so on. Coltrane was a really good bop player early on, as was Rollins, but both evolved into major proponents of "Hard Bop", and Coltrane went much further. Fred, I can't listen with much enjoyment to "Ascension" either. Same for "Om". But I'd love to hear from anybody out there who digs "Ascension", how to approach such a difficult piece. I once went to a performance by Cecil Taylor and his group at the old Keystone Corner in SF. It was in 1968 or 1969. I think Jimmy Lyons was on sax and Andrew Cyrille on drums - the rest of the group I don't remember. I sat through one very excruciating set, and ever since then, I'm ashamed to admit, the imprinting of that set prejudiced me from ever listening to Cecil Taylor again. Do you have any recommendations? My goal, in most of posts, is to to talk about the music I love, and to hopefully, turn people on to music they might find worthwhile. I hope, in turn, to learn about music that others out there think I might find worthwhile. BTW, Fred, have you listened to "Where's Your Cup" yet?

I hate to be a thread killer. Let's hear from someone who's got some new jazz recordings to recommend!

Steve Kuhn -- Countdown

regards
shahreza

shahreza-thanks for the recommendation. I was interested to find out that Steve Kuhn was the original pianist with John Coltrane's quartet, before being replaced by McCoy Tyner. He also played behind the great Serge Chaloff when he was only 14 y.o.! Is "Countdown" a solo effort, or does he have sidemen? I see that his CD "Seasons Of Romance" has Tom Harrell on tpt. Now there's a great player! Have you heard "Seasons Of Romance"? Is it any good? I'll check out "Countdown" this week and report back.

shahreza-picked up Steve Kuhn's "Countdown" the other day. It really cooks. Right from the beginning you can tell this guy really has "fingers". His improvising is really imaginative, with plenty of "playing across the bar line" - something most younger guys can't seem to get the hang of. Thanks for the recommendation.

As someone who has greater appreciation, at this time anyway, for the lyrical and melodic in jazz, here are some of my recent favorites other like minded listeners might enjoy.
1- Tommy Flanagan- "Jazz Poet", "Sea Changes"
"Sunset & The Mockingbird" He is justifiably
praised as one of the greatest living jazz
masters. Wonderful live with his trio.
2- Hank Jones & Charlie Haden-"Steal Away"-very
indrawn and introspective music of great power.
3- Abdullah Ibrahim-"Water From An Ancient Well"-
African inspired, folk based jazz ensemble.
4- Ahmad Jamal- "The Essence:Part 1"- Superb group
interplay with a great sense of dynamics
which really come alive on a Naim system.
5- Steve Kuhn- "Seasons Of Romance"- He's not
quite old enough to pass for an old lion, and
he may not be getting the attention of the
young un's, but he is a very sensitive player.
6- Herbie Hancock- "Gershwin's World"- Superb all-
star cast concept recording includes Joni
Mitchell, Wayne Shorter, the Orpheus Ensemble..
7- John McLauglin Trio- "Que Alegria"- One of a
series of 90's recordings that capture his
mature playing on acoustic. Very serene even
when played at his hallmark breakneck tempos.
8- Sharon Isbin- "Dreams of a World"- Not
actually jazz, but it certainly fits in my
version of Ellington's musical divide-
Good Music. Very skilled and soulful playing.
9- Gary Burton & Friends- "Departure"
10-Charles LLoyd- "The Water Is Wide"- highly
praised in Stereophile, deservedly so for me.
-Happy hunting and good listening.

To cure that, try any of Ted Sirota's albums on Naim. Recommended without reservation.

Also try:

Pat Metheney & Charlie Haden - Beyond The Missouri Sky. Wonderful late night acoustic stuff.

Terje Rypdal - QED. Weird and wonderful

steve

I recently bought that Nils Peter Molvaer that Pete recommended way back, Solid Ether. It reminds me of a more modern, Norwegian version of Sketches of Spain. Great pulsating rhythmic backdrop of various electronica with Molvaer's ethereal trumpet sound wafting over the top. Some excellent vocals on a couple of tracks by Sidsel Andersen (sp?). I may get more of this Nu Norwegian stuff Bugge Westefeld etc . Im not sure its really Jazz but good sounds.

John¿

Speaking of Abdullah Ibrahim, I highly recommend his soundtrack album from the movie "No Fear, No Die". I've never been able to find the movie on video, but the album is extremely fine and very listenable. He's joined by Ricky Ford on tenor, Horace Alexander Young III on alto, soprano, and flute, Jimmy Cozier on bari, Frank Lacy on 'bone, with Buster Williams and Ben Riley on bass and drums. Very cool set! Everyone I've played it for loves it, jazzbo or not.

Check him out on http://www.eriktruffaz.com

A great French Jazz trumpet player. An excellent mix between traditionnal Jazz, Fusion, hip-hop and 70's rock.

A must have CD, "Bending New Corners" on Blue Note.

Enjoy,

Ugo,