[SickMouthy]

Dave Douglas is good, aye.

Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear also need serious, serious investigation;

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review...kinny-grin.htm
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review...of-fingers.htm

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleestack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers - Extraction Dennis Chmbers, Bireli Lagrene, Domique Di Piazza - Front Page Uncle Moe's Space Ranch Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dennis Chambers, Brian Bromberg - The Trio I'm obviously a big Dennis Chambers fan. Also, just about anything with Joey DeFrancesco.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SickMouthy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dave Douglas is good, aye. Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear also need serious, serious investigation; http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review...kinny-grin.htm http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review...of-fingers.htm

Just about through Front Page right now and listened to Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland this morning. Front Page is great stuff, and the drumming and bass are truly sick. Polar Bear's Held On the Tips of Fingers is a very cool album and will get more serious investigation. Rhapsody also had other albums I will check out. Rhapsody did not have Skinny Grin so I checked out Last Chance Disco. That was hard to listen to at work, but it seems pretty fun. Punk jazz. Sweet.

 

[Sleestack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just about through Front Page right now and listened to Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland this morning. Front Page is great stuff, and the drumming and bass are truly sick. .

Front Page has some gems. On "Extraction" w/ Chambers, Howe & Wooten, the three virtuosos really pull together some sublime funk/jazz grooves with a heavy edge. I don't think you could ask for a bettter combo than Chambers & Wooten.

"The Trio" w/ Rubalcalba, Bromberg & Chambers, has some unique interpretations of jazz standards with Rubalcalba's Cuban touch. The second song "Caravan" is a standout. He's one of my favorite piano players with several excellent recordings.

 

[robert]

I was going to start a thread someplace titled "Great discs for Testing that are Good Music, too", or the like. But which forum? So, since it qualifies for this one: "Overtime", Dave Holland Big Band.

Not just great music, but will wring out your system's frequency response, soundstaging, dynamic range. The whole enchilada.

 

[Voltron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleestack /img/forum/go_quote.gif Front Page has some gems. On "Extraction" w/ Chambers, Howe & Wooten, the three virtuosos really pull together some sublime funk/jazz grooves with a heavy edge. I don't think you could ask for a bettter combo than Chambers & Wooten. "The Trio" w/ Rubalcalba, Bromberg & Chambers, has some unique interpretations of jazz standards with Rubalcalba's Cuban touch. The second song "Caravan" is a standout. He's one of my favorite piano players with several excellent recordings.

I love Victor Wooten but could not find Extraction on Rhapsody. Will look for real media. I also could not find The Trio but did check out a little Rubalcalba from something else. Cool stuff.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sordel /img/forum/go_quote.gif On the basis of the recommendations on this thread, I ordered some John Zorn before Christmas and it arrived this morning. I got Masada Guitars, Live in Sevilla and the discs from the Book of Angels project involving the Cracow Kelzmer Band, the Masada String Trio and Uri Caine. I haven't had the chance to digest, or even begin chewing, these discs, but a couple of listens in the Uri Caine is especially enticing, sounding like an optimal mixture of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea. Elsewhere, pretty much everything is a nice surprise: the range of styles being both intriguing and enjoyable. Obviously, though, I've deliberately skirted the more demanding material!

I own the Masada Guitars and Moloch releases, and both are absolutely outstanding. You made some good choices!

If you think any of his material is "demanding", try to make it to one of his shows. He plays live all the time. When you watch this man do what he does best, you just become so much more appreciative of his unique talents and contributions to postmodern music.

 

[lionel marechal]

I got Tierney Sytton "I'm with the band" and I like the recording really a lot, and the sound is really really nice, with some 'club ambiance', but really not a lot. Way less than 'Jazz at the pawnshop'. People were likely really listening to her likely !
I am not usually very much. how could I say .. into soft ballad, piano and 'sustained voice' ... but I like a lot 'Two for thr road'. Maybe the actual presence of the Piano and the voice (in term of sound) is a lot for it.
Listen at 2:35 how the last note sustained just blend slowly with the piano to disappear just before the last piano note. Magic

Personal preference for HD650 over RS-2 for this song (in my setup) .

Lionel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltron /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would second Lionel's Patricia Barber suggestion, and add: Jacintha (Here's To Ben or Lush Life or Autumn Leaves are all great) Tierney Sutton (Blue In Green or I'm With the Band) Dianne Reeves (In the Moment or The Calling Celebrating Sarah Vaughan or The Best of Dianne Reeves or Good Night and Good Luck Soundtrack) Cassandra Wilson (Traveling Miles or New Moon Daughter)

 

[tjkurita]

Surprised there is no mention of Bill Frisell. He is my favorite musician and in my opinion one of the few truly original figures in contemporary jazz.

 

[ralphp@optonline]

[size=x-large]Best Jazz of 2006[/size]

[size=medium][size=small]Since this a thread about Contemporary Jazz I figured I'd start a little sub-thread about last year's best jazz releases, or more correctly, what I feel are 2006's best jazz releases. So here goes, in no particular order.

[/size][/size][size=medium][size=small]Randy Sandke And The Metatonal Big Band - The Subway Ballet (Evening Star)[/size][/size]

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Randy Sandke is a New York City treasure. Since the 1980’s Sandke has released a steady stream of good to outstanding recording covering the full range of jazz. Although he most often labeled as a “swing” player, Sandke can and will play in just about any style and do so with ease and grace. On this recording he leads his band through a program loosely based on a sights and sounds of NYC subway ride in the early 1980s. Sandke has been ignored for way too long. This disc deserves to be heard and enjoyed by much more than just a small handful of people. Go onto Sandke’s website (www.randysandke.com) and find out more about Randy and his music.

[/size][/size][size=medium][size=small]Kenny Garrett – Beyond The Wall ( Nonsuch)[/size][/size]

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This CD is a killer. Easily Garrett’s best recording since 1996’s “Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane”. On that recording Garrett mined the music of Coltrane and here he explores the influences one of Coltrane’s major collaborator’s McCoy Tyner. While none of Tyner’s compositions are played, Tyner’s spirit is felt through out the disc. If one is going to make a disc dedicated to a master pianist like McCoy Tyner one had employ one heck of a good piano player for the date and Kenny Garrett chose well in Mulgrew Miller. These are capsule reviews and this disc needs a full length review to do it justice but on an outstanding disc which features Pharaoh Sanders, Bobby Hutcherson, Brian Blade and Robert Hurst, III all playing at the top of their skills, it just might be Miller who steals the show.

Best Reissue of 2006:

[/size][/size][size=medium][size=small]Mike Westbrook Orchestra - Citadel/Room 315 (Beat Goes On Records #713)[/size][/size]

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Although most of us here on the west of the Atlantic pond may have never heard of Mike Westbrook and therefore something like this reissue of an album originally released in 1975 would not get your attention. I hope to correct this unfortunate situation. I've already put Citadel/Room 315 on my short list for reissue of the year. Even the normally reliable All Music Guide and All About Jazz web site drop the ball on this one and either fail to mention it's release or it's greatness. John Surman is on alto sax is the featured soloist throughout this outstanding program which was originally commissioned by Swedish Radio. The music sounds no where near as dated as one would think for something just over 30 years old and recording quality is also surprisingly good. Highly recommended and a fine introduction to work of a first rate band leader and composer.

Best recording which came out before 2006 which I was too lame to buy until 2006 but is still so good that I'm mentioning it anyway:

[/size][/size]Alexander Von Schlippenbach Quintet - Monk's Casino (Intakt)


When this 3 CD set was first released back in 2005 I hesitated to buy it but after check the price again a few months ago I saw that it wasn’t that expensive (just over $30) and decided to give it a shot. Boy was I sorry I had waited so long. This set is just out of this world. The complete works of Thelonious Monk, all 70 of Monk’s compositions performed live by the Alexander Von Schlippenbach Quintet and collected on three disc in just over 3 hour time. Quite a feat and pulled off rather nicely. Being European these five musicians approach Monk’s music with a much different viewpoint than the average American jazz musician and that really helps to loosen things up. The arrangements of the piece are the real story here, ranging from straight forward run throughs to all out deconstructions. One thing remains constant throughout, there is never a disrespectful note played.
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[Sordel]

Hmmm ... Monk's Casino sounds pretty interesting. I might need to check that one out.

I don't have that Mike Westbrook, but I've picked up several of his albums over the years (including the big ones: London Bridge is Falling Down & The Cortege) and I'd say that he's "typically European": quirky, literary, uncool. His album Off Abbey Road was absolutely pilloried by the critics when it came out some years ago. Incidentally, I saw Mike and Kate perform on stage once and she's one of the biggest characters in Jazz.

 

[bwu]

I've barely started scratching the surface of 2006 jazz, but here are some of my favorites so far...

Bassdrumbone - The Line Up
Tim Berne - Livein Cognito
Nels Cline - New Monastery
The Vandermark 5 - A Discontinuous Line

currently working on Steve Swell's Nation of We - Live at the Bowery Poetry Club. I suspect it would make the above list after I get more familiar with it.

 

[Morph201]

Let's hear it for "real" jazz... bebop and post-bebop!

Greats like:

Oscar Peterson
The "CLASSIC" Coltrane Quartet
Charlie Mingus
Bill Evans Trio (w/ Scott Lafaro)
Ahmad Jamal
Charlie Parker...etc..

And the new cats keeping the tradition alive:
Eric Alexander
Dan Nimmer
Wynton Marsalis!

Nothing would make me feel better than to slap Kenny G with his saprano sax!!

 

[lionel marechal]

+ Jack Dejohnette / New Directions in Europe
Just discovered that, and I am having a blast with that. The second review on amazon will describe it better than I do. It is really great

> Dennis Chmbers, Bireli Lagrene, Domique Di Piazza - Front Page
Speaking about frontpage mentioned earlier I like it and I am enjoying it

Lionel

 

[lionel marechal]

I am having a blast with it. Track 1 has that 3mn battery solo intro by dejohnette , and then a swing/energy that is sooo great.

Track 3 'Bayou fever' is quieter bur great. I love the fact that Jack Dejohnette starts at the piano, then the bass enters, interplay between the 2, then Jack walks to his drumset and continue there. Very cool and a great piece !

That is Jack Dejohnette, Jon Abercrombie, Eddie Gomez and Lester Bowie.

Highly recommended.
Lionel

 

[robert]

just, and only just, to keep this forum's reputation for being fair and balanced.

RE: W. Marsalis is considered by a significant body of jazzers to be a revisionist (nay, reactionary), not contemporary; his last really good work was "Black Codes from Underground".

Technically, top notch. Not to pass judgment on his music. Only to qualify the nature of it.