Rolling Jazz Thread 2011

One stop for everything that could even remotely be classified as jazz.

So is anybody going to Winter Jazzfest in NYC on Friday and Saturday nights? Five venues, almost 70 bands, 45-minute sets (I'm guessing; each band gets an hour, but there's gotta be setup time unless they're all using the same keyboards and drum kits), $35 for an all-access two-night pass. Seems like a win on every possible level. I will probably be there at least on Friday night.

http://www.winterjazzfest.com

can any of you jazzheads tell me what nicolar jaar's edit "mini calcutta" is an edit of?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ_X9uTLHxo

i got this thanks to ilxor just sayin' - it's Brubeck's Calcutta Blues.

So who else went to Winter Jazzfest? I only got to attend on Saturday night, and didn't stay that long - three bands in a row featuring alto sax was too much for me. Got to see Jacky Terrasson play piano at Zinc Bar, and that was pretty excellent; I caught one simmering ballad and one harder-swinging piece that sounded super influenced by 70s Jarrett; in fact, it kind of reminded me of Steely Dan's "Gaucho" melodically (which of course was partly hijacked from Jarrett). Then I went around the block to Kenny's Castaways and caught part of two sets - one by Bad Touch (sax/organ/bass/drums), which started out just okay but got pretty hot by the end, and one by Andrew D'Angelo's Agogic, which was louder and more free (sax/trumpet/electric bass/drums). Then I walked back around the block to see Dutch female saxophonist Tineke Postma's quartet, hoping she'd be playing tenor, but she was playing alto, too. So I stayed for a little while, then bailed.

Right now I'm listening to Kenny Cox's Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet, a 2007 Blue Note CD reissuing both albums - one from 1969, one from '70 - by a Detroit-based hard bop group led by pianist Cox, with Joe Henderson's younger brother (15 kids in that family!) Leon on sax, Charles Moore on trumpet, Ron Brooks on bass, Danny Spencer on drums. This group kind of combines the '65-'68 Miles Davis Quintet with more conventional hard bop, and if you like that sort of thing, it's pretty hot. David Weiss's group Point of Departure did a Cox piece - "Snuck In" - as the title track of their album from last year.

Maybe the rest of the NY jazzheads will be back later. DC me doesn't know enough to weigh in too often.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/01/11/a-grand-night-for-swinging-billy-taylors-memorial-service/#more-38914

I have kind of enjoyed listening to these upcoming 2011 albums in the background during the past couple weeks (in descending order):

Matt Blostein / Vinnie Sperrazza – Paraphrase (Yeah-Yeah)
Marika Hughes – Afterlife Music Radio: 11 New Pieces For Solo Cello (DD)
Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans – Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear)

Not sure I have the expertise and/or energy to defend them (or even describe them), though. Also not positive whether you could actually classify the Hughes CD as "jazz" per se' or not. (Found her new vocal album rather unbearable, too.) But I'd be curious what others think.

And what the heck, since I never posted on whatever Rolling Jazz thread might have existed last year -- Jazz Albums I Kind Of Liked In 2010. Curious what anybody here thought of any of these, too. Again, in approximate order of preference:

Radar Favourites – Radar Favourites (Reel Recordings reissue)
Henry Threadgill Zooid – This Brings Us To Volume 1 (Pi '09)
Henry Threadgill Zooid – This Brings Us To Volume II (Pi)
Dave Douglas & Keystone – Spark Of Being (Greenleaf Music)
Bizingas – Bizingas (NCM East)
Kermit Ruffins – Happy Talk (Basin Street)
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon - Ten (Blue Note)
Ches Smith & These Arches – Finally Out Of My Hands (Skirl)
Trombone Shorty – Backatown (Verve Forecast)
(Various) – Next Stop Soweto: Vol. 3: Giants, Ministers and Makers: Jazz In South Africa 1963-1984 (Strut! Reissue)

i really liked a lot of pi stuff last year but an off-putting listen to an old henry threadgill album once somehow put me off checking those recent ones out.

what is the dave douglas like? i used to like him plenty about ten years ago, sort of lost interest when he started running an electric group or something to that effect.

i wld like to hear that mary halvorson rec - really enjoyed her group alb from a couple of years ago, think she has quite an individual sound/technique, and am curious to how it works with a more 'upfront' drummer like walter weasel

i also lost touch w dave douglas when he released a cpl of rather bland mainstream albs w ppl like frisell maybe five or six years ago

I liked her improv duo with Joe McPhee on Kurt Gottschalk's show on WFMU last month.
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/38449

I have a copy of the Halvorson/Walter/Evans thing here, but haven't had time to listen to it yet. I'm in a pretty mainstream-jazz mood lately, as the last few reviews of jazz discs on BurningAmbulance.com probably make clear.

Thought I'd post this thread here. If any of you guys that listen to tons of jazz care to migrate over and help out, I'd be ecstatic.

Rolling 2011 thread where I buy and listen to jazz albums for the first time ever

Do any of y'all ever go to shows here?
http://www.universityofthestreets.org/

It's sort of a weird venue/non-venue, but they often have really good stuff for cheap. I've been twice - once for a group with Chad Taylor and then last night I went to see Rob Brown/Chris Lightcap/Gerald Cleaver. Both times absurdly empty.

The Jemeel Moondoc thing sounds worth seeing.

Saw pianist Eddie Palmieri with trumpeter Bryan Lynch, Russian acoustic bassist Boris Kaslov, and young Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto in Washington DC. A standard Palmieri show--more jazz than Latin although I liked it best when they kept things more rhythmic. Prieto was amazing--clave beat to jazz brushes to slamming hard drum stick beats. It was cool watching Prieto grinning at Palmieri as the 2 alternated solos and went back and forth on improv bits. Palmieri was subtle at times, loud and crashing other times, and ocassionally rhythmic.

I'm going to the University of the Streets this coming Saturday - Darius Jones, who I profiled for the second issue of Burning Ambulance, is playing with two different groups, a trio at 8PM and a quartet (with all different members) at 10PM.

Also, today on BurningAmbulance.com, I wrote about tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec. Some here might find that interesting. Link.

Off to see Bill Frisell in Tokyo tonight. Ron Carter and Joey Baron in support. Has anyone seen him recently? He absolutely killed it when I saw him here a couple of years ago (different band though).

Heard he has a new Brazilian themed album out too: Lágrimas Mexicana
http://www.allmusic.com/album/lagrimas-mexicanas-r2102851

unperson: If you dig the organ/bass combo, there are a bunch of records involving either Shirley Scott or Wild Bill Davis on organ and tenormen like Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Arnett Cobb (sometimes both). It's an underrepresented but great sound. I actually think it might be more common than we think, but the records that feature it seem to be overlooked. I often find the standard guitar/organ/drums trio to be kind of snoozy, whereas a trio with bass and organ has a brighter, bouncier feel. The bass seems to free up the hands of the organist to do denser, big-band harmonies and shouts.

Went to see Darius Jones last night at the University of the Streets. He was playing two sets, one with his trio and one with a new quartet, but I only stuck around for the trio set. All new music, destined to be recorded for his second album at the end of February, except for a version of "Chasing the Ghost," from the debut, and a version of "Take the A Train."

Listening to Miles Davis's Bitches Brew Live right now. It's a terrific disc, compiling two different dates - a July 1969 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, and the August 1970 Isle of Wight performance. The former is really fascinating, because it's a quartet show; Wayne Shorter was stuck in traffic, so it's just Miles, Chick Corea on keyboards, Dave Holland on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Miles really plays a lot. You only get three tracks, slightly under 25 minutes of music, but it's beautifully recorded and totally ass-kicking. The Isle of Wight set is also phenomenally clean, and the music is ultra-intense; there, the band is Miles, Gary Bartz on sax, Corea and Keith Jarrett on keyboards, Holland and DeJohnette. I admit it; I can't really tell too often who's playing what w/r/t the keyboards, 'cause both Corea and Jarrett use tons of distortion and pedals and weird effects. If they were both playing acoustic pianos, I'd be able to tell them apart. Anyway, the set is a single 35-minute medley, but Sony has added indexing, turning it into six tracks that run straight into each other. Totally essential.

Hm. Haven't been to that UOTS, but it looks interesting. And I see that Dr. Barry Harris is on the Board of Directors.

unperson, how many people were at the U of the Streets show? I'm curious to know if there are ever more than 5 people in the audience that don't personally know one of the musicians

Also I think I've seen a film of that Isle of Wight set. You might also enjoy the Live at the Filmore East if you like that early electric/transitional period where they're still trying to feel out the fusion thing.

haven't heard the whole record yet, but it's funny to see this austin peralta record getting love from electronic/beat music heads just because it's out on brainfeeder. from clips it sounds like a straight-up contemporary jazz record, with some non-jazzy compression on the low end. i know that's the point of flying lotus putting it out, to draw attention from a new crowd, but i wonder how much of a ripple effect it's going to have.

unperson, how many people were at the U of the Streets show? I'm curious to know if there are ever more than 5 people in the audience that don't personally know one of the musicians

I'd say there were about three dozen people there, and only four or five I can absolutely guarantee know the players (Jones' girlfriend, the head of AUM Fidelity Records and his wife, a couple others). There were definitely about two dozen paying customers, minimum.

That's good to hear. The two times I've been I got there early both times so I could see who was already there hanging out with the band, and both times it was almost everyone who showed up.

But the first time I was there Cyrus Chestnut showed up (for Chad Taylor/Angelica Sanchez) and the second time William Parker showed up wearing one of his crazy hats (for Gerald Cleaver/Chris Lightcap/Rob Brown)

Some more jazz albums from this year I've been listening to quite a bit and, I guess, liking. (One of these days, maybe I'll even be inspired to talk about some of them here. But not today. Anyway, weird how much new jazz I've been playing lately. I'm not sure why that is.)

Gutbucket – Flock (Cuneiform)
Yaron Herman Trio – Follow The White Rabbit (ACT)
Honey Ear Trio – Steampunk Serenade (Foxhaven)
Ben Kono – Crossing (19/8)
Endangered Blood – Endangered Blood (Skirl)
Vijay Iyer / Prasanna / Nitin Mitta – Tirtha (ACT)

Honey Ear Trio – Steampunk Serenade (Foxhaven)
Endangered Blood – Endangered Blood (Skirl)

Planning to listen to both of these in the coming week.

hey look it's a bunch of links to a 90's jazz overview!

http://01fragments.blogspot.com/2011/02/aspects-of-jazz-in-nineties.html

perfect for me since I know almost none of this stuff.

that reminded me of one of my favorite records, the ben perowsky trio live record from '99: http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Perowsky-Trio/dp/B00000JFP2

and googling that reminded me that it was in fucking talladega nights, out of all the jazz records they could have used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzeumERLlBI (2:10)

omg, this live bitches brew

the crowd reaction is so rad

Also I think I've seen a film of that Isle of Wight set.

It's available on DVD as Miles Electric --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXB2NJzBzMk

Really going for that Blue Note look:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512S8y-qsYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

This Joe Locke band tonight at Dizzy's looks really good, although the otherwise very useful WBGO calendar refers to him as "John Locke"

I don't know if anybody else sat and watched all 7 parts of that doc Brad C embedded above, but in case anybody didn't make it to the 2:07 mark of Part 7, where dude get asked to 'play something in tribute to Miles,' and his answer is kinda nuts--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIWIEYXOgWk&feature=player_embedded#t=2m07s

i assume you mean kinda awesome

that along with herbie's thinking pause is just about the best thing on the dvd

Saw Brad Mehldau tonight at the Library of Congress, he mentioned they were recording it for something, so that's cool.

He did half originals and half pop covers. I kinda rolled my eyes when he introduced "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as "an old American folk song by a singer named Kurt Cobain." He also did "Bittersweet Symphony," & Massive Attack's "Teardrop," neither of which he's done on record afaik, and for a third encore (!) he did Semisonic's "Closing Time." In an audience of grayhairs I'm not sure how many got the joke.

Here's his "Teardrop," v pretty & gets into some rad shimmery Rachmaninoff type of stuff around the 5th minute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeNIMS3RlDc

Jazz is rubbish.

thx for contributing

Jazz is rubbish.

No, it's not, but Brad Mehldau surely is.

So strange the I would discover new amazing jazz on Pitchfork, but damn:
http://cstrecords.com/cst075/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhH-k1npY64

As I have been immersing myself more than ever before in Coltrane/Sanders/Shepp/Sam Rivers...this dude just pops out and says would you like some awesome modern saxophone?

Oh, oops: Colin Stetson - New History Warfare pt 2: Judges

Carry on.

Jazz is rubbish.

No, it's not, but Brad Mehldau surely is.

― that's not funny. (unperson), Wednesday, March 2, 2011 6:07 AM Bookmark

This is wrong. I can see how if most of what you've heard is radiohead covers you might be put off (although I enjoy these), but his straight trio records are as heavy and heady as anything out there.

the solo show i was at was pretty bloodless tbh

i really wanted there to be a band for him to play off of

I've heard Mehldau in lots of contexts - backing Joshua Redman, on that bloat-tastic horror of a double CD he put out last year, and with his trio. He does nothing for me. The most overrated pianist since Bill Evans. (Yeah, I said it.)

There are some opinions that are just wrong.

I haven't checked in with that label in a long time, I mostly think of it as a post-rock label (even if they probably hate the term) for bands like Do Make Say Think, GY!BE, Fly Pan Am, Silver Mt. Zion, etc etc.

yeah i know but seeing how most those bands are retired (?) maybe they need a new shtick.

maybe it's just a matter of knowing someone - she's worked with those people

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matana_Roberts

i've barely listened to the album properly yet, it was so powerful that i wanted to save it for the right mood.

btw, i see from there that burnt sugar has a 'chopped and screwed' album. anyone know if it's really chopped and screwed??

It's not; it's just a mix CD. You'll note it's also called "Vol. 2"; there is no Vol. 1.

Asked two Cubans I know, one a music fan and one a musician about Joven Jazz, neither seemed to know who they were. Did not press the inquiry further. Did see a good video of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson playing "Cantaloupe Island." Somebody told me that Joe Henderson used a plastic mouthpiece which I had never heard.

http://www.michelherrera.com/JJ/Bio-Michel_Herrera.html

He's the leader of Joven

Hm. There's another Herrera who's a percussionist. Maybe he is related but probably not, but maybe he is aware of somebody with his name.

Matana is like Album of the Year material

Hmm I like the one Matana Roberts thing I have (The Chicago Project), now will really have to check that out.

Yeah, the Roberts thing is astonishing. I reviewed it for The Wire and then wrote a story on her for their next issue.

Just got a 2CD set by Billy Bang's Survival Ensemble in the mail; a reissue of New York Collage, from 1978, paired with a previously unreleased live session from 1977. It's on NoBusiness.

Also really good: Nicole Mitchell's Awakening, with Jeff Parker, Harrison Bankhead and Avreeayl Ra, on Delmark.

http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2011/07/stephan-crump-steve-lehman.html

this is nice.

Stephan Crump the bass player, distant relative of a certain ilxor?

uh… i don't know. who?

notice steve lehman pops in in the comments section there too. fan service!

Not sure myself actually if they are really related.

such great screaming on that matana roberts record. she surely has a worn-out copy of sharrock's 'black woman' somewhere.

VOTING AND CAMPAIGNING THREAD FOR ILM POST 1945 BEST JAZZ ALBUMS POLL (Voting closes August 27)

All welcome to vote. Please feel free to campaign for albums in there, thanks!

anyone heard this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/05/pakistan-musicians-top-western-charts-jazz

Heard about it, but haven't actually heard it.

Came to ask the musical question: do you know what song Thelonious Monk sang on Sesame Street?

there's a new steve coleman album:

http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6608

"Miles' Cafe"
will change the name to
"SOMETHIN' Jazz Club"

on 7th. Sept 2011.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Sir or Madam
Hi, this is Miles' Cafe. We always appreciate your support us.
We have to inform that "Miles' Cafe" will change the name to
"SOMETHIN' Jazz Club" on 7th. Sept 2011.
I sincerely hope you will continue supporting us same as before.

Seems to me they could have avoided this had they simply bought a dog or cat, named it Miles, and told everyone that was the source of the name.

Somebody told me that the guy who owns the place IS named Miles.

I did a CD giveaway last week on BurningAmbulance.com; in order to win a CD, people had to name some of their favorite alto sax-led recordings. I took a bunch of the suggestions and turned it into a Spotify playlist. Check it out.

Making a birthday car tape for my girl, with two new reissues. Side A: Stan Getz/Cal Tjader, Sextet (1958). With Vince Guaraldi, Eddie Duran, Scott LaFaro, Billy Higgins. Extended work-outs and equally spirited ballads. Not exactly Dark Magus, but like she likes it. Ditto, hopefully, Side B: Bill Evans Trio, Explorations (1961), With LaFaro and Paul Motian. This one's got prev unreleased "The Boy Next Door" plus three alt takes of the LP's tracks. Both on Original Jazz Classics. Also dig Sonny Rollins' Road Shows Vol. 2, streaming til 9/13 release.If you're gonna play call-and-response with Sonny, you better be damn ready, which the regular guitarist def ain't on the opening track, and Roy Hargrove eventually fumbles on the extended penultimate, but he's fine overall, as is the regular rhythm section (yeah, Cranshaw too). Money shot is of course "Sonnymoon For Two", with Christian McBride, Roy Haynes, and Ornette Coleman. Get it while you can
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/28/139978299/first-listen-sonny-rollins-road-shows-vol-2

Not meaning to back away from Getz, I always like him too.

And here's Disc 1 of The Miles Davis Quintet's Live In Europe 1967--The Bootleg Series Volume 1
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/11/140229346/first-listen-miles-davis-live-in-europe-1967-the-bootleg-series-vol-1&sc=nl&cc=sod-20110912

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/09/13/kris-bowers-wins-2011-thelonious-monk-competition/#more-55614

So I borrowed this from the library: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=80366

Seems pretty nice.

A pleasant listen, like.

New Rudresh Mahanthappa should be great. Not sure about the pedals, but hey

Today is the birthday of Bennie Moten, today known for the song "Moten Swing" and for leading a band that later ended up as the Count Basie Band. He would have been 107, I think. He died in 1935 as the result of a botched tonsillectomy, the same fate that befell Eddie Lang two years earlier.

is there a 2012 thread? or should i just talk about robert glasper's black radio on the r&b thread?

#3 on iTunes, wow

streaming on NPR

Jordan, maybe you should start the 2012 thread?

NY Times interview/coverage of recent Glasper

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/arts/music/robert-glasper-experiment-to-release-black-radio.html?pagewanted=all

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/robert-glasper-experiment-so-is-it-jazz/

when he got hype last year i listened to one of his older records and it seemed boring. : (

i don't know that i'll be keeping up with many other jazz records. :/

listening to black radio now. i keep wishing i liked it more, because i'm totally in favor of this direction and i like the commitment to studio craft, r&b, writing songs, etc. but a lot of the tracks go by without much edge, and would be kinda boring if not for chris dave.

although the last quarter of the record really picks up, starting with the track that stokley (from mint condition) is on.

mos does his usual bullshitty improv thing but it still adds energy.

meshell's track is nice too.

Questo of The Roots ‏ @questlove

· Open

I'm on my 4000000000th listen of @robertglasper's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" PLEASE cop this yawn y'all bit.ly/ycrjwX
View album
Chris Dave Chris Dave ‏ @Chrisdaddydave

Close

@questlove stop listening to it..they caught me in the middle of tryin to work something out and @robertglasper was like Let's record...smh

someone should start a 2012 thread methinks and if Jordan does not want to, then I guess one of the rest of us will have to do so

This here Matthew Shipp Trio: Elastic Aspects is pretty nice.

Bowed bass but this time it's Michael Bisio.

I think unperson started a 2012 thread, but it got lost in the sandbox of time.

If I am posting on the rolling jazz thread there is a 40% chance Matthew Shipp has a new album out. Kind of lame, I know.

Inconstant cymbal tapping.