A Jazz Thread

[gjw100]

Jazz has been a particular musical love/obsession of mine for the last 45 years or so, and I've thought about starting a dedicated OTF Jazz thread for a little while. Well, it's a slow lockdown evening at home, my wife is watching TV and I thought why not? There may of course be a collective yawn of indifference, but for now I'm just going to indulge myself and have some fun picking tracks to post here in the hope that they will entertain at least some of you, and encourage any kindred spirits on the board to contribute their own favourites.

For no other reason than the fact that it is currently playing on shuffle, I'm starting with Bennie Maupin's 'Quasar' from his 1977 album 'Slow Traffic To The Right'.

Edited periodically to include links to the 'OTF Jazz' Spotify playlists that have subsequently been created from the postings on this thread.

Spotify – OTF Jazz #1
Spotify – OTF Jazz #2
Spotify – OTF Jazz #3
Spotify – OTF Jazz #4
Spotify – OTF Jazz #5
Spotify – OTF Jazz #6
Spotify – OTF Jazz #7
Spotify – OTF Jazz #8
Spotify – OTF Jazz #9
Spotify – OTF Jazz #10
Spotify – OTF Jazz #11
Spotify – OTF Jazz #12
Spotify – OTF Jazz #13
Spotify – OTF Jazz #14
Spotify – OTF Jazz #15

[G-Man]

Oh, that's lovely fusion stuff, before fusion became a dirty word.

This, from 1974, is a masterpiece. Named after a ghetto in Cape Town, it features some of the city's greatest jazz musicians, names that would be and should be world famous. As it is, only Abdullah Ibrahim (who was Dollar Brand before converting to Islam) is well-known in jazz circles.

[wingco]

Ooh, nice idea. Here's a random kick off.

[gjw100]

Two great contributions from wingco and G-Man. Maybe this thread will have some legs.

My first selection this evening is from Patrice Rushen - a talented keyboard player who recorded three excellent albums for the Prestige label between 1974 and 1977 before, as so many of her contemporaries did at the time, changing tack and chasing the disco/funk/R&B dollar. She made a better fist of it than most ('Forget Me Nots' being the highpoint) and although it's hard to take issue with someone who wants to make a better living, it's a shame that her jazz legacy is so slight.

This is the title track from her 1975 album 'Before The Dawn'.

[gjw100]

My second choice is saxophonist Joe Henderson's 'Black Narcissus' taken from his 1969 album 'Power To The People' and featuring an all-star line-up of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette.

[wingco]

I LOVED "Forget Me Nots", a deserved classic but delighted to hear this.

[Satchmo Distel]

Mahavishnu Orchestra - 'Smile Of The Beyond', from Apocalypse (1974), produced by George Martin, vocal by Gayle Moran

[Nefertiti2]

can we have a shout-out for Teo Macero here?

Macero produced the seminal Dave Brubeck Quartet album Time Out, and Thelonious Monk's first Columbia recording, Monk's Dream, as well as his Underground. He also produced Mingus' first Columbia album, Mingus Ah Um. Macero is also acknowledged on the 1973 Mingus album Let My Children Hear Music, for "his untiring efforts in producing the best album I have ever made."

While Macero produced many artists' albums, he had an especially long and prolific relationship with Miles Davis. He produced or co-produced most of Davis' Columbia catalog including the classics Sketches of Spain and Someday My Prince Will Come.

Macero's role of producer was further expanded on Davis' later forays into electric fusion, such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, which were highlighted by Macero's innovative mixing and editing techniques. In 2001, Miles Davis biographer Paul Tingen likened Macero's role in the electric music of Davis to that of George Martin with the Beatles.^[4]

[delicatemoth]

Ornette Coleman Trio (Coleman, David Izenzon and Charles Moffett) at the Golden Circle, 1965.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

*rubs chin* - nice. First video didn't work for me, unfortunately.

Can I drop Jimmy Smith playing the theme tune to 'The Carpetbaggers', probably better known in the UK as the theme to 'The Money Programme' on BBC2 for ages.

[ad hoc]

Sometimes I'm unsure what qualifies as Jazz (as Gil Scott heron sang, "Is that jazz?")

But anyway, here's a track from last year which is something that may or may not be jazz

And Kamasi Washington from 2018, with something that I am more certain is jazz

[KGR]

This is my jazz go to track of choice. It's joyous.

[gjw100]

First up is 'Revelation - Realization' by Eddie Henderson, who at the time of the recording (1973) was playing trumpet and flugelhorn in Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band. The album, 'Realization', was a Mwandishi outing in all but name, featuring Herbie, Bennie Maupin, Billy Hart, Buster Williams & Pat Gleeson, and missing only trombonist Julian Priester. Later that year Hancock broke up the band (retaining only Maupin) and formed The Headhunters, taking his music in a funkier direction. All three Mwandishi albums are well worth seeking out if you haven't heard them before as indeed are 'Realization' and Henderson's 1974 album 'Inside Out' which reunited most of his old bandmates.

[gjw100]

Sticking with the trumpet/flugelhorn but coming much more up to date, here's 'The Lost Pearl' by British/Bahraini horn player Yazz Ahmed from her 2017 album 'La Saboteuse'. Tying in nicely with ad hoc's earlier posting of the Comet Is Coming track, the album features British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings.

[gjw100]

I had a feeling that I wouldn't get very far into this before I posted something by Weather Report, the band formed in late 1970 by two of Miles Davis' key sidemen - keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Zawinul wrote 'In A Silent Way' and 'Pharoah's Dance' off of 'Bitches Brew', and played on both recordings. Shorter had a longer history with Miles, joining what became known as the Second Great Quintet in 1964 and staying with the trumpeter right through to 'Bitches Brew', as well as recording a number of influential solo albums for Blue Note during that period. A revolving roster of bassists, drummers and percussionists accompanied the two of them throughout the band's 16 years lifespan, with bassist Jaco Pastorius perhaps the most notable of these.

This is Zawinul's 'Orange Lady' from the debut album 'Weather Report'. Miroslav Vitous bass, Alphonse Mouzon drums and Airto Moreira percussion/vocals. The 'In A Silent Way' vibe is unmistakeable.

[gjw100]

'Blackthorn Rose' from my favourite Weather Report album, 'Mysterious Traveller' (1974). Essentially a Zawinul/Shorter duet (something they did at most live shows) displaying to great effect the musical empathy that they had for one another.

[Satchmo Distel]

Sonny Stitt Quintet - Laura.

[Satchmo Distel]

Herbie Hancock - Speak Like A Child

[Satchmo Distel]

Perfection here: Bechet in French:

[Satchmo Distel]

Ella Fitzgerald - Body And Soul

[Satchmo Distel]

Count Basie & His Orchestra - Good Morning Blues. Immense intro by Buck Clayton:

[danielmak]

I like Jazz a lot but there's too much for a general obsessive completest like myself to get too drawn into the music. I did see Miles Davis in a very small venue in Southern California on the Amandla tour (obviously, way too late but later late than never). And I saw the Sun Ra Arkestra open for Steel Pulse while Sun was still alive. That was a trip.

For me, this is the top of list "A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement" John Coltrane:

[Hot Pepsi]

I figured I’d have to wait until the next life to get into jazz. It just seems too vast and esoteric.

[gjw100]

The Esbjorn Svensson Trio (E.S.T) are generally credited with reinventing the jazz piano/bass/drums trio, taking a format that had changed very little over the years and completely reinvigorating it with the introduction of rock/dance rhythms, electronic effects and a vibrant approach to playing live that hadn't been seen before. Pianist Svensson died in 2008 following a scuba diving accident off the coast of Stockholm - taken from us far too soon. Here's 'Dodge The Dodo' from the album 'From Gagarin's Point Of View' (1999).

[gjw100]

Another Scandinavian jazzer unafraid of embracing beats and samples is trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer. Here's his track 'Frozen' from the 2002 album 'NP3', featuring long-term collaborator guitarist Eivind Aarset. I've just done a double-take as I can remember buying this on release and can't believe it was 18 years ago. Jeez.