John Scofield - Bump Year: 2000
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Fusion, Jazz Funk, Guitar Jazz
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Sometimes John Scofield decides to get funky. This is one of those times. A little distortion in the guitar tone, lots of funk chords, Scofield's trademark melodics/harmonics, and plenty of groove in the rhythm section. Not really my favorite Sco', but there are times when it hits the spot.
Milt Jackson - Statements Year: 1961
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Milt Jackson - Jazz 'n' Samba Year: 1964
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Latin Jazz
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Milt Jackson - Sunflower Year: 1973
Style or Subgenre: Mainstream Jazz, Soul Jazz
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I was in need of some good vibes, and as is often the case, I reach for my favorite vibraphonist, Mr. Milt "Bags" Jackson. I guess I was really in need, because I ended up going on a bit of a Bags binge. It really doesn't seem to matter period or style, I always love Bags. He never lets me down.
The first album, Statements, is a fine straight ahead hard bop quartet date. Hank Jones on piano and Paul Chambers on bass really round out Milt's lively vibrapohone nicely. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this.
The second album, Jazz 'n' Samba is aptly named with side one straight ahead hard bop jazz and a very different side two being samba jazz. Side one is another treat, adding some excellent playing by Jimmy Heath on sax. While Samba is not a favored sub genre for me, and this side two smacks strongly of trying to hard to ride the samba craze of the day to commercial success, I found myself even enjoying that as well.
As for Sunfllower, what's to say? This is a later, completely different Milt Jackson, also with a strong commercial veing, but it's every bit the equal of his best work. Of course it has a positively all star lineup with Herbie Hancock on keys, Billy Cobham on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and a prime Freddie Hubbard on trumpet whose presence is almost dominating despite a relative lack of technical fireworks on his part. The album is every bit a product of its CTI label, and the marriage is a good one. In fact, I really hear this album as a solid platform on a perfectly balanced three legged support structure, the equal legs being represented by CTI, Hubbard, and Milt himself. Each of the five cuts is uniformly strong and all are standout winners. Just marvelous.
Carmen McRae - Birds of a Feather Year: 1958
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz, Cool Jazz, Standards
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Rebecca Martin - People Behave Like Ballads Year: 2004
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Pop, Adult Contemporary, Vocal Jazz, Folk Jazz
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Today was a day for Saturday morning vocals. I just opened up my listening list to the letter 'M' and up popped Carmen McRae, and Birds of a Feather looked intriguing, so I gave it a spin. Wonderful record. Beautiful voice + compelling phrasing = a great vocal album. The album title points to the theme, as each and every song references some kind of bird in the title. Who knew there were so many? Whether well known standards or lesser known tunes, Ms. McRae gives them all a sweet and soulful treatment that is a treat to the ears. She delivers some fine ballads with A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square being a particular highlight, but she really lights up my pleasure neurons when getting into some lively swinging tunes as she does on Mister Meadowlark. Back to ballads, her considerable vocal gifts are all on full display in the stunning Baltimore Oriole, which is further bolstered by a nice tenor solo from Al Cohn. So glad I gave this one a spin. Delightful.
After the 1958 release, I was looking for something a little lighter and more contemporary. Staying within the letter 'M' in my listening list, landed on the completely new to me Rebecca Martin. Her jazz-pop stylings are immediately reminiscent of the more famous Norah Jones, however it turns out Ms. Martin precedes Ms. Jones by a few years. Precedence aside, while Ms. Jones is an infrequent listen for me, I really did enjoy Martin's People Behave like Ballads, in spite of it being a little super-slow-ballad-heavy for me. The really nice thing that caught my ear on this album was the variety even within the largely low and slow songs, specifically that she veers out of the jazz pop vein and into folk jazz al la Joni Mitchell and her Joni Jazz is really something special. The opening "Leads Us" is one of those adult contemporary flirtations with contemporary jazz that can really draw the listener in, largely due to Ms. Martin's voice and delivery. The following "her the Same but Different" is the most Nora-like song on the album and also an easy keeper. Upon first listen, my personal favorite was easily "It's Only Love" with it's brilliant lyric and a very strong mature-Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac vibe. Entrancing and enthralling.
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (from Birds of a Feather)
Bill Connors - Assembler Year: 1987
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
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This was a bit of a surprise. With Connors having first come to the public eye as the axman for Return to Forever (just for one album, though), I expected something more on that vein. But what we have here is much more along the lines of Allan Holdsworth. Although the sound and approach are similar, Connors is a little more direct, a little less nuanced than Holdsworth. Where the compositions are strong on this album, this is top notch fusion. Some songs, however, sound more like standard shredder material. Overall, a pretty strong album, but not one I'd always want to listen to end to end.
Nate Morgan - Journey Into Nigritia Year: 1983
Style or Subgenre: Modal Jazz, Spiritual Jazz
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Wow!
Wasn't sure what I was in the mood for this morning, so I just grabbed this at random.... and, well, let's just say that it started my day right! I'd probably call it "accessible spiritual jazz" and in that vein it was perfectly satisfying. The way Morgan exploits the modalities in both overall structure and individual melodies has me both enjoying each individual moment and happily hanging with the broader musical message. A joy to listen to.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Just Coolin'
Recording Date: 1959
Release Date: 2020
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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When I first heard a whole unreleased Blakey album had been discovered, I was most excited. When I first heard the album, I was like "yeah, it's good, but I'm no longer excited.... it's back to my old faves (Moanin', Caravan, Free For All, Indestructible, etc.). After a few subsequent listens now, I'm rather hard pressed to explain my initially lukewarm response; I've come to really love this album. Even this less mature Lee Morgan is a delight to listen to and Hank Mobley leaves lots of lively lines in his wake. Everybody's on, including Blakey himself, but I think what really has me loving this album is that so much of it is top flight vintage Bobby Timmons. Like any Jazz Messengers album, this is nicely balanced, but for me it's kinda' a piano album. So much fun to be had.
Laura Anglade - I've Got Just About Everything Year: 1983
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz, Standards
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This one came by way of recommendation and I'm very glad I took the rec. It is, for all intents and purposes, throwback standards, but it's fresh and joyful. Canadian vocalist and composer Laura Anglade has the perfect voice for these songs and any fan of the genre should be pleased. For me personally, the freshness and joy comes largely from her quartet employing Sam Kirmayer on guitar rather than the more common piano accompaniment. Great songs well delivered throughout.
Mike Taylor - Pendulum Year: 2000
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
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Mike Taylor is one of jazz's great tragedies, recording only two dates before being found face down in London Bay. Each of the two albums originally released with a very limited print seemed destined for total obscurity, but fortunately a couple of reprints have kept the all too short yet valuable legacy alive. The first, Pendulum, recorded in 1965 is to me a fascinating session that seriously captivates my ear, energizes my soul, and satisfies my mind. The music fits best in the ultimate catch all category, post bop. But while post bop was nothing new in 1965, this often sounds ahead of its time without the aggressive avant garde leanings often associated "ahead of its time" recordings. In the end, I find it the essence of timeless, a label I don't use often. Indeed, this album seems to sit in its own time, floating across dimensions, but doing so melodically. I'm not big on soprano, but Dave Tomlins little high woodwind perfectly hits the spot here. Special recognition is also due drummer Dave Tomlin, who knows when to shuffle, when to swing, and when to just hold the fort for the rest of their quartet to bring their magic to the front. Taylor himself plays with both sensitivity and strength, again reflecting that modern approach, but doing so with enjoyable melody and accessible harmony. This is a well executed musical vision through and through.
Donald Byrd - Fuego Year: 1959
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Donald Byrd - Byrd in Flight Year: 1960
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
This Fuego album.... it's fire! This album has everything I love in a hard bop album in spades. The album kicks off with the title cut that grabs us with a wicked strong chord/melody head. From there, altoist Jackie McLean absolutely nails a killer solo. From end to end, this song is compelling through and through. Then we get Bup a Loup in which Byrd himself rips a blistering solo, alternating between supermelodic licks and ultrafleet fingered flights of fancy. Then we hit the album's centerpiece, the truly amazing Funky Mama, an 11 minute hard bop and blues tour de force. It begins with an extended bass intro from Doug Watkins, has a fantastic blues solo from McLean, a hugely intense bluesy solo from Byrd in which his bright and emotional tone rather than speed dominates the show, and not to be left behind, pianist Duke Pearson also nails his bluesy solo with heart and soul. Next, we get Low Live, possibly the coolest song on the album. The following Lament doesn't throttle back quite as much as the title would indicate, but it beautifully provides just enough respite from the intensity and fireworks before wrapping up with the aptly names Amen, the ultimate fusion of jazz and gospel. Truly an amazing album in every way.
The follow on Byrd in Flight is also a fine hard bop album, even if it doesn't captivate me as thoroughly as its predecessor.
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