Charles Mingus - East Coasting Year: 1957
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
A very late entry in my Mingus exploration and one I only really came to via a recommendation by a very knowledgeable jazz aficionado, this is one I just love to bits. While not as unique or forward leaning as MIngus's more famous releases, it is nonetheless completely marvelous even as it stays close to its hard bop home. But it's hard bop with a Mingus twist and that ends up being a brilliant thing. The album starts with Memories of You with a seductive beauty that had me thinking of Miles Davis's Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud. After that its the most momentous and gracefully swinging title Cut. Then it's on to the intense blues of West Coast Ghost which somehow keeps the intrigue for almost 11 minutes. Really, this whole album is a joy and deserves far greater recognition!
The album is also notable for an early appearance by Bill Evans playing a style unlike what he would become famous for, but showing himself to be quite versatile in the process.
Anat Cohen - Claroscuro Year: 2012
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Modern Creative
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If the surname here seems familiar, that's no surprise as Anat's brothers are trumpeter Avishai Cohen and pianist Yuval Cohen. The talent definitely runs in the family. Anat brings that talent across a good range of styles and moods such that it's impossible to get bored or complacent with this album. IN just the first three cuts, you get brilliant post bop, throwback vocal jazz, and exotic world jazz rhythms with heavy progressive elements. The best part is it's all done well.
Ever since my days in high school band, I've had some aversion to the clarinet, and Cohen opens with not one but two (Pauqito D'Rivera on the standard clarinet, and herself on the bass clarinet) on "Anat's Dance." Well, she and Sr. D'Rivera captivated me throughout the song. The Following La Vie En Rose has Cohen taking the clarinet for a delightfully heartfelt intro before some solid Armstrong-esque vocals by Wycliffe Gordon who also lends his trombone on this and one other cut. The third cut, "All Brothers." is founded on lots of creative, exotic percussion no doubt fueled by Cohen's Israeli heritage, and a wickedly groovy bass line from Joe Martin; at nine minutes, it's the longest cut on the album and worth every note. On "As Rosas Nao Falam," Cohen plays her clarinet with as much genuine feeling as I've ever heard come from the instrument, and her interplay with bassist Martin is magnificent. Each of the remaining seven cuts are unique, full of attention holding changeups, and has something worthwhile to say in the context of the album. Cohen also manages to totally grab me with her soprano, another instrument I don't always take to, especially on the new-agey but bouncy and buoyant "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser." What an amazing musician.
Lee Morgan - Candy Recording Date: 1957
Release Date: 1958
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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So Mr. Morgan is just 19 years of age here.... but you can already hear him developing his own voice. The compositions and arrangements aren't all faves, but Morgan's soloing elevates most of these tunes, which is a good thing since he's the entire front line with no other horns to share the load. According to the liner notes, this was Morgan's only quartet album. That's a shame, because while this isn't his best album by a long shot, he definitely proved he could lead a quartet and I would have loved to hear a more mature Morgan do the same.
Donn Pullen (feat. Sam Rivers) - Capricorn Rising Year: 1975
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz, Avant Garde, Post Bop
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When I started this, I was thinking I picked the wrong album, especially as Rivers launched into those free jazz goose honking sounds on the tenor. Wrong mood at the moment, and it struck me this was not at all great headphone music for my morning weightlifting routine. But gradually, the album seduced me. It drew me into its ever more coherent musical world. Pullen generally employs a piano style that is not just percussive, but intriguingly rhythmic, making what started out as chaos, really rather orderly. When Rivers switches to soprano, he suddenly brings in some incredibly lyrical work but without losing that spirit of free improvisation, yielding an album both challenging and pleasurable. A toe-tapping, head-bopping free jazz album? Sure, why not?
Noël Akchoté - Soundpage(s) Year: 1994
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz, Avant Garde
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This can be a tough album to digest. Sitting right at an hour, it is comprised of 27 cuts. When you take out the few long cuts, you're left with a lot of short snippets. Sometimes based on and sometimes merely inspired by news soundbites, the short snippets seem appropriate though. When guitarist/leader Akchoté and his ensemble do give us a full composition, it's something I can happily sink my teeth into. Akchoté never settles into a single mode or vibe, and the album can appear as being disjointed or as having tremendous variety (I lean toward the latter). This is a very unique outing and for that, I really enjoyed it. Whether it bears repeated listening, I'm not yet certain.
Wynton Kelly - Kelly at Midnight Year: 1960
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Wynton Kelly - Wynton Kelly! Year: 1961
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Kelly at Midnight s a very enjoyable album. For my money, with Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums, you simply can't go wrong, and this is indeed a fine trio. Having enjoyed Kelly's 1960 date, I rolled right into his 1961 self-titled-with an-exclamation-point album and then.... WHAM! As much as I liked the earlier album, the second positively blew me away. Exclamation point indeed! That's the Kelly I really love alongside Jones and Chambers (or Sam Jones on three cuts).
Milt Jackson - Jackson's-Ville Year: 1956
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
This album reminded me of just how impeccable Jackson's technique is. The man is truly a wizard of the vibes. But that technique never comes at the expense of feel; dude truly has plenty, plenty soul!
Julian Lage - Arclight Year: 2016
Style or Subgenre: Guitar Jazz, Modern Jazz
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Six String Wizard Julian Lage lays out a superb set here, filled with variety and feel. While string bends seem the domain of blues guitar, Lage reminds us they have their place in clean jazz as well. Actually, this disc is full of surprises, all of them welcome. For instance, one would expect a song like Persian Rug to have a real middle eastern feel, but it's also got a strong country vibe... and amazingly, it all works delightfully well. I hear some Danny Gatton influence in here along with the likes of Scofield and Frisell, but in the end, it's all Lage and it's all a great, joyous listen.
Eliane Elias with Bob Brookmeyer and the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra - Impulsive! Year: 1997
Style or Subgenre: Big Band, Piano Jazz
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My random selector kicked this out, I believe my first time really listening to Eliane Elias, and I found it to be a wonderful listen. That said, as much as I like Brookmeyer's arrangements and the rest of the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, I found myself most captivated when all that extra sound took the back seat and gave Ms. Elias the stage. That in mind, I'm now kinda' jazzed about the thought of looking for some of her solo or small ensemble work.
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