Miles Davis - E.S.P. Year: 1965
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Miles Davis - Amandla Year: 1989
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
Yesterday, I really enjoyed listening to Wayne Shorter on the Zawinul album and I really honed in on Tony Williams when listening to the Arcana album. So today, I decided to get them together and settled on Miles's E.S.P. album. Again, drummer Williams had me mesmerized much of the time. With regard to Miles albums, I usually appreciate them most for the compositions and what the leader gets out of his ensembles, often hearing his actual trumpet playing as a relative weak spot compared to the other elements of the album. But on E.S.P., I was really enjoying the trumpet.
I was rather less enamored with the later Amandla. The 80s production is so dominant, it shrouds the compositions, which truth be told aren't as great as most Miles. It's not that I categorically dislike 80s Miles; I positively love Star People for instance. This album isn't bad at what it does, it's just that what it does doesn't grab my ear (although there are some fine moments along the way).
Dan Faulk - Focusing In Recording Date: 1992
Release Date: 1994
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop
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Mostly easy going neo hard bop here led by the audibly Coltrane-inspired saxman Dan Faulk. Ear pleasing if not entirely ground breaking or challenging; equally suitable for active listening of background music.
Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons - Firebirds Recording Date: 1967
Release Date: 1969
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz
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This is one hot collaboration. I'm not sure if I've ever really listened to Prince Lasha or Sonny Simmons before, but this work makes me think I've been missing out in both cases! Technically listed as free jazz, the musical arguments are fairly easy to follow, and the interweaving of parts seems to fire all the happy neurons in my brain. Part of that interweaving, like a crazy but method-to-its-madness three stranded helix, is provided by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson who I am most familiar with. This album grabbed me pretty hard on first listen yesterday.... and even more on the second listen today. I'm calling that a good trend.
William Parker - Sound Unity Recording Date: 2004
Release Date: 2005
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde, Modern Creative
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I've had this disc a while and listen to it periodically. We've got some avant garde that's actually fun here. Today as I listened, my thought was "why have I not yet sought out more from this artist?" I must rectify that.
Jerry Bergonzi - Inside Out Year: 1989
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz
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Wow! I found this relatively obscure title from a little appreciated artist to be a smashing listen. Bergonzi is a top shelf soloist who here channels influences from Sonny Rollins to Joe Henderson into an exciting post bop/contemporary jazz stew.
Joel Ross - KingMaker Year: 2019
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
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Joel Ross - Who Are You Year: 2020
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
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This was a "select a new artist" morning. I took a random fork in my list and by sheer ignorant luck cruised right into Post Bop Heaven. Vibraphonist Joel Ross knows exactly when to be subdued and when to launch. He has a facility for beautiful melody and the occasional flurry into tonality at the seam between pleasant and challenging. At his side on the front line on both albums is Immanuel Wilkins, playing a very engaging alto and dovetailing brilliantly with Ross. The rhythm sec7ion is always on point whether providing foundation or jumping into the fore. On the latter album, harpist Brandee Young joins on about half the tracks, and the music gains even more interest at points thereafter. This artist is definitely a welcome new find for me.
Christian Muthspiel - Octet Ost Year: 1992
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
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I had to listen to this just because of the story behind them. After the end of the cold war, Austrian trombonist Christian Muthspiel built an octet with himself and seven other musicians, each from a former Soviet Bloc country/satellite republic or otherwise autonomous state:
Tomasz Stańko - Poland - Poland
Natoly Vapirov - Ukraine - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Nicolas Simion - Romania - Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet
Vladimir Tarasov - Drums - Russia
Klaus Koch - Bass - East Germany
Anca Parghel - Vocals - Romania
Sainkho Namtchilak - Vocals - Tuva
There is plenty of really fascinating music along the line here in both the contemporary and free jazz realms. To my ears, the musicians sound like they've spent a great deal of time together rather than being thrown together for a one off. Being a big Stańko fan, I'm not surprisingly drawn to the trumpet on this album, but I also very much enjoyed the woodwinds here. The vocals range from hauntingly beautiful third stream to intolerable (to my ear) caterwauling. Overall though, this sounds like something I need to hear again.
Takeru Muraoka and Takao Uematsu - Ride and Tie Year: 1971
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Blues, Soul Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
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Two sides, two songs per side. Two primary sub genres, Soul Jazz and Jazz blues.
Too much fun.
Yeah, really. No great plumbing the depths of the human condition, but you certainly can't say these guys aren't throwing themselves into this with vigor. As are the live audience. Similar vibe to Ramsey Lewis's The In Crowd. If you're not having fun with this, you're not doing it right.
Alan Broadbent - New York Notes Year: 1969
Style or Subgenre: Piano Jazz, Post Bop
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I was loving this album from end to end but really couldn't put my finger on why. So I started scouring the net for reviews and some were able to put my thoughts into perspective. Rather than share my own thoughts, I'll just share some thoughts of others which all nicely reflect my impression of this album.
When listening to this, you may imagine that your ears have become just a little sharper. That’s how hearing Alan Broadbent’s piano playing often strikes me anyway. It’s because of the briskness and clarity of his technique, of course, but also the rhythmic suppleness. It’s hard to describe this without seeming hideously pretentious, but it’s real nonetheless. The bubbling stream of notes is both unpredictable and inevitable, and following its twists and turns is a joy. - Dave Gelly, The Guardian
This album succeeds in every way: it feeds our curiosity by making constant, fresh discoveries and sharing them with the listener. And because the musicians play from the heart, the music touches the listener’s heart, ever so delicately and indelibly. The trio’s instrumental technique is so very masterful that we forget about it. The particular power of this music is what it evokes in our minds, the grace with which it makes us dream and awakens our emotions, be it through a waltz, a blues or a hard bop up tempo. - Francis Capeau, Couleurs Jazz
But Broadbent’s bonafides as a poet, mastering both the languages of bebop composition and improvisation, are apparent. His solos extend for chorus after chorus, winnowing cleanly through difficult progressions with a steely confidence. - Gary Fukushima, Downbeat
Indeed, the album may be considered a part of the Powell legacy that challenges generations of pianists. Few contemporary players of the instrument have risen to the challenge as impressively as Broadbent. - Doug Ramsey, Rifftides
An album that shows off Alan's enormous dexterity while giving the beautiful melodies all the attention they deserve. Best of all, it's an album on which Alan dances differently with each song. - Marc Myers, JazzWax
Rick Margitza - Game of Chance Year: 1977
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz
I really like the way Margitza plays sax, both tenor and soprano. The original compositions are melodic and his improvisations are creative and unique without ranging too far afield. Very listenable. Rhythm section is strong as well, especially drummer John Vidacovich.
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