The reason for liking the track(s) could be the melody, a killer solo, a phrase, whatever. By all means tell us why, but, again, keep it brief...
For starters...
1) Graeme Wilson Quartet Friction Motor from Abscondit. Bristling with energy, if these guys - Graeme, Paul Edis, Andy Champion & Adam Sinclair performed this in a NYC jazz club they would be signed to a major label in double quick time!
2) Carla Bley - The Lord is Listenin' to Ya, Hallelujah! from Carla Bley Live! A trombone solo to die for by Gary Valente.
3) Lee Morgan's entrance - and solo - on Moanin' the eponymous track from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Every time - and it's in the hundreds - it's 'wow!'.
Russell
11 comments :
These aren't my all-time favourite tracks but they were when I first heard them and I still enjoy them even now many many years later.
1) Kenny Baker - I'm Beginning to See the Light from a 10" Nixa LP by the Jazz Today group. It was, in effect, a slimmed down version of Kenny Baker's Dozen with Keith Christie, Jimmy Skidmore, Harry Klein, Dill Jones, Cedric West, Frank Clarke and Eric Delaney. This track comes in the middle of a ballad melody but, in its own way rates alongside Russell's Lee Morgan solo which I may have chosen myself if he hadn't got there first! When I hear Bruce Adams Kenny Baker invariably springs to mind.
2) Duke Ellington - Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue. The legendary Paul Gonsalves solo from Ellington at Newport in 1956. This was the first long tenor solo I'd ever heard and I was completely knocked out by it. I remember the occasion well. I was on guard duty in the armoury at RAF Manby when the track exploded from the tannoy system. If the IRA had burst in and taken the the whole stock of Enfield .303 rifles I'd have hardly noticed! Since then I've heard better and longer solos but none of them had quite the same effect on me.
3) Shelly Manne and Friends - On the Street Where You Live from the legendary My Fair Lady album with Andre Previn at his jazziest best. I remember initially hearing George Laing playing a pretty fine version of the tune and it was George who put me on to where he'd sourced it from.
So, there we, go. As Russell says, they will keep changing and even now I'm thinking of another three I could have chosen!
Here below are three great favourites of mine. Roly.
Bix Beiderbecke - Clarinet Marmalade – for the sheer joy of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMk4DC6BV8k
Clifford Brown – Once in a While
For absolutely gorgeous playing with a fantastic tone and feel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi8gAl8ul-s
Rebecca Kilgore w Bobby Gordon Trio (John Clayton piano) on this track – Harlem Butterfly
Great song and lyrics beautifully performed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8VVxyKqbKo
Another 'all time favourite'list is brewing. Lance's mention of the famous Gonsalves' Newport solo reminded me of a more recent 'in concert' version. At a Sage Gateshead concert Tommy Smith stepped out of the reeds of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to recreate - as best as it is possible for a mere mortal to do - Gonsalves' epic effort. Spine tingling stuff and I happened to be in the company of the late Margaret Barnes - she loved it! An 'I was there' moment. So, this other list...how about three 'I was there' occasions?
Ah!! My 'I was there moments'! Easy.
Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet at New Orleans Jazz Club, Forth Banks, Newcastle.
Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh Quintet at Corner House, Whitley Bay.
Newcastle Big Band at Playhouse Foyer on regular Sunday lunchtimes. The 'joint was jumpin' and they were really great, never to be forgotten times in their own special way.
1. National Anthem from Looking for America Carla Bley.
2. Lonely Woman,from The Shape of Jazz to Come - Ornette Coleman.
3. New, York, New York from Winter Truce (and Homes Blaze)- Django Bates.
I was there moments?
1) Ella Fitzgerald/Oscar Peterson - Newcastle City Hall.
2) Roland Kirk Quartet - A college in Durham.
3) Art Pepper - University Theatre, Newcastle.
Charles Mingus - Pithecanthrepus Erectus. Ten minute title track/ opener of his first masterpiece album.
John Coltrane (Classic) Quartet - My Favourite Things. McCoy's solo.
Miles Davis (Second Great) Quintet - Riot. Herbie's own version on Speak Like a Child is great but, on the Nefertiti version, Wayne, Miles and Tony are burnin'.
Nightmare trying to get it down to three so I'm going Soul for the 'I was there' moments:
Maze in London in 82. Every soul fan and every Londoner saw Maze at Hammersmith Odeon in the eighties, once word got out about their two mythical nights in 82.
Sam Dees at Fleetwood Soul Weekender in 88. Many soul folk consider his first album one of the finest ever. Myself, my mate George and Jack Daniels were guarding reception when he arrived and asked which one of us is Steven. His first ever performance in the UK was just him singing over backing tapes but has become part of UK soul scene folklore.
James Brown at the Sage (anybody know the year?). I recall discussing it with Billy Walker (of Walker's Club Cafe) and we agreed it wouldn't be very good and was just homage. How wrong we were. The staff at the Sage still talk about it.
Favourites This is difficult as your tastes change over the years and also as you hear more music.
1 Bunk Johnson: “Tishomingo Blues” with George Lewis on clarinet. One day in 1954 when I was 14 I called into a general second hand shop om High West Street owned by a certain Mr Matthewson who worked for 6 months in Gateshead and then left to winter in the Canaries going on a tomato boat. No holidays there and he worked for peanuts. The record was on when l went into the shop and it introduced me to American jazz as at the time all l knew was Humphrey Lyttleton , Ken Colyer and Chris Barber. I absorbed most aspects of American jazz over the years and it has influenced my life since
2 Coleman Hawkins: “Out of Nowhere" 28/4/37 with his All Star Band recorded in France with Django, Stephane Grappelli and Benny Carter. It is a pity that the music was limited to 3 minutes as it sounded as if Hawkins could have played the number of choruses that Gonsalves did on one of the other choices.
3 Bobby Hackett and Jack Teagarden: " When your Lover has Gone" recorded on 13/12/44 in New York with Billy Butterfield, Ernie Caceres who l believe was under rated and and Max Kaminsky also on trumpet it was a close run with the Hot 5 and “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue”.
I have to say that Gary Valente knocked me out with the his solo on “The Lord is,,, “ (a great one Russell) and sadly my CD was stolen although l still have it on vinyl.
I was there
I It has to be Ruby Braff’s very last performance at the Elgin Jazz festival with Scott Hamilton and John Bunch . He was also due to be at Brecon but took ill before then. Fortunately the concert was recorded and is available.
2 What l also think was the last visit by Louis Armstrong to the Batley Variety Club. At the start when at the bar l got talking to a lady who had a table in the front, no more than 2 metres from Louis, and she was on her own as her group who were in the Fire Brigade had been called out and my wife, myself, and a good friend and his wife were invited to join her.
3 A low key event at the Lockerbie Jazz Festival where in a small lounge room Duke Heitger, Alan Barnes and Scott Hamilton played until late at night and all on top form. An absolute joy to be there.
Another memory was sitting on the stage no more than a yard away from Sam Woodyard at the city Hall with the Ellington band at their prime.
I was there moments
Zabigniew Namyslowski quartet Sat & Sun at New Orleans Jazz Club
Thelonius Monk at Durham university
Earl Hines YMCA ( Connaught Hall ?) next to Grey's Monument
Load more but have limited to 3. eg Sonny Rollins
Diz, Eldridge, Hawk Stitt, Oscar P Trio JATP City Hall
Keith Jarrett Trio London
Red Rodney @ Corner House ( I shook his hand...)
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