[neobop]

This thread is NOT about Kind of Blue, Giant Steps, Take Five, etc. This thread is about great but lesser known albums. I thought it would be a cool idea to read about albums that others think are worth getting. Please let us know something about the album, style, players....

Straight up - Cedar Walton Eastern Rebellion Billy Higgins, George Coleman, Sam Jones. Timeless Muse TI306 - 1975. This album grabs you and doesn't let go. You'll probably play it 3 or 4 times straight, first time you hear it. Here's the first paragraph on the back:
"There's something very special about this album. I can't help but play it repeatedly - it's one of those magical dates where a tight group of monster musicians play music that will still sound fresh and invigorating years after fads like "fusion" are forgotten. This music is 100% pure and unadulterated dynamite!"

1) Bolivia
2) Naima
1) 5/4 Thing
2) Bittersweet
3) Mode for Joe

I don't know about the fusion stuff, but this album is worth looking for.

neo

http://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Rebellion/dp/B000025XEX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292512153&sr=1-1

[lonewolfny42]

This thread is about great but lesser known albums. I thought it would be a cool idea to read about albums that others think are worth getting. Please let us know something about the album, style, players....

Jack McDuff - "Bringin' It Home" .....Concord Records...Samples...



Jack McDuff made his name in the early sixties by having one of the hottest combos specializing in the type of swingin' fatback soul-jazz so prevalent in the era. On this Concord release "Bringin' It Home", McDuff rekindles that good feeling by inviting old bandmates Red Holloway, George Benson and young lion Mark Whitfield for some great music. Things strike a joyous groove when the disc starts out with the Eddie Harris soul-jazz favorite "Cold Duck Time". Benson and Holloway state the theme in unison while the rhythm section of bassist Frank Gravis and drummer Grady Tate keep a tight groove. Benson churns out a solo recalling his earlier, funkier days, and Holloway heats up from the get go. Later on the disc the same band sans Gravis tackles a memorable "Summertime". George and Red carry the tune and have shimmering solos. According to the liners, before they rolled the tape, George said "We're gonna tear this one up!" and do they ever! George's imaginative cadenza at the close will make any detractors eat their words about him not choosing to play pure jazz in recent memory. "Pettin' The Cat" is the albums' closer. A funky blues featuring "The Heatin System", McDuff's working with the bonus of Red Holloway added to the front line. Other highlights include Jack playing piano on "After Hours", and a nod to George Benson as Mark Whitfield plays "This Masquerade" in a cooking mid tempo take. Up and coming alto saxophonist Andrew Beals has a gorgeous statement on the ballad "A Time For Love" playing with a soulful conviction that is hard to come by with young players these days. All in all everyone enjoys themselves on this fine date, indeed Bringin' It Home!

BUY IT !!

[neobop]

That Eddy Harris tune, Cold Duck Time, reminds me of the classic Les McCann/Eddie Harris album Swiss Movement. Cold Duck Time was on that album. Remember, this was recorded in 1969.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzvlivbptXk&feature=related

http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Movement-Montreux-30th-Anniversary/dp/B0000033T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292511231&sr=1-1

neo

[martyo]

That Eddy Harris tune, Cold Duck Time, reminds me of the classic Les McCann/Eddie Harris album Swiss Movement. Cold Duck Time was on that album. Remember, this was recorded in 1969.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzvlivbptXk&feature=related

http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Movement-Montreux-30th-Anniversary/dp/B0000033T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292511231&sr=1-1

neo

Compared to What....................timeless lyrics

[andy_c]

From my two favorite living alto saxophonists...

Gary Bartz: The Red and Orange Poems
Bobby Watson: Post-Motown Bop

Both of these feature excellent playing and composition as well as top-notch sonics.  The latter is out of print, but available at a reasonable price used last time I checked.  The Bobby Watson album above features the classic tune In Case You Missed It, a must-hear and great system demo track.

[rockadanny]

Some lesser known, but still wonderful artists and recordings ...









And one very well known artist, but perhaps a lesser known release, which is sublime, and one of my all-time favorite album covers ...
Bill Evans and Jim Hall, "Undercurrent"

 

[Jazzman53]

This album has an interesting history:
In 1960, an astonishing jazz ensemble was convened by Swiss pianist George Gruntz to create a soundtrack for the Hannes Schmidhauser film MENTAL CRUELTY. The group included bebop innovator Kenny "Klook" Clarke on drums and Belgian saxophonist Barney Wilen, two of the most swinging musicians on the planet.  Though the dark, lyrical, mysterious soundtrack was initially released on a 10-inch EP, legal difficulties led to its being recalled, and the few copies that were sold became incredibly valuable collectors items.  The rights to the soundtack were in legal limbo for over forty years awaiting a final settlement and eventual release on CD in 2009. 

ARTISTS
George Gruntz (piano); Barney Wilen (tenor sax, sopranot sax); Marcel Peeters (alto sax, flute); Raymond Court (trumpet); Karl Theodor Geier (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums)

[martyo]

Hey rockadanny, what version do you have? I ask because the Bluenote is remastered and that isn't always good and there is an import too. Thanks

[AVnerdguy]

Andreas Pettersson Quartet: Live At The Baked Potato

great jazz guitar

[rockadanny]

Martyo - Blue Note 2002. It is the only version I've ever heard so cannot compare. Sonics are not stellar. Super quiet - no distortion. But sounds as if they coated all strings (piano and guitar) with a little honey. Not open as clear. Wonderful music none the less. If you'd like I can burn a disc copy for you. PM me if interested.

[martyo]

Martyo - Blue Note 2002. It is the only version I've ever heard so cannot compare. Sonics are not stellar. Super quiet - no distortion. But sounds as if they coated all strings (piano and guitar) with a little honey. Not open as clear. Wonderful music none the less. If you'd like I can burn a disc copy for you. PM me if interested.

Thanks for the offer. Your description sounds just fine. Honey is cool, dry and digital is not, which happens sometimes with remastering. 

[neobop]

Great to have recommendations. Sometimes it's hard to know what to get.

One of my favorite piano players was Tete Montoliu. He was a giant. Here's a taste.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrYCbigJJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzWFLZ0OSfg&feature=related

You can't go wrong with any of the trio albums on Steeplechase with Niels Pederson and Tootie Heath. I have a few of his solo albums too, and yes, they're great.

http://www.amazon.com/Tete-Montoliu/e/B000APW8W8/works/ref=ntt_mus_teaser

[rockadanny]

[lonewolfny42]

This thread is about great but lesser known albums. I thought it would be a cool idea to read about albums that others think are worth getting. Please let us know something about the album, style, players....

Oscar Peterson - "Tracks" ....Verve ....Samples...



"This is one of the few Oscar Peterson solo Piano records. Norman Granz and Duke Ellington had been trying to pursade Oscar to record a solo Piano album for quite a while and in November 1970 this was the result.

The man responsible for producing the album was Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer and he deserves a lot of credit. Its one of the best sounding solo Piano records ever produced. The moment you hear the first track you will begin to wonder how on earth all other Piano albums sound so bad in comparison. What does Hans know that other producers don't?!!

As for the playing, well this is Oscar Peterson at the absolute height of his powers. The opening track will leave you stunned:
Amazing locked hands chord work, wonderful single line improvisations. I'd love to see it written out, the speed and dexterity is unbelievable. In a similar but different vein the ironically titled "A Little Jazz Exercise" is another virtuoso display, incorporating Oscars amazing fast stride playing. Still this is what you'd expect from Oscar.

What you might not expect is his marvellous performances of A Child is Born, Dancing on the Ceiling and Django. These are beautifully played and shows a side of Oscars playing that is frequently ignored because of his amazing technique. OK in some of the solos there are quite a few notes, but the reading of the tunes are restrained and subtle. These tracks are also great demonstrations of the wonderful sound of the Piano on this album.

For me this is one of the 5 best Oscar Peterson records you can get - an absolutely essential purchase."


One of Brunner-Schwer's fundamental concepts for MPS was recording the piano in a way that made the listener feel as though they were hearing the instrument from the perspective of the pianist, not as a member of the audience. The crystal clarity clearly documents that philosophy.

If ever there were a record label in need of reissue on CD, it's the German MPS label. Formed in the mid-1960s by the late Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, it's hard to say what was more remarkable: that a studio based in the small town of Villingen, in the German Black Forest, could create a body of work 700 records strong; that it could promote European artists including Jean-Luc Ponty, Albert Mangelsdorff and Joachim Kuhn as well as attract North American musicians including Oscar Peterson, Art Farmer and George Duke; or that it could create a signature sound so distinctive that it rivaled another German label, ECM, for sheer purity of aesthetic.

The label was bought out by Polygram in 1983, and while there has been CD release of a handful of MPS titles, the percentage is far too small for a label that created such a significant discography that covered the entire spectrum of jazz. From free jazz to mainstream, fusion to Latin, proto-smooth to vocal jazz, MPS may have stood for Musik Produktion Schwarzwald but, based on director Elke Baur's new documentary film about the label Jazzin' the Black Forest, it could equally have been an acronym for Most Perfect Sound.

[lcrim]

This album predates Woodstock and introduced me to Jazz while I was still in college.  The first time I ever heard Keith Jarrett or Jack DeJohnette and of course Charles Lloyd.  Still one of my favorites.  If you,ve never heard it, make it a Christmas present to youself.

[andy_c]

Not to mention Cecil McBee on bass, who does a superb job.  McBee's composition Song Of Her is still my favorite song on the album after all these years.

[jazdoc]

Wow!, This may end up being a long reply 

Gene Ammons - Sonny Stitt 'Dig Him', Argo 697
Ray Anderson 'Blues Bred In The Bone', Gramavision
Ray Bryant 'Montreux '77', Pablo
Kenny Burrell - Jimmy Smith 'Blue Bash', Verve V8553
Benny Carter  'Sax ala Carter', United Artists UAS 5094
Benny Carter 'Cosmopolite', Norgran MGN 1070
Buck Clayton 'All The Cats Join In', Columbia CL882
Buddy DeFranco 'Mr. Lucky', Pablo
Paul Desmond - Gerry Mulligan 'Two of a Mind', RCA LSP-2624
Roy Eldridge  'Little Jazz', Clef MGC-683
Art Farmer 'Modern Art', United Artists UAL 4007
Art Farmer 'Perception', Argo 738
Great Jazz Trio 'Direct From LA', East Wind
Woody Herman 'Monterey Jazz Festival 1979', Concord CJ-170
Johnny Hodges 'Everybody Knows', Impulse A61
Jazztet 'Here and Now', Mercury MG20698
Hank Jones, George Duvivier, Shelly Manne 'Easy To Love', LOB (Japan)
Oliver Jones 'Requestfully Yours', Justin' Time
Oliver Jones Cookin' At The Sweet Basil', Justin' Time
Charles Mingus 'Mingus Dynasty', Columbia CL1440
Gerry Mulligan 'What is There To Say', Columbia CS 8116
New York Trio 'Stardust', Venus
Oscar Peterson & Freddie Hubbard 'Face To Face', Pablo
Flip Phillips - Scott Hamilton 'A Sound Investment', Concord
Flip Phillips 'Flip Wails', Norgran MGC691
Don Pullen - George Adams 'Live At The Village Vanguard', PSI
Jimmy Smith - Wes Montgomery 'The Dynamic Duo', Verve V8678
Cecil Taylor 'Live In Bologna', Leo
Sarah Vaughan 'After Hours', Roulette R52070
Sadao Watanabe 'Parker's Mood', Elektra
Bobby Watson 'Beatitudes', Hep2024
Phil Woods 'Live At The Village Vanguard', Antilles
John Zorn 'Spillane', Elektra Nonesuch

...that's all I have to say about that! (apologies to Forrest Gump)

[neobop]

Question: Who was Ella's accompanist for a few years, and was the pianist on Giant Steps?

Answer: Tommy Flanagan. Tommy had a nice touch as an accompanist, but he also had a number of fine records as a leader. Most of the duo/trio records had George Mraz on bass and sometimes Elvin Jones on drums.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Flanagan

http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Flanagan/e/B000AR8L9K/works/ref=ntt_mus_teaser

neo

[eclein]

These aren't real old ones, but then again I'm not real old, only 52 and halfway to 100:
 1) Lee Ritenour "Smoke'N Mirrors" --this is one of my reference CD's
 2) Larry Carlton "Larry Carlton" 1978? --this has LC best ever guitar solo on "Point It Up"
 3) Pat Metheny Group "Pat Metheny Group" --The beginning of the brilliance!! Mays & Metheny, my kinda fusion!!
 4) Ralph Towner "Solstice"-- a masterpiece..
 5) Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Jack DeJohnette -- I call it the Blue album, took me away to another world, instantly

 I'm a newbie to most older Jazz but the above selections are always on my playlist!!!!!

[R_burke]

Definitely hard to find, especially on CD, but worth it - Sugar Loaf Express

http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Loaf-Express-Featuring-Ritenour/dp/B003UIDT3O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1292770059&sr=1-3