Alto Sax

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #20 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 10:31 pm »

Personally, the most enjoyable Kenny Garrett that I've heard is on Sketches of MD/Live at The Iridium (Mack Avenue). Beyond The Wall (Nonesuch) has even more impressive playing but included are tracks with a chorus that I could do without. Sketches of MD is just passionate fun to my inner groove.

richidoo · « **Reply #21 on:** 3 Jun 2011, 10:49 pm »

Quote from: neobop on 3 Jun 2011, 09:20 pm

I wasn't the one who started making comparisons or stating opinions of one player vs another. An opinion was stated. I stated mine. Woods marrying Chan is fact.

You guys can pontificate all you want. I never cared for Woods. IMO He and Fortune are the marginal players. You'll not change my opinion with your prose. I've never heard Kenny live, only on a few albums. What I heard is more relevant, to me. It's like vs dislike, plain and simple.

I also feel your posts are somewhat inappropriate. Courier, you state your opinion as if it's fact. You don't define what's good or not, at least not for me. Why don't you chime in with another alto, instead of just defending your preference?
neo

neobop, are you holding court here? Your defensive and confrontational reactions to others' posts is what's inappropriate, imo...

jazzcourier · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 02:26 am »

I just listened to the glorious Jackie Mclean quintet with Mal Waldron and Donald Byrd.This was the first album Jackie made after Bird's death.Jackie was not only decidedly musically influenced by Bird,but was his friend and protegee,in as much as he would cover for Bird at his gigs until he showed up.The Ken Burns "Jazz" segment goes along way to investigate this part of Bird's life and the young Jackie.He is tearing through "The way you look tonight" on this abum-first track and he is soaring Bird - like through the first two choruses and he starts to break down a little and then a little more,he is struggling to keep his technique and ideas together and he is going sharp by not putting enough air into the mouthpiece.The first thing that comes to mind is....this is almost eaxactly what Ornette Coleman would be doing four years later! At more modest tempos he is in control and down the line he refined it on Prestige on a whole string of memorable sessions.Later on Blue Note he has the expansive sound and progressive ideas and it is a joy to hear.He does go sharp now and again and downright out of tune,but he had the bravado to make it work.
Benny Carter- defined elegance,profound technique and the darn est ability to choose the perfect note and make it sound completely spontaneous.Listen to him go head to head with Art Tatum and throw his notes right back at him.He defined the ability to "bounce" the notes along.You are saying"this guy is just playing with me" and that he did.You hear those same elements amped up in Art Pepper in "Surf ride" from the mid 50's.
Any,or most records by Lee Konitz.Any period up to now.The first real original departure from the Parker school.More Lester Young,behind the beat and Young's logic recast in a post modern landscape of origami like fluidity.A tone that is hard to describe,like a layer of frost melting by early sunlight,escaping into pools of liquid.He could bring it with everyone from Miles to Elvin Jones,but always sounds most comfortable with a small group.Another great storyteller.
So many great Altos ....Eric Dolphy!

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 03:29 am »

Man, that's a nice post, JC, no foolin. Neobop's video links and the patience it took speaks to his dedication right here and so what if he's impassioned? Ya gotta cut yer elders some slack cause as you get older, you ain't got all day. But, it's all good unless you're closed down or anxious before your time. Look at the big picture. LOL

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 03:08 pm »

Thoughtful post, Neo, and please accept my apology. I was projecting and shouldn't have been.

richidoo · « **Reply #25 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 09:22 pm »

Neo, if you are worried about trash talk, you better look in the mirror:

Quote from: neobop on 4 Jun 2011, 02:16 am

Who's the weakest musician of this group?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9xQMDpoH9I

What trouble do you hope to stir up with that doozy?

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #26 on:** 4 Jun 2011, 11:53 pm »

Thanks, Rich, I thought I had kilt the thread. Phil Woods does have a very recognizable sound. His solo on Willie Dixon's Spoonful from The Individualism of Gil Evans (Verve), is exquisitely note perfect beautiful to me. If only all of his playing was.

richidoo · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 03:16 am »

Jim, I don't think anything can kill this thread...

I heard Phil Woods at the Hollywood Bowl, warming up Mulligan around '91. Woods was playing well and his show was very good, strong playing but a little heady intellectual for that crowd, good for his fans though. But Mulligan really lit it up with the "Rebirth of the cool" stuff, w/Wallace Tenderoney. It was two different worlds of musicianship.

Every jazz musician has ups and downs, just like regular people. But because they improvise for a living, they must wear the troubles on their sleeve. You can't hide it. So you have to take their whole contribution together.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #28 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 04:24 am »

Wise words. I'm listening to some late 50's stuff right now that has it's roots in west coast "cool" jazz: Somethin Else- Cannonball Adderley with Miles, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, who was a mainstay in Adderley's quintet with brother Nat, and Blakey (Blue Note). Louis Hayes and Bobby Timmons joined that group on drums and piano and later, Yusef Lateef and Joe Zawinul, as you probably already know. Even Charles Lloyd had a short stint post Chico Hamilton. Fabulous quintet and sextet that I was able to see multiple times (pre Lloyd, tho I did see him twice with Gabor Szabo in Chico's quintet). All good.

Nah, at least three times.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #29 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 03:07 pm »

Charlie Mariano heard on Mingus' Black Saint and The Sinner Lady is extremely moving.

Concert takeout from the award winning CHARLIE MARIANO together with Mrs. Ramamani, Mr. Mani and Ramesh Shotham (KCP4) live at the TFF Rudolstadt 2007 is really special, too, for how lyrically he could play. I tried to bring it forward via the YouTube link but was unsuccessful. It's on page 4 if anyone is interested.

Neo, your third link above features the lad bout as good as I've heard him. Nice.

richidoo · « **Reply #30 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 04:27 pm »

Here you go Jim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3M8Xc8M_WQ
Not jazz, but I like it!

A friend played this Indian record for me last weekend. Not even alto sax, but just in case you like indian music.

http://www.amazon.com/West-Meets-East-Historic-Collection/dp/B00002CF0J

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #31 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 04:35 pm »

That's a very good album. Hadn't heard it in years. Thanks

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #32 on:** 5 Jun 2011, 10:06 pm »

You're a fine contributor and I look forward to your posts. Other guys do also. So, let's go . .

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #33 on:** 6 Jun 2011, 03:25 am »

Geez, it just occurred to me that I might have embarrassed you, again, my man, or myself. I have about as much tact as a turtle. Just looked at Downbeat's archives and Phil Woods is a reader's poll winner for best altoist going back most of three decades. Didn't bother with the critic's poll. Kenny Garrett scored in more recent poles. This doesn't mean anything to me, either, just sayin. Jan Garabek is a mixed bag for me. Sometimes he drags notes out too long for me. Besides, I like him better on tenor.

richidoo · « **Reply #34 on:** 6 Jun 2011, 01:08 pm »

Quote from: neobop on 5 Jun 2011, 09:54 pm

My apologies for being a bitch. A personal thing left me hurtin and I just felt like killing somebody. I didn't much care who. This must sound lame. It is what it is.

I'm not into deleting posts or threads.
If you will excuse me please,
neo

That quote was about Woods not you neo. Your "downs" can and should be hidden. I hope you will refrain from bitchin and killing us in the future. Jazz is love and the Jazz Circle is church for many of us.

Do you guys know about "Bird Flight?" It is a NYC radio show about Charlie Parker. Hosted by Phil Schaap, one of the best jazz historians. He discusses Bird's life and music in detail, and plays every known and unknown recording extant, in chronological order, repeating over and over for decades. It is broadcast from Columbia University Radio WKCR every weekday, from 8:20AM to 9:30 or so. It streams here: http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/wkcr/ I'm in NC, but I have it programmed on a timer on my Sonos, so Bird comes on automatically everyday. What could be better than that?

neobop · « **Reply #35 on:** 6 Jun 2011, 09:33 pm »

Now who's the bitch?
I only apologized for being negative, not the content. We obviously have different taste. I never liked Woods. So label me a heretic. Speaking of which, you ought to start a jazz church. You'll get a nice tax break and can practice all day. Good luck keeping parishioners. Holier than thou doesn't cut it with most jazz fans.

Sorry I started this thread.
neo

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #36 on:** 6 Jun 2011, 11:03 pm »

I guess yer not joking, Bop daddy, you deleted all of your comments on this topic. I regret any hurt feelings I may have caused. I have to plead ignorance, I suppose, if in fact I have.

jazzcourier · « **Reply #37 on:** 6 Jun 2011, 11:23 pm »

Hearty listeners buck up! We will carry on,thankfully minus puzzling snarks on my writing.
As i have always said..."it's not the enemies of Jazz i am worried about,it's the "friends"...............

richidoo · « **Reply #38 on:** 7 Jun 2011, 01:37 am »

What about Lennie Niehaus? Bud Shank? Herb Geller? A lot of great altos from the west coast. Do you guys like west coast jazz? I think I'l start a thread about that.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #39 on:** 7 Jun 2011, 02:56 am »

Drama: It's unavoidable.