What jazz have you been listening to today?

[Mat]

Joey DeFrancesco Plays Sinatra His Way

[Corno Dolce]

"The Best Of The West" by Charlie Haden.

[intet_at_tabe]

The Pat Metheny Group on the album "Quartet" recorded in 1996 by Metheny Group Productions, remastered in 2006 by NoneSuch.

In the liner notes PM says: "This recording was made right after the final leg of a year-long tour that, once again, took us all around the world...", spoken by a great guitarist, composer, band leader who has been traveling the world throughout 30 years, performing in rare places where no other jazz musician has ever been only to bring every fan or nationality, where his numerous albums have been sold the chance to attend the PMG live.

Pat Metheny, born in Missouri in August in that very innovative year of 1954. Known in the jazz world for his incredible talents on every imaginable guitar, always smiling during concerts, and even saying thank you to the audience for participating in the show.

The musicians in the quartet on this very different half improvised album containing 15 new songs from the PMG:

PM (acoustic/el. guitars, the 42 string custom built Picasso guitar, guitar syntheziser) Lyle Mays (piano, keyboards) Steve Rodby (double bass, el. bass) and Paul Wertico (drums, percussion).

[intet_at_tabe]

In the city of Aalborg on a sunny, realy spring time, warm afternoon, I found one of these shops, which had had to face to the fact that they had to close. So they had boxes on the pavement in front of the shop, where I found the jazz for this evening.

One album, priced at 1 dollars 50 cents, I did not have with Miles Dewey Davis III, I did not even know it existed. The title of the CD album is "Birdland Days feat. Stan Getz". The sound is not to cheer about, but the energy between the musicians are significant.

The musicians on songs 1-5, recorded at WNYC Broadcast, N.Y.C. 1950:

MD (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Stan Getz (tenor saxophone), Tadd Dameron (piano), Gene Ramey (double bass) and Art Blakey (drums).

Songs 6-8, recorded at Birdland, N.Y.C., 1951:

MD (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), Kenny Drew (piano), Tommy Potter (double bass) and Art Blakey (drums).

Songs 9-11, recorded at Birdland, N.Y.C.: 1951.

MD (trumpet), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis/George "Big Nick" Nicholas (tenor saxophones), Billy Taylor (piano), Charlie Mingus (double bass) and Art Blakey (drums).

All three sessions remastered by Jordi Pujol for CD in 1990.

What´s even more interesting are the liner notes, which tell alot unknown stuf to me until today about the musical relationship, very detailed, between Charlie Parker, who mentored Miles Davis, while he studied at Julliard School of Music, but found himself much more interested in jazz.

I am in heaven, when I accidently find an album like this, which at the same time bring new knowledge to me on Miles Davis.

[intet_at_tabe]

Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau Quartet, by NoneSuch Records 2007.

The second album where Pat Metheny (acoustic/el. guitars, baritone guitar, guitar syntheziser) and Brad Mehldau (piano) both do acoustic duo songs, and songs as the quartet with the two other members of the group through the 11 songs: Larry Grenadier (double bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums).

The best song as the acoustic duo "Don´t Wait" composer Pat Metheny, can not be reviewed by yours truely in words, one simply has to lean back close the eyes and just enjoy sublime acoustic jazz from two musicians, who enjoy each others musical talents and company.

The two best electric songs for the quartet IMHO are "A Night Away", and "Towards The Light".

Jeff Ballard, like another great drummer Dave Weckl was discovered by Chick Corea. Jeff has played in the Chick Corea sextet "Origins", and Chick´s trio Past, Present & Future.

Larry Grenadier on the double bass is not new in connection with PM. LG recorded with Pat and drummer Bill Stewart on the electric album ""Trio 99-00" and the double album "Trio Live", recorded throughout concerts in Europe 1999-2000.

The drummer Bill Stewart, I have know for years from his excellent drumming for the John Scofield Quartet with Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), Marc Johnson (double bass).

[Corno Dolce]

"Wood" by Brian Bromberg.

[intet_at_tabe]

Sonny Rollins & Co (the name of the group) on his album "On The Outside" from 1990 by BMG Records.

The musicians:

SR (tenor saxophone), Don Cherry (trumpet), Bob Cranshaw/Henry Grimes (double bass) and Billy Higgins (drums).

This album is more like avantgarde jazz than, what we ordinary hear from SR. Both Don Cherry and Billy Higgins known for their work for years with Ornette Coleman.

[intet_at_tabe]

Keith Jarrett, solo piano, on the double album "The Carnegie Hall Concert" recorded live on September 26, 2005 at the Isaac Stern Auditorium. Released by the ECM Records 2006.

Part I-X all improvised. For the encore, because the audience would not alowe Keith Jarrett to exit after these faboulos 10 improvised pieces, so he gave 5 extra numbers of more traditional jazz songs: 1) The Good America 2) Paint My Heart Red 3) My Song 4) True Blues - and the final song 5) Time on My Hands.

One of these rare solo piano concerts with Keith Jarrett post his illness during the last part of the 1990´s, where the interaction at the Carnegie Hall with the audience musically also meant that KJ would speak directly verbally to the audience, unlike any other solo piaono concert I have going back to the early 1970´s.

[intet_at_tabe]

Corno Dolce

Do you remember, we months ago spoke of classical interpretations by Keith Jarrett. I have entered a list of these below from the ECM Records, should it have your interest:

1. JSBach "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Buch 1", KJ (piano) 1987.
2. JSBach "Goldberg variations" KJ (harpsichord) 1989.
3. JSBach same as number 1, but the following "Book 2", KJ (harpsichord) 1990.
4. Dmitri Shostakovich "24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87" KJ (piano) 1991.
5. JSBach "The French Suites" KJ (harpsichord) 1991.
6. Georg Friedrich Handel "Suites for Keyboard" KJ (piano) 1993.

[Corno Dolce]

Hello Intet,

I have heard KJ playing "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier" Buch I & II, The Goldberg Variations, The French Suites, and the 24 Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich. Quite impressed was I after hearing these.

Cheers,

CD

[intet_at_tabe]

Corno Dolce

Okay!!

On topic:

The Standards Trio on the double live album "My Foolish Heart", recorded at The Montreux Jazz Festival 2001, released by the ECM Records 2007.

My favourite songs on the entire album have changed, since I first purchased it. It may even change again, but for today, the incredible beautiful song "Guess I´ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" followed by "Green Dolphin Street".

[Mat]

Leonard Bernstein - What Is Jazz

The Swingle Singers - Mozart's Symphony in g minor, KV550

[intet_at_tabe]

Leonard Bernstein - What Is Jazz

The Swingle Singers - Mozart's Symphony in g minor, KV550

Off topic:

Dear Mat.

Please write me an e-mail, an up-date on the evolving Polish "biscuit" preparations?

[Corno Dolce]

"West Of Fifth" by Hank Jones.

[intet_at_tabe]

Chick Corea Trio on the album "Past, Present & Futures", recorded by Stretch Records 2001.

Chick Corea, from my very fist encounter in 1973 turned me on passionately like a brush fire - A gift, I have treasured ever since. It gave me a direct entry to jazz on a larger scale.

Also I do enjoy that Chick like Miles Davis has this gift to discover new talents, nurse them and watch them fly more than well on their own wings.

The musicians:

CC - piano
Avishhai Cohen - double bass
Jeff Ballard - drums