“Silver’s Blue”
“To Beat Or Not To Beat”
“How Long Has This Been Going On?”
“I’ll Know”
“East Of The Sun”
“Zarafah”
“Indian Song”
“All Blues”
“Misty”
“On A Clear Day”
“A Deeper Blue”
“This I Dig Of You”
“The Chant”
“Summer Day”
“Legend”
“Fine Me In Your Dreams”
“I’m sitting on top of the world”
“Sokay,” “Save your love for me,” “Four Brothers,” “Lew’s Piece”
One from the listener line and an excellent set from 1949.
“She’s a wino”
“Shoutin’ blues”
Best jazz album of 2007. Blanchard channels post-Katrina New Orleans through his horn and the results are amazing.
“Ashe”
‘The Water”
Some serious hard bop from Mr.Knepper!
“Cunningbird”
“Noche Triste”
“Spotlight Girl”
Coltrane’s debut on the Impulse! label…
“Blues Minor”
“Greensleeves”
Don’t forget, opportunities abound for live jazz in and around Lincoln this fall. Monday Night Big Band at P.O. Pears will satisfy your swinging desires. The band, with a revolving cast of directors, takes stage around 7:30 p.m. and plays until 10 p.m.
If small groups are more to your liking, try the Thursday Night Jazz Series. There’s great local talent on stage every week, including Peter Bouffard on Thursday, October 11th.
Also, the Zoo Bar has started a live jazz series on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. It’s jazz by committee as “Jazzocrazy” takes stage.
Last but not least, the Crescent Moon has jazz every Friday evening from 7 to 9 p.m.
Our urban centers to the east, Omaha and Kansas City, have several wonderful upcoming concerts. The Pat Metheny Trio will perform at the Holland Center on Thursday, October 11th. This set is not to be missed–due in equal parts to Metheny’s briliance and the teriffic supporting cast of Christian McBride on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums. Nosebleeds start at $19.
However, DeeDee Bridgewater’s upcoming set at the Gem Theater in Kansas City, is much higher on my list. The performance will feature her usual trio and seven Malian musicians. Her latest album, Red Earth, is an astonishing amalgam of American jazz and Malian rhythms. Bridgewater lets loose on her vocals and creates amazing interplay with the African ensemble. I’m doing everything in my power to get DeeDee booked for an interview on the J Train. Stay tuned.
We started Saturday with one of the top guitarists on the scene–Bobby Broom. With that last name, you’ve got to record an album called clean sweep, no? Indeed, his 1981 debut bears that title. However, his 2007 release is considerably more thorough. From Lennon and McCartney’s “You Can’t Buy Me Love,” to Flack and Hathaway’s “Where Is The Love?” to three Broom originals, “Song and Dance” covers plenty of ground. Most of the covers are well chosen and, despite some ceaseless Broom soloing, the album hits on all cylinders.
“Coming Home”
“Blues For Modern Man”
“Superstar”
1958 saw a number of wonderful jazz releases. Cannonball Adderley’s “Somethin’ Else,” Art Blakey’s “Moanin,” Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” and Bill Evans’ “Everybody Digs Bill Evans.” True to its title, Ray Charles and Milt Jackson’s “Soul Brothers,” far outpaces the rest in terms of sheer soul.
The two co-leaders are paired with Connie Kay on drums, Skeeter Best on guitar and Oscar Petitford on bass. The trio of drums, bass and guitar supply rich, funky rhythyms and Jackson and Charles are well suited to take advantage. Charles was recently established, thanks in large part to his 1955 hit “I Got a Woman.” On “How Long Blues,” and “Bags of Blues,” he replaces his vocals with an alto saxaphone. His playing is spirited, but lacks technique. Still, he fills the album with some superb piano playing that makes up for any alto deficiencies.
The co-leader, Milt Jackson, had released 21 albums by 1958 and was jazz’s preeminent vibraphonist. A decade earlier, at age 25, he recorded his debut as a leader for Blue Note. His smooth and unbroken playing–yet one rooted in the blues–is unmatched to this day. Meanwhile, Best and Kay (Jackson’s longtime colleague in the Modern Jazz Quartet) add rhythmic nuance, particularly on “Cosmic Ray,” and “Deed I Do.”
All in all, another fine edition to 1958’s esteemed catalogue.
Blakey. Shorter. Hubbard. Fuller. Cedar. Merrit. 1962. ‘Nuff said.
“Three Blind Mice”
“Blue Moon”
“That Old Feeling”
Joe Zawinul in 2003. The jazz pianist and musical virtuoso passed away last Tuesday in Vienna. He was 75. We celebrated his life and music with cuts from his days with Cannonball Adderley, Weather Report and his own Zawinul Syndicate.
A well done obit from the KC Star:
http://www.kansascity.com/416/story/269955.html
“Scotch and Water”
This was his first time recording with Cannonball’s group. He’d joined the group a few months earlier in 1961. This recording is from January 1962. A gem.
“Country Preacher”
From 1969, another original Zawinul composition. This particular tune was named after Reverend Jesse Jackson.
It’s a no Joe without some Weather Report. We highlighted his most famous composition “Birdland.”
“Carnavalito,” Severly overlooked, this 1986 release from the Zawinul Syndicate proved that electronic music could swing. Also, what a beautiful album cover.
–J.S.
Live Cannonball from ‘62, recorded at the Village Vanguard
“Gemini”
“Syn-Asthesia”
“Scotch and Water”
“Cannon’s Theme”
Early stuff from both Keith Jarrett and Gary Burton
“Grow Your Own”
“Moonchild/In Your Quiet Place”
“Como en Vietnam”
Great stuff from the most heavenly of vocalists
“Isn’t that a lovely day”
“I’ve got my love to keep me warm”
“All of my life”
mid-60’s Jimmy Smith with Kenny Burrell, Grady Tate and Ron Carter
“Hi-Heel Sneekers”
“Satisfaction”
“1-2-3-”
The J Train, online at www.kzum.org, every Saturday from 4-6 p.m. and in Lincoln, Nebraska at 89.3 FM.
Next week, I’m off to Chi-town for the Chicago Jazz Festival. Medeski, Martin, Scofield and Wood, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, George Cables and many more. Thanks to Molly Pitcher (who hosts “The Melting Pot,” Tuesdays 8-10 a.m.) for sitting in. Perhaps a call in from the windy city is in order…
After a lengthy hiatus from the blogosphere, the J Train rides again! 5,000 spam messages later, I’m ready to get this sucker “up” and “up”dated frequently. Today’s show was very bluesy and showcased some great bop from the 50’s and 60’s. Here’s the set:
1961’s “The Blues and The Abstract Truth” features a tremendous rhythm section and four soloists with distinct phrasings.
“Stolen Moments”
“Hoe-Down”
“Cascades”
“Yearnin”
Recorded live at Shelly’s in Hollywood, California in 1969. Monty Alexander and Ray Brown shine as the always steady Jackson leads this quintet.
“Frankie & Johnny”
“Here’s that rainy day”
“Blues in the Basement”
“Tenderly”
“That’s the way it is”
The late Roach from a 1993 set in Paris.
“The Arrival”
“Versailles”
“Place de la Concorde”
Detroit trumpeter Donald Byrd with a fine ensemble from his second release on Blue Note, 1959’s “Byrd in Hand.” We’ll finish this one up in weeks ahead.
“Witchcraft”
“Here Am I”
A unique innovator, who took jazz drumming to new heights in the 40’s and 50’s, died Thursday morning in Manhattan.
Here’s a retrospective from Peter Keepnews of the New York Times
We kicked off GoodVibes with 2 from Gary Burton’s latest release Next Generation:
“Prelude For Vibes”
“B & G”
Milt Jackson’s 1972 release “Sunflower” features Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and Ron Carter.
“For Someone I Love”
“What are you doing for the rest of your life?”
“People make the world go round”
“Sunflower”
Hutcherson live at the Vanguard ‘86 w/Kenny Barron on piano, Buster Williams on bass and Al Foster on drums.
“Little Niles”
“Witchcraft”
We did a tune from Grant Green’s album “Idle Moments”
“Jean de Fleur”
Interesting mix of vibes and piano from Stefon Harris and Jacky Terresson:
“Tank’s Tune”
“Shane”
Hamp, at age 79, still bringing the vibes on “Mostly Blues”
“Blues for jazz beaux”
“Walkin’ uptown”
“Honeysuckle rose”
Dave Holland on double bass with Chris Potter on sax, Robin Eubanks on trombone and Steve Nelson on vibes; to be continued in upcoming shows,
“Global Citizen”
This Saturday, we’ll here exquisite vibraphone music from the masters of the instrument:
Chick Corea
“Bouncin’ with Bud”
“Oblivion”
“Celia”
Dave Douglas
“Poses”
“The Infinite”
“Yorke”
The Duke and The Count
“Battle Royal”
”Take the A Train”
Kenny Burrell “Phinuppi”
Eric Dolphy “Something Sweet, Something Tender”
Dave Brubeck “Three to get ready”
Sonny Rollins & Coleman Hawkins
“Yesterdays”
“All the things you are”
“At McKie’s”
“There will never be another you”