Just heard that Sirone passed away. I found this on the NPR website :
"Sirone, 'Revolutionary' Bassist, Dies
by Lars Gotrich
The world has lost another tie to the original New Thing jazz: bassist and composer Norris Jones, better known as Sirone, has died in Berlin, Germany. He was 69.
Sirone recorded with Cecil Taylor, Charles Gayle and Phalanx, a group featuring George Adams (tenor sax), James Blood Ulmer (guitar) and Rashied Ali (drums). (Ali also passed away recently, in August.) But to me, his greatest work was in the Revolutionary Ensemble.
Formed in 1971, Revolutionary Ensemble was a somewhat odd trio. Fiery jazz groups were customarily featured face-peeling saxophones, not violins. Yet Leroy Jenkins (violin), Sirone (bass) and Jerome Cooper (drums) forged one of the most innovative groups of its time.
"The trio almost epitomized that much-maligned year in jazz," jazz critic Kevin Whitehead said in his 2005 Fresh Air review of The Revolutionary Ensemble's And Now.... "It was a time of re-thinking the available possibilities, when new instrumental combinations and new ways of sorting out ensemble roles became common."
Last winter, I made my yearly pilgrimage to Low Yo Yo Stuff in Atlanta, Ga. while visiting my parents for the holidays. The store always has a great stock of free jazz vinyl, but the one group that came up over and over again in fingering through the LPs was Revolutionary Ensemble. Picking up the trio's debut, Vietnam, the owner got really excited and had me put it on the store's speaker system.
Listening again today as I did in that Atlanta strip mall, it's clear from the outset that Jenkins, Sirone and Cooper were onto something radical. They intersected chamber music, backwoods hoedowns and free improvisation in a way that called out to new thinking. It also happened to be an extraordinarily good time.
Sirone, in particular, is a wonder even at this early stage in his career. He almost never walks a scale, but when he does, fragments are seared in rapid-fire plucks. Sirone mostly disarmed with his bow. He could be as light as Jenkins' playful violin, mimicking his Appalachian-style explorations. But when drummer Jerome Cooper lit the fire, Sirone equalled him in force, hitting the bow to the strings in a tangible, grab-you-by-the-shirt kind of way. It's thrilling. Despite the LP's intentioned protest against the Vietnam War, the call for musical and political change still resonates through a new era."
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sonny Rollins : Another Interview
Here's another interview with Sonny Rollins :
Vancouver Jazz Fest: Sonny Rollins' life-long search for excellence
By Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
June 26, 2009
VANCOUVER - Saxophonist Sonny Rollins doesn't take the Orpheum stage until 8 p.m. Monday, but he's told the venue that he needs the dressing room by mid-afternoon.
That's because he wants to practise for three hours before he takes the stage. And, if things go the way they did when he appeared here two years ago, he'll practise for another hour after the concert.
At 78, the man many consider the greatest living tenor saxophonist still feels he has room to improve. There's a famous Youtube clip of trombonist Clifton Anderson, who is Rollins's nephew, talking about wanting to quit music because his best solo was eclipsed by what his uncle did on the horn.
Rollins told him that at his stage in life, he has to play at a high level because he never knows when it will be his last chance to perform.
When asked about this, the saxophonist says he's not familiar with the clip - Rollins belongs to the generation that doesn't sit at a computer - but that the advice sums up his philosophy about performing.
"I feel every moment in life is precious, because you never know if it's going to be your last moment on Earth," he says over the phone from his home, a 150-year-old farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley. "I just gave that advice to a young student of mine the other day. I told him, `You have to play your absolute utmost, your absolute best, because just think if that becomes the last time you play.'"
This philosophy also explains why Rollins, who really has nothing to prove to the world, practises so much.
"I guess if you have no real interest in what you do and you just work until you retire and you're glad to get away from your job, which may be the case for the majority of people, you'd want to stay away from the office as much as possible," says Rollins. "My case is quite different. Music is a life-long pursuit. I'm still at it and I'm still trying to learn it all, which I'm sure is impossible. I'm trying to get closer to what I know I can do.
"My modus operandi is extensive preparation, and then when we're in the moment at a concert I don't have to think about my preparation," he says. "You can't improvise and think at the same time. I've tried it. I've tried to remember certain passages that I wanted to include, and it never works out because by the time I think of it the moment is gone."
Rollins has more than 70 recordings as a leader, a sizeable volume of work. However, the modest musician downplays the significance of his recorded legacy.
"I've been fortunate to outlive a lot of my contemporaries, and I had more opportunities for recording," says Rollins, who has taken a number of lengthy sabbaticals from recording and performing. "I guess it's a body of work, but it's certainly nothing I take pride in necessarily, because I feel there is more to be done.
"I've been recording since 1948, so it doesn't seem like that many albums."
At an age when many would slow down, Rollins has been accelerating his activities. Part of the reason for this was the 2004 of his wife of 40 years, Lucille.
"Since my wife is no longer here with me, I've sort of made a change in my life," Rollins says. "I asked my agent to get me more work, because I'm more lonely now. I'm working on my music, and as long as I'm healthy I want to try to compose and get some of this music out."
The sextet Rollins brings to the Orpheum Monday includes Clifton Anderson on trombone, Bobby Broom on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Kobie Watkins on drums and Victor Y. See Yuen on percussion.
Vancouver Jazz Fest: Sonny Rollins' life-long search for excellence
By Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
June 26, 2009
VANCOUVER - Saxophonist Sonny Rollins doesn't take the Orpheum stage until 8 p.m. Monday, but he's told the venue that he needs the dressing room by mid-afternoon.
That's because he wants to practise for three hours before he takes the stage. And, if things go the way they did when he appeared here two years ago, he'll practise for another hour after the concert.
At 78, the man many consider the greatest living tenor saxophonist still feels he has room to improve. There's a famous Youtube clip of trombonist Clifton Anderson, who is Rollins's nephew, talking about wanting to quit music because his best solo was eclipsed by what his uncle did on the horn.
Rollins told him that at his stage in life, he has to play at a high level because he never knows when it will be his last chance to perform.
When asked about this, the saxophonist says he's not familiar with the clip - Rollins belongs to the generation that doesn't sit at a computer - but that the advice sums up his philosophy about performing.
"I feel every moment in life is precious, because you never know if it's going to be your last moment on Earth," he says over the phone from his home, a 150-year-old farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley. "I just gave that advice to a young student of mine the other day. I told him, `You have to play your absolute utmost, your absolute best, because just think if that becomes the last time you play.'"
This philosophy also explains why Rollins, who really has nothing to prove to the world, practises so much.
"I guess if you have no real interest in what you do and you just work until you retire and you're glad to get away from your job, which may be the case for the majority of people, you'd want to stay away from the office as much as possible," says Rollins. "My case is quite different. Music is a life-long pursuit. I'm still at it and I'm still trying to learn it all, which I'm sure is impossible. I'm trying to get closer to what I know I can do.
"My modus operandi is extensive preparation, and then when we're in the moment at a concert I don't have to think about my preparation," he says. "You can't improvise and think at the same time. I've tried it. I've tried to remember certain passages that I wanted to include, and it never works out because by the time I think of it the moment is gone."
Rollins has more than 70 recordings as a leader, a sizeable volume of work. However, the modest musician downplays the significance of his recorded legacy.
"I've been fortunate to outlive a lot of my contemporaries, and I had more opportunities for recording," says Rollins, who has taken a number of lengthy sabbaticals from recording and performing. "I guess it's a body of work, but it's certainly nothing I take pride in necessarily, because I feel there is more to be done.
"I've been recording since 1948, so it doesn't seem like that many albums."
At an age when many would slow down, Rollins has been accelerating his activities. Part of the reason for this was the 2004 of his wife of 40 years, Lucille.
"Since my wife is no longer here with me, I've sort of made a change in my life," Rollins says. "I asked my agent to get me more work, because I'm more lonely now. I'm working on my music, and as long as I'm healthy I want to try to compose and get some of this music out."
The sextet Rollins brings to the Orpheum Monday includes Clifton Anderson on trombone, Bobby Broom on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Kobie Watkins on drums and Victor Y. See Yuen on percussion.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
We Want Miles : update
George Cole was present on the opening night and published a brief review as well as pictures from the expo. You can get a look on his website.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sonny Rollins Interview
Jazz St. Louis podcast features interview with Sonny Rollins :
Jazz St. Louis has just put online a new interview in their ongoing series of podcasts, one that featurs a conversation between legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins and JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford.
You can download the 24-minute podcast or listen to an online stream here.
Jazz St. Louis has just put online a new interview in their ongoing series of podcasts, one that featurs a conversation between legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins and JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford.
You can download the 24-minute podcast or listen to an online stream here.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bob Gordon - Jazz West Coast
This message appeared on the jazzwest-coast list recently :
"Bob Gordon has graciously consented to allow *JazzProfiles to publish on its
website the 11 chapters from his long, out-of-print work - **Jazz West
Coast: The **Los Angeles** Jazz Scene of the 1950’s *[London: Quartet Books
Ltd., 1986].
Since the original work did not include color photos or album covers, we
will take some time to research and add these in a judicial manner so as not
to detract from Bob's narrative.
The chapters will run intermittently and not consecutively to allow for
other features of interest to be posted in keeping with the ecumenical
spirit of the site concerning all-things-Jazz.
Each chapter will be developed as a Word Document with thumbnail inserts of
photos and album covers before being brought up on the site.
Since it is difficult to download text directly from JazzProfiles, once each
chapter is developed into a Word Document, it can be sent as an e-mail
attachment for those of you who wish to keep a manuscript copy of the text.
Send me an e-mail and I will reply with a copy of the chapter attached.
The copyright Gods permitting, we will also try to form each group of
graphics into a video with an audio track that is representative of each
chapter's theme so as to enhance the experience of reading of Bob's text.
I hope to have the first chapter up on the site by the end of October;
beginning of November.
Other than what I have outlined above, any suggestions or recommendations
about how best to approach this project are always welcome.
If you are a fan of West Coast Jazz and haven't had the opportunity to read
Bob's book, you're gonna love it.
Kind regards,
Steve"
So soon you have one more reason to check out the jazzprofiles blog. I do have the book already on the shelf for a long time but never read it, it might happen soon though.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
We Want Miles
Newspapers aswell as national public radio are quite present when it comes to the Miles Davis expo at la Cité de la Musique. Le Monde, Le Figaro and even La Croix have articles. What's remarkable is the fact that Libération, despite they are a privileged partner of the expo haven't published anything yet, or i must have missed it.
France musique broadcasted live from the Cité friday evening for the daily Magazine as well as the Open Jazz Program which i both captured and are available in MP3 format.
Enjoy!
France musique broadcasted live from the Cité friday evening for the daily Magazine as well as the Open Jazz Program which i both captured and are available in MP3 format.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Miles Davis lived here
From the LA TIMES :
This 1983 Buff and Hensman contemporary on the west end of Malibu was a beachfront hangout for the jazz legend.
By Dinah Eng
October 11, 2009
Ocean views and a bountiful flower and vegetable garden create a peaceful setting for this 1983 Buff and Hensman beachfront house at the west end of Malibu that once was home to jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis.
Conrad Buff III and Donald Hensman are credited with helping to define "ultra-cool" in contemporary-style homes during the 1950s and 1960s, with modern designs that embraced the Southern California lifestyle. They designed homes for many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka and Steve McQueen.
"Buff and Hensman did the initial design of this house in 1963, but it wasn't built until 1983," says Martha Lefkovits, an interior designer who owns the home with husband Norman, an avid fisherman. The pair wanted a house on the beach. "To me, this is the most pastoral place in the United States."
Houses in the neighborhood, west of Leo Carrillo State Beach, have direct access to the ocean.
The front door opens to a two-story skylighted and tiled entryway with a dramatic staircase along one wall. The entry leads to a living room and dining room with picture-window views of the ocean. The kitchen features a granite center island and opens to a walkway leading to a small greenhouse.
Behind the kitchen is a three-quarter bath with shower, an office with built-in bookshelves, a laundry room and a two-car garage.
Upstairs are a master bedroom with fireplace, a pair of walk-in closets with skylights, and French doors that open to a balcony with an ocean view. The master bathroom includes a spa tub and oversize shower.
A carpeted hallway leads to another bedroom with sliding-glass doors to a balcony. A shared bathroom connects to a third bedroom, also with an ocean view. Farther down the hallway, a fourth bedroom has its own bathroom. Completing the floor is a redwood-lined room, used as an art studio, that was originally a sauna.
A patio is near a garden filled with flowers, vegetables and herbs. A winding brick pathway leads down the hillside to a patio deck and beach cabana, outfitted with running water, refrigerator, camp stove and television. The path continues down to the waves.
This 1983 Buff and Hensman contemporary on the west end of Malibu was a beachfront hangout for the jazz legend.
By Dinah Eng
October 11, 2009
Ocean views and a bountiful flower and vegetable garden create a peaceful setting for this 1983 Buff and Hensman beachfront house at the west end of Malibu that once was home to jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis.
Conrad Buff III and Donald Hensman are credited with helping to define "ultra-cool" in contemporary-style homes during the 1950s and 1960s, with modern designs that embraced the Southern California lifestyle. They designed homes for many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka and Steve McQueen.
"Buff and Hensman did the initial design of this house in 1963, but it wasn't built until 1983," says Martha Lefkovits, an interior designer who owns the home with husband Norman, an avid fisherman. The pair wanted a house on the beach. "To me, this is the most pastoral place in the United States."
Houses in the neighborhood, west of Leo Carrillo State Beach, have direct access to the ocean.
The front door opens to a two-story skylighted and tiled entryway with a dramatic staircase along one wall. The entry leads to a living room and dining room with picture-window views of the ocean. The kitchen features a granite center island and opens to a walkway leading to a small greenhouse.
Behind the kitchen is a three-quarter bath with shower, an office with built-in bookshelves, a laundry room and a two-car garage.
Upstairs are a master bedroom with fireplace, a pair of walk-in closets with skylights, and French doors that open to a balcony with an ocean view. The master bathroom includes a spa tub and oversize shower.
A carpeted hallway leads to another bedroom with sliding-glass doors to a balcony. A shared bathroom connects to a third bedroom, also with an ocean view. Farther down the hallway, a fourth bedroom has its own bathroom. Completing the floor is a redwood-lined room, used as an art studio, that was originally a sauna.
A patio is near a garden filled with flowers, vegetables and herbs. A winding brick pathway leads down the hillside to a patio deck and beach cabana, outfitted with running water, refrigerator, camp stove and television. The path continues down to the waves.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
ROIO Of The Week : Keith Jarrett solo in Tokyo 1984
This week's Roio is recording of Keith Jarrett playing solo, it's taken from a Japanese 6-DVD set of which 4 DVD's now have been issued on ECM.
Enjoy, it's at moments as bein' in heaven...
Keith Jarrett solo
Kan-i Hoken Hall, Tokyo
January 25, 1984
sound : B (there's something with the piano's sound, don't know what, haven't seen the dvd)
01 Tokyo '84 #1
02 Tokyo '84 #2
03 Over The Rainbow (encore #1)
04 Tokyo '84 encore #2
TT 90 MIN
Enjoy, it's at moments as bein' in heaven...
Keith Jarrett solo
Kan-i Hoken Hall, Tokyo
January 25, 1984
sound : B (there's something with the piano's sound, don't know what, haven't seen the dvd)
01 Tokyo '84 #1
02 Tokyo '84 #2
03 Over The Rainbow (encore #1)
04 Tokyo '84 encore #2
TT 90 MIN
Saturday, October 10, 2009
DownBeat October 2009
I received this week the october issue of Down Beat. There's some great post in the 'chords and discords' section by a certain Jack Whitlinger living in Apollo, Penn.
He writes :
"Thi will be an unpopular statement in the jazz community, but i have always felt that Miles Davis was overrated as a trumpeter and jazz innovator. Davis never had the technical ability of a Dizzy Gillespie or Wynton Marsalis and he never invented any new type of jazz, as Gillespie and Charlie Parker did with bop. While many jazz critics have touted Davis's "Kind Of Blue" as the best record of all time, I think the recording is mostly a dirge. If a dozen or so of today's top jazz trumpet players had to be pitted against Davis in his prime, they would have blown him away."
You are a funny man mister Whitlinger but i think you still have a way to go concerning jazzstudies. Or otherwise come over to Paris from next week on and visit the "We want Miles" expo at la Cité de la Music.
He writes :
"Thi will be an unpopular statement in the jazz community, but i have always felt that Miles Davis was overrated as a trumpeter and jazz innovator. Davis never had the technical ability of a Dizzy Gillespie or Wynton Marsalis and he never invented any new type of jazz, as Gillespie and Charlie Parker did with bop. While many jazz critics have touted Davis's "Kind Of Blue" as the best record of all time, I think the recording is mostly a dirge. If a dozen or so of today's top jazz trumpet players had to be pitted against Davis in his prime, they would have blown him away."
You are a funny man mister Whitlinger but i think you still have a way to go concerning jazzstudies. Or otherwise come over to Paris from next week on and visit the "We want Miles" expo at la Cité de la Music.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Irving Penn R.I.P.
Mr. Penn took the famous pictures of Miles Davis which were used on the Tutu album. The NYT obituary can be found here.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue
In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue.
Though he was primarily regarded as a world-class Jazz musician and educator, Taylor had taken several trips to Jamaica to study reggae music with some of the best performers in the world. In his 1979 book, “A Space Between” Taylor wrote, “My first trip to Jamaica (May 1977) was the most eye-opening musical experience of my life. I met so many incredible players who had been brushed off by the snobby musical establishment at institutions such as the ones I was affiliated with. They showed more musicality, taste, and rhythmic comprehension than some of the most revered musicians in the states. I knew that I had to find a way to showcase their unparalleled talent in a different medium in order for some of my colleagues to fully understand and learn from it.” This statement served as the basic concept behind this album. Taylor took the most loved, well-known modern jazz album of all time and put it in the hands of reggae musicians. It was in this context that he felt his contemporaries would be able to fully understand what it was he saw in these players.
Unfortunately, weeks after directing the sessions Taylor passed away in his Paris hotel room while on a speaking tour of Europe. A final mix of the album was never made and it was never released. Collectors have long spoken of this album and in the late 80s lo-fi cassette tapes of rough mixes circulated. No official release was ever issued until now.
In early 2009, Secret Stash Records began working with the Taylor estate to finally release this album. After creating final mixes, dub versions of all the songs were also made by Secret Stash producers. Now for the first time ever, this highly sought-after album is available. This vinyl-only release is a must have for any record collector.
TRACK LIST:
SIDE A
01. So What
02. Freddie Freeloader
03. Blue In Green
04. All Blues
05. Flamenco Sketches
SIDE A
01. So What (Dub)
02. Freddie Freeloader (Dub)
03. Blue In Green (Dub)
04. All Blues (Dub)
05. Flamenco Sketches (Dub)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
ROIO of the week : Roberta Gambarini at Vienne 2009
This week's ROIO is a rather short one but nevertheless a blessing for your ears. Roberta Gambarini à Vienne joining the Roy Hargrove Big band. Hopefully the complete concert will be broadcasted later on.
For now enjoy this short appetise !
Roberta Gambarini & Roy Hargrove Big Band
Vienne, Théâtre Antique
02.07.2009
France Inter Live Broadcast
FM-)CASS-)HD-)FLAC
1. Everytime We Say Goodbye 6:02
2. Something Happens To Me 2:09
3. Interview 8:17
Friday, October 2, 2009
Keith Jarrett Interview
Timesonline published an interview with Keith Jarret, quite curious aboput the upcoming release... But for now the article here!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Quote by René Magritte
What do you think of this one ?
"Mon seul désir est de m'enrichir de nouvelles pensées exaltantes" -
"All that i desire is to be enriched by intensely exciting new thoughts".
René Magritte
"Mon seul désir est de m'enrichir de nouvelles pensées exaltantes" -
"All that i desire is to be enriched by intensely exciting new thoughts".
René Magritte
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Scott LaFaro
New Release From Legendary Jazz Bassist Scott LaFaro
Pieces of Jade is a collection of rare recordings from one of jazz's most revered bassists. The album includes five selections recorded in New York City during 1961 that showcase LaFaro with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca and a practice session with Bill Evans. Available now on CD and MP3 from Resonance Records.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Michael Connelly : The Last Coyote
Besides reading every year a novel by James Ellroy i also read annualy a Michael Connelly. I stick to the Harry Bosch series. A few weeks ago i ended 'The Last Coyote'. Sometimes Harry Bosch reminds me of the the main characters James Ellroy uses. Harry Bosch is sometimes as unusual and onorthodox as an LAPD cop as is for instance Dwight C. Holly in 'Blood's A Rover'. But then it might seem as Harry Bosch has an ethical code which lacks the Ellroy main characters? At first glance i would say yes, then with 'Blood's A Rover' in mind i might have to reconcile my vision (don't want to give too much away for those who still have to read Blood's A Rover.
Dennis Lehane wrote an article for Il Corriere della Sera on April 30, 2009 which now has been posted to Michael Connelly's site. It deals with the new Harry Bosch novel called 'Nine Dragons'. I don't care in particular for the Dennis Lehane novels, but if he writes about a true master it might be interesting.
Speaking of Ellroy, i haven't read much reviews yet of 'Blood's A Rover'; if you found some online reviews please send me a message.
Dennis Lehane wrote an article for Il Corriere della Sera on April 30, 2009 which now has been posted to Michael Connelly's site. It deals with the new Harry Bosch novel called 'Nine Dragons'. I don't care in particular for the Dennis Lehane novels, but if he writes about a true master it might be interesting.
Speaking of Ellroy, i haven't read much reviews yet of 'Blood's A Rover'; if you found some online reviews please send me a message.
Friday, September 25, 2009
ROIO OF THE WEEK : Dave Liebman - Sketches Of Spain
This weeks ROIO is a recording i made from a live radio broadcast from the Jazz in Marciac festival in 2006. It's Dave Liebman with the orchestra of Toulouse playing ' Sketches of Spain'. The concert was supposed to be aired in its totality later on but it never happened or i missed it. I don'tknow if this concert is already in circulation...
Anyway, enjoy !
DAVE LIEBMAN 'Sketches Of Spain'
with l'orchestre du Conservatoire National de Toulouse
Direction Jean-Charles Richard
09.08.2006
France Inter Live Broadcast
FM -) CDRW -) HD -) FLAC
01.Concierto d'Aranjuez (Adagio) 22:10
02.Will O' The Wisp 04:16
03.Saeta 15:14
04.Unknown 02:49
TT 44:29 M
Anyway, enjoy !
DAVE LIEBMAN 'Sketches Of Spain'with l'orchestre du Conservatoire National de Toulouse
Direction Jean-Charles Richard
09.08.2006
France Inter Live Broadcast
FM -) CDRW -) HD -) FLAC
01.Concierto d'Aranjuez (Adagio) 22:10
02.Will O' The Wisp 04:16
03.Saeta 15:14
04.Unknown 02:49
TT 44:29 M
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
John Coltrane on WKCR
WKCR in New York will present its annual John Coltrane Birthday Broadcast tomorrow Wednesday, September 23d. The station will broadcast the music of Coltrane for 24 hours.You can listen at it here. Hopefully something unissued will show up ;-)
So sit back and relax ...
So sit back and relax ...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Archie Shepp & Anthony Braxton
On September 17th Archie Shepp & Anthony Braxton were given an honorary doctorate by the University of Liège . After the academic audience a concert took place in the Salle Philharmonique de Liège where some of their compostions were played by multiple groups.
(source Jazzflits n° 124, year7)
(source Jazzflits n° 124, year7)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
ROIO of the week : Ahmad Jamal at Marciac 2007
The first in a series of concerts from Jazz in Marciac :the Ahmad Jamal trio in 2007.
Enjoy the music ! (links are in the comment section)
Ahmad Jamal
Jazz In Marciac
07.08.2007
Radio France Inter
Direct Broadcast
MP3 (320)
Enjoy the music ! (links are in the comment section)
Ahmad Jamal
Jazz In Marciac
07.08.2007
Radio France Inter
Direct Broadcast
MP3 (320)
The upload is the way how the concert was live broadcasted, it began during the encore's. Track 6 is the start of the concert (about two hours earlier) which was broadcasted after the encore's. Track 9 is an interview (in french) with the director of the festival while A.J. is somewhat audible in the far background,so you might want to skip this one...
Any help with the setlist is much appreciated...
1. Unknown (encore) 3:44
2. Unknown (encore) 3:56
3. Unknown (encore) 2:09
4. Unknown (encore) 4:59
5. Radio 1:07
begin of the concert :
6. Unknown 12:37
7. Radio 0:12
8. Unknown 2:14
9. interview 9:39
10.Unknown 1:59
11.Unknown 2:14
2. Unknown (encore) 3:56
3. Unknown (encore) 2:09
4. Unknown (encore) 4:59
5. Radio 1:07
begin of the concert :
6. Unknown 12:37
7. Radio 0:12
8. Unknown 2:14
9. interview 9:39
10.Unknown 1:59
11.Unknown 2:14
Ahmad Jamal p
James Cammack b
Idris Muhammad ds
James Cammack b
Idris Muhammad ds
Thursday, September 10, 2009
ROIO of the week : Rashied Ali, Gent 16.07.2007
Here's a belated tribute to the late Rashied Ali, a webcast recording of his concert in 2007 at the Blue Note Festival in Gent, Belgium.
Thanks Rashied Ali for the wonderfull music (if it was only for 'Interstellar Space' and those duo's with Sonny Fortune) you gave us.
Enjoy! (links are at its usual place)
Rashied Ali Quintet Company Of Heaven
16.07.2007, Blue Note Records festival, Gent
KLARA
WEBCAST
1 intro
2 A Thing For Joe (James Blood Ulmer)
3 intro
4 Untitled Original (Rashied Ali)
5 intro −) Take The Coltrane (Duke Ellington)
Rashied Ali ds
Jooris Teepe b
George Evans tp
Laurence Clark ts
Greg Murphy p
Thanks Rashied Ali for the wonderfull music (if it was only for 'Interstellar Space' and those duo's with Sonny Fortune) you gave us.
Enjoy! (links are at its usual place)
Rashied Ali Quintet Company Of Heaven
16.07.2007, Blue Note Records festival, Gent
KLARA
WEBCAST
1 intro
2 A Thing For Joe (James Blood Ulmer)
3 intro
4 Untitled Original (Rashied Ali)
5 intro −) Take The Coltrane (Duke Ellington)
Rashied Ali ds
Jooris Teepe b
George Evans tp
Laurence Clark ts
Greg Murphy p
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Jazzman-Jazzmagazine : Miles Davis 1981 -1991
The French jazzmonthly Jazzman-Jazzmagazine (who have unified their forces) published this month an article on the last Miles period 1981 -1991. I haven't read it yet, but that might be something for the coming weekend.
Ayway they had around the cover of my issue a publicity for the new box which will be issued shortly "The Complete Columbia Album Collection". Here's the publicity shot :
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Le Cas Ornette Coleman
Cette nuit, France Musique fera tout afin qu'on n'aille pas dormir. En effet c'est la nuit Ornette Coleman. Ca commençe à 23 heures avec deux heures de concerts qui ne sont disponibles que dans des cercles de collectionneurs: le concert à la "Salle De La Mutualité", Paris le 4 Novembre, 1965 ainsi que celui au studio 102 à l'ORTF le 15 février 1966 avec son trio (éditions bootleg sur Magnetic Records et Affinity) suivi par le concert en quartet donné le 2 novembre 1971 à la Maison des syndicats de Belgrade (édition bootleg sur Jazzdoor).
Et après à partir d'une heure les choses sérieuses commençent : pendant 6 heures des musiciens, écrivains, critiques etc. vont discuter sur Ornette Coleman, jusqu'à 7 heures quand on peut aller à la boulangerie se chercher quelques croissants ;-)
C'est super cette initiative mais comment il faut enregistrer tout cela? Par internet? La connection de France Musique n'est pas top. Se lever toutes les heures ? Se partager le travail? N'hésitez pas à me contacter.
En tout cas à ne pas rater!
Bonne écoute.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
ROIO of the week : Sonny Rollins Paris, 06.11.1974
Here's the second installment of the ROIO of the week. This time a concert Sonny Rollins gave 5 days after his Berlin concert. All i know is that it was recorded during a Paris show but i don't have an exact venue. The audio quality, depsite the fact it's a radio broadcast, is not great (especially the first track) but what the hell, the recording is 35 years old...
Links are at the usual place., enjoy!
Sonny Rollins Quintet
19741106 Paris
RB-) ? -) EAC -) HD -) FLAC
C
1. Don't stop the carnival 6:47
2. Alfie 11:00
3. To a wild rose 7:06
4. Swing low sweet charriot 12:22
TT 37 M
Sonny Rollins tenor sax
Ruftte Harley, soprano sax and bagpipes
Masuo , guitar
Gene Perla, bass
David Lee, drums
Links are at the usual place., enjoy!
Sonny Rollins Quintet
19741106 Paris
RB-) ? -) EAC -) HD -) FLAC
C
1. Don't stop the carnival 6:47
2. Alfie 11:00
3. To a wild rose 7:06
4. Swing low sweet charriot 12:22
TT 37 M
Sonny Rollins tenor sax
Ruftte Harley, soprano sax and bagpipes
Masuo , guitar
Gene Perla, bass
David Lee, drums
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Chris Connor R.I.P.
I received this message from the Jazzwestcoastlist this morning:
"LEGENDARY JAZZ SINGER CHRIS CONNOR DEAD AT 81
Legendary jazz vocalist Chris Connor, who first came to prominence with the orchestras of Claude Thornhill and Stan Kenton and went on to record dozens of successful albums and singles, died on Saturday evening, August 29 at the Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ following a long bout with cancer, according to her publicist Alan Eichler. She was 81. Among her many hits were "All About Ronnie," "Trust in Me" and "I Miss You So." Nearly her entire recorded legacy has been reissued on CD, including such classic albums as "The George Gershwin Almanac of Song," "Witchcraft" and "Lullaby of Birdland."
Chris Connor was among the most popular '50s vocalists, famous for altering rhythms on ballads, using little vibrato except on special occasions, and a husky, lush sound and she continued to record and perform successfully throughout the world for the next 50 years.
Born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, MO on Nov. 8, 1927, Connor studied clarinet for eight years as a child, then began singing in her late teens. She was the vocalist with a large band at the University of Missouri led by Bob Brookmeyer modeled after the Kenton band. After working with a group in Kansas City, Connor moved to New York in 1949. She sang with Claude Thornhill, Herbie Fields and Thornhill again in the early '50s, performing with Thornhill's vocal group the Snowflakes.
An admirer of Kenton singers Anita O'Day and June Christy, Connor recalled, "I had my sights set on singing with Kenton." While appearing with Jerry Wald's band, she got her wish, receiving a phone call to join Kenton in 1952, with whom she recorded her biggest hit, "All About Ronnie." Connor went solo in 1953 and signed with Bethlehem Records for two years. She then moved to Atlantic, and enjoyed worldwide success as one of their biggest album sellers, having two chart singles in the late '50s. They were the songs "Trust In Me" and the title cut from the album "I Miss You So." Connor switched to Roulette and ABC-Paramount and was highly praised for her 1966 appearance at the Austin Jazz Festival. Following a period of semi-retirement, Connor made a comeback in the mid-'70s, cutting albums with Kenton and Maynard Ferguson. She continued recording into the '80s, '90s, and 2000s for such labels as Progressive, Contemporary, High Note and Enja, and touring throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and top venues in Japan, where she was hugely popular. Her last appearance was at the Iridium jazz club in New York City in 2004 in a split engagement with her idol Anita O'Day.
She is survived by a nephew and her longtime companion and manager Lori Muscarelle. Services will be private. Further details at<http://www.chrisconnorjazz.com/>
Chris Connor won every conceivable critical and popular accolade in her half century reign as one of the most gifted and distinctive vocalists in jazz history. To the delight of fans and fellow musicians, her singing has never been more satisfying. Her warm, cello-like tones glow with new luster, and her interpretation of lyrics is more deeply felt than ever before. Connor's concert appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, an appearance at the Essence of Jazz Festival in Memphis, and her appearance as part of the star studded JVC tribute concert to Miss Peggy Lee, as well as jazz club engagements at such venues as Birdland and Iridium, have revealed an artist at the peak of her creative powers.
Born in 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, Connor studied clarinet, but her career direction was clear at an early age. "I always knew I wanted to be a singer," she said, "I never wanted to be anything else." After completing her schooling, she took a secretarial job while commuting on weekends to the University of Missouri to perform with a Stan Kenton-influenced college jazz band. An admirer of Kenton singers Anita O'Day and June Christy, Connor recalls, "I had my sights set on singing with Kenton."
Frustrated by the lack of vocal musical opportunities in her hometown, Connor pulled up stakes and headed east in 1949. She was hired by Claude Thornhill and spent the next five years touring with his orchestra. Then, while appearing with Jerry Wald's band, she received the phone call she had been dreaming of. June Christy, Stan Kenton's current vocalist, had heard Connor on a radio broadcast and recommended her to the orchestra leader, who chose her from dozens of other vocalists eager for the job. "My voice seemed to fit the band," Connor said, "with that low register like Anita's and June's."
Connor's ten-month stint with Kenton during 1952-53 won her national recognition. Her haunting recording of Joe Greene's ballad "All About Ronnie" announced the arrival of a fresh new artist. But the years of one-night stands, fast food and interminable bus rides soured Connor's enthusiasm for life on the road. "By that time, I'd endured about six years of one-nighters and I'd just about had it." To this day she values the musical training she received with Kenton, especially the skills relating to time, phrasing and "how to come in on exactly the right note while 18 or 20 musicians are playing their parts."
Determined to forge a career as a solo artist, Connor returned to New York and signed with Bethlehem Records in 1953. Her three albums for that independent label, featuring Ellis Larkins, Herbie Mann, Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, established her as a major jazz voice. In 1956, she began a six-year association with Atlantic Records that produced a string of chart-topping recordings arranged by Ralph Burns, Al Cohn, Jimmy Jones and Ralph Sharon, showcasing a host of jazz legends - John Lewis, Oscar Pettiford, Lucky Thompson, Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry, Oliver Nelson and, in a particularly memorable pairing, Maynard Ferguson's big band.
The rock youthquake of the late '60s and '70s derailed the careers of many jazz artists, but Connor persisted, performing in clubs, touring Japan and recording for a variety of labels. The early '80s resurgence of interest in jazz singing revitalized her career, leading to a brace of highly-acclaimed Contemporary CDs. In the '90s she began to record for the Japanese label Alfa. Connor recorded two CDs with jazz pianist Hank Jones and his trio, "Angel Eyes" and "As Time Goes By." She then recorded two additional CDs with her own quintet, "My Funny Valentine," arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett, and "Blue Moon," a collection of movie songs, arranged by Michael Abene.
The new Millennium brought the timeless singer into yet another recording agreement, signing with the New York based High Note Records in 2000. Her first release, "Haunted Heart," also arranged by Michael Abene, was released September 2001, and a second CD "I Walk With Music," was released in 2002, also with Michael Abene arranging and producing.
Chris then returned to another Japanese label and recorded "Lullaby Of Birdland" for King Record Co.Ltd, with pianist/arranger David Matthews. It was released in September 2003.
Of her current singing, Connor said, "I haven't changed my approach, although my voice has become deeper and softer, and I don't experiment as much. When you're young, you overplay as a musician and you over-sing as a singer because you're trying all these ideas, and I was throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. I've eliminated a lot of things I used to do. The simpler it is, the better it works for me." She remains, as critic Larry Kart proclaimed in the Chicago Tribune, "a dominating vocal presence whose music is full of hard-earned wisdom and truth."
ALAN EICHLER Publicity1010 Hillcroft Rd.Glendale, CA 91207818-507-8918aeichler@earthlink. net "
"LEGENDARY JAZZ SINGER CHRIS CONNOR DEAD AT 81
Legendary jazz vocalist Chris Connor, who first came to prominence with the orchestras of Claude Thornhill and Stan Kenton and went on to record dozens of successful albums and singles, died on Saturday evening, August 29 at the Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ following a long bout with cancer, according to her publicist Alan Eichler. She was 81. Among her many hits were "All About Ronnie," "Trust in Me" and "I Miss You So." Nearly her entire recorded legacy has been reissued on CD, including such classic albums as "The George Gershwin Almanac of Song," "Witchcraft" and "Lullaby of Birdland."
Chris Connor was among the most popular '50s vocalists, famous for altering rhythms on ballads, using little vibrato except on special occasions, and a husky, lush sound and she continued to record and perform successfully throughout the world for the next 50 years.
Born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, MO on Nov. 8, 1927, Connor studied clarinet for eight years as a child, then began singing in her late teens. She was the vocalist with a large band at the University of Missouri led by Bob Brookmeyer modeled after the Kenton band. After working with a group in Kansas City, Connor moved to New York in 1949. She sang with Claude Thornhill, Herbie Fields and Thornhill again in the early '50s, performing with Thornhill's vocal group the Snowflakes.
An admirer of Kenton singers Anita O'Day and June Christy, Connor recalled, "I had my sights set on singing with Kenton." While appearing with Jerry Wald's band, she got her wish, receiving a phone call to join Kenton in 1952, with whom she recorded her biggest hit, "All About Ronnie." Connor went solo in 1953 and signed with Bethlehem Records for two years. She then moved to Atlantic, and enjoyed worldwide success as one of their biggest album sellers, having two chart singles in the late '50s. They were the songs "Trust In Me" and the title cut from the album "I Miss You So." Connor switched to Roulette and ABC-Paramount and was highly praised for her 1966 appearance at the Austin Jazz Festival. Following a period of semi-retirement, Connor made a comeback in the mid-'70s, cutting albums with Kenton and Maynard Ferguson. She continued recording into the '80s, '90s, and 2000s for such labels as Progressive, Contemporary, High Note and Enja, and touring throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and top venues in Japan, where she was hugely popular. Her last appearance was at the Iridium jazz club in New York City in 2004 in a split engagement with her idol Anita O'Day.
She is survived by a nephew and her longtime companion and manager Lori Muscarelle. Services will be private. Further details at<http://www.chrisconnorjazz.com/>
Chris Connor won every conceivable critical and popular accolade in her half century reign as one of the most gifted and distinctive vocalists in jazz history. To the delight of fans and fellow musicians, her singing has never been more satisfying. Her warm, cello-like tones glow with new luster, and her interpretation of lyrics is more deeply felt than ever before. Connor's concert appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, an appearance at the Essence of Jazz Festival in Memphis, and her appearance as part of the star studded JVC tribute concert to Miss Peggy Lee, as well as jazz club engagements at such venues as Birdland and Iridium, have revealed an artist at the peak of her creative powers.
Born in 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, Connor studied clarinet, but her career direction was clear at an early age. "I always knew I wanted to be a singer," she said, "I never wanted to be anything else." After completing her schooling, she took a secretarial job while commuting on weekends to the University of Missouri to perform with a Stan Kenton-influenced college jazz band. An admirer of Kenton singers Anita O'Day and June Christy, Connor recalls, "I had my sights set on singing with Kenton."
Frustrated by the lack of vocal musical opportunities in her hometown, Connor pulled up stakes and headed east in 1949. She was hired by Claude Thornhill and spent the next five years touring with his orchestra. Then, while appearing with Jerry Wald's band, she received the phone call she had been dreaming of. June Christy, Stan Kenton's current vocalist, had heard Connor on a radio broadcast and recommended her to the orchestra leader, who chose her from dozens of other vocalists eager for the job. "My voice seemed to fit the band," Connor said, "with that low register like Anita's and June's."
Connor's ten-month stint with Kenton during 1952-53 won her national recognition. Her haunting recording of Joe Greene's ballad "All About Ronnie" announced the arrival of a fresh new artist. But the years of one-night stands, fast food and interminable bus rides soured Connor's enthusiasm for life on the road. "By that time, I'd endured about six years of one-nighters and I'd just about had it." To this day she values the musical training she received with Kenton, especially the skills relating to time, phrasing and "how to come in on exactly the right note while 18 or 20 musicians are playing their parts."
Determined to forge a career as a solo artist, Connor returned to New York and signed with Bethlehem Records in 1953. Her three albums for that independent label, featuring Ellis Larkins, Herbie Mann, Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, established her as a major jazz voice. In 1956, she began a six-year association with Atlantic Records that produced a string of chart-topping recordings arranged by Ralph Burns, Al Cohn, Jimmy Jones and Ralph Sharon, showcasing a host of jazz legends - John Lewis, Oscar Pettiford, Lucky Thompson, Phil Woods, Kenny Burrell, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry, Oliver Nelson and, in a particularly memorable pairing, Maynard Ferguson's big band.
The rock youthquake of the late '60s and '70s derailed the careers of many jazz artists, but Connor persisted, performing in clubs, touring Japan and recording for a variety of labels. The early '80s resurgence of interest in jazz singing revitalized her career, leading to a brace of highly-acclaimed Contemporary CDs. In the '90s she began to record for the Japanese label Alfa. Connor recorded two CDs with jazz pianist Hank Jones and his trio, "Angel Eyes" and "As Time Goes By." She then recorded two additional CDs with her own quintet, "My Funny Valentine," arranged by Richard Rodney Bennett, and "Blue Moon," a collection of movie songs, arranged by Michael Abene.
The new Millennium brought the timeless singer into yet another recording agreement, signing with the New York based High Note Records in 2000. Her first release, "Haunted Heart," also arranged by Michael Abene, was released September 2001, and a second CD "I Walk With Music," was released in 2002, also with Michael Abene arranging and producing.
Chris then returned to another Japanese label and recorded "Lullaby Of Birdland" for King Record Co.Ltd, with pianist/arranger David Matthews. It was released in September 2003.
Of her current singing, Connor said, "I haven't changed my approach, although my voice has become deeper and softer, and I don't experiment as much. When you're young, you overplay as a musician and you over-sing as a singer because you're trying all these ideas, and I was throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. I've eliminated a lot of things I used to do. The simpler it is, the better it works for me." She remains, as critic Larry Kart proclaimed in the Chicago Tribune, "a dominating vocal presence whose music is full of hard-earned wisdom and truth."
ALAN EICHLER Publicity1010 Hillcroft Rd.Glendale, CA 91207818-507-8918aeichler@earthlink. net "
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)