Cary Kilner's Pick's: Volume 3
By Cary Kilner

You've read here in the Notes about alternative ways to enjoy jazz without our live venues. We've suggested internet radio and streaming services. Cary Kilner reminds us of a great source that's free to any Comcast/Xfinity customer (and probably those of other cable providers as well). Cary describes it well:

When I take a break from practicing piano, I listen to MC Music Choice from my Comcast/Xfinity cable provider. It has music without commercials, 24/7, so I plugged it through my stereo system and the sound quality is excellent. It has a huge selection of musical genres, but the one that I listen to most of the time is 545 MC Jazz. The straight jazz channel plays outstanding recent recordings with new artists, as well as some of the classics from the bebop and Blue Note periods. It includes all kinds of jazz groups and sub-genres going back from the late 40’s up to present. As each tune plays, the TV displays information on the artist and the performance, the name of the tune, and the name and date of the CD where it is found. You can then go to YouTube Music and find almost any performance MC plays.

Cary's Picks of the Week:

Bill O’Connell, Wind Off the Hudson

Here is another excellent pianist with his Afro Caribbean Ensemble and lots of percussion (remembering Chick’s Spanish Heart Band from last week). Bill is burning here as is the whole ensemble. Usually I prefer acoustic bass with acoustic piano, but this aggressive music fares well with the punch of electric bass.

Phineas Newborn, Jr., Oleo

Unbelievable technique, he is ranked high by pianists everywhere. I wore out this album, A World of Piano, as a kid but still have the LP. Notice how flawlessly he plays this monstrous tempo, and his signature solo lines with two hands in unison.

Chick Corea, Pannonica

This displays Chick’s beautiful delicate touch with this outstanding trio that set a new standard almost as profound as did Bill Evans with his. This cut was not on the original Now He Sings, Now He Sobs album. It was recorded exceptionally well on Solid State with superb sound quality. The LP has no liner notes on it, and at the time my friends and I were all in mystery as to who the rhythm section was, it was Miroslav Vitous (bass) and Roy Haynes (drums). Miroslav interacts with the trio almost as another soloing instrument. I believe he, along with Eddie Gomez, are successors to Bill Evans’s exceptional bass player, Scott LaFaro, from back in the Waltz for Debbie days. Miroslav went on to play fusion music with Weather Report. Roy Haynes is still killing it at 90+ years old, playing with Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock among others. Notice how he bounces along, creating his signature feeling.