Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 41
Miles Davis – "Oleo" with his first great quintet This is called “hard-bop” because of its aggressive nature. Miles was trying to get out of his Prestige recording contract and move to Columbia, so he brought the quintet to three massive recording sessions at Prestige and completed his obligation, resulting in four well-known albums, Cookin’, Relaxin’, Workin’, and Steamin’. I have listened to "Oleo" for years but, as is true for all good jazz, I listened again and discovered another level of depth. This tune cooks! It is super-clean and tight! The format is strictly controlled, leaving lots of room for each soloist. Playing with Miles are Philly-Joe Jones and Paul Chambers, and the two work together hand-in-glove. And Red Garland knocks my socks off with his one-handed solo, playing like a horn. John Coltrane just kills it as does Miles, and Red drops out to let each begin their unaccompanied solos. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubn4zrfLmoM&feature=share Bill Evans Trio, live with Mark Johnson and Joe LaBarbera – "Waltz for Debbie" Bill Evans is one of my main influences for his sweet gentle touch, rich harmonies, and swinging trios. This is from an 8-hour boxed set with his last trio. The boxed set was recorded live during his last gig over several nights. On "Waltz for Debbie" hear how he plays a solo presentation of the head for 1:20 before modulating to another key and the rhythm section comes in – absolutely beautiful! Here is a link to "Waltz for Debbie": https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=K-q2oDAx3pc&list=RDAMVMK-q2oDAx3pc Here is a link to the whole boxed set, 8 hours. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XL8Kw-74DKA&list=RDAMVMXL8Kw-74DKA Here is a link to the Bill Evans Trio live with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian in 1961 playing "Waltz for Debbie" Here is an earlier version of Evans playing "Waltz for Debbie". Listen to this earlier version a couple of times, back-to-back with the later one above, to hear the comparison more clearly. Note especially the early contrapuntal part where the bass walks down while Bill plays various related intervals of the chords before the drums come in. You can hear why Bill loved Scott’s playing so much and was so crushed when Scott died in an auto accident, ending that first monumental trio. Paul Motian went on to drum with Keith Jarrett's first trio from 1967 to 1972, when Evans then hired Jack DeJohnette. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=PQmZctWwsCE&list=RDAMVMPQmZctWwsCE Bill Evans Trio live with Mark Johnson and Philly-Joe in 1978 – "Live in Italy" – several tunes with video I have read and heard it said that Philly-Joe was Bill’s favorite drummer, even though Bill had used several younger and more modern drummers previously. This trio certainly coalesces very well. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=EQLiFacjsj8&list=RDAMVMEQLiFacjsj8 Keith Jarrett – "Everything I Love" Here is Jarrett's first trio after he left the Charles Lloyd Quartet, with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. Charlie Haden would have fit well with Bill Evans, but I don’t think the two ever performed together. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=DsZow4xQPdw&list=RDAMVMDsZow4xQPdw Here is a fascinating history of the interweaving of Evans' and Jarrett's trios. https://musicaficionado.blog/2020/05/28/keith-jarretts-trio-1967-1972/ Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – "Algo Bueno" This tune is either a modification of the jazz tune, "Well, You Needn’t", or it’s its own tune – I can’t tell. This is classic Latin Jazz and kicks butt, similar to a few others like the Caribbean Jazz Project's "Birds of a Feather" led by Dave Samuels and the Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band, "San Francisco PM". both aggressive performances. Unlike the John Fedchock Bb playing "Havana", a more mellow piece. What makes this genre work are: prominent trombone, steel drums, Latin percussion (congas and timbales), punchy electric bass (not acoustic – too mellow), emphsizing the “and-of-beat-four” as an anticipatory rhythmic effect, and the piano playing a guajeo, which is a repeated rhythmic-harmonic pattern played along with the bass. This whole Latin rhythm is called “playing on the clave," for the two wooden blocks that are clicked together as a leading part of the rhythm. Often the band sound includes flute or even piccolo to create a full frequency of sound. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3q5WUqzyU14&list=RDAMVM3q5WUqzyU14 Danilo Perez – "Prelude to a Kiss" I’ve been wanting to bring you this very modern pianist from Wayne Shorter’s Quartet. It’s a great live trio set with our favorite elder drummer, Roy Haynes and the consummate John Patitucci on bass. https://youtu.be/WkLC0f0Fc6Y Frank Gambale – "Margritte" and "Love Set Me Free" Let’s end this month with some great jazz-fusion/funk. These are gorgeous productions with synthesizer layers and aggressive drums – more punchy than smooth jazz and with lots of complexity to provide interest. We have one from 1997 and another from 2012 with a wonderful vocalist whom I did not know. I’ve been wanting to present more of these kind of guitarists like Allan Holdsworth, Steve Khan, and Larry Carlton and Chuck Loeb who I’ve presented before. As usual, play these LOUD through a good system for maximum effect. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=K8h3aGqKF94&feature=share You might want to explore more of this interesting album. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=9lFe7Mz5NS0&feature=share |