Cary Kilner
|
Cary Kilner's Picks: Volume 49
Bill Charlap Trio – Rocker This is another nice mainstream trio performance by a favorite of mine. Notice how he handles this fast tempo with such agility that you get no feeling of rushing, as sometimes accompanies these fast tempi. Then there is his interesting stop-time section at 2:35. I saw him play beautiful solo a few years back at UNH in the Trad-Jazz series. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=PBqSsWyGlwM&feature=share Brad Mehldau Trio – For All We Know This is a more modern version of a classic ballad. Executed in a similar manner to Keith Jarrett’s series of Standards trio albums. With his prodigious technique, see how he reworks and milks this very slow tempo. Then there is his exquisite solo section after the rhythm section drops out. https://youtu.be/34rP-MbO6Go Bobby Broom – Bemsha Swing This is a very sweet example of trio on a Monk tune with great economy and no hurry. No quartets, no tenor or organ playing, just drums and bass with guitar. I had envisioned writing a column on jazz guitar trios along the lines of my previous study of piano trios. If you find any interesting links like this, please email them to me. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=7UhbUCTNvis&feature=share Dave Stryker – I Got Rhythm Here is another good example of the economy that ensues with such a guitar trio, playing this classic bebop tune. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=dMnMRsRNoJo&feature=share Pat Metheny – Lonely Woman The modern master on an introspective trio performance, seen here live. Again, we hear the value of economy, often missing in jazz. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WkTnzg4VmWg&feature=share Eddie Daniels – Depois dos Temporais I may have provided this before, but it is so beautiful it is worthy of another posting. And this link is from the studio so you can see it performed. It has beautiful string writing by Dave Grusin; you can see him conducting briefly at 4:00 in the video. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=qANNX8mDNcA&feature=share (Added comment from Cary: The recording above brings back personal memories of when I met Dave Grusin and his brother, Don, in Aspen in the early '70s, first at an after-ski gig where they played piano and electric bass, then later at night at another club where they had switched roles! It inspired me to learn to play the electric bass back in Boston. I was playing keyboards in a show-band in Kenmore Square and took informal instruction from the electric bass player. After this gig I spent a year playing electric bass with the Al Vega Trio. He loved me because I knew any tune he might call, and I could play piano behind him when he played his vibes. Al grew up in Chelsea and knew Chick Corea and his parents. A few years ago, I went down to see the town of Chelsea dedicate their renamed street, Chick Corea Way, and Al and Chick were there. Afterward, Chick played some informal piano at a nearby church on a great piano.) Joshua Redman with Mehldau, McBride and Blade – Disco Ears and Stop This Train This is the pinnacle of modern jazz, IMHO. Christian McBride and Brian Blade for me represent a contemporary version of Mile’s Ron Carter/Tony Williams rhythm section. And they so ably support Brad as he plays such interesting piano behind Joshua on his solo. No bass on the second cut – go figure – but it sure works. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XOWWMyFDD-Y&feature=share https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fjuv8Hv4p1Q&feature=share Roy Hargrove – Strasbourg/St. Denis Another great example of the best in modern jazz. Unfortunately we lost Roy in 2018. I gave you a previous link where he played piano with one hand and trumpet with the other, then soloed separately on both instruments. This link was a working quintet from 2008 where he plays only trumpet with Gerald Clayton playing great piano https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XM83V4BD1Bw&feature=share Willis Conover Jazz Hour I heard a piece about Willis Conover and the Voice of America Jazz Hour on NPR. (From Wikipedia: "The Voice of America Jazz Hour was broadcast on Voice of America beginning on January 6, 1955, and through 2003; it was then folded into Voice of America Music Mix's program Jazz America. It began broadcasting in 1955, hosted by Willis Conover. It began broadcasting in 1955 over the initial objections of Congress. The theme song of the program was "Take the A Train". At its height, the Voice of America Jazz Hour was listened to by up to 30 million people. If you would like to learn more about it, click on the links below. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America_Jazz_Hour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Conover Let’s end this month with this exquisite duo performance... Roger Kellaway and Eddie Daniels – Duke in Ojai They are a perfect fit for each other, Roger playing full piano and Eddie playing his gorgeous and modern clarinet sound. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kz3WNKYYkgM&feature=share |
