Attainment / Bannar, 1987

The story goes like this:

Charles Brackeen began to record jazz in 1968, went on to play with a who's who of jazz: Don Cherry, Frank Lowe, Carlos Ward, Dewey Redman, Leroy Jenkins, Paul Motian and Leo Smith throughout the 1970's and the early 1980's. Then he fell off the music map.

Then in the second half of the 1980's, trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez coaxed Brackeen to play on his album, Namesake. Brackeen began a recording contract with the Silkheart Records label and that's where we draw today's offering from.

These are manditory recordings! You must hear both of them!

Enjoy!

Trip To Moscow, 1988

Valery Ponomarev held the trumpet seat in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for four years from 1977 through 1980 (which gives you some kind of an idea about his playing style - long live hard bop!). He has a full, rich tone that brings to mind the greats - Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard. He's accompanied on this recording by Ralph Moore on tenor (someone who has appeared here before), Larry Willis on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass and Victor Jones on drums. Collectively they're called Universal Language. All but one of the compositions are Ponomarev originals. The recording was engineered by none other than Rudy Van Gelder. Give it a listen. It cooks.

Enjoy!

Fairytales, 1986

I'm not accustomed to offering up vocal recordings but this one is special.

More than 20 years ago a buddy of mine and I made a pilgrimage to the Cadence Barn in Redwood, NY. We had to call ahead to get authorization and directions. They allowed us to come after checking that we were subscribers. A small price to pay for what we were to encounter. But I digress...

One of the recordings they recommended to us was Radka Toneff and Steve Dobrogosz's Fairytales and naturally I took up their decision. This is a wonderful no frills recording that is stripped down to one voice and one piano. I first heard Steve Dobrogosz on Arild Andersen's Lifelines album and, frankly, in my opinion, stole the show.

This album is especially poignant when you consider the fact that Radka Toneff committed suicide. You can hear the vulnerability in her voice. Give it a listen. I think it favourably compares to the Tony Bennett / Bill Evans record.

St. Louis Blues, 2001



Aki Takase first came to my attention with her Shima Shoka album - a solo piano recording that flirted with every sub-genre of jazz. I went out of my way to search out her music. I found this one and have enjoyed it repeatedly. She has a very interesting supporting cast: regular collaborator Rudy Mahall as well as Nils Wogram, Fred Frith and Paul Lovens. The tunes are split between originals by Takase, Mahall and Wogram, Harry Warren's "Lulu" and seven W.C. Handy compositions, including "St. Louis Blues". As a listener, you are kept on your toes from piece to piece. But one expects no less from Aki Takase.

Enjoy! 

Reflexionen Live, 1986

This is a wonderful recording from an international quartet - American Don Friedman, German Urs Leimgruber, Swiss (I think) Bobby Burri and French (I think) Joel Allouche. It's the hornplayer's spotlight but everyone contributes. Great stuff!

Enjoy!

Luminous Cycles, 2000



Here's another sweet recording - this time including Chris Speed with another "dream team". I've seen someone somewhere (I think over at Uri's joint) asking for more James Emery / Marty Ehrlich collaboration. Here you go...

This recording was released on the Between The Lines record label out of Germany. It's an interesting label and a virtual slam dunk for anyone looking for interesting and challenging improvised music regardless of whether one has heard of the musicians. I've never heard a boring album from this label and you'll hear more from this label here in the future.

James Emery is best known as the co-leader of the String Trio of New York with John Lindberg.

Enjoy!

A Momentary Lapse, 2003



This great album is on the Innova record label. Is this a "dream team" or what? Listen to it.

Enjoy!

Taking Off!, 1990



OK, I'll make this short and sweet...

Greg Marvin first came to my attention through a profile of him in Cadence Magazine 20-some years ago. I bought his two Hi-Hat releases on vinyl and enjoyed them immensely. I lost track of him until I came across this recording on the Timeless label. The lineup is top shelf and the music is wonderful and dynamic.

He studied with Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh but that tells only part of the story. Give this album a listen, or two, or three...

Enjoy!

Bee, 1991

Curlew was a "downtown" NYC band (I say "was" because they have not produced any new recordings in years) led by saxophonist George Cartwright. The band plays tight, concise pieces that display a lot of humour. Along with Cartwright on this record (one of their best, in my humble opinion) is the notable (and now deceased) Tom Cora on cello. All the material was recorded live in concert and possess a kick ass quality that has been their hallmark from the git go.

Enjoy!

A Tribute To Eric Dolphy, 1996

When I bought this CD I'd never heard of Joe Rosenberg or his band Affinity. I'd heard of their special guest on this album - Buddy Collette - a horn player who likely never received the recognition he deserved because he lives on the west coast. I'd heard of the subject of their tribute - Eric Dolphy. And I heard of most of the compositions on the disc. I had no idea the recording would be so good but, in retrospect, my reservations were completely unfounded.

I've found the Music & Arts label can be a hit or miss proposition. This one is definitely a hit. It's recorded live in Berkeley, California on March 25, 1995 (tracks 1,2,3 & 6) and March 24, 1995 (4 &5).

I've tried to find their tribute to Ornette Coleman (with special guest Dewey Redman) but to no avail so you'll have to settle for this gem.

Enjoy!

Quintet For a Day, 1999



WHAT WE LIVE is a West Coast based trio that has recorded several recordings. It is made up of the trio of Lisle Ellis (bass), Larry Ochs (the "O" in ROVA) and Donald Robinson. All three were members of the late Glenn Spearman's Double Trio. They have built their sound around group improvisation that demands upon constant attention to the other members of the ensemble in order to determine each player's contribution to the whole. They will often invite other improvising musicians to participate (among the past invitees have been William Winant, Paul Plimley, India Cooke). In this case, trumpeters Wadada Leo Smith (right channel) and Dave Douglas (left channel) round out the group on this recording.

The music on this recording is entirely improvised but it isn't "ball to the walls" cacophony (not that there's anything wrong with that). The five players weave in and out of the pieces contributing to the direction of each work whenever they see fit to join in. Ellis is really the only musician to play through the entirety of each piece.

Enjoy!  

[Now I Know Who Shot J.F.K.], 2008



Das Hammerklavier Trio is a relatively new piano trio. I'm guessing not many of us have ever heard of them. From what I can surmise, this is their only recording to date. I love the way the three of them play together as a unit, each taking their turn in the spotlight. Their sound is decidedly "European" (maybe it's the classical influence) but it isn't cold or subdued. This recording grooves along...

The liner notes tell the story - who they've played with, etc. It's a pretty impressive resume they have. Give it a listen.

Enjoy!

Windward Passages, 1994



When assessing the quality of a musician I group that musician with others I feel possess the same philosophy of playing. There are the "shredders" who play a million notes a bar (for example, Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson). And, while I recognize their mastery over the instrument, this balls-to-the-walls attitude can become a tad tedious (in my humble opinion).

STORY: My brother and I attended an Oscar Peterson concert 15 years ago or so. He's not huge jazz fan but enjoys the sound of the piano. We had great seats - close enought to the front and to the side that we could see his hands fly over the keyboard. Peterson came out, introduced the rest of his trio (I remember the bass player was Dave Young but I can't remember who the drummer was) and broke into a 7 or 8 minute medley of jazz standards. When the medley ended the hall errupted into huge applause. My brother leaned over to me and said, "We can go now. There's nothing left for him to do." I agreed with him. We left.

All this is a round about way to say, the group of musicans (in this case pianists) for which I hold the highest esteem are the ones "who can play anything". In that group I put Jaki Byard, Mary Lou Williams and Dave Burrell (among others). This recording makes a case for my claim regarding Dave Burrell. Windward Passages is a live performance recorded in Switzerland on September 13, 1979 but not released (to my knowledge) until 1994 by hat ART.

This is amazing music! I promise you won't leave after the first piece.

Enjoy!

Real Tchicai, 1977



Danish horn player John Tchicai has been a favourite of mine for years, no, decades. He started as a fire breathing free jazz proponent as part of Archie Shepp and the New York Contemporary Five, New York Art Quartet and New York Eye & Ear Control but he came to my attention when I first Pierre Dorge's New Jungle Orchestra. Then I started to track down Tchicai's work with smaller ensembles. This is one of them - three Danes in the studio in 1977.

John Tchicai, for decades, has been straddling free jazz, world music, and modern classical and music that doesn't even had a name. Let's just call if all "great music". I may try and eventually get his trio recording (with guitarist Garrison Fewell and horn player Charlie Kohlhase) - Good Night Songs (on the Boxholder label)...

Enjoy!

They Have a Word For Everything, 1999



Let me begin by saying I think the cover of this recording might make the final round in a "Most Boring Record Cover" contest. I almost didn't pick it up when I was shuffling through the bins at my favourite record store. But my eye caught the names Dave Douglas, Andy Laster (a wonderful horn player) and Kermit Driscoll (the original bassist for Bill Frisell's early quartet). And it was on the Knitting Factory Label. Naturally, I picked it up.

Get past the cover and listen to the music.

Enjoy!

From No Time To Rag Time, 1993



The Vienna Art Orchestra is an ensemble that has never failed to thrill and surprise me and that's saying a lot in the genre of jazz and improvised music. The VAO is that perfect combination of a band large enough to express overwhelming power but possessing the personality of a small combo. Mathias Ruegg and company alternate between and incorporate avant garde and free jazz elements with mainstream and bebop vocabulary and expressions. Many of their recordings are live performances because, naturally, it must be a logistic nightmare to get a dozen musicians into a studio to rehearse and record as well as tour.

I was lucky enough to encounter the VAO in all their glory at the Montreal Jazz Festival about fifteen years ago and was suitably blown away by their power, their subtlety, their wicked sense of humour and, ultimately, their extremely high level of musicianship.

This is not to be missed. Trust me.

Enjoy!

Night Fire, 1981

I was lucky enough to enjoy John Carter's Octet live when they were on tour for Castles of Ghana. It was at the Spectrum in Montreal during the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Sadly, both John Carter and the Spectrum are no more.

The five releases in the "Roots and Folklore: Episodes In The Development of American Folk Music" (his final recordings) led me to search out his earlier work on Black Saint, Emenem and Moers Music, etc. This is one of those recordings. I love to hear Carter musically interact with Bobby Bradford. They are such a contrast in styles and musical conceptions yet they complimant each other so beautifully.

John Carter was under recorded and consequently never achieved the recognition he deserved. He influenced many improvising musicians (he's been the subject of at least two tribute recordings that I know of - one by Ab Baars (check out my archive) and one by Francois Houle - both of which I recommend wholeheartedly).

Enjoy!

Lee's Keys Please, 1989



I went on a binge of ordering CDs from the Dutch Timeless Records in the early 1990's. I knew nothing of this band but I knew that Cadence magazine was the best periodical available on creative improvised music. So, naturally, I extrapolated and I wasn't let down at all. Though these musicians may not be household names (if you live in a house of jazz), the music they created is superlative.

The ensemble was simply described by Michael G. Nastos this way:
A one-shot sextet asembled by Cadence Magazine's Bob Rusch. Featured Ernie Krivda (ts), Glenn Wilson (bar sax), Rory Stuart (g), plus rhythm section. They played thoroughly modern, hard-driving jazz with guts and passion.

This, their only recording together, was simply described by Michael G. Nastos this way:
Sextet with Ernie Krivda (sax), Rory Stuart (g), Glenn Wilson (bar sax), and Jon Hazilla (d). Excellent. A great group.

Check out this music. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Round Trip, 1987



Someone commented in a previous post how much they enjoy Ralph Moore so I decided to offer up one of his early recordings as a leader. I bought it especially because of his interpretation of Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom" (one of my very favourite jazz compositions). Reservoir Records, out of Kingston, NY, has released a wonderful catalog of recordings and this is surely one. It was digitally recorded on December 21, 1985 by none other than the master himself - Rudy Van Gelder. Needless to say this is fine music well recorded.

Enjoy!

Plays Charles Mingus, 1980



Dannie Richmond was Charles Mingus' longest-running band member. He was probably Mingus' best friend and owed a lot to Mingus. In Brian Priestley's biography, Mingus, Dannie Richmond is quoted as saying: "Some people said that Charles taught me how to play, which in a sense is true...I, for example, did not know anything really about dynamics. My playing then was very flashy, and I wanted to be very fast. You know, a young boy showing off. It was only after Charles saw this that he was able to say, 'No, at this point you have to whisper, and there have to be other points where there's planned chaos!' There were many other lessons, of course, that I learned. Not only from the musical standpoint but about living, and doing certain things certain ways. and, of course, he would also make a point to drop some of his philosophical things on me."

This is a wonderful tribute to one of the major figures in the history of Jazz.

Enjoy!