Weekend Music Jazz Roundup

 

I'd warned you all that another Jazz only weekend was going to come, and looking through the queue, it seemed about right for now. This list features mostly heavy hitters, or heavy hitter related. As steady followers are aware, my passion for jazz has really blossomed over the past two years and I love that there are always a few decently priced jazz records to be found in the local shops. If Jazz ain't your thing, I apologize. If it's potentially your thing, but you haven't explored it enough, I encourage you to. If it is your thing, than I'm happy to share with you my thoughts. Enjoy.

Jaki Byard - Jaki Byard with Strings: Released in '68, this albums sees the iconic pianist move headlong into the post-bop era. At times it's erratic, but there are two absolutely brilliant tracks, "Cat's Cradle Conference Rag" and "How High the Moon," both clocking in over ten minutes. Over the past few years, Jaki has become one of my favorites, I think because his music challenges you in a way that some other favorites of mine do not. Chet Baker is instantaneous, you get him. Jaki is not, you must study him. And that's what appeals to me about his music. 

Eric Dolphy - Eric Dolphy: This double album comp was released in 1968 and includes his first two albums, Outward Bound (1960) and Out There (1961). When I was in college, Dolphy was the first  jazz artists beyond Coltrane and Davis that I got into. There was something about his avant style that spoke to me. Whether it was his sax playing or flute or clarinet, he's always taking an exploration. Shockingly, I didn't have either of these first two albums, and was really excited to find a nice copy on Record Store Day, that was reasonably priced and on sale.  As one might expect, Out There is more complex and challenging, but not overly so. "Green Dolphin Street," "Glad to be Unhappy," "245" "Serene," "The Barron," and "Feathers" are all brilliant tracks.

George Benson - White Rabbit: Released in 1972, this is one of the early forays into the emerging jazz fusion scene. The jazz guitarist blends Latin sounds with guitar jazz that is more eerie than a lot of what would come later from big names in jazz fusion. He's always had a knack for reinterpreting pop songs into jazz pieces, The Other Side of Abbey Road is a great example. Here, he gives that treatment to "California Dreaming" with outstanding results. "El Mar" is another standout track with its cinematic leanings. A decent record for those who like more jazz to their fusion.

Art Pepper - Early Art: I've been on a west coast jazz kick for the past year, and Art Pepper was the genisus for that. I recently picked up this double LP compilation, released on Blue Note in '76. These recordings are from '56 - '57, when L.A. was still thriving, but changing rapidly. This is the height of the cool jazz that came out of there during that time. Not only is Art's saxophone in top form, but Ben Tucker and Joe Morello are as pretty dynamite. 

Cootie Williams - The Boys from Harlem: This Swedish compilation was released in the early 80s and features music recorded between '37-'39 under "Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters". There's not a ton of Cootie releases and was super excited to find this (and Volume 2) at an outdoor sale. Cootie was a trumpet player for Duke Ellington, and in the '30s and '40s, Ellington encouraged his band members to form what were called "The Ellington Small Groups." This is one of those outfits and is phenomenal swing jazz. Cootie is one of my favorite jazz musicians and this album is pure treat. 

Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band - Live: This '61 release on Verve was recorded a year earlier and features Gerry's attempt at creating a Big Band, long after the Big Band era was over. It was a bold move on his part, and one that yielded great results, if not overwhelming commercial success. Zoot Simms joins the band by the second disc, which is something that excites me.