for your listening pleasure, i present to you 5 jazz records:
Extended Play / Live at Birdland
Dave Holland
dave holland's group is probably one of the best modern jazz groups playing today. this live double cd is fucking amazing. everything about this record is superlative. the playing, compositions, soloing, and interplay are some of the finest to be heard. just buy it, and take heart in the fact that your getting one of the greatest live records to be released in the last ten years or so.
Gone, Just Like a Train
Bill Frisell
this was one of frisell's earlier post trio releases. it is also one of his greatest records (in a discography that is full of a shitload of great records.) some people find it really difficult to categorize frisell's music, but with someone like frisell, musical genres become completely meaningless. it's just awesome shit, and this disc has some of the best on it.
Still Live
Keith Jarrett
the piano trio format (piano, bass, drums) is one of jazz music's oldest and most venerable formats. here is one of the greatest piano trios ever, captured live on one of their best nights. if you think you know anything about jazz, and don't know who these guys are, you need to be shot, or have your ears ripped off for being so insolent (or maybe just a really good brow-beating will do). if you think your a pianist, bass player or drummer, listen to this and realize you should just give up.
Hyperion With Higgins
Charles Lloyd
in the late 60's charles become on of the tenor saxophone players. after some personal debacles, he went into forced retirement and obscurity. at somepoint decades later, he came out of retirement and started recording some really amazing, beautiful (almost chamber-like) music for the famous ECM label. this is one of his greatests discs from that period. it is also one of the few discs ever to capture the same intense emotional and spiritual mood that made coltrane what he was.
Anthem
Ralph Towner
unlike the albums above, this one is just solo guitar music. many guitarists have no fucking clue who ralph towner is, and all that shows is that they are completely ignorant to one of the most influential guitarists of the last 3 decades (and good music in general). neither flashy, immature, or tone-deaf, ralph plays some of the must sonically crystalline, pure, and beautiful music ever to come out of a guitar. most solo guitar music is either just intellectually insulting, just plain masterbatory wanking, or completely devoid of any emotional and spiritual depth. fortunately for us, their are players like ralph towner.
great list. if you dig be-bop guitar, you might also want to check out the tribute "we remember tal": http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001T39O/qid%3D1090241662/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-0945579-0641629. cheers.
Posted by: oz | July 19, 2004 at 09:01 AM
it's nice to see their are other developers out there with some decent taste
Posted by: causticPhil | July 19, 2004 at 09:30 AM
You mean like "Diana Kroll"?
Posted by: | July 26, 2004 at 01:22 PM
ah...no, not exactly...
Posted by: causticPhil | July 26, 2004 at 09:25 PM
Let's not forget the master himself, Joe Pass. Just pick a record and enjoy.
Posted by: dani | July 30, 2004 at 06:16 AM
dani: definitely. and of course, there is also jim hall. although, right now i'm into really early john mclaughlin (the miles, early mahavishnu years)
Posted by: causticPhil | July 30, 2004 at 09:14 AM
Y'all should listen to Grover Washington. His jazz rocks hard.
Posted by: | August 23, 2004 at 07:20 PM