JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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I have the suspicion that when bassist/composer Dave Holland was putting together his quintet, he was trying to achieve a format that would be possible to listen to passively while still being intellectually rigorous and allowing for exploration of new compositional and arranging concepts. In my opinion, he only half succeeds.
Holland’s […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Recorded on the 75th anniversary of the births of both John Coltrane and Miles Davis, this tour was obviously based on the model of Miles’ second great quintet, which Herbie Hancock was a part of.
This is not, however, a straight exercise in nostalgia like the VSOP Quintet of the late 70s. […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Usually, I’m not terribly impressed by jazz vocalists, and Lea Delaria isn’t even one, strictly speaking. She makes her living as a lesbian comic and cabaret star.
So why am I even writing about her CD Double Standards? Well, Double Standards consists of covers of modern pop songs, which actually doesn’t sound […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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This oddly named album isn’t a live date, but never mind. Cal Tjader’s Latin Concert is aptly named in at least one way. It’s Latin jazz, not jazz with a Latin lilt. The rhythms are authentic, as well they might be considering that Tjader is using Mongo Santamaria on congas and […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Let’s admit one thing right away — the finest single CD of solo Monk material is undoubtedly 1964’s Solo Monk, in which Thelonious Monk exhibits miraculous powers of concentration and taste. Every single cut is a gem.
For those who want more, there’s Monk Alone: The Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings: 1962-1968, […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Herbie Hancock has had one of the most fantastic careers in the history of jazz. In his 20’s, he was an integral part of Miles Davis’ 2nd great quintet. He supported countless classic Blue Note sessions. With recordings like Speak Like A Child and The Prisoner, he proved himself to be […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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On Strange Liberation, Dave Douglas tackles one of the toughest problems in modern music — how to make the best use of guitarist Bill Frisell. The answer: don’t give him a lot of room to improvise in, unless you’re talking about impressionistic fills.
For example, on the title cut, Frisell is allowed […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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There is a tendency to want to overpraise Archie Shepp’s Four For Trane (reissued on the GRP label), his first date as a leader. After all, you’ve got a photograph of John Coltrane on the cover, as if to give his seal of approval. Coltrane was Shepp’s bandleader at the time.
In […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Lift begins audaciously enough. The first minute of the date is an unaccompanied saxophone solo by Chris Potter in which he outlines the form of the tune he’s going to play, even while his improvisation flirts with polyphony.
To up the ante, Lift is a live date, recorded at the Village Vanguard […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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For long time fans of Tribal Tech, the title of this release is somewhat confusing. After all, Tribal Tech had been recording as a unit for several years already before this date was released, giving us such efforts as Dr. Hee and Spears.
But never mind. The format of the band behind […]