JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Power To The People is one of those releases that tend to fall through the cracks. Like much of Joe Henderson’s solo work, it is not overtly innovative, but instead works through already established forms. It also lacks the simplicity and clarity that would endear it to the small jazz […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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The original Head On recording was one of those third-stream efforts that were intermittently attempted throughout the sixties and early seventies by the likes of Joe Zawinul and Miles Davis. The composer Bobby Hutcherson is working with here is the classically trained pianist Todd Cochran, who joins vibist Hutcherson, along with […]

JAZZBONOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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It’s funny that no matter what band Charles Mingus happens to be fielding, matter what the year, the music has a similar feel. A large part of that of course is that the tunes and arrangements are written by Mingus, and the rhythm section of Mingus’ muscular bass and Dannie Richmond’s shape-shifting […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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If there was ever an appropriate title for a CD, it’s Bob Moses’ When Elephants Dream Of Music. The music is often spacey, and yet it has a solid bottom end and an abundance of horns, all which serves to remind us of our ponderous friends in the animal kingdom. Composer/arranger […]

CLASSICS I HATE
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I hate to say this, but Mingus At Antibes is only for Mingus fanatics who really, really like Better Get Hit In Your Soul.
In a way, it’s hard to blame Mingus. In 1960, he had just invented the combination of gospel shouting and free jazz, set to a driving 6/8 beat. It’s […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Infinite Search (AKA Mountain In The Clouds) may not be one of the most influential fusion albums ever made, but it is one of the best.
It says something about the strength of Vitous’ vision that his is the dominant voice in a band that consists of guitarist […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Usually, I’m usually not too fond of records in which Keith Jarrett insists on playing instruments other than his main axe. Really, the only instrument which he has really mastered is the piano.
Death And The Flower (on the Impulse label) is the exception. It is disciplined in the same way […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Those people who like one aspect of Keith Jarrett’s style, such as his gospel playing, are out of luck on Survivor’s Suite. With Survivor’s Suite, you get a survey of all of Jarrett’s interests, from spiritual impressionism to free jazz to gospel, and even a touch of European classical music. True […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Actually, this reissue by Rhino records includes not only The Rise and Fall of the Third Stream but also Zawinul’s release Money In The Pocket.
As you would expect from the title, The Rise and Fall of the Third Stream is an attempt to fuse ideas from classical music with jazz, […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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When I first picked up Tango Palace, I fell in love with it. Over the years, I got sick of it, and it dropped to the bottom of my rotation, to the point that I think I began to undervalue it.
There’s a reason for that.
Tango Palace is mostly free improvisation, but […]