This weekend's playlist:
Eddie 'cleanhead' Vinson & Cannonball Adderley -- Cleanhead & Cannonball
Cleanhead sings, Cannonball Quintet plays. It just, does not work. This probably looked good on paper. They both do their respective things well enough, it's just not a good pairing. The Quintet just does not have the proper sound and instrumentation to back a blues shouter.
This would have been better with a Carmen McRae or a Nancy Wilson type singer, or Basie backing Vinson. On the track 'Audrey', Cleanhead tries to be a crooner. A total disaster!! You're a Shouter, not a Crooner!! (full metal jacket) Ain't got it? You don't need it.
Count Basie (w/ Joe Turner & Eddie 'cleanhead' Vinson) -- Kansas City Shout
After the disappointment above, I moved down the shelf to Basie. He has Cleanhead and Joe Turner. Both guys sing great. Turner is showing his age, but that don't matter!! Great selection of tunes. Some of the same tunes as on the cannonball CD. As you audiophile folks say, 'Night and Day' !!
As an added bonus, you get to hear the Basie Band, The Basie Quartet and the Basie Trio. Great playing. Basie gets to stretch out on piano. Wow!!
Favorite blues line? "woke up this morning, got me a jug, and laid back down". hahahahahahaha It's called the blues! (With all due respect to you clapton and canned heat fans). I love this stuff. Ain't got it? You know the drill!, Git it!!!
Art Blakey's Jazz messengers -- Ugetsu
The messengers live at Birdland. Way above average for the Blakey group. Hubbard, Shorter and Curtis Fuller (trombone) on the horns. Good atmosphere. Art played the entire set without taking a solo. I think that's good. Those guys should concern themselves with keeping time. I feel that most drum solos just disrupt the flow of the music. Recommended.
Roy Hargrove -- Roy Hargrove's Crisol : Habana
This is what is called a GEM!! Roy Hargrove and his quintet in Cuba. WOW! This is well played, well written music by a semi-large group of professionals.. 10 members. The percussion playing is awesome!!
A lot of big time guys on board. Chucho Valdez, David Sanchez, Horacio Hernandez, John Benitez, Russell Malone and others. No one person dominates. Everyone gets their time. Even Chucho is under control, at least until the last tune. He wrote it, called Mambo for Roy. Great stuff.
Horace Silver -- The Hardbop Grandpop
Not BlueNote. But Impulse is close enough. This could easily have been recorded in the 50's. Silver has not lost his touch.
Roditi, Michael Brecker, Steve Turre,. Ronnie Cuber, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash on board. My worst fears were not realized, they all meshed and played beautifully. Recorded 1996. I guess we can call it Late Silver.
I hope someone finds some of these to their liking.
Cheers
Eddie 'cleanhead' Vinson & Cannonball Adderley -- Cleanhead & Cannonball
Cleanhead sings, Cannonball Quintet plays. It just, does not work. This probably looked good on paper. They both do their respective things well enough, it's just not a good pairing. The Quintet just does not have the proper sound and instrumentation to back a blues shouter.
This would have been better with a Carmen McRae or a Nancy Wilson type singer, or Basie backing Vinson. On the track 'Audrey', Cleanhead tries to be a crooner. A total disaster!! You're a Shouter, not a Crooner!! (full metal jacket) Ain't got it? You don't need it.
Count Basie (w/ Joe Turner & Eddie 'cleanhead' Vinson) -- Kansas City Shout
After the disappointment above, I moved down the shelf to Basie. He has Cleanhead and Joe Turner. Both guys sing great. Turner is showing his age, but that don't matter!! Great selection of tunes. Some of the same tunes as on the cannonball CD. As you audiophile folks say, 'Night and Day' !!
As an added bonus, you get to hear the Basie Band, The Basie Quartet and the Basie Trio. Great playing. Basie gets to stretch out on piano. Wow!!
Favorite blues line? "woke up this morning, got me a jug, and laid back down". hahahahahahaha It's called the blues! (With all due respect to you clapton and canned heat fans). I love this stuff. Ain't got it? You know the drill!, Git it!!!
Art Blakey's Jazz messengers -- Ugetsu
The messengers live at Birdland. Way above average for the Blakey group. Hubbard, Shorter and Curtis Fuller (trombone) on the horns. Good atmosphere. Art played the entire set without taking a solo. I think that's good. Those guys should concern themselves with keeping time. I feel that most drum solos just disrupt the flow of the music. Recommended.
Roy Hargrove -- Roy Hargrove's Crisol : Habana
This is what is called a GEM!! Roy Hargrove and his quintet in Cuba. WOW! This is well played, well written music by a semi-large group of professionals.. 10 members. The percussion playing is awesome!!
A lot of big time guys on board. Chucho Valdez, David Sanchez, Horacio Hernandez, John Benitez, Russell Malone and others. No one person dominates. Everyone gets their time. Even Chucho is under control, at least until the last tune. He wrote it, called Mambo for Roy. Great stuff.
Horace Silver -- The Hardbop Grandpop
Not BlueNote. But Impulse is close enough. This could easily have been recorded in the 50's. Silver has not lost his touch.
Roditi, Michael Brecker, Steve Turre,. Ronnie Cuber, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash on board. My worst fears were not realized, they all meshed and played beautifully. Recorded 1996. I guess we can call it Late Silver.
I hope someone finds some of these to their liking.
Cheers