On a more cheerful note, @ChrisMayLA6 suggested Little Sunflower by Cayenne as his final selection for his #JazzIntro listing. I could only find it on YouTube, but it sounded interesting so I splurged a tenner on a vinyl copy.
It arrived this afternoon; needed a bit of a clean to get rid of some crackling, but that's no problem.
It's a good wee LP, I think well produced/engineered; and fortunately, The Postie agrees. Now playing side two for her listening entertainment... 😉
Ta ProfDJ!
Yes, just search #JazzIntro for all 50...
Physical media is the best media, as long as you look after it.
After my earlier posts re @ChrisMayLA6 's #JazzIntro, Chris' reply included "for me they were just behind me on the LP racking", which got me thinking.
/1
Followers of @ChrisMayLA6 's #JazzIntro who are also Qobuz users will find a playlist here with every available track - only 45 of the 50.
https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/31730712
I have already written about the first of the missing tracks here
https://mastodon.org.uk/@clinfoot/114528796252853636
but further obscure tracks emerged as the list developed.
Short thread /1
@ChrisMayLA6 Thanks for compiling this list, Chris; I've enjoyed hearing the wide variety of musical ideas (even if some of them were challenging to my cloth ears...), and had a few fun moments chasing down the more obscure tracks.
I've assembled a playlist on my streaming service of choice, and the resulting nearly six hours should keep me entertained through today's domestic chores. 😁
I'm looking forward to finding out more in the future!
If you've been following #JazzIntro (or have recently stumbled on to it) I hope you've enjoyed this selection of 50 cuts from my large collection (3,500 LP) of jazz albums. I think its a good selection to show some of the range that jazz offers...
If you'd missed it; search #JazzIntro to get the full 50 recommendations.
I'm going to take a short break, but the music posts will return with the #Funky50 exploring one of my other loves - funk
watch out for the first #Funky50 post.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.50
Cayenne. Little Sunflower
This (lesser known) London latin jazz group's cover of the Freddie Hubbard's classic Little Sunflower is just lovely. Back in the day I often used to see them live around the pubs of London & I wanted to finish this series of posts with a track that really cemented & consolidated my love of jazz music. This lilting piece of mid-tempo playing is a great bit of atmospheric jazz for a summer day
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.49
Chico Hamilton. A Trip
Chico Hamilton's drummer led band featured the guitarist Larry Coryell in a lead role & this great bit of spacey modern jazz is an example of what the the Hamilton band sounded like. With a strong rhythmic pulse, the band plat a range of off-centre solos that present a (sometimes) semi-North African sound that remains rooted in jazz while pushing at its boundaries. An intriguing sound.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.48
Ben Webster. Someone to Watch over Me
I just love Ben Webster's breathy tone on the saxophone, and its best heard on ballads, of which this is a great example. Playing against a subtle & mellow background Webster started with a touching & relaxed vocal line before exploring the melody further. Webster rejects pyrotechnics for quietness with a mellow vibe and sometimes that exactly what you need! Enjoy.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.47
Eddie Harris. A Little Wes
Eddie Harris has a distinctive tone & on this mid-tempo groove, he uses it to great effect. A sort of modal, latin rhythm backs Harris' lead sax, as well as great relaxed guitar & piano solos, while the track loops along offering a hypnotic groove. The swirling groove is atmospheric & reminds me of a late night bar... which is when I often play it in DJ sets.
[also #KillerCuts No.98]
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.46
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Big Band. Ahunk Ahunk
Here's a great bit of 70s funky big band jazz, which is a bit like the soundtrack to a Blaxploitation movie that was never made. The Thad Jones & Mel Leiws Big Band arranged brilliantly by the leaders offers a lovely full sound with some great solos & of course that funky groove. A great big sound that still feels pretty hip to me.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.45
Cal Tjader. Curacao
Jazz has always had a strong link with Latin music & Cal Tjader is a key example of how that fusion could produce great music. On this track, Tjader's band establish a great groove for some sublime flute soloing & Tjader's own lovely vibes work. It bops along with an infectious multi-percussionist rhythm but never loses sight of its jazz connection. Great stuff.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.44
Hank Mobley. Dig Dis
This classic bit of Blue Note blues-infused jazz from Hank Mobley's classic LP Soul Station is a great example of where modern jazz was at the start of the 1960s. Some great soloing over an open ended arrangement, with a brilliant rhythm section (Art Blakey, Paul Chambers & Wynton Kelly). This swings along with elan & is just so satisfying as a piece of music; so sit back & relax into the groove.
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.43
The Soul Flutes. Trust in Me
This masterpiece of ambient jazz is a wonderful exercise in slow grooviness, with some great flute and vibes playing against a subtle shuffle rhythm anchored by Ron Carter's brilliant bass playing. Mood music at its very best.
[If you like trip hop you'll recognise the bass line which was lifted to underpin Skylab's classic track Seashell]
@ChrisMayLA6 Music fit unto the day... As has become my habit, I seek out the albums from which each of the #JazzIntro tracks is taken; and listen to these over breakfast. Today is windy, grey and damp (between the torrential showers); but the sound of leisurely, bluesy sax and piano froom Messrs. Shepp & Parlan is quite comforting. 😎
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.42
Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan. Trouble in Mind
Archie Shepp left the avant-garde behind when he teamed up with pianist Horace Parlan to record a range of duo LPs of jazz standards & other tunes. This rendering of the blues standard Trouble in Mind is just wonderful; elegiac & tentative it offers a masterclass in how two instruments can produce a rounded & full performance. I just love it & a little quieter for a change
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.41
Willis Jackson. Soul Train
Willis 'Gator' Jackson has a great saxophone tone & here its deployed on top of a driving modal R&B rhythm to great effect. A mash up of jazz & late 60s soul sensibility this is a great bit of early jazz fusion that always fills the dance floor.Hope you enjoy its uncomplicated charms.... back to back with yesterday's track you've got a great ten minutes for dancing!
[also #KillerCuts no.67]
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.40
Sonny Cox. The Walier
Cadet Records specialised in R&B (in the older sense) infused jazz & this Sonny Cox stomping & driving track is a great example of that approach to jazz. A stringent sax led, danceable slice of soul jazz its also got some great organ work from Ken Prince. No one would claim this is a subtle bit of reflective music, but its a lively bit of dance floor jazz that will get your toes tapping!
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.39
Johnny 'Hammond' Smith. Rock Steady
Johnny 'Hammond' Smith takes this gritty Aretha Franklin slice of funk & turns it into an exercise in Kudu records jazz fusion. An infection shuffling rhythm is the backdrop for a series of funky solos (including some great work by George Benson) and some great string accents. A lovely bit of funky jazz offering yet more proof that the organ is a great jazz instrument...
50 jazz tracks for your streaming shuffle, no.38
Ray Bryant. It Was a Very Good Year
There's a long tradition of jazz musicians taking songs & making them their own. This version of a Frank Sinatra standard by Ray Bryant is a great model of the result; a cool, measured version of the song, that while often keeping to the vocal line offers plenty of great syncopation. Its not revolutionary but makes for a lovely few minutes of listening pleasure; enjoy.
