Sunday Music Muse Day - Modern Jazz Quartet, Charlie Mingus, Steps Ahead, and Mocean Worker

After a snowy start to the week, the temperature is now in the 70s for this week's Sunday Music Muse Day featuring a range of music from Jazz classics to Dance Club remixes.  First up is a Rudy Van Gelder remastered CD of The Modern Jazz Quartet Django, the album that put the group on the international musical map.   The music of the MJQ is classic and very classy, just a joy to listen to at any time.

Next Is the legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus, Mingus at Antibes, a live set recorded July 13, 1960 at the Antibes Jazz Festival, Juan-les-Pins, France.  This pure fiery Mingus at his best.

For my next selection, I have to admit sometimes nostalgia bites you in the ass. I picked up Steps Ahead NYC, since I have other records and CDs by them, but this 1989 session smack of Smooth Jazz from the very first cut.  I can only assume my taste have changed over the years to where I can't take this sound.  This may end up a Spring Cleaning item or donation to the library.

My final selection is Mocean Wonker Cinco de Mowo! as described on the All Music website "...veers happily back and forth between funky reappropriations of old big band music (check out the archaic but hard-edged "Shake Ya Boogie") and gleeful Latin jazz (check out the fun, if slightly repetitious, "Olé Baby" and the more subtle and jazzy "Pretty")."  I have several Mocean Worker releases and enjoy how he uses samples of old jazz tunes. It's even music I can share with my college age sons.  I like to call out the original tunes for them.  I'm sure they appreciate it that fully now, but maybe later.

That's it for this week.  Hopefully, spring is here to stay.  I'm looking getting out and listening to more music, also our Rochester International Jazz Festival is coming up in June.