SUnday Music Muse Day - Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins, The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Another snowy Sunday Music Muse Day finds me warming up with these two selections.  First, Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins Ensemble CrossWeave  With Kim Richmond on alto saxophone and Clay Jenkins on Trumpet, the ensemble includes Jeff Campbell on bass and Rich Thompson on drums. Jenkins, Campbell and Thompson later performed as Trio East, a favorite on the local Rocherst jazz scene. CrossWeave is a nice collection of originals by Richmond and Jenkins and several tunes by some jazz greats.

Next is a CD of previously unreleased tracks by The Dave Brubeck Quartet Buried Treasures,  This is a live set featuring Paul Desmond recorded in Mexico City in 1967.  It's alway worth giving this classic jazz group a listen. Included is the trademark tune "Take Five".

I need to take brief comfort in listening to music, but with the intense events playing out in the Ukraine, we can only hope the death and destruction is held to a minimum, and the state of Ukraine preveils over the Putin's unlawful invasion.  The world stands with Ukraine.

Robot Sunday - Plasma Globe for Robbie

For Robot Sunday, here’s a gift for Robbie, a plasma globe I almost forgot I picked up at a Odd Lots discount store for $10. I love these science novelty toys. 

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Abercrombie The First Quartet, Ginger Baker.

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us again having wild swings in temperatures and weather from bone chilling cold and snow to mid-50s temps.  In any case good music is a comforting  fix.  First up. John Abercrombie The First Quartet, a 3 CD collection recognized as the late jazz guitarist's period that established himself as solid band leader after his debut releases Timeless and Characters, both favorites of mine. I was happy to buy to set to replace the vinyl records I sold with my whole collection, but I knew they existed on CD.  The music is as great as I remembered.  ECM has been re-releasing a lot of their early catalog in sets like this. My only nitpick is they're not reproducing the original covers in color in the package. So, I made copies and mounted to the plain sleeves.

My second is Ginger Baker "Why?".  The late Ginger Baker was of course the powerhouse rock drumming legend from Cream, the power trio of the 60's featuring Eric Clapton, on guitar, and Jack Bruce, on bass.  Both Baker and Bruce were influenced by jazz and turned to it more in their later careers.  This 2014 release was made after a ten year layoff, as the age of 74.  An online critic gave it 5 stars and remarked "Baker obviously possesses enough self control and good fortune to have avoided the demise of ill-fated legends like Keith Moon or John Bonham, contemporaries who crashed and burned so spectacularly that they will never fade away in the classic rock annals." I find this CD to be okay as a jazz outing.  I found his other CD with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell more iinteresting.

 So, whatever your weather, try to find a warm, safe spot to enjoy some good music.

Tribute to Dwayne McDuffie - Milestone Comics.

Here’s a tribute to the late Dwayne McDuffie on birthday. His legacy lives on in the relaunch of the Milestone Comics he co-created. 

Sunday Music Muse Day - Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette

This Sunday Music Muse Day is being shared with pro fooball's annual Super Bowl.  These two ECM trio CDs are a nice way to enjoy the calm before the storm of gridiron chaos (honestly the build up and all the constant game commentary wears me out).  First up. Keith Jarrett Standard in Norway, with Gary Peacock on Bass and Jack Dejohnette on drums. The CD title says it all, an excellent trio doing jazz standards.

Next is Jack Dejohnette In Movement, with Ravi Coltrane on saxophones, Matthew Garrison on electric bass and Electronics, and DeJohnette on drums, piano, and electronic percussion.  This has a nice Miles Davis Bitches' Brew vibe to it, worth checking out. I sometime forget what a great piano player and composer DeJohnette is.  One of my favorite tunes on his, Silver Hollow (not on this CD) , has him only on piano. He has playon on some many of my favorite ECM recordings.

Enjoy the game.

Super Bowl Sunday Football Toys and Games I owned.

Today's the Super Bowl and it got me thinking toys I played over the years related to football. in my teens it was the classic Tudor Electric Football game, witht tin playing field that the player pieces moved by a vibrating motor. I hand painted the teams, one was always the NY Giants. I give my brother my original set, but I still have re-issued copy in th basement.

Later, came Mattle Electronic Football hand helds, simple but loads of fun.

When I got my first computer. an Amiga 2000, the first game I got was Gridiron, where the player were dots on the screen, the TV Sport Football, a precurser to John Madden Football (actually I never got into Madden Football on the Playstation).

One of the odder items was the Battleball board game, a futuristic football game. Honestly I bought it for the action figure game pieces, but my son actually borrowed it to play it with his college roommates.

I'll being watch a little of the game tonight, but Lisa and I plan to cut away at 8pm to watch our usual PBS shows. Everyne else enjoy your Super Bowl.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Larry Coryell, Ron Affif

Today's Sunday Music Muse Day selections feature two  jazz guitarist leading groups through some great playing of Bebop and Post-Bebop tunes that will be familiar to anyone who follows jazz.  First up, Larry Coryell Shining Hour, a session by the late guitartist recorded in 1989.  Best known as a pioneering jazz fusion player, this CD highlights his deep straight head jazz chops.

 

Next is Ron Afffif Vield Blues, has second release as a leader recorded in 1994.  Again, this session is full of tunes that will bring a smile to any  jazz lover's face. I admit I've only came upon Ron Affif by chance in the last few years, but I've enjoy every CD I've found. I'll keep my eye out for more.

So, what better way to spend a winter afternoon or evening than to enjoy some swinging jazz guitar music.  Enjoy.