Sunday Music Muse Day - Chick Corea, Al Di Meola

On this Sunday Music Muse Day, Lisa and I just returned from a daytrip to Letchworth State Park.  Returning I have time to enjoy some CDs from what seems like old musical friends.  First up is The Chick Corea New Trio.  This 2001 release follows the late jazz legend's Origins group, which featured a sextet and larger array of instruments, including saxphones, flute, trombone, and clarinet.   The New Trio pares it down to just the piano, bass and drums, which Chick wrote, "is the heart and soul of th jazz sound". Whatever, the context Chick musical genius is alway apparent.  The packaging on this CD is very artful, too. Right down to the CD itself.

Next is Al Di Meola Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody.  Of course, Al Di Meola came to fame as a guitarist of Chick Corea's Return to Forever, the pioneering jazz fusion band of the 1970s.  After leaving RTF and pursuiting his solo career Di Meola explored his love of Mediterranean music, and that is evident in this CD.  In many ways I prefer Di Meola post-RTF music more.This CD also has some stylist packaging.

As I said since I first heard these artists in the 1970s, they seem like old friends, and nothing warms the heart more than old friends. Enjoy

Sunday MusIc Muse Day - Remembering Chick Corea (June 12, 1941 - February 9, 2021)

This Sunday Music Muse Day find us still absorbing the lost of jazz great Chick Corea. Chick's music was central in my growing interest in jazz in my early 20s.  First, as a sideman with Miles Davis on Bitches Brew, considered the birth of jazz fusion.  Then Chick's early  Return to Forever group, then the RTF electric band.  My most personal memory of Return to Forever was when I heard the original group, with Bill Conners on electric guitar, before being replaced by Al DiMeolo, playing a free summer concert in Central Park, NYC, near the Metropolitan Museum.  At the time I didn't catch their name. It was only months later when their record was released that recognize them as the band playing in the park.  From then on I was a fan of Chick and his music.  One other story, I answered a radio call in ticket giveaway question, "what was Chick Corea most famous tune?", the answer of course is "Spain". The prize was tickets to see Jaco Pastorius Word of Mouth Big Band.  (I think I take my friend Karen Donelson to it)  I just pulled most of the stuff under his name I have, but there are countless others from his long and distinguished career. 

Chick will truly be missed, but never forgotten. RIP and thanks for the music.

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Warped Sky Stray Clouds

 This Sunday Music Muse Day start with a rainy morning and gloomy touch of the coolness of fall. Just the day for some jazz to lift the mood.  My first is John Both Direction at Once: The Lost Album.  Which is kind of embarrassing for me, since I bought the CD two years ago when it was released, and some how never posted about it. I realized my omission when I included Coltrane in the gallery of September Jazz birthday video (more on the later).  Historically this is interest set of recording, from a set tapes left in the hands of Coltrane's first wife Naima's family.  So how the session fell through the cracks of the recording studio and record company management. It  contain  several known Coltrane titles and several untitled pieces and alternate takes.  Well worth listen for Coltrane fans.

My second is Chick Corea & Friends Remembering Bud Powell.  This Tribute CD finds Chick and stellar group of jazz heavy weights celebrating the music of Earl "Bud" Powell considered "the  most influential jazz pianist of his time".  Setting "...the standard for post-Art Tatum players."  Sadly he had mental difficulties later in life. (The central character in the movie "Round Midnight" play by Dexter Gordon was base on Powell;'s later years in Europe).  This is a solid outing honor Powell music in splendid fashion. 

Next is another Warped Sky Stray Cloud tune. Finally, I can get this song out of my system. So, rough edges and all, here is the song, "Jazzy Birthday (More or Les) with vocal". Jazz Birthday is a tune, written in 1978, with the original title "More or Les". The "Les" in the title refers to a old friend of Les Bernstein, not Les Paul the great guitar player, and father (inventor) of the solid body electric guitar, although it could, also. This new version was made with my vocals (with jazz singer Giacomo Gates as my inspiration). Actually, it was the first lyrics (and last) I've wrote since the 1980's. It seems I could never pull off playing the tune and singing it at the same time. Finally technology solved the problem.

I like the way this new version turned out so much I plan to do a monthly video celebrating Jazz musicians birthdays and add it to my Sunday Music Muse Day blogs. Enjoy

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Scofield, Chick Corea, Paul Motian

This Sunday Music Muse Day found us suffering the Daylight Saving Time change.  The old reminder saying "spring ahead, fall back" really means stumble around for few days as your body clock adjust to the time change.  I picked an appropriate selection to ease into the day, John Scofield Quiet.  This is a favorite Scofield CD  of mine, a little different from his usual sessions as he plays nylon string acoustic guitar throughout and the adds a full horn and woodwind section to accompany the basic quartet.  The tunes are thoughtful, adventurous, and slightly off-kilter, in a fun way. I love his nod to the library setting in the CD photos.

I continued the day with more mellow selections, both ECM Records releases. Pianist Chick Corea Trio Music Live Europe, with Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums.  Vitous was founding member of Weather Report but left when they move into more electric fusion they become famous for. Haynes is legendary jazz drummer both as leader and sideman.

My final selection is drummer Paul Motian I Have the Room Above Her, with Bill Frisell on guitar and Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone.  Mellow but a little more angular than the other two, but still very enjoyable.

As much as I feel slight off the time change, I know getting up for work Monday morning will be worst. I'll definitely need more music to ease the pain.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Memorial Day, Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Warped Sky Stray Cloud Update

On this Memorial Day weekend, I would first hope we are mindful of the true meaning of Memorial Day, a time to remember and reflect on the fallen who give their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms and rights they believed in.  With that I highly recommend the TV special Hollowed Ground which runs on PBS stations on Memorial Days sometimes. It's very moving.
Hallowed Grounds. 

This week music selection finds a double dose of legendary jazz vibraphonist, Gary Burton. First in one of my favorite duo pairing, Chick Corea & Gray Burton Hot House.  This a 2012 release and the seventh duo recording, that start from "spur-of-the moment encore at a jazz festival in Germany in 1972" as Burton states in the inner notes, "which led to our first recording Crystal Silence, a couple of months later."  Crystal Silence, the album, and especially the title tune, remain an absolute favorite of mine. Hot House finds the pair, choosing "a repertoire drawn form some of our favorite composers from the 1940's through the 1960s".  It a joy join these two great on their shared music journey.

The second select is Gary Burton A genuine Tong Funeral.  A CD reissue of a classic Burton  album featuring compositions by Carla Bley recorded in 1967 and released on the RCA label. Its subtitledDark Opera Without Words. Critics have called it one of Burton's most intriguing recordings.  This classic group includes guitarist Larry Coryell, and bassist Steve Swallow (who I believe was married to Carla Bley). This also include the Gary Burton Quartet Lofty Fake Anagram LP, recorded in 1967, with Booby Moses on drums.  Some consider the true start of jazz fusion, that maybe up for debate, but there is no denying the good listening  they offer. All the more appreicated since Gary Burton annouced his retirement a while ago.

Finally, there is no Warped Sky Stray Cloud, a combination of songs from old tapes and new renditions of original tunes written and played by me in the 1980s, today.  I waiting for some home audio equipment order to be delivered. I'm hoping it will up the ante on the quality of my recordings. I had Tascam 4-track cassette ages ago, but the digital recording market has really advanced.  The amount of tutorials online as mindblowing. 

Stand tuned for th next installment.  Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Ralph Towner, Chick Corea.

For this week's Sunday Music Muse Day, I got to share the latest releases from two of my favorite musicians.  One of my regular music buying shop, Record Archives, was having a 43rd anniversary bash, and offering a 40% off sale. So, I took the opportunity to pick a special item I had my eye on but resisted due to the high price (hey...I'm on a family man's budget). That item was the Chick Corea: The Musician, 4-Disc set, with 3 CDs and a Blu-Ray of Chick 's special 70th birthday celebration, which he spent by playing the Blue Note jazz club in NYC for a a month of 48 show with various musician from his stellar career.  It a parade of "who's-who" of the jazz world. I'm just working my way through the music CDs, and look forward to the Blu-Ray special.  An added bonus the packaging as 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" booklet with 46 page of liner notes and full color photos print heavy glossy paper.  It's a very nice set, worth the full price.

The Record Archive discount sale made it easy to pick up another CD I had my eye on, Ralph Towner My Foolish Heart. It's a solo effort, with Ralph on classical and 12-string guitars.   In the liner notes he states the title, especially the version by legendary pianist Bill Evan inspired his piano playing (piano being his first instrument), and later his guitar playing.  It's great to see Ralph going strong into his mid-70s.  I plan to enjoy every moment of this CD.

These two selections will keep me busy for days, and I'm sure I'll be revisiting them often, in the future.