Sunday Music Muse Day - Jim Hall, Gary Peacock & Ralph Towner

We're having a period of rainy days starting today, my Sunday Music Muse Day, and continuing for most of the week.  I won't complain too much as my selections are perfect for this weather.  First up, Jim Hall Leader & Sideman - Three Classic Albums Plus. It's a two CD set featuring re-issue of three Jim Hall Trio albums and a Paul Desmond album with Hall as a sideman. These are a nice 50's era recording featuring guitarist, Hall, playing some tasty licks, leading solid groups.  Hall's playing with legendary alto-saxophone player Paul Desmond of the Dave Brubeck Quartet fame, before heading out on his own, is an added plus.

My second selection, keeps the mellow mood going, the duet of Gary Peacock and Ralph Towner Oracle CD.  This ECM recording is as excellent as you've come to expect from the label.  Towner switches between classical and 12-string guitars. Towner maybe the first to come to my mind, and finest 12-string player alive.  There will always room in my collection for another Ralph Towner CD. Gary Peacock is an excellent bassist, who appeared on many ECM recording as leader and sideman.

For my local friends, stay dry, and keep you spirits up with some good music. Enjoy.

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.

Mother's Day Sunday Music Muse Day - Emily Remler, Leni Stern, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Snarky Puppy

Happy Mother's Day to everyone.  Just by chance today's Sunday Music Muse Day features two females musicians, who to my knowledge are not mothers.  First is the late Emily Remler This is Me, a posthumous release by this female jazz guitarist, who was gaining acceptance and prominence when she died at the age of 32, in 1990, unfortunately from a drug overdose.  This final recording was released two months after her death.  As stated on the Allmusic site, "On her final session, This Is Me the guitarist incorporates pop and rock elements on her own terms -- maintaining her musical integrity and avoiding radio-oriented smooth jazz drivel altogether". By my ears I have to disagree with the last statement.  This sound like smooth jazz to me, plain and simple.  I remember having a earlier album Concord recordings which were more hard bop outings, much more to my taste.  So it goes.

Leni Stern Like One is another CD that I think I like her earlier music I have of hers.  Leni's music on this CD is jazz fusion at its middle of the spectrum, rather hit or miss.  Good playing but nothing that really grabs you.

My next selection should clear the music palate, The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Further Out - Miro Reflections.  As review Scott Yanow on All Music states. "Unlike most sequels, Time Further Out is a worthy successor to Time Out.  Among the numbers introduced on this impressive set are "It's a Raggy Waltz" and "Unsquare Dance" (the latter an ancestor of Don Ellis' "Pussy Wiggle Stomp"). The selections, which range in time signatures from 5/4 to 9/8, are handled with apparent ease..."  This release CD has two extra cut, including a live version of the It's A Raggy Waltz.  It a great follow up to the classic Time Out.

My selection is Snarky Puppy Culha Vulcha, the latest from this hard to define group, as it states on their website, "After a decade of relentless touring and recording in all but complete obscurity, the Texas-bred/New York-based quasi-collective suddenly found itself held up by the press and public as one of the major figures in the jazz world. But as the category names for all three of the band’s Grammy® awards would indicate (Best R&B Performance in 2014, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2016 and 2017), Snarky Puppy isn’t exactly a jazz band. It’s not a fusion band, and it’s definitely not a jam band. It’s probably best to take Nate Chinen of the New York Times’ advice, as stated in an online discussion about the group, to “take them for what they are, rather than judge them for what they’re not.”  These young guys caught my ear about a year ago with their Sylva release, and I agree their music stands it own merits. 

Again, Happy Mother's Day.  Try to think of music you mother enjoyed, and maybe shared with you. 

Sundy Music Muse Day - Herbie Hancock, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Dave Drubeck and Paul Desmond, and Margaret Explosion, again.

This week's Sunday Music Muse day finds me, again, happily embarrassed to feature  CDs of classic LPs the should have been in my music collection ages ago.  First, two classics by Herbie Hancock,  Maiden Voyage and Empyrean Isles.  These are solid, highly regarded sessions, of pre-Headhunter Hancock dates with many well known tunes and legendary sidemen. I'm at lost to think of reason why I didn't have the original LPs.  I do have Herbie Headhunter LP and his VSOP LP.  These are Rudy Van Gelder Edition CDs which he transferred and remastered these classic Blue Note albums with 24-bit technology.  They definitely fill another hole in my collection.  While playing Maiden Voyage, my wife asked who was playing, because she like it.  That's a sign of great music when it grabs the attention of a casual listener (in all fairness she has good taste music).

The next two selections should also have been in my music collection before now, The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out, join the other Brubeck CDs I've picked up this past year.  I do have other Brubeck LPs, but not "Time Out".  I know I have versions of tunes like "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five" on other Brubeck CDs and on some Jazz collections.  It's nice to have CD of the original session.  Brubeck and Desmond, 1975: The Duets is new to me, but I love the intimacy of it.

Just to show I'm not totally stuck in the past. I picked up another CD of the local group, Margaret Explosion, who was featured in last week's post.  They "play spacey, floating dreamscapes with smart improvisational skill" and I'm liking them a lot.

Going forward to enjoy these CDs.  Enjoy.