Sunday Music Muse Day - Dave Liebman Big Band, Chet Baker Quartet

Another snow covered Sunday Music Muse Day, to enjoy a warm drink, and good jazz music.  First up, Dave Liebman Big Band A Tribute to Wayne Shorter, an excellent CD by the well known and multi-talented saxophonist.  It's a big band he formed in 2000, with this session recorded in 2014, highlighting the compositions of the legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter, many made well known as a leader, and as a member of the classic Miles Davis groups, and co-founder of Weather Report, the pioneering jazz fusion group. The 10 minute version of "Speck No Evil" with the soloist Vic Juris on guitar is standout for me on the session. I have several Liebman CDs but this may turn out to be my favorite.

Next up is Chet Baker Quartet Jazz at Ann Arbor a collection of live recordings of Baker earliest outings as leader. I admit coming to enjoy Chet Baker very late in my jazz listening, mainly in the past ten years.  But's it's never to late enjoy the his classic sound, and vocals.

So, stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy whatever brings you pleasure.  

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Scofield, Dave Liebman and John Stowell, Warped Sky: Stray Cloud - After a Gentle Rain

Welcome to another Sunday Music Muse Day. First up, John Scofield Country for Old Men. Scofield is one of my favorite guitarist best known for his modern playing style, post-bop to fusion.  Scofield's playing sometime seem like its going out of control, but he reins it in to the delight of listeners and critics.  This outing is sort of concept project which finds him playing "a sampler of Country Music, old and new.." he states in the liner notes, " I wanted to play these songs because I've always liked country music from a far.  I knew that if we picked the right songs could turn them into jazz."  I'm not a country fan but I did recognize several of the tunes, like classics "I'm an Old Cowhand" and "Red River Valley".  (We had to sing those in my elementary school)  He definitely give these a solid jazz "turn".  It a fun CD.

My next selection is also a concept project of sorts, Dave Liebman and John Stowell The Music of Sidney Bechet,  This duo's outing find saxophonist, Liebman, and guitarist, Stowell, exploring the music of Sidney Bechet, the New Orlean's born jazz pioneer of the 1920s. Summertime is the tune I'm most familiar with on this CD, but look forward to discovering the rest of the tunes.

My last selection is another installment of my Warped Sky: Stray Cloud project, a combination of songs from old tapes and new renditions of original tunes written and played by me in the 1980s. Today's tune is After a Gentle Rain.  It's a samba inspired by the Luiz Bonfa tune, The Gentle Rain. I used to play Gentle Rain with my buddy Peter Grosett. This video has my new version of my After a Gentle Rain played against a Band in a Box backing track, and Spoiler Alert: my vocals (it sounded much better in the shower). Also included is my original instrumental track made in 1982, on a nylon string guitar and an overdubbed lead. 

Again, It's fun working on these old tunes. I not aiming for perfection of musical execution, just "close enough for jazz" as they say, to ease my creative clutter. Enjoy.