Sunday Music Muse Day - Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti, & Charlie Haden - Magico, Larry Coryell

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds our local weather ranging from blueskies with bellowing white cloud to sinister dark clouds, to heavy down pours, or as we call it, typical Rochester weather, it changes by the minute. I'm finding comfort in listening to two enjoyable CD finds. First up, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden - Magico - Carta de Amor.  It's a long title for a trio generally known a Magico, from the title of their first outing in 1980 with Charlie Haden credited as leader. I remember buying the album back then and remained a fan ever since. Carta de Amor was recorded live in Munchen, Germany, in April 1981.  The beauty of their music in timeless.  This two CD set has one of my favorite  Magico tune, "Palhaco", but there is only paid versions online from this CD set. I'm happy to say I got to see Egberto Gismonti in duet with Nana Vasconcelos, in the '80's in a Brazilian club/disco in NYC. I was attracted to Gismonti's playing of a 10-string classical guitar, and his amazing piano performances.  I think he single-handedly introduced me to another side of Brazilian music, besides bossa nova, coming from the region of Bahia, Brazil. Any Magico trio CD is worth giving a listen.

My second selection is actually a repeat posting, due to my being a visual person, in that I thought, by the cover, it was one I didn't have, but actually Larry Coryell Shining Hour is a CD I already have.  I'm glad I do,  because I find the 32 Jazz release cover info to be totally lacking, just stating the band personal, and the song titles, but not tunes authors, or even the recording date info.  This is a nice straight ahead jazz session for Coryell and company to shine, recorded in 1999 at the Van Gelder Recording Studio, with the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, engineering. It doesn't get better than that.

Here's the original CD Cover.

As The rain continues, on and off. I'm happy to be indoors and listening to these tunes.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gary Burton, Egberto Gismonti

This Sunday Music Muse Day find us celebrating Father's Day.  I had the well wishes of my wife and sons to warm my heart on this rather cool, overcast day.  I played these ECM selection to brighten the mood.  Gary Burton The New Quartet  is CD reissue of classic from the 1973. Somehow, I missed it the first time around.  This features guitarist Michael (Mick) Goodrick, follows in a spot held by Larry Coryell, and Pat Metheny in earlier Burton groups. This is great addition to my music collection.  This is one of the recent bunch of ECM reissue releases of their catalog. My only complaint is there are no liner notes to give more context to the music.

Next is Egberto Gismonti Selected Recordings, a 2004 release of various tunes from Gismonti many ECM albums.  I really enjoy Gismonti's music as it introduced me to another side of Brazilian beyond Bossa Nova, the more rural folk music of Bahia.   I can't call this a "best of " since a lot of my favorite tunes aren't included.  But, it is still a good collection and worth having.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Miles Davis Quintet, Dave Holland Quartet, Charlie Haden and Egbert Gismonti. plus Is This Your Life (original tune)

This weeks Sunday Music Muse Day find us in an shocking state of political uncertainty.  I this two part presentation I hope we can use music the give us all some comfort and safe place to gather and thoughts and put things in proper perspective,

The first part of this week's post is three new purchases of mine,  First is Miles Davis Quintet, Freedom Jazz Dance, the Bootleg Series Vol. 5.  Contrary to the "bootleg" title, this 3 CD set if an official release (from my hippie days, I always associate the term bootleg will unauthorized recording).  As quoted from the Miles Davis site, "A 3CD box set collection chronicling Miles’ musical evolution in the studio from 1966-1968 working with his “second great quintet,” the latest edition in Columbia/Legacy’s acclaimed Miles Davis Bootleg Series provides an unprecedented look into the artist’s creative process, drawing on full session reels including all rehearsals, partial and alternate takes, extensive and fascinating studio conversation and more."  This collect is more what I expected the Don Cheadle's Mile Davis movie, Miles Ahead to about.  Hearing the creative progress behind the music in just fascinating.  Well worth getting.

Next up is the Dave Holland Quartet Dream of the Elder, finds the iconic bassist leading a group including, vibraphone, marimba, saxophones and drums.  The CD is adventurous without being bombastic. On the edge of Free Jazz but not too far out to disconnect for being enjoyed.  For the vibes and marimba help grounds the music in a interesting space. This another winner from ECM.

The third selection is late great bassist, Charlie Haden and Egberto Gismonti titled In Montreal, a live performance recorded at The Montreal Jazz Festival in 1989,  but released in 1996.   The CD features mostly works by Gismonti, and two by Haden's.  Haden was well known for many duet pairings including the Grammy Award winning "Beyond the Missouri Sky" with Pat Metheny, which one of its tune "First Song" appears here on In Montreal.  Egberto Gismonti is a favorite of mine.  Alvero  Neder, of All Music says, "...Gismonti is world-renowned as a multi-instrumentalist and composer.... his works reflecting the musical diversity of Brazil...Gismonti captures the true essence of the Brazilian soul in a way that is primitive, yet sophisticated, and reflects it through his personal vision, elaborated by years of classic training and literacy in a wealth of musical languages in which jazz plays a significant role."  I couldn't agree more.  This is a wonderful pairing and outing.

Now for part 2 of the week Music Muse Day, a personal contribution.  "Is This Your Life Music" is an original tune written by me back in 1983.  The lyrics seem to remain relevant to today's social-political climate.  I felt the need to get them out there. This is a new performance and video made on my iMac Photo Booth.  As part of my Dragonfly Views blog I have a Sunday Music Muse Day post where I always hoped to present original music that I had filed away mostly unfinished and unheard, always putting it off because my playing leaves much to desired. But as I get older it become apparent waiting for perfect has become an excuse not to do anything.  So, rough edges and all here is the song, "Is This Your Life".  Included at end is the original rough recording done in 1983 with the first rough lyric, a drum beat, and a guitar solo overdub, with mistakes a plenty.  But, sometimes you just have to get things out of your system. 

Enjoy (I always think of the scene from the movie "10" where Dudley Moore visits the pastor. Ouch.)

Sunday Music Muse Day - Jack DeJohnette, John Mclaughin and Chick Corea, Egberto Gismonti, and Bill Frisell, Raplh Towner, again.

Sunday got away from me, so here's my Sunday Music Muse Day post a day late.  Actually three of the selections were ones that I delayed buying in an effort to stay on a budget.  Luckily, they were still there at the music shop.  First is Jack DeJohnette, Sound Travels, a wonderful CD which finds the legendary drummer also playing acoustic piano and adding a vocal to one of the tune. Joining Jack is some exciting  young players, like Esperanza Spalding on acoustic and electric bass, and vocals, with Lionel Loueke on electric guitar.  Both Spalding and Loueke were recent purchases.  Sound Travel was one of my delayed purchases, but seeing  Spalding and Loueke as sidemen help put this on my "to buy list".  I'm glad I did.

Here a short promo video on the making Sound Travel.

Next up, two of my favorite jazz musicians from the early Jazz Fusion of the 1970s,  guitarist John McLaughlin, and piano and keyboards master Chick Corea on a 2 CD set titled John McLaughlin and Chick Corea - Five Peace Band - Live.  Listening to this music brings flashbacks of the heady days of Mahavishu Orchestra and Return to Forever, their respective groups.  An added treat is a guest spot by keyboardist Herbie Hancock joining his former Miles Davis band mates on  tune "In a Silent Way / It's About that Time"  from the Miles playbook.  Great stuff, and I like the "Fillmore East" type CD cover graphic.

The next selection is also, a 2 CD set by Egberto Gismonti, world renowned Brazilian multi-instrumentalist and composer, titled Saudacoes.  I have a many of Gismonti's ECM LPs from the 1970s and 80s and saw him  perform several times in NYC.  If your exposure to Brazilian music has been only Samba do yourself a favor and explore Egberto Gismonti's music "his works reflecting the musical diversity of Brazil. From the Amazon Indians' batuque to the Carioca samba and choro, through the Northeastern frevo, baião, and forró, Gismonti captures the true essence of the Brazilian soul in a way that is primitive, yet sophisticated, and reflects it through his personal vision, elaborated by years of classic training and literacy in a wealth of musical languages in which jazz plays a significant role." (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/egberto-gismonti)  This CD adds that legacy.  The first CD is a 7 part suite Sertoes Veredas - Tribute to miscegenation. Quoted from the liner notes the music "takes a musical journey through Brazil, revealing, in a diffuse way, the different faces of its people, culture and history."    The second CD is a set of  guitar duets with his son Alexandre Gismonti.  Egberto's use of the 10-string classical guitar always amazed me.

The next two selection are happy follow ups to previous CDs.  Bill Frisell - Floratone  is a great companion to his Unspeakable CD I listed week week.  Again, members of the group used tape loops and the whole production reminds of the Miles Davis Bitches Brew era music, a little spacey, but very inviting and interesting.

The last pick is another Ralph Towner CD, Lost and Found, which finds Ralph in a group setting.  I couldn't pass up picking this up.  There is always room for more Ralph Towner in my music collection.

Enjoy, your Labor Day.