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 - Paul Bley, Bill Brufold

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds me featuring two CD coming from different direction the jazz spectrum.  First up, Paul Bley, with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian Not Two, Not One. Pianist Paul Bley (November 10, 1932 - January 3, 2016) was well known as part of the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s.  This ECM 1999 release was reunion of the classic Paul Bley Trio, with Peacock on bass and Motian on drum. At the time, they hadn't performed as a trio in 35 years. On line reviews give this a 4 star.  It's a introspective but adventurous, and engaging session.

My second selection is Bill Bruford's EarthWorks A Part, and Yet Apart. Drummer Bill Bruford maybe best remembered as a member of progressive rock groups like Yes (a founding member), King Crimson, and his own group Bruford. He formed this jazz group Earthworks in 1986.  In 2009 Bruford retired from public performances, but operates two record labels.  Bruford playing does show his swinging jazz drumming on this CD.  It a nice sample from his varied career.

On a side note, one of my favorite CD is the Bill Bruford with Ralph Tower and Eddie Gomez, If Summer had its Ghost.  Well worth checking out.

There enough good music to get you through a fine spring day. Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Ron Carter, Keith Jarrett

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds most sport fans killing time before tonight's Super Bowl game. I'll probably watch part of it before switching over to PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, our normal Sunday viewing. Likewise, I'll rather spend the afternoon listening to some good jazz. First up. is Ron Carter Spanish Blue, a classic from the acclaimed legendary bassist, and Rochester native. This is "The Original CTI Recordings Digitally Remastered for Compact Disc" of an album released in 1976. Of the four tunes, three are by Ron Carter.  The liner notes states Carter "plans to intensify his writing efforts",  indicating he hasn't writing much for his previous records.  It also says two of the tunes, El Noche Sol and Sabado Sombrero, were inspired by a tour with Miles Davis to Barcelona, Spain in 1964. Of the two, Sabado Sombrero in my favorite, but more for the version by guitarist Jimmy Ponder on his Illusions LP  (unfortunately not on CD). Still Spanish Blue is a must have recording.

Here's the Ron Carter original, with flute by Hubert Laws. 

Here's the Jimmy Ponder version.

My second selection is another Keith Jarrett trio CD, Whisper Not,  with Gary Peacock (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums).  This is a two CD set recorded live in Paris in 1999.  I can't keep from finding more Jarret recordings, although enjoyable his vocalizing while playing can annoy me.  I love Jack DeJohnette's drumming.  He was one of the first drummers beyond Rock drummers like Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, and fusion drummers like Billy Cobham, I became aware of for his various ECM recordings with musicians like John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner.

I have no picks for the Super Bowl, although I wouldn't mind seeing Tom Brady lose. 

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gene Bertoncini & Steve Greene, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and jack DeJohnette

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us enjoy a blank of fluffy snow and very cold morning.  Just the recipe for a these jazz choice to warm the heart.  First up is guitar duo Gene Bertoncini and Steve Green Gene with Green. This CD offers a selection of jazz standards played excellently by Bertoncini on nylon string classic guitar and Greene in steel string archtop guitar. They have a local contact as they meet at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester (Steve studied with Gene), forming a lasting friendship.  I'v had the pleasure of seeing Steve Greene play with the White Hots as will as having his Steve Greene Trio CD.  I hadn't seen Gene Bertoncini, yet, but hope he'll come the Rochester jazz festival, sometime.

To round out this quiet morning, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, Somewhere CD.  Another fine Live set on the ECM label.  Maybe it's a sigh of mellowing out in my old age, but I'm finding myself exploring a lot more piano trio music, than I used to.  Keith's music hits the spot as long his 'nee...nee...nee" vocalizing doesn't distract from the playing (sorry Jarrett fans, that drives me nuts).

All in all, it's a nice way to spend the day.  Enjoy

Sunday Music Muse Day - Keith Jarrett, Vijay Iyer Trio

Today's Sunday Music Muse Day finds me spending time with two piano trios.  Keith Jarrett At the Deer Head Inn, with Gary Peacock on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Not much you can say but that it's the top notch playing you'd expect from this these well-known players. It's a live recording, made in September, 16, 1992. Jarrett relates in the liner notes that Deer Head Inn, in Allentown, PA. was where he had his "first serious trio job on piano" thirty years early, and also a reunion playing with Paul Motian, who he hadn't play with for 16 years.  It goes to show that sometimes there a lot more behind a gig then just the music.

My next selection is Vijay Iyer Trio Accelerando, with Stephen Crump on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums.  This 2012  release by the young pianist was named jazz album of the year in 3 jazz critics polls.  Besides the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship Iyer has won a ton award and honors. His music is adventurous, engaging, and challenging for the listener.  Iyer states,"this ablum is in the lineage of American creative music based on dance rhythms."  I was draw to last tune on this CD, The Village of the Virgins" written by Duke Ellington for his ballet "The River".  I had saved version to my youtube music collection.  I'm glad to have the full CD.

Yesterday's morning snow melted quickly, hope it's the last of the season.  Everyone hoping for day of sunshine and good music.  So do I.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette. Al DiMeola

Welcome to another springtime Sunday Music Muse Day, although snow on the ground and cold weather (here in north western New York state) might confuse you. Today's two selections have has a common connection of personal and emotional issues for both artist. First, is a new release of a1998 live recording by pianist Keith Jarrett, After the Fall, with Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. This 2 CD set's title refers to Keith Jarrett’s “fall” into a bout of chronic fatigue syndrome in autumn (or fall) 1996.  The illness kept him from playing publicly for two years. This concert, recorded in Newark, New Jersey, near his home, was his first post-recovery attempt to play before an audience. In many ways a personal triumph for him.  I admit I'm not a giant fan of Keith Jarrett, but this is a joy to listen to, even without knowing the context.

Al DiMeola Opus, his latest release, also, finds the fusion-famed guitarist stating, "for the first time in my life, I have written music being happy.  I'm in a wonderful relationship with my wife. I have a baby girl and a beautiful family that inspires me every day.  I believe it shows in the music."  I have no details to fully understand what he's referring to. as being unhappy.  He adds in this music he sees himself furthering his compositional skills to become a "composer/guitarist" rather "guitarist/composer".  I'm more than happy to give this repeated listenings to figure the different.

Both these musician show that there has to be a attachment to the full experiences of life, the good, and the bad,  Those experiences help shape the music, whether the audience is ever aware of it.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Keith Jarrett, Ben Goldberg wtith Charlie Hunter, The Bad Plus.

During a tough personal time,  the Sunday Music Muse day is a change to take my mind off things and feel slightly more normal  First up is the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack DeJohnette,  Always Let Me Go - Live In Tokyo.  I found this ECM 2 CD set to be a little uneven to me.  Some tunes are solid, but then other are unfocused, bordering aimless doodling.  Not a great outing in my opinion, so I checked the reviews on Amazon and the CD gets ratings from 1 star to 5 stars, with plenty of disagreements.  Most who like it championed its "Free Jazz' moments,  I guess those are the moments I don't like.

Next is a CD I picked up more for the 7-string guitarist, Charlie Hunter, than the leader Ben Goldberg.  The CD is titled Go Home, clarinetist, Goldberg, wrote and co-wrote all the tune.  The All about Jazz website finds Goldbergs music, "Eclectic and loose, but with grooves that will make believers out of even the most improv-averse, Go Home is the perfect combination of music for the head, the heart...and the feet."  I'd agree with that, this a bunch of young guys exploring new sounds, and worth a listen.

Last Item is the Bad Plus "Prog".  This trio is a very progressive jazz group who likes to cover rock tunes and turn them inside-out.  As they do with Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the first track on this CD, and others.   I definitely have to be an active listener for this CD. It's not a easy-listening CD by any stretch, but well worth the challenge.

So, went I need momentary escape from current life issues, there is always music.