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. 

Sunday Music Muse Day- ECM Records Radio,, and John Abercrombie - Timeless

I miss posting a  Sunday Music Muse Day last week because of Mother's Day.  But I'm back.  This week's Sunday Music Muse Day post is a celebration of my enjoying the ECM Records Radio itune channel. A follow member of the Jazz on Jazz FB page shared the link.  ECM Records is one of those rare labels that produces such a great, eclectic selection of music, and musicians, that I'm also willing to pick an ECM record of I'm artist I've never heard of, just because they are on ECM.   I've been listening to the ECM Records Radio this past week, when my normal Jazz station, Jazz 90.1 has other programing on. Today it played several tunes by guitarist John Abercrombie, a favorite musician of mine. Timeless, from the album of the same name, is one of my all time favorite tune. It's the perfect piece to listen to with headphones on, or late at night, for its meditative force to wash over you. Try it, you'll like it. With musical support of Jan Hammer, on Organ, Synth. and Piano, and Jack DeJohnette on drum, this album is the must have for any music lover. Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - The Record Store Day

Here's my Sunday Muse Day post.  I took part in the National Record Store Day activities by visiting two local stores and making some nice buys.  First stop was the Record Archive, where there was a big celebration with live music inside and food trucks outside.  The place was packed and everyone was having fun. I only picked up two albums for a $1 each, only for the covers, and CD of Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow. 

 The Stewart Copeland The Rhythmatist album cover is actually the second cover for record. The first featured masai warriors. Compare them below.

I have to assume the record company felt a photo of Steward was needed on the cover instead of leaping africans.  Go figure.
The Slave Stone Jam album was picked up for Ben Grimm "The Thing" on the cover.

 No, not really, but I thought of the  art of DE ES Schwertberger, Austrian artist and painter, when I saw the latest Fantastic Four Movie images.  His work has been shown in exhibitions in New York City, where he lived for a short time, and Switzerland.  I first saw his painting in Omni Magazine back in 1970s.   I actually visited his studio in NYC for UFO discussion.

My second stop was the HI-Fi Lounge, were Jazz 90.1 DJ, Derrick Lucas​, was spinning some jazz vinyl.  My thanks to Derrick for bringing HI-Fi Lounge to my attention,  It's just a few minutes from my home.  I made most of my Record Store Day purchases there.

 These include CDs by local talents, Bob Sneider​ and  Mike Melito​.  I've heard these guys live and it's nice to have their music in my collection.

 The other buys were Theo Croker - Afro Physicist, young hot trumpet, who will be featured in upcoming Rochester Jazz festival, and a Charlie Hunter Quintet CD, feature Charlie on his unique sounding 8 string guitar.

 All in all, a great music day. Enjoy.

Sam Woodyard - Happy Birthday Jan. 7th

Here are two pictures I found on the web of my father, Sam Woodyard, from his pre-Ellington days with the Milt Buckner Trio.(That is Sam on the right) Happy Birthday, Sam.

Belated Happy Birthday, Sam Woodyard (Jan. 7, 1925 - Sept. 20, 1988)

Here is my annual Happy Birthday wish for my father, the late Sam Woodyard, drummer for the Duke Ellington Band.  His memory lives on, alive and well in the music he loved, Jazz.  Enjoy.