Sunday Music Muse Day - John Basile & John Abercrombie, John Pizzarelli

This Sunday Music Muse Day has me presenting three "Johns". First up, John Basile and John Abercrombie Animations.  The late John Abercrombie is one of my favorite jazz guitarist, since first hearing him in the early 1970s, so I'll pick up any recording of his as a leader, or sideman.  Guitarist John Basile is new to me.  This is a nice duo set that was the second release from Basile's label, Underhill Jazz, recorded in 2003. It's a little annoying that song composer credits are missing, I recognize the jazz standard "Sweet and Lovely", but I couldn't tell you its composer off the top of my head.  It would be nice to know which tunes are their originals.  This CD is still worth a listen.

The third "John" is the leader of The John Pizzarelli Trio Live at Birdland.  This a 2 CD set of warm and entertaining live set.  It's casual, laid back presentation is very inviting.  I'm not sure that it's my cup of tea (jazz) for repeated listening, since there is a lot of stage banter throughout.  John, of course, is the son of legendary jazz guitarist, Bucky Pizzarelli, but well-known and accomplish in his own right. This CD set, is worth a listen, too.

So, these are two nice CD to keep an eye out for.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Bill Frisell, John Abercrombie

This Sunday Music Muse Day is a special one as it's my 29th wedding anniversay, which we'll be having a family combined celebration of our three September birthdays and our anniversay.  I'll be enjoying the music starting with  Bill Frisell Guitar in the Space Age. This eclectic collection of tunes many popular from the 50's and 60's start of the great space race.  Frisell gives them his unique spin, making for a fun experince.  Plus, the CD has a great cover.

My second choice is John Abercrombie Night, CD of a favorite ECM album of mine, I don't regret buying it again, as I sold all my vinyl record.  Abercrombie, like Frisell, offer a wide range of playing style from introspective themes to blister sonic outbursts, but always with taste and intellegence.

Fall is in the air, and we're having a outdoor get together around the firepit, to count our blessing as family.  Enjoy. 

Sunday Music Muse Day - Vince Mendoza, Whirligig with Paul Kovit.

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us preparing for Thanksgiving, which may prove to be more stressful and confusing in these day of rising covid-19 surge and post-election chaos. Lets use music to get us through these crazy days.  First selection is pulled from an artist featured in my November Jazz Birthday Celebration video, Vince Mendoza.  John Abercrombie Animato features Vince Mendoza as composer and on synthesizers, with Jon Christensen on Drums and percussion.  Mendoza composed six of the eights on this CD.  It's Mendoza's composing the caught my ear with tunes of his on some Peter Erskine trio sessions, especially the tune, Esperanca on the Peter Erskine As It Is CD.  The Abercrombie Animato CD is very subdued, like whispered elegance, and a floating musical mystery, perfect for a cloudy moody afternoon.

Here's version of of Esperanca played by other group, not as good as the Erskine version, but well done.

Esperança (Vince Mendoza) - Emilio Mendonça Trio

My second selection is a connected to my Paul Kovit & Audience of One video posts, which featured the solo recording of friend's playing I recorded on Sony Walkman back in the 1980's.  I shared the videos with Paul and he loved.  After years of being out of touch we caught up over  a Zoom meeting. He told of the group he was in, Whirligig. I admit England, Irish Traditional folk music is not something I'd seek out, but Paul introduced and give me better understanding of music of Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention.  He also introduced me the music French acoustic guitarist Pierre Bensusan (we attended a concert of his in NYC).  Paul sent me a CD of the group, Whirligig.  He played guitar, mandolin, vocals composed some tunes, and toured with them in the 90's.  Whirligig Spin will be a welcomed and treasured addition to my music collection. I hope I can encourage him to pick up the guitar again.

Happy Thanksgivings to all. Stay Safe, stay healthy, and wear a mask.  

Sunday Music Muse Day - ( a day late) Ralph Tower, John Abercrombie

Here's this Sunday's Music Muse Day post, a day late.  Weather was rainy and gloomy, and I found myself drawn to pull out some vinyl of two favorite guitarists, Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie. These are two of my favorite LPs, both on ECM records, that I don't have on CD. Ralph Towner Batik is a trio outing with Eddie Gomez on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on Drums.  The second is the Towner, Abercrombie duet album, Five Years Later, there second recording together, obviously.  I remember listening to them constantly in my old NYC apartment back in the late 70 and early' 80s.

I've been sharing old pics with friends this weekend, these albums offer a great soundtrack.

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Abercrombie with Kenny Wheeler, Jim Vivian

This Sunday Music Muse Day selections have a solid common factor, the late great jazz guitarist John Abercrombie.  First up, is Kenny Wheeler It Takes Two with Abercrombie, another guitarist John Parricelli, and bassist Anders Jormin. From the lineup and music you could easily assume this was ECM release, but it is from CamJazz. In statement from their webpage, "A refined jazz label, launched in the year 2000, dedicated to releasing jazz recordings performed by some of the most outstanding Italian and international jazz performers of our times."  This ranges from a cool laid back rendition of Love Theme from "Spartacus" to Avant Garde  free improvisations.  If CamJazz other releases are of this quality, I'll definitely put them on my watch list.

The second selection is Jim Vivian Sometime Ago.  John Abercrombie  joins the Canadian bassist and leader as online reviewer Stuart Broomer states, "This session, led by bassist Jim Vivian, was recorded in Toronto in 2016 following a series of performances at Jazz Bistro. Five of the tracks are trio performances with drummer Ian Froman; three tracks add tenor saxophonist Mike Murley. It’s eminently listenable music, low-key modern jazz that possesses depths and details that reward close attention. Abercrombie, Vivian and Froman weave complex webs of subtly inflected lines, often on jazz standards."  I totally agree with the review. Again, the international appeal of jazz shines through.  I hope to visit Toronto soon, and plan to pay a visit to the Jazz Bistro, if it is still there.

Today had nice enough weather for us to take a walk in the park, and it was nice to return home to an afternoon snack, while enjoying these two CDs.  Hope you find time to enjoy some good tunes, also.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Pat Metheny, Philippe Kahn with John Abercromie

This second Sunday Music Music Muse Day of the year, finds me enjoying warm tune on very cold winter day.  Pat Metheny Day Trip helps warms the day.  This is a trio outing with Christian McBride on bass, and Antonio Sanchez on drums, released on Nonsuch Records in 2008.  Consisting of all Metheny compositions it's a solid CD, but I admit none of the tunes really stand out, except the tune the Red One which I remember from a John Scofield and Pat Metheny LP, I Can See Your House From Here. That said, I'm sure the music will grow on me.  The cover art paintings by Josh George, is very worth checking out.

My next selection is one of those picked up for the side musicians rather than the leader, flutist  Philippe Kuhn Walkin' on the Moon. This 1991 release on Pacific High Productions (indie label, I guess) features the late John Abercrombie on guitar, Peter Erskine on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, and several other name players.  It a pleasant enough CD, but again it not a stand out offings.  Reading the liner note the Kuhn heart seem to be in the right place. Again, I'll give this more listenings before giving up on it.

Winter is here, so try to warm and healthy.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day Larry Coryell, Johb Abercrombie, Badi Assad, and Pat Metheny.

This post-Thanksgiving Sunday Music Muse Day finds me recovering from overeating at the family holiday dinner. All the leftovers are gone, thanks to college kids home for the holidays.  But the four days off from work allowed a lot time for music.  First up, Larry Coryell, Badi Assad and John Abercrombie Three Guitars. This is a wonderful CD featuring two late great guitarists, Coryell and Abercrombie, teaming with a rising young Brazilian Badi Assad, a guitarist/composer/singer/flutist/body-percussionist (not sure what that is) recorded in 2002.  Although Coryell had met Assad during a concert in Miami, this acoustic guitar set was their first recording together, and John Abercrombie's. In the liner notes Abercrombie remarked his first thought when asked to do join the session was he had to practice on acoustic guitar since he hadn't touch one in three years.  Each artist contributed compositions to the session.  It's nice to hear pieces of Abercrombie's (I'm more familiar with) in this new context. His practicing was well worth it. 

My second selection is another favorite guitar/musician who thankfully is still with us, Pat Metheny Orchestrion is a concept CD of music basically in the tradition of player pianos and larger instrument arrays in the late 1800s and 1900s called orchestrions, but taken to the extreme.   This a studio session of music Metheny did as part of film/live performance project.  It an interesting to note the music hold up without the visuals. Pat Metheny's talent as a composer comes is highlighted in every tune.

Here is the cover of first project, The Orchestrion Project

All those CDs are worth seeking out. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Enjoy.