Sunday Music Muse Day - Passing of Wayne Shorter

This Sunday Music Muse day, is a solemn one, as we mourn the passing of Wayne Shorter, the legendary jazz saxophonist, who musical legacy will live on forever.  Like many other fans, I’ve be sampling and listening to selected music from his long and celebrated career. My selections nearly scratch the surface.  I admit, I used Wayne’s stature to counter any statement that Kenny G played jazz saxophone. To his family, friends, and band mates, past and present, i add my humble condolences.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Record Store Day, Wes Montgomery, Miles from India, Cassandra Wilson

This Sunday Music Muse Day follows the annual Record Store Day celebration.  I did my bit by picking up this 10" vinyl LP, Wes Montgomery and the Montgomery-Johnson Quintet.  Of course, I love the music, a 1955 session produced by Quincy Jones.  The retro cover art is a big plus.

I also picked up two CDs with the common tread of Miles Davis music.  First is Miles from India - A Celebration of the Music of Miles Davis. It's 2 CD set that is a collaboration between foremost Indian musicians and former Miles Davis band members, including Ron Carter, Chick Corea, Pete Cosey, Mike Stern, and even John McLaughlin on one cut, he wrote specifically for the recording.  It's interesting to hear this cross-cultural project and marvel it how Miles's strong influence show through.

The next Miles influenced pick is Cassandra Wilson Traveling Miles.  It's a 1999 CD of Miles Davis-inspired songs with words and music by the talented jazz songstress. I'm not big on vocal normally, but I like earthy quality of Cassandra Wilson's voice.   Although she is labeled as a jazz singer her past albums has her interpretations of Rock and Folk  tunes.  This is a nice tribute to Miles. On a side note:  this seems to be a pre-release promo CD. The interior-cover is full of publicity info.  A small look behind the curtain of the music business. 

Plus, I found a different cover for the final release, and it included a photo of Wilson recreating classic Miles cover.

It seems spring has finally arrived with the first sunny day in weeks. It made record hunting a pleasure. Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day (one day late) Miles Davis, Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People, Andy Summers, Larry Coryell, Tom Coster and Steve Smith

Here's my Sunday Music Muse Day post, a day late (which was supposed be posted last month), but not a pound short, in the music department.  The post-Thankgivings weekend was full with family obligations, nothing bad, just a lot of running around. I did get to pick some new music on the Record Store Day, on Friday, and the Shop Local Business Day on Saturday.
First up, Miles Davis Circle in the Round.  This 2 CD set spans 1955-1970, and highlights Miles transition from acoustic post-bop to just before the electric fusion of Bitches Brew. I had to double check if I had this, and I didn't. So, it nice to full another gap in Miles music timeline in my collection.

Next is Gerry Gibbs & Thrasher People Weather or Not. Drummer Gerry Gibbs leads a trio with Alex Colins on keyboards, and Hans Glawischnig on basses on this 2 CD set, with covers of Weather Report tunes on the first disc , and Gibbs originals on the second.  I heard their version of Teen Town on my Jazz90.1 radio station months ago and have been on the look out for this since.  I like the band's take on the Weather Report tunes, so does Peter Erskine, Weather Report drummer, as he wrote in liner notes: "Here is a unique reading of Weather Report's music that is totally fun to listen to."  You can't get a better recommendation than that.

 

My next pick also has a cover concept to it, Andy Summers Peggy's Blue Skylight.  This is the former Police guitarist interpretation of the music and lyrics of jazz legend Charles Mingus.  The larger than life Mingus wasn't just a premiere bassist and band leader but a author.  I read his autobiography, Beneath the Underdog: His World as Composed by Mingus. (1971) it's really intense and inspiring.  It definitely may have inspired Andy Summer to this, which includes lyrics and poetry by Mingus.  Summers has done other CDs. of jazz legend's music like Thelonious Monk.  After leaving the Police he has shown has jazz roots to the fullest.

My final selection is Larry Coryell, with Steve Smith, and Tom Coster Cause and Effect.   This is loose, fusion session, with Smith (Journey) on drums and Coster (Santana) on Keyboards.  According to a online review, "Most of the numbers here were made up in the studio as the players jammed. Consequently, the spontaneity is obvious, and the trio has a lot of fun letting out all the stops"  That sort explains my first impression in finding this set unfocused.  But, it is the late Larry Coryell, so it was worth a listen.

So, that's it.  More tunes enjoy as the holidays and cold weather rolls in.  There is nothing like good music warm the heart and keep the spirits up.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Miles Davis, Tony Williams's Lifetime, John Scofield Band, and Patrica Barber.

Happy Sunday Music Muse Day.  This week features some favorite artists that I thought I have the albums of, but in fact, I didn't.  Case in point, Miles Davis Sketches of Spain, a re-issue CD of the classic LP with music arranged and conducted by Gil Evans.  I really thought I had the LP.   I know I heard the music.  I'm thinking I might have borrowed it from the Lincoln Center Music library years ago in NYC. Actually in reading the liner notes for the CD, I might have still bought this because it contains four tracks not on the original LP, plus it has a informative booklet with nice photos of the recording session.

Second, is another CD that I thought I had the LP but, I checked, and I don't.  Tony Williams Lifetime Emergency, a CD of the milestone 2 LP set, with John McLaughlin on guitar, and Larry Young on organ.  This is the group Tony left Miles to form, and interestingly John Mclaughlin  turned down Miles' offer to join his group to join Lifetime, instead.  Another interesting note was the that the original recording was consider by all as "badly botched" with "poor balance and rampant distortion".  Many felt that it add an "raw edge" to it.  This CD was re-mastered in an attempt to, as engineer Phil Schaap states, "getting the audio presented here up to its meager but acceptable level".   As it shows the birth of Jazz Fusion (for better or worse) the rawness offer authenticity.

Next is another favorite guitar of mine, John Scofield Band Uberjam.  There's not much I can say about this except that John is having a fun time playing fusion that mixes a lot of different influences in an interesting way.  Just by the cover art (Hessdesignworks.com) you can tell this is not a straight ahead jazz session.

Last is the jazz songwriter, pianist, and bandleader, Patrica Barber, Mythologies. According to allmusic.com, "in 2003 ...received a Guggenheim fellowship to create a song cycle based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.  ( Barber )has taken the heart of Ovid's text (he was a Roman poet doing his own intertextual take on Greek mythology) and created 11 pieces, each based on one character in his cycle. She's in turn written a different piece -- in style, linguistic content, and feel -- for each character she was drawn to" The site goes on to call this Barber's masterpeice. I enjoy her music, but she can be pretentious at time.  That said I  have several of her CDs and like her enough to try more.

I also, shuck in so Brazilian music this weekend to mark the start of the Rio Olympics.  But I cover those before.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - MIles Davis, Gary Burton Quintet, John Stowell Michael Zilber Quartet.

After a break for a family vacation, I'm rested and back for another Sunday Music Muse Day with a little catching up to do.  First up is another Miles Davis Aura.  I have the LP, but I can't resist buying the CDs for convenience, since I only have my turntable connected to my computer, which I did when I planned to digitize my record collection, but I give up on that idea.  According to Wikipedia, "Aura is a concept album by Miles Davis, produced by Danish composer/trumpeter Pelle Mikkelborg, released in 1989. All compositions and arrangements are by Mikkelborg, who created the suite in tribute when Davis received the Leonie Sonning Music Prize in December 1984, the year Decoy was released."  It interesting that with the exception of guitarist John McLaughlin, acoustic bassist Niels Henning Oersted Pederson, and Mikkelborg, and all the players are unknown to me.  Mikkelborg I knew from several ECM records with guitarist Terje Rydal, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.  Of course, the playing of Miles is the focus.

Next up is the Gary Burton Quintet, Dreams So Real - Music of Carla Bley.  As sub-title this a collection compostions by famed composer and band leader Carla Bley.  The quintet features Mick Goodrick on six-sting electric guitar and Pat Metheny on electric 12-string guitar.  Steve Swallow on bass, Bob Mose on drums, and Gary Burton Vibraphone. This is classic, highly rated recording, well worth a listen.

My last selection is the John Stowell Michael Zilber Quartet - Live Beauty.  This is live club date and it really has the nice small jazz club feel to it.  I have several early recording of guitarist John Stowell, from 1970s, in duets with bassist David Friesen.  Stowell just fell off my radar for many year.  But I did come across on him again recently.  Saxophonist Michael Zilber is new to me, but the pairing works very well.

I have a slight back log of CDs, but I'll limit this post to these three.  Enjoy.