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 - Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins, The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Another snowy Sunday Music Muse Day finds me warming up with these two selections.  First, Kim Richmond/Clay Jenkins Ensemble CrossWeave  With Kim Richmond on alto saxophone and Clay Jenkins on Trumpet, the ensemble includes Jeff Campbell on bass and Rich Thompson on drums. Jenkins, Campbell and Thompson later performed as Trio East, a favorite on the local Rocherst jazz scene. CrossWeave is a nice collection of originals by Richmond and Jenkins and several tunes by some jazz greats.

Next is a CD of previously unreleased tracks by The Dave Brubeck Quartet Buried Treasures,  This is a live set featuring Paul Desmond recorded in Mexico City in 1967.  It's alway worth giving this classic jazz group a listen. Included is the trademark tune "Take Five".

I need to take brief comfort in listening to music, but with the intense events playing out in the Ukraine, we can only hope the death and destruction is held to a minimum, and the state of Ukraine preveils over the Putin's unlawful invasion.  The world stands with Ukraine.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Paul Desmond, Ben Wendel.

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds the weather turning into a pleasant autumn day after a very cool, and rainy morning, yesterday. Today's selection are in the same vain, a contrast in old and new, in terms of jazz saxophonists.  First up is Paul Desmond Feeling Blue, the legendary saxophonist well known for his work with equally legendary pianist Dave Brubeck's groups. The liner notes states Paul Desmond didn't use piano players in his sessions "to avoid comparison with the Brubeck sound he helped to create".  The notes continues: "he preferred the pure sound of the guitar".  That is abundantly evident in the playing of the great Jim Hall on this compilation of sessions recorded in 1961 through 1964.  There are lot a great jazz standards played on this CD that's has fresh sounding as ever.  Prefect listening for a fall afternoon, or any time.

My second choice, is a young saxophonist,, Ben Wendel Frame. He is relatively new to me, but I have a duet,"October" with guitarist Gilad Hekselman, save on my youtube music playlist. It seems it will be included on new release of Wendel titled, The Seasons.  Twelve duet with twelve different musicians.  (I know a FB friend mentioned this CD, but I can't remember who, sorry) I'll keep an eye out for it.  Frame is fine compliment to the Paul Desmond, it's a contemporary feels with solid playing on all original tunes by Wendel, with the except of Dizzy Gillespie tune, "Con Alma", showing respect for jazz roots.

Autumn has arrived, and with falling leaves and crisp afternoon to enjoy a warm drink and cool jazz.  Sounds like a good plan to me.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan Paul Desmond Quartet, Warped Sky - Stray Cloud

Welcome to another Sunday Music Muse post.  This week offers a series of double doses of baritone sax goodness, in the person of Gerry Mulligan, on a legendary label, with a legendary producer.  First is Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi, which finds another giant of the saxophone, Stan Getz, joining Gerry Mulligan for a October 1957 session produce by Norman Granz for the Verve label.  You can't get more steeped in jazz legacy than that.  They even swapped horn on the last three tunes, so you get to hear both play tenor and baritone saxophones.  This re-release also includes tunes not on the original album. That's nice treat. I'll have to review my Jazz history, Mulligan and Getz are considered part the West Coast jazz of that period considered softer that the East coast player.  They sound good to me.

Next up is the Gerry Mulligan Paul Desmond Quartet, recorded in August of 1957.  Again, this of product of Verve, and Norman Granz. The liner notes states Mulligan and Desmond first played together when Desmond sat in with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, who Desmond famously played with, at Carnegie Hall (NYC) in 1954.  Mulligan said they formed "a natural affinity".  It wasn't until this 1957 date the that affinity was fully explored.  Lucky of all music fans it was.

Here's another original tune is part of my Warped Sky - Stray Clouds project. Warped Sky - Stray Cloud, is a combination of songs from old tapes and new renditions of original tunes written and played by me in the 1980s. Today's tune is Without You - Mystical Heart. This started are just a collection of chords. Somehow I had two different songs with the title "Without You", one with lyrics and this one without.  This video has my first complete version played against a Band in a Box backing tracking.  A feature in Band in A Box suggest song titles based on the chord and it suggested "Mystical Heart", it's not a bad title, so I added it.  Another feature is the video of the real musician playing the musical part, in this case the guitar solo. It's curious my ballads start to sound Country, which I never really like.  That may be the Band the Band tracks style. Still, it's another song off by incomplete list. For added plus I used an old illustration of mine in the video.

Enjoy, your week.

Sundy Music Muse Day - Herbie Hancock, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Dave Drubeck and Paul Desmond, and Margaret Explosion, again.

This week's Sunday Music Muse day finds me, again, happily embarrassed to feature  CDs of classic LPs the should have been in my music collection ages ago.  First, two classics by Herbie Hancock,  Maiden Voyage and Empyrean Isles.  These are solid, highly regarded sessions, of pre-Headhunter Hancock dates with many well known tunes and legendary sidemen. I'm at lost to think of reason why I didn't have the original LPs.  I do have Herbie Headhunter LP and his VSOP LP.  These are Rudy Van Gelder Edition CDs which he transferred and remastered these classic Blue Note albums with 24-bit technology.  They definitely fill another hole in my collection.  While playing Maiden Voyage, my wife asked who was playing, because she like it.  That's a sign of great music when it grabs the attention of a casual listener (in all fairness she has good taste music).

The next two selections should also have been in my music collection before now, The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out, join the other Brubeck CDs I've picked up this past year.  I do have other Brubeck LPs, but not "Time Out".  I know I have versions of tunes like "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five" on other Brubeck CDs and on some Jazz collections.  It's nice to have CD of the original session.  Brubeck and Desmond, 1975: The Duets is new to me, but I love the intimacy of it.

Just to show I'm not totally stuck in the past. I picked up another CD of the local group, Margaret Explosion, who was featured in last week's post.  They "play spacey, floating dreamscapes with smart improvisational skill" and I'm liking them a lot.

Going forward to enjoy these CDs.  Enjoy.