Sunday Music Muse Day - Wes Montgomery, Kurt Rosenwinkel Group

We're enjoying a picture prefect summer weekend here in upstate NewYork. When not outside soaking up the sunshine, a pleasant change for Rochester, I'm enjoying these 2 live CD sets from two ends of the jazz guitar spectrum.  First up, Wes Montgomery Back in Indiana Avenue, another excellent package from Resonance Records of newly discovered early recordings of the legendary jazz guitarist. The liner notes states these are some of the earliest recordings of Wes classics, like "Four on Six, which is the first cut on the CD, and a favorite Wes Montgomery tune of mine. This is a must for a lover of jazz guitar.  I highly recommend the all the Resonance Records releases of Wes and other artists.

Next up, is a one of young contemporary jazz guitarist who may have come to know Wes Montgomery through the playing of Pat Metheny or Larry Coryell.  Kurt Rosenwinkel Group The Remedy - Live at the Village Vanguard.  I've listened to several his CDs before this 2 CD live set, and I get he's a talented player, but his music doesn't grab me as memorable.  More guitar noodlings than solid compositions for my tastes.  But, he's popular and critics' favorite, so to each, his own.

With the chance of good summer weather, do yourself a favor and take in some live music.  I plan to. Enjoy

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 - ECM Editons, Wes Montgomery, Starbuck coffee shop CD

For this Sunday Music Muse day, we're finally catching a break in the weather, with no rain, or thunderstorms, of the past week. also missed posting, due to being out of town on vacation, part of which includes limited internet access.  Actually, that's a good thing to do sometimes.  When traveling I like to take a couple of jazz complication CDs along, so when we travel through a radio music waste land, we have a few good tunes to listen to. So here's what I took:
ECM Editions a collection of cuts from release, which I'm glad to say I have a lot of them.

Next, was one of those Starbuck coffee shop CDs, Jazz: Unrehearsed Perfection. This is a  Starbucks compilation of Impulse (jazz label) cuts. The second title is a Duke Ellington-Coleman Hawkin's cut, "Limbo Jazz", which has my father playing drums and vocalizing on. I picked this up a year before I found the full CD of the album.

My last travel CD was Wes Montgomery Echoes of Indiana Avenue. Actually, not really a compilation, but very tasty. So much so, I just left it in the car CD player as we cruised around Frankfort, Mi, taking in the sites, visiting family, etc.

So, I 'm back, but still on vacation allowing me plenty of time to enjoy a lot more tunes.

Sunday Music Muse Day John Abercrombie, Wes Montgomery, John Scofield, and Don Byron

This week's Sunday Music Muse day selections are actually left over from the Record Store Day event two weeks ago.  I was able to find several CDs of favorite guitarists as leaders, and as a sideman.  First up, John Abercrombie Quartet Up and Coming, his latest release on ECM.  Abercrombie is of my all time favorite musician.  Any time I see his name on a project, as leader or sideman, I'd be willing to pick it up without hearing note, I trust his music integrity that much. This CD is no exception.  Good stuff.

Next, Wes Montgomery Echoes of Indiana Avenue, another excellent collection of rare early recordings from Resonance Records. Besides the tasty tunes, the info booklet of the Resonance releases always give you an added insight the music.  In this case, a remember from Pat Martino, a guitar legend himself, who relied a moment in 1963, when he finds himself breakfasting with four other guitar giants, Wes Montgomery, Les Paul, Grant Green, and George Benson.  That is an amazing image.

My third selection is another guitar favorite, John Scofield Quartet What We Do, and what they do is Post-Bop to the max, with the aid of saxophonist, Joe Levano.  I love the way Scofield attacks the guitar with swinging edge that comes close to thinking he losing control, but he always keeps it together.

My last selection is another one chosen because Bill Frisell is the guitar player on the CD, Don Byron Tuskegee Experiment.  Overall, I'm still deciding if I'm liking the Don Byron work, although this CD gets a 4/5 star rating on the AllMusic site.  Clarinet is still not of my favorite instruments to listen to. Be I'll keep a open mind, and ears, and give it more listens.

Spring is here, but the it's cold and rainy in my neck of the woods.  But the gloomy days make perfect time settle in with these CDs.  Hope you do the same.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Wes Montgomery, Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny.

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day selections are a comparison, and a tribute.  I picked up Wes Montgomery: Road Song CD of the classic CTI album produced by Creed Taylor.  Of course this should be in every jazz lover's collection if nothing else for the title tune and the iconic album cover.  But must say I sort of prefer the small group recordings from the "Wes Montgomery, In the beginnings" collection I picked up several weeks ago.  Maybe it's the energy of the live, small club settings.  In any case, I'll be listening to them both for a long time to come.

This coming week, July 11, will be the first anniversary of the passing the great Jazz bassist, Charlie Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014).  In his honor I would like to present one of my (and my wife's) favorite recording, period, the duet outing of out of Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky.  Haden was awarded his first Grammy award for the album, for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.  That not withstanding, this CD is truly  amazing.  I can't recommend to this too highly. 

Give, and share, this with everyone you care about.  It is music for the soul, pure and simple.  Not to be morbid, but I told my wife this is what I want to be played at my wake.  The music is so introspective, and calming, and at the same time uplifting, it would be my final gift to friends and family.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Larry Coryell, Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day founds me with a over abundance of Jazz goodies to share.  So much that I'm saving half of them for next week's post to give me time to hear and digest the sweet sounds of all the CDs scored at the Hi-Fi Lounge this week.  First up is legendary guitarist, Larry Coryell - Heavy Feel, his latest release on Wide Hive Records.  Larry Coryell is, of course, a pioneering Jazz guitarist, well known for his fusion groups of the 1970's including Eleventh House and countless solo, duets, trios, and various groupings with the cream of crop of jazz musicians, from his beginning with the Chico Hamilton Quintet and Gary Burton to guitar pairings with likes of Philip Catherine (Twin House -CD), John McLaughlin, and the late Paco de Lucia.  Heavy Feel features Matt Montgomery on acoustic and electric bass, George Brooks on soprano saxophone, and Mike Hughes on drums.  This group finds Coryell playing with the same intensity and fire as his '70 fusion outings.  demonstrating the his talent is ageless and inspiring.  I joy to behold.  (Personal side note: only this week, my best friend Rodney Means attended a Larry Coryell club date in NYC, and send a selfie that looks like this CD cover)

My second CD is the classic by a guitarist who influnenced Larry Coryell and others, the great Jim Hall.  Concierto , a remastered CTI recording for CD.  This should have been in my collection a long time ago.  This is definitely a "must have" CD featuring Jim Hall on guitar, Roland Hanna on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Steve Gadd on drums, Chet Baker on trumpet, and Paul Desmond on alto saxophone.  Each member of the band is a legend in his own right.  The highlight of this outing is the 19 min:16 sec "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaguin Rodrigo which the liner note states was inspired by the Miles Davis / Gil Evan recording on Sketches of Spain.  I envision this seeing a lot of time on my CD player.

The week's last selection is not just a jazz CD purchase but Jazz education in its self.  Wes Montgomery in the Beginning, is a wonderful 2-disc set with a fantastic and informative 54 page booklet.  Wes Montgomery is a legendary Jazz guitarist, considered a seminal guitar figure coming of age after Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, and he had an immeasurable influence on countless modern jazz guitarists that followed.  I planned to spent some enjoyable time listening and reading the booklet notes to put it all in musical and historical perspective.  Well produced musical packages like this are truly a delight to own.

My thanks to Resonance Records for excellent release.  Here's short youtube video
documentary on the making of this CD package.

What a great week of music for me, and you.  I plan to enjoy every minute of it.  Enjoy.