Sunday Music Muse Day, Record Store Day, George Benson, Lee Morgan, and Kenny Burrell

Yesterday was National Record Store Day, when independent record shops collectively celebrate the love music shopping and collecting enjoy by music lovers of very stripe.  I visited two of my favorite shops, in my neighbor, Hi-Fi Lounge and the Bop Shop.  Both have special event.  Jazz 90.1 DJ Derek Lucas was spinning vinly at Hi-Fi Lounge, and Bop Shop have live entertainment.  Fun was had by all.  I managed to pick up a few classic CDs. First was, George Benson White Rabbit.  I think this is re-issue of his greatest known LP before he became the vocal mega-pop star with later album. 

Next is another re-issued classic, Lee Morgan Sidewinder.  The tune Sidewinder shows up on a lot of jazz compilations I have, it get play a lot on the radio, but it's still nice the whole LP (CD).

My last CD is a compilation of tracks by guitarist Kenny Burrell, Verve Jazz masters 45.  You can never have too much Kenny Burrell.  So, I'll be spending some time enjoying my Record Day picks.  Hope you found so music to enjoy, too.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gilad Hekselman, Medski Scofield Martin & Wood, Sonny Rollins

Time for another Sunday Music Muse Day.  First up, Gilad Hekselman, Homes.  Hekselman is of new crop of jazz guitarist gathering a lot to notice.  I recently featured CD that he was a quest on.  This is really solid record that his him leading a quartet, with eight of the twelve being original compositions.  Well worth picking up.

Next up is a slight disappointment.  It's Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood.  With this line up how could you go wrong?  I have several Medeski, Martin & Wood CDs and loads of guitarist John Scofield LPs and CD, plus I've seen John play several times with his own trios and quartets, and with Miles Davis back in the 80s.  But, after giving M, M & W every chance to impress me, with and without John Scofield, while listening to this CD, I finally have to admit I don't like the way they sound.  I find the tone of group harsh, and the compositions too fractured to be enjoyable.  It's like musical "in jokes", I just don't get.  This will be my last purchase of these guys.  (On the plus side, the CD package is a nice designed, three-piece fold out, diigipak  made with 100% recycled material.  That's something)

After the MSM&W CD, I cleared my music palate with Sonny Rollins classic Saxophone Colossus.  The first notes of St.Thomas always puts you in a good frame of mind.  I have that tune on many Jazz compilations, but it's great to the classic LP with features Tommy Flanagan, on Piano, Doug Watkins, on bass, and the legendary Max Roach on drums.   I  had a odd thought about another tune on the LP/CD, Strode Rode.  In the the liner notes, it states the title "Strode Rode" is in homage to Strode Lounge, a local jazz room, in Chicago.  My first thought was that it was a homage to black actor, Woody Strode, well known for his western movie roles.  But looking up Woody's movie credits most were made after this music was recorded.  But it still could be in honor of Woody riding a horse into a hotel lobby in Canada, In the 1940, when he played Canadian Football. In any case,  Saxophone Colossus lives up to its jazz classic status.

Hope every get to enjoy good music of their choosing this week, and always.

Sunday Music Muse Day - The Hudson Project, Grant Green

On this Sunday Music Muse Day, a snowy Spring day at that, I'm warming my soul with two good musical selections.  I like picking through the used CD bins in hope of finding new artists, and old favorites in new settings, and this first pick fits the latter.  The Hudson Project has several of my favorite players,  guitarist John Abercrombie, and drummer Peter Erskine, with saxophonist Bob Mintzer and bassist John Patitucci in a live set recorded in New York City for a performance/clinic tour for D'Addario Company. Each player is a talented leader in their own right.  This set has eight tunes, two by each band member.  It is a really enjoyable CD.

My second selection, offers the funky side of jazz, with Grant Green Ain't it Funky Now!  The title says it all.

These will hold me until next time.  There is a special retail event coming in the next week or so, National Record Day, Saturday, April 18.  All my CD/record stores will be having sales, exclusives, and in store events, so some good buys should present themselves.  I'll be sure to share them here.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Keith Jarrett, Ben Goldberg wtith Charlie Hunter, The Bad Plus.

During a tough personal time,  the Sunday Music Muse day is a change to take my mind off things and feel slightly more normal  First up is the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack DeJohnette,  Always Let Me Go - Live In Tokyo.  I found this ECM 2 CD set to be a little uneven to me.  Some tunes are solid, but then other are unfocused, bordering aimless doodling.  Not a great outing in my opinion, so I checked the reviews on Amazon and the CD gets ratings from 1 star to 5 stars, with plenty of disagreements.  Most who like it championed its "Free Jazz' moments,  I guess those are the moments I don't like.

Next is a CD I picked up more for the 7-string guitarist, Charlie Hunter, than the leader Ben Goldberg.  The CD is titled Go Home, clarinetist, Goldberg, wrote and co-wrote all the tune.  The All about Jazz website finds Goldbergs music, "Eclectic and loose, but with grooves that will make believers out of even the most improv-averse, Go Home is the perfect combination of music for the head, the heart...and the feet."  I'd agree with that, this a bunch of young guys exploring new sounds, and worth a listen.

Last Item is the Bad Plus "Prog".  This trio is a very progressive jazz group who likes to cover rock tunes and turn them inside-out.  As they do with Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the first track on this CD, and others.   I definitely have to be an active listener for this CD. It's not a easy-listening CD by any stretch, but well worth the challenge.

So, went I need momentary escape from current life issues, there is always music.

Sunday Music Muse Day, Joey DeFrancesco, Dextor Gordon, and Pat Metheny

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day offers a nice blend of classic Jazz sounds from well known artists.  First up, Hammond B-3 organist, Joey Defrancesco Ballads and Blues, featuring guitar legend Pat Martino on two cuts.  The Hammond B-3 is such a distinctive sound in jazz, and Joey DeFrancesco is a major force in keeping that sound alive and well in today's jazz arena.

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day offers a nice blend of classic Jazz sounds from well known artists.  First up, Hammond B-3 organist, Joey Defrancesco Ballads and Blues, featuring guitar legend Pat Martino on two cuts.  The Hammond B-3 is such a distinctive sound in jazz, and Joey DeFrancesco is a major force in keeping that sound alive and well in today's jazz arena.

Last, but no least, another Pat Metheny CD, Pat Metheny Group We Live Here.  There is always room for another Metheny offering in my collection.  He still is one of my all time favorites.  Part of that is I discovered him at the very start of his career and it's like we grew up together.  I think a lot of us may feel that way about artists we bonded with, when we were young.  You find yourself so happy they're still making good music that you enjoy.

It is a chilly cloudy day, just the thing to sit back and listen to some good tunes.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day Bill Frisell, John Scofield Trio, George Russell, and Quincy Jones revisited.

This week Sunday Music Muse is a nice collection of old favorite guitar players and two revisits to an album and music already have.  First is the eclectic guitarist "Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones" (which is the title) on bass and drums respectively.   Bill music is always so adventurous, and this doesn't disappoint.  It features one of my favorite tunes of his "Strange Meeting".  Also, this CD's cover graphics features the art of Jim Woodring, which reminds me of the old underground comic art.  Bill Frisell used used Woodring art on other CD cover, too.

Next is another guitar favorite of mine, John Scofield Trio LIVE EnRoute, featuring Steve Swallow, on bass, Bill Steward on drums.  I've seen these guys several times playing in NYC years ago.   They are definitely tight unit that's a pleasure to listen to.  I like the humorous CD graphics parody of airline safety instruction.

 The next selection is a sign of weakness on my part.  I usually try not buy CD of things I own on vinyl, unless the vinyl is in really bad shape, or the CD has bonus tracks, custom packaging, etc.  But , I couldn't resist this one because I love the title track so much.  George Russell & the Living Time Orchestra, So What.  This So What is very rocking version of the Miles Davis tune with the whole orchestra playing the Miles solo transcribed and arranged for the band.  It's nice to have easy access to this. I'm sure I'll be playing it a lot more.

 Last up, is a curious selection, in a way.  I suspected I had the music already, but not the CD cover.  Quincy Jones, The Birth of a Band Vol. 2.  As it turned out, I have a version of the music on this CD that friend make for me.  But, it's nice to have the cover art to complete the set, visually at least.  Of course, the fact that my father, Sam Woodyard, plays drums on seven of the fourteen cuts had nothing to do with my buying it.  Go figure.

 Hope every one has a good week, full of good times, and good music.  Enjoy.