Listenings

I've been digging into Wayne Shorter some more, since I run across so many of his tunes these days in my trip through the Real Book. I checked out Speak No Evil for Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum, as I'm in the Fs now, but hearing Wildflower again reminded me what a great tune it is. Shorter's chord progressions are endlessly challenging, but wonderful!

Lovely tune I've been working up lately. The head is actually pretty challenging to get exactly right and to remember, too. (I list Jackie McLean below as he's on the album, but I think he sits out on this track. He doesn't solo, IIRC, anyway. But the song is just ineffably cool and beautiful as all get-out.)

The whole album. That's the post.

This is an album I keep coming back to over the years. It has beautiful tunes on it, and Adams kills both tenor sax and flute on the album. Sad that they only put out a few albums (like, ten) before disbanding, but what they did put out is all stellar.

Just checking out Illinois Jacquet, finally. Love his sound and all that. He has this husky, fat tone I hear is classed as a "Texas tenor" sound. Also, on this same album, I think he is play bassoon on "Caravan." No kidding.

This is the other big thing I'm spending practice time on, with my own bari sax. (Just the first suite for now.)

One of the things I'm practicing these days. At a much slower tempo, for the moment.

Huh, y'all have been holding out on me, not telling me about Lettuce.

Years ago, a prof of mine recommended I check out Charlie Rouse and Sphere. But, like... I couldn't find much. Just sort of stumbled onto him again and, damn!

This tune is a freaking tour de force.

How have I not heard of this until now?

Gave this a listen for the first time today: Miles Davis' Dark Magus. I prefer Pangaea, myself. (I especially prefer Sonny Fortune's work there to Dave Leibman's work on Dark Magus.) Still, it has its charms...

Seeing this guy's trio play Sejong City in a few weeks! (I think it might be a different band from this, but same pianist/bandleader.) Exciting!

I had no idea that Rufus Harley had performed with Sonny Rollins! He once came to Saskatoon and played around the downtown area during the jazz festival.

Great bari sax solo by Tim McKay on this tune, which is named "Don't Fly Spirit" (as in the airline).