Recorded Jazz in the 20th Century: A (Haphazard and Woefully Incomplete) Consumer Guide by Tom Hull Copyright © 2016 Tom Hull - 2 Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................................1 Individuals..................................................................................................................................................2 Groups....................................................................................................................................................121 Introduction - 1 Introduction write something here Work and Release Notes write some more here Acknowledgments Some of this is already written above: Robert Christgau, Chuck Eddy, Rob Harvilla, Michael Tatum. Add a blanket thanks to all of the many publicists and musicians who sent me CDs. End with Laura Tillem, of course. Individuals - 2 Individuals Ahmed Abdul-Malik Ahmed Abdul-Malik: Jazz Sahara (1958, OJC) Originally Sam Gill, an American but with roots in Sudan, he played bass with Monk but mostly plays oud on this date. Middle-eastern rhythm and tone, topped with the irrepressible Johnny Griffin on tenor sax. An interesting piece of hybrid music. [+] John Abercrombie John Abercrombie: Animato (1989, ECM -90) Mild mannered guitar record, with Vince Mendoza writing most of the pieces and playing synthesizer, while Jon Christensen adds some percussion. [+] John Abercrombie/Jarek Smietana: Speak Easy (1999, PAO) Smietana is a Polish jazz guitarist, a leader of several groups and co-leader of the Namyslowski-Smietana Quartet (which may not mean much to you, but I consider Zbigniew Namyslowski's Winobranie to be one of the outstanding avant- garde jazz albums of the '70s). Abercrombie, of course, is a household name by now. The two guitar line-up (plus bass and drums) works like a charm here: both have sensible things to say, and they fill in nicely around each other. [+] Rabih Abou-Khalil Rabih Abou-Khalil: Tarab (1992, Enja) Oud, with Selim Kumar (nay), Glen Moore (bass), Nabil Khaiat (frame drum), Ramesh Shotham (South Indian drums). His records are exotic enough that they stand out as a unique category, and so consistent that they sort of blend into each other. You can think of the oud as a guitar -- it can play lead lines, but more often than not it slides back into the rhythm. The nay (as it's spelled here; ney is the spelling I most often run across) is somewhere between an end- blown flute and a clarinet -- a frontline instrument, but not an especially strong one. Very appealing record, although much of it runs together. One cut that stands out is "Orange Fields," but its successor hangs in there too. The final cut, "Arabian Waltz," climaxes. [9] Rabih Abou-Khalil: The Sultan's Picnic (1994, Enja) A larger group this time: Howard Levy (harmonica), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Michel Godard (tuba, serpent), Steve Swallow (bass), Mark Nauseef (drums), Milton Cardona (conga), Nabil Khaiat (frame drums). The extra musicians can make this more complex, but they don't change the fundamental equations. The more western instrumentation has mixed results -- the big loss is the subtlety of the ney. But Mariano gets in some good solos, and I never complain about tubas. Overall, a shade less interesting than Tarab or Blue Camel, but that's a rather marginal distinction. [+] Muhal Richard Abrams Muhal Richard Abrams: Afrisong (1975, Why Not -09) Chicago pianist, a founder and leading light of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, better known as AACM, where creative was avant-garde but imbued with the sense of advancing into new terrain; solo piano, always difficult Muhal Richard Abrams - 3 to pull off but his rhythm and enhancement work on both counts. [9] Cannonball Adderley Cannonball Adderley With Bill Evans: Know What I Mean? (1961, Riverside/OJC -11) Starts with solo piano, then Adderley's alto sax enters in a warm rush; with Percy Heath and Connie Kay, who (unlike Paul Motian) wouldn't dream of tripping the leaders up: the result is that the oft-introspective pianist flows exuberantly -- needless to say, so does Cannonball. [9] The Cannonball Adderley Sextet: In New York (1962, Riverside/Keepnews Collection -08) A bop band that swings effortlessly because they so enjoy r&b groove, but their slickness leaves a greasy aftertaste, which isn't helped by tenor sax man Yusuf Lateef's forays into exotica; a live throwaway, hard to take seriously, impossible to dislike. [5] Cannonball Adderley Quintet: Cannonball in Japan (1966, Capitol) With brother Nat (cornet), Joe Zawinul (piano), Victor Gaskin (bass), Roy McCurdy (drums). Loose, luscious, soulful hard bop in six generous servings. Scott Yanow panned this on AMG saying "strangely uninspired . just going through the motions. Perhaps they were already tired of this material or maybe it was jet lag." Huh? Nothing special, sure, but I find it hard to complain about such a good natured groove. [+] Nat Adderley Nat Adderley: Work Song (1960, Riverside/Keepnews Collection -08) Cannonball's little brother plays a lean, unpolished cornet, backed by a group that straddles Bobby Timmons' funk-groove piano and Wes Montgomery's slickened blues guitar; the irresistibly catchy title cut makes this a minor hard bop classic. [9] Nat Adderley: That's Right! (1960, Riverside/OJC) The group here backs Nat with five saxophones (Yusef Lateef also brought his flute and oboe along), but (aside from Lateef's atmospherics) none distinguish themselves: the whole thing is awash in section play and harmonic overtones, which distract from Nat's own fine playing. Busy, busy. [5] Nat Adderley: Little Big Horn (1963, Riverside/OJC) Co-credited to the Junior Mance Trio and guest guitarists Kenny Burrell and Jim Hall (who play on alternate tracks, not together): pretty easy to put together a first class group with so much talent around. The flavor is hard bop, but the pianist and the guitarists like to show off their considerable chops, and Nat can take a slow one with Jim Hall (the slower and prettier of the guitarists) and wax eloquent. [9] Airto Airto: Fingers (1973, CTI/Masterworks Jazz -11) Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and wife Flora Purim cashed in on the 1960s bossa nova craze, then hooked up with Chick Corea's Return to Forever fusion band and fell into CTI's lap; this cooks all their affections down to an unrecognizable mish mash, clunky when he tries to sing, otherwise slick or airy or incoherent. [4] Toshiko Akiyoshi - 4 Toshiko Akiyoshi Toshiko Akiyoshi: Finesse (1978, Concord) Rather straightforward trio with mainstreamers Monty Budwig (bass) and Jake Hanna (drums). Ranges from "Mr. Jelly Lord" to Edvard Grieg's "Solveig's Song," sounding much the same -- her Bud Powell influence is definitely there, but the rhythm section would rather swing, and she accommodates them. [5] Howard Alden The Howard Alden Trio: Your Story -- The Music of Bill Evans (1994, Concord) I don't have any sense for the Bill Evans songbook -- clearly he was a major figure, but it's never been all that clear to me just what he did or why it matters, and I certainly couldn't recognize any of these eleven Evans compositions. Still, Alden's guitar has much of the charm and intricacy of Evans' piano, and "special guest" Frank West warms the trio up with tenor sax and flute. Alden's easy swing has always made him one of the best of the Concord guitarists, but this has an engaging intimacy and good cheer that sets it apart. [9] The Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet: Live in '95 (1995, Arbors -04) The occasional vocals break the flow without much payoff, but the swinging instrumentals are delightful, with Chuck Wilson's alto sax or clarinet joining Barrett's trombone and Alden's silk smooth guitar holding it all together. [+] Monty Alexander Monty Alexander: Ivory and Steel (1980, Concord) The steel drum complements piano much like a vibraphone does, and gives it a further lift on the faster calypsos here. Piano is fast and sure. Not sure that this is a great idea, but at least it's an enjoyable oddity. [+] Rashied Ali Rashied Ali/Frank Lowe: Duo Exchange (1972, Knitting Factory) Short (28:39), which is a plus in music this intense. I developed quite a distaste for Ali during Coltrane's furthest-out phase, but he is rarely short of brilliant here -- so good that it makes sense to concentrate on the drums and just let Lowe's saxophone cacophony float by as background. Which the bare duo format lets you do. Not that Lowe can or should be ignored -- he more than carries his end of the deal. [9] Rashied Ali & Arthur Rhames: The Dynamic Duo: Remember Trane and Bird (1981, Ayler -2CD -04) John Coltrane died too soon for Ali, the drummer who opened up the final chapter of the Saint's life; Rhames died too soon also, which is one reason you've never heard of the nonpareil street musician, but not before shaking the rafters on these previously unheard tapes. [+] Jan Allan Jan Allan: 70 (1968-69, Phono Suecia) Granted a crown rating by the <i>Penguin Guide</i>, damn near impossible to find (got mine mail order from Sweden, and even though that sounds obvious it wasn't that easy), and just plain baffling. Overarranged, I'd say. Lots of little intricate touches -- sharp piano from Bobo Stenson and Nils Lindberg, delicate bass from Palle Danielsson, thoughtful saxophone from Bernt Rosengren and Arne Domnerus, even a little trumpet from Allan -- yet it never Jan Allan - 5 totally hangs together. [+] Henry "Red" Allen The Henry Allen Collection, Vol. 6 (1941-46, Collector's Classics -97) Seven cuts from a 1941 group with J.C. Higginbotham and Edmond Hall; seven more from a 1944 group with Higginbotham and Don Stovall; eight more from a similar 1946 group. Allen's heyday was c. 1930-32, when he was second only to Louis Armstrong at bringing New Orleans trumpet into the swing age.