Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

Catching Up With You

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From time to time, Rifftides asks readers to send information about the music they turn on, and vice versa. It has been more than five years since we canvassed you about what you’re hearing. It’s time. Here is a variation on the introduction to the original 2006 survey:

The Rifftides staff is interested in what our readers around the world are listening to. Please take a moment to send a message with your name, your location and brief information about the most recent music on your smartphone, CD player, tape deck, 8-track, iPod, wire recorder, turntable or cylinder machine. Many of you listen to a wide range of music that the rest of us would like to know about. Don’t worry about genres or eras; who needs pigeonholes? We will keep track of your responses and compile a report when we have a sizeable list.

The last time we did this, it took extensive post-production work to get all of the responses published, but it was worth it. Part of the staff is saying, “Oh, no, not again,” but they’ve been overruled. To send your choice or choices, please use the Comment box at the bottom of the main column.

I’ll get the ball rolling.

Dayna Stephens, Gratitude (Contagious Music)

Tenor and baritone saxophonist Stephens follows up his intriguing 2014 Peace with the same distinguished supporting cast: guitarist Julian Lage, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland. This time, with the exception of Billy Strayhorn’s “Isfahan,” the menu is not standard songs but compositions by Lage, Pat Metheny, Aaron Parks, Olivier Manchon, Rebecca Martin and others. Currents of sonic and harmonic adventure flow through the relaxed atmosphere of a satisfying collection.

Doug Ramsey,
Yakima, Washington, USA.

You’re next.

Comments

  2. On the CD player: The Film Music of Ralph Rainger Thanks for the Memory the Chuck Berghofer Trio with Jan Lundgren, Joe La Barbera, with guest Sue Raney; wonderful CD. I love movie tunes, and when I hear “Love in Bloom,” I remember my favorite comic, Jack Benny! (Might have heard about this from your blog!). On the record player: Van Morrison Saint Dominic’s Preview, still a great record. Can’t say that rock and roll was ever great, but there are some great records from that period, and I’m still a big Van Morrison fan. Been listening recently to True Flight, Victor Rendon, Latin Jazz, really a fine album. Also, been listening to Stacy Sullivan with Jon Weber, Stranger in a Dream, tribute to the wonderful Marian McPartland, a very interesting tribute. Big fan of Marian McPartland, like Gene Lees and you, one of my music teachers

  3. I’ve been listening to Stan Getz since I was 14 and over the years have bought everything he recorded. I can’t pick a favorite but if I had to it would be Focus. Lately I’ve been listening to Warne Marsh meets Gary Foster, a Japanese import from years ago, released on LP only

  5. Tomeka Reid—Tomeka Reid Quartet

    Dave Douglas—Brazen Heart Live at the Jazz Standard

    Murray, Allen and Carrington Power Trio, both the record and this great video from Winter JazzFest 2015.

  6. All over the space/time continuum:

    MIchael Formanek
    & Ensemble Kolossus,
    “The Distance” (ECM)

    Ornette Coleman,
    “Sound Gramnar”
    (Harmolodic)

    Stan Getz/Bob Brookmeyer,
    “Recorded Fall 1961”
    (Verve)

    Bob Brookmeyer,
    “7 x Wilder”
    (Verve)

    Willie Nelson,
    “God’s Problem Child ”
    ( Legacy)

    John Abercrombie,
    ” The 39 Steps”
    (ECM)

    Benny Goodman
    “The 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert”
    (Columbia Legacy)

  7. Tonight the vinyl was Sonny Rossi, Phineas Newborn Jr., Tal Farlow, Frank Rehack, Plas Johnson, Frank Socolow, and Marvin and Johnny. All original pressings with my favorite 3 listening friends…… pop, hiss and click. Too good!

  8. I am catching up on my CDs and cassettes and on You Tube –as ever — with Toots, Thielmanns, Richie Kamuca and of course Al & Zoot and Jimmy Rowles. (Note: all departed). My DVD player (in this desktop PC) is busted. If I had one I would play and re-play my numerous DVDs of the I-hope-immortal Claudio Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra.

  9. I’ve been listening to Joe Marsala’s recordings as collected on the long gone “Chronogical Classics” series from France. Chicagoan Marsala shared a liquid and sometimes gritty sound similar to Pee Wee Russell that also reflected Marsala’s love of Jimmie Noone. Marsala’s records as a leader are among the best small band swing and pre-bop recordings of the era (1936-45) with excellent side players including Bobby Hackett, Buddy Rich, Eddie Condon, Dizzy Gillespie and the amazing harpist Adele Girard. I’d read about these records for years but never had then all in one place. Recommended!

  10. I’m a regular reader of Rifftides from Toronto , Canada.
    Just purchased from iTunes the Savoy Volume 1 CD. Listen to WKCR (mainly Phil Schaap) and KUCR, on Saturday’ a.m. WCDB Albany and BBC 3 Jeff Smith’s program.

    I’ve put a link to the Toronto Duke Ellington Society of which I am a member for your interest.

  11. I am listening to the just-released CD, “Wild and Free,” on Hi Note. It is a live recording of Mark Murphy’s 1980 gig at the Keystone Korner and includes various songs from throughout his career at that point, as well as a few which, to my knowledge, were never recorded for a studio album. This is Murphy at his strongest artistically: by this time his voice had developed some grit but become a more flexible and expressive instrument. Plus his phrasing and sense of the dramatic is in full evidence during his performance of “Body and Soul,” which I feel is even more compelling than the one he recorded for Muse in the 1970s.

  12. Perk Up by Shelly Manne, a Concord LP release of a session done for Atlantic, but never released by it. With Conte Candoli, Frank Strozier, Mike Wofford and Monty Budwig. By Shelly’s last great quintet, IMO.

    Hobe Sound, Florida.

  13. David Liebman & Nancy Reed-“Neighbors” (Vectordisc 021)

    The two headliners supported by Phil Markowitz (P), Bill Goodwin (D) and Steve Gilmore (B) cover and do more than justice to a host of great tunes by Jobim, Legrande, Rowles and Mandel, just to mention a few, sung superbly by Ms. Reed. Available on Amazon

  14. TO ONE SO SWEET STAY THAT WAY: Hank Mobley In Holland (Nederlands Jazz Archief). From the Treasures of Dutch Jazz Series comes this more than welcome edition of a 1968 visit to the Continent from the under-appreciated tenor man. A triad of concerts are heard: Three tunes (Summertime/Sonny’s Tune/Airegin) from the Theatre Bellevue in Amsterdam on March 20th and five numbers at Jazzclub B-14 in Rotterdam on March 29. Sandwiched between them are a pair of titles (I Didn’t Know What Time It Was/Twenty-Four And More) of a rare appearance of Mobley with the Hobby Orkest Big Band. These were taped at the VARA studio in Hilversum on 28th of March. Acceptable sound, neat graphics and astute annotation in a thick cover booklet make this a prized addition to the Uptown label’s 2-fer of Newark 1953 regarding Mobley’s live archive.

  15. Kurt Rosenwinkel Caipi, endlessly singable melodies with Kurt”s unique way of harmonically dressing them. One of those records that gets better over time as you hear it.

  16. In my 6-play CD unit: Chubby’s Back, Chubby Jackson’s Big Band, 1957, Duke Ellington’s Jazz Violin Session, (Asmussen, Grappelli, Nance), 1963-Ahmal Jamal,The Complete Collection, Part One, 1951-59, discs 3,4-Frank Wess Quartet, (Flanagan, Eddie Jones, Bobby Donaldson), 1960-Lester Young, Washington, DC, 1956, Vol.5. In my car: Paul Desmond. Easy Listening.

    Bob Russell, Kennebunkport, ME, age 85

  17. This week:

    Dave Pell Jazz For Dancing and Listening (Fresh Sounds)
    10 late 1930’s Woody Herman Decca 78’s recently acquired on E-Bay
    Joe Castro Lush Life A Musical Journey (Sunnyside)
    Ernestine Anderson Four Classic Albums (AVID Jazz)
    The Hot Club Of San Francisco John Paul George & Django (Hot Club Records)
    The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions of Ike Quebec (Mosaic)
    2Cellos Score (Sony Masterworks)
    The Beatles/1962-1966 (The Red Album) (EMI Records)
    Stuff Smith Late Woman Blues (Storyville)
    Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim (Nonesuch)
    Copland Appalachian Spring – Hear Ye! Hear Ye! (Naxos)
    Frank Sinatra In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (Capitol Records)
    Ferit Ordman Dameronia With Strings (Equinox Music And Entertainment)
    Eddie Condon & Bud Freeman Complete Commodore and Decca Sessions (Mosaic)
    Classic 1936-1947 Count Basie & Lester Young Studio Sessions (Mosaic)

    Pat Goodhope
    ‘Avenue C’ Wednesdays 9 – 11PM Eastern
    University of Delaware Public Radio
    91.3FM and online at WVUD.org

  18. Listening to jazz from across the shore a lot more these days thanks to downloading and subscribing. Bands and people I love: Phronesis, Michael Wollny, Tim Garland, Gwilym Simcock, Kit Downes, Mammal Hands, Jasper Hoiby, Pablo Held and Nat Birchall That’s just a start. Phronesis especially has become my favorite working group. Check out Alive (Edition, 2010) and see why.

  19. Miles Davis Quintet LIVE in Europe 1967 presents the second great quintet of Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Ted Williams playing music of great intelligence, spontaneity, and sophistication as they make their way from Antwerp to Copenhagen to Paris.

    Peter Straub, Brooklyn, NY, USA

  20. Greetings Doug. Carol and I are currently listening to cds by Scott Hamilton/ Jeff Hamilton trio, Mimi Fox, Ken Peplowski and The Berlin Phil. playing Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe on our home system and Terry Gibbs Dream Band in the car. There is always music in our lives one way or another. It’s great to read your posts daily and the Desmond bio. Cheers

  22. I’ve been listening this month to:
    1. Bobby Womack, “The Womack Live” on Stateside/Capitol. A great singer guitarist over the years in American Soul music.Innovative singer who was also a great writer and guitarist. The triple threat.

    2. Zoot Sims “Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel” on JVC XRCD / Warner Bros. This CD has been killing me for weeks. It makes me happy, it makes me sad and near tears. Zoot has a way of opening up my emotions. Hard to believe, given the strength of his playing on this wonderful recording , that he died only a year later.

    3. Weather Report. on Legacy/Columbia The first eponymously titled LP and this: “The Legendary Live Tapes, 1978-1981 on Legacy/Columbia. Much better than I remembered. I think they were better earlier rather than later but a great working band.

    4. Brubeck and Desmond.Desmond and Brubeck. Just about everything.

    5. Hampton Hawes w/Charlie Haden. “As Long As There’s Music” I’ve always loved Hawes and I think Haden did as well. It shows on this recording. Someone on this list talked about this one and I’m in their debt! Thanks….

    6. Smokey Smothers. “Sings the Back Porch Blues” A reissue of a classic (OK in nerdy blues scholar circles it’s a classic) session on King Records in Cincy..reissued by Ace Records in the UK. The great Freddie King on second guitar. It’s the stuff you might have heard on Maxwell St. in Chicago back in the day. Wonderful.

    7. Billie Holiday. The Columbia box set. Her phrasing is to die for. I borrowed the box from a friend and I don’t want to give it back. Will have to buy it. They say there’s a lot of inferior material she was forced to record on this set but man o man…she can make it ALL sound like prime material from the pen of Gershwin.

    (Thanks to Doug for this indispensable blog)

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