Mingus and Play Yourself
Most all Jazz fans have heard Charles Mingus’ coined phrase, “Play Yourself” and have an idea of what he was trying to get across. Mingus had a very temperamental personality that spilled over onto his musical recording direction, when in the studio and even during his live sets. during recording his compositions. The combination of his upbringing along with the complexity of his tunes has much to do with it. There was never any doubt concerning his portfolio. He was
Freddie Hubbards hidden gem Here To Stay
It wasn’t too long after his 1960 debut album, “Open Sesame” that Freddie Hubbard would become a household name in the Jazz community. Yes indeed, within a two-year span he managed to record seven albums, all gems. Along with “Open Sesame” you have “Goin’ Up,” “Hub Cap,” “Ready For Freddie,” The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard,” Hub-Tones” and this “Here to Stay,” the least appreciated of them all, in my opinion. Every Jazz disciple is very familiar with the common practice
Klook and Francy
Kenny “Klook” Clarke and Francois “Francy” Boland are considered the pioneers of the “modern” Jazz big band. Their sexy cool sound had a fresh youthful upswing that complimented and supported the upcoming early 60’s European generation. Just as the ones before and after them, they did not want anything to do with that traditional big band Jazz music. I should explain a little more of what was then occurring in the Jazz world. Jazz in the ’60s was exceptional and
Wayne Shorter Abandoned Back-to-Back Masterpieces
All Jazz fans know very well, Wayne Shorter’s most notable years as a leader and when he came into his own was the 60’s. So then why were two of his masterpiece recordings completely abandoned and held back for 14 to 15 years? It’s a total mystery to me, no logical reasoning could honestly convince me, in any way, for me to accept the course Blue Note took in this particular case. It’s not fair for the listeners in any
Reaching the Depths of Ones Being
Art Blakey’s 1964 recording of “Free For All” could be the perfect example of getting down “To the Core” and reaching the “Depths of One’s Being.” One may ask how a quintet of Jazz musicians could confidently display such a powerful ability to open their inner soul through music and directly communicate it over to the listener. Yes, it’s amazing how “human” Jazz music is and how the complete spectrum of human emotions could be accurately communicated through musical instruments.
A Truly Historical Day for Jazz
It amazes me just thinking how surreal this image would have seem to a Jazz fan like me if I had viewed it when it was made public on the 1959 January edition of Esquire magazine. For a Jazz fan who was born during or shortly after this picture was taken “63 years ago,” this image is still surreal. It was this amateur photographer, Art Zane who made it all happen, he had the right “connections” to gather 57 Jazz
The Compromising Combination of Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson
The combination of Kenny Dorham on trumpet and Joe Henderson on Tenor Sax was very successful in adding an additional modern cool to Jazz in the very beginning of the ’60s. They teamed up with their exceptional musical talents and gifted composing capabilities to record SIX classic albums together in a two-year span, 1963-64. They blended just right although there was an almost 13 year age difference between them. Kenny Dorham was a well-known force in the Jazz community and
The Red Garland 1957 Quintet Extraordinaire Recordings
In 1957 Red Garland put together a killer quintet that proceeded to record four classic recordings in a row from the month of March to December. These masterpieces were “All Mornin’ Long,” “Soul Junction,” “High Pressure,” and part of “Dig It! It’s interesting to note by taking a good look at Red Garland’s discography, he primarily recorded as a leader in a trio setting with Paul Chambers on Bass and Art Taylor on Drums. Despite being part of incredible classic
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