Jazz reborn

Oh man - I can't believe I missed John Scofield in town. One of my favorite jazz shows ever was his band at Yoshi's touring the This Meets That album, so he had a small horn section there as well.

Recently saw a couple of newer jazz bands come through -- Nate Smith at the New Parish in Oakland and Yussef Dayes at the Independent in SF. Both were great and a different vibe than typical seated jazz lounge setup. Good to see younger folks get into jazz through this newer generation of musicians.

 

I saw Grant Green mentioned somewhere and I can’t find the post, but thank you for whoever recommended him. I just picked up two albums on vinyl, Idle Moments and Latin Bit, both awesome!! The latter is below…

 

I first heard him live in the Dave Holland Quintet (at the sadly gone Painted Bride in Philly). I like his energy and tightness, no messing around. Trying to remember the last time I heard him, I know it was at SFJAZZ before the pandemic, but I can't reconstruct the rest of the band from memory.

 

Cuniform album of the week(end) is a really good one:

https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/beating-the-teens-songs-of-steve-lacy

Use discount code "FIVE" to get it half off.

 

Just got Mary Halvorson's latest album Amaryllis, Nonesuch via Bandcamp, I can't have enough of it.

 

Listening to Pale Horizon by Spencer Zahn, reminds me of the mellow side of 70's Keith Jarrett, gentle piano with upright bass.

 

Not sure why this got a dislike. This album has gotten the most listens from me of any new album purchase in a long time. It's a creative, at times beautiful and at times funky beautifully recorded tribute to Steve Lacy.

 

Quick find as I was letting the algorithm guide me

 

Thanks to Jazztrail.net and Qobuz, learned of an amazing pianist and bandleader from South Africa that I should have known about. Listen, please.

 

Dannie Richmond - Drum Solo
full performance below


Charles Mingus Sextet, at the Konserthuset Stockholm, Sweden, April 13th, 1964 (Colorized)

 

Poinciana (live) Ahmad Jamal & Yusef Lateef

 

The Great Foat Group

 

Recent Bandcamp notables, something for everyone, from straight-ahead to free.

https://taoforms.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-without-airs
https://intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/release-24bit-hi-res-96khz
https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-midsummer-odyssey
https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/nearness
https://aaronparks.bandcamp.com/album/volume-two
https://tyshawn-sorey.bandcamp.com/album/mesmerism
https://gordongrdina.bandcamp.com/album/pathways

 

Thanks for this. I was a big fan of Allison Miller when she was playing with Ani DiFranco, but I had no idea what she'd been doing since.

 

Check out also some of her other Bandcamp albums, like "Glitter Wolf."

 

More Bandcamp recents worth a listen:

https://sunnysiderecords.bandcamp.com/album/meditations-on-mingus-2
https://asthesethingshappen.bandcamp.com/album/these-things-happen
https://lecoqrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-jon-cowherd-trio-pride-joy
https://russlossingsunnyside.bandcamp.com/album/folks
https://miguelzenon.bandcamp.com/album/m-sica-de-las-am-ricas

 

I put this in one of my Bandcamp lists, but it deserves a signal boost -- as intense, surprising, enveloping, imaginative, as any jazz I've heard in the last year:

https://jazztrail.net/blog/kirk-knuffke-trio-gravity-without-airs-album-review
https://taoforms.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-without-airs

The one competitor that comes to mind was the also mind-and-ear-bending SFJAZZ gig of Ambrose Akinmusire's new "Owl Song" ensemble with Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley.

 

Roon/Qobuz recommendation that was a good surprise. I knew JD Allen drew a lot from the blues, but I did not realize that he went down to the roots from time to time. With Charlie Hunter, Gregg August, and Rudy Royston's "Americana, Vol. 2" starting with "Up South." The blues are also jazz. Loving it!