tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72076066683331914342012-02-04T02:36:24.714+09:00music by any other name would sound as sweettaro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-83764591738807147412012-01-22T18:42:00.004+09:002012-01-24T01:49:54.183+09:00

barabara sounds sez: More goodies from the tbm vaults, this time from pioneering jazz bass great Hideto Kanai. Laid down in 1971, his ensemble features some of the future lunimaries of j-jazz. Mine is there, so is Takayanagi and Motohiko Hino (here sharing drums duties with Hiroshi Yamazaki) among others. Even the CD reissue is well OOP, but it's the music not the rarity that makes this special. 

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-47675704996402512562012-01-10T01:32:00.002+09:002012-01-11T16:33:01.362+09:00

barabara sounds sez:What better way to groove into a new year than with Jerry Gonzalez and his fine fine Fort Apache Band. I love this take on the old Jazz Messengers numbers (plus a few extra Wayne Shorter numbers and originals). Fun factoid: Art Blakey took the name Abdullah Ibn Buhaina when he converted to Islam during his stay in West Africa, shortly after Word War II.  This album is so

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-73067513829116804582012-01-01T19:19:00.002+09:002012-01-01T19:26:19.683+09:00

barabara sounds sez:   Greetings and warmest wishes as we enter 2012, the Dragon Year. Good health and good listening in the year ahead… Here's a track — yes just the one — that is close to my heart. For sound and obvious reasons...

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-54139315602116241062011-12-24T23:20:00.000+09:002011-12-24T23:20:15.150+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Happy jazzy holidays to one and all.Perhaps Santa Doraemon has brought a small present...

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-48895536107451840562011-11-28T01:35:00.005+09:002012-01-01T19:11:02.346+09:00

barabara sounds sez: I've been on a bit of a Shepp jag recently, and this is one that's been on regular late-night rotation here at chateau barabara. Laid down in 1977 for the Denon label, it's pretty short — less then 40 minutes in all —  but oh so sweet, full of those intense, breathy notes Shepp plays so well. This is not the fire music he was playing a decade or so earlier. Check out the

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-23672886615079296472011-11-21T03:17:00.004+09:002011-11-22T08:34:16.648+09:00

barabara sounds sez:It's a fantastic name for an album, strong cover art too. And if the music is slightly underwhelming — conventional is the word used by allmusic — there's still some lovely piano trio work to be found here.  Sadik Hakim is certainly no household name, leastways, not in the barabara bailiwick, and this SteepleChase side is the only album of his I've ever come across. So I've

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-29938696936137964162011-11-18T00:35:00.007+09:002011-11-24T02:29:15.283+09:00

Sad news to hear of the passing of Michael Garrick — one of the greats of British jazz. Bacoso has posted a very fine appreciation of the man on the ever-essential Orgy in Rhythm — along with an excellent mix of Garrick's music by Black Classical.  RIP — and thanks for all that music!

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-24807437486678026982011-11-06T10:34:00.013+09:002011-11-28T10:11:37.434+09:00

barabara sounds sez:  Autumn's here: time for one of my favorite seasonal snacks. Great with beer, even better with sake, and perfect too with Toshiko's peerless big band music. This one (on Baystate from 1978) is particularly nutritious. It's a 16-piece aggregation, but they played together so much over the course of that decade that they sound like one seamless unit. There are also some great

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-16856445822414408192011-10-26T12:23:00.008+09:002012-01-24T08:33:58.188+09:00

barabara sounds sez: The great great Ferrell just finished the second of a two-night stand here. So, in honor and awe, here's a couple of his finest mid-period sides on the Theresa label. Rejoice is of course a bonafide barabara classic – just look and marvel at the outstanding line-up of musicians he has with him here – and without question cause for outright exultation. As for Journey to the

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-19967248233377325662011-10-17T08:19:00.003+09:002011-10-17T20:06:01.236+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Abbey's work from the 60s and on is probably better known, but this is a lovely early side notable for the stellar cast of musicians backing her, billed here as the Riverside Jazz Stars. I never heard Rollins sound so lyrical! At this point in her career the Billie Holiday comparisons are inevitable — but that's the finest kind of recommendation in my book. cduniverse sez:

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-8759175121157395132011-10-05T17:27:00.004+09:002011-11-06T11:04:22.817+09:00

barabara sounds sez:I don't listen to bebop too much, never have.     It's probably a generation thing – it was already over and passe by the time I discovered it. And  I was probably taking the wrong drugs anyway.   That said, I've always had lots of time for Dizzy, especially the Cuban connection, plus he was such a great showman, though I only caught him in the 70s. Though it was rather past

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-37982209909035919442011-09-26T00:32:00.006+09:002011-11-06T12:01:05.790+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Back in February of 1990, the Art Ensemble of Chicago came to town to play at the annual Tokyo Music Joy festival – and they shared the stage with Lester Bowie's side project, his Brass Fantasy. This isn't the entire concert so some continuity does get lost, but it certainly gives a great sense of what a fun occasion it was. This is from the DIW CD, which gives us three tracks

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-29163412678110153102011-09-12T07:22:00.020+09:002011-11-07T09:20:41.863+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Now! more from the TBM catalog, but this time not from my archives. Instead, it's another outstanding share from bongohito — who also contributed that awesome threesome over at Bacoso's place just recently. This was (I do believe) Imada's first album as a leader – though he recorded Maki in the same year with the same band – and it's a real corker. Side 1 gets us under way

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-12704616315460051362011-08-30T08:13:00.037+09:002011-10-05T17:54:30.609+09:00

barabara sounds sez:  Back again to the j-jazz archives. This side from Yoshio Otomo is pretty rare, and TJ (below) rates it highly. And yes, maybe it is his "most important work". But I've got to say, it's really not one of my favorites from the TBM catalog. To me it sounds about a decade out of date: Whereas his label mates are pushing the fusion/free envelope, Otomo-san has his feet planted

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-4778245274392000342011-08-16T01:52:00.010+09:002011-10-05T17:59:05.392+09:00

barabara sounds sez:David Murray laid down not four but five [see comments] albums with the same band in the same series of sessions in New York in January 1988 for the Disk Union (DIW) label. This was the second of them — the others were Deep River, Spirituals, Ballads and Tenors — and probably the most overlooked. AMG likes Spirituals best — maybe because it's the least 'out there'. It also

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-35087500182033968552011-08-07T17:15:00.008+09:002011-08-09T19:05:43.655+09:00

barabara sounds sez:  More Mal – in fact a double-header, both featuring his trio with John Betsch and Paulo Carduso, both recorded in Germany and issued in Japan on the Alfa label. No More Tears (recorded Nov.'88) is all mellow and introspective, like Mal is still feeling the grief all those years later. Whereas Spring in Prague (Feb.'90) is infused with much more vigor, reflecting the upheaval

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-3972651592522714262011-07-24T23:19:00.004+09:002011-08-17T14:44:44.381+09:00

barabara sounds sez:If you've got off on some of the recent j-jazz gems I've posted in recent weeks, then you're going to love the latest post over at Orgy in Rhythm. It's a triple helping of rare 70s sides from the legendary Japanese record label, Three Blind Mice. All three are highly recommended — especially the rare Fukumura Quintet album. It's over here: now run, don't walk!

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-1238719085895386872011-07-12T00:25:00.010+09:002011-07-18T10:07:35.207+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Sukuki is one of the j-jazz greats — and this is one of his top sessions, laid down for the TBM label in 1976. The album title is a bit of a red herring, since the only music from Black Orpheus is the first track, the classic Manha De Carnaval. That's also the standout track — but the whole of the album grooves very nicely too, thanks to Yamamoto's nifty keyboard work,

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-34139814154496731012011-07-04T00:30:00.017+09:002011-08-31T07:11:27.011+09:00

barabara sounds sez: New Herd Play John Coltrane: the album subtitle is all you need to know. And it's big, bad, big-band brilliance. Just look at that line-up; four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes. Fasten your seat belt and hang on for the ride! The three numbers on side one warm you up nicely, mixing some fine modal soloing with slick-smooth ensemble playing on those classic compositions.

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-35751202479662353362011-07-01T00:07:00.010+09:002011-07-01T11:36:43.366+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Two reasons why Art Farmer is not as well known as he should be: a) he joined the jazz diaspora in Europe, settling eventually in Austria; b) while he may have blown a beautiful horn — flugelhorn in this particular case — he didn't write much memorable material of his own. That's not a problem here, because he's taken traditional Swedish folk melodies and rendered them in very

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-29721892511636631062011-06-21T18:01:00.012+09:002011-07-04T13:00:56.220+09:00

barabara sounds sez:By request, a re-up. Better bitrate this time, and improved scans of that groovy album cover.dusty sez:A rare pre-Blue Note session from Duke Pearson – very mellow, very soulful, and with a quality that's unlike most of his later work! The album's a trio side, recorded for the Jazzline label, and it features Pearson on piano, Thomas Howard on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums –

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-44682585070593900602011-06-11T19:42:00.004+09:002011-06-27T01:37:11.186+09:00

barabara sounds sez:The great Mal in somber mood here on this late-period (1993) offering. Apart from the opening track – a fine take on Footprints featuring some nice work by Grover Washington Jr (yes indeed) – just about everything is slowed down and very introspective. Just perfect for an overcast rainy-season afternoon or in the wee hours with a bottle of good whiskey at your elbow...Allmusic

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-15593285300690693582011-06-04T01:51:00.007+09:002011-06-22T20:44:07.417+09:00

barabara sounds sez:While I’m about it here, I might as well drop the other two Sleep Walker albums: the excellent self-titled debut; and the third, the “remixes/best-of/new bits and pieces” Works. Not the first time they've been out in the blogosphere. And there's not much more I need say about these bangers – except if you've not heard them before and you like a nice bit of premium club jazz,

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-46236338680111230312011-05-29T00:35:00.011+09:002011-06-01T23:42:24.789+09:00

Sad news indeed.Of all the numbers that Gil wrote, this is the one that has been doing it for me today. But most especially this version, very late period Gil, recorded last summer in Austria. It's so topical for all of us over here — but also for all of us everywhere. How can we get over losing our minds?If you haven't already, go check out Ish's appreciation of GSH, weaving together the poetry

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-18359978876186456682011-05-22T22:16:00.006+09:002011-06-02T10:54:54.960+09:00

barabara sounds sez: There was one more track that Pharoah Sanders laid down on that same 2003 visit to Tokyo when he recorded The Creator Has A Master Plan. He sat in as a guest with the hot club-jazz combo Sleep Walker. It came out as a single in 2004, and later became the title track of their next album, The Voyage (not released till 2006). Anyway, that's my inspiration for posting it here

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-91888113595356852772011-05-19T17:40:00.007+09:002011-05-22T22:15:33.333+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Late-period Pharoah, and by this time (2003) he has mellowed substantially. The fire is muted but, like all the great players, he still has his tone and his edge.Yes, much of the album is located well in the jazz centerfield, focusing mostly on down-tempo ballads. And yes the album includes 6 minutes of outright dross that you should program out of your playlist and your life

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-91825213372239328142011-05-09T13:53:00.007+09:002011-05-09T14:36:12.912+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Fine flowing modal music from Mine and his crew (a crack team of the usual j-jazz suspects) from back in '74. This was one of Mine's first outings after switching from alto to tenor and definitely one of his best ever. Also one of the first albums on the very righteous East Wind label. The stately lyrical second track (by Kikuchi) is a standout here, sandwiched between the two

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-73808867199406328132011-04-30T00:46:00.008+09:002011-04-30T12:53:30.995+09:00

barabara sounds sez:This was a post I had planned for the beginning of this month (until seismic events intervened). Now I just want to get it up before we run into May...More Yamashita, this time with his original bass-less trio, with Nakamura Seichi and Moriyama Takeo doing the honors on sax and drums respectively. This was the last album with this line-up (before Sakata Akira took over from

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-68246076465277994782011-04-28T22:52:00.013+09:002011-04-29T03:06:12.844+09:00

The 49 days are over. Around Japan today, the bells tolled and the chanting and incense rose to the heavens. The souls of the more than 25,000 who were lost have now passed on. And it is time now for the rest of us to move on too, to get on with the work of rebuilding, the duty of living.It has been a very difficult time, even for those of us not in the areas of devastation. It has been hard to

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-57984829208388982882011-02-23T18:54:00.013+09:002011-06-04T09:53:21.539+09:00

barabara sounds sez:The one and only Kalaparusha, free and fiery, on Baystate from '77 (to be precise, recorded in NYC in May 9, 1977). This little number goes for substantial bucks for the original album, and even the reissue — which this is ripped from — is hard to get hold of now. Which is why the scans, including the art above, still have the obi and shrink wrap on.what my original post said:

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-39610625287640248822011-02-20T14:22:00.019+09:002011-05-10T22:30:59.137+09:00

barabara sounds sez: I recently dusted this gem off again and was reminded how excellent it is. Friedman's bad luck was to follow and forever be in the shadow of Bill Evans. But this set on Riverside was well received over this side of the pond (it got a record of the year award here back in 1962), and he still visits from time to time. With Israels and LaRoca backing him — apart from one solo

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-57169388612890326992011-02-15T10:19:00.000+09:002011-02-15T10:21:02.888+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Staying close to home, and more from the superb Yosuke Yamashita. Spider is one of six (I believe) he made with his New York Trio, which comprised him plus the great Cecil McBee and Pheeroan akLaff. They began playing together in 1988, and so by the time this fine set was laid down (in NYC, in June '95) they'd built up a really good understanding.The trio are in top form from

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-61417231464301457822011-02-07T11:00:00.009+09:002011-02-07T11:50:00.967+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Here's another duo out of Japan, but this time featuring piano and drums/percussion. Neither Yosuke Yamashita or Masahiko Togashi should need introduction — they're among the greats from the golden age of Japanese jazz and improvisation. This session laid down in 1980 is short (just 38 minutes) but very sweet, with some lovely inventive playing. And that is probably why this

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-77761272120090291222011-01-25T13:38:00.016+09:002011-01-31T11:45:19.297+09:00

barabara sounds sez: It's about time I posted this, the companion piece to my earlier post (back in November) of Counter Current. I'm not sure why I've held it back till now. Maybe because it's sparer, less 'straightforward' — I'm tempted to say edgy, but that would give the wrong impression — it demands more attention and grabs you in a rather different place. But it's not because I like it any

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-40590217669743706892011-01-13T01:08:00.010+09:002011-01-13T01:52:52.308+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Hidefumi Toki burst onto the scene back in the early 70s as the sax player in Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd — in fact I was reminded of this album by Katonah's great recent post of Sunday Thing over on his always essential Private Press [even though Toki didn't actually play on that one]. Before long Toki was leading his own unit, and by the time City-Toki came out in 1978 he

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-84334811655271099442011-01-03T22:48:00.013+09:002011-03-09T02:22:20.906+09:00

barabara sounds sez:It doesn't get much simpler than this: just piano and bass. But there is so much music here, with Ellington and Brown just hitting the perfect groove. I love the de/reconstructed See See Rider. But it's the second side that really does it for me, the four-part Fragmented Suite for Piano and bass. This was just about the last session Duke ever recorded. And I've got to say,

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-36133394566817791772010-12-28T17:33:00.014+09:002010-12-28T20:28:43.528+09:00

barabara sounds sez:In my book Nathan Davis can do no wrong. That said, if I had to choose a decade, I would always go for his '60s sides (such as Peace Treaty and Funny Girl) above his later works. But by anyone else's standards, London By Night — from 1987 and, yes, recorded in the UK capital over a couple of nights — is a fine album and Davis is in great fettle on his horns (soprano as well as

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-7398112757626105082010-12-25T00:07:00.004+09:002010-12-25T00:12:10.637+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Merry holidays to all my blogosphere friends — and everyone else. And for everyone in Europe (and elsewhere) stuck in the snow: stop... look... and listen! Stay warm and well!

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-3603800936347174912010-12-20T00:55:00.004+09:002010-12-20T01:52:01.473+09:00

barabara sounds sez: More big band madness as Gil embraces the rhythms of rock and fuses them with free (-ish) jazz charts. There's some really good stuff on here, especially the George Russell-penned title track, but I'm not sure it really adds up to a cohesive whole. That's probably because it's been welded together from two different sessions two years apart. Not (despite what Yawno says) a

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-18250176486736704972010-12-05T22:35:00.003+09:002010-12-06T01:16:04.370+09:00

AAJ (Mark F.Turner) sez: Recorded in New York in 2002... the ten selections were recorded with two different groups, including the talents of pianist George Colligan and bassist James Genus on one half of the tracks with pianist Andy Milne and bassist Darryl Hall on the other half. Both groups share the skills of drummer Steve Hass. Ravi bookends the set with two of his father’s compositions “26

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-83010968867281578832010-11-26T01:17:00.008+09:002010-12-01T09:59:21.355+09:00

barabara sounds sez:I don't know much about this band or this album, other than what's here in front of me: a limited edition reissue of the band's first album which originally came out in 1980. It appears they were together for a dozen years or so, made 3 or 4 albums and gigged solidly without making too much impact (except in Philly, where apparently they were 'legendary')... On some of these

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-63601982752301345552010-11-20T01:03:00.007+09:002010-11-20T01:54:53.523+09:00

barabara sounds sez: I have to say I usually spend more time looking at cowgirls than I do listening to big bands... But I definitely make an exception with Toshiko's adventures with Lew Tabackin. She handled all the arrangements; he was the featured soloist on flute and sax. And they made the kind of joyful sound I still enjoy (like a guilty secret)... Little known factoid: this album has its

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-45443239713678103632010-11-09T22:19:00.019+09:002011-01-31T11:44:43.212+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Two of the finest jazzmen from Japan's golden age of modal/fusion/free exploration. And they're still laying it down. Unlike some of their contemporaries (Sadao W. springs to mind immediately), these guys still have plenty to say. This album was one of two they cut in 2007 — this one a quintet format; the other (Edges) a duo. Both are now hard to lay hands on even here, and

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barabara sounds sez:Tubby Hayes from 1962... He's in NYC, been playing gigs down in the Village, and he goes into the studio with a scratch group of musicians, most of whom have never heard of him before.There's Walter Bishop Jr. on piano — he's the only one who's ever actually played with Tubby; the rhythm section is Sam Jones and Louis Hayes; on tenor there's James Moody (for contractual

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barabara sounds sez:I'm going to be traveling some more over the next couple of weeks. So before I clamber into my big old jet airliner, here's Yoshinori Sunahara with his retro-futuristic vision — space-flights out of Shinjuku Underground Airport, with Paris just 80 minutes away, Vancouver 90 minutes and less than 2 hours to reach Sydney.Back in 1998, The Times gave it a very generous 9/10. Now,

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barabarasounds sez:Folks over in the UK will know a lot more than me about Snowboy and this album. What I do know is that when he came through Tokyo — it was around the time this album came out — he destroyed the dance floor. The title says it all: a seamless blend of classic and contemporary, jazz and cubano and latin jazz, the insistent rhythms of Rio and Bahia, and even some afrobeat. Needless

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barabara sounds sez:I've been away recently (and will be again shortly) — but I don't need to be posting much at the moment, there's so much other good stuff out there.Currently I'm grooving on the most incredible track by Malik Yaqub, a clip posted by cinemafunk. If you read Spanish (I don't — but google translate will give you the gist) you can find all about Yaqub and his outside life around

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-76201669882944469512010-09-20T12:50:00.011+09:002010-10-13T16:09:43.790+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Another double header, this time on enja. Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti's two fine albums, featuring takes on a range of movie theme tunes (or just tunes featured in movies), aided and abetted by some top sidemen. Two separate sessions, from 1987 and 88 (though Ambrosetti's own site says a year earlier than that). I was dubious at first (after all Yawno recommends them

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barabara sounds sez: As far as most of mainstream America was concerned, Kenny Drew ceased to exist the moment he left the country in 1961. Having played with Trane (Blue Train) and all the young lions of Bluenote (check out the fine fine Undercurrent, his first album as leader), it was as if he'd fallen off the map. That was America's loss — and Denmark's gain. He became one of the pillars of

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-36284299263691543552010-09-05T17:02:00.005+09:002010-09-05T18:46:21.623+09:00

from the liner notes: 'The first take, as I recall, was "The Summer Knows". Sarah sang her heart out and I got swept up in the music too. We finished the song and I glanced around the studio and nearly all of the musicians had tears streaming down their faces, they were so moved. (Michel Legrand)barabara sounds sez: It sounds pretty damn fine now, too. On Vaughan's second album for Mainstream,

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barabara sounds sez:Wow, did/does this album ever polarize the self-styled critics...Dusty terms it important and righteous; Julian Cope is conflicted; CD Universe says it's average, respectable and inoffensive; and AMG hyperventilates, damning it as bombastic cock-rock, lumbering, leaden, warbling, a truly gross example of shtick, a faddish veneer of exotic mysticism — and then compares it to

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barabara sounds sez:A lot of people rate the early work by Dave Pike, but for me it's the MPS era that I listen to. Especially this album. The track everyone knows is Mathar, classic sitar jazz courtesy of sidekick Volker Kriegel. But there's also a lot of excellent vibes/guitar interaction throughout, like on the title track. Great vibes, in both/all senses of the word. Did I say classic? Yes,

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barabara sounds sez:A lot of people rate the early work by Dave Pike, but for me it's the MPS era that I listen to. Especially this album. The track everyone knows is Mathar, classic sitar jazz courtesy of sidekick Volker Kriegel. But there's also a lot of excellent vibes/guitar interaction throughout, like on the title track. Great vibes, in both/all senses of the word. Did I say classic? Yes,

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dusty sez:Warmly chromatic and nicely tripped out guitar work from David T Walker – laid out over some great larger arrangements from the legendary Jerry Peters! The style here is a great blend of studio jazz and soul – a completely new recasting of the role of the guitarist in the soul instrumental field, and one that's clearly inspired by the styles of CTI and Kudu, yet a bit more straight

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barabara sounds sez:Back in the early 70s the barriers were less rigid, and jazz cross-pollinated readily with blues and folk and rock. When it worked well, the results were righteous — as on this fine set which briefly saw the light of day on a limited edition private pressing. This rip is from the CD reissue: because it's still in print, I'll only keep the link up for a limited time. When it's

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barabara sounds sez: I don't listen to a whole lot of gospel, virtually none it has to be said. In fact, I have more sufi or Buddhist music in my record stacks than gospel. But this is the one exception that proves the rule. Maybe it's because I saw the classic Jazz on a Summer's Day documentary at a highly impressionable age... Just the opening does it for me: "It is Sunday and it's time for

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barabara sounds sez: The great great Mingus jamming live with an all-star cast featuring five — count them — top sax players (Hamiet Bluiett was in the Mingus band at the time; the other four were guests), not to mention the greatest stritch player that ever lived... Enjoy it! You can tell the musicians themselves did! AMG sez: Atlantic Records, somewhat perversely, chose to release two

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-522875177392143982010-07-05T14:02:00.012+09:002011-09-04T16:51:29.073+09:00

barabara sounds sez: A fantastic share dropped in the comments for King Kong by boogieman. I don't have much info about this particular album — it's from a CD reissue, but I'm guessing this is from the Jazz Ministers' heyday in the 70s, with Victor Ndlazilwana. I'll post more details as they come available. In the meantime, thanks boogieman! There's more from the Jazz Ministers over at the

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barabara sounds sez: The last of this series of S.African posts: the seminal jazz opera that launched the international careers – and extended exiles – of both Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela. This is the recording of the 1959 original cast (there was also an album from the London cast), from the CD reissue on Celluloid. It's more of an artifact than a must-listen but there are some fine tracks.

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barabara sounds sez:Who knew you could make such joyful sounds on a pennywhistle? Nobody, until Spokes came along. He even developed a whole new way of playing the instrument. This is the classic sound that emanated from the townships in those vibrant early years of S.African jazz. Yeah, I like it a lot (though I'm not so keen on that dark, dour cover)! slipcue.com sez: Bouncy South African

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barabara sounds sez:More of those infectious sounds from that golden age of township jazz. This one features plenty of musicians who went on to become some of the best known in/from the country. In case you don't know the background, the innocuous-sounding Father Huddlestone Band — set up by the anti-apartheid priest (and later archbishop) Trevor Huddlestone — was actually the crucible that Hugh

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barabara sounds sez:What a group, what a sound, what a classic! All the way from 1960 and it still has the power to get you up and moving! Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim), Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Johnny Gertze, Makaya Ntshoko and Kippie "Morolong" Moeketsi. Listen and rejoice!There's a great review of this album and the musicians — with some fantastic photos too — at Hub Pages.Global

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barabara sounds sez: I know I'm not the only person on the planet with half a mind on South Africa right now. So, looking ahead to the global football shenanigans, here's a compilation of music from there — issued in 1999 but covering a five-decade span (earliest 1950, most recent 1998), ranging in quality from alright to excellent to out and out classics. A reviewer at amazon.com gushes over

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barabara sounds sez: Probably the first essential Blue Mitchell album, at least to these ears. Although I listen to his later work on Blue Note a whole lot more, this one (1960 on Riverside) is definitely worth pulling out from the dusty recesses of my closet from time to time — just get an earful of that rhythm section of Kelly, Jones and Brooks. Plus I love that cover, the way Blue's trumpet

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barabara sounds sez:One of those albums that have iconic status but few people have actually listened to much. Ornette from 1961 in full flight, with a double crew of kindred spirits on board, including Eric Dolphy, Don Cherry and Freddie Hubbard. Obviously this is not easy listening music. But nor is it 'diffficult'. It demands your attention — and rewards you for it. No hesitation here: it's a

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barabara sounds sez: More Shepp, this is one of my favorite albums of his, all modal sweeps and swoops, propelled by a great, dynamic rhythm section with Marvin "Bugalu" Smith going all out on drums and Kenner Werner on keyboards. I love the extended gospel incantations of Mama Rose and the long modal improv of Geechee. But the highlight (IMHO) is the stately title track, with Werner matching

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barabara sounds sez: All Shepp is good Shepp in my book. I just love the way he blows, the tone and timbre he produces, whether it's fiery and free or — as on this set laid down in 1995 — lyrical and soulful. He's got a great crew alongside him, and gets away with some singing on a couple of tracks too. My personal favorites are the opening number, Little GIrl Blue, and Shepp's beautiful take on

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barabara sounds sez: More fine music from the neglected and mostly OOP enja catalog. Jane Ira Bloom plays soprano sax, one of the few who do, and she produces some good sounds with it. In more recent years she has used live electronics in her sets, but this 1982 joint is strictly mainstream. She has some top musicians alongside her here — Fred Hersch on piano; Charlie Haden on bass; and Ed

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barabara sounds sez: Saxman Dave Liebman needs no introduction; and if you know European jazz of the last couple of decades (which I don't really) nor do French bassist Jean-Paul Celea or Austrian percussionist Wolfgang Reisinger. This date is from 2001 and was issued on NIght Wing. There's some really fine work on it, especially the Albert Ayler-penned title track. I don't speak/read much

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barabara sounds sez: Alan Skidmore is not so much underrated as way off the radar for most people. That's too bad because he made some great albums over the years — both as a leader and a sideman — especially this one on Deram Nova from 1970. He's got a great group of freewheeling cohorts with him, especially Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn. And it's definitely got the feel of that era — the late

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barabara sounds sez: A great late (1976) Pepper date that's not to be missed. And don't be fooled by the album title. Yes, he did hail from the West Coast, but this album has nothing to do with psychedelia (the drugs that fueled Art's art were smack and methadone). He actually wrote the title track when incarcerated in San Quentin for his habit. Check out the bonus extended 13-minute version on

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barabara sounds sez: There's been plenty of interest in this one, so I decided to reup it, this time at higher bitrate.It gets deeper all the time......and (to save you time digging back down into my archives) here's my original post:There are plenty of people who know a lot more than me about the Yoruba/Orisha religion and the praise music for the various gods. All I can say is that the old

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barabara sounds sez: Parts of this were recorded in Paris, other parts in Beirut. Toufic Farroukh mixes jazz and club grooves, blending them together with plenty of traditional levantine instruments. I enjoyed it at the time (it came out in 2002) but soon relegated it to the far depths of my closet. Having dug it out and dusted it off, the question is: does it work? The answer has to be: only in

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No, not here — this fantastic share is over at the ever-excellent Spiral.Check it out, and be sure to say hi (and thanks) to Nlgbbbblth while you're there. He's got plenty of other great posts too in his copious archives.

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barabara sounds sez: Spiritual, righteous, rare. What more can you say about this album? Just look at all the people involved... This is ripped from the CD reissue of the Baystate album (though the cover art was lifted from the philly jazz imprint which I found here on Discogs). Enjoy... I think you will!If this is your bag, then go check out Charred Earth, which Sunny Murray recorded with a

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barabara sounds sez: Sun Ra, Steve Reid, the Tribe sound, Art Ensemble of Chicago... names that need little introduction these days. But for quite a lot of us, this was the album that turned us on to all those wild and beautiful sounds that emerged in the early '70s. Back in the day, this was known as avant guard. I join those who prefer to just call it space jazz.amg (thom jurek) sez:Universal

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barabara sounds sez: Heavyweight summit meeting of two sax giants, laid down when the two crossed paths in Copenhagen in the sumer of 1973. It's a live session recorded at the Montmartre Jazzhus over a couple of evenings. There was another album (imaginatively called Vol. 2) from these dates, also on Steeplechase. Both of these guys had done their best work earlier in their careers, but this is

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barabara sounds sez: Ancient to the future. That's the AEC maxim — and it sort of fits Japan in a number of ways too. On their second visit, in 1984, AEC played two evenings in Tokyo. Although I may well have been in town at the time (who can remember all those years ago?) I didn't make it to either of the gigs, which is my loss since they've only been over here maybe once since. At least they

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dusty sez: Lester Bowie's no pretender here -- as he really sounds great as a leader on his own, away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago -- really finding his voice in music, and dipping into a full range of styles and expressions! Bowie's keen wit and sensitivity both come into play here -- and the album's a bit more open and free than his Brass Fantasy years -- almost hearkening back to elements

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barabara sounds sez: Judged purely from the line-up, this live album from 1983 sounds like it might be very tasty indeed — Pat Metheny backed by the three Heath brothers, Jimmy, Percy & Albert. Too bad the music doesn't live up to that potential. Track 1, Metheny playing a solo improvisation, is worth the listen. For the rest of it, though, it sound like the band is just going through the motions

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barabara sounds sez: Another little-known gem from the enja catalog. David Friedman lays down some wonderful marimba and vibes, complemented beautifully by the understated sax work of Jane Ira Bloom and backed up by Harvie Swartz on bass and Daniel Humair on drums. This is finely crafted lyrical music (can you tell I like it?!) David Friedman is still making plenty of music; here's his home

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barabara sounds sez: There were a couple of comments about the sound quality of the last post, but since the imbalance appears to be inherent in the CD (not the rip), I thought the best solution would be to post this...Essentially it's the same trio session from 1961 as for Angel Eyes, featuring Thomas Howard and Lex Humphries, but without the track Angel Eyes (not sure about why they felt the

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dusty sez: A rare pre-Blue Note session from Duke Pearson -- very mellow, very soulful, and with a quality that's unlike most of his later work! The album's a trio side, recorded for the Jazzline label, and it features Pearson on piano, Thomas Howard on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums -- the last of whom brings in some wonderfully lyrical lines on the kit, very much in the manner of the free,

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-47072923285846357672010-02-08T02:13:00.004+09:002010-02-08T02:42:08.063+09:00

barabara sounds sez:It's been a while since I listened to this, and it sounds just as good as ever to my ears. It's experimental sure — Ornette on trumpet still seems pretty left-field — and a long long way from what McLean was doing on Blue Note just a few years earlier. But it's also a great listen. You've just got to love the way side 2 starts in with Ornette's righteous bluesy Old Gospel (

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-35368509104080214332010-02-05T02:45:00.002+09:002010-02-05T02:47:37.122+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Haiti has been in our minds a lot since that terrible earthquake. I know so little about the country, the people and the music that this album is just about my only point of reference. It was put together by a group of musicians who were brought over in 1999 to play a series of gigs around the Tokyo area. I caught them in a tiny club in Hiratsuka, southwest of Tokyo, and hung

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-14256573662506020102010-02-02T01:27:00.006+09:002011-02-15T22:58:54.688+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Actually I don't know a whole lot about trombonist Al Grey, barring what's out there on Wiki, which doesn't even mention this album on Argo from 1963. But this features some excellent early Bobby Hutcherson vibes, so that's good enough for me — plus Billy Mitchell on sax. Check out the great tribute to the man by Nancy Wilson on NPR (below), which includes some very nice

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-44070127990814323412010-01-27T16:27:00.009+09:002010-05-07T00:02:37.162+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Kenny Barron on enja, maybe not as outstanding as his earlier work on Muse, but still well worth the aural excursion. Not a bad line-up either: alongside Kenny Barron on piano there's John Stubblefield on tenor sax [NB what's cduniverse on about, he's not from UK shurely?], Wallace Roney on trumpet, Cecil McBee on bass, and Victor Lewis drums. 'Nuff said.cduniverse sez:

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-30231541054516237292010-01-22T00:38:00.004+09:002010-02-03T02:42:02.994+09:00

Bheki Mseleku piano, tenor sax, vocals; Eddie Parker flute (tracks: 3, 7); Courtney Pine soprano sax (track 10); Steve Williamson soprano sax (track 4); Jean Toussaint tenor sax (track 5); Michael Bowie bass; Marvin Smith drums; Thebe Lipere percussion (track 10)barabara sounds sez:Bheki was a self-taught piano prodigy; diabetic, bipolar and missing some fingers; Mercury Music Prize nominated;

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-16781198259411173682010-01-18T09:16:00.007+09:002010-02-03T02:43:01.184+09:00

barabara sounds sez: The Music Revelation Ensemble make a righteous funky noise, propelled as ever by James Blood Ulmer who has a great line-up with him here: Amin Ali and Cornell Rochester as the rhythm section, with Arthur Blythe and Hamiet Bluiett sharing sax duties. The tracks that grab me are Noise And Clamor and Father Of Flame – but they're all kick-ass (as TJ says in his review). As

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-87972533127543653462010-01-16T01:22:00.005+09:002010-01-28T11:30:48.437+09:00

Stéphan Oliva (p), Bruno Chevillon (b), Paul Motian (d) barabara sounds sez: Brilliant French piano trio recorded live in 2001 and issued that same year. Paul Motian shouldn't need any introduction; the other two are right up there on the same level. I don't speak/read a lot of French, but here are a couple of reviews with bits I do understand... citizenjazz sez: Oliva est un immense

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-2916942956255138252010-01-10T03:01:00.005+09:002010-01-10T03:14:55.404+09:00

barabara sounds sez: I used to listen to quite a bit of this kind of music back in the day, at least if it was half good. This wasn't half good, I thought at the time, though now obviously it doesn't have the same sort of impact. A period piece, let's call it, and not that easy to get hold of these days. AMG sez: The solo debut for Ashley Beedle is a fusion of Afrocentric jazz textures and

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-40807907231020875312010-01-06T02:01:00.008+09:002011-06-16T17:42:26.851+09:00

barabara sounds sez: I only got to know this one quite recently (yes, it's gnu to me). That's my oversight... and my pleasure to discover it. There's some great playing here (including some top work by Jarrett). HIghly recommended. ECM sez: "Gnu High" was trumpeter/flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler's first for ECM, and Keith Jarrett's last session as a sideman: both deliver astonishing improvisations

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-25692912669924472602010-01-02T01:08:00.006+09:002010-01-28T11:35:01.505+09:00

barabara sounds sez:What a drummer, what a line-up, what a way to introduce yourself to the world. Classic cover art too. Outstanding album all round.Dusty sez:Startling! This album is one of two that a young Tony Williams cut for Blue Note, back when he was just hitting the age of 20, and when he was already blowing the minds of masters like Jackie McLean (who first hired him) and Miles Davis (

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-64429473956260676192009-12-30T02:57:00.007+09:002010-01-28T11:39:10.614+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Here's another album I picked up on the same trip. There are plenty of people who know a lot more than me about the Yoruba/Orisha religion and the praise music for the various gods. All I can say is that the old religion of the Mother Continent underpins all the music that comes out of Cuba. On one level, the rhythms of the drumming and the call and response-style chanting

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-61382636315497431042009-12-28T03:11:00.007+09:002009-12-31T11:29:34.943+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Los Van Van are playing Key West later today, so in honor of this new crack in the musical embargo, it's time to dust off this old CD... and a host of memories along with it.It was 1997 and we were in Santiago de Cuba for Carnaval (it happens in mid-summer, not at mardi gras time) and we heard a rumor that Juan Formell and his crew were going to play a free gig, but nobody

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-80742271922856880702009-12-28T00:46:00.005+09:002011-02-12T11:06:10.949+09:00

barabara sounds sez: Here we go with the full album complete with artist/track names. In case anyone missed the first post, this was a Japan-only sampler CD issued in 1999 to mark Blue Note's 60th anniversary. What you get is 60 snippets from some of the biggest artists on the label -- most of the obvious names and some classic riffs.

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-61454661008452153122009-12-27T14:57:00.003+09:002009-12-27T15:24:42.539+09:00

Here's the album again, this time with the tracks separated.And here's a clue: the track names are arranged in alphabetical order.

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-89654747889402763552009-12-26T01:24:00.011+09:002011-02-12T11:07:51.063+09:00

Here's a barabara sounds Boxing Day brainteaser to nurse your neurons back to life after all that Christmas over-indulgence...Blue Note Nonstop 60 Trax was a Japan-only sampler CD issued in 1999 to mark the label's 60th anniversary. As the name suggests, you get 60 snippets from most of the big-name artists, some of them classic riffs and some perhaps less known. So can you figure them out?

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-74588857428138079852009-12-24T22:05:00.003+09:002010-01-28T11:41:07.503+09:00

A whole album of Spankers weirdness is far too much to take, even with the festive theme. But here's clarinetist and all-round hipster Stanley Smith delivering the Yuletide greetings in his inimitable way. And if you don't know Stanley (and few do) you need to check out his bluesy album In the Land of Dreams — it's one of those under-the-radar lost-in-the-ozone all-time classics.A very Merry

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7207606668333191434.post-26871250300542163072009-12-21T13:53:00.004+09:002010-01-28T11:43:11.133+09:00

barabara sounds sez:Chilly weather all around the globe it seems (well, northern hemisphere only of course) so the time seems right for this old favorite. For free-jazz heads (and maybe for free jazzheads too), it's the John Zorn track that may grab — though it's far from jazz. More accessible is Lurie's more stately Bella by Barlight and the lovely choral title track. And the last track is a

taro nombeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07570885192809406745noreply@blogger.com11