It's utterly amazing, or so I think, that Art Blakey needed only to take his place in drummer's chair to energize a recording session - listen to the Jimmy Smith sessions with both Donald Bailey and Art Blakey on drums. Bailey was a very well respected drummer. To my ears he and Jimmy Cobb were in the same classroom - very precise time and fastidious, deferring to the leader of the band. Blakey was the leader of the band, he pushed whomever happened to be on the bandstand or in the recording studio with him - exhorting Lee Morgan, for example, "Play your horn! Get mad." Whitney Balliett who wrote precisely, fastidiously, and eloquently about jazz for the New Yorker for many years was very much into drummers. I think that Big Sid Catlett, Jo Jones and Buddy Rich were admired by Balliett as was Art Blakey. I think that Blakey came out of Big Sid's classroom. Catlett played with everyone - Bechet to Parker (so did Kenny Clarke). Big Sid Catlett was out of his own classroom. Tony Williams (R.I.P.), Andrew Cyrille and Sunny Murray are our master drummers.
The above gets me to Jimmy's Smith's recently released Blue Note CD, Six Views of the Blues with Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone, Kenny Burrell, guitar and either Donald Bailey or Art Blakey, drums. This music hadn't been released before (to my knowledge, at least). It must have been shelved by Blue Note because it doesn't fit the 'Jimmy Smith groove'. It certainly fits my groove. I much admire the genius of his Hammond B-3 when he's hooked up with horn players - Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller and Lou Donaldson.
The CD reissue of Milt Jackson's Atlantic and United Artists recordings with Coleman Hawkins, Bennie Golson, Art Farmer and Tommy Flanagan contains some astonishing playing and great tunes. Another marvelous 2004 reissue is that bearing the title Charles Brown Alone at the Piano on the Savoy label. Mr Brown is one of my favorite vocalists. He is a tremendous piano player also.
I just recently fell under Franz Liszt's spell. Charles Rosen in his The Romantic Generation has some very informative and ear-opening things to say about Liszt's late piano music and lieder pointing to Debussy and Schoenberg. Alfred Brendel's Philips recording - Liszt: Late Piano Works is on my turntable as I write these words.
The above gets me to Jimmy's Smith's recently released Blue Note CD, Six Views of the Blues with Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone, Kenny Burrell, guitar and either Donald Bailey or Art Blakey, drums. This music hadn't been released before (to my knowledge, at least). It must have been shelved by Blue Note because it doesn't fit the 'Jimmy Smith groove'. It certainly fits my groove. I much admire the genius of his Hammond B-3 when he's hooked up with horn players - Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller and Lou Donaldson.
The CD reissue of Milt Jackson's Atlantic and United Artists recordings with Coleman Hawkins, Bennie Golson, Art Farmer and Tommy Flanagan contains some astonishing playing and great tunes. Another marvelous 2004 reissue is that bearing the title Charles Brown Alone at the Piano on the Savoy label. Mr Brown is one of my favorite vocalists. He is a tremendous piano player also.
I just recently fell under Franz Liszt's spell. Charles Rosen in his The Romantic Generation has some very informative and ear-opening things to say about Liszt's late piano music and lieder pointing to Debussy and Schoenberg. Alfred Brendel's Philips recording - Liszt: Late Piano Works is on my turntable as I write these words.
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