Once again, here we are in the perpetually listening to every record in my collection alphabetically and blogging unscholarly thoughts project. John Kirby starts us off this time around, and then a discovery: I misfiled a bunch of records.
John Kirby – Boss of the Bass – The title, like his playing, is no joke. Kirby is underrated largely because he’s more or less unknown at this point. He held down the fort with Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb, Teddy Wison, the Chocolate Dandies, Maxine Sullivan (my favorite), and many others, but it seems as though his alcoholism ultimately is what prevented him from becoming more known. His two feel was epic, and I have been using “Nice Work if You Can Get It” from this recording as an example in the jazz history course I have taught since 2005.
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Love, Strings and Jobim – This has the best alternative titles! The Eloquence of Antonio Carlos Jobim and The Sensitive ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM introduces New Brazilian Hits. These recordings are arranged by Gaya and Eumir Deodato (spelled “Deodata” on the jacket). For me, the deal with this record is that the writing is gorgeous. It is a straight forward commercial record and possibly belongs as the soundtrack to some “hip” mid-1960s advertising agent’s Friday night Tinder situation. But the writing is so beautiful, and with Badin Powell, Luiz Eca, and Oscar Neves doing some of the writing, you know it’s beautiful. I especially like “Berimbau”. And the more I listen, the more I think Ron Carter is on this, and there are a couple of tracks with someone who sounds like Toots Thielemans.
Tide – A CTI record. I love CTI records. Deodato does the arranging on this, and Ron Carter sounds incredible. Hermeto Pascoal and Joe Farrell are also on this great record, and it sure sounds like Rahsaan Roland Kirk is on this too. Like most Jobim records, this one is also a lounge music extravaganza, but it is so beautifully written and perfectly played, what’s not to love?
Terra Brasilis – It feels like this record has already been made a bunch of times, but with Michael Moore or Bob Cranshaw on bass and Claus Ogerman’s orchestrations, it is still worth it. Not so much of a fan of Jobim’s singing, especially not in English, but again, Moore/Cranshaw and Ogerman. Moore/Cranshaw and Ogerman. Moore/Cranshaw and Ogerman. Moore/Cranshaw and Ogerman…
Marc Johnson – Bass Desires – This is a pretty unusual record. It’s a 12″ with singles on each side, but not 12″ remixes. It’s like a 45 but on a 12″, and probably the reason for it is that these two tracks are a bit too long for a 45. Nevertheless, this is a single and it’s on ECM. Ok, as for the music, it’s Marc Johnson with Bill Frisell, John Scofield and Peter Erskine playing “Samurai Hee-Haw” and “Mojo Highway”, and even with the longer playing time possibility, these have been edited down to 4:28 and 5:21, respectively (but, why?). I don’t love this project, even though it had all the potential of being awesome. I love things about each of the cats on the record, but I was just never wild about the result.
Pete Johnson – Pete’s Blues – I have written elsewhere in this project about how important the Stereo Jack’s dollar bin has been to my education. I’m pretty sure this was one of those records – for $1. Swinging like crazy, with killer piano playing, and great performances from the heavies: J.C. Heard, Ben Webster, Hot Lips Page, J.C. Higginbotham, and a very young Etta Jones. Al Hall is definitely a bassist I need to look out for; not sure if I have other records with him on it or not.. Worth way more than $1.
Etta Jones – Something Nice – An older Etta Jones finishes this batch off. She swings so hard, and the cats are amazing: Oliver Nelson, George Divivier and Roy Haynes, among others. Man, Duvivier was amazing. So clear and understated but always the right note at the right time. I love her version of “Easy Living,” which is one of my favorite ballads.