Once again, here we are in the perpetually listening to every record in my collection alphabetically and blogging unscholarly thoughts project. In our last episode, we discovered that I had misfiled a bunch of things, so this is going to get things back Hank Jones starts things off.
Hank Jones
The Talented Touch – First of all, this band is amazing. Second, the playing is perfection. Any pianist who wants to know how to play piano, for real, needs to check out this record. But the band! Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson…amazing. These cats are also on one of the greatest, of many incredible George Russell records, The Jazz Workshop.
Jones, Brown, Smith – There is simply nothing bad about this record. It’s mellow and swinging, and it’s a great chance to hear Hank Jones play Rhodes. Every solo by Ray Brown is transcribe-able.
Just for Fun – Ok, first of all, how great was it that there could have been a time in history when jazz musicians would make a record just for fun? Let’s say that it really was just for fun. That would explain the liveliness of the sound. On the other hand, these guys had been playing together in some format forever, so the connection is also incredibly deep. As always, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne sound amazing. Howard Roberts is only on a couple of tracks, but he sounds great on them. I’m not wild about “A Very Hip Rock and Roll Tune” although I appreciate the intention. Jones’ “Lullaby” is lovely. Mostly this album is about the band hook up, though.
Jonah Jones – After Hour Jazz – This is definitely one of those Stereo Jack’s dollar bin purchases. I never would have bought this otherwise. Milt Hinton’s solo on “Jumpin’ on 57th” definitely is worth at least twice what I paid! One aspect of recordings from this era that I never liked is the volume of the bass drum. It gives the wrong impression that drummers should feather the bass drum as loudly as possible. That’s a fun sound, in some situations, but for anything in a small group like this one, I find it frustrating to listen to. I prefer to hear each note of the bass line!
Quincy Jones
Live at Newport 1961 – This band was on fire! It must have been amazing to play in this group. Good lord! Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, Pat Patrick (from Sun Ra!), Julius Watkins, Curis Fuller, Melba Liston, Britt Woodman, Art Davis, and Quincy’s writing…incredible! And the jacket still has the Stereo Jack’s $1.00 price tag.
We Had a Ball – Actually, that is the title of a different record. So, this one is not that one. This is the Philips/Phonogram Time7 record, which seems to be a compilation of many things from 1959-1964 big bands. It is absolutely killing.
The Duke – I love this record. Actually, I can’t listen to it because it’s in my office at Berklee. I use it in the Stevie Wonder course that I teach, and we are currently in quarantine because of Covid-19. But I love this record. The Stevie tune is the best one on The Duke, and that’s saying something, given how great the album is. Check out “Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me”…seriously.
Sam Jones – Cello Again – The last one from this group of mis-filed records is a great one. Sam Jones is one of the baddest bassists ever, but on this record he plays cello the whole time. I am hearing bass-tuned cello, and the liner notes make reference to a “Ray Brown” model that has a wider neck so it feels more like a double bass. Sam sounds amazing, and David Williams (on bass) is slamming. The rest of the cats are Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, and Billy Higgins, so you already know the record is great. According to the liner notes, they recorded much of the album in a very cold studio. The heat had been turned off for just under one week, and this was recorded in January 1976. Note to self: transcribe “In Walked Ray” and “Scorpio”.