Kenny Burrell with Art Blakey • On View At The Five Spot Cafe

Review :

Kenny Burrell and Art Blakey played together infrequently during their careers, so this meeting of jazz minds is a welcome occasion. On View is a rather short set issued from club dates at the Five Spot Cafe in New York City. No matter the configuration, this is come-what-may jazz that has no pressurized content, and a relaxed atmosphere allowing the music to organically breathe and come alive naturally. This feeling comes to the fore right away on Dizzy Gillespie's "Birk's Works," a rather polite version as Burrell tosses out his discriminating versions of the melody. Incorrectly identified as "Lady Be Good," this is actually an adaptation reworked by Thelonious Monk titled "Hackensack." It's a fast jam kicked off by a signature Blakey solo, where the band flies by the seat of their pants, and good feelings are fostered through the simple and solid tenor work of Tina Brooks. Though not penned by Duke Ellington, the elegance he displayed and Burrell revered is quite evident during the ballad "Lover Man." Randy Weston's "Beef Stew Blues," Ray Brown's obscure "Swingin'," and the classic Tadd Dameron ballad "If You Could See Me Now" further illuminate how good this group could have been had they turned into a working unit. As the dawn of the '60s saw new breed jazz fomenting, Burrell, Blakey, and company proved you could still swing and remain melodic while creating new sonic vistas.

by Michael G. Nastos

https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-view-at-the-five-spot-cafe-mw0000191601

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Reseña:

Kenny Burrell y Art Blakey tocaron juntos con poca frecuencia durante sus carreras, así que este encuentro de mentes de jazz es una ocasión bienvenida. On View es un conjunto bastante corto de fechas de clubes en el Five Spot Cafe en la ciudad de Nueva York. No importa la configuración, este es un jazz "come-what-may" que no tiene un contenido presurizado, y una atmósfera relajada que permite que la música respire orgánicamente y cobre vida de forma natural. Este sentimiento se hace notar de inmediato en "Birk's Works" de Dizzy Gillespie, una versión bastante educada mientras Burrell lanza sus versiones discriminatorias de la melodía. Incorrectamente identificada como "Lady Be Good", es en realidad una adaptación reelaborada por Thelonious Monk titulada "Hackensack". Es una rápida improvisación iniciada por un solo de Blakey, donde la banda vuela por el asiento de sus pantalones, y los buenos sentimientos se fomentan a través de la simple y sólida obra de tenor de Tina Brooks. Aunque no fue escrita por Duke Ellington, la elegancia que mostró y que Burrell veneró es evidente en la balada "Lover Man". "Beef Stew Blues" de Randy Weston, el oscuro "Swingin'" de Ray Brown y la clásica balada de Tadd Dameron "If You Could See Me Now" iluminan aún más lo bueno que este grupo podría haber sido si se hubieran convertido en una unidad de trabajo. En los albores de los años 60, cuando se fomentaba el jazz de nueva generación, Burrell, Blakey y compañía demostraron que aún se podía hacer swing y seguir siendo melódico mientras se creaban nuevas vistas sónicas.

por Michael G. Nastos

https://www.allmusic.com/album/on-view-at-the-five-spot-cafe-mw0000191601

 

Stomping the Blues

 

 

In this classic work of American music writing, renowned critic Albert Murray argues beautifully and authoritatively that “the blues as such are synonymous with low spirits. Not only is its express purpose to make people feel good, which is to say in high spirits, but in the process of doing so it is actually expected to generate a disposition that is both elegantly playful and heroic in its nonchalance.” 

In Stomping the Blues Murray explores its history, influences, development, and meaning as only he can. More than two hundred vintage photographs capture the ambiance Murray evokes in lyrical prose. Only the sounds are missing from this lyrical, sensual tribute to the blues.

 

Albert-Murray ...

Vinyl Freak: Love Letters to a Dying Medium

      

From scouring flea markets and eBay to maxing out their credit cards, record collectors will do just about anything to score a long-sought-after album. In Vinyl Freak, music writer, curator, and collector John Corbett burrows deep inside the record fiend’s mind, documenting and reflecting on his decades-long love affair with vinyl. Discussing more than 200 rare and out-of-print LPs, Vinyl Freak is composed in part of Corbett's long-running DownBeat magazine column of the same name, which was devoted to records that had not appeared on CD. In other essays where he combines memoir and criticism, Corbett considers the current vinyl boom, explains why vinyl is his preferred medium, profiles collector subcultures, and recounts his adventures assembling the Alton Abraham Sun Ra Archive, an event so all-consuming that he claims it cured his record-collecting addiction. Perfect for vinyl newbies and veteran crate diggers alike, Vinyl Freak plumbs the motivations that drive Corbett and collectors everywhere. 

 

Contemporary Ceramics: Selections from the Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

Don Patterson with Sonny Stitt & Booker Ervin • Patterson's People

Biograph:

Inspired to switch from piano to organ by Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson was one of the Hammond B-3's most bop-rooted players, able to play bluesy soul-jazz grooves or break out of the pocket for some nimble, sharply defined solo lines. Though he led numerous recording dates for Prestige and later Muse, he was best-known as Sonny Stitt's favorite organist, proving eminently compatible with the Parker-influenced saxophonist. Patterson was born in Columbus, OH, on July 22, 1936, and began studying piano as a child. His first major influence was Erroll Garner, and some of that flavor remained in his playing even after he heard Jimmy Smith in 1956 and changed instruments. Patterson made his professional debut on the organ in 1959, and played with a number of groups before Stitt discovered him. The association helped make Patterson's name, and he began recording for Prestige in 1964, often with a trio featuring guitarist Pat Martino and drummer Billy James. Patterson also played with numerous other soul-jazz sax greats over the course of the '60s, before settling in Gary, IN, toward the end of the decade. Drug addiction curtailed his recording activities somewhat, as only a few sporadic sessions for Muse appeared during the '70s. He did revive his career somewhat after moving to Philadelphia, but his health worsened, forcing him to take dialysis frequently; he died on February 10, 1988.

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Biografía:

Inspirado por Jimmy Smith para pasar del piano al órgano, Don Patterson fue uno de los intérpretes más arraigados del Hammond B-3, capaz de tocar ritmos de soul-jazz o de salir del bolsillo para obtener líneas solistas ágiles y bien definidas. Aunque dirigió numerosas grabaciones para Prestige y más tarde para Muse, era más conocido como el organista favorito de Sonny Stitt, demostrando ser eminentemente compatible con el saxofonista influenciado por Parker. Patterson nació en Columbus, OH, el 22 de julio de 1936, y comenzó a estudiar piano de niño. Su primera gran influencia fue Erroll Garner, y parte de ese sabor permaneció en su forma de tocar incluso después de escuchar a Jimmy Smith en 1956 y cambiar de instrumento. Patterson debutó profesionalmente en el órgano en 1959, y tocó con varios grupos antes de que Stitt lo descubriera. La asociación ayudó a hacer el nombre de Patterson, y comenzó a grabar para Prestige en 1964, a menudo con un trío que incluía al guitarrista Pat Martino y al baterista Billy James. Patterson también tocó con muchos otros grandes del saxo soul-jazz durante los años 60, antes de establecerse en Gary, IN, hacia el final de la década. La adicción a las drogas redujo un poco sus actividades de grabación, ya que sólo unas pocas sesiones esporádicas de Muse aparecieron durante los 70. Revivió un poco su carrera después de mudarse a Filadelfia, pero su salud empeoró, forzándolo a tomar diálisis frecuentemente; murió el 10 de febrero de 1988.