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Results for "My Blue Note Obsession"
Herbie Hancock: Speak Like a Child – 1968
by Marc Davis
Speak Like a Child feels like the mash-up of two separate albums. One is a lyrical set of three tunes--mellow songs with childhood themes. The other is a standard set of three bop tunes. Both are nice, but the quieter songs are maybe a bit too tame. Give Herbie Hancock credit for trying something ...
Benny Golson and the Philadelphians - 1958
by Marc Davis
I have hundreds of jazz CDs. I'm a huge fan of bebop, hard bop and all manner of piano playing. Yet I have blind spots in my collection and in my jazz knowledge. The big names are all accounted for. And now that I've been exploring Blue Note's back catalogue--especially the 1950s and '60s--I'm ...
Lou Donaldson: Blues Walk – 1958
by Marc Davis
There's a tendency among some jazz purists to poo-poo Lou Donaldson. Not flashy enough, they say. Not groundbreaking. Too bluesy, too simple. Predictable. Derivative. A notch below the best Blue Note saxmen. A craftsman, not an artist. Aw phooey! I like Lou Donaldson and I don't mind anyone knowing. It has always ...
Lee Morgan, Volume Three - 1957
by Marc Davis
In jazz, as in rock, there's a tendency to overlook composers. Performers get all the nods. Consider Duke Ellington. One of the greatest bandleaders and composers of all time. But Billy Strayhorn? Not as famous--even though he wrote some of Duke's best pieces: “Take the A Train" and “Lush Life" and “Chelsea Bridge."
Andrew Hill: Point of Departure – 1964
by Marc Davis
I have put off writing this blog post as long as possible. For three weeks, I've been listening to Andrew Hill's Point of Departure and contemplating what I can say that isn't blatantly subjective and negative. I give up. I just don't like it. I honestly thought I might appreciate this, even ...
Jimmy Smith: Groovin’ at Smalls Paradise – 1957
by Marc Davis
I love the jazz organ. I love Jimmy Smith. But I don't love Groovin' at Smalls Paradise. When Smith burst onto the scene in 1956, he was a genuine phenomenon. Not only was he wildly popular, but also wildly prolific. In just three years, from 1956 to 1958, Smith put out a mind-boggling 23 ...
Sonny Rollins, Volume Two – 1957
by Marc Davis
There are no bad records by Sonny Rollins, but some are better than others. This is one of the better ones. Sonny Rollins Volume Two is, as the name suggests, Rollins' second recording for Blue Note. It's uniformly excellent with a fantastic band, especially the great J.J. Johnson on trombone and two tracks with ...
Larry Young: Unity – 1965 – The Missing Link
by Marc Davis
In high school and college in the 1970s, I was a huge fan of progressive rock, especially Yes and Emerson Lake & Palmer. As a pianist myself, I was floored by Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. How did they do that? Fast, creative, loud, part-rock, part-jazz, part-classical. Wow. My obsession with Moog synthesizers led ...
Bennie Green: Soul Stirrin’ - 1958
by Marc Davis
In the 1950s, Blue Note was a reliable bastion of hard bop. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers set the tone, and dozens of artists--some famous, some not--followed. But Blue Note also had small oases of not-bop, often by artists you've never heard of. Bennie Green is one of those guys, and if you ...
Sonny Rollins, Volume One – 1956
by Marc Davis
It's easy to like Sonny Rollins. The guy is bluesy, edgy and clever. And it almost doesn't matter which period of Rollins' career you choose. It's all pretty terrific. But there's an unexpected down side: Because Rollins has so many fantastic recordings, listening to ones that are merely good can be a little disappointing. ...
