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[MoreWatts]

Today's 2nd album from 25 years ago, 1998.

Allmusic: “This double CD comprises… sessions with guest soloists over a span of four days aboard the S/S Norway for the 1996 Floating Jazz Festival. Frank Wess himself has never sounded better, on tenor sax and especially on flute. Richard Wyands on piano, Lynn Seaton on bass and drummer Winard Harper combine to yield world-class, swinging results.”

Frank Foster, Flip Phillips and Jimmy Heath guest on tenor sax. >2 hour show! Decent live sound, needs bass. Great (or creepy?) album cover!

This was his ~15th of >20 albums as a leader from 1955-2002. He was in the Count Basie band for >20 albums, from 1953-’63, and was prolific as a sideman.

See the post just above for links to posts for 32 more nice albums which featured horns a quarter-century ago. The Count Basie Orchestra's 2023 album Basie Swings The Blues! was recommended just 4 posts above.

Frank Wess, Surprise! Surprise!, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MoreWatts]

This got a mention upthread, and here’s a bit more info….

AllAboutJazz: “The premise for drummer Richard Baratta's Off The Charts is to give new life to some of the lesser-known works by boldface composers such as Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson and Chick Corea, among others. Assisting in this voyage of rediscovery are several top-notch jazz luminaries such as tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, pianist David Kikoski, bassist John Patitucci and percussionist Paul Rossman… This is a resoundingly inventive musical celebration.”

This is Richard’s 3rd album since 2020. Recommended upthread: Bergonzi on Red Records All-Stars Together Again For The First Time; Kikoski on Roy Haynes Praise, Wayne Escoffery Like Minds, Opus 5 Swing On This; Patitucci on Wayne Shorter Alegria, Joanne Brackeen Pink Elephant Magic.

Richard Baratta, Off The Charts, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MoreWatts]

Bandolinist (Brazilian mandolin) Hamilton de Holanda’s Flying Chicken is the 2nd nominee in this review of the Latin Grammy Award For Best Jazz Album, to be awarded 16 Nov. It’s the 2nd nominee already recommended upthread, with more bio and a video. His 2021 album Chabem was nominated for the same award in 2022, and is also referenced in the original post. Hamilton has 3 Latin Grammys, and 16 more nominations.

Hamilton also has a nice new release, Samurai (The Music Of Djavan), with: vocalists Djavan (the tributed Brazilian songwriter), Zeca Pagodinho, Gloria Groove and Jorge Drexler; pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin guest. Sheesh, might as well just nominate him now, this one is at least as good as the previous 2. The YT link has 5 of the tunes performed live-in-studio, with 1 below.

Recommended upthread: the 1st nominee post, Paquito D’Rivera & Chucho Valdes I Missed You Too!; Lakecia Benjamin Phoenix.

Hamilton de Holanda Trio, Flying Chicken, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

Hamilton de Holanda, Chabem, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

Hamilton de Holanda, Samurai (The Music Of Djavan), full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[MoreWatts]

It's Friday, so here’s another album for the 1973 retrospective.

Allmusic: “This is one of the great McCoy Tyner recordings. The powerful, percussive, and highly influential pianist sounds quite inspired throughout his appearance at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. Azar Lawrence (on tenor and soprano) is also quite noteworthy and there is plenty of interplay with bassist Juney Booth and drummer Alphonse Mouzon.”

This was Tyner’s ~21st of >80 albums as a leader from 1962-2009. He was tenor sax great John Coltrane’s pianist on >30 albums from 1960-’65. Put on a great show when I saw him at Howard Rumsey's Concerts By The Sea in Redondo Beach, CA.

Sigh, the live recording here really should be better. The 'interplay with bassist Juney Booth' is almost unheard. I may have to skip sketchy live recording for future retrospectives, despite 'historical significance.' But this is ~70 minutes of McCoy blasting away...

McCoy’s 2005 Grammy winner Illuminations was recommended upthread.

McCoy Tyner, Enlightenment, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

Previous 1973s (link upthread): Dave Brubeck We’re All Together Again...; Gato Barbieri Bolivia & Chapter One...; Elvin Jones Mr. Jones; Donald Byrd Black Byrd; Dave Liebman 1st Visit; Don Ellis Soaring; Grover Washington Jr. Soul Box; Hank Crawford Wildflower; Ron Carter All Blues; Return to Forever Light As A Feather & Hymn Of The 7th Galaxy; Flora Purim Butterfly Dreams; Steve Grossman Some Shapes To Come; Archie Shepp The Cry Of My People; Dave Holland Conference Of The Birds; Gary Bartz I've Known Rivers...; Joe Henderson Multiple; Don Sebesky Giant Box; Fela Kuti Gentleman; Chuck Mangione Land Of Make Believe; Crusaders 2nd Crusade; Freddie Hubbard Keep Your Soul Together; Weather Report Sweetnighter; Ray Barretto The Other Road; Gil Evans Svengali; Stanley Turrentine Don’t Mess With Mr. T; Maynard Ferguson M.F. Horn 3; Rahsaan Roland Kirk Prepare Thyself...; Horace Silver In Pursuit Of The 27th Man; Herbie Hancock Head Hunters; Dexter Gordon Parisian Concert = 32.

 

[MoreWatts]

Friday 50, albums from 1973, or fifty years ago, acknowledges recently deceased recording engineer Jon Fausty. Two albums he engineered were posted previously, and today will add another. I recently posted in the Celebrity RIP thread:

Wikipedia: "Jon Fausty (February 20, 1949 – September 29, 2023) was an American multiple Grammy Award-winning sound and recording engineer best known for his work on some of the most successful Latin albums ever recorded.

Fausty's career spanned over six decades. He designed studios, produced and engineered recordings throughout the United States, Canada, Cuba and Europe - both in studio and live performances.

'…Jon Fausty generally stayed away from special effects and emphasized capturing performances simply, cleanly, and fast, with the high-quality equipment that was by then a given, even in the more modest New York studios. The net result is that many salsa records from the 1970s through the early 1980s have a timeless, classic sound, which has dated little.'

Fausty had thousands of recordings of which 18 have been awarded Grammy Awards. He won Grammys with Chucho Valdez, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Marc Anthony."

Fausty engineered a 2nd percussionist Ray Barretto album in 1973. Allmusic: “Indestructible is one of Barretto's most solidly consistent efforts, a series of Afro-Cuban rhythms and song styles illustrated by a stomping band that knows how to move the classic material in a jazz manner into improvisation and then back again… A true find in Barretto's vast catalog.” This one is way more ‘Latin’ than the previous Fausty posts, reviewed next.

This was Barretto’s ~18th of >40 albums as a leader from 1961-2005. Ray won a Grammy with 16 more nominations. Ray’s Fausty-engineered album The Other Road was posted as part of this 1973 retrospective. Ray played on The Orisha Suite recommended upthread, from 2003.

A Grammy-winner for Best Latin Jazz Album, Fausty engineered pianist Eddie Palmieri’s 2005 Listen Here!, recommended upthread. What a career! The posted albums are 32 years apart. RIP Mr. Fausty.

See the post just above for links to posts on 33 more fine albums from 1973.

Ray Barretto, Indestructible, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[Peterinvan]

Well recorded jazz. Bass, Guitar, Drums.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[stalepie2]

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[MoreWatts]

Please enjoy this collection of 8 octets on October 8th. All are solid 2002/3 albums. I’m a bit partial to the Joris. Links go to the album post upthread. The Carter, A&M, Lanighan and Fiola are releases by young’uns, and the others by seasoned veterans. In no particular order:

Matt Carter Octet, Between The Lines

A&M Octet, New Roots

Brendan Lanighan Octet, A Little Optimism

Bert Joris, Jazz Master Tracks Vol. 3: Octet Sessions

Antonio Adolfo, Octet and Originals

Chris Trinidad, Changing Tides

Doug MacDonald & the L.A. All-Star Octet, Overtones

Ally Fiola and the Next Quest Octet, Interblaze

 

[MoreWatts]

Here’s another album for the retrospective on jazz from 25 years ago, a quarter-century, 1998.

Allmusic: “This impressive inside/outside date finds saxophonist Joe Lovano forming a piano-less trio with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Elvin Jones, and the three are very much in sync… Heard on tenor, alto and soprano, the saxophonist never fails to command our attention on this consistently heartfelt and captivating release.”

This was Joe's ~16th of ~30 albums since 1985. Posted upthread: Joe’s Tenor Legacy; Joe played on Chris Potter Vertigo; Dave Holland Prime Directive & Conference Of The Birds & Points Of View; Holland played on Dave Liebman 1st Visit & Joe Henderson Multiple; Elvin Jones Mr. Jones.

Joe Lovano, Trio Fascination Edition One, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

Previous 1998s (link upthread). Grammys: Instrumental, Herbie Hancock Gershwin’s World; Big Band, Count Basie Orch Count Plays Duke ('99) & Bob Florence Serendipity 18 ('00); Latin, Arturo Sandoval Hot House. And: Joanne Brackeen Pink Elephant Magic; Don Sebesky I Remember Bill; Erik Truffaz The Dawn; Phil Woods The Rev And I & George Robert The Summit: Charlie Mariano An American In Italy; Joshua Redman Timeless Tales…; David Sanchez Obesion; Patrick Williams Sinatraland; Eric Alexander Mode For Mabes; Maceo Parker Funk Overload; Yellowjackets Club Nocturne; Mark Turner; Brian Blade Fellowship; Bennie Maupin Driving While Black; Julien Lourau City Boom Boom; Poncho Sanchez Afro-Cuban Fantasy; Dave Holland Points Of View; Tom Harrell The Art Of Rhythm; Red Records All Stars Together Again...; Chris Potter Vertigo; Lee Konitz Dialogues; Dave Brubeck So What’s New; Gerald Wilson Theme For Monterey; Sonny Rollins Global Warming; Henry Texier Mosaic Man; Brad Mehldau New York - Barcelona…; Ernie Watts Classic Moods; Frank Wess Surprise! Surprise! = 33.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[MoreWatts]

A 2nd album today for the 1998, 25 years, quarter-century ago retrospective.

JazzTimes: “In the early ’90s, saxophonist/arranger/bandleader Bob Belden poured most of his considerable energy into his ensemble, a 16-piece band populated by some of New York’s most adventurous musicians.

La Cigale was recorded in 1990 at Paris’ La Cigale theater. The driven rhythm section of pianist Marc Copland, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirshfield … induced superb performances by trumpeter Tim Hagans, alto saxophonist Mike Migliore, Jim Powell on flugelhorn, and Craig Handy on tenor.”

Released in 1998. This was his ~9th of ~20 albums as a leader or co-, through 2015. He won 3 Grammys with 5 more nominations.

See 2 posts above for links to posts about 34 more fine jazz albums from 1998.

Bob Belden Ensemble, La Cigale, full album on YouTube link ; Spotify link sans 1st 2 tunes.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[miklosp]

Just found this thread and wanted to thank everyone for contributing to this absolute gold mine. I’ve added 10 albums to my playlist immediately. In return let me recommend two curiosities from my countrymen. It’s more from the ethno-jazz category, sometimes avant-garde. I hope you’ll enjoy!

Larry Grenadier · Eric Harland · Miklós Lukács - Cimbalom Unlimited

Dresch Quartet - Túl a vizen

 

[MoreWatts]

Here's another nice large ensemble album.

AllAboutJazz: “Beyond Orbits is the fêted composer and conductor Miho Hazama's 4th album with M_Unit, since 2012… Miho is arguably the composer and arranger who has most successfully integrated strings into jazz orchestras, rather than treating them as bolt-on extras. The lineup is 13 strong, including two violins, a viola and a cello… Beyond Orbits is an exhilarating, nuanced affair, rich in unexpected instrumental combinations. The arrangements allow generous space for soloists.”

Miho's 3rd album, 2019s Dancer In Nowhere, also with M_Unit, was nominated for a Grammy.

Miho Hazama & M_Unit, Beyond Orbits, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Miho Hazama, Dancer In Nowhere, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

 

[MoreWatts]

Ivan ‘Melon’ Lewis is a Cuban, Spanish-based pianist whose ~5th album, Bembe, is nominated for the Latin Grammy For Best Jazz Album. He has a Latin Grammy and this is his 5th nomination. He recorded with “The Cuban Swing Express, which he formed in 2014 after years of touring the world with different artists. The Cuban Swing Express comprises 10 of the best and most talented Cuban musicians living in Europe.” A mix of instrumental and vocal tunes.

This is his 2nd album with the Express. His 2015 Latin Grammy-nominated album Ayer Y Hoy was recommended upthread, and his 2021 album Voyager won the Latin Grammy for Best Jazz Album!

Previous nominee posts upthread: Paquito D’Rivera & Chucho Valdes I Missed You Too!; Hamilton de Holanda Flying Chicken. The award show is 16 November.

Iván ‘Melon’ Lewis & The Cuban Swing Express, Bembé, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Ivan ‘Melon’ Lewis, Voyager, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

 

[Ralph_Cramden]