What Are You Listening To? November 2020
- Thread starter Unsomnambulist
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axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Red Rooster ~ Dose (2005)
OjaiSam once mentioned this two-CD set; that post might have been in an earlier incarnation of the MG. It might have been in this one, but I'm too lazy to search.
Anyway, back at the ranch, I had already purchased this. So, I was somewhat surprised to find that I am the only person who has rated it on RYM, but there you go.
P. S. On second look, I had not rated it. I mistook someone else's
rating for my own. 
OjaiSam once mentioned this two-CD set; that post might have been in an earlier incarnation of the MG. It might have been in this one, but I'm too lazy to search.
Anyway, back at the ranch, I had already purchased this. So, I was somewhat surprised to find that I am the only person who has rated it on RYM, but there you go.
P. S. On second look, I had not rated it. I mistook someone else's
rating for my own.
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axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Markus James ~ Nightbird (2000)
www.allmusic.com
On Nightbird, San Francisco singer/songwriter Markus James successfully finds the parallels between Malian pop, rock, and the blues, specifically, the sort of dusky, haunting blues that worked so well for John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins. Recorded in Bamako, Mali, during the summer of 2000, this excellent CD isn't easy to categorize. Blues, rock, and Malian pop are all influences, and on Nightbird, slide guitar sounds perfectly natural alongside traditional African instruments like the calabash, the njarka, and the tama.
Nightbird - Markus James | Album | AllMusic
Nightbird by Markus James released in 2001. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com
On Nightbird, San Francisco singer/songwriter Markus James successfully finds the parallels between Malian pop, rock, and the blues, specifically, the sort of dusky, haunting blues that worked so well for John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins. Recorded in Bamako, Mali, during the summer of 2000, this excellent CD isn't easy to categorize. Blues, rock, and Malian pop are all influences, and on Nightbird, slide guitar sounds perfectly natural alongside traditional African instruments like the calabash, the njarka, and the tama.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Bastian Weinhold ~ Cityscape (2016)
musicians.allaboutjazz.com
Jazz Album: Cityscape by Bastian Weinhold
Jazz album: “Cityscape” by Bastian Weinhold, released in 2016 on Self Produced. Explore the largest collection of jazz recordings @ All About Jazz
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Weidorje - s/t (1978)
Esperanza Spaulding - Radio Music Society (2012)
Michael Brecker - Pilgrimage (2007)
Today's listening brought to me by the Jazz Times list of the 50 greatest Jazz albums of the past 50 years. As I flip through the list, I keep going "oooohhh, I haven't heard that in a long time."
Another thing I noticed flipping through the critics' list and the fans' list is that the critics got it so much more right.
Michael Brecker - Pilgrimage (2007)
Today's listening brought to me by the Jazz Times list of the 50 greatest Jazz albums of the past 50 years. As I flip through the list, I keep going "oooohhh, I haven't heard that in a long time."
Another thing I noticed flipping through the critics' list and the fans' list is that the critics got it so much more right.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Zounds! Gadzooks! Heaven forfend!
I had three big problems with the Fans' list.
1) It didn't include most of my favorites. Probably more accurate to say it included only 2 or 3 or my favorites from 1980-2020.
2) For a list ostensibly created to honor new-ish performers who maybe were not alive during the 50s-60s (especially considering albums from the 90s onward) much less active during the 50s-60s, the fans lists includes many albums by 60s holdovers. It seems like every album released by Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson after 1980 was included. But not Hancock's "Flood" from 1975 or "Dis Is Da Drum" from 1994. Not Henderson's "Canyon Lady" from 1975 or "Barcelona" from 1980. No, nothing from when they were actually still innovating. Just the stuff that harkens back to the 50s and 60s?
3) Speaking of repeat nominations, some artists are represented way too much on the fans' list. I'm not exaggerating when I say practically every album ever released by Pat Metheny is listed. And Jaco. And Half of Brecker's and Blade's and Mehldau's albums. I had to laugh at a couple of albums - any album that honors a dead legend and the band includes 60s legends is sure to be listed. For instance, 2002's "Directions In Music" honoring Coltrane and Miles (!!) has Hancock (!!!) and Brecker (!!!) in the band, so you know that's an automatic IN. Herbie Hancock honoring Joni Mitchell? IN!
I'm not complaining that any of those albums are bad. Most are fantastic. But it just feels wrong.
Even when the fans get it right and include a younger musician who richly deserves it, like guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, they overdo it and include three or four of his albums. Basically, I want to accuse the fans of ballot stuffing! No way does a cult favorite like Rosenwinkel get that many albums on this list, not even as tremendous as he is.
Oh, did I mention Wayne Shorter got 2 (TWO!!!!) albums in the 2010-2019 decade? Really! I love the dude, but was there no one else to honor?
Fans is stoopid.
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Joe Henderson - Tetragon (1969)
Trivia that will never make Jeapordy: I run a fantasy football league with 28 teams. The two conferences are named Cylinder and Trapezoid. For a couple of years in the mid-2000s, the league expanded to 42 teams and I named the third conference the Octagon. Though I'm a fan of boxing, I don't like MMA and would probably change the name of the currently in limbo third conference to "Tetragon" if I'm ever foolish enough again to give into popular demand and expand the league.
Trivia TWNMJ #2: The six divisions in that fantasy league are all named after recording artists. Each 3-division conference has a division named after a Jazz musician, a Soul musician, and a rapper. For instance, the defunct Octagon conference had the Wonder division, the Common division, and the Hargrove division.
Trivia that will never make Jeapordy: I run a fantasy football league with 28 teams. The two conferences are named Cylinder and Trapezoid. For a couple of years in the mid-2000s, the league expanded to 42 teams and I named the third conference the Octagon. Though I'm a fan of boxing, I don't like MMA and would probably change the name of the currently in limbo third conference to "Tetragon" if I'm ever foolish enough again to give into popular demand and expand the league.
Trivia TWNMJ #2: The six divisions in that fantasy league are all named after recording artists. Each 3-division conference has a division named after a Jazz musician, a Soul musician, and a rapper. For instance, the defunct Octagon conference had the Wonder division, the Common division, and the Hargrove division.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Buhaina's Delight (1963)
Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Jymie Merritt, Art Blakey
Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Jymie Merritt, Art Blakey
George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra - The African Game (1983)
Want to know what this is about? Check out the track listing
It gets better.
Want to know what this is about? Check out the track listing
In the beginning, it's like watching all the slow parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey, all at once ... on repeat.
It gets better.
oneRYMreviewer said:
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Nathan Eklund - Coin Flip (2010)
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Doctor Robert-approved.Four Guys Named Bob- Revolver (1966)
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Andrew Pekler ~ Cue (2007)
Instrumental, Glitchtronica, Space age bachelor pad, Krautrock, Cinematic
www.allmusic.com
www.tinymixtapes.com
Instrumental, Glitchtronica, Space age bachelor pad, Krautrock, Cinematic
Cue - Andrew Pekler | Album | AllMusic
Cue by Andrew Pekler released in 2007. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com
Music Review: Andrew Pekler - Cue
Andrew Pekler’s latest offering looks toward the anonymity of library music for inspiration. Just to make sure we’re all up to speed: library LPs were specifically designed for film and TV, often allowing artsy composers and electronic innovators to receive an otherwise nonexistent paycheck for...
www.tinymixtapes.com
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