Two Daves

I have been playing a lot of Dave Holland on my Live365 station.  Holland is a brilliant bass player and equally brilliant band leader.  He has his own label now, Dare2Records.  I purchased a two record recording from the site, including Pathways, by the Dave Holland Octet, and a Flamenco duet with Holland and guitarist Pepe Habichuela.  The latter isn't jazz, but it is great if you have been in Madrid recently. 

Pathways is well worth listening to.  I am playing 'Blue Jean'.   Here is the lineup:

• Antonio Hart (Alto Sax and Flute), 
• Chris Potter (Tenor Sax and Soprano Sax), 
• Gary Smulyan (Baritone Sax), 
• Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), 
• Robin Eubanks (Trombone), 
• Steve Nelson (Vibraphone and Marimba), 
• Dave Holland (bass), 
• Nate Smith (drums)

 I am also playing a cut from Extensions (1990) by the Dave Holland Quartet.  This is an interesting, slightly fusionesque offering (chiefly due to the electric guitar sound).  Here is the lineup:

• Bass – Dave Holland
• Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith
• Guitar – Kevin Eubanks
• Saxophone – Steve Coleman

Meanwhile I have added a couple of numbers from Dave Murray's Black Saint Quartet (2008).  From the Live in Berlin album: 'Dirty Laundry' and 'Banished'.  This is one of the many truly great jazz albums that go without recognition.  Please seek it out and nail it down. 

• Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – David Murray
• Composed By – David Murray
• Double Bass – Jaribu Shahid
• Drums – Hamid Drake
• Piano – Lafayette Gilchrist

Lee Konitz & the Incredible Shrinking Jazz Section

As any jazz fan knows all too well, the jazz section is steadily shrinking everywhere it still exists.  By "jazz section" I mean a section of jazz CDs in any room where other genres are sold.  This is no great tragedy.  The jazz sections are shrinking along with CD rooms as a whole.  This is largely because of the the fact that the offerings of music available have expanded exponentially online (and because movies are still purchased largely in plastic media).  

It does discomfort me, however, that every time I pop into The Electric Fetus ( a great record store in Minneapolis) the jazz section seems to by smaller by about the length of a bass clarinet.  Worse than discomfort, I feel morally obligated to buy something in inverse proportion to the volume of offerings. 

 

Saturday, happily, I found something that allowed me to exit the store happy and guilt free.  Black Saint & Soul Note had a box set of remastered albums by the Lee Konitz Quartet.  Each disc comes in a slip cover with the original artwork and some of the liner notes.  For about $35 it contained five Konitz albums, not one of which I  possessed.  This is a jazz collectors box of gold.  Here are the albums:

1. Live at Laren 
2. Ideal Scene
3. The New York Album
4. Zounds
5. Lunasea 

So far I have only sampled 2-4.   They are splendid and well worth the price of the box.  

I am playing 'Ezz-thetic' and 'Stare-Case' from Ideal Scene. 

• Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
• Bass – Rufus Reid
• Drums – Al Harewood
• Piano – Harold Danko

From The New York Album, I am playing 'Limehouse Blues'.  Substitute Marc Johnson and Adam Nussbaum for Reid and Harewood.  

The real gem is Zounds, much more devoted to free jazz.  

• Alto and Soprano Saxophone – Lee Konitz
• Kenny Werner –piano, synthesizer
• Ron McClure –bass
• Bill Stewart –drums

 I am playing 'All Things Considered', a lengthy showpiece for Konitz's genius, and 'Soft Lee', with Konitz on soprano.  There is a lot of Konitz on JazzNoteNSU right now. 

David Murray's Black Saint Quartet in Berlin

I received a nice note from Jeff Cosgrove.  Jeff is a drummer and he has just recorded a CD with the title Motian Sickness - The Music of Paul Motian, For the Love of Sarah.  You gotta love that title. 

The CD features Jamie Masefield (Jazz Mandolin Project) on mandolin, Mat Maneri (William Parker/Cecil Taylor) on viola, John Hebert (Fred Hersch/Mary Halvorson) on bass, and me on drums.  This is a project I had be speaking with Paul Motian about for over three years and he sent me all the compositions. 

I'll be reviewing this CD as soon as I get it.  I am a big fan of Paul Motian, who passed away in November.   As it happened, I had just noticed a review of Jeff's recording at Jazz Times. 

In a subsequent email, Jeff alerted me to a recording by David Murray and the Black Saint Quartet, Black Saint Quartet: Live in Berlin.  I found it on eMusic.  I hadn't noticed it before because eMusic didn't list it under David Murray.  I am big into David Murray.  I have been listening to it and it is exquisite.  I have a cut playing on my Live365 station.  Holy buckets but it is good!  

Here's the lineup, from Discogs: 

• Double Bass – Jaribu Shahid
• Drums – Hamid Drake
• Piano – Lafayette Gilchrist
• Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – David Murray

ps.  If David Murray should happen to notice this post, he should send me an email.  I will whirl like a Dervish if I get one.