Bebop, Hard Bop and Free Jazz album reviews and discussion

**Janszoon** · 03-20-2010, 11:05 AM

I have to confess I'm kind of a jazz novice, so I'm always a little unclear on where one subgenre of jazz ends and another one begins, but what I'm basically talking about here is jazz that was produced from the mid 40s to the mid 60s. It seems like most of my favorite jazz is from this era, and I think Bebop, Hard Bop and Free Jazz pretty much cover the sounds I'm talking about. I'll post some of my favorites and I hope other people will do so as well. Maybe we can all find out about some great albums we've never heard before. Your comments can be as long or as short as you want, but please say something about the album.

Here's one to start with...

A Night at Birdland Volume 1—Art Blakey Quintet (1954)

This is not only one of my favorite Jazz albums but also, without a doubt, one the best live albums of any genre that I've ever heard in my life. For one thing the production is amazing, especially for the mid 50s; every single time I listen to it I feel like I'm right there sitting at a table at Birdland drinking a glass of bourbon.

It begins with a track of Pee Wee Marquette introducing the band. You can practically smell the cigar smoke on his breath and it sets the tone perfectly. Then the latinesque "Split Kick" jumps out of the speakers at you, grabs you by your hands and makes you want to dance. But Clifford Brown's trumpet lines do all the dancing the song requires. The man was truly a brilliant player and I was dismayed to find out recently that he died only two years later at the age of 25. Of course Art Blakey also really shines here as well, but that's pretty much a given.

The album's quality never wanes. From the soft tones of "Once in a While" to the sweaty "Quicksilver" all the way through to the rapid-fire closing track "Mayreh" this recording is pure sonic joy. And though I specifically mentioned Art Blakey and Clifford Brown in describing "Split Kick", the remaining members of the band are astounding too. Curley Russell on bass, though probably the most subdued of the bunch, manages to tie everything together beautifully. Lou Donaldson's saxophone intertwines with the trumpet magnificently. And Horace Brown on the piano is in a league of his own here. Even though he seems to push the spotlight away somewhat he's always doing something gorgeous and unexpected beneath and between everything else that is going on.

My copy of the album also includes two bonus tracks: "Wee-Dot" and "Blues (Improvisation)" both of which are taken from the third volume of this now two volume series. Both are quite good in their own right, apart from the album proper.

03-20-2010, 11:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Bebop, Hard Bop and Free Jazz album reviews and discussion I have to confess I'm kind of a jazz novice, so I'm always a little unclear on where one subgenre of jazz ends and another one begins, but what I'm basically talking about here is jazz that was produced from the mid 40s to the mid 60s. It seems like most of my favorite jazz is from this era, and I think Bebop, Hard Bop and Free Jazz pretty much cover the sounds I'm talking about. I'll post some of my favorites and I hope other people will do so as well. Maybe we can all find out about some great albums we've never heard before. Your comments can be as long or as short as you want, but please say something about the album. Here's one to start with... A Night at Birdland Volume 1—Art Blakey Quintet (1954) This is not only one of my favorite Jazz albums but also, without a doubt, one the best live albums of any genre that I've ever heard in my life. For one thing the production is amazing, especially for the mid 50s; every single time I listen to it I feel like I'm right there sitting at a table at Birdland drinking a glass of bourbon. It begins with a track of Pee Wee Marquette introducing the band. You can practically smell the cigar smoke on his breath and it sets the tone perfectly. Then the latinesque "Split Kick" jumps out of the speakers at you, grabs you by your hands and makes you want to dance. But Clifford Brown's trumpet lines do all the dancing the song requires. The man was truly a brilliant player and I was dismayed to find out recently that he died only two years later at the age of 25. Of course Art Blakey also really shines here as well, but that's pretty much a given. The album's quality never wanes. From the soft tones of "Once in a While" to the sweaty "Quicksilver" all the way through to the rapid-fire closing track "Mayreh" this recording is pure sonic joy. And though I specifically mentioned Art Blakey and Clifford Brown in describing "Split Kick", the remaining members of the band are astounding too. Curley Russell on bass, though probably the most subdued of the bunch, manages to tie everything together beautifully. Lou Donaldson's saxophone intertwines with the trumpet magnificently. And Horace Brown on the piano is in a league of his own here. Even though he seems to push the spotlight away somewhat he's always doing something gorgeous and unexpected beneath and between everything else that is going on. My copy of the album also includes two bonus tracks: "Wee-Dot" and "Blues (Improvisation)" both of which are taken from the third volume of this now two volume series. Both are quite good in their own right, apart from the album proper. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm