Cachao: "Descargas, Havana Sessions"

This here is a podcast on the Jazz Great Wayne Shorter. It is also an introduction so the listeners can get an idea of his work. That is why I am featuring the Double CD Album, The Classic Blue Note Recordings. Let's take a look at his Biography: (Born Aug. 25, 1933, Newark, N.J., U.S.) African-American musician and composer, a major jazz saxophonist, among the most influential hard-bop and modal musicians and a pioneer of jazz-rock fusion music. Shorter studied at New York University (B.M.E., 1956) and served in the U.S. Army (1956–58). He spent brief periods in the Horace Silver quintet (1956) and the Maynard Ferguson big band (1958) before his first major association, with Art Blakey's hard-bop Jazz Messengers (1959–63). He joined Miles Davis's modal jazz quintet as a tenor saxophonist in 1964 and stayed with him during Davis' early fusion music experiments, leaving in 1970 as a soprano saxophonist. Throughout the 1970s and much of the '80s, Shorter and keyboard player Joe Zawinul together led Weather Report, a fusion band that explored an uncommon variety of sound colours. He returned frequently to the tenor saxophone and in later years led his own fusion music groups.......Continue Reading  About the Double CD Album: Recorded between 1960 & 1989. Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal.Renowned for his stints with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and, later, Miles Davis, saxophonist Wayne Shorter was also one of the finest jazz composers of the 1960s. This two-CD compilation, consisting entirely of his own compositions, presents a remarkable selection of Shorter's discography (sans the many albums he made with Weather Report), with the first disc focusing on Shorter's solo releases and the second on his work with Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, and others.As the title implies, this collection includes the original versions of well-known tunes "Yes or No," "Footprints," "Adam's Apple," and other Blue Note classics. Although most the songs were recorded in the '60s, the set does include Shorter's '89 electronic reworking of "Nefertiti," as performed by the Manhattan Project. (This rendition boasts the incomparable Michel Petrucciani, who contributes a burning piano solo.) The collection also features astounding hard-bop collaborations with the Jazz Messengers, including smoking versions of "Lester Left Town" and "The Chess Players.".......Learn more

This my 2nd Podcast here and features 3 sets on three CD album. My 1st set is on Cal Tjader's "The Best of the Monterey Jazz Festival" CD Album: Cal Tjader began his career as a stalwart member of the West Coast jazz scene, swinging his vibes through breezy versions of standards with the likes of Vince Guaraldi and Stan Getz. Along the way he delved into Latin music and after that it colored almost everything he did. His progression as an artist is explored on this compilation of performances from the Monterey Jazz Festivals, spanning the time period from 1958 to 1980. The first five tracks feature the entire performance from 1958 featuring Cal Tjader's working group running through what would be nondescript standards except for the dynamic clarinet of Buddy Defranco, who joins them for the first two numbers. The remainder of the program adds Mongo Santamaria on congas for a pair of Latin numbers that show the beginnings of the influence that Tjader would take to the bank for the rest of his career. Nothing revolutionary here, just straightforward cool jazz. Even the Latin numbers don't fan the flames too much....Learn More  The 2nd set features Elis Regina's "Como e Porque" CD Album: One of our favorite albums ever from the incredible Elis Regina – a record that really has her hitting new levels in her style – moving past simple bossa into a realm of music that's all her own! The backings are arranged by Roberto Menescal, who also moves into some great new territory here – a soaring, spacious mode that's way different than his gentler bossa – and which really has some of the growing complications that were showing up in Brazilian music at the end of the 60s. There's a fair bit of jazz in the mix, but also a fair bit of majesty too – and the tunes soar out with a much livelier feel than some of Regina's later albums.....Learn More  Elis Regina's Biography: Temperamental and moody, capable of fits of extreme generosity that could quickly turn into moments of rage-filled paranoia, Elis Regina was one of the most ferociously talented singers to emerge from Brazil. A perfectionist who was frequently dissatisfied, Regina drove herself and members of her band relentlessly, leading to her being dubbed "hurricane" and "little pepper" by musicians and music journalists. Her tempestuous nature aside, she commanded the respect of Brazil's leading songwriters, who lined up for the chance to have her record one of their songs, and for much of her short life was the country's most popular female vocalist. Born Elis Regina Carvalho Costa in Porto Alegre in 1945 to a working class family, Regina began singing professionally at age 12 on a children's television show called Clube de Guri. For the next two years she was a regular performer on the program and became a local celebrity. It was during this period that she signed her first recording contract at the age of 13. At 15 she relocated to Rio de Janeiro, where she recorded the first of three records, returning to Porto Alegre between each. Her initial recordings sold well and she was soon a teenage star, as well as the family's principal breadwinner. In 1963, at the age of 18, Regina and her father, in a move designed to further her career, relocated to Rio. Unfortunately it was around this time that a military junta took over control of the country....Continue  The 3rd and final set is on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Stone Flower" CD Album:  Recorded in 1970 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey under the production auspices of Creed Taylor, the arrangement and conducting skills of Deodato, and the engineering expertise of Van Gelder himself, Jobim's Stone Flower is quite simply one of his most quietly stunning works -- and certainly the high point of his time at Columbia. Nearly a decade after the paint peeled from the shine of bossa nova's domination of both the pop and jazz charts in the early '60s, Creed Taylor brought Jobim's tender hush of the bossa sound back into the limelight. With a band that included both Jobim and Deodato on guitars (Jobim also plays piano and sings in a couple of spots), Ron Carter on bass, Joao Palma on drums, Airto Moreira and Everaldo Ferreira on percussion, Urbie Green on trombone, Joe Farrell on soprano saxophone, and Harry Lookofsky laying down a soulful violin solo on the title track, Jobim created his own version of Kind of Blue. The set opens with the low, simmering "Tereza My Love," with its hushed, elongated trombone lines and shifting acoustic guitars floating on the evening breeze. It begins intimate and ends with a closeness that is almost uncomfortably sensual, even for bossa nova......Learn More

This here is my "official" first Podomatic podcast. I will feature three sets of three CD Albums. The First set is on Donald Byrd's CD Album "Off to the Races": Detroit was producing a lot more than cars in the 1950s: the city was a breeding ground for an impressive number of hard bop giants. Two of the most dynamic instrumentalists to trek eastward from Motown to the Big Apple were trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, leader and featured sideman respectively on Off To The Races. Off To The Races, Byrd's first recording for Blue Note as a leader and the first in a series of fruitful collaborations between the trumpeter and Adams, is a sympathetic collaboration of musical soul mates. The background they share—cutting their teeth at Detroit's famed Blue Bird Inn in the early 1950s—allows them to play together in perfect simpatico. The addition of alto saxophone giant Jackie McLean creates a competitive atmosphere, albeit a healthy one, reminiscent of an old time cutting session where boundaries of individual prowess are stretched to new limits. Adams possesses an unstoppable drive. His shoot first, ask questions later approach to the baritone was unmatched at the time. It's not surprising that Adams honed his craft in the concrete laden, industrial jungle of Detroit. His dry tone and hard edged sound is the antithesis to the softer, floating—and more popular—style of Gerry Mulligan. He is at his best on blazing tempos; his dizzying lines on the opening track, "Lover Come Back To Me and the title cut are absolutely breathtaking. ....Read More  My Second set is Cannonball Adderley's CD Album "Verve Jazz Masters 31": Julian "Cannonball" Adderley didn't spend long at Verve Records, but his releases there, highlighted by the outstanding JULIAN CANNONBALL ADDERLEY AND STRINGS and JUMP FOR JOY albums, are among his very best. This compilation covers the highlights of Adderley's tenure with Verve, focusing on lush versions of such standards as "What's New," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to," and "The Way You Look Tonight."The alto saxophonist had a remarkable facility for ballads, and his versions of these classics are among the best. Elsewhere, Adderley pulls off a sassy take on Duke Ellington's "I Got it Bad (and that Ain't Good)" and a staggeringly complex reading of Thelonious Monk's bop workout "Straight, No Chaser." Adderley's originals more than hold their own in such exalted company. True fans will want the albums themselves, but this compilation is a wonderful introduction....Read More My Third and final set is Thelonious Monk's "The Essential Theloneous Monk": Calling an album "The Essential Thelonious Monk" is a bit misleading, especially since all the material comes from one label: Columbia. Nonetheless, this may arguably be the essential Thelonious Monk material on the label. There are 11 selections here, all recorded between 1962-1968, the period of Monk's tenure with the label. Produced for reissues by the estimable Didier C. Deutsch, Monk's essentials include recordings from all of his settings with the label: solo (the album opens with the stunning rendition of "'Round Midnight" from the Monk Alone album), followed by a live quartet outing of "Bemsha Swing" and a "Blue Monk" from the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival featuring Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. Also included are the various rhythm sections Monk employed, beginning with Charlie Rouse. There's "Rhythm-A-Ning" with John Ore and Frankie Dunlop, "Blue Monk" with Butch Warren and Dunlop, and Larry Gales and Ben Riley on "Misterioso," "Epistrophy," "Straight No Chaser," and "Well You Needn't." Monk's big band is also represented here on "Brilliant Corners," whose members included....Read More

Cachao’s Mambo All-Stars, carry on the legacy of the Grammy-winning bassist and composer Israel “Cachao” Lopez, the legendary “father of the mambo”. Cachao’s Mambo All-Stars’ energetic “descargas”, are improvised, Latin jam sessions of which Cachao was both inventor and master of. They conjure images of Havana’s heyday, and remember the man who transformed Cuban music.

Avante Garde? I’m truly not sure. Since I am learning as I listen, I bump into and read about different “Eras” of Jazz. There is much consistently in the early years but when you reach the “Hard Bop Era” which comes right after “Be Bop” one, there are different interpretations as to the naming of this Era itself and the existence of Jazz musicians branching out to different parts of the United States. Mostly to two meccas where “Hard Bop” existed and thrived. California and New York, East and West. You also had the “Cool Jazz” Era which was popularized by Miles Davis and occurred at the same time. Right before the Hard Bop officially ended (1965) there was the emergence of “Free Jazz” and “Avante Garde.” So there were many things going on especially in the United States, that changed the sound of Jazz and different experimental approaches. This was a combination of mostly Civil Rights movements and the simple fact that all the greats were aging and there was a considerable generation gap. Anyhow, I have placed some links below along with information about the three sets I recorded so can understand the confusion....Read More

Charles Mingus was and still is considered to be one of the best Jazz Bass player ever. This is for sure but his unknown contribution to Jazz is not recognized by mainstream music listener. His innovative form of improvisation of instruments was his golden contribution. He composed almost all of the songs you him play. In this post I will give the reader and listener as much information so they can go on and explore this man’s work. I will also include a Musical Jazz Special I made which featured the CD Album “The Mingus Dynasty.” I’ll start here with Biography:One of the most important figures in twentieth century American music, Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer. Born on a military base in Nogales, Arizona in 1922 and raised in Watts, California, his earliest musical influences came from the church– choir and group singing– and from “hearing Duke Ellington over the radio when [he] was eight years old.” He studied double bass and composition in a formal way (five years with H. Rheinshagen, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, and compositional techniques with the legendary Lloyd Reese) while absorbing vernacular music from the great jazz masters, first-hand. His early professional experience, in the 40′s, found him touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton......Continue Here

By Jose Reyes The 60 ‘s was full of pioneering music in all facets of sound but this change took place in the middle of the decade. The most popular of all was the modern Rock n’ Roll sound. But there was a revelation also in the Jazz scene. Although it was more traditional than Rock n’ Roll it was rather new. You can say it was a sort of extension of Hard Bop because most of the musicians were from the Hard Bop era and were very young at the time it officially started. The Hard Bop era ran from 1955 to 1965. After 1965 the term Avante Garde officially started, supposedly. Although I appreciate all the different Jazz eras, I personally love the Hard Bop the most but I love the Avante Garde era just as much. So I seem to be stuck between both. And anyone else would be also, since some songs from the late 50′s are very similar to ones from the late 60′s. I feel that it was just a slow transitional change and both eras overlapped. Nevertheless, the quality never changed, it was and still is the best music ever. I truly feel I could say this because of my wide range of taste. I appreciate all types of music and had the opportunity to hear them but I feel and in my opinion, that there are no more talented musicians than Jazz musicians. I always appreciated Jazz but never studied it. Now that I have begun to and believe me, I’m in the early stages, now I am appreciating it even more. These Cats are the best. Maybe because of how old fashion I am at heart and because I value tradition to its fullest, I need to fight to keep it alive. This outstanding form of music is only listened to in a very limited manner because the radio stations around the world simply do not play it. The internet has helped quite a bit but still its not enough to give it justice. I am trying to help in my own little way by promoting CD albums by way of Blogtalkradio.com. This way people can hear its beauty and purchase the music. I have to say, I’m not the best host ever, so bear with me. Just concentrate on the music, give it a chance and you will realize exactly why I devote so much time to promote it. But then again, I’m having a ball listening to it.....Continue Here

...A decade after Afro-Cuban rhythms set the jazz world on fire, we find the maestro playing the Concord, a popular lakeside resort 90 miles north of New York City. So it is a “tourist” album, probably given away or sold as a souvenir. The liners and photos tell as much about where to find swimming director Buster Crabbe as Machito. For popular Latin, it has the top standards, as well as a few Machito surprises. The former includes obligatory covers of Perez Prado’s smashes “Guaglione” and “Patricia,” plus cha cha cha counterparts.... ...Weather Report was an influential jazz fusion band of the 1970s and 1980s. Along with Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters,it is seen as a definite representation of jazz fusion in the 1970s. This outfit had an enduring staying power as they were active for over fifteen years. The band was originally a spin-off from the group of musicians associated with Miles Davis in the late sixties and early seventies. The stable core of the group was the duo of pianist/leader Joe Zawinul and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, while the other musicians were rotated with almost every album…..... ....The remarkable jazz harmonica player Toots Thielemans has essentially had no competition ever since he decided to fully focus on that instrument, rather than the guitar, in the early 1950s. This sampler CD, Verve Jazz Masters 59 is, fortunately, programmed in chronological order, contains some rather rare tracks, and covers a wide period of time although it mostly focuses on the ’70s and ’80s. Thielemans is first heard with the George Shearing Quintet (which at the time included vibraphonist Cal Tjader) in 1953 playing “Undecided” and “Body and Soul.” The ’60s are represented by a quartet version of his “Flirt” and a forgettable movie theme with Quincy Jones & His Orchestra...Read More

On this Classic Jazz Podcast, I featured two sets. The first set was an introduction to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. So the listener could get to know and begin to understand why these two men are considered to be “the best” by many. I am not a judge of musical talent, in respect where I can absolutely conclude and make a definitive decision to whom is “the best” and who is “better than who.” On any given time of the day, my judgment can change. I rather place these classic jazz greats in talent levels, as if I was building a skyscraper and my favorite musicians would be on the top and my least favorite would be on the lower floors. Miles and Coltrane.....More

Machito's big band was one of the first and best exponents of Afro-Cuban jazz as we know it today. This 1957 effort focuses more on the African side of the Afro-Cuban equation; the album title/concept was chosen because Kenya represented the "New Africa" at the time, which dovetailed nicely with the new sounds Machito and company were laying down. Note: Will not be taking calls, just for your listening pleasure, ENJOY!! Learn More Here