Dave McKenna Dave “Fingers” McKenna [Chiaroscuro CD 175] Solo jazz piano is a difficult art. Presenting the melody, sustaining the rhythm, improvising ; it is difficult to sustain these essential elements in a performance. Dave, in his later years, became a master of the art. Several CDs for Chiaroscuro and Concord provide us with […]
Art Pepper The Omega Sessions [Fresh Sounds CD 378] An Apology. My recommendations are usually sessions which I have enjoyed for many years. This is a new, and very special addition to my collection. In July, at a U3A meeting, one of my friends played a selection from Art’s recordings. Some were familiar but all […]
Clark Terry/Bob Brookmeyer Quintet Complete Studio Recordings [Lonehill Jazz LHJ10199] Bob Brookmeyer was involved in several important partnerships in the 1950s/60s. He worked frequently with Gerry Mulligan in the Quartet, the Sextet and the Concert Band. He worked and recorded with saxophonists Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and with multi-instrumentalist and arranger Jimmy […]
Fats Navarro The Fats Navarro Story (Properbox 11) Over recent months my recommendations seem to arrive by auto-suggestion, as in psychoanalysis. My articles about Peter Ind inspired me to reread part of his book, Jazz Visions. There he describes the excitement of his first visits to New York. One of the musicians who impressed […]
Barry Harris Trio Chasin’ The Bird [LP: Riverside RLP 435 CD: OJC OJCCD-872-2] Not another pianist! Yes, and this one has been coming for some time. During the 1960s and 70s Barry became a mentor for quite a number of jazz musicians, offering them advice on harmony and improvisation. I was reminded of this […]
Paul Bley Basics [Justin Time CD Just 1542] When I visited Peter Ind’s exhibition in March, I discovered that Just Gone Jazz had issued a box set of recordings made by Peter in New York. They include some of the best sessions ever recorded by Lee Konitz. An extra surprise was the inclusion in […]
Last month Rottingdean celebrated Peter’s arrival as a local resident with an exhibition of his paintings at the Grange Gallery and an evening of jazz music at the Plough Inn. It was good to hear that the arrival of such an outstanding jazz musician in our local community was being recognised. If you look into […]
Maxine Sullivan with the Scott Hamilton Quintet Uptown [Concord CD CCD4188] A few weeks ago I rang a friend to confirm a meeting. It was quite late and he told me that he was at the Verdict, where it was the interval. “Who’s on?” I asked. “Scott Hamilton, absolutely terrific,” he replied. That conversation led […]
Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library. Clifford Brown Jazz Immortal featuring Zoot Sims [Pacific Jazz CDP 7 46850 2] Last week I began preparing a talk about tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims. His discography suddenly reminded me of a session which I […]
Woody Shaw Tokyo ‘81 (Elemental CD 5990 429) Live in Bremen 1983 (Elemental CD 5990 430) Two beautifully presented albums from Elemental celebrating the remarkable talent of trumpeter Woody Shaw, who died far too young, and the pianist Mulgrew Miller, who never quite fulfilled the career expectations which his first recordings promised. Both are superbly […]