I'm just getting into Mary Lou Williams. I picked up one of her later releases entitled Zoning w/ Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker. Here's the opening number.
I'm just getting into Mary Lou Williams. I picked up one of her later releases entitled Zoning w/ Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker. Here's the opening number.
Big fan.She was "beyond category".Originally Posted by Reid
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Duke Ellington was a big fan of Mary Lou.
"Mary Lou Williams is perpetually contemporary. Her writing and performing are and always have been just a little ahead throughout her career. . . (H)er music retains a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul."
Duke Ellington,
Music Is My Mistress
This is my impression after listening to Zoning. She sounds like a younger musician from the generation of Herbie Hancock or Kenny Barron. Not someone born in 1910.
Indeed.She was mentor and inspiration to Thelonious Monk,Dizzy Gillespie and so many others.She recorded an album with Cecil Taylor!!
I recommend "My Mama Pinned A Rose On Me"on Pablo.Duets with Buster Williams on bass and a couple of tracks with Cynthia Tyson on vocals.She does another rendition of Syl-O-Gism.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
That Mary Lou Williams was cool!
Speaking of female jazz pianists, my parents had a Barbara Carroll album that I used to listen to when I was in my early teens. I have no idea why they had it, my dad being a classical symphony orchestra musician and fan and my mom listening to Muzak, at least when my dad wasn't home. But now that I think about it, it may have been the first jazz album I ever heard. I've never heard her name mentioned in jazz circles, but apparently she had a long, illustrious career. Listening with my now well seasoned ears, she still sounds good!
The just-released Myra Melford album, Snowy Egret, is hip.
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
While we're talking about female jazz pianists...
Chicago has some good ones. For my money, the best of them is Joan Hickey (yes, including the far more well known Patricia Barber), who's married to one of Chicago's top jazz drummers, Joel Spencer.
Last edited by No Pride; 05-01-2015 at 05:47 PM.
There was a one hour documentary about her that was recently shown on PBS. I DVR-d it and watched it last night. I didn't really know anything about her; pretty fascinating stuff!
Here's a website that can help you be able to see or record it sometime soon on your local PBS station:
http://itvs.org/films/mary-lou-williams
I saw her in trio at Sweet Basil(78?) with Buster Williams and Mickey Roker,and in a duo at The Cookery(79?) with Bob Cranshaw on electric bass.
Outtasight!!
Great documentary.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Thanks, Ernie! Speaking of documentaries, I stumbled upon this one Sunday night. It's excellent!
It contains some rare footage, and quite a bit of commentary from Lennie himself, as well as Lee
Konitz, Warne Marsh, and Sheila Jordon.
Irene Schweizer and Marilyn Crispell.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
Speaking of Marylin Crispell, there is a new reissue of the first disc (previously a 2 disc set) of the Anthony Braxton Quartet's Santa Cruz 1993 album. Hopefully the second disc won't be too far behind, but Hathut has struggled to put this stuff back out there for a while. Still hoping for a reissue of Willisau.
As for new jazz albums, really digging the new Snakeoil disc.
I hate to sound like a name dropper (what can I say; I've been around the block), but I played a gig with Sheila Jordan circa 1990 or '91 at The Green Mill in Chicago. She was sweet, funny and fun... and a "real deal" scat singer.
^^^
That's pretty cool, Ernie! I haven't really listened to her in depth. I have just a couple of things including George Russell's unusual interpretation of You Are My Sunshine recorded in the early 60s, and a duet with Mark Murphy.
Satoko Fujii.
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
Drop away!
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
It's coming, as two separate 2-CD sets for the live and studio recordings, respectively. There's been a huge flood of the 4-CD sets on the secondary market in recent months as people hope to cash in before the re-issues come out.
Careful what you wish for.
Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere on this thread; I'm not about to go through 31 pages to see. And apologies to those who aren't fusion fans, but...
The keyboard solo on this tune knocks my socks off! It's not often that I'm this blown away by a musician I never even heard of a week ago, but this guy did it!
Just heard that drummer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Jerome Cooper passed away,age 69,from cancer.Cooper played and recorded with Steve Lacy,Anthony Braxton,and was the long time drummer in the Revolutionary Ensemble, with Leroy Jenkins and Sirone.Saw Cooper with the Revolutionary Ensemble on a few occasions back in the days, as well as a solo concert Cooper put on at Soundscapes.He recorded a couple of solo albums.
RIP to a cat who was there, and who mattered while he was.RIP and thanks for the music.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Take away the choir and the "head" kind of reminded me of this:
Last edited by No Pride; 05-08-2015 at 10:44 AM.
This Cory Henry keyboard guy is just F...... amazing !!!!Careful what you wish for.
Sorry if this has been posted elsewhere on this thread; I'm not about to go through 31 pages to see. And apologies to those who aren't fusion fans, but...
The keyboard solo on this tune knocks my socks off! It's not often that I'm this blown away by a musician I never even heard of a week ago, but this guy did it!
Fusion guitar players take on (Atlantic era) Coltrane:
With the choir it reminded me a bit of Billy Harper:
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
Bassist Victor Bailey's take on Coltrane's "Countdown."
Who's scatting, Victor?
I've played with him twice, once on a record session for a guy named Kimo Williams' album, "War Stories" and once when he sat in with my latin jazz-rock band, Chevere. Not that he'd remember me or anything...
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