Top Jazz Album for the Week :: January 30

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Recent Links :: 27 January 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi provides cuts to listen to in conjunction with chapters 18 and 19 of his book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at his blog, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi discusses two Louis Armstrong tracks, "All of Me" and "Home," at The Wornderful World of Louis Armstrong.
  
• Dave Brubeck: The final performance by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, a December 1967 concert in Philadelphia, has been released as Their Last Time Out, according to JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Their Last Time Out, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Chick Corea: Tim Niland reviews the Chick Corea-Eddie Gomez-Paul Motian album, Further Explorations, at Music and More. John Fordham reviews the album at the Guardian. (Purchase the CD, Further Explorations, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Miles Davis: The Telegraph announces that the U.S. Post Office will issue a Miles Davis stamp in 2012.
  
• Duke Ellington: Nick DeRiso reviews the 1963 Duke Ellington album, The Great London Concerts, at Something Else. (Purchase the CD, The Great London Concerts, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Charlie Parker: Chris May reviews the Charlie Parker album, The Complete Masters 1941-54, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, The Complete Masters 1941-54, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Sonny Rollins: Tom Reney criticizes the way that Sonny Rollins's Kennedy Center Honor was handled at JazzTimes.
  

Robert
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Top Jazz Album for the Week :: January 23

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Recent Links :: 18 January 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi provides the audio of and remarks about the Louis Armstrong panel at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem at his blog, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase Ricky's book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Count Basie: Jazz Lives provides three audio clips froman April 23, 1941, concert at Carnegie Hall, which featured the Count Basie Band and the Red Allen Band.
  

• Chick Corea: USA Today reviews Further Explorations, the album by Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, and Paul Motian. (Purchase the CD, Further Explorations, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Miles Davis: Jeff Dayton-Johnson reviews Miles Davis: 1986-1991 The Warner Years at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Miles Davis: 1986-1991 The Warner Years, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Eric Dolphy: Tim Niland briefly reviews Eric Dolphy and Booker Little Quintet, At the Five Spot Complete Edition, at Music and More. (Purchase the CD, Eric Dolphy and Booker Little Quintet, At the Five Spot Complete Edition, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Sonny Rollins: All About Jazz has a long piece on the 1956 Sonny Rollins classic album, Saxophone Colossus. (Purchase the CD, Saxophone Colossus, at Amazon.com.)
  
• McCoy Tyner: Lawrence Peryer discusses the 1962 McCoy Tyner album, Inception, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Inception, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday: Ben Westhoff's somewhat tongue-in-cheek list of the top 20 musicians of all time in any genre at the LA Weekly included Louis Armstrong at # 5, Billie Holiday at # 11, and Miles Davis at # 12.
  

Robert
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Top Jazz Album for the Week :: January 16

Christian McBride Big Band, The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Recent Links :: 13 January 2012

• John Coltrane: Ashley Kahn discusses John Coltrane's album, A Love Supreme, at NPR. (Purchase the CD, A Love Supreme, at Amazon.com.)
  
• John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk: All About Jazz has a brief piece about the album, The Thelonious Monk Quartet and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall. (Purchase the CD, The Thelonious Monk Quartet and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Duke Ellington: The Guardian lists Duke Ellington's performance at the Newport jazz festival in 1956 as one of its 50 great moments in jazz.
  
• Erroll Garner: All About Jazz discusses Erroll Garner's classic album, Concert by the Sea. (Purchase the CD, Concert by the Sea, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell: All About Jazz discusses the famous Jazz at Massey Hall album. (Purchase the CD, Jazz at Massey Hall, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Herbie Hancock: The Herbie Hancock album, Headhunters, is the subject of a piece at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Headhunters, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Keith Jarrett: The Los Angeles Times reports that Keith Jarrett will play at Disney Hall in Los Angeles on March 27.
  
• Joe Pass: On January 13, his birthday, Joe Pass was the jazz musician of the day at All About Jazz.
  

Robert
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Happy Birthday, Joe Pass

Jazz guitarist Joe Pass (1929-1994) was born on January 13, 1929, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He picked up the guitar after seeing actor Gene Autry's portrayal of a guitar-playing cowboy.

Pass had, as Len Lyons puts it, "a prodigious dexterity, an encyclopedic harmonic knowledge, and a driving sense of swing." New York Magazine noted that "There is a certain purity to his sound that makes him stand out easily from other first-rate jazz guitarists."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Joe Pass album, Virtuoso (Pablo), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.

Pass plays "All the Things You Are" here:

Robert
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Recent Links :: 12 January 2012

• Dave Brubeck: All About Jazz discusses the Dave Brubeck Quartet's classic piece "Take Five." (Purchase the CD, Time Out, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

• Chick Corea: Kevin Kniestedt listed the Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White album, Forever, as one of the 10 best albums of 2011 at Groove Notes. (Purchase the CD, Forever, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Miles Davis: The Miles Davis album, Live in Europe 1967: Bootleg Series, Vol. 1, was voted the reissue of the year in Rhapsody's jazz poll, according to the Ottawa Citizen. (Purchase the CD, Live in Europe 1967: Bootleg Series, Vol. 1, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Eric Dolphy: Greg Simmons reviews the recently remastered 1964 Eric Dolphy album, Out to Lunch, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Out to Lunch, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Charles Mingus: All About Jazz has a short piece about the Charles Mingus album, Mingus Ah Um. (Purchase the CD, Mingus Ah Um, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Sonny Rollins: The Sonny Rollins album, Road Shows Vol. 2, was voted the album of the year in Rhapsody's jazz poll, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Kevin Kniestedt also listed the album as one of the 10 best albums of 2011 at Groove Notes. James Hale did the same at Jazz Chronicles. (Purchase the CD, Road Shows Vol. 2, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

Robert
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Recent Links :: 9 January 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Steve Provizer reviews the Ricky Riccardi book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Brilliant Corners, A Boston Jazz Blog. (Purchase Ricky's book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

• Louis Armstrong: Florence Wetzel reviews Brian Harker's new book, Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings at All About Jazz. (Purchase the book, Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi provides cuts to listen to in conjunction with chapter 16 of his book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at his blog, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Chick Corea: JazzTimes announced the February release of Chick Corea's two-disc set, The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet and Chamber Orchestra, in Februrary on Deutsche Grammophon.
  
• Miles Davis: Davis Online discusses Don Cheadle's recent comments about his Miles Davis film.
  
• Charles Mingus: The City of Nogales has dedicated a city-owned street corner for a future Charles Mingus memorial, according to the Nogales International.
  
• Sun Ra: The hour-long Sun Ra biopic, "Brother From Another Planet," is available for streaming at ubuweb.
  

Robert
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RIP, Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)

Jazz trumpeter John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (1917-1993) died of pancreatic cancer on January 6, 1993, in Englewood, New Jersey. He is buried in the Flushing Cemetery, Queens, New York.

Gillespie was one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time and the intellectual force behind bebop. His brilliant solo lines, showmanship, and ability to communicate with his audiences made him perhaps the greatest single force in leading the public to accept bebop.

Wynton Marsalis said of Gillespie, "Dizzy was so quick-minded, he could create an endless flow of ideas at unusually fast tempi. Nobody had ever even considered playing a trumpet that way, let alone had actually tried. All the musicians respected him because, in addition to outplaying everyone, he knew so much and was so generous with that knowledge..."

Gillespie and his band play "One Note Samba," here:

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends two of Gillespie's albums:

• In the Beginning (Prestige). This album is only available in vinyl, but Jim Determan recommends as an alternative, Shaw Nuff (Discovery), which has all but one cut from In the Beginning. (Purchase the CD, Shaw Nuff, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• The Original Dizzy Gillespie Big Band: In Concert (GNP), which is available on CD. (Purchase the CD, The Original Dizzy Gillespie Big Band: In Concert, at Amazon.com.)
  

Robert
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RIP, Charles Mingus (1922-1979)

Jazz bassist Cahrles Mingus (1922-1979) died on January 5, 1979, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, following complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was 56 years old. His ashes were scattered in the Ganges River.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons calls Mingus a "crucial" transitional figure between modern jazz and free jazz and attributes the power of his music "to his mastery of a wide range of emotions."

In his book, Lyons recommends two of Mingus's albums:

• The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop/Stormy Weather (Barnaby). Unfortunately, this album is not available on CD, and so Jim Determan recommends instead Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid), which contains about half of the Barnaby album. Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus is available on CD from Amazon.com.
  
• Passions of a Man (Atlantic). Available on CD from Amazon.com.
  

Mingus and his quintet play "Flowers For A Lady" here:

Robert http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

Recent Links :: 5 January 2012

• Miles Davis: The Miles Davis Quintet's album, Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1, is listed as one of the top 10 historical releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

• Miles Davis: The Miles Davis album, Bitches Brew Live, is listed as one of the top 10 historical releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Bitches Brew Live, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Duke Ellington: The Complete 1930-1942 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra is listed as one of the top 10 historical releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, The Complete 1930-1942 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Herbie Hancock: Tim Niland reviews The Best of Herbie Hancock: The Blue Note Years at Music and More. (Purchase the CD, The Best of Herbie Hancock: The Blue Note Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Freddie Hubbard: The Freddie Hubbard album, Pinnacle: Live and Unreleased From Keystone Korner, is listed as one of the top 10 historical releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Pinnacle: Live and Unreleased From Keystone Korner, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Keith Jarrett: The Keith Jarrett album, Rio, is listed as one of the top 40 new releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Rio, at Barnes & Noble.
  
• Modern Jazz Quartet: The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings of the Modern Jazz Quartet 1956-64 is listed as one of the top 10 historical releases of 2011 at JazzTimes.
  
• Sonny Rollins: The Sonny Rollins album, Road Shows Vol. 2, is listed as one of the top 40 new releases of 2011 at JazzTimes. (Purchase the CD, Road Shows Vol. 2, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

Robert
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Recent Links :: 4 January 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi shares a broadcast from Louis Armstrong's 1953 concert in Yokohama, Japan, at his blog, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong.
  
• Louis Armstrong: In honor of Louis Armstrong month, Ricky Riccardi will give several presentations at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem during January 2012, according to Jazz Lives. (Purchase Ricky's book, What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years, at Barnes & Noble.)
  

• Chick Corea, Miles Davis: Tim Niland reviews the Miles Davis tribute album, Miles Español: New Sketches of Spain, which includes Chick Corea on the piano, at Music and More. (Purchase the CD, Miles Español: New Sketches of Spain, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Miles Davis: John Jurgensen interviews Don Cheadle about the Miles Davis movie that he intends to produce at the Wall Street Journal.
  
• Keith Jarrett: Karl Ackermann reviews the Keith Jarrett album, Rio, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Rio, at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• John McLaughlin: On his birthday (January 4), guitarist John McLaughlin was the jazz musician of the day at All About Jazz.
  
• Oscar Peterson: Tom Wilmeth has the transcript of his 1979 interview with Oscar Peterson at JazzTimes.
  
• Sonny Rollins: LeRoy Downs shares a video tribute to Sonny Rollins on the occasion of his Kennedy Center honor at The Jazzcat.
  

Robert
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Happy Birthday, John McLaughlin

British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin was born on January 4, 1942, in Doncaster, England. He turns 70 today.

McLaughlin is a highly regarded guitarist — no less than Jeff Beck called him "the best guitarist alive." McLaughlin worked with Miles Davis on his landmark electric jazz-fusion albums In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew before forming his own Mahavishnu Orchestra in the 1970s.  In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons notes that "The Mahavishnu Orchestra, led by the British guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin, proved that challenging improvisation and precise interplay among group members was entirely compatible with the high-energy, high-decibel sound of hard rock."

Lyons recommends McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's album, The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia), which he describes as an album of "compelling urgency and enthusiasm." The CD is available from Barnes & Noble.

The Mahavishnu Orchestra plays "One Word" here:

Robert
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