Ray Barretto - Acid

Ray Barretto's 'Acid'

Almost could be described as salsa jazz. Definitive Latin influence on the music, but not in the usual way that you find with jazz records. Relation could be to groups like Sly Stone and Cymande who combine soul with jazz in a really nonchalant way. Great record, should be the source of numerous beats.

Ray Barretto - Acid (1968)

Prince Lasha & Sonny Simmons

Prince Lasha's and Sonny Simmons' 'The Cry!'

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons first came to my attention because of Eric Dolphy's 'Iron Man'. Perpetuating the sound of Eric Dolphy and Andrew Hill, Simmons and Lasha certainly play avant-garde jazz. 'The Cry!' their first effort together follows a more linear path than 'Firebirds', but they both take great strides in terms of expanding the sounds they were working with on 'Iron Man'. The great part about these records are that they remain free while still retaining a bop backing. Much like Andrew Hill's work throughout the '60s there is an inherent groove throughout the music no matter how static or dissonant it may get. Anyone with any interest in jazz should check these two records out as they are insanely overlooked and truly special.

Prince Lasha's and Sonny Simmons' 'Firebirds'

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons - The Cry (1962)

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons - Firebirds (1967)

The Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity

Albert Ayler's Spiritual Unity

Albert Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' is a landmark free jazz record. The lack of updates on here have been due as expected to the hustle of every day. When it comes to my own personal relaxation from that type of stress it is nice to just sit down and hear a record with this level of involvement. I think this album really embraces exploring the subtle nuances of improvisation. It explores a realm of free jazz while at the same time still appealing to those who may not be fully devoted to the genre and looking to attempt to dive in feet first should definitely give this a spin.

The Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity (1964)

Ron Carter - Empire Jazz

Ron Carter's 'Empire Jazz'

here is a gem. Ron Carter and Billy Cobham arranging jazz music from Empire Strikes Back. what the fuck? i don't really know how this even came to exist but the staff on the record is great. flute solos are excellent. the dense guitars on 'The Imperial March' melody are amazing and all around if you grew up with Star Wars and dig jazz there is no way you can't dig this. plus awesomest cover of all time.


Ron Carter - Empire Jazz (1980)

Jackie McLean - One Step Beyond

Jackie McLean's 'One Step Beyond'

To parlay into my personal life I work in a restaurant. In my restaurant as any I have a steady group of customers I consider my regulars. One of these individuals happens to be Paul Carmen who played on a few Zappa records and is a pretty accomplished saxophonist. Anyways, tonight while we were talking at the bar we began to discuss some records by musicians such as Freddie Hubbard and Andrew Hill. After coming home and reflecting on the experience I thought of Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond which sort of hints at an avant garde sound while at the same time remaining a bop record. The two highlights in the group here are Grachan Moncur III and Bobby Hutcherson. Hutcherson on vibes and Moncur on trombone really help flavor the rest of the group as McLean isn't the most involved player. Tony Williams really fills this record out on the drums in a subtle yet intelligent way. Truly a lost jazz classic.


Jackie McLean - One Step Beyond (1963)

Andrew Hill - Black Fire

Andrew Hill is my favorite jazz composer. His arrangements, his groups, everything about the man I throughly adore. When I heard about his death last year it saddened me a great deal because even in his old age he was still a marvel of a player and more importantly still releasing relevant jazz music. 'Black Fire' followed Hill's most celebrated achievement 'Point of Departure' and while that album is probably one of the best avant garde jazz records of all time the rest of Hill's discography is certainly not something to scoff at. Simply looking at the rhythm section of this record you know you are in for a treat. Two of the most inventive jazz musicians of the period Roy Haynes and Richard Davis bring a extremely tight performance to this record and in my opinion easily surpassing Davis' performance with Tony Williams on 'Point of Departure'. Where 'Point of Departure' comes off as a more compositional record, 'Black Fire' seems to showcase the more meandering improvisations of Hill's music and in that light it comes off as a fantastic journey.

Andrew Hill's 'Black Fire'

Describing the actual tone of the album; "It wasn't unusual in the mid-60s for Blue Note albums to include original compositions, but sometimes these compositions were pretty generic: a modal number, a "Sidewinder" clone, a blues number, etc. But not here -- each of Hill's tunes is distinct from those generic categories, and from the other tunes on the album. Hill's tunes include weird twists and turns, starts and stops, alternating sections with clashing ideas or moods, unpredictable rhythms, and of course a touch of Monk. "Subterfuge" is a percussive, claustrophobic piano trio performance. "McNeil Island" is another trio performance, but this time Roy Haynes sits out. Joe Henderson plays very lyrically on this one. "Black Fire" is a waltz, alternating an upbeat theme with a darker one. It's interesting to see how the soloists adjust to the frequently adjusting moods in their solos. "Pumpkin" (introduced by a striking Richard Davis bassline) and the sorta-Latin "Cantarnos" both feature intense, passionate melodies. " - GB (user on Amazon.com)

This is a fantastic record and a great exploration into the stranger areas of jazz for any fans of the genre. Perhaps not a great starting point for Jazz or even Hill, but a very solid record once you become accustomed to what exactly this man's philosophies on music are.


Andrew Hill - Black Fire (1964)

Top Ten of 2007: Charles Mingus - Cornell 1964

the most beautiful thing to me about audio production is the broad varieties of rawness that appear on various records. if Spot of SST fame was involved in your debut 12" you'll know it simply because of how Spot used his complete lack of knowledge in the field to create some of the most simple and emotional releases ever. 'Cornell 1964' has some of the best produced jazz sounds i've ever heard. although that should come to no surprise what with the line up of Mingus, Dolphy and Byard. all brilliant performers in their respective ways and all in a variety of ways. while Mingus mostly dealt in realms of composed beauty (see his masterpieces: 'Blues and Roots' and 'The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady'), Dolphy was known for his intense devotion to the free form avant garde sound that he'd help basically patent (see Andrew Hill's 'Point of Departure' and Dolphy's own 'Out to Lunch'), Byard was sort of a meeting point between the two who turned in great work with Sam Rivers and Mingus himself.

charles mingus

perhaps, the most important factor of 'Cornell 1964' is the way it treads the line between the new and old of jazz at the time. surely Mingus and Dolphy's incredible interpretation of the song "Meditations" isn't something you'd hear any of Mingus' teachers play, but his devotion to honoring his elders is clearly seen in Fats Wellar's "Jitterbug Waltz". where Mingus embraces the more playful side of jazz with his takes on folk songs and old classics, in his own band's compositions there is an intense feeling of seriousness. "So Long, Eric" and the previously mentioned "Meditations" are all intensely intrinsic performances that define the players skills and also their ability to present emotion.

charles mingus sextet with eric dolphy - 'cornell 1964'

'Cornell 1964' is such a great release and to think that it has only been heard by the masses this year is mind blowing. clearly a definitive mark in Mingus and Dolphy's careers and in terms of jazz in my life it is just a great record that embraces the various kinds of jazz i love. very few times do i connect to a jazz album as personally as this one and the slight irish undertones in honor of St. Patrick's Day that are present give me even more of an interest in this record. one of my top ten releases of the year and for good reason.

charles mingus sextet - cornell 1964 (disc 1)
charles mingus sextet - cornell 1964 (disc 2)