What are you listening to right now?

[Jack of All Parades]

IP thank you for the link- I will have to work my way into the song. Will make a Pandora station and see if he grows on me. Had never heard of him until your post.

Have only recently heard that she ended her relationship with the new man in her life so I guess it is a one off project- too bad as he seemed to energize her music on this record.

[Jack of All Parades]

"Maiden Voyage" and "Empyrean Isles"- Herbie Hancock- as dark, ominous clouds form over the town where I work. These two albums are transporting me to a better place. Cannot get enough of the early and vibrant trumpet artistry of Freddie Hubbard on these two records and the incomparable ebb-flow washes of the brushes on Tony William's drums[Otis, you would appreciate those sounds]. God, I love the overall sound of those old BlueNote records from that period- pristine, melodic playing with great intelligence and sense of the dynamics in an individual song.

[Jack of All Parades]

On yet another dreary day start to this summer Joe Lovano and Hank Jones-Live at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola "Kids" and Joe Lovano Ballads featuring Hank Jones. Two albums that invariably pick me up on a dreary day. Can not get enough of the intelligent interplay between the two or the subtle variety of styles the late, incomparable Mr. Jones brings to the piano. The live gig from a few years back is pure fun- I am enthralled every time I hear "Lazy Afternoon" or his brother, Thad's tune, "Little Rascal on a Rock". The full sound achieved by only a piano and a tenor saxophone on the live record is amazing.

[Jack of All Parades]

Having taken this gorgeous day off[not a cloud in the sky just far reaching blue heaven] lazing around with Stan Getz on the stereo with the awesome album "Focus"- love his improvisations- here is a taste as he does one of my wife's father's tunes "El Cajon'. Still find myself wondering what the long talked about album with Getz, Cohn and Sims would have sounded like- one thing for certain it would have not been a rehash of the great Second Herd. I also like in this video the drum work- it is a real treat to hear a woman play like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmgvSXLu ... re=related

You can get a taste for them together in this rare archival film from 1948- god it is strange to see all three so young and in there late teens just tearing up the stage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMN7zk07 ... re=related

[Jack of All Parades]

"Speak Like a Child"- Herbie Hancock- cannot get enough get enough of the simple melodies that are so eloquently enhanced by the understated playing on the fluegel horn and the alto flute by Thad Jones and Jerry Dodgion, respectively. It makes for great listening with the Sunday morning coffee and paper.

Just a taste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTNLWi-xAkE

[Jack of All Parades]

Seems to be a new Morrissey forthcoming- interesting preview of the title song here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs ... e-20110628

Otis- you should love the reference 'to more in life than books'!

[Otis Westinghouse]

... but not much more! 'Action Is My Middle Name' indeed. Song seems OK, nothing new, not that one expects that. Slightly worried if that's 'the keeper'.

More exciting is the link from the above to Wilco's new 'I Might'. Sounds good. Can't wait to hear the album, sure to be another winner. They can't do anything but.

[Jack of All Parades]

Know what you mean- not even a minor advance in themes or prior sounds- just loved the co-opting of your motto. New Wilco I have heard to date has piqued my interest!

[sheeptotheslaughter]

[quote="Otis Westinghouse"]... but not much more! 'Action Is My Middle Name' indeed. Song seems OK, nothing new, not that one expects that. Slightly worried if that's 'the keeper'.

Mozza was very good at Glasto. Thought that 'Action' and the other new song he did, name escapes me at the moment sounded more promising than anything on the last album, which although I enjoyed it seemed he was running out of ideas a bit.

[Jack of All Parades]

"Six Pieces of Silver"- The Horace Silver Quintet- these mid 50's cd's with his quintet with Donald Byrd on Trumpet and hank Mobley on Tenor are so infectious- this album in particular. Seems just right the hard-boppin sounds of Senor Blues on a day when there are no clouds in the sky. Just right for a Friday afternoon heading into a gorgeous weekend.

[verbal gymnastics]

The bootleg series vol 1-3 - Bob Dylan

[Jack of All Parades]

"Hub-Tones"- Freddie Hubbard- superlative workout with the assistance of Herbie Hancock and some delicate flute work on the superior "Lament for Booker" by James Spaulding. Truly stellar usage of dynamics on this record.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Sounds fun. I'm also down with the jazz:



Loving this record. Polar Bear are an acclaimed contemporary British jazz band, led by fabulous drummer (who I saw at the recent Rain Dogs Revisited show along with Steve Nieve - what a band. He's famed for his mad hair:

It's all very nicely eclectic, as you'd expect modern jazz to be, but in a very accessible and listenable way. They have great ears.

I read an interview with him where he was talking about how Elvin Jones never stopped evolving, into his 70s. This led me to check this out, and can it really be that John Coltrane made/released a staggering 10 albums in 1965 alone?:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvin_Jones#As_leader

[Jack of All Parades]

I know just what you mean- these days it is just more satisfying for my ears on so many levels[and my mind]. I realize I owe you some thoughts on them and I will still get them to you. In the interim have completely enjoyed the snippets you sent. I am trying to find a copy of Peepers here. Love that two sax attack[brings back memories of my father in law and Zoot Sims] just a different approach to the melody. The title song is delicious with its playful take on 6/8 time. It brings to mind this famous piece from Herbie Hancock-Succotash-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE41xbloQVk

then listen to Peepers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhRXhQyjsoQ

Seb is the 'real' thing. You sure can spot them. He is the best young drummer I have heard in years at least since the young man who plays for the Arctic Monkeys. That bit you sent on "Venetian Glasses" is one impressive piece of drumming history on his part. And I cannot get enough of the hair-shades of Santana at his wildest back in 1968 or Chipito.

I do not know if Coltrane released 10 albums in 1965 but quite a few came out- have to think he was racing to beat the death sentence he was under because he was dead in two year's time, unfortunately. His brother, Thad, the coronet player and songwriter, was my mother in laws paramour for many years. He was a sweet man and my wife can only say good things about him. Hank, the other brother, was still playing great piano up until his death last year, still working hard and recording. Just listen to his last records with Joe Lovano and Paul Motion[ a drummer I think you would appreciate]. That was some family of musicians coming out of Pontiac, MI.

[verbal gymnastics]

Blood & Chocolate - EC

[Jack of All Parades]

Curiously- that same disc has been playing around here- getting reacquainted- will get back to you about that.

[verbal gymnastics]

I'm playing the 2 disc Rhino reissue.

I love this album.

[Jack of All Parades]

I had avoided it for years except for select tracks am beginning to come back around to most of it- more later.

[mood swung]

I am in a little bit of Elvis mode again after taking a long break. I kind of enjoy NOT listening to him, just so I can come back and savor it.

[verbal gymnastics]

I know what you mean.

I'm having a bit of a Smiths/Morrissey fest at the moment (hence the song titles activity Christopher!).

I took the choice this time of Blood & Chocolate over Brutal Youth this time. Both are Attractions comeback albums and have that rawness and power about them.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Current fave Moz/Smiths tune?

I go through phases with all my faves. Often linked to going to a show, e.g. Ron S or Lloyd C - maybe this is why I just don't play Elvis so much these days! In a bit of a Bowie phase at the moment, patly triggered by downloading Toy, and unreleased album recorded in 2000, mainly reworking early Bowie songs like 'Little Boy Blue' and the wonderful 'London Boys', as well as earlier versions of a couple of songs off the magnificent Heathen. One of these (at least) did see the light of day officially, the entirely wonderful 'A Conversation Piece', slower and with the vocals an octave lower than the original, that was released only a year or so back on the Space Oddity reissue. Both are on Spotify (and fascinatingly, both the slightly more basic Toy version and the fully mixed up Heathern bonus are on there, even if the Toy one has never been released!). Highly recommended. Partly autobiographical, with the German shopkeeping woman he lived above at one time changed into an Austrian man. It's a very touching song, both in its misty-eyed youthful version and the world-wearier, nostalgic re-recording. Proof, as if anyone needed any, that Bowie is unbeatable.

Other than that, a friend sent some new English band stuff my way: Metronomy (on Mercury shortlist), Pete and the Pirates (from Rwading, and I believe touted by So Lack a while back) and The Leisure Society, a melodic and terribly English band I'd not heard of. Good stuff.

I bought some new CD holding boxes in the Habitat closing down sale (I've been buying these for years, as they stack nicely and have a good height for all CD types, even if they did reach the absurd price of a £10 each (one box holds c. 13 CDs), now down to £5, and I'm hoping they'll slash the remainder before they close, so I can safely have somewhere to put the next two years' CD purchases! This led to a streamlining of my collection so that classical CDs are in 4 boxes, and everything else is alphabetised (natch) as one whole stream, regardless of genre, in 28 boxes. That's over 350 CDs, probably more with all the bonus and a few box sets. the thing is, though, the more you get, the more you want. It is like an illness. I have more than I can ever play, but so many things are missing. Add on probably 150-200 more of magazine CDs (mostly excellent Word ones, which are always worth hearing) and bootlegs.

[Jack of All Parades]

So I guess if I have over 2500 than I am in need of an intervention. But it sure does make for some interesting playing choices day to day!

[Otis Westinghouse]

Gosh, what a quantity! And now Spotify too...

[Jack of All Parades]

Well it was that or cigarettes and alcohol- I chose something more substantial and pleasurable for me. Though a good drink now and then is equally pleasurable! Today, I have packed the brief with Hank Mobley's Workout on Blue Note and John Coltrane's Jazz[ you got me in the mood to hear Mr. Jone's drumming]. And a daily dose of Dylan- this time John Wesley Harding- an album I can never get too much of.

[Otis Westinghouse]