Jazz

[PublicImage]

Has anybody heard Mountain in the Clouds by Miroslav Vitous? It's from the same era as Bitches Brew and features quite a few of the same musicians.

[Idisaffect]

Has anybody heard Mountain in the Clouds by Miroslav Vitous? It's from the same era as Bitches Brew and features quite a few of the same musicians.

No...but I'd like to.

Vitous did some nice work on Jon Hassell's Earthquake Island album too. And I love Airto, he's an amazing percussionist. I saw him performing live earlier this year with Chick Corea.

Airto is always the focal point for me if he is in the band.
I will check out that Jon Hassell album. Thanks.

[Massed Gadgets]

Has anybody heard Mountain in the Clouds by Miroslav Vitous? It's from the same era as Bitches Brew and features quite a few of the same musicians.

I'm going to have to check that out as well.

I was bemoaning the current state of jazz in the Is Jazz Dead? thread when I discovered The Exploding Star Orchestra...and I'm quite enjoying it. The band was put together by coronetist Rob Mazurek, who used to be a member of Isotope 217, a band I remember listening to back in the 90's. The Exploding Star Orchestra put out their first album in 2007, and then a collaboration album with Bill Dixon this year. Both are excellent. It's orchestral jazz, but very free and avantgarde, often strange and spacey but melodic and beautiful too. Sun Ra might be a comparison, but they really have their own sound. I'm listening to the Bill Dixon collaboration as I write this. It's wild and amazing stuff!

[PublicImage]

I made a thread about the Heliocentrics a while ago. I'd probably call them jazz, or least highly influenced by it.

[Massed Gadgets]

In just their name alone, you can tell they are influenced by Sun Ra, but the jazz influence is definitely in their music. I really like their album.

[nosaj]

I like jazz in various forms...Love John Coltrane (especially the final years - played like he knew he'd die)...Weather Report is good too, Miles Davis...Alvin Jones' Jazz machine....and on and on...

Yup, going through a Miles Davis phaze again!!!

[Idisaffect]

Cannonball Adderley is often overlooked by people who would probably really like him. His stuff with Zawinul from the late 60s and 1970 and his stuff with George Duke from '70-'73 (Duke replaced Zawinul) is great, much copied/sampled soul jazz! Cannonball is one of the most influential jazz artists since the 60s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdM7vYKDeD0

[czgibson]

Man, George Duke is one funky dude. I'm going to have to look out for that record!

[Idisaffect]

Man, George Duke is one funky dude. I'm going to have to look out for that record!

Yeah. Also, The Black Messiah is another really good Cannonball Adderley album with Duke from the year before. And in case you didn't know, Zappa plays on 2 tracks from George Duke's solo album Feel. He appeared under a fake name for contractual reasons.

[czgibson]

Good call, sir! I was aware of Zappa's involvement, but I've not yet got round to listening to Feel. The list grows ever longer.

[Stephen]

So, what's the best Wayne Shorter solo album to go for ?

[apocalypse]

I'd say start with either Adam's Apple or Speak No Evil. It's got some of his signature tunes on there without going too free if your ear ain't accustomed to it. That's where I started, in fact I first heard of Wayne Shorter when I was playing in the big band in uni. The director of the band had a thing for weather report so we always ended up doing Weather Report, Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter compositions, along with the usual standards of course. Do report back with your thoughts when you get a listen.

[Stephen]

Thanks for those suggestions and I'll certainly follow them up. I've listened to Schizophrenia of his and really liked what I heard so which end of the spectrum would you put that album, towards the more easily accessible or the freer end? I've no problems with listening to a lot of Weather Report's output but I'm not into the extremes of free jazz I guess.

[apocalypse]

I'm not that much of a fan of totally free Jazz, I would go as far as saying I like Ornette Coleman the shape of jazz to come, but I just can't listen to his free jazz album. Just like I would say that I find It difficult to listen to Coltrane's final albums. It's just too much for my ears. While Shorter wasn't to this level of "free" he did move away from the usual use of conventional harmonies and rhythm that felt much more free than say the straight ahead playing of Dexter Gordon. Shorter always has had a different and very unique ear. For example his "Nefertiti" with Miles has such a strange melody, but somehow he makes it work. Very unique changes.
I would describe Adam's Apple and Speak no Evil as slightly more straight ahead than the latter half of Schizophrenia. Don't get me wrong, still the same exquisite harmonies but more restrained. Personally any of the Blue Note output is masterful, I prefer these recordings to his later career, however there are some gems to be found of his later stuff such as the 1+1 album with Herbie Hancock. I think I'm rambling here so basically if you like Schizophrenia you will like these two also.

[Idisaffect]

So, what's the best Wayne Shorter solo album to go for ?

Super Nova has 3 guitarists on it and is at least partially electric. John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock and Walter Booker play guitars. It's from around the same time as Mile's Bitches Brew. It has many of the same musicians.
Another one from '74 is called Native Dancer which is more like his Weather Report music.


There isn't much free jazz in Wayne Shorter's music. His composing style is very structured with spots for improvising built in.