Home Archive by category "Music" (Page 19)

Category: Music

Exploring the Music of Ahmad Jamal on his birthday (July 2nd) Happy 84th Birthday, Ahmad!

Ahmad JAmalOn this date July 2nd in 1930  jazz, composer, pianist and educator Ahmad Jamal was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Now, while I have seen his name on the JazzWeek charts over the last several months when his latest release Saturday Morning (No 29 on the 2013 Jazz Week Year End Chart)  was on the charts. His name sounded sort of familiar, but I admit I didn’t know much about the man and his music. So when I read at Wikipedia today, that American music critic Stanley Crouch places him second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 I was surprised. As I read on, I read…. Read More

Explorations of Jazz Fusion – Jazz Rock and Finding Connections to My Vinyl Collection

Bitches BrewSo a few days ago in my post about the sub-genres of jazz, I wrote that I still had some sub-genres to add to the mix. One of those sub-genres is Jazz Fusion/Jazz-Rock, which  rose in the late 60s, kinda’ peaked in the 1970s, but managed to extend into the 1980s and 90s and many musician’s music still  fit into sub-genre today!  This is probably the  sub-genre that I have least explored at least as far as jazz bands go. From Wikipedia….. Read More

From the Archives – A Morning of Jazz – Wes Montgomery and Wynton Kelly – Smokin’ at the Blue Note!

Smokin' at the Half Note

Last night when I was sifting through my vinyl collection I came across the Wes Montgomery album Willow Weep For Me, Finding that album reminded me of this post I had written a while ago. I read the liner notes for the album which has always been a favorite and discovered that in the summer of 1968 Verve Records discovered previously unreleased tracks and the seven that are included on Willow Weep for Me were recorded at the same booking at The Half Note in Greenwich Village! In the notes Richard Lamb writes: Read More

Re-Exploring Jimmy Smith – Jimmy Smith’s Greatest Hits! (video)

By the time I became familiar with the music of Jimmy Smith in 1969, Jimmy had already recorded thirty-one (31) albums on the Blue Note label and an addition 25 albums on Verve! So I started with a Greatest Hits Album that covered the Blue Note years. Jimmy Smith Greatest Hits The condition of the album cover may give you an idea of how much the album has been used over the years! Anyway the other day I was sifting through my vinyl albums, saw it, cranked up the turntable and gave it a listen. I picked out the side 4 of the second side of the disk to of the album. Actually. that side of the album was not in too bad of shape!!Anyway I gave it a listen and the trumpet on the second track caught my attention the track title was “Flamingo” and the trumpet player was Lee Morgan!! Damn! I knew him way back when!! Then I started to look at the rest of the two-disk album and I found out that I knew several of the musicians that I’ve written about lately, way back then!! Here’s a table…… Read More

An Evening Spent Exploring the Sub-Genres of Jazz – from Swing to Hard Bop

Horace Silver and the Jazz MessengersAs you may have surmised if you have read any of my posts, I am not a jazz guru. I am someone who has been listening to the music of the genre since the late 1960s. Until a few years ago, my listening has been limited to a select few musicians, including Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Miles Davis and a few others. However, within the last several years, I have listened to more and more jazz and within the last year my list of favorites has exploded!!  As a result, I have developed this website to write about my explorations of the genre. Depending on my mood, I may listen to a past great or maybe a new kid on the block. Jazz listening is very much based on how I feel and what I’m doing! Read More

Mid -Year Review of the 2014 Jazz Albums…….

Essential-Elements

This is actually the first post on this site. However, there are a lot of posts here, most of the posts were originally posted at either Me, Myself. Music or Mysteries   or FreeWheelin’ Music Safari. The purpose of this site is to focus on jazz and new age music instead of several different genres. Read More

This Day in Music – May 25, 1960 – In Philly – Jazz Trumpeter Wallace Roney was born! (video)

Wallace Rooney 2Today is the great Miles Davis‘ birthday. He shares his birthday with the only trumpet player that he ever mentored Wallace Roney. Wallace was born in Philadelphia in 1960 So he is too young to have experienced 1960, which was the year that former Whiz Kids manager re Eddie Sawyer resigned as the hapless Phillies’ manager after a 9-4 opening day loss to the Reds and said.: “I’m 49 years old and I want to live to be 50.”  But I digress so it’s back to Wallace. Read More