What Sides Are On Your Turntables?
What’s everyone listening to in isolation? I can tell you what I’m doing. First off, I’m listening to my records more frequently than I have in a while. I guess being locked down with nowhere to go can be inspirational in that sense. I frequently go to records that I’ve loved but haven’t listened to in a while, or at least records that I haven’t listened to mindfully. Records, versus CDs or streams or anything digital, have sides. l still put on my “go to” sides for a lot of the records, listen to that side, and then move on to another record. Even with the infamous Shades of Redd my temptation was to just listen to Side One, which was my original preference. But, after all of the hoopla I made through the years about finding that record, I would have felt guilty not listening carefully to both sides and was pleased to have done so. Side Two is awesome, the equal of Side One.
I just listened to Side One of Sonny Rollins, Rollins Plays for Bird, Prestige 7095. The personnel is Newk with Kenny Dorham, Wade Legge, George Morrow and Max Roach. This side features a medley of songs played by Bird and inspired by Bird and was recorded about 18 months after Bird’s death. I’ve always loved this record. It seemed all of the musicians were inspired by the concept of doing an album in Bird’s honor and they all play extremely well.
The other day I was sitting and listening with The Lovely Mrs. JC and I played some sides that are her favorites. “What do you want to listen to?” I asked. Her response, as it often is: “Bill Evans.” Anything in particular? “Waltz for Debby.” Side One, My Foolish Heart, Waltz for Debby, Detour Ahead. Always the same. What can I say, she has good taste. From there I was on my own, with the proviso that it had to be relatively soft and not too intrusive.
I started with Paul Desmond, Glad to Be Unhappy, RCA 3407. This features Jim Hall prominently, along with Gene Wright and Connie Kay, with Gene Cherico taking over for Wright on one track. I did the first side with Glad to Be Unhappy, Poor Butterfly and Stranger in Town and she liked it so much she asked me to play side two, which was A Taste of Honey, Any Other Time, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo and Angel Eyes. Both sides are equally great. Then I did both sides of Getz/Gilberto, which I can still listen to all day, every day, even after all of these years. In this particular close, mindful listen, I was blown away, again, by Getz’s solo on So Danco Samba. Listen yourself, if you have the record. And, if you don’t you can probably stream it from anywhere. It was as if he had been part of the invention of the Bossa Nova music, he was so expressive and creative and natural with it.
Then I did a couple of vocal albums. Carmen McRae, Bittersweet, Focus 334, Side One, When Sonny Gets Blue; How Did He Look?; Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry; The Meaning of the Blues; If You Could Love Me; Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most. Great album, and probably not one that gets played often. I happened to notice in the liner notes, the great Ralph J. Gleason described her as “the greatest interpreter of ballads and the greatest woman jazz singer of our time.” High, praise, indeed. If you are not that familiar with her work, this album is a great place to start.
Then I got a little less soft and understated and put on a bit of a barn burner, which was La Vern Baker Sings Bessie Smith, Atlantic 1281. This is a real favorite of mine, swinging, funky, bluesy and jazzy. Features a great jazz band with, among others, Buck Clayton, Vic Dickenson, Paul Quinichette and Sahib Shihab. Check it out if you don’t know it. I just did one side, which happened to be Side Two with Empty Bed Blues; There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight; Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out; After You’ve Gone; Young Woman’s Blues; Preaching the Blues. I even pulled out the old guitar and played along, particularly on the blues. I surprised myself by finding the keys pretty easily. Or at least, I think I found the right keys.
I closed the evening with Dexter Gordon, Gettin’ Around, Blue Note 4204, Side One, Manha de Carnaval, Who Can I Turn To?, and Heartaches. What a great side, featuring Dexter with Bobby Hutcherson, Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins. Dexter is so patient, letting the solos build up and tell stories. Who Can I Turn To is a classic Dexter ballad performance, mostly playing the melody with beautiful, powerful flourishes, and simple accompaniment by Hutcherson.
To be continued . . . . (I hope)
Sonny Rollins “A Night At The Village Vanguard” is on the turntable now, might play Dexter “Gettin’ Around” next, thanks for the idea!
Lee Morgan – Cornbread – side 2 – Ceora is my favorite song ever, so that’s an easy one. Ceora followed by Ill Wind is superb.
Harold Land – The Peace-Maker – side 1
Dexter Gordon – A Swingin’ Affair – side 1 – Soy Caliiiiiiiiiifa!
Blue Mitchell – The Thing to Do – side 1 – Fungii Mama = awesome
Wayne Shorter – Night Dreamer – side 1
Charles McPherson – Con Alma – side 2
When I read that Lee Konitz passed away last week, I remember that I played “Lee Konitz plays with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet” (on a 45 rpm EP…Pacific Jazz EP 4-3, 1953). Over the last couple of days, I’ve listened to Nina Simone’s first album on Bethlehem (BCP 6028, 1959) , Sinatra’s “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!” (Capitol W 653, 1956) and Lee Morgan’s “Search for the New Land (Blue Note 84169, 1966). I also listened to Side 1 of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” (Tamla T 310, 1971) for obvious reasons….
Great choices, Al. I only have the Desmond on that Mosaic box but it is indeed wonderful music (as is the whole set).
Sonny Rollins plays for Bird is a great record with great playing by everyone involved expecially Kenny Dorham.I will listen to the Carmen McRae album thanks to your suggestion. Mine is Johnny Coles “Little Johnny C”
Joe L. — I LOVE Con Alma! Both sides, but my “go to” is actually Side One, Eronel, In a Sentimental Mood, Chasing the Bird. I wonder if it is something about the combination of tenor and alto because that is the same personnel on Shades of Redd? That record was in the bargain bins at Sam Goody’s for a long time in the early 1970s, I think because there was a flaw in the pressing. I don’t know if you have it, but mine has it, just some weird noise at a couple of spots, not a skip or anything like that. I’ve had the record since then and listened to it often, so I’m used to that noise — if it didn’t have it, I would think something was wrong.
Liberace plays Monk on the obscure Note Blue label with the triple deep grove with the hand written Vinny Van Go in the runout. Did I mention that this is the 8 and 7/16 inch melted volcanic wax pressing with the Arkansas P.O. Box address …
Al, your sides thing resonates with me. I have, to some extent, being doing the same thing while getting to grips with my new record cleaning machine. So, some sides that have been on rotation here:
1). Side 1 of Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles. Just digging Ron Carter on Oliloqui Valley.
2). Side 1 of Miles Smiles. The build up to Footprints is a great source of anticipation.
3). Side 2 of Phase III by the Rendell/Carr Quintet. I’ve always loved Black Marigolds and it sounds better than ever with a freshly cleaned groove.
4). Side 2 of Hank Mobley’s No Room For Squares. My most recent acquisition is an early (but not first) mono pressing with NY labels, Ps and VAN GELDER stamps. Mobley and Morgan are terrific here but Philly Joe Jones is on fire. This might be the best performance by him that I have.
@Art Klempner Not all of us can afford such pricey records. I guess I’ll have to content myself with my 2018 RSD Man Third reissue with the tri-color vinyl and collectors’ booklet. It’s still sealed, though, so I’ve never heard it. Is it good?
I too have been digging deep in the stacks. The Side One that’s glued to my turntable right now is Marty Paich on Cadence (self titled but sometimes called The Picasso Of Big Band Jazz). Great 1957 West Coast date featuring all the usual suspects and some fine soloing. All four tracks are great, but for some reason Black Rose gets me every time.
Prior to this I had the full album Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk on Atlantic on repeat for days.
Getting ready to dig something else out I haven’t heard in a while….
Definitely interesting to hearing about what we are all diggin’ at home these days… Good call Al ! For some reason I have been feelin’ Lady Day more than usual the last few weeks. Especially some of the ol’ Clef 10″‘s. Here’s my top three sides this week:
(1.) Billie Holiday Sings (MGC-118) 10-inch LP Clef Records (1952)
(2.) Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday at Newport (MGV-8234) 12-inch LP Verve Records (1958)
(3.) Oscar With Love – a recently released 5-LP box set in tribute to the music of Oscar Peterson on Mack Avenue Records. (*This one is particularly special to me, as it was a gift from Oscar’s widow as a thank-you for photographing the Oscar Peterson International Jazz Festival since it’s inception)
…Up next, I think I will put on a few of the Sonny Rollins LP’s noted above to ease into the weekend !
glad to see Con Alma is well-loved. that’s a great sleeper of the trident label era of Prestige.
“Listening carefully,” that is the treat of treats I’d say. Sitting down with a record playing, no web, no email, listening and at most looking at the cover front and back. To me that’s time well spent. My most recently spun LP was last night, Grant Green, Born to be Blue, recently rereleased on Tone Poet, both sides. Gorgeous.
@Art Klempner, if the triple groove is on Side 1 only, you have an original 1st pressing! The spine text must be in Spanish, also.
Al – I will put it on tonight and listen for weird spots. I probably don’t notice it either.
I think you’re on to something with the tenor/alto combo, but especially when it’s Clifford Jordan on tenor! Which reminds me, I’m also going to put on Jenkins, Jordan, and Timmons tonight. Great sound on that album.
Side B of Ben Webster The soul of, starring Art Farmer
In most cases I will play one side only, with the exception of ten inchers.
Re Rollins Plays for Bird, I only play the side with ‘Kids Know’ which for me is the highlight of the album. I have not played the Bird medley in at least four decades.
I played two albums recently where one is practically obliged to play both sides since the album features two groups which are present intermittently on both sides.
‘Just Friends’ Pacific Jazz 401, Bill Perkins Quintets, one with Art Pepper, the other with Riche Kamuca. The same drummer, Mel Lewis, but different piano and bass.
The other is Jackie McLean (‘s Scene), New Jazz 8212, a quartet with Waldron, intermingled with a quintet, Bill Hardman and Red Garland. The drummer Art Taylor in common.
By the way, in my track of ‘Mean to me’, nearly at the end, Bill’s muted solo litterally drowns in the rhythm section, impossible to distinguish him. When Jackie takes over everything is back to normal. Has Rudy slept or was Bill too far from the microphone? Anyone? Or is it my copy?
Since his death, I have been listening to a lot of Lee Konitz. Since most people concentrate on his extraordinary output in the fifties, his later recordings are somewhat overlooked so I’d like to mention a few here. Motion (Verve) particularly side 1 is a desert island (or mountain cabin – whichever has electricity) record. I also love the Duets album on Milestone. A later masterpiece is Strings For Holiday on Enja. Almost all his nonet records are excellent but my favorite is Yes Yes Nonet (Steeplechase) not only for the great title but the equally stellar personnel. I was lucky to have seen him many times and to have spoken with him on a number of occasions. I always found him gracious and quite funny. I’d also like to point out that the wonderful Konitz / Warne Marsh records have the alto tenor front line.
‘Twould be fun – and presumably contributive – if there were a way to post any relevant images of all those much-adored, historic musicians you mention, Al!
I’d love to share, if your standards and WP allows such…
@Art Klempner yes its good to mock ourselves now and then… i do have the Liberace record on blue note too, but unfortunaly as a sony CD from 1988 (there is a added bonus song on there but it is from Barbra Streisand.)
am playing “merci bon dieu’ , one of the finest ‘bossa nova’ tunes ever,….. on this overlooked album ( BN4119) by the overlooked saxophonist Charlie Rouse,