Charlie Haden & Ornette Coleman > O.C.
Composed by Charlie Haden & Ornette Coleman

Ornette was Charlie’s exploisive introduction to the wide world —to me, too— and they’ve never strayed too far from each other. Thank goodness.

Charlie Haden Duets Week #4
Legends of the Bass #2 
Legends of the Saxophone #7
Legends of Avant-Garde Jazz #4 & #5 
Duet #5

themusic:

Ornette Coleman - Space Church (continuous services)

Its time for some Ornette Coleman.  The free jazz pioneer’s output is so rich with beauty, and so varied in texture, that each period of his long career is ripe with astonishment.  From 1987’s “In All Languages”, a brilliant double album containing half quartet, half Prime Time recordings, here is the quartet version of “Space Church”.  One of his many slow haunting melodies, this track is given an extra ‘spacey’ feel by the faster tempo of the rhythm section, the jangling background (not sure what that is), and the strange bending electronic sound that pops up a few times to great effect.

Ornette Coleman was 56 when this was recorded, but as always his playing and composition show incredible creativity and vitality.  The late Don Cherry on trumpet, and the untouchable rhythm section of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins round out the quartet.

It’s always time for some Ornette.

Legends of the Saxophone #7

Grover Washington, Jr. > Inner City Blues (Make Me Want To Holler)
Composed by Marvin Gaye

I guess it’s actually Soul Jazz Week, Horn Edition, since I’ve avoided organists altogether, but I’ll save them until next time.

Soul Jazz Week #6
Legends of Soul Jazz #10
Legends of the Saxophone #14 
Cover #35

Hank Crawford > Mr. Blues
RIP December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009

Eric Homan just let me know that in the last couple of weeks we’ve lost two of the key soul jazz legends of the Ray Charles Orchestra.

Soul Jazz Week #5
Legends of Soul Jazz #9
Legends of the Saxophone #13

Lou Donaldson > Alligator Boogaloo

“Everything I Play is Funky” says Lou Donaldson. He is sooooo right.

Soul Jazz Week #1
Legends of Soul Jazz #5 
Legends of the Saxophone #10

Friends: Marc Cohen, John Abercrombie, Clint Houston, Jeff Williams
> Loose Tune

At the time of this recording the only way to describe the innovative playing and execution was “electronic jazz” (no, not nu jazz). Two years later, excess and bloat caused it to be known as “fusion.” Too bad.

Best of Oblivion Records #6 
Legends of the Guitar #5

(requested by Eric: I’m glad Eric got me to make these ‘best of’ choices. It got me listening to the Oblivion stuff more than I had in years.)

tuneage:

Dave Brubeck - “Take Five”

1 2 3 4 5. Jazz standards that I was exposed to for the first time in high school always seem shorter when I listen again years later. This one in particular makes me grasp at the air for more music. I just want to live my life within the undulations of this classic tune, is that too much to ask?!

Paul Desmond’s incredible chart and frustratingly simple alto saxophone melody will live on forever, and for any jazz newbie this is required listening.