Wayne Shorter's Miles Davis Masterpiece Nefertiti

Nefertiti, recorded in June and July of 1967, and released in 1968 was the last all acoustic album Miles Davis would offer to the masses.

 It is startling listening to Nefertiti, an album that is still very much rooted in hard bop, with the freer elements of the avant-garde stirred in.

To consider only 1 year later In a Silent Way, and 2 years later Bitches Brew was released, which both have  no discernible connection to bop other than possibly some phrasing during solos of the musicians.

I can certainly see how the neo-con jazz critic went berserk. Sometimes you get the feeling reading history, that the acoustic to electric change was more gradual than it really was.

Miles in the Sky was released, then Files De Kilimanjaro before In a Silent Way, but we are talking less than 2 years from the release of Nefertiti to Bitches Brew, and only 4 years until On The Corner.

I can understand why some people just couldn't get on board, at the time it must have been hard enough for the neo cons to accept the second great quintets music and free bop style apposed to the late 50's modal jazz albums, but the rock stuff to come is a whole new bag completely. Since I Have a broad taste in different and am looking at this music historically, and analyzing it that way.

Nefertiti on it's own from a jazz perspective is groundbreaking in its own right, on the title track a Wayne Shorter Composition, the rhythm section and front line of horns switch roles, as the the horns state the melody repeatedly, the rhythm sections improvises underneath, This Track really opened up a lot possibilities for musicians.

Nefertiti is also unusual in that Miles Davis Compose absolutely none of the material, 3 by Wayne Shorter("Nefertiti", "Fall" and "Pinocchio")two by Pianist Herbie Hancock ("Riot" and "Madness") and one by drummer Tony Williams ("Hand Jive")

The music is really right in line with the previous albums by this lineup, ESP Miles Smiles and Sorcerer. High Quality Melodic Free Bop. For what it's worth. other than ESP which is a little thin production wise, all the rest of the second great quintet albums all sonically incredible, the remasters are impeccable as well.

Black Pearls: John Coltrane with Donald Byrd and Red Garland Prestige LP

Black Pearls is a fine session from 1958, that catches Trane in an ultra swingin' mood, right smack in the middle of his "Sheets of Sound" period.

 I really like this straight ahead bop session quite a bit.

The centerpiece of the album, which wasn't released until 1964 is "Sweet Sapphire Blues", an 18 Minute producer Bob Weinstock vehicle.

 The blues was almost entirely improvised by Coltrane on the spot, and the track shows off pianist Red Garland to a great extent.

Then Coltrane digs into this blues, along with trumpeter Donald Byrd to offer some very spirited classic jazz, I like the simplicity of the music, Side one seems almost like bop rather than hard bop and quite frankly fizzles out compared to the side 2 side long blues jam.

If you are a Coltrane nut, you want this for the 18 minute jam alone, plus the Red Garland Trio providing backing support is nice, think The Believers and Lush Life, both nice straight ahead bop albums worth acquiring along with Black Pearls.

This particular vinyl copy of Black Pearls is a mid 70's green label prestige that sonically sure sounds sweet, nice crisp bass, well recorded instruments, with hardly any distortion in the upper register.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger: Hard Bop, Columbia 6 Eye Vinyl, 1957

I can't think of an album more aptly titled than this session from 1957, Hard Bop.

 Hard bop, a term used to describe this harder and more blues based sound opposed to be-bop, which was a lighter yet more complex music that involved rapid chord changes .

Hard Bop the album, on Columbia Records was one of the few Art cut for the label.

 Jackie McLean on alto sax, and Bill Hardman on trumpet offer a front line support that was one of Blakey's more underrated units.

This, along with the RCA Victor album A Night in Tunisia "not the Blue Note Album" are fine example of this band.

The pictured vinyl copy  is one I found at a Catholic charities thrift shop. I remember  that day fondly, as I spent a good 200 dollars in there, with about 50 of the 100 records I found going directly into my collection.

 A bunch of rare big band mostly from Clare Fischer, Johnny Richards, and Stan Kenton. These were all first presses in excellent condition.

Trumpeter Bill Hardman is a name you don't hear much, I think that might be because he played with Blakey in the 50's and again in the 70's, but never appeared on a Blue Note messengers album. I think this has been a big reason he is lost in the shuffle.

Outside of Blakey, Hardman did not lead that many sessions of his own, just seems to be bad luck and circumstance, because he is a fine player in the Clifford Brown tradition.

Freddie Hubbard: Breaking Point (1964)

1964's Breaking Point is one of Freddie's best modal workouts, and "Far Away" is one of my favorite 10 minute workout's of Freddie's career.

The exotic Middle Eastern motif provides a modal workout vehicle for Hubbard and altoist James Spaulding, and they do not disappoint.

 Freddie sure does have a confident brash style, It would be hard to argue at this point that Freddie was the best trumpeter in jazz, even with Lee Morgan still in his prime at this point.

 James Spaulding is also an underrated player, and plays well in bop or free bop settings. Joe Chambers is also a drummer of note, who excels in an avant gard setting. He also is a composer of note, he composed half of Bobby Hutcherson's Components Blue Note album.

Side 1 of Breaking Point has two 10 minute plus tracks, the title track as well as the mentioned middle eastern tinged "Far Away," the title track is sort of a sectioned avant-garde piece, they even throw in some Caribbean sounds into the mix.

Side 2 has more of a traditional hard bop flavor, still inside out a little, but "D-Minor Mint" is one of the better tracks in Hubbard's discography.

The pictured Breaking Point vinyl copy is a late 70's white b reissue, It can be had for about 30 bucks. This copy sounded pretty good, I would like to find a NY USA copy at decent price.

If you're a Blue Note fanatic like I am, perhaps you will enjoy what I have to say about my collecting journey on one my other blogs about Vintage Blue Note Records.

John Coltrane: Coltrane Plays the Blues. (1962)

Coltrane Plays the Blues is one of those albums that takes a bit to warm too, it always sounded like wood shedding to me, then I found out that this session was really only outtakes from the My Favorite Things session.

This music was not released until nearly 2 years after it was laid to tape. The fact is, Coltrane was already working for Impulse, and had no say what-so-ever in this music be released, I wonder if he approved?

Well no matter, the music is better than just quite good, it's also fascinating. I really like hearing Coltrane in the working process, you can hear sort of a Village Vanguard vibe on a few tracks.

Trane is letting loose a bit, "Blues to Bechet" and "Blues to You" especially, with the latter sounding like Chasin' the Trane. Coltrane doesn't do any real over blowing here, but the music is quite free, but not avant-garde.

The Soprano on "Bechet" is cool, because you can hear the development, understanding history, you know where it will lead, especially the live 40 minute renditions of My Favorite things from Japan and Seattle.

Side 2 is a little different, here we have tight compositions with some very tasty McCoy Tyner Piano and Elvin Jones drum work, But Steve Davis is on Bass and not Jimmy Garrison, and Coltrane is definitely into his modal groove.

The blues Motifs really allow him to search for something, maybe something unattainable in the end, Coltrane sure tried like hell to find it, no saxophonist even comes close to the sheer determination that Coltrane had in his playing.

"Mr. Symms"  has an "Alabama" vibe, the bridge lightens the mood, then it turns into a nice bubbly blues. When you listen to jazz long enough, especially when you listen to an artists entire body of work, you begin to put the pieces together.

 Go back to Miles' the Prestige years, then listen to these Atlantic sessions before the Impulses, they are all blues, Trane never left the blues, even Ascension is sort of a free blues. Think about it, that blues scale, it's there!

The final track Mr. Knight is also a nice little blues that I swear reminds me of "Acknowledgement" from A love Supreme. listen to him, he's playing it over top that blues groove.

Almost all of Coltrane's Impulse masterpieces are rooted in this forgotten Atlantic Jazz masterpiece in my opinion. You should check out Coltrane Plays the Blues again.

This pictured vinyl copy is from my own collection, and this early 60's Stereo pressing really sounds fantastic, some of the Atlantic sessions can be a little dry sound stage wise, but this copy sounded great.