The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As we await the opening of the country this Quarantined Jazz Voyager presses on with his listening to great jazz by placing on the turntable the classic Kenny Dorham disc titled Inta Somethin’. This live album by the trumpeter features performances recorded at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, California on November 13, 1961. It was released in the first quarter of 1962 on the Pacific Jazz label. Dorham contributed two originals to the set, track #1 and track #6.

1. Una Mas ~ 7:13
2. It Could Happen to You (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) ~ 6:00
3. Let’s Face the Music and Dance (Irving Berlin) ~ 6:06
4. No Two People (Frank Loesser) ~ 6:59
5. Lover Man (Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, James Sherman) ~ 5:01
6. San Francisco Beat ~ 7:12

• Kenny Dorham ~ trumpet (except tracks 3 and 5)
• Jackie McLean ~ alto saxophone (except track 2)
• Walter Bishop Jr. ~ piano
• Leroy Vinnegar – bass
• Art Taylor – drums

As you listen and enjoy this wonderful addition to the jazz catalogue, I emplore you follow your conscience to stay healthy and encourage you to remain vigilant in your social distancing. During this sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe, this voyager’s choices are ever-present. The world will be back and so will I.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Quarantined Jazz Voyager continues to social distance and in doing so continues to listen to some of the greatest recordings of the 20th century. This week the spotlight is on Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd at Monterey. It was recorded on two separate dates: in~studio in New York City on September 8, 1966, tracks 3 & 4, and live on September 18, 1966 at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, California. The album was produced by George Avakian and released on Atlantic Records on February 21, 1967.

1. Forest Flower: Sunrise (Lloyd) ~ 7:18
2. Forest Flower: Sunset (Lloyd) ~ 10:37
3. Sorcery (Keith Jarrett) ~ 5:18
4. Song of Her (Cecil McBee) ~ 5:24
5. East of the Sun (Brooks Bowman) ~ 10:40

• Charles Lloyd – tenor saxophone, flute
• Keith Jarrett – piano
• Cecil McBee – bass
• Jack DeJohnette – drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Alone With The Blues is the first solo album by pianist Ray Bryant. Recorded on December 19, 1958 at the Van Gelder Studios in Hackensack, New Jersey, it was released end of May or early June of 1959 for the New Jazz label. The session was produced by Esmond Edwards.

Though he was equally adept with the blues, he was recognized at the time as a modern traditionalist. All compositions by Ray Bryant except Lover Man (Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman) and Rockin’ Chair (Hoagy Carmichael).

1. Blues No. 3 ~ 7:15
2. Joy (Blues No. 2) ~ 3:59
3. Lover Man ~ 3:52
4. Me and the Blues (Blues No. 1) ~ 5:00
5. My Blues (Blues No. 5) ~ 7:40
6. Rockin’ Chair ~  5:16
7. Stocking Feet ~ 4:47

• Ray Bryant ~ piano

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Idle Moments by guitarist Grant Green is this week’s jazz album that the quarantined jazz voyager has chosen to spotlight. It was recorded on November 4 and 15, 1963 at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, however, it wasn’t released until February 1965 on the Blue Note Records label.

The album was produced by Alfred Lion and is best known for the title piece, a slow composition in C minor which lasts for nearly 15 minutes. Pearson, who wrote the song, explains in his liner notes to the album that the tune was meant to be much shorter. Due to the musicians repeating the main melody twice, however, there was some confusion as to whether or not one chorus would consist of 16 or 32 measures. 

Track Listing | 42:45

1. Idle Moments (Pearson) ~ 14:56
2. Jean De Fleur (Green) ~ 6:49
3. Django (John Lewis) ~ 8:44
4. Nomad (Pearson) ~ 12:16

Personnel

• Grant Green – guitar
• Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
• Duke Pearson – piano
• Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone
• Bob Cranshaw – double bass
• Al Harewood – drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Quarantined Jazz Voyager is continuing to practice social distancing and as my personal quarantine continues, I’m selecting one of my favorite albums, Speak Like A Child by Herbie Hancock.

This is the sixth album by pianist Herbie Hancock, recorded and released by Blue Note Records in 1968. This session features Hancock’s arrangements for an unusual front line of alto flute, bass trombone and flugelhorn.

The pianist wanted to represent here a childlike, but not childish, philosophy. He felt this music didn’t reflect the social turmoil of the late 1960s in America, that is riots and a problematic economy but a picture of a more upbeat, brighter future, He wanted to go back and rediscover certain childhood qualities that are lost to adulthood. There is a purity, a spontaneity that children have and it is then they are at their best. Hence this album aims to translate as think and feel in terms of hope, and the possibilities of making our future less impure.

The cover photograph was taken by David Bythewood, an acquaintance of Hancock. The photo depicts Hancock in silhouette kissing his wife-to-be, Gigi Meixner.

Track Listing | 37:05

All compositions by Herbie Hancock, except First Trip, composed by Ron Carter.

Side A

1. Riot ~ 4:40
2. Speak Like a Child ~ 7:50
3. First Trip ~ 6:01

1. Toys ~ 5:52
2. Goodbye to Childhood ~ 7:06
3. The Sorcerer ~ 5:36

• Herbie Hancock — piano
• Ron Carter — bass
• Mickey Roker — drums
• Jerry Dodgion — alto flute (not on #3)
• Thad Jones — flugelhorn (not on #3)
• Peter Phillips — bass trombone (not on #3)

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