Mickey Tucker's music from the 1970s is largely unavailable; most of it has never been issued in any digital format. That's a shame -- because he made some terrific records during this time. None are better than this 1979 Muse LP.
Mister Mysterious features a stellar line-up and a slate of interesting compositions, all written by the leader.
This is high-octane 1970s mainstream jazz at it's finest.
More Mickey Tucker
- The New Heritage Keyboard Quartet (Blue Note, 1973) - co-led with Sir Roland Hanna
Reissued as part of the two-CD set Solos & Duets featuring Don Thompson (Sackville, 2005)
Given the title -- and McShann's reputation -- you might expect this set to be a boisterous, rollicking set. But that's not the case at all. If fact, this solo-piano LP captures the famous Kansas City jazzman Jay McShann in an especially meditative, reflective mood.
Whenever I listen to this LP, I'm always pulled in. It's a powerful and bluesy reverie, almost a spell. Irresistible.
More Jay McShann
- Goin' to Kansas City (Master Jazz/New World, 1972)
- Crazy Legs & Friday Strut (Sackville, 1977) - with Buddy Tate
- A Tribute to Fats Waller (Sackville, 1978)
- The Last of the Blue Devils (Atlantic, 1978)
- The Man from Muskogee (Sackville, 1979) - with Claude Williams
- Last of the Whorehouse Piano Players: The Original Sessions (Chazz Jazz/Chiaroscuro, 1980) - with Dick Sutton
Bennie Wallace (ts); Eddie Gómez (b); Dannie Richmond (d)
Recorded on May 26, 1978
I've always enjoyed Bennie Wallace's sound. It's so big and brawny. You can hear swing-era heroes like Coleman Hawkins and Herschel Evans in there. But there's nothing self-consciously retro about it. His playing lets you know he's familiar with these masters, but he has assimilated them, creating his own personal and thoroughly modern voice.
At the start of his career, Wallace made a series of outstanding recordings for the (West) German label Enja. From this listener's point of view, the finest of the run is this live trio performance with Eddie Gómez and Dannie Richmond.
The album was recently reissued on the Japanese Solid label with two Thelonious Monk compositions as bonus tracks, "Ugly Beauty" and "Ask Me Now."
Bob Brookmeyer (valve tb); Thad Jones (cor, flgn); Jimmy Rowles (p); George Mraz (b); Mel Lewis (d)
Recorded on May 23 - 25, 1978
How can you go wrong with this line-up?!?!
Both Brookmeyer and Thad Jones are exquisite, and the rhythm section plays like a dream.
More Bob Brookmeyer
Brookmeyer's outing for Gryphon Records, The Bob Brookmeyer Small Band (1978) -- with Jack Wilkins (g), Michael Moore (b), and Joe LaBarbera (d) -- is easy to recommend. Early in the following decade, Brookmeyer would go on to make several excellent recordings with the Mel Lewis Big Band (after Thad's departure), including Bob Brookmeyer: Composer, Arranger (Gryphon, 1980) and Make Me Smile & Other New Works (Finesse, 1982).
Frank Wess (ts, fl); Roland Hanna (p); George Mraz (b); Grady Tate (d)
Recorded on May 17, 1978
Listening to the New York Jazz Quartet, one gets the impression that they could go anywhere and play anything. Their mastery is so complete and so evident. Moreover, they're a real unit -- a band -- not just players brought together for a gig.
The word that I would use to describe the music they make is supple. Not soft, but flexible, graceful, and strong.
More NYJQ
Every record by this ensemble is worth hearing, but the Enja releases are particularly notable.
- In Concert in Japan (Salvation, 1975) - with Ron Carter (b) and Ben Riley (d)
- Surge (Enja, 1977)
- Song of the Black Knight (Sonet, 1978)
- Oasis (Enja, 1981)
- The New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1983)
For some reason, many of Red Garland's post-comeback recordings strike me as less-than-fully-satisfying. I don't know exactly what it is. There's nothing wrong with them. They just seem to lack the "juice" that makes his earlier work so compelling.
Feelin' Red is an definite exception to this generalization. It's soulful and propulsive and swings hard. It's easily my favorite Red Garland LP from the decade.
Dexter Gordon (ts, ss); George Cables (p); Rufus Reid (b); Eddie Gladden (d)
Recorded on May 13 & 16, 1978 and March 23, 24 & 27, 1979
Reissued as part of Dexter Gordon: Mosaic Select 14 (2004)
Dexter Gordon made a huge splash when he returned from Europe to perform at the Village Vanguard in December 1976. Gordon signed a contract with industry giant Columbia, and the Vanguard recordings were released to great acclaim. But, with the passage of time, some of the luster has come off these recordings. From this listener's perspective Manhattan Symphonie (1978) is a far more satisfying LP, the best of Gordon's time with Columbia.
As much I enjoy Manhattan Symphonie -- and others that Gordon recorded in Europe -- my favorite Dexter Gordon album from the 1970s is Nights at the Keystone. The band fits Gordon like a glove, and he unspools long, flowing solos effortlessly. By the time that the quartet made these recordings at the Keystone, Gordon had established the same sort of simpatico relationship with the rhythm section as listeners had heard on the best of Gordon's SteepleChase recordings.
More Dexter Gordon
Along with the discs discussed above, here are a few Dexter recordings that I pull from the shelf frequently:
- The Panther (Prestige, 1970) - The Apartment (SteepleChase, 1975)
- Something Different (SteepleChase, rec. 1975)
- Lullabye for a Monster (SteepleChase, rec. 1976) - Biting the Apple (SteepleChase, rec. 1976)
Art Blakey (d); Valery Ponomarev (tr); Bobby Watson (as); David Schnitter (ts); James Williams (p); Dennis Irwin (b)
Recorded on May 8, 1978
Also reissued as part of the 2-CD set Blakey's Beat (Concord, 2004)
Bobby Watson has talked about his pride in helping Art Blakey re-establish a place in the forefront of jazz with this late-70s incarnation of the Jazz Messengers. Like all of the best Blakey albums, In This Korner features burning, powerful, and expressive music.
Synchronicity features beautiful and intense piano/bass duets in live performance. Both the American pianist and the Hungarian bassist were virtuosos.
To the best of my knowledge, this has never been reissued in any digital format. But I strongly suggest that anyone interested seek out the LP. The music is revelatory.
More Walter Norris
- Drifting (Enja, 1978) - with George Mraz
- Stepping on Cracks (Progressive, 1978) - with George Mraz and Ronnie Bedford
Jean-Luc Ponty (v, elec v, org, syn); Joaquin Lievano (g); Peter Maunu (g); Allan Zavod (el p, syn, p, org); Ralphe Armstrong (b, el b); Casey Scheuerell (d, perc)
Recorded in April 1978
Often, when people think of jazz in the 1970s, they think of fusion. Well, here you have it. From this listener's perspective, Cosmic Messenger is one of the finest fusion records of the decade.
Like many albums in the fusion sub-genre, Ponty's sound often resembles "progressive rock" groups like Genesis and Yes. Since these groups were my musical touchstones in high school, I suppose it's no coincidence that I found Cosmic Messenger so appealing when I discovered it in college.
Jaki Byard (p, ts, as); Major Holley (b, el b, tu, vo); Warren Smith (d, timp, vib); J.R. Mitchell (d)
Recorded on April 28 & May 1, 1978
After recording extensively for Prestige in the 1960s, Jaki Byard made far fewer records in the following decade. And that's a shame because Byard was an extraordinary pianist. Family Man was one of just two records Byard made as leader for Muse during the 1970s, and it captures Byard's unique, all-encompassing sound -- as well as excerpts from his extended composition "Family Suite."
More Jaki Byard
- Live at the Jazz'Inn (Futura, 1971)
- Parisian Solos (Futura, 1971)
- There'll Be Some Changes Made (Muse, 1972); also released as Empirical (32 Jazz, 1990)
- Duet! - with Earl Hines (MPS, 1972)
Since Byard was given so few opportunities to record in the 1970s, the following archival releases -- live solo recordings from the Keystone Korner in 1978-79 -- are especially valuable:
- Sunshine of My Soul: Live at the Keystone Korner (HighNote, 2007)
- A Matter of Black and White (HighNote, 2011)
- The Late Show: An Evening with Jaki Byard (HighNote, 2014)
Zoot Sims (ts); Jimmy Rowles (p); George Mraz (d); Jackie Williams (d)
Recorded on April 10 - 11, 1978
More Zoot Sims
In the late 70s and early 80s, Sims frequently recorded with Jimmy Rowles and George Mraz. All of their collaborations are wonderful. Along with For Lady Day, I'm especially partial to:
Horace Tapscott (p, cond); Herbert Callies (cl); Michael Session (as); Kafi Larry Roberts (ss, fl); Jesse Sharps (ss, ts, bamboo fl); James Andrews (ts, b cl); Adele Sebastian (fl, vo); Archie Johnson (tb); Lester Robertson (tb); Linda Hill (p); David Bryant (b); Kamonta Lawrence Polk (b); Red Callendar (b, tu); Louis Spears (b, vc); Everett Brown Jr. (d); William Madison (perc, d)
Recorded on April 8, 1978
More Horace Tapscott
In a big band context:
- Flight 17 (UGMAA/Nimbus West, 1978) - with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra
Illinois Jacquet (ts); Hank Jones (p); George Duvivier (b); J.C. Heard (d)
Recorded on March 28 & 30, 1978
Reissued by Solid and Pure Pleasure on limited edition vinyl
Terrific from top to bottom!
More Illinois Jacquet
The Man I Love (1973) is another outstanding Jacquet recording from the French Black & Blue label. It features the saxophonist with organist Wild Bill Davis and drummer Al Bartee.
John McNeil (tr, flgn); Bob Berg (ts); Joanne Brackeen (p); Rufus Reid (b); Billy Hart (d)
Recorded on March 22, 1978
Embarkation is McNeil's debut recording, but there's nothing tentative about this effort. The music is completely assured. Hearing it, one would never guess that this is McNeil's first outing.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that McNeil supported by a stellar band.
More John McNeil
McNeil's second effort for SteepleChase, Faun (1979), is also excellent.
Kenny Burrell (g); Reggie Johnson (b); Sherman Ferguson (d)
Recorded on February 28 and March 1, 1978
Kenny Burrell has always been a remarkably consistent guitarist, and he made many outstanding recording in the 1970s. But Handcrafted is special, an underappreciated masterpiece.
More Kenny Burrell
More wonderful KB recordings from the 1970s:
- God Bless the Child (CTI, 1971)
- 'Round Midnight (Fantasy, 1972)
- Both Feet on the Ground (Fantasy, 1973)
- Up the Street, 'Round the Corner, Down the Block (Fantasy, 1974)
Martial Solal (p); Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b); Daniel Humair (d)
Recorded on February 27 - 28, 1978
This LP was my introduction to Martial Solal. It absolutely floored me.
Suite for Trio remains one of my all-time favorite piano trio recordings.
More Martial Solal
I urgently recommend all of Solal's recordings for MPS. Taken as a group, I think they represent Solal at his very best. In addition to Movability (duets with NHØP; previously covered in this survey) and Suite for Trio, they include:
- Nothing But Piano (MPS, 1976) - solo
- The Solosolal (MPS, 1979) - solo
- Four Keys (MPS, 1979) - quartet with Lee Konitz, John Scofield, and NHØP
- Live at The Berlin Jazz Days 1980 (MPS, 1980) - duo with Lee Konitz
