Recorded in 1979
Spanish pianist Jordi Sabatés earned a five-star review in Downbeat magazine when he released this album. Listen to the music and you'll quickly understand why. It's lyrical and compelling.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Jordi Sabatés – Solos de piano, Duets amb Santi Arisa (RCA Spain/Picap, 1979)
George Lewis – Homage to Charles Parker (Black Saint, 1979)
Recorded in 1979
Reissued as part of George Lewis: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note (2012)
Startlingly original and powerful.
Don't confuse this George Lewis, the trombonist, with another well-known jazz musician named George Lewis, the clarinetist from New Orleans. They're very different!
More George Lewis
- The George Lewis Solo Trombone Record (Sackville, 1977)
- Shadowgraph (Black Saint, 1978)
Anthony Davis-James Newton Quartet – Hidden Voices (India Navigation, 1979)
Recorded in 1979
Hidden Voices is a fascinating LP led by two of the most interesting jazz musicians to emerge in the 1970s.
Music without borders.
More Anthony Davis and James Newton
- Crystal Texts (Moers, 1979)
- I've Known Rivers (Gramavision, 1982) - with Abdul Wadud
- Trio² (Gramavision, 1989) - with Abdul Wadud
Charlie Mariano – Crystal Bells (CMP, 1980)
Recorded in December 1979
This Charlie Mariano outing, released on the small German CMP label, is a hidden gem. Given the outstanding the outstanding bassist and drummer, it's no surprise that this music surges with rhythms and swings so hard.
One note of warning: Electric piano-phobes and synthesizer-haters might want to steer clear. As for me, I think Stu Goldberg's playing is terrific, and he uses his electric piano and synths to wonderful effect.
More Charlie Mariano
- Mirror (Atlantic, 1972)
- Blue Stone (Black Lion, 1973)
- Helen 12 Trees (MPS, 1976)
- October (Contemp/Inner City, 1977)
- Reflections (Catalyst, 1977)
Monday, December 28, 2020
Joseph Jarman & Don Moye featuring Johnny Dyani – Black Paladins (Black Saint, 1980)
Recorded on December 19 - 20, 1979
Sublime and uncategorizable music.
- Egwu-Anwu (Sun Song) (India Navigation, 1978)
- The Magic Triangle (Black Saint, 1979) - with Don Pullen
- Earth Passage - Density (Black Saint, 1981)
Beaver Harris 360° Music Experience - Negcaumongus (Cadence Jazz)
Recorded on December 7, 1979
This is a wonderful record, and it's a shame that listeners cannot access it more easily. Originally released on the tiny Cadence Jazz label, it's never been reissued.
Regardless, I recommend it strongly for anyone who still enjoys spinning vinyl. The band features three terrific saxophonists, and Francis Haynes' steel drum lends the music a very distinctive sound.
More from the Beaver Harris 360° Music Experience
- From Rag Time to No Time (360 Records/Baystate, 1975)
- In: Sanity (Black Saint, 1976)
- Beautiful Africa (Soul Note, 1979)
Betty Carter – The Audience with Betty Carter (Bet-Car/Verve, 1980)
Recorded on December 6 - 8, 1979
Betty Carter's singing is incredibly creative and audacious. She is one of a kind. Plus, on these recordings she's supported by a stellar band.
Not surprisingly, the authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded this set a "crown" -- their highest accolade -- and I fully agree with their assessment! It's special.
More Betty Carter
Other Betty Carter releases from the 1970s:
- At the Village Vanguard (Bet-Car/Verve, 1970)
- Now It's My Turn (Roulette, 1976)
- The Betty Carter Album (Bet-Car/Verve, 1976)
David Murray Trio – Sweet Lovely (Black Saint, 1980)
Recorded on December 4 - 5, 1979
Reissued as part of David Murray: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note, Volume 2 (2013)
This is one of David Murray's finest recordings for Giovanni Bonandrini's Black Saint label.
It features Murray in a piano-less trio format with formidable support from bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall.
Look for more from David Murray (in a co-leader's role) later in the survey.
Bill Evans - Paris Concert: Edition One (Elektra Musician/Blue Note, 1983) and Paris Concert: Edition Two (Elektra Musician/Blue Note, 1984)
Recorded on November 29, 1979
Bill Evans died less than a year after making these recordings in Paris -- but there's no diminishment in his playing. Quite the opposite: He seems energized and expressive. Clearly, Evans was inspired by bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera.
Over time, this trio has come to be seen as one of Evans' great trios, on par with the legendary group with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Although the trio existed for a relatively brief period of time, they made some terrific music together. From this listener's perspective, none of their work surpasses these recordings from Paris.
More Bill Evans
Selected favorites from the 1970s:
- Since We Met (Fantasy, 1974)
- Intuition (Fantasy, 1974)
- Blue in Green: The Concert in Canada (Milestone, 1974)
- I Will Say Goodbye (Fantasy, 1977)
- You Must Believe in Spring (Warner Brothers, 1977)
- New Conversations (Warner Brothers, 1978)
Dannie Richmond Quartet - Ode to Mingus (Soul Note, 1979)
Recorded on November 23 - 24, 1979
Here's another quartet that emerged from Charles Mingus' immense orbit, led by his longtime drummer Dannie Richmond.
Although the group consists of players who never achieved high profiles, they're an excellent band. The compositions are strong as well. Richmond's tribute to his musical soulmate is powerful and heartfelt statement.
George Adams - Don Pullen Quartet – Don't Lose Control (Soul Note, 1980)
Recorded on November 2 - 3, 1979
Reissued as part of George Adams: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note (2012)
The George Adams - Don Pullen Quartet featured three players from the extraordinary Charles Mingus quintet that made Changes 1 and Changes 2: George Adams, Don Pullen, and Dannie Richmond. In this band, bassist Cameron Brown filled the bassist's role.
Like their mentor's bands, this group seems unconstrained by any musical limitations. Their playing encompasses great swathes of history, and their grasp is both encyclopedic and idiomatic.
More George Adams - Don Pullen Quartet
- Earth Beams (Timeless, 1980)
- All That Funk (Palcoscenico, 1980)
- Decisions (Timeless, 1984)
- Live At Village Vanguard (Soul Note, 1985)
- Live At Village Vanguard, Vol. 2 (Soul Note, 1986)
Monday, December 21, 2020
Bud Shank, Bill Mays, Alan Broadbent – Crystal Comments (Concord, 1980)
Recorded in October 1979
An unusual trio date featuring Bud Shank exclusively on flute accompanied by Bill Mays and Alan Broadbent on electric and acoustic pianos.
This sort of instrumentation may not seem promising, but the music confounds expectations and turns out beautifully.
More Bud Shank
- Sunshine Express (Concord, 1976)
- Heritage (Concord, 1978)
Fred Anderson – The Missing Link (Nessa, 1984)
Recorded on September 17, 1979
Fascinating music by the legendary saxophone hero of the Chicago avant-jazz scene.
Dave Burrell – Windward Passages (hat Hut, 1980)
Recorded on September 13, 1979
This album, originally released as a 2-LP set, is Burrell's solo piano adaptation of his opera about land development in Hawaii, where he was raised.
Lyrical, gorgeous music.
Max Roach Quartet – Pictures in a Frame (Soul Note, 1979)
Recorded on September 10, 11 & 17, 1979
Reissued as part of Max Roach: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note, Volume 2 (2016)
Commentary coming soon.
More Max Roach
- Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic, 1971) - with the J.C. White Singers
- Nommo (Victor Japan, 1976)
- Max Roach Quartet Live in Tokyo, Vols. 1 & 2 (Denon Japan, 1977)
- The Loadstar (Horo Italy, 1977)
- Max Roach Quartet Live in Amsterdam: It's Time (Baystate Japan, 1977)
- Confirmation (Fluid, 1978)
- The Long March - duo with Archie Shepp (hat Hut, 1979)
Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell – Old and New Dreams (ECM, 1979)
Recorded in August 1979
The name of this group, Old and New Dreams, is a play on the fact that this group was originally the epochal Ornette Coleman Quartet; however, in the reconstituted band, Dewey Redman replaced Coleman, giving the quartet a sound that is both familiar and very different.
The group recorded for both ECM and Black Saint. Their self-titled ECM effort is amazing. It's the Old and New Dreams LP that I pull from the shelf most frequently.
Jack Walrath – Demons in Pursuit (Gatemouth, 1979)
Recorded on August 21 - 22, 1979
Demons in Pursuit is Jack Walrath's debut. It's an excellent record, consisting entirely of Walrath originals.
The band is killer too. Aside from Dannie Richmond, the musicians are all young, up-and-coming jazzmen who would make their marks in the coming years.
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Claude Williamson Trio – La Fiesta (Interplay/Discovery, 1979)
Recorded on August 6, 1979
Issued in Japan as First Trip (Trio Records)
In the late-1970s, Claude Williamson made three of the finest LPs of his long career for Toshiya Taenaka's California-based Interplay label. The first was a solo piano recording, Holography (1977). The other two were trio discs with the incredible rhythm team of Sam Jones and Roy Haynes: New Departure (1978) and La Fiesta (1979).
None of these Interplay LPs are currently available, although they have been intermittently reissued on CD in Japan. The music is of such high quality that they're well worth the search. I'd recommend starting with La Fiesta.
Incidentally, Albert Marx reissued La Fiesta on his Discovery Records label in 1982. This version may be the easiest to find in the U.S.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Jerry Gonzalez – Ya Yo Me Curé (American Clavé/Pangea/Sunnyside, 1980)
Recorded in July & August 1979
Ya Yo Me Curé is a Latin Jazz classic.
Hank Jones – Bluesette (Black & Blue, 1979)
Recorded on July 22, 1979
The rhythm section from Joe Newman's LP I Love My Woman reconvened two days later to record this gem.
Hank Jones most popular records from the 1970s were likely his albums released under the Great Jazz Trio moniker. Originally, the group featured bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. But I think this trio with George Duvivier and Alan Dawson are much more sympathetic ensemble. Jones' playing with the Great Jazz Trio often reminds me of a small, nimble sportster paired with an enormous V8 muscle car engine. Taken individually, each is wonderful -- but taken together, they don't work so well.
More Hank Jones
In 1978, Jones, Duvivier and Dawson made their first album for Black & Blue, Compassion. It's another winner. Some other favorites:
- Hanky Panky (East Wind/Inner City/Test of Time, 1975)
- I Remember You (Black & Blue/Classic Jazz, 1977)
- Bop Redux (Muse, 1977)
- Just for Fun (Galaxy, 1977)
- Tiptoe Tapdance (Galaxy, 1978)
- Groovin' High (Muse, 1979)
Joe Newman – I Love My Woman (Black & Blue, 1979)
Recorded on July 20, 1979
Ably supported by a wonderful rhythm section, this Joe Newman LP is extra special because Newman recorded so rarely in the 1970s. Newman's tone is distinctive and powerful. He always struck me as a musician deserving greater recognition.
Black & Blue originally released the LP as I Love My Baby. The CD reissue is titled I Love My Woman.
Buck Hill – Scope (SteepleChase, 1979)
Recorded on July 8, 1979
Buck Hill spent most of his life as a postal carrier in Washington, D.C. Scope was his second album. It's amazingly accomplished effort, and he's supported by an immaculate rhythm section.
Both the tunes (all composed by Hill) and the playing are outstanding.
More Buck Hill
Hill's only other record from the 1970s is his debut, This Is Buck Hill, released on SteepleChase in 1978.
Gordon Beck – Sunbird (JMS, 1979)
Recorded in June & July 1979
Released on Frenchman Jean-Marie Salhani's JMS label, this wonderful LP features a pan-European quartet with Englishmen Gordon Beck and Allan Holdsworth, French bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark, and Italian drummer Aldo Romano.
This is fusion-y electric jazz with a heart.
More Gordon Beck
Listeners interested in digging more deeply into Gordon Beck discography should consider:
- Jazz Trio (Dire/Art of Life, 1972) - with Ron Mathewson and Daniel Humair
- The French Connection (Owl, 1978)
- Seven Steps To Evans: A Tribute to the Compositions of Bill Evans (MPS, 1980) - with Ron Mathewson, Tony Oxley, Stan Sulzmann & Kenny Wheeler
Jessica Williams – Orgonomic Music (Clean Cuts/CD Baby, 1981)
Recorded in June 1979
Jessica Williams is most known for her trio and solo recordings, but this LP features a larger ensemble. Despite some excellent soloing -- from Williams and Eddie Henderson, in particular -- the most impactful aspects of the music are the ensemble passages.
Originally released on the tiny (and now defunct) Clean Cuts label, Williams has reissued the music via CD Baby.
More Jessica Williams
- Portal of Antrim (Adelphi, 1976)
- Portraits (Adelphi, 1978)
Andrew Cyrille, Jeanne Lee, Jimmy Lyons – Nuba (Black Saint, 1979)
Recorded in June 1979
Cyrille, Lee, and Lyons conjure evocative sound portraits. This music doesn't follow any traditional form; instead, it evolves organically through rhythms, textures, sounds, poetry, like a sonic collage.
You could compare this music to avant-garde classics like Marion Brown's Afternoon of a Georgia Faun and Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D., works that strongly evoke a sense of place, ambient sounds, and the vibratory hum of existence.
Stéphane Grappelli – Young Django (MPS, 1979)
Recorded on June 19 - 21, 1979
On this album, French violinist Stéphane
Grappelli revisits his the music and spirit of his former partner in the Quintette du Hot Club de France, Django Reinhardt. Rather than have one guitarist fulfill Django's role, both Philip Catherine and Larry Coryell are soloists. NHØP provides the foundation, and the intergenerational group gels surprisingly well.
Listening to Django's music always makes me smile. Listening to this album makes me smile too.
More Stéphane Grappelli
- Limehouse Blues (Black Lion, 1972) - with Barney Kessel
- Stéphane Grappelli meets Earl Hines (Black Lion, 1974)
- Parisian Thoroughfare (Arista/Freedom, Black Lion, 1975)
Miroslav Vitous – First Meeting (ECM, 1980)
Recorded in May 1979
Vitous is an extraordinary bassist, and First Meeting is a terrific record by a powerful band.
Vitous is probably still best-known for his stint in the first incarnation of Weather Report. Perhaps less well remembered is the fact that Vitous was one of three co-founders of the band, along with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. They actually considered naming the group Triumvirate.
Turning to First Meeting: When John Surman picks up his soprano, one can't help but think of this group as a sort of reconfigured Weather Report with Vitous in the sole leadership role. But regardless of his intentions, the music is wonderful.
Richie Beirach – Elm (ECM, 1979)
Recorded in May 1979
Thelonious
Monk had an expression: Before playing, he’d encourage his musician to play well by saying, “Let’s raise the bandstand.” It’s easy to understand what he meant. The best jazz defies gravity. It’s as if, under the collective spell of the
music, the players—and the listeners along with them—lift off the ground. It’s a peculiar and ecstatic feeling, and
even more special because it’s so fleeting.
For me, that magical feeling is what jazz is all about. And that’s what I felt when I first heard Richie Beirach’s music. I discovered it almost by accident. I was browsing through the bins in a record shop when I came across an unfamiliar ECM LP with a striking green cover. The record featured George Mraz and Jack DeJohnette, two of my long-time favorites—but I didn’t know anything about the leader, Richard Beirach, or the record, which was titled Elm. I took a flyer and walked out with it.
From the very first spin, I knew that I’d stumbled on something special. Beirach, Mraz and DeJohnette were levitating like crazy. The musicianship was stunning. The compositions were exquisite. The interaction was palpable. I felt like I’d unearthed a hidden masterpiece. As a dedicated, long-time jazz listener, I kept asking myself, “How is it that I’ve never heard Beirach before now?!?!” So I started collecting his records. I quickly discovered that Elm was no fluke. Now, after many years of listening to his music and exploring his large discography, I am thoroughly convinced that Beirach is one of the greats.
And here’s the paradox: Even though it’s clear that Beirach is a master, his music has been strangely neglected. Many of his records have lapsed from print; others have only been issued in Japan and remain difficult to find. (As of today, Beirach’s three ECM LPs all remain unavailable in the U.S. and Europe.) And many critics have been ambivalent about Beirach’s work. He is admired for his staggering command of the keyboard and for his encyclopedic harmonic knowledge. (That’s why producer and Keystone Korner founder Todd Barkan calls Beirach “The Code.”) But he’s also been unfairly characterized as a musician who values the head above the heart. For example, Robert L. Doerschuk includes an essay on Beirach in his book 88: The Giants of Jazz Piano, and he praises the pianist for his dedication and his unwillingness to compromise. But he then goes on to describe Beirach’s music as following a “difficult and obscure path, through an unlikely overgrowth of classical and jazz in their more academic manifestations.”
This assessment and others like it leave me scratching my head. I cannot understand how anyone would describe Beirach’s playing as academic. Instead, I’d be more inclined to use words like visceral, brave, passionate, forceful, tender, and, most of all, exciting. Some of Beirach’s music is influenced by classical composers—but, like most jazz musicians of his generation, Beirach’s music is eclectic. His influences span a wide array of styles and genres. Listen to several Beirach recordings, and you’ll hear the influence of Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner sitting comfortably side-by-side with Alexander Scriabin and Federico Mompou. Sometimes his music sounds through-composed (even when it may not be); sometimes he plays free; at other times, Beirach swings hard using a more traditional approach. For me, the way that Beirach integrates these disparate elements into a unique whole is part of its appeal. And it’s also one reason why Beirach’s music from 1970s still sounds so fresh and contemporary. It anticipates the wide-open approach of 21st century jazz.
Here's a fascinating video of Beirach discussing Elm and the other records he made with ECM-founder and producer Manfred Eicher:
More Richie Beirach
As discussed in the video, in 1974 ECM released Beirach’s first recording as a leader, Eon. Bucking the trend of the times toward electrification, Eon is an all-acoustic recording with Beirach’s rhythm-section band-mates from Lookout Farm, Frank Tusa on bass and Jeff Williams on drums. An unfamiliar listener would never guess that Eon is a debut. Beirach’s sound is fully mature, and the trio’s interaction is both dramatic and palpable. Beirach’s skills as a composer are also striking. Three of the six tracks are his compositions; another was co-composed with Tusa. An arresting version of Miles Davis’ “Nardis” is the only jazz standard.
Beirach’s second LP for ECM was his first for solo piano. Released in 1977, Hubris presents some of Beirach’s most enduring compositions: “Sunday Song,” “Leaving,” and “Rectilinear.” Like many other solo piano recordings from the 1970s, it stretches the boundaries of jazz, owing as much to classical composers like Chopin and Scriabin as much as it does to the jazz tradition.
[Wadada] Leo Smith – Spirit Catcher (Nessa, 1979)
Recorded on May 21, 1979
Spirit Catcher is the perfect title for this beautiful record. Smith was another enormously influential voice to emerge during the 1970s.
His music marries the freedom of the avant-garde with strong compositional elements, often creating gently distinctive and diaphanous textures, expanding the jazz vocabulary beyond traditional limits.
More Wadada Leo Smith
Divine Love (ECM, 1979) is comparable to Spirit Catcher. It's also easy to recommend, although I prefer the Nessa release.
Smith's earliest albums as a leader are collected on Kabell Years 1971-1979 (Tzadik, 2004). The 4-disc set consists of LPs originally released on Smith's own Kabell imprint:
- Creative Music - 1 (1972)
- Reflectativity (1975)
- Song of Humanity (1977)
- Solo Music: Ahkreanvention (1979)
Joanne Brackeen – Keyed In (Tappan Zee, 1979)
Recorded on May 11 - 12, 1979
Joanne Brackeen was one of the most exciting pianists to emerge in the 1970s. Everything that she made during the decade is worth hearing.
This album features her powerfully formidable trio with Eddie Gómez and Jack DeJohnette. It baffles me that this music isn't more well known.
More Joanne Brackeen
Along with New True Illusion (a duo LP with Clint Houston, discussed earlier in the survey) and Keyed In, I would recommend Brackeen's entire discography from the 1970s:
- Snooze (Choice, 1975); also released as Six Ate (Candid)
- Invitation (Freedom, 1976)
- Tring-a-Ling (Choice, 1977)
- AFT (Timeless, 1977)
- Trinkets and Things (Timeless, 1978)
- Prism (Choice, 1978)
- Mythical Magic (MPS, 1978)
Sunday, December 6, 2020
McCoy Tyner - Horizon (Milestone, 1980)
Recorded on April 24 - 25, 1979
McCoy Tyner made an enormous splash with his Milestone albums during the first half of the 1970s. Records like Sahara (1972), Enlightenment (1973), and Atlantis (1974), offered listeners explosive "acoustic" jazz that was as forceful and volcanic as any electric alternative, rock or otherwise. While these albums built on the legacy of his former employer, John Coltrane, Tyner also forged an identity distinct from Trane that solidified his position as one of the most important figures in jazz.
As much as I enjoy these albums from the early-70s, I think Horizon is more musically satisfying. John Blake's violin adds new colors to the ensemble's palette. Plus, there's a pleasing ebb and flow to the music. For this listener, Tyner's unremitting and relentless drive, which is undeniably thrilling at first, can become exhausting over time. Horizon is more balanced.
More McCoy Tyner
Arguably, Tyner's most important recordings (as a leader) were made during the 1970s. Listeners owe it to themselves to dive deeply into his discography. Along with the albums listed above, I recommend:
- Extensions (Blue Note, 1970)
- Asante (Blue Note, 1970)
- Song for My Lady (Milestone, 1972)
- Echoes of a Friend (Milestone, 1972)
- Song of the New World (Milestone, 1973)
- Sama Layuca (Milestone, 1974)
- Trident (Milestone, 1975)
- Fly with the Wind (Milestone, 1975)
- Supertrios (Milestone, 1977)
- The Greeting (Milestone, 1978)
- Passion Dance (Milestone, 1978)
- Counterpoints: Live in Tokyo (Milestone, 1978 [2004])
- Together (Milestone, 1979)
Jack DeJohnette – Special Edition (ECM, 1980)
Recorded in March 1979
Reissued as part of a 4-CD box set in 2012 containing the albums Special Edition, Tin Can Alley, Inflation Blues, and Album Album (ECM).
Jack DeJohnette came to full maturity as a composer and bandleader in the second half of the 1970s, beginning with his band New Directions and reaching an early-career high point with the inaugural album by his 1979 group, Special Edition.
More by Jack DeJohnette
- New Rags (ECM, 1977)
- New Directions (ECM, 1978)
- Special Edition (ECM, 1979 [1980])
- New Directions in Europe (ECM, 1979 [1980])
One obscurity worth investigating: In the early-70s, DeJohnette co-led the short-lived band Compost with Bob Moses, Harold Vick, Jack Gregg, and Jumma Santos. Life Is Round (Columbia/Wounded Bird, 1973) was their second and final release. In many regards, tenorist Harold Vick leaves the most lasting impression, but it's also a hidden gem in the Jack DeJohnette discography.
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Project Wrap Up
I've now listed all 366 entries in my survey, one for each day of the year in 2020. Before ending the project, I wanted to share some mo...
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I've now listed all 366 entries in my survey, one for each day of the year in 2020. Before ending the project, I wanted to share some mo... -
Bill Evans (p); Marc Johnson (b); Joe LaBarbera (d) Recorded on November 29, 1979 Bill Evans died less than a year after making these record... -
Jordi Sabatés (p, el p, perc); Santi Arisa (d, perc) Recorded in 1979 Spanish pianist Jordi Sabatés earned a five-star review in Downbeat ...