The thing nobody is talking about is what I'm up to tonight. I'm up late trying to write a spot for my employer. It has to do with coffee. I'm drinking Hop Butcher For The World and have had, frankly, too many. And, for reasons I can no longer recall, I'm engaged in a speaker … Continue reading HIGH PRIORITY HI-FI SHOOTOUT
Tag: jazz
Explorations
The time has come. We need to talk about Explorations. I’m talking of course about the second of two studio albums Bill Evans made with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Recorded in NYC, February 1961. Get that gauze out of there so I can hear the damn bass. I’m gonna say some things you might … Continue reading Explorations
Evolution
The album we all need to be paying more attention to is Evolution by Grachan Moncur III. I won’t pretend to know how to pronounce the man’s name, but I sure as hell will tell you what I think about when I hear this record. The Soviet Union. The 1940s. Siberia. Rocky IV. Snow. Bombs. … Continue reading Evolution
Circle
I usually have a song taking up primary residence in my head. These days, it's "Circle," the Miles Davis song from 1967's Miles Smiles. As I said in my last post, I've been a little obsessed with Miles Smiles for a while now. The first three tracks are particularly addictive for me, and "Circle" might … Continue reading Circle
Miles Behind
My brother and I were chatting about Miles Davis yesterday. I told him (my brother, not Miles) that if he ever finds a good copy of Miles Smiles on vinyl, he should buy it for me. I think I also told him I'd pay one million dollars for it. Part of the conversation revolved around … Continue reading Miles Behind
SONNY CLARK versus COMISKI PARK WEST COAST IPA
I’d like to very insincerely welcome you to a new feature, brought to you by the good folks at THE OWL HEAD SHOE HORN. This is JAZZ VERSUS A BEVERAGE. Each installment promises a sort of shootout between a jazz record and a cup of something. If you’re thinking, “You goofy bastard, that doesn’t make … Continue reading SONNY CLARK versus COMISKI PARK WEST COAST IPA
But Only For Me
I decided I’d have to write it more like Ahmad Jamal plays piano. The Ahmad Jamal record I know best is called But Not For Me, and that’s a funny title because his playing feels strictly for him. He’s playing music the way he wants to hear it; he’s not concerned with communicating a song … Continue reading But Only For Me
RRR007: “Sweet Rain” // Stan Getz
On a night frozen through, bitter and solid, I listen to an album called Sweet Rain. It is what its title promises, the sounds of sweetness mixed with rain, happiness contained in flying, stinging droplets of water. Like water, happiness takes on the shape of its container. Like water, it flows according to physical laws … Continue reading RRR007: “Sweet Rain” // Stan Getz
RRR006: “Intensity” // Art Pepper
Tonight there is snow falling from the sky. And a full moon. The full moon is not falling from the sky. Not yet anyway. For reasons lost to history, I’m drinking a bit of brandy. And while it may be hard to reason out why I’m drinking brandy, it’s harder to understand why, of all … Continue reading RRR006: “Intensity” // Art Pepper
RRR005: “Coltrane” // John Coltrane Quartet
TL;DR = Coltrane and fire pair well. It was September of 2024, so a few months ago. I was having a bad time in my head. My wife generously suggested I spend a weekend at the family cabin in the great Northwoods of Wisconsin. After making sure no one else had reserved the place for … Continue reading RRR005: “Coltrane” // John Coltrane Quartet
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