HIGH PRIORITY HI-FI SHOOTOUT

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 →

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 →

Stan Getz Night

It is Stan Getz night here at the Brawner International HQ, Evanston, IL. It didn’t start out that way. I thought it might be Bill Evans night. My brother texted me today that he had fallen into the seductive gravitational pull of EXPLORATIONS, and I thought...yes. Let’s listen to Sir William. I had been listening … Continue reading Stan Getz Night →

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 →

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 →

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 →

RRR003: “Here To Stay” // Freddie Hubbard

Blue Note kicked off its 2025 Classic Vinyl Reissue series this month with two titles, and I'm proud to say I own them both. "Big spender!" you say. "No," I say. More like, "Big seller." That's right, I finally broke down and sold my original pressing of Soundgarden's Superunknown. I vividly remember purchasing that record … Continue reading RRR003: “Here To Stay” // Freddie Hubbard →

RRR002: “Speak No Evil” // Wayne Shorter

Merry Christmas Eve, jazz lovers. I should just say Merry Christmas Eve, Charlie Brawner, as he’s the only person who even might be reading this. And he's a jazz lover. So consider that a successful venn diagram situation right there. I used to proudly proclaim Speak No Evil the third best jazz record of all … Continue reading RRR002: “Speak No Evil” // Wayne Shorter →