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In Reply to: RE: Orrin Keepnews is dead at 91. posted by samtellig on March 01, 2015 at 12:34:25
Massive talent and he clearly had vision. The record speaks for itself as is said.
I cant imagine it was terribly easy producing jazz albums during the 50s-60s. Keeping the talent focused and on track considering so many had "issues". You look at how so many of the great albums then were recorded in 1 to 3 days in many cases. Unheard of these days if on any kind of major label. Then to see the financial downfall of Riverside in 64. One would imagine the writing may have been on the wall for some time. Yet great albums were still being recorded.
Not trying to down play the musicians he worked with. Just IMO the producer had a very important role in those days. More so than today in some cases I feel.
Made me look up Rudy Van Gelder. Holy cow he is still with us!!! Cant keep tabs on everyone. Theres another living legend. I will agree, RVG and Blue Note in those days had a recognizable house sound. Verve and Prestige broke the mold more consistently. But man oh man that man also had his hands in many of the great albums and talent.
Teo Macero passed some time ago seems. Another fellow with an incredible body of work. Right up there with Keepnews IMO. Just amazing how big Columbia records was in those days. And he played sax, composed and arranged. The man seemed a force! The Monk, Mingus and Brubeck albums made with him are some of the best IMO. Oh did I forget Davis ;)
Sadly the great album produces are passing on. Anyone who doesnt know of Tom Dowd would do themselves a favor to look into him. Great docu called the Language of Music has been made of him.
Sad to see Keepnews has passed. To say his legend will live on is an understatement.
Follow Ups:
Did my favorite jazz recording: The Cannonball Adderley
Quintet in SF and Monk's Brilliant Corners....Do my Cannonball thing every other day. Wonder what he would make of the music business. He did out live everyone he produced. Had to be smart. One more reference point gone.
The story behind the title track of Brilliant is something. Cant say Im surprised at all. The time and chord changes within that track are nuts!
The somewhat newly uncovered gem, Monk and Trane at Carnegie Hall is simply a masterpiece. Hard to believe it almost never made the light of day.
Your post made me listen to Jackie-ing now. Been some time since I played my Monk tunes I love.
Cannonball is wonderful too. He just doesnt have that distinctive style to me like some of the others that stand out for me. I always got more into Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond.
Now dont get me wrong, the man was amazing. And had talent with the best of em. Just for me, the jazz men who really do it for me have a real distinctive style that make them stand out. Sax players like the above. Then players like, Monk (of course), Mingus, Evans, Jim Hall, Tatum, Geraldi, Ron Carter, Buddy Rich... so on...
Im so odd, Id take a Ben Webster or Desmond album over Coltrane most days. Sorry.
But on the notion of Cannonball, he made some great recordings on Mercury and Capitol. Im guessing your already aware of this. Heck see the one linked, Cannon and Coltrane live in Chicago. Damn... And his work with Capitol records late in his career I feel holds up with the best of it. Not all of it, but some. Heck his newer progressive fusion style jazz is far more listenable than allot of it that was coming out in that era.
Good stuff man.
Great post thanks: Always thought that"brilliant Corners" had some registrations and tonalities of Bach organ music (not bull shitting). I get the same out of Cannonball .No he is not the player , compared to artists you admire,but his ensemble has joy in its music making, a spiritual thing me, brain heart and ears, equaled for me by some of the Dolphy recordings.Patterns of pitch and dissonance that plays vertically and horizontally -its operatic in the best sense.
Do not know the Dolphy Mercury recordings.
For a sec there I was getting nervous you might bring up Ornett Colman. Not that the guy hasnt made a few good albums. But overall he leaves me the wayside.
Some of the more abstract jazz is alright. But overall I just dont get overly into it. Not that Dolphy was a abstract musician. Just he can be kind of a gateway drug for that sound.
To me, Mingus is my fav example of ensemble / a leader who gets many musicians to come together to convey some deeper feeling and message that one just doesnt see with many other arrangers. And for me, you kinda have to appreciate the reality the guy was genius verging on nuts. He was just that into his music. Quite frankly it showed in a VERY positive way.
Many see Sun Ra as that kinda guy too. But again, allot of great examples but much of it just goes too off the rails for me to come along for the ride. Kinda ala Zappa if you will ;)
I will open by saying this is one heck of a reaching example.... But IMO there are few arrangers / composers who made large collaborative efforts work well in their core genre. At least focusing on non classical music. But Randy Newman. Yes I said it... Not the Disney Newman sadly most know. But if one listens to his two early MASTERPIECES, yes I will go that far. His albums Sail Away, and Good Old Boys, are some of the only examples of "rock" guys and or, non singer standard musicians to actually make strings work with the music wonderfully. And its not just strings. He managed to make so much other obscure accompaniment work within the music and IMO it blends and adds perfectly. These two early albums are IMO his zenith. Sorry long standing fans. But IMO he really peaked with these. I never tire of listening to em. Yes his voice is love hate. So no hard feelings if some just cant stomach. Kinda like us Rush fans too. Hey to each their own. I just had to bring it up on the notion of successful collaborative efforts that stand out to one. Sorry if this got too off the rails for some...
Agreed. Great and fun to bounce ideas.
Meant the Cannonball Mercury
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