1 - bonobo - migration - ninja tune 2 - children of pop - what does 69 mean? - #veryjazzed 3 - priests - nothing feels natural - sister polygon 4 - honey bucket - magical world - metal postcard 5 - al sarah and the nuba-tones - manara - wonderwheel records 6 - ishito, ayumi - view from a little cave - s/r 7 - thundercat - drunk - brainfeeder 8 - honus honus - use your delusion - new neighborhood 9 - segall, ty - s/t - drag city 10 - squires, matthew - tambaleo - already dead tapes 11 - sims - more than ever - doomtree 12 - the xx - i see you - young turks 13 - nouvelle vague - i could be happy - kwaidan records 14 - room thirteen - roccopulco - s/r 15 - v/a - polyvinyl plays polyvinyl - polyvinyl 16 - twink - dust bunny - disques de lapin 17 - japandroids - near to the wild heart of life - factor 18 - gallo, ron - heavy meta - new west 19 - gravy murphy - the world is your moisture - metal postcard 20 - handsomebeast - the badass future - wonky power 21 - postcard from the badlands - s/t - s/r 22 - dollie barnes - caught in a phase - s/r 23 - flesh frog - s/t - s/r 24 - justice - woman - genesis 25 - kitchen - town - drunk with love 26 - thievery corporation - the temple of i & i - in grooves 27 - rearview - pot of gold - s/r 28 - whetzel - beatology vol. 1 - s/r 29 - young mammals - jaguar - odd hours 30 - evil triplet - otherworld - super secret 31 - shinyribs - i got your medicine - s/r 32 - dig, the - bloodshot tokyo - roll call 33 - parker, evan / nauseef, mark / gouband, toma - as the wind - psi 34 - mr. elevator & the brain hotel - when the morning greets you - rad cat records 35 - carl - moon pools and petrleum play - pay to play records
Tune in Tuesday March 28 from 5-7 PM as we play ONLY Euphoria Music Festival artists. We will also air an interview with BOB MOSES. The festival goes down April 6-9, 2017 at Carson Creek Ranch (Austin, TX) and we have ONE PASS UP FOR GRABS! All you have to do is tune in, hear some sweet tunes, and wait until prompted to call 713-348-5878. THAT'S THE REVELRY REPORT FOR YA!!
Tune in Monday March 27 as local group A SUNDAE DRIVE talks about their album release party for Versailles! It all goes down April 1st 8 PM at White Oak Music Hall. Glass The Sky is on the bill ALSO RELEASING AN ALBUM. Plus THE WHEEL WORKERS and THE EX-OPTIMISTS. THIS AIN'T NO JOKE.
Jazz icon Thelonious Monk once said "writing about music is like dancing about architecture.”
Sometimes the music's so good, you can't help but dance.
On April 22, for Record Store Day 2017, Resonance Records will release for the first time ever, Thelonious Monk's complete 1959 studio recordings made for the French film "Les Liaisons Dangereuses."
The cover alone gives us goosebumps.
"Thelonious Monk’s soundtrack to Les liaisons dangereuses, the provocative French film directed by Roger Vadim, will be released as a double album this spring. Arriving in a year of centennial tribute to Monk, the genius pianist and jazz modernist, it registers as a fresh discovery: while this music was recorded in 1959, it has never been available outside the context of the film, which is out of print." - NATE CHINEN at wbgo.org (read their whole piece HERE)
You can listen to the track “Rhythm-a-Ning,” courtesy of wbgo.org, HERE.
Two Tenors: L-R Charlie Rouse & Barney Wilen
The session for the record took place at Nola Penthouse Sound Studios on West 57th Street in New York, in the summer of '59. The group is Monk's working Quartet of the time, with his right arm, tenorman Charlie Rouse, along side bassist Sam Jones and legendary drummer Art Taylor. The twist here is that French tenor player Barney Wilen joins in as well. Wilen, only 23 years old at this point, is less known to American audiences, but a great player, well respected in his time and leader on a number of classic sessions. And good enough to get studio time with the High Priest himself.
By now you probably know about Record Store Day - "an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday every April to celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store." Record labels distribute store-only copies of special releases, encouraging fans to get offline and back into brick & mortar shops. It's worked in a lot of ways. And while some releases feel a little forced, some are pretty exciting. Never-before-heard live recordings, or demos or long-out-of-print albums being brought back to light.
This early Modern Jazz Quartet LP on Savoy Records was re-released for RSD 2016
For us jazz fans though, Record Store Day can often feel pretty damn thin. There's been some cool stuff over the years. Curtis Fuller's "Blues-Ette" on Savoy a few years ago is one that flew under a lot of people's radar, and it's a brilliant album; one of the best of the 50's (there's still plenty of copies floating around locally, for cheap). The Coltrane 10" of Roulette recordings last year was cool, if a bit short. The Charlie Parker Story was an essential you need for your jazz library. If you were lucky or smart enough to get a vinyl copy of Resonance Records' absolutely brilliant Bill Evans release, "Some Other Time," a previously unreleased studio recording from 1968, you're doing good on margin. The LP retailed for around $35 on RSD. Currently on discogs.com, a near-mint copy can be had for around $200 or more. So some of these are just good value-plays. (The 2xCD copy can be easily had for cheap on Amazon, and it is absolutely worth it, KTRU Sunday Jazz-approved).
A lost studio recording by the 1968 version of the Bill Evans Trio, arguably one of the finest jazz releases in years.
But what made that Evans release so special in the end, were a few factors:
1) An important, even iconic artist
2) A full-length studio recording - not a poor quality live show bootleg - but studio quality recordings. Hi-Fidelity.
3) Never-Before-Heard until now. Music that even the most ardent fans, haven't yet heard.
The Evans release was special. We just don't get these kinds of treats very often.
It's these same factors that make the news of the new Thelonious Monk release so exciting.
Monk in the studio slugging a cold beer, with his dear friend and muse, Pannonica de Koenigswarter (center)
While the Record Store Day LPs will surely disappear quickly, the CD is scheduled for wide release this May.
We will be watching the clock waiting for one more month to pass. But in the meantime, here's some Monk to help get you through the week:
1 - jacuzzi boys - ping pong - mag mag 2 - children of pop - what does 69 mean? - #veryjazzed 3 - thundersoul orchestra - 528-0728 - suite 28 4 - bonobo - migration - ninja tune 5 - al sarah and the nuba-tones - manara - wonderwheel records 6 - honey bucket - magical world - metal postcard 7 - priests - nothing feels natural - sister polygon 8 - ishito, ayumi - view from a little cave - s/r 9 - sims - more than ever - doomtree 10 - honus honus - use your delusion - new neighborhood 11 - the xx - i see you - young turks 12 - squires, matthew - tambaleo - already dead tapes 13 - segall, ty - s/t - drag city 14 - nouvelle vague - i could be happy - kwaidan records 15 - room thirteen - roccopulco - s/r 16 - twink - dust bunny - disques de lapin 17 - v/a - polyvinyl plays polyvinyl - polyvinyl 18 - pioulard, benoit - the benoit pioulard listening matter - kranky 19 - flesh frog - s/t - s/r 20 - gallo, ron - heavy meta - new west 21 - jim james - eternally even - ato records 22 - gravy murphy - the world is your moisture - metal postcard 23 - postcard from the badlands - s/t - s/r 24 - thundercat - drunk - brainfeeder 25 - handsomebeast - the badass future - wonky power 26 - dollie barnes - caught in a phase - s/r 27 - young mammals - jaguar - odd hours 28 - japandroids - near to the wild heart of life - factor 29 - thievery corporation - the temple of i & i - in grooves 30 - evil triplet - otherworld - super secret 31 - rearview - pot of gold - s/r 32 - justice - woman - genesis 33 - whetzel - beatology vol. 1 - s/r 34 - kitchen - town - drunk with love 35 - garden medium - s/t - >x<
1 - a tribe called quest - we got it from here... thank you 4 your service - epic records 2 - jacuzzi boys - ping pong - mag mag 3 - children of pop - what does 69 mean? - #veryjazzed 4 - thundersoul orchestra - 528-0728 - suite 28 5 - nick cave and the bad seeds - skeleton tree - bad seed ltd 6 - al sarah and the nuba-tones - manara - wonderwheel records 7 - bonobo - migration - ninja tune 8 - priests - nothing feels natural - sister polygon 9 - honey bucket - magical world - metal postcard 10 - ishito, ayumi - view from a little cave - s/r 11 - sims - more than ever - doomtree 12 - jagwar ma - every now & then - mom+pop 13 - zomba prison project - i will not stop singing - six degrees 14 - honus honus - use your delusion - new neighborhood 15 - squires, matthew - tambaleo - already dead tapes 16 - the xx - i see you - young turks 17 - segall, ty - s/t - drag city 18 - v/a - polyvinyl plays polyvinyl - polyvinyl 19 - room thirteen - roccopulco - s/r 20 - twink - dust bunny - disques de lapin 21 - nouvelle vague - i could be happy - kwaidan records 22 - pioulard, benoit - the benoit pioulard listening matter - kranky 23 - jim james - eternally even - ato records 24 - flesh frog - s/t - s/r 25 - gravy murphy - the world is your moisture - metal postcard 26 - gallo, ron - heavy meta - new west 27 - postcard from the badlands - s/t - s/r 28 - handsomebeast - the badass future - wonky power 29 - thundercat - drunk - brainfeeder 30 - young mammals - jaguar - odd hours 31 - japandroids - near to the wild heart of life - factor 32 - dollie barnes - caught in a phase - s/r 33 - hard luck revival - s/t - s/r 34 - thievery corporation - the temple of i & i - in grooves 35 - evil triplet - otherworld - super secret
The Jazz Documentary. Sometimes, there's nothing more glorious to a jazzhead. There's so many to choose from. Essentials that come to mind include the Clint Eastwood produced, absolute classic, "Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser," the mellow and avant-garde black and white beauty of Bruce Weber's "Let's Get Lost" on Chet Baker, "A Joyful Noise," Robert Mugge's 1980 look at Sun Ra & The Arkestra. Or the tragic look at the tale of Joe Albany: "A Jazz Life."
Right now is an incredibly exciting time for jazz fans. The word is out on Kasper Collin's "I Called Him Morgan," a documentary on the tragically-short life of Lee Morgan. The film is making the rounds on the festival circuit currently and reviews are more than encouraging - the buzz is real:
After years of collective head-scratching by jazz fans wondering what the hold-up was, someone has finally made a definitive documentary on the life and music of Bill Evans; arguably the most influential jazz piano player of all-time and certainly of the post Monk-Powell era. Behind a paywall, it can be screened HERE.
"“I just thought…oh my god…you know this guy, in his mind, and his heart, his soul, they’re in a place that everybody oughtta reach for."
-- President Bill Clinton on hearing John Coltrane's A Love Supreme album.
With all this in mind, while reading the new interview by the fantastic team at Dust & Grooves - a piece discussing record collecting with visual artist/model/fellow record nerd Logan Melissa (insta: @heightfiveseven), another Jazz Doc gem was discussed, one we had forgot existed, and subsequently ran to YouTube for.
Logan Melissa on Dust & Grooves - talking Jackie McLean
Luckily, it was there.
Directed by Ken Levis, "Jackie McLean On Mars" is a 1979/80 short film, looking at the life and work of the great alto player.
McLean's story is in many ways the story of jazz in the middle of the 20th century.
"McLean was born in New York City. His father, John Sr., played guitar in Tiny Bradshaw's orchestra. After his father's death in 1939, Jackie's musical education was continued by his godfather, his record-store-owning stepfather, and several noted teachers. He also received informal tutoring from neighbors Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Charlie Parker. During high school he played in a band with Kenny Drew, Sonny Rollins, and Andy Kirk Jr. (the tenor saxophonist son of Andy Kirk).
Along with Rollins, he played on Miles Davis' Dig album, when he was 20 years old. As a young man McLean also recorded with Gene Ammons, Charles Mingus on the seminal Pithecanthropus Erectus, George Wallington, and as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. McLean joined Blakey after reportedly being punched by Mingus. Fearing for his life, McLean pulled out a knife and contemplated using it against Mingus in self-defense. He later stated that he was grateful that he had not stabbed the bassist." (wikipedia)
McLean would have been a legend had he never made it to the 60s. His recordings as a sideman and a leader for labels like Jubilee and Prestige would have cemented a strong legacy. But as the 60s came on, he never settled in his ways. He became a leader of the "New Thing" developed by players like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Like so many of his peers, he battled a heroin addiction.
In a crowded field of post-Bird alto-players, McLean managed to create an immediately recognizable tone; his sharp-notes swinging and stabbing like a butterfly knife. His output for the Blue Note label remains highly sought-after by collectors as some of the great moments in the storied label's catalog.
He continued into the 70s and 80s, recording for SteepleChase Records in Europe, East Wind in Japan and more.
In 2000, he recorded one more record for Blue Note, the critically acclaimed "Nature Boy."
It's a good time to be a JazzHead. Great films to watch and never a shortage of new records to find. Here's to Jackie.
Jazz For Your Thursday.
Join us on Sundays for KTRU SUNDAY JAZZ. Every week at 2pm central on 96.1 FM Houston and live online at KTRU.org.
Tune in Tuesday March 14 from 5-7 PM as we preview ULTIMATE MUSIC EXPERIENCE 2017 at SOUTH PADRE ISLAND (March 15-18). We will play nothing but artists slated to perform including Tiesto, Marshmello, and Zedd. Better yet, we are giving away a PAIR of passes to the event. WHAAAAAATTTTT!?!?!? That's The Revelry Report for you, every Tuesday 5-7 PM. GET READY!!!
It's that time of year again! KTRU's 26th annual Outdoor Show is just around the corner, on April 22 in Rice's central quad (we're already counting down the seconds)! We've got an awesome lineup this year, check it out:
Jamila Woods Saba Bayonne Free Radicals Rose Ette Mayapuris Steve Cox's Beard (KTRU Battle of the Bands winner) David Morgan & Charles Moon (MC/DJ)
For more details, such as parking info, a handy-dandy campus map to help you find your way to the show, and the kountdown klock, click here! We hope to see you there!
It's that time of year again! KTRU's 26th annual Outdoor Show is just around the corner, on April 22 in Rice's central quad (we're already counting down the seconds)! We've got an awesome lineup this year, check it out:
Jamila Woods Saba Bayonne Free Radicals Rose Ette Mayapuris Steve Cox's Beard (KTRU Battle of the Bands winner) David Morgan & Charles Moon (MC/DJ)
For more details, such as parking info, a handy-dandy campus map to help you find your way to the show, and the kountdown klock, click here! We hope to see you there as we celebrate our 50th anniversary!
When I say Moon, you say Hooch. MOON... HOOCH!!! THAT'S RIGHT! Moon Hooch is joining us LIVE IN-STUDIO Thursday March 9 at 3 PM before their gig that night at White Oak Music Hall for an interview. This group has been one of our favorites and we couldn't be more excited to host them for you, the listener. GET HYPE.
