Since when did this site become e-bay? Was that Saab promo aimed at me by any chance?

As for the Pitchfork best of the 70s list that was one of my starting points in compiling the CDs. However given the relative obscurity of many of the choices it didn't really help all that much. And I don't know if you noticed Stuart but they've somehow managed to leave out picks #21-30. The list has been posted for over 2 years you would think somebody at Pitchfork might have noticed by now.

For sale:
1997 SAAB 900S only 115,000 km, in great shape $5,000.00
AC, built-in child booster seats, 6 cd changer, roof rack
new brakes, clutch, tires
if you know anyone pass on my email please

danm I guess I better get back to jazz.....

just reading thru the list,fully 26 of the top 50 albums they pick are from 1977, 1978 and 1979.....I wonder if that has something to do with the age of the staff at pitchfork ...mind you Derek et al would probably argue thats about right

maybe youve seen this but ( I think ) I missed it and in light of saturday night check it out

Well we started this jazz compilation exercise 3 months back and still no end in sight. These are my penultimate 10 picks. I hope to post my last 10 choices before the start of the film festival. Are we going to vote on the top 25 at some point?

McCoy Tyner - Song for My Lady (1972)
Phil Woods - Rights of Swing (1960)
Archie Shepp & Mal Waldron - Left Alone Revisited (2002)
Bill Evans - Explorations (1961)
John Coltrane - Africa / Brass (1961)
Andrew Hill - Passing Ships (1969)
Charles Lloyd & Billy Higgins - Which Way is East (2004)
Clifford Brown & Max Roach - At Basin Street (1956)
Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness (1956)
Thelonious Monk - Complete Columbia Solo Recordings (1962-68)

Actually Marc I too have some very mainstream faves from the 70s amongst others:

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
Van Halen - Van Halen
Cheap Trick - Dream Police
Supertramp - Breakfast in America
Pink Floyd - The Wall
ABBA - Arrival, Voulez-Vous, The Album
Blondie - Parallel Lines
The Police - Regatta de Blanc
ELO - A New World Record
The Cars - The Cars, Candy O
Chic - C'est Chic, Risque
Queen - Jazz
Heatwave - Central Heating
Klaatu - Klaatu

As you can see it wasn't all angular riffs and power pop.

Me thinks my list might look very different from yours Derek!

…top 31 albums from the 70’s that are, or at one time where very significant to ME, in no particular order.

Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
The Eagles : Hotel California
Pink Floyd : Dark Side of the Moon
Boston : Boston
Peter Frampton : Frampton Comes Alive
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
Van Morrison: Moondance
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Born to Run
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Fleetwood Mac: Rumors
Saturday Night Fever
The Clash: London Calling
Elvis Costello : this Years Model
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Blondie: Parallel Lines
Supertramp: Breakfast in America
The Cars: The Cars
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
Joe Jackson: Look Sharp
David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggie Stardust
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cosmo’s Factory
Dire Straits: Dire Straits
Supertramp: Crime of the Century
Cheap Trick: At Budokan
Neil Young: Harvest
Ramones: Rocket to Russia
The Doors: Weird Scenes inside the Gold Mine
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Greetings From Asbury Park
Deep Purple: Machine Head

…pretty mainstream hunh!

I find the 70’s, as a decade, to be fascinating for it’s diversity. It is the decade in which (arguably) popular music grew in a way in which it never had before. It was the first decade in which a generation of baby boomers where growing up and the wave of the population segment started to take serious hold on the values of western culture. Until that point they had remained primarily counter cultural. It is true that in the 60’s, rock and roll lost it’s innocents in it’s experimentation with psychedelia et al. but in the 70’s it continued to explore new territories in the areas of glam rock, art rock, and produced some major conceptual works. It was a period in which country, folk, blues, r&b, soul and reggae continued to flourish. …say nothing for the roof being blowing off of music scene in the late 70’s.

It might be argued that it was in part an advance in technology, the FM radio, that helped to blow the pop music field wide open and give an audience to an ever increasingly diverse art form, or it might be argued that it was affluence and disposable income that allowed for a growingly diverse market.

No matter, it astounds me when I start to think about what the 70’s mean to me from a musical perspective. I must say that my list would include a lot of “classics” from the early 70’s. Looking back on the period and starting to hear some more obscure music from the era, I find it very interesting how the roots of music can be like a giant web. It draws snippets of influence from here and there and when you look at the cross pollination of genres you can unearth some really remarkable relationships.

I think that this cross pollination was stronger and moved faster in the 70’s than ever before and spawned the birth of punk, disco, new wave. It became increasingly easy for artists to be influence by other cultures or sub-cultures and music grew faster and more than it ever had before in a single decade. At the beginning of the 70’s the world became a smaller place.

I also find it interesting though, that when you look at the period of 1970 – 1980, admittedly quite arbitrary to define a period by a year that ends in 0 (agreed Mr Watson), it was culturally book-ended by the waning of the flour child and the birth of the “new music”, and that which happened in between was, although it produced some of rock’s greatest music, not as significant as what happened on either end of it.

…and yes Derek, I’d love a copy of your take on the 70’s

Stuart, you superficial bastard.

So, while I agree that the new wave / punk stuff may not align well with uni-concept views of the seventies as the disco era (gotta love the way time via memory plus art turns everything into mush), or the eighties as techno crap, I think it is far more emblazoned on my skull and heart than any of those Hollywood meets Dick Clark versions of those times. It just floats above it, and stands time far better. Remain at least somewhat mush-free if you will.

My choices of shouldabeens would be in a similar vein to Derek's, with perhaps a little more pop in my punk / new-wave mix:

I would start without about half of Derek's bands (esp. Gang of Four, Undertones, T/Heads yadda....) then add

The Records - Starry Eyes
Joe Jackson - Sunday Papers
Dave Edmunds - Girls Talk
Graham Parker and the Runour - Local Girls
Devo - Mongoloid (oh right, Derek had this one)
Brahm Tchaikovsky - Girl of My Dreams
Fabulous Poodles - Mirror Stars
Boomtown Rats - Someone's Looking at You
Television - See No Evil
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat

there are others.

Put me down for a lesson and a disc as well, please. Though I'm familiar with some of those tracks and bands, I was kind of into Pat Benatar and Supertramp at that time; to be fair, I was 8 at the time and most of my musical discoveries came courtesy of K-tel compilations. Would love to accquaint myself with some of these artists. Plus, I don't have a copy of 'Adolescent Sex' and kind of need to hear it again.

clearly we have next years dinner party theme.....the roots of punk, punk and early new wave the 1977 to 1982 theme party......this stuff is a little like the lost generation in that when people think of the 70's they are (arguably) more likely to think of studio 54 disco or singer songwritter stuff then the clash and when people think of eights stuff they are (arguably) more likely to think of madonna and they cure and depeche mode then say ....the jam ...
I am sure to be pilloried here but I think you take my point (that being derek is a loser)
admittedly my knowledge of this stuff is not deep and I could do with a lesson or 2 in it...

This one's easy as the discs are at this point pretty much a done deal. If it was up solely to me I would probably ignore almost everything pre-1979 and bombard your asses with nothing but punk, new wave and early electronica. Sadly it's not up to me despite my assigned role as DJ. So to paraphrase senor Bowie I am the DJ but I ain't what I play.

The list that would make at least one full CD's worth of music for me. If any of you would like a copy of this to play as a cure for Sunday's hangover put in your request now.

Gary Numan - Down in the Park
Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough
B52s - Dance this Mess Around
Undertones - Teenage Kicks (and many more besides)
Genesis - Ripples
Devo - Jocko Homo
Squeeze - Up the Junction
Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
Talking Heads - I Zimbra
David Bowie - Jean Genie
Headboys - The Shape of Things to Come
The Jam - To Be Someone
Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster
Joan Armatrading - Love and Affection
Ultravox - Hiroshima Mon Amour
Japan - Adolescent Sex
The Slits - I Heard it Through the Grapevine
The Stranglers - Duchess
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
Simple Minds - Changeling
Gang of Four - I Found that Essence Rare
Human League - Empire State Human
Mi-Sex - Computer Games

Hello darkness my old friends....

Okay, how about this, then: come up with the '70s songs you'd most like to hear on Saturday night at Stuart and Yvette's dinner party but suspect Derek will, either deliberately (maliciously?) or accidentally (ignorantly?) leave off the 5+ discs he's compiling for the purpose.

Derek, you can come up with a list that contains both and we'll have to guess which ones will or won't make the cut. Sound like fun? More fun than the value-concert proposition?

even more incredible than the fact that they are asking $200 a ticket is the fact that people are willing to shell out that kind of money for these tired retreads. considering that for $15, one can see richard buckner, a musician who actually creates new music with a unique voice and style, and it quickly clear that a who concert does not offer much in the way of value. and just howmany farewell tours is this now for the who? 5 and counting? why not just set up shop in las vegas with a group of french canadian contortionists?

i'd suggest that we come up with lists of the top 5 over-the-hill musicians/bands that overcharge for the quality of show they continue to deliver but this seems too much like shooting fish in a barrel. i mean, without even taking my hands away from the keyboard i come up with the rolling stones, the eagles, barbara streisand, celine dion, and elton john and surely there are many others that will immediately come to mind.

instead, i propose you come up with your list of your top 5 'best value' concerts. those which cost you very little but delivered much in the way of entertainment and musical pleasure. it doesn't have to be the cheapest concert you ever attended, just the one where you felt you really got your money's worth. game?

Likely skint from having blown a pile of cash on that Kurt Browning extravaganza you may want to try and scrape together a few more pennies to see one of the best bands on the planet (if it was 1976 at any rate).

That's right the band who just never knows when to quit and keep reminding us to "not get fooled again" are back to try and pull the wool over your eyes one more time. The Who at the ACC in December (a mere 5 months away, can you say cash grab boys and girls) and floor seats going for a mere $202 plus $14.50 in service charges. With Daltrey at 62 and Townshend at 61 which "generation" would they be talking about exactly?

How many tickets do each of you want for this?

Plus, a kinder relfection on Syd Barett.

thats for the heads up on barrett kyle, I had missed that info somehow...Being a huge Floyd fan for many years, Ive never quite got the drift of the fascination of this guy....Being a geezer now I shall have to revist him...dead guys generate all the interest of course

Hey, too bad about Syd B. Though, wasn't he dead already? Who knew? Perhaps we can have a listen to Arnold Layne and See Emily Play in memorium on Thursday.

Re Sufjan, as a big fan of his, and specifically, of the Illinoise record, I can still see many of the points that AllMusicGuy is making, and I don't entirely disagree. One does fight annoyance about the completeness and coyness of it all, and the "songs" (the eight or ten complete verse/chorus numbers on the record) do all share similar arrangements and styles, but hey, to deny the ambition, and comparative success, of the overall project, not to mention the individual genius of many of the songs and extra-songic musical moments, is simply to be cantankerous and difficult. And that's part of a music critic's job description, so I get that too. Now he just needs to convince me of the brilliance of some other endeavor...like who, Arctic Monkeys?

I've looked him up, and he has opened the door to personal attacks by publishing on the AllMusic site a bio and desert island list. Which is pretty great actually.

Re Thursday - My address is 66 Arundel Avenue, one block east of Chester (subway station)

Perhaps we can also invite AllMusic.com's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, whose timely (in light of today's Sufjan Stevens' release yesterday's group email fluttterings) piece is just wrong.

Also, sad news (is there every any happy news about him?) about original Floyd vocalist Syd Barrett, who recently passed away.

Hilarious. Nice little ditty too, very un-YLT like. I'll clear some furniture for the big scrap Thursday.

See y'all at 8 bells or therafter, I will be providing some snacks for the wrestlers (and the rest of you too I guess). We will be experimenting with volume to see what the kids can withstand.

as a response, let me refer you to the title of the upcoming yo la tengo album.

best album title of all-time nominee.

Nice to see I have some backing even if it is sort of half assed. Unlike the French however I would at least know where to place my noggin and it wouldn't be in the middle of Kyle's sternum despite the obvious height differential that is comparable to that of Zidane and Materazzi. Perhaps I can get to Brian's early and at the very least persuade Oliver to kneel down behind Kyle to get me off to that Scottish advantage that I would so desparately need.

all kidding aside I would surely love to see derek and kyle duking it out....it will certanly lively thigs up, Ill start the bidding....Ill put 5 bucks down on Derek , but only because the scots fight dirty....in a clean match Kyle all the way...

Okay okay! Since I'm such an affable guy who wouldn't want to permanently jeopardize future nights of shit-faced revelry, here's what I'll do: I'll listen to the disc at least once a day for the next 7 days. I'll listen under a variety of conditions--running, walking to work, taking the streetcar, sitting in the backyard, and driving. And I'll let you know my verdict at the cd club. And if I still don't like it, well, I'll try to take my comeuppance with dignity (minimal tears).

Aside from that, any of the nominees for the Polaris that stand out for any of you?

Kyle I just spent a really good 5 or 6 hours drinking my face to off with you and then I come home and am confronted with this blog. How anyone can possibly say that the BSS disc gets worse from about track 3 onwards is absolutely out of their mind. Track 2 is Ibi Dreams of Pavement, track 3 is 7/4 (Shoreline), track 4 is a brief 1 minute interlude and track 5 is Major Label Debut which over a 12 minute span might be some of the best fucking music ever put to vinyl/cd. Believe it or not of all the 28 days or so of music I have on my iPod this is the music I chose to listen to on my way home tonight and as always it was magic. If you cannot dig this record then perhaps we should duke it out at Brian's on the 13th. I think Brian feels likewise so as a tag team I need a backup. Marc or Stuart are you ready to rumble?

Okay, here are my next ten jazz postings...oh wait, I'm not doing that. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I don't think I've listened to enough jazz or enough varieties of jazz to attempt a definitive, albeit highly idiosyncratic, top 50 list. But that's just me. What the hell happened to the rest of you?

Speaking of list-making and the inherent problems of coming to an agreed upon 'best' list, I'm not sure if you're aware of something called the Polaris Prize. Several months back I complained about the unbelievably piss-poor quality of the Juno nominees. Seems that this Polaris award is an answer to my plea that awards be given out to artists with actual, um, talent:

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
The Deadly Snakes - Porcella
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Sarah Harmer - I'm a Mountain
K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Malajube - Trompe L'oeil
Metric - Live it Out
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

Haven't heard Cadence, Malajube, or K'Naan, and the BSS disc somehow gets worse for me on each listen (starting at about track 3) but overall it's a solid list. I'll bring the Deadly Snakes disc to Brian's next week to see what y'all think of it. And anyone living or working in the downtown core will certainly get a kick out of the title of this track by Final Fantasy.

Thoughts?

Not sure if you've put the finishing touches on Gavin's disc(s) but Brian's post references some bands whose songs should definitely be on that list. Specifically, I refer to:

'Velvet Roof' by Buffalo Tom, 'I Can Dream All Day' by the Posies, 'Sunshine State' by Superchunk, 'Gold Soundz' or 'Range Life' from Pavement, and if he anticipates getting into a fight with his wife (Maureen...am I right...have the drugs not yet entirely fried my brain and my memory is awesome??) perhaps the slowly building angry 'Not Too Amused' by Sebadoh.

Btw...if you could export and post the playlist when you're done that would be peachy.

Re driving music, I often find myself drawn to some of the grand ol' alt-rock of the nineties, with its big beats, guitars, drums, and angst and irony...ah, those were fine fine years. I'm thinking Pavement (probably Crooked Rain), Sebadoh's Bakesale, GBV (Isolation Drills, which admittedly is from '01), Eleventh Dream Day's "El Moodio", The Posies (Frosting on the Beater), Sloan, Superchunk, Yo La Tengo, I'll allow Radiohead (though they appear to be fading for me), and hell why not Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana?! OK, you may draw the line there.

As an aside, isn't it interesting how, ten or twelve years after the fact, I have distilled the early-mid nineties, which were a fantastic period of musical discovery for me, into about ten records - no mention of Drugstore, Polvo, Cracker, Hayden, Grant Lee Buffalo, or Buffalo Tom for that matter, and myriad other bands that I truly dug at the time. Does make you wonder about the true power and resonance of pop music.

So, admittedly, Derek, if you're looking to impress Gavin with your musical wherewithal, slapping on Nevermind may not get the job done....but there is some fine driving music to be mined from the period.

Another great source of driving music is hard bop - 50's and 60's jazz, you know, Sonny Clark's quintet stuff, almost anything by Lee Morgan, Jackie MacLean, Booker Ervin, yadda yadda. Particularly good at night.

And hey, while we're all talking about jazz.....

In that case, I'd advise Gavin to pick up a personal dvd player with lighter adapter, to play Dora/Einstein in the backseat for the younglings while he and his wife enjoy something a little less twee (that is, unless they decide to play anything by the Polyphonic Spree).

For the opposite mood....mellow crusing thru senic landscapes I like the first sigour rios disc, but the last one would probably work too, For rockin I like driving to the second strokes disc, clash london calling........james laid has a great up and down mix...lemonheads ( the one with its a shame about ray)...roxy music ..siren, sloan.twice removed... im sure there are more, but its all i can thik of at the office

Kyle and Marc great work lads. Responses above and beyond the call of duty. Although now you're pretty much forcing me to go out and cut 3 or 4 mix CDs for Gavin. It would be completely irresponsible of me not to do so after such enthusiastic input.

Not many finer driving songs than "Destroy Everything You Touch". Were there any other particular tracks Marc off the albums you recommended that I should pinpoint for inclusion on a CD or two?

Kyle, I'll pass along your recommendation re books on CD but you fail to take in to account that senor Gavine has dos hijos (muy joven) and thus will be lucky to see his way past 2 or 3 track of any musical CD that I might pass his way.

Stuart and Brian any songs/albums you would like to posit?

Best Driving Albums

Okay, criteria first. No instrumental music. Putting pedal to the metal to the tune of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries may have some British researchers in a tizzy but I’d suggest you stick to something with lyrics, something vaguely familiar (so you can sing along), and nothing too negative in either tone or message; the last thing you want to be doing is contemplating the futily of human existence while maneuvering a ton of glass and steel at 120 kph .

Sometimes terrain can play a big role in determining the best music to select. The first time I was in Palm Springs, driving around at dusk, I found the instrumental tracks on Yo La Tengo’s ‘I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One’ to be particularly suited to the somewhat barren, dusty landscape that I was making my way through. I don't know what cds are best suited to the initially beautiful but ultimately monotonous sightlines of the Canadian Shield, though.

On my recent long driving stretches through various states, I’ve enjoyed:

The Shins’ “Chutes Too Narrow”. Clever lyrics that can be belted out at full volume (You TOLD US OF YOUR NEW LIFE THERE/You’ve got someone coming round/gluing tinsel to your crown) and it has a lot of ‘woos’ and ‘oohs’, which are easy to pronounce and cathartic to utter.

New Order’s ‘Substance’. Really a greatest hits collection up to 1987, most tracks have an underlying electronic beat that keep you awake. Crank up ‘Blue Monday’ for those long, curvy roads at night. If you can’t stand the synthesizers, go with the Joy Division release of the same title.

The Beatles ‘Revolver’. Because it’s not my favourite of their albums, but it's probably their best album of songs, if that makes any damn sense. Plus you’re bound to know most of the words.

The Doors ‘The Best of the Doors’. Again, you know the words and songs like ‘Break on through’ and ‘Roadhouse Blues’ (Keep your eyes on the road/your hands upon the wheel) can only truly be appreciated while driving.

The New Pornographers ‘The Electric Version’. Smart, tight, rocking pop ditties that will have you coasting down the road with a smile on your face.

Calexico ‘Feast of Wire’. Particularly for those moments when you’re in the middle of nowhere, and maybe even as he’s driving by some of the reservations up in northern Ontario, I get the sense that the mood of the album will just seem right.

Clinic ‘Internal Wrangler’ or ‘Walking With Thee’ – the harmonica that powers most of the tracks is not an unlike a horn, and combined with the pounding drums, seem to announce your presence on the road.

In the ‘It’ll either annoy the shit out of you or you’ll find it an interesting album to discover along the way’ department, may I suggest, ‘Blueberry Boat’ by The Fiery Furnaces. There are some tracks which still grate, particularly the opener, but there are some gems as well as gems within duds. With such a long drive, you'll either come to love it or want to throw it out the window.

As for individual songs, perhaps you could make him a mixed disc that would include:

‘Bathtime in Clerkenwell’ by The Real Tuesday Weld, for the beginning of the trip. You’ll want to bounce up and down in your seat as you head out of the city.

‘Faron’ by Prefab Sprout, not only because references the act in the lyrics (Driving/on a straight road which never alters/and the waitress serenades but doesn’t falter) but because the steady guitar propels the song forward in a car-like manner.

‘Mass Romantic’ by the New Pornographers. Not on the disc referenced above but another, anthemic, shout-out loud, energetic song.

‘Fingerpops’ by Garageland. Mentions driving up to a lake but also has a bopping kind of rhythm to it that’s really fun for driving.

‘Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out) by The Arcade Fire. Quick pace, relentlessly positive, will keep you awake.

‘Wave of Mutilation’ by the Pixies, which mentions driving your car into the ocean, which is course is impossible if you’re headed to Timmins to no worries.

‘Not Even Jail’ by Interpol, from their last disc, which has a pounding drum which again I find suitable for driving (as well as for fucking but this could be dangerous while behind the wheel --best to stick to oral while the car's in motion).

I gotta say, though, for a drive to Timmins, a handful of 30 to 60 minute cds will just not suffice, as he’ll will probably get tired of listening to just music. For a return trip of that length my recommendation would be to take along at least one or two Books on CD, many of which are available at the Public Library. You can also rent them from Audiobooks on Bay Street (just south of Richmond on the west side) for little more than the cost of a movie rental ($7-$8). An Inspector Rebus novel by Ian Rankin will do nicely. Any of the Harry Bosch novels by Michael Connelly are also enjoyable, as they make similar use of the truculent, unconventional cop with a dark past motif without resorting to self-parody.

Enjoy the ride.

Did someone say ROAD TRIP!!!

…calls for an eclectic mix of moods…nothing to sombre that will lull you sleep.

Ladytron, Witching Hour
Garbage, Self titled
Antibalas, Talkatif
Branvan3000, glee
Art Bergman, Sexual Roulette
Lemonheads, It’s a Shame about Ray
Jack Johnson, Thicker Than Water
Bugge Wesseltoft, New Conceptions in Jazz – FILM iNG
Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
Nightmares on Wax, Carboot Soul
U2 – Achtung Baby

Top 5 singles to get you arrested:

Lou Reed – New Sensations
Tom Petty – Running Down a Dream
The Who – Going Mobile
Springsteen –Night
Moby – Extreme Ways

An interesting challenge, which raises the question: what music best accompanies long stretches of driving? While there are doubtless some albums which fit the bill, they are many individual songs which have always enhanced the driving experience (first on my list, "No Love Lost" by Joy Division, though 'She's Lost Control', with its constant drumbeat, celebrated in Winterbottom's "24 Hour Party People", also does the trick). Since Stuart and Marc are racing enthusiasts, I imagine they will both have some interesting suggestions here. Well done, Gavin.

Thinking caps on.

I am also good for July 13th.

On a side note, Gavin here at work has a long drive up to Timmins on the long weekend and asked if I could suggest some good driving CDs. He's looking for complete discs by a specific artist so not a mixed CDR or a greatest hits thing. Old or new any suggestions?

the 13th works for me.

Time for someone (me) to show a little leadership and get this jazz list back on track.

My next ten are:

(20) Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners (1956)
(19) Dave Brubeck - Time Out (1959)
(18) David Murray - Body and Soul (1993)
(17) Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (1956)
(16) Cannonball Adderley - Something Else (1958)
(15) Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris (1963)
(14) Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear (1967)
(13) Chet Baker - Chet (1959)
(12) Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell (Vol 2) (1953)
(11) Helen Merrill - Dream of You (1956)

A few quirky choices in there, but I love 'em dearly.

Cheap ass sample of Soft Cell's signature hit, though it may be, SOS does indeed work in cardio situations. I'd caution you, Mr. Doyle, to listen at your peril. Thanks for thinking of me as I am indeed booked for June 22nd for a fundraiser, to which I'm happy to accompany my wife, don't let the looks on my face suggest otherwise.

I can do July 13th, no problem.

I am away on that week, but Brian and I can both do July 13th a thursday night...

July 6th works for me.

As does "SOS" by Rihanna. For those who write off top 40 music without so much as a blink you do so at your peril.

Boys - Victoria has pointed out that Kyle cancelled our book club meeting for June 22 due to another engagement (Breast Cancer funtion he and Sarah are attending) , so, and I'm only guessing here, he likely isn't available for the CD Club either. And tempting though it is to shaft the man - after all he's been vacationing in Italy, and we haven't - my more mature side is whispering "no Brian, re-schedule".

So, how about Thursday July 6th ?

thanks for the info lads.....guess Im off to Gregorian.....

Hilary gets the nod, though, because she's kind of cute.

I have the exact same selection of Vengerov disks, and had the pleasure of hearing him play the Britten violin concerto a couple of years ago. An absolute stunner. He reminds me of Evgeny Kissin, except on violin, with his authoritative, muscular style. I have mostly heard him play modern pieces and it suits them very well.

One of the first classical discs I ever purchased was Vengerov playing both the Shostakovich and Prokofiev 1st violin concertos under the guidance of the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. It came out in 1994 on Teldec and Gramaphone gave it some serious accolades. I've never really warmed up to either piece but I think Vengerov is certainly a wonderful musician. Alongside Annie Sophie Mutter and perhaps now Hilary Hahn he is considered one of the pre-eminent players of our time. About 5 years ago at the CD club Greg brought along the CD "Vengerov and Virtuosi" which like a box of chocolates has Vengerov playing some beautiful short pieces written for violin.

My personal favourite of his is a disc from 3 years ago, again with Rostropovich conducting, has Vengerov playing the Britten violin concerto and the Walton viola concerto. A terrific disc that everyone should rush out and purchase right away. His disc from 2002 which contains primarily the Ysaye violin sonatas is also very good.

I must digress from jazz for the moment to classical....last night I saw maybe the best performance in the last few years at the TSO concert. ( I know I am prone to superlatives...but I actually stood up for a standing o...) Unfortunatly I dont know anything about the piece of music or the violinist or the conductor...They are Maxim Vengerov on violin, conducted by Andrey Boreyko performing Shostokovitch's Violin Concerto # 1 which I understand to be written in the late forties in the Stalin ruled soviet republic.... The piece was haunting grim and at the end almost maniacle...but in parts it is very minimalist with solo parts for various instruments including Vengerov of couse. The contrast of Vengerov playing solo and then the orchestra kicking in was dynamic. He played the instrument with much macho vigour which seemed appropriate...in short he plyed the shit out of it but it still was in control not ....missed or squeeked stinging. Boreyko was working the TSO like I have never seen , fascially and with his hands indicating too load or too quiet or gently etc...at times to various sections of the orchestra, Ive never seen that to such a degree before, but they responded.....anyway a quick web search didnt give me a whole lot to go on , do any of you know much about Vengerov or the concerto or Boreyko??

I'm on the road for a few days so I don't have easy access to my jazz discs but I'll post another 10 at this point which gets me to the 30 selections mark in this rejuvenating listening exercise.

Horace Silver - Blowin' the Blues Away (1959)
Art Pepper - Meets the Rhythm Section (1957)
Art Farmer - Blame it on My Youth (1988)
John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1959)
Joe Lovano - I'm All for You (2003)
Joe Henderson - Inner Urge (1964)
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool (1950)
Freddie Hubbard - The Body and the Soul (1963)
Lee Morgan - Cornbread (1965)
Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961)

Stay cool gents. I'm off to drink some beer and watch some hockey. The Canadian remedy for this sort of insane weather.

50? I really have to come up with 50?

Not sure that in my present jazz noviate phase, that I could do an honest list of 50.

My most recent faves will be pretty obvious to most though I'm slowly working my way to some of the less obvious stuff. For now:

Real Obvious/Greats:
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
The Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
A Love Supreme - JC
Mingus Ah Um - Mingus
Juju - Wayne Shorter
Soul Station - Hank Mobley

Contempo notables:
Mood Swings - Russell Gunn
Equilibrium - Matthew Shipp

That's it for now. Off for a much-needed vacay. Will try to post from Italia.

Arrivederci, mio amices!
Only 'cause Derek brought it to cd club but I love it nonetheless:
The New Tristano - Lennie Tristano

Next batch
Steve Colman -Resistence is Futile
Anita oday-Cool heat
Frank Sinatra - The wee small hours
Getz Gilberto- Getz Gilberto
Shepp & Waldron- Left alone revisited
Jim Hall - Concerto de Aranjez (spelling ??)
McCoy Tyner -the real McCoy
Miles Davis's score (Ascenseur pour l’échafaud )

i'm available for a June 22nd get together if that happens to materialize. ...speaking of materializing, I might actually make it around to posting my next ten jazz picks within the next month or so!

Stu, never let it be said that a kick in the ass doesn't work on me. My next nine are:

29) Uri Caine - Ulricht / Primal Light (1997)
28) Cannonball Adderley with Bill Evans - Know What I Mean? (1962)
27) Joe Henderson - In 'n' Out (1965)
26) Coltrane - My Favourite Things (1961)
25) Marion Brown - Three for Shepp (1967)
24) Tina Brooks - Back to the Tracks (1960)
23) Paul Bley - Ramblin' (1966)
22) Booker Ervin - The Space Book (1967)
21) Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny (1959)

It's at this point that I'm beginning to see clearly the danger of numbering my picks (.....help!).

Marc - oh creator of this (increasingly impossible) concept, stop stalling and post your next ten.

gosh where are those posts.....gentlemen, gentlemen, (especially you mein comrade kyle)...well I can still write, but I am not available for any events involving alcohol for several weeks....Surprisingly there were some great deals on cds in glasgow, with a lot of jazz 50's and 60s classics for the equivalent of $9 canadian before taxes, as well as some pop like the costello newly remastered reissues for about $11 canadian before taxes...but sadly most of the stores highlight the DVDs over the CDS.....I will send in my next round shortly....

ok....Brian....$#&* you !!! - thats how we from scarborough deal with that kind of anal retentive commentary.... that said ( and I feel much better) you have a few good points , so I will be a good lad and reference the origial albums when i have vinyl 2fers, ( most of them are only 2 or 3 albums combined), and I will list the albums seperately (ie no cookin and relaxin ...for me), and I will place them in numeracle order at the very end , (but dont be surprised if I happen to have 10 albums tied for 1st, and 10 albums tied for 10th and 10 albums tied for 20th.... See there is still some self respect left in my namby-pamby acquiescense to mein comrade Doyle...

June 22nd chez me sounds pretty good if everyone else is up for it.

With regard to the lists, admittedly I had re-vamped the concept to a Top 51, and if no one is too comfortable with that, well then, I'm out. Forget it. The whole thing's off. OK, leave it with me.

And Mr. Watson....Mr. Watson. Stuart. I've pondered your proposal re "no break down within the groups of ten", really looked at it carefully, and can only conclude that it simply won't cut it. Why? There'll be no good way to apply Marc's scoring system, and the point of the game is to....OK, this is somewhat debatable......publish a Metabaeats Jazz Top 50 that includes all of our inputs. So it seems to me that we will need you to get down to brass tacks, get off the schnide, and do a little work for a change (if you need a role model, look at me). Also, the vinyl 2-fers you listed in your last bunch are in some cases pretty unique compilations limited to vinyl releases...not sure how we will deal with these without references to the original recording (Brilliant Corners was helpful), plus putting two Miles disks as one selection (Cookin and Relaxin etc etc) , well, don't get me started.

In summary, Stu, I think you need to take a really hard look at your contribution to this project, and ask yourself some tough questions. Maybe go to Scotland for a week on a drinking binge to step away from it.

I might be making this up as I go along but Brian has suggested that he host the next CD club and Stuart has insisted that we follow the seasons so how does June 22 at Brian's place sound? That would be a Thursday night and coincide with the summer solstice. If I am way offside here please feel free to piss all over my proposed time and place.

if you google metabeats, this site is the first listed....makes me wonder if we could make it easier for strangers to access the site somehow,(no one looking for a music debate is likely to type in metabeats at the google bar) but then maybe not a good idea....apologies for getting of topic here...what was I thinking!
s

I am picking things I know for sure will make the list ...(yet i have not decided on final order), so here is another batch......my final groupings will probably not be exact order but something like 1) my top 10 (but not in any order) , next 10 (again not in any order) , and so on .....all to be decided at the end as I dont have time now and I am relistening to a lot to be sure they are still my favorites....
Wayne Shorter ...Speak no evil
Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson
Miles Davis - Cooking & relaxing (a vinyl 2fer of both albums)
Miles davis- Workin & Steamin (a vinyl 2fer of both albums)
Monk- Pure Monk- ( a vinyl 2fer of solo stuff from riverside years)
Monk - Brilliance ( a vinyl 2fer of riverside quartets but mainly "brilliant corners")
Monk- Theolonius Monk- ( a vinyl 2fer of prestige years)
Oliver nelson- the blues and the abstract truth
Blossum Dearie- Once upon a summertime
Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Dizzie Gillespie- Sonny Side up

Sooner or later Brian will realize that he won't be able to pick his top 10 as he is 1 disc ahead of the pace having already chosen 21 records. Don't be trying to squeeze in 51 selections there pal. I shall be watching. Can't let the man get to far ahead although I think if you already have your 50 selected go ahead and show your hand. As for myself I'm re-listening and selecting as I go. So here are another 10 as yet in no particular order.

-Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (1958) - Miles is sublime especially on the disc opener
-Jackie McLean - Destination Out (1963)
-Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves - Salt and Pepper (1963)
-Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963) - takes yer dad's big band for a scary walk down some rather dark alleys
-Ben Webster & Joe Zawinul - Soulmates (1963) - I'm with Stuart on this one and I do hope at some point to see some crossover on the rest of your lists as well.
-The Red Garland Quintet - All Mornin' Long (1957)
-Kenny Dorham - Quiet Kenny (1959) - 3/5 from Allmusic (idiots!)
-Oscar Pettiford - The New Sextet (1953) - the original jazz cellist (only one as far as I know)
-Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple (1966)
-Grant Green with Sonny Clark - The Complete Quartets (1961-2)

OK boys, onward and upward. I'm loving the lists so far, good contributions from everyone, and lots of stuff I am going to investigate further.

I'll refrain from adding much commentary until my final ten (after all, how fucking special are you really if you can only manage the 35th best jazz record in history), but am happy to discuss further if there's any specific interest.

39) Art Pepper - Smack Up (1960)
38) Eric Dolphy - Far Cry (1960)
37) Anita O'Day - Anita Sings the Most (1957)
36) Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)
35) Max Roach - Freedom Now Suite (1960)
34) Chet Baker - Chet in Paris (vols 1 - 4) (1955)
33) Lee Morgan - The Procrastinator (1967)
32) Joe Henderson - Mode For Joe (1966)
31) John Coltrane - Coltrane Jazz (1960)
30) Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus (1957)

Ah, it's starting to heat up.

seems we are of a like mind marc....most of my first batch are vinyl which Ive had for ages...seems with jazz like other forms of music....the stuff you heard when young and in your formative years always seems to get an extra star ....
s

Having started this whole thing I guess that it is time that I ante up, and, as an homage to the Nick Hornbie’s immortalized list maker, Rob Gordon, I think I’ll do ‘em autobiographically. (more or less)

It was not until more recently that jazz has come into my life in a bigger way, however two albums have been with me since my childhood and have gotten consistent play throughout the years. I remember loving them when I was a kid, though remarkably, I never got into my brother Peter’s Sun Ra album that he left behind when he headed back to Europe In the early 70’s.

(1) Modern Jazz Quartet – European Concert Volume 2. (1960) Although reissued on cd, the current version does not include the lead off track ‘Pyramid’. There is something about MJQ that to my ears is unique. It rarely whales or screams out at you, but it is lyrical like no other Jazz. Tunes like ‘Skating in Central Park’, ‘The Cylinder’ and Ellington’s ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ have grooves that run deep and emotes. I can’t let it go. …love Milt Jackson on the vibes!
(2) Dave Brubeck Quartet. ‘Time Out’ (1959) …and it’s all about the numbers…the complex rhythms and signatures…so structured yet mellifluous… not a note out of place…no collection can be without it…an album like no other?

The next four are cheaters but I’m going to throw them in because frankly, they get a lot of air play around our house. As Brian put it, these are albums that get played. I know I will not be winning the ‘esoteric critics picks’ award on this one…at least not this round!

(3) ‘The Jazz Scene’ – Verve 1994 – I think this one might actually be a legit choice. It is a double cd re-release of a compilation of sides that was put together by Norm Granz in the 50’s that highlights various artist on the label. It includes sides by Ellington, Lester Young, Hawkins, Strayhorn, comes with amazing liner notes that I have never read and nicely designed packaging that evokes old 78 albums….back when an album was actually more than a piece of vinyl that came in a cardboard sleeve!
(4) ‘The Mercury Song Book’ 100 Jazz Vocal Classics – 1995 An action packed 4cd box set …a real deal @ $24.95 !
(5) ‘The Verve Story’ 1944 – 1994 (1994) An action packed 4cd box set …a real deal @ $24.95 !
(6) ‘Body & Soul’ 80 years of RCA Victor Jazz – 1996 An action packed 4cd box set …a real deal @ $24.95 !

(7) Next up is Duke Ellington - ‘S.R.O.’ This is a Japanese import and features great live performances by Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope and Cat Anderson. This is what one reviewer has to say about it.

With literally thousands of Duke Ellington CDs flooding the marketplace at any moment, it pays to be careful before purchasing budget CDs with vague packaging. This compilation indicates it was recorded in 1961, though the likely dates of the live selections included on this disc more realistically ranges as late as the summer of 1956. The first nine tracks come from Ellington’s ~1966 Newport performance, and it is plagued by an out-of-tune piano, some sloppy playing here and there, and an awkward splice in “Take the ‘A’ Train.” What’s inexcusable is the islabelling of two songs: “El Gato” is actually “El Viti,” while “Open House” is correctly called “The Opener.” The normally exciting “Ad Lib on Nippon,” which is probably from the ~1965 Monterey Jazz Festival, begins awkwardly and the recording suffers from horrible balance. For a few dollars, this CD may be of interest to completists, but other Duke Ellington fans can safely skip over this disappointing release.

…what the hell do I know! I like it and thought it was actually good!…until now!

(8) Coltrane – Coltrane Time - 1958…a little out there at times with Cecil Taylor hammering away on the piano. It goes in and out of a groove… some times it works sometimes it doesn’t…I like the echoes of modern ‘serious’ music in the keyboard.

(9) Art Tatum – ‘Tea for Two’ a compilation of sides assembled from 1945 on Black Lion. Tatum is a genius from simpler times…which is not to say his music simple…au contrare!

(10) Miles Davis – Bitches Brew – 1969. Not necessarily the place to start with Miles but then what did I know. I’ve grown to like (respect) it over the years. I am of the belief that not all art has to be beautiful… and this often falls into this category. It is not the kind of thing I listen to often but I feel enriched by the experience when I do. I find music like this steps me outside of the box. (my little isolated world)

I’m lovin’ you picks gents....this is going to be a real cooker when it comes down to the count.

In absolutely no order here is the first bunch for me....all of these I have had for ages and love, but Im not sure what order ....that'l come at the end like derek for me..
Davis-Kind of Blue
Coltrane-Love supreme
Hancock-maiden Voyage
Billy Holiday-Lady sings the blues
Keith jarett-Koln Concert
Bud Powell-Amazing Bud Powell on blue note volumes 1 & 2
Ben Webster and Joe Zawinul-Soulmates
Sonny Rollins-Tenor madness
Sonny Rollins-Saxophone Colossus
Dextor Gorden-Go

Guess it's time I chimed in to keep the ball rolling. I won't try to put these in any sort of order until I reach 50 and even then it will be difficult.

Let's start off with two on which I concur with Senor Doyle. Clark Terry - In Orbit (1958), Gil Evans - Out of the Cool (1960).

For the remaining eight in this list: Eric Dolphy - Live at the Five Spot, Volume 2 (1961) (only two tracks but brilliant nonetheless), Lester Young - The Jazz Giants (1956), Hanky Mobley - Soul Station (1960) (as noted by Joe Goldberg in the liner notes "you simply hear four men swinging lightly, powerfully, and with great assurance and authority"), John Lewis & Sacha Distel - Afternoon in Paris (1956), Donald Byrd & Doug Watkins - The Transition Sessions (2CD - 1955-56), Steve Lacy - Work (2002) (pushing 70 and two years before he would pass on but still showing the youngsters that compromise is always a dirty word), JJ Johnson - Proof Positive (1964), and Lennie Tristano - The New Tristano (1962) (Track #2 - "Requiem" one of my fave piano jazz tracks period).

Here's my first take at 10 of the top fifty jazz albums, beginning from the bottom. I haven't completely done the math, so it's possible that this will change as I work through the next 40, but I'm not planning on it. My criteria included vocal jazz (though I don't have many), plus a few compilations for the earlier guys. I've done my best not to be pretentious (but will be called on it numerous times no doubt), and focused primarily on music that I've listened to regularly, rather than that which I found important, but could never find a reason to pop in my CD player.

50. Lee Konitz - Another Shade of Blue (1999)

49. Gil Evans - Out of the Cool (1960)

48. Hampton Hawes - For Real (1958)

47. Chick Corea - The Complete "Is" Sessions (1969)

46. Bill Evans - Undercurrent (1963)

45. Art Blakey - Night at Birdland (Vol. 2, but both are great) (1954)

44. Nat Adderley - Work Song (1961)

43. Dusko Goykovich - Soul Connection (1994)

42. Clark Terry (w. Thelonious Monk) - In Orbit (1958)

41. Mal Waldron - The Quest (1961)

40. Teri Thornton - Devil May Care (1961) (vocal)

Enough chit chat, let's see some lists.

I'll try to post my 50 - 40 in the next couple of days.

let me clarify....I agree completely with your sentiments re classic jazz records and thats why I referenced Kind of blue and love supreme...(2 of my top 3 of all time maybe)... do include those, but what I meant was....dont go searching now for what the critics like...(ie I dont know much about sun ra , but rather then do research now.ill pass on him and Ill choose from my own favorites....I mean damn... do what you want.... I was just hoping to avoid everyone bringing stuff that they dont know about but what the critisc say are great...Im more interested in what you have loved over the last 10 years, rather then what you hope to get into in the future....
i didnt mean for this to be so complicated and I sound a little dictatorial so ...in the words of curt cobain....whatever....

The thing is Stuart that many of the jazz records that I love have been around for 40 or 50 years and the reason that the critics rave about them is that they've stood the test of time and the public is still purchasing them to this day. The jazz section might be the only one in the store where the old classics get the front and centre treatment over the new guys. Suffice to say that there might not be that many hidden gems and to leave out records like "Giant Steps" or "Speak No Evil" just to slot in some Bosnian free jazz outfit might be a little disingenuous and pretentious.

As for Robert Pollard when does the man find time to eat and sleep? I for one wish he would keep some of his musical thoughts to himself. Ryan Adams is another guy who seems to feel his every synaptic pulse has to be recorded for posterity. I'd much rather be left wanting more.

Im sure kind of blue and a love supreme will be at or near the top of most peoples lists. (for good reason)...but for me the thing Id love to hear is your [personal favorites ) especially if they are not critically raved about ....weve all talked about reviewers being a bit like sheep....for the record.(pardon the pun)..Im only choosing from my current (somewhat limited ) collection, and i doubt Ill have 50 that qualify, but Id much rather here what you guys like rather then what reviewers tell us to like...
s

No real brainwaves around sites to listen to Jazz music, though e-music is pretty good, and allmusic, if you want to do a little sampling, is at least very comprehensive.

Not to discourage you from doing your own homework and thinking on this, but there are a plethora of "Top 50/100/etc" jazz listings on the web (of course), and I though it might fuel discussion to throw a couple of them out there. Ours will be better. These each have different "rules", which I think we could clarify as well (per my last note).

Site - I like this one because it has a real free jazz leaning - lots of music to check out.
Site - this one and the next are more straightforward in their choices.
Site

Of course he is..... Seriously, though, don't you think that, with the help of a good friend who can teach him how to edit, Mr. Pollard could release a fantastic, highly acclaimed masterpiece every 2 years instead of the 'gems among the mediocre' stuff that typifies (in my view) most of his albums? Or is it refreshing to see an artist who consistently puts his creativity out there, unvarnished, for the world to see?

Clearly, I'm in the 'edit' camp...other examples of artists I'd advise to switch from quantity to quality include Stereolab and Woody Allen (though Match Point was quite good). Thoughts?

Still working on the Jazz 50 project. It's gonna take some research and a lot of listening on my part. Other than emusic.com, which has the odd decent jazz find, are there any other online music sources for jazz that you afficionados out there could recommend?

I think any of those reasons is fine Stu. In my mind, it would be more about listing the jazz music you love, regardless of why. Although why obviously becomes an interesting sidebar - 'cause you know some debate may ensue. And don't go choosing stuff because it's reputed to be great if you don't actually love it. A pox on those who do such things.

I think it might be worth clarifying whether we're talking about all jazz, including vocal recordings, and are we just going to jumble all periods of jazz into one master list. One of the things that might make it difficult (or not, depending on your perspective) to choose old recordings is that the whole concept of a cohesive long play record is basically a post 1950 thing, so, for example, Bix Beiderbecke never made an album in his life. Just recorded a bunch of songs which were collected and released. Doesn't mean his "albums" can't be great (some of his are) but it's a whole different thing than A Love Supreme.

I tend to think we'll mostly be choosing bop and post-bop anyway, but thought I'd mention it.

Anyway, I've got some listening to do.....

not sure we defined the criteria for selecting the records...how about
1) helped carve a new direction
2) took a direction already established and made the definative version of it
3) damn great melody that lives on forever
4) defined a time in your life
5) ......??
Some of these are contradictory , so obviously the records dont have to meet all the above and may only meet 1 criteria. Any other suggestions for criteria....
this will help people pick selections too I think....( damn we all sound so bloody earnest...)

Simple, but elegant. Works for me. I will start to give my list some thought.

I would propose a sliding scale from 50 to 1 points would be awarded to each persons selections. Each person can select up to 50 recordings if they choose and we leave the number on the tally unlimited and could therefore end up with, theoretically, 250 entries. I think that it will be interesting to see how the balance plays out.

If you wish, I can track the nominations with comments in some organized fashion that can be posted or circulated. I might also suggest that we could also circulate a binder of burned copies of the nominations so that people can give them a solid listen without making the investment on all 250 possible recordings. ( I think that we could agree that we can do this guilt free considering the numbers of cd’s that are bound to purchased by the lot of us though this process)

Great idea Marc (sorry about the consistent mis-spell....I'm a bit of a spelling Nazi too, so there's no excuse), just the sort of undertaking that I enjoy. And you're right that jazz, sometimes, is all about who's playing.

I will start with a few top-o'-my head faves (in absolutely no order):

Lee Morgan - Search for the New Land
Booker Ervin - The Freedom Book
Miles - Milestones
Bill Evans - Interplay
Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer

Looking at the list of leaders, I could have named other recordings of theirs (three or four others in some cases) just as easily. This whole top 50 thing will be intriguing - some serious culling will be required. How can we get consensus on the positions?

C’mon Brian, I might be a wanker but I’m not that much of a wanker!… speaking of wankers, maybe you can follow Stuarts lead and get the spelling of my name right… even if you can’t get your own son’s name correct!… wank, wank , wank! (just kidding, but then I’m sure you are not about to take offence from a wanker)

…and as for you Stuart, I’m sure YOU had a good laugh about it after blowing up your brand new laptop!!!

I have a proposition to make… a project of sorts… perhaps a long term project for metaBeats. I think it would be interesting for us to come up with a definitive top 50 list of the greatest jazz recordings, as a group. What I am proposing is that we all put forth a suggestion for a master-list and put it to a vote… think of it (if you must) as a national play-list but with a clearly defined set of parameters or criteria … sound interesting?

What I would propose is that we first decide what we feel should define the list and that then each of us contributes thoughts on particular recordings (albums) that we feel are worthy of making (or not) the top 50 (or whatever number) over the next several months. After we have exhausted all our suggestions we put it to a vote with some mystical point scheme that maybe Stuart can concoct and we tally the votes at the end of the year.

The reason that I suggest this is, in part, that I find it interesting that many of us are on different pages when it comes to jazz. I have often wanted to broaden my understanding and knowledge of classic jazz and I think that there are several amongst us who love to articulate (pontificate) the virtues of their favourites.

One of the things that has come clear to me over the past several days (something that I was previously aware of but denying) is that I am far less aware of the people who play on various jazz recordings than I am of the recordings themselves, and woefully unaware of various artists all together.

Interested, or just too much work?

Yeah me too. Particularly the final posting, after Derek's comment. Ergo the wanker comment. Never occurred to me that it was a technical glitch (still not convinced actually...) .

Bud's Blue Note recordings are seminal, as are his Verve "Genius of" series from around the same time. Ah, how inspiring....tonight, the Doyle house will be featuring Bud Powell.

marc...I actually laughed outload at the 4 repeat post...thanks ...I needed that
bud powell- I have the 2 volumes the amazing bud powell on blue note and quite like them...I think you guys covered the bases
s

Dolphy, Evans, Lovano, Jarrett, Coleman, Gordon, Brubeck... the list is nigh on endless.

Really like the fact that today has now been unoffically declared Bud Powell day. Must make it a point to make While I was away I came across a Sonny Stitt disc that I hadn't seen before from 1949 called unimaginatively "Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson" but still three of my fave jazz guys. For some reason, the crap name, the bizarro cover, the overpriced disc I didn't purchase it. Figured I'd get it back home. What a wanker (Marc can perhaps relate) I am. I haven't been able to find it anywhere in town and now that I've listened to some of it on-line I'm just itching to find it. Do any of you own this disc? Must make certain that a Powell CD is my next purchase.

Tragically Bud Powell died at the age of 41 and his younger piano playing brother Richie died at 24 in the same car accident that killed Clifford Brown. If you haven't read Geoff Dyer's book "But Beautiful" I can't urge you strongly enough to do so. The short fictional snapshots of the tumultuous lives of Bud and other jazz greats like Lester Young are incredibly moving. You can always borrow the copy I bought Brian years ago which I think he still hasn't got around to.

My profuse apologies, my post never would never registered as published and then even when I refreshed the blog window it would still not be there… then suddenly four hours later it makes a fool of me …damn technologies!

I get your point Derek and it is a valid one, but my point was that many of artists on your list were either dead before you were born or had stopped playing before you were actually interested in jazz. Lester Young died in ’59; Davis stopped making decent music in the early 70’s; Sonny Stitts died in ’82, the year I was legal to start drinking; Coltrane died when we were just out of diapers, Kenny Dorman died when I was 9…etc.

That having been said, my biggest regrets are the things I will not get to do today because I cannot find the time, money and energy for them.

Brian, point taken, I am a wanker. Nice lists guys.

I think I might include Keith Jarrett for his early work and maybe Ornette Coleman just ‘cause I like to get fucked around a bit once in a while. If we were making a list of really really dead guys, I might have to put Jelly Roll Morton on the list. He was one of the first Jazzist I got into in university and still love… haven’t listened to him much recently though.

Mark - you are truly a wanker.

Derek - my top twenty jazz guys would include Bill Evans (he would be number one actually), Sonny Clark, Chet (the musician), Paul Bley, Eric Dolphy, Tina Brooks (well, probably), Art Tatum, Dexter Gordon, Joe Lovano, and what about singers? Assuming you're excluding them. Paul Bley is still on this earth, amazingly. And Lovano is a relatively youthful 55 or so.

Bud Powel is fucking brilliant. Everyone should go out and buy some today. Let's make it Bud Powell Day.

Re dead musicians, definitely. Bill Evans would, again, be at the top of my list. If you don't get that, listen again to Sunday at the Village Vanguard. And Coltrane of course. Sorry to hear about Jackie Maclean, I had the chance to see him in NY five years ago and chose instead to hear Lovano at the Vanguard (which as un-fucking-believable, so I'm OK overall).

Whatever happened to the "CD Club Goes to Manhattan" concept (sounds like a TV special). Maybe in 2008, after Derek and Stuart have sobered up.

On my list of Jazz greats would also be Dave Brubeck who I was fortunate enough to see when I was studying in Paris in the Eighties.

I think there is still a lot of good jazz being created these days, it, however, comes in different forms. Now maybe you can’t compare Brad Mehldau, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amin Tobin, Medeski Martin and Wood, Erik Trufazz (whoever or whatever you want to define jazz to have become) to your all time greats but it is still good Jazz (?). Stop lamenting about the past and explore some new territory. Thankfully, the one thing that the jazz greats did do, was leave us some wicked recordings of their live performances that we can enjoy again and again. It’s like saying it would have been nice to see Stravinsky before he died!

Personally I would have loved to have seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccatta and Fugue in D minor at St Blasius in Muhlhausen.

As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, I’d love to get out and see them before one of them kicks the bucket! The 13th sounds fine.

Hey Marc nice to have you back in the fray but you might want to go easy on that left mouse button buddy.

With respect to my question I was thinking more along the lines of artitsts who you had a chance to see (ie not Stravinsky) but for some reason passed on the opportunity and now it's either too late or they're well past the primo performing date.

In 1996 for example Mey bought me two tickets to see Radiohead at Varisty Arena just before they broke really huge and for some unfathomable reason (it was probably too cold?) I didn't go. 10 years later I probably wouldn't be interested in seeing them.

And it's not as if I sit around lamenting every missed concert on the calendar but there are a few artists at certain times in their career that to catch live would have been memorable.

On my list of Jazz greats would also be Dave Brubeck who I was fortunate enough to see when I was studying in Paris in the Eighties.
I think there is still a lot of good jazz being created these days, it, however, comes in different forms. Now maybe you can’t compare Brad Mehldau, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amin Tobin, Medeski Martin and Wood, Erik Trufazz (whoever or whatever you want to define jazz to have become) to your all time greats but it is still good Jazz (?). Stop lamenting about the past and explore some new territory. Thankfully, the one thing that the jazz greats did do, was leave us some wicked recordings of their live performances that we can enjoy again and again. It’s like saying it would have been nice to see Stravinsky before he died!
Personally I would have loved to have seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccatta and Fugue in D minor at St Blasius in Muhlhausen.
As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, I’d love to get out and see them before one of them kicks the bucket! The 13th sounds fine.

On my list of Jazz greats would also be Dave Brubeck who I was fortunate enough to see when I was studying in Paris in the Eighties.

I think there is still a lot of good jazz being created these days, it, however, comes in different forms. Now maybe you can’t compare Brad Mehldau, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amin Tobin, Medeski Martin and Wood, Erik Trufazz (whoever or whatever you want to define jazz to have become) to your all time greats but it is still good Jazz (?). Stop lamenting about the past and explore some new territory. Thankfully, the one thing that the jazz greats did do, was leave us some wicked recordings of their live performances that we can enjoy again and again. It’s like saying it would have been nice to see Stravinsky before he died!

Personally I would have loved to have seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccatta and Fugue in D minor at St Blasius in Muhlhausen.

As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, I’d love to get out and see them before one of them kicks the bucket! The 13th sounds fine.

On my list of Jazz greats would also be Dave Brubeck who I was fortunate enough to see when I was studying in Paris in the Eighties.

I think there is still a lot of good jazz being created these days, it, however, comes in different forms. Now maybe you can’t compare Brad Mehldau, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amin Tobin, Medeski Martin and Wood, Erik Trufazz (whoever or whatever you want to define jazz to have become) to your all time greats but it is still good Jazz (?). Stop lamenting about the past and explore some new territory. Thankfully, the one thing that the jazz greats did do, was leave us some wicked recordings of their live performances that we can enjoy again and again. It’s like saying it would have been nice to see Stravinsky before he died!

Personally I would have loved to have seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccatta and Fugue in D minor at St Blasius in Muhlhausen.

As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, I’d love to get out and see them before one of them kicks the bucket! The 13th sounds fine.

On my list of Jazz greats would also be Dave Brubeck who I was fortunate enough to see when I was studying in Paris in the Eighties.

I think there is still a lot of good jazz being created these days, it, however, comes in different forms. Now maybe you can’t compare Gotan Project, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amin Tobin, Medeski Martin and Wood, Erik Trufazz (whoever or whatever you want to define jazz to have become) to your all time greats but it is still good Jazz (?). Stop lamenting about the past and explore some new territory. Thankfully, the one thing that the jazz greats did do, was leave us some wicked recordings of their live performances that we can enjoy again and again.

Personally I would have loved to have seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccatta and Fugue in D minor at St Blasius in Muhlhausen.

As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, I’d love to get out and see them before one of them kicks the bucket! The 13th sounds fine.

On my list of Jazz greats would be, amongst others, Dave Brubeck, who i was fortunate enough to see in Paris in the eighties. I think that my regrets would be more in not having seen artists while they were still hot and producing good music but still alive. I tend to think of this more in the pop genre, but there are so many bands that are out there that have come and gone that are not in fact dead but rather just comatose.

I think there is a shitload of good jazz still being created by people like Medesky, Martin and Wood, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amon Tobin, Erik Truffaz (yadayadayada) and i think it is pointless to regret the things you missed and that one should just get out and see something new.

Personally, the one regret that i have is never having seen Johann Sebastian Bach perform the Toccata and Fugue in D minor at St. Blasius in Muhlhausen.

As for the Band of Horses, Stuart, i'd love to get to see them before one of them dies!...13th sounds fine!

Since nobody asked here are my all-time favourite jazz performers. I'll keep it to 20 although that ain't easy.

John Coltrane
Miles Davis
Wayne Shorter
Sonny Stitt
Kenny Dorham
Joe Henderson
Hank Mobley
Bud Powell
Thelonious Monk
Jackie McLean
Roland Kirk
Clifford Brown
Charles Mingus
Andrew Hill
Archie Shepp
Freddie Hubbard
Lester Young
McCoy Tyner
Stan Getz
Ben Webster

And so you might say what is the fucking point of this exercise? Well as far as I know only 4 of the list of jazz greats above is still with us today. Shepp at 68, Hill at 68, Tyner at 67 and Shorter at 72. And the great thing is that these four gentlemen are still producing music. Sadly one of the giants on this list, Jackie McLean, left for the big vamp in the sky on March 31. I just learned of this last night while listening to Jazz FM as it didn't come to my attention at all while in South Africa.

Slowly getting to my point. I regret now not having seen Jackie McLean while he was with us. With Brian in tow I've been lucky enough to see McCoy Tyner, Stanley Turrentine, Ray Brown and Cedar Walton all elder statesmen in the jazz game.

My question to you blogoids is, are there any artists, since departed (recently or a long time gone) or soon to be playing on the other side that you regret not having seen? I suppose this could also include artists who while still very much alive are no longer performing. Shakin Stevens and Gilbert O'Sullivan for example.

You can probably count me in for the show. Assuming there is more than just expired TTC transfers in my wallet by that point.

anyone interested in seeing band of horses june 13 lees palace?

pitchfork review

thanks Kyle....band of Horses I first read about at pitchfork I read about it in a few other places too , probably Now or eye and exclaim I cant remember

Fixed your link Stuart. Not sure what the hell you're doing. If you click on the little earth icon with the chain on top of it then paste the link into the box, it should work. Just make sure that the http:// only appears once at the beginning (ie. copy over the existing text, not after it).

Beyond that fascinating reading material for all, where did you come across Band of Horses, Stu? The few clips I've listened to on allmusic sound great. Has anyone purchased the latest Calexico?

I cant seem to remember the trick to doing those damn links correctly, I think Kyle has tried twice w me, can someone please tell me the steps again and I will print it out and tape it to me forehead....

thanks for the tips boys... the Kingsbury manx in particular sounded good to me....this is a band that I have previewed every album as they came out, but never quite got to buying...(how many bands fit that category)..a bone to pick w all music.com . I hate that as you click on the track to listen to the song a large scale window comes up and you have to keep clicking it off as you listen to the songs while reading the review, amazon has it best with a single click giving you 30 sec streaming of each track in sucession without having to hit each song individually....Band of Horses is the cd I am lovin now

Wow, has the National record been out that long? I am woefully out of the loop. I find it to be a grower, lyrically interesting, musically understated, in an Amercian Music Club boozy confessional style that I enjoy.

I've been reading great reviews of The National album for the past year and a half yet I can't ever seem to get into any of the tracks of theirs that I've downloaded. I did enjoy the Kingsbury Manx songs from their last disc. What's the album like?

As for my own new music, it's been a pretty slow spring for me. Just picked up the latest Built to Spill and Flaming Lips, and have listened to the latter once. Other than that, I haven't done much downloading or purchasing lately. I blame it on a hectic travel schedule but really, there are no more excuses. I'll post in a few days with what I've listened to this week.

For now, a timely link (given the beginning of a new baseball season) which asks an important question.

OK chaps, it's been two weeks since anyone blogged, and clearly I don't have the knack of creating lively debate - atonal music and our e-music-critiquer concept went nowhere. Wazzup? My advice? Don't make Derek feel so good about his absence....he's already got major ego issues. Let's start the next trail.....new music you've come across? I'm quite fond of the last-but-not-that-new-anymore Kingsbury Manx album, and am warming up to The National's latest. Quite similar bands in some respects.