1,000 Jazz Albums You Should Hear Before You Die (951-960)

Here is another 10 to add to the list.

Remember that there is no ranking system here, and if you don’t see your favorite jazz album yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t show up.

Hopefully these lists will inspire you to seek some of these albums out that perhaps you haven’t heard before, or revisit an old favorite. And as always, we want your thoughts on any or all of these albums. Here, in no particular order, are albums 951 through 960.

951. Satch Plays Fats: The Music of Fats Waller – Louis Armstrong (Columbia, 1955) CLICK HERE TO BUY

952. Lee-Way – Lee Morgan (APO (Analogue Production Originals), 1960) CLICK HERE TO BUY

953. Piano in the Background – Duke Ellington (Sony Music Distribution, 1960) CLICK HERE TO BUY

954. The Complete Gramercy Five Sessions – Artie Shaw (Bluebird RCA, 1940-1945 recording dates, 1989 compilation date) CLICK HERE TO BUY

955. Walkin’ – Miles Davis (Original Jazz Classics, 1954) CLICK HERE TO BUY

956. The Inner Mounting Flame – John McLaughlin/Mahavishnu Orchestra (Columbia/Legacy, 1971) CLICK HERE TO BUY

957. Bird and Diz – Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie (Verve/Polygram, 1950 recording dates, 1956 release date) CLICK HERE TO BUY

958. Trombone by Three – Bennie Green/J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding (Original Jazz Classics, 1956) CLICK HERE TO BUY

959. Cattin’ With Coltrane and Quinichette – John Coltrane/Paul Quinichette (Original Jazz Classics, 1957) CLICK HERE TO BUY

960. Boss Guitar – Wes Montgomery (Concord/Concord Music Group/Fantasy/Universal Music, 1963) CLICK HERE TO BUY

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John Coltrane picture book Introduces kids to jazz icon

A new book for children on John Coltrane was released last week (click here to buy). Here is the press release:

Sometimes, when you lose almost everything as a child, a lifeline appears that restores your faith and re-ignites your spirit. For John Coltrane, that lifeline was the saxophone, and the musical dreams it inspired. Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)—written by NY Times-bestselling author Gary Golio (JIMI: Sounds Like A Rainbow) and illustrated by award-winning artist Rudy Gutierrez—captures John’s struggle from lost boy to musical leader, from darkness to light. In words and images that reflect the depth of John’s joy as well as his yearning for inner peace, Spirit Seeker tells the story of how art and spirituality shaped one man’s talents, and gave him the courage to share those gifts with the world.

Drawn along by saxophone greats like Lester Young and Johnny Hodges, John’s life changed overnight when he first heard bebop master Charlie Bird Parker. Still, the sadness that had clung to him since childhood—and his father’s death—led to drinking and drug use that finally brought his early success to a standstill. In a moment of great courage, John remembered the words of his grandfather, Reverend Blair, and cleansed his body of the deadly habits weighing him down. Following a spiritual revelation, he set free his enormous talent to soar like an angel of sound. With the creation of his masterpiece A Love Supreme, he offered a timeless gift of gratitude to the Divine.

For young people, Spirit Seeker highlights the importance of goals and aspirations—particularly in the face of personal adversities—and showcases the value of the Arts in providing a guide or roadmap for the future. Golio’s sensitive, poetic text and Gutierrez’ intricate, expressive paintings portray Coltrane as the multifaceted musical genius he was, infusing his music with a new understanding of God and Spirit that should spark fresh thinking in young minds.

Gary Golio has been interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition and the Michael Eric Dyson show, and featured on CBS-TV in New York City. He is the author of JIMI: Sounds Like A Rainbow – A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and When Bob Met Woody – The Story of the Young Bob Dylan (Little, Brown). Golio is a clinical social worker/psychotherapist who helps children, teens, and their families deal with the multifaceted problems of addiction, a subject addressed in an Author’s Note about musicians and drug use. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, author Susanna Reich, and is available for interviews. Visit him online at www.garygolio.com.

Spirit Seeker illustrator Rudy Gutierrez’ art graces the cover of Carlos Santana’s “Shaman” CD, and has been featured in Rolling Stone, The NY Times, and Ms. He has been awarded the Distinguished Educator Award from the American Society of Illustrators, and a Pura Bel Pre Illustrator Award. See his children’s book art at http://altpick.com/rudygutierrez.

 

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Spirit Seeker – John Coltrane’s Musical Journey

Written by Gary Golio

Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez

Published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

October 2012 • Ages 9 & up • 48 pages • $17.99 hardcover • ISBN 13: 978-0547239941

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(End of) Summertime Poll

The final days of summer are upon us, and depending on where you live, summer seemed far too short, just right, or far too long this year.

Regardless, the end of this summer inspired me to post our first poll in quite some time, asking you what your favorite version of Summertime is. Your comments are encouraged!

[poll id=”3″]

 

“Now in Stores” XIV

Here are five more recent jazz releases worth giving a listen to:

1. Bouncer by Cedar Walton (Half Note Records, July 19, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

NEA Jazz Master Cedar Walton has enjoyed an up-tempo career, which never seems to slow down. As a composer, Cedar is one of the finest in jazz whose works have been widely recorded with many now being recognized as jazz standards. For his latest HighNote recording, Walton returns to his favored quintet format with poll-winning trombonist Steve Turre adding his luxurious, velvet tone to Vincent Herring’s saxophone sound.

2. Dawn of Goodbye by Dominick Farinacci (Entertainment One Music, July 26, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

Following the acclaim that greeted his first album for eOne Lovers, Tales & Dances the young trumpet genius Dominick Farinacci returns with a new set of tunes that reveals new dimensions and nuances in his emerging, individual blend of instrumental fire and ice. Doms first album was a lush, orchestirated affair but on Twilight Blue, he is fronting a smaller, more swinging and agile ensemble that navigates standards and originals with equal finesse.
The buzz on Farinacci has been building in core jazz circles for two years. His club appearances in Los Angeles and New York have been well-attended by tastemakers such as Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, and Wynton Marsalis, who has served as a mentor to Dominick since Doms days at Juilliard. And award-winning jazz blogger/journalist Doug Ramsey has been an influential champion at his website, Rifftides.
Now, the jazz world prepares for a new taste of the Farinacci magic: melodic, colorful, and always in the groove. This album may be called Twilight Blue, but its kaleidoscopic vibe shines through all the time.

3. The Unissued Seattle Broadcast by John Coltrane (Rare Live Recordings, June 14, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

Import-only live archive release from the Jazz legend. On September 30, 1965, John Coltrane took his new group to The Penthouse, in Seattle, to make a professional recording during that engagement which would later be issued on Impulse as Live In Seattle. That same day, the group was broadcast over the radio and the music was taped by an amateur fan. All preserved music from this broadcast, which doesn’t duplicate a single note of the aforementioned album, is presented on this release. Among its highlights are a long version of an untitled original tune, and Trane’s final version of Billy Strayhorn’s ‘Lush Life’, which only appears in his discography on two other occasions.

4. The Gathering by Diane Schuur (Vanguard Records, June 7, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

Two-time Grammy® Award winner and one of contemporary jazz’s leading vocalists, Diane Schuur, has signed with Vanguard Records. She will be releasing her label debut, The Gathering, on June 7th. With a distinguished career that spans nearly three decades, Schuur’s new album is unique in both material and style, and features special guests Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton and Kirk Whalum. The Gathering is a collection of 10 classic country songs, mostly written during the golden era of the 1960s, and is the first time Schuur has featured this genre of music. On selections like Willie Nelson’s “Healing Hands of Time,” Roger Miller’s “When Two Worlds Collide,” Merle Haggard’s “Today I Started Loving You Again” and Tammy Wynette’s “Til I Can Make It on My Own,” Schuur’s great vocal versatility shines through.

5. Family Fugue by Bucky & John Pizzarelli (Abors Records, July 12, 2011) CLICK HERE TO BUY

Pure Pizzarelli magic at its finest! A special Benny Goodman salute by Bucky and John Pizzarelli, recorded live at Tanglewood with Martin Pizzarelli on bass, Larry Fuller on piano, and Tony Tedesco on drums.

 

 

“Now in Stores” XIII

“Now in Stores” XII

“Now in Stores” XI

“Now in Stores” X

“Now In Stores” IX

“Now In Stores” VIII

“Now In Stores” VII

Now in Stores (Late May, June, and July)

“Now in Stores” – 5/16/2010 to 5/22/2010

“Now in Stores” – 5/2/2010 to 5/8/2010

Now in Stores” – 4/25/2010 to 5/1/2010

“Now in Stores” – 4/18/2010 t0 4/24/2010

“Now In Stores” – 5 Noteworthy Jazz Albums Released this Week (4/11/2010-4/17/10)

John Coltrane Home listed as endangered historic place

I originally read about this on jazzblog.ca. The U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit organization recently listed the home of John Coltrane as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The website also offers the opportunity to text $10 to help save the places on the list. From the NHTP:

One of the most acclaimed and widely imitated American jazz artists, saxophonist John Coltrane was a beloved performer, a devoted mentor and a revolutionary trendsetter. Despite his success, Coltrane lived in a modest 1952 ranch-style house in the Dix Hills section of Huntington, N.Y. Coltrane and his wife Alice purchased the one and a half story brick house at 247 Candlewood Path in 1964, and shortly after they moved in, their first son was born. Determined to spend time with his young family, Coltrane curtailed his tour schedule and worked at home, turning the basement into a recording and rehearsal studio and converting a guest room into a composition space where he would write his iconic masterpiece, ”A Love Supreme.” In 1967, just three years after moving into the home, Coltrane died at 40. Alice Coltrane, a much-admired jazz musician in her own right, continued to live in the home with her four children before moving to California in 1973.

In 2003, when the house was threatened with demolition and redevelopment, Dix Hills resident and jazz fan Steve Fulgoni rallied the community to save the Coltrane Home. In December of 2005, after nearly two years of negotiation, the town purchased the property, establishing the land around the house as parkland. The house was then transferred to the Friends of the John Coltrane Home, an organization formed by Steve Fulgoni and the Coltrane family. The group, which hopes to restore and interpret the site as an education center, has partially stabilized the vacant house, but does not have the resources necessary to perform much needed mold remediation, repair and conservation.

Click here to see a slideshow of photos of Coltrane’s home.