ROBIN's badass podcast - episode 003

Here we go....

Episode 003, September 12, 2009.

DOWNLOAD HERE (.mp3, 41MB, 44-min)

I'm abandoning the "play-by-play" commentary, I really just want to let the music speak for itself in the actual podcast. The thread here will be the place for analysis, explanations and discussion. SO, without further ADOOOOO:

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Robin's Badass Podcast - episode 003

August 13, 2009

Playlist:

0:00 - introduction

0:21 - Wynton Marsalis - Caravan (Standard Time, Vol. 1)

8:38 - discussion / set-up

9:34 - Robin Eubanks - Midtown (Different Perspectives)

15:58 - discussion / set-up

16:35 - Steve Coleman - Magneto (Black Science)

19:28 - Roy Hargrove - You Don't Know What Love Is (Public Eye)

25:47 - discussion / set-up

26:35 - Joshua Redman - Dare I Ask (Freedom in the Groove)

32:31 - discussion / set-up

29:50 - Brad Mehldau - Lament For Linus (Art of the Trio, Vol. 1)

37:40 - discussion / set-up

38:09 - Stefon Harris - Sophistry (Cloud of Red Dust)

43:08 - discussion / wrap-up

==

Daniel's request for Wynton put me on the trail of good 80/90s Jazz - especially players who came into their own during this period. This was a time of neo-post-bop, and some weird electro exploration. For the most part, the young lions at the time were playing some heavy straight-up, capital-J JAZZ, and while there wasn't a lot of groundbreaking innovation happening, it was evident that those kids can PLAY! SO, just to hip you to a newer generation of straight-ahead jazzers, here we go:

Info

Wynton Marsalis // Standard Time Vol. 1

Sony, 1987

Personnel

• Wynton Marsalis (trumpet)
  
• Marcus Roberts (piano)
  
• Robert Hurst (bass)
  
• Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums)
  

Caravan is given a pretty traditional Jazz treatment, but the playing is top-notch. Wynton, at the time aged 28 had already paid his dues with The Jazz Messengers and a handful of solo records, and Standard Time marks (for me) the end of Wynton's "good" period. [My hypothesis is, sometime in 1988-89 an ancient race of space beings replaced Wynton with a robot - one programmed with backwards muscial philosophies and an unnatural affection for Duke Ellington...though, he can still play his donkey off].

Wynton and his cohorts demonstrate that the language of Bop/hard-bop is still as relevant and fresh as it ever was, and they did much to usher in the 90s era of post-bop revivalism, headed up by cats like: Roy Hargrove, Marcus Printup, Kenny Garrett, Terrell Stafford, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard (WTF is with all the trumpet players?!...weird).

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Robin Eubanks // Different Perspectives

Winter & Winter, 1988

Personnel

• Robin Eubanks (trombone, keyboards, percussion, MIDI percussion)
  
• Steve Coleman (alto saxophone)
  
• Michael Mossmann (flugelhorn)
  
• Slide Hampton, Clifton Anderson (trombone)
  
• Douglas Purviance (bass trombone)
  
• James Weidman (keyboards)
  
• Peter Washington (acoustic bass)
  
• Rael Wesley Grant (electric bass)
  
• Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums)
  
• Jerry Gonzales (percussion)
  

Robin Eubanks - Currently THE most imitated trombonist around - has a very unique approach to the instrument. Incorporating a very agile and angular modal/quartal style, Eubanks pushed and expanded where the trombone could go. The tune Midtown in particular, somehow sounds hip in spite of the weirdly dated 80s synth-smooth-MBASE-whatever sound he got looped up in. Robin works regularly with the Heaviest of Heavies - mostly the Dave Holland Quintet, with which he really refined and defined his sound ... he sounds hipper than ever. HAHA - dig that slap-bass! ...

Hey...wait! Did I say M-Base?!

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Steve Coleman // Black Science

Watt, 1998

Personnel

• Steve Coleman (alto saxophone)
  
• James Weidman (piano/keyboards)
  
• David Gilmore (guitar)
  
• Reggie Washington (electric bass)
  
• Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums and percussion)
  

I can't explain M-Base. Steve Coleman, who invented the "Macro-Basic Array of Structured Extemporizations" attempts here. I dunno... It's not a style....but, stylisitically, they incorporate funk/hip-hop elements into an improvised jazz realm. ALSO, wildly difficult polyrhymic/polymetric elements make for a very unique and interesting sound...

Steve Coleman does a cool thing too, he's got all their old out-of-print albums...even, it seems, all the new ones too... available for free download. Including: Black Science

Dig THAT!

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Roy Hargrove // Public Eye

Novus, 1991

Personnel

• Roy Hargrove (trumpet)
  
• Antonio Hart (alto sax)
  
• Christian McBride (bass)
  
• Billy Higgins (drums)
  
• Stephen Scott (piano)
  

Okay...I lied in the thingy. He was 21 when he recorded this. Sue me.

Roy Hargrove worked his donkey off, and wandered to New York and became this wunderkind of hip-youthful Jazz. Playing superb straight-ahead Jazz, the kid was mentored and worked with HEAVY cats, right off the bat. (Dig the band for this record! Top-notch. Billy Higgins!!). Anyway. What often happens (in any creative venue) when someone so young is heralded as the saviour of modern jazz - they don't get to develop, they don't pay their dues and quickly fizzle and fade away. Not so with Ol-boy Roy Hargrove. He, along with a few of his peers, continued to evolve musically, and managed to avoid stagnating in their own immaturity. Anyway - here he is, playing SOLID ballady jazz...

(Antonio Hart holds his own pretty well, but - being another youthful player ... well, he got gobbled up. Compare the two wikipedia pages HAHA.... Antonio....Roy)

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Joshua Redman // Freedom in the Groove

Warner Bros, 1996

Personnel

• Joshua Redman (saxophones)
  
• Peter Martin (piano)
  
• Peter Bernstein (guitar)
  
• Christopher Thomas (bass)
  
• Brian Blade (drums)
  

Another youngster, viewed as the second-coming of Trane actually held his own, and is still one of the leading players of their generation. Redman grew up surrounded by the JAZZ MONSTERS (his dad, Dewey Redman was a SERIOUS player of the highest calibre). SO, little Josh got a good earful from an early age... he quickly became a distinct soloist - along with Chris Potter, Michael Brecker and the like, defining the "modern saxophone" vocabulary. Great album, and a great tune showcasing his harmonic approach and the very "post-bop" style... He has, naturally, since moved on, and further refined his approach, and continues producing stellar records. Also note, Brian Blade in the band - one of this generation's premier drummers.... HEAVY CATS!

=============

Brad Mehldau // Art of the Trio, Vol. 1

Warner Bros, 1997

Personnel

• Brad Mehldau (piano)
  
• Larry Grenadier (bass)
  
• Jorge Rossy (drums)
  

Mehldau did much to reshape the Trio format into a more modern group. HEAVILY influenced by Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans (HAHA - along with every piano player since 1962) Mehldau incorporated their very interactive and collaborative feel. A distinct stylist on his own, Mehldau (ofcourse, along with innovators like Keith, Herbie et al) helped modern Jazz evolve ... See also Esbj

That's what she said... no, I loved this, but I feel like I've been saying the same thing every time. Redman and Eubanks were TIGHT.

Thanks James, for listening. Perhaps I'll start putting in stuff I know everyone will HATE, just to spark some discussion.

It's like a frigging library in here.

*SHHHHH!!! NO TALKING!!!!*

When something is awesome, I believe it's best to awe in silence.

OK you want comments? I'll provide a few.

1) The Wynton, though fine playing, sounds like very safe be- bop (though the laughing line I liked). And Wynton does play a little dirty - eg - he allows his intonation to be wrong while sounding right -and he has a great time blurring the glisses in the low register - but then he goes back to the Mr Clean of intonation and I am expecting him to break out into a the Haydn Trumpet Concerto (which he did record on Sony Classical I think)! The pianist does a good job comping and I like the insertion of some blues riffs against the occassional quartal harmonies (a la Maiden Voyage). The reprise of the theme and the pianist's improv interludes - a little bland. I appreciate the repose and the descending laughing figure. But I'd appreciated the cut off of the end if the darn melody wasn't repeated as much. Yeah and the drummer was fantastic - great polyrhythmic feel even though it really wasn't - something about the way he accents the back beats or something.

2) Eubanks - totally agree about the playing - the synth actually works OK with the trombones timbre at first. Unfortunately, the back up sounds like Eubanks is improvising to a cheesy 80's drum machine. But the trombone tone very round, luscious with just enough touches of a rough edge to it to keep you engaged (despite the really awful cheesy 80's background). Near the end is another time where the synth does work rather neatly until another sound patch is introduced. The fade is good.

LOL - "Everything (I'm playing) is good. You should like it. If you don't you're WRONG"

I'll add more later.

PS Happy so far ? If you comment on my clarinet sextet in incomplete works that may incite me to be more generous with my commentary.

PPS Cute dogs wearing party hats will always attract comments Robin ... think I'll try it in my threads.

I love it Robin! Keep 'em coming :D

I especially enjoyed Sophistry.

There is something I have been thinking about and that is to actually give your podcasts an 'album cover' :)

OK you want comments? I'll provide a few.

1) The Wynton, though fine playing, sounds like very safe be- bop (though the laughing line I liked). And Wynton does play a little dirty - eg - he allows his intonation to be wrong while sounding right -and he has a great time blurring the glisses in the low register - but then he goes back to the Mr Clean of intonation and I am expecting him to break out into a the Haydn Trumpet Concerto (which he did record on Sony Classical I think)! The pianist does a good job comping and I like the insertion of some blues riffs against the occassional quartal harmonies (a la Maiden Voyage). The reprise of the theme and the pianist's improv interludes - a little bland. I appreciate the repose and the descending laughing figure. But I'd appreciated the cut off of the end if the darn melody wasn't repeated as much. Yeah and the drummer was fantastic - great polyrhythmic feel even though it really wasn't - something about the way he accents the back beats or something.

Absolutely - it's safe, but smoking!!! The cool thing about vintage Wynton is that he (and his band) were playing some seriously swinging music, a revival/rebellion aimed at getting away from the fusion sound.

Wynton and his cohorts brought straight-ahead jazz back to the forefront, but didn't really PUSH it anywhere. This is simply some killing capital-"J" Jazz, post-bop at it's finest. The drummer - TAIN - is still one of the baddest cats around, FO SHO!

2) Eubanks - totally agree about the playing - the synth actually works OK with the trombones timbre at first. Unfortunately, the back up sounds like Eubanks is improvising to a cheesy 80's drum machine. But the trombone tone very round, luscious with just enough touches of a rough edge to it to keep you engaged (despite the really awful cheesy 80's background). Near the end is another time where the synth does work rather neatly until another sound patch is introduced. The fade is good.

I feel kinda bad now, because Robin Eubanks is certainly one of the KILLINGEST players on the scene - it just happened that this record was a bit too awkward on the synth/electronic drum side of things. I'll hip you guys to some more happening and current stuff from him for sure.

LOL - "Everything (I'm playing) is good. You should like it. If you don't you're WRONG"

I'll add more later.

It's true!! Keep it coming!

I love it Robin! Keep 'em coming :D

I especially enjoyed Sophistry.

There is something I have been thinking about and that is to actually give your podcasts an 'album cover' :)

An album cover, eh... :hmmm: Sounds like a lot of work.

...

Anyway! Sophistry - the writing is super-cool, eh!?? I'll probably focus on more compositional Jazz stuff for the next one... it'll be a week or so more, all my CDs are packed in boxes.

An album cover, eh... :hmmm: Sounds like a lot of work.

...

Anyway! Sophistry - the writing is super-cool, eh!?? I'll probably focus on more compositional Jazz stuff for the next one... it'll be a week or so more, all my CDs are packed in boxes.

Sounds good :)

Well sure an album cover might take some time but then again I think that your podcasts are something to be reckoned with. It might be a good thing, your call :)

That take on Caravan always cracks me up, Marsalis does so many things that are the opposite musical of what the tune is supposed to be like. Long, sinuous tone, NO! DZAT! That's all.

[speechless] :O

:D

[speechless] :O

:D

I'll take that as a compliment.

Thanks James, for listening. Perhaps I'll start putting in stuff I know everyone will HATE, just to spark some discussion.

It's like a frigging library in here.

*SHHHHH!!! NO TALKING!!!!*

hahah that would be hard seeing how i like just about anything, i mean, just listen to your stuff :P haha

but seriously, this is the first time hearing your podcast (and the first time hearing your voice for that matter) and i must say you sound like a jazzy kind of guy, unlike the dj that does his 3 hour long jazz segment on one of our radio stations every thursday... he soudns like your typical redneck (but what can I say, i'm in kentucky for crying out loud.)

GREAT mix of music, I couldn't listen to the whole thing seeing how I started it while in my digital music class, so I only got through half of it before the bell rang...man...i really want a laptop :P

good job!

P.S. i was dissapointed... i never heard you say eh? or don't ya know? even my girlfriend says that and she isn't even from canada! well... she was literally within walking distance of canada but thats not the point :P