I just stumbled across a nice compilation from some of Blakey's best live concerts: Art Blakey: Prime Source
This value-priced compilation contains some of the cream from great performances. The first set of performances is my favorite because it's the 1954 dates with Clifford Brown at Birdland: A Night at Birdland Volume 1 and the companion, Volume 2.
Another classic set of live performances that I think anyone who is a Blakey of Jazz Messenger fan should have is captured on these two albums: At the Cafe Bohemia and the companion, Volume 2. The compilation has some of the better tracks from those performances.
Finally, there are tracks from The Jazz Messengers, which I consider to be prime material too.
Another compilation I think deserves consideration (and I have previously mentioned) is Art Blakey: 8 Classic Albums
See this post for details regarding which albums are included.
Playing very slow tempos is not easy. I am sure I am not alone when I say that playing fast (or even moderate) tempos is a lot less difficult than ballads. I touched upon that in my post titled Midnight Blue The (Be)witching Hour: A Study in Tempos.
This post introduces another album that is filled with tracks that are devilishly slow and present challenges to play with taste and maintain time. Indeed, if ever you needed practice in stirring the soup with brushes, this album will provide you with the sound track: Jazz Moods: An Intimate Evening
How slow is slow? Here is track 6 from Disc 1 (this is a 3-CD set):
Did you notice a slight shift in tempo at the 1:50 mark? Nail a song like this and you are well on your way to mastering not only very slow tempos, but supporting musicians who subtly stretch or compress time.
Another difficult piece (for me anyway) is this beautiful rendition of a standard played by Jim Hall. It's from track 5 on Disc 2:
One final example, this one from track 4 of Disc 3, epitomizes soup-stirring music, and with the strings can take many drummers - myself included - way outside a comfort zone. But that is what practicing to music is all about, right? A side note: Joe Morello was McPartland's drummer at the Hickory House (in NYC) throughout 1953 and played brushes practically the entire time.
Of course, the music contained in this 3-CD set can be used for more than practicing tempos. For one thing, it's relaxing and beautiful, and for another, there are times when it's OK to abandon drums and set a romantic mood. This set will do those too.
Up front: you do not need to understand theory or read music to enjoy this post - although it will enhance the esperience.
That said, had Coltrane been a month earlier releasing Giant Steps, he would have joined Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus in making 1959 the year that changed jazz. He cut the album in December 1959, but it was not released until January 1960.
This album marks a first for many reasons: first album that Coltrane recorded for Atlantic, first where all of the tracks are his compositions, and the first where his "sheets of sound" phrasing was prominent (it was not new, but came to the forefront with this album.) In a way, Coltrane is finally 'discovered' on this album because he is neither in the shadows of Miles, nor is he displaying his abilities on standards and compositions of others.
Everyone - every jazz aficionado and all musicians regardless of genre - should own this album. It broke new ground when it was released in January of 1960, and continues to this day to exert a major influence on musicians as well as listeners.I am about to cover what is known as Coltrane Changes, but that does not describe the music to the non-musician listener who has every right to enjoy this album on its own merits without some snob implying that its too sophisticated. For non-musicians or those who are not versed in theory the following two clips from the album will give a hint of what is on the album.
I mentioned the term, Coltrane Changes at the beginning of this post. Here is an excellent explanation that will make a lot of sense to musicians, but can also be followed by folks who are not versed in theory or reading music. If you fall into the latter group check it out because I think you will get the gist of what is meant by the term.
Did you catch the part about Miles Davis' Tune Up and Coltrane's Countdown being essentially the same? That should come as no surprise since Coltrane was with Miles for nearly five years. He was on Davis' Kind of Blue album, and was also on the cream of the Prestige years. As a side note, I highly recommend Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions
Now back to comparing Davis' Tune Up and Coltrane's Countdown:
Miles Davis Tune up
Coltrane's Countdown
For drummers who are new to jazz and want to learn the basics of comping the way Jimmy Cobb did on this groundbreaking album I recommend checking out this post in my other blog called Snare Drum Addict.
