Live jazz on CD

[Bobby G]

I have several live jazz CD's, and there is something a bit special about hearing a band in front of an audience, hearing their reaction to the music, and hearing the players spurred on by the reaction.

Some of my favourites are the Ellington at Newport, Monk Orchestra at the Town Hall, Monk at the It Club, a couple of live Mingus albums (Antibes is a good one), and 2 or 3 Cannonball live albums, the San Francisco and at The Lighthouse are great. Also great live versions of Favourite Things and India on the Best of Coltrane. There's plenty of live jazz on CD, can anyone recommend more?

Cheers, Bob

 

[Pete Thomas]

Charlie Parker - Massey Hall Concert
Eric Dolphy - Live in Europe

 

[spike]

Here comes the Whistleman.

 

[Bobby G]

Oh yeah, and I have some live Roland Kirk which is a riot! The version of I Say a Little Prayer is unbelievable

Cheers, Bob

 

[mr__myles]

Tower Of Power - Soul Vaccination- Live 1998

 

[disco_volante]

Paco de Lucia, John McLaughlin & Al Di Meola - Friday Night in San Francisco is a good one. A bit 'twiddley' for some ears, but definately has some great playing and good atmosphere.

 

[mfox]

there is a great miles Davis album live in Paris, where John Coltrane is starting to experiment with his new style..crowd boo and hiss like hes committed murder.
my favorite live album is maceo parker and the jbs

 

[Bobby G]

Hi mfox, would that Miles be where Coltrane starts to indulge in his so-called 'sheets of sound' playing style?

I have a live CD by Miles's sextet with Coltrane and Cannonball, the sound on it is really quite poor. The bass and drums are way back, and the piano sounds like it's in the next room. It's like the only mic is the one for the horns, so when there's a piano solo most of the sound disappears. There's some good playing, though.

How could I forget the two marvellous Tubby Hayes live albums, released separately but I think recorded at the same show(s) at Ronnie's in about 1962? Not just Tubby, but the whole band cooks on 'Late Spot at Scott's' and 'Down in the Village'. Jimmy Duechar is a wonderful trumpet player.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Dylan]

One of my faves is a Ben Webster gig "Gone With The Wind". Recorded in Copenhagen in 1965.

You really get the feeling of a small jazz club without the crowd noise being intrusive. Ben's playing is absolutely superb - a couple of my faves being "Misty" and "Over the Rainbow". Ballads that he plays almost straight, with only a few embellishments on the melody. But what a sound and impression they leave behind.

He keeps it simple. It's all in the interpretation and passion. Wow. Just goes to show jazz doesn't always have to be 8)

More please.

D

 

[quercy]

I really like the Cannonball Adderley Quintet Live in San Francisco album. I have it on vinyl, but I guess it must be available on CD. Very funky.

I've got quite a few 'live' albums which are obviously not really concert or club recordings, they just have a few audience effects added on - a James Brown one comes to mind, although I can't recall the title. There's a Joe Tex one and a few other soul singers have done it too, including Gene (Duke of Earl) Chandler. I hope that the jazz musicians are more honest about it!

 

[Bobby G]

Hi Quercy, I also have that Cannonball live set on CD, which if I remember right has Bobby Timmons on piano. I have another one, recorded at the Lighthouse, with Victor Feldman on piano which is equally funky and just as good. Nat Adderley always plays well, although I suppose he's always going to be in Cannon's shadow, and sometimes it can take him a few bars to get into a solo.

I have a live LP by soul legend Geno Washington and his Ram Jam Band which I suspect is live, no band could record in a studio and sound that rough (with the possible exception of mid-80's beat combo The Milkshakes). They're really ripping it up, and the crowd are going crazy. Subtle is not Geno's middle name, but he knows how to work an audience.

Cheers, Bob

 

[simonspill]

If anyone here hasn't heard it, do try and get hold of "Addictive Tendencies" by Tubby Hayes. It's a recording made in Rochester in Kent in December 1966 by Tubby's quartet with Mike Pyne, Ron Mathewson and Tony Levin.

Sound is very "audio verite" but the playing...wow! As good as the Trane or Rollins at the Village Vanguard sets. "Walkin" and "Alone Together" are simply staggering.

It's on the Rare Music Recordings label; cat. no. RM 028

 

[simonspill]

If anyone here hasn't heard it, do try and get hold of "Addictive Tendencies" by Tubby Hayes. It's a recording made in Rochester in Kent in December 1966 by Tubby's quartet with Mike Pyne, Ron Mathewson and Tony Levin.

Sound is very "audio verite" but the playing...wow! As good as the Trane or Rollins at the Village Vanguard sets. "Walkin" and "Alone Together" are simply staggering.

It's on the Rare Music Recordings label; cat. no. RM 028

 

[Jules]

Bobby G wrote:


...with the possible exception of mid-80's beat combo The Milkshakes....

SUr, your cultural referencing gets more esoteric by the day!! But I know exactly what you mean...

 

[tris]

Mr. Myles wrote:
Tower Of Power - Soul Vaccination- Live 1998

Oh yeah!!! Now that is a good horn section.

 

[tengu01]

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Keystone 3

An absolute Barnstormer of an album (with Branford/Wyton Marsalis, Donald Brown, Charles Famborough & Bill Pierce). Powerful, yet melodic playing. An awe-inspiring rendition of "In a sentimental mood" and "Waterfalls"

And the track "Fuller of Love" sounds so familiar, as if it's been sampled by dance tracks everywhere. If anyone knows the famous tune that sampled the piano so blatantly, I would love to know to put my mind at ease.

I got it off emusic.com if any of y'all are subscribers and want to check it out. It's also pretty cheap on Amazon and it'd definately get my thumbs up.