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favorite album without vibraphone

jamesshipp 2 November 2008

Hey Everyone--

I love talking about all my favorite vibes players and the albums they've made as leaders and sidemen. I am curious, though, what everyone gravitates to when they're not listening to the vibes. (Up to you, but I'm not really talking about albums where people are mainly playing marimba.)

My favorite albums clear and away are "Together Again; Tony Bennett and Bill Evans," and "The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album." Probably always will be. I'm also very partial to 'Miles in Tokyo' 'Unity,' 'Speak No Evil' and 'Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden in Montreal.'

These days I'm buried in the second and third 'Codona' albums made on ECM in the early 80's by Collin Walcott, Don Cherry, and Nana Vasconcelos. And since yesterday I'm head over heels for the 70's Irish folk classic 'Andy Irvine and Paul Brady.' Talk about some thoughtful pickin' and mournful singing!

Now I'll go post this on the vibenet and hopefully not get booed off the board.

Comments

tonymiceli Sun, 11/02/2008 - 14:13

Tony Bennett Bill Evans is my favorite album also!!!

Egberto rocks.

My newest favorite is Gilad Hekselman. Any cd by him. I've a ton about vibes from him. Then like I always say, the vibes are more like the guitar than the piano.

s k y p e: tjazzvibe
i c h a t: tonymiceli
tony@tonymiceli.com

pap4456 Tue, 11/04/2008 - 16:45

The album "Affinity" with Bill Evans and Toots Theilemans, Little Feat "Waiting for Columbus", a 2-LP live album and Lani Hall's "Brasil Nativo." Also, "Together Again for the First Time" with Mel Torme and Buddy Rich.

tonymiceli Wed, 11/05/2008 - 01:08

yeah that was a major cd for me. i was playing duo with a guitar player and NO BASS. i didn't know how to do this. this cd taught me how to play without bass and drums!!

i played the first duo gig on a friday, we were due back on saturday. friday sucked big time. saturday i went to the record store and asked the jazz guy for duo cds without bass. i bought the bill evans/jim hall cd and it changed me and taught me about playing with no bass lines.

shortly after i realized that all the back solo flute stuff and violin stuff also held the answers for me.

s k y p e: tjazzvibe
i c h a t: tonymiceli
tony@tonymiceli.com

jamesshipp Wed, 11/05/2008 - 02:16

yeah, both of those Bill Evans/Jim Hall records are ones I always come back to. Those two crushing versions of 'My Funny Valentine.' And how 'bout Bill having a 'Spanish Tinge' on "I've got you Under My Skin" on Intermodulation?

JAmes

jamesshipp Sun, 11/02/2008 - 21:15

God, what a killer he is. I've been lucky enough to play with him in the guitar chair of my girlfriend's quintet a few times. Just and inspiring amount of musicianship, and from a very nice young man. (You do realize he's like, 23 or 24, yes?)

JAmes

tonymiceli Sun, 11/02/2008 - 22:48

yeah i know he's young. i saw him with arie honig a couple weeks ago. monster player. that's cool you got to play with him.

s k y p e: tjazzvibe
i c h a t: tonymiceli
tony@tonymiceli.com

jamesshipp Sun, 11/02/2008 - 23:20

man, it's exciting stuff. I was gonna have him do a Christmas duo gig with me, but he's out of town. So funny the cats you end up with playing parties sometimes

JAmes

pap4456 Sun, 11/02/2008 - 14:27

I have many. First off is anything by Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, in particular the 1991 album "The Brass is Back." This features an impassioned performance of "All The Things You Are" by the late altoist Moe Koffman and a great McConnell chart. Also an exciting chart by tenor saxophonist Rick Wilkins based on the changes to "What Is This Thing Called Love" entitled "Who Asked." To me, Rob's charts bring together the best elements of the writing of Thad Jones and Gil Evans fused into a style all his own. I have every Boss Brass recording, either on LP or CD. My latest fave rave on piano is Mulgrew Miller. The two volumes "Live at Yoshi's" are hard swinging, technically adroit and, in particular, Miller does a burning rendition of "Relaxin' at Camarillo." Miller combines a thorough knowledge of the bop vocabulary, the dense quartal harmonies of McCoy Tyner interspersed with well-executed unison two-handed lines. Then there is the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra from CA, a a 23-piece Neophonic-type ensemble with complex arrangements by Richmond, blending classical elements, straight ahead jazz as well as avant-garde free-form improvisation, in which some charts are "de-composed" by the ensemble. In particular, I recommend the LP titled "Refractions". The band is comprised of four trumpets, four trombones, tuba, two french horns, five reeds, piano, bass, guitar, drums, two percussionists and Kim Richmond on alto and soprano sax. This is cinematic, symphonic jazz at its best.

johndaly Mon, 11/03/2008 - 07:08

Kenny Barron and Stan Getz anniversary recording is incredible also love Oscar Peterson Ed Thigpen sessions truly masterful there is so much out there and James I like your choice of Paul Brady and Andy Irvine (I'm Irish) two of Ireland's finest musicians have loved all their stuff since before I started playing. If you like that stuff check out Planxty and Moving Hearts.

John

jamesshipp Mon, 11/03/2008 - 08:13

Oh I'm a HUGE Planxty fan, sir. I do Andy's "As I Roved Out" and "The Blacksmith" with my own quartet, as well as "Merrily Kissed the Quaker," "Bean Phaídín," "Frost is All Over..." I describe it as a jazz/Brazilian/experimental band that plays Irish repertoire, but to be honest, at this point it's more a Planxty cover band with solos than anything else. I'm actually planning on doing an audio and maybe video lesson soon about the techniques I've developed for playing piping and fiddle ornamentations on the vibes.

What else, what else should I check out?! I appreciate any advice on finding great music from that part of the world-- it's a really interesting new frontier for me. I'm really getting into the Galician stuff as well.

JAmes

johndaly Mon, 11/03/2008 - 10:17

you should check out Paul Brady's early stuff with the Johnsons he is a great musician has gone from folk to rock to you name it also Donal Lunny another icon in Ireland should keep you busy. Cheers

John

jamesshipp Wed, 11/05/2008 - 02:13

Thanks... yeah, it's just starting to really floor me, what an amazing player and singer Paul Brady is. Can't stop listening to this "duo" record.

JAmes

johndaly Wed, 11/05/2008 - 06:36

Glad you're enjoying Paul he is probably the single most naturally talented performer to emerge fron our fair Isle in the last 25 years or so a beautifully haunting voice and great player. Had the pleasure of meeting him a few tims really nice guy. There is also a female singer called Maura O Connell she is great as well has toured the states with some great musicians and recorded in Nashville check her out

John

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