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What are you listening to Part the Third


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I love Chick Corea.  One of the things I have always loved about his music is his melodies -- Medieval Overture, Romantic Warrior, Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant, Señor Mouse, Isfahan, etc. -- he always had a lyricism to his melodies that I much prefer to the more abstract jazzes.  But he's done "simple" before -- specifically, the album that woke me up to his melodies, I rented from the library once and almost never returned it (I now have my own copy), Children's Songs.  Definitely check it out if this interests you.  I need to revisit Leprechaun and My Spanish Heart.  I seem to remember they were particularly melodious as well, but I don't remember them that well, so I could be remembering wrong.

So...thanks for sharing!

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I think I haven't listened to Children's Songs, so I'll check it, thanks for the recommendation, Dusty.

I wasn't a Corea's fan until a couple of years ago. I've always appreciated his virtuosity and his harmonic proveness, he's a beast of unpredictability. At times I could hear what you mention, that melodic lyricism, but on albums like "Now he sings, now he sobs" and his stuff with Return to Forever and Miles, I found some sort of lack of focus which made me feel more like he was showing off than making enjoyable music. It's difficult to explain, however now that I've learnt some music theory and my listening skills have evolved, I can enjoy him a lot more. Maybe it's not as much his evolution as a player as mine as a listener ::)

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I definitely agree with you regarding his work with Miles, and yes, most of his Return to Forever work, but Romantic Warrior is a standout.  (The first three tracks are from that album.  The other two are from Al Di Meola albums.)

And I will admit to not being familiar with his entire catalog, but lyrical melodicism ( ;) ) is top notch when it's there.

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I think the tracks from To the Bone (which didn't really do all that much for me) work better interspersed with the other tracks, and I really dig the track, "People Who Eat Darkness" as sung by Ninet.  He plays several tracks that would have made me very happy -- "Ancestral", "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here", "Sleep Together", "Even Less".  I'm actually tempted to go up to Philly at the end of November to see him, though I'm sure it will be an entirely different setlist by then. 

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6 hours ago, robm321 said:

I missed him the last time he was in the SF bay area. I just checked and it doesn't look like he'll be back for the foreseeable future :(

He tends to do shorter legs, but more of them, I wouldn't give up hope in 2019.  Notice the dates on his site barely go past February.  That's only 3 or 4 months away.  I know I missed him in the DC area in a previous leg of the same tour -- the Philly date is already at least the second leg, and there could well be a third.  To the Bone just won prog album of the year according to Prog magazine, so it wouldn't surprise me if he did a 3rd and a 4th leg.  Interspersed with remixing yet another artist's entire catalog.  Because he's a workaholic.

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A recent jazz release of an old school old times performer: Charlie Mingus

More than 4 hours of music recorded in 1973 for live radio broadcast, 5CDs set titled Jazz in Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden. A review is available at Allaboutjazz and it can be listened to on Tidal

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It may not be the best Mingus' ensemble, but I've been going through this not getting bored a single tune, I'm just 4 tracks from the end, I skipped the interview.

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You're welcome. I'm not a fan of Wadada, too free for my traditionalish jazz taste (evolving nonetheless) but I've enjoyed this Lebroba which will get further listens.

Now listening to a friend's recommendation available on Tidal

 

Philippe Mouratoglou -  Univers Solitude

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Jazzy into new age (kind of) guitar music with bass and percussion-drum kit. Liking it so far.

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John Medeski's Mad Skillet - Mad Skillet
Available on Tidal most likely on Spotify as well it was released in September and they're touring these days

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Very lively and funky improvisation by a good band:  Keyboardist John Medeski, guitarist Will Bernard, drummer Terence Higgins and sousaphone master Kirk Joseph.
Sometimes good music is a great soundtrack for sports broadcasts ;D Those talking know-it-all TV people become rather annoying.
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The 4CDs in a row of The House that Trane Built. Any jazz lover knows most of the tunes in this compilation, however listening to them in the order it's been made gives an interesting perspective of jazz evolution and how it took different directions in the sixties. It's available on Tidal. I should look for Kan's book.

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