Ornette Coleman At the Golden Circle, Stockholm Sweden 1965: With Bassist David Izenzon & Drummer Charles Moffett

 In the early 60's Ornette Coleman revolutionized jazz with his piano-less quartet that featured Charlie Haden on bass, Don Cherry on trumpet, and Billy Higgins on drums.

This time in Stockholm a trio, and a new Label, Blue Note Records. After years with Atlantic Records, I always thought it odd Blue Note would sign Coleman at this time, when they seemed to be heading in a more commercial soul jazz direction.

It was right before The label was sold to Liberty Records, perhaps some hold overs were still left pulling for creative music?

Both volumes of  Golden Circle, with the one pictured being volume 1, both really are something worth hearing.

 It is also worth noting that the ride cymbal is incredibly in your face on the mix of these concerts. It did take me some time to get used to it. Most people who I have heard discuss At the Golden Circle consider Moffett's sound to be a high point.

Ornette also plays violin and trumpet, both instruments are played in a very primitive unpolished way, I could see some virtuoso musicians wondering exactly what is so hot about this music? The genius is in the simplicity of the music, the playful, almost child like quality of Coleman's simple melodies, with the standard quotes mixed in.

You can plainly hear how much fun Ornette is having, it really shows in his playing. Bassist David Izenzon is every bit as good a player a Charlie Haden to my ears too, bowing or finger picking.

Oh yeah, as for Izenzon, anyone who wears a cape must be cool, that's all I got to say about that.

Since I am not a theory expert and not myself a jazz musician, I don't get all hung up on all the technical jargon, I like the music pure and simple.

 I like free jazz, it is no doubt an acquired taste, but something about the "out of the box" styles and thinking some how jive with my simple yet imaginative mind. You won't be at a loss for imagination here, Ornette had it and then some in Stockholm this night.

Ornette would go on to record several albums for Blue Note: New York is now, Love Call, and The Empty Foxhole, the latter with his 10 year old son Denardo on drums.

 Is it possible these Blue Notes are underrated or overlooked? I think so, possibly the Blue Notes are not quite as revolutionary, but I will say that the music is full of surprises, especially for those who have an open mind to those surprises.

Don Cherry Blue Note 4311: Where is Brooklyn? A Free Jazz Classic (1967)

If you are fan of free jazz, or advanced post bop, I think the mid 1960's Blue Note albums of Don Cherry will be very much to your liking.

Complete Communion, Symphony for the Improvisers, and the pictured Where is Brooklyn?

All 3 albums feature dense free for all, yet compose playing, much in the vein of Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz from 1961.

Don Cherry, who performed on Free Jazz, offers some fulfilling arrangements that seem bigger than the ensembles that perform them.

You know what, I have listened to all of these albums several times, and I would have bet money they were all  sextet or bigger, I am still astounded that Where is Brooklyn is nothing more than a quartet date.

Cherry on trumpet, Ed Blackwell on drums, Henry Grimes on bass, and Pharoah Sanders on tenor sax and piccolo, The music just seems bigger than a quartet for sure.

Sanders really seems different here than what he would become down the road a few years, he is still a free blower, but not quite yest the hellion of fire breathing he would become on his own Impulse albums, like Karma and Deaf, Dumb, and Blind.

There are hints of melody and structure so don't be too scared off by the free jazz label, definitely a worthy addition to a free jazz/post bop collection.  If you like Ornette's Free Jazz, you should like Where is Brooklyn?

Also you may notice that this vinyl copy pictured, from my own collection is a mid 70's Liberty Issue.

 I rather like those black b Liberty's, as they are also known.

I think I did pay 25 bucks for this copy, but an original pressing would run you at $150, and up.

Honestly I can only afford to window shop for first press Blue Notes, I have a few that I have found in thrift stores and record shops, that didn't realize what they had, but I don't have any problems listening to a second or third press.

Sadly though recently, even these mid 70's pressings are beginning to rise in price, it won't be long as they too will be out of reach. You better get them while you can.

 Update 2-3-2016: Correct me if I am wrong, but is not this track below "The Thing" the same them used for the character also known as The Thing on the 1960's cartoon for the Marvel superheroes show The Fantastic Four? The theme usually plays when ever the Ben Grimm  The Thing character goes on attack mode.

Duke Pearson: Now Hear This (1968) Fantastic Overlooked Big Band Date.

Duke Pearson who was the house arranger at Blue Note Records after Ike Quebec died in 1963, stayed at the label until around 1970.

Duke mainly stuck to small group hard bop albums while with Blue Note, like Wahoo and Sweet Honey Bee respectively.

In 1967 Duke branched out into big band territory with Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band. One year and 2 albums later he returned with another big band date, That album is: Now Hear This.

Now Hear This is more of the same, but this time I can hear a little bit of a Duke Ellington sound mixed in, especially "Dad Digs Mom, and Mom Digs Dad", that brings to mind Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone"

Underrated singer Andey Bey performs one vocal number "I'm Tired of Crying Over You" A really nice up beat blues, reminds me of a Joe Williams with Count Basie type number.

Side 2 opens up with a nice detective film score sounding piece "Minor League" or might sound like one of them late 60's Marvel Comics cartoons? the long drawn out note near the end the track reminds me of something you might hear on those early Amazing Spider-man Cartoons.

Then another Ellingtonian style piece the standard "Here's that Rainy Day," a little bit heavy on the shmaltz, just a tad bit more sugar than I like, but still lovely in a Rainy Day kind of way.

I would say the thing that keeps you coming back to Now Hear This and Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band is the variety.

Pearson really stretches and takes more than a few chances, showing his obvious swing roots, while wearing his new bop and hard bop credentials on his sleeve.

Not sure why Duke Pearson is better known outside of staunch jazz circles, If your Blue Note Collector, no doubt you have most of the Important stuff all ready either on vinyl or CD.

The 2 big band dates I mention here are not easy to find on CD, I have bothe vinyl copies, I think I paid less than 10 bucks a piece for my originals, they are in fact blue and white label Liberty Addressed copies.

Check out the gate fold cover? this was something Blue Note experimented with in the late 60's
This particular cover actually had the record sliding out the way in should, I have a few where Blue Note went to some moronic inside the fold slide out cover?

It's all most impossible to get the record out of those without scuffing somewhat, or putting undue pressure on the cover spine, really bad idea!