I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find it more interesting than Emergency, anyway. The tunes are These Boots Are Made For Walking, Norwegian Wood, Sunny, Up Up And Away, Michelle, I Can See For Miles, Good Vibrations, and Monday Monday. The recording was apparently made in August 1967 (a month before I was born). Did McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
-- Mike C. http://mikecrutcher.com "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it out. And maybe that's where art is." - Bill Evans
> I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on > which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find > it more interesting than Emergency, anyway.
I don't find it pedestrian. The only bad thing about it is the twee title - Experiments With Pops!
> Did > McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
The earliest I have is 1963 with Graham Bond (on alto, not organ), Jack Bruce on bass (acoustic!) and Ginger Baker. It was an LP twofer, don't know if it's been rereleased.
There's a recording by Mike Carr, Bebop from the East Coast (1962), where he apparently plays on one track.
From 1967 there's the Danny Thompson Quartet Live.
-Keith
Clips, Portable Changes, tips etc.: www.keithfreemantrio.nl e-mail: info AT keithfreemantrio DOT nl
On May 10, 5:24 pm, "Mike C." <Funkifi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find it more interesting than Emergency, anyway. The tunes are These Boots Are Made For Walking, Norwegian Wood, Sunny, Up Up And Away, Michelle, I Can See For Miles, Good Vibrations, and Monday Monday. The recording was apparently made in August 1967 (a month before I was born). Did McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
> -- > Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com > "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want > something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll > always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it > out. And maybe that's where art is." > - Bill Evans
I like that "Pops" album and everything, but more interesting that Emergency!? Even if Tony Williams' drum parts were all that was on that Emergency! album, it would be a great album. Then add some of the most amazing guitar ever recorded and the great Larry Young. That album is so great that DeJohnette and Sco made a two CD tribute to it.
Of course, I could have done without Tony's "vocals". Great lyrics like: "Why don't you say what you mean; and mean what you say." Or: "They say that everything is said in the bed..." etc.
I have a recording of JM with a sax player playing pretty straight ahead material that is earlier than the Beck album. I love that early JM. No one played anything like that before, or even after.
I was ready for the Emergency disc to be something great, but the hippie "spoken word" vibe and the lack of structure really throws me. I think it's pretty self-indulgent and I can't find anything interesting about it. I'm much happier with the Trio Of Doom disc, as well as just about anything else of McLaughlin's.
The Gordon Beck disc is pretty cool, though. Trying to breathe jazz life into "Good Vibrations" is, er, interesting, but not necessarily in a bad way.
-- Mike C. http://mikecrutcher.com "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it out. And maybe that's where art is." - Bill Evans
> On May 10, 5:24 pm, "Mike C." <Funkifi...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on >> which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find it >> more interesting than Emergency, anyway. The tunes are These Boots Are >> Made For Walking, Norwegian Wood, Sunny, Up Up And Away, Michelle, I Can >> See For Miles, Good Vibrations, and Monday Monday. The recording was >> apparently made in August 1967 (a month before I was born). Did >> McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
>> -- >> Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com >> "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want >> something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll >> always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it >> out. And maybe that's where art is." >> - Bill Evans
> I like that "Pops" album and everything, but more interesting that > Emergency!? Even if Tony Williams' drum parts were all that was on > that Emergency! album, it would be a great album. Then add some of > the most amazing guitar ever recorded and the great Larry Young. That > album is so great that DeJohnette and Sco made a two CD tribute to it.
> Of course, I could have done without Tony's "vocals". Great lyrics > like: "Why don't you say what you mean; and mean what you say." Or: > "They say that everything is said in the bed..." etc.
> I have a recording of JM with a sax player playing pretty straight > ahead material that is earlier than the Beck album. I love that early > JM. No one played anything like that before, or even after.
> I was ready for the Emergency disc to be something great, but the hippie > "spoken word" vibe and the lack of structure really throws me. I think it's > pretty self-indulgent and I can't find anything interesting about it. I'm > much happier with the Trio Of Doom disc, as well as just about anything else > of McLaughlin's.
> The Gordon Beck disc is pretty cool, though. Trying to breathe jazz life > into "Good Vibrations" is, er, interesting, but not necessarily in a bad > way.
> -- > Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com > "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want > something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll > always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it > out. And maybe that's where art is." > - Bill Evans
> > On May 10, 5:24 pm, "Mike C." <Funkifi...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on > >> which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find it > >> more interesting than Emergency, anyway. The tunes are These Boots Are > >> Made For Walking, Norwegian Wood, Sunny, Up Up And Away, Michelle, I Can > >> See For Miles, Good Vibrations, and Monday Monday. The recording was > >> apparently made in August 1967 (a month before I was born). Did > >> McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
> >> -- > >> Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com > >> "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want > >> something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll > >> always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it > >> out. And maybe that's where art is." > >> - Bill Evans
> > I like that "Pops" album and everything, but more interesting that > > Emergency!? Even if Tony Williams' drum parts were all that was on > > that Emergency! album, it would be a great album. Then add some of > > the most amazing guitar ever recorded and the great Larry Young. That > > album is so great that DeJohnette and Sco made a two CD tribute to it.
> > Of course, I could have done without Tony's "vocals". Great lyrics > > like: "Why don't you say what you mean; and mean what you say." Or: > > "They say that everything is said in the bed..." etc.
> > I have a recording of JM with a sax player playing pretty straight > > ahead material that is earlier than the Beck album. I love that early > > JM. No one played anything like that before, or even after.
> He's somewhat evident in the first piece, much more on display in the > second. You might recognize one or two other players as well ...
He was in that group for sure with Bond, Bruce and Baker. But I have never been able to spot JM in this video (it has been cited in the group previously).
This is an absolute classic video, that's for sure.
> On May 11, 12:01 pm, "Mike C." <Funkifi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I was ready for the Emergency disc to be something great, but the hippie > > "spoken word" vibe and the lack of structure really throws me. I think it's > > pretty self-indulgent and I can't find anything interesting about it. I'm > > much happier with the Trio Of Doom disc, as well as just about anything else > > of McLaughlin's.
> > The Gordon Beck disc is pretty cool, though. Trying to breathe jazz life > > into "Good Vibrations" is, er, interesting, but not necessarily in a bad > > way.
> > -- > > Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com > > "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want > > something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll > > always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it > > out. And maybe that's where art is." > > - Bill Evans
> > > On May 10, 5:24 pm, "Mike C." <Funkifi...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > >> I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on > > >> which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find it > > >> more interesting than Emergency, anyway. The tunes are These Boots Are > > >> Made For Walking, Norwegian Wood, Sunny, Up Up And Away, Michelle, I Can > > >> See For Miles, Good Vibrations, and Monday Monday. The recording was > > >> apparently made in August 1967 (a month before I was born). Did > > >> McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
> > >> -- > > >> Mike C.http://mikecrutcher.com > > >> "A great percentage of people don't want a challenge. They want > > >> something done to them, they don't want to participate. But there'll > > >> always be maybe 15% that desire something more, and they'll search it > > >> out. And maybe that's where art is." > > >> - Bill Evans
> > > I like that "Pops" album and everything, but more interesting that > > > Emergency!? Even if Tony Williams' drum parts were all that was on > > > that Emergency! album, it would be a great album. Then add some of > > > the most amazing guitar ever recorded and the great Larry Young. That > > > album is so great that DeJohnette and Sco made a two CD tribute to it.
> > > Of course, I could have done without Tony's "vocals". Great lyrics > > > like: "Why don't you say what you mean; and mean what you say." Or: > > > "They say that everything is said in the bed..." etc.
> > > I have a recording of JM with a sax player playing pretty straight > > > ahead material that is earlier than the Beck album. I love that early > > > JM. No one played anything like that before, or even after.
> Maybe you don't want a challenge?- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
I don't think that's the issue. I like just about all of McLaughlin's output, as well as much avant garde, such as 70's Miles, Ornette, Shorter, etc. I just can't get myself into Emergency. I don't find that amazing guitar in light of McLaughlin's overall body of work, including Live At Albert Hall, Shakti, and even the newest disc, which I'm loving.
> > I just got a copy of the Gordon Beck Quartet's Experiments With Pop on > > which Johnny Mac plays. It's interesting, a bit pedestrian, but I find > > it more interesting than Emergency, anyway.
> I don't find it pedestrian. The only bad thing about it is the twee title - > Experiments With Pops!
> > Did > > McLaughlin do any sessions before this time?
> The earliest I have is 1963 with Graham Bond (on alto, not organ), Jack > Bruce on bass (acoustic!) and Ginger Baker. It was an LP twofer, don't know > if it's been rereleased.
> There's a recording by Mike Carr, Bebop from the East Coast (1962), where > he apparently plays on one track.
> From 1967 there's the Danny Thompson Quartet Live.
> -Keith
Maybe "pedestrian" was a bad word. I think I like McLaughlin better as a leader than a sideman. Of course, with Miles is a different story, but I just don't hear McLaughlin as really ripping when given the confines of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'". Not that complex is necessarily always better, but the tunes here are a bit too steeped in the pop tradition to really be a vehicle for jazz interpretation, excepting "Sunny", which would have been nice to hear McLaughlin blow over.
Hmmm, I think I'd like to hear McLaughlin teamed with Martino. *That* would be some blowing!
