Favorite Paul Bley records?
RALPH ROBERTS
While I've listened to him for years, I never before realized how much
I loved his playing!! I've been particularly transfixed by his
trio recordings on Steeplechase (Questions, Indian Summer, Plays Carla
Bley, My Standard) as well as the new Charlie Haden Montreal Tapes).
Other P. Bley lovers out there-- what are some of your favorite recordings
of his....
R. Roberts
Alexander Theodorsen
>R. Roberts
I must say I was very pleased with his "Be Bop" album on Steeplechase... what
a way to interprete old be-bop standards. I have never heard a similar
approach to these tunes, made famous by Gillespie and Parker, and it amases me
how "out" he can play, and at the same time capture a nostalgic feeling.
_________
Alexander
"I'm famous, ain't that a bitch" - Thelonious Monk.
jeffrey a kurland
soul note. a consistenly excellent album. the title tune is amazing
and ornette coleman's "latin genetics" is a total gas...enjoy
jeffrey
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Jeff Beer
It is a duet with Chet, and it meets the expectations you would have
from a duet with Chet and Paul
Jeff
John Thomas
R Shapiro writes:
|> In article <46lpds$4...@crchh327.rich.bnr.ca>, jgth...@bnr.ca wrote:
|>
|> >_Touching_ Black Lion
|> >_Turning Point_ IAI
|> >_Open, To Love_ ECM
|> >_Axis_ IAI
|> >_12 (+6) In A Row_ hat Art
|>
|>
|> Good choices. I would also include:
|>
Thanks, he has so many good records as leader they weren't easy choices
to make.
|> The Floater Syndrome (Savoy)
I forgot about this one although I agree, I would include it also in
my favorite list.
|> Closer (ESP)
This is a good one too although it is so brief!
I need to spend some more time with it.
I have always wondered what the duet with NHOP was like
as I think it has a little electric piano as well as
acoustic piano on it.
I also need to spend some more time with _Time Will Tell_.
John
ADAM BENJAMIN SCHNEIT
just recently been thinking of getting some of his albums. So what I'm
wondering is: with all of the accolades I've heard for the album "Footloose"
(for instance, someone recently posted that it was Pat Metheny's favorite
album, and someone else posted that it had a profound influence on Keith
Jarrett), why has nobody posted it here as one of Bley's best? I'm not saying
that anyone necessarily should have, I'm just wondering what people think of
it. I'm also asking this because I was surprised to see the Penguin guide
give it only three stars and then write about how much of a classic it is and
how it even surpasses the work Bill Evans was doing at the time. What are
people's thoughts on this album and how it compares to others that have been
suggested (i.e. Closer, Annette, Bebop, Memoirs, etc.)?
John Thomas
ADAM BENJAMIN SCHNEIT writes:
|> I've never heard any Paul Bley, but I've always wanted to get into him and have
|> just recently been thinking of getting some of his albums. So what I'm
|> wondering is: with all of the accolades I've heard for the album "Footloose"
|> (for instance, someone recently posted that it was Pat Metheny's favorite
|> album, and someone else posted that it had a profound influence on Keith
|> Jarrett), why has nobody posted it here as one of Bley's best? I'm not saying
_Footloose_ is part of _The Floater Syndrome_ which Richard and I have
indicated is among our favorites of his. I think it is one of his best in showing
his early trio style. Steve Swallow is on bass and doesn't seem as responsive as say
Gary Peacock but his playing is solid. Pete LaRoca is on drums and he brings
a driving feeling to the tunes. And of course...lots of wonderful Bley
improvisations on there.
|> that anyone necessarily should have, I'm just wondering what people think of
|> it. I'm also asking this because I was surprised to see the Penguin guide
|> give it only three stars and then write about how much of a classic it is and
|> how it even surpasses the work Bill Evans was doing at the time. What are
|> people's thoughts on this album and how it compares to others that have been
|> suggested (i.e. Closer, Annette, Bebop, Memoirs, etc.)?
As others have mentioned with regards to The Penguin, I wouldn't put any stock
in the star ratings but moreso in the textual descriptions they write for
the recordings.
In terms of comparing it to the recordings you mention (I haven't heard Bebop),
this one is quite early (the first recorded evidence of Bley as leader after
the sessions with Ornette?) but very adventurous for its time -- as much as
or moreso perhaps, to Bill Evans' legendary trio with LaFaro and Motian. I remember
the bass/drums on _Footloose_ being a bit more conventional for the time vs.
Evans' trio but it is Bley's playing that really holds my attention.
Bley's general style in his solos seems much different harmonically than Evans'
and also exhibits a weird sense of time with respect to that established for
the tune. Marc S characterized Bley's piano trio music very well in terms
of his playing awhile back; if you want I can mail you that article if you
want further details or maybe Marc will post again on this.
John
AMathes737
Also, Open, To Love and the reunion of the Giuffre Trio in the Late 80's
is nice too.-Allen
Marc Sabatella
> I've been particularly transfixed by his
> trio recordings on Steeplechase (Questions, Indian Summer, Plays Carla
> Bley, My Standard) as well as the new Charlie Haden Montreal Tapes).
Bley has done several different sorts of things in his career. I too really
enjoy the more-or-less traditional trio things. You should also check out the
Savoy material, which has been packaged and repackaged several times so I'm not
sure what titles are available, but look out for "Floater", "Floater Syndrome",
or "Footloose". I'd love to get my hands on his debut as well - didn't this
feature Mingus and Roach, or something like that? Also the one with Ornette -
Bley is, by far, my favorite intepreter of Ornette among pianists (actually,
the only one I care for at all).
I'm personally more ambivalent about his ECM work and the trio with Jimmy
Guiffre; it is of a very different character than the trios with bass and
drums, and while there are times when I like some of it a lot, I'd definitely
suggest checking out the Savoy material first, if you like indulging your
tastes before trying to expand them.
--
Marc Sabatella
--
ma...@fc.hp.com
http://www.fortnet.org/~marc/
--
All opinions expressed herein are my personal ones
and do not necessarily reflect those of HP or anyone else.
Giuliano Gavazzi
...
> or "Footloose". I'd love to get my hands on his debut as well - didn't this
> feature Mingus and Roach, or something like that? Also the one with Ornette -
> Bley is, by far, my favorite intepreter of Ornette among pianists (actually,
> the only one I care for at all).
...
> Marc Sabatella
> --
> ma...@fc.hp.com
> http://www.fortnet.org/~marc/
> --
> All opinions expressed herein are my personal ones
> and do not necessarily reflect those of HP or anyone else.
I would say that "Introducing Paul Bley" on Debut (indeed with
Mingus-Roach, 1953) is more of an historical value, it is not yet Paul
Bley.
Instead the Fabulous P.B. Quintet (I've got it on a Musidisc CD) is
excellent. It has been said many times that Bley has got more of these
recordings with Ornette, I would really like to see more out on CD.
Giuliano Gavazzi
Dana Hall
ax...@cityscape.co.uk (Giuliano Gavazzi) wrote:
Paul Bley's first recording on Debut has Art Blakey on drums, not Max Roach.
Dana Hall
William Tsun-Yuk Hsu
>
>Bley has done several different sorts of things in his career. I too really
>enjoy the more-or-less traditional trio things.
I agree with earlier posters that Steve Swallow is a bit tentative in the
"classic" Bley/Swallow/drummer (Motian?) trios. Swallow is more interesting
in the Giuffre/Bley/Swallow trio, and Gary Peacock is a monster in the
Bley piano/bass/drums trios that he plays in.
> I'd love to get my hands on his debut as well - didn't this
>feature Mingus and Roach, or something like that?
Mingus and Blakey, I think. It's from '53 or thereabouts and quite
different from his '60s work. Bley sounds like a very quirky bebop
pianist who has a dangerous fondness for major 7ths :-)
Bill
Giuliano Gavazzi
drh...@merle.acns.nwu.edu (Dana Hall) wrote:
> Paul Bley's first recording on Debut has Art Blakey on drums, not Max Roach.
>
> Dana Hall
well, you are right!
Mark Ladenson
the BMG-RCA club's catalog. Any opinions on this one?
Thanks,
Mark L.