Top 4 for October 20, 2015

Just a quick list to keep my blogging muscles flexed and maybe get back into the habit. Just some recommendations without much explanation I'm afraid.

Esteem - The Ideal Bread

from the Ideal Bread album. The Steve Lacy tribute band made up of his former New England Conservatory students in a contemplative mode.

Chitlins con Carne - Kenny Burrell

from Midnight Blue. Blue Note soul jazz from  the early sixties. I remember first hearing this when I was in high school on some sort of "Best of Blue Note" compilation borrowed from the public library, recorded and then force on anyone who I could listen in order to spread the jazz gospel.

Trio for Bass Instruments by Charles Wourinen

As played by the Group for Contemporary Music. One of the most lyrical of high modernists mucks about in the low registers for some interesting sounds and rhythms. Plus, it has the great David Taylor on bass trombone.

The Pusher - Nina Simone

The super funky lead-off to It Is Finished, a 1974 live album.

Top 7 for January 15, 2014

Not Dark Yet – Bob Dylan from Time out of Mind

...but it's getting there

When it came out, we were all like “that's about the end of his voice” and now 15 years later we're like “his voice still sounded good then, compared to his latest record.”

JS Bach: Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord & strings in A minor ('Triple'), BWV 1044 - I: Allegro

performed by Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert in 1984