Streaming from Qobuz. Perfect music for a Sunday evening.
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Recently splurged on a Ken Vandermark 10 CD box set, Resonance, and have worked my way through the first 5 CDs. I picked this up from Chicago percussionist following his 2020 Winter Solstice Performance with Hamid Drake. For those not familiar with Ken Vandermark he is a saxophone player loosely associated with the Peter Brotzmann school of avant-garde jazz. Vandermark is a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award in 1999.
From the MacArthur Foundation website:
Vandermark’s music draws on a range of traditions, including jazz, European classical and folk musics, reggae, rock, and African forms. A number of his pieces bare a striking resemblance to baroque chamber music, while others are more akin to heavy-metal anthems. He leads and performs with more than a dozen ensembles and has recorded over forty compact disks, including Target or Flag (1998), Simpatico (1999), Acoustic Machine (2002), Furniture Music (2003) and The Color of Memory (2004). As exemplified by his Target or Flag recording, Vandermark’s work is characterized by high-energy playing that also includes timbral range and melodic coherence. Though many of his performances are entirely improvised, others include his signature composition style, featuring tightly wound chromatic and counterpunctal figures played in unison by horns that then release into long solos.
Resonance is a rather challenging listen, be it one CD or any of the first five. Cautiously recommended.
I’ve been listening to the 96/24 download. The recording is first rate. I really like Denise Jannah’s vocals. I do have a thing for 50s female jazz vocalists. She captures that really well.
Added this to my CD collection. Embarrassingly unaware of it until Lonson posted it. Strong performance by Sonny Stitt at Boston’s Hi-Hat. From the liner notes it appears he is backed by a Boston pick-up band, allowing for Sonny to stretch. Some great Bop here on all accounts. Highly recommended for Bop and Stitt fans. The CD sound is clean and acceptable for a 1954 live club date. Looking forward to Volume 1, due in later in the week.
I gotta add this is a really fun set. Sonny’s got the audience worked up.
@tmurray1, Unfortunately this is not currently available on Tidal. You piqued my curiosity as I am unfamiliar with Gidon Nunes Vaz. I have added this to my Tidal cue:
Sorry. Should have noted it’s a Sound Liaison release. The details are here:
https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php/596-embrace-me-gidon-nunes-vaz-quartet
I found this interesting about the release: “In order to get a little extra ‘mojo’ we decided to create the DXD Master using a Studer A80 analog reel to reel tape machine running at 15ips.”
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Chico Freeman playing some fine straight ahead post bop jazz, with Antionio Farao on piano. Chico’s composition Black Inside is a standout with Antionio’s piano and the strong rhythm support by Heiri Kanzig, and Michael Baker :
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Dutch trumpeter Gidon Nunes Vaz, on this straight ahead jazz set. Nice sounding recording to boot.
Treje’s soaring stratocaster leads off this strong set, reminiscent of his earlier releases on ecm, especially Descendre.
Listening to the Tone Poet reissue of Tina Brooks’ final Blue Note LP, The Waiting Game. Featuring Kenny Drew on piano and Johnny Coles on trumpet. This is some fine swinging hard bop. Fans of the genre and vinyl playback should not pass up this fine set. It’s unfathomable that Blue Note would allow this to remain shelved until released in Japan in 1999, followed by an American release in 2002. Having the Mosaic box set as will I am inclined to attempt a comparison, time willing. As with most BN Tone Poets, don’t pass this one up, as they say when it’s gone it’s gone. “Way Gone” in the case of this Blue Note Holy Grail.
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Coltrane is surprisingly under-represented! You could start with Ballads, Blue Train, My Favorite Things and Giant Steps. Then Africa/Brass and Cresent. And of course A Love Supreme, which you will likely play to death and still never tire of.
I was soliciting others to post some Coltrane, Alice, John or Ravi.
That said one can never tire of My Favorite Things:
I can’t say I have a favorite Coltrane Album, I like the Miles Davis Prestige series, Cookin’, Workin’ Steamin’, and Relaxin’. Then there is the Atlantic series of which I picked up the Rhino Box set on LP, The Heavyweight Champion, when it was released. I started out on my jazz journey with the Impulse Live at the Village Vanguard, followed by The Other Village Vanguard Tapes.
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Some of my favorite Coltrane is on Columbia with Miles!
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At his level of playing favorite does not come to mind, at least in this house, 
John’s performances on Columbia are special as well. Would not be without any of them.
The “Other Coltrane”
I have always enjoyed the spiritual aspect of the Coltrane family sound. Alice in this instance with Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson.
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Some of you may already know about this label but just discovered it myself recently.
Could you build on what you find about Resonance Records as a label that differentiates itself from others? Is it the lost tapes aspect, the specific artists, the overall product quality, te tendency towards an audiophile sound, its mere existence? Just what was the motivation for the post?
They are a part of the Non-Profit Rising Stars Jazz Foundation designed to discover and promote new jazz artists. The two primary forces behind the label are long time industry stalwarts as producers and engineers. One of the two Zev Feldman is part of team at Blue Note Records dealing with archival and historical recordings. In addition he is a liaison to the estates of the late Bill Evans and Wes Montgomery. Most of their products had never been released before and are originally released in both Vinyl and CD version including many Record Store Day releases. So far it appears to be kind of hit or miss as to whether or not these recording can be found on Tidal or Qobuz. So far the quality of the ones I have listened to seems to be quite good.