John Surman and Jack DeJohnette - The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon (ECM, 1981)

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John Surman (bs, ss, bcl, synth); Jack DeJohnette (d, p, congas) 

Recorded January, 1981

When John Surman joined ECM for 1979's Upon Reflection, he chose a solo format that he frequently revisited throughout his long career. Through overdubbing his multiple instruments and playing over a synth background, he produced music of great beauty. I don't fully buy into the criticism of his solo albums as too inward or withdrawn. All artists are self-indulgent to a degree, and Surman had found a format that worked for him. 

Nonetheless, The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon shows how well Surman responds to the spark provided by a provocative drummer like Jack DeJohnette. Amazing Adventures offers a highly interactive and engaging dialogue between the two players. The album's first track, "Nestor's Saga," reprises Surman's solo formula for most of its 10:48 minutes, with DeJohnette heating things up near the end. This sets the stage for "The Buccaneers" on which the drummer goads Surman into growls and squawks on soprano. Each subsequent track varies the pace, choice of instruments, and length to produce a varied program of driving rhythms interspersed with pastoral beauty. A synth-baritone overdubbed solo feature for Surman is a delight ("Within the Halls of Neptune"), and on "Fide et Amore" DeJohnette on electric piano and Surman on baritone create a beautiful dialogue reminiscent of Harold Budd and Marion Brown playing on the former's The Pavillion of Dreams album. 

 

It's unclear who Simon Simon may have been or what his adventures were. The cover art and section titles offer some clues, but in the end, it doesn't add to or detract from the appreciation of this wonderful album. 

Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Jack DeJohnette - To Be Continued (ECM, 1981)

 

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Terje Rypdal (g, fl); Miroslav Vitous (b, p); Jack 

DeJohnette (d)

Recorded January, 1981

Readers of my prior posts may be tempted to label me as an ECM lover. That would be true for recordings made prior to about 1985. The early 1980s was a peak period for the label, in my opinion. New (to me) artists such as Terje Rypdal were featured along with older favorites like Gary Burton, all presented in pristine sonics. As I got acquainted with the ECM releases from the late 1970s, one album in particular grabbed me like no other. That was Rypdal, Vitous and DeJohnette's eponymous first album recorded in 1978. To Be Continued reunited this group in the studio for more of the same magic three years later. 

Although Rypdal began his career as a progressive rocker, the trio here displays a sweeping aural soundscape shaped by the sustained notes of the guitarist. This approach works to best effect on the beautiful "Maya" and "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf," both penned by the guitarist. Vitous contributes two compositions recorded during his earlier work as a leader ("Mountain in the Clouds") and as a member of Weather Report ("Morning Lake"). The title track is by DeJohnette and finds Vitous on electric bass duetting with the drums. Eventually guitar sounds emerge over the rapidly moving rhythm. "This Morning" is a free-form, improvised affair attributed to the group. The album ends with Vitous playing piano and DeJohnette singing wordless vocals. Overall, this varied program succeeds from beginning to end. 

Prior to the 1980s, you would rarely find a group comprised of a Norwegian, a Czech, and an American playing all their own compositions. Manfred Eicher's ECM productions sought out such combinations and gave multiple recording opportunities to artists like those on To Be Continued, shaping jazz of the decade in new directions rather than reviving the tradition. The world of jazz is better for it. 

Woody Shaw - United (Columbia, 1981)

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Woody Shaw, Jr. (tr, flgh); Steve Turre (tb); Gary Bartz (as); Mulgrew Miller (p); Stafford James (b); Tony Reedus (d)

Recorded March 7, 9, and 17, 1981

Woody Shaw was born Christmas eve 1944, dying from kidney failure before his 45th birthday in 1989. His most productive years as a band leader were in the 1970s and 1980s. It was his group that featured Dexter Gordon on the celebrated Homecoming album recorded at the Village Vanguard in December 1976. Shaw's contributions to that album deserve praise equal to Dexter's. Homecoming and his numerous albums on the Muse label earned Shaw a Columbia contract that led to several more excellent albums, most notably Rosewood, Stepping Stones, and United. 

United brings together a group of musicians who are now regarded as luminaries in the history of jazz, not just the 1980s. Shaw's frequent partner on trombone, Steve Turre, is here along with two appearances by Gary Bartz on alto. The great rhythm section is anchored by Mulgrew Miller. This was indeed a great band playing great tunes. We plan to feature them on two more albums from the 1980s in this blog. 

The title track, "United," is a Wayne Shorter tune that has been covered by many artists. Shaw and Miller offer terrific solos that demonstrate how fertile this classic is for improvisation. "The Greene Street Caper" is Shaw's clever variation on "Green Dolphin Street." Shaw states the melody on muted trumpet, as if to echo Miles Davis' version of the song. Miller's piano solo reveals how great an artist he was without being considered a major stylist. The pianist's "Pressing the Issue" is a modal construction that supports wonderful solos from all. Shaw's memorable waltz, "Katrina Ballerina," also appears on the album. 

United portrays an artist in his prime playing jazz standards, Broadway ("What Is This Thing Called Love?"), and original tunes with a superb band. Best of all, nobody coasts, not even on the most familiar material and the obligatory blues. What's not to like? 

The young boy pictured on the album cover is Woody Shaw III, who grew up to contribute liner notes to a recently released live performance of his father's band (The New Woody Shaw Quintet Vol. 1 at Onkel Po's Carnegie Hall, Jazzline 2017). That recording comes very close to beating out United as my favorite Woody Shaw album of the 1980s. There are also many other posthumously issued live albums by Woody Shaw available on HighNote and Elemental Music.

Irakere - El Coco (JVC/Milestone, 1982)

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Chucho Valdés (kybd); Germán Velazco (as); Carlos Averhoff (ts); Arturo Sandoval (tr); Jorge Varona (tr); Carlos Emilio Morales (g); Carlos del Puerto (b); Enrique Plá (d); Jorge Alfonso (perc); Oscar Valdés (perc)

Recorded on August 3 - 5, 1980

In the late 1970s, during a momentary warming of relations between the U.S. and Cuba, Irakere released two LPs on U.S. giant Columbia Records.  The first release, simply titled Irakere (1978), made a huge splash.  After their second release for Columbia, Irakere 2 (1979), Ronald Reagan became president. U.S.-Cuba relations again soured, and Columbia dropped Irakere.  Fortunately for listeners who enjoyed Irakere's amalgamation of jazz, Afro-Cuban, and popular musics, the Japanese Victor Company signed the band.  Milestone Records licensed two of their albums for release in the U.S.: Chekeré Son (1979) and El Coco (1982).  Adding a further political twist, by the time Irakere had recorded El Coco, the outstanding reedman Paquito D'Rivera had defected from Cuba, eventually settling in U.S., where he made a series of outstanding LPs (to be discussed subsequently).  Irakere replaced him with the altoist Germán Velazco.

Like most of Afro-Latin jazz, the music on El Coco will not appeal to jazz purists. But I love the way Irakere blends musical traditions and new-and-old sounds to create something unique and powerful.  Also, Irakere is completely comfortable with the idea of "modern jazz" as dance music; it makes me think of Duke Ellington's quote about all music -- at its root -- addressing "the terpsichorean urge.”

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Earth Beams (Timeless, 1980)

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George Adams (ts, fl); Don Pullen (p, org); Cameron Brown (b); Dannie Richmond (d)

Recorded on August 3 - 5, 1980

This band flies! ...From this listener's perspective, the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet should be regarded as one of the finest groups of the 1980s.  

In the mid-80s, the quartet was signed to Blue Note and released their "major label" debut, Breakthrough (1986).  But I think the quartet made their finest recordings earlier in the decade on smaller, European labels like Wim Wigt's Timeless and Giovanni Bonandrini's Soul Note.

Among these, I think their most satisfying release is Earth Beams.  It captures everything that I enjoy about this group -- their joyousness, their energy, and their feeling for the blues. ...I also have to remark on George Adams' sound.  It's such marvelous, gorgeous tone!  This album captures him in peak form.

More from the George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet

I actually prefer this band's studio efforts over their live performances.  After Earth Beams, my next recommendations would be two more releases on the Timeless label: City Gates (1983) and Decisions (1984).

David "Fathead" Newman - Lone Star Legend: Still Hard Times - Resurgence! (32 Jazz/Muse, 1997)

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On Resurgence!: David Newman (ts, as, ss, fl); Marcus Belgrave (tr, flhn); Ted Dunbar (g); Cedar Walton (p, el p); Buster Williams (b); Louis Hayes (d); recorded on September 23, 1980

On Still Hard Times: David Newman (ts, as, ss, fl); Hank Crawford (as); Charlie Miller (tr); Howard Johnson (bs); Steve Nelson (vib); Larry Willis (p); Walter Booker (b); Jimmy Cobb (d); recorded on April 14, 1982 

Here's what Michael Cuscuna, the producer of these sessions, had to say about David Newman: 

“It's always been a mystery to me why David 'Fathead' Newman isn't one of the most popular instrumentalists of the second half of the twentieth century. ...He's got the intellectual chops to play bebop, ballads or blues with a backbeat and with feeling, creativity, and authority. ...When he plays a note with the unique Texas tenor tone, every cell in my body comes alive."

And Ray Charles, Newman's long-time employer, offered more praise for the saxophonist: 

"He has one of the kindest, sweetest dispositions of anyone I'd ever known. They called him 'Fathead' but I called him 'Brains' because of his keen intelligence. He had it all covered -- down and dirty blues and high flying bop. And he put it together with a smoothness that had me wishing I could blow sax half as good as him."

From my perspective, these two quotes sum up Newman's appeal.  He's got an effortless authority and a distinctive smooth-but-wide-open sound that I find irresistible.  

This 32 Jazz CD reissue compiles two complete LPs that Newman made for Muse in the early-80s.  Resurgence! is a quintet session featuring a formidable band.  It's wonderful to hear Newman in this relatively stripped down context, supported by a powerhouse rhythm section as well as his former bandmate with Ray Charles' band, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.  The title of the second date, Still Hard Times, not-so-obliquely refers to Newman's famous sax work on Ray Charles' hit "Hard Times."  This session has the feel of a little big band date, like many of Hank Crawford's records.  Appropriately enough, Crawford's on hand to lend his one-of-a-kind sax work to the proceedings.  In fact, the entire cast of sidemen is stellar.

Unlike some listeners, I enjoy hearing Newman play in just about any context.  For example, I love his 1978 album for Prestige, Concrete Jungle, with arrangements by William Fischer.  But those who prefer to hear Newman in straight-ahead jazz contexts will be pleased with Lone Star Legend.  The "soul-jazz" elements characteristic of Newman's 70s albums are less prominent, but his supremely soulful sound remains. 

More "Fathead" Newman

At the end of the 1980s, Newman returned to Atlantic, the label where he'd made his first records, and released two LPs.  Both are outstanding, but I slightly prefer Fire! Live at the Village Vanguard (1989) with Hank Crawford and Stanley Turrentine.

Joe Bonner - Impressions of Copenhagen (Theresa/Evidence/Pure Pleasure, 1981)

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Joe Bonner (p, chimes, arr); Paul Warburton (b); J. Thomas Tilton (d, producer); Gary Olson (tb); Eddie Shu (tr); Holly Hofmann (fl); Carol Garrett (vla); Carol Michalowski (vn); Peggy Sullivan (vn); Beverly Woolery (vc)

Recorded 1981

Joe Bonner was not as prolific as many of his contemporaries, but he developed a style of his own. He created a ringing sound out of the piano, and many of his compositions feel to me like movie themes. He told stories through his music and created a couple of the best albums of the decade: Impressions of Copenhagen and the masterful Suite for Chocolate (featured later in this blog). 

Impressions of Copenhagen has only one trio track and five others with a larger ensemble. Bonner wrote the arrangements and composed four of the five tunes on the album. The ensemble never overwhelms the basic trio, but their presence aids the unfolding of Bonner's stories. The opening title track makes an immediate impression by the inclusion of Bonner's chimes (orchestral bells) along with the full ensemble. "I'll Say No This Time" is the best illustration of movie-theme storytelling on the album, although the title track is the most memorable.

Bonner's connection to Copenhagen is explained in the liner notes as a "geographical benefit" of an environment in which foreign artists receive acceptance. At the time of his Danish experience, I also made some extended trips to Copenhagen and experienced similar treatment. American jazz artists struggling for acceptance in the United States have often found safe harbors in European cities, and Copenhagen was often their favored location.

In 2021, Impressions of Copenhagen was selected by the Pure Pleasure label for its audiophile reissue program. I own the original vinyl release on Theresa and have previously owned the Evidence CD. Whatever the format, the album's unique portrait of a special place at a special time earns its selection as one of my favorite albums of the 1980s.

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Carla Bley - Social Studies (WATT, 1981)

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Carla Bley (p, org); Joe Daley (euph); Tony Dagradi (ts, cl); Gary Valente (tb); Michael Mantler (tr); Earl McIntyre (tba); Carlos Ward (as); Steve Swallow (b); D. Sharpe (d)

Recorded September-December, 1980

I first heard Carla Bley on the1968 album, A Genuine Tong Funeral, led by Gary Burton and featuring Steve Lacy, Gato Barbieri, Steve Swallow among a larger group of players. All the tunes were composed by Carla Bley, and I was captivated by their originality and the funereal narrative of the album. I’ve been tracking her work ever since and was delighted to see her election to Downbeat’s Hall of Fame in 2021. Her compositions are covered by many jazz artists, including several albums devoted to her music (e.g., Gary Burton's Dreams So Real, ECM 1976). She has led large and small groups throughout her career and performs her own work almost exclusively. Even in other people's groups (e.g., Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra), she composes and arranges in addition to playing keyboards. Her aural stamp is indelible.

Social Studies presents a larger ensemble recorded in a studio in 1980. The program is a mix of old and new tunes, and they don’t sound like anyone else’s. They offer soloists room for improvisation but are designed to feature the compositions as well as the performers. They sound fresh each time they are played. Passages can move into raucous disharmony and back into peaceful sections rather seamlessly. There is also a good measure of humor on display, for example in the first track, "Reactionary Tango (in three parts)." Trumpets, trombones, and Swallow’s electric bass make the biggest impressions.

My favorite composition by Carla Bley appears on this album and on several others: “Utviklingssang” (loosely translated as Viking Song). Tony Dagradi takes a beautiful tenor solo, elaborating the theme, which evokes both sadness and elegance. (This is a role that Andy Sheppard often fulfills in Bley's smaller trio). "Valse Sinistre" and "Floater" (featuring Swallow) are also favorites and included here. 

Another notable track on Social Studies is "Copyright Royalties." Taken at a loping pace, the soloists are able to stretch out a bit more than usual. Key to the track is Dagradi's clarinet solo, which emerges by surprise from the brass-heavy ensemble. Just another small reminder of the composer's genius.

Art Pepper - Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980)

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Art Pepper (as, cl); Stanley Cowell (p); Cecil McBee (b); Carl Burnett (d); Howard Roberts (g)

String section: Nate Rubin (concertmaster); John Tenney (vn); Greg Mazmanian (vn); Patrice Anderson (vn); Clifton Foster (vn); Dan Smiley (vn); Audrey Desilva (vn); Elizabeth Gibson (vn); Stephen Gehl (vn); Emily Van Valkenburgh (vn); Sharon O'Connor (vc); Mary Ann Meredith (vc); Terry Adams (vc)

Recorded September 3 and 4, 1980

Many historic jazz figures strived to record a “strings album” at some point in their careers. Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown both created memorable albums backed by string sections. The aspiration to play in front of strings was presumably to elevate jazz to the status of symphony orchestras. The results are not always fan favorites, but the indulgence is not unwelcomed.

Art Pepper’s life story is long and complicated, but his artistry is hard to fault. He recorded Winter Moon in 1980 at the peak of a productive period after returning to activity in the mid-1970s. He died less than two years later at the age of 56. He entered Downbeat's Hall of Fame the same year.

Winter Moon is distinguished both by Pepper's beautiful playing and by the string arrangements of Bill Holman and Jimmy Bond. In addition to five standards, Pepper plays two original compositions. On Blues in the Night, he switches to clarinet (his first axe). It's hard to single out particular tracks because everything is performed at a very high level. This is a legendary altoist/clarinetist playing with a strong jazz group backed by strings perfectly arranged by legends. Everything works perfectly. 

The recording engineers also deserve a shout out for the wonderful balance between the string section and the jazz ensemble. Cecil McBee's bass lines are clearly articulated, as are Carl Burnett's drums. Pepper's sax floats above the large ensemble effortlessly. Short solo spots for Stanley Cowell and Howard Roberts also ensure that this is a JAZZ record, not an exercise in easy listening. 

String section players are often not credited in liner notes. Graciously, producer Ed Michel includes the names of all of the string players on the album cover. Since they play so gorgeously behind the quintet, their contribution to a great recording deserves the acknowledgment. Only violinists and cellists were engaged for the sessions, and not all played in both sessions. 

Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition - Tin Can Alley (ECM, 1981)

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Jack DeJohnette (d, p, vo); John Purcell (as, bs); Chico Freeman (ts, f); Peter Warren (b, vc)

Recorded September, 1980

Jack DeJohnette is everywhere it seems. Since emerging in the late 1960s, he has led or appeared on hundreds of recordings. Known to many as the drummer in Keith Jarrett's standards trio (along with the late bassist Gary Peacock), DeJohnette also led the Special Edition group that recorded seven albums for ECM and other labels between 1979 and 1991. Tin Pan Alley is the second of this sequence of great records. For me, Tin Pan Alley and the subsequent Album Album (to be included as later post) are the best Special Edition offerings of the decade. They are also two of the truly great jazz albums of the decade. 

The formula for Special Edition is to play original compositions, most by the drummer/leader, with reed players and a bassist. No piano, no brass (except for appearances by trumpeter Baikida Carroll on Inflation Blues and Howard Johnson's tuba on Album Album). The choice of reed players always includes people like David Murray, Chico Freeman, and Gary Thomas to provide the most ecstatic passages. These "energy" players are balanced by the sublime multi-reedist, John Purcell. For me, Purcell is the critical player in several of the Special Edition bands, including Tin Pan Alley.

On Tin Pan Alley, Purcell is paired with Chico Freeman. Between them, they play tenor, alto, and baritone saxes; flute; and bass clarinet, often doubling instruments on the same tune. This allows for a wide palette of colors that keeps the program varied and extends the quartet to sound like a sextet or even octet. For example, "Pastel Rhapsody" is a long (14:30) piece that merits its title; it's both colorful and rhapsodic! Four different horns are played by Purcell and Freeman, including two flutes. "Riff Raff," which also lives up to its descriptive title, pairs Freeman's bass clarinet with Purcell's baritone. It's hard to believe these compositions and arrangements are from the drummer, but DeJohnette is always full of surprises. He gets the spotlight on "The Gri Gri Man" where he plays four different instruments (congas, drums, organ, tympani). The jaunty "I Know," completes the program with dubbed-in crowd applause and some spoken words from the leader.

Anthony Davis, Jay Hoggard - Under the Double Moon (MPS/PAUSA, 1981)

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Anthony Davis (p); Jay Hoggard (vib)

Recorded September 1 and 2, 1980

Piano-vibe duets have become a distinctive format for jazz players, most famously the Chick Corea-Gary Burton duets that commenced with their classic Crystal Silence LP in 1972. On Under the Double Moon, Anthony Davis and Jay Hoggard advance the genre using mainly original compositions. The pianist's interest in composition has been cited as an example of an important aspect of the 1980s jazz by critic Francis Davis (In the Moment: Jazz in the 1980s: Oxford University Press, 1986). "Modern" jazz composition has always been a part of jazz, but the 1980s were said to focus upon new forms and assemblages borrowed from other music, including classical forms.

How does modern composition translate into a duet format? Under the Double Moon includes one obscure Duke Ellington piece ("The Clothed Woman" which appeared as the B side on a 1948 78rpm record); the remainder are three compositions by Davis and two by Hoggard. Thankfully, the resulting performances do not sound too scholarly or complex. Because these players came up together and shared the same teachers (Ed Blackwell, in particular, according to the liner notes), they understand the approach and execute the program gracefully and adventurously. While rather "brainy" in its conception (judging by the sources of inspiration in the pianist's liner notes), there are few obstacles to enjoyment of the music. Whatever the motives or aspirations of the players, the listener is amply rewarded.

The album was recorded in Germany at producer H.G. Brunner-Schwer's MPS Studio in the Black Forest. This is the same producer who provided recording opportunities to many visiting jazzmen, notably Oscar Peterson. The domestic (US) release on PAUSA suggests a reversal of the usual way jazz was produced and distributed before the 1980s. In those days, European labels would distribute different versions of original American albums. Here we have two American artists recorded in Germany on a German label, which is later picked up by an American reissue label. Jazz as an art form owes gratitude to European labels and producers, and this blog's later entries will acknowledge this debt multiple times. 

Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM, 1981)

 This post is by Dan

Pat Metheny (guitars, b); Lyle Mays (kybds); Nana Vasconcelos (perc., vo)

Recorded September 1980

Pat Metheny needs no introduction to jazz fans or to the broader listening audience. I enjoyed his early ECM albums, including As Falls Wichita. I liked his sound, his tunes, and the ECM production values. After a few years, however, I turned away from the more commercial of Metheny’s albums, which sounded like “smooth jazz” to me. But I stuck with As Falls Wichita because of two tracks: the 20:44 minute title track and the haunting elegy to Bill Evans – “September Fifteenth.”

This is a highly produced album and is co-led by Lyle Mays and features Nana Vasconcelos. The title track adds ambient sounds of children’s voices and a sense of space which puts the listener on a journey of both sights and sounds. Metheny’s Midwestern origins probably inspired the aural visions on this track. Mays is a master at writing and creating atmospheres from his various keyboards. I can’t think of many comparable pieces of music in jazz or outside of jazz. 

“Ozark” and "It's for You" are more typical Metheny of the time. They bring smiles and energy and few challenges. Metheny would capitalize on these virtues for many years, in addition to experimenting in a number of different directions, ranging from Ornette Coleman's music to grunge to large orchestral works. His success is richly deserved. For me, the moody title track and the Evans tribute make As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls my favorite Pat Metheny album. 

Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray - Jump Up (Hat Hut, 1981)

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Jimmy Lyons (as); John Lindberg (b); Sunny Murray (d)

Recorded August 30, 1980

There is, perhaps, no purer context for jazz than a concert stage set for three instrumentalists committed to free improvisation. Jazz Festival Willisau in Switzerland has a long commitment to providing a platform for groups such as the one Jimmy Lyons brought to the festival in 1980. Teamed with drummer Sunny Murray and bassist John Lindberg, Lyons assembled the essential elements to produce long, intense, yet very musical statements. This recording captures jazz in the making as few others have.

Lyons was the alto player in the Cecil Taylor Unit, which recorded for Blue Note in the late 1960s. As such, he was no stranger to the avant garde. His searingly clear tone glides over the busily shifting polyrhythms behind him at Willisau. The album begins with two 20-plus-minute workouts that showcase the altoist but leave ample room for solos from all three players. Three shorter tunes follow.

Many free jazz performances lack attention to sonic details. Willisau consistently gets the sound right, and the producers at Hat Hut ensure a very clearly rendered sonic experience. This provides for the listener the fascination of hearing Lindberg and Murray "converse" with the sax and also with each other during their solos. 

Jump Up is another example of American musicians receiving time and space in Europe to record their music, seemingly without concern for its commercial appeal. 

For this concert, I prefer the Hat Hut reissue artwork for CD better than the original vinyl or the hatOLOGY CD reissue (which seems rather dreadful). 

Weather Report - Night Passage (Columbia, 1980)

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Josef Zawinul (kybd, synth); Wayne Shorter (ts, ss); Jaco Pastorius (el b); Peter Erskine (d); Robert Thomas Jr. (perc)

Recorded on June 29 and July 12-13, 1980

When I was working on my 1970s jazz blog, I was firmly convinced that the early version of Weather Report that made Live in Tokyo was the most interesting incarnation of the band.

But after digging more deeply into the band's subsequent studio albums, reading Curt Bianchi's excellent book, Elegant People: A History of the Band Weather Report (Backbeat, 2021), and -- perhaps most importantly -- listening to the band's archival release, The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981 (Legacy, 2015), my perspective has changed.  Now, I would put the five-member version of the band that made Night Passage right up there with the Live in Tokyo group.  And, in some ways, the Pastorius-Erskine(-Thomas) group may be even more impressive.

As Curt Bianchi notes on his informative Weather Report: The Annotated Discography (which preceded his book): "The music for Night Passage was honed during the tours of 1979-1980, following the release of 8:30. Whereas 8:30 relied largely on the music of the past, on the ’79-’80 tours the Pastorius-Erskine-Thomas edition of Weather Report developed its own unique identity independent of earlier work."

Bianchi's site also notes how one reviewer described the band's shattering effect during a performance at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1980: "Loath as I am to say it (their egos have grown beyond all recognition as it is), but Weather Report prove that the jazz universe is still expanding... Their second night at Hammersmith was simply awesome -- no sycophantic bleat from someone who usually prefers the freer end of jazz. They played a grueling set of nigh on three hours, themes from Mr. Gone and early works looming and receding in an improvised set, and not once did they take an easy route or lazy option." 

Lastly, I would suggest that anyone who remains unconvinced by the Pastorius-Erksine band check out the The Legendary Live Tapes mentioned above.  The third and fourth discs from thi set captures the quintet that made Night Passage in full flight.  Any negative impressions you might have about this band -- whether it's a sense that they were "dumbing down" the music to reach a broader audience or a notion that the music is somehow cold and sterile -- will quickly be dispelled.  This band burned, and their ability to improvise was second to none. ... Of course, one has to accept the band's electric instrumentation.  For some listeners, synthesizers and electric basses still remain a obstacle.  To those folks, I would suggest one thing: Stop listening to the sounds and let go of your notions about what those sounds represent.  Instead, listen to the music.  It's glorious.  There has never been another band quite like Weather Report.  

Arthur Blythe - Illusions (Columbia, 1980)

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Arthur Blythe (as); Abdul Wadud (vc); James Blood Ulmer (g); John Hicks (p); Bob Stewart (tu); Fred Hopkins (b); Bobby Battle (d); Steve McCall (d)

Recorded in April & May 1980

Arthur Blythe's third album for Columbia featured two different groups.  One group was his distinctively-textured harmolodic band with guitarist "Blood" Ulmer and tubist Bob Stewart.  This band played on Blythe's major-label debut, the award-winning Lenox Avenue Breakdown.  Blythe's second Columbia album, In the Tradition, employeed a conventional piano-bass-drum rhythm section with John Hicks, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall.  This latter group took their name from the album's title, with Blythe referring to them as his "In the Tradition" band.

On Illusions, Blythe alternates the two groups.  According to the liner notes, Blythe "decided that both groups could work musically side by side on one album.  Through the music of each group, [he] hoped to create an illusion -- making the listener aurally unaware that the two groups are alternating cuts."  From this listener's perspective, Blythe definitely achieves his goal of a coherent album, despite the differences in the two group's sounds.  The element that binds the album together is Blythe himself.

Blythe's sound is so ear-catching, one can't help but focus on it.  It's a cutting, bluesy sound that slices right through the music, no matter how dense the textures.  Also, Blythe often employs a distinctive, rapid vibrato that sounds very contemporary.  So, regardless of the setting, Blythe's powerful voice is the focus of the music.  Plus, Blythe wrote all of the compositions, some of which had been featured on earlier albums released by Adelphi and India Navigation.

I think Illusions is Blythe's finest Columbia release, even better than the more well-known Lenox Avenue Breakdown.  It may even be the finest album he ever made. 

More Arthur Blythe

Listeners wanting to hear more of Blythe's 1980s discography are encouraged to investigate the following albums, all originally released on Columbia:

- Blythe Spirit (1981)

- Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk (1983)

- Da-Da (1986)

Milt Jackson - Night Mist (Pablo/OJC, 1981)

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Milt Jackson (vib); Harry "Sweets" Edison (tr); Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (as); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (ts); Art Hillery (p); Ray Brown (b); Larance Marable (d)

Recorded on April 14, 1980

I only discovered this album last year.  As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to include it in this survey.  It's a corker!

During the 70s and 80s, Jackson made a slew of albums for Norman Granz's Pablo label, as both a leader and sideman.  What sets this one apart?  I think it's a combination of the players and compositions adding up to a satisfying whole.  Like many (most?) Pablo releases, this session has a jam-session feel.  Often, jam sessions are enjoyable, but they don't necessarily add up to integrated, cohesive listening experience.  For whatever reason, this one does.

Along with "Bags," having "Sweets" Edison, "Lockjaw" Davis, and "Cleanhead" Vinson as soloists certainly doesn't hurt their ability to pull off a blues-drenched program like this one.  "Cleanhead" seems especially invigorated.

And check out pianist Art Hillery.  I was unfamiliar with him until I heard this disc, and I'm very impressed.  I understand that he was something of a local jazz hero in Los Angeles.  Hearing him on this album, it's not hard to understand why.

Sonny Stitt - Sonny's Back (Muse, 1980)

This post is by Scott

Sonny Stitt (ts); Ricky Ford (ts); Barry Harris (p); George Duvivier (b); Leroy Williams (d)

Recorded on April 7 and July 14, 1980

When I wrote about Sonny Stitt on my 70s jazz blog, I pointed to a series of five records in the saxophonist's massive discography, all of which feature Stitt with pianist Barry Harris and bassist Sam Jones -- along with a sequence of various drummers:

- Tune-Up! (Cobblestone/Muse, 1972) with Alan Dawson

- Constellation (Cobblestone/Muse, 1972) with Roy Brooks

- 12! (Prestige, 1973) with Louis Hayes

- My Buddy: Sonny Stitt Plays for Gene Ammons (Muse, 1976) with Leroy Williams

- Blues for Duke (Muse, 1978) with Billy Higgins 

The first two LPs in the series have always been highly regarded, but I felt like the others had been overlooked.  Pairing Stitt with Harris and Jones made for a hand-in-glove fit; it was a rhythm section that seemed to bring out the best in Sonny.

Before his passing in July 1982, Stitt made two more excellent LPs with the simpatico Barry Harris/Sam Jones rhythm team:

- Sonny's Back (Muse, 1980) with Leroy Williams

- In Style (Muse, 1982) with Jimmy Cobb

The record I've chosen, Sonny's Back, adds a wrinkle to the winning formula.  Three of the album's seven cuts include up-and-coming (at the time) tenorist Ricky Ford.  Ford's presence ratchets up Stitt's playing.  Inevitably, the two-sax front line makes one recall Stitt's many records with Gene Ammons.  Ford's Rollins-esque sound also brings to mind Dizzy's pairing of Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt on Sonny Side Up (Verve, 1959).  

But don't come to this LP expecting fiery tenor battles or burning bop.  This music is much more leisurely, if no less masterful.  And, sometimes, the type of mastery that makes incredibly difficult music sound "simple" is exactly what I'm looking for.