Showing posts with label Bill Stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Stewart. Show all posts

September 17, 2011

Maceo Parker „Roots Revisited“ live in Bremen 1990


Maceo Parker, Alto Saxophone
Pee Wee Ellis, Tenor Saxophone
Fred Wesley, Trombone
Larry Goldings, Hammond B3
Rodney Jones, Guitar
Bill Stewart, Drums

recorded live at Modernes, Bremen, November 7, 1990

1. McGriff’s Blues (Rodney Jones)
2. For The Elders    (Fred Wesley)
3. Up And Down East Street (Maceo Parker)
4. Let’s Go Funky (a.k.a. Southwick) (Maceo Parker)
5. Peace Fuge (Fred Wesley)

Maceo Parker is a funk monster. He started his career playing saxophone for James Brown. He left the Godfather of Soul to join none other than George Clinton and the legendary Parliament, before going back with James Brown and later on Bootsy Collin’s own band. His own website pretty clearly states that there would be no funk music without Maceo Parker-that might be a little much, but he did help out a lot. Yet in 1990, Maceo Parker decided to put aside his funky nature (well on some tracks) in exchange for some old fashioned jazz and soul music for his now legendary album "Roots Revisited". The mixture of all three is very entertaining.
This CD gave him a chance to stretch out as a leader, and his soulful horn immediately brings to mind Hank Crawford and (to a lesser extent) Lou Donaldson. With a strong backup group that includes Pee Wee Ellis on tenor, trombonist Fred Wesley, and Don Pullen on organ, Parker enthusiastically plays over infectious grooves with just one funky departure ("In Time"). Roots Revisited is a throwback to the 1960s soul-jazz style and Maceo Parker gives one the impression that, if called upon, he could hold his own on a bebop date.
The second Roots installment, "Mo' Roots" was cut minus Pullen and Collins, leaning a little more toward the instrumental soul side. Three fine originals in conjunction with covers of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Horace Silver, and Lionel Hampton.

June 08, 2011

John Scofield Trio live at Leverkusener Jazztage 2010


John Scofield, guitar
Steve Swallow, bass
Bill Stewart, drums
recorded live at Forum Leverkusen, November 2010

1. How Deep
2. Chicken Dog
3. Everything I Love
4. Pretty Out
5. Trio Blues
6. Someone To Watch Over Me

And here´s another one from the tour Scofield´s trio did last fall. And another of Scofield´s albums, and this one is highly recommended, too: the 2007 release "this meets that".

May 11, 2011

John Scofield Trio live at Stadttheater Neuburg an der Donau 2010


John Scofield, guitar
Steve Swallow, bass
Bill Stewart, drums

recorded live at Stadttheater Neuburg an der Donau, November 12, 2010

1. "How deep" (John Scofield)
2. "Green tea" (John Scofield)
3. "Everything I love" (Cole Porter)
4. "Just a girl I used to know" (George Jones)
5. "Pretty out" (John Scofield)
6. "Chicken dog" (John Scofield)
7. "Someone to watch over me" (George Gershwin)
8. "The low road" (John Scofield)
9. "Lawns" (Carla Bley)

I introduced the last great trio recordings "This meets that" and "Enroute" earlier on this blog. The latest album featuring Sco was released by Vince Mendoza and the Metropole Orchestra. The collaboration heard on 54 had its origins back in the 90's when Vince Mendoza asked John Scofield to play on his first album. John has since been featured on two of Vince s records and his guitar sound and improvisational skills work well within Vince s concept. When Mendoza assumed directorship of The Metropole Orchestra, he and Scofield decided to collaborate again with a primary focus on Mendoza s arrangements of Scofield compositions as performed with The Metropole Orchestra.

January 20, 2011

John Scofield Trio live in Hamburg 2010


John Scofield, guitar
Steve Swallow, bass
Bill Stewart, drums

recorded live at Rolf-Liebermann-Studio, NDR, Hamburg, October 28, 2010

1. How Deep (Scofield)
2. Chicken Dog (Scofield)
3. A Girl I Used To Know (Jack H. Clement)
4. Plain Song (Scofield)
5. Someone To Watch Over Me (George Gershwin)
6. Trio Blues (Scofield)
7. Lawns (Carla Bley)

This here is a great set by Sco´s longtime working band featuring Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. Following a series of coruscating servings of progressive uber funk for Verve, Scofield stripped down to a trio for the 2004 album "en route", a live session at New York's Blue Note club in December 2003. He hooked up with a pair of old friends, the terrific loose-limbed drummer Bill Stewart, and the tense, nimble bassist Steve Swallow, and the three go after each other in some often-furiously busy, driving, tangled interplay, defying the frigid New York weather of that period. 

January 16, 2010

Michael Brecker/ Pat Metheny Quartet live in Paris 2000


Michael Brecker, tenor saxophone
Pat Metheny, guitars
Larry Goldings, hammond B3
Bill Stewart, drums

recorded live at La Villette, Paris, July 2, 2000

1. Half Past Late
2. Into The Dream
3. Extradition
4. What Do You Want?
5. Song For Bilbao
6. Interview

Time Is of the Essence extends Brecker's broad command of the styles pioneered during the mid-1960s. He's playing with a veritable supergroup, Pat Metheny adding efficient strums and riffs on guitar and Larry Goldings pillowing the atmosphere on a Hammond B3 organ. Three drummers alternate on the session, with the great Elvin Jones making the most turbulent storm and Bill Stewart providing the most detailed textures. Jeff "Tain" Watts mixes Jones's romping power with a sense of the delicate, loaning Brecker's melodies an added dimension. For his part, Brecker plays hard and fast with absolute proficiency. The tunes are gutsy and sharp, with lots of creative soloing and up-tempo energy. R.I.P. Michael.

December 04, 2008

Chris Potter Quartet Live at JazzBaltica 2002


Chris Potter, tenor & soprano saxophone
Kevin Hays, piano
Scott Colley, bass
Bill Stewart, drums

recorded live at JazzBaltica 2002, Salzau, Germany, July 7, 2002

Tracklist:
1. Megalopolis
2. Washed Ashore
3. Iraquois
4. Invisible Man
5. Children Go
6. Highway One

Listen also to the great recording "Traveling Mercies" by Chris Potter

November 21, 2008

John Scofield Trio live in Leipzig 2001


John Scofield, guitar
Steve Swallow, bass
Bill Stewart, drums

recorded live at Leipziger Jazztage, Leipzig, Germany, November 4, 2001

Tracklist:
1. Eiderdown
2. Loose Canon
3. Radio
4. Everbody´s Party
5. Gone With The Wind

Mor music by this trio on the album "En Route"