50 years ago today...

Miles Davis and his second great quintet recorded the concert that would lead to the release of the My Funny Valentine + Four & More album(s). Decades later, when I first heard this music, it changed my musical life. I had never heard anything quite like it. Of course, there's an interesting back story about the album that you can read about here: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/09/27315...ht-for-miles-davis-spawned-two-classic-albums

I was so excited listening to this music that I was yelling out loud. It immediately spoke to me. I knew I had to play music like this. A huge part of the reason why it moved me so was the playing of the then-18-year-old drummer, Tony Williams. It was like I had always wanted to play drums like that, but didn't know how because I hadn't heard it yet. And then when I heard this album, it crystallized for me. Easier said than done, of course. Because it's not exactly easy to do. But it gave me a road map for what the possibilities were for the instrument.

I almost wish I had never heard this album, just so I could experience the thrill of hearing it again for the first time. But the truth is, I never get over it. It's always just as amazing every time I listen to it, even all these years later.

Yeah, how can listening to Tony do his thing at such a young age ever NOT be amazing?

if you haven't already go to the DW Home page, Drummers, and check out some of Tony's videos.

(crackle crackle crackle) the needle hits Four & More ... applause ... then So What kicks in

...and for the next hour I just sit and shake my head

thank you Tony for changing drumming forever with your innovations

I am forever grateful

A very good friend was the drummer in the 1st jazz band at north texas state in the late
1950's and he told me that hearing a young Tony with Miles made him decide to make music a hobby. He became a scientist. I was in high school 50 years ago and after hearing
those albums I saw Miles live in 65 and stood ten feet in front of Tony's drums.....amazing!
All of those albums are still amongst my very favorites.

One of the best records ever, Joshua and Seven Steps are unreal, Tony is just flawless, I don't think I'll ever be able to get over just how amazing he was at that time.

So, I've been saying for most of my adult life that the year 1964 stands out as the greatest in recorded music history for me. It occurs to me that this thread is the perfect place to honor the records released that year as their 50-year anniversaries come to pass.

Today's entry is arguably one of the greatest albums in the history of Blue Note records. Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch. Many rank this with the greatest jazz records of all time, period.

The lineup is Dolphy on alto, bass clarinet and flute; Freddie Hubbard on trumpet; Bobby Hutcherson on vibes; Richard Davis on bass; and Tony Williams on drums.

The Penguin Guide to Jazz, which was hugely important in turning me on to good music some 20 years ago, gave Out To Lunch their highest rating as a desert island disc. I certainly concur.

This album is not for everyone. It's definitely got one foot in the avant garde/free jazz realm. I love the spontaneity, the interplay and the total commitment from the musicians to create something daring and beautiful, even if it's not in the tradition. The album art is iconic. It really captures the Reid Miles style and is as representative of the Blue Note cover art as any album they ever released.

50 years ago today, Out To Lunch was released. Unbelievable. What a year.

Man, a bunch of great stuff came out that year-- Song for My Father, Spiritual Unity, Crescent, In 'n' Out, Inner Urge, Empyrean Isles...

8Mile said:

Miles Davis and his second great quintet recorded the concert that would lead to the release of the My Funny Valentine + Four & More album(s). Decades later, when I first heard this music, it changed my musical life. I had never heard anything quite like it. Of course, there's an interesting back story about the album that you can read about here: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/09/27315...ht-for-miles-davis-spawned-two-classic-albums

I was so excited listening to this music that I was yelling out loud. It immediately spoke to me. I knew I had to play music like this. A huge part of the reason why it moved me so was the playing of the then-18-year-old drummer, Tony Williams. It was like I had always wanted to play drums like that, but didn't know how because I hadn't heard it yet. And then when I heard this album, it crystallized for me. Easier said than done, of course. Because it's not exactly easy to do. But it gave me a road map for what the possibilities were for the instrument.

I almost wish I had never heard this album, just so I could experience the thrill of hearing it again for the first time. But the truth is, I never get over it. It's always just as amazing every time I listen to it, even all these years later.

Click to expand...

Love your passion. Some records have such a grip on us emotionally don't they.

Hey, so I was a little late with this one. Andrew Hill's Point Of Departure, one of my desert island discs, was released on March 21, 1964. Another historically great Blue Note and another date featuring a young Tony Williams in assassin mode.

Amazingly, an old friend from grade school posted a photo from 1965 of his dad with Andrew Hill. My friend was a baby in a crib in the background. Pretty cool to have something like that!

Wow, I really stink at this. I somehow missed this monster:



Free For All is in the handful of my favorite tracks in any musical genre. The energy on this recording is palpable. They start the fire on high and then go up from there. You can hear the musicians shouting out on each others' solos, like they could tell this was something really special. It's a blowing date, pure and simple.

Wayne Shorter's tenor solo on the title track is probably my favorite ever.

Blakey drives this band so hard. Can't recommend it strongly enough. Just go get it.

Some love for trane... Love Supreme, Crescent

wayne shorter, speak no evil and juju

herbie with empyrean isles

and oscar peterson with clark terry

what a killing year

8Mile said:

Miles Davis and his second great quintet recorded the concert that would lead to the release of the My Funny Valentine + Four & More album(s). Decades later, when I first heard this music, it changed my musical life. I had never heard anything quite like it. Of course, there's an interesting back story about the album that you can read about here: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/09/27315...ht-for-miles-davis-spawned-two-classic-albums

I was so excited listening to this music that I was yelling out loud. It immediately spoke to me. I knew I had to play music like this. A huge part of the reason why it moved me so was the playing of the then-18-year-old drummer, Tony Williams. It was like I had always wanted to play drums like that, but didn't know how because I hadn't heard it yet. And then when I heard this album, it crystallized for me. Easier said than done, of course. Because it's not exactly easy to do. But it gave me a road map for what the possibilities were for the instrument.

I almost wish I had never heard this album, just so I could experience the thrill of hearing it again for the first time. But the truth is, I never get over it. It's always just as amazing every time I listen to it, even all these years later.

Click to expand...

What a great post.

That's how I felt when I heard Billy Kilson play Downtown on Bob James's trio's Take it from theTop...

Missed a few months of these

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the recording of Sam Rivers' Fuchsia Swing Song, featuring a ridiculously young and prodigious Tony Williams. Our own Ants loves Tony on this record and I concur that it is sublime.

http://www.jazzdisco.org/blue-note-records/discography-1963-1964/

There's a whole blog dedicated to Blue Note in 1964. Some interesting historical context. http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/magazine/blue-note-in-1964-featurehttp://www.jazzdisco.org/blue-note-records/discography-1963-1964/