Where the Bands Are

Listening over the last couple of days. A bit of a change of pace, though very nice. Some times the lack of words speaks more profoundly:

Don Friedman Trio - A Day in the City
Jackie McLean - Destination Out!
Clark Terry - Serenade to a Bus Seat
Miles Davis Quintet - Workin'
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music, Vol. I
Louis Armstrong - Plays W.C. Handy

jazz at its greatest. Two discs from the '60s, the rest from the '50s, which has become my true favorite decade of jazz (except Monk, which was so ahead of its time, 1947(!). Satchmo's album shows the signs of an elder statesman past his prime but still relevant; Miles is just beginning to warm up; Sonny's blowing perfectly. This music is locked into time forever as most artists are dead and live material is not as accesible as the bootlegs of rock bands are. This was a true golden era for this music.

Tomorrow: Neil Young, Tonight's the Night and On the Beach. Not jazz.