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Album Discussion: RTF - "Light As A Feather"

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darkshade View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Album Discussion: RTF - "Light As A Feather"
    Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 1:20pm
I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread where we can all discuss various albums in the world of jazz. This would keep the forums a little less cluttered. We'll have discussions of each album for a few days, or until no one posts on the current album. I'll try and have more popular albums be the focus, with the occasional forgotten gem, this way we can have as many people joining in.

Today, we'll start off with John Coltrane - "Blue Train" (1957)


I figure this one is a good one to start with. Probably his most popular album after Giant Steps and A Love Supreme. This is early Coltrane, nothing too abrasive. But the music on Blue Train is lovely, kinda reminds me of Christmas time. This album is actually my second favorite of his, behind A Love Supreme. Better things were to come, but I've always enjoyed this one immensely.


Edited by darkshade - 04 Feb 2013 at 4:02pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 1:28pm
Unfortunately I don't have that one, my only contribution to this discussion is that I have only heard good things about it. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 1:30pm
That's funny, I know I've seen this album listened to by a lot of people here or at PA. We'll see how this goes.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snobb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 1:45pm
I have this one - and from what I heard from Coltrane's hard-bop period this one is probably one of the best (I like his late (AG) period so my opinion is far from competent)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Abraxas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 2:02pm
Although I don't know a whole lot of the original 50s hard bop, I think it's no brainer to call Blue Train one of the best at it. Such a fun album, so much energy. Although it's not one of the Trane I listen to most, I think it's a damn good entry into the world of jazz because of the instantly catchy melodies and solos and, of course, the hard bop rhythm.

Here in Argentina there are a good bunch of semi-afrobeat bands and instrumental reggae ones that cover Blue Train in a very percussive way, which is always fun to hear live and dance to.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 5:59pm
I think Blue Train is Trane's only release on Blue Note, and it's a typical release for that label 


Edited by Sean Trane - 16 Aug 2012 at 6:00pm
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicted musicians to crazy ones....

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cannonball With Hat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 7:23pm
I haven't heard it, but it is on my list of Trane albums I need to buy.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kazuhiro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 8:12pm
There are a lot of listeners who love this album in Japan. However, I feel that it is after he withdrew from Miles group that personality of Coltrane is shown most.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 8:18pm
^ I agree.

Also, that pic LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kazuhiro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 8:32pm
LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dreadpirateroberts Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2012 at 9:17pm
One of my favourite Coltrane albums, the first I got of his actually.
Love that solo on the title track and Lazy Bird is another favourite from that album. I remember reccomending itto a customer when I used to work in retrail and it basically hooked them on jazz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 1:27pm
Next album up is:

"Mingus Ah Um"


This album is a classic in the world of jazz, and came out in the revolutionary year of 1959. This is, honestly, the album I'm most familiar with as far as Mingus' own albums go. Lots of great horn work, and rhythms throughout, and of course, the classic Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. I remember buying this album along with Dave Brubeck's "Time Out", another '59 jazz classic, and remembered how much this one stuck out, and didn't feel as cold as Time Out did. It was a great weekend anyway. Wink


Edited by darkshade - 18 Aug 2012 at 1:28pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 1:33pm
Another great album I don't have, although I have listened to a lot of these songs many times on my own mix tapes and online radio stations, so you could say I'm pretty familiar with this one. If there is a bad Mingus album, I have not heard it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Abraxas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 2:48pm
Mingus is a tough guy to get into, for me anyway. Such a skillful composer, plus he draws a lot of early jazz influences that one, I think, must know much about jazz to fully appreciate him. I'm still in the process haha.

As far as this album, it's great and it's classic. You've got a bit of everything at its best, the romantic, the chaotic, those horn arrangements are just freaking wild, Mingus trademark. 
Alike Blue Train, although stylistically very different, it's a good entry to the jazz world I think.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 11:43pm
Originally posted by js js wrote:

Another great album I don't have, although I have listened to a lot of these songs many times on my own mix tapes and online radio stations, so you could say I'm pretty familiar with this one. If there is a bad Mingus album, I have not heard it.


Heh, I'll find one that you own sooner or later. Why don't you have these classic albums?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2012 at 2:05am
^ back when I was buying albums on a regular basis I bought mostly funk jazz, soul jazz, avant-garde and early fusion, so I still have a lot of those records. These days its so easy to listen to customized internet radio stations that I hardly buy music much anymore,  ...plus I'm broke a lot. Ermm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkshade Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 12:02pm
Alright, time to move to some fusion. Next album up is Return to Forever's "Romantic Warrior" (1976)



Personally, this album sparked my interest in both Progressive Rock AND Jazz AND Fusion all at once. Amazing. I still think this is a classic in the fusion genre, like, top 3 best fusion albums ever made. Sure, the amount of improv is less than on previous RTF albums, but it's there. The production on this album is one of the best I've ever heard on a 70s jazz or fusion album, especially compared to their previous 3 albums. Stanley Clarke plays some of the best bass lines he's ever done, and Chick Corea, well, c'mon, he's Chick Corea. This is also one of Al Di Meola's best examples of his playing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote js Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 12:42pm
I remember when this came out, and yes, I did pick up a copy and probably still have it, though I haven't listened to it in a while.
Mixing fusion with prog rock was all the rage for about a year or two there and RTF was into it to. Lots of Funk and RnB bands were also showing the fusion/prog rock influence at this time. Everything was being done up in huge proportions.
The thing I notice now about RTF, and especially Chick Corea, during this time is his influence from exotica keyboard sounds and flashy big band arrangers.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Abraxas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 1:28pm
I personally don't like all the hype the album has and got, I think that as jazz fusion Where Have I Known You Before is a far more interesting and fun album.
Romantic Warrior, like you've already said, is very prog sounding, be it the themes, the cover art and the compositions. Must admit though, Sorceress and Majestic Dance were one of the first jazz rock songs I loved and from there there was no turning back. Corea does play some of his finest funky tricks here. The title track is also very nice.
Duel of the Jester, on the other hand, is more of a demonstration of their ability, with some really complex passages but don't do much for me. 

It's an album I would recommend more for Prog fans rather to Jazz fans or even Fusion fans, for that matter.


Edited by Abraxas - 20 Aug 2012 at 1:30pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snobb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Aug 2012 at 1:39pm
I prefer RTF's first line-up and their Latin-influenced fusion, from later releases "Where Have I Know You Before" is more interesting for me. "Romantic Warrior" is still good album, kind of "prog rock played by jazz musicians", but there are more rockers doing it much better. From other hand, for jazz/fusion listener this album is probably ... let say "too much rock"
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