A group of Jazz musicians, led by Med Flory, established Supersax in the mid-seventies originally as a tribute to Charlie Parker. It was a Nonet. They took some of Parker's original improvised solos and transcribed them for a five man sax section comprising 2 altos, 2 tenors and a baritone saxophone, the rest of the group consisted of one of the Condoli brothers on trumpet and a rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. The sax section played Parker's solos and individual members played their own improvised solos, it's great stuff.
They made gorgeous music, here's a sample, it's Dizzy Gillespie's Night in Tunisa:
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
The '63 album which established Bossa Nova in Jazz and what a marvellous tenor tone from "The Sound".
That album was so ubiquitous as "background" at one point in our faux-sophisticated Celtic Tiger entertaining lives that I haven't actually *listened* to it in ages. I must rectify that, because it's still an absolute cracker.
Much like Kind of Blue. I can't remember the last time I actually listened to that either.
Nerdcave: ...is no more! Sitting Room: Wadia 581SE - Rega Planar 3/AT VM95ML & SH - Bluesound Node II - Copland CSA 100 - Audioplan Kontrast 3 Kitchen: WiiM Pro - Wadia 151 - B&W 685s2
Listening to two masterpieces of spontaneous improvisation this afternoon from Paul Bley, Evan Parker and Barre Phillips - Time Will Tell and Sankt Gerold. What's striking to me is how self-contained this music is. It is music as a cerebral inquisitiveness, where everything is deliberated over and performed in the moment. There are no empty theatrical gestures here. Moods shift between lyricism and abstraction. You get a real sense of the performers actively listening to their fellow musicians and providing a kind of live commentary on the creative insights on view. Deeply thought-provoking and supremely satisfying music that really pays dividends over the long term.
Gryphon Diablo 300, dCS Rossini (with matching clock), Kharma Exquisite Mini, Ansuz C2, Finite Elemente Master Reference.
Nice to see Barre Phillips getting a mention. Have you heard this album Paul? Absolutely stunning imo. It also features contributions from John Surman and voice by Aina Kemanis. She's wonderful....