Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate: bebop

Friday, September 11, 2009

Philly Joe Jones

Early on, Philly Joe Jones took alot of influence from Max Roach and Art Blakey, both of whom were still coming into their own in the 40s. But by the 1950s, Philly Joe was establishing himself as a distiguishable drummer. His biggest claim to fame was being part of Miles Davis' first great quintet with John Coltrane, Red Garland (piano) and Paul Chambers (bass). He was also practically the house drummer for the Blue Note and Prestige record labels. Philly Joe played very unapologetically and with alot of fire and humor, and his solos are what set him apart from other jazz drummers. His precision and energy in his solos are complemented by his clever mimicking of the other soloists and the melodies. Philly Joe and Max Roach were two of the most preferred drummers by band leaders during the 50s. Philly Joe went to London in the early 60s to teach and made a huge impact there, but when he came back to the US, he had a difficult time getting back to the forefront of the scene. Other drummers like Tony Williams and Elvin Jones were coming up and making their own impression. But Philly Joe's solos stood out from the rest and he no doubt gets the credit he deserves.

ARTISTS - Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Thelonious Monk, Red Garland, Hank Mobley, Bill Evans

What's on the CD:
1. Milestones – Miles Davis
2. Billy Boy – Miles Davis
3. Dear Old Stockholm – Miles Davis
4. Two Bass Hit – Miles Davis
5. ‘Round Midnight – Miles Davis
6. Surrey With the Fringe on Top – Sonny Rollins
7. When Your Lover Has Gone – Sonny Rollins
8. The Changing Scene – Freddie Hubbard
9. Smile – Dexter Gordon
10. Moment’s Notice – John Coltrane

Albums with Philly Joe Jones:
Workin' With the Miles Davis Quintet - Miles Davis
Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet - Miles Davis
Someday My Prince Will Come - Miles Davis
Blue Train - John Coltrane
Tenor Madness - Sonny Rollins
Keystones! - Red Garland
Another Workout - Hank Mobley

VIDEOS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIPIc3bkYoc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSvehgKsFTM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLiqKTSDEtQ

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/phillyjojones78.html

LINKS:
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Philly_Joe_Jones.html

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=8188

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philly_Joe_Jones

http://hardbop.tripod.com/philly.html

Max Roach

Max Roach is probably in the top 5 list of most influential drummers of all time. He is without a doubt one of the most important drummers in history. He was a pioneer in the birth of bebop and cool jazz. He played with huge names that even people outside of jazz have heard -- Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and Duke Ellington. His biggest innovation came in the 40s when he switched his timekeeping from the thumping bass drum to the driving ride cymbal, which is of course standard jazz drumming today. This created a more flexible style and rhythmic feel for soloists to play over. Other than that, Max was one of the greatest soloists and his contributions to drummers' solo repertoire is massive. He also has a lengthy discography as a bandleader and formed the percussion group M'Boom in 1970 (with whom he made four records). If there was ever a true artist on the drumset, it was Max Roach. He died recently, in August 2007.

ARTISTS - Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington, Clark Terry, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Thad Jones

What's on the CD:

1. What Is This Thing Called Love? – Clifford Brown & Max Roach
2. Sandu – Clifford Brown & Max Roach
3. Jordu – Clifford Brown & Max Roach
4. Joy Spring – Clifford Brown & Max Roach
5. Delilah – Clifford Brown & Max Roach
6. Tender Warriors – Max Roach
7. Money Jungle – Duke Ellington
8. Dr. Free-Zee – Max Roach Quintet
9. Humph – Thelonious Monk
10. Wee – Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, & Max Roach

Here's some albums to check out that show Max's genius and significance:

Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk

Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis

The Amazing Bud Powell - Bud Powell

Diz and Getz - Dizzy Gillespie & Stan Getz

Bird on 52nd Street - Charlie Parker

Records as a bandleader:

Jazz in 3/4 Time

Max Roach Plus 4

Rich vs. Roach (with Buddy Rich)

Again!

We Insist! - Freedom Now