Wall LPs (Summer 2020)

On the wall in my teaching studio there are three IKEA LP frames that fit vinyl records that can be easily swapped in and out.  Because I can only listen to vinyl in the basement, it's a nice daily reminder of some of the music I've picked up physical copies of, usually from the Record Centre on Wellington.  I try to change the records out once a school term and put the three albums on a Spotify playlist so I can let those albums percolate a bit through repeated listens.  

Over the last several months the three records were:

Kenny Barron - What If?

I listened to this the most times of the three.  I had a great masterclass with Kenny Barron shortly after finishing my undergrad and then went on to take private lessons with bassist Cecil McBee at the New England Conservatory.  Everyone plays great here, but the solo piano Trinkle Tinkle really knocks me out.

Dexter Gordon - Manhattan Symphonie

A great 70s acoustic record that I discovered late.  Pianist George Cables I knew mostly from his great solo album in the Maybeck series.  Not long ago I was reminded of this record when Gaby Warren pulled out an arrangement of "I Told You So" to sing, and on another gig for Jazzworks with bassist Dezron Douglas when we played Body and Soul with the Coltrane changes on the bridge.  

Oscar Peterson - At The Concertgebouw

I love the sound of Oscar's piano-guitar-bass trios but this wasn't one of the records I knew inside out.  The tunes that jumped out at me to go dig into were "When Lights Are Low" and "We'll Be Together Again", tunes I'd played but these versions made me want to really play them again.

 

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