New York tenor man Jerry Weldon is featured in his second live recording at SMOKE along with Kyle Koehler at the Hammond Organ and Jason Brown on Drums.
1. State of the Union (9:39) 2. On a Misty Night (8:36) 3. The Easy Out (7:11) 4. To Marie (8:18) 5. Tangerine (12:01) 6. Mona Lisa (7:16) 7. Filthy McNasty (8:10) 8. Do You Know a Good Thing? (7:27)
I must say that your are really good at digging up contemporary jazz organ records that still are REAL jazz organ records. A real jazz organ record in my book is a record where the person at the organ bench also take care of the bass lines :-)
OK. My mini-review of this record when it comes to the jazz organ parts:
The downside is that I really can't come to grips with his left hand bass lines. First the sound is very, hmm, boomy but without definition. I like the mighty deep jazz organ bass, but it must be defined. This problem might not be Koehler's fault though. It might very well be a case a bad jazz organ bass sound engineering. Not the first time in history and not the last...
Second, I don't understand his stroke/touch technique in uptempo songs. Take 'Filthy McNasty' or even more clear in 'Tangerine'. It's like he is playing the bass lines staccato, bouncing at the keys. The result migh be affected by the boomy definitionless low bass sound, but to play jazz organ bass staccato does not sound too good. Not in my ears.
What I hear is a muddy strange way of playing bass staccato in Tangerine.
I wonder if Koehler is a jazz pianist turned organist, but has kept the jazz piano left hand comp accent way of playing?
Well, anyone reading this: listen to Tangerine and judge for yourself.
It's much better in lower tempo songs.
All in all this is a good jazz organ record, though, and I'm looking forward to hear more of Koehler.
4 comments:
Tracks: VBR
1. State of the Union (9:39)
2. On a Misty Night (8:36)
3. The Easy Out (7:11)
4. To Marie (8:18)
5. Tangerine (12:01)
6. Mona Lisa (7:16)
7. Filthy McNasty (8:10)
8. Do You Know a Good Thing? (7:27)
Thank you BeeQueen,I have heard some of this and it is excellent.
I've had this for sometimes now and has been one my favorites. Should check out his other releases.
Thank you beequeen!
I must say that your are really good at digging up contemporary jazz organ records that still are REAL jazz organ records. A real jazz organ record in my book is a record where the person at the organ bench also take care of the bass lines :-)
OK. My mini-review of this record when it comes to the jazz organ parts:
This record is good, no question about that! The upside with Kyle Koehler's playing here is his right hand solo parts. He is exploring, and not resorting to cliché-playing. He is not streching it as far in concepts as Mr Modal himself (the true jazz organ master Larry Young), but Koehler's solos are both interesting, explorative and well-executed.
The downside is that I really can't come to grips with his left hand bass lines. First the sound is very, hmm, boomy but without definition. I like the mighty deep jazz organ bass, but it must be defined. This problem might not be Koehler's fault though. It might very well be a case a bad jazz organ bass sound engineering. Not the first time in history and not the last...
Second, I don't understand his stroke/touch technique in uptempo songs. Take 'Filthy McNasty' or even more clear in 'Tangerine'. It's like he is playing the bass lines staccato, bouncing at the keys. The result migh be affected by the boomy definitionless low bass sound, but to play jazz organ bass staccato does not sound too good. Not in my ears.
What I hear is a muddy strange way of playing bass staccato in Tangerine.
I wonder if Koehler is a jazz pianist turned organist, but has kept the jazz piano left hand comp accent way of playing?
Well, anyone reading this: listen to Tangerine and judge for yourself.
It's much better in lower tempo songs.
All in all this is a good jazz organ record, though, and I'm looking forward to hear more of Koehler.
/Jazz Organ Fan
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