Your Favorite Jazz Solo

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Define jazz any way you like.

― Mark, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...and if you could, please specify the performance (i.e., don't just say "Miles Davis 'My Funny Valentine'" but 'That 'Funny Valentine' solo on Cookin''".

― Mark, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mmm, Pharaoh Sanders' solo on the 1st track of Coltrane's 'Meditations' for the manic stuff. Coltrane's end solo on 'A Love Supreme', so peaceful, so sublime. [yeah we KNOW, Sinker!]

― Omar, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(if i say what i think will that make josh post heh?)zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

― mark s, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

3:12 in Space is The Place by Sun Ra

And any of the solos where trane goes nuts and all afro futurist

― anthonyeaston, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

First albert ayers track on Live at The Village Vanguard. Like two drunk ducks screwing.

― Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Here's a few that pop to mind (excepting Kind of Blue as an album and Miles and Coltrane in general)...

Bobby Timmon's on "Moanin'" for sheer rockin'-the-house-value.

John Handy on Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat".

Kenny Garrett on "Sing a Song of Song".

Matt Wilson on "Body & Soul" from his first album, if only because melodic drum solos on ballads are a rare thing.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Coltrane's second solo on the "My Favorite Things" from Afro Blue Impressions. The combination of the chord change 2 or 3 minutes into Coltrane's second solo w/ his melody line (where he jumps up an octave) never fails to give me shivers.

Right on re Albert Ayler, that's the stuff.

― Mark, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ornette Coleman on "Theme from a Symphony (Take One)," from Dancing in Your Head--plays a riff over and over for about five minutes and then playss off it, here, there, everywhere, swinging like a spider from a chandelier the whole flippin' time. Amazing.

― M. Matos, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Also musn't forget Miles Davis's first salvo on "Right Off," from Jack Johnson--opening note not so much bent as curved, and utterly attention-getting, as is what follows.

― M. Matos, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Right now, I'd say my fave solo is Eric Dolphy's on "Everything you could be right now..." by Mingus.

― James Annett, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I recently saw a set in New York featuring Mat Maneri, Joe Morris, some drummer I hadn't heard of and Joe McPhee. I thought it was going to be a disaster, since Maneri and Morris typically play in an almost... pointillistic, introverted style and what little of McPhee's stuff I've heard has been very extroverted and Ayler- influenced. And sure enough their first improvisation was pretty unaffecting-- Morris and Maneri were all blippity bloop and McPhee was all legato and it didn't seem like they could find any common ground. But several minutes into the second improvisation, McPhee was still playing in a very stereotypically emotive (that "stereotypically" wasn't supposed to be a condemnation, I just want to avoid implying that Maneri and Morris don't play "emotively), almost bluesy style with lots of multiphonics and Maneri was playing sustained harmonics and simultaneously plucking the open C string on his viola (that's the lowest one) and soon all the musicians were distinctly in c minor. And I was like, holy shit, I'm watching Joe Morris and Mat Maneri play IN A KEY! McPhee's solo was long and cathartic and gorgeous and after it was over he stopped playing and Morris took over and I was like, there's NO WAY he's going to stay in c minor, but it would be completely inappropriate if he didn't.

But sure enough, he did stay there, AND he kept it slow. Most of the music I like isn't diatonic, and I certainly didn't go to that show expecting to hear something diatonic, which I think was why it was so affecting.

So I'd have to say yeah, McPhee's and Morris's solos then hit me harder than anything I've ever heard on record. So those are my favorites.

― charlie va, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Frank Zappa, "Watermelon in Easter Hay"

― dave q, Thursday, 25 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

five years pass...

revive

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

Lennie Tristano - Line-up -- baddest bop solo ever, even if he did cheat
Charlie Parker on Koko
Ted Dunbar on Lou Donaldson's "Fat Mouth" (from pretty things) - short and so sweet
Wes Montgomery - West Coast Blues

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:56 (nineteen years ago)

If it's not too much trouble, could you be more specific? Parker recorded "Koko" a number of times etc. Thank you.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

Charlie Parker on the Dial session Lover man.

Charlie Haden on Els Segadors.

― jimn (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:03 (nineteen years ago)

Roland Kirk, I like that solo in "Blue Rol" were he holds the one note for, like, two minutes

― Tom D. (Dada), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

James Moody's solo on his "Last Train From Overbrook" (first time anyone had heard from him sober, it's sexy and wise)

Miles' tone at the beginning of "Circle" (so pinched and tiny, almost doesn't exist)

Also partial to the way McCoy Tyner's piano solo in the middle of "Tunji" signals a huge change in direction for the whole piece, really quite adorable

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:16 (nineteen years ago)

that's Coltrane's "Tunji" fyi

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:26 (nineteen years ago)

Tommy Bolin on Billy Cobham's "Quadrant 4" off Spectrum.

― Bill Magill (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

Coleman Hawkins original "Body and Soul" is still the most perfect solo I've ever heard.
Sonny Rollins incredible "Autumn Nocturne" on Milestone. (Especially the acapella openiing.)
Roswell Rudd's dixieland on Mars solo from "Wherever Junebugs Go" on Archie Shepp's Live in San Francisco.
The mature (30's) Armstong "Sweethearts on Parade" for absolute perfection and "Swing that Music" (Decca, but can't remember whicch of the two versions) for showboating.
J.J. Johnson on Miles's "Walkin" (can you tell I used to play trombone? and while I'm at it David Baker on George Russell's "Kentucky Oysters." oh, and Eric Dolphy on Russell's "Round Midnight.")
David S. Ware's live version of "The Way We Were"
Lee Konitiz on anything but especially the live album "Alone Together"
These are a few of my favorite things.
Oh, yeah. Coltrane on "My favorite Things."

― totph (Totph), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:18 (nineteen years ago)

Parker recorded "Koko" a number of times etc

I don't know - I kind of thought it was the definitive take -- I always just had random Charlie Parker comps.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:20 (nineteen years ago)

Almost any solo by Coltrane ..... "My Favorite Things," "India," "Alabama," "The Inchworm," but especially "Mr P.C." (and Tyner's piano solo in "Mr PC" as well).

― ffirehorse (firehorse), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

For me I think it's Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" on Afro-Blue Impressions; although there are many great ones this might be the most lyrical of all.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:03 (nineteen years ago)

Charlie Parker's "Dizzy Atmosphere" solo from the 1946 (1947?) Carnegie Hall concert is a favourite. Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet solo in "Hat And Beard" is practically a standup comedy routine (a GOOD one!). And can't forget the original '47 version of "Well You Needn't" by Mr. Hat & Beard himself.

And there's too many Coltrane solos to mention, but I'll single out the opening two minutes of Coltrane's "Manifestation" are some kinda peak of freneticism.

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:45 (nineteen years ago)

Dexter Gordon playing "A Night In Tunisia" on _Our Man In Paris_.
Bloody hell. This was one of those tracks that made me realize that those jazz types were really onto something. Tone to die for. Even the messing'n'tooting at the end is prima stuff. The whole thing seems pretty odd for Gordon, but he pulls it off.

― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

Charlie Parker on the Dial session Lover man.

OTM

Other highlights for me:

-Art Blakey's solo on "A Night in Tuneisia" (that's the tracklist spelling!) on Live in Stockholm 1959.

-Miles on "Concierto de Aranjuez," obv.

-Charlie Parker on Dial vol. 1's "Tunisia" (w/Miles)

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

Pat Martino on Alnog Came Betty
Coltrane's Mr PC seconded.

― Marty Innerlogic (marty innerlogic), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Sanders' solo on Edition II of Ascension. Gets me every time.

― Ivan G (Ivan), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

Also musn't forget Miles Davis's first salvo on "Right Off," from Jack Johnson

AHHH otm.

And Monk on the title track to "Misterioso" on Riverside. FUCK I can't pick one. Give me the afternoon, I'll narrow shit down.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:58 (nineteen years ago)

Junior Mance's piano solo on "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" on Dizzy Gillespie's Have Trumpet, Will Excite!. The whole song's fantastic.

― Eazy (Eazy), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

My favorite straight-up blazer might be Johnny Griffin on Rhythm-a-ning from "Thelonious In Action"

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 22:06 (nineteen years ago)

Past favorites:

John McLaughlin (gold), Jerry Goodman (silver), Jan Hammer (a distant, distant bronze), trading fours (and other segments) on "One Word", from Mahavishnu's Birds of Fire.

Coltrane's "Chasin' The Trane" off of The Other Village Vanguard Tapes, a vinyl 2-fer from the 70's; chronologically the original version, recorded a night before the canonical one, which I don't think I've even heard yet.

Live favorite:

Woody Shaw doing "Freedom Jazz Dance" (with a visiting Donald Byrd, IIRC) in a converted church in Durham, NC, back in the early 80's.

Current favorites:

Jemeel Moondoc: the first several minutes of Fire in the Valley, a 39-minute trio performance. (It goes on too long.)

Trane again: the super-sized cadenza to "I Want To Talk About You", from the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival.

― mark 0 (mark 0), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:03 (nineteen years ago)

sweets edison on "stompy jones" by Ellington

― deej.. (deej..), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:05 (nineteen years ago)

i really like coltrane's solo on 'someday my prince will come'

it sounds like a drunk barging into a party

― grbchv! (skowly), Thursday, 1 February 2007 01:44 (nineteen years ago)

Lee Morgan tearing up "A Night In Tunisia" from the Art Blakey album of the same name.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:20 (nineteen years ago)

It's definitely tough to pick a favorite Coltrane solo.

One that stands out in my mind, if mainly just because it's a bit different, is the one on Well You Needn't from Monk's Music - he's much more sparse than usual and kind of dances around the changes instead of shredding them.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:23 (nineteen years ago)

John McLaughlin (gold), Jerry Goodman (silver), Jan Hammer (a distant, distant bronze), trading fours (and other segments) on "One Word", from Mahavishnu's Birds of Fire.

OTMFM

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:24 (nineteen years ago)

couldn't remember the tune and didn't want to out myself as a herb.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:24 (nineteen years ago)

There are so many obvious choices, but the one that comes to mind is from a record I don't even have any more. From one of the last Mingus sessions, there was a song called "Farewell Farwell," and Larry Coryell's solo on that took my breath away. I haven't heard that song in at least 20 years, but I can still call up parts of that solo in my mind. Beautiful!

― do i have to draw you a diaphragm (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 1 February 2007 02:59 (nineteen years ago)

Miles Davis and Chick Corea - "Frelon Brun" (Filles de Kilimanjaro), not so hot on Wayne Shorter's solo in the middle

McCoy Tyner - "Ebony Queen" from Sahara and "Message from the Nile" from Extensions

Herbie Hancock - "Circle" from Miles Smiles

John McLaughlin - "Birds of Fire" from Birds of Fire

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 1 February 2007 03:07 (nineteen years ago)

haha, "your favorite jazz solo"...

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Thursday, 1 February 2007 04:21 (nineteen years ago)

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