Having restored myself to a semblance of civility and good grace after the anti-Randy onslaught. I thought I’d raise one more burning issue before my limited range of things to say is totally spent. Live albums, and why they are generally not rated as highly as studio albums.
If you look at Uncut’s 200 (as a random example), there are only three: James Brown’s Live at the Apollo, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and The Who Live at Leeds. Now these lists are often silly and some albums are just famous for being famous, even though hardly anyone listens to them. In fact I think Live at the Apollo falls into that category too. But still.
Theodore Gracyk in his book Rhythm and Noise argues that rock is essentially recorded music. I can understand what he’s getting at; in the studio it’s a whole collaborative artistic process, rather like the making of a movie that unfolds over a period of time, which has all sorts of advantages.
But when a live album is such an outstanding and exceptional document that captures the sheer brilliance of a gig, shouldn’t that be celebrated even more for the difficulty of producing such a thing?
I cannot believe that the Uncut 200 could not have included at least three more: Get Yer Ya Yas Out, Absolutely Live, and Band of Gypsies. In the top 200! I would like to know what others feel about classic live albums. What makes a really great one.
Nothing (literally nothing) is better than this. Even at a distance of over 50 years, you can feel the buzz coming off the crowd. It’s what music is meant to do.
Jeez!
I play at least part of that record once a month I reckon.
‘Live At Leeds’ (remastered 2cd) really is superb, in my view. The concert has to be heard in its entirety unlike the initial release. The sound of an astonishing band at the top of their game. The best live Rock act at the time.
CSNY – ‘4 Way Street’ (expanded) is also a personal fave. Such great songs, musicianship, and I love the juxtaposition of warm, intimate acoustic, and full on electric rocking of the highest order.
If an act is recorded live, the venue turns into a recording studio. There’s not so much of a difference – a venue “studio” has a larger crowd of hangers-on, a less-controllable acoustic ambience, and possibly more drugs in circulation. But essentially you’re recording a bunch of musicians performing stuff and then sweetening the tapes with overdubs. Zappa saw no real difference – his recordings have always blended venue and studio performances, often within the same song. Similarly with the Dead, who saw everything as material (“content” as we very smartly call it now). No venue performance is going to transport you in time and space to the recorded event, but there is a possibility of greater excitement, the band feeding off the audience. But many of rock, pop n’roll’s greatest recordings have been made live in the studio, in “one take”, with little or no studio sweetening, as exciting as anything recorded before a venue audience, so the line is always blurred.
Very good point. How can I forget The Dead? ‘Live Dead’, ‘Fillmore West ’69’ and ‘Cornell ’77’. Those albums encapsulate this perfectly.
You can go back to Anthem Of The Sun, which mingleminglemingles venue and studio recordings in an (at the time) very avant-garde way.
Yes indeed. Acid test vibe Dead. Superb.
I’m not overly familiar with the work of Mr Z or Grateful D, but it seems you’re saying they’re banging out new material sometimes live and sometimes not. I would imagine the reason lists like an Uncut 200 look the way they do is, in trying to ascribe enduring cultural importance to records, they tend to look towards their “epochal significance”. So, a set of songs that landed with the same unignorable impact as a hooligan diving into a public swimming pool in, say, 1973 will almost always get the nod over the same songs performed much better in a joyful atmosphere several years later to those whose primary interest is the zeitgeisty/ initial impact element of this most urgent medium.
Bob Marley’s Live album would be one that bucks this trend, maybe because the versions of “No Woman” and “I Shot The Sherriff” are so different to the originals and have become the definitive takes…?
Haven’t read the list, and I’m not interested in adding to it or disagreeing with it. Just adding a sidebar to the effect that … [copy pastes own comment]
From about 1984 until he gave up touring in 1988, Frank Zappa stopped making/releasing studio recordings of his band. Everything was sourced from live 24-track digital recordings and mixed at home, often using parts of different live recordings on the same album track.
Not only that, but since his death nearly 24 years ago there’s been about another fifty odd albums of brilliant live stuff. I’m think especially Wazoo and the other one with that band whose name escapes me for the moment
But then why do so few come up as classic albums, whenever anyone’s thinking about the quintessential ‘classic album’?
I just thought of another good case: Kick out the Jams is way more exciting than the two studio albums by the MC5.
Slade Alive! captures that criminally underrated band on the cusp of their imperial phase, and is a great document of the energy, excitement and VOLUME of their stupendous live shows.
Plus, it’s their best album.
I don’t think you can beat a great live recording….i grew up with Moonflower,Dylan’s Budukhan and Vans Too late….and to this day they hit the spot,any excuse needed to pick through Spotify? Never got to see Cohen,amazing how many live albums came out in his career….
It’s worth hearing “Field Commander Cohen” for Raffi Hakopian’s violin playing alone. Beautiful.
Fake live albums that spring readily to mind:
Kinks “Live At Kelvin Hall”
Thirteenth Floor Elevators “Live”
Beach Boys “Party”
– I’m sure there are others.
Baa Baa Baa
Cheap Trick at Budokan gets played very regularly on Friday night turntable sessions.
Quite right too…yellow vinyl I hope.
At this point I’m contractually obliged to mention 10cc Live and let Live which….blah blah blah drone….
Beat me to it. The best live album ever.
Closely followed by AC/DC Iy you want blood… and UFO Strangers in the Night.
Bill Withers’ ‘Live at Carnegie Hall’ should be on any list of great albums, live or otherwise. Fantastically tight band, wonderful songs and a real warmth that comes across from Bill.
and Donny Hathaway Live, another great soulful album
Full House by J. Geils Band still packs an RnB punch
Made In Japan – Deep Purple were on fire at this point
and it’s not fashionable to say it, but plenty of people bought it – Frampton Comes Alive.
Yes good call must dust that one down,btw there is a horrendous version of Ain’t no Sunshine on Spotify ,should be a law against such remixes I think!
I’m curious as to why you think JB’s Live At The Apollo is famous for being famous. Let me guess you are not a fan of JB.
It was recorded in 1962. I’ll say that gain 1962. The recording is fantastic as are the performances.I heartily recommend the Japanese pressing of the double album version.
Of the famous BB King Live At The Regal album. BB said words to effect of “we played 300 nights a year, it was just another concert. My comment – it just happened to be recorded.
JB’s LATA Vol 2 was good enough to release across three half-speed mastered LPs. And very ace it is, too – better than any of his studio recordings.
I’m more a fan of the up-tempo funk JB, that’s all.
Try Vol. 2, then.
yep plenty of uptempo funk right there
I go through periods of playing more live music than studio stuff. Particularly the superb Springsteen (latest ones are from 77) and Wilco downloads. These are acts who develop their songs live over time and they can become completely different animals. See also Van Morrison and (to a lesser extent) Dylan and Young.
Jerry Lee Lewis’s Live at the Star Club us up there with any of the great live albums
Yep. Star Club is Jerry’s best album.
The best live albums are the ones where they shine a new light on the artist – either as a snapshot of a gig showing the interaction with the audience or showcasing versions of songs that surpass the studio equivalent.
I’m thinking the live part of Ummagumma, Live and Dangerous, Ya-Yas, Live at Leeds, Bob Marley Live!
The poor ones tend to be the ones that only appear to be released as part of an album-tour-live album cycle. Floyd, The Stones and The Who are repeat offenders on this one, Dave and Nick were pretty sheepish about the rationale behind the release of Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse.
Or Macca. I have enjoyed seeing him live very much but he has released the same live album approximately 6 times since 1989.
..and no less than 6 other limited edition live compilations for Lexus, iTunes, Daily Mail etc since 2005 as well
ClemFandango – the first paragraph of your post is the perfect description of Tones van Zandt’s “Live at the Old Quarter.” One of my favourite live albums of all time.
Must have a listen to that one
You could pretty much just listen to the dialogue on both Ya Yas and Live at Leeds (especially the full gig version) and it would tell you all you need to know about the relationship in between the band themselves and the band and their audience.
Sometimes I think Old Quarter is the only Townes you need, and I say that as a fan. No arrangements, just voice, guitar and a bunch of classic song. At least now they are.
Back to the exam question
There are a number of live albums I listen to regularly:
Dylan: Hard Rain
Santana: Lotus
Stones: Live In Brussels/ Leeds/ Ya Yas
Franco: Live In Europe
Midnight Oil: goat Island
Allman Brothers: Filmore East
Hard Rain, deffo, superb ramshackle band and Dylan in superb voice…..Guitars — Mick Ronson, T-Bone Burnette, Steven Soles, David Mansfield
Bass — Rob Stoner
Drums — Howard Wyeth, Gary Burke
Strings — Scarlet Rivera
Piano — Howard Wyeth, T-Bone Burnette
Background Vocals — Steven Soles, Rob Stoner
For many years I had no need for either of SLF’s first two albums, because I already had Hanx! which has all the best songs and sounded better to me.
Yep*. Tindersticks provided the same service with their Bloomsbury Theatre album..(*Although I couldn’t be doing with their version of Bob Marley’s “Johnny Was” – already one of Bob’s feebler tunes, now stretched beyond the point of tolerance).
Vital by Van der Graaf springs to mind….stands alone, completely unrepresentative of previous or future versions of the band…loud, brutal, life-affirming…hated by at least 50% of the ‘fans’….
Maximum Darkness by Man (and Live at the Padget Rooms, come to think of it) – easily betters the studio cuts….
Time Fades Away by Neil Young – live performance as exorcism of personal demons? Unforgettable….
There’s that Dexys live album, Projected Passion Revue, which is partly Too-Rye-Ay songs played in a Searching For The Young Soul Rebels style.
By the time they got into the studio, they’d added the Emerald Express strings and gone hick.
I will always default to Dr. Feelgood’s mighty Stupidity – a brilliant capture of a band at its absolute peak. I also have a special place for the 1994 album Down At The Doctors, recorded at the Dr. Feelgood Music Bar on Canvey Island, so definitely a home gig. It is also hugely significant to us dedicated Feelgood fans as the two nights it was recorded over were Lee Brilleaux’s last shows before he passed.
Stupidity is indeed stupendous. I saw them live a few times around 1975/6, amongst the most awesome gigs I ever witnessed.
While we’re in that general area, a small shout out for Out of Our Skulls by The Pirates. Only Side 1 was actually live, but it does a fab job of conveying the band’s sweaty magnificence. Here’s Lonesome Train, with Mick Green giving it some awesome Telecaster-spanking.
There were a few live tracks sprinkled on the next album, Skull Wars. Saw them many times, but the best had to be at the sweaty basement that was Middlesbrough Rock Garden, my Friday night haunt in my late teens. I was ideally positioned at the front, about 3 feet from Mick Green’s flying fingers. Never worked out how he managed to produce that amazing noise. Thorougly lovely, modest, gentle chap too. Thoroughly wasted resource in later years, strumming rhythm behind Byron Ferrari.
Saw a few other great bands there too. I remember being deaf in my left ear for a fortnight after a particularly loud set by the Rezillos.
I’m on a phone, so may have scrolled past it, but I’ve seen no mention of either the Misty In Roots’ Counter Eurovision album or the Feats’ Waiting For Columbus. Get a grip folks, both indispensable!!!
Agreed, esp. Misty In Roots. They made loads of studio albums and nothing came close.
A bit of cheating went on with “Waiting For Columbus”. As with a lot of “live” albums around that time. Stage monitors and live mixing wasn’t that good and excessive drug use by both musicians and sound engineers was rife.
Lowell George insisted on re-recording his vocals and guitar solos after the event on almost all tracks that were being considered for inclusion. They were then compared to the originals and the takes that sounded best were used. A few guitar tuning problems were fixed and one drum error. Nothing was added that wasn’t a straight replacement for something on the original tapes.
It is still a great album.
Apolitical Blues is also a comp of two nights, I discovered when someone gave me a boot of the other night – half way through AB it suddenly was the Columbus version.
Rust Never Sleeps is often cited in these type of lists as the Neil Young live outing.
Pah – I much prefer Live Rust
(a) there’s more tracks
(b) I think it just “sounds” better
I’d pick Weld over either of them.
Seconded.
Deffo Weld for me too. Great version of Hurricane especially.
Well Rust Never Sleeps wasn’t an official live album (and contains studio tracks too). Live Rust has most of the best tracks from RNS plus a bunch of other awesome stuff.
Ramones – It’s Alive is an object lesson in brevity, atmosphere an sheer excitement.
It averages just under 2 minutes per track (28 tracks, around 50 minutes), and the pace never lets up
ONETWOTHREEFOUR!
Iron Maiden – Live After Death still gets a fairly regular spin.
Its basically Iron Maiden Greatest Hits (that weren’t actually hits) 1980 – 85
It’s like a sort of closing of Chapter 1 – before Bass and Guitar synths, Conceptual Proggy affectations and Blaze Bayley happened
@Rigid-Digit I think the Flight 666 soundtrack is musically better – heavier and punchier – and with roughly the same songs. Although I do miss Phantom Of The Opera.
Ah yes, the perennial favourite, a live album thread. Here’s the last thread on the subject to which I contributed 2 years ago.
And as I said then:
Most of my favourites have been named already (UFO, AC/DC, The Who Live at Leeds, Dylan Bootleg 66, Rainbow on Stage etc). To which I’d add:
Ziggy Stardust 1973 Hammersmith
Quo Live
Humble Pie at the Fillmore
Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
Deep Purple – BBC In Concert 1972
Rolling Stones – the Brussels Affair (I wish this had been released commercially in the UK properly)
Rory Gallagher – Stagestruck
Ted Nugent – Double Live Gonzo
Whitesnake – Live in the heart of the City
Led Zeppelin – How the West was won
Pink Floyd – Pulse
Cream – Albert Hall 2005
Jeff Beck – Live at Ronnie Scotts
Bob Marley at the Lyceum
Joe Bonamassa – Live at Nowhere in Particular
Thunder Live
@rocker49 ., we often go over topics covered previously. New people come to the blog so gets it a bit cliquey to say we did that back in 2005 or similar.
It just saves me re- typing my favourite live albums because I’m rather consistent in my tastes.
Good list (again). I’d add Uriah Heep Live and Yessongs.
At my age I have listened to the studio albums of my preference to the point I can hum them backwards. They are still great but I am now committed to live albums. ‘Live’ brings a sparkle, urgency, subtlety, touch and nuance that bring songs, well, alive.
I’ve mentioned Bonnie Raitts ‘Road Tested’ many times on here – it’s spectacular. Has anyone else on here heard it? The Dans ‘Plush Jazz Rock Party’ brings an edge to their otherwise perfect studio output.
@attackdog, to my shame I hadn’t even heard of the Plush TV Jazz Rock Party until reading your comment.
Listening now on YouTube.
Wow! Thank you – I am forever in your debt.
Glad you like it – it’s great.
I really believe this was The Dan’s peak following their return as a live act. Probably overdubbed to hell, but when it’s this good who cares?
Van Morrison’s Too Late to Stop Now is perhaps my favourite live album
A dozen live albums that have a good case for being the artist’s best, not already mentioned:
Genesis Live
Hawkwind – Space Ritual
801
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails
King Curtis – Live At Filmore West
Aretha Franklin – Amazing Grace
Etta James – Rocks The House
15.60.75 – Jimmy Bell’s Still In Town
Van Morrison – Too Late To Stop Now
Otis Redding – in Person At The Whiskey-A-Go-Go
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (the reissue, not the original release)
Taj Mahal – The Real Thing
For Jazz, I have a list as long as your arm.
Just seen Steerpike’s comment. Instead, Kraftwerk’s Minimum-Maximum is a superb introduction to the band’s oeuvre.
Let’s see that list then, or at least some highlights.
As a taster, top ten albums recorded at The Village Vanguard:
John Coltrane – Live At The Village Vanguard (Master Takes)
Bill Evans Trio – Waltz For Debby
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis – All Our Yesterdays
Art Pepper – Friday Night At The Village Vanguard
Sonny Rollins – A Night At The Village Vanguard
Brad Mehldau – Art Of The Trio 4
Bill Evans Trio – Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Keith Jarrett – Nude Ants
Chucho Valdés – Live At The Village Vanguard
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan – Small Town
… and bubbling under at number 11 – Fred Hersch – Alone at the Vanguard.
Nice album, that.
Cripes. I’ve only got one of those.
Great list. However, I would add :
Duke Ellington – Live at Newport (1956) (indispensable IMHO)
Charles Lloyd – Forest Flower (Live at Monterey, 1966)
Don Ellis – Live at Monterey (also 1966)
Don Ellis? Top man!
There should be more Don Ellis on this board.
A Don Ellis live album?
I’d have to go for “Tears of Joy”, recorded live at Basin Street West in San Francosco over 4 nights in May 1971.
The seventeen-minute version of “Strawberry Soup” is simply a MONSTER.
Indeed, the whole album (originally a double LP) simply dips and swoops along in a pleasantly discombobulating fashion. Give it a go!
I’m surprised you are not an advocate of Ornette Coleman Trio At The Golden Circle, Stockholm, duco.
I was restricting myself to The Village Vanguard.
Top five Miles Davis Live:
At The Plugged Nickel
In Person At Blackhawk
At Filmore
Cellar Door
Pangaea
The Name Of This Band Is Called Talking Heads (reissue, withextra tracks) is better than Stop Making Sense and is also better than the studio albums. Actually Fear Of Music is better than SMS, as is More Songs About Buildings… I think TNOTB captures them more as a new wave guitar band with their funk fusion evolving into a monster. By SMS they’re a bit over their peak I reckon.
The Name Of This Band is a cracking collection of live tracks recorded over a number of years. It’s not really an album. CD2 could have been a great Remain In Light tour album.
As for peak Talking Heads, there were several peaks, from the spiky punk of ’77 to the pure pop of Little Creatures. I’m very fond of True Stories and regard Love For Sale as their finest single. Stop Making Sense at least has a shout, even if it’s ultimately beaten by More Songs About Buildings And Food, my personal favourite and the one loved by The Undertones too.
Well, that’s a view, albeit a wrong one.
Tigger is a bit of a contrarian. Cant believe he thinks Love For Sale is really their best single. As for the live albums, neither are crucial, but SMS is much better than the studio album the tour was based on. Best Heads album? Either Fear of Music or Remain in Light (but I hate The Overload)
Last time I saw them was 1982 at Wembley Arena. I have been to hundreds of gigs since, many great, but none better than that gig. I love TH, but none of their albums come close to matching the live experience.
I didn’t go because it was London, seemingly another country at the time. Odd really, because I last saw them in Edinburgh at the festival when Van Morrison headlined and that is officially another country.
I only ever witnessed them as a little group, CD1 of The Name Of This Band. They were always fantastic.
Of course the live albums are great, but I don’t think either of them represent the best of the Talking Heads on vinyl (or plastic). I never saw them live but have seen a number of David Byrne shows, they were also superlative.
I recommended a while ago Van Morrison’s 1987 Glastonbury set. It was recorded by the BBC, so the quality is very good. I’m not sure if it’s sneaked out on the grey market, but it is fab.
I was there! I also have a recording. Nice version of Rave on, John Donne – if I remember rightly.
There is another theme which is the merits of unofficial albums / boots etc over live albums.
For the good ones you have the benefit of
1. A band less mindful of this is being recorded.
2. No overdubs so it is the real thing
3. The dynamic of a show unfolding as band gets their chops going as the set goes on, the crowd gets more involved as do you as the listener.
Stones live in Brussels is a great example. Ditto live at Leeds v Ya Yas
I believe, on the thread that @rocker49 mentions above, I suggested that the Steve Earle & Del McCoury Band bootleg, recorded in Sweden is one of the very best Steve Earle recordings.
Re: Steve Earle & Del McCoury Band bootleg
Ooh, I’ve got that on an old cassette. I taped it off Swedish radio.
It is indeed an immaculate show.
I saw that tour when it arrived at the Shepherds Bush Empire. It was one of my favourite gigs ever and I love their album too.
Yes I’ve got a few of those including Dublin.
As far as Steve Earle bootlegs I did a pretty good one in the Ashes to Ashes tour and got about 5 boots from the collectors in the States.
Heavy metal Blue Grass the commercial bootleg from Bern in 1997 is rather good too.
I think it’s called ‘Heavy Metal Bluegrass’ or something.
Some of my favourites –
Running On Empty – Jackson Browne
Career Moves and So Damm Happy – Loudon Wainwright
Nighthawks At The Diner – Tom Waits
Live At Budokan? – John Hiatt. It’s not actually at Budokan, it’s a joke because everyone seemed to be recording live in Japan. It is live though.
Wot no Frampton ?
Frampton was mentioned by nickduvet early doors…
Top 5 Latin Jazz albums in no particular order:
Fania All Stars – Live at The Cheetah Vol. 2
Tico All Stars – Descargas At The Village Gate
Papo Vazquez – Live At The Point
Jazz On The Latin Side All Stars – Vol. 1
The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra – Live At The Blue Note
10cc Live and Let Live is good.
Someone else like it!
Rockin’ choir and crowd.
Hezekiah Walker and The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir – Live in London
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OS1uQ1Bf5I
Holy moly – that looks a fantastic gig to have been at.
Gospel music is great, but I’m always put off by the nonstop Jesus-bothering. If you can ignore the words, it’s awesome, but that’s pretty difficult in most cases. I once went to see Donny McClurkin and Kirk Franklin on a double bill at some weird barn-like venue in Acton and they were amazing, but McClurkin spoiled things with his constant disparaging of other religions. It’s bad enough going on and on about your own religion, but slagging off others seems a bit over the top, although as an atheist I wasn’t actually personally offended.
“I Am On The Battlefield For My Lord” – Jamaican Gospel Vol. 3 (Buked and Scorned, 2017)
For anyone who enjoys gospel music AND Jamaican music, you can hardly go wrong with this recent archival release of long-lost Jamaican gospel recordings from the sixties, unearthed and brought to us by the small and tremendously named Chicago label Buked and Scorned.
http://honestjons.com/shop/artist/I_Am_On_The_Battlefield_For_My_Lord/release/Jamaican_Gospel_Vol._3
Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day. Woof!
It occured to me recently that there weren’t that many live rock albums issued in the 60s. When Ya Yas and Live At Leeds came out they were pretty much the first as we know them today. Presumably this was largely down to technology and audiences maturing which make any recordings listenable.
The Live Adventures Of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper must be one of the earliest rock live albums (1968) and is one of my faves. As an aside, I clearly remember I picked this up in a sale around 1970 when CBS deleted their mono catalogue there was loads of stuff available in, I think, Smiths at bargain prices. Funny what sticks in your mind….
I’d say that in the sixties, live albums were probably more common in jazz than they were in rock.
Some well-known ones include…
Bill Evans – Sunday at the Village Vanguard
John Coltrane – at the Village Vanguard
Duke Ellington at Newport (released in 1956!)
Wes Montgomery – Smokin’ at the Half-Note
The Quintet: Jazz At Massey Hall
Miles David – In Person at the Blackhawk
There were a whole bunch of Johnny Rivers live albums in the 60s. I used to have one of them but I can’t remember which one now. I think it was the one that had You’ve lost that loving feeling on it.
I like live albums that feature a bit of banter – no great Tull fan, but I’m very fond of Burstin’ Out. Jackson Browne’s Acoustic Live albums have some nice spoken intros and stories in between songs and I really like the live acoustic albums by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds.
Joe Jackson Live ’80-’86 is a great document of an act evolving over time and his other live recordings always have something new or re-arranged to keep it interesting.
The Band. Rock Of Ages. As you were
Skylarkingmatt!! Good to see you.
Thanks Tigger. Mainly a lurker these days but still here!
Interesting comment by Sir George Morrison in this months Boho/Unshod (Ant/Dec?) about how record companies are afeard of live albums. Quite a fascinating interview altogether: his chips are all on view, shoulders abared.
My issue with a lot of live albums is lack of instrumentation: 3-piece or even 4-piece bands just don’t fill the sound space (unless they have a really enterprising keyboardist). Hence twin drummers really make a difference on a live album (see the unmatched Allman’s Filmore East).
“Hence twin drummers really make a difference on a live album”
Yes, this, of course was a ploy used by the Grateful Dead for most of their 30-year lifespan. Having said that, I really love the shows where there’s only Bill Kreutzmann drumming too – such as on the Europe ’72 tour..
I forgot to give a mention to possibly my favourite live album – Stand In The Fire by Warren Zevon. After a shaky start, it just gets better and better. If I remember correctly, on this tour he used a Warren Zevon tribute act as his band – or am I mis-remembering?
Ryo Fukui – A Letter From Slowboat
I’ve been meaning to add this album to this thread for ages.
I’ve never mentioned Ryo Fukui (1948-2016) on this board before, and I’m not sure anybody else has either.
He was a Japanese jazz pianist. Not the most productive of musicians, he only released five albums in his 40-year career. The most well-known are his debut, “Scenery” (1976), and his farewell live release from a Hokkaido club, “A Letter from Slowboat,” which came out a year before his death in 2015.
Don’t go searching the internet for a physical copy of “A Letter from Slowboat,” because you won’t find one. Sadly, we have to make do with the whole album on an OK quality YouTube video. It’s well work playing from start to finish, because it’s a wonderful record. If you like, say, the classic Bill Evans Trio Riverside recordings from around 1960, then I guarantee you’ll dig “A Letter from Slowboat.”
Afterword jazzers – make time for this!