Joe Lovano - "Sounds of Joy"

[ADR]

I've been listening to this one in my car all week this week after not having listened to it for a couple of years.

What a great under-rated session. Lovano on reeds, Anthony Cox on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums. It's on the Enja label circa 1991.

This session tends to get overlooked in favor of the better known "From the Soul" on Blue Note from the same time period. What both sessions have in common and what makes the Enja date so magical is the interaction between Lovano and Blackwell - great stuff.

I love "From the Soul" but after listening to "Sounds of Joy" this week I might actually prefer it.

ADR

[James]

ADR ---- I could not agree with you more. I waited for a few months to get this, having placed it on my wish list on half.com.
When I received the e-mail re. it's availability I pounced like a python! In fact I just recommended this recording to a poster on another bulletin board.

All things considered, it just may be my favorite Lovano. And for that matter, showcases Ed Blackwell in extremely favorable light.
This is a recording that I listen to regularly, and recommend regularly.

[Pharaohrock]

From The Soul is my favorite Lovano record that I have heard, so that's sayin something! I need to check this disc out.

[sal]

I love From the Soul and Sounds of Joy as well, but I think my favorite Lovano recording is Trio Facination vol. 1 with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. Elvin does some of his best playing in his entire later career, Lovano is particularly inspired by the trio setting (especially THIS trio), and Dave is amazing as usual. Definitely one for all Lovano fans to check out if they haven't yet!

[ADR]

Sal:

"Trio Fascination Vol. I" is probably my favorite Lovano disc as well - followed by "Sounds of Joy" and "From the Soul".

These three are all excellent albums - highly recommended to any Lovano fans out there.

I was pretty disappointed with "Trio Fascination Vol. II - Flights of Fancy". It seemed to be making such an effort to be eclectic with its shuffling instrumentation - that it lacks focus. An interesting album nonetheless.

The two other Lovano albums I listen to most often are "Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard" (featuring two different quartets - one "out" quartet with Tom Harrell (trumpet), Anthony Cox (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), and one "in" quartet with Mulgrew Miller (piano), Christian McBride (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums)) and "Friendly Fire" (a quintet with Lovano, Greg Osby, Jason Moran, Cameron Brown, and Idris Muhammed). While I wouldn't rank these two with "Sounds of Joy", "From the Soul" and "Trio Fascination Vol. I" - they still are excellent Lovano albums that I strongly recommended to Lovano nuts.

ADR

[sal]

You're right, ADR. I was somewhat disappointed with volume 2 as well. But that volume 1......incredible.

Do you know where I can get a copy of Friendly Fire? I've been looking for that one for such a long time.

[ADR]

Sal:


"Friendly Fire" is officially out of print. However, you can still get it if you are interested.

Have you ever used Amazon "marketplace" vendors before? If you go to Amazon and pull up the listing for "Friendly Fire" it lists it as "out of stock". However, there is also an option to click on entitled "Used and New". If you click on this "used and new" link it will take you to a listing of several vendors who have "Friendly Fire" available for sale starting at $5.16 for a used copy and $6.00 for a new copy. Amazon acts as a middleman for these transactions but the product ships directly from the vendor listed. I have used this option several times with no problem.

Hope this is helpful.

ADR

[sal]

Wow....I never knew about that. And to think I've been shopping on amazon for a couple years now.

Thanks for the tip, ADR!

[James]

Man - this is great info., especially in lieu of half.com's imminent closure. My thanks also, ADR!

And I agree that Trio Fascination 1 is a beautiful recording.

[James]

This is the first I've heard of this recording, Adam. Thanks for the tip.

[Mnytime]

I really haven't cared for what Lovano has been releasing for the last couple years.

52nd Street Themes is the last recording of his I have enjoyed. I found Trio Fascination II to be incredibly boring. For awhile he was putting out a lot of incredible recordings.

I think it's way past time to stop with all these gimmick recordings like the Caruso. Get back to original material.

It’s the same with Dave Douglas. I haven't enjoyed he releases in a couple of years as well.


Some other recordings by Lovano that are well worth picking up that have not been mentioned

Rush Hour
Landmarks
Universal Language