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Billy Childs!


cedar

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Billy Childs is my latest entry for my list of underappreciated musicians. I've been aware of him for years, but for whatever reason, didn't give him enough attention. I think it may be because he seems to be a west coast guy, and also because he evidently has devoted considerable time to composing/arranging (inside and outside of conventional "jazz").

 

Here are some tastes:

 

Smoking solo with Freddie Hubbard:

 

[video:youtube]

 

His solo is the first on the track (starting after about 30 seconds).

 

Fast forward to his 2017 release, "Rebirth":

 

[video:youtube]

 

With the Calder String Quartet

 

[video:youtube]

 

This post is really just a thinly veiled request for recommendations for other albums, especially from his early days with Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, and Nat Adderley,

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Billy Childs is a spectacular musician, very high in my list and a big influence since his early albums for Windham Hill Jazz. He really gives importance to composition, texture and arrangement - *and* the right balance between composition and improvisation. Maybe just a tad too intellectual and understated to be a superstar, but who cares... he's a superior musician, and that's more than enough in my book.
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This post is really just a thinly veiled request for recommendations for other albums, especially from his early days with Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, and Nat Adderley,

My favorite from his early days is "I've Known Rivers". A great artistic achievement in my opinion. Probably, a little less "jazz" than others, but I don't care, it's just beautiful music. The guy started his career playing for Allan Holdsworth, and that speaks volumes about his versatility and lack of purism.

 

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Billy Childs is my latest entry for my list of underappreciated musicians. I've been aware of him for years, but for whatever reason, didn't give him enough attention. I think it may be because he seems to be a west coast guy, and also because he evidently has devoted considerable time to composing/arranging (inside and outside of conventional "jazz").

 

Here are some tastes:

 

Smoking solo with Freddie Hubbard:

 

[video:youtube]

 

His solo is the first on the track (starting after about 30 seconds).

 

Fast forward to his 2017 release, "Rebirth":

 

[video:youtube]

 

With the Calder String Quartet

 

[video:youtube]

 

This post is really just a thinly veiled request for recommendations for other albums, especially from his early days with Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, and Nat Adderley,

Billy Childs is my latest entry for my list of underappreciated musicians. I've been aware of him for years, but for whatever reason, didn't give him enough attention. I think it may be because he seems to be a west coast guy, and also because he evidently has devoted considerable time to composing/arranging (inside and outside of conventional "jazz").

 

Here are some tastes:

 

Smoking solo with Freddie Hubbard:

 

[video:youtube]

 

His solo is the first on the track (starting after about 30 seconds).

 

Fast forward to his 2017 release, "Rebirth":

 

[video:youtube]

 

With the Calder String Quartet

 

[video:youtube]

 

This post is really just a thinly veiled request for recommendations for other albums, especially from his early days with Freddie Hubbard, JJ Johnson, and Nat Adderley,[/quo

 

 

Very enjoyable. I really liked the jazz band with string quartet and harp. There were some odd time signatures in there too!

 

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Billy Childs Trio " Bedtime Stories" - A tribute to Herbie Hancock. With George Mraz & Billy Hart.

An excellent session and worth tracking down.

I've been trying to trace down this album for a few years, on and off, without success except for a couple of songs.

I found a copy on Amazon once and ordered it, but something went wrong and it never arrived...

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My introduction to Billy Childs was,'Take for ExampleThis...' which I think he recorded back in he late 80"s on a label that was an offshoot of Windham Hill. Great post-bop compositions with a kind of Keith Emerson slant. Really unique stuff. The playing is stellar. I had it on cassette and it can"t be streamed or downloaded.
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I've been listening to tracks from the album "Bedtime stories" on youtube. Great stuff.

 

I think it's available to be downloaded on Amazon.

 

It"s on Amazon as a $6 mp3 album, under the name SPEAK LIKE A CHILD.

 

Wow, thanks. I had no idea of the alternate name.

I just bought it (it's 9.99 Euros from here, but I don't care) and downloading right now.

Thanks again!

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I love him, I have "Take For Example This" and I believe one other album somewhere at home... just amazing but I must admit, having studied and having been involved with more purely improvised jazz for a while now through Tristano/ Warn Marsh/ Sal Mosca/ Lee Konitz and my teacher Larry Bluth ..I prefer purely improvised jazz more than composed jazz at this juncture in my life....that doesn't just refer to Billy Childs ...Keith Jarret is more of a pure improviser than Billy for example , but I don't know all of Billy's works.. this could always change with me as time moves on, and this was just beautiful but it's where I'm at right now ... this is composition and it reminded of how composed a lot of his work was on the 2 albums I have.... if anyone knows any releases where he is more improved please let me know, I'd be curious to hear them.. this was not a put down of Billy Childs by any means ..a truly gifted cat!

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