Topic: Passport - Lifelike

[Todd Norris]

Hi David,

I just wanted to say that I finally picked up Passport's Lifelike CD after seeing the video clips you (or someone else here?) posted a while back.  I love it!   

I want to pick up some of your other work too.  Are there any recordings that you are particularly fond of that you would recommend? 

Thanks for all you do here at the Cafe!

Todd

[David Crigger]

Todd -

You're welcome and thanks!!  I'm glad you enjoyed the Passport stuff That was a very fun band to play with, a with a great library of music... lots of fun. The Lifelike CD was really only released in Europe, which was, of course, a drag for me being here in the US. But it's great it's been re-issued on CD again. For any one interested, the YouTube clips Todd's referring to (which really make up the bulk of the Montreux concert that CD is partially based on) can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/user/davidcriggerdrums#p/c/0CDD5B44F500040E

As for other stuff that I'm particularly fond...

I'd say the CD I'm most satisfied with as a player would be the "Transvalue - Book III" CD that Bart was nice enough to review here when it was released a year or so ago. By no means the most commercial CD I've done, but one with lots of challenging progressive jazz music, unfettered by the stylistic/groove/genre restrictions placed on jazz by many folks... not me. I just really liked the way the whole thing turned out...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001586Y5G?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001586Y5G

Then, of course, there's my participation in the music of Don Ellis... my favorite CD there would be again a CD of a concert from the Montreux Jazz Festival (this one three years earlier than Passport's appearance)...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000060PCD?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000060PCD

And of course there's always a fondness for whatever you just finished working on....and this is a weird one as it actually a CD of a basically "lost tape" concert with Don Ellis playing with a quintet that traveled to India in 1978 to play two concerts (that quintet's only performances actually) for the 1st Annual "Jazz Yatra" Bombay International Jazz Festival. Anyway, a tape of this concert surfaced a couple of years ago and got enlisted to produce (meaning restore, edit and master) the project of turning this tape into a CD - which took me on and off the better part of year. And while no sonic masterpiece (the source tape was far from ideal), I'm proud of the fact that it presents Don in a small group setting that's quite different and far more aggressive than his small group outings of the 60's (much more representative of last decade or so of his life) and more importantly it presents five original compositions that up to now have been released on any commercially available recordings.  So that would be "Don Ellis - Live in India". This is a limited pressing CD release, so CD's are only available at this time here:  http://www.sleepynightrecords.com/media.php

But mp3's are available on iTunes and Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00475PDWO?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00475PDWO

And just to make this "tooting my own horn" session complete - if you're wanting browse though other recordings I've done, I've got a pretty complete list on my website - http://www.davidcrigger.com/recordings.php

And above all else - thanks so much for asking!!!

David

[Todd Norris]

Hi David,

Thanks for sharing some thoughts on a few of your favorite projects.  I just downloaded the Live In India album from Amazon - I LOVE IT!  It's right up my alley. I'm sad to admit that Ellis never crossed my radar except in your references to him in the past, but wow, better late than never!  I really like your groove in this first tune I'm listening to!  I'm sure the rest will be as much fun.  I'll post some follow-up thoughts once I've had a chance to dig into it a few times. 

There will definitely be more Don Ellis recordings in my future!  What a blessing this forum is:  Not only do I get to discover great "new" music, but I have the opportunity to chat with the drummer too - Holy smokes!  killer extended solo vamp going on here!  Ok, gotta go focus on this and not multi-task...