Justin V

Freddie Redd - Live at the Studio Grill, with Al McKibbon and Billy Higgins.

Freddie Redd - Redd's Blues

Bill Easley - First Call

Freddie Redd - Everybody Loves a Winner: This was only my third Redd album (joining The Music from the Connection and Music for You) and has caused a Redd spree. I've now added Redd's Blues, Live at the Studio Grill and Under Paris Skies.

Watching my little girl, who is learning to walk, stop mid-stride to dance to 'Zoo Boogaloo' makes me feel good.

I hope he had a great birthday. I plan on seeing him play next month and in June.

I'm glad to see that the ones I thought might be included in the 4th batch were. I just picked up Here 'Tis recently. Fans of Donaldson and Willette shouldn't miss that one.

Count me as a Ted Daniel fan. I just listened to In the Beginning, a date where Daniel is keeping deservedly heavy company (Charles Tyler, Oliver Lake, David Murray and Arthur Blythe, among others). This thread reminded me to rip that one and Interconnection, which I will revisit soon. I also recommend his trio album, The Loft Years, Vol. 1, and Solo at Abbazia San Zeno, Pisa, Italy. With those four being archival releases, it makes me wonder how much material Daniel has socked away. A sideman date I heartily recommend is Billy Bang's Vietnam: Relections, which also has Henry Threadgill, James Spaulding, John Hicks, Curtis Lundy, Michael Carvin and others, conducted by Butch Morris. Although I haven't heard it in years, a mistake I will soon rectify, it is a haunting album. I saw Daniel at the Freedom of Sound Festival (a Dolphy tribute) several years ago and then twice in two days with Michael Marcus and Jay Rosen. I posted about the festival at the time, but I want to say he played wirh an ensemble conducted by Grachan Moncur III. On the trio gigs, he played cornet and was set to play at Edgefest, which apparently focused on the cornet that year. At any rate, he had a gorgeous cornet sound and played two memorable shows. Marcus had written some strong material; it'd be a shame if he never recorded that group. I also have to add that Daniel has to be one of the friendliest, warmest musicians I've met (and Marcus was super nice, too).

Ted Daniel - In the Beginning

The 80 Works reissue has a 2nd alternate of 'Blue Train' not available on the RVG or Ultimate reissues. Blue Train is an album I never got around to acquiring, probably due to assuming it'd always be readily available due to it being Trane and on Blue Note, so it is worth it to me to get the complete version. As for the similar song lengths indicating that the alternates aren't massive re-workings, that doesn't have much to do with it. If the masters and alternates are approximately the same tempo and have solos of x amount of choruses, you'd expect them to be of similar lengths. Were the masters later takes that were more polished, crystallized versions of ideas from earlier, alternate takes? Even if the solos aren't markedly different, part of the allure of alternates is hearing the process that led to the master take. However, sometimes takes with excellent solos get scrapped in favor of the take with the cleaner ensemble work.

Freddie Redd - Everybody Loves a Winner

Happy Birthday, Mr. Coleman!