adh1907

Who needs the peace corps?

Lee Perry

Actually her Short Story tune seems to follow Tristano’s Wow. Which in turn may be based on Earl Hines’ you can depend on me. Could be wrong. Anthony

Thanks, that’s a great find Niko. Betty sounds quite an interesting character, what with the LSD etc. Sounds like an early hippie. That Short Story track intrigues me, sounds v modern. Is it the same chord sequence as used by Marsh and Konitz on ‘Sound Lee’ perhaps. Can’t quite place it. https://archive.org/details/78_shorty-shorty_the-betty-christopher-trio-betty-christopher-tommy-carroll-buzzy-brid_gbia0285827b

Yes, that is the same photo as on the Facebook post

Bill Crow posted a photo of her on his Facebook page, playing with a sax player, Fred Greenwell. He asked if anyone knew of her and the following: “Her original name was Stitt. I came to New York at the same time that she did, in January 1950, and she was working with an all girl band. She had been studying with Lennie Tristano when she lived in Chicago. In NYC she met and played for Charlie Parker, and toward the end of that year he offered her a New Year's Eve job. She panicked, and went back home to Chicago, and I heard she married, and I lost track of her. She was a good musician and a good friend. She made a 78 while she was in New York, with Buddy Jones on bass and Buzzy Bridgeford on drums. I gave my copy to the Institute of Jazz Studies in Newark.” So, the 78 has ‘Gone with the wind’ a vocal with no piano solo and the more interesting original ‘Short Story’. Maybe it was a private pressing for promotional purposes.

Interesting Bill Crow post today about Betty Christopher, studied with Tristano. “Shorty Shorty’” on the B side of her 78 sounds incredible, ahead of its time. Guessing early ‘50s. Blown away by this https://archive.org/details/78_shorty-shorty_the-betty-christopher-trio-betty-christopher-tommy-carroll-buzzy-brid_gbia0285827b Correction, looks to be entitled “Short Story”

Thanks v much.

I have sheet music for neither but these sound like they have v similar chord sequences. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Scritti Politti, fascinating 1979 film. Showing their squat on Carol St in all its squalor. My partner used to hang out with the feminists next door.

Love, Leda by Mark Hyatt. Interesting mid 60s London novel only recently discovered and published. Takes a while to get into the staccato poetic style. As an aside, trying to work out which jazz club operated on Museum St. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/23/a-great-lost-work-love-ledas-candid-tale-of-1960s-gay-life-is-a-touching-time-capsule

I gather from my Dad that he was quite a friendly chap. British jazz owes a lot to a few driven individuals. Harry Flick was another, in the Midlands area.

So RCA went to all the trouble of re channeling a mono date into stereo and then misspelled the venue of the recording and the name of one of the artists. Oh dear.

Was that really released with two shocking typos?! Crikey. Other than that it sounds worth hearing. Recording date?

I wasn’t sure where to note this but Ernie Garside, renowned UK jazz promoter (and trumpet player) has died, aged 91. There is a short obituary in Jazzwise here: https://www.jazzwise.com/news/article/rnie-garside-3-january-1932-1-august-2023 He had a long and prolific life from setting up the famous Manchester jazz club, Club 43 to promoting and touring with Maynard Ferguson (after he had settled in Manchester). I think I attended a number of concerts he promoted, including Art Farmer in Southport in the 80s. My Dad certainly went to lots, incl Club 43 and passed the time of day with Ernie a number of times. He will be upset when I tell him the news. RIP. I understand there is a very large and interesting archive of recordings of a number of jazz greats at Club 43. Would be a great memorial to Ernie if there were some releases from this. Anthony

I was too slow. Out of stock at Mosaic and Jazz Messengers. By the way, are the original sleeve notes replicated in the box set? I hope so.

A memorable evening Gheorghe and a great photo!

RIP. Great player, first heard him on Charles Fox BBC radio jazz in Britain live sessions in the 70s and was then surprised that he turned up on a Pop Group b side snappily entitled ‘Amnesty International Report on British Army Torture of Irish Prisoners”. Actually I think Tristan lets rip on the A side, we are all prostitutes from about 2 minutes in. Would be interested to know how he fell in with this crowd, what a life. RIP.

Interesting. In the Uk the no wave thing wasn’t that popular so Blood Ulmer was marketed by Rough Trade as punk funk, slotting in with other UK bands of the time like A Certain Ratio, Pigbag, Pop Group, Rip Rig and Panic. Powerful record and a great picture sleeve on the Rough Trade single. Which I would post but I can’t seem to get round the size restrictions on this site.

Rough Trade in the UK released James Blood Ulmer’s ‘Are you glad to be in America’ on 7” in 1980. 7” releases on RT had been of a punky persuasion prior to that so this release was v progressive. Was very trendy at the time, I recall. Anthony London

Tempted too, haven’t ordered from Jazz Messengers for a long time, any post Brexit complications you are aware of?

Yes those mono switches can be useful! Dug it off the rack, ‘Word’ sounds incredibly modern for 1956.

Great record. Must dig out my CDcopy. How is the pressing? I have a few Atlantic black labels, including the Teddy Charles Tentet and found them powerful but noisy, even those that look good and have been through a cleaner. Anthony Yes, they used to have regular trips to the States to stock the shop. More recently, well last year, the Kings Cross shop was selling LPs from one of the owner’s collection. Some choice items. I wonder if True Blue was from this collection.

What a shame. Still remember first draft Anchor at Vesuvio’s SF in the 80s after visiting City Lights. Was a good flavourful beer then, when there weren’t many around. Sam Adams or Rolling Rock were the only other ones I recall worth drinking at that time.

I find modern vinyl reissues with a few exceptions to be a waste of good money. I have 70 year old 10” records that sound better than some of the latest remastered reissues .