John L

I am a big Mal Waldron fan and have a very large collection. But it is certainly not complete. A complete Mal collection would be HUGE.

My reading of Stomping the Blues was two major theses. The first one I agree with - that there is a broad blues aesthetic that is present not only in jazz but in other African American music, and that much in the development of the music can be understood as a development of that broad aesthetic. The second thesis is that jazz, as the most advanced and sophisticated realization of this aesthetic, is superior to other forms of blues music. For some reason, I can't find the book right now, but I even recall a specific quote on Duke Ellington being superior to Muddy Waters and other greats of non-jazz blues. I would assume, but am not sure, that he had the same view of superiority to "less sophisticated" soul jazz.

And yet a handful of the writers were not white. Albert Murray, for example, always preached the superiority of "sophistication (especially Duke Ellington)" in the blues over more "primitive" approaches.

I don't either. It really bothers me how some jazz histories treat soul jazz in a very disparaging way. When I got to that part in Alyn Shipton celebrated "New History of Jazz," I even had to put the book down. I am still waiting for the book that can treat the development of jazz, blues, R&B, and gospel in a truly integrated way. That would naturally give justice to the music that doesn't fit neatly into just one of these categories.

This latter session is on the above CD, but Pres only plays on Lady Be Good.

Actually, the only tracks that both Miles Davis and Lester Young play on together are How High the Moon, Lester Leaps In, and Lady Be Good.

Thanks for that clarification. Sorry. But I do love the way Helen Reddy sings it.

Many thanks for that, Marcel.

I have always liked her. She wrote some very good songs and delivered them with feeling and sincerity. "You and Me Against the World" is probably my favorite. RIP

That would be dynamite!

Thanks for this. I never heard it before.

A never had a chance to meet him in person (a plan that never materialized) but I considered him a friend. He was a very unique and special person. RIP.

Given that Sonny Rollins is his own toughest critic, his enthusiasm about this release means that it has to be KILLLER!

RIP. She was fabulous

Wow! Happy birthday, Newk!