John L

RIP

RIP

I am fairly sure that this is the only known recording of Bird playing White Christmas.

You may be right. My knowledge of the Butterfield Blues Band is limited. I have always thought that Butterfield was interested in fronting a pretty standard Chicago blues band, as reflected on the first album, and that it wasn't him that pushed in the direction of East-West. I guess I just base that on things that I have heard through the years, although I can't recall anything specific at this point. I certainly do agree with you that he was a great harmonica player.

When I think of Paul Butterfield, the word "originator" does not come to mind. The degree to which the Paul Butterfield Blues Band paved new ground, I don't think it was Butterfield who was really doing it - Bloomfield to somewhat a greater degree. I think of Paul Butterfield as a damn good Chicago bluesman and harmonica player who just happened to be white. Yes, he was much more authentic than Mayall. He embodied the Chicago blues in a serious way. But I don't see him as some kind of innovator.

The 70s are special to me since that was the time that I got interested in jazz. I remember that it was a strange feeling. Looking back at jazz history, the 20s-30s-40s-50s-60s felt like a strong progression headed somewhere. But where? Some argued that it was fusion. In reality, things were going in all sorts of different confusing directions: backwards, forwards, sideways, every which way. But in retrospect, damn was there a lot of great music being made!

Ron was a great and unique guy. I regret never having met him in the flesh, although we were in communication for more than 20 years. RIP

Very sad indeed. RIP

It seems like people who argue for the superiority of classical music over jazz are always coming from classical music, and are always using the metrics of classical music to evaluate jazz. Jazz is founded in rhythm as much as harmony, and not "rhythm" as defined in classical music by time signature. Rhythm in jazz is played around the time signature in the African tradition, something that simply does not exist in Beethoven. That, and not improvisation per se, is the primary reason why comparing jazz and classical music is like comparing apples and oranges.

Some of his later records are quite worthwhile, including the one highlighted by Jim S above. When people used to request "Right Place, Wrong Time" at his shows since the 1980s, he would often reply "I don't play that shit no more." RIP. It feels like Mac took a piece of New Orleans with him when he left.

RIP. I really appreciated Chris. It is worth noting that the course of recorded jazz would have been a bit different without him. There would be no Ida Cox comeback album with Coleman Hawkins. There would not be those beautiful Lonnie Johnson albums with Elmer Snowden. "Bessie" is one of the truly great jazz books. Chris was a unique individual, always very generous and consistently intolerant of racism and injustice.

Jim S. - Well, I didn’t understand from the discussion that Branford was asserting his own importance in music. He was just expressing an opinion about Mile’s role, or lack thereof, in the 2nd quintet. I also disagree with his opinion, but don’t think that he needs to be chastised for it.

It was a perfect marriage. Yes, it was largely the accomplishments of Shorter, Williams, Hancock, & Carter. But I really don't think that they would have reached the heights that they did without Miles. It reminds me of how, in R&B, members of the Flames or the JBs would even sometimes think to themselves that they were doing it all. But without James Brown, it didn't happen. Conversely, James Brown could make it happen even without the best musicians.

Thanks, Д.Д. I had a program called CATRAXX for many years, but they discontinued it. I had tons of information there, can't access it any more.

Does Collectorz store information on musicians playing on the records in a searchable manner? For example, I want to see all the albums in my collection that Sam Jones plays bass on.