Larry Kart

I didn't say that PW's intonation was less than topnotch, just that Snidero's really struck me as special, in part no doubt because his tone is somewhat on the attenuated side, which tends to highlight, put an extra emphasis on, precise intonation. The same solos? Red Garland to some degree, but Coltrane? -- Snidero's nuts. Coltrane couldn't have played the same solo twice in a row if he'd wanted to; the sheer flow of his ideas would have precluded that. Now if he's talking about someone like Johnny Hodges or Harry Edison -- and if he was, so what? Who would have wanted them or others of their vintage and ilk to proceed otherwise. And Snidero, you nudnik, what about Lester Young? No repeater pencil, he. BTW, how many alternate takes are there of the Miles-Coltrane-Garland-Chambers-Jones quintet? Any?

No, but he's become a topic of disciussion here at times.

Any thoughts? I've been impressed.

Yes. A superb performance of the Mahler 10th. I have it on a tape cassette. Also I was there in Orchestra Hall for that performance.

It arrived, excellent. Orrin Evens in fine form adds a great deal.

Thanks, Jim.

"As for his tonal control, he probably had access to top-shelf classical saxophone/woodwind instruction, no? They would have had that in Boston, right?' One would like to know. "The cause of most primary spinal tumors is unknown. Some of them may be attributed to exposure to cancer-causing agents. Spinal cord lymphomas, which are cancers that affect lymphocytes (a type of immune cell), are more common in people with compromised immune systems."

As sgcim says, how Chaloff did it -- "Beautiful tone that was almost completely in the upper range of the instrument, great ideas, great chops, no overdone vibrato" -- is something of a mystery. Smulyan fan that I've become, I'd say that he matches Serge in the instrument's lowest register, but in the upper register and in terms of overall articulation and ideas, no other baritonist comes close. W'eve probably heard about the time Woody Herman, exasperated by Serge's frequently outrageous behavior stood next to him at the bar of the Sherman Hotel and while engaging him in conversation pissed down Serge's leg. Here's another one from the same period. Eddie Higgins, then a student at Notre Dame, wanted to interview Serge for the school newspaper. He calls Serge's room at the Sherman and they agree on a time to talk. Eddie arrives at Serge's room. He smells smoke and knocks on the door, which is ajar. Eddie enters, and sees Serge sprawled on the rug, with one arm flung behind him, resting in the seat of a plush armchair, where the cigarette in Serge's hand has burned a substantial hole. "Mr. Chaloff," Eddie says, "the chair; it's on fire." Serge languidly turns his head to look, and says, "I'm hip."

I P.S> Couldn't find Ken, but I asked Barbie and she much prefers Gene Quill, as do I.

Nope

No alcohol was served there. I went there once to review Freddie Hubbard. A very nice place.

Thanks. Ordered it.

Didn't offer it as proof but as an anecdote -- we're in an area where proof doesn't exist. There are violinists who don't care for Heifetz. And Ken who?

Any thoughts? Impressed by some of his recent work as a sideman on several Criss Cross dates, I picked up his "Convergence" (Savant), with Paul Bollenback, Paul Gill, and Billy Drummond and was impressed yet again. The first thing that struck me is his perfect intonation, which sets up the rest of his style, his agile fluidity and taste for the alto's upper registers. His lines just "ping." Any other altoists with perfect intonation come to mind? Off the top of my head, Sonny Stitt perhaps?

You saw my qualification that the bells and whistles, snorts and chortles side of PW began rather suddenly and for whatever reason around 1958 and that I'm talking about PW as a soloist not as a lead player, where I concede his stature. In any case, I'm familiar with many of the recordings you cite and would add that if you can't tell the difference in style and IMO quality between the frequently marvelous PW of, say: Jazz for the Carriage Trade (Prestige, 1956),The New York Scene (Prestige, 1957),Jazz at Hotchkiss (Savoy, 1957) and many other recordings of that period and BEFORE then our minds will never meet on this subject, which is fine with me. Two pre-change PW favorites of mine BTW: Quincy Jones' "This Is How I Feel about Jazz" (his solos on "A Sleepin' Bee" and "Walkin" [!!!]) and Red Garland's "Sugan." As far as "Tell that to," I'm not the only longtime listener who feels the way I do about latter day PW. A story: I went to Rick's Cafe American to review PW's working band of the time (don't recall the year, but Jim McNeely was on piano) and was surprised that the bebop carnival ride side of PW was not to be heard; instead his lines were quite shapely and lucid in an almost pre-'58 PW manner. After the set he explained to the audience that the band had had terrible airline trouble and almost no sleep the night before and were pretty much exhausted but that we should stick around and all would be well. Of course I stuck around, and the second set was carnival time again. BTW, why the circa '58 change in PW? I have a feeling that Chan might have had something to do with it. He means that Smulyan started out on alto etc.

P.S .I really like the Smluyan and Brass album.

What? I have to keep a continuous record of my opinions? The unusual depth and strength of tone, plus, as Ralph La Lama put it, "Gary's ability to stack chords on chords," and I would add make that all come out as coherent lines. About Woods I've testified/explained at length here many times. After about 1958 , lead work aside, IMO it often became bells and whistles, snorts and chortles. P.S. I love Cuber.

I'd add that when I first heard Smulyan he pretty much sounded like a Pepper Adams clone to me.. Over time I think he's grown much more distinctive.

I have an album by the Australian trombonist who made the Buddy tapes. good player.

I've now become a Smulyan fan, despite my former comments, which you recall accurately. We live and learn. I should add that IMO Smulyan has grown a fair bit over the years.

Jack Montrose played there for a good while.

Wirth Rich Perry, Ralph LaLama, Dick Oatts, Billy Drewes., Scott Robinson, Mike LaDonne, Dennis Irwin, Kenny Washington. Bob Belden arrangements. Smulyan gets most of the solo space, but there’s some terrific spots from Rich and Ralph.

Frank Strazzeri was Elvis' pianist of choice.

What I have against Chambers, here and in his Miles Davis bio, and James Gavin too, in his Baker bio, is that their presumption of being on the inside is highly dubious and leads them to make errors of fact and emphasis that then can become part of the "real story.".I've mentioned some of these here from time to time. Also there's Gavin's obsession with Bruce Weber and gay politics.

Zieff wasn't the writer. The error was the product of Jack Chambers's brain or his fingers.