montg

Nice summation. I'm curious what the conflict is...I see the classical and new stuff as "both/and" rather than "either/or." For instance, if you look at threads here of the type, 'what jazz records first pulled you into the music', the answers generally refer to a classic. Once you get into the music, you generally find your way to the newer stuff.

Coincidentally, I just picked this up the other day...it's a lot of fun. The sound is great (my guess is that it was recorded in a Hollywood studio in front of an audience of some type--maybe someone knows more specifically how these were made). Remastering by JRT Davies. Bobby Hackett sounds beautiful on Sept. in the Rain

I imagine jazz during the day time is a bit tough to program....if people like to listen while they work, then something too surprising or boisterous might be problematic. But a lot of the best jazz is not background music--it does get one's attention. The local jazz station here has "solved" this problem by programing loads of jazz guitar throughout the day. Problem here is that (1) it's bland and (2) any newbie approaching the music my be turned off by it--"this is jazz--boring". I can't bear to listen to the same bland stuff and now I just listen to CDs at work that I have burned at home. Anyway, I've noticed that Ben Allison has been on the college charts a lot lately--the jazz composers collective and people like that are fresh and may appeal. ALso, I love to hear something pre-1950 programmed now and then. I don't know anyone who can resist smiling or toe tapping to Basie's 9:20 special, Ellington's "A Train, anything by Pops etc.

Philly, Here's a thread discussing the One Night with Blue Note release: one night with blue note

That new release line up looks pretty sad, if you ask me. Even compared to just a few years ago. Wynton with guest star Bobby Mcferrin thumping on his chest and yodeling, plus another 'young lion' going electric (whew, that's new!)... doesn't really get the old ticker palpitating. Could anyone tell me who's on the Benny Carter release? The only info I could glean from allmusic is that it's a 1960 UA recording.

I had the double Basie release and sold it. It sounded as though it had been recorded in a cave. The new Sony release has most (if not all) of the material on the Collectables release and the sound on the Sony is better. For what it's worth, I had also picked up the Berigan and Benny Goodman releases of 30s and 40s material and sold both of them as well. It sounded to me as though they had probably been dubbed straight from a 50s lp/reissue. Some of the more recent Colectables releases of older stuff now explicitly mention a remastering engineer (Ken robertson for the Columbia stuff) and so these may sound better. I haven't bought any, however, given my unfavorable experiences.

Thanks for this recommendation-someone I never would have picked up on otherwise. I received his CD 'Song for my Mother' right before Christmas and it's been in heavy rotation since then. There's some really nice writing here, imho... even the flutes sound hip.

I'm through the first disc so far and it's great stuff..Mamacita, Fungi Mama.... I didn't realize Herbie Hancock was on the first set--I mean, I'm sure I read it on the web site, but it didn't really register until I was listening today. #3544

I find this claim by Lundvall to be disconcerting. First, I don't think it's true. There's so much interesting new jazz being released on a plethora of indies--'crisis' seems to be a misrepresentation. Maybe the corporate penthouse guys are looking for bigger profits, but the music certainly seems to be flourishing. Second, I'm so tired of hearing record execs complain about poor sales. If something's not selling, then do something about it--sign some more artists, sponsor a concert series on campuses, promote, educate etc.... be creative. when McDonalds' profits were shrinking they didn't whine about it. They gave us McGridles and new chicken McNuggets. Be creative Bruce.

Chris, are you a Wittgensteinian? If so, we got something in common (other than jazz)! My main concern is when relativism becomes an excuse for not trying to critically evaluate one's own beliefs.

only relativists would think it's irresolvable, right? People develop through three epistemological stages: CHildren are absolutists who beleive they are right and set out to prove it. Next stage is relativism, where beleifs are denigrated to the level of opinion third stage is sometimes termed "evaluativism"--here, while the possibility that one could be ABSOLUTELY right in beliefs about aesthtics is dismissed, there is an acknowledgement that EVIDENCE exists that provides a rationale for some beleifs being better than others. In short, one assumes there are grounds for arguing that Coltrane played the soprano sax better than Kenny G and, further, there are grounds for saying that the belief "Coltrane is better than KG" is closer to the truth (better justified?) than the beleif "KG is better than Coltrane". Anyway, I deal with college students all the time and I'm sick of hearing them say that the garbage they listen to is "art" or "just as good as jazz or whatever".

I have the most recent CD from the New Jazz Composers Octet which I like a lot. It's a little bit like some of the larger Duke Pearson-arranged groups from the Blue Note days, but contemporary. Jeremy Pelt is the best trumpeter on the scene today under 30 (IMO). I've also heard good things about Marcus Strickland, but I haven't bought that one yet.

Funny how the mind works. WHen this set was available it was barely on my radar. Now that it's gone, I suddenly want it.

A new Mosaic catalog came in the mail today and the stuff smith is still listed for sale, so this apparently came as a surprise to Mosaic. What's odd, though, is why stuff smith and not the Teddy Wilson, which has been around longer--perhaps different licensing agreements. FWIW, I picked up the Mobley set for Christmas and it's wonderful.

Thanks for the helpful replies. You're not kiddin' about the Vanguards. They're sliced up like a cheap salami. As far as I can tell, 7 of the 8 Braff-Powell trios are on one of the Mel Powell reissues (the name escapes me). I happen to have the other Powell Vanguard, with Quinichette..I like it, so the Powell-Braff trios might be a good place to start.

I like this one too. I think Stefon Harris guests on Seven Steps and it really swings. The Cyndi Lauper song Time after Time...well, I really like it (Cassandra's version, that is).

In college I remember reading somewhere that Dylan thought Miles Davis was cool, so I checked it out, buying 'In A Silent Way'. I liked it, but it didn't really lead me any deeper into the jazz waters. About 7 years later I heard a Sunday afternoon big band radio show that I liked. I bought a Basie CD, heard Roy Eldridge going over the top at Newport with the the Basie band, and I was hooked.

This is from Alyn Shipton's jazz history book--the interview with Hill took place in 2000: "they (jazz players today) can play the notes and stuff, but they don't have the magic, because they've become so homogenous that something's lost. In our day, we would play, and then the technique would come to fit whatever we wanted to play. But today they develop the technique first...they haven't had direct contact with the masters, and that's where the magic is missing.... That's where you learn the stuff that's not written , the tones, the colors, the things you can do, and that's what we got from contact with the masters." Is the situation today really bleak? Who among the newer players (under 40?) has the magic that Hill's talking about?

Anyone care to comment? I have zero Ruby Braff, so I'm starting at the bottom.

There's a disc called Midnights at V-Disc (JUCD 2048) that came out a few years ago. Pops makes a guest appearance on a couple of sides that are really excellent. He was doing mostly big band stuff during the mid-40s I believe, so it's good to hear him jamming in a small group setting. Good Jack teagarden too. And great sound. Live at the Hollywood Empire, 1949 (also from Storyville) has Pops in a smal group setting with, among others Tea and Earl HInes. Decent sound. Pops appears on Jubilee sets--I don't have any of these, maybe someone else can speak to them. Also available from Storyville. storyville records

Yes, I'm scared straight by this news too. Just placed my order.

Buck Clayton Jam Session Volume one on Blue Moon (from Spain). 1995 reissue of 5 titles (73 minutes worth) overlaps with the oop Mosaic set. 10.00 ppd. check or money order please

I've been trying to investigate some of the current artists on the scene. It's hit and miss, I suppose...Irvin Mayfield and Nick Payton were misses for me. Others like Jeremy Pelt and Michael Blake were hits. Labels like Fresh Sounds New Talent, Criss Cross, and Palmetto have a lot to offer and it's been fun taking chances on folks I've heard relatively little about.

Ditto for me This whole question of lineage and development in jazz is a fascinating one to me. Today's players are both blessed and burdened by the weight of history--it's a tough nut to crack but, it seems to me, the future of the music turns to some degree on this problem. Can't wait to see the book.