poetrylover3

Sonny Rollins: Silver City, Disc 2. This features one of my favorte readings of "Skylark" by any artist. Stitt's Bits: Disc 2, "Blues up & Down" (Pick 1) Benny Carter: The Music Master, Disc 1, Tracks 1-5 (THe Chocolate Dandies 12/3/30 and 12/31/30), Tracks 6-14 (various ensembles all containing my hero, Chu Berry recorded 3/14/33, 5/18/33, 12/10/33) Gerry Mulligan: My Funny Valentine. This is a collection where I listen primarily and indiscriminately to Discs 2-4. Fabulous music.

Classic Rollins, IMO.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Shorter. I saw him once with Weather REport and then again as part of a duet with Herbie Hancock at a Tribute To Miles Davis 75th Birthday in East St. Louis. Both were fabulous as are the studio albums he's graced us with.Here's to many more...

This morning I'm listening to Classic Leter Young With Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1 and The Complete Roulette Live Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1. I was lucky enough to see the Basie Band in 1966 or 1967 with my father in St Louis and again at the University of Illinois-Urbana in the early 70s. This latter was also the time of the documentary "The Last of The Blue Devils", the release of Basie's autobiography, and the various small group aggregations produced by Norman Granz. For some inexplicable reason, I've only got the Pablo anthology "Count Basie/ The Golden Years". Can anyone recommend the best Basie Big Band recordings from this final period? Also, while I own the Naxos "Count Basie Live in '62" are there any must own DVDs of Basie in concert out there. Christmas is coming, after all and while I'm hoping for the Chu Berry Mosaic Box, there's always room for a stocking stuffer or two. Thanks in advance. Blue Trane

This is classic. Ray Charles Big Band Live from the Shrine Auditorium in 1964.Expanded from 7 to 19 tracks, the performances swing and burn from start to finish. Highlights include an unforgettabble "Georgia on My Mind", "One Mint Julep", "Hallalujah, I Love Her So", "Busted".

Periodically, I find myself listening to a concentrated dode of Art Pepper, especially The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions, The Hollywood Sessions, Art Pepper Plus 11, and the first two volumes of the "live" AP released by his widow. The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions are the most intense, searing Pepper, IMO, while the first two "Widows Taste" releases leave me wondering "what if.." I single out "The Hollywood Sessions" because Art sounds so relaxed and inspired here by his bandmates. Art Pepper Plus 11 is "bop heaven" to me. I can't think about Art without wanting more in my collection and there are few artists I can think of to whom a similar statement would apply.

I recently acquired and enjoy greatly "Duke Ellington At The Cotton Club". What other broadcasts exist of this particular Ellington aggregation?

I don't own any 3 Sounds except the Stanley Turrentine date but I do own later Gene Harris on Concord, I'm especially fond of his Count Basie Tribute CD, which swings its ass off.

38/38. It would have been more challenging if they'd included more artists who came to prominence in the 80s or later.

My track of the week is Duke Ellington's "Ko-Ko"-lots of mystery and substance here from the Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band box set.

I love piano players: especially McCoy Tyner; Duke Ellington; Thelonious Monk; Bill Evans;Herbie Hancock; Gene Harris; Keith Jarrett; Chick Corea; Count Basie; Wynton Kelly; Sonny Clark; Horace Silver; Phineas Newborn, Jr.; Hampton Hawes; Bud Powell; Teddy Wilson; Ahmad Jamal; Earl Hines; Randy Weston; Kenny Barron; John Lewis; Hank Jones; Horace Parlan; Red Garland; Jaki Byard; John Hicks; Bill Charlap; Brad Mehldau. Others I appreciate include Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Elmo Hope, Nat Cole and Art Tatum, but they just don't grab my attention immediately and consistently, like the first group does. It's like taste in poetry-some communicate with you and bond with you deeply, with others you admire the craftsmanship but never feel the same level of connectedness. Favorite album-what a bear-trios, duo or solo- here are just a few: McCoy Tyner: Echoes of a Friend; Thelonious Monk: Monk Alone or Plays Duke Ellington; Duke Ellington: Piano Reflections, Piano In The Foreground or Money Jungle; Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961; Keith Jarrett: My Foolish Heart; Chick Corea: Crystal Silence; Ahmad Jamal: At The Pershing; Hank Jones: Recital At Maybeck; Count Basie: For The First Time; Bill Charlap:Live At The Village Vanguard. If I get to expand the instrumental lineup then the selection increases exponentially.

The latest live Blue Note release from 1969 is very fine.

Add in my vote.

Now reading: Public Enemies-a very interesting corrective to the FBI propoganda I read while growing up such as The FBI Story.

What's your opinion on the Hubbard? Apart from some disturbing cymbal work of Louis Hayes on some tracks, this is a remarkable set of music. Freddie is on the top of his game. Definitively recommended. I would be interested if others share my opinion regarding the disturbing cymbals ? I agree.IMO, Hayes is overly busy at times on this day, still in all I really enjoy this recording. It's defintely a must-listen

I too only have a small collection of 1,000 CDs, but unlike others I have repurchased discs I thought lost only to have the originals resurface later. So it goes...I can always trade them in at my local brick and mortar, Euclid Records.

As far as Camus goes, I was entranced with THe Rebel and The Myth of Sisyphus, which captures perfectly the sense of futility I experienced around age 18. Still juggling Traitor To His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of FDR with Poems For The Millenium:The university of California Book of Romantic and Post-Romantic Poetry (Volume 3). I'm more impressed with FDR as I grow older, there was something in his character that allowed him to identify with the average man's struggles despite his patrician background. This is a fascinating reading of that character and Presidency. Despite the heft of this behemoth of a poetry anthology, I'm at least skimming it. So far I know I don't admire de Sade, I want to read more Goethe and am beginning to think of Christopher Smart as the fore-runner of the Beats. I will miss JazzTimes.

Joe Henderson: The Milestone Years Bill Evans: Turn Out The Stars. There's a lot to take in here so I'm listening to one disc repeatedly over several days. This is wonderful playing. I think he went out on top of his game.

Jaki Byard: Atlw from Charles Mingus Sextet with ERic Dolphy at Cornell 1964

Jimmy Heath! I also agree about Tadd Dameron. He wrote many beautiful melodies such as "On A Misty Night" that are seldom recorded.

Both the Ellington and Fats Waller are first rate and filled in some nice gaps in my collection.

happy Birthday, JIm. Thanks for being such a great host and a fine musician. Peace, Blue Trane

Stan Kenton. I have enjoyed individual Kenton alums but previous exposure has left a "tepid" impression. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Agreed. A very funny novel. Besides the fascinating Samuel Johnson: The Struggle, I picked up Baseball Prospectus 2009, which to me is always a stimulating read. Like most baseball junkies I enjoy new perspectives on baseball players and the unique skill sets that separate the star from the scrub. I also use it to draft for Fantasy Baseball and to evaluate trade proposals.

Samuel Johnson: The Struggle is a fascinating new narrative of Johnson's Life which includes information suppressed by Boswell and new revelations about the great man's masochism. His whole life was a struggle for balance and he was never satisfied with himself either. Johnson had never done enough and he lived in constant fear of damnation Unlike many, Johnson's wisdom was hard won and unflinching. He loved the poor and was a champion of the underdog. He despised cant. Socially, his poor hygiene and various tics, his wolfen voracity at dinner and his satirical bent made him unpopular among many, yet the force of his intellect and the goodness of his heart won him many loyal and devoted friends. If you enjoyed Boswell's Life of Johnson, this is an excellent supplement to experiencing one of the most fascinating men who ever lived.