Fer Urbina

I have played the CD. Sounds good to my ears, but have not listened attentively enough. One thing, though: Although disk 2 carries 6 alt takes, of which 5 are previously unissued, it does not carry the extra takes of "Evidence" (5:26) and "Blue Monk" (6:55) included regularly in official reissues since 1999. F PS: there's a previous thread on this album, its reissues and their sound quality.

Just saw it on FB. Really sorry to hear this. He was great to deal with and very friendly too. RIP. F

Have had the set as background music (pun intended), so I don't have a detailed opinion yet, but so far I'm very happy with the music. With the liner notes, not so much. Besides things like a note alerting of the disparity in sound quality (CD1 can be a scary first impression), I miss some more context. Some examples from CD2. Track 1, "Spectrum", multitracked, at RVG's in 1952. No mention at all of "Descent into the Maelstrom" (are they related? how?). Track 2, "New Pennies". Sounds like an alternate take of "C-Minor Complex" from The New Tristano (same opening bass line, both in C minor, both same changes as far as I can tell). Is it? There are 14 tracks from that 1961 session at home: are they outtakes of The New Tristano? I know and agree that what's important is the music, but just saying that the notes in the booklet "are not meant to inform -- just to note muy personal feelings and reactions to the music as it unfolds", doesn't cut it for me, especially in a text where, besides the perfunctory hat tip to Barry Ulanov (has no one else written favourably about Tristano?), all references to writers/critics are negative clichés. F

Note that there's a reissue with one previously unissued track and longer edits of two others. https://www.discogs.com/es/release/11845498-Lennie-Tristano-Descent-Into-The-Maelstrom F

For what it's worth, besides the list of songs, the Frémeux site also carries the whole liner notes in French and English, here. F

Various Artists: Slavery in America - Redemption Songs: 1914-1972 (3CDs, Frémeaux & Associés, FA 4467) Info on the Frémeaux site. £4.32 at Amazon UK.

Love both records, especially the 4 Altos, for which, Sims played the head and soloed, then Handy took the recording home, transcribed the solos, arranged them for four voices, and brought the stuff back for the overdubbing session. I think that doing this on alto instead of tenor was a great idea, it's a lighter sound, and few, if any, could have pulled it off like Sims did. Curio: on "The Last Day of Fall", Sims has a rare single-line solo -- Handy harmonized it for 4 saxes two years later for Hal McKusick's Cross Section: Saxes. As for the other, the alto/tenor/bari, Sims did the overdubbing on the spot. Williams told me that the rhythm section killed time having drinks, and that they were hammered by the end of the session. F

Thanks for making this available. It's well-known that Charlie Christian was one Tristano's favourite soloists, but it's nice to hear such a heavy Benny Goodman/Charlie Christian sextet vibe. The first line on the guitar solo on Found a New Baby is a direct lift from CC's solo on same track. And the intro to Honeysuckle Rose and then the ensemble towards the end are from Gone with What Draft. F

I know for a fact Dot Time had an unissued trio ready to go, possibly more stuff. I wonder if the Mosaic comes in lieu of those. The estate also released a CD with some unissued things or in better sound than before (this one). Really intrigued to see what they come up with now. When I got the email I thought it'd be about the Black & White set... jaw dropped to dislocation. F PS My first Mosaic was their Tristano/Konitz/Marsh set, bought after much pondering over cash flow issues.

The LoneHill has exactly the same studio tracks as this one by Fresh Sound: https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/gerry-mulligan-albums/4467-the-san-diego-concert-1954-complete-studio-sessions-1955-1956-3-cd-box-set.html In order to have all the studio recordings on CD, you need either of those, plus the Japanese Mainstream of Jazz, Vols. 2 (32JD-104) and 3 (32JD-105). Vol. 2 has the alt tk for "Blues" (12061-2), and Vol. 3 has the other five tracks. NB: all discographies carry mistakes about these sessions. The correct one is the Mosaic (available at Archive.org). F

Going back to the Sextet, one thing that sets it apart from the quartets and the CJB is the leaning towards Basie-ish swing. With a natural swinger like Sims in a very lesterian mood and a huge Basie devotee like Brookmeyer on board, you get things like "Igloo", "Elevation" or "Mud Bug" (YouTube), that don't really happen with the other bands. F

Agreed. In my mind I always think of this as a different unit (I came across at a different time than the quartet), even though this happened during the short lifespan of the first quartet. F

On CD, non-PD, these: Pacific Jazz recordings, 2-CD set. https://www.discogs.com/Gerry-Mulligan-Quartet-The-Original-Quartet-With-Chet-Baker/release/7569229 Fantasy recordings (including the classic 1952 instrumental "My Funny Valentine"): https://www.discogs.com/Gerry-Mulligan-Quartet-Chubby-Jackson-Big-Band-Gerry-Mulligan-Quartet-Chubby-Jackson-Big-Band/release/10542306 GNP-Crescendo: https://www.discogs.com/Gerry-Mulligan-Tentet-And-Quartet-Featuring-Chet-Baker-Gene-Norman-Presents-The-Original-Gerry-Mulli/release/7251490 The Fantasy and the GNP include some non-quartet things, but with those three, you have everything, studio and live, from 1952-1953. F

Second this. I've done the same—listening to the whole output of the first pianoless quartet—and it's outstanding music, and I agree that anyone avoiding it because of "Chet Baker" "Cool Jazz" or "West Coast" is missing out (if memory serves, Max Harrison was very fond of that first quartet too). As for the instrumental limitations, there are a few tracks where either the drummer or the bass player sing a wordless line. From first to last recordings in that first run, they lasted nine months, but what they created is monumental, at ages 25 (Mulligan) and 22 (Baker). Some time ago I put this together: https://jazzofftherecord.blogspot.com/2010/11/spotify-playlist-ii-gerry-mulligan-chet.html Having said that, I was listening to the live recordings with Jon Eardley the other day, and they're well worth a listen. Mulligan sounds somewhat freer (he was slightly older, out of jail, and it's a concert anyway). F

Hi Ed Thanks for that, much appreciated, and glad I helped you open the set. F