POLL: Which should be AotW for Sept 14-20

[DrJ]

OK, couw was kind enough to choose me to pick AotW (no blindfold test element, I promise!). I would like everyone's help with the selection - PROMPTLY since the deadline approaches and I will need to close this poll by the end of the weekend to allow folks time enough to order CDs.

I've chosen as finalists three albums by artists who I feel are generally neglected but have produced tremendous work. I'm also pretty confident few will have listened to these albums and so there will be lots of fun discoveries no matter what is picked.

McNeely's album is the most "modern" although not out by any stretch, and it features a tentet wonderfully deployed, including Dick Oatts, Cameron Brown, Tom Varner, and Billy Drewes. Killer stuff, trust me.

Ricky Ford's album features George Cables, Cecil McBee, and Ed Thigpen on a live recording from France. It's a small label but you can get the album either through Cadence (www.cadencebuilding.com) or from Jazz Friends directly (www.jazzfriends.com)

Although the Dickenson is not really an actual "album" but a compilation abridged of a much longer session (available in full on a 2 CD import from Japan intermittently), it's the only music from the session that is widely available in the U.S. Dickenson is great here but one of the main reasons to consider this one is to hear cornetist Ruby Braff at his absolute peak. I wanted to make sure to have one pre-bop type selection on the list!

So with that...what do YOU think? Again, chime in FAST if you want some say...

[catesta]

I voted for VD.

[John Tapscott]

I voted for the Dickenson, because it's the only one I have (and there's no way I could get one of the others by next week).

But I have a question. I'm for democracy and all that, but is a poll now necessary for the AOTW? I think the person selected should just choose one. "Here it is, go for it." That's what I'll do if I ever get the chance.

[catesta]

"Here it is, go for it." That's what I'll do if I ever get the chance.

VOTE JOHN TAPSCOTT FOR FUTURE AOTW PICKER!

After Dmitry of course.

For the record when I picked Mobley's ACFD, I did just as you said.

[DrJ]

John, I actually thought strongly about doing that, but I look at it like this: it's late for getting this posted no matter what (I was just asked to do it yesterday, so not much I could do) and the thread will be up a lot longer than just the week it's "official," so I thought hey, let's get some thoughts about what people are in the mood for. If the CD could be obtained within 2-3 weeks, which is pretty do-able, then I think there'd still be an active discussion going (I'm often weeks behind in revisiting and posting on AotW).

I enjoy all three albums equally, for different reasons, and would be most happy to revisit any one of them, but I have a hard time gauging interest here in different forms of jazz sometimes. To give you one example of the value of a poll - I'm actually surprised at the early returns, since most of the discussion on the board revolves around bop and post-bop and thus I was a little hesitant to outright pick something from swing or pre-swing era for fear few would be interested.

But that's just me, I don't think it's "required" at all and if you have one you really want to do on your turn, I'd just go for it. I wonder what others think?

[JSngry]

I've been looking for an excuse to get that Ford thing...

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm for democracy and all that, but is a poll now necessary for the AOTW?

Certainly not "necessary", but each person running the AOTW can arrive at their decision however they like, with a poll, without a poll. whatever.

I did a poll when my week came around, and it was helpful in figuring out what people were most interested in from among the several titles I was knocking around in my head as possible selections.

[BruceH]

I went with Vic.

[Matthew]

The Ford cd looks like a great line-up, so I voted for that one.

[Dmitry]

VD. I don't know much about him, aside from some sideman appearances[good ones].

[Brad]

I voted for the Ford since I've never heard him but I'm ok with the Dickinson.

[DrJ]

Well folks, it's getting interesting - so let me extend the voting for just today, and I'll plan to wrap it up and make a choice by sometime this evening. If the numbers are fairly even between Ford and Dickenson then, I'll reserve final right to make the selection. Will get the final word out tonite.

[DrJ]

OK someone got in with a last VD vote under the wire, so THE ESSENTIAL VIC DICKENSON it is! I'll post this on a separate thread of course.

[Dan Gould]

That would have been my vote, motivated by your prior message.

Florida tips the election. Who'da thunk it?

[Dan Gould]

Oh, and here's the irony:

I pulled my Dickenson CD, and it turns out to be the Vanguard Comp., Nice Work, so what I have is Showcase Volume 2 and Septet. So, I have no idea how this compares to the actual Dickenson that's been chosen.

[Sundog]

I voted for Vic. Any excuse to listen to this fine compilation.