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Last night at The Stone Mark Dresser, Izumi Kimora, Earl Howard & Gerry Hemingway 19 minute piece with Earl switching off his synthesizer & silence to some stunning alto saxophone playing, followed by a 27 minute slab of improvised genius starting with Izumi’s grand piano joined by Gerry dueting with her for a few minutes. Earl’s synth was then incorporated magically throughout. Great more subdued 9 minute coda with Howard’s creaky gorgeous saxophone joining Dresser’s stunning intro. Dresser playing his 5 string contrabass / not sure even Joelle has a better *sound* on the bass. Just incredible as always. yeah Hemingway plays like he’s 30 and his sense of dynamics & time is beyond reproach. Wowza.

A cold rainy morning. Somehow reflective of my moods. Starting off with David Sanchez “Cultural Survival” Concord Picante cd I love how Sanchez injects Latin elements into jazz without overpowering jazz elements.

I have a ton of Stitt's records but I never got around to that "Legends of Acid Jazz" CD, mostly because Stitt plays with a varitone attachment on this session & I am not a big fan of that sound. It's now going for over $20 on the used market, so I'm out. If I find one in the cheapie bin, maybe. Especially since, as I said, I have a ton of Stitt already.

I've been meaning to pick up a copy of this for a while. I'll have to rectify that one of these days.

Oh yes. With Jimmy Rowles, too. Bailey is so underrated.

Pm sent.

October 30 Trilok Gurtu - 1951

I am not quite sure this would really be all that comparable style-wise with the late 30s/early 40s swing-cum-dixieland big bands similar to the Bob Crosby band that Ghost wondered about.

L.A. prophetically responded in 1968:

Compost was highly erratic but, hey, Harold Vick, and the occasional genuine groove. Jack got a full page article in DB to talk about the band. Columbia muscle in action, no doubt. He remained "eclectic" after moving to ECM, but before then he was ECLECTIC, if you know what I mean

I have a feeling Game 6 will go to the Dodgers due to pitching. Though one never knows. I feel the Dodger's will-to-win has been badly bruised. All in all, I would prefer to avoid a Game 7 as there's too much tension around the city already...

Damn, Toronto made L.A. into Blue Jay Way! Their next and potentially last test, should they pass it: solving Yamamoto.

***** ***** *****

Fwiw Gerry Hemingway was incredible tonight. Mark Dresser seems to be still amazed at his playing and they’ve been playing together for over 40 years. As per usual I was with 7-8 feet of the master drummer.

THIS. And yes, I agree that Rainey, Ches Smith, and Nasheet haven't been well captured on disc sometimes. Seeing them in person is another story. I remember the first time I saw Tom play live, at a coffee house in Austin with Malaby and the trombonist Brian Allen (Brian was the leader), my socks were completely knocked asunder.

That Davis trio of the early 50's with Floyd Smith and Chris Columbus seems to have been pretty popular in it's day. What I've been able to hear of them has certainly been fun! Hell, Duke carried him in the band for a little bit!

Idris Muhammad is TIGHT on this record, part of Prestige's long-gone Acid Jazz series. Has anyone here listened to a disc from that series lately? I'm enjoying the few I have all over again. Stitt fit in so seamlessly with Don Patterson. His use of the Varitone doesn't bother me. Another thing I realized—Sonny Stitt almost NEVER played out of tune. The guy was like Johnny Hodges—flawless solos.

That's some of the best Wild Bill I've heard.

Brother Jack McDuff “Who Knows What Tomorrow’s Gonna Bring?” Blue Note/Water cd

Sad, sad news, RIP.

I wish Bill Evans had recorded more with PJJ.