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Duke Ellington and his Orchestra “Newport '58” Mosaic cd An early morning shift to Ellington. Ellington the trickster magician musical painter. After decades of listening to his music putting one of his recordings on to spin is an immediate transition to his colorful world of grace, sinuosity and sass.

It's certainly an enjoyable record (I found my copy - a 70s reissue on French RCA - in one of those Special Offer bins and at 2.50 euros you can take chances) but it probably will be of less interest to those who are specifically into the original Andy Kirk band and will appeal more to those who are into Al Cohn and his 50s acolytes. (So you should be safe anyhow according to your interests.) Here is the Down Beat review from 1957: The approach of trade listeners in 1957 may not be exactly the same as that of today's collector listeners, so YMMV, as the say. And this excerpt from the liner notes of the 70s reissue on French RCA may also be of interest to put things a bit into perspective:

I came across this album. It's Andy Kirk with a bunch of musicians playing Kirk's old 1930s Clouds of Joy hits in 1957. This is interesting because I've been getting into Kirk, Mary Lou Williams and Clouds of Joy but particularly because of the musicians on it. It's a lot of the same players as MS-027 Mosaic Select: Al Cohn, Joe Newman & Freddie Green, including Frank Rehak. I love that Select so when I saw this I really wanted to hear it. It does not seem to be available to stream anywhere so I ended up ordering a used copy which will arrive in a few days.

On to another Sun Ra, “When Angles Speak of Love” Myth Science cd This material is from 1963 and rather “out there” but an interesting sonic experience. Suits the hour and my mood. This is very 1963 exploratory jazz, sounds like a time capsule to me. Sun Ra: piano, Clavioline, gong Walter Miller: trumpet Marshall Allen: oboe, alto sax, percussion Danny Davis: alto sax John Gilmore: tenor sax, percussion Pat Patrick: baritone sax, percussion Robert Cummings: bass clarinet Ronnie Boykins: bass Clifford Jarvis: drums Tommy “Bugs” Hunter: drums (?), percussion, tape reverb, engineer Ensemble: vocals

February 3 Bob Stewart - 1945 I saw him with 'Tony Malaby TubaCello' in Göttingen November 7, 2015 – he replaced Dan Peck

It was triggered by listening to that new Abhorrent Expansive record with Craig Taborn on. I always enjoy this one, although I rarely remember to listen to it. In the fusiony death metal world I tend to reach for Gorguts and Cynic first.

My wife fell asleep early and I turned in but woke up and had trouble going back to sleep so I’m doing some listening. I pulled out a Sun Ra reissue from last decade I had little memory of and it’s an interesting date. No bass player, which creates an interesing “space” in the music, sort of wish Ronnie Boykns was present. A radio broadcast from the Philadelpphia period which is one of the final Ra periods I am really interested in. Lots of Ra piano and good Gilmore and Allen playing. Sun Ra “Of Abstract Dreams” Strut cd

Last night at his show ...

My thoughts exactly, although with the distance inherent to being on the other side of the ocean. And with the caveat that I am a big fan of Bruce Springsteen.

new Lucinda Williams CD: World's Gone Wrong

Off the top of my head, I know there are a bunch more, but it would take some research...

Sunny Murray, Bob Dickie and Robert Andreano: Homework Recorded in Philly in 1994.

Lightmen, Free as You Wanna Be

Never realized how much of a looker a young Joan Crawford was, even in a Salvation Army uniform, as she is much of the time here.

straight to the wishlist. thanks for the heads up.

Interesting album. Never heard it back in '93 when it came out. Looks like they went heavy on the merch with the bandcamp page when they reissued this.

Well, my copy arrived today and I got it all ripped to lossless files and listened to the Basie stuff, which is about an hour and 22 minutes, and the Lionel Hampton section, which is 30 minutes. I have nothing to compare besides public domain sources on the internet but the sound does seem quite excellent here. The content is, as you know, splendid.

It's in Esperanto.

I have a copy of the massive History of European Jazz book on the way and am eager to look for further discussion of the artists featured on SJ 18 (which has superb annotations in and of itself). Thinking about brewing up a Night Lights episode devoted to this release. Current listening--this early-1960s end-of-a-love-affair concept album, the last of Nat King Cole's four collaborations with arranger Gordon Jenkins:

That is a superlative entry in the series!