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Watched Blackboard Jungle last night. Haven't seen it since it was first released in 1955. Of course I remembered Rock around the Clock but I didn't remember that Stan Kenton and Bix Beiderbecke were also featured. And in the scene where the kids destroy a record collection they yell out the names of several of my favorites as they break them "Cherokee", "Clap Hands Here Come Charlie" etc. Of course I was 12 when I first saw it and none of the jazz references would have meant much to me.

Strong set last night at The Stone Aruan Ortiz on grand piano Hery Paz on tenor saxophone & flute Tom Rainey on drums 57-58 minute freely improvised set

My favorite I'm aware of is the 'Further Definitions' album on Impulse!, but that may well be a function of the sidemen and my taste, rather than it being artistically superior to his other work.

If you look beyond the Norman Granz Jam Sessions that Benny Carter participated in, IMO his Verve years, while certainly fine, tend to be rather middle-of-the-roadish, i.e. mainstreamish on safe ground, and probably not all that distinctive above and beyond what else there was in major-label mainstream recordings of the 50s. And quite a few noteworthy recordings that he put his special touches to were under the leadership of others. Personally I find his early 30s and late 30s and 40s big band recordings as well as his European recordings from the "in-between" 30s period more stimulating to explore as a whole. But of course YMMV.

The 1810 made pianoforte works surprisingly well with the pieces of the Bach sons. https://www.discogs.com/release/15418540-Jörg-Becker-Sonate-Facile

Original Italian LP

👍

Probably a licensing challenge for a Benny Carter set, and possibly sizing issues. I really haven't been into Benny Carter a lot during my jazz journey. I would probably say the Verve years would be my "favorite period."

Playing this one again before it goes back on the shelves. Such a great variety of music from this period of Ellington, much of it not released before this 2 LP set. Duke Elllngton “Ellington '56/'62, Volume 2” CBS France 2 LP set, LP 1

Why has there never been a Benny Carter Mosaic? And what's your favorite period of Benny's music in general?

Marshall Allen...

March 6 Flora Purim - 1942

Today is Wes Montgomery's birthday.

Monty Alexander with special guest Ernest Ranglin - Rocksteady (Telarc)

I happened to catch Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson together at an engagement at Jazz Alley in Seattle around 2000 or just before. Both men were looking quite frail but they played great.

Prompted by all the Mehldau talk:

I had a long reply written up but I deleted it, as I have fond memories of seeing older Jazz greats, even when they were not playing well. As I said, not every septuagenarian/octogenarian musician can continue to play at a high level. I'll leave it at that.

Dankie, dankie !

I'd say what you are playing there is pretty much the highlight but I haven't followed most of the more recent developments

Do you know of any highlights from his oeuvre ?

I never really got into Mehldau. His reign seems a long time ago, now.