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Boy it’s no fun walking the dog in rain when it’s 45! A short one by mutual agreement. I’m playing some of my very favorite Dexter Gordon. I’ve bought this music on LP and cd before and this is the best mastering I’ve heard, these Muzak Records reissues from Japan sound fantastic. Dexter Gordon “The Montmartre Collection” Black Lion/Muzak Japan 2 cd set, disc 1 (Not an exact image, couldn’t find one for the Muzak 2 cd collection).

No worries! Thanks for giving a listen and hope you enjoyed it. Reveal post coming soon. Work is crushing me at the moment and I've been too constrained by time and fatigue to write it up.

Everette Harp – Common Ground

I guess I missed the deadline but since I didn't see the answers posted, I hope it's still OK to comment. Thanks for the interesting and diverse selections. I enjoyed some of the freer stuff, although I don't habitually listen to it. The only ones I have a chance of knowing are: 7. Heads of State? With Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Al Foster, and I think David rather than Buster Williams. If so, that would be the second album, Four in One. But I listened to this recently and don't remember this track. For the sake of my memory, hope I'm wrong. Maybe someone like Kenny Garrett? 8. Is that Chu Berry on tenor? I haven't listened to that Mosaic set in years. After reading the discussion: off on both counts. Pianist on 7 was so familiar, should have caught Hicks. I guess I should go back and listen to Chu Berry and Coleman Hawkins too! Thanks again.

Cold morning again. Soon I’ll wish they were! Starting off with the third disc from the new Resonance Records 3 cd set from Yusef Lateef, “Alight Upon the Lake: Live at the Jazz Showcase.” I really like this release.

Frank Emilio – Frank Emilio Presenta a Frank Emilio

Two new Miles Davis SACD reissues in 7" packaging to be releaed May 27 from Japan: SICJ-10022 Miles Davis / At Newport 1958 Expanded Edition [Limited Release] [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)] Released: May 27, 2026 SICJ-10023 Miles Davis / Kind Of Blue (STEREO/MONO) [Limited Release] [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)] Released: May 27, 2026

that looks amazing!

One of 4 new titles announced by NoBusiness. Marion Brown - alto saxophone Gunter Hampel - vibraphone Barre Phillips - bass Steve McCall - drums. https://www.nobusinessrecords.com/live-in-europe-1968-and-1972-marion-brown.html. Supposedly available in early May.

Saw Charlie Ballentine and his trio last night. Played new original music that was engaging, several standards and "Sub-Conscious Lee" and "When Will the Blues Leave". Currently on tour. Will be in Pittsburgh tonight and Buffalo on Saturday.

Favorite live Trane: Complete VV Carnegie Hall w/Monk Cafe Half Note - both the official and the3 bootleg Creation

May 1 Carlos Ward - 1940 Met him in Göttingen, November 9, 1996

Sex Mob – Din Of Inequity

Saw that on FB, and several of his recent posts about dealing with his cancer. I only knew him through social media, but never in person. Always seemed like a great guy and obviously a great musician. RIP, the great Paul "FREE" McKee!

Ouch! Who would have thought that?? Did he hint at the reasons for these dislikes? Did they consider jazz too much of a "white thing " at the time they showed their dislikes? (The validity of which would surprise me ...) Or what else was there?

Yeah, Hentoff just produced records for Candid, which meant he wrote down the names and times of the tunes, and then said "Do whatever you want to do." Hentoff disclosed that he suffered from clinical depression that was cyclical, but he claimed that jazz brought him out of his most serious bout with it. Then he said that musicians used to put him down because he couldn't tell the difference between inside and outside ( which might explain his fervor over Ornette) or what chords they were playing. You've gotta give him credit for being honest about himself. Then he related a story about a Benefit concert at the Blue Note for Clark Terry. Clark struggled to get out of his wheelchair, and some guy from the audience yelled out, "So how are the golden years Clark?" Terry turned toward the voice and picked up his trumpet and said "They suck"!- and proceeded to play like he was 20 year-old!

Download the May BFT here: https://thomkeith.net/2026-organissimo-blindfold-tests/

Bette Davis has some seriously crazy and dangerous eyes in this one.

Archie Bleyer owned Candid. Hentoff was A&R.

While there have been a few Japanese bassists who moved to the United States, Kitagawa was the most successful of them all. He was a cheerful guy from the Kansai region (Japan has regional differences too; in American terms, he was sort of like someone from Chicago). He wasn’t even 70 yet, so it was a tragic death. RIP.

Revisiting a seminal moment from my early encounters with Ellington after a friend recommended this then-recent release: