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Up to go with the current Blakey thread.

Here's a Night Lights show I did a few years back: Late Art: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1980s

Thanks—I will probably purchase it. I've been collecting nearly all of Red Hook's releases so far. I don't usually let myself collect entire labels anymore but they only release about two albums per year, so I can keep up with that, and I love their choices of artists to record. That Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers album was just beautiful, and I was lucky enough to see them perform that piece, Central Parks's Mosaics, live last year.

Nice. I saw him live once. It was excellent!

Seeing him live soon!!

Billy Strayhorn “Lush Life” Red Baron cd A cd with varying ensembles and solo piano that I haven’t pulled out in too long. All Music says: Although not initially released until 1992, 25 years after composer Billy Strayhorn's death, this is his definitive CD. Strayhorn is heard singing "Lush Life" while backed by the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1964 (his voice is not strong but his phrasing is quite sincere), jamming on piano with flügelhornist Clark Terry and Bob Wilbur (on clarinet and soprano) in a quintet, backing singer Ozzie Bailey, and taking a pair of piano solos ("Love Came" and "Baby Clementine"). These are very valuable and intriguing recordings, shedding some new light on a nearly invisible genius.

We had this band in 1979 in our Jazzclub in Koblenz for a private concert. It was "the event" for many years. Have shot some fotos but flashlight was not allowed. Anyway it was a great rememorable concert. Have the 2hrs on a private reel recorded in the club but not issued yet 0901R Blakey,Art PR 1979 9"(2) Koblenz

More Fred Hersch:

Thanks, looking at history that explains a lot indeed.

Joe Henderson “Page One” Blue Note Japan SHM-SACD

In many ways, KCMO & KCK are really one big city (plus the other inner-ring suburbs on both sides of State Line Rd). But the majority of the Black community was in KCMO, specifically east of Troost Ave — and the heart of that community was around 18th and Vine, and 12th and Vine (all around there). As in many, many cites in the US — there was redlining, and before that, racial covenants that excluded minorities and Jews from certain developments (effectively certain entire neighborhoods). Not sure how far back the redlining goes historically, but the reasons for all these patterns have to do with segregation, both formal and semi-formally ‘enforced’ through all sorts of methods used widely (certainly not just in either of the Kansas Cities).

I wish I could have seen that band! I think that particular incarnation of the Messengers -- with Bobby Watson & James Williams -- was Blakey's best from his later years. Of course, I'm only going by the records.

I saw that line-up in Frankfurt. It was a hot band!

Days later, I’m listening to disc 2 Miles Davis “Agharta” Sony SRCS 9720-21 DSD mastered 2 cd set