Michael Fitzgerald

Judson Hall was at 165 W. 57th Street, NYC, across the street from Carnegie Hall. In early 1971, Judson Hall was renamed CAMI Hall. CAMI is Columbia Artists Management, Inc. http://www.cami.com/about/history.asp The hall is a New York City landmark. Mike

Actually I'm opposed to it - I like the fact that great players are just "regular folks" here and aren't obligated to do the whole promotional thing like at other sites. Turn on the spotlight, shove the microphone in someone's face and you might lose something even more precious. Mike

Elling and JARREAU! Now that makes perfect sense. Please let me know when the concerts are scheduled so I can be sure to remain a safe distance from them. Mike

I was outraged enough that they didn't include the alternative takes of Billy Boy, which is one of the most swinging piano trio performances ever. I would be very interested to hear what the other versions sounded like - whether they were tighter, looser, freer - or even if they were exactly the same, because that gives perspective on the classic take. Mike

Now, THAT's been issued on legit CD. At least I think it's legit. Unfortunately cover is b&w and slightly altered - missing the hieroglyphics! Mike

I don't own the LP but it wouldn't surprise me. Quality wasn't job #1 for El Saturn. There has been no legit CD reissue. Sounds like you have everything. Mike

That is a ripoff from a Saturn LP (165) known as "Featuring Pharoah Sanders and Black Harold." Mike

The "LP reproduction" idea is so stupid - if you want an LP, buy an LP. A new format should take advantage of what is possible, not become stuck (by choice, no less) with the limitations of the original issue. I'm just waiting to see 78s reissued with one track on each CD, so you get the "real" experience of getting up every three minutes. More importantly, where was the Cuscuna interview? Mike

Your issue with the sidemen perplexes me - do you mean that you know these folks and their music and it doesn't appeal to you? Because if you do like the New Ideas album, there's more than just that. How Time Passes is the same band minus Al Francis. I would imagine if you like New Ideas you would probably like all the early small group stuff, including Essence. Now, as for the California big band - do you find the sidemen unappealing because you know them or because you don't know them? While there are some bigger name people in that band (Joe Roccisano, Tom Scott, Frank Strozier, John Klemmer, Ted Nash, Fred Selden, Glenn Ferris, George Bohanon, Mike Lang, Ralph Humphrey, Jay Graydon, Milcho Leviev, for example) - if you consider those "bigger name" - but I'd say the majority of the sidemen are NOT known for anything else. Certainly Ellis was interested in stretching boundaries of instrumentation and he explored things like odd meter and microtonality - if such experimentation doesn't interest you, that's fine. But I don't think it was "tacked on" - he spent time seriously studying ethnomusicology and composition. Was it exotic - absolutely, but there was some foundation. His music can be seen as evolving from things that Kenton, Mingus, Sauter-Finegan, Brubeck, and others did. Ellis knew his history. I'm sure others can name more antecedents. Mike

Wish I had some. Album title "Improvisations". Unknown as, p, b, d. Believed to be from 1960, one tune by Arif Mardin. That is all. Mike

Date: January 3, 1969 Location: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ Label: Blue Note Lonnie Smith (ldr), Bennie Maupin (ts), Lee Morgan (t), Julian Priester (tb), Melvin Sparks (g), Lonnie Smith (org), Idris Muhammad (d) a. 3307 (tk 7) See Saw - 05:59 (Don Covay, Steve Cropper) b. 3308 (tk 11) Eleanor Rigby - 09:19 (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) c. 3309 (tk 15) Turning Point - 08:28 (Lonnie Smith) d. 3310 (tk 19) Slow High - 06:33 (Lonnie Smith) e. 3311 (tk 27) People Sure Act Funny - 06:29 (Titus Turner, James McDougal) All titles on: - Blue Note LP 12": BST 84313 - Turning Point - Blue Note CD: TOCJ-4313 - Turning Point (1997) Omit Bennie Maupin (ts) on e. Omit Lee Morgan (t) on e. Omit Julian Priester (tb) on e.

No, reportedly there is yet ANOTHER session for Candid, a quintet. Mike

The flip side of the Riverside 45 rpm "Soft and Furry" by Johnny Griffin was "Guns of Navarone" (I assume the movie theme by Dimitri Tiomkin). Supposedly it was from the same sessions as the album "Change of Pace". It was not included as a bonus track on the OJC CD. Has this track ever been issued elsewhere? Put it on the orphan list! Mike

How about this one? "Time Was" I have a number of versions of this tune - John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Kenny Barron, Native Colours, Shorty Rogers, Tubby Hayes - they're all the SAME tune. However, on these versions I see differing composer credits: I'm thinking that the correct one is Miguel Prado & Gabriel Luna with English lyrics by Sidney Keith Russell. I don't think I've ever heard the lyrics, though. Original title "Duerme" it seems. But there are several issues that list Harry Akst. Why? I find no trace of a tune of that title by him in ASCAP database. The Shorty Rogers version on VSOP even tries to tell me it's an original by Shorty! Anyone got the scoop? Apparently it was new in 1941 when Dorsey, Goodman, and Shaw had it in their books, though I don't have any of those. Looks like it's Bud who's the link to it for the modern players. BTW, please disregard tune of the same title by Paul Bley. Mike

"reasonably vintage" - isn't that like "somewhat pregnant"? Mike

There always *something* of interest on the later records. Starting with the "Goes Underground" record, the pop elements started getting more and more prominent. Do you really need to hear Don Ellis play Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again, Naturally" - well, if you do, you can (on the album "Connection"). The earlier Columbias are still kind of dated because of the rock/Indian/electric aspects, but if you like the Pacific Jazz big band ones, you certainly won't hate them. The other thing that's a little worrisome is how his liner notes are so damned sincere. He really believes that what he's doing is the absolute greatest thing ever. Mike

I'm sure that Ellis and Byard went back before their time with Maynard (where Byard replaced Zawinul in summer 1959; Ellis joined six months earlier). Ellis went to school at Boston University and graduated (BM in composition) in 1956. Byard, of course, was a Boston legend going back to the 1940s. Mike

There's a ton of Ellis appearances that are stashed in the vaults - like the 1962 DC International Festival performance by the George Russell Sextet with Ellis, Paul Plummer, David Baker, Russell, Steve Swallow, and Pete LaRoca. Or the 1960 Enrica album. Or the *other* 1960 Candid album. Or the Hindustani Jazz Sextet stuff from 1964-66. Unfortunately, the Ellis name isn't what it once was. We're lucky to see Essence and the big band things. Mike

Bassist probably Alex Blake, who is a very exciting, physical performer. He sits with the bass towering over him. Lots of strumming, etc. Mike

There are a few other Heckman appearances in the mid-1960s - see the Joe Hunt and Steve Kuhn discographies on my website. The rehearsal tapes mention preparing for a TV show - that WNET thing could very well have been it. I wonder if anything survived. Re: the Muza, when I said "legit" - I meant authorized and officially sanctioned, which is highly suspect in the world of Soviet-period Poland (and maybe Post-Soviet too). Mike

There's even one more small group item, live in Poland from Oct. 1962, but perhaps that Muza release is not legit. What's really interesting is the stuff I've heard by Ellis's 1963 NYC group with folks like Barre Phillips, Joe Cocuzzo, Don Heckman - several others. Free stuff, with a "concept". Unfortunately, rehearsals only. The gigs (which definitely had Ken McIntyre, Steve Swallow, Earl Zindars, and more) weren't taped, as far as I know. Mike

That last one would have been pretty interesting, I think. Instead we got Miles treading water for a couple of years. Mike

A few more, rather infrequently. Have a look here: http://www.attictoys.com/jazz/KG.HTM He's still around, plays at the Baked Potato and elsewhere. Latest record I know of is with guitarist Joe Gaeta in 2002. Mike

Peacock and Stone play together on a couple of other 1962 LA things - Clare Fischer: First Time Out and Prince Lasha & Sonny Simmons: The Cry. Mike

And if after you do, it continues to smell bad - you stepped in it. Mike