Michael Fitzgerald

There are recordings of Cannonball in the company of a number of other trumpters, from Freddie Hubbard or Miles Davis to Blue Mitchell, Donald Byrd, Louis Smith, Art Farmer, Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie - man, it's hard to find an A-list player he *didn't* work with at one time or another. But for Cannonball's working band, Nat beats all of them. The chemistry is perfect. Someone like Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard is too similar to Cannon, too technical, too extravagant. Nat has limitations, but there's so much character, so much love. And there's the deference - one thing I hear in Cannon's quintets is that they sound different from most because of the prominence of the alto. Most of those trumpet players above would take the lead and keep the alto underneath - I hear the reverse with Cannonball and Nat. I don't know if the typical trumpet ego would let that happen. No way is Nat going to stand on his own, one-on-one, against any of the above - but as a group member with his brother - man, that is a team that is amazing. And look at the longevity - what saxophonist did any of the others work with for as long as Nat worked witih Cannon? If the blood didn't create a great team, the time and shared experience did. Mike

For the short term, perhaps look into rentals - either piano or keyboard. Mike

But it's not the level of the student that makes the piano hold or lose tuning. It's the weather: humidity, fluctuations in temperature. Unless the weather conditions are uniform, it's quite likely that how it is when you get the single annual tuning will be only a non-representative snapshot of how things will be during that entire year. In a lot of places, there's a point in the winter where the heat gets turned on and that is a *radically* different environment than what things were like in say, October. And when you've got the A/C going in August is different from how things were in May. I'm not a technician, but I suspect that there are particular regional considerations for seasonal changes. And since a beginning student, especially a very young one, is developing the ear, it's important to get the "right" sounds associated with the right notes. The instrument itself and its history are also to be remembered: a piano that has been regularly serviced will hold tuning better than one that has been ignored for a few years. I've seen neglected instruments get tuned and then be way off the following week, requiring another visit. Mike

Well, there are considerations. Speaking as an ex-piano-teacher, I would say that having the real piano is great - IF you invest in maintaining it. Not all real pianos are equal. An out-of-tune one with sticking keys is going to be a frustration and will injure the student's sense of pitch. The recommended tuning regimen is twice a year. Somewhere around $75-100 for each tuning when last I checked. In this regard, the electronic ones win out - they never have to be tuned and the keys never stick (well, hardly ever). But they still don't have the sensitivity of a real keyboard and the resonance of sound is artificial. When the student practices on an electronic keyboard, it will be a reasonably big switch every week onto the teacher's real piano, which could be frustrating. There will be some disparity between your old used upright and the teacher's Steinway grand, but it's not as big a difference. A very young student is dealing with all kinds of muscle development and dexterity issues - a real piano demands more than an electronic keyboard does, even those with weighted actions. Mike

But just alt-tab over to a websearch and it's more than likely that you will find the details you need - if not more. I agree that the vendor's information is not always as detailed as I would like, but by combining sources (which I can't do in the shop) I can get a much more complete picture. Mike

Space-wise, a piano almost always sits up against a wall. A keyboard can live away from the wall or even be moved around when necessary. In terms of an 88-key weighted action "digital piano" you're not going to see one new for less than $500 and the quality ones are about twice that. You would want one that has the built-in speakers otherwise you're going to be buying an amplifier too. The professional models don't have the speakers, the "home" models do. If you can swing the space, a real upright can be found cheaper. Mike

Don't know about this one, but when the first of these (don't recall the brand) came out, there was an article (NYT, I think) that said a big problem was the battery life. I do think it's an excellent idea and look forward to getting one when the price/performance is right. Yeah, I'll go along with "worship" to describe live jazz shows...... Mike Website says 8 hours batterry - that's fantastic. Price $500 - still too much at this point for me. Here's the article I remembered: ================================= Copyright New York Times Company Mar 24, 2005 WHEN Alan Lomax and his father, John, began making their famous field recordings of Southern folk singers in the 1930's, they had to build their 350-pound recording machine into the back of their Ford. It etched the songs of cowboys and former slaves onto aluminum disks, and used two 75-pound batteries for power. By today's standards, the sound quality was poor. The amateurs who follow in the Lomaxes' path -- the tourists who carry a sound recorder instead of a video camera, the garage bands cutting their first demos, the radio reporters and concert bootleggers -- have it easier. From wire recorders through the variants of tape to the leap into digital systems, portable recorders have become smaller and cheaper and sound much better. In recent months portable sound recording has taken the next big step, away from moving parts entirely and into the emerging technology of solid-state memory storage. Instead of the familiar cassette or digital tape or the MiniDisc, the new machines store sounds on the same flash memory cards, about the size of a quarter, that are used in millions of digital cameras. Logic would say that flash memory should spell the end of the two current choices for digital recorders, the awkward DAT (for digital audio tape) and Sony's durable MiniDisc. There are also several hard-drive systems and some that combine hard drives with flash memory, but they are expensive for amateurs. Flash memory has no moving parts, so there is no danger of the microphone's picking up machine noise. And most important, the feature that for many will offset the disadvantages of flash memory is the ease of transferring a recording to a computer for mixing, e-mailing or burning to a CD, since the computer recognizes the flash card as an external drive and allows the user to cut and paste files directly onto the hard drive. Marantz has been producing a large flash recorder for two years, purchased mainly for courts and institutions like the Maryland State Senate, which uses it to record committee hearings and floor sessions. But this spring several companies have brought smaller flash recorders on the market, including the Marantz PMD 660 (about $500), clearly aimed at the professional, and the Edirol R-1 (about $440), whose built-in music effects will appeal to amateur musicians. Both units have serviceable built-in stereo microphones. For all their convenience -- the big buttons and liquid-crystal displays with readouts -- the flash recorders have disadvantages, including high power consumption and the cost of the cards. A 512-megabyte compact flash memory card for $45 will record only about 45 minutes of uncompressed sound in stereo, compared with an hour and a half for a one-gigabyte Hi-MD MiniDisc selling for about $7. Of course, most flash memory users will reuse their flash cards, just as they do in their cameras. But the technology of flash memory means the new recorders are battery hogs, a disadvantage to true portability. The Edirol R-1 could not quite get through two hours of recording choir rehearsal on its two AA batteries when I tried it, and the Marantz, with four double A's, could manage just four hours of recording and playback before the batteries gave out. (My ancient Sony MiniDisc recorder, by contrast, can record for more than three hours on a single AA battery and still have juice to play back through earphones.) These defects may delay the widespread adaptation of flash recorders by users not within reach of a wall outlet. National Public Radio, whose worldwide deployment of reporters puts a premium on convenience and flexibility, is experimenting with replacing the Sony MiniDisc units it now gives its staff with flash memory recorders, but the network is not yet sold. ''We want to get away from moving parts, desperately,'' said Joseph L. Mills, an electrical engineer at NPR who is helping to develop the network's next recording platform. ''DAT should never have been born and the MiniDisc has its limits, but we're not ready to commit to flash memory yet.'' Karl Gustafson, a product and market development specialist with D&M Professional Americas, makers of the Marantz units, acknowledged the problem. ''Once you start cleaning out files and searching back and forth and making constant access to the memory, that will eat up the battery,'' Mr. Gustafson said. ''But if you're out in the field and you're gathering sounds like bird songs or thunder and lightning, you're going to have better results from the battery.'' Users who won't be recording long sessions or are close to a wall socket find the flash recorders have great advantages, said Peggy Morales, a Dallas music teacher and technical adviser to Texas school music programs for the retailer Brook Mays Music Group. Giving students a CD recording of their performances, made easy with the use of flash memory, can help keep children and their parents committed to music education, Ms. Morales said. And the flash recorders' push-button ease of use means a teacher can rest the unit on a podium and do without an assistant to operate a recorder during a performance. ''That's what this technology is bringing us -- we're trying to keep these kids in music'' as other activities compete for their attention, she said. ''Giving them these recordings has proven to be a real motivator to keep them on track.'' [Photograph] LISTEN UP -- The Edirol R-1, near left, has built-in music effects that will appeal to amateur musicians. The Marantz PMD 660, far left, is aimed at the professional. Limited battery life is a drawback for each recorder.

Just going on the details known, it sounds like a documentary based around the fall 1965 European tour. I would imagine there is performance footage as well as other things. Mike P.S. if you want straight performance by this same trio, try looking for the BBC TV "Jazz 625" show. That's from the spring 1965 tour.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natl...58/default.html Finding a copy is more difficult. Mike

Those particular timings are from online sources. I just timed Perfidia from my copy of the Epic LP and it is indeed 3:55. Who's got the Mosaic to confirm the 2:54 timing of Perfidia? I just timed It's Easy To Remember from my copy of Poinciana CD and you are absolutely right - 2:55! Mike

The problem is jazz doesn't sell (compared to the other things the store offers) so all the good intentions and artistic highmindedness will eventually get squelched by the higher-ups in the company. I've been there and seen it happen. While you may think it's music or art - it's just "product". If it doesn't move the "units" - why is it being kept around? The space could be better utilized. This is a commercial enterprise, not a museum. Mike

In case you wondered, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" takes the top spot for Fantasy. Getz/Gilberto (rec. 1963) was certified gold in 1965. No gold status for Jazz Samba, according to the RIAA website. Mike

I got no use for bricks-and-mortar stores except for used LP places. You can get everything (even used CDs) online easier and cheaper. It's my duty as a consumer to get the best deal I can, just like it's the duty of the record business to maximize profits. It's been AGES since I've seen a real store selling a new release for less than I can get it online. So it's ridiculous to think that I'm going to spend more. The browsing thing isn't all it's cracked up to be - with online links right at the store (plus the vastness of the entire Internet just an alt-tab away) that easily beats what information is available at a store, even one with an excellent selection. Mike

In the long run, yes, Blue Train has been named as the best seller. Mike

Ah, but I didn't. I just saw what it says on artistdirect.com The Blakey doesn't do this, but the Dexter - http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/arti...html?src=search - shows two last tracks as "Untitled (CD-ROM Track)" Mike

Sorry - in that case, Kind Of Blue is the best seller for Miles over the long run. Time Out has only gone Platinum. KOB is triple. For Atlantic, it's Les McCann & Eddie Harris: Swiss Movement. Mike

1. Savoy- (I would say something by Charlie Parker) I don't know how well Savoy's gospel records sold. 2. Prestige- ? James Moody: Moody's Mood For Love was a top-seller early on. 3. Riverside- ? A Cannonball Adderley perhaps. 4. Argo- But Not for Me Could be. 5. Milestone- ? Dunno - that's not an easy one. 6. Blue Note- Blue Train Yes, I would agree. 7. Pablo- ? Another tough one - plenty of big artists, but not their most popular period. 8. Impulse- Love Supreme Yes, I would agree. 9. Columbia- Time out or 'Round about Midnight Not with Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen around. 10. Atlantic- Giant Steps You gotta be kidding me - with Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, and Genesis? 11. Verve- (I would say something by Charlie Parker) No chance - Stan Getz: Girl From Ipanema is a contender, though. Or are we limiting to "jazz" issues - in which case, define jazz...... Mike

If I am not mistaken, the new OKeh/Epic CD is missing not one, but THREE tracks - there were earlier versions of Perfidia and Rica Pulpa - see timings. Correct? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: October 25, 1951 Location: Chicago, IL Label: Columbia Ahmad Jamal (ldr), Ray Crawford (g), Ahmad Jamal (p), Eddie Calhoun (b) a. CCO5288-4 The Surrey With The Fringe On The Top - 02:49 (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) b. CCO5289-2 Will You Still Be Mine - 02:41 (Tom Adair, Matt Dennis) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) c. CCO5290-2 Rica Pulpa - 02:31 (Eliseo Grenet) d. CCO5291-1 Perfidia - 02:54 (Alberto Dominguez, Milton Leeds) All titles on: - Mosaic CD: MD7-199 - The Columbia Piano Mood Sessions (2000) Unknown percussionist plays shaker on c. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: May 5, 1952 Location: Chicago, IL Label: Columbia Ahmad Jamal (ldr), Ray Crawford (g), Ahmad Jamal (p), Eddie Calhoun (b) a. CCO5337-1 Aki And Ukthay (Brother And Sister) - 03:04 (Ahmad Jamal) b. CCO5338-2 Billy Boy - 02:37 (Traditional) c. CCO5339-3 Ahmad's Blues - 02:53 (Ahmad Jamal) d. CCO5340-1 A Gal In Calico - 02:34 (Leo Robin, Arthur Schwartz) All titles on: - Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) - Mosaic CD: MD7-199 - The Columbia Piano Mood Sessions (2000) - Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: October 25, 1955 Location: New York City Label: Columbia Ahmad Jamal (ldr), Ray Crawford (g), Ahmad Jamal (p), Israel Crosby (b) a. CO53895 Perfidia - 03:55 (Alberto Dominguez, Milton Leeds) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) b. CO53896 Slaughter On Tenth Avenue - 04:50 (Richard Rodgers) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) c. CO53897 Old Devil Moon - 03:43 (E. Y. Harburg, Burton Lane) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) d. CO53898 Black Beauty - 03:25 (Duke Ellington) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) e. CO53899 Don't Blame Me - 03:20 (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) f. CO53900 Rica Pulpa - 03:49 (Eliseo Grenet) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) g. CO53901 Autumn Leaves [aka Les Feuilles Mortes] - 02:41 (Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prevert, Johnny Mercer) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) h. CO53902 Crazy He Calls Me - 04:57 (Carl Sigman, Sidney Keith Russell) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) i. CO53903 They Can't Take That Away From Me - 02:57 (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) j. CO53904 It's Easy to Remember - 03:55 (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) k. CO53905 Squeeze Me - 03:49 (Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Clarence Williams) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) l. CO53906 Something To Remember You By - 02:47 (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) m. CO53907 Poinciana - 03:33 (Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) n. CO53908 The Donkey Serenade - 03:19 (Chet Forrest, Bob Wright, Rudolph Friml, Herbert Stothart) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) o. CO53909 Love For Sale - 08:30 (Cole Porter) Epic LP 12": LN 3212 - The Ahmad Jamal Trio Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) p. CO53910 Pavanne - 04:24 (Morton Gould) Portrait CD: RK 44394 - Poinciana (1989) Epic Legacy CD: EK 93580 - The Legendary OKeh & Epic Recordings (2005) Mike

BTW, my calculations show that at 10:16, "It All Comes Back To You" could have been kept in the Woody Shaw CD and still had the time under 80 minutes (79:23), but that was using the original timings from the LPs - why are the tunes now longer on the CD? 8:35 now 9:12; 11:03 now 11:16; 8:24 now 8:35; 11:07 now 11:14; and 0:58 now 1:00. Explanation? Especially for the first one. Mike

Questions for anyone who has the new Blakey CD - What is this I see about "restored lead track"? I note a 7:42 timing for the track "The Sacrifice" which previously was 5:17. Sounds intriguing..... Is recording studio/engineer given for these sessions? Also, now that I think about it, it was a stupid move to include the Ira Sullivan tracks as bonus for this session. They belong on an expanded reissue of The Cool Voice of Rita Reys, since they were recorded at the same session (6/25/56). Has that album EVER seen US reissue? Thanks - Mike

Hold on - define "is". Mike

No - wait - define "jazz". Mike

Define "over". Mike

BTW, I just today learned that Paul Berliner is about to join the faculty of Duke University. Mike

Well, I consider it a studio aggregation. I don't know that anyone paid the personnel much attention at the time. The personnel that was perhaps more significant was the band that he formed to tour with this material: Tom Canning, Gary Willis, Tom Brechtlein. These are all typical fusion guys. Ditto for Canning's replacement Mitchell Forman. On a few gigs, he added Kent Jordan playing flute. Mike